Syrian President Meets Turkish Intelligence Chief in Damascus for Security Talks
By Kardo Roj
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara met with Turkish Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin on Tuesday in Damascus, in a high-level encounter reportedly focused on a range of sensitive security and political issues concerning Syria and the broader region.
According to Syrian state media, Kalin was also received by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and Syrian intelligence chief Hussein al-Salama during his visit. The talks mark a rare direct engagement between Syrian and Turkish officials at this level, amid strained relations between the two countries since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011.
The discussions reportedly covered bilateral relations, political stability, and mechanisms for securing shared borders and regulating cross-border trade and transit. According to multiple outlets, the Turkish delegation raised proposals regarding the future of border crossings and the status of detention facilities currently housing Islamic State (ISIS) affiliates.
Sources indicated that one of the more sensitive items on the agenda was a proposal to transfer custody of ISIS detainees held in northern Syria to the Syrian government. These facilities are currently managed by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a key partner of the U.S.-led Global Coalition in the fight against ISIS. The SDF continues to play a central role in detaining thousands of foreign and local ISIS fighters and their families.
Additionally, the meeting reportedly included discussion of the potential integration of Kurdish fighters into Syrian government security institutions, contingent on their disarmament—a topic with far-reaching implications for the governance and security landscape in northeastern Syria, where the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) oversees local affairs in coordination with the SDF.
Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory and the lifting of international sanctions were also raised, alongside issues surrounding the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.
The talks underscore a gradual, if tentative, recalibration of regional ties. However, details of any concrete agreements remain undisclosed, and no official joint statement was released following the meeting.
No comment has been issued by the AANES or SDF regarding the reported topics of discussion.
Follow-up meetings between security officials are anticipated, as both sides navigate a complex landscape marked by competing interests and unresolved conflict zones.