Syria’s new foreign minister to pay maiden visit to Türkiye

ISTANBUL

Syria’s new Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said he will make his first official visit to Türkiye on Wednesday.

"To represent the New Syria, we will make our first official visit tomorrow to the Republic of Türkiye," Shaibani said on X on Tuesday.

He also highlighted Türkiye’s longstanding support for Syrians, saying it "has never left the Syrian people behind for the past fourteen years." The country hosts more than 3 million Syrians who fled the civil war in 2011.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry also confirmed the visit, noting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Turkish National Intelligence Organization Chief Ibrahim Kalin “will hold a meeting with their Syrian counterparts during the visit.”

Shaibani was nominated as foreign minister in the new administration led by Ahmed al-Sharaa after the ouster of regime leader Bashar al-Assad in December. He completed his master's degree in Political Science and International Relations at the Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University.

Ankara has pledged to assist post-Assad Syria's rebuilding and urged international cooperation.​​​​​​​