Turkish military denies presence at Syrian base hit by Israel

Turkey's Ministry of National Defense has asserted that no Turkish military personnel were present at Syria's Ebu Zuhur Air Base during or prior to the recent Israeli airstrike. The ministry condemned the attack, labeling it an act detrimental to Syria's stability, security, unity, and infrastructure. Ankara reiterated its stance that attacks violating Syrian sovereignty are unacceptable and stressed the need for Israel to cease such actions and adhere to international law.

Ankara also pledged continued support for Syria's military capacity building under the principle of a "single army." However, this official statement directly conflicts with claims made by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, which reported a Turkish military delegation had visited the base days before the strike. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had also suggested Turkey was planning to station forces there.

Further complicating the narrative, Syria's Foreign Minister Esad Hasan Şeybani reportedly told Axios that a Turkish delegation had indeed visited the base days before the attack, characterizing the visit as part of ongoing military training activities between the two nations. The Ministry of National Defense's denial stands in stark contrast to these accounts, creating ambiguity surrounding the presence of Turkish forces at the targeted base.