'He should not put our resolve to the test,' Defense Minister Katz threatens Turkish President Erdogan

Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday, following the Israeli airstrike on Syria, saying that Erdoğan is "dragging Turkey into dangerous adventures in Syria."

The minister further wrote in his statement: "Israel will not allow any entity to threaten its security. It would be better for Erdoğan to continue giving his empty, fantastical speeches against Israel in the Turkish parliament and not put Israel's resolve to defend itself to the test."

According to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, the attack was carried out in light of the deployment of Turkish forces near the airbase close to Aleppo that was attacked.

In a statement, the Office said, “Israel and Syria agreed to maintain the status quo on security matters, which Syria was about to violate by allowing Turkish forces to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo. Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would constitute a threat to Israel’s security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings. Israel will not tolerate threats to its security, and would welcome a return to the status quo.”

In its own message, the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that there was no Turkish military delegation at the Syrian airbase before or during the Israeli strike, and they are vowing to continue providing Turkish support to Syria. The ministry went on to say that the "Perception that Israel’s military interventions against neighboring countries are routine and acceptable must absolutely not be allowed to take hold.

Meanwhile, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir arrived yesterday for a situation assessment and tour in southern Syria. While there, Zamid delivered a firm message: "We are observing what is happening and are monitoring the changes on the Syrian front; we will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves on our borders and we know how to deploy our strength precisely where and when it is needed."