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U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson called on Israel to end its airstrikes on Syria, saying the attacks "shouldn't be done," in an interview with Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
"I'm really grateful the president's envoy, Tom Barrack, has expressed opposition to the Israeli airstrikes, and it just shouldn't be done," said Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina.
Asked directly whether he was calling on the Israeli government to end the strikes on Syria, Wilson responded: "Absolutely."
"I appreciate the leadership of President Donald Trump, at the request of Türkiye, at the request of Saudi Arabia, to give Syria a chance. And Syria will succeed, and then it's beneficial to every country in the Middle East," Wilson said.
He described the collapse of Bashar Assad's regime in late 2024 as the "liberation of Syria," saying it was significant not only for Syria but for other countries in the region, including Iran and Lebanon.
Barrack, the U.S. special envoy for Syria who also serves as ambassador to Türkiye, said in August that Washington was "deeply concerned" over Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur Airbase in northern Syria, calling them an "unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability."
Wilson, who co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Türkiye Relations and Turkish Americans, pointed to the depth of U.S.-Turkish ties dating to the Korean War.
"I'm very grateful that Türkiye led the effort for the liberation of Syria, and Syria now having an opportunity of stability, peace and prosperity, it's going to benefit all of the Middle East, but particularly Türkiye," he said.
Asked about efforts by Trump and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to resolve the dispute over Türkiye's purchase of Russia's S-400 air defense system and Ankara's possible return to the F-35 program, Wilson said he was "hopeful."
He said he supported Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth working with Türkiye, arguing that cooperation between Washington and Ankara would contribute to "peace through strength."
Asked directly whether he supports the sale of F-35s to Türkiye, Wilson said: "I do. Yes, I do."
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He also voiced support for lifting sanctions imposed on Türkiye under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), saying: "The bottom line, let's go back: Türkiye is a great ally of America, America is an ally of Türkiye, and we want mutual benefit."
The U.S. suspended Türkiye from the F-35 program in 2019 after Ankara's purchase of the S-400, arguing the Russian system would endanger the jets and was incompatible with NATO systems, a conflict Türkiye has repeatedly denied, proposing a joint commission to study the issue.
Several Turkish defense entities were sanctioned under CAATSA.
During a July meeting with Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Türkiye, Trump said he would "certainly" consider allowing Ankara to purchase F-35 jets and wants to remove the CAATSA sanctions.
Wilson's remarks came amid a continuing pattern of Israeli military activity in southern Syria.
Israeli forces blew up former regime military sites near Jandal Castle on Mount Hermon in southwestern Syria and shelled areas in the southern and central Quneitra countryside, Syrian state broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya reported, with no immediate information on casualties or damage.
In a separate incident, Israeli forces made an incursion into Daraa province's countryside with nine military vehicles, entering the Wadi al-Raqad area, according to Syrian media, while also shelling the outskirts of al-Hamidiyah in Quneitra province.
Damascus has repeatedly denounced such incursions as violations of its sovereignty and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, demanding an Israeli withdrawal to the lines held before the fall of the Assad government on Dec. 8, 2024.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said during a July visit to Syria that violations of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity were "unacceptable," calling on Israel to abide by the 1974 accord.
Syria's U.N. Permanent Representative Ibrahim Olabi recently told the Security Council that Israeli aggression constitutes "the greatest threat facing the stability of the entire region, not just Syria," pointing to an emergency declaration by 44 nations condemning a high-level Israeli visit to Mount Hermon as unlawful.
Olabi said Damascus had approached U.S.-sponsored security talks in good faith, but that Israel "responded to dialogue with airstrikes, incursions, and violations and attacks."
Türkiye's U.N. envoy Ahmet Yildiz also condemned Israeli operations in southern Syria as "relentless attacks" violating Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He described high-level Israeli visits to occupied Syrian territory as "provocative" and rejected comparisons between Israel's occupation and Ankara's own security cooperation with Damascus, saying strengthening Syria's national capabilities "is not any business of Israel."
Russia, China, the U.K., France, Oman (speaking for the Arab Group), Bahrain, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo-Liberia-Somalia bloc all called for an Israeli withdrawal from Syrian territory, while the U.S. urged mutual restraint and continued diplomatic engagement.
Israel has occupied the Golan Heights since 1967 and annexed the territory in 1981, a move not recognized by the international community.
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