Türkiye to aid Syria in rebuilding cities and infrastructure, Erdogan declares

Türkiye will support Syria in its recovery, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated after talks in Ankara with the Acting President of Syria for the transitional period, Ahmad al-Sharaa.

"We will provide all possible support to Syria in its recovery. We did not leave our brothers alone in the most hopeless and difficult conditions; we will support them in the new circumstances," said Erdogan, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media sources.

The Turkish president also called for the removal of international sanctions imposed on Syria, which he described as hindrances to the country's recovery.

"The sanctions imposed on Syria are obstructing its reconstruction. They must be lifted, and we will continue working until they are completely removed," Erdogan added.

Alongside humanitarian aid, Erdogan reaffirmed Türkiye’s readiness to assist Syria in rebuilding its cities and critical infrastructure, which have been heavily damaged by years of conflict.

Erdogan further hailed the visit of Ahmad al-Sharaa as a historic one, marking the start of a new era of deeper ties between the two nations. "Today’s visit is historic and signals the beginning of a new chapter, one of continuous friendship and cooperation," Erdogan said. "For the past two months, our institutions have worked diligently to elevate our relations to a strategic level. At the core of our policy has always been the preservation of Syria’s territorial integrity and unity, and our meeting today was based on this principle."

Erdogan referred to al-Sharaa as his "dear brother" and spoke about the mutual understanding reached during the talks. "We evaluated the steps we can take together to ensure security and economic stability in Syria. I am pleased to say that we agreed on nearly all issues. Specifically, we discussed the necessary actions to address the separatist terrorist organization and its supporters occupying northeastern Syria. I assured him that we are prepared to offer full support to Syria in the fight against all forms of terrorism, whether it be ISIS or the PKK, which is banned in Türkiye," Erdogan stated.

The Turkish president praised al-Sharaa's strong commitment to fighting terrorism, emphasizing that the two countries have no choice but to unite their efforts.

Syria, for its part, is looking to build a deep strategic partnership with Türkiye across all sectors, particularly in security. "We aim to transform our special fraternal relations into a comprehensive strategic partnership in every field," al-Sharaa said, highlighting security cooperation as a key priority. He expressed hope that the two countries would collaborate closely to address shared security concerns, especially in eastern and northern Syria.

Al-Sharaa also outlined Syria's aspirations for cooperation with Türkiye in cultural, economic, and commercial spheres.

The discussions between the leaders took place at the presidential complex in Ankara, with both delegations including foreign ministers and intelligence chiefs. Al-Sharaa arrived in Türkiye with his wife, Latifa ad-Durubi, aboard a Turkish government plane.

By Tamilla Hasanova