Minister: Turkish, Syrian defence reps to continue holding meetings more often

Turkish Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar has said that the Turkish and Syrian defence ministries will continue holding meetings and these meetings will be held more often.

Akar made these remarks in an interview with Milliyet newspaper on December 31, while commenting on the results of negotiations held in Moscow on December 28 with his Syrian counterpart Ali Mahmoud Abbas, TASS reports.

“At the meeting [in Moscow], we saw that the Syrian side is positive about the prospect of holding talks with Türkiye. The process will continue and become more intense,” Akar said.

He noted that the date of the new negotiations was not discussed.

“However, everything will happen on the basis of common sense and logic,” he added.

The first meeting within 11 years between the Turkish and Syrian defence ministries was held in a trilateral format. Russia was represented by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Akar noted that the main topic of the talks held in Moscow was countering terrorism.

“We noted at the meeting that almost a third of the Syrian territory is controlled by terrorist groups. We said that we are making efforts to ensure the security of our country, our people and our borders. Moreover, attention was drawn to the efforts that Türkiye is making to prevent a new wave of refugees from Syria, their safe return to their homeland, and stands for resolving the Syrian issue on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 2254,” Akar said.

The Turkish minister said that it is natural that the dialogue with Damascus began so late.

“It's quite natural. There are many factors and people involved in the process, and when everything came together, the meeting was held,” he said.