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 bilateral and regional defense and security issues.

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.