Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are discussing a joint defense pact that would include the establishment of Turkish air bases in central Syria and the training of a new Syrian army, Reuters reported on Tuesday, February 4.
Syrian security sources said the defense pact would include Turkey establishing new air bases in Syria, using Syrian airspace for military purposes and taking a leading role in training the new Syrian army. Syria's new leadership has disbanded the army and various rebel groups and is working to integrate them into the country's new armed forces.
"The talks would include setting up two Turkish bases in Syria's vast central desert region, known as the Badiyah... Sharaa would discuss Turkey's training of the new Syrian army, as well as new areas of deployment and cooperation," the material says.
The newly created bases will allow Turkey to protect Syria's airspace in the event of any future attacks. At the same time, russia is also negotiating with the new Damascus administration about the fate of two of its military bases in Syria, a naval base in Tartus and an air base near the port city of Latakia, writes Reuters.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on December 8, 2024, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali declared his readiness to transfer power in the country to the leadership of opposition groups.
At the end of December, it became known that the new Syrian authorities had agreed with the leaders of a number of opposition groups that they would unite and become part of the country's new Ministry of Defense.
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