ISTANBUL, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Tensions between Türkiye and Israel have intensified following Ankara's request for an Interpol Red Notice against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, days after Israeli strikes on a Syrian airbase near the Turkish border.
The Interpol request was made in connection with an ongoing Turkish criminal case over the interception of activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail from Türkiye in May in a renewed attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, according to Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek on Friday.
The flotilla was intercepted by Israel, and those on board were subsequently deported.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office responded by accusing Türkiye of "hypocrisy" and referring to its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an "antisemitic dictator," saying Erdogan was seeking to extend what it called his "aggression" against Israel into Syria. The statement added that Israel would continue to act against what it described as threats to its security.
Türkiye's Communications Directorate hit back, describing the Israeli statement targeting Erdogan as "outrageous ravings" devoid of historical fact and political seriousness. It accused the Netanyahu government of using "cheap politics" for electoral gain and seeking to portray Türkiye as a new threat, warning that efforts to escalate tensions for domestic political competition posed risks to regional and global peace and stability.
The latest diplomatic exchanges followed Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday targeting the Abu al-Duhur military airport in Idlib province in northwestern Syria, which caused material damage but no casualties.
Israel said the airstrike was aimed at preventing what it described as a potential Turkish military deployment at the Syrian airbase, which it said would pose a threat to its security. Ankara has firmly denied any such deployment.
Canan Tercan, a Turkish political analyst of Istanbul Aydin University, said Israel's concerns over Türkiye's growing role in Syria were central to the latest tensions.
"Türkiye's presence in Syria for training purposes is entirely at the request of the Syrian government," Tercan said, noting that Ankara has no territorial ambitions and seeks to support Syria's unitary state structure.
Tercan also linked the escalating rhetoric to Israel's domestic political environment, saying Netanyahu faces increasing pressure ahead of the country's October election and may seek to maintain a hard-line security narrative.
In response to Türkiye's request for an Interpol Red Notice for Netanyahu, Tercan said the move could raise questions about the international standing of the Israeli prime minister.
"The issuance of an international Red Notice is a critically important development," she said, questioning how a political leader sought under an international Red Notice could continue to represent Israel on the international stage.
Omer Behram Ozdemir, an analyst at Ibn Haldun University, noted that despite the military provocations, Ankara is likely to maintain a strategy of restraint and focus on long-term institutional rebuilding in Syria rather than direct confrontation.
He argued that Israel's strikes are intended to expand the conflict and wear down its counterparts, while Türkiye's continued focus on rebuilding Syria's security institutions could strengthen Ankara's regional influence. ■
