LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic and Turkiye will collaborate on counterterrorism along their shared border to enhance military cooperation between the two countries.
On Sunday, Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad Hassan Al-Shaibani discussed these issues with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and General Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalın.
Syria’s Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Murhaf Abu Qasra and General Intelligence Chief Hussein Al-Salama also joined the high-level delegation that visited the Turkish capital, Ankara.
The talks focused on common issues in counterterrorism, border control, enhancing regional stability, and bilateral cooperation. They discussed joint training to improve coordination between Turkiye and Syria, the SANA news agency reported.
“We discussed the joint steps that can be taken to ensure Syria's full security while preserving its territorial integrity,” Fidan wrote on X.
“The Syrian administration possesses the determination and resolve to overcome the challenging trials it faces. We do not view Syria’s security as separate from Turkey’s security,” Fidan added.
Abu Qasra described the meetings with his Turkish defense counterpart and officials as “a significant new milestone” in strengthening cooperation between the two armies. He said in a post on X that such collaboration will “contribute to establishing security and stability in the region.”
Ankara has strengthened its relations with Damascus since December, after the collapse of the Assad regime last year, which was an ally of Iran and opposed Turkiye for supporting rebel groups.
