Secret Syrian-Hezbollah talks in Turkey aim to ease post-war tensions

Turkish intelligence facilitated a clandestine gathering of Syrian government officials and Hezbollah representatives in Turkey, marking the first known face-to-face contact since the Syrian president was ousted in late 2024. Participants included Syrian intelligence and foreign-ministry officials and senior Hezbollah figures, and they exchanged assurances of non-hostility and requests to curb cross-border smuggling and dismantle sleeper cells in southern Syria.

Syria reported a recent capture of a Hezbollah cell preparing rockets, which Hezbollah dismissed as false. While both parties said progress was made on security concerns, no binding agreement was reached and Iran, Hezbollah's main backer, was absent from the talks. The dialogue reflects Ankara's push to position itself as a regional stabiliser amid lingering mistrust between Damascus and the Lebanon-based militia.