Turkey’s Ministry of Defense announced that units from the new Syrian army are undergoing training in Turkish barracks using Turkish weapons, under a cooperation agreement between the two sides aimed at strengthening Syria’s defense and security capabilities.

During his weekly briefing today, 30 October, Defense Ministry spokesperson Zeki Aktürk said that as part of close cooperation to enhance Syria’s defense and security capacity, 49 Syrian cadets are scheduled to begin their studies at Turkish military academies tomorrow, 31 October.

According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, Aktürk noted that some Syrian army units have already begun military exercises using the Turkish Armed Forces’ barracks and training ranges.

This move, the spokesperson said, comes at the request of the Syrian government to meet the Syrian army’s needs in “capacity building.”

On 22 October, Syria’s Defense Minister, Lt. 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, in a step designed to bolster academic and military cooperation among the three countries.

The Ministry of Defense’s press office told Enab Baladi that the ministry is preparing a plan to dispatch training missions to several friendly countries to develop officers’ competencies and equip them with the latest military and administrative knowledge, in line with the ministry’s vision to build a modern professional army capable of keeping pace with technological and field developments.

Syria–Turkey Military Agreement… A New Approach Constrained by Limits

These missions follow a series of visits and coordination by the defense minister with Turkey’s Ministry of Defense, and they constitute the first such deployment since diplomatic relations were restored between Damascus and both Ankara and Riyadh after the fall of the Syrian regime on 8 December 2024.

Training and advisory agreement

The Syrian and Turkish defense ministries signed a military cooperation agreement that includes training courses, programs, and technical assistance aimed at strengthening and developing 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 General Intelligence Service chief Hussein al-Salama. They met Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler on 13 August, according to the Syrian Ministry of Defense.

For its part, 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 training memorandum of understanding.”

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said the agreement covers military cooperation between the two countries and aims to enhance the Syrian army’s capabilities, develop its institutions and structure, and comprehensively support security sector reform.

According to SANA, the agreement includes:

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

The agency said the agreement seeks to develop the Syrian army by training its members professionally and according to international standards to reduce the risks of violations by untrained factions.

Turkey plans to supply Syria with weapons and military equipment

Turkey intends to supply 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 any 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 his efforts to rebuild the Syrian army after the damage sustained by its arsenal during the recent war with Israel.

According to the report, the Turkish shipments aim to back President Ahmed al-Sharaa and unify the country under his leadership.

Ankara fears the growing influence of the Syrian Democratic Forces in northeastern Syria, where they control border areas with United States support and include within their ranks the People’s Protection Units, which Turkey considers an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.

The Turkish step comes as Ankara and Damascus seek to expand a security accord that has been in place for nearly three decades, allowing Turkey to target Kurdish fighters along the Syrian border.