Turkey accuses Israel of seeking to 'dynamite' Syria 'revolution'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel on Friday of sowing divisions in Syria in a bid to "dynamite" the "revolution" that toppled dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Turkey is a key backer of Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led the rebel coalition that ousted Assad in December.

"Israel is trying to dynamite the December 8 revolution by stirring up ethnic and religious affiliations and turning minorities in Syria against the government," Erdogan told a forum in the southern Mediterranean resort of Antalya.

Sharaa, who arrived in Antalya earlier in the day, met with Erdogan on the sidelines of the diplomacy forum, with the Turkish presidency posting a photo of the two shaking hands on X.

A Syrian foreign ministry statement said the talks emphasized "Turkey's support for the Syrian people for reconstruction and lifting the economic sanctions on Syria".

The talks also addressed "strengthening joint cooperation between the two countries in different sectors", the statement said.

It was Sharaa's second trip to Turkey as leader, after Erdogan welcomed him to Ankara in February.

Besides Erdogan, Sharaa also met with Qatar's foreign minister.

"During these meetings, we discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, expand areas of cooperation, and coordinate on issues of common interest, serving the interests of our peoples and enhancing security and stability in the region and the world," Sharaa said on Telegram.

He said the forum was a valuable chance to emphasize "the need to respect the unity and sovereignty" of Syria, with diplomacy "the most effective means of resolving conflicts and promoting peace".

'Manage tensions'

Erdogan's latest comments came as officials from Turkey and Israel began talks this week aimed at easing tensions over Syria, as the two regional powers jostle for influence in the politically fragile country.

Israel has launched air strikes and ground incursions to keep Syrian forces away from its border, sparking criticism from Ankara.

According to a Syrian source close to the matter, Turkey wants to set up "military positions" in Syria, including one "inside the T-4 base", a military airbase in the Homs province targeted by Israeli strikes last week.

Turkey's first technical meeting with Israel took place in Azerbaijan on Wednesday, according to a Turkish defense ministry source.

In an interview the same day, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the meeting did not mean the two sides were moving towards normalizing ties strained over Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza.

Aron Lund, of the Century International think-tank, underscored the point, saying that Israel and Turkey "are not going to come to an agreement about what should be done in Syria".

"And they're both going to be active in Syria militarily one way or the other," he told AFP.

But the talks "will at least find ways for them to co-exist and manage their tensions somehow, without that spiraling into something really destabilizing", Lund said.

'Vortex of instability'

Ankara's influence on Syria's new authorities has worried Israel, which considers Sharaa's forces to be militants.

Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on military sites in Syria since Assad's downfall.

"Israel is turning into a problematic country that directly threatens the stability of the region, especially with its attacks on Lebanon and Syria," Erdogan told the forum.

He said the Syrian "revolution" offered an opportunity to bring stability to the region.

"We will not allow Syria to be dragged into a new vortex of instability," Erdogan said, adding that Israeli strikes were denting efforts to combat the Islamic State group.

Turkey has suspended all trade with Israel, with Erdogan accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "genocide" in Gaza since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that began the war.

On Friday, he accused Israel of "barbarism" after a pre-dawn air strike that officials in Gaza said killed 10 members of a single family.