Syrian president to visit Türkiye, UAE next week

DAMASCUS

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is set to visit Türkiye next week, marking his second trip to the country since assuming office, according to a statement issued by Syria’s Foreign Ministry.

Al-Sharaa, who previously visited Türkiye in February, expected to attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on April 11 and will meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his upcoming visit.

The trip is part of a broader regional diplomatic tour that also includes the United Arab Emirates (UAE), his second Gulf destination following an earlier visit to Saudi Arabia in February.

The February visit to Riyadh marked al-Sharaa’s first foreign trip since leading a military campaign that brought an end to Bashar al-Assad’s long-standing rule in December 2024.

His latest engagements underscore Damascus’s ongoing efforts to rebuild regional ties and reassert Syria’s role in Arab diplomacy.

During his February trip to Ankara, al-Sharaa held talks with Erdoğan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief İbrahim Kalın.

Following that meeting, he expressed appreciation for Turkish hospitality and emphasized the importance of enhancing bilateral coordination.

The agenda for the upcoming meetings in both Türkiye and the UAE has yet to be formally disclosed, though regional cooperation, security and economic reconstruction are expected to dominate discussions.

Since taking office, al-Sharaa and members of the newly formed Syrian leadership have launched a campaign to restore relations with both Arab and Western governments. Central to their diplomatic outreach has been a call for the full removal of international sanctions imposed during the Assad era—measures that have crippled Syria’s economy after nearly 14 years of conflict.

The Syrian leadership argues that comprehensive sanctions relief is vital for economic recovery and regional reintegration

The sanctions, levied by the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union, targeted key sectors of Syria’s economy and a broad network of individuals and entities tied to the former regime.