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Shafaq News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Ankara, Damascus ink pact to develop Syrian army capabilities
Shafaq News – Damascus / Ankara 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… — 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.
Asharq Al-Awsat
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
First Eid Adha Prayer Performed in Post-Assad Damascus
Syria celebrated Eid al-Adha on Friday for the first time since the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, ministers, military commanders, religious officials and members of the public performed Eid prayers at the presidential palace in Damascus. In a message to the people on Eid, Sharaa stressed that Syria was recovering after 14 years of war and suffering. State news agency SANA said tens of thousands of people flocked to Damascus' squares to perform the prayer. People from across Syria were eager to perform the Eid prayer at the Umayyad Mosque for the first time since Assad's ouster. Damascus Governor Maher Marwan said the country was recovering on several levels 'thanks to the unity and patience of its people.' Sharaa later headed to the southern province of Daraa, his first since assuming his post. He was warmly welcomed by the locals, who showed up in droves to receive him. Meanwhile, the country's Supreme Fatwa Council issued a fatwa, or religious edict, banning extrajudicial acts of revenge. It stressed that justice can only be achieved through the relevant authorities. This will achieve societal security and justice. The council made the announcement after it received several complaints about individual acts of vengeance. US special envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack was quick to hail the fatwa, saying: 'Great first steps for a new Syrian government marching toward a new Syria.' The council also called for speeding up judicial procedures against suspects, the adoption of effective laws and keeping figures connected to the ousted regime away from the judiciary. Achieving justice and ending oppression are among the foundations of civil peace, it declared. It warned that individual calls for vengeance are in violation of Sharia law and will only stoke chaos and strife, and threaten social unity.
