LONDON(RAHNUMA): A military delegation from the Syrian Arab Republic visited the National Defense University in Istanbul on Thursday, as Syria and Turkiye deepen their defense cooperation since the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in late 2024.
The delegation, led by Maj. Gen. Salim Idris from Syria’s Ministry of Defense, held talks with the university president, Erhan Afyoncu, and senior Turkish military officers. The discussions focused on prospects for expanding collaboration in training, professional development, and military education, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.
Syrian soldiers took part in military drills with NATO members in Turkiye last month, their first participation since the fall of the Assad regime.
The government in Damascus, led by the rebel-turned-statesman President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, has been keen to build closer security and diplomatic ties with Turkiye and EU countries following years of isolation under the former regime.
In November, Syria became the 90th member of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, a multinational force established in 2014 that includes the US, UK and France.
