Erdogan says Turkey will not curb its regional policy despite Israeli strikes in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded on Tuesday to recent Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northern Syria, saying Ankara will not abandon its regional partners and will not allow outside powers to set the limits of Turkish foreign policy. Israel said the strikes were aimed at preventing Turkey from deploying air-defence systems near its border, a move it described as a "red line" for Israeli operations in Syrian airspace. Both Turkish and Syrian officials denied any plan to install such systems, stating that Turkish personnel were present only to repair the runway and control tower, a view also supported by U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack.

In a speech following a cabinet meeting in the eastern province of Bitlis, Erdogan said, "We will not allow politically moribund, presumptuous incompetents to use us as fodder for their rhetoric," and added that Turkey would not cease supporting neighbours that have placed trust in it. He emphasized that Turkey has no hidden agenda in the region, stating, "Turkey has no purpose, objective or aspiration anywhere in our region other than peace, justice, stability and security."

The Turkish presidency linked the Israeli strikes to the upcoming Israeli elections in October. Meanwhile, Turkey’s Ministry of Justice has asked Interpol to issue Red Notices for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and another official on genocide charges related to an incident involving the Global Sumud Flotilla.

U.S. officials have called for a trilateral mechanism to reduce friction between the countries, reflecting concerns from NATO ally Turkey about the escalating tensions.