Recent Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria have significantly heightened tensions between Israel and Turkey. Israel claims the base was being refitted to host Turkish forces, a claim Ankara has vehemently denied, branding the Israeli actions as "reckless" overreach. The airstrike was followed by an Israeli incursion of approximately 100 soldiers into a Syrian village in Quneitra province, actions that drew condemnation from Washington, Ankara, Cairo, Doha, and Riyadh.
The Israeli government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, views Turkey's expanding influence in Syria as a serious threat to its security. Mossad chief Roman Goffman discussed Turkish military support for Syria with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani prior to the strike, inquiring about Turkey's provision of arms, weapons sales, and drone deliveries. Conversely, Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Israeli attacks on Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity are major threats to the country's stability.
The incident has exposed the breakdown of the existing military deconfliction channel between Turkey and Israel in Syria, which had been brokered by Azerbaijan in 2025. Tom Barrack, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, noted that Israel did not notify Turkey before the airstrike, raising concerns about potential misidentification and escalation. The U.S. is now attempting to revive a separate deconfliction cell, possibly including Turkey, to prevent further military confrontations.
Analysts suggest the strike was a message to both Damascus and Ankara, indicating Israel's unwillingness to tolerate the reconstruction of Syria's air force, particularly with Turkish assistance, or any permanent Turkish military presence that could restrict Israeli air operations over Syria. Some officials, like former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, have even likened Turkey to "the new Iran" due to its growing influence in the region, underscoring the deep distrust between Jerusalem and Ankara.
