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Türkiye’s foreign minister engages in key talks on Syria in Riyadh

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with his counterparts from several countries on the sidelines of a crucial meeting in Riyadh on Sunday, discussing the latest developments in Syria.

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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with his counterparts from several countries on the sidelines of a crucial meeting in Riyadh on Sunday, discussing the latest developments in Syria.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed that Fidan engaged with U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, and Syria’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, among others.

“Additionally, Fidan had discussions with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, U.S. Under Secretary of State John Bass, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. However, no further details were shared regarding the substance of these meetings”.

The Riyadh gathering was attended by foreign ministers from both Arab and Western nations, including Türkiye, Syria, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Britain, and Germany. The United States and Italy were represented at the deputy foreign minister level. The meeting followed up on the Aqaba talks held in Jordan in December 2024, emphasizing support for the Syrian people and pledging assistance to ensure security and stability.

The backdrop of the meeting is Syria’s turbulent political landscape, with the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, leading to Assad’s flight to Russia. Türkiye’s Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of maintaining Syria’s territorial integrity and unity, saying, “Preserving Syria’s territorial integrity and unity must remain the primary focus.”

Fidan also addressed concerns over the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK, a terrorist organization. He stated that if the SDF were sincere in its integration with Syria’s central government, it should announce its dissolution. Fidan noted that the PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S., and the EU, has been responsible for more than 40,000 deaths, including civilians.

Highlighting Türkiye’s commitment, Fidan said, “We are ready to do our part to help ease the difficult path ahead for the Syrian people.” He also underlined the importance of regional countries in steering Syria’s development and called for the creation of a coordination mechanism to support the new government in Syria. He concluded by stressing that efforts to aid Syria could be more effective with a focus on identifying priority sectors for exemption from sanctions in the future.

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