Erdogan urges Trump to lift sanctions on Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, during a phone call with his US counterpart Donald Trump on Sunday, stressed the importance of joint cooperation between Turkey and the United States to lift sanctions imposed on Syria, with the aim of restoring stability and empowering the new Syrian government.

According to a statement issued by the Turkish Presidency's Communications Directorate, Erdoğan emphasized that lifting the sanctions will enable Syrians to return to their homeland and contribute to the country's reconstruction.

The United States and the European Union, along with other countries such as the United Kingdom, have imposed severe sanctions on Syria since 2011, due to the Assad regime's violations. These sanctions included asset freezes, financial transfer bans, and bans on commercial and technological transactions.

Although some were suspended after the fall of the Assad regime, Western sanctions remain a major challenge to reconstruction and economic recovery in Syria.

Erdoğan also expressed his support for the decisive steps taken by Trump to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, stressing that Turkey has sought a just and lasting peace since the beginning of the conflict.

These statements come after Trump proposed a month-long ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, a proposal Kyiv agreed to during US-Ukrainian talks held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, about two weeks ago.

The two presidents also discussed bilateral relations, with Erdoğan stressing the importance of resolving the issues of Turkey's purchase of F-16 fighter jets and its return to the F-35 program, from which Ankara was excluded following US sanctions imposed in 2017 over Turkey's purchase of Russian air defense systems.

Erdoğan stressed that the new phase requires increased consultations between Ankara and Washington on all regional and international issues, emphasizing the need for the United States to take Turkey's interests into account, especially in the fight against terrorism.