Israel Warns Turkey: We Will Not Tolerate Hostile Forces at Our Borders

One day after an attack on a military base in Syria by the Israeli Air Force, the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Eyal Zamir, visited Syrian territory and sent a message to Damascus and Ankara.

“We will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves at our borders. We know how to utilize our operational capabilities right there and at the time when necessary,” Zamir stated.

According to Ynet, on Tuesday evening, Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur military airport located in eastern Idlib province of Syria. According to the office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Turkish forces were expected to be stationed there.

The Prime Minister's office has effectively confirmed the strike, stating that Israel and Syria had agreed on maintaining the status quo regarding security matters, but Damascus had almost violated it by allowing Turkish troops to be deployed at the military airbase.

“Israel has repeatedly warned Syria that such deployment would pose a threat to Israeli security. Syria has chosen to ignore these warnings. Israel will not tolerate actions that threaten its security,” the Prime Minister's office declared.

Zamir, for his part, noted that Israel is monitoring changes occurring in Syria and is prepared for potential developments. “We must prevent both the escalation of terrorist threats and the formation of significant military threats near our borders,” he said.

The Israeli strike has elicited a strong response from Turkey. The pro-government Türkiye newspaper described the incident as a “serious Israeli provocation,” noting that the targeted airport is located about 55 km from Turkey's border and was intended for the deployment of radar and air defense systems.

Satellite images have shown that restoration work has been conducted at the Abu al-Duhur airport in recent months. This could indicate plans to re-operationalize the base, potentially with Turkish support or as part of future deployments of Turkish forces in Syria.

Amid regional tensions, Turkey has simultaneously announced its readiness to cooperate with Syrian authorities on matters related to oil and gas exploration and extraction. Ankara and Damascus also plan to launch new energy infrastructure, tripling the capacity of electricity transmission to Syria.