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Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is likely to be invited to Ankara during the NATO summit, according to multiple Turkish sources.
Although Sharaa’s visit will not be directly tied to the summit, leaders of NATO member states may meet with him on the sidelines. Syrian sources in Damascus told Türkiye Today, on condition of anonymity, that should the visit take place, preparations are underway for a potential meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The main goal will be to address the last remaining American sanction against Syria: its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Türkiye has invested significant diplomatic capital in facilitating Syria's reintegration into the international fold ever since the rebel alliance led by Sharaa toppled the Assad regime.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was not only the first foreign minister to visit Damascus, but he has also played a crucial role in convincing Saudi Arabia and European states to engage constructively with the new government in Syria.
A milestone was achieved when President Trump met with Sharaa in Riyadh alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joining via phone. Since then, Damascus has experienced a steady increase in its international legitimacy and diplomatic engagement.
In line with this ongoing diplomatic push, Türkiye could invite Sharaa to visit the country during the NATO summit. Although such a step is unusual and requires substantial diplomatic effort, it aligns with the lengths Türkiye is willing to go to facilitate Syria’s recovery from 14 years of civil war. However, observers caution that the visit is not yet finalized, noting that diplomacy adjacent to a NATO summit is inherently complicated.
It is publicly known that the American president will attend the NATO summit, partly due to his personal relationship with the Turkish president.
Following the Iran war, tensions within NATO remain high. While Trump’s schedule will be tightly packed, Ankara and Damascus are expected to push for a trilateral Sharaa-Trump-Erdogan meeting.
Sources tell Türkiye Today that groundwork for this is actively ongoing.
If such a meeting occurs, it could closely mirror Trump’s first meeting with Sharaa in Riyadh, where he announced the beginning of sanctions relief for Syria. Similarly, Trump would meet with Sharaa alongside a regional mediator to officially announce the lifting of the last remaining American sanctions against Syria.
In this scenario, a key question is whether the Saudi crown prince might join the meeting via phone.
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