“We don't want to see any confrontation with Israel in Syria because Syria belongs to Syrians. Syria does not belong to Turkey, Syria does not belong to Israel. We can not talk on behalf of the Syrians,” Fidan told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.
Fidan said that if Syrians choose to cooperate with certain countries or reach understandings with Israel, it is their own decision.
A day earlier, Turkey’s foreign ministry accused Tel Aviv of being “the biggest threat” to regional security with its attacks on "the territorial integrity and national unity of countries.” The comments were in response to Israel saying Ankara plays a “negative role” in the region and is “aggressive” towards Syria’s Kurds.
Israel has carried out multiple strikes on Syrian infrastructure since the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad last December. Most recently on Wednesday, Israel targeted sites near the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) in Barzeh, north of Damascus, as well as the Hama military airport and the strategic Tiyas Air Base, widely known as T4, in Homs.
Fidan said that Israel’s strikes were impeding Syria’s ability to fight terrorism.
“Unfortunately, Israel is taking one by one out all these capabilities that the new state can use against ISIS [Islamic State] and other terrorist threats,” he said.
“So basically, what Israel is doing in Syria is not only threatening the security of Syria, but also is paving the way for future instability of the region. I don't think that is good for Israel's future in the region,” Fidan added.
Ankara appears to have strong leverage with the new government in Damascus.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Thursday said that Turkey is doing its “utmost to have Syria as a Turkish protectorate,” adding “we don't think that it was good when Syria was an Iranian proxy” and “we don't think that Syria should be a Turkish protectorate.”
