Erdogan Hosts Surprise Meeting with Syria’s Interim Leader al-Sharaa in Istanbul

In a development that caught many off guard, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a surprise meeting with Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa at the Dolmabahçe Working Office in Istanbul on Friday. The visit followed al-Sharaa’s high-profile meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Riyadh.

Al-Sharaa’s  Second Visit to Turkey After Assad’s Ouster

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who was appointed interim president of Syria on January 29 after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, visited Turkey the second time at Erdoğan’s invitation. The Syrian leader arrived in Ankara on a Turkish government aircraft earlier this week.

During his remarks in Ankara, al-Sharaa signaled a desire for “deep strategic cooperation” with Turkey, although no details were released about the content of the private talks between the two leaders.

High-Level Officials Attend Istanbul Talks

Friday’s meeting was attended by key Turkish officials including National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Director İbrahim Kalın, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, and Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan Sheybani.

President Erdoğan expressed support for the recent moves by the European Union and the United States to ease sanctions on Syria. He also reiterated Turkey’s commitment to upholding Syria’s territorial integrity, voicing concern over the presence of Israeli troops within Syrian borders.

In response, al-Sharaa thanked Erdoğan for his “critical support and efforts” in helping to lift the economic sanctions imposed on Syria.

Trump’s Riyadh Meeting with al-Sharaa Signals Major Shift

Al-Sharaa’s visit to Istanbul followed his landmark meeting with President Trump in Saudi Arabia. Trump, currently touring the Middle East, made headlines earlier this week by announcing the full removal of U.S. sanctions on the newly established Syrian interim government.

The surprise move marked a dramatic shift in Washington’s Syria policy. Despite concerns among U.S. officials about al-Sharaa’s militant past, Trump emphasized the need to support Syria’s transition away from dictatorship. Turkey’s President Erdoğan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the meeting virtually.

Brussels quickly followed Washington’s lead: On May 20, the EU lifted all remaining economic sanctions on Syria.

Al-Sharaa, a controversial figure, previously led al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch and founded al-Nusra Front before defecting from ISIS and forming Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Though HTS remains designated as a terrorist organization in many countries, al-Sharaa’s role in toppling Assad in December and the lifting of the U.S. bounty on his head have contributed to his political rehabilitation.

Still, the situation in Syria remains volatile. In March, the massacre of hundreds of Alawite civilians drew sharp condemnation from the U.S. and other Western governments, highlighting the country’s ongoing instability.

Turkey to Help Rebuild Syria’s War-Shattered Energy Grid

In a related development, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced a large-scale energy export initiative to Syria aimed at revitalizing its collapsed power infrastructure.

Speaking to CNN Türk, Bayraktar said Turkey would deliver 6 million cubic meters of natural gas per day—approximately 2 billion cubic meters annually—to power plants in Aleppo via a pipeline from Kilis. The gas will be used to generate electricity in the northern Syrian region.

“We’ve already extended our gas lines to Kilis. Now we’ll begin supplying fuel to Syrian power plants,” Bayraktar said.

Turkey is also exporting electricity to Syria, currently providing 200 megawatts to Aleppo. Plans are underway to increase that number to between 700 and 800 megawatts in the coming months.

Syria Facing Severe Energy Crisis

Bayraktar underscored the urgent need for energy support in Syria, citing comments from Syria’s new Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir during his recent visit to Ankara.

“Minister al-Bashir told me he needs 10,000 megawatts of electricity to meet Syria’s needs, but can currently only generate 1,700 megawatts,” Bayraktar noted.

With the centralized grid destroyed, most Syrians rely on small diesel generators to power homes and businesses. “Our contribution is therefore crucial,” he added.

Bayraktar also emphasized the importance of reintegrating Syria’s vast oil, gas, and mineral resources into the economy, suggesting that Turkey’s energy exports could play a stabilizing role in the region’s future.

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