Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad ash-Shibani visited Ankara on Thursday, where he met with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan. This is the second visit by the Syrian minister to Turkey since the beginning of the year. At a joint press conference, ash-Shibani stressed that the country’s government intends to put an end to the existence of any weapons outside state control and continues its fight against terrorism. He also said it is necessary to strengthen stability in southern Syria, halt repeated Israeli strikes, and return to compliance with the 1974 agreement, urging the international community to take responsibility.
For his part, Hakan Fidan said Syria has become noticeably more stable and reaffirmed Turkey’s readiness to develop relations with it at all levels. He highlighted the importance of joint work in the field of defense and counterterrorism operations, but also noted that Israel’s ongoing attacks pose a direct threat to Syria’s security and called for international pressure on the Israeli side. Ash-Shibani added that the two countries’ shared border must remain a corridor for trade, prosperity, and mutual security. A separate topic was the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland—Damascus considers this a national priority and intends to link return projects to early recovery programs with practical support from Turkey.
According to Syria’s SANA agency, the sides also agreed to establish a Supreme Coordination Council between Syria and Turkey, discussed stepping up the work of relevant committees, and speeding up a rail link project. Turkey’s Anadolu agency reported that an important topic was the inclusion of northeastern Syria in state structures—a question Ankara attaches particular importance to. The visit took place right after negotiations between Syrian President Ahmed ash-Sharaa and Minister ash-Shibani with the leadership of the Syrian Democratic Forces in Damascus, indicating a continuation of efforts to integrate Kurdish formations and their institutions into a single state.
Full version: Шибани confirms from Ankara work to end weapons outside state authority