Israel is drawing a clear “red line” over Turkey’s growing military presence in Syria, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning Ankara that Israel will not tolerate the deployment of Turkish forces in Syria if it is deemed a threat to Israeli security.
The warning followed Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria on Aug. 18. Israel said the facility was being considered for a Turkish military deployment and that Damascus had been warned that such a development would pose a security threat.
FILE PHOTO: Abu al-Duhur base, Syria, August 18, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Netanyahu said Israel had already sent Turkey a message of “don’t do it,” but that the warning had apparently not been heeded.
“Apparently, they didn’t hear it, so we made sure they understood it clearly,” Netanyahu said.
Israel said it struck the Syrian military facility because it believed it could be used by Turkey.
Ankara, however, has categorically rejected that account, saying there was no plan to establish a Turkish military base or permanently deploy Turkish troops at Abu al-Duhur. The Syrian side has likewise denied plans for a Turkish base, while acknowledging that Turkish officers had visited the facility as part of military cooperation, training and an exchange of expertise.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of a broader shift in the balance of power in Syria following the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime.
Turkey has emerged as one of the most important supporters of Syria’s new leadership and is seeking to strengthen its influence through military and technical support and assistance in reorganizing the Syrian armed forces.
For Israel, however, the prospect of a significant Turkish military presence in Syria presents a new strategic challenge. Jerusalem does not want a force it considers hostile to establish a permanent military footprint near its borders or restrict Israel’s freedom of military action in the region.
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir also warned that the Israel Defense Forces would not allow “hostile forces” to establish themselves near Israel’s borders.
Defense Minister Israel Katz, meanwhile, warned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against leading Turkey into “dangerous adventures” in Syria.
Netanyahu’s message to Erdogan is therefore clear: Israel is prepared to act militarily to prevent the establishment of a significant Turkish military presence in Syria, as Ankara seeks to make the country a key element of its regional strategy.
