Syria and Neighboring Countries Meeting (2025)

The Syria and Neighboring Countries Meeting, held on 9 March 2025 in the capital of Türkiye, Ankara, was a diplomatic summit attended by Türkiye, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. The meeting was attended by foreign and defense ministers, chiefs of general staff and intelligence agency heads from these countries.

Regional security, counter-terrorism, border security, combating organized crime, Syria’s stability and reconstruction, the return of Syrian refugees, economic cooperation and Israel’s attacks on Syria were among the key agenda items of the meeting.

Preparatory Process and Preliminary Consultations

Prior to the meeting, high-level consultations were held between Türkiye and Jordan. Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Yousef Huneiti and Jordan’s Intelligence Director Ahmed Husni met in Amman with Türkiye’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler and MİT Chief Ibrahim Kalın.

During these consultations, strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation on border security were discussed. Achieving a lasting ceasefire in Syria, ensuring the sustainability of humanitarian aid activities and bilateral coordination efforts were also among the topics addressed.

This meeting was organized within the framework of the ongoing strategic dialogue between Türkiye and Jordan. A similar strategic meeting had previously been held in Istanbul on 6 June 2025, with decisions taken to strengthen regional cooperation.

Participating Countries and Representatives

High-level representatives from Türkiye, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria attended the meeting.

• Türkiye: Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Chief of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Ibrahim Kalın
• Jordan: Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi, Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Yousef Huneiti, Director of the General Intelligence Directorate Ahmed Husni
• Syria: Minister of Foreign Affairs Asad Hasan Shaybani and military officials
• Iraq: Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein and military officials
• Lebanon: Minister of Foreign Affairs Youssef Fenianos and military officials

At the opening of the meeting, the importance of cooperation to preserve security and stability in the region was emphasized, particularly noting that coordinated action was required to address the humanitarian and security challenges arising from the crisis in Syria.

Agenda Items of the Meeting

The main topics discussed at the meeting included:

• Security and Stability of Syria
• Counter-Terrorism
• Combating Drug and Arms Trafficking
• Return of Syrian Refugees
• Reconstruction of Syria and Economic Cooperation
• Israel’s Attacks on Syria
• Political Process and Constitutional Reforms in Syria

Joint Statement and Outcomes

Following the meeting, the parties reached agreement on the following points in their joint statement:

Reconstruction and Sovereignty of Syria

Regional Security and Stability

Israel’s Attacks on Syria

Political Process in Syria

Counter-Terrorism and Joint Operational Center Against ISIS

Combating Drug and Arms Trafficking

Reconstruction of Syria and International Support

Economic Sanctions on Syria

Economic, Commercial and Investment Cooperation

Return of Syrian Refugees

Future Meetings and Cooperation Process

Statements by King Abdullah II of Jordan

Following the meeting, King Abdullah II of Jordan received the participants at the Al-Husseiniya Palace in Amman. King Abdullah affirmed Jordan’s support for Syria’s security, stability and territorial integrity and emphasized the importance of coordination on regional security, counter-terrorism and border security.

Statements by Türkiye’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan

At the joint press conference following the meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan referred to events in Latakia and stated that the Syrian government’s policy, which had been pursued for weeks, was being deliberately provoked. He emphasized that Alawite, Christian, Druze and Nusayri communities in the region must remain vigilant against such provocations.

Fidan underscored that the PKK’s threat is not solely Türkiye’s problem but also affects Iraq and Syria, and called on these countries to demonstrate the same unified stance against the PKK as they have shown against ISIS. He stated that areas controlled by the PKK in Iraq and Syria constitute a serious security threat.

Minister Fidan also noted that regional countries must act on their own initiative, warning that external interference undermines regional resolution processes. Fidan stated, “As regional countries, we must collectively take ownership of the region’s problems and exercise our own initiative to solve them. Otherwise, regional issues will become global problems, leading to intervention by other global actors. As a result, we face more problems than solutions.”