On Saturday, President Ahmed al-Shara of Syria expressed his gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for Türkiye’s support to the Syrian government in the face of Western sanctions and ongoing regional challenges.
The meeting between Erdoğan and Shara took place in Istanbul, where President Erdoğan welcomed his Syrian counterpart upon arrival.
The talks, which lasted approximately an hour and a half, were attended by senior officials from both countries and covered bilateral relations as well as regional developments. The two delegations concluded the meeting with a joint luncheon.
Among the high-ranking Turkish officials present were Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defence Yaşar Güler, Director of the National Intelligence Organisation İbrahim Kalın, and Chief Advisor to the President on Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç. Representing Syria were Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani and other senior officials.
According to a written statement from the Directorate of Communications of the Republic of Türkiye, President Erdoğan reaffirmed that Türkiye will continue to oppose Israeli aggression in Syria on every platform and reiterated his commitment to supporting Syria’s territorial integrity and central government.
Welcoming the easing of US and EU sanctions on Syria, President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye was pleased by this development and intended to further strengthen cooperation with Damascus, particularly in key sectors such as energy and defence.
President Ahmed al-Shara, who is visiting Türkiye for the first time since the lifting of sanctions, conveyed his appreciation to President Erdoğan for his continued support.
The meeting comes in the wake of a decision by the administration of US President Donald Trump to effectively lift sanctions on Syria — a move that marks a significant shift in international policy towards the war-torn country.