Syria Formally Requests Defence Support From Turkey Amid Deadly Sectarian Clashes

According to the Turkish officials, the interim government of Syria has shown its desire to seek the help of Turkey in fortifying its defenses, a move that comes after sectarian clashes over the last two weeks advanced the tension levels in Syria and as a result, Israel intervened.

In a Wednesday statement, defence ministry officers speaking on condition of anonymity believe to be the procedures, revealed that Syria has also requested such aid in combating what it referred to as the terrorist organizations including that of the Islamic state group.

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The officials said Turkey, which has been willing to help Syria for a long time, was also in the process of offering training, advice and technical assistance to improve the defense capacity of Syria.

Syrian officials were not able to be immediately reached to comment.

Limited by the scale or intensity Clashes have flared up in southern Syria last week as Bedouin Arab tribes clashed violently with Druze militias in the province of Sweida. The war is what caused Israeli airstrikes on Sweida government forces convoys and against the Ministry of Defense headquarters in central Damascus, which Israel claimed to be trying to protect Druze populations.

On July 19, the U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, declared a ceasefire between Israeli and Syria facilitated by the United States, allowing the Syrian government forces to enter Sweida and disintegrate the combat between the Druze and Bedouins. A previous ceasefire between the Druze and the government forces failed. Following a second ceasefire, the government state pulled out of Sweida, but the conflict between Druze and Bedouin erupted once again.

Ankara has been the greatest supporter of the Syrian interim government, headed by President Ahmad al-Sharaa and has been attempting to get a defense deal with the Syrian government, which may include basing of the Turkish military camps in the Syrian soil.

Appearing in an interview with Associated Press earlier in the week, Barrack said that the U.S has no standing on the possibility of a military alliance between Syria and Turkey.

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“It’s not in the U.S.’ business or interest to tell any of the surrounding nations with each other what to do,” he said.

The agreement, between the interim Syrian administration and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, to incorporate into Syria national army, is also supported by Ankara. Execution of the deal has hit a wall and one of the biggest bone of contention was whether the SDF would be maintained as a unified force in the new army -or be disbanded entirely.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Tuesday that any parties that might want to exploit the crisis tensions to seek autonomy in Syria would be considered a direct threat to Turkish national security and action can follow.

Turkey believes that SDF is a terrorist movement, given that it is linked with Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has carried on an insurgency in Turkey.

Speaking about the Turkish expectations, the Turkish officials said that Turkey expected the SDF to honor its promises as per the agreement, and Turkey would be doing so, i.e., followed the situation.

The situation of Syria has become a bone of contention between Turkey and Israel. Israel also bombarded five cities in Syria in April including over a dozen bombards in an air base that is seen as strategic in the city of Hama where Turkey had dinner interests in establishing a military base. Israel accused Turkey of attempting to establish a protectorate in Syria.

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