Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the self-proclaimed Syrian President Ahmed al-Scharaa, also known as Muhammad al-Jaulani, met in Ankara on Tuesday to discuss steps against Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria. At a press conference, Erdoğan stated that Turkey is ready to support the new Syrian leadership in the fight against the Islamic State and Kurdish militias.
Erdoğan also expressed his belief that the voluntary return of Syrian migrants will accelerate as Syria becomes more stable. He emphasized that Turkey will continue to push for the lifting of international sanctions imposed on Syria during the presidency of Bashar al-Assad. The Turkish leader added that it is crucial for Arab and Muslim countries to provide financial and other forms of support to the new government in Damascus during the transitional period.
In a recent interview with The Economist, al-Scharaa made it clear that he intends to set limits on Kurdish autonomy, stating that a federal system is not in the best interest of Syria.
According to Reuters, citing sources in security and intelligence circles, the new leadership in Damascus is working on a defense pact with Ankara, which would involve Turkish military bases, including air force bases, on Syrian soil. Ankara is expected to play a key role in training the Syrian military and protecting the Syrian airspace, the sources said.
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Scharaa has been signaling his diplomatic priorities in recent days. He received the Emir of Qatar on January 30, the first head of state from the Gulf to visit Damascus. He visited Saudi Arabia on Sunday, his first foreign trip and then traveled to Turkey on Tuesday. The notion of a new Sunni axis, stretching from Riyadh to Doha to Damascus and Ankara, with Islamist Syria at its center, has already been discussed in the Middle East.