Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Syria is looking to no longer have foreign military bases, a change he associated with what he called “complete and pure sovereignty of the Syrian state.” He made the remarks at an Atlantic Council event while discussing the future of foreign military facilities and forces in Syria.
Al-Sharaa said Damascus would soon have no need for a foreign or military presence and could manage relations with neighboring and friendly countries through diplomacy and mutual respect. He did not provide a timetable for that outcome.
The discussion focused in part on Russia’s remaining military facilities. Before al-Sharaa came to power in December 2024, Russia operated from about 170 military bases in Syria, according to his account. He said that number had fallen to two since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The two remaining Russian facilities are Hmeimim Air Base and Tartus Naval Base. Al-Sharaa said discussions with Moscow had resulted in an agreement to change their role into training facilities for the Syrian army. He described the transformed sites as no longer being military bases that could oversee or provide logistical support for operations launched against other countries.
Syria and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding in August concerning the two facilities. The memorandum describes Hmeimim and Tartus as “joint training and qualification centers.” The account did not specify when the change would be completed or how the centers would operate after the memorandum takes effect.
Al-Sharaa also addressed Turkey’s military presence in Syria. He said Syria had reduced the number of Turkish military bases, but he did not identify how many Turkey previously operated, how many had been closed, or how many remained. Turkey had maintained a military presence and observation posts in northern and northwestern Syria during the Assad era.
Those Turkish positions were described as supporting border security against the infiltration of terrorists and armed militias. Al-Sharaa said Syria is seeking “legal status” for the remaining Turkish bases. He added that any foreign presence should have the endorsement of the People’s Assembly and legal status.
His comments placed the Russian and Turkish facilities within a broader discussion of foreign military activity in Syria. The Russian sites are covered by the August memorandum’s description of joint training and qualification centers. The Turkish facilities were discussed in connection with Syria’s effort to establish legal status for remaining foreign positions.
Al-Sharaa said Damascus would soon no longer need foreign military or other foreign military presence. He said Syria could instead pursue diplomatic relations and mutual respect with countries in the region and with Syria’s friends. The remarks did not outline a schedule for removing foreign forces, list all foreign facilities in the country, or describe the status of every remaining position.
The president’s comments therefore identified a desired direction for Syria’s foreign military arrangements while leaving implementation details unresolved. They included the reported reduction in Russia’s military footprint, the proposed conversion of Hmeimim and Tartus into joint training centers, and the search for legal status for remaining Turkish bases. (Breaking Defense)