Turkish, US defense chiefs discuss Syria, regional defense

ISTANBUL

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed regional defense and security issues, especially Syria, in a phone call on Dec. 24.

Güler and Austin also discussed bilateral ties during the call, Türkiye's Defense Ministry said on X.

The call came amid the transition in Syria after the fall earlier this month of the Assad regime.

Ankara accuses the U.S.-backed YPG — the main component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — of being affiliated with PKK, which is listed as a terror organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union.

Thirteen years of civil war in Syria has left more than half a million people dead and fragmented the country into zones of influence controlled by different armed groups backed by regional and international powers.

The new administration appointed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has adopted an inclusive discourse, seeking to reassure groups in the multi-confessional and multi-ethnic country.