Rear Adm. Akturk condemns the strike as Syria’s foreign minister visits Pakistan.
On Thursday, Defense Ministry spokesperson Rear Adm. Zeki Akturk dismissed allegations of a Turkish military presence at a Syrian airbase recently targeted by an Israeli airstrike.
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“There was no Turkish military delegation at the base before or during Israel’s attack on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase,” he said, condemning the strike and saying it targeted Syria’s stability, security, unity, territorial integrity and infrastructure.
“The future of the region should be built not on the unilateral use of force, but on a security understanding based on international law and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries,” Akturk stressed.
Urging Israel to halt such “reckless attacks” and comply with international law, he added that Türkiye would continue to support efforts to preserve Syria’s sovereignty and help strengthen its infrastructure and military capabilities.
Previously, on Tuesday, Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria, saying that Syria was preparing to allow Turkish forces to deploy at the facility, a move Israel viewed as threatening.
Israel FULLY relocates 190th squadron to northernmost airbase near Syria and Lebanon — IDF pic.twitter.com/X1IkgTwNEw
— RT Intl (@RT_on_X) August 20, 2026
Syria’s Foreign Minister Visits Pakistan Amid Escalation With Israel
On Thursday, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al Shaibani arrived in Islamabad on a visit that coincides with the latest Israeli attacks on Syrian territory.
His visit comes one day after Pakistan condemned the Israeli attack on the Syrian Abu al-Duhur airbase in Idlib province and called on the international community to halt Israel’s “repeated violations” in the region.
Israel justified the attack by arguing that Syria was going to allow Turkish troops to be deployed at the base, which would have constituted a breach of the security “status quo,” according to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Pakistan, the only nuclear power in the Muslim world and a country that does not recognize the state of Israel, has played an active role in the Middle East in recent months, including mediating between the U.S. and Iran, participating in a ministerial meeting on Jerusalem in Jordan, and signing a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: Xinhua – EFE
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