Turkey Reopens Embassy in Syria After 12 Years

Turkey's official news agency reported on Thursday, December 13, that the country has reopened its embassy in Syria after 12 years. Hakan Fidan, Turkey's Foreign Minister, has appointed Burhan Kuraoglu, the ambassador to Mauritania, as the temporary chargé d'affaires in Damascus. According to Anadolu Agency, the Turkish embassy is located near 'Reza Square' in an area where other countries' embassies and diplomatic missions are situated. Turkey closed its embassy in Damascus on March 26, 2012, in protest against the 'violent crackdown on Syrian protesters by Bashar al-Assad's regime' and halted its activities, returning staff and their families to Turkey. Media close to the Syrian transitional government reported, citing the country's Ministry of Information, that a high-level political-security delegation from Qatar and Turkey arrived in Damascus on Thursday, December 13, 2023. These Syrian sources stated that Hakan Fidan and Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkey's intelligence agency, along with Khalfan al-Kaabi, head of Qatar's security agency, traveled to Syria to meet with Ahmad al-Sharaa, commander of the Syrian operations room, and Muhammad al-Bashir, head of the transitional and temporary Syrian government. Official news sources have not yet confirmed this visit. Blinken emphasized before meeting with Erdogan that the PKK is a continuous threat to Turkey. Israel stated it will remain until security is guaranteed in the Syrian buffer zone. The U.S. stressed 'close consultations' with Israel regarding developments in Syria. Blinken's trip to Jordan was to review the situation in Syria. Russia, Iran, and Turkey called for an immediate end to hostilities in Syria.