Turkey’s defense ministry on Thursday denied reports that an Israeli airstrike in Syria had hit Turkish military assets, calling the claims “baseless” and “inaccurate,” according to a report by the state-run Anadolu news agency.
The denial came after an Israeli security source told Saudi broadcaster Al-Hadath that a strike on the Syrian city of Homs earlier this week targeted depots holding Turkish-made missiles and air defense equipment. The source had accused Ankara of “provoking” Israel and said Israel was in talks with Syria’s new leadership about security arrangements while reserving the right to use force.
Following a weekly press briefing in Ankara by Rear Adm. Zeki Aktürk, spokesperson for the Turkish Ministry of Defense, ministry officials answered journalists’ questions.
In response to a question about Israel’s recent attacks in Syria and, most recently, in Qatar, officials said there was “no adverse situation” regarding Turkish troops or equipment in the country.
“The reports that Israel targeted Turkish Armed Forces assets in Syria are not true and do not reflect reality,” the officials said, adding that perception operations and disinformation spread especially through social media were contributing to tensions.
The ministry also criticized Israel’s recent military actions, saying its strikes in Syria and Qatar violated international law and the sovereignty of both countries. “Such provocative acts escalate tensions in the region and harm efforts toward peace,” officials said.
Israel has conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria for years to prevent the latter’s military forces from building up advanced weapons that could threaten Israel’s north.
Those targets historically included Iranian-linked sites and Syrian air bases, but since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel has expanded its campaign against any post-war military buildup it sees as dangerous.
Turkey is a NATO member that backs Syria’s new authorities and has moved quickly to shape security on its southern border after Assad’s ouster.
Israel views new runways, depots, radars and missile stocks inside Syria as red lines regardless of who supplies them.
In the spring Israel struck multiple Syrian air facilities including the Hama military airport and the T-4 base near Homs, saying it was eliminating “remaining military capabilities” at those sites.
Regional and Israeli press also reported that Turkish military teams had recently inspected Syrian airfields such as T-4 and Palmyra, which helped trigger earlier Israeli pre-emptive raids.
Ankara and Tel Aviv have been trying to avoid a direct clash even as rhetoric has hardened over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and over Syria.