Türkiye's Fidan meets Syrian President al-Sharaa in Damascus
00:17, 14/09/2026, Monday
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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) is received by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (C) during an official visit in Damascus, Syria, on September 13, 2026.Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was received by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on Sunday for high-level talks on normalizing bilateral ties, as Ankara deepens diplomatic engagement with Syria's new administration following the collapse of the Assad regime in December.
Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was received by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on Sunday, with the two officials holding closed-door talks on bilateral cooperation and regional security arrangements during a pivotal visit to the Syrian capital.
Diplomatic talks in Damascus
The meeting between Fidan and al-Sharaa took place at the presidential palace as part of the Turkish foreign minister's official visit to Syria, according to a statement posted on the social media platform NSosyal by Türkiye's Foreign Ministry. Earlier in the day, Fidan held separate discussions with his Syrian counterpart Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, after which the two ministers addressed reporters at a joint news conference in the Syrian capital.
The Syrian presidency has not yet released details of the discussion between al-Sharaa and Fidan, though diplomatic sources indicated that normalization of trade routes and security coordination topped the agenda. Fidan's visit marks one of the highest-level contacts between Ankara and Damascus since the formation of Syria's transitional government following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December last year.
Post-Assad engagement
Türkiye has moved swiftly to establish working relations with Syria's new leadership under al-Sharaa, who previously commanded the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham before assuming the presidency in January. Ankara maintains significant influence in northern Syria through its military presence and support for opposition factions, making diplomatic coordination with the new Damascus administration critical for regional stability and cross-border security.
The visit follows weeks of intensified diplomatic activity between the two capitals, with Turkish officials previously hosting Syrian delegations to discuss reconstruction aid and the potential resettlement of Syrian refugees currently residing in Türkiye. Both countries are seeking to restore formal diplomatic ties severed during the 13-year civil war that fractured the region.