Erdogan calls for supporting Syria, Sharaa appreciates Türkiye's historic stance, calls for strategic partnership

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the Arab and Islamic world to support the new Syrian leadership, saying the Syrian people now have the will to decide their own future.

Erdogan added in a press conference with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Turkish capital Ankara that the sanctions imposed on Syria during the era of ousted President Bashar al-Assad will be eased after the Turkish initiatives, and he said, "I believe that the mutual visits with the new Syrian government will increase in the coming period."

He continued, "We did not leave our Syrian brothers alone in difficult days, and we will provide them with the necessary support in the new phase as well," noting that the basis of Turkish policy towards neighboring Syria has always been to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of this country.

Erdogan stressed that Syrian President Sharaa's visit to Türkiye is historic and the beginning of a phase of permanent friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Regarding the file of Kurdish forces in Syria, the Turkish President said, "We informed Al-Sharaa that Turkey is ready to help in the battle against Kurdish militants and the Islamic State organization," adding, "I discussed with Al-Sharaa the steps that will be taken against the militants in northeastern Syria."

For his part, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said that the relationship between Syria and Turkey extends throughout history, and the Syrian revolution and Turkish interaction with it strengthened these relations, stressing that the Syrian people will not forget the historical stance of the Turkish state. Al-Sharaa stressed the importance of transforming the relationship with Turkey into a deep strategic partnership in all fields.

The two presidents began a closed-door meeting on Tuesday at the presidential complex in Ankara, where informed sources said the two sides would discuss concluding a joint defense agreement, including establishing Turkish bases in central Syria and training the new Syrian army.

Reuters quoted officials as saying that the military bases would allow Turkey to defend Syrian airspace if any attacks occurred, and that Ankara was keen to establish bases in Syria as a message to Kurdish fighters in the northeast of the country.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sharaa arrived in Ankara, at the invitation of President Erdogan, to discuss reconstruction and the issue of Kurdish fighters.

The new authorities in Syria, which shares a 900-kilometre border with Turkey, are now facing a transitional phase that faces several challenges, including regaining control over all of Syrian territory.

In an effort to maintain the balance of regional relations after his visit to Saudi Arabia, Sharaa is now seeking to benefit from the strategic relationship he has established with Ankara over the years.

The Turkish president's office said on Monday that the visit comes "at the invitation of (Turkish) President Recep Tayyip Erdogan," who is hosting Sharaa at the presidential palace.

The Turkish presidency's communications director, Fahrettin Altun, said on the X platform that the talks between Erdogan and Sharaa will focus on "joint steps to be taken for economic recovery, stability and sustainable security" in Syria.

Turkey has offered to help Syria recover from a devastating 13-year war, and Ankara is seeking to secure Damascus' support against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, where the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces are fighting Turkish-backed factions.

Turkey accuses the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the main component of the Syrian Democratic Forces, of links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been waging an armed insurgency against it since the 1980s. Turkey and Western countries classify the PKK as a "terrorist organization."

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) control most of oil-rich northeastern Syria, where they have established a de facto self-administration for more than a decade, and Turkey has threatened to take military action to push Kurdish forces away from its border despite US efforts to reach a truce agreement.

Source: Agencies