Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Meets Syria’s New Leadership Amid Post-Assad Transition
Damascus, The Gulf Observer: Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a landmark meeting with Ahmad al Sharaa, the leader of Syria’s new administration, in Damascus on Sunday. This meeting comes just two weeks after the sudden overthrow of Bashar al Assad, Syria’s leader of nearly 25 years, in a swift operation by opposition forces.
Accompanying Minister Fidan were Türkiye’s Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz and Acting Charge d’Affaires at the Damascus Embassy, Burhan Koroglu, according to Turkish diplomatic sources. The delegation also engaged with Esaad Hassan Shaibani, the interim foreign minister of Syria’s newly formed government.
The discussions signal Türkiye’s commitment to engaging with the evolving political landscape in Syria and supporting efforts to stabilize the region in the aftermath of the Baath Party’s fall, which had ruled since 1963.
In a related development, a senior US diplomat for the Middle East visited Damascus on Friday, meeting officials from Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS). The talks reportedly focused on promoting an “inclusive” political process for the war-torn nation.
This meeting is the first instance of US officials directly engaging with HTS leadership, underscoring the international focus on Syria’s political transition following Assad’s flight to Russia after losing control of Damascus on December 8.
The diplomatic engagements reflect growing international interest in Syria’s post-Assad future and the need for collaborative efforts to address the country’s complex political and humanitarian challenges.
