Syrian interim leader al-Sharaa meets Erdogan: what to know

Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, met with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Saturday in Istanbul, during an unannounced visit following the widely welcomed lifting of sanctions by the US and the EU.

Turkish news agency Anadolu reported details of the private meeting at Dolmabahce Palace, which reportedly lasted around 90 minutes, after the two leaders were seen shaking hands outside Erdogan’s office.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yaşar Guler, National Intelligence Organisation chief Ibrahim Kalın, and Secretary of the Presidency of Defence Industries Haluk Gorgun were also present at the talks.

Meanwhile, the Syrian presidency confirmed via its Telegram channel that President al-Sharaa was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani and Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasrah.

The meeting followed the United States’ decision on Friday to begin lifting sanctions on Syria, in line with US President Donald Trump’s announcement during his regional tour earlier this month.

The European Union has since followed suit, easing economic restrictions to support Syria’s reconstruction efforts after years of devastating civil conflict.

Erdogan’s office stated that the Turkish president welcomed the lifting of sanctions, adding in a post on X that "Israel’s occupation and aggression in Syrian territory is unacceptable."

The statement further stressed that Turkey would continue to oppose Israel’s conduct on all international platforms.

In a brief statement via state media, Syria’s presidency said that the leaders and senior Syrian and Turkish officials had discussed "a number of mutual files" during the closed-door meeting.

Al-Sharaa, who enjoyed strong Turkish support in his bid to overthrow the hardline Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, had previously been received by Erdoğan in Ankara in early February.

That visit marked his second international trip, following a stop in Riyadh where he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Erdoğan urged the Syrian government to prioritise implementation of its agreement with the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which involves integrating the SDF into Syria’s national army.

A US-hosted meeting of the US-Turkey-Syria working group on Tuesday reiterated the importance of preserving Syria’s territorial integrity and ensuring regional stability- signalling a notable shift in US policy towards Syria following the Assad era.

The talks were led by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yılmaz, with participation from the newly appointed US Ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barrack, and Turkish Ambassador to the US, Sedat Onal.

In a joint statement following the meeting, the United States and Turkey said they were "committed to increasing cooperation and coordination on stability and security in Syria as outlined by President Trump and President Erdogan."

The statement added that both nations "share a vision for Syria that is stable and at peace with itself and its neighbourhood, which will also allow millions of displaced Syrians to return home."