The head of Syrian diplomacy, Assaad al-Shaibani, during a press conference on Dec. 30, 2024, in Damascus. (Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT — Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani said during a visit to Pakistan that Turkey “is an essential partner” in the reconstruction of Syria. His remarks were widely reported by regional media.
Asked by reporters about the defense agreement signed by Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Shaibani said Syria was “studying” whether or not to join the pact. The three predominantly Sunni countries signed the mutual defense agreement in Mecca on Aug. 7. Inspired by the NATO model, it stipulates that an attack on any one of the three will be considered an attack against all three. No other country has joined the pact so far, which observers have viewed as a response to the Shiite axis led by Iran, which is now at war with the United States.
Regarding relations with Israel, the Syrian minister said it was “very early” to discuss any strategic agreement, stressing that the priority was to end Israeli attacks on Syrian territory. Shaibani stressed that Syria “is a sovereign country,” adding that Israel “has no right to impose on Damascus what its alliances and partnerships should be.”
Israeli warplanes bombed a defunct airport in northwestern Syria on Tuesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had sent a message to both Syria and Turkey, accusing Ankara of seeking to establish bases in Syria. Both the Syrian and Turkish governments have denied any intention of establishing a Turkish military presence on Syrian territory, while noting that Turkey is a close ally of the new government in Damascus, which has been in power since December 2024.
Asked about possible contacts with Iran, Shaibani said that “this country should first recognize the harm it has done to the Syrian people under the Bashar al-Assad regime.” Iran was one of the main supporters of the ousted Syrian president, who was responsible for massacres against his people following the uprising that began in 2011 and eventually descended into civil war.
