Türkiye to reopen embassy in Damascus after 12 years

Türkiye’s embassy in Syria is set to reopen on December 14, marking the resumption of diplomatic operations after a 12-year hiatus, said Türkiye's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan.

“Today, our diplomats have set out. They will begin their work on Saturday,” Fidan said, confirming the long-anticipated move, Caliber.Az reports per Turkish media.

The reopening of the embassy comes as relations between Ankara and Damascus show signs of thawing after years of tension stemming from the Syrian conflict. Türkiye had closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012 amid the escalating civil war and its strained ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

Türkiye severed diplomatic ties with Syria in 2011, following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. Over the years, Türkiye supported opposition groups seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian leader and his regime faced widespread accusations of war crimes by international organizations and human rights groups. Millions of Syrians fled government-controlled areas and the country as a whole, citing fear and oppression.

In fact, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan revealed a prolonged effort to engage with Assad, stating, “We reached out to Assad, saying, ‘Come, let us determine the future of Syria together.’ Unfortunately, we did not receive a positive response.”

However, the Syrian president's refusal to cooperate ultimately backfired as opposition forces capitalized on their momentum to advance on the capital. Observers have noted that this turning point not only reshapes the political landscape of Syria but also raises questions about the country's future stability and governance.

In a dramatic turn of events, opposition forces, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), stormed the Syrian capital, Damascus, on December 8. Shortly thereafter, they declared Syria "liberated," announcing that President Assad had fled to an undisclosed location.

The fall of Damascus marked the culmination of a 13-year civil war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions. It also brought an end to more than five decades of rule by the al-Assad family. Joyful celebrations erupted across the country, including in Damascus and along the border with Lebanon. Displaced Syrians, some of whom had been in exile for over a decade, began making plans to return home.

As Syria moves into an uncertain new chapter, international attention will likely focus on rebuilding the war-torn nation and addressing the humanitarian crises that have plagued the region for over a decade.

By Aghakazim Guliyev