By Bosphorus News Defense Desk
The United States has removed Syria from the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) list of countries subject to a policy of denial, allowing defense trade applications involving Syria to be reviewed case by case from October 1.
The change does not make Syria eligible for the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) still lists Syria as ineligible for FMS under the Arms Export Control Act.
ITAR applications can now be considered individually. Government-to-government FMS access remains unavailable.
ITAR policy shifts from blanket denial
The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) announced on September 30 that Syria would be removed from ITAR §126.1 effective October 1. The final rule says the Secretary of State approved a new Syria defense trade policy on August 19, allowing defense article and defense service transfers to be reviewed on a case-by-case licensing basis.
Before October 1, §126.1 placed Syria under a policy of denial for licenses and other approvals covering exports and imports of defense articles and defense services.
A separate State Department action on August 20 waived remaining Syrian restrictions under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act that had required termination of arms sales, U.S. Munitions List export licenses and foreign military financing. The waiver removed those statutory restrictions but did not make Syria eligible for FMS.
Commerce Department controls remain in force. Bureau of Industry and Security rules under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) §746.9 continue to require licenses for most items subject to the EAR going to Syria, with specified exceptions. The October ITAR change does not end U.S. export controls on Syria.
Türkiye already has a military training framework with Syria
Türkiye is already involved in strengthening Syria's military capacity. Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and then-Syrian Defense Minister Murhef Abu Qasra signed a Joint Training and Consultancy Memorandum of Understanding in Ankara on August 13, 2025.
Türkiye's Defense Ministry has said the agreement covers counterterrorism, military organization, modernization, personnel training and efforts to strengthen the Syrian army's defense and security capacity.
The framework has extended to field training. Syria sent a core military contingent to EFES-2026 in Türkiye, its first participation in an exercise outside Syrian territory. Bosphorus News reported the Syrian participation alongside Libya and NATO partners. Türkiye's Defense Ministry said training support for the Syrian army would continue.
Ankara repeated that position in August after an Israeli strike on Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase. Türkiye said it would continue supporting Syria's military capacity and infrastructure under the bilateral framework. The Defense Ministry said support would continue under Syria's "one army" principle.
What the change could mean for Turkish defense transfers
Turkish-origin defense systems or support packages involving U.S.-origin ITAR-controlled components, technical data or defense services can require U.S. authorization. DDTC says prior written approval is generally required before a defense article is reexported or retransferred to an end user, end use or destination not covered by the original authorization, unless an exemption applies.
Removing Syria from the §126.1 denial list means an affected transfer can now be submitted for individual review instead of facing the previous Syria-wide policy of denial.
That is not a U.S. clearance for Turkish arms transfers to Syria. No Türkiye-specific approval was announced with the rule, and any transaction involving controlled U.S. content would still have to meet applicable licensing, end-user and end-use requirements.
As of October 7, Syria can seek case-by-case ITAR approvals but remains ineligible for FMS. Commerce Department controls also remain in force.
Sources: U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Bureau of Industry and Security, Türkiye's Ministry of National Defence, Bosphorus News review and reporting.