US Ally Issues Ominous Warning Over Middle East War
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Turkey's foreign minister has warned that the NATO member country could intervene in Syria to deter what it sees as emerging threats to its national security following recent violence and Israeli military operations.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department, the Syrian government and the Israeli Prime Minister's office for comment.
Why It Matters
The threat highlights the danger of Syria becoming a direct battleground for the Middle East's major military powers.
Turkey, which maintained a significant military presence in Syria throughout the civil war, remains entangled in a country that sits at the intersection of conflicts involving major Middle Eastern powers — Israel, Iran, and Turkey and also has a presence of ISIS.
A broader regional war could also pull in the United States, which has backed Syria's interim leader in efforts to end the conflict, reshape alliances, and push for more peace treaties with Israel.
Both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are close to President Donald Trump, but they remain deeply at odds over Gaza and Syria.
Syrian Druze people cross back into Syria as they walk at the Israeli-Syrian border, in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams, Thursday, July 17, 2025.
Syrian Druze people cross back into Syria as they walk at the Israeli-Syrian border, in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams, Thursday, July 17, 2025.
Leo Correa/AP Photo
What To Know
Turkey "views any attempt to divide Syria as a national security threat and would directly intervene" if necessary, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, blaming both Israel and armed Syrian factions for fueling unrest in Syria's Druze-majority south, according to Daily Sabah's website.
"As Türkiye, we could never stay silent against such a move," Fidan was quoted as saying on Tuesday at a news conference with his El Salvadorian counterpart in Ankara.
Israel launched airstrikes on government sites in Syria last week, citing the need to protect the Druze community after accusing the Syrian government forces of violence against the religious minority sect in the southwest — where hundreds of people were killed in clashes with Bedouin tribes in Suwayda.
Israel's intervention marked a new escalation in its expanding military operations in Syria. "Israel is unwilling to see a stable country around itself and aims to divide Syria with the violent unrest in southern Suwayda province," Fidan said.
Israel's actions in Syria have drawn sharp condemnation from Turkey, which supported a number of the rebel factions that participated in the operation to oust Assad, particularly the Syrian National Army.
Israel has warned Turkey against using Syrian territory to launch attacks that could destabilize the region.
What People Are Saying
Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, according to Türkiye Today's website: "If the groups in Syria move toward division and destabilization, Türkiye will consider it a direct threat to its national security and will intervene. Israel pursues a policy aimed at weakening its region and keeping it in chaos."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in April: "We don't want to see Syria being used by anyone, including Turkey, as a base for attack on Israel."
What Happens Next
The Syrian government has vowed accountability over the Suwayda incidents while a fragile U.S.-backed truce with Israel holds. Risks are growing of a bigger conflict.
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