Syria explores future military presence of Russia and Turkey 

Syria’s interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa has said that his government is negotiating with Russia and Turkey regarding the future of their military presence in Syria. In an interview with the New York Times, Al-Sharaa pointed out that any future agreements must respect Syria’s sovereignty and regional security. “We told all parties that this military presence must be consistent with the Syrian legal framework,” explained Al-Sharaa. He added that any arrangement must not allow foreign forces to threaten neighbouring countries through Syrian territory. Russia is a long-time ally of the former regime of Bashar Al-Assad, and continues to operate military bases in Syria. Al-Sharaa acknowledged Syria’s heavy reliance on Russian-made weapons and existing agreements in areas such as food and energy, […]