Ahmet al-Shara to visit Turkey: First foreign trip
Ahmet al-Shara, the new leader of post-Assad Syria, will pay a critical visit to Turkey. Security and border security are at the top of the agenda.
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Syria has entered a new phase following the 13-year civil war. Ahmet al-Shara, known as the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), took control of the administration in Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime.
During the transition period, high-level contacts between HTS leader Shara and Turkey began immediately after he took power. In this context, MIT Chief İbrahim Kalın and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Damascus to hold diplomatic talks.
SHARA'S FIRST FOREIGN STOP
Ahmet al-Shara plans to make his first foreign visits to Saudi Arabia and Turkey in his capacity as the transitional president. According to diplomatic sources, if President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's schedule permits, Shara's visit to Turkey is expected to take place on February 4 or 5.
CRITICAL ISSUES ON THE AGENDA
Security will be one of the most important topics during Shara's contacts in Ankara. A large part of Syria's border with Turkey is still under the control of the YPG. Last week, YPG commander Mazlum Kobani stated after his meeting with Shara, "We agreed that there should be a single army in Syria and that the SDF should be a part of this army. However, discussions on how the mechanism will work and its operation are ongoing."