The repercussions of Turkish arming of Syria on the relationship between Damascus, SDF, and Tel Aviv policy

Al Jazeera Net correspondents

Damascus- Indicators have accelerated recently indicating the existence of an advanced military understanding between Türkiye and the Syrian government, which includes supplying Damascus with advanced military equipment, including armored cars, drones, artillery, missiles, and air defense systems.

Turkish officials confirmed that Ankara intends in the coming weeks to send various shipments of military equipment to the new army in Syria, explaining that the equipment will be deployed in the north of the country, to avoid any potential tension with Israel in the southwest.

Observers believe that this step represents a strategic shift in Turkish policy towards Syria, and may constitute the beginning of a new phase of rebuilding Syrian state institutions, redrawing the balance of power in the north of the country, in conjunction with new American support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Ankara views as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.

The revelation that the Syrian army is being supplied with Turkish weapons comes amid a state of ambiguity regarding the issue of the SDF’s integration into the Syrian army, in light of the statements of its leader, Mazloum Abdi, who confirmed the existence of an initial understanding regarding the integration process, which is doubted by parties affiliated with the Syrian government.

Saddam is imminent

A Syrian military source – who preferred to remain anonymous for security reasons – confirmed to Al Jazeera Net the accuracy of the information about Ankara’s approaching supply of military equipment to the new Syrian army, indicating that it is only a matter of time for the weapons to begin arriving, which include armored vehicles and advanced air defense systems.

The source said that he could not be certain whether the arrival of Turkish weapons was related to the issue of faltering negotiations between the Syrian government and the SDF, noting that this was linked to a previous understanding that was signed in Ankara. He pointed out that there were special military training that Syrian forces were undergoing in Turkey as part of the outcomes of the security rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus, after the signing of a security agreement between the two countries last August.

In light of the transformations that followed the lifting of sanctions and the opening of channels between the two countries, it seems that the issue of northern Syria has become a major focus on the agenda of Turkish-Syrian relations, amid indications that the next stage may witness qualitative military movements to redraw the balance of power in that sensitive region.

Military expert Colonel Fayez Al-Asmar believes that Türkiye shows great interest in the security situation in Syria, as it considers it to represent its strategic and security depth, and that the stability of Syrian security is directly reflected in its national security.

Al-Asmar explained in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net that there is a Syrian-Turkish deadline granted to the SDF, which ends at the end of this year, with the aim of integrating with the Syrian state. “However, these militias set high conditions, especially on the military side, which Damascus categorically rejects, which makes the opportunities for understanding limited,” he said.

Al-Asmar confirmed that the circle is getting tighter on the SDF, noting that an armed clash seems imminent, in light of the complexity of the negotiations and the forces’ refusal to fully integrate into the Syrian military institutions.

Al-Asmar stressed that this development requires advance military readiness and preparation, explaining that Ankara is working to provide Damascus with the necessary equipment and weapons, in preparation for their deployment on the contact lines with the SDF in northern Syria, with both parties keen to avoid any tension with Israel in the south.

Letters to Tel Aviv

Despite indications that the Turkish arming of the Syrian forces is not linked to any confrontation of Israel’s interventions in southern Syria, some view it as carrying indirect messages to Tel Aviv, after a series of Israeli military incursions into Syrian Quneitra.

Researcher at the Jusoor Center for Studies, Rashid Hourani, believes that the deployment of Turkish weapons in northern Syria aims to enhance military readiness against the SDF, noting that this step carries strategic implications.

Hourani said in an interview with Al Jazeera Net, “Turkey seeks – by dismantling the SDF – to put an end to the Israeli interventions, which are trying to exploit the Kurdish militias and in Suwayda as a pressure card on Damascus,” adding that weakening the SDF means weakening Israel’s influence inside Syria and strengthening the unity of the Syrian state.

According to Hourani, the Turkish armament and joint operations with Damascus and the international coalition aim to demonstrate the ability of the Syrian army and its security services to carry out the tasks of combating terrorism and controlling prisons without relying on the SDF.