Damascus, Syria – Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa met today, Thursday, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his accompanying delegation in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
According to Syria’s official news agency SANA, Syrian Foreign Minister Asad Al-Shaibani also took part in the meeting between President Al-Sharaa and the Turkish officials.
The two sides discussed regional and international developments, as well as ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various fields.
Last week, Asharq newspaper revealed that Syria and Turkey are preparing to sign joint security and military agreements aimed at promoting stability in Syria following the collapse of the former regime last December.
According to two military sources, one Syrian and one Turkish, the agreements are expected to be announced in late August, following Ankara’s acknowledgment of receiving an official request from Damascus for defence support.
A Turkish military source told Asharq that a joint defence pact is currently being finalized and is expected to be signed within the coming weeks. A Syrian defence source confirmed the agreement will be signed later this month.
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The Turkish source added that the deal will establish a strategic partnership between Damascus and Ankara, including cooperation in several fields and the creation of three Turkish military bases in Syria: one in Palmyra (central Syria), one at T4 airbase in Homs, and another at Menagh airbase in Aleppo’s countryside.
There are also discussions about a possible fourth base in Deir ez-Zor, though no agreement has been reached yet.
Meanwhile, a Syrian political source told Asharq that the military bases will not be publicly announced as in the past. The April Israeli airstrikes on T4 and Sha’yrat airbases prompted both sides to adopt a more discreet approach to military coordination.
The new agreement reportedly includes the establishment of training camps for Syria’s new national army, activation of radar and air defence systems, and the use of drones in joint training programs.
A Syrian diplomatic source described the agreement as a gateway to the formal establishment of Turkish military bases in central and northern Syria. Military cooperation between the two countries reportedly began just weeks after Al-Sharaa assumed office.
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Asharq emphasized that sources dismissed any link between the upcoming military deal and recent security incidents in Syria’s coastal and southern regions.
However, Turkish MP Aydın Ağaoglu of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) told Asharq that Turkey “will not allow any efforts to divide Syria or the continuation of separatist organizations threatening its territorial integrity.”
Ağaoglu added: “The legitimacy of Turkish intervention stems from an official request by the Syrian government. Should defence agreements be signed, our presence will be fully legitimate.” He stressed that Turkey’s goal is to “support Syria’s unity and stability and help rebuild the country after the former regime’s war on its people.”
He concluded by contrasting two competing visions for Syria: one of a unified, stable country, shared by Turkey, Arab states, Europe, and the U.S., and another of division and separatism, which he accused Israel of promoting through proxies.
