President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan late Thursday received U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ankara for talks focused on a critical aspect of establishing stability in Syria after the overthrow of brutal dictator Bashar Assad.
The meeting at the Esenboğa Airport was also attended by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the president’s Chief Advisor Akif Çağatay Kılıç and Communications Director Fahrettin Altun.
Blinken arrived after visiting Jordan on his first trip to the region since opposition forces toppled Assad following a 12-day lightning offensive that marked one of the biggest turning points for the Middle East in generations.
NATO allies Washington and Ankara supported Syrian opposition forces during the 13-year civil war. They have both said they wanted the new Syrian administration to be inclusive and for Syrians to determine their own future.
Erdoğan and Blinken discussed the latest developments in Syria, with the Turkish president calling on the international community to work together for the reconstruction of institutions in Syria, a statement by the Communications Directorate said.
Erdoğan also told Blinken that Türkiye would take preventive measures in Syria for its national security against terrorist organizations, including the PKK’s Syrian wing YPG, which is backed by Washington under the guise of a fight against the Daesh terrorist group.
He added that Ankara would not allow any weakness in the fight against Daesh and would prevent PKK and its affiliates from taking advantage of the situation.
Blinken noted the shared interest of the U.S. and Türkiye in supporting a Syrian-led political transition to an accountable and inclusive government, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
He will meet with Fidan on Friday. Syria is also expected to top the agenda of talks between the two diplomats, a Turkish official told Reuters on condition of anonymity, adding Ankara is ready to support Syria as a safe and stable place governed by an inclusive government.
Before arriving in Ankara, Blinken said the PKK is an “enduring threat” to Türkiye.
“At the same time… we want to avoid sparking any kinds of additional conflicts inside of Syria at a time when we want to see this transition to an interim government and to a better way forward,” he said.
Separately on Thursday, Turkish intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalın, arrived in Damascus for what the Syrian Information Ministry said would be talks involving its new leadership.
It marked the first visit by a senior foreign official since Assad’s fall.
Kalın and Qatar’s head of state security, Khalfan al-Kaabi, arrived in the capital to meet with anti-regime leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, and caretaker prime minister Mohammad al-Bashir.
Kalın was seen arriving at the Umayyad Mosque to pray, amid heavy security measures and large crowds, according to video shown on Turkish television.
Later on Thursday, Türkiye named a new chief of mission to its long-closed embassy in Damascus, which it has pledged to reopen following Assad’s fall.
Burhan Köroğlu was named temporary charge d’affaires at Türkiye’s embassy, Anadolu Agency reported, citing Foreign Ministry sources.
Türkiye closed its embassy in late March 2012, a year after Syria’s civil war began, due to the deteriorating security situation amid calls by the Turkish government for Assad to step down.
On Tuesday, Fidan said Ankara would reopen the embassy when conditions allowed.
Blinken’s visit is also expected to focus on a possible cease-fire agreement in Gaza, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of State.