logo
Erdogan condemns Israeli aggression in Syria, vows to block partition and 'David corridor'

Erdogan condemns Israeli aggression in Syria, vows to block partition and 'David corridor'

Al Bawaba17-07-2025
Published July 17th, 2025 - 07:14 GMT 'Israel is a terrorist state without law, without principle, and without limits,' Erdoğan said in a televised speech.
ALBAWABA-Ankara – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan launched a sharp attack on Israel over its recent military actions in Syria, accusing it of expanding 'thuggery and looting' under the pretext of protecting the Druze community.
In his remarks yet on the Syrian file, Erdoğan warned that Turkey would never allow the partition of Syria or the establishment of what he referred to as the 'Corridor of David.'
'Israel is a terrorist state without law, without principle, and without limits,' Erdoğan said in a televised speech. 'Over the past two days, it has extended its aggression to our neighbor Syria, using the Druze issue as a pretext to justify its expansionist ambitions.'
Erdoğan's remarks come just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly defended Israel's air campaign in southern Syria, vowing to prevent the militarization of areas south of Damascus and claiming that Syrian regime forces had massacred Druze civilians in violation of previous demilitarization agreements.
❝We did not consent to fragmentation of Syria yesterday, and we will certainly not consent to it today or tomorrow❞
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of using Syria's Druze population as a pretext for aggression https://t.co/8YVxxHaru0 pic.twitter.com/MIP3nkDyud — Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) July 17, 2025
In response, Erdoğan strongly rejected any justification for Israeli strikes inside Syria, warning regional actors against aligning themselves with Israel.
'Whoever descends into the well with Israel's rope will soon realize the grave mistake they have made,' Erdoğan warned. 'Those who seek a secure future through persecution and massacres should remember that we are the rightful owners of this land—they are only transients.'
The Turkish leader reiterated Ankara's longstanding opposition to any effort to divide Syria and emphasized Turkey's role as a guarantor of regional stability.
'We did not accept the partition of Syria yesterday, and we certainly won't accept it today or tomorrow,' Erdoğan said. 'Our position is clear: we support the territorial integrity, national unity, and multicultural identity of Syria.'
In a notable first, Erdoğan publicly referenced the so-called 'David Corridor,' a term used to describe a perceived Israeli-backed territorial route stretching from southern Syria into pro-Israel-controlled areas. He declared that Turkey would not permit its creation under any circumstances.
'Those dreaming of establishing a corridor in southern Syria will not realize their ambitions, God willing. Turkey will never allow it,' Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan also addressed the Kurdish issue, affirming that Syrian Kurds are Turkey's 'true brothers,' just like Kurds within Turkey's own borders. He warned against any attempts to exploit them for foreign interests.
'We will not allow our Kurdish brothers to be turned into appetizers on the Zionist table,' he said. The Turkish president also expressed confidence in Syria's future under the leadership of what he called 'my dear brother Ahmad al-Sharaa,' adding that a stable Syria would be a stabilizing force for the region.
'Syria will overcome these hardships with wise leadership. A stable Syria benefits all neighboring countries; otherwise, instability will burden everyone,' he noted.
He concluded by revealing that Turkey's ministries and intelligence agencies have maintained open channels of communication with their Syrian counterparts since the onset of recent escalations, indicating a more pragmatic security posture behind the scenes despite political tensions.
The Turkish remarks followed statements from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who justified IDF strikes on Syrian forces, claiming they were necessary to protect Druze civilians and maintain a demilitarized buffer zone.
'Peace is achieved through strength, not requests,' Netanyahu declared. 'We will not allow Syrian military forces south of Damascus, nor will we tolerate threats to the Druze in Jabal al-Druze.'
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz added a more controversial note, saying:
'I don't trust [Syrian commander] Golani. He relies on jihadist factions to attack minorities, and tomorrow he might turn them against Israeli communities in the Golan Heights.'
© 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Israel launches a new wave of airstrikes on southern Lebanon
Israel launches a new wave of airstrikes on southern Lebanon

Al Bawaba

time9 hours ago

  • Al Bawaba

Israel launches a new wave of airstrikes on southern Lebanon

ALBAWABA- Israeli warplanes launched a new wave of air strikes on southern Lebanon, targeting several locations in a fresh escalation that further undermines the fragile ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah reached in November. Also Read Israeli strike kills 3 people in Lebanon The latest Israeli raids struck the areas of Mahmoudiya, Zaghrin, the outskirts of Sajd, Ansar, and Zarariya, with additional air strikes reported on the Reyhan Heights and the heights of the Tuffah region, according to circulating footage and local sources. These attacks mark a continuation of Israel's cross-border operations in violation of the ceasefire deal, intensifying concerns over a broader regional conflict. While Israel has not formally commented on the raids, the strikes come amid ongoing tensions and retaliatory exchanges along the Lebanon-Israel border. Meanwhile, on the domestic front, the Lebanese Army Command announced the arrest of three Lebanese citizens during a series of security operations carried out by the Intelligence Directorate. Also Read Thai airstrikes kill 12 Cambodians in escalating border clash The detainees were allegedly part of a terrorist cell affiliated with the Daesh (ISIS) organization. "Preliminary investigations revealed that the cell was planning to carry out attacks against the army under the direction of external Daesh leaders," the army statement read. It confirmed that follow-up efforts are ongoing to apprehend additional members linked to the group.

Israel says intercepted missile fired from Yemen
Israel says intercepted missile fired from Yemen

Jordan Times

time13 hours ago

  • Jordan Times

Israel says intercepted missile fired from Yemen

JERUSALEM — Yemen's Huthi rebels launched two attacks targeting Israel's main airport, the latest on Tuesday, with the Israeli army intercepting both, a day after striking the rebel-held Yemeni port of Hodeida. Israel has repeatedly struck Huthi-held parts of Yemen after the Iran-backed rebels began targeting the country with missile and drone attacks, claiming solidarity with Palestinians over the Gaza war. The Huthis targeted Ben Gurion International Airport "using a 'Palestine 2' hypersonic ballistic missile", according to military spokesman Yarya Saree, who had hours earlier claimed a similar attack on the airport. On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said "Yemen's fate will be the same as Tehran's" after hitting Huthi targets in Hodeida port in an attack aimed to prevent any attempt to restore infrastructure previously hit. A Huthi security official, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, told AFP that "the bombing destroyed the port's dock, which had been rebuilt following previous strikes." The Huthis recently resumed deadly attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, targeting ships they accuse of having links to Israel, to put pressure on Israel to end the Gaza war.

WHO says Gaza facilities attacked as Israel expands operations
WHO says Gaza facilities attacked as Israel expands operations

Jordan Times

time13 hours ago

  • Jordan Times

WHO says Gaza facilities attacked as Israel expands operations

DEIR EL-BALAH, Palestinian Territories — The World Health Organization said Monday its facilities in Gaza had come under Israeli attack, echoing calls from Western countries for an immediate ceasefire as Israel expanded military operations to the central city of Deir el Balah. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Israeli military had entered the UN agency's staff residence, forced women and children to evacuate on foot, and handcuffed, stripped and interrogated male staff at gunpoint. Earlier, more than two dozen Western countries called for an immediate end to the war, saying suffering there had "reached new depths". After more than 21 months of fighting that have triggered catastrophic humanitarian conditions for Gaza's more than two million people, Israeli allies Britain, France, Australia, Canada and 21 other countries, plus the EU, said in a joint statement that the war "must end now". "The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths," the signatories added, urging a negotiated ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants and the free flow of much-needed aid. Tedros, who also condemned an attack on the WHO's main warehouse in Deir el-Balah, echoed that call: "A ceasefire is not just necessary, it is overdue," he said on X. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the countries' statement, saying any international pressure should be on Hamas, while US ambassador Mike Huckabee called the joint letter "disgusting". Key mediator Egypt, however, endorsed the message. The Western plea came with Deir el-Balah under intense shelling on Monday, after Israel's military the day before had ordered residents to leave, warning of imminent action in an area where it had not previously operated. Between 50,000 and 80,000 people were in the area when the evacuation order was issued, according to initial estimates from the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA. Deir el-Balah resident Abdullah Abu Saleem, 48, told AFP on Monday that "during the night, we heard huge and powerful explosions shaking the area as if it were an earthquake". He said this was "due to artillery shelling in the south-central part of Deir el-Balah and the southeastern area". "We are extremely worried and fearful that the army is planning a ground operation," he added. 'Extremely critical' In their statement, the Western countries also denounced Israel's aid delivery model in Gaza, saying it was "dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity". The UN has recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food since late May, when Israel began easing a more than two-month aid blockade. "We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food," the statement said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned through his spokesman the "accelerating breakdown of humanitarian conditions", noting "the growing reports of children and adults suffering from malnutrition". In Deir el-Balah, AFP images showed plumes of dark smoke billowing into the sky. The spokesman for Gaza's civil defence agency, Mahmud Bassal, told AFP it had "received calls from several families trapped in the Al-Baraka area of Deir el-Balah due to shelling by Israeli tanks". The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment. Since the start of the war, nearly all of Gaza's population has been displaced at least once by repeated Israeli evacuation orders. According to OCHA, the latest order means that 87.8 percent of the territory is now under evacuation orders or within Israeli militarised zones. Hamdi Abu Mughseeb, 50, told AFP that he and his family had fled northwards from their tent south of Deir el-Balah at dawn following a night of intense shelling. "There is no safe place anywhere in the Gaza Strip," he said. "I don't know where we can go." Mai Elawawda, communications officer in Gaza for the UK-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians, said the situation was "extremely critical", describing shelling "all around our office." 'Shocked and alarmed' The families of hostages held in Gaza since Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel said they were "shocked and alarmed" by reports of evacuation orders for parts of Deir el-Balah. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum demanded political and military authorities "clearly explain why the offensive in the Deir el-Balah area does not put the hostages at serious risk". Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Civil defence spokesman Bassal reported at least 15 people killed by Israeli forces across Gaza on Monday. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the agency and other parties. Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed 59,029 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Hamas's 2023 attack, which sparked the war, resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store