Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel has no interest in escalating tensions with Turkiye but will not accept the establishment of Turkish military bases in Syria.

Axar.az reports that, speaking to Channel 12’s Meet the Press, Sa’ar said Israel is committed to preserving the status quo amid tensions following a recent Israeli strike in Syria over the alleged deployment of Turkish troops at a Syrian base.

“We will not accept the establishment of Turkish bases in Syria,” Sa’ar said.

He said Israel had observed how Iran had established a presence in Lebanon and Gaza and did not want a similar situation to develop between Turkiye and Syria.

Sa’ar added that Israel always prefers diplomatic solutions and reiterated that it does not intend to escalate tensions with Turkiye.