Syrian President Shara: Erdogan mediated with the USA to lift Syrian sanctions

Shara, who is known as the representative of Syrian President Bashar Assad's brother Mahir Assad and is one of the names that raises the voice of the Syrian regime in the international arena, claimed in his statement that Turkey and Saudi Arabia made a joint initiative to lift the sanctions against Syria last year.

Regarding the details of this initiative, Shara said, "Turkey and Saudi Arabia attempted a mediation last year to lift the sanctions against Syria. In this process, President Erdogan also intervened with the United States." The statement coincided with a period when diplomatic contacts aimed at resolving the political and economic crisis in Syria intensified.

The Syrian regime is trying to take various diplomatic steps in order to break its international isolation after the long-standing civil war and alleviate the effects of the economic embargo. In this context, the Arab League's calls for the lifting of sanctions against Syria in 2023 also attracted attention. Shara's statement can be considered a part of these efforts.

What happened?

Shara, the representative of Syrian President Bashar Assad's brother Mahir Assad, claimed that Turkey and Saudi Arabia made a joint mediation attempt to lift the sanctions against Syria last year and that President Erdogan was also involved in this process with the USA. In his statement, Shara emphasized the importance of efforts carried out at the international level to lift sanctions.

The Syrian regime has become isolated in the international arena after the civil war in recent years and has deeply felt the effects of the economic embargo. Therefore, efforts to re-establish dialogue with Arab countries and regional actors have accelerated. Shara's statement stands out as a part of these diplomatic initiatives.

background

After the civil war in Syria started in 2011, the country was subjected to large-scale sanctions by the international community. These sanctions deeply affected the Syrian economy and reinforced the regime's isolation in the international arena. The Arab League began calling for the lifting of sanctions against Syria in 2023, and these calls found support at the regional and international levels.

Türkiye is among the countries that have taken diplomatic initiatives to resolve the crisis in Syria, due to its neighborliness with Syria and long-standing mutual relations. President Erdogan had made various initiatives in the past to resolve the crisis in Syria and made efforts to re-establish contacts with the Syrian regime in the international arena.

Why is it important?

The removal of sanctions against Syria is considered a critical step for the country's economic recovery and re-acceptance in the international arena. Lifting sanctions could help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Syria and accelerate the country's reconstruction process.

This development also stands out as an indicator of the diplomatic efforts of regional actors such as Türkiye and Saudi Arabia to resolve the crisis in Syria. Changes in the international community's attitude towards Syria are also important for regional stability.

What do experts and parties say?

There were no expert opinions, institutional statements or quotes on this subject in the source text.

What to watch next?

How the process of lifting sanctions against Syria will progress and how this process will be received by the international community should be closely monitored. In addition, the results of Türkiye and Saudi Arabia's diplomatic initiatives on this issue stand out as another factor that should be carefully monitored.

The steps to be taken to re-accept the Syrian regime in the international arena and to ease the economic embargo are also of great importance for regional stability. Therefore, how the international community will respond to this process and how the political process in Syria will be shaped should be followed closely.