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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani Thursday on the sidelines of an informal NATO foreign ministers meeting in the Turkish resort city of Antalya.
According to Turkish diplomatic sources, the trilateral talks included delegations from all three countries and were held at the NEST Congress Center. The meeting lasted nearly two hours and was described as “cordial and constructive.”
Discussions focused on topics raised during the Riyadh meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also attended online.
Fidan expressed the Syrian people’s desire for stability and prosperity and urged all parties to support positive developments in Syria.
“For this reason, it is important for the U.S. to maintain its engagement with the Syrian administration,” Fidan said.
He emphasized Syria’s determination to fight the ISIS (Daesh) terror group and said remaining ISIS capacities should not be targeted to strengthen this effort.
“Syria is making serious efforts toward the elimination of weapons of mass destruction. Türkiye will continue to do its utmost in this regard,” Fidan added.
The U.S. underscored the importance of security for Syrians in the region and expressed its intention to help Syria regain self-sufficiency, according to sources.
They said the U.S. is determined to overcome obstacles and build mutual trust.
Highlighting the need for firm commitment in the fight against terrorism, U.S. officials said they want all Syrians to live “peacefully and happily in their homeland.”
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Syrian representatives expressed willingness to reintegrate into the international community.
Noting that the Syrian people are governing themselves for the first time in 45 years, they said, “We are determined in our fight against Daes and other terrorist organizations.”
They emphasized the importance of lifting sanctions to rebuild Syria and expressed a desire to contribute to regional stability.
The trilateral meeting lasted about 30 minutes.
After Fidan left, Rubio and al-Shaibani continued talks. Rubio, accompanied by Senator Lindsey Graham, departed the NEST Congress Center at 7 p.m. local time, sources said.
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