ANKARA — Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s upcoming visit to Washington could deliver major wins for Ankara’s Syria policy, but the trip will also test Turkey’s approach to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and their integration into the Syrian state.
For Ankara, the historic White House meeting promises tangible rewards — from the lifting of sanctions to the chance to recast Sharaa as an independent actor — potentially paving the way for smoother Israeli-Turkish coordination over Syria’s military landscape. Yet discussions between Sharaa and Trump over the terms of the SDF’s integration have major implications for Turkey’s regional strategy.
Sharaa is set to meet with President Donald Trump on Monday in the first-ever visit by a Syrian president to the White House. Ankara, once a backer of rebel forces against the Syrian regime that collapsed last December, has since emerged as Sharaa’s closest foreign backer. Turkey now seeks to elevate Sharaa's standing on the global stage to consolidate Damascus’ hold on power and preserve its own influence over its southern neighbor.
According to Omer Ozkizilcik, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, Sharaa’s upcoming White House visit marks a success for Turkey's Middle East policy.
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