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Turkey, U.S. to provide training program for Syrian opposition

Xinhua, March 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

Turkey and the United States will provide train-and-equip programs for Syrian opposition forces in southern Hatay province near Syrian border, local Daily Hurriyet reported on Tuesday.

The two countries will kick off the programs for Syrian rebels in late April in Hatay, a second military base in Turkish territory, along with the Hirfanli military base in central Anatolia.

Ankara and Washington signed an agreement in February to train some 2,000 members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in one year, and 5,000 fighters in three years on the Turkish territory.

A committee of Turkish and U.S. officials will reportedly decide which Syrian opposition fighters to be trained.

Turkey, once an ally of Assad, is now the fierce opponent of the Syrian government, and has been supporting the oppositions trying to topple him since 2011. Endit