Turkish foreign, defense ministers and intelligence chief pay working visit to Syria

ANKARA

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin are on a working visit to Syria’s capital Damascus on Monday.

Fidan, Guler and Kalin will meet with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and other Syrian officials as part of the visit, according to information obtained from Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

The meetings are expected to comprehensively assess the trajectory of Türkiye-Syria relations over the past year across political, economic and security dimensions, following the first anniversary of the overthrow of the Bashar Assad regime.

Discussions will also focus on the progress of the implementation of the March 10 agreement, which is closely linked to Türkiye’s national security priorities.

The visit is also expected to address emerging security risks in southern Syria stemming from Israel’s aggressive actions.

In the context of the shared interests of Türkiye and Syria, as well as Syria’s recent accession to the International Coalition to Defeat Daesh (ICDC), cooperation aimed at preventing the resurgence of the Daesh (ISIS) terrorist group – which seeks to exploit potential fragilities on the Syrian ground – will also be discussed.

In addition to security issues, which will constitute the main focus of the talks, the agenda includes a review of bilateral projects being carried out for Syria’s reconstruction and an evaluation of efforts to support the Syrian government’s capacity-building initiatives.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz, who has been appointed as Türkiye’s ambassador to Damascus, will also be traveling to the Syrian capital.

In the one-year period since the collapse of the Assad regime, Türkiye-Syria relations have gained momentum across many areas, with historic opportunities for bilateral and regional cooperation emerging, particularly in the fields of security and the economy.

While supporting efforts to heal the wounds left by the nearly 15-year Syrian conflict, Türkiye is also working to ensure that new cooperation opportunities are harnessed in a way that serves Syria’s stability and security in line with the interests of both countries.

In this context, Fidan paid his first visit to Syria following the fall of the Assad regime on Dec. 22, 2024.

- Mutual visits in 3+3 format

In the period that followed, as a natural outcome of the positive atmosphere that has emerged in Syria’s new era, reciprocal high-level visits between Türkiye and Syria have continued.

Within this framework, meetings held in the 3+3 format between the two countries have taken on particular significance.

Accordingly, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani visited Türkiye on Jan. 15, accompanied by a high-level delegation. During the visit, Fidan, Guler and Kalin met with their Syrian counterparts.

Following that meeting, the Turkish foreign minister, national defense minister and intelligence chief paid a working visit to Syria on March 13.

Another meeting focusing on security cooperation and current developments between the two countries was held in Ankara on Oct. 12, with the participation of Fidan, Guler, Kalin and their Syrian counterparts.