Katz Warns: Erdogan Pulling Turkey into ‘Dangerous Adventures’ in Syria

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” War Minister Yisrael Katz warned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday that Ankara was being “dragged” into “dangerous adventures” in Syria, saying in Turkish on X that “Israel” would not allow any actor to threaten its security.

Katz further said Erdogan would be better off continuing his “reality-detached, fantastical statements” against “Israel” in Turkey’s parliament rather than attempting to “test 'Israel’s' resolve on self-defense.”

The remarks came a day after “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “Israel” would not tolerate a Turkish military presence in Syria that it considers a threat.

Netanyahu claimed “Israel” had issued a “crystal clear” warning to Turkey, adding that Ankara had apparently failed to understand it until the attack on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s office claimed Syria was “on the verge of breaching” a security understanding with “Israel” by permitting Turkish forces to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo, accusing Damascus of disregarding repeated warnings from “Israel.”

The accusation followed an “Israeli” strike on Abu al-Duhur airbase in eastern Idlib, the first reported attack on the facility since Bashar al-Assad’s fall in December 2024. Syria, Jordan and Qatar condemned the strike, with Amman calling it a breach of international law, while US envoy Tom Barrack described it as an “unnecessary escalation” and rejected claims that Ahmad al-Sharaa’s government harbors proxy forces.

Turkey’s Communications Directorate rejected Netanyahu’s account as “frivolous allegations,” accusing him of seeking to legitimize “Israel’s” airstrikes against Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Ankara said the accusations reflected Netanyahu’s efforts to advance “expansionist and destabilizing policies” in the region ahead of elections.

Turkish officials said Ankara was monitoring tensions over “Israeli” actions in Syria and taking measures to protect Syrian sovereignty, while Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed Turkey seeks no confrontation with “Israel” and warned that repeated attacks on Syrian military sites undermine Damascus’ ability to counter threats, including ISIS [Daesh].

Finally, Thursday’s exchange adds to tensions that have steadily intensified since December 2024. In April 2025, “Israel” struck the T4 airbase near Homs days after Turkey reportedly surveyed the facility for a possible joint defense agreement with Damascus. An “Israeli” source subsequently told Haaretz that any Turkish base near Palmyra would be considered a “red line.”