Turkey & Syria pledge closer defence & counter-terrorism
- The National
- 9 minutes ago
- 2 min read
By Mina Aldroubi
August 06, 2026
Foreign ministers Hakan Fidan and Asaad Al Shibani condemn Israeli attacks on southern Syria during meeting in Ankara
Turkey and Syria on Thursday said they will work together to strengthen their defence and counter-terrorism sectors to help “free Syria”.
It came during a visit to Ankara by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani, who met his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.
“We are working to resolve the issue of weapons outside of the state control and to combat terrorism,” Mr Al Shibani said during a press conference with Mr Fidan.
Mr Al Shibani said Syria and Turkey agreed to protect their shared borders and fight terrorism. “Any threat to Syria is a threat to Turkey,” said Mr Fidan. The Syrian minister said that Damascus is working to “free” the country from terrorism. “We want a free Syria,” he said.
The Syrian government that came to power in 2024 has made assurances to world powers that it can keep extremists such as ISIS at bay, despite the militant background of President Ahmad Al Shara and the wider leadership cadre.
Turkey has for many years regarded Kurdish groups operating inside Syria as terrorists linked to an insurgency on Turkish soil. Kurdish militias have lost influence under the new order in Syria.
Mr Al Shibani also condemned Israeli attacks on Syrian territory. Israel has carried out attacks and incursions in southern Syria since the fall of Bashar Al Assad’s dictatorship in late 2024.
“We are working to consolidate stability in southern Syria and stop the repeated Israeli attacks,” he said. Turkey has also condemned Israel’s attacks in Syria, calling them a breach of international law. Mr Fidan said that Israel is threatening Syria's security with its continuing attacks.
“Israel must be pressured to respect the territorial integrity of Syria,” he said, adding that Israel is “obstructing any chance of gaining peace”.
On ties between Turkey and Syria, Mr Fidan said that “Syria has become more stable and we are working to develop relations with it at various levels.”
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