Türkiye seeks to avoid confrontation with Israel in Syria, Fidan says

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke to Reuters in Brussels, where he attended the NATO foreign ministers meeting.

In his statement, Fidan said that Türkiye does not want to confront Israel in Syria after Israel’s attacks on military zones in Syria weakened the new government’s ability to deter threats.

Minister Fidan argued that Israel’s actions in Syria pave the way for future regional instability.

Fidan added that if the new administration in Damascus wants to develop “a certain understanding” with Israel, which is its neighbor like Türkiye, that is their business.

Reuters wrote in its own news report, “Hostility between regional powers has spilled over into Syria, and Israeli forces have struck Syria for weeks since a new administration took office in Damascus. While Türkiye describes Israeli attacks as a violation of Syrian territory, Israel has said it will not allow any enemy forces in Syria.”

When asked about US President Donald Trump’s threats of military strikes against Iran, Fidan said that diplomacy is needed to resolve the conflict and that Ankara does not want to see any attacks against its neighbor Iran.

The minister also said that a possible peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia would be “difficult to digest” but would still be better than the alternative of more death and destruction.

Fidan said that Türkiye supports the US’s attempt to end the war in Ukraine, but that reaching an agreement is not easy.

In his statement, the minister said that the parties are “a little far” from reaching an agreement. When asked about possible security guarantees for Ukraine, he argued that Europe alone cannot provide sufficient guarantees without US support, but that a deterrent factor is needed to prevent conflicts from restarting.

When asked about US President Donald Trump’s policy changes regarding transatlantic security, Fidan said that this could be an opportunity for Europe, which has had “great dependence” on the US since the Cold War, to become more independent.

Fidan also noted that he is hopeful that Trump’s “problem-solving techniques” and his new administration may find a solution for the lifting of US sanctions imposed on Türkiye’s defense industry in 2019 due to the purchase of S-400 defense systems from Russia.