Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of the anti-regime forces that toppled the longstanding rule of the Baathists, is scheduled to visit Türkiye on Tuesday as interim president of Syria.
This will be al-Sharaa’s second visit abroad after Saudi Arabia and a first to Türkiye, a close ally of the new administration of the country. He will be the guest of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with whom he is scheduled to meet in the capital, Ankara.
The leaders will discuss the latest developments in Syria in all its dimensions and the joint steps to be taken by Ankara and Damascus for economic recovery, sustainable stability and security in the war-torn country, Fahrettin Altun, head of the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, said on X on Monday. The talks will also focus on the support that can be provided to Syria's new administration and the Syrian people in multilateral platforms, he added. "We believe that Türkiye-Syria relations, which have been reestablished after the liberation of Syria, will strengthen and gain dimension with the visit by Ahmed Al-Sharaa and his delegation," he noted.
Al-Sharaa was appointed as transitional president last Wednesday, about two months after he led anti-regime forces to victory by capturing key cities Aleppo, Homs, and finally, the capital, Damascus, in quick succession.
Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalın and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan were the first to visit al-Sharaa in Damascus days after the fall of the Assad regime. Türkiye backed the Syrian opposition against Assad when the civil war broke out in 2011.
Calling for a peaceful transitional period and an inclusive government, Ankara has since led the diplomatic efforts to help Syria regain its normalcy and ensure stability in neighboring countries where developments directly affect Türkiye.
Erdoğan has vowed to help the new Syrian administration form a state structure and a new constitution as the country looks to rebuild after 13 years of civil war. Ankara also says it trusts al-Sharaa’s administration in the fight against terrorist groups in Syria, namely the PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the YPG. Al-Sharaa has said his administration would not allow the country to serve as a base for the terrorist PKK/YPG and reiterated that Syria must remain united. The PKK/YPG occupies swathes of northeastern Syria in cooperation with the United States under the pretext of the fight against Daesh.
Fidan, who was in Qatar on Sunday, said at a news conference there that they were working and coordinating with the Syrian government and their allies, particularly Qatar, in Syria's transition process. "The formation of a new government and the appointment and announcement of the head of state are significant developments, especially in eliminating some uncertainties in the country. A functioning government and Cabinet are essential to addressing urgent domestic issues and engaging with international counterparts. The first step toward stability is the unification of key groups in declaring the presidency, followed by establishing an inclusive government. I believe this will eliminate a major source of uncertainty. Moving forward, it is crucial that Syria’s leadership manages this political process in an inclusive, mature and democratic manner," he said. "At the same time, the Syrian people have pressing issues that require solutions. The international community must explore how we can contribute. Türkiye and Qatar are working closely on this. Our companies and institutions are collaborating on energy, transportation and telecommunications projects, many of which have already been finalized. Our goal is to implement these projects as soon as possible,” Fidan said.
