ISTANBUL, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye on Thursday dismissed allegations of a Turkish military presence at a Syrian airbase recently targeted by an Israeli airstrike.
"We state that there was no Turkish military delegation at the base before or during Israel's attack on Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase," Defense Ministry spokesperson Rear Adm. Zeki Akturk said at a weekly press briefing.
The Defense Ministry condemned the strike, saying it targeted Syria's stability, security, unity, territorial integrity and infrastructure.
"The future of the region should be built not on the unilateral use of force, but on a security understanding based on international law and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries," Akturk said.
Urging Israel to halt such "reckless attacks" and comply with international law, Akturk added that Türkiye would continue to support efforts to preserve Syria's sovereignty and help strengthen its infrastructure and military capabilities.
Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria on Tuesday, saying that Syria was preparing to allow Turkish forces to deploy at the facility, a move Israel viewed as threatening. ■