Turkish FM meets Syrian counterpart in Ankara ahead of trilateral talks

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a meeting in Ankara with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani, who is in the Turkish capital to attend a trilateral meeting involving Türkiye, Jordan, and Syria.

The bilateral talks took place at the Turkish Foreign Ministry before the scheduled three-way discussions, Caliber.Az reports per Turkish media.

No official details have yet been released regarding the content of the meeting.

To recall, following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, high-level diplomatic engagements between Türkiye and Syria have intensified. Key meetings between Turkish officials and Syria's interim leadership have occurred in December 2024 and March 2025.

On December 22, 2024, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Damascus for the first time since the fall of Assad. He met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of Syria's new administration, marking a significant step in bilateral relations. The meeting, attended by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yılmaz and acting Charge d'Affaires Burhan Koroglu, focused on Syria's political transition and the lifting of international sanctions. 

On March 13, 2025, a high-level Turkish delegation comprising Foreign Minister Fidan, Defence Minister Yaşar Güler, and National Intelligence Organization head İbrahim Kalın visited Damascus. They were received by Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The discussions centred on Syria's new defence structure, the integration of Kurdish-led groups into the national army, and the expulsion of foreign fighters. This visit followed Syria's agreement to incorporate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the national military.

By Aghakazim Guliyev