Turkish Interior Minister in Damascus to Discuss Security Cooperation and Sign a Memorandum of Understanding

SadaNews - Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Cahit Yılmaz arrived today, Tuesday, in the Syrian capital, Damascus, for a visit during which he will discuss with Syrian officials issues related to security cooperation, disaster management, training of security forces, in addition to the voluntary return of Syrians residing in Turkey.

"Security Cooperation"

The Anadolu Agency reported that Syrian Deputy Interior Minister Abdul Qadir al-Tahan welcomed Yılmaz at Damascus Airport.

Yılmaz is scheduled to hold meetings with Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara, in addition to Syrian Interior Minister Anas al-Khatib and Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh.

A source in the Turkish Interior Ministry confirmed to "Syria Now" yesterday that "security cooperation will be the main item on the agenda of the discussions, and both sides are expected to affirm their commitment to combating terrorist organizations."

Information Exchange and Infrastructure

During the visit, a memorandum of understanding will be signed for cooperation in the field of disaster and emergency management between the two countries, and the agenda includes discussing ways to exchange information and expertise in the fields of combating smuggling, organized crime, and drug trafficking, as well as enhancing border security.

Both sides are also discussing the establishment of the necessary infrastructure for training Syrian police officers within the country, contributing to strengthening security cooperation and developing the capabilities of Syrian police institutions.

This visit comes amid increasing momentum in Syrian-Turkish relations and expanding areas of coordination between the two countries on several levels, most notably political, security, and service-related.

Source: Al Jazeera + Anadolu