Google Cloud Speech-to-Text API (Chirp) + Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking. Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:00To ensure the success of this the Development success of this path Road projects
00:00:03in response to our that were, of course, proposed by a group of regional countries, we noticed that Turkey indeed took the initiative to revive many projects, especially the railway connection project between Istanbul and Mecca. This project to revive the old Hijaz railway is very important because it is not limited only to the issue of goods, but perhaps there are also projects for Syria to become a transportation hub for energy and pipeline extension in light of the ongoing war and the issue of the Strait of Hormuz crisis. Indeed, this has begun with the Iraqi side, but through tankers. Therefore, Turkey has a very large role in all these projects, considering it is the most prominent economic power in the Middle East. Thank you very much, Omar Kouch, political writer and analyst, who joined us from Istanbul. In other news from this tour, the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus set August 24 as the date for deliberation and judgment against former Grand Mufti Ahmed Hassoun, who is accused of inciting violence and justifying murder during the era of the ousted regime. The court held the fifth session of Ahmed Hassoun's trial, attended by representatives of national and international human rights organizations, while Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Arian presided over the session. The trial comes as part of a series of trials for those involved in the violations that occurred in Syria between 2011 and 2024. From Damascus, Syria TV correspondent Diala Al-Bahri joins us. Welcome, Diala. Diala, tell us about the information you have regarding the fourth session of the trial of the ousted regime's Mufti, Ahmed Hassoun. Yes, welcome, Catherine. In fact, according to the information, it is the fifth session that ended today in the Fourth Criminal Court here in the capital, Damascus. This session was dedicated to hearing the prosecution's arguments, as well as the arguments of the defendant's lawyer. Of course, during this session, the court would have passed the stage of hearing witness testimonies and discussing the evidence and accusations that were directed at the defendant, Ahmed Badr al-Din Hassoun, during the series of previous sessions. Today, the transition was made to a new stage, which is hearing the arguments of the public prosecutor and the defense. Of course, the next session has been set for August 24 for the pronouncement of the verdict, which is truly the most important session that Syrians are awaiting to know the verdict that will be issued against Ahmed Badr al-Din Hassoun. Of course, a series of accusations were, in fact, directed at Ahmed Hassoun, who was the Grand Mufti of the Syrian Arab Republic during the era of the ousted regime. He was accused of several crimes, most notably inciting violence and murder, and calling for the bombing of neighborhoods that were outside the control of the ousted regime during the years of the Syrian revolution, as well as making statements that the public prosecutor considered to incite murder and displacement. In addition to these accusations, there were also accusations related to glorifying military and security figures who were involved in violations during the years of the Syrian revolution against Syrian civilians, as well as glorifying Qassem Soleimani and supporting Russian and Iranian intervention in Syria, and a series of accusations that were directed at Ahmed Badr al-Din Hassoun. So, eyes are now on August 24, when the session dedicated to pronouncing the verdict will take place. Of course, these trials come within the framework of trying the symbols of the ousted regime within the Fourth Criminal Court, which was designated to try the symbols of the ousted regime and those involved in violations against civilians during the years of the Syrian revolution. Of course, during the past two days, the sessions of Atef Najib and Wassim al-Assad were also completed, and today the fifth session of Ahmed Badr al-Din Hassoun's trial is also being completed, awaiting the next session that will be dedicated to pronouncing the verdict. Catherine, thank you very much, Diala Al-Bahri, who was with us from Damascus. President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in a video call during the opening of Deir ez-Zor International Airport that work is underway on comprehensive development plans for the eastern region, including Deir ez-Zor, Hasaka, and Raqqa, including the establishment of a cancer hospital in Deir ez-Zor and the implementation of the international road project between Deir ez-Zor and Damascus. There are development plans that we are working on for the eastern region: Deir ez-Zor, Hasaka, Raqqa, and all of Syria. But there is a specificity to the eastern region and its abundant giving, so we have worked on a gradual development plan there, including rehabilitating the infrastructure and also rehabilitating the health sector there. There is also a hospital for cancer diseases that will also be worked on, costing approximately 21 million dollars, and also the road connecting Damascus and Deir ez-Zor, a two-way road. We have been working on studying this road since last year, and we have almost reached the end of the road, with an estimated cost of between 275 million dollars and 300 million dollars. Work will begin soon, God willing. President al-Sharaa added that there is a project to establish a large industrial city that will include food industries and petrochemical industries, with the aim of exporting products directly from Deir ez-Zor abroad. There is also a project for a large industrial city that will also include food industries and petrochemical industries to provide many job opportunities and also to export products directly from Deir ez-Zor to all parts of the world. Will Deir ez-Zor become a manufacturing hub soon, God willing? So, God willing, we are working on all these projects tirelessly. We need some time for these projects to be completed, and we do not consider anything too much for our people in Deir ez-Zor and our people in the eastern region. These are just the beginnings, God willing. The first thing we will start with is connecting roads so that people can travel to and from Deir ez-Zor safely and comfortably. For his part, the Director General of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, Omar al-Hasri, said that the authority will establish an advanced air cargo center at Deir ez-Zor International Airport to support commercial, agricultural, and industrial activity in the governorate. What we are inaugurating today is the first phase of a comprehensive project to develop Deir ez-Zor Airport. The next phase, God willing, will witness the establishment of a passenger terminal. common national interests. This
00:00:06Syrian achievement in limiting weapons to state institutions
00:00:10provides a realistic model that heralds
00:00:13a new phase in
00:00:15Egypt, Turkey, our regional neighborhood. The region is clearly moving towards
00:00:18establishing a single base for stability,
00:00:21whose pillar is ending any armed formations
00:00:24outside the legitimate framework. Here, we agreed to support
00:00:28this visit the efforts and steps led by our brothers,
00:00:31Iraq and Lebanon, to strengthen the sovereignty of their countries
00:00:34and limit weapons to their national institutions, which
00:00:38will end any destabilization
00:00:41to take steps or instability in the region. The completion of these paths in the sister capitals
00:00:46also great ensures their sustainable internal stability and forms, with the Syrian
00:00:49achievement, a comprehensive regional security network
00:00:53my Turkish counterpart that protects our region and pushes
00:00:56path for trade. it towards development and prosperity. Within this comprehensive vision for
00:01:00security, our efforts to consolidate peace
00:01:03in the north are accompanied by firm diplomatic
00:01:06action to stop the repeated Israeli attacks
00:01:10in our Syrian south. We are working steadily to consolidate
00:01:13stability there, and we affirm our condemnation
00:01:16of any attack that affects our land and sovereignty,
00:01:20an aggression that will negatively affect the security and stability
00:01:23of the entire region. Therefore, we renew
00:01:26our call to return to the 1974 agreement
00:01:29and withdraw to the lines before December 8, 2024.
00:01:33We call on the sisterly and friendly countries
00:01:36and the international community
00:01:40developments taking to assume their responsibilities in enforcing international
00:01:43on preparing the law and maintaining stability in Syria and the region.
00:01:45This security stability steadily paves the way
00:01:48for the transit and regional connectivity file, as
00:01:51we discussed today accelerating the activation of the Four
00:01:55Seas Committee. Geography and history dictate that
00:01:59in the conference Syria be the shortest and most effective node
00:02:02border crossings, in global trade maps. We are confidently moving
00:02:05towards completing the strategic railway connection project
00:02:09about free trade in partnership between Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia,
00:02:12and Jordan. Syria's role in this path
00:02:15represents a real geographical and economic
00:02:20Catherine, that bridge that translates and enhances its
00:02:22role as an active diplomatic bridge in the region.
00:02:26We will build on this positive model to activate joint
00:02:29technical committees and manage our water resources
00:02:33in a way that serves the interests of the two peoples.
00:02:36In the midst of our joint development efforts,
00:02:39sensitive regional developments impose themselves, specifically
00:02:43important files the repercussions of the
00:02:45at all ongoing war and confrontations noticed that between the United States and Iran.
00:02:48Syria's position stems from active diplomacy
00:02:51in protecting our national interests and sparing the region
00:02:54and preventing it from sliding into an open
00:02:58conflict. From this principled standpoint, we express
00:03:02our strong condemnation of any strikes or attacks
00:03:05targeting the sisterly Arabian Gulf states. Neutralizing
00:03:09Gulf security from this confrontation
00:03:13course, goes back, is an utmost necessity, and the stability of
00:03:16these sisterly countries is an integral part
00:03:19of the regional security system. We also
00:03:23call on the countries of the region to enhance
00:03:26health agreements, security, military, and political coordination
00:03:29that took to protect everyone's interests and control
00:03:32borders, as Syria suffers from destabilization
00:03:37the commander of and threats to its borders by armed militias
00:03:39that use neighboring borders and carry
00:03:42weapons outside the state framework. The Syrian
00:03:47supporting diplomatic Arab Republic and its security and military institutions are
00:03:50working to confront these threats with
00:03:53full determination, which preserves our national
00:03:57security interests and maintains the
00:04:01safety of our people. Therefore, we will
00:04:04work to intensify human and technical
00:04:07the press conference capabilities along our entire borders and in
00:04:10coordination with our neighbors to confront these
00:04:15and has a threats. Our discussions touched upon the return
00:04:18of Syrians to their homeland as a top
00:04:21national priority for Damascus.
00:04:24been a country
00:04:24Ankara prioritize with the United We consider the returnees to be the main
00:04:27building force for the renewed Syria, and
00:04:43agreement between
00:05:00we realize that there have the sustainability of
00:05:02this return requires preparing the
00:05:06developmental infrastructure
00:05:09great challenges and necessary infrastructure such as services, electricity, schools,
00:05:42and health, among others. Therefore,
00:05:45we are establishing a practical path with the Turkish
00:05:48side to link return projects directly
00:05:52and effectively with early recovery
00:05:55programs. I would like to emphasize
00:05:59in the end that our common borders,
00:06:03which are the longest between us,
00:06:05will remain a
00:06:08What is the volume of trade exchange in this
00:06:12regard? What is the goal
00:06:14of trade exchange between the two countries, and
00:06:18what steps are being taken? The second
00:06:21question is for Mr. Fidan. Certainly,
00:06:25Syria views the relationship with Turkey as
00:06:28a regional and strategic priority. Turkey
00:06:31has stood by the Syrian people during the years
00:06:34of war, and certainly after the liberation of
00:06:37Syria and the victory
00:06:50of the Syrian revolution, we began to work
00:06:55economic environment to develop it and to reach integration
00:06:59with the Turkish neighbor and also
00:07:03benefit from the advanced Turkish expertise in this
00:07:06field. Yes. Currently,
00:07:09we are working to intensify
00:07:13trade exchange by preparing
00:07:15and we also started today in our
00:07:18discussions to talk
00:07:22agreements and customs agreements. Certainly,
00:07:25we look forward to the Syrian-Turkish relationship,
00:07:29especially in the economic field, being a distinguished
00:07:33relationship, and perhaps it is also
00:07:37a relationship that concerns not only
00:07:39the two countries themselves, but also
00:07:44the East and the West. Thank you.
00:07:47Intelligence and also the intelligence institution
00:07:50and the Turkish Foreign Ministry,
00:07:54we are working to
00:07:55meet with all
00:07:59parties, and we are also,
00:08:02regarding the strategies that must be
00:08:05implemented, we are making great efforts.
00:08:08Thank God, until today, we,
00:08:12as a member or party that facilitates
00:08:15negotiations, we are indeed
00:08:19making great efforts in this regard,
00:08:22and this, of
00:08:26and we emphasize once again,
00:08:29the leading role of the Turkish
00:08:33President in this field. But we do play this
00:08:36role, but some issues, even
00:08:40if they are very difficult, especially
00:08:44regarding Palestine, when we
00:08:47develop or make progress in these
00:08:51matters, Israel has not changed
00:08:54its main goal, which is to
00:08:57sabotage any attempt at peace. The
00:09:00international community must
00:09:02be sensitive to this
00:09:05issue, so we emphasize
00:09:08this point. The current situation, especially the transition
00:09:16to the second phase, we see that
00:09:20Israel is obstructing it. We are seeing
00:09:24Israel hinder progress because it does
00:09:28not want to see
00:09:31itself bound by a certain process.
00:09:34It must leave Gaza,
00:09:37and Gaza must return
00:09:41to the Palestinians,
00:09:51but Israel does not want to see that.
00:09:54Even though the peace plan, when
00:09:58implemented,
00:10:12leads to this result, it is
00:10:16a plan that leads to this
00:10:18result. There are
00:10:21in implementing this. Regarding all the
00:10:25measures, we had a meeting in
00:10:28Amman yesterday with wide participation, and also
00:10:32as a result of working with
00:10:35or meeting with Egypt, Pakistan,
00:10:40and Saudi Arabia, we had a comprehensive
00:10:43meeting on what diplomatic steps we
00:10:47can take. We made some decisions,
00:10:51and in September, perhaps we will
00:10:55meet again for a meeting
00:10:58at the leadership level. Last
00:11:01year, there were steps
00:11:06to achieve peace, and there were
00:11:11challenges and attempts to
00:11:14penetrate these steps, so we
00:11:18must continue working on the
00:11:21situation in Gaza. Of course, there
00:11:28is a bad thing, which
00:11:31is the continuation of the war
00:11:34in the Gulf region and the
00:11:38closure of the Strait of Hormuz,
00:11:41and this leads to great repercussions,
00:11:44and also the negotiation phase
00:11:47between America, Turkey,
00:11:49and Iran has not reached an
00:11:53end, and this leads once
00:11:57again to distraction from Gaza.
00:12:00But as we said, Turkey
00:12:04is working on all platforms to draw
00:12:08attention to the issue of Gaza
00:12:11at the highest levels. So,
00:12:15we will stop here for the
00:12:19conference. From Ankara,
00:12:24that brought together the Turkish and
00:12:28Syrian foreign ministers, the
00:12:31Turkish Foreign Minister spoke
00:12:35and emphasized cooperation in the
00:12:38field of defense and combating terrorism
00:12:41with Syria, and that Syria
00:12:44has become more stable, and
00:12:48work is underway to develop relations
00:12:51with it at various levels,
00:12:55and that pressure must be exerted
00:12:59on Israel to respect the unity
00:13:02of Syrian territories. The minister also
00:13:06indicated that work is underway
00:13:08with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria to develop
00:13:12transportation and connectivity routes
00:13:16between our countries. For his part,
00:13:20the Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad
00:13:23Shaybani, stated
00:13:27that work is underway to end
00:13:30the presence of weapons outside state
00:13:34authority and combat terrorism in Syria.
00:13:37A united Syria, free of terrorism,
00:13:40is the ideal barrier for shared
00:13:44borders, pointing out that efforts
00:13:47are being made to consolidate stability
00:13:51in southern Syria and stop repeated
00:13:55Israeli aggressions. Regarding this conference,
00:13:58our correspondent from Ankara, Youssef
00:14:02Mulla, joins us. Welcome,
00:14:05Youssef. Youssef, could you tell
00:14:09us about the main points
00:14:12that were discussed today between
00:14:16the Turkish Foreign Minister
00:14:19and his Syrian counterpart? Catherine,
00:14:23warm greetings to you and
00:14:26the esteemed viewers. A
00:14:29few moments ago,
00:14:32between the Syrian Foreign Minister
00:14:36and his Turkish counterpart concluded
00:14:39here in the capital, Ankara.
00:14:43The Syrian Foreign Minister affirmed
00:14:46that Damascus and
00:14:49economic and commercial issues
00:14:52in their agendas. During the press
00:14:55conference, the Syrian Foreign
00:14:59Minister confirmed that continuous efforts
00:15:03are underway to reactivate the joint
00:15:08both countries and strengthen
00:15:11financial cooperation between the central
00:15:15banks of Syria and
00:15:18Turkey. He also stressed the importance
00:15:22of limiting weapons to the state
00:15:25and ending the presence of any
00:15:28armed formations and organizations outside
00:15:31the legal framework of the state,
00:15:35and that this matter forms
00:15:38the basis for Syria's stability
00:15:41and the region's security, with
00:15:44continued coordination with Turkey
00:15:48in this file.
00:15:58and railway connectivity projects, especially
00:16:02with Turkey, passing through
00:16:05Syria, then Jordan and
00:16:08Saudi Arabia,
00:16:10and developing financial resource
00:16:14management, and also linking
00:16:18the return of Syrians naturally.
00:16:21He said this is one of the important
00:16:25files that I discussed with
00:16:30today in Ankara.
00:16:34The voluntary return program.
00:16:37For this to succeed, Syria
00:16:41needs these experiences and
00:16:44these expatriate children. But
00:16:47to encourage return, early
00:16:51recovery programs must be launched,
00:16:55and basic services
00:16:57must be established and provided
00:17:00to those who wish to return.
00:17:04He also condemned Israeli aggressions
00:17:08during his statements a while ago,
00:17:11calling for respect for Syria's
00:17:14sovereignty and a return to
00:17:18the disengagement agreement of
00:17:211974. Returning also
00:17:24to the statements of the Turkish
00:17:28Foreign Minister, who said during
00:17:31the press conference with his Syrian
00:17:35counterpart that Syria and Turkey
00:17:39share a common history and
00:17:42common interests, and that Syria's
00:17:45stability will directly reflect
00:17:49on Turkey's security. The Turkish
00:17:52Foreign Minister also indicated,
00:17:57continued cooperation in combating terrorism,
00:18:01developing economic relations, increasing
00:18:04trade exchange, facilitating crossings
00:18:08and customs, launching banking
00:18:11cooperation, and supporting transportation
00:18:15and reconstruction projects are
00:18:17among the most
00:18:20that Turkey is working on in
00:18:24Syria. Also, Catherine announced
00:18:27that work is underway to establish
00:18:31a Turkish school in Syria,
00:18:35and he also said that
00:18:38we seek to launch a joint
00:18:40university, the Syrian-Turkish
00:18:43joint university in Syria,
00:18:46and we also seek to enhance
00:18:50health cooperation. He also mentioned
00:18:54that the Minister of Health
00:18:56visited Syria some time ago
00:19:00and signed many
00:19:03in addition to operating many
00:19:07hospitals by Turkey. Catherine also
00:19:11spoke about supporting efforts
00:19:15to integrate Syria into
00:19:18the international financial system,
00:19:21in addition to
00:19:24solutions to regional issues and demanding
00:19:28an end to Israeli aggressions
00:19:32on southern Syria and
00:19:35preserving the unity of Syrian
00:19:38territories, and that Syria's
00:19:41recovery will reflect on all
00:19:44countries in the region.
00:19:48He said that throughout history,
00:19:51Syria has been a country
00:19:55that supports peace and
00:19:59has never
00:20:02that destabilizes
00:20:04peace, and this is what
00:20:07we expect from neighboring Syria.
00:20:11Both ministers, during the
00:20:14press conference, affirmed that
00:20:17the American-Iranian war must
00:20:21end with diplomacy, and
00:20:24that this matter will
00:20:27benefit all
00:20:30countries in the region
00:20:33to solve the economic and
00:20:38political problems and other problems
00:20:41that this war has
00:20:44affected in the countries of
00:20:48the region and destabilized
00:20:52the stability of the
00:20:55countries of the region
00:20:59and its global impact. Both
00:21:02ministers condemned the continuous
00:21:05Israeli attacks on Syria
00:21:08in particular and on the
00:21:12countries of the region
00:21:15in general. Israel has
00:21:18sought to destabilize
00:21:20the security and stability
00:21:23of the countries of
00:21:27the region. Thank you very
00:21:29much, Youssef Mulla, our
00:21:33correspondent from Ankara. And
00:21:36also, regarding the topic, political writer
00:21:40and analyst Omar Kouch
00:21:43from Istanbul joins us.
00:21:47Welcome, Professor Omar.
00:21:51First, Professor Omar, how
00:21:54do you view this visit?
00:21:57First, greetings
00:22:17coordination and dialogue between
00:22:21the Syrian and Turkish governments,
00:22:25especially in light of the
00:22:30place in the internal situation
00:22:33in Syria, and also in the
00:22:36regional situation, and also in
00:22:40the file of common relations
00:22:43between the two countries. This
00:22:46visit, in fact, I believe its
00:22:50importance comes after the visit
00:22:54made by the President of the
00:24:00Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani,
00:24:04to Damascus and his meeting
00:24:07with President Ahmed al-Sharaa,
00:24:11and also the
00:24:11meeting
00:24:19place after that between
00:24:22President Ahmed al-Sharaa and
00:24:27the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum
00:24:30Abdi, because the discussion was,
00:24:33in fact, after President
00:24:36Ahmed al-Sharaa indicated that
00:24:40there was a slowdown
00:24:43in the implementation of the January
00:24:4629 agreement between the
00:24:51Syrian Democratic Forces and
00:24:54the Syrian government. However, he
00:24:57also expressed his commitment to this
00:25:01agreement and the necessity of
00:25:04implementing all its provisions. It is
00:25:08known that the Kurdistan
00:25:10Region, along
00:25:14States of America and France,
00:25:17played
00:25:19a role, in fact, in
00:25:22mediating and reaching the
00:25:25January 20 agreement,
00:25:28which, of course, provided
00:25:31for the integration of the SDF
00:25:35at all its administrative,
00:25:38military, and security levels
00:25:41with state institutions. However,
00:25:45until now,
00:25:47indeed been integration operations
00:25:51and steps, but this issue
00:25:54is also certainly of
00:25:57concern to Turkey. It is known
00:26:00that Turkey does not want
00:26:04there to be any
00:26:07enclave in its south
00:26:10that threatens its security,
00:26:14especially in light of
00:26:16the presence of elements
00:26:20from the Kurdistan Workers'
00:26:23Party, and also, in
00:26:27my opinion,
00:26:30is not limited to
00:26:34the security aspect, but
00:26:37also to the economic
00:26:40aspect, especially in Professor
00:26:43Omar, before moving
00:26:46to the economic aspect, how
00:26:49might this visit affect
00:26:52internal Syrian issues, such
00:26:56as the integration file with
00:26:58the SDF, the Suweida
00:27:01file perhaps, and also
00:27:05the Israeli incursions
00:27:08file? Precisely here, in
00:27:11fact, the dialogue and
00:27:15coordination between Syria and
00:27:19Turkey extends to
00:27:22all files, and it is
00:27:24well known
00:27:41of Syrian territories and the unity
00:27:44of Syrian sovereignty. This applies
00:27:48to the north and also
00:27:51to the south in light of
00:27:54the separatist calls in the
00:27:58south by some personalities
00:28:02and forces, and also
00:28:04the Israeli issue,
00:28:07because from the beginning,
00:28:10Turkey announced its categorical
00:28:14rejection of Israeli aggressions
00:28:18and incursions, and also
00:28:21its attempts to support
00:28:25separatist forces in Suweida.
00:28:27And the Turkish support
00:28:31has not stopped, in
00:28:34fact, due to Turkey's
00:28:37concern for Syria's internal
00:28:40stability. We
00:28:44cooperation, in fact,
00:28:48political and also military levels
00:28:52through the rehabilitation
00:28:55and training of new
00:28:59Syrian army cadres,
00:29:02and all these files,
00:29:06in fact, in my opinion,
00:29:09make this visit
00:29:13special in these files.
00:29:17Oh, Professor Omar, returning
00:29:20to the discussion about economic
00:29:23cooperation between the two countries,
00:29:27the importance of this
00:29:31cooperation. This is,
00:29:34in fact, a very
00:29:37important aspect for
00:29:41several reasons. Firstly, Syria
00:29:45is in a recovery phase
00:29:49and is looking for investment
00:29:52opportunities for reconstruction and
00:29:55cooperation with all countries,
00:29:59especially neighboring countries. Turkey
00:30:02is, in fact, an economically
00:30:06recognized country among the
00:30:09economically powerful G20
00:30:12countries in the world
00:30:18strong economy, in addition
00:30:21to the wide common borders
00:30:25between Syria and Turkey. Therefore, agreements
00:30:28have been signed between the two sides regarding
00:30:33respond to the expected growth in passenger
00:30:36traffic and establish an advanced
00:30:39air cargo center that serves commercial
00:30:43agricultural and industrial movements in the governorate
00:30:45and establish an integrated hangar for aircraft
00:30:49maintenance that supports air operations
00:30:51and enhances technical capabilities in addition to a
00:30:55hotel and investment areas and service
00:30:58and logistical facilities