- May 22, 2026
- 5:31 pm
- Middle East
Syria participated in foreign exercises for the first time after Assad
Syrian military took part in the international exercises EFES-2026 in Turkey — this became a significant signal for the entire region after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024.
The exercises took place in the Izmir area, including the Gulf of Izmir and the Doganbey range. According to Turkish and regional sources, representatives from about 50 countries participated, including NATO members — the USA, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and other states. In total, more than 10,000 military personnel were involved, about 1,305 of whom were from Turkey’s partner and allied countries.
For Damascus, this is not just a military episode. It is the first appearance of the Syrian army on a major foreign platform of this level after the change of power and the beginning of the restructuring of security institutions.
What exactly did the Syrian military do
According to Janes, Syria sent a small group to EFES-2026: 20 military personnel and 11 observers. They participated in elements of air assault training and sniper shooting. Other reports also mention armored maneuvers, but this detail more often appears through secondary sources, so it is more accurate to present it as part of reports on the program rather than as a definitively confirmed fact.
SANA wrote that Syrian participation is related to the Ministry of Defense’s desire to gain experience in joint exercises, study coordination methods, training organization, and modern approaches to army operations in a multi-level combat environment.
Chief of the Syrian General Staff arrived in Turkey
The event was given additional political weight by the arrival of the Chief of the General Staff of the Syrian army, Major General Ali al-Naasan. According to SANA, he arrived in Turkey on May 20, 2026, along with a group of officers and met with the Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish army, Selcuk Bayraktaroglu.
The visit was related not only to observing the final phase of EFES-2026 but also to demonstrating a new level of military contact between Ankara and Damascus.
Why this is important for Ankara
Turkey is showing that after Assad’s fall, it intends to play a key role in shaping the new Syrian military architecture. Previously, Reuters reported that Turkish-Syrian military cooperation already includes training, consultations, technical support, and the use of Turkish infrastructure for training Syrian military personnel.
For Ankara, this is part of a broader strategy: controlling the northern Syrian direction, exerting pressure on Kurdish forces, limiting Iranian influence, and establishing Turkey as the main external partner of the new Syrian government.
What this means for Israel
For Israel, Syria’s participation in EFES-2026 is not an ordinary piece of military news. It concerns a country that, after many years of war, Iranian influence, and internal collapse, is trying to rebuild its army, gain international legitimacy, and integrate into new regional formats.
NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency views this episode primarily through an Israeli lens: if the new Syrian army strengthens under Turkish patronage, it could change the balance in the northern direction, including the Golan Heights, Lebanon, the Kurdish factor, and the residual influence of Iran.
At the same time, it should not be hastily concluded that Syria has already become a full-fledged military partner of NATO. Formally, it is about participation in Turkish international exercises, where NATO armies, partner states, and new regional players were present. But the very fact of Syrian military presence on such a platform shows: Damascus is no longer as isolated as it was under the previous regime.
New Syria seeks a place between Turkey, the West, and the region
After the fall of Assad’s regime, Syria under the leadership of Ahmed al-Sharaa is gradually returning to international formats. Reuters has already reported on the expansion of Syria’s contacts with the G7 and the partial revision of sanctions policy regarding new Syrian institutions.
Against this backdrop, EFES-2026 looks like a military symbol of the same trend: the new Syrian government is trying to show that it can be not only an object of crisis but also a participant in regional security.
For Israel, the main question remains open: will this restructuring of Syria become a factor of stabilization on the northern borders or, over time, create a new, more organized, and less predictable challenge.