22.12.2025 14:35
Nine days before the deadline for the terrorist organization SDG to integrate into the Syrian army, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, and MIT President İbrahim Kalın made a visit to Damascus. It is expected that Minister Fidan, whose words "Our patience is running out" have garnered much attention, will deliver serious messages regarding the implementation of the March 10 Agreement.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, and MIT President İbrahim Kalın went to Syria for talks. The visit is noteworthy as it comes just 9 days before the deadline for the integration of the terrorist organization SDG into the Syrian army.
During the discussions, it is anticipated that the political, economic, and security dimensions of Turkey-Syria relations over the past year will be comprehensively evaluated within the framework of visits to be made following the first anniversary of the Assad regime's overthrow on December 8. The process of implementing the March 10 Agreement, which closely concerns Turkey's national security priorities, will also be addressed. Additionally, it is expected that the security risks emerging in southern Syria due to Israel's aggressiveness will be highlighted.
RECONSTRUCTION OF SYRIA ON THE AGENDA Cooperation to prevent the resurgence of ISIS, which is trying to take advantage of the potential fragility in the Syrian field in the context of Turkey and Syria's common interests and Syria's recent participation in the International Coalition Against ISIS (DMUK), will also be discussed. In addition to the security issues that will be the focus of the meeting, it is planned to evaluate the projects carried out at the bilateral level for the reconstruction of Syria and to support the Syrian government's capacity-building efforts. It is also expected that Nuh Yılmaz, who has been appointed as Turkey's Ambassador to Damascus, will participate in the discussions.
MUTUAL VISITS IN 3+3 FORMAT In the one-year period following the overthrow of the Assad regime, significant momentum has been achieved in Turkey-Syria relations in many areas, particularly in security and economy, leading to historic cooperation opportunities at both bilateral and regional levels. While Turkey supports the healing of the wounds from the nearly 15-year Syrian conflict, it is also making the necessary efforts to evaluate new cooperation opportunities in a way that serves the stability and security of Syria in line with the interests of both countries. In this context, Minister Fidan first visited Syria on December 22, 2024, following the overthrow of the Assad regime. Subsequently, mutual high-level visits between Turkey and Syria have continued without losing momentum as a natural result of the positive atmosphere that has emerged in the new era in Syria. In this regard, meetings held in a 3+3 format between the two countries also hold significant importance.
In this context, Syrian Foreign Minister Esad Hasan Şeybani, accompanied by a high-level delegation, visited Turkey on January 15, 2025. During the visit, Foreign Minister Fidan, Minister of National Defense Güler, and MIT President Kalın met with their Syrian counterparts. Following this meeting, Minister Fidan, along with Minister of National Defense Güler and MIT President Kalın, made a working visit to Syria on March 13, 2025. Another meeting addressing security cooperation and current developments between the two countries was held on October 12, 2025, in Ankara, with the participation of Minister Fidan, Minister of National Defense Güler, MIT President Kalın, and their Syrian counterparts.
MARCH 10 AGREEMENT On March 10, 2025, an eight-point agreement was reached between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDG) and the Damascus administration. The implementation of the agreement was anticipated by the end of the year; however, no article of the agreement has been implemented in the nine months that have passed.
According to the report by the Syrian state news agency SANA, the text of the agreement signed in the Presidential Palace in Damascus is as follows:
- Ensuring the rights of all Syrians
- Protecting the rights of the Kurdish community
- Ensuring a ceasefire
- Integration of state institutions
- Ensuring the safe return of refugees
- Supporting the Syrian state
- Rejecting calls for division and hate speech
- Working of executive committees for the implementation of the agreement