Türkiye slams Israel’s unprovoked attacks in Syria, warns of regional threat
Turkish Foreign Ministry headquarters in Ankara, Türkiye in this undated file photo. (AA Photo)
Türkiye on Thursday condemned recent statements by Israeli ministers aimed at Ankara, labeling them as “provocative” and a reflection of Israel’s “aggressive and expansionist policies.”
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement that such rhetoric “not only reveals their state of mind but also reflects the fundamentalist and racist nature of the current Israeli administration.”
The ministry questioned Israel’s opposition to developments in Syria and Lebanon that “offer great hope for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and are supported by the international community.”
It also condemned Israeli air and ground attacks on Syria overnight on April 2.
“There was no provocation or assault directed at Israel from the Syrian side,” the ministry said, adding, “These simultaneous attacks demonstrate a foreign policy approach that thrives on conflict.”
‘Israel cannot conceal their genocide in Gaza’
The statement added that Israeli officials’ remarks targeting Türkiye were aimed at diverting attention from Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
“They cannot conceal the reality of what they are doing in Gaza, the war being waged against the Palestinian people, (illegal Israeli) settlers’ violence, or the intent to annex the West Bank,” the statement emphasized.
“Israel has become the biggest threat to the security of our region,” it continued, criticizing Tel Aviv for undermining the territorial integrity of neighboring countries and destabilizing the region.
Türkiye also urged Israel to “abandon its expansionist policies, withdraw from occupied territories, and cease obstructing efforts to restore stability in Syria.”
İsrailli Bakanların Ülkemizi Hedef Alan Açıklamaları Hk. https://t.co/w9Qsj5XXtw pic.twitter.com/hBwxpwxeHW
— T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı (@TC_Disisleri) April 3, 2025
The statement further called on the international community to fulfill its responsibility “to curb Israel’s increasingly unrestrained acts of aggression.”
On Wednesday, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes targeting several sites in Damascus and Syria’s western provinces of Hama and Homs.
The Israeli military claimed the strikes hit “military capabilities that remained” at the Hama airbase and T4 base in Homs, as well as other military infrastructure in Damascus.
The Israeli army also launched a ground offensive in Daraa, southern Syria, where at least nine people were killed, according to local authorities.
Following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, violating a 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria.
Israel also capitalized on the regime’s fall to launch hundreds of strikes targeting military sites across Syria, including fighter jets, missile systems, and air defense installations, according to reports.
