Syria's President Al-Shar Meets US Envoy Barak at NATO Summit in Ankara

On Wednesday, Syrian President Ahmed Al-Shar met with US Special Presidential Envoy to Syria and Iraq Tom Barak at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the NATO summit and included a delegation of US Congress members as well as Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Sheibani.

According to the Syrian official news agency SANA, President Al-Shar arrived in Ankara leading an official delegation. This marks his fourth visit to Turkey since assuming power in Damascus in December 2024. During his visit, he is expected to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The visit carries particular significance as it coincides with the second day of the 36th NATO summit held in the Turkish capital, which is also attended by US President Donald Trump.

On July 5, the White House announced that President Trump would meet with both President Al-Shar and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his trip to Turkey.