Syrian transitional president Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived today, Friday, April 11, in Turkey to participate in the events of the Fourth Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

The Syrian president will participate in the forum, which runs from April 11 to 13, marking Syria’s first official attendance since the forum’s inception. Previously, Syrian participation in the last session of the forum was limited to a delegation of the Syrian opposition at that time.

In the third session of the forum, a group of opposition figures participated, including the head of the Syrian Negotiation Commission Badr Jamous, the head of the Syrian National Coalition Hadi al-Bahra, and the head of the Syrian Interim Government Abdul Rahman Mustafa.

The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, also participated in the proceedings, providing a briefing during the opening discussion session about Syria, titled “The Road to Stability in Syria.”

The forum is hosted by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is held under the patronage of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is also expected to attend.

More than 20 heads of state and government, over 70 ministers, including more than 50 foreign ministers, about 450 representatives from 140 countries, approximately 60 representatives from high-level international organizations, and over 4,000 guests are expected to participate, as reported by the Turkish Anadolu Agency.

It is also expected that the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold bilateral discussions with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the conference, according to the Russian TASS news agency.

For participation in the fourth conference session, titled “Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World,” the Syrian president is making his second visit to Turkey after five years of ruling, marking a transitional period in Syria.

On February 4, al-Sharaa visited Turkey, which was the first official Syrian delegation to Ankara in 13 years.

Additionally, the Syrian president is set to visit the United Arab Emirates as part of efforts to garner support for the new administration, as reported earlier by Reuters, indicating that al-Sharaa will seek to press for lifting sanctions on Syria.

The Syrian president’s second visit to Turkey comes at a time when tensions are escalating between Turkey and Israel in light of ongoing Israeli escalation in Syrian territory and Israel’s refusal to endorse Turkey’s efforts to enhance its military presence in Syria.

Last Wednesday evening, Turkish and Israeli officials held a meeting in Azerbaijan to establish a mechanism for de-escalation in Syria.

According to sources in the Turkish Ministry of Defense, efforts to create a conflict resolution mechanism will continue, emphasizing that Israel must abandon its expansionist policy in the region and that the international community must bear its responsibilities regarding this issue.