Syria rejects Israeli justification for strike on airbase over alleged Turkish military buildup

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani rejected Israel's justification for striking a Syrian airbase this week, saying Damascus had informed Israel beforehand that there were no plans to establish a Turkish base or permanent military presence at the site, Axios reported Wednesday.

Al-Shaibani said rehabilitation work at the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northern Syria was intended for the Syrian Air Force and that Israeli officials had been informed of the nature of the work before the attack.

"There was no intention to establish a Turkish base there, nor to establish a permanent Turkish military presence or deploy Turkish forces at the site," al-Shaibani said in written responses to Axios.

Israel dropped at least eight bombs on runways and hangars at the airbase early Tuesday, damaging runways that had recently been rebuilt, according to Axios. No casualties were reported.

US and Israeli officials told the outlet that Israel had informed the Trump administration that the strike was intended to prevent a Turkish military buildup at the base, located about 45 miles (72 kilometers) from the Turkish border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Wednesday that Israel had warned Syria before the attack against allowing a Turkish presence at the facility.

Al-Shaibani, however, said work at the base was limited to repairing the airfield and facilities damaged during Syria's civil war.

"There was no Turkish military build-up at the base in any sense that would justify such an interpretation," he said, adding that the facility was largely empty and had not yet become fully operational.

"Therefore, linking the strike to a Turkish military presence at the base is not supported by the situation on the ground as it stood at the time," he added.

The Syrian foreign minister acknowledged that Turkish military officers had visited the airbase several days before the Israeli attack but said the visit was part of ongoing military cooperation involving training and the exchange of expertise.

He said Syria, as it rebuilds its military and civilian institutions, has engaged in similar cooperation with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and Russia.

"Syria is a sovereign state, and it has the right to establish relations of cooperation and alliance with any country, including Türkiye," al-Shaibani said.

SYRIA, ISRAEL WERE IN CONTACT BEFORE STRIKE

Al-Shaibani said Syrian and Israeli officials had been in contact in the days leading up to the attack and that Damascus had explained the nature of the construction at the airbase.

Syrian officials made clear that the facility "is Syrian and will remain under Syrian sovereignty and control" and that no permanent Turkish presence was planned, he said.

"The nature of the activity at the base was known, and there was no basis for interpreting the rehabilitation work as the establishment of a Turkish military site on Syrian territory," he added.

Al-Shaibani also said that he had been in contact with the Trump administration before and after the attack in an effort to prevent further escalation.

"We made clear to the US that we do not trust Israel's intentions towards Syria, and that we believe current Israeli policy, including its military escalation and actions on the ground, does not contribute to stability in Syria or the region," he said.

Following the strike, Damascus contacted Washington and several other countries to protest the attack and seek to prevent its recurrence, according to al-Shaibani.

He said Syria wanted to emphasize the need to respect its sovereignty and prevent its territory from becoming "an arena for settling scores or expanding the regional conflict."

DAMASCUS REMAINS OPEN TO TALKS WITH ISRAEL

Despite the attack, al-Shaibani said Damascus remained interested in reaching an agreement with Israel to reduce tensions along their border.

"But de-escalation cannot be the responsibility of one side alone," he said. "Israel must also reassess its policy towards Syria and recognize that continued military operations and attacks will not deliver long-term security, but will instead increase instability."

He said Syria remained open to negotiations and believed political and security solutions offered the most sustainable path toward stability.

Al-Shaibani said Syria and Israel spent a year negotiating a security agreement through US mediation and had made significant progress, reaching a formula that had been agreed on paper.

"Israel subsequently backed away from its commitments, however, and the agreed formula was not implemented on the ground," he said.

Al-Shaibani said Damascus had taken a significant number of Israeli security concerns into account during the negotiations but stressed that security "cannot be one-sided."

With "genuine political will," negotiations could resume and produce understandings that address the security concerns of both sides, respect Syrian sovereignty and reduce regional tensions, he added.