Türkiye rejects Israeli claims, says Netanyahu seeks to justify Syria strikes

Türkiye on Wednesday rejected claims from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office concerning Syria, saying the statements were intended to justify "unlawful" Israeli airstrikes targeting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"The frivolous allegations put forward by the Israeli Prime Minister's office aim to legitimize Israel's unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Türkiye's Communications Directorate said in a statement.

The statement came after Netanyahu's office said Israel and Syria had agreed to maintain the status quo on security matters but claimed that Syria was "on the verge of breaching (it) by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo."

Earlier Tuesday, Israeli warplanes carried out eight airstrikes targeting the runway of the Abu al-Duhur Military Airport in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, causing damage to its infrastructure.

Ankara said the accusations being voiced stem from Netanyahu's intention to pursue his "expansionist and destabilizing policies" in the region ahead of elections in Israel.

"Like the vast majority of the international community, Türkiye advocates for lasting peace in our region. The only way to achieve this is for Netanyahu to abandon his aggressive and coercive policies and respect international law," the statement said.

Ankara also reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Syrian government to promote peace, stability and prosperity in Syria.

"Türkiye will resolutely continue to cooperate with the Syrian government on a legitimate basis to establish peace, stability, and prosperity in Syria, and will never allow the destabilization of Syria," the statement said.