Turkey Denies Troops Were at Syrian Base Israel Struck

Turkey's defense ministry rejects Israel's claim that Turkish forces were present at Abu al-Duhur air base in Syria's Idlib governorate when Israel struck it on Aug 19, calling the allegations "untenable" and saying it is "essential" the international community take "more concrete and effective measures against Israel's actions." Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani separately confirms Turkish military officers had recently visited the base but denies any deployment plan — a continuation of the Turkey-Israel friction analysts have tied to the Mecca pact's shifting regional alignments.