Türkiye-Syria Military Cooperation: Gains for Both Sides

Syria and Turkey concluded a military cooperation agreement during a visit by a senior Syrian delegation to Ankara on August 13, which included Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al -Shaibani alongside the Minister of Defense and the head of the intelligence service.

The new agreement focuses on an organized exchange of military personnel to participate in training courses to raise capacity and readiness, in addition to specialized programs in combating terrorism, removing mines and cybersecurity, military engineering, peacekeeping operations, modernizing military systems, organizational structures, and leadership capabilities.

The expected Syrian gains

Syria is expected to achieve a number of gains by signing this agreement, foremost of which is the development of the emerging Syrian army structure according to a modern structure that simulates professional armies, given the experience that the Turkish military establishment possesses.

The past months have shown a lack of experience in the field of operations aimed at maintaining security among the Syrian army, especially those recently joined after the fall of Assad, and the training that the agreement will provide with the Turkish side will increase this experience.

Also, the development of cybersecurity skills will contribute to increasing the ability to provide protection for leadership structures in the Syrian army.

On the other hand, the Turkish role will provide a kind of guarantee for countries feared from the structure of the new Syrian army, where the transfer of the Monteorian newspaper on August 12th of sources in the Pentagon is fears of the presence of extremist elements within the Syrian army, and the provision of special training programs in the field of combating terrorism will contribute to increasing the chances of the international coalition’s approval of the Syrian army responsible for fighting terrorism and supervising prisons that include previous elements of “ISIS” and still Under the auspices of the international coalition and the control of “SDF” in Hasaka Governorate.

After the bloody endosperm in mid -July, doubts about the ability of the Syrian government forces to control the security situation after the violations that occurred from tribal forces or elements of the security apparatus, where “SDF” then worked to promote in international circles that they are the most efficient forces to be the nucleus of forming the Syrian army.

During the past weeks, the Syrian Ministry of Defense opened the way for officers who had previously defected from the Assad army in order to return to the military establishment, and Syrian official sources reported that the number of defected officers who returned to work or submitted official requests for return reached nearly 3000 officers.

According to the sources of Syria, the Ministry of Defense is working hard to restructure its affiliated forces, and work to frame them according to professional structures with the aim of reaching a hierarchical sequence and full military discipline.

Raising the efficiency of the Syrian army and support provided by the Turkish side will contribute to increasing the cohesion of the Syrian military establishment, and accordingly strengthening its position in the face of the Qasd organization, which is training by the international coalition forces led by the United States of America.

Turkish gains

The signing of the Turkish side of a military cooperation agreement will allow Ankara to work closely on Syrian soil, and to obtain an advanced position in the face of the cadres of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is still widespread in the regions of northeastern Syria.

The signing of the agreement between Ankara and Damascus indicates the existence of an international and American implicit satisfaction, especially from the expansion of Turkey in the process of stabilizing, and therefore its role will be pivotal in ensuring that ISIS will not return, which will reduce the need of the United States to continue financing the “SDF” organization.

In early August, American media revealed the draft budget of the US Department of Defense for the year 2026, which included reducing the financing of “SDF” by 16 percent, to be satisfied with only 136 million US dollars allocated to logistical matters and spending on prisons in the areas of “SDF”.

In general, the presence of a strong military establishment in Syria and an ally of the Turkish side means on the long level, Ankara guarantee to reduce its security fears in Syria.