Kathmandu— Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stated on Wednesday that Syria has no intention of allowing a Turkish military base at the Abu al-Duhur airbase near Aleppo, which was struck by Israeli airstrikes earlier this week. While acknowledging recent visits from Turkish military officials for training and cooperation purposes, Al-Shaibani denied any plans for a lasting Turkish deployment to the facility, explaining it was largely unoccupied. The statement comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Turkey regarding their respective military activities in Syria.

Israeli Airstrike and Syrian Response

On Tuesday, Israeli forces conducted eight airstrikes targeting the runway and storage facilities at Abu al-Duhur airbase, marking what state media reported as Israel’s first attack on Syrian government assets since March. No casualties were reported from the strikes, which prompted international condemnation. Al-Shaibani asserted that Israel lacked legitimate justification for the attack, while maintaining Syria's openness to negotiations with Israel focused on de-escalation and addressing security concerns for both nations.

Conflicting Statements from Israeli Officials

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had warned Syria against permitting a Turkish presence at the base. “Our message was very clear. Don’t. I guess they didn’t quite understand the message,” he said on Wednesday. Following this, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of leading Turkey into “dangerous adventures” in Syria and vowed that Israel would not tolerate any threats to its security.

Turkish Rejection and Continued Support for Syria

Turkey has refuted Israel’s allegations regarding its military position in Syria. The Turkish defence ministry stated on Thursday that Ankara will continue to support Syria's efforts to strengthen its military capabilities and infrastructure, emphasizing there was no Turkish delegation at the airbase before or during the Israeli attacks. It called upon the international community to take action against what it described as Israel’s destabilizing actions.

Recent Communication Efforts

Despite current tensions, Turkey and Israel established a communication line last year in an effort to prevent incidents in Syria. Turkiye has emerged as a key ally of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, accusing Israel of attempting to undermine the new administration and destabilize Syria. Ankara has consistently urged international pressure on Israel to respect Syria’s territorial integrity.

The situation remains tense with both Turkey and Israel maintaining their positions regarding military activity in Syria. Further developments are expected as regional powers navigate complex security concerns.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.