Turkey accuses Israel of destabilizing Syria, deepens ties with Damascus

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel on Sunday of destabilizing Syria and indirectly benefiting the Islamic State group through its military strikes, as Turkey and Syria announced a deepening of their strategic partnership. Speaking at a joint press conference in Damascus with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Fidan stated that Israeli operations were undermining efforts to stabilize Syria and strengthen its institutions. "Israel constantly targets Syria's capabilities, thereby indirectly supporting ISIS," Fidan said. He argued that Israeli strikes were the most serious obstacle to Syria's positive trajectory, citing a recent attack on the Abu Duhur airbase as an example. The Turkish minister did not present direct evidence for the claim, framing it as a consequence of weakening Syrian state capabilities. The accusation came as the two countries formalized plans to accelerate cooperation. Fidan announced that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to visit Syria soon, though no specific date was provided. He described the visit as an important step to review decisions made by a newly established joint ministerial committee.