Amending the Adana Agreement with Syria on the agenda of upcoming talks with Türkiye
According to reports, the upcoming talks between the Syria and Türkiye may include amending the Adana Agreement as part of a new formula for cooperation between the two countries.
Russia who is playing a big role in normalize relations between Ankara and Damascus, may have already prepared the agenda for the expected meeting between the Syrian and Turkish sides, which may be held at the end of this September.
The agenda will include identifying those classified by Syria and Türkiye as “terrorists,” and establishing a mechanism for cooperation between Damascus and Ankara in combating terrorism.
It will also include a timetable for the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territory, after agreeing on the previous points to ensure the security of the common border.
Discussing amending the Adana Agreement, which had originally signed between Syria and Türkiye in 1998, may be part of the talks, a proposal that was previously put forward as a new formula for cooperation between Damascus and Ankara to control border security.
These points require the approval of all concerned parties, especially the Syrian government, with Moscow stressing the importance of the withdrawal of Turkish forces as one of the main items of any future talks, in line with the Syrian demands which seeks to restore full sovereignty over Syrian territory.
The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had previously confirmed that there were plans to hold a meeting soon between Türkiye and the Syrian president, with the aim of strengthening normalization efforts between the two countries.
He explained that Russia managed with great difficulty last year to hold talks between Ankara and Damascus, but no agreement was reached on specific steps to move forward, as Damascus believes that achieving progress requires setting clear procedures for the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syria, which is a matter that hasn’t yet been decided.
Lavrov added that Russia proposed to Türkiye to return to the Adana Agreement signed in 1998 to combat terrorism in northern Syria, in cooperation with the Syrian government.
He pointed out that the agreement is still in effect and has not been cancelled, stressing that all countries participating in the Astana talks, including Türkiye, respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
It’s worth noting that the Adana Agreement was signed between Türkiye and Syria in October 1998, with the aim of improving relations between the two countries after tensions over several issues such as the borders and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
The agreement stipulates Syria’s commitment not to allow any activities that threaten Türkiye’s security, and grants Türkiye the right to take security measures within Syrian territory to a depth of 5 kilometers in the event that Syria doesn’t abide by these provisions.
