Turkey to establish strategic defence ties and military cooperation with Syria

The Turkish defence ministry has said Ankara will establish military cooperation with the new Syrian administration.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, a Turkish defence official said Ankara was already in discussions with Syrian officials on the nature of their future military ties.

“In line with the directives of our president, we are engaging with our counterparts to establish strategic relations and foster cooperation across various fields,” the defence source said.

“Based on the needs identified during these meetings, the necessary support will be provided,” the official added.

Turkey under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was a key backer of the Syrian opposition since the revolution began in Syria in 2011. 

On 8 December last year, after 13 years of civil war, rebel fighters finally succeeded in toppling president Bashar al-Assad.

Turkey has had longstanding contacts with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, now the de facto leader of Syria.

Erdogan openly supported HTS and allied groups, during their winter offensive.

After emerging victorious in Damascus, Sharaa announced his intention to establish strategic ties with Ankara.

Last month, the Turkish president instructed his ministers to analyse shortcomings and challenges within Syria's infrastructure and to propose solutions to help the new Syrian government.

As part of these efforts, Turkish energy sector officials visited the Syrian capital last week to prepare a report on the country's electricity system, which has been plagued by frequent power outages.