Israeli Defense Minister Warns Erdogan Over Syria Intervention

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against expanding Turkey’s involvement in Syria, accusing him of “dragging Turkey into dangerous adventures.”

In a post on X, Katz said Israel would not allow any actor to pose a threat to its security. He also warned Erdogan not to test Israel’s determination to defend itself.

The warning comes amid sharply rising tensions between Israel and Turkey over Syria. Israel recently struck the Abu al-Duhur air base in northwestern Syria, saying it was concerned about a possible Turkish military deployment there. Turkey and Syria have rejected Israel’s claims about a planned permanent Turkish presence at the base.

Katz also said Erdogan would be better off continuing what he described as “empty” and misleading speeches against Israel in the Turkish parliament rather than testing Israel’s resolve to defend itself.

The latest exchange highlights growing tensions between the two countries as Turkey expands its role in postwar Syria and Israel seeks to limit what it considers potential security threats along its northern flank.