Desitdown News (Syria’s al Sharaa meets Erdogan in Turkiye as sanctions lifted) #desitdown #news

In a landmark diplomatic engagement signaling a possible shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics, Syria’s Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, just days after the United States and European Union announced a phased lifting of key sanctions on Syria. The meeting marks the highest-level contact between the two nations since the onset of the Syrian civil war over a decade ago and is being hailed as a critical step toward normalization and regional reintegration.
The discussions, held at the Presidential Complex in Istanbul, focused on several pivotal areas: post-conflict reconstruction, security cooperation, refugee repatriation, and the future of Kurdish militias operating in northern Syria. Most significantly, both leaders welcomed the partial removal of sanctions, viewing it as a moment of opportunity to revive economic cooperation and rebuild bilateral ties.

Diplomatic Reconciliation After Years of Hostility
Relations between Ankara and Damascus had been deeply fractured since 2011, when Turkey publicly opposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and supported opposition factions during the early stages of the Syrian uprising. With Assad sidelined and a transitional government in place, the appointment of Ahmed al-Sharaa as interim president — a moderate figure with past ties to both reformist and Baathist circles — has opened diplomatic doors long considered closed.
President Erdogan, speaking after the talks, emphasized Turkey’s readiness to assist Syria’s reconstruction and reintegration into regional institutions. “The easing of sanctions is a step in the right direction,” Erdogan said. “We will work closely with the Syrian leadership to ensure this momentum is not lost. Peace, unity, and economic stability are in the shared interest of all peoples in this region.”
He also confirmed Turkey’s intention to lobby for the complete lifting of remaining international sanctions and encouraged other countries in the region to renew ties with the transitional Syrian government.
Al-Sharaa: “We seek strategic partnership”
President Al-Sharaa, who has been engaging with several neighboring countries in recent months, described the sanctions relief as “a breath of hope” for Syrians devastated by years of war and economic collapse. He praised Turkey’s role in initiating dialogue and emphasized that Syria was ready to move from crisis management to long-term national recovery.
“We do not seek temporary fixes or symbolic meetings,” Al-Sharaa said during a press conference. “We seek a strategic partnership with Turkey — one based on mutual respect, economic integration, and a shared vision for regional peace.”

Al-Sharaa also urged the international community to separate humanitarian considerations from political calculations and reiterated calls for broader international support in restoring essential services, infrastructure, and institutions within Syria.
Shared Security Concerns
Security cooperation was at the top of the bilateral agenda. Both leaders discussed strategies to neutralize militant threats along the Syrian-Turkish border, with special attention on Kurdish armed factions such as the YPG, which Turkey considers an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). While Al-Sharaa did not explicitly echo Turkish terminology, he acknowledged the importance of disbanding “non-state armed formations” and expressed willingness to integrate select Kurdish units into the reformed Syrian military structure under a unified national command.
The meeting also touched on the sensitive issue of displaced persons and refugees. Erdogan reiterated Turkey’s call for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees under international monitoring, suggesting the establishment of safe zones with infrastructure support from both Turkish and Syrian authorities.
A Turning Point for the Region?
The Erdogan–Al-Sharaa summit is the latest in a string of high-level diplomatic moves by Syria’s transitional government, which has already reestablished formal ties with Jordan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. Observers view this meeting as a clear indication that Syria’s long period of isolation may be drawing to a close.
Analysts caution, however, that the road ahead is uncertain. While the sanctions relief — limited thus far to sectors like humanitarian aid, food, and civil reconstruction — provides breathing room, significant restrictions on finance and military exports remain in place. Much will depend on Syria’s internal reforms, accountability mechanisms for wartime abuses, and the ability of its transitional government to maintain stability and suppress extremism.
Still, for now, the Erdogan–Al-Sharaa summit has injected fresh momentum into the Middle East’s ongoing realignment, raising hopes for broader cooperation on energy, security, and trade in a region long defined by division.
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