Turkey begins training Syrian forces under new security deal
Turkey begins training Syrian forces under new security deal
Turkey has begun training Syrian forces under a security agreement signed between the two countries in August, several sources familiar with the issue told Middle East Eye.
One source said around 300 Syrians, mostly soldiers, but also some police officers, are currently being trained at two bases in central and eastern Turkey.
A second source told MEE that Ankara plans to train about 5,000 Syrian soldiers and police in the short term, with the number expected to rise to at least 20,000 over the medium to long term.
At the same time, Turkish security forces have begun withdrawing from northern Aleppo, where they have been stationed for about eight years as part of the Syria Task Force, which helped secure areas seized from the Islamic State group and Kurdish fighters.
According to the second source, the task force, largely made up of gendarmerie units under the interior ministry, has started evacuating bases. Equipment and supplies from these sites are being transferred to Turkey’s Hatay, Gaziantep and Kilis provinces.
Bases in Syrian border towns such as Azaz and Jarablus have already been evacuated and handed over to security forces affiliated with the new Syrian administration, the source added. Personnel and military hardware pulled back from Aleppo have been temporarily redeployed inside Turkey.
A Syrian government spokesperson said they weren't aware of the training. MEE has asked the Turkish defence ministry for comment.
Last month, the Turkish defence ministry said the bilateral agreement would support Damascus in military training and cooperation, including consultancy and equipment procurement.
Building a modern Syrian military
The deal is seen as a first step towards restructuring Syria’s armed forces, transferring expertise and supplying equipment to help Damascus build a modern military capable of responding to both internal and external threats.
In July, Syria formally requested Turkish military assistance after Israeli air strikes targeted Damascus and Sweida amid intercommunal violence between Druze and Bedouin tribes.
Ankara and Damascus have also been discussing a broader defence pact that could involve Turkish troop deployments to at least three major Syrian bases. However, the newly signed training and consultancy agreement does not yet provide a framework for such deployments.
Meanwhile, concerns about an accidental clash between Turkey and Israel remain, despite a deconfliction mechanism in place.
Syrian media reported that Israeli aircraft struck targets in Latakia and Homs on Monday night, including military ammunition depots and an air defence school.
Following the strikes, an Israeli security source told Al Arabiya that the raid targeted warehouses storing Turkish-made missiles and air defence systems recently moved to Homs.
“Turkey is trying to harass us and drag us into a military confrontation that we do not fear, but do not want,” the source said, adding that Israel has been negotiating with Syrian leaders over security arrangements but will not hesitate to use force if necessary.
The source stressed that Israel insists on demilitarising southern Syria and will strike any perceived threat to its security, regardless of its source or location.
