Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu came out against the alleged Israeli strike on the Syria-Lebanon border earlier this week, as well as criticizing President Bashar Assad’s for inaction over the attack, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported on Saturday.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. – Photo by AP

The foreign minister, who was traveling to Belgrade, Serbia for an official visit, told reporters, “Why didn’t [Bashar] al-Assad even throw a pebble when Israeli jets were flying over his palace and playing with the dignity of his country?” according to the newspaper’s report.

Davutoglu continued: “Why didn’t the Syrian Army, which has been attacking its own innocent people for 22 months now from the air with jets and by land with tanks and artillery fire, respond to Israel’s operation? Why can’t al-Assad, who gave order to fire SCUD missiles at Aleppo, do anything against Israel?”

Turkey does not know the precise details of the alleged attack, the foreign minister said, adding that if Israel were to attack any Muslim country, Turkey would respond, Hurriyet reported.

Additionally, the foreign minister claimed that the Syrian president has made a secret deal with Israel.

Approximate path of alleged Israeli strike on Syria’s border with Lebanon, Jan. 30, 2013, according to foreign reports.

“Is there a secret agreement between al-Assad and Israel? Wasn’t the Syrian army founded to protect its country and its people against this sort of aggression? The al-Assad regime only abuses. Why don’t you use the same power that you use against defenseless women against Israel, which you have seen as an enemy since its foundation,” Hurriyet cited him as saying.

The alleged Israeli attack early Tuesday was apparently on an arms convoy bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In the hours and days after the airstrike allegedly carried out by the Israel Air Force, conflicting reports surfaced regarding the nature of the strike. Syria accused Israel of attacking a research center in Jamarya, but denied that an attack on a convoy transporting SA-17 surface-to-air missiles to Hezbollah in Lebanon had taken place, as was previously reported.

On Friday, Time Magazine reported that Israeli jets attacked several targets in Syria in addition to the research center, which is outside Damascus.

View original HAARETZ publication at: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/turkey-s-fm-denounces-syria-s-assad-for-not-responding-to-alleged-israeli-strike-1.500963