Türkiye warns Israeli attacks threaten Syria stability

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday warned that Israeli attacks targeting Syria represent one of the gravest threats to the country's stability and territorial integrity, accusing Tel Aviv of escalating regional violence during a joint news conference in Ankara with his Syrian counterpart Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani. "Israel's attacks targeting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity are among the greatest threats to the country's stability," Fidan stated, urging the international community to respond more forcefully to Israel's occupation policy and to pressure Tel Aviv into complying with the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

Fidan noted that Damascus contributed to preserving regional stability throughout the US-Israeli war on Iran, stressing that protecting Syria's security remains a shared responsibility for all regional powers. He added that Ankara and Damascus share not only a 900-kilometer (560-mile) border but also a common history and future — emphasizing that stronger security in Syrian cities such as Damascus and Aleppo would have positive effects in Turkish cities including Gaziantep, Mersin and Istanbul, while instability anywhere in Syria would pose a direct threat to Türkiye.

Gaza peace roadmap

Turning to the Gaza peace plan, Fidan said Israel's continued attacks demonstrate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "does not want peace," despite the roadmap for the second phase having been agreed upon and announced by US President Donald Trump. "We are seeing that the Netanyahu government has intensified its acts of terror in the West Bank and Jerusalem," he added, asserting that Israel aims to sabotage peace efforts and separate Palestinians from Gaza, though "Netanyahu will not succeed in this policy."

Regional security dynamics

Fidan welcomed statements indicating a possible return to negotiations between Washington and Tehran, expressing hope that a ceasefire would be restored and the Strait of Hormuz reopened soon. He noted that stability and security in Lebanon remain critical for regional peace, welcoming steps toward normalization between Damascus and Beirut while observing that Syria is increasingly becoming "a source of solutions rather than problems," and recalling that ministers meeting in Jordan a day earlier had reaffirmed support for Amman as the legal custodian of Jerusalem's Muslim holy sites.