
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday warned Israel to withdraw its forces from Syria.
Speaking at an AK party meeting, Erdogan said that no matter what, no one will be able to stop the revolution in Syria, but that beginning with Israel, "the forces attacking Syrian territories must immediately put an end to their aggressive actions. Otherwise, the consequences will have a negative impact on everyone."
He added that "everyone" should withdraw from the area, promising to "crush" ISIS, YPG, and other terror groups within a "short time."
Responding to reports of an impending ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Hamas terror group, he expressed hope that the "genocide and massacres" of the past 15 months would end.
"We hope to receive positive news as soon as possible," he said.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded to Erdogan's remarks: "Israel completely rejects the Turkish president’s statement. The aggressive imperialist actor in Syria (as well as in northern Cyprus, Libya, and other areas in the Middle East) is Turkey itself, and it is advisable for the Turkish president to avoid unnecessary threats. The State of Israel will continue to act to protect its borders from any threat."
Erdogan has long supported the Syrian rebels and their efforts to topple the Syrian regime.
Last month, Reuters reported that the Syrian rebel groups communicated plans for a "major offensive" to Turkey six months ago before it took place. The report added that the groups felt they had received "tacit approval" from Turkey following the communication.
The sources, a diplomat in the region and a member of Syria's opposition, stressed that there was "no way" the rebels could move forward without informing Turkey of their plans.
In December 2013, reports said that the Turkish government supplied Syrian rebel forces with more than 47 tons of weapons over the course of a few months. The weaponry was reportedly filed as "guns without military uses" - a category which includes shotguns and hunting rifles, but excludes assault weaponry such as AK-47s, and allows states to bypass the Syrian weapons embargo. It was not clear, however, what the deliveries actually contained. Earlier that year, reports said Turkey was funding the rebels.
In February 2015, the United States and Turkey agreed "in principle" on a deal to train and equip Syrian rebel forces. Then-State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, "As we have announced before, Turkey has agreed to be one of the regional hosts for the train-and-equip program for moderate Syrian opposition forces."