Updated by HICGI News Agency at 1436 EAT on Thursday 20th August 2026

Syria has no plans to establish a Turkish military presence at the Abu al-Duhur airbase, which was attacked by Israel earlier this week, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani has said.

Speaking to US news outlet Axios on Wednesday, al-Shaibani said Turkish military officials had visited the airbase as part of training and broader military cooperation between the two countries.

However, he denied reports of a Turkish military build-up at the facility, saying the airbase was largely empty.

The remarks come amid heightened regional tensions following the Israeli attack on the airbase.

“There was no intention to establish a Turkish base there, nor to establish a permanent Turkish military presence or deploy Turkish forces at the site,” al-Shaibani said, adding that he had made Syria’s position clear to Israel.

On Tuesday, Israel carried out eight air strikes targeting the runway and storage facilities at the Abu al-Duhur airbase near Aleppo, according to state media. The attack appeared to be Israel’s first strike on Syrian government assets since March.

No casualties were reported, although the strikes drew international condemnation.

Al-Shaibani said Israel had no legitimate justification for attacking the facility.

He said Syria remained open to negotiations with Israel aimed at de-escalating tensions, but stressed that any future agreement would have to address the security concerns of both countries.

The foreign minister also reiterated that continued Israeli military operations would contribute to greater instability in the region.

The strikes came amid growing tensions between Israel and Türkiye over Syria, where the militaries of both countries remain active.

On Thursday morning, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of “dragging Türkiye into dangerous adventures in Syria”.

“Israel will not allow any entity to threaten its security,” Katz said.

“It is preferable for Erdogan to continue delivering empty, delusional speeches against Israel in the Turkish parliament rather than testing Israel’s resolve to defend itself,” he added.

Türkiye rejected what it described as “untenable allegations” by Israel concerning its military presence in Syria.

The Turkish Defence Ministry said on Thursday that Ankara would continue supporting Syria’s efforts to develop its military capabilities and infrastructure.

The ministry said there had been no Turkish military delegation at the Abu al-Duhur airbase before or during the Israeli strikes. It called on the international community to take more concrete and effective measures against Israel, saying its actions threatened regional peace and stability.

Türkiye, a NATO member, has emerged as one of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s key allies. Ankara has accused Israel of seeking to destabilise Syria and undermine its new administration.

Türkiye has also repeatedly called for international pressure on Israel to respect Syria’s territorial integrity.

Last year, Türkiye and Israel established a communication channel aimed at preventing military incidents between the two countries in Syria.

-Aljazeera

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