On the brink of confrontation? Netanyahu addresses the possibility of war with Turkey

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the possibility of a military confrontation with Turkey, revealed a disagreement with Trump regarding Erdogan, and said that Israel acted to prevent Turkish entrenchment at an airbase in Syria. 'I hope we do not reach a direct confrontation,' he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the possibility of a military confrontation between Israel and Turkey, and revealed that Israel has already acted to prevent the expansion of Turkish military presence in Syria. In his remarks, Netanyahu acknowledged a disagreement between himself and US President Donald Trump regarding relations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 'One of the things Trump and I disagree on is Turkey,' he said. When asked about the possibility of a direct confrontation, he replied: 'I hope we do not reach a direct confrontation. At least that's what I'm trying.' Netanyahu said that Turkey wanted to expand its deployment from northern Syria into an airbase, and that Israel prevented this. He did not elaborate on what the action was, when it occurred, or which base was involved. These remarks come against the backdrop of Netanyahu's new security doctrine, which emphasizes a shift from containment to prevention and proactive offensive action, although Turkey is not mentioned by name in that document.