Mossad chief discusses Turkish military presence with Syrian foreign minister before Abu al-Duhur strike
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Mossad chief Roman Gofman and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani discussed Turkey's military presence in Syria in an Aug. 14 phone call. Four days later, Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Damascus was on the verge of allowing Turkish troops to deploy.
Key Facts
- Mossad chief Roman Gofman and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani held an Aug. 14 phone call focused on Turkish military support, including arms sales and drone supplies.
- Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase on Tuesday, four days after the call.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X on Wednesday that Israel "will not tolerate a Turkish military establishment in Syria that threatens Israel."
- Turkey has been a close ally of the Sharaa administration since Bashar al-Assad was toppled in 2024.
- U.S. official Barrack said Washington is working on a deconfliction mechanism among Israel, Turkey and Syria.
The Call
The call took place on Aug. 14 between Mossad chief Roman Gofman and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. One source said the conversation centred on "Israeli inquiries about what (Turkey) was doing in terms of increasing their military presence, as well as the sale of weapons, provision of drones and other issues." A second source, a senior official, said Gofman used the call to ask specifically about Turkey's provision of arms to Syria's army. A third source familiar with the matter confirmed the call took place and that Turkish military presence in Syria was discussed. The Israeli prime minister's office and a spokesperson for Shaibani did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Strike and Warnings
Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase on Tuesday, four days after the call. Netanyahu said after the strike that Damascus was on the verge of permitting Turkish troops to deploy there and had ignored Israeli warnings. In a video posted on X on Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel "will not tolerate a Turkish military establishment in Syria that threatens Israel." Turkey's defence ministry declined to comment and its foreign ministry did not immediately respond.
Regional Realignment
Turkey has emerged as a close ally of the Sharaa administration since Bashar al-Assad was toppled in 2024, having backed rebels during the Syrian civil war. Sharaa said in July that Syria was seeking a security agreement with Israel and trying to involve a large group of countries to pressure Israel. U.S. official Barrack said Washington is working to establish a deconfliction mechanism among Israel, Turkey and Syria. The Aug. 14 call is among the highest-level contacts between Israel and the Sharaa-led Damascus administration.
1 source
Mossad chief discusses Turkish military presence with Syrian foreign minister before Abu al-Duhur strike
