Syria’s interim leader holds talks with key ally Turkiye on his second international trip

Syria's interim president urges international pressure on Israel, discusses security threats with Turkey's president in Ankara.

Syria’s interim President on Tuesday (February 4, 2025) called for international pressure on Israel to force it to withdraw from the buffer zone in southern Syria.

During a visit to the Turkish capital, Ahmad al-Sharaa also said Turkiye and Syria were building a “joint strategy” to confront security threats to both countries.

“We discussed the threats that would prevent the unity of Syrian lands in northeastern Syria,” the former rebel leader said following talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “We also discussed the need for international pressure on Israel to withdraw from the buffer zone in southern Syria and implement the 1974 agreement.”

Mr. Al-Sharaa, who was appointed interim President last week after leading the insurgents who toppled President Bashar Assad in December, was in Turkiye for talks that focused on Syria’s economic recovery as well as the presence of Kurdish-led forces in the north of the country that Turkiye considers to be a security threat.

He was making his second international trip following his visit to Saudi Arabia. Turkiye, which backed groups opposed to Mr. Assad during the country’s 13-year civil war, is considered a key ally of Syria’s new administration.

Erdogan greeted al-Sharaa with a small, low-key ceremony, that contrasted with the military bands and mounted escorts that typically greet other heads of state.

Mr. Al-Sharaa was dressed in a suit and a red tie — an apparent nod to the Turkish flag.