Foreign Relations

Mossad Chief Gofman Called Syria's Foreign Minister on Turkish Military Presence

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Courtroom-sketch editorial illustration of the Syrian airbase behind the Mossad chief's call about Turkey's military presence: two derelict MiG-21 fighter jets sit nose-out beneath the curved concrete vault of a hardened aircraft shelter, a soldier in dappled fatigues and two other men walk between them across a floor strewn with rubble and scattered debris, and the open mouth of the shelter glares pale and bright at the centre of the frame with small figures and a further jet silhouetted agains

The new Mossad director, Roman Gofman, held a phone call on August 14 with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in which the two discussed Turkey's military presence in Syria, sources said Wednesday. Four days later, Israeli aircraft struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Idlib province, hitting runways and storage facilities with no reported casualties. Syrian sources said the strike came a day after a Turkish military delegation visited the base. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack called the strike an unnecessary escalation. The Prime Minister's Office said Syria had allowed Turkish forces to deploy near Aleppo despite repeated Israeli warnings, and that Israel would not tolerate threats.

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