A Turkish diplomatic delegation arrived in the Syrian capital, Damascus, today, Thursday, December 12, in a visit that is the first of its kind in 13 years.

This visit marks the first diplomatic delegation since the fall of the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad.

A correspondent for Enab Baladi in Damascus reported that a delegation accompanied by Turkish officials arrived in the capital.

The correspondent documented a convoy including Turkish officials, led by the head of the intelligence agency, Ibrahim Kalin.

The delegation traveled in a vehicle driven by the leader of the General Command, Ahmed al-Sharaa (al-Jolani), in a convoy that included several cars and accompaniment from both sides.

The correspondent noted the presence of Turkish reconnaissance warplanes in the skies over Damascus, coinciding with the delegation’s arrival.

A meeting is scheduled with al-Sharaa and the head of the transitional government, Mohammed al-Bashir.

A Turkish official delegation visits Damascus for the first time in 13 years – December 12, 2024 (Enab Baladi/Dayan Junpaz)

The last Turkish visit to Syria was on August 9, 2011, when then-Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, visited Syria and met with al-Assad, as well as visiting Hama, which was witnessing military tensions due to peaceful popular protests demanding the downfall of al-Assad’s regime.

Davutoğlu’s visit marked the beginning of strained relations between Ankara and Damascus, which manifested in a political rift that lasted until the ousting of al-Assad on December 8.

On October 27, opposition factions launched a military operation that enabled them to seize several Syrian cities, reaching the capital and overthrowing Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

This step followed two years of Turkish efforts to open a political dialogue with the Syrian regime in order to reach a solution in Syria, while al-Assad opposed this, conditioning the withdrawal of Turkey from northern Syria as a preliminary step.