By Timour Azhari and Rami Ayyub
A third source familiar with the matter confirmed the call took place, saying that they discussed Turkey’s military presence in Syria. The Israeli prime minister’s office, which handles queries regarding Mossad, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did a spokesperson for Shaibani. Turkey’s defence ministry declined to comment and its foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Aug 19 – The head of Israel’s spy agency held a phone call with Syria’s foreign minister last week during which they discussed Turkey’s military presence in Syria, three people familiar with the matter said, just days before Israel bombed a Syrian airbase. The August 14 call between Mossad spy agency chief Roman Gofman and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani is one of the highest-level contacts yet between Israel and the Damascus administration led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. NETANYAHU WARNS OVER TURKEY-SYRIA TIES Turkey has emerged as a close ally of the Sharaa administration since Bashar al-Assad was toppled in 2024, having backed rebels during the Syrian civil war, stirring concern in Israel about rising Turkish sway on its northern frontier.
The sources said the issue of Turkish military support for Syria dominated Gofman’s call with Shaibani four days earlier. The call centred on “Israeli inquiries about what was doing in terms of increasing their military presence, as well as the sale of weapons, provision of drones and other issues”, one of the sources said. A second source, a senior official, said Gofman used the call to ask about Turkey’s provision of arms to Syria’s army.
After Israel attacked the Abu al-Duhur airbase on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Damascus was on the verge of permitting Turkish troops to deploy there, and had ignored Israel’s repeated warnings that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security.
“We made it clear to Turkey — Don’t. Earlier reporting noted: The Israeli strikes hit the Abu Duhur base early Tuesday (August 18, 2026), hours after the delegation had left, causing damage but no casualties. Because they were not authorised to comment publicly said the Turkish delegation had visited the air base in the northwestern province of Idlib on Monday (August 17, 2026) to review rehabilitation work underway at the facility, earlier reporting noted: Two Syrian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Sharaa, who has established close ties with Washington, said in July that Syria was seeking to reach a security agreement with Israel and trying to involve a large group of countries to pressure Israel to adopt a more balanced policy towards his country. Netanyahu, in a video posted on X on Wednesday, said Israel “will not tolerate a Turkish military establishment in Syria that threatens Israel”. Apparently they didn’t hear the message, so we made sure they understood it better,” he said, in an apparent reference to the airstrikes. The Turkish presidency on Wednesday rejected what it called “untenable allegations” by Israel regarding its military position in Syria, saying Israel aimed to legitimise its “unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. Turkey would “continue to cooperate with the Syrian Government on a legitimate basis for the establishment of peace, stability, and prosperity”, it said, without referring to any potential deployment plans. Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria and Iraq, said on Tuesday the Israeli strikes were “an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability”. Earlier reporting noted: Israeli strikes hit an air base hours after a Turkish delegation visit, Syrian officials say A Turkish delegation had visited an air base in northern Syria the day before it was hit by Israeli airstrikes, Syrian officials said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that Israel had attacked the base because Syria was “on the verge of breaching” an agreed-upon “status quo in security matters” by allowing Turkish troops to deploy there.
