ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday appointed Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz as Türkiye’s new ambassador to Damascus, marking the first such appointment in 13 years.

The announcement was published in the Official Gazette with Erdogan’s signature.

Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler received Yilmaz and congratulated him on the post.

Yilmaz thanked Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan for his appointment.

"Drawing strength from the deep human and cultural ties that have existed for centuries between Türkiye and Syria, we will strive to develop our relations in a way that upholds the principles of good neighborliness and contributes to peace and stability in our region," Yilmaz wrote on US social media company X.

"I have personally witnessed the support Türkiye has provided to the Syrian people during their most difficult days. From now on as well, as the Turkish state, we will continue working together with our Syrian brothers and sisters to shape the welfare, tranquility, and shared future of our peoples," he added.

US Ambassador to Türkiye and US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said he looks forward to working closely with Yilmaz as the newly appointed ambassador begins his “historic” mission in Syria.