Turkey demands Israel be stopped; Jerusalem clarifies: 'It won't happen'

Turkey demanded that Israel be stopped, and Jerusalem made clear: "It won't happen." The Turkish foreign minister accused Israel of a "conquering mentality" and called for pressure on it. Sa'ar responded that Turkey occupies 5% of Syrian territory and intends to establish military bases, while Israel holds a buffer zone of one-tenth of a percent.

Turkey demanded that Israel be stopped, and Jerusalem made clear: "It won't happen." The Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, accused Israel of a "conquering mentality" and called on the international community to pressure it to cease its activities in Syria. In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar issued a sharp statement on X, in which he accused Turkey of hypocrisy and of violating the sovereignty of states in the region. Sa'ar noted that Turkey occupies five percent of Syria's territory and intends to establish military bases within it, while Israel holds a buffer zone comprising only one-tenth of a percent of its territory, to protect itself from terrorist organizations. He added that Turkey has conducted military operations against Kurdish forces, threatened neighboring states, and maintains its occupation of 36 percent of Cyprus. Sa'ar concluded by saying that Israel will continue to take all necessary measures to protect its citizens.