Zafer Sırakaya, deputy chair of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), was the first high-ranking official of Türkiye’s ruling party to visit post-Assad Syria. Sırakaya, who also acts as the party’s foreign affairs chairperson, held talks with officials in Syria’s Idlib and Aleppo on Wednesday.
Sırakaya told Anadolu Agency (AA) that his visit aimed to demonstrate Türkiye’s support for the rebuilding of Syria and contribution to regional peace.
Türkiye maintains close ties with the new administration of Syria and was one of the first countries to open its embassy in Syria on Dec. 14 after the fall of the Baathist regime. Intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalın was the first official to visit Damascus under the new administration, while Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan became the second senior figure to visit the Syrian capital, where he met new leaders. Türkiye backed the Syrian opposition against Assad when the civil war broke out in 2011. The war displaced millions, and many among them fled to Türkiye, where they lived as refugees for years. In the last year of the war, Türkiye pushed for normalizing ties with the Assad regime, though to no avail. When the Baathist rule of Assad ended in December, Ankara called it a revolution. Calling for a peaceful transitional period and an inclusive government, Ankara has since led the diplomatic efforts to help Syria regain its normalcy and ensure stability in neighboring countries where developments directly affect Türkiye. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has vowed to help the new Syrian administration form a state structure and a new constitution as the country looks to rebuild after years of civil war.
Sırakaya said his next stopovers in Syria will be Hama, Homs and Damascus. In his talks with Syrian officials, Sırakaya underlined Türkiye’s policy of zero tolerance for terrorist groups in Syria, particularly the U.S.-backed PKK/YPG.
At his meeting with Idlib Governor Mohammad Abdul Rahman, Sırakaya said he stressed Türkiye’s readiness for national contribution to recovery progress in the war-torn country, particularly facilitating the delivery of international aid and infrastructure reparations. “We will work in cooperation with Arab countries to ensure more contribution to the process,” Sırakaya said.
Sırakaya stated that the AK Party may contribute to Syria’s efforts to draft a new constitution encompassing all segments of society. During his talks with local administrations in Syria, he underlined inclusivity for ethnic and religious minorities.
He added that they desired to contribute more to Syria’s development by advancing humanitarian aid efforts and commercial relations.