British News Agency

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement regarding Türkiye's criticism of Israel.

The statement claimed that Türkiye has thousands of troops in Syria, Iraq and Cyprus, as well as dozens of military bases and outposts.

The statement alleged that Türkiye occupies 36 percent of Cyprus, 5 percent of Syria and 2,000 square kilometers of Iraq, while Israel temporarily controls only 0.1 percent of Syrian territory.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs argued that the area in question in Syria is a buffer zone established to protect citizens from security threats.