Syrian president meets US congressional delegation in Ankara PHOTO / UPDATED

Ahmed al-Sharaa, President of Syria, held talks with a delegation of members of the United States Congress on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani and US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack also joined the meeting.

التقى السيد الرئيس أحمد الشرع اليوم في العاصمة التركية أنقرة، وفدًا من أعضاء الكونغرس الأمريكي، والمبعوث الرئاسي الخاص للولايات المتحدة الأمريكية إلى سوريا والعراق توماس باراك، بحضور وزير الخارجية والمغتربين أسعد الشيباني.#رئاسة_الجمهورية_العربية_السورية pic.twitter.com/EVBpu9xphY

— رئاسة الجمهورية العربية السورية (@SyPresidency) July 8, 2026

13:36

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has arrived in Ankara, where he is expected to hold talks with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit.

According to the Syrian newspaper Al Watan, the meeting is expected to focus on "regional issues and prospects for bilateral relations."

Following his arrival in the Turkish capital, al-Sharaa traveled to the Presidential Complex in Beştepe, the official residence of the Turkish president.

The anticipated talks in Ankara will mark the third meeting between al-Sharaa and Trump in 2025. The two leaders previously met in Washington on November 10 and in Riyadh on May 14, as they continue high-level engagement on regional developments and bilateral ties.

12:51

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has arrived in Ankara to participate in the NATO summit.

According to Turkish media reports, Türkiye’s Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat welcomed al-Sharaa at Ankara Airport.

NATO leaders are gathering in Ankara for the second day of a key summit, with defence spending, the war in Ukraine and the Iran conflict dominating discussions.

On the first day of the meeting, US President Donald Trump criticised allies for what he described as a lack of support for Washington during the war on Iran and reiterated his call for US control over Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.

NATO members also unveiled multibillion-dollar arms agreements aimed at boosting the alliance’s military capabilities, addressing one of Trump’s long-standing demands for greater defence commitments from allies.

By Aghakazim Guliyev