Syria asks Turkey for defence support after Suweida clashes

Syria's interim government has requested Turkey's support to strengthen its defence capabilities, Turkish officials said, following sectarian violence over the past two weeks that increased tensions in Syria and drew Israeli intervention.

The defence ministry officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity according to procedures, said Wednesday that Syria has also sought assistance to combat "terrorist organisations," including the Islamic State group.

Turkey - which has long expressed readiness to assist Syria - was working toward providing training, advisory services and technical support to help strengthen Syria's defence capacity, the officials added.

Syrian officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Tensions escalated in southern Syria last week, with violent clashes erupting between Bedouin Arab tribes and Druze militias in Suweida province. The conflict triggered Israeli airstrikes on convoys of government forces in Suweida and on the Ministry of Defence headquarters in central Damascus, which Israel justified as efforts to protect Druze communities.

The US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, announced a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Syria on 19 July, which allowed the Syrian government forces to go into Sweida and break up the fighting between the Druze and Bedouins. An earlier ceasefire between Druze factions and government forces broke down.

After a second ceasefire, the government forces withdrew from Suweida, but fighting flared again between Druze and Bedouin groups.

The fighting has killed at least 558 people, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, a number which includes combatants and civilians. The organisation added that the toll is preliminary and will be updated to classify those killed by parties to the conflict.

Ankara strongly supports Syria's interim government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa and has been seeking a defence agreement with Damascus that could reportedly include establishing Turkish military bases on Syrian territory.

In an interview with the Associated Press earlier this week, Barrack said the US has "no position" on the prospect of a defence pact between Syria and Turkey.

"It's not in the US' business or interest to tell any of the surrounding nations with each other what to do," he said.

Ankara also backs an agreement reached between the interim Syrian administration and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, to integrate into Syria's national army. Implementation of the deal has stalled, with a major sticking point being whether the SDF would remain as a cohesive unit in the new army or be dissolved completely.

On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned Kurdish and other groups in Syria against exploiting the tensions to pursue autonomy, stating that any attempt to divide Syria would be viewed as a direct threat to Turkey's national security and could prompt intervention.

Turkey considers the SDF as a terrorist organisation because of its association with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has waged a long-running insurgency in Turkey.

The Turkish officials said Turkey expects the SDF to follow through on its commitments under the agreement, adding that Turkey would be "following" the situation.

A Turkish defence ministry source told Reuters on Wednesday that the SDF must prove it is adhering to a recent integration agreement with the Syrian government.

"The SDF must concretely demonstrate that it is abiding by the agreement it made with the Damascus government," the defence ministry source said, requesting anonymity.

The situation in Syria has increased tensions between Turkey and Israel. In April, Israel struck five cities in Syria, including more than a dozen strikes near a strategic air base in the city of Hama, where Turkey reportedly has interests in having a military presence. Israel accused Turkey of trying to build a "protectorate" in Syria.