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No Turkish Military Delegation Present at Syria Airbase Before or During Israeli Attack: Defense Ministry

Ankara: No Turkish military delegation was present at Syria's Abu al-Duhur Airbase before or during a recent Israeli attack on the facility, Trkiye's National Defense Ministry said Thursday. According to Anadolu Agency, "We confirm that no Turkish military delegation was present at Syria's Abu al-Duhur Airbase before or during the Israeli attack," the ministry stated in response to reporters' questions following its weekly press briefing aboard the TCG Kochisar in the northwestern province of Kocaeli as part of TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland. The ministry described the Israeli attack on the military airbase as "an act aimed at harming Syria's stability, security, unity and integrity, as well as its infrastructure." "We emphasize at every opportunity that attacks violating Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity are unacceptable," the ministry continued. "For the peace and stability of both Syria and the region, it is essential that Israel end such reckless attacks and fulfill its obligations under internatio nal law," the ministry added. Trkiye will continue to support Syria's efforts to build its infrastructure and military capacity under the "one army" principle, it said. In response to questions about a series of phone calls held Wednesday by Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, the ministry said Trkiye has become a center for regional security diplomacy. "In this context, both our minister and our chief of General Staff hold talks with their counterparts in the field of military diplomacy for regional security and stability," it stated. "The talks held by our chief of General Staff yesterday should be evaluated within this framework." Responding to questions about Greece's Special Spatial Framework for Renewable Energy Sources covering the Aegean Sea, the ministry said Ankara is closely monitoring the move. "The regulation in question does not produce any legal consequences for our country or affect our position, including with regard to geographical formations whose sovereignty has not been transferred to Greece by international treaties," it said. "Trkiye remains determined to protect its rights, interests, and concerns in the Aegean Sea within the framework of international law." The ministry, however, stressed that Trkiye favors resolving issues between the two countries bordering the Aegean on the basis of international law, equity, and good-neighborly relations, as well as promoting peace, stability, and cooperation in the region.