Politics
Ankara slams ‘reckless attacks’ of Israel, backs Syria’s stability
Türkiye’s Defense Ministry condemned Thursday Israel’s latest strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur air base as part of “reckless attacks” undermining the country’s sovereignty and stability, while reaffirming Ankara’s support for Syria’s military capacity-building efforts.
The ministry made the statement after its weekly press briefing aboard the TCG Koçhisar in the northwestern province of Kocaeli as part of the TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland events.
It described the Israeli strike as an action aimed at damaging Syria’s stability, security, unity, territorial integrity and infrastructure.
“We emphasize at every opportunity that attacks violating Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are unacceptable,” the ministry said, calling on Israel to end what it described as “reckless attacks” and comply with international law.
Türkiye will continue supporting Syria’s efforts to rebuild its infrastructure and military capabilities under the principle of “one army,” the ministry added.
The strikes by Israeli warplanes targeted Tuesday the disused Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base, located in northeastern Syria’s Idlib. According to Syrian officials, Israeli aircraft launched eight separate strikes on the facility, damaging its runway and striking a derelict structure inside a hangar.
No casualties or injuries were immediately reported following the operation.
The ministry also stated that no Turkish military delegation was present at Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Air Base before or during a recent Israeli strike, in response to reporters’ questions.
The statement came as Türkiye has stepped up military diplomacy over regional security. Asked about a series of telephone calls held Wednesday by Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, the ministry said Türkiye had become a center for regional security diplomacy.
Both Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Bayraktaroğlu were holding talks with their counterparts aimed at promoting regional security and stability, it said.
Syria’s neighbors and regional partners also responded with sharp rebukes, calling on the global community to enforce international legal standards against unilateral military actions.
Israel threatens regional peace
Rear Adm. Zeki Aktürk, the ministry’s spokesperson, also criticized Israel over its military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
Aktürk said Israel’s rejection of the Gaza plan and its continued attacks were undermining efforts to establish a just and lasting peace. He said Israel’s military interventions against neighboring countries should not be allowed to become viewed as normal or acceptable.
“The future of the region should be built not on the unilateral use of force, but on a security understanding based on international law and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries,” Aktürk said.
He called on the international community to take “more concrete and effective measures” in response to Israeli actions that Türkiye says threaten regional peace and stability.
The ministry separately addressed Greece’s Renewable Energy Sources Special Spatial Framework covering parts of the Aegean Sea, saying Ankara was closely monitoring the measure.
The framework has no legal consequences for Türkiye, including with regard to geographical formations whose sovereignty was not transferred to Greece under international treaties, the ministry noted.
Türkiye remains determined to protect its “rights, interests and concerns” in the Aegean in accordance with international law, it said, while adding that Ankara favors resolving disputes between the two neighboring countries through international law, equity and good-neighborly relations.
Aktürk also said Türkiye would continue efforts to strengthen its armed forces with domestically developed strategic and technological defense products.
Güler and the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) command staff were expected to attend the TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland event later Thursday.
Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar on Thursday strongly condemned Israel’s latest attacks on the Gaza Strip that killed civilians, including women and children, warning that the escalation risks undermining efforts to maintain the cease-fire and advance negotiations.
The three countries, which have served as mediators in efforts to end the conflict in Gaza, expressed “deep concern” over continuing Israeli violations.
In a joint statement, Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar said the latest attacks came at a critical stage as intensive diplomatic efforts were underway to implement the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.
The mediators said constructive steps had been taken in negotiations, including talks between the Board of Peace and Israeli officials, and warned that an intensification of Israeli attacks could derail regional and international efforts toward a lasting settlement.
“The mediator countries underscore that the intensification of Israeli attacks at this critical stage undermines regional and international efforts,” the statement said.
The three countries called on Israel to fully comply with all of its obligations under the cease-fire agreement and refrain from actions that could further weaken the truce or fuel another escalation.
Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar have played key roles in diplomatic efforts aimed at maintaining the Gaza cease-fire and advancing negotiations between the parties.
The mediators also called for greater international pressure to ensure compliance with the agreement amid concerns that renewed violence could jeopardize diplomatic efforts to stabilize Gaza.
Citing what they called the “devastating consequences” of continuing Israeli aggression across the region, the three countries renewed their appeal to the international community and the Board of Peace, led by U.S. President Donald Trump.
They called for necessary measures to ensure adherence to the cease-fire and prevent further escalation.
The statement also cited U.N. Security Council Resolution 2803, which backs the diplomatic framework for Gaza.
The latest appeal comes as mediators seek to preserve the cease-fire while pushing forward implementation of the broader plan to end the conflict and prevent renewed hostilities.
Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar reiterated that maintaining the cease-fire was essential to protecting diplomatic progress and preventing further civilian casualties and regional instability.
The death toll in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has climbed to 73,417, with another 10 Palestinians killed and 25 others wounded over the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Thursday.
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli on Friday strongly condemned Israel’s strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur military air base, calling it an “unacceptable attack” on international law, peace and regional stability, and warned Israel against provocations targeting Türkiye.
In a written statement, Bahçeli said the attack on the air base in the Idlib countryside, which targeted Syrian infrastructure and capabilities, constituted another violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Whether it is a manifestation of historical expansionism and disregard for the law or an attempt aimed at the approaching elections, what has been done is an unacceptable attack on law, peace and regional stability,” he said.
Bahçeli urged Israel to “refrain” from “provoking Türkiye,” testing Ankara’s patience or taking steps that could directly or indirectly interfere with Türkiye’s national security interests.
“Türkiye is not a country seeking conflict,” he remarked. “However, it is not a country that will ignore threats directed against it, stand by while its sovereign rights are violated or leave its national security at the mercy of others.”
The MHP leader said Ankara was closely monitoring Israeli actions in Syria that intersect with Türkiye’s security interests, as well as efforts to exclude Türkiye from the Eastern Mediterranean and policies he said encouraged regional fragmentation.
He stressed that Türkiye did not seek war with Israel or any other country, but warned that its preference for diplomacy and restraint should not be interpreted as weakness or a lack of deterrence.
Bahçeli also rejected any attempt to establish permanent areas of occupation in Syria, alter de facto borders, expand buffer zones or exploit ethnic and sectarian groups for geopolitical purposes.
Such steps would be “unacceptable for Türkiye,” he said.
Proposal for regional security
Bahçeli outlined a seven-point proposal aimed at establishing a broader regional security architecture and achieving lasting peace.
He called for expanding security cooperation under the Mecca Agreement signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and proposed developing it into what he described as an “Islamic Peace Force” encompassing countries and regions facing Israeli attacks.
Bahçeli also proposed establishing a temporary Middle East Peace Coalition or Council consisting of the United States, Russia, China and the European Union to help restore regional stability.
Under another proposal, he called for a Middle East Security and Peace Conference to be convened at Türkiye’s initiative under United Nations auspices. The conference, he said, should develop a road map for a permanent two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and wider regional stability.
Bahçeli also proposed an “Ankara Declaration” setting out principles guiding Türkiye’s approach to regional security and making clear that Ankara would respond to any potential Israeli attack.
His proposals further included establishing a neutral International Cease-Fire Monitoring Mission under the U.N. to document violations, oversee the security of humanitarian corridors and monitor the protection of civilians.
He also called for an International Mediation Contact Group to institutionalize multilateral diplomatic efforts and ensure continuity in negotiations.
His final proposal envisaged “gradual diplomatic pressure and incentive mechanism” combining political and economic pressure with military deterrence, while offering diplomatic and economic incentives if Israel complied with international law, ended settlement expansion and returned to negotiations.
Bahçeli reiterated his support for an independent, sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, saying such a state remained essential for lasting peace.
“Türkiye is not an actor that will go from door to door in the face of attacks on its sovereign rights,” Bahçeli said, warning that Israel should take Ankara’s warnings seriously.
Police on Monday detained two fugitives wanted as part of an investigation into the alleged Alihan Kuriş criminal organization as they were preparing to flee the country, authorities said, as a separate branch of the widening probe revisited the suspicious 2016 death of former religious community leader Ahmet Arif Denizolgun.
Hilmi Tuna Kuriş and Erhan Yılmaz, who were wanted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, were located in the Bozburun area of the southwestern resort town of Marmaris, according to information obtained from security sources.
Police determined that the two suspects were allegedly planning to leave Türkiye by sea. Acting on intelligence provided by Istanbul police, officers in Muğla raided the address and detained the suspects on accusations of membership in a criminal organization.
Police seized 58,000 euros (nearly $68,000) during a search of their vehicle.
Authorities had previously seized 206 kilograms of gold and a large amount of foreign currency during a search of a warehouse at a business center housing a company where Hilmi Tuna Kuriş had served for years as a board member.
The Ankara prosecutors’ investigation led to simultaneous operations across 17 provinces on Aug. 13. Thirty of 49 suspects were detained, including alleged organization leader Alihan Kuriş, who was later arrested along with several other suspects.
The suspects face accusations including establishing and leading a criminal organization, membership in a criminal organization, laundering proceeds of crime, fraud against public institutions and violations of Türkiye’s tax laws.
Alihan Kuriş, the de facto leader of a group known publicly as “Süleymancılar,” was arrested last week along with other suspects.
The group originated as a religious movement named after 20th-century Islamic scholar Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, Kuriş’ great-grandfather.
Initially operating through informal religious instruction in homes and mosques, the group later expanded across Türkiye through Quran courses and student dormitories, largely financed by membership contributions and donations. Over time, its activities expanded into commercial sectors including food, health care, tourism, textiles, construction and real estate.
2016 death reexamined
Meanwhile, prosecutors have reopened an investigation into the 2016 death of Ahmet Arif Denizolgun, a former leader of the Süleymancılar religious community and former Transport Minister, as part of the broader investigation surrounding Kuriş.
The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said it had ordered Denizolgun’s body exhumed to allow forensic experts to reassess his cause of death following allegations questioning both his death and the original autopsy.
The case was transferred from prosecutors in Beykoz to Bakırköy as part of the investigation.
Investigators are also examining witness testimony concerning the circumstances surrounding Denizolgun’s death and records from the original forensic examination.
Prosecutors sought information from the Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK) this year about photographs and video recordings from the 2016 autopsy. The institute ultimately informed prosecutors in July that no video recording of Denizolgun’s autopsy existed, according to correspondence cited in the investigation.
The probe is also examining claims concerning the original autopsy and toxicology findings. Investigators are expected to use the new forensic examination following the exhumation to determine whether previously identified substances have any relevance to Denizolgun’s cause of death.
Eleven Muslim and Arab nations on Friday strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes targeting the Abu al-Duhur military air base in northwestern Syria, warning that the attacks mark a dangerous escalation that threatens regional stability and violates Syria’s sovereignty.
In a joint statement issued Aug. 21, the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Algeria, Indonesia, Palestine, Qatar, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Pakistan, Somalia and Saudi Arabia denounced the strikes as a clear violation of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political unity of the Syrian Arab Republic.
The ministers voiced deep concern over Israel’s continued targeting and destruction of Syrian territory and infrastructure.
They warned that such attacks risk undermining Syria’s ongoing efforts to restore security, rebuild national institutions and address the humanitarian consequences of years of conflict.
The statement also cautioned that continued Israeli violations of Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity could fuel further escalation, destabilize regional peace and security and erode respect for international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
The foreign ministers called on the international community to take a firm, clear and principled stance against the continuing attacks on Syria and take concrete action in accordance with international law and the U.N. Charter.
They also urged steps to end the violations, ensure full compliance with the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement and secure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories they occupy, saying such measures are necessary to prevent further escalation and safeguard regional peace and stability.
The ministers reaffirmed their support for Syria’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and political unity, while rejecting any attempt to undermine them.
Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Friday strongly condemned Israel’s plans to advance new settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, warning that the move would further undermine prospects for a two-state solution.
AK Party spokesperson Ömer Çelik said Israel’s planned tenders for new housing units were part of what he described as an effort to “Gazify” the West Bank and dispossess Palestinians.
“We strongly condemn Israel’s plan to launch tenders for new occupier-settler housing construction in another part of the occupied West Bank,” Çelik said in a statement on social media.
He said Israel’s E1 settlement plan represented a “new and dangerous phase,” arguing that its implementation would effectively divide the West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem.
“This aggression aims to effectively split the West Bank in two and isolate East Jerusalem. It also seeks to destroy the prospect of a two-state solution,” Çelik noted.
Çelik also criticized the use of the terms “settlement” and “settler,” describing Israeli settlement activity as occupation and calling on the international community to take coordinated action.
He said that for years President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had drawn attention to Israel’s territorial policies at the United Nations and other international platforms.
Çelik urged countries to take “joint and concrete steps” against Israel’s actions.
Seven Western countries on Thursday also condemned Israel’s decision to issue construction tenders for 1,234 new housing units under the controversial E1 settlement project.
“The Israeli government’s decision to publish construction tenders for the E1 settlement project is unacceptable,” the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands and Norway said in a joint statement.
The statement said the international community has long opposed settlement expansion in the area and has repeatedly raised serious concerns with Israel both privately and publicly.
“The E1 settlement would undermine the viability of a two-state solution by dividing the West Bank and damaging the territorial contiguity of Palestinian territory,” it said.
The E1 project, located in the occupied West Bank east of Jerusalem, has long drawn international criticism over concerns that construction in the area would sever links between East Jerusalem and other parts of the West Bank.
The seven countries reiterated their opposition to settlement expansion and warned against steps that could further erode the prospects for a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The E1 project was launched to connect the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, built near the Palestinian town of al-Eizariya, to a road leading to West Jerusalem. Al-Eizariya was historically part of East Jerusalem but lies on the West Bank side of Israel’s separation barrier.
As part of the project, Israel seized some 12,000 dunams (about 3,000 acres) of Palestinian land in 1999 for the planned construction of more than 4,000 settlement housing units and hotels.
Illegal E1 project
The E1 project, widely seen as a major obstacle to the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state, had previously been frozen amid pressure from successive U.S. administrations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the E1 project in September 2025, a move that would effectively divide the occupied West Bank into northern and southern sections.
Through the project, Israel seeks to sever territorial links between occupied East Jerusalem and Palestinian areas in the West Bank, further undermining the territorial contiguity of a future Palestinian state.
The Israeli government recently published the first tender for 1,234 housing units under the E1 project without prior notification to parties that had filed objections, despite an earlier commitment to provide such notice.
Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Friday condemned Israel’s strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur military air base and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s subsequent remarks on Türkiye, calling them a threat to Turkish sovereignty and regional stability.
In a statement on social media, Kılıçdaroğlu said Netanyahu’s assertion that Israel had “sent a message to Türkiye” amounted to an “open provocation” against the sovereignty of the Republic of Türkiye.
“No state, especially Israel, can use language suggesting that it can ‘bring Türkiye into line’ or ‘teach it a lesson,’” Kılıçdaroğlu said, describing such rhetoric as unacceptable toward a sovereign state.
He argued that the Israeli strike and Netanyahu’s remarks risk disrupting the fragile balance in Syria, escalating tensions and further destabilizing the region.
Kılıçdaroğlu said Türkiye’s national interests and regional stability required a determined but measured response, stressing that Ankara should maintain its position based on sovereignty and international law.
“Israel’s reckless attitude is a threat not only to Türkiye but to the entire region,” he stressed.
Kılıçdaroğlu also warned that continued Israeli military actions could push the wider region toward deeper conflict and instability.
The strikes by Israeli warplanes targeted Tuesday the disused Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base, located in northeastern Syria’s Idlib. According to Syrian officials, Israeli aircraft launched eight separate strikes on the facility, damaging its runway and striking a derelict structure inside a hangar.
The death toll in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has climbed to 73,417, with another 10 Palestinians killed and 25 others wounded over the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Thursday.
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