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Türkiye will consider military intervention if groups within Syria move toward dividing the country and creating instability, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned Tuesday, directly accusing Israel of pursuing policies designed to weaken the region.
"If the groups in Syria move toward division and destabilization, Türkiye will consider it a direct threat to its national security and will intervene," Fidan said during a joint news conference with his Salvadoran counterpart Alexandra Hill in the Turkish capital.
Fidan's comments come amid escalating tensions in southern Syria, where clashes erupted July 13 between Bedouin Arab tribes and armed Druze groups in the city of Sweida.
The violence prompted Israeli airstrikes on Syrian military positions and infrastructure in Damascus, with Israel citing the "protection of Druze communities" as justification for the attacks.
The Turkish foreign minister sharply criticized Israel's regional strategy, saying the country "pursues a policy aimed at weakening its region and keeping it in chaos." He accused Israel of deliberately targeting Syria for division, claiming it "does not want to see a stable country in its region."
However, most Druze leaders in Syria have publicly rejected foreign interference and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a unified Syrian state, contradicting Israel's stated rationale for military action.
The Syrian government has responded to the escalating violence by announcing four separate cease-fire agreements in Sweida, with the most recent brokered Saturday as authorities work to contain the unrest.
The tensions come as a part of challenges faced by Syria's new government, which has been working to reestablish nationwide order since the ouster of former Dictator Bashar Assad on Dec. 8, 2024.
Türkiye's warning underscores Ankara's concern about potential fragmentation along its southern border and its willingness to take military action to prevent what it views as threats to its security interests.
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