Erdogan Expresses Concern Over Recent Israeli Attacks on Iranian Targets in Syria

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, has described Israel's recent attacks in Syria, aimed at targeting Iranian interests, as warmongering and expressed concern over the consequences. Erdogan spoke to BBC Arabic on Sunday, May 23, specifically referring to the Israeli Air Force's attack on Iranian targets in Syria last Thursday morning. According to Israel, after forces affiliated with the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard attempted to attack Israel with twenty rockets late Thursday, Israel targeted over 'fifty Iranian military-related sites in Syria.' Reports from Israel indicate that although 16 rockets launched in Syria landed and four others were intercepted by Israeli systems, Israel labeled this as a direct military action by Iran against Israel following the deployment of an Iranian combat drone on February 21 of the previous year. Israel claimed it conducted the 'largest air operation' in Syria (in the 44 years since the 1973 war) in response to 'Iran's aggression,' bombing 'almost all Iranian-affiliated targets in Syria.' The Iranian government attributed the rocket attack from Syria towards Israel to the Syrian army. Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated on Friday, May 21, that this attack was a 'retaliatory action' by Syria against Israel's previous 'aggressions' and that Syria has the right to defend itself. However, some global powers, such as Germany, accused Iran of involvement in this attack and urged Tehran to refrain from such aggressions. Despite this, the Turkish President, in an interview with BBC Arabic before his trip to Britain, questioned the narrative presented by Israel and described the Israeli attacks as an unnecessary hostile process. According to Erdogan, Israel constantly 'intimidates' and these actions 'will lead the region into war.' The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Saturday, May 22, that 11 Iranians were killed in the Israeli attacks on Thursday; including Iranian casualties from attacks on April 20, May 9, and May 18, at least 44 Iranians have been reported killed in recent Israeli bombings in Syria. While Turkey has criticized Israel's attacks in Syria and expressed concern over their consequences, the Turkish army has conducted heavy attacks in the Kurdish region of Afrin in Syria in recent months to defend its own interests. However, Erdogan told the BBC that Turkey's 'Euphrates Shield' operation in Afrin was based on the 'Astana negotiations agreement' that prevented the creation of a terrorist corridor towards Turkey. Erdogan's concern about the region being drawn into war due to Israeli attacks on Iranian interests and its allies in Syria comes at a time when he has been one of the staunchest opponents of Bashar al-Assad's survival during the seven-year Syrian war, while Iran is working to maintain Assad's regime in Syria. In his interview with the BBC, Erdogan also criticized the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, the nuclear deal with Iran, assessing that this decision by Donald Trump would make the situation difficult for 'a period.' Halkbank of Turkey and some Turkish figures and institutions, some of whom were close to Erdogan, were under suspicion of having helped Tehran circumvent sanctions during the previous global sanctions against Iran. Turkey denied these accusations. In the interview, Erdogan also criticized the U.S. for moving its embassy to Jerusalem, stating that East Jerusalem should be the capital of a state established for Palestinians. He described this decision as isolating the U.S. and causing it to lose its allies. Erdogan's criticism comes as the U.S. President emphasized on December 6 of the previous year that recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital acknowledges a historical reality, and the embassy move does not contradict efforts to advance Middle East peace, with Washington continuing its efforts to achieve a 'deal of the century.' The U.S. embassy transfer ceremony to Jerusalem will take place on Monday, May 24, with a large American delegation, including Jared Kushner, senior advisor to Donald Trump, and his wife Ivanka Trump, arriving in Israel on Sunday.