Erdogan to Al-Sharaa: Israel's occupation and aggression on Syrian territory are unacceptable.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed to his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, that Israel's occupation and aggression on Syrian territory are unacceptable, and that Ankara will continue to oppose it on all platforms.

This came during a meeting between the two leaders on Saturday at the presidential office in Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, according to a statement published by the Turkish Presidency's Communications Department.

The statement said that the meeting addressed bilateral relations between Türkiye and Syria, and regional and global developments.

According to the statement, President Erdogan expressed his belief during the meeting that brighter and more peaceful days lie ahead for Syria, stressing that Ankara will continue to stand by Damascus as it has done to date.

Erdogan told Shara, who is making his first visit to Türkiye since the United States and European Union decided to lift sanctions on Syria, that Ankara welcomes the lifting of sanctions.

The Turkish president stressed the importance of preserving Syria's territorial integrity and administering the country and its army from a single center.

He stressed that Israel's occupation and aggression on Syrian territory is unacceptable, and that Türkiye will continue to oppose it.

He also stressed the continued development of bilateral relations and cooperation between Türkiye and Syria in all fields, especially energy, defense, and transportation.

Erdogan noted that Türkiye will continue to fulfill the requirements of neighborly and fraternal relations with Syria, as it has done to date.

For his part, Al-Sharaa expressed his gratitude to President Erdogan for his decisive support and efforts to lift sanctions on Syria.

The meeting was attended by the Turkish side, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Intelligence Director Ibrahim Kalin, Defense Industries Directorate Chairman Haluk Gürgun, Senior Advisor to the President for Foreign Policy and Security Akif Cagatay Kılıç, and Senior Advisor to the President Sefer Turan.