Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. -AFP File Photo

ISTANBUL:Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel on Sunday of waging “state terrorism” as he condemned the air strike on Syria as an unacceptable violation of international law.

“Those who have been treating Israel like a spoilt child should expect anything from them, at any time,” said Erdogan, a harsh critic of the Jewish state.

“As I say time and again, Israel has a mentality of waging state terrorism. Right now, there is no telling what it might do and where it might do it,” he told reporters.

Erdogan was speaking after Israel's outgoing Defence Minister Ehud Barak implicitly confirmed that it had staged Wednesday's bombing raid which Damascus said targeted a military complex near the capital.

“We cannot regard a violation of air space as acceptable. What Israel does is completely against international law... it is beyond condemnation,” Erdogan said.

“I am worried that in a situation like this, any scenario can play out in the future.”

He said Israel was using claims about weapons being moved into Lebanon to justify its action as “an excuse.”

Wednesday's air strike targeted surface-to-air missiles and an adjacent military complex believed to house chemical agents, according to a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Damascus has threatened to retaliate, further fueling fears of a regional spillover of the country's 22-month conflict which the UN says has already left more than 60,000 people dead.

Under Erdogan, Turkey has become a fierce critic of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad since the uprising erupted in March 2011.

Opinion

Editorial

On press freedoms
Updated 03 May, 2026

On press freedoms

THE citizenry forgets, to its own peril, how important a free and independent media is in the preservation of their...
Inflation strain
03 May, 2026

Inflation strain

PAKISTAN’S return to double-digit inflation after 21 months signals renewed economic strain where external shocks...
Troubled waters
03 May, 2026

Troubled waters

PAKISTAN’S water crisis is often framed in terms of scarcity. Increasingly, it is also a crisis of contamination....
Iran stalemate
Updated 02 May, 2026

Iran stalemate

THE US and Iran are currently somewhere between war and peace. While a tenuous ceasefire — extended largely due to...
Tax shortfall
02 May, 2026

Tax shortfall

THE Rs684bn shortfall in tax collection during the first 10 months of the fiscal year is a continuation of a...
Teaching inclusion
02 May, 2026

Teaching inclusion

DISCRIMINATORY and exclusionary content in Punjab’s textbooks has been flagged in Inclusive Education for a United...