Syrian army units took part in Turkey’s EFES-2026 military exercise in the western province of İzmir, in the first reported participation by Syria’s reconstituted military in an exercise abroad since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024.
The Syrian participation came as Turkey expands military cooperation with the new authorities in Damascus, less than a year after the two countries signed a defense cooperation memorandum.
Syria’s chief of the General Staff, Maj. Gen. Ali al-Naasan, traveled to Turkey with a military delegation and met with Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported.
شارك وفد من وزارة الدفاع يترأسه رئيس هيئة الأركان العامة اللواء علي النعسان بالفقرة النهائية لمناورات EFES 2026 بجمهورية تركيا، والتي شهدت عروضاً متعددة للاختصاصات العسكرية البرية والبحرية والجوية، بمشاركة عدة مجموعات من الجيش العربي السوري.#وزارة_الدفاع pic.twitter.com/IF0cLu9XGU
— وزارة الدفاع السورية (@Sy_Defense) May 21, 2026
The Syrian delegation observed the final phase of EFES-2026, with several groups from the Syrian Arab Army taking part in land, sea and air displays. It said the participation was part of efforts to improve professional training and operational capacity through exposure to foreign military training and joint planning.
The Turkish Defense Ministry said a Syrian army unit joined EFES-2026 as part of Turkey’s support for Syria’s reconstruction process.
Turkey and Syria signed a defense cooperation memorandum in Ankara in August 2025. The agreement, signed by Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, covers military training, consultancy, weapons systems, military equipment and logistical support for Syria’s new authorities, according to AP and Reuters.
Turkey backed opposition groups during Syria’s civil war and has hosted millions of Syrian refugees. Since Assad’s ouster, Ankara has moved to build ties with the new government in Damascus, saying it supports Syria’s territorial integrity and the restructuring of its armed forces.
Turkey has also pressed the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeast Syria to integrate into the Syrian state structure. Ankara views the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the main component of the SDF, as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
EFES-2026 was held in İzmir and at the Doğanbey live-fire training area in Seferihisar. The Turkish Defense Ministry said the exercise ran from April 11 to May 21, including a computer-assisted command-post phase and a live-fire phase.
EFES is a biennial combined and joint live-fire exercise involving land, naval and air forces. The 2026 edition included more than 10,000 personnel from Turkey and foreign countries, according to Turkish media reports citing military officials.
The drills included amphibious operations, close air support, unmanned systems and live fire from naval, air and ground units. TCG Anadolu, Turkey’s largest warship, and Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aircraft were also displayed during the exercise.
Libyan forces also took part. The Libya Observer, citing Turkey’s Defense Ministry, reported that 502 Libyan personnel participated, including forces from eastern and western Libya under one flag.
The Syrian presence was the main political signal from the exercise, showing that defense cooperation between Ankara and Damascus has moved from agreements to military training on Turkish soil.