Türkiye and France have signed a road map aimed at expanding defense and security cooperation, including intelligence sharing, air defense and joint military exercises, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced Thursday.
The agreement seeks to strengthen bilateral defense relations based on mutual interests and establish a more institutionalized framework for cooperation, the ministry said following its weekly press briefing at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard Command in northwestern Kocaeli province, marking the facility's 100th anniversary.
Under the road map, the two countries plan to hold regular security consultations, enhance cooperation against hybrid threats, expand intelligence sharing and improve interoperability between their defense systems.
The agreement also envisages coordinated training and capacity-building activities in third countries to support regional stability.
Military cooperation will include expanded joint training programs, personnel exchanges between military academies, port visits and exercises involving land, naval and air forces.
In the defense industry, Ankara and Paris aim to develop joint projects, encourage technology and information sharing and increase engagement between defense companies.
The ministry said bilateral defense meetings would alternate between Ankara and Paris, with the first scheduled for the final quarter of 2026.
Separately, Defense Ministry spokesperson Rear Adm. Zeki Aktürk criticized Israel's continued military activities in southern Syria, including raids, detentions, border violations and air and artillery strikes.
Aktürk accused Israel of violating the 1974 Disengagement Agreement by resuming trench-digging and road expansion activities under the Sufa-53 Line Project.
Israeli forces restarted excavation work last week west of al-Asha village in Syria's southern Quneitra as part of a project known as the "Sufa Line,” or "Sufa 53,” according to Syria Alikhbaria TV. Military vehicles and bulldozers were seen digging near the separation line with the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, extending a route that runs through rural communities from northern to southern Quneitra. For residents, the project has meant the loss of agricultural land, damage to grazing areas and vegetation, and changes to the natural flow of rainwater in a province where many families depend on farming and livestock.
He urged the international community to take concrete measures against Israeli actions that threaten regional peace and stability.
Aktürk also highlighted ongoing military contacts between Türkiye and Greece under their 2026 Confidence-Building Measures Implementation Plan.
A delegation from Türkiye's National Defense University visited the Hellenic National Defense College in Athens from Oct. 7-9, while another round of confidence-building talks was scheduled for Friday in Crete.
A Greek naval delegation is also expected to visit Türkiye's Naval Forces Command from Oct. 13-15.
Addressing counterterrorism operations, Aktürk said one PKK terrorist surrendered to Turkish authorities over the past week.
He added that Turkish security forces apprehended 660 people attempting illegal border crossings and prevented another 1,383 from crossing during the same period.
According to ministry figures, 13,366 people have been apprehended attempting unauthorized crossings since the beginning of 2026, while another 53,870 have been prevented from entering illegally.
