Ankara, Damascus ink pact to develop Syrian army capabilities
Turkish and Syrian defense ministers signed, on Wednesday, a memorandum of understanding on joint military cooperation, aimed at developing the Syrian Arab Army's capabilities and advancing security sector reforms.
The Turkish Defense Ministry revealed in a post on X that the agreement was signed in Ankara by Turkish Minister Yaşar Güler and his Syrian counterpart Murhaf Abu Qasra following talks at the Turkish Ministry of Defense.
The discussions, which also involved Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and intelligence chief Hussein Salameh, covered bilatera l and regional defense and security issues.
Millî Savunma Bakanı Yaşar Güler, ülkemize resmî bir ziyaret gerçekleştiren Suriye Savunma Bakanı Murhef Ebu Kasra, Dışişleri Bakanı Esad Hasan Şeybani ve Genel İstihbarat Başkanı Hüseyin El Seleme ile Millî Savunma Bakanlığında bir araya geldi. İkili ve bölgesel savunma ve… pic.twitter.com/abMKE8hqlW
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) August 13, 2025
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the memorandum outlined a framework for regular exchanges of military personnel for specialized training programs designed to enhance operational readiness and improve interoperability. The training will cover areas such as counterterrorism, mine clearance, cyber defense, military engineering, logistics, and peacekeeping operations in line with international standards.
The agreement also provides for the deployment of technical experts to assist in modernizing military systems, organizational structures, and command capabilities.
The cooperation is expected to support the restructuring of Syrian defense institutions and reduce the risk of violations by untrained armed factions, in line with broader state-building efforts under the 'New Syria' initiative.
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