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.
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