Syrian Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Murhaf Abu Qasra announced the departure of a cohort of Syrian officer cadets to study at military colleges in the Republic of Turkey and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a step aimed at strengthening academic and military cooperation among the three countries.

In a statement posted on his account on X, Abu Qasra said the move stems from the Ministry of Defense’s belief in the importance of knowledge in building armies and developing their systems. He explained that the mission seeks to cultivate competencies and prepare personnel familiar with the latest weapons systems and modern methods of warfare.

The minister thanked both Turkey and Saudi Arabia for their constructive cooperation in receiving the ministry’s mission, praising the commitment shown by the two countries’ military institutions to exchanging expertise and building capabilities, which he said would help cement cooperative relations and bolster security and stability in the region.

The Ministry of Defense press office told Enab Baladi that the ministry is preparing a plan to send training missions to several friendly countries, to develop officers’ skills and equip them with up-to-date military and administrative knowledge consistent with the ministry’s vision of building a modern, professional army capable of keeping pace with technical and field developments.

These missions follow a series of visits and coordination efforts conducted by the defense minister with Turkey’s Ministry of Defense. This is the first such mission since the resumption of diplomatic relations between Damascus and both Ankara and Riyadh, after the fall of the Syrian regime on 8 December 2024.

Training and advisory agreement

The defense ministries of Syria and Turkey previously signed an agreement on military cooperation that includes training courses, programs, and technical assistance intended to strengthen and develop the capabilities of the Syrian army.

The agreement was signed during a visit to Turkey by Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, and the head of General Intelligence, Hussein al-Salama. They met Turkey’s Defense Minister Yaşar Güler on 13 August, according to the Syrian Ministry of Defense.

Turkey’s Ministry of Defense said that, following a meeting that discussed bilateral and regional defense and security issues, Minister Yaşar Güler and Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra signed a joint memorandum of understanding on training.

Syria’s state news agency SANA reported that the agreement covers military cooperation between the two countries and aims to enhance the Syrian army’s capabilities, develop its institutions and structure, and support a comprehensive security sector reform process.

According to SANA, the agreement includes:

• Regular exchange of military personnel to attend specialized training courses to improve operational readiness and strengthen interoperability.
• Specialized skills training, including programs in counterterrorism, demining, cyber defense, military engineering, logistics, and peacekeeping operations in line with international best practices.
• Technical assistance by sending experts to support the modernization of military systems, organizational structures, and command capabilities.

SANA said the agreement is part of efforts to professionalize the Syrian army in line with international standards, which would reduce the risk of abuses by inadequately trained units.

Turkey plans to supply weapons and military equipment to Syria

Turkey intends to provide Syria with military equipment, including armored vehicles, drones, artillery, rockets, and air defense systems in the coming weeks, Bloomberg reported on 17 October, citing Turkish officials.

The officials, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the equipment would be deployed in northern Syria to avoid tensions with Israel in the southwest. They added that the move comes under broader understandings with Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to support efforts to rebuild the Syrian army after the damage to its arsenal during the recent war with Israel.

According to Bloomberg, the Turkish shipments are intended to back President Ahmed al-Sharaa and unify the country under his leadership.

Ankara, the report said, is concerned about the growing influence of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria, which control border areas with U.S. support and include the People’s Protection Units (YPG), regarded by Turkey as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The reported move comes as Ankara and Damascus seek to expand a nearly three-decade-old security arrangement that allows Turkey to target Kurdish fighters along the Syrian border.