[アンカラ／ベイルート １５日 ロイター] – Turkey’s head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Hakan Fidan has held multiple meetings in the past few weeks in the Syrian capital Damascus with the country’s intelligence chief Ali Mamluk. Four people familiar with the matter told Archyde.com.
The contacts between the two countries reflect a shift in Russia’s Syria policy in preparation for a prolonged war in Ukraine, officials said.
Russia, a Syrian backer of the Assad regime, is phasing out its troops from Syria to focus on the war in Ukraine, according to Turkish security officials, who have said they are seeking to “accelerate a political settlement” in Syria. He called on Turkey to normalize relations with the Assad regime.
Syrian sources say Russia is trying to clarify its position in Syria in case it needs to deploy more troops to Ukraine, prompting Turkey and Syria to start negotiations.
But Turkey and Russia do not want Iranian-backed forces, already widely deployed in government-controlled areas, to expand their influence once Russian forces leave, they said.
