JERUSALEM: Israel accused Turkiye of “dangerous adventures in Syria” on Thursday, while Ankara called for a halt to “reckless” Israeli attacks, two days after Israel bombed a Syrian airbase where it said Turkish troops were about to deploy.

The attack has brought into focus tensions between regional powers Turkiye and Israel over Syria, an Arab state which borders both countries and where Ankara’s influence as an ally of President Ahmed al-Sharaa has stirred Israeli alarm since he toppled Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

Israel said that Damascus was on the verge of allowing Turkish troops to deploy at the Abu al-Duhur airbase and had ignored Israeli warnings that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security — a claim denied by Turkiye.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, in comments to Axios on Wednesday, said he had made clear to Israel there were no plans to establish a Turkish military base at Abu al-Duhur.

He added that Turkish military officers had visited the base in northwestern Syria several days before the strike but stressed it was part of “ongoing military cooperation in the areas of training and the exchange of expertise.” The Turkish defence ministry said on Thursday that no Turkish military delegation was present at the base before or during the strike, and that Turkiye would continue to support Syria’s efforts to develop its own military capability and infrastructure.

“It is essential for the peace and stability of both Syria and the region that Israel ceases such reckless attacks and complies with the requirements of international law,” the Turkish Defence Ministry said.

Sources said that the issue of Turkish military deployments in Syria was discussed in a rare phone call between Shaibani and the head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, Roman Gofman, on Aug 14 — days ahead of the strike.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, in a post on X, cautioned Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan against “dragging Turkiye into dangerous adventures in Syria” and “testing Israel’s determination to defend itself”.

Nato member Turkiye, which shares a 900-km (550-mile) border with Syria, was a major player in the 13-year civil war, backing anti-Assad rebels and sending troops into Syria several times to curb Kurdish groups it deemed a national security threat.

For Israel, concerns over Iranian influence when Assad was in power have been replaced by worry over Turkiye’s role since he was toppled by rebels led by Sharaa, a former Al Qaeda commander who has developed warm ties to the United States.

Israel has struck repeatedly since Assad was toppled and seized territory in Syria’s southwest, citing concerns over the new rulers’ militant background and saying it also aims to protect the Druze community, a minority with followers in Israel.

Israeli concerns over Syria are figuring prominently in Israel ahead of an Oct 27 election. Opinion polls currently indicate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may lose, his security credentials still shaken by the Hamas-led attacks of 2023.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2026