Ankara, 1 October, 2026 (Nosheen): Representatives of the Syrian government and Lebanese group Hezbollah have held secret face-to-face talks in Turkey in an effort to ease tensions between the two sides, according to six sources briefed on the meeting. The talks, reportedly the first known direct meeting between the longtime adversaries, took place at least once last month at the invitation of Turkish security and intelligence agencies. The meeting involved Hezbollah representatives as well as Syrian intelligence and foreign ministry officials and focused on resolving security concerns and points of tension. Sources said the discussions made progress, with Syria assuring Hezbollah that it would not intervene militarily in Lebanon to disarm the group, while Syrian officials asked Hezbollah to help prevent cross-border arms smuggling and dismantle remaining sleeper cells in southern Syria. A Syrian official said Hezbollah did not give a direct response to those requests but pledged not to interfere in Syria’s internal affairs. A Lebanese security source said the two sides had made significant progress on security issues, while stressing that no final agreement had been reached and no announcement was planned. Contact between the two sides through Turkey reportedly began around two months ago. The talks come amid heightened tensions following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, after which Damascus accused Hezbollah of transferring arms through Syrian territory. Turkey reportedly pushed for the meeting as part of its efforts to support stability and dialogue in the region. Iran, Hezbollah’s main sponsor, was not directly involved in the talks, although sources said Hezbollah attended with Tehran’s knowledge. Reuters could not independently confirm the location or duration of the meeting or whether additional meetings had taken place.