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Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-906150
Israel's U.S. Ambassador: Turkey "Crossed a Red Line" in Syria
(Jerusalem Post) Amichai Stein - Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told the Jerusalem Post that Israel had received clear intelligence that Turkey intended to significantly expand its military presence in Syria. "A red line was crossed," he said, following Israel's airstrike on Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase where Turkish forces were reportedly expected to arrive. Leiter said the Turkish move contradicted understandings reached during the Biden administration between Israel and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which "froze the existing situation." Those understandings were reaffirmed at a meeting in Paris in January 2026 attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. "The freeze means that just as the Turks don't move, neither do we....It is important to understand that while we are sitting on only 78 sq. miles in Syria, in a security zone, the Turks have carried out a creeping annexation of 3,500 sq. miles in northern Syria over the past several years – about 5% of the country's territory. The administration's policy is that the freeze agreed upon in the past will continue, which is why even Trump did not condemn the strike." "It is clear to us that the Syrians do not want a confrontation with us. That is why we are telling the Turks not to create conflicts. There is more than one indication that the move planned by Turkey was imposed on the Syrians....We want to continue the face-to-face dialogue that we previously held with the Syrians." "At a time when Turkey is hosting Hamas leaders and transferring funds to Hizbullah and Hamas, Iran's arm against Israel, it is not appropriate for them to begin expanding their influence in Lebanon and Syria." "I wish we could return to the situation of several decades ago in relations between Jerusalem and Ankara. Then, we would be open to Turkish influence in the region. But it is not logical for Turkish influence in the region to grow while Turkey is funding terrorist organizations."