Foreign Relations

Sa'ar Says Turkey Seeks Syrian Bases to Undermine Israel's Security

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Courtroom-sketch editorial illustration of a bespectacled man in a dark suit and striped tie speaking at a wooden podium with a microphone, both hands raised open in mid-gesture, tall flags standing behind him in a wood-panelled hall with a tapestry on the wall.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar rejected criticism from Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, who said in Ankara on Thursday that Israeli attacks are among the greatest threats to Syria's stability. Sa'ar wrote on X that Israel takes only the minimum measures necessary to protect its citizens from attacks, and said Turkish leaders had spent decades violating Syria's sovereignty while cynically lecturing others on international law. He accused Ankara of seeking military bases inside Syria to undermine Israeli security, and said Israel will continue taking all measures necessary to defend its citizens. The IDF has held nine posts in southern Syria since the Assad regime fell in December 2024.

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