Syria says no Turkish military build-up planned at airbase struck by Israel

Damascus: Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani asserted that Israel had been informed that no plans were in place to construct a Turkish military base at Abu al-Duhur airbase, which was targeted by Israel on Tuesday. Al-Shaibani emphasized that the site is currently being renovated for use by the Syrian Air Force. He stated that Turkish military representatives had conducted visits to the airbase as part of their training and broader military cooperation initiatives.

Al-Shaibani firmly denied any intention of establishing a Turkish military presence or deploying forces at the site, asserting that the facility was largely vacant and not yet operational. He elaborated on these points in an interview with Axios on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed on Wednesday that Israel had warned Syria prior to the airstrike not to permit Turkish activities at the airbase.

He maintained that the message conveyed was quite clear. Netanyahu further opined that Syria evidently did not comprehend the message. Al-Shaibani contended that Israel possessed no legitimate grounds for the bombing. He reiterated Syria's readiness for negotiations with Israel to achieve de-escalation. The two nations have achieved substantial progress towards a security accord during a year of US-mediated talks; however, Israel subsequently abandoned its commitments, and the agreement remained unimplemented, according to Al-Shaibani.

He emphasized that any prospective deal must tackle the security apprehensions of both parties and honor Syrian sovereignty, warning that ongoing Israeli military actions would exacerbate regional instability.