Syria is nearing the opening of its embassy in Türkiye as talks between the two governments advance, Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan Shaibani said during a visit to the United Kingdom.
Speaking at a Chatham House event titled “Foreign Policy for a New Syria” on Thursday evening after reopening his country’s diplomatic mission in London, Shaibani said the process is underway and guided by a planned diplomatic overhaul rather than political sentiment.
“It is part of a broader restructuring of Syria’s foreign missions,” he added.
After 13 years of civil war, Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad was ousted in December in a lightning offensive by opposition forces. Syria’s interim administration, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, has been working to rebuild and bring Syria back to the international arena since then.
Shaibani noted that Damascus had already opened a consulate in southeastern Gaziantep province with approval from Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry to ease pressure on the Syrian Consulate in Istanbul. He said the former Syrian Embassy building in Ankara had been lost after the previous regime failed to pay rent, but negotiations with Türkiye are moving forward.
“We are close to opening a Syrian Embassy in Türkiye,” he said. “Of course, our mission and embassy in Türkiye are important because we have privileged relations with Türkiye.”
Türkiye has spearheaded efforts for a path to recovery for Syria since last year and backed the new administration in efforts to restore stability, training Syrian military personnel to help bolster security and launching a support program to increase Syria’s institutional capacity. Turkish companies also view the lifting of sanctions on Syria as creating “big opportunities” for investment in reconstruction.
