ANKARA, Turkey: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa on Tuesday in Ankara, where both leaders expressed their intentions to strengthen bilateral relations and enhance regional cooperation.
This is Sharaa’s second trip abroad, following his visit to Saudi Arabia.
“My esteemed brother and I evaluated the joint steps to be taken to establish regional security and economic stability,” the Turkish president said during a joint presser with the Syrian interim leader.
He said Turkey is ready to assist in reconstructing devastated Syrian cities, adding that he believes accelerating economic recovery will encourage the voluntary return of Syrian refugees.
President @RTErdogan met with President Ahmad Al-Sharaa of the Syrian Arab Republic, who is paying a visit to Türkiye, at the Presidential Complex. pic.twitter.com/31Z6gkYbHI
— Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye (@trpresidency) February 4, 2025
Syrian people possess the necessary determination to establish their future, Erdogan added.
Turkish president described al-Sharaa’s visit to Ankara as a “historic” step toward the beginning of a period of “lasting friendship and cooperation” between the two countries, Anadolu news agency reported.
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He called on the Arab and Islamic countries to provide financial and moral support to Syria’s new administration, saying the aid is “crucial.”
“We never abandoned our Syrian sisters and brothers in their hardest times, and we will continue to support them in this new period,” he said.
Erdogan pledged Turkey’s support in Syria’s fight against terror groups, including Daesh (ISIS) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
“By acting in solidarity with Syria, I believe we will fully establish a climate of peace and security in our shared region, free from terrorism,” he said.
Sharaa in his views expressed his country’s willingness to expand ties with neighbouring Turkey in all fields. He invited Erdogan to visit Damascus.
Turkey, which has had a years-long connection with Sharaa, reopened its diplomatic mission in Syria and sent its spy chief and top diplomat for talks with him just days after his HTS overthrew Assad on December 8.
Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime groups to remove Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria, was declared president last week. Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on December 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.
