Turkey 'does not want confrontation with Israel in Syria'

Turkey does not want a confrontation with Israel in Syria, but repeated Israeli strikes on military installations in that country erode the new government's ability to deter threats from enemies, including those from the Islamic State group (IS), Turkey's foreign minister said Friday.

In an interview on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, Hakan Fidan claimed that Israel's actions fueled regional instability by targeting Syria, where President Ahmad al-Sharaa's government is a close ally of Turkey. "We do not want a confrontation with Israel in Syria because Syria belongs to the Syrians," Fidan said, adding that only Syrians should decide their country's security.

Turkey, a NATO member, has harshly criticized Israel for its attacks on Gaza since 2023, claiming that they amount to genocide against the Palestinians. Turkey has also sought to join a complaint before the International Court of Justice against Israel while halting all trade with the latter.

Ankara's commitment in Syria

The animosity between the two regional powers has extended to Syria, with Israeli forces striking Syria for weeks since a new administration took control in Damascus. Turkey has deemed these strikes as encroachments on Syrian territory, while Israel has stated it would not allow any hostile force in Syria.

In this "transition period," Fidan continued, Turkey does not want to see IS or the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) taking advantage of "the absence of regular forces." "Unfortunately, Israel is eliminating, one by one, all these capacities that a new state could use against IS and other terrorist attacks and threats," he said. "What Israel is doing in Syria not only threatens Syria's security but also paves the way for future regional instability," added Turkey's foreign minister.

However, if the new administration in Damascus wishes to have "certain understandings" with Israel, which, like Turkey, is a neighbor of Syria, that is its own business, he added. Turkey has become one of the new Syrian Islamist government's main foreign allies. For years, Ankara supported the rebels, who now constitute most of the new government in their struggle to overthrow former President Bashar al-Assad.

Turkey has committed to contributing to the reconstruction of Syria, from infrastructure to state institutions, and providing it with political support in international forums. It has called for the complete lifting of Western sanctions against the country so that reconstruction efforts can begin, while welcoming the formation of a transitional government in Damascus.

Links with the United States

Hakan Fidan, who met with U.S. officials in Washington last week, said Friday that he understood President Donald Trump's administration was reviewing its policy toward Syria and the sanctions imposed on it.

"They are reviewing the Syrian dossier and understand that it is necessary to modify the sanctions policy because it was introduced for a different regime and a different threat assessment," Fidan admitted. "We now have a new Syria. I believe this new Syria requires a different approach," he said, adding that Ankara had communicated its perspective on the matter to its Western allies.

While seeking closer ties with Washington under Donald Trump and supporting his initiative to end the war in Ukraine, Turkey has also opposed some of the new U.S. administration's policies, including a plan to take control of the Gaza Strip and transform it into the "Riviera of the Middle East."

Finally, asked about U.S. threats of military strikes against Iran made by Trump, the Turkish minister said diplomacy was necessary to resolve disputes and Ankara did not want to see an attack on its Iranian neighbor.