Türkiye begins training the new Syrian army

In a significant shift in relations between Ankara and Damascus, Türkiye has begun training hundreds of Syrian soldiers and police, the first step in a security agreement signed between the two countries last August.

About 300 Syrians, mostly soldiers and some police officers, are currently receiving training at two bases inside Türkiye, one in the center and the other in the east.

The plan is to train up to 5,000 personnel in the short term, with the number increasing to 20,000 in the coming years.

Coinciding with the start of these training exercises, Turkish security forces began withdrawing from their bases in northern Aleppo, after a nearly eight-year presence as part of the so-called “Syrian Task Force,” which was tasked with securing areas retaken from ISIS and Kurdish forces.

According to sources, bases in border towns such as Azaz and Jarabulus were evacuated and handed over to local Syrian security forces under the new administration, with equipment being transferred to the Turkish provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, and Kilis.

Despite these moves, the website quoted a Syrian government spokesman as denying Damascus’s knowledge of the ongoing training exercises, while the Turkish Ministry of Defense declined to comment.

The Turkish defense ministry had previously announced that the bilateral security agreement would include training, military consulting, and equipment supplies, as part of a plan to support the development of a new, modern Syrian army capable of confronting internal and external threats.

In addition to the training agreement, Ankara and Damascus are discussing a broader defense agreement that could allow Turkish forces to deploy to three major Syrian bases.

However, this scenario is still under discussion, with no final agreement yet.

The military actions coincide with Israeli airstrikes targeting sites in Latakia and Homs, reportedly containing Turkish air defense systems, raising the possibility of a regional escalation between Türkiye and Israel within Syrian territory.

In a notable development, Ankara received a high-level Syrian military delegation headed by Brigadier General Asim Hawari, Commander of the Syrian Air Force.

The delegation met with his Turkish counterpart, Lieutenant General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, and Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu.