Turkey ‘crossed a redline’ in Syria, Israeli ambassador to US Leiter tells ‘Post’ - interview

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter told The Jerusalem Post that Israel had received clear intelligence indicating that Turkey intended to significantly expand its military presence in Syria, a move Jerusalem viewed as crossing a red line.

“We are not seeking escalation or war with either Turkey or Syria. But a red line was crossed," he said. 

His comments came following Israel’s strike in Syria and subsequent criticism from both the Syrian and Turkish governments.

“This was supposed to be a blatant Turkish violation of the understandings,” Leiter said. “Those who needed to be exposed to the intelligence received it. Those who needed to know what was coming knew. We made clear that this was a violation of our understandings—and that is why Israel acted as it did.”

According to Leiter, the failure to heed those warnings led Israel on Tuesday to strike the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria, near the city of Aleppo, where Turkish forces were reportedly expected to arrive. Syrian officials said the airfield was targeted in at least eight strikes, while satellite imagery released afterward showed damage to its runways.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that “Israel made the message clear: Don’t.”

Israeli ambassador to Post: Turkish presence in Syria 'froze the existing situation'

Leiter said the Turkish move contradicted understandings reached during the Biden administration between Israel and the administration of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which “froze the existing situation” in the country.

According to Leiter, those understandings were reaffirmed at a meeting in Paris in January 2026 attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, US Syria envoy Tom Barrack, Leiter, then-National Security Council chief Gil Reich, and Netanyahu’s military secretary Roman Gofman, now Mossad director.

“The freeze means that just as the Turks don’t move, neither do we—and they don’t force us to withdraw,” Leiter said. “And it is important to understand that while we are sitting on only 78 square miles in Syria, in a security zone, the Turks have carried out a creeping annexation of 3,500 square miles in northern Syria over the past several years—about 5% of the country’s territory.”

With the exception of US Syria envoy and ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, senior US officials have not condemned the Israeli strike in Syria.

“The administration’s policy is that the freeze agreed upon in the past will continue, which is why even Trump did not condemn the strike,” Leiter said.

Israel, Syria do not want to escalate war with each other 

Despite the tensions, Leiter stressed that Israel understands that Syria is not seeking an escalation or war.

“It is clear to us that the Syrians do not want a confrontation with us,” he said. “That is why we are telling the Turks not to create conflicts. There is more than one indication that the move planned by Turkey was imposed on the Syrians.”

Leiter said the apparent disconnect was also evident in conflicting Turkish and Syrian statements following the strike.

“While Syrian Foreign Minister Shaibani acknowledged that there had been a Turkish delegation in Syria several days before the strike, the Turks denied it. They should sort it out among themselves.”

He did not rule out a return to direct talks with Syria, as had taken place in the past, but said the conditions would have to be right.

“The negotiations can be renewed. We want to continue the face-to-face dialogue that we previously held with the Syrians,” the ambassador said.

Leiter added that Israel was also not seeking a confrontation with Turkey and remained open to dialogue with Ankara.

“We are certainly open to dialogue with them, but according to statements by senior officials in the country, they would prefer to wipe Israel off the map.”

He was referring to repeated statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accusing Israel of crimes against humanity, as well as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s statement that “Israel is a stain on humanity.”

“At a time when Turkey is hosting Hamas leaders and transferring funds to Hezbollah and Hamas, Iran’s arm against Israel, it is not appropriate for them to begin expanding their influence in Lebanon and Syria,” Leiter said.

“Under the current circumstances, Turkey cannot be a force that helps calm the region. I wish we could return to the situation of several decades ago in relations between Jerusalem and Ankara. Then, we would be open to Turkish influence in the region. But it is not logical for Turkish influence in the region to grow while Turkey is funding terrorist organizations.”