President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and US President Joe Biden (R) attend the 50th G7 summit in Apulia, region of Italy on June 14, 2024. (AA Photo)
By Newsroom
Dec 10, 2024 11:16 AM
The Biden administration is exploring ways to engage with anti-regime groups that ousted the deposed dictator Bashar al-Assad while reaching out to regional partners like Türkiye to initiate informal diplomacy.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed Washington has multiple communication channels with various groups, including one designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S.
Türkiye will never allow terrorist groups to take advantage of the situation in Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan tells U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on December 10, 2024. (AA Photo)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been in frequent contact with regional leaders, including two recent conversations with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan over the past four days.
Türkiye closely monitors developments in the region. FM Fidan and many Turkish state officials have stated on various platforms that Türkiye will not tolerate the activities of any terrorist organization in the region, especially the YPG/PKK.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, a.k.a. Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (Courtesy of CNN)
The U.S. has not ruled out either direct or indirect communication with HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammed al-Jolani), who was designated a terrorist by the U.S. in 2013.
A picture shows the front pages of some of Britain’s national newspapers, dominated by stories about the fall of Syria’s President, in London on December 9, 2024. – Syrians flocked to the main square of the capital city Damascus on Monday to mark what many regard as a long-awaited new dawn after the fall of president Bashar al-Assad, AFP journalists saw. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)This picture shows newspapers front-pages headlining the fall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s rule, in Tehran, on December 9, 2024. – A lightning offensive spearheaded by Islamist rebels ousted Assad from power on December 8, opening a new chapter in Syria’s history after five decades of rule by his clan. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)A picture shows the front pages of some of Spain’s national newspapers, dominated by stories about the fall of Syria’s President, in Madrid on December 9, 2024. – Syrians flocked to the main square of the capital city Damascus today to mark what many regard as a long-awaited new dawn after the fall of president Bashar al-Assad, AFP journalists saw. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)This photograph taken in Moscow on December 9, 2024, shows front pages of some of Russia’s national newspapers, dominated by stories about the fall of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad. – The Kremlin declined on December 9, 2024 to confirm reports that toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad had fled to Moscow, adding that it was “surprised” by the rebel takeover. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)
What happened
The collapse of Assad’s government represents a major shift, eliminating a stronghold from which Iran and Russia exerted influence.
The U.S. President described the moment as a historic opportunity for the Syrian people but cautioned that the country faces a period of risk and uncertainty.