UPDATE - Turkish, US defense chiefs discuss Syria, regional security

ADDS REMARKS BY US DEFENSE CHIEF

By Serdar Dincel and Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed the latest developments in Syria and security issues in a phone call Sunday, Türkiye's Defense Ministry said on X.

During the call, Guler and Austin also discussed bilateral and regional defense issues, the ministry said.

The call came hours after the collapse of Syria's Assad regime after decades in power.

Austin said the US is closely monitoring statements issued by Syrian opposition groups and their actions.

"Secretary Austin and Minister Guler both reaffirmed the importance of close coordination between the US and Türkiye to prevent further escalation of an already volatile situation as well as to avoid any risk to US forces and partners and the Defeat-ISIS Mission. The Secretary acknowledged Türkiye’s legitimate security concerns and discussed the risks posed by ISIS and other malign actors in the region," said US Defense Department spokesman Patrick Ryder in a statement.

-Road to Syrian regime's collapse

Clashes broke out between Assad regime forces and anti-regime armed groups on Nov. 27 in rural areas west of Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria.

On Nov. 30, anti-regime groups took control of most of the center of Aleppo from regime forces, and on the same day, they gained control over all of Idlib province. Last Thursday, after fierce clashes, the groups took the city center of Hama from regime forces.

Anti-regime groups captured some settlements in the strategically important province of Homs, a gateway to the capital Damascus, and started to advance there.

On Friday, armed opposition groups launched an operation in Daraa province on Syria's border with Jordan and recaptured the city center from regime forces after clashes.

On Saturday, the entire province of Suwayda in southern Syria also came under the control of opposition groups. On the same day, local opposition groups in Quneitra also took control of the provincial center.

In the province of Homs, anti-regime forces took control of the provincial center on Saturday.

Groups advancing against Assad regime forces entered the southern suburbs of Damascus later Saturday. Regime forces also withdrew from the defense and interior ministries and the international airport in Damascus.

As anti-regime armed groups started to dominate the capital and the Assad regime on Sunday morning quickly lost all control of Damascus.

Separately, in Operation Dawn of Freedom launched by the opposition Syrian National Army against the PKK/YPG terrorist organization in rural areas of Aleppo on Dec. 1, Tel Rifaat district’s center was liberated from terrorism.