Latakia clashes attempt to derail Syria's weeks-long policy of not reacting to provocations: Turkish foreign minister

By Beril Canakci

ISTANBUL (AA) - On recent clashes in Syria between the government forces and Assad loyalists, the Turkish foreign minister said Sunday there has been an "effort to derail the Syrian government's weeks-long policy of not reacting to provocations."

Hakan Fidan made the remarks at a joint press conference on Sunday in Amman, Jordan, during a summit of foreign ministers of Türkiye, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria.

The countries’ foreign and defense ministers, along with intelligence chiefs and military leaders, attended the meeting. They discussed cooperation on security, counterterrorism, and the fight against organized crime, as well as broader regional dynamics.

In recent days, Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus have seen security tensions amid coordinated attacks by loyalists of the former Assad regime. These attacks, described as the most severe since the regime’s fall in December, targeted security patrols, checkpoints, and hospitals, resulting in deaths and injuries.

In response, security and military forces launched sweeping operations to track down the attackers. The operations have led to fierce clashes, as government officials assert that the situation is moving toward full stability.

Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period on Jan. 29.