ছবি: On December 22, Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (left) is being welcomed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmed Al-Shara in Damascus. Photo: AFP
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Syria’s new leader Ahmed Al-Shara in Damascus on Sunday, as announced by Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A video released by Turkey's state news agency Anadolu shows the two leaders exchanging greetings, though the specific location of the meeting in Syria's capital has not been disclosed.
Fidan had previously announced on Friday that he planned to visit Damascus to meet with Syria’s new leaders. This follows the removal of long-term Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown by rebel forces in a surprise offensive.
Before Fidan’s visit, Turkey’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin had traveled to Damascus on December 12, shortly after Assad's fall. Footage aired on the private Turkish channel NTV showed Kalin leaving the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus with his bodyguards.
Since the start of the Syrian uprising in 2011, Turkey has played a major role as a supporter of anti-Assad factions, providing support to various rebel groups and shelter to millions of Syrian refugees. Despite this, Fidan has rejected claims by newly-elected U.S. President Donald Trump that the rebel victory in Syria represents a shift in power against Turkey.
Source: AFP
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