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Syrian interim government said on Wednesday it called for Turkey’s assistance to strengthen its defence capabilities after sectarian violence over the past two weeks of increasing tensions in Syria and sparking Israeli intervention.
A defense ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with the procedure said Syria is also seeking support in combating “terrorist organizations,” including the so-called Islamic State (IS) groups.
Turkey, which has long been made ready to support Syria, has been working to provide training, advisory services and technical support to help Syria strengthen its defensive capabilities, officials added.
Syrian officials were not immediately contacted for comment.
Tensions rose in southern Syria last week, causing violent clashes between Bedouin Arab tribes in Sweida and Druze militias.
The conflict has raided Israeli airlines by a fleet of government forces in Sweida and a national defense headquarters in central Damascus.
Tom Barrack, the US envoy to Syria, announced a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Syria on July 19th.
An earlier ceasefire between the Druze faction and government forces broke down. After the second ceasefire, government forces retreated from Sweida, but fought again between the Druze and Bedouin groups.
Ankara strongly supports Syrian interim government led by President Ahmad Alshara and is calling for a defence agreement with Damascus, which is reportedly involved in establishing Turkish military bases on Syrian territory.
In an interview with the Associated Press earlier this week, Barrack said the US had a “no position” on the outlook for a defense agreement between Syria and Turkey.
“There’s no business or interest in the US. We don’t tell each other what to do to the surrounding countries,” he said.
Ankara also supports the agreement reached between the interim Syrian regime and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and will merge into Syrian national forces.
The implementation of contracts is stagnant, with the main fixed point being whether the SDF will remain as a cohesive unit of the new military or disband completely.
On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned Syrian Kurds and other groups against exploiting tensions to pursue Syria’s autonomy, saying that attempts to divide Syria are seen as a direct threat to Turkey’s national security and could encourage intervention.
Turkey sees the SDF as a terrorist organization due to its relationship with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has undergone decades of rebellion in Turkey.
Turkish authorities said they hope that Turkey will track the SDF’s commitment under the agreement, adding that Turkey will “follow” the situation.
The situation in Syria is increasing tensions between Türkiye and Israel.
In April, Israel struck five Syrian cities. This includes more than dozens of strikes near a strategic air force base in Hama City.
Israel has accused Turkey of trying to build “protectives” in Syria.
Additional sources •AP