Türkiye to deploy defense attaché to Damascus

ANKARA

Türkiye will soon appoint a defense attaché to Syria for better coordination of military-to-military ties as the former is pledging to provide assistance for rebuilding, equipping and training a new national Syrian army.

“Our works to assign a military attaché in Syria are underway. We will very soon deploy our attaché,” sources from the Defense Ministry told reporters during a weekly briefing in Ankara on Feb. 13.

Türkiye and Syria have agreed to craft a joint road map for developing military cooperation as the new leadership in Damascus has prioritized internal security by the creation of a new army and disbanding all other armed groups.

Türkiye has opened its embassy in Damascus a few days after the collapse of the Assad regime. The deployment of the defense attaché will help the two countries’ coordination and dialogue.

Sources also answered questions about media reports over the takeover of the control of northern Syria province of Afrin by the new administration’s security forces from the Türkiye-led Syrian National Army in recent days.

“It is important that the new administration in Syria claims its full sovereignty across the entire country. We, as Türkiye, continue to lend support to our Syrian brothers to this end. Our priority is the elimination of the terrorist organizations in Syria. There is a consensus between our countries on this issue,” sources stressed.

Türkiye describes the presence of the YPG and the ISIL terrorist organization in Syria as the main threat for the unity and stability of its southern neighbor as well as for Türkiye.

“The presence of the Turkish Armed Forces in Syria continues for the security of our borders and clearing terrorism from entire Syria, particularly from northeastern part of the country,” they suggested.

They recalled that security risks and threats are being constantly reviewed and when necessary, the Turkish forces are changing their postures, sources added.

Meteor missiles to be used by Eurofighters

On a question about Greece’s concerns on Türkiye’s bid to purchase Meteor air-to-air missiles, sources underlined that Türkiye wants to possess these missiles to be used by Eurofighter jetfighters.

Recalling that Türkiye is in a process of developing its own GÖKHAN air-to-air missiles, they underlined that the Meteor missiles will be used by Türkiye until its own indigenous missiles will be produced and delivered to the Turkish army. They added there is no problem in the purchase process of the Meteor missiles.