{"id":294164,"date":"2026-08-25T13:41:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T09:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abcmedia.am\/?p=294164"},"modified":"2026-08-25T14:00:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T10:00:04","slug":"real-enemy-or-election-ploy-turkey-emerges-as-israels-new-enemy-ahead-of-october-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abcmedia.am\/en\/news\/294164\/","title":{"rendered":"Real enemy or election ploy? Turkey emerges as Israel\u2019s \u2018new enemy\u2019 ahead of October vote"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Just a few days later, Turkey became the center of Israel’s latest military confrontation as well.<\/p>\n

Israeli jets struck the Abu al-Dahar airbase in northern Syria, targeting what officials said was an emerging Turkish military buildup that Israel viewed as a significant threat.<\/p>\n

But with elections just over two months away, the strike’s proximity to Netanyahu’s campaign messaging has fueled a debate in Israel and abroad: is Netanyahu preempting a genuine strategic threat or amplifying one to boost his ballot-box standing?<\/p>\n

Tom Barrack, US President Donald Trump’s envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, issued a rare public rebuke to Israel over the strike, calling it an “unnecessary escalation.” In an interview with podcaster Mario Nawfal, Barrack suggested a political motive, floating a “theory” that Israel “simply tried to bait Turkey.” He called it “a very aggressive move, but one that might play well going into elections.”<\/p>\n

Turkey, in turn, accused Netanyahu of “pursuing expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region” ahead of the October vote. The Turkish government said it would continue to cooperate with the Syrian government “on a legitimate basis for the establishment of peace, stability, and prosperity.”<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"