Erdogan’s planned Damascus visit discussed in Syria talks: Turkish foreign minister

The Turkish foreign minister said Monday that preparations for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s planned visit to Damascus were discussed during his own recent two-day visit to Syria.

“At a time when our region is going through a critical period, we paid an important visit to Syria,” Hakan Fidan said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

Fidan said he was received by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the first day of his visit and also held talks with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Interior Minister Anas Khattab.

“During our meetings, we once again reaffirmed our common will to preserve Syria’s unity and integrity and to ensure that the Syrian people attain the peace and prosperity they deserve,” he said.

“We discussed the visit our president will pay to Damascus,” Fidan added.

On day two of his visit, Fidan said he met with representatives of Syria’s ethnic Turkmen community, calling them an integral part of the country.

He said Syria’s Turkmen played an important role in the successful struggle against the Baath regime and are continuing to make significant contributions to efforts to transform Syria into a stable, prosperous country.

Fidan also visited the tombs of prominent historical figures Ibn Arabi, Mawlana Khalid al-Baghdadi, and Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, as well as the Turkish Air Martyrs’ Cemetery and the Sulaymaniyah Complex in Damascus.

“During our two-day visit, we saw that the streets of Damascus are becoming peaceful and lively again,” he said.

Fidan said Türkiye welcomes the Syrian people’s efforts to build, through their own will, “a secure, stable and prosperous country that embraces all segments of society.”

“We will continue to stand by Syria throughout this process,” he added.