Syrian Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Asaad al-Shibani said Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, discussed with a Turkish delegation ways to boost economic and trade cooperation, expand intelligence and military coordination, and address the return of Syrian refugees.
The Turkish delegation, which visited Damascus on Monday, December 22, included Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and the head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization, Ibrahim Kalin.
Al-Sharaa met the delegation at the People’s Palace in Damascus. The meeting addressed bilateral relations and the latest regional developments, in the presence of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Asaad al-Shibani, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, and Syria’s General Intelligence chief, Hussein al-Salama.
Al-Shibani said the two sides discussed counterterrorism, particularly the Islamic State group, and preventing its resurgence in Syria. He added that they also worked on a joint vision for dealing with developments in northeastern Syria, stressing that Syrian Turkish ties are strategic and evolving daily.
Damascus reviews SDF response
The March 10 agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reflects Syria’s will to unify Syrian territory, al-Shibani said during a joint press conference with Fidan on Monday, December 22.
He said the Syrian government has not yet seen serious intent to implement the agreement, revealing that Damascus recently presented a proposal aimed at moving the deal forward “positively.” He added that the SDF response arrived on Sunday and is currently under review.
Fidan stressed the need to implement the agreement between the Syrian government and the SDF, saying that integrating the force into Syria’s state institutions would be in everyone’s interest.
He said prevailing impressions indicate the SDF has no intention of making progress on implementing the deal, and claimed the force coordinates with Israel, which he said delays reaching positive outcomes.
Fidan also said Israel must abandon its expansionist policies in Syria, adding that talks between Syria and Israel are important for regional security, on condition that state sovereignty is respected and regional stability is not threatened.
Turkey places great importance on Syria’s stability, Fidan said, reaffirming Ankara’s continued support for Syria.
He described the meeting as productive and said it addressed ways to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries, including efforts to develop border trade between Syria and Turkey, given its positive impact on both economies and on regional stability.
Turkey prepared if SDF refuses
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said talks with the United States on integrating the SDF into the Syrian army are still ongoing, and that integration is inevitable.
Speaking to journalists on December 20 during the ministry’s annual assessment meeting, Guler said the US position has changed noticeably, and that “our American friends,” as he put it, understand the realities better now, with their differences on the issue diminishing.
He added, “We have made our position clear regarding the Syrian Democratic Forces, and there is no turning back. They will inevitably be integrated into the Syrian army.”
Guler said the SDF also talks about integration but means integration as a single unit. “They must be integrated individually, not as one unit, otherwise it would not be integration,” he said.
If the SDF is not integrated into the Syrian army, Guler said, “Since 2016, when we carried out our operations in Syria, the United States and Russia were there, and we did what was necessary without consulting anyone. In the future, if need be, we will do what is necessary without consulting anyone.”
Referring to previous operations against the SDF in Syria, Guler said Turkey destroyed 302 kilometers of SDF tunnels in the Tal Rifaat area (north of Aleppo) and in Manbij (east of Aleppo), and that another 430 kilometers of tunnels were destroyed, bringing the total to 732 kilometers. He said this enables residents to settle and farm in those areas, adding that Turkey continues this work.
He concluded by saying that when Turkey took control of Afrin (northwest Aleppo), “all mosques, churches, and schools” had been turned into positions for “terrorists.” He said Turkey cleared Afrin of “terrorism” and destroyed all tunnels it identified. He added that despite the presence of a major dam north of Afrin, residents had remained without water, and claimed Turkey made the area safe and habitable. He also said Turkey is closely monitoring tunnel digging activities by what he called a “terrorist organization” in Raqqa (northern Syria) and Deir Ezzor (eastern Syria).
Damascus puts forward proposal to integrate SDF into army
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