Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to visit Türkiye on April 11
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa (L) shake hands as they hold a joint press conference after their meeting at Presidential Complex in Ankara, Türkiye Feb. 4, 2025. (AA Photo)
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa will attend Türkiye’s Antalya Diplomacy Forum this Friday (April 11), ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson Omer Celik announced Monday.
Speaking at a party meeting, Celik revealed that Sharaa will arrive on Friday. The forum will take place in the resort city of Antalya from Friday till Sunday.
Al-Sharaa, who first visited Türkiye in February, is expected to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his stay. The upcoming visit is part of a diplomatic tour that will also include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which will be al-Sharaa’s second visit to a Gulf nation since taking office.
The Syrian leader previously visited Saudi Arabia in February as part of his ongoing regional diplomatic efforts. Details and agenda of the upcoming visits are expected to be announced in the coming days.
Al-Sharaa and Erdogan first met on February 4, in a meeting that also included Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Director Ibrahim Kalin.
Following that initial meeting, al-Sharaa expressed gratitude for Erdogan’s hospitality, stating, “We eagerly anticipate developing coordination between our two countries.”
The Syrian president’s visit comes amid efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations in the region. His visit to the UAE will follow his earlier engagement with Saudi Arabia, highlighting Syria’s continued diplomatic outreach to Gulf nations.
Loggerheads with Israel
Amid speculation that Türkiye and Syria are preparing to sign a joint defense agreement–reportedly including the deployment of Turkish forces to T4 airbase in Palmyra–tensions have risen following intense Israeli airstrikes on Syrian military facilities last Wednesday.
The incident has been interpreted by some observers as a signal of potential friction in the Türkiye-Israel relations, in connection with Syria. Israeli officials have warned that “any military presence hostile to Israel on Syrian soil will bear heavy consequences,” with some commentators suggesting the remarks were indirectly aimed at Türkiye.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in a statement to Reuters, responded by saying that Türkiye has no intention of entering into direct confrontation with Israel in Syria.
