Syrian Defence Minister Marhaf Abu Qasra has thanked both Turkey and Saudi Arabia for hosting Syrian military delegations, in a move signalling closer security and defence coordination between Damascus and two of the region’s most influential powers.
In a post on his official account on X, Abu Qasra said he appreciated Ankara and Riyadh’s "cooperation in receiving a delegation of Syrian officers", adding that the exchange of expertise and capacity-building "will contribute to strengthening cooperative relations and enhancing security and stability in the region".
According to sources cited by The New Arab's Arabic edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Wednesday, the Syrian Defence Ministry had dispatched two groups of officers to Saudi Arabia and Turkey to receive training on modern weapons systems and advanced combat technologies.
The move, the sources said, is part of Damascus’s broader effort to upgrade its military capabilities and modernise its ageing equipment after years of war and international isolation.
In a statement released by the Defence Ministry, Abu Qasra was quoted as saying that he met with the delegations of student officers before their departure to both countries.
He "stressed the importance of the national responsibility entrusted to them in representing their homeland," the statement read, and "gave them a series of recommendations and instructions aimed at raising their scientific and professional performance to the highest levels".
The developments come amid a series of high-level defence contacts between Syria and Turkey. Last Friday, Abu Qasra hosted a Turkish delegation led by General Ilkay Altındağ, Director-General of Defence and Security at Turkey’s Ministry of Defence, for talks in Damascus on "issues of mutual interest".
Earlier this month, on 11 October, the minister also received Haluk Gorgun, head of Turkey’s Defence Industries Corporation, and his accompanying delegation. According to the Syrian Defence Ministry, the meeting focused on "supporting and developing defence industries between the two countries".
The increased tempo of meetings follows reports that Ankara plans to provide Damascus with military hardware. Citing Turkish officials, Bloomberg reported on Friday that Turkey intends to supply Syria with "armoured vehicles, drones, artillery, missiles, and air defence systems" in the coming weeks.
The report added that the two sides had discussed "expanding the existing agreement allowing the Turkish army to strike Kurdish fighters near the Turkish border from five kilometres to 30 kilometres", a move that would significantly widen Turkey’s operational range inside northern Syria.
Meanwhile, on 12 October, Turkey and Syria held a high-level meeting in Ankara to discuss ongoing security coordination and regional developments, focusing particularly on counterterrorism efforts and border control.
Analysts say the latest developments mark a notable deepening of defence ties between Damascus and Ankara, two former adversaries who have been moving steadily toward reconciliation since last year.
The inclusion of Saudi Arabia - another former opponent of Damascus - in the latest military training exchanges further demonstrates Syria’s gradual reintegration into the regional order.