Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Syria on Sunday for a surprise visit. Welcomed by his counterpart, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani at the airport in Damascus, the minister is expected to meet President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who arrived around the same time in Damascus for his inaugural visit to the post-Assad country.
Foreign Ministry sources said Fidan would discuss bilateral issues and regional matters with Syrian officials. The talks will also focus on bilateral projects for rebuilding postwar Syria and supporting Syria’s capacity-building efforts, sources said.
Another issue on the table will be the assessment of the state of the integration of the U.S.-backed terrorist group YPG, in the framework of the Jan. 17 and 29 deals Damascus agreed upon with the group after a string of offensives. Security of Syria will also be discussed.
Sources said Fidan and Syrian officials will separately discuss the impact of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war on Syria, as well as the situation in Syria’s neighbor, Lebanon, which suffered from Israel’s attacks after the war broke out in February.
Earlier this month, al-Sharaa told an event at Chatham House in London that they were working to keep Syria out of the ongoing regional war. He warned that Syria could still become a target amid escalating tensions. "Could Syria be targeted? It's possible, but we are trying not to initiate hostility with anyone, and we are trying to keep Syria away from any battlefield," he said. He warned that the current regional climate is driven by heightened emotions and unpredictable decision-making. "Everything is possible right now, because it is not wise judgment that is controlling matters today. The atmosphere is charged with anger, reactions and random policies," he added.
The Syrian president noted that such dynamics are affecting multiple countries, including Gulf states that had previously remained outside the conflict but have since been targeted. He said Syria is seeking to take the safest course for its people and is carefully weighing its options to avoid being drawn into the conflict. "We are trying to choose the safest situation for our people and to measure things carefully so that we do not reach a point where we are targeted and forced to respond," he said.
Fidan, al-Sharaa and Zelenskyy are expected to hold a trilateral meeting as well. Zelenskyy was in Türkiye on Saturday, where he met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Turkish-Syrian relations, frozen during the civil war, took a new turn after forces led by al-Sharaa led a revolution in December 2024 to overthrow the oppressive regime of Bashar Assad, a close ally of Russia. Within one year, Ankara-Damascus ties gained an unprecedented momentum, with deals serving the interests of both countries. Sources said Türkiye both helped Syria to heal the wounds of the civil war and exerted efforts for new cooperation opportunities, aiding Syria’s lasting stability and security.
Fidan was among the first Turkish officials to visit Syria after the Baathist regime collapsed. His last visit was on Dec. 22, 2025. During that visit, Fidan was accompanied by Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) director Ibrahim Kalın.
