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Israel’s actions in post-Assad Syria irk Türkiye, the main adversary of the genocidal Netanyahu administration. On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan highlighted this fact and the necessity to maintain Syria’s territorial integrity and unity.
Addressing lawmakers at Parliament in Ankara as his ministry’s budget was being discussed, Fidan said Israel’s activities in Syria’s Quneitra, Deraa and Suwaida were creating “a new line of tension in the south.”
“To counter this risk, we adapted a systematic approach to our efforts to boost Syria’s counterterrorism capacity. We will never allow a hostile environment that may threaten our national security in Syria,” Fidan said.
The Israeli army has carried out over 1,000 airstrikes on Syria and more than 400 cross-border raids into the southern provinces since December 2024, according to Syrian government data. After the fall of the Bashar Assad regime in late 2024, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Syria. Israel’s incursions worry Ankara, which has repeatedly warned that Israel’s expansionism across the region may target Türkiye eventually. At one point, Israel implied support for the terrorist group YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK, which has killed thousands in Türkiye since the 1980s.
Türkiye is a staunch supporter of the new administration in Syria led by Ahmed al-Sharaa and has pledged to support Damascus’ efforts to maintain security and stability in the post-war country. When Damascus moved to integrate the YPG into the new army, Türkiye voiced support as Ankara itself sought to disarm the PKK in a separate initiative.
Fidan stated that Syria should be cleared of all terrorists, primarily affiliates of the PKK and Daesh, and all armed groups should be integrated into a united army. He said Türkiye was coordinating with the U.S. and Damascus for implementation of the March 10 deal, referring to an agreement between the YPG and the al-Sharaa administration for the former’s integration into the new Syrian army.
Türkiye has recently started training Syrian army personnel as part of a bilateral agreement aimed at rebuilding Syria’s defense and security institutions. Ankara has been providing training, advisory and technical support at the request of Damascus since a deal was signed in August between the defense ministries of the two countries.
Gaza on the agenda
Fidan also touched upon the situation in Gaza, which constituted a significant item in the agenda of Turkish foreign policy throughout 2025. He said Israel’s aggressive policies have not been confined to Gaza and spread through a wider region including Lebanon, Syria and Iran, as well as “mediator” Qatar. “It became a significant threat to our region,” he said.
He noted that Türkiye has adhered to a determined stance against Israel’s genocidal policies and attempts to drive the region into instability. “We devoted a significant part of our work in 2025 to the establishment of a cease-fire in Gaza, delivery of humanitarian aid and ending Israel’s aggression,” he said.
He reiterated that a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and high-ranking officials of seven other Muslim countries in September in New York formed the basis of the Palestinian-Israeli cease-fire on Oct. 10.
“Despite Israel’s violations, the cease-fire has held so far, and humanitarian aid delivery has begun despite several restrictions. Our country’s role in this process is appreciated by the international community,” Fidan said.
He underlined that Türkiye was also engaged in intense diplomatic efforts for a two-state solution for the issue and recognition of the State of Palestine internationally.
“Türkiye is one of the actors that transformed the process and paved the way for peace. Eventually, we prevented the Netanyahu administration’s desire to expel Palestinians and annex the West Bank. Eleven more countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Australia and Canada, recognized the State of Palestine,” he said.
New era with the EU
Fidan also commented on relations with the European Union and underlined Türkiye’s role in NATO and its contribution to trans-Atlantic security.
“We will host the NATO summit next year, and this indicates how crucial our role is. Our European counterparts say that Europe cannot build its security architecture without taking Türkiye’s role and capabilities into account. In addition, the European Union recently increased its dialogue and cooperation with our country, particularly on foreign policy and connectivity,” he said.
“In the upcoming period, our main priorities in the context of our relations with the EU are the updating of the customs union, accelerating the visa liberalization dialogue, ensuring that the EU’s security and defense mechanisms are complementary to NATO, and the inclusion of our country in these mechanisms. We believe that if the European Union acts with a strategic vision, a new era based on mutual trust and common interests will begin in Türkiye-European Union relations.”
