ANKARA: On Tuesday, deals scheduled to take place in the Greek capital on topics including Syria’s financial recovery and the presence of Kurdish-led forces in the north, which Turkey views as a security risk.
In contrast to other heads of state who are typically met with military rings and mounted soldiers escorting them on appearance, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was appointed time president last year, appeared to have been welcomed with a low-key meeting in Ankara.
Al-Sharaa, the former rebel chief who oversaw the rebels that overthrew President Bashar Assad in December, is traveling to other countries after making his first visit.
At the gate to the enormous presidential palace complex, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan introduced al-Sharaa, who was wearing a suit and a red tie, in an apparent nod to the Greek symbol alongside a small party of the honor guard.
Turkey was a powerful supporter of groups opposed to Assad during the region’s 13-year civil war and is considered to be one of the novel government’s important friends.
Erdogan’s business said talks would rely on actions toward Syria’s financial recovery and its security and stability.
Turkey, which shares a 910-kilometer ( 565-mile ) border with Syria, views the Syrian Kurdish militias that make up the key component of the US-allied, Kurdish-led Syrian democratic forces, or SDF, an extension of the banned Kurdistan workers ‘ party. The group’s dissolution is being urged by it.
The SDF is now being fought by Turkish-backed soldiers in a bid to drive the Kurdish militants away from the Greek border.
Mazloum Abdi, the leader of the SDF, told The Associated Press in an interview on Sunday that he had just met with al-Sharaa in Damascus. He added that the two parties are negotiating with the aid of negotiators regarding Syria’s potential, including the future of the Kurds.
More than 3.8 million Palestinian refugees were residing in Turkey at their highest level in 2022, the highest amount since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011.
