Violence in Syria's Druze province has triggered Israeli military action, complicating relations with Turkey and creating a power vacuum that Iran could exploit.

ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a phone call that the conflict in Syria needs to end immediately, a Turkish foreign ministry source said on Saturday.

Syria's Islamist-led government said its security forces were deploying in the predominantly Druze southern city of Sweida on Saturday and urged all parties to respect a ceasefire after days of factional bloodshed that has left hundreds dead.

With limited hardware and risk-averse foreign policy, Ankara has limited leverage against Israeli air strikes on Syrian targets

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel's military actions in Syria, accusing the country of being a "terrorist state" as well as a destabilizing force in the region.

Turkey has conveyed its views regarding Israel's air strikes on Syria to Israeli authorities via its intelligence agency, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Wednesday, adding Ankara was also in close contact with regional powers and the U.

But they represent something different, and not just because they led to a dramatic Israeli bombardment of Syria’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday that sent huge clouds of smoke billowing over central Damascus.

Republican congressman and Israel caucus co-chair Joe Wilson rebukes Israeli military strikes on Syria, calling them insulting to Trump's recent diplomatic efforts in the region.