Syrian Foreign Minister Denies Turkish Buildup Before Israeli Strike on Abu al-Duhur

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Wednesday that there was no Turkish military buildup at the Abu al-Duhur airbase before Israeli aircraft struck it this week, and that Damascus had told Israel so beforehand. He said work there was limited to rehabilitating a war-damaged airfield for the Syrian Air Force, and that Turkish officers who visited days earlier came for training. Netanyahu said Damascus was on the verge of allowing Turkish forces to deploy at the base and that Israel will not tolerate a Turkish military presence in Syria that threatens it. Shaibani also said a written security formula reached with Israel in U.S.-mediated talks was never implemented.