US Ambassador to Turkey says Israel tried to ‘bait’ the country into conflict ahead of elections

Peloni:  As Amb. Tom Barrack represents to the world the position of Turkey regarding the Golan Heights, rather than the govt of the United States for which he is actually serving, it exposes a real conflict of interest for the Ambassador whose alignment with Turkey appears to be paramount.  Senator Rick Scott suggests that Barrack forgot to do his homework, but the great concern might be that he is simply about which govt he is actually representing.

Ambassador contradicts US policy on Golan Heights, claims Israel ‘occupying’ territory

All Israel News Staff | Published: August 23, 2026

Ambassador Tom Barrack and President Recep Erdogan. Image via AI

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack claimed in an interview last week that Israel’s strike on a military base in Syria may have been an attempt to draw the country into a conflict ahead of the upcoming Israeli elections.

In an interview with Lebanese-Australian influencer Mario Nawfal, Ambassador Barrack claimed that Israel was trying to draw Turkey into a conflict, while also claiming that the Jewish State is illegally occupying the Golan Heights, directly contradicting current U.S. policy, established by President Donald Trump in his first term.

During the interview, Ambassador Barrack was questioned regarding the Israeli strike on the Syrian Abu al-Duhur Air Base. The Israeli government claimed Syria was about to allow Turkish forces to deploy to the site, a claim which the Turkish government rejected.

Barrack had previously claimed that the action by Israel could have provoked a direct confrontation with Turkey in remarks to Reuters. However, in the interview with Nawfal, Barrack speculated that Israel may have intended to cause such an action.

While first claiming not to know why Israel struck in Syria, Barrack later hinted that he couldn’t reveal the reason, before sharing a “theory” regarding the strike.

Barrack claimed that “the Turks, their intelligence agency, their hierarchy, their foreign minister, the president, the head of intelligence, all are concentrating on restraint,” despite multiple comments threatening military action, and even the invasion of Israeli territory by Turkish leaders, including President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an.

“So one theory is they were just baiting Turkey, that it’s a very aggressive but maybe a well-received pre-election concept,” Barrack continued, appearing to imply that Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the strikes in order to improve his election chances.

The other theory Barrack offered was that the strikes were a result of miscommunication between Israeli security agencies.

“The other theory is that between the IDF, the Mossad, and the prime minister’s office, there was a miscommunication,” he stated.

The ambassador also played down claims that Turkey was planning to move military assets into the air base, as the Israeli government claims.

According to a report in public broadcaster Kan News, Turkey was preparing to deploy advanced radar and air defense systems to the Abu al-Duhur Air Base, with Israeli officials warning Washington that such a move would endanger Israel’s freedom of action in confronting threats.

A security source told the outlet that Israel has set red lines for the Turkish entrenchment in Syria, especially for the introduction of air defense systems, drones, and missiles that could endanger the air force’s freedom of action.

In an interview with PBS News Hour, Ambassador Barrack confirmed the Israeli desire for “a clear line of sight” to Iranian territory. He also repeated his claims on the Mario Nawfal show that Turkey was not planning to move any forces into the Syrian base.

Israel has previously struck sites in Syria, while citing Turkish attempts to place forces or equipment in those locations.

Within the Israeli security sector, there is a growing assessment that Turkey itself is preparing for an active conflict with Israel.

“Dramatic economic reforms have begun in Turkey; it has a large army and independent defense industries, it has planes, ships, and submarines – and mostly it has a vision,” a senior Intelligence official told Israel Hayom. “This vision includes Syria, Kurdish lands, and even investment in the Horn of Africa (a peninsula in East Africa). In 15 years, there will be two regional powers in the Middle East – Israel and Turkey.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote a lengthy post to social media, accusing Barrack of “inaccuracies” regarding his retelling of the events which preceded the strike.

Katz said the IDF recommended carrying out the strike “based on the clear intelligence received regarding Turkey’s intentions to conduct operations there that would endanger the security of the State of Israel.”

He also said that the Syrian government was warned, and that Israeli intelligence regarding the Turkish deployment “was transmitted to the authorized parties in the United States.”

Katz further said that Barrack’s statements about the Golan Heights “contradict the position of U.S. President Trump himself.”

Barrack told Nawfal that Israeli forces “still occupy the Golan against the UN resolutions, against all of the international order, which has said the Golan is Syria’s.”

Ambassador Barrack’s comments about the Golan Heights also drew criticism from U.S. politicians.

GOP Senator and former Florida Governor Rick Scott said Barrack “forgot that or failed to do his research” regarding the Golan Heights.

“President Trump has been CLEAR about Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights for years,” Scott said.