(MENAFN) A delegation from Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense made an official trip to Damascus on Friday for talks focused on security and defense coordination with Syria’s new administration.

The Turkish delegation, led by Lt. Gen. Ilkay Altındag—who serves as the ministry’s director general for defense and security—held discussions with Syria’s current Defense Minister, Maj. Gen. Murhaf Abu Qasra. According to reports, the two sides engaged in detailed conversations aimed at strengthening cooperation on key military and regional security matters.

The meeting was publicly acknowledged in a post shared on Türkiye’s domestic social media platform, NSosyal. The announcement also included images from the high-level visit, showcasing the ongoing normalization of relations between the neighboring nations.

Since the departure of former President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Syria has entered a transitional period marked by significant political and economic reform. The new leadership, under a government formed in January and headed by Farouk al-Sharaa, has prioritized internal unity and regional engagement. Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly a quarter of a century, left for Russia in December, bringing an end to decades of Baath Party rule, which had dominated Syrian politics since the early 1960s.

Türkiye has emerged as one of the most active partners in Syria’s post-Assad transition, with both governments now working to rebuild diplomatic and security channels after years of tension and conflict.

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