ISTANBUL

The Syrian government requested official support from Türkiye to strengthen its defense capacity and combat terror groups, especially ISIS (Daesh), sources in the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

"In line with this request, we continue to work to provide training, consultancy, and technical support to increase Syria's defense capacity,” said the ministry sources.

“Türkiye's primary goal is to support Syria's political unity and territorial integrity and to lead efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region,” they added.

Responding to questions about the clashes in Syria’s Suwayda province and Israel’s attacks on Damascus, sources said Israel’s increasingly intensified strikes have heightened tensions between the Druze community in the southern Suwayda region and the Damascus government.

Türkiye maintains its resolute stance on preserving Syria’s territorial integrity, ensuring stability, and combating terrorist organizations, sources added.

On July 13, clashes broke out between Bedouin Arab tribes and armed Druze groups in Suwayda. Violence escalated, and Israeli airstrikes followed, targeting Syrian military positions and infrastructure, including in the capital, Damascus.

While Israel cited the “protection of Druze communities” as a pretext for its attacks, most Druze leaders in Syria have publicly rejected any foreign interference and reaffirmed their commitment to a unified Syrian state. A ceasefire was announced on Saturday.​​​​​​​

The new Syrian government has been working to reestablish order nationwide since the ouster of former regime leader Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8, 2024.

Integration of terrorist organization SDF

In response to questions regarding the integration of the terrorist organization SDF into the Syrian government, sources from the ministry said that “preserving Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereign rights is essential for the stability of our country and the region.”

“In this context, the implementation on the ground of the points agreed upon between the Syrian government and the SDF terrorist organization on March 10 will contribute to this stability.

"The SDF terrorist organization must demonstrate in concrete terms that it is adhering to its agreement with the Damascus government. Developments on this issue are being closely monitored in coordination with our relevant institutions.”

The Turkish government has repeatedly stressed over the years that the so-called SDF is led by the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK, which is designated a terrorist organization by both the US and Türkiye.