US envoy to T眉rkiye states Israel occupies Golan Heights, US intelligence refutes Turkish deployment claim in Syria
US Ambassador to T眉rkiye and Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack stated that Israel continues to occupy the Golan Heights, emphasizing its international recognition as Syrian territory. Speaking with Mario Nawfal, Barrack noted Israel's control of the Golan is against UN resolutions and international order. Barrack also suggested that Israel's recent strike on Syria鈥檚 Abu al-Duhur airbase might have been an attempt to provoke a Turkish response, describing the deployment of aircraft near the border without notification as a "very dangerous game." He praised Ankara's restraint, calling the Turks "not predatory." Alternatively, Barrack proposed the strike could have stemmed from a lack of coordination within Israel's leadership, intelligence, and military. He added that US intelligence has dismissed Israel鈥檚 assertion that Turkish forces were preparing to deploy at the Syrian airbase.
