Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s expected visit to Damascus has once again attracted attention as diplomatic contacts between Turkey and Syria intensify.
Turkey’s ambassador to Damascus, Nuh Yılmaz, said in an interview with the Syria Now platform that Erdoğan’s visit to Syria was expected, but its exact date had not yet been set.
Yılmaz stressed that setting the visit schedule was not within his authority and that official information about the date should be announced by the Turkish presidency.
Discussing the possible timing, the diplomat expressed hope that Erdoğan would be able to visit Damascus by the end of 2026.
The visit had already been planned for April
One of the most significant details in Nuh Yılmaz’s statement was that Erdoğan’s visit to Damascus had previously been scheduled.
The Turkish ambassador said the Turkish president had been expected to visit the Syrian capital around April 21. However, the trip did not take place because military hostilities began in the region, followed by the closure of airspace.
Yılmaz said work was continuing in Ankara to determine a new date for the visit and expressed confidence that the trip would take place in the future.
“Our president loves Damascus”
Particular attention was drawn to the Turkish ambassador’s comments about Erdoğan’s attitude toward the Syrian capital.
Yılmaz described the Turkish president as “in love with Damascus,” noting his desire to visit the city and pray at the famous Umayyad Mosque.
The diplomat said Erdoğan would also like to meet Damascus residents, reconnect with the city’s culture and visit one of Syria’s main historical and religious landmarks, the Umayyad Mosque.
If the visit takes place, Erdoğan’s meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus could become one of the most symbolic events in a new phase of relations between the two countries.
Contacts between Erdoğan and al-Sharaa intensify
Political and diplomatic contacts between Turkey and Syria have intensified noticeably in recent months.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met in Ankara on July 8 during the NATO leaders’ summit.
The Turkish side said the talks addressed bilateral relations between Turkey and Syria as well as regional developments.
Erdoğan said efforts to expand cooperation between the two countries would continue, stressing that Turkey intended to keep supporting the Syrian people.
The Turkish leader also highlighted the importance of keeping Syria outside regional conflicts, stressing that stability was crucial to the country’s recovery.
The visit could become an important symbol of a new phase in relations
If Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visits Damascus, the trip could become one of the most significant diplomatic events in Turkish-Syrian relations in recent years.
The expected visit is being discussed against the backdrop of a new phase of engagement between Ankara and Damascus. Turkey has raised the level of its diplomatic representation in the Syrian capital, Nuh Yılmaz has begun serving as ambassador, and high-level contacts between Ankara and Syria’s new administration have increased.
Erdoğan’s possible arrival in Damascus and meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa could become an important political and symbolic step in the development of relations between the two neighboring countries.
Following Nuh Yılmaz’s latest statements, attention is now focused on Ankara, where an official announcement on the visit schedule is expected.
At present, the Turkish presidency has not announced the final date of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Damascus.
