Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara, leader of Hayat Taharil al-Sham (HTS) terrorist organization, told a meeting with Muslim Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan this week. He said he is seeking cooperation with Turkey at the economic and security level, and will rebuild his war-torn country.
Shara, previously known to jihadists Nom de Guerre “Abu Mohammed Al Jorani” led the HTS to victory in the Syrian civil war of over a decade in the second half of 2024, raiding major Syrian cities and spurring the collapse of Syrian forces. Longtime dictator Bashar Assad fled to Russia on the 7th to 8th December, leaving Damascus to HTS, the jihadist organization derived from al-Qaeda.
Sharaa has since become the de facto leader of the country seeking to deal with global vigilance with the rise of jihadist terrorist organizations to seize power in a country with complex ethnic and religious structures. I've spent a lot of time. Christians across the country have been protesting against the HTS and have called for the group not to impose an Islamic regime. Nevertheless, there is in Sharaa I insisted His government at the same time becomes “inclusive” and Muslim, and does little to calm those concerns.
Syria's ruling HTS coalition promoted Sharaa from the de facto leader of its official president in late January. In addition to Shara's presidency, shortly after the announcement of a complete remodeling of Syrian politics, including the dissolution of the Syrian constitution and other measures, Sharaa began a global tour of regional allies to support his own country's reconstruction . Sharaa began with a visit to Saudi Arabia, where he discussed investment, security and other issues with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
In Turkey, Shara held a personal meeting with Erdogan, thanking him for his opposition to the Assad regime and asking for help in rebuilding the country.
Erdogan's Turkey has held a long-standing policy of support for Syrian rebel groups, and the Turkish forces themselves have repeatedly invaded the country, and they allied with the US that the HTS normally do not have hostile ties. They targeted Syrian militias. However, Erdogan himself said in 2016 that the Turkish army was not in Syria to destroy the Kurdish community, but “to end the rule of Assad… and not for any other reason.”
Shalla thank you Erdogan reported on Wednesday, “for his hospitality and warm welcome” and for his “honorable stance” against Assad in Ankara.
“We look forward to strengthening coordination between the two countries at all political, economic and security levels in a way that will fulfill the common interests and Bolster cooperation that faces challenges in the future.” Sharaa added.
Turkish province news outlets, Anadoru agency, Quotation On Tuesday, Assad said as “lasting friendship and cooperation” that will promising for the Syrian people.
“Because of its historical importance, I see this visit today as the beginning of a new era of eternal friendship and cooperation. All our institutions will rebuild our relationships at a strategic level. I've been working tirelessly to do this,” Erdogan declared. “We have no doubt that Syrian sisters and brothers will rebuild their country by inspiring their resilience.”
Erdogan said Turkey is particularly interested in providing humanitarian assistance and “reconstructing critical infrastructure.” Over the 13 years of the Civil War, Assad, the Islamic State and other related actors leveled out the entire neighborhoods of some of Syria's biggest cities, including Raqqa, Homs, Aleppo and Idlib. The destruction caused one of the world's biggest immigration crises. Forced 6 million people flee. Sharaa and HTS prioritize welcoming these refugees into their homes, but many do not have a home to return without major reconstruction efforts.
“In addition to humanitarian assistance to Syria's devastated landscape, we are also ready to support the rebuilding of critical infrastructure,” promised Erdogan. “As Syrian economic recovery gains momentum, voluntary returns will gain traction.”
Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan (R) welcomes Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) at the official ceremony at the Ankara presidential complex in Turkiye on February 4, 2025. ))
Turkey is home to the world's largest Syrian refugee population, and therefore has a vested interest in the return of Syrian refugees. At the end of the war, Turkey recorded the invasion of three million Syrian refugees within the country. Desperate to separate them from Turkey, some local governments have begun offering free flights to their homes following the end of Assad's regime.
In addition to Türkiye's direct aid, Erdogan said it would support efforts to lift international sanctions within the country. Syria is one of the toughest sanctions regimes in the world, according to a long record of Bashar Assad's human rights atrocities. Paramount on its sanctions list is the US State Department's terrorism list position for support of Hezbollah and other Iran-backed terrorist groups. HTS supporters argue that these sanctions should be over with the collapse of Assad's regime, but HTS itself is a foreign terrorist organization called the United States, poses its own challenges.
The Turkish government is not officially a national sponsor of terrorism, but it is one of the most supportive in the world for Hamas, the jihadist terrorist organization responsible for the unprecedented civilian massacre on October 7, 2023. They organized terrorist organizations and public events to support jihadists.
visit Conclusion Sharaa invites Erdogan to visit Syria “at the earliest opportunity.”
