Türkiye denies asking British MI6 to increase protection for Syrian president

ISTANBUL

Türkiye on Friday denied a media report claiming that Turkish intelligence asked Britain's Secret Intelligence Service to increase protection for Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

In a statement, the Turkish Directorate of Communications' Center for Countering Disinformation said the report alleging that Türkiye asked MI6 to boost security for the Syrian leader was “not true.”

The center said the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) maintains effective cooperation in counterterrorism with the international intelligence community as well as the security institutions of neighboring Syria.

“The successful operations recently carried out jointly with Syrian authorities against the Daesh terrorist organization are among the latest examples of this cooperation,” it added.

“It is not true that MIT requested MI6 to provide protection for the Syrian president or asked it to assume such a role,” it underlined.

Earlier, a British news agency, citing five people familiar with the matter, reported that MIT asked MI6 last month to take a role in protecting al-Sharaa following recent assassination plots.

ISTANBUL

Türkiye on Friday denied a media report claiming that Turkish intelligence asked Britain's Secret Intelligence Service to increase protection for Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

“The successful operations recently carried out jointly with Syrian authorities against the Daesh terrorist organization are among the latest examples of this cooperation,” it added.

“It is not true that MIT requested MI6 to provide protection for the Syrian president or asked it to assume such a role,” it underlined.

Earlier, a British news agency, citing five people familiar with the matter, reported that MIT asked MI6 last month to take a role in protecting al-Sharaa following recent assassination plots.