The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that it has received a formal request from the Syrian government to help upgrade Syria’s defensive capabilities and intensify the fight against extremist groups, foremost among them the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). Spokesman Rear Adm. Zeki Aktürk told reporters in Ankara that Turkey is already “mobilizing training, advisory and technical teams” in response to Damascus’s appeal.
The development was first reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency and relayed by Syrian television on July 23.
Turkish priorities
Aktürk underlined that Ankara’s core objectives remain the preservation of Syria’s territorial integrity, the stabilization of its internal security environment, and the elimination of all terrorist organizations operating on Syrian soil. “Our position is firm,” he said. “A politically united Syria that can defend its borders is indispensable for the security of both our nations and for wider regional peace.”
The spokesman also condemned Israel’s recent wave of air strikes on Damascus, warning that escalating attacks “have heightened tensions between the Druze community in Suwayda and the central government.” Turkish officials argue that a better-equipped Syrian Arab Army (SAA) can deter further external strikes and tamp down sectarian unrest.
Separately, Ankara reiterated its readiness to monitor the implementation of the 10 March agreement that seeks to merge the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian military structure. “The SDF must demonstrate, in tangible ways, full compliance with the accord it signed with President Ahmad al-Sharaa,” a Defense Ministry source said, adding that Turkish and Syrian agencies are “tracking developments closely.”
Deepening military contacts
High-level meetings between the two former adversaries have accelerated. On Wednesday, Syrian Air Force commander Brig. Assem Hawari met Turkish Chief of the General Staff Gen. Metin Gürak on the sidelines of the IDEF 2025 defense fair in Istanbul. Last month, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Kasra hosted Gürak in Damascus for talks on joint training programs, modern base construction, and weapons procurement.
Officials say preliminary plans call for supplying the SAA with advanced air-defense systems, secure communications suites, and upgraded armored vehicles, alongside officer-level courses at Turkish academies. “The intent is to build a professional, modern force capable of safeguarding Syria’s borders and preventing a resurgence of ISIS cells,” one Turkish adviser noted.
Looking ahead
Analysts caution that the emerging partnership still faces hurdles, including lingering mistrust among Syrian opposition factions and uncertainty over how Israel, Russia, and the United States will react to a closer alignment between Ankara and Damascus. Yet both capitals appear determined to move forward.
“Turkey’s strategic calculation has shifted from regime change to stability management,” said Dr. Nilay Yıldız of the Center for Middle East Studies in Ankara. “By helping rebuild Syria’s army, Ankara hopes to create a buffer against jihadist spill-over and position itself as an indispensable security stakeholder.”
For now, the formal Syrian request marks a watershed moment after more than a decade of hostility between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government and post-Assad authorities in Damascus. Whether the cooperation can translate into lasting peace will depend on the success of joint counter-terrorism operations, the integration of Kurdish units, and the restraint of external actors in an already volatile theater.