3 articles · Updated · voiceofemirates.com · Aug 22
Summary
Thomas Barak said Israel’s strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase early Tuesday came close to sparking a direct military confrontation between Turkey and Israel.
Barak said the raid may have been meant to provoke Ankara, or stemmed from an Israeli belief that Turkish assets or expanded Turkish training activity were linked to the base.
The US envoy called the potential fallout from such a tactical error “extremely serious,” despite Turkey’s repeated insistence that it seeks a sovereign Syria and not a hostile posture.
In the same remarks, Barak said the occupied Golan Heights belong to Syria under international law, citing UN Security Council Resolution 497 of 1981, which voided Israel’s annexation move.
His comments add to mounting friction over Syria, where he urged disputes to be handled through diplomatic channels rather than unilateral military action.