Türkiye has pledged to support Syria in its fight against terrorism and to bolster its defense and security capabilities under a newly signed military cooperation agreement, a senior Turkish defense official said on Thursday.
The memorandum of understanding, signed in Ankara on Wednesday by Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and his Syrian counterpart Merhaf Abu Qasra, provides for the supply of weapons systems, logistical equipment and, if needed, military advice to the Syrian army on their use, the official told a weekly ministry briefing.
“Thanks to the knowledge and expertise of our armed forces, we will continue to support Syria in its war on terror and in strengthening its defensive and security capabilities,” the official said, calling the agreement “another important step” in defense cooperation with Damascus.
The deal sets out plans for joint military training, intelligence sharing, procurement of weapons and related logistics, as well as technical assistance and specialized training in areas such as counter-terrorism, demining, cyber defense, military engineering, logistics and peacekeeping, according to the Turkish and Syrian defense ministries.
The signing, attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani and intelligence chief Hussein Salameh, followed months of negotiations and earlier talks between the Syrian delegation and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Discussions touched on developments in Syria, unrest in Sweida, and the refusal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to implement a March 10 deal with Damascus to integrate into state institutions.
Warning to Kurdish-led forces
The Turkish defense official accused the SDF – which Ankara regards as a terrorist organization linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and which is backed by the United States – of violating all terms of the March agreement and undermining Syria’s political unity and territorial integrity.
“The separatist rhetoric voiced by the SDF at a conference in Hasaka on Aug. 8 contradicts the agreement with the Syrian government,” the official said, in Türkiye’s first formal response to the meeting held by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria under the banner “Conference for Unity of Stance.”
He said Damascus had taken a comprehensive approach to ending ethnic, religious and sectarian divisions, but that the SDF’s “provocative and divisive behavior” was obstructing that process.
“We expect the SDF to fully comply with the agreement signed with Damascus and to implement it swiftly on the ground to build a stable, peaceful, safe and terrorism-free Syria,” he added. “From the start, we have defended Syria’s political unity and territorial integrity, and this memorandum reinforces that commitment.”
Fidan, speaking alongside Shibani at a news conference in Ankara on Wednesday, also warned the SDF against “buying time,” saying Türkiye would not remain idle in the face of unaddressed security concerns.
Turkish sources revealed that Ankara does not plan a direct military operation against the SDF but will back any Syrian army action, and has conveyed that position to Washington.
Syrian refugee returns
In a separate update, Turkish authorities said 411,000 Syrian refugees had voluntarily returned home since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government on Dec. 8, 2024.
Since 2016, a total of about 1.15 million Syrians have gone back voluntarily, reducing the number of Syrians in Türkiye under temporary protection to 2.54 million, official figures showed.
