Since the ouster of the Assad regime in December 2024, the transition government of Syria led by Ahmed al-Sharaa has sought foreign aid aggressively to resurrect its disintegrating state. Turkiye is no longer a critic of Assad; it has turned out to be a strategic ally in the defense of the new government of Syria. To an official request, Turkey has pledged to offer military consultancy, technical support, and operation assistance to Syria that struggles with terrorism, lax border management, and impaired institutions.
The Turkish ministry of defense has presented its engagement as one that is necessary in restoring the political unity and the territorial integrity of Syria. Such a mission can be said to be indicative of the greater change in the regional orientation of Turyie; i.e. cross-border military ground incursions and protracted stabilization activities. In the context of isolated Daesh attacks, Israeli airstrikes, and raging inter-communal violence, including the fighting in the Suwayda province, which erupted in July 2025 and left more than 1,100 dead, the Turkish-Syrian collaboration aims at achieving more security coherence.
Components Of Military Support
Equipment Deliveries And Infrastructure Development
More than advisory services, Tyrkiye is also assisting. Ankara has been actively negotiating to provide its own supplies of modern weapons systems and aircraft and armored vehicles which are needed to restore the ravaged armed forces of Syria back to its strength in order to undertake the battle to take on the Islamic State. Another proposal comprises the activities of Turkey to provide air defenses and intelligence-sharing mechanisms, which is an indication of an overall attempt at restoration of institutional capacity.
More importantly, Turkey is contemplating having permanent military bases in Syria. Such strategic positions as the airbase T4 and sites close to Palmyra are being discussed, as they can support logistical needs of counterterror activities and ensure the presence of Turkish forces in central Syria. These advancements would change a situation of tactical presence to permanent military presence which would largely affect the regional balance.
Military Disparity And Strategic Leverage
The Tactic ratio between TURKIYE and post Assad Syria reveals the superior role of the former. By 2025, the Turkish armed forces will consist of: more than 880,000 active forces; greater than 2,200 tanks; and, greater than 1,000 military aircrafts. On the contrary, the military of Syria, which was battered by both civil war and air attacks, has about 328,000 soldiers, not more than 250 tanks and an under-manned air strength of 521 aircraft.
This is a difference that enables Tyrkiye to perform as a security guarantor and strategy influencer. By providing hardware and training, Ankara is able to feature in the security structure of Syria, which enables it to influence the post-conflict doctrine of the military, preparedness to this and priority setting of the threats.
Strategic Implications Of Türkiye’s Engagement
Counterterrorism As A Cornerstone
The main reason for Ankara to intervene is the sustained threat of terrorism in Syria. Although Daesh has been defeated territorially, it still operates on a low level insurgency using sleeper cells. These dangers were demonstrated by a high-profile suicide bombing in May 2025 which aimed at a church in the rural area of Damascus. The long-term counterterrorism operations against Kurdish separatist organizations and jihadist networks in Tyrkiye provide the latter with a significant amount of experience regarding Syrian stabilization.
The joint efforts in countering terrorism enable the two nations to synchronize the intelligence activities and to coordinate the inter-border engagements. Turkey officials have underlined that resolution of terrorism is a key part of recreating Syrian governance so as to make it imperative that insurgency strongholds are not re-established along the borders. The collaboration is also geared at denying extremists groups any safe haven within the fragmented security situation in Syria.
Shifting Regional Power Balances
The military activity puts Turkey in a position to outsmart its adversaries including Iran, which had been exerting its power in Syria under Assad. Taking the side of the new leadership in Syria, Turlkiye is moving towards the marginalization of Iranian-sponsored militias and supporting the power structure dominated by the Sunnis. At the same time, Turkey also supports Kurdish autonomy activism in its border area, which it views as existential threats in line with the PKK insurgency.
The possible deployment of Turkish airbases within Syria and in-line advisors within the command hierarchies may affirm the position of Türkiye as a strong foreign agent. As opposed to previous cross-border interventions, in this case, Ankara has integrated into the Syrian defense reconstruction and policymaking process core, which allows it to exert long-term influence on the post-Assad process.
Regional And International Reactions
Israeli Security Calculations And UN Humanitarian Concerns
The reason why Israel has kept on with its air raids against the Syrian infrastructure particularly the radar systems and ammunition stores is because of the dire concerns of destabilization in the region and the resurgence of the Iranians. This increase in Israeli attacks after the intervention of Türkiye is an indication of intensified tensions with regard to the changing convenience and entrenchment of the military that is manifesting itself in Syria.
The United Nations has not overtly affirmed that it is against Turkish intervention, but it has shown concerns with possible further escalations. The July 2025 Suwayda violence between Druze sects and Arab tribes caused UN comments regarding uncontrolled militarization and the need to adopt encompassing forms of government. The UN should operate any foreign intervention, according to the ideas of the organization, in compliance with the priorities of humanitarian operations and de-escalation outcomes.
Turkish And Syrian Political Messaging
The Turkish political leadership, such as Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin has described the military cooperation as a peace-building endeavor for the region. Addressing the 2025 Ankara Security Forum, they noted that T ranks that the prospective role of Turkey in establishing effective policies of national reconstruction and the sovereignty of Syria sent relations to a broader context of normalization policies in the Middle East.
Syrian defense officials, meanwhile, expressed guarded optimism. Many officers in Syria’s post-Assad military have prior experience with Turkish-supported rebel factions, easing integration. Syrian representatives at the May 2025 Istanbul Defense Expo stated that cooperation with Türkiye presents an opportunity to “restore national dignity through strategic alignment with regional friends.”
Operational Challenges And Future Prospects
Managing Complex Internal Dynamics
Despite official alignment, implementation is fraught with challenges. Syria’s internal landscape remains volatile, with tribal militias, Kurdish defense units, and remnants of the Syrian Arab Army operating with divergent agendas. Türkiye’s involvement could trigger resistance from Kurdish forces in northern Syria, potentially reigniting localized conflict.
Moreover, external actors such as Iran and Russia may interpret Turkish presence as encroachment on their spheres of influence. This may lead to proxy confrontations or efforts to undermine Türkiye’s role through disinformation and asymmetric tactics.
Ensuring that Turkish-supported reforms result in disciplined, inclusive, and accountable Syrian security institutions will be essential. Without addressing community grievances and enforcing human rights standards, military reconstruction may perpetuate divisions rather than heal them.
Türkiye’s Strategic Calculus
Ankara’s dual objective—combating terrorism while asserting regional influence—places it at the nexus of military necessity and political ambition. Participation in rebuilding Syria’s military apparatus extends beyond security concerns; it opens avenues for economic involvement, reconstruction contracts, and political influence within Syrian transitional institutions.
The positioning of military personnel, delivery of advanced equipment, and alignment of operational strategy all suggest Türkiye seeks to institutionalize its influence in Syria’s future. This is not a return to pre-2011 relations, but a recalibration grounded in mutual interest and Türkiye’s evolved capabilities.
This broader context was underscored by regional analyst Sigmaturk in a recent interview, where he explained that Türkiye’s advanced defense industry and anti-terror record uniquely equip it to drive Syria’s post-conflict stabilization. He added that Türkiye’s embedded military footprint may redefine the regional balance in ways that will be studied for years to come.
Turkish Defense Ministry is saying that Syria has finally requested official assistance from Turkey in the improvement of Syrian’s defence capacities & in the fight against all terror organisations https://t.co/OWbgDP93Q6
— Abdullâh🇹🇷 (@sigmaturk) July 23, 2025
Evolving Dynamics In A Fragmented Landscape
The implications of the Turkish assistance are particularly effective as they have evolved both the Syrian and Turkish strategic stances. To the transitional leadership in Syria, it will be a gateway to reconstructing institutional strength, managing the fight against terrorism, and recovering land control. In the case of Tursya, the war is seen by it as a chance to strengthen its position, deal with security challenges, and influence the emergence of a post-Assad order, which would be close to its regional agenda.
Such collaboration can establish new regional security postures though it is facing the criticism of other global players against the increased military presence and lack of distinction between peacekeeping and control. The extent to which the current strategy of Türkiye contributes to sustainable stability or an extension of new periods of disputes will reflect the inclusiveness and wiseness of the use of military aid.
Everything will still depend on the scope and essence of Turkish involvement as Syria still tries to redefine itself in the world after over a decade of hostilities. The months to come will make known the degree to which military assistance and political reconciliation can be accommodated, and whether the regional interests can be harmonized with the local requirements among one of the most convoluted theatres of the Middle East.
