Will Tunisia restore diplomatic ties with Syria?
The resumption of diplomatic relations with Syria has become an urgent matter for the Tunisian government, given the large number of Tunisian fighters involved in the Syrian war.
![Nic6219911 Tunisian protestors hold the Iranian and the Syrian flags as they demonstrate outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 28, 2013 in Tunis, calling on their Islamist-led government to renew diplomatic relations with Syria and the regime of Bashar al-Assad. AFP PHOTO / FETHI BELAID (Photo credit should read FETHI BELAID/AFP/Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2017/01/GettyImages-169588501.jpg/GettyImages-169588501.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=wHSY1Ecd)
During a parliament session Jan. 4, Tunisian Interior Minister Hadi al-Majdoub revealed the presence of a Tunisian security office in Damascus and said daily security coordination was taking place between Tunisia and Syria, even though diplomatic relations have been severed between the two countries since February 2012. The security office seems to have been operating for a while now.
The resumption of security relations between Tunis and Damascus sparked speculation about the possibility of restoring diplomatic ties; this has long been a demand of Tunisian leftist and nationalist political parties and civic organizations.