No official meeting planned between Syria’s FM Shaibani and Lavrov in Ankara: Sources

Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani is reportedly expected to arrive in Ankara Monday for talks with Turkish officials, coinciding with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit.

However, diplomatic sources told Türkiye Today that no official meeting has been scheduled between Lavrov and Shaibani, though informal discussions cannot be ruled out between parties. However, Turkish official channels have not been informed about such a meeting so far.

Sources also inform that there is no official visit planned for Shaibani to Ankara during Lavrov’s visit.

Recent posts on social media platform X suggest that Lavrov “might” conduct a meeting with Shaibani. This has led to speculation that a meeting between Lavrov and Shaibani could take place during their visit to Türkiye.

However, Turkish diplomatic sources speaking to Türkiye Today have indicated that no official visit or meeting has been planned so far.

Conflicting reports on Shaibani’s visit

According to Reuters, two sources confirmed that Shaibani would be in Ankara on Monday.

The timing of his visit aligns with Lavrov’s arrival for discussions with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The report noted the possibility of a meeting between Lavrov and Shaibani during their stay in the Turkish capital.

While Reuters highlighted the overlap in their schedules, Turkish diplomatic sources have stated that no official meeting between Ankara and Shaibani is planned. However, they did not rule out the possibility of an informal conversation taking place on the sidelines.

Lavrov’s Ankara visit focuses on key regional issues

Lavrov’s visit to Türkiye includes a scheduled meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where discussions are expected to center on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the situation in Syria.