Syrian president to attend Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye

ANKARA

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa will be attending this week's Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, Turkish Justice and Development (AK) Party spokesperson said on Monday.

Speaking after a party meeting, Ömer Çelik said Sharaa will arrive on Friday. The forum will take place in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya from Friday till Sunday.

“Syrian President al-Sharaa will arrive in Türkiye on Friday. He will be in Türkiye as part of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Many heads of state, foreign ministers and foreign policy experts will be present at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. … On Friday, there will be many guests in Türkiye for the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, including the arrival of Mr. al-Shaara,” Çelik said.

The trip by Sharaa is part of a broader regional diplomatic tour that also includes the United Arab Emirates (UAE), his second Gulf destination following an earlier visit to Saudi Arabia in February.

The February visit to Riyadh marked al-Sharaa’s first foreign trip since leading a military campaign that brought an end to Bashar al-Assad’s long-standing rule in December 2024.

His latest engagements underscore Damascus’s ongoing efforts to rebuild regional ties and reassert Syria’s role in Arab diplomacy.

During his February trip to Ankara, al-Sharaa held talks with Erdoğan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief İbrahim Kalın.

Following that meeting, he expressed appreciation for Turkish hospitality and emphasized the importance of enhancing bilateral coordination.

The agenda for the upcoming meetings in both Türkiye and the UAE has yet to be formally disclosed, though regional cooperation, security and economic reconstruction are expected to dominate discussions.

Since taking office, al-Sharaa and members of the newly formed Syrian leadership have launched a campaign to restore relations with both Arab and Western governments. Central to their diplomatic outreach has been a call for the full removal of international sanctions imposed during the Assad era—measures that have crippled Syria’s economy after nearly 14 years of conflict.

The Syrian leadership argues that comprehensive sanctions relief is vital for economic recovery and regional reintegration

The sanctions, levied by the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union, targeted key sectors of Syria’s economy and a broad network of individuals and entities tied to the former regime.