Against the backdrop of the IAF's strikes in Syria, which led to heightened tensions between Jerusalem and Ankara, a senior defense official has outlined Israel's policy and clarified that "Israel does not want to turn Turkey into an enemy, and there are covert channels between the countries to transfer messages and avoid friction."
Speaking with Kan News, the official clarified Jerusalem's red lines, noting that "when the messages don't help, Israel has to act."
Israeli policy focuses on fighting Turkish military buildup in Syria, particularly preventing the deployment of anti-aircraft, advanced missile, and drone systems, which could harm Israel's freedom of operation in the region.
As part of this policy, the IDF struck infrastructure and runways at the Abu al-Duhur military airfield in northern Syria. The preemptive action was conducted before the Turkish equipment arrived at its destination. According to the official, the strike was meant to send a clear message to the government in Damascus, according to which Israel does not oppose Syrian military buildup per se, but will not agree to the creation of a new security threat on its borders.
On the other side, the Turkish diplomatic and military establishments are attempting to calm the situation and are outright denying that any of their forces were present at the base that was attacked.
In an official statement, Ankara wrote that "no Turkish military delegation was present at the Syrian airbase before or during the Israeli strikes."