Erdoğan receives Syria’s foreign minister, calls for lifting sanctions
ANKARA
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday received the foreign minister of the new administration in Syria, Asaad al-Shaibani, and highlighted the need for lifting of sanctions on Syria, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said.
The ousted Assad regime has left behind great destruction and Türkiye will support the urgent needs of the "brotherly" Syrian people and the reconstruction of the country, Erdoğan said, stressing that there is no place for terrorist organizations in the future of Syria, the directorate said on X.
During the meeting, the latest situation in Syria and the steps to be taken on the basis of preserving the territorial integrity of the country were also discussed.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Syria's Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and intelligence chief Anas Khattab also attended the meeting.
Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.
Meanwhile, the president also received Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara, where they discussed regional and global issues.
During the meeting, the two leaders also discussed bilateral ties, said Türkiye's Communications Directorate.
Erdoğan said Libya’s Government of National Unity is the country’s “legitimate interlocutor" for Türkiye, a directorate statement added.
Türkiye will continue to develop ties with Libya in many areas, including energy, security, and maritime affairs, the Turkish president said, according to the statement.
Erdoğan also stressed that close contact and cooperation will be maintained to protect the common interests of Türkiye and Libya in the Eastern Mediterranean, perhaps referring to a 2019 bilateral maritime pact.
Libya's Government of National Unity also said in a statement that Erdoğan and Dbeibeh assessed developments in Libya and the Government of National Unity’s efforts for development.
Economic and trade ties between the two countries and ways to strengthen military cooperation were also discussed, it added.
It also said Dbeibeh underscored the importance of his visit for strengthening the two countries’ strategic partnership and expressed the Government of National Unity's appreciation for Türkiye's support for his country, particularly in the political and economic fields.
Fidan and Ibrahim Kalın, head of the National Intelligence Organization, also attended the closed-door meeting.
In recent years, Libya has faced a conflict between the Government of National Unity led by Dbeibeh, based in the capital Tripoli and recognized internationally, and another government based in Benghazi, which controls the eastern part of the country and southern cities.