Netanyahu Warns of Turkey Tensions, Reveals Secret Action in Syria

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the possibility of a military confrontation between Israel and Turkey, revealing that Israel has already acted to prevent the expansion of Turkish military presence in Syria.

The US Factor and Turkey

Netanyahu also referred to the close relations between US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, admitting that this is one of the issues where disagreement exists between him and the American president. "One of the things that Trump and I do not agree on is Turkey," Netanyahu said regarding the policy gaps.

When asked about the possibility of a direct military clash between Israel and Turkey, the prime minister replied: "I hope we do not reach a frontal collision. That at least is what I am trying to do."

Preventing Turkish Deployment in Syria

Alongside the desire to avoid a direct conflict, Netanyahu revealed that Israel has already taken steps on the ground to thwart the expansion of Turkish forces in Syria. "Turkey wanted to extend its deployment from northern Syria into an air base. We prevented that, we acted," the prime minister recounted.

This is a significant statement, indicating that Israel is not content with merely monitoring Turkish entrenchment in Syria, but is prepared to act to block moves it perceives as a threat to its security interests. However, Netanyahu did not detail what specific action Israel took, when it occurred, or which air base was involved.

New Security Doctrine

This stance aligns with Netanyahu's new security doctrine, which emphasizes a transition from containment and defense to prevention and offense, fostering initiative, stratagem, and readiness for a surprise preemptive strike.

While Turkey is not explicitly mentioned by name in the security concept document, Netanyahu's remarks on Israel's operations in Syria clearly reflect the principle of active threat prevention.