Reuters: Syria and Hezbollah meet in secret talks in Turkey

It has been claimed that representatives of the Syrian government and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah met face-to-face in Turkey to reduce tensions between the parties. Six sources who spoke to Reuters stated that this was the first known direct contact between the two sides.

According to the sources, the meeting took place last month and included representatives from Syrian intelligence and the Foreign Ministry, as well as Hezbollah representatives. It was stated that the contact took place at the initiative of Turkish security and intelligence agencies.

During the Syrian civil war, Hezbollah had sent a large number of fighters to the country to support the administration of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. Following the overthrow of Assad at the end of 2024, tensions between the new administration in Damascus and the Iran-backed organization increased.

SECURITY CONCERNS WERE ON THE TABLE

US, Syrian, and Lebanese sources who provided information to Reuters said the meeting focused on security issues between the two sides and went positively. According to a Syrian official, the parties agreed that they did not harbor hostility toward each other.

The same official stated that the Damascus administration gave assurances that it would not carry out a military intervention in Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah. In return, the Syrian side asked Hezbollah to help stop cross-border smuggling attempts and to dismantle its remaining sleeper cells, particularly in southern Syria.

According to the Syrian official, Hezbollah representatives did not respond directly to these requests but promised not to interfere in Syria's internal affairs. A Lebanese source stated that the parties had "made a lot of progress" on security issues.

However, no final agreement was reached at the meeting, and no official announcement was planned. Reuters could not verify in which city in Turkey the meeting was held, how long it lasted, or whether there were other contacts before or after.

TEHRAN WAS NOT DIRECTLY AT THE TABLE

According to the sources, Iran, Hezbollah's main backer, was not directly involved in the talks. A Lebanese security source said that Hezbollah participated in the contact in Turkey with Iran's knowledge, but that Tehran was uncomfortable with not being a direct party to the negotiations.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry, the Turkish Foreign and Defense Ministries, and the US State Department did not comment on the matter. Hezbollah's press office did not respond to a request for comment.

News Source: 12punto