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Türkiye has unveiled a people-first policy toward Syria, backed by U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Thomas J. Barrack’s support and a surprising show of unity with Gulf states and Europe.
“We stand with Syrians – not with guns, speeches, or colonial borders, but shoulder to shoulder,” a senior Turkish official declared after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa made a historic visit to Istanbul on Saturday.
The announcement carries historical weight.
Türkiye’s leadership openly denounced the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement, the secret Anglo-French pact that carved the Middle East into artificial states and fueled a century of instability.
“The tragedy of Syria was born in division,” the official said. “Its rebirth must come through dignity, unity, and investment in its people.”
Hosting 3.6 million Syrian refugees, Türkiye has long shouldered the human cost of a Western-drawn map.
The government’s message is clear – the time for foreign-imposed blueprints is up.
Erdoğan, Sharaa and Trump alliance
The shift comes amid intense regional diplomacy.
On April 11, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted President Sharaa at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, then met him again in Istanbul with top Turkish security and foreign affairs chiefs.
The Saturday meeting, attended by Turkish intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Syrian counterpart Assad Hassan Şeybani, underscored Türkiye’s growing role as Syria’s post-war partner.
U.S. President Donald Trump has welcomed the change.
In a May statement, he declared: “The days of Western interventionists flying in to lecture the Middle East are over.” His administration has endorsed lifting sanctions on Syria – discussed during a Riyadh quadrilateral summit with Erdoğan, Sharaa, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Türkiye’s soft power surge
Türkiye’s approach has shifted from cross-border operations against Kurdish groups to reconstruction and education.
In March, Ankara announced plans for a joint Turkish-Syrian university and infrastructure aid – electricity, internet, natural gas.
“We’re not here to redraw maps or impose our will,” said the Turkish official. “We’re here to help Syrians rebuild their nation.”
European partners are taking notice.
A December 2024 meeting between Erdoğan and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Ankara saw the EU pledge support for a Syrian-led political transition that safeguards minority rights.
Rejecting Western playbooks
Türkiye’s strategy resonates in a region long scarred by foreign interventions – from the 2003 Iraq invasion to recent U.S. support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes the PKK/YPG, a group Ankara brands as terrorists.
Trump’s praise for Erdoğan’s Syria role and his reluctance to maintain a U.S. military presence signals a pivot.
Meanwhile, Sharaa’s government has offered economic carrots to Washington – access to oil and gas fields, and even a proposed Trump Tower in Damascus – seeking pragmatic ties without compromising sovereignty.
At the May 2025 Riyadh Summit, Türkiye, Syria, and Gulf leaders agreed on collaborative frameworks for border security and economic revival.
Türkiye’s vision of “shoulder to shoulder” solidarity is anchored in sovereignty, economic revival, and human development, from education to cross-border trade.
The joint university project symbolizes this deeper investment in people.
