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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan paid a previously unannounced working visit to Syria on Thursday, where he would be received by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. This is the third visit of Fidan to the neighboring country since the fall of the Assad regime and comes at a time of rapidly evolving relations.
Ankara suspended ties with its southern neighbor as it lapsed into a civil war in 2011 and sided with the opposition to oust Bashar Assad’s regime. After forces led by al-Sharaa toppled the Baathists, Türkiye was quick to reestablish ties.
Foreign Ministry sources said the meeting would focus on reviewing the progress achieved in bilateral relations over the past eight months, as well as on further reinforcing cooperation across various fields. Efforts for Syria’s reconstruction and recovery will also be discussed. One day before Fidan’s visit, a five-company consortium that includes three Turkish firms signed a $5 billion deal with the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority to develop and expand Damascus International Airport. The deal marks one of the largest infrastructure projects in Syria in years, despite the country’s prolonged instability following more than a decade of civil war and the wider impacts of the second year of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and regional conflicts. Also last Saturday, Türkiye began supplying natural gas from Azerbaijan to Syria, via a pipeline that runs through the southern Turkish border province of Kilis, helping meet the war-scarred country’s energy needs.
Fidan’s talks will also include an assessment of counterterrorism, according to sources, particularly against the terrorist groups Daesh and the PKK/YPG, as well as Türkiye’s national security concerns stemming from northeastern Syria. Parts of northeastern Syria are controlled by the U.S.-backed PKK/YPG, which advocated a “decentralized administration” for itself, to the chagrin of Damascus.
Ankara has pledged to continue supporting Syria’s political unity and territorial integrity, providing training and technical support upon request from Damascus to strengthen its fight against terrorist groups.
Türkiye is closely monitoring the integration of the PKK’s Syrian wing, YPG, into the Syrian army, a process expected to conclude by the end of the year. Turkish officials have said this development will be decisive for Syria’s long-term security architecture. The new Syrian government, established after the ouster of former regime leader Bashar Assad on Dec. 8, 2024, has been working to restore order nationwide. Ankara, which has developed cordial ties with the new leadership, has repeatedly offered operational and military assistance to Damascus to combat Daesh and other terrorist threats.
Earlier this week, YPG leader Ferhat Abdi Şahin renewed his calls for a decentralized Syria and the removal of “Arab” from the country’s official name. In an interview with the Istanbul-based Yeni Yaşam newspaper, Şahin argued that the “Syrian Arab Republic” title, in use since 1961, “does not reflect the reality” of the multiethnic nation and should have the word “Arab” removed. Just last week, Şahin told local media the YPG “defends the slogan ‘one army, one government, one state,’” echoing Damascus’ calls for full national unity. The shift in tone comes as the group continues to negotiate with Syria’s interim government over the implementation of a March 10 agreement recognizing Damascus’ sovereignty.
With U.S. support under the pretext of fighting Daesh, the YPG seized large swaths of northern and eastern Syria during the civil war. Turkish cross-border operations have since reduced its territorial grip, but it still holds key oil, water and agricultural resources in the northeast.
The YPG’s push for decentralization and symbolic changes, such as altering the country’s name, is widely seen by Türkiye as part of a broader effort to entrench separatist control in Syria’s north.
Ankara has long opposed the YPG’s presence along its border, warning it will “intervene” if the group does not comply with the March 10 deal and disarm as the PKK did.
As part of the landmark terror-free Türkiye initiative, the PKK announced in May it would disband and renounce armed conflict, ending four decades of violence. It began laying down arms last month.
The meeting is also expected to address Israel’s actions and rhetoric, which pose a threat to the stability and security of both Syria and the broader region.
According to the sources, the current period presents opportunities for cooperation across various fields between Türkiye and Syria.
Türkiye’s priority is to seize these opportunities in line with the shared interests of both countries and in a way that supports Syria’s stability and security. In this context, mutual high-level visits between Türkiye and Syria continue without losing momentum. Fidan visited Syria on Dec. 22, 2024, his first visit after the new administration took charge, and then on March 13.
Al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani have also visited Türkiye on various occasions since the ouster of Assad.
These visits focused on the security situation in Syria, steps needed to achieve lasting stability in the country, and political, economic and humanitarian issues. Discussions also explored ways to institutionalize bilateral cooperation, while Ankara reiterated its readiness to provide support to Damascus in all areas.
