Damascus and Ankara Agree to Strengthen Cooperation and Accelerate the Integration Process

ARK News.. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan reaffirmed their countries' commitment to strengthening Syrian-Turkish relations and expanding cooperation across various sectors, stressing the need to complete the integration process in Syria as soon as possible.

The remarks came during a joint press conference held in Ankara on Thursday, August 6, 2026, where the two ministers discussed a range of bilateral issues and regional challenges.

Al-Shaibani said that Syria and Turkey place shared political and economic files at the forefront of their priorities, noting that the talks focused on reactivating economic and trade agreements to pave the way for a new phase of cooperation.

Al-Shaibani stressed that Damascus and Ankara view counterterrorism as the cornerstone of their partnership, emphasizing the need to extend the authority of the Syrian state across all its territory and end the presence of weapons outside the legal framework.

"A united Syria is the best safeguard for protecting the shared border between our two countries, and we are coordinating our steps with Ankara in line with our common interests," he said.

The Syrian foreign minister called on regional countries to strengthen security coordination and tighten border controls, stating that Syria faces threats along its borders from armed groups operating outside state authority. He also condemned Israeli attacks on Syria.

Commenting on the repercussions of the U.S. war against Iran and attacks targeting Gulf countries, al-Shaibani reiterated Syria's firm position condemning any aggression against the Gulf states, stressing that their stability is an integral part of regional security.

For his part, Fidan said Turkey remains committed to supporting Syria and expanding cooperation, particularly in the fields of the economy and counterterrorism, in a manner that promotes Syria's security and stability as well as regional stability.

He also stressed the importance of completing the integration process between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian government as quickly as possible.

Fidan added that Turkey is working to deepen economic ties with Syria by increasing bilateral trade, expanding the number of border crossings, supporting the banking and transportation sectors, and contributing to reconstruction projects.

Earlier on Thursday, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani arrived in Turkey on an official visit to discuss several bilateral and regional issues with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

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