Türkiye has rejected a news report alleging that its intelligence service arranged secret talks between Syrian officials and Hezbollah, calling the claim “entirely unfounded.”
The denial was issued on Thursday by the Turkish presidency’s Communications Directorate through its anti-disinformation agency.
According to Ankara, claims that representatives of the Syrian government and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group recently met in Türkiye under the auspices of the country’s national intelligence service are “fabricated.”
Earlier on Thursday, Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources, that Syrian and Hezbollah representatives had met secretly in Türkiye at least once in September.
The news agency said the reported talks, aimed at easing tensions, had failed to produce an agreement between the two sides.
Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said claims about the date, location and participants in the alleged meeting did not reflect reality, urging the public to rely solely on official statements.
Damascus has also disputed the Reuters report.
“These claims are false; no such meeting took place,” Syria’s Information Ministry said, according to the state-run Alikhbariah television channel.
Relations between Syria’s new government and Hezbollah have been strained since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
During Syria’s 13-year conflict, Hezbollah deployed fighters to the country to support Assad, a long-time ally of Iran, and his government.
Syria’s post-Assad leadership has accused Hezbollah-linked networks of smuggling weapons and operating cells in the country, allegations that Hezbollah denies.
Türkiye, meanwhile, is a key supporter of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and has sought to expand its political, security and economic influence in post-conflict Syria.
Separately on Thursday, Ankara condemned what Riyadh has described as a Houthi attack on a power station supplying electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque in the Saudi city of Medina.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry called for such attacks to end “immediately and unconditionally,” saying they threatened the kingdom’s sovereignty and security and violated Islamic values.
The ministry also reaffirmed Türkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia while urging all parties to avoid steps that could further inflame regional tensions.
Saudi authorities have attributed the alleged attack in Medina to Yemen’s Iran-aligned Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis.
The Houthis, however, have denied Saudi claims that they targeted Medina or any other Islamic holy site and dismissed the allegation as propaganda.
Neither account has been independently verified.
Read more:
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said.&nbs...
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on D...
Nigeria's first Ebola case in more than a decade may be linked to travel in Uganda, Swiss authorities said on Thursday, although the source of ...
Russia is willing in principle to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the United States in November, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said after President Vladimir Putin met U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Yemen's Houthis have denied targeting the holy city of Medina on Wednesday adding that they have not conducted any military operations towards Saudi Arabia either, denying earlier comments from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Georgia’s Constitutional Court in Batumi will on Wednesday hear a lawsuit seeking to ban five Georgian opposition parties, four of which collectively gained 784,820 votes (37.79 per cent) in the country’s last national elections in 2024.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Kazakhstan is preparing sweeping military reforms after 14 service members died during exercises in the Caspian Sea. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev approved the plans on 21 October, with major changes to training, oversight and defence capabilities set to begin in 2027.
Iranian officials have stepped up warnings of retaliation amid the threat of renewed U.S.-Israeli strikes, while signalling that a diplomatic solution remains possible if Washington demonstrates a sincere commitment to rebuilding trust.
Investing in children means more than funding schools and hospitals. At a major international summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, leaders and experts called for a joined-up approach to healthcare, education and social protection to improve children's lives.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have unveiled a strategic partnership to deepen trade, defence and energy ties, marking a major step in relations between the two NATO allies.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment