Syria and Hezbollah Hold Secret Face-to-Face Talks in Turkey
Syrian and Hezbollah representatives held secret talks in Turkey last month, brokered by Ankara, in a bid to ease escalating tensions and address border weapons smuggling.
Representatives of the Syrian government and the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah held a face-to-face meeting in Turkey last month to ease tensions between them, Reuters reported on Thursday. The meeting marks the first known encounter between representatives of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Hezbollah. Hezbollah previously supported the regime of Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian civil war, sending fighters to assist in battles against rebels, including al-Sharaa. Al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda operative who broke away from the terrorist organization in the past decade, founded the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and overthrew Assad's regime in December 2024 amid Hezbollah's dramatic weakening in its war with Israel.
Turkey-Brokered Talks
The meeting was organized at the invitation of Turkey's intelligence services, with representatives from Syria's intelligence and foreign ministries also participating. According to sources, the discussions aimed to reduce friction and find solutions to ongoing disputes.
"Hezbollah wants to protect its flank and avoid attacks originating from Syrian territory," a senior Lebanese security official stated.
Syrian Demands and Future Outlook
During the talks, Syrian representatives urged Hezbollah to halt weapons smuggling across the border and dismantle dormant cells in southern Syria. While Hezbollah promised not to interfere in Syria's internal affairs, it gave no direct answer regarding the dismantling of active cells or weapons smuggling. Iran, Hezbollah's primary ally, was reportedly disappointed for not participating directly in the talks, as al-Sharaa has thus far rejected direct engagement with Tehran.
