Turkish FM meets Syrian leader in post-Assad era

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday met Ahmed al-Sharaa who led anti-regime forces that toppled the Assad regime, Azernews reports.

The minister’s visit came one day after he announced his plans to visit the country and weeks after the Turkish intelligence chief became the first high-ranking Turkish official to travel to post-Assad Damascus.

Ankara was among the first countries to congratulate the victory of the people of Syria to oust the oppressive regime of Bashar Assad after years of conflict in the country that displaced millions and sent them fleeing into Türkiye.

Fidan was accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Y?lmaz, Turkish charge d’affaires Burhan Köro?lu who was recently appointed to the reopened Embassy of Türkiye in Damascus while Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, who was appointed as the new foreign minister of Syria, accompanied al-Sharaa.

Since anti-regime forces led by al-Sharaa declared victory against Assad, countries are sending representatives to Damascus to establish ties with the new administration. On Friday, Barbara Leaf, Washington's top diplomat for the Middle East led a U.S. delegation in talks with al-Sharaa and announced the lifting of a bounty for al-Sharaa that the U.S. had declared previously for the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).