Turkey is considering building military bases in Syria and offering training for its new government, as Ankara seeks to bolster its influence in the country following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, Turkish officials familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
Turkey is assessing locations for bases in Syria, where it already has thousands of troops stationed, the officials said. The plan includes providing arms and military training to the Syrian army, they added, asking not to be identified discussing sensitive matters.
After an uprising against President al-Assad late last year, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar emerged as key power brokers in war-ravaged Syria, with close ties to new President Ahmed Al-Sharaa. They are rapidly filling a void left by Iran and Russia, Assad’s main supporters who have seen their influence wane since his ousting.
Al-Sharaa visited Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Riyadh earlier this week, in his first trip abroad since taking power, after which he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Tuesday.
Erdoğan said the two discussed Syria’s security and economic stability. “Frankly, we have no other way than to join forces toward the same goal for the well-being of our countries and our region,” he added.
Turkish officials familiar with the matter declined to say if al-Sharaa formally requested military assistance. Turkey’s defense ministry refused to comment.
Meanwhile, the Turkish defense ministry said on Thursday that it is very early to discuss whether there would be Turkish military bases in Syria. However, it added that a joint roadmap for concrete steps would be created with the Syrian administration to satisfy Damascus’ security needs.