U.S. Ambassador to Ankara: Israel Will Not Enter Direct Military Confrontation with Turkey

U.S. Ambassador to Ankara and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack affirmed that Israel is "smart enough" to avoid an actual war with Turkey, while simultaneously pointing out that escalating tensions in the region could lead to serious consequences stemming from miscalculations.

The remarks came during the World Security Forum held in Doha, where Barrack addressed the Israeli airstrike on a military base in Syria near the Turkish border, stating explicitly that Turkey had not been notified in advance of the passage of Israeli warplanes, and that Washington had likewise not been informed.

The U.S. ambassador clarified that Ankara was capable of immediately dispatching its fighter jets, "and we would have found ourselves in one moment in a completely different situation," according to what he said at the forum.

Notably absent from Barrack's remarks was any commitment that Washington would pressure Israel to coordinate its future operations with Turkey or the United States before carrying them out. Likewise, he did not specify the strike by location or timing, nor did he reference any existing or planned coordination mechanism.