According to an article by the Israel Times on July 17th, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel for using “protecting Druze in Syria” as an excuse to launch military strikes against Syria, which has already been battered by war. Erdogan also stated that Turkey would not allow Syria to split and would ensure the integrity of Syrian territory.
In a television address after each weekly cabinet meeting, Erdogan said, “Israel used the Druze as an excuse to expand banditry activities to neighboring Syria over the past two days,” labeling Israel as a “terrorist state.”
Recently, conflicts between Druze in southern Syria and Sunni militants have erupted. On the 15th, Israel launched military intervention under the pretexts of “protecting Druze” and “fighting pro-government armed forces,” targeting multiple targets in Damascus, the capital of Syria.
As reported by media outlets such as France 24 News, the Druze are a minority group with unique religious beliefs and identity, currently residing in areas including Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and the occupied Golan Heights. Due to their widespread distribution, many Druze are Israeli citizens, and some even serve in the Israeli military or police system. Al Jazeera described Israel as viewing the Druze as “allies.”
In the Golan Heights region occupied by Israel, elders of the Druze community held a meeting together.
Previously, Druze in Syria had numerous conflicts with the new Syrian government following the fall of Bashar’s regime, with disagreements on religion, ethnicity, and more. Leaders from the Druze faction thus called for foreign intervention and “protection of Druze” as a pretext for Israel’s subsequent attacks. However, France 24 News noted that many leaders of the Druze opposed foreign interference in the Syrian situation.
Erdogan also mentioned that Israel’s actions were “undermining” the ceasefire in Syria, stating that Turkey would not allow Syria to split or damage its “multicultural institutions” or territories. Erdogan claimed that Israel’s actions demonstrated its lack of desire for peace and mentioned that he had previously communicated with Syrian political leader Ahmed Salah about the current situation.
However, it is worth noting that Reuters and other media reported that Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize the current Syrian regime. Before taking office, US President Donald Trump publicly stated that it was “Turkey that planned the overthrow of Assad,” seizing control of Syria through the “reignition” of its opposition. The National Public Radio reported in 2024 that the predecessor of the current Syrian regime, the then-opposition “Freedom and Justice Party” in Syria, might have received “indirect support” from countries including the United States, Turkey, and Israel.
This article is a contribution from China’s observer network.