Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syria’s newly appointed President Ahmed al-Sharaa held talks in Ankara on Tuesday, focusing on security cooperation and the ongoing Kurdish insurgency in northeastern Syria.

The visit marked al-Sharaa’s second international trip since assuming the interim presidency, following his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman earlier this week.

Al-Sharaa, who led the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that ousted longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December, has sought to bolster diplomatic support for his government.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to assisting Syria in its fight against armed groups, including ISIL (ISIS) and the Kurdish-led forces operating near the Turkish border.

“I would like to express our satisfaction with the strong commitment my brother Ahmed al-Sharaa has shown in the fight against terrorism,” Erdogan said. “I told al-Sharaa we are ready to provide the necessary support to Syria in the fight against all kinds of terrorism, whether it be Daesh or the PKK.”

Turkey considers several Kurdish groups operating in Syria, including the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), as terrorist organisations. The YPG is a key component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has been a major ally of the US-led coalition against ISIL in Syria.

Defence cooperation and border security

According to reports, Erdogan and al-Sharaa also discussed a new defence agreement that could allow Turkey to establish additional military bases in Syria. Ankara has maintained a military presence along its border with Syria for several years, citing security concerns over Kurdish fighters.

“The military bases that Turkey established within the last couple of years to protect its borders from the PKK and YPG attacks are still there. They haven’t shut down,” said Sinem Koseoglu, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Ankara. “But they are talking about new military bases. The whereabouts are, for now, unknown.”

Al-Sharaa, for his part, said Syria was seeking a “strategic partnership” with Turkey and extended an invitation to Erdogan to visit Damascus at the “earliest opportunity.” He emphasised the need to counter security threats in the region and stressed Syria’s opposition to Kurdish self-rule in the northeast.

“We are working on building a strategic partnership with Turkey to confront the security threats in the region and to guarantee permanent security and stability to Syria and Turkey,” he said.

Economic ties and refugee repatriation

The two leaders also discussed economic cooperation, with Turkish transport and manufacturing firms exploring investment opportunities in Syria. Erdogan pledged to push for the lifting of international sanctions on Syria, imposed during Assad’s rule, in a bid to support the country’s economic recovery.

“The lifting of sanctions has been a top priority for al-Sharaa’s government as he intensifies diplomatic efforts to gain regional and international recognition,” a senior Turkish official said.

Erdogan also touched on the issue of Syrian refugees, stating that their voluntary return would accelerate as stability improves. Turkey has hosted the largest number of Syrian refugees since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011, with more than 3.8 million at its peak in 2022.