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Türkiye and Syria will hold a meeting in Ankara on Sunday, Oct. 11, to discuss cooperation in security matters and review recent developments, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced Saturday.
According to the written statement, the talks will be attended by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Chief Ibrahim Kalin, along with their Syrian counterparts.
The meeting will focus on enhancing security coordination and assessing current developments in Syria, the ministry said.
Responding to questions on Friday about developments in Syria, Türkiye’s National Defense Ministry described the country’s recent elections as a positive step toward strengthening national unity, security and regional stability.
Ministry sources said the YPG/SDF terrorist group’s attacks on Syrian government forces in Manbij and rural Aleppo demonstrate its refusal to comply with the March 10, 2025, agreement and its continued threat to peace.
The sources emphasized that Türkiye closely monitors all contacts between the Syrian government and the terrorist group, reaffirming Ankara’s support for Syria’s “one state, one army” principle.
On March 10, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement to integrate the SDF into state institutions, reaffirming the country’s territorial integrity and rejecting separatist agendas.
However, the SDF—dominated by the YPG, the Syrian branch of the terrorist group PKK—has violated the agreement multiple times, according to Turkish defense officials.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday welcomed recent steps toward constructive engagement between Iraq and Syria, reiterating Türkiye’s readiness to contribute to the process.
He underlined the importance of strengthening ties between Baghdad and Damascus, calling such cooperation “vital for regional security and stability.”
“We value Iraq’s steps to reinforce Syria’s territorial integrity and unity,” Fidan said. “We also follow with appreciation Iraq’s efforts in the fight against Daesh.”
Fidan praised Iraq’s work to repatriate its citizens from camps and prisons in northeastern Syria, describing it as a key contribution to both Iraqi citizens’ safety and Syria’s stability.
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He reiterated Türkiye’s support for the evacuation of detention camps in northeastern Syria and urged other countries to repatriate their citizens.
“We are living through a period of increasing regional and global challenges,” Fidan said.
“In such times, we will continue to work with our Iraqi brothers for the stability, security, and prosperity of our region.”
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, a new transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was established in January 2025.
Assad fled to Russia in late 2024, ending the Baath Party’s decades-long rule that began in 1963.
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