Syria's newly appointed president for a transitional phase Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, February 4, 2025. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via REUTERS

Syria's new interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Tuesday met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, where they discussed improved security ties and how to respond to Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria. Sharra flew into Turkey from Saudi Arabia where he sought Riyadh's funding to rebuild Syria after a devastating 13-year civil war.

France, like other EU countries, has expressed a desire to engage with Syria’s new administration and lift sanctions on the country.

The senior regional intelligence official, the Syrian security official and one of the Damascus-based foreign security sources said the bases under discussion would allow Turkey to defend Syria's air space in case of any future attacks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syria’s newly appointed President Ahmed al-Sharaa discussed deepened security ties – including a response to Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria – during a meeting in Ankara.