Turkey has begun providing training, advisory, and technical support to the Syrian army under a defense cooperation agreement signed last month, a source from the Turkish Ministry of Defense told Daily Sabah.

Under the military agreement between the defense ministries of the two countries from August, Turkey will provide Syria’s armed forces with military training, weapons, and logistical support.

Ministry sources noted that the Syrian government continues its efforts to restructure and establish stability and security in the country across all its institutions and units. In this context, the government has considered requests to clear the region of terrorism, particularly from the Islamic State, aiming to directly contribute to the peace and welfare of the people.

The new Syrian government, formed after the overthrow of former leader Bashar al-Assad on December 8, 2024, is working to restore order across the country. Ankara, which has developed good relations with the new leadership, has repeatedly offered operational and military assistance to Damascus in the fight against the Islamic State and other terrorist threats.

The Islamic State seized large territories in Syria and Iraq during the early years of the civil war, declaring a cross-border “caliphate” in 2014 before being territorially defeated in 2019. Since then, the group has shifted to “targeted attacks on strategic sites” in Syria and maintains sleeper cells in the northeastern regions.

Turkey, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq activated the Joint Coordination Cell against the Islamic State, as announced by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in July. The mechanism aims to eliminate remaining Islamic State threats and make the use of YPG fighters in counter-terrorism unnecessary.

Ankara views the YPG as an extension of the terrorist PKK group, which recently announced its dissolution and began a disarmament process that will end forty years of bloodshed in Turkey. With U.S. support under the pretext of fighting the Islamic State, the terrorist group occupied oil-rich northeastern areas of Syria during the civil war. Under the March agreement with the new Syrian government, it is expected to integrate into the new national Syrian army and hand over occupied territories.

Security and counter-terrorism are top priorities, with Ankara viewing cooperation with Damascus as key to ensuring a stable, sovereign, and territorially unified Syria.

“Following the signing of the memorandum, efforts to restructure the Syrian armed forces have accelerated,” the sources said. “Training activities, visits, consultations, and technical support are being conducted in a coordinated and planned manner with the Syrian Ministry of Defense. Turkey is determined to support the principle of ‘One State, One Army.’”

Ministry sources added that reports of Israeli attacks on Turkish equipment in Syria are false and that there have been no changes in Turkish personnel or equipment in the northern part of the country. They warned that disinformation campaigns on social media are spreading false narratives and urged the public to rely only on official statements.

Israeli Attack in Qatar

Separately, Ministry spokesperson Zeki Aktürk called on the international community to oppose Israel, warning that if unchecked, reckless attacks like the one in Qatar could plunge the region into disaster.

Aktürk stated that the Israeli attack in Qatar demonstrates that Tel Aviv has turned terrorism into state policy, taking advantage of conflicts and opposing peace. Turkey stands “fully with Qatar against this attack, which is a clear violation of its sovereignty.”

According to Israeli military sources, a “precision strike against the senior leadership” of the Palestinian group Hamas was carried out in the capital, Doha. The attack sparked a wave of condemnation, being called a clear threat to Qatar’s sovereignty and a violation of international law.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also strongly condemned the strike, noting that it shows Israel deliberately undermining truce negotiations. “Targeting Hamas’ negotiating team while talks continue proves that Israel’s goal is not peace, but war,” the statement said.

Turkey consistently expresses solidarity with Palestine and Qatar, emphasizing that Israeli aggression constitutes state terrorism and expansionism, and calling for urgent international action to stop Tel Aviv’s violations of international law.

Ankara and Doha maintain strong relations, particularly since the blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia and other countries in 2017. In recent years, the two countries have strengthened military and economic cooperation.

Turkey is a significant supporter of the Palestinian cause and has hosted several Hamas members, including the late leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Iran in August 2024.

Qatar has been the main host of negotiations between Hamas and Israel since the beginning of the new wave of conflicts between the Palestinian resistance movement and Israel in 2023. However, the talks have yielded little results while Israeli genocidal attacks have claimed the lives of over 64,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children. | BGNES