Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he and Syria's newly appointed president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, had discussed in Ankara on Tuesday steps to be taken against Kurdish militants in northeast Syria.
Speaking alongside Sharaa at a news conference in Ankara, Erdogan said Türkiye was ready to help Syria's new leadership in the battle against both ISIS and Kurdish militants.
Erdogan also said he believed the voluntary return of Syrian migrants would accelerate as Syria became more stable.
He said Türkiye would continue to press for the lifting of international sanctions imposed on Syria during former President Bashar al-Assad's rule, adding that it was important for Arab and Muslim countries to support the new Damascus government - financially and otherwise - in the period of transition.
Sharaa said his government sought a "strategic partnership" with Türkiye, and he invited Erdogan to visit Syria soon as relations between the two neighbors continue to thaw.
"We are working on building a strategic partnership with Türkiye to confront the security threats in the region to guarantee permanent security and stability to Syria and Türkiye," Sharaa said.
Ankara severed ties with Damascus in 2011 after the outbreak of Syria's civil war, during which it supported opposition groups seeking to oust Assad.
During his visit to Türkiye, Sharaa has also discussed economic ties as Turkish transport and manufacturing firms eye big expansion plans for Syria in what some expect to be a tripling of trade.
Türkiye hosted the greatest number of Syrian refugees following the outbreak of the war — more than 3.8 million at its peak in 2022.
Sharaa and Erdogan are expected to discuss a joint defense pact, including establishing Turkish airbases in central Syria and training for Syria's new army, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The sources - a Syrian security official, two Damascus-based foreign security sources and a senior regional intelligence official - spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media about the meeting.
This is the first time that elements of any strategic defense arrangement by Syria's new leaders, including details of additional Turkish bases, have come to light.
The pact could see Türkiye establish new air bases in Syria, use Syrian airspace for military purposes, and take a lead role in training troops in Syria's new army, the sources said.
Syria's new leadership has dissolved the army and its various opposition factions, and is working on integrating them into a new military command.
The sources said the deal was not expected to be finalized on Tuesday.
