Turkey’s Defense Ministry said it will continue developing the capabilities of the Syrian army, particularly in counterterrorism, under the existing military cooperation agreement between the two countries.

Ministry spokesperson Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk said during the weekly press conference on Thursday, August 27, that Turkish forces would continue supporting the “positive momentum” achieved in Syria in order to establish lasting stability.

Akturk added that Ankara is monitoring Israeli attacks on Syria and called for them to stop immediately.

The Turkish official said Israel’s “aggressive stance and expansionist policies in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza represent the greatest obstacle to peace in the Middle East.”

He said the region’s future can only be built through a security model based on respect for international law, rather than the unilateral use of force.

Akturk also said the international community must take concrete and effective measures against the actions of the Israeli government, which he said “faces ongoing international legal proceedings over accusations of committing genocide and, through its actions, threatens regional and global peace and stability.”

He added that the Turkish Defense Ministry had not received any official request regarding US efforts to establish a de-escalation mechanism involving Syria, noting that Ankara is closely following statements on the matter.

US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack said on August 18 that Washington was working to establish a mechanism to prevent clashes between Syria, Turkey, and Israel.

Turkish-Israeli Escalation

The Turkish Defense Ministry spokesperson’s remarks came amid escalating tensions between Israel and Turkey following Israel’s targeting of Abu al-Duhur Airport in the Idlib countryside (northwestern Syria) on August 17.

The Turkish government said it would seek an Interpol Red Notice for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of a criminal case related to an attack on activists who were attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

For its part, Netanyahu’s office said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “pathetic” attempt to intimidate the leaders and soldiers of Israel, which it described as “the only true democracy in the Middle East,” would go nowhere.

Netanyahu’s office described Erdoğan as an “antisemitic dictator,” pledging that Israel would “continue to strongly confront Turkey’s attempts to destabilize the region.”

Syria Grateful for Turkish Support

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Israel bombed Abu al-Duhur Airport even after Syria conveyed a message that the facility would not become a Turkish base.

In an interview with Reuters published on August 23, al-Shaibani said Syria relies on Turkish support for military training and cooperation, as it does on support from other countries including Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

He stressed that Damascus would not give up Turkish support and expressed gratitude for Turkey’s assistance in rebuilding the Syrian army.

Al-Shaibani added that Damascus respects Israel’s security concerns, while calling on the other side to respect Syria’s concerns, including Israel’s use of Syrian airspace, Israeli strikes, and arrests in southern Syria.

Al-Shaibani made the remarks ahead of a meeting with Israeli Mossad chief Roman Gofman in Jordan on August 23.

The Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA, cited a diplomatic source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry as saying that the discussions focused on developing practical mechanisms to halt Israeli attacks, arrests, and targeting, and on reviving negotiations aimed at reaching a security agreement that could serve as the basis for a broader future agreement.

The discussions also addressed the importance of supporting Syria’s stability and preserving regional security, including efforts to narrow differences between Turkey and Israel and ensure that existing tensions between the two countries are not played out on Syrian territory.

According to Israel’s Channel 12, a source familiar with the details of the meeting said the talks between the two sides “were productive.”