The new Syrian government is proposing that Turkey establish its military bases in the country in place of the Russian ones.

The leader of the new Syrian government, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will discuss a defense pact that would allow Ankara to establish its bases on Syrian territory.

This was reported by Reuters citing four sources from Syrian intelligence services.

The meeting between the two leaders took place on February 4. According to agency sources, this concerns two Turkish bases in the desert area of eastern Syria known as Badia.

Previously, the pro-government newspaper Türkiye reported that Ankara plans to deploy up to 50 F-16 fighter jets in Syria. Additionally, Turkey will receive permission to use the country's airspace for military purposes and will commit to providing assistance in the event of external threats.

An official representative of the transitional government informed the agency that al-Sharaa will discuss "Turkey's preparation of a new Syrian army" – the former one was disbanded following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, as well as "new areas of cooperation," without specifying what these might be.

In Erdoğan's administration, there has been no comment regarding the establishment of new bases in Syria.

Bloomberg sources indicated that Turkey, which supported the rebels during the recent revolution, opposes the retention of Russian bases in Syria, and the new administration remembers that Putin aided Assad in waging war against his own people and until the last moment attempted to save his regime.

Turkey, a NATO member, already has bases in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces.

Information regarding the possible expansion of its military presence in Syria emerged after it became known about Russia's unsuccessful attempts to maintain its bases in Khmeimim and Tartus.

Background. A Russian Foreign Ministry delegation visited Damascus on January 28, but negotiations concerning the retention of the bases have stalled.

Moreover, it became known that the new Syrian government demands from Russia the extradition of Bashar al-Assad and reparations to "restore trust."

Following the change of power in Syria, Russia's activities at the Khmeimim airbase were restricted, and two transport ships waited several weeks before being allowed to dock in Tartus to evacuate military equipment.

Subsequently, Syria terminated the agreement with the company "Budtransgaz" regarding investments in the port of Tartus – the contract was signed for 49 years. The base in Tartus provided Russia with its only direct access to the Mediterranean Sea and served as a key point for expanding Kremlin influence in the Middle East and Africa, as well as a hub for the transfer of troops, mercenaries, and weapons.