Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan sharply criticized Israel's policy towards neighboring countries, accusing it of seeking to weaken and destabilize the entire region. He stated this during a joint press conference with El Salvador's Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill in Ankara, the Yeni Şafak newspaper reports, BTA reports.
“Israel is pursuing a policy that aims to weaken and bring chaos to the entire region“, Fidan said. According to him, the Israeli state does not want stable countries around it and is currently seeking to divide Syria.
The Turkish foreign minister stressed that Ankara and the countries in the region will not allow such destabilization. He said Turkey was closely monitoring developments in the Sweida province in southern Syria, where fighting has been ongoing between Bedouin tribes and the Druze minority since last week.
Fidan also reported that Israel had carried out airstrikes in the Sweida region and the capital Damascus as a result of the clashes.
“If any of the groups in Syria take actions aimed at splitting and destabilizing the country, Turkey will consider this a threat to its national security and will react accordingly,“ the Turkish foreign minister warned.