President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa today for a pivotal meeting focused on rebuilding Syria and addressing security concerns near the Turkey-Syria border.
Al-Sharaa's visit to
Ankara followed his
first international trip to
Saudi Arabia after his forces overthrew
Bashar al-Assad on December 8. His arrival signals the start of a
transition period for Syria, which shares a
900-kilometer border with Turkey.
Turkey’s Role in Syria’s Reconstruction
During their meeting at the
presidential palace, Erdoğan and al-Sharaa discussed "joint steps for
economic recovery, stability, and security" in Syria.
Turkey has pledged support for Syria’s reconstruction following the
devastating 13-year civil war.
In exchange, Ankara is seeking
Damascus' cooperation against the
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in
northeastern Syria. Turkey views the
YPG, the main faction within the SDF, as an extension of the PKK, which is classified as a
terrorist organization by Turkey, the
United States, and the
European Union.
Military Presence and Counterterrorism Operations
Turkey has maintained a
strong military presence in Idlib since
2017, supporting the
Syrian National Army (SNA) against Assad’s forces and Kurdish militias. The
SNA has ramped up operations to prevent the PKK and YPG from establishing a
“terror corridor” along the Turkish border.
Meanwhile, Turkish security sources have accused
Assad’s former regime of
seeking support from the PKK/YPG amid ongoing instability.
Erdoğan Signals Further Military Action
Amid rising tensions,
Turkey is intensifying cross-border operations in
northern Syria and Iraq. Speaking in
Antalya on January 31, Erdoğan reaffirmed Turkey's
commitment to securing its southern borders:
"We will not stop until we complete the security line we want to establish along our borders and crush the heads of all terrorist organizations."
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