Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned on Tuesday that Turkey would consider any attempt to partition Syria by force a direct national security threat and would not hesitate to intervene, accusing Israel of deliberately destabilizing Syria on the pretext of protecting the Druze minority.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his El Salvadoran counterpart, Alexandra Hill Tinoco, in Ankara, Fidan said that recent clashes in southern Syria had entered a new phase following Israeli airstrikes on Damascus and Sweida. He claimed that Israel is pursuing “heinous goals” aimed at dividing Syria and sabotaging international efforts to stabilize the war-torn country.
“The events took on a different dimension when Israel intervened in Syria under the excuse of protecting the Druze minority,” Fidan said. “All international and regional actors are working to support Syria’s unity and stability. However, Israel is undermining these efforts. It must be clearly stated: Israel does not want a stable Syria, it wants to partition the country.”
The remarks follow a week of deadly clashes in Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida province, where more than 700 people have been killed since July 13 in fighting among Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and government forces. The violence prompted Israeli airstrikes and a US-brokered ceasefire agreement supported by Turkey and Jordan.
Fidan said Turkey welcomed the ceasefire and supported Syria’s territorial integrity but warned that no group should attempt to redraw the country’s borders through violence.
“No group should act with the intention of dividing Syria. We are open to dialogue. Everything can be discussed. But if you go beyond that and use violence to destabilize and partition the country, we will see it as a direct threat to our national security, and we will respond accordingly,” he said.
Fidan added that Ankara is in communication with all factions on the ground and supports a negotiated settlement that respects Syria’s political and territorial unity.
“Whatever demands you have, bring them to the table. We are ready to help in every way,” he said. “But if this crosses the line into armed separatism, Turkey will not remain passive. We will act to protect our national interests and the stability of our region.”
Fidan also condemned what he called “Israel’s deliberate sabotage” of multilateral diplomacy. “For the past seven months, regional states, the United States and European countries have all taken constructive steps to support the Syrian people. Israel is the only actor working to sabotage these efforts,” he said.
The warning comes amid a volatile situation in southern Syria, where tribal fighters continue to clash with Druze militias despite the ceasefire. Syria’s interim government has redeployed internal security forces to restore order, while the humanitarian situation in Sweida has deteriorated sharply, with overwhelmed hospitals, mass displacement and rising civilian casualties.