"First Agreement Between Turkey and Damascus After Assad"

On November 27, opposition groups led by HTŞ began their operations, entering the capital Damascus in 12 days and bringing an end to the 61-year Baath regime. With the arrival of the opposition in Damascus, Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia. Turkey accelerated its diplomatic contacts with post-Assad Syria and reopened its embassy in Damascus.

FIRST AGREEMENT WITH POST-ASSAD SYRIA

As hot developments continue in the region, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced the first agreement to be made between Turkey and Syria. Minister Uraloğlu emphasized that Syria is an important gateway to the Mediterranean, stating, "We know that its ports have hardly developed. We will likely have assessments and efforts regarding certain investments to be made there. In the future, a maritime jurisdiction agreement will probably be made, and it will definitely be necessary for us to take a position to protect our interests in the Eastern Mediterranean." he said.

"IT WILL EXPAND OUR JURISDICTIONAL AREA THERE"

Minister Uraloğlu also mentioned the advantages of the agreement for Turkey, saying, "Such an agreement will expand both Syria's and our jurisdictional area there, and in terms of all kinds of oil and hydrocarbon exploration, we will share or expand all kinds of authority as two countries, taking international law into account. Of course, there is Lebanon and Israel there. We must consider them as well, and when we think of Syria as the geography closest to us, it will be possible for that region to be under the clear control of the two countries. For this, authority needs to be established," he stated.

WHAT HAPPENED IN SYRIA?

On November 27, clashes intensified between regime-opposing armed groups and Bashar al-Assad's forces in Syria. The regime-opposing armed groups gained superiority in the largest cities such as Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, and Homs between November 30 and December 7.

With the support of the masses, the groups that began to enter the capital Damascus on December 7 caused the regime to completely lose control in Damascus and many other regions, leading to its collapse on December 8. The 61-year rule of the Baath Party came to an end, and regime leader Assad fled the capital.

Meanwhile, the Syrian National Army had also liberated the district center of Tel Rifaat from the terrorist organization PKK/YPG on the first day of the Operation Dawn of Freedom launched in December. With the liberation of the district of Manbij, the region, which had turned into the largest terrorist nest west of the Euphrates River, was cleared of PKK/YPG.