Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yasar Güler and the head of Turkey‘s MIT intelligence agency, Ibrahim Kalin, visited Damascus today, in order to assess the overall course of Turkish-Syrian relations over the past year, a few days before the deadline set by Ankara for the integration of the Syrian Kurdish forces – SDG/YPG – into the Syrian army.

According to diplomatic sources, the Turkish delegation paid an official working visit to the Syrian capital, where it held meetings with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and senior Syrian officials. According to the briefing, within the framework of the contacts, the political, economic and especially the security dimension of the bilateral relations over the past year, following the one-year anniversary of the overthrow of the Assad regime on December 8, were discussed in detail.

Particular emphasis was placed on the progress of the implementation of the 10 March Memorandum, which is considered crucial for Turkey‘s national security priorities. At the same time, the talks raised the issue of the growing dangers in southern Syria, under the weight of Israeli attacks, as well as the possible consequences of instability for both Syria and Turkey.

Also on the table was the strengthening of cooperation in the fight against ISIS, against the background of the discussion of possible Syrian participation in the International Coalition against the Islamic State. The two sides exchanged views on the security situation on the ground and the measures needed to prevent the organization from regrouping, taking advantage of any gaps and fragile balances.

In addition to security issues, the talks included issues of Syrian reconstruction, with an emphasis on assessing bilateral reconstruction projects and supporting the Syrian government’s efforts to strengthen its administrative and institutional capacity.

Following his contacts, Hakan Fidan held a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart, stating that Turkey attaches great importance to the stability of Syria and is ready to offer all possible assistance and cooperation. He stressed that Ankara wishes to see a result in the talks between Israel and Syria, underlining that the stability of Syria is a key factor for the overall security of the region. He said the integration of the SDGs into the Syrian state structure is crucial and should be developed in a way that serves the interests of all sides.