Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa said on Friday that Damascus is seeking a new security agreement guaranteeing Israel’s withdrawal to the 1974 disengagement lines as part of a phased approach to possible broader negotiations.
Speaking at a panel during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, al Sharaa said the 1974 agreement had held for more than five decades but was later undermined by Israeli violations, particularly after the fall of the Bashar al Assad regime in December 2024.
“We are now entering the first level (of talks), which is seeking a security agreement that guarantees Israel’s withdrawal to the 1974 borders and sets new rules by either commitment to the agreement or adjusting it in a way that guarantees the security of both sides,” he said.
He added that, if successful, the process could lead to long-term negotiations aimed at resolving the status of the occupied Golan Heights.
“After that, if this succeeds, we may engage in long-term negotiations to resolve the issue of the occupied Golan,” al Sharaa added.
The Syrian president also rejected any recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the territory. “Any recognition of Israel’s claim to the occupied Syrian Golan is invalid. This is a right belonging to the Syrian people, not to any government,” he said.
After the fall of the Bashar al Assad regime on December 8 2024, Israel declared the collapse of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and moved to occupy the buffer zone along the frontier.
Despite the new Syrian administration not issuing threats towards Israel, Israeli forces have carried out air strikes in Syria since Assad’s ouster, killing civilians and targeting military sites, equipment and ammunition.
