US Envoy: Turkey Considered Scrambling Jets During Israeli Strike on Syrian Base

WASHINGTON — The United States’ top envoy for Syria and Iraq revealed that Turkey weighed launching its own aircraft in response to an Israeli attack on a Syrian military airfield. Tom Barrack, the US Special Representative for Syria and Iraq and former US Ambassador to Ankara, detailed the behind-the-scenes deliberations during Israel’s strike on the Abu Zuhur Military Airport in northern Syria. According to Barrack, Turkish officials evaluated the option of scrambling their jets as the Israeli operation unfolded. The disclosure offers a rare glimpse into the high-stakes regional tensions triggered by the raid. The Abu Zuhur base, located in Syria’s Idlib province, has been a strategic flashpoint. Barrack did not specify whether Turkey ultimately moved its planes, but his account underscores the narrow margins that prevented a broader military confrontation between NATO member Turkey and Israel. The remarks come as Washington seeks to manage volatile relations among its allies in the region. Barrack’s statement confirms that Ankara viewed the strike with sufficient alarm to consider a direct military response.