Turkey Won’t Abandon Syria or Let Israel Draw ‘Red Lines’, Erdogan Says

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey will continue supporting Syria and will not allow any outside power to determine the limits of Ankara’s foreign policy.

Erdogan was responding to Israeli strikes on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur military airbase, around 70km from the Turkish border. Israel said it carried out the strikes because it believed Turkey was preparing to deploy air defence systems at the base.

Turkey and Syria rejected that claim, saying Turkish personnel at Abu al-Duhur were only working to repair the runway and control tower. US Ambassador Tom Barrack also supported their account.

Israel has repeatedly warned that a Turkish military presence at Syrian airbases would cross a “red line” because it could limit Israel’s freedom of movement in Syrian airspace.

During his speech, Erdogan did not directly name Israel or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but made clear that Turkey would not abandon its regional allies or allow another country to dictate its actions.

The Turkish Presidency has also linked Israel’s recent strikes to its domestic political calculations ahead of October elections, where Netanyahu is expected to face a difficult contest.

The latest dispute highlights growing tensions between Turkey and Israel over Syria, as Ankara seeks to strengthen its role in the region while Israel continues military operations aimed at protecting what it considers its security interests.