Turkey has appointed a new ambassador to Damascus for the first time in 13 years as it reinforces its role as one of Syria's main backers in the post-Assad era.
Nuh Yilmaz, a former deputy foreign minister, confirmed that his appointment had been approved by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey “will strive to develop” Ankara-Damascus relations to contribute to “good neighbourliness and the peace and stability of our region”, he said in a statement posted on X.
Turkey was among the first countries to reopen its embassy in Damascus following the overthrow of president Bashar Al Assad last year, and appointed Burhan Koroglu, an Arabic speaker and former ambassador to Mauritania, as charge d’affaires.
Mr Yilmaz replaces Mr Koroglu to become Turkey’s first full ambassador to Damascus since relations were severed in 2012 over the Assad regime's brutal crackdown on anti-government protests.
The Turkish flag is raised at Turkey's embassy in Damascus in December 2024 following the overthrow of Bashar Al Assad.
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