Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syria’s newly-appointed interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa discussed a new defense pact during their meeting in Ankara. The agreement aims to combat terrorism, particularly from the Kurdish fighters based in northeast Syria.
Erdogan expressed satisfaction with al-Sharaa’s commitment to fighting terrorism and vowed to provide necessary support. He also reiterated Turkey’s opposition to Kurdish groups viewed as terrorists by Ankara.
Al-Sharaa sought a strategic partnership with Turkey and invited Erdogan to visit Syria at an early opportunity. The leaders discussed security threats in the region, including threats to territorial unity in northeastern Syria. Al-Sharaa has rejected any form of Kurdish self-rule and urged the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to hand over their weapons.
The defense pact could see Turkey establish new military bases in Syria beyond those along its border. Erdogan also pledged to press for the lifting of international sanctions imposed on Syria during al-Assad’s rule, a priority for al-Sharaa.
In addition to security and economic ties, the pair discussed ways to address Syrian refugees and migrants. Ankara hosted over 3.8 million Syrian refugees in 2022, more than any other country.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/4/syrias-al-sharaa-meets-erdogan-to-talk-kurdish-fighters-defence-pacts