President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.
Erdoğan reiterated Türkiye's call for the immediate lifting of all sanctions on Syria, stressing that the PKK-linked Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) must fully comply with the March 10 deal. He also said Ankara is closely monitoring developments in the region and will continue to step up its support for Syria, underlining that it backs all initiatives that respect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The two leaders held talks at the Türkevi Center, Türkiye’s diplomatic hub in Manhattan, where Erdoğan has been conducting a series of high-level meetings with world leaders.
Details of the closed-door meeting were not immediately disclosed, but the discussion is seen as part of Türkiye’s broader diplomatic efforts to promote stability and regional cooperation.
Erdoğan has long stressed Türkiye’s commitment to a political solution in Syria that safeguards the country’s territorial integrity and ensures the return of millions of displaced Syrians.
The meeting comes as the international community grapples with ongoing challenges in Syria, including humanitarian needs, reconstruction and the fight against terrorist groups.
Since the ouster of Bashar Assad last year after 24 years in power, the Syrian government has stepped up security measures. Assad fled to Russia in December, marking the end of the Ba'ath Party’s rule since 1963. A transitional administration, headed by al-Sharaa, took office in January.
With U.S. support under the pretext of fighting Daesh, the YPG seized large swaths of northern and eastern Syria during the civil war, occupying key oil, water and agricultural resources. Turkish cross-border operations have since reduced their grip, but the group remains entrenched in several areas.
Under the March deal, the YPG would merge with the new Syrian national army. The agreement, which is expected to be implemented by the end of the year, would also bring all border crossings with Iraq and Türkiye, as well as airports and oil fields in the northeast, under the central government’s control. Detention centers housing thousands of Daesh members, now guarded by the YPG, would also come under government control.
