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Türkiye and Syria will continue to strengthen their cooperation to preserve Damascus’ gains, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday.
“We have agreed with our Syrian brothers to strengthen our close coordination and cooperation to preserve and advance Syria’s gains,” Fidan said following a meeting in the capital Ankara with the attendance of Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, National Intelligence Organization (MIT) head Ibrahim Kalın, and their Syrian counterparts, including Syrian Foreign Minister Hassan al-Shaibani, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and intelligence chief Hussein al-Salame.
“We do not see Syria’s security as separate from Türkiye’s. We will continue to provide every kind of support to our Syrian brothers on this path,” Fidan added.
During the security cooperation meeting held in the capital Ankara, both parties agreed to strengthen cooperation to protect Syria’s gains, Fidan said on social media.
Fidan highlighted that the talks in Ankara allowed a thorough examination of the strategic dimensions of the countries’ relationship.
The meeting also addressed joint steps that can be taken to ensure Syria’s security while preserving its territorial integrity and evaluating concrete plans comprehensively.
Stressing that the Syrian administration has the determination and resolve to overcome the difficult tests it faces, Fidan said comprehensive contacts with Syria continue at all levels after the Syrian people gained their freedom late last year.
Sunday’s meeting follows tensions between Damascus and the U.S.-backed YPG, the Syrian wing of the terrorist group PKK. The YPG, which declared self-styled autonomy in northeastern Syria, near the border with Türkiye, is expected to adhere to a March deal with the post-Assad Syrian administration to join the Syrian army.
The issue is crucial for Türkiye, which often underlines that the YPG, unless it pursues a disarmament initiative as the PKK launched this summer, is a grave risk for security both in Syria and the wider region. The YPG has been warm to the idea to the extent that its leader, Ferhat Abdi Şahin, signed a deal in March with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Yet, the deal is still not fully implemented, and recent clashes in Aleppo between the YPG and the Syrian army highlighted that tensions between the two sides remain. Although clashes ended with a cease-fire, the YPG appears distant from the idea of fully embracing a new Syria, insisting on decentralization.
The YPG claims to represent Kurds in Syria and enjoyed U.S. support during the Syrian civil war under the pretext of fighting against Daesh. Ankara strongly opposed U.S. support of the YPG and, during the Baathist rule, carried out a cross-border military offensive to drive out the YPG from areas near its border. When the terrorist group started dragging its feet following the March deal with Damascus, Ankara raised its voice again, implying that another military action may be carried out if the YPG remains a threat.
Fidan hosted his Syrian counterpart on Tuesday. He stated that Türkiye will continue to support Syria’s efforts to combat the Daesh terrorist group, emphasizing the importance of Syria’s security to Türkiye’s own security. Back then, Fidan underlined that Syria’s security is vital to Türkiye’s stability, stressing that Israel’s aggression toward Syria poses the country’s most serious challenge and that such attacks must be firmly opposed. He noted that the two sides discussed Israel’s “unlawful actions” and evaluated efforts to establish security in southern Syria.
For his part, al-Shaibani highlighted ongoing diplomatic engagement, noting that the Syrian government is in discussions with the terrorist YPG/PKK-dominated SDF, and that the talks are continuing based on a unitary state. He called on the SDF to implement the March 10 agreement “without delay,” accusing the group of stalling measures vital to the country’s security and stability. He said that the group’s slow response is “hindering the interests of our people and obstructing counterterrorism efforts,” noting that the deal “remains only ink on paper” because the SDF is reluctant to take the necessary steps.
