Ankara: Syria’s interim government has requested Turkiye’s support to strengthen its defence capabilities, Turkish officials said, following sectarian violence over the past two weeks that increased tensions in Syria and drew Israeli intervention.
The defence ministry officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity according to procedures, said Wednesday that Syria has also sought assistance to combat “terrorist organisations,” including the Islamic State group.
Turkiye — which has long expressed readiness to assist Syria — was working toward providing training, advisory services and technical support to help strengthen Syria’s defence capacity, the officials added.
Syrian officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
Tensions escalated in southern Syria last week, with violent clashes erupting between Bedouin Arab tribes and Druze militias in Sweida province. The conflict
triggered Israeli airstrikes on convoys of government forces in Sweida and on the Ministry of Defence headquarters in central Damascus, which Israel justified as efforts to protect Druze communities.
The US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, announced a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Syria on July 19.
Ankara strongly supports Syria’s interim government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa and has been seeking a defence agreement with Damascus that could reportedly include establishing Turkish military bases on
Syrian territory.