Erdoğan meets Syria’s interim leader in Istanbul, stresses unity and cooperation PHOTO

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held talks in Istanbul with Syria’s interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, during which he emphasised the importance of preserving Syria’s territorial integrity and expressed Ankara’s commitment to strengthening comprehensive cooperation with Damascus.

The talks took place at Erdoğan’s working office in Dolmabahçe on the shores of the Bosphorus, the Turkish president’s office said following the meeting, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

It noted that al-Sharaa’s visit to Türkiye was not announced in advance,

"President Erdoğan stated during the talks that it is important to safeguard Syria’s territorial integrity and to manage the country and its army from a unified centre. Erdoğan also said that bilateral relations and cooperation between Türkiye and Syria will continue to develop in all areas, including energy, defence, and transportation," the statement said.

The statement added that the Turkish president expressed satisfaction with the fact that al-Sharaa made his first visit to Türkiye following the recent U.S. decision to lift sanctions on Damascus. Representatives of Türkiye’s security agencies also participated in the negotiations.

By Khagan Isayev