The Turkish government has appointed Nuh Yilmaz as its ambassador to Syria, more than 12 years after the two countries severed diplomatic ties.

Turkey closed its embassy in Syria on 26 March 2012 to increase the isolation of the ousted president Bashar al-Assad’s regime and ramp up pressure for change.

Ankara reopened its embassy in Damascus on 14 December 2024, just six days after the fall of the former Syrian regime, appointing its former ambassador to Mauritania, Burhan Koroglu, as chargé d’affaires ad interim until a new ambassador was named.

The last Turkish ambassador to Syria was Ömer Önhon, before Turkey decided to withdraw him from Damascus, while Syria’s Consulate General in Istanbul continued operating.

Yilmaz heads the “Technical Coordination Committee,” the executive arm of the “High Strategic Council” responsible for the Syria file.

The committee operates under the Turkish Foreign Ministry and includes representatives of relevant government institutions to coordinate implementation of the council’s decisions on Syria-related portfolios, refugees, energy, trade, border crossings, humanitarian assistance, and field issues, according to remarks by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in an interview with Turkey’s “Ülke” TV on 18 October.

The committee’s work links top political decision-making with execution, turning council decisions into practical steps carried out on the ground in coordination with various ministries, within a system of continuous coordination with the Syrian side’s counterpart body.

Who is Nuh Yilmaz?

Born in 1974 in Istanbul, Nuh Yilmaz is a figure who has combined academic, intelligence, media, and diplomatic experience.

He has served as Turkey’s Deputy Foreign Minister since May 2024, after heading the Center for Strategic Research (SAM) at the Foreign Ministry and serving as senior adviser to the minister since June 2023.

Before that, he spent ten years (2013–2023) at Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), gaining extensive expertise on regional security and political files, especially Middle Eastern issues.

Before joining the Foreign Ministry and intelligence service, Yilmaz was well known in the media and academia. He directed the Washington, DC office of the Foundation for Political, Economic, and Social Research (SETA) from 2008 to 2011, one of the most prominent think tanks close to the Turkish government.

During the same period, he worked as a correspondent and representative in the United States for Turkish TV channels, including CNN Türk, ATV, and 24 TV, and wrote political analyses and columns for the Turkish daily Star.

Academically, Yilmaz has taught at several Turkish and American universities, including George Mason University and Marmara University, and was a visiting researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

He earned a PhD in sociology from Yildirim Beyazit University in Ankara. He was previously a PhD student in cultural studies at George Mason University in the United States. He also holds an MA in graphic design from Bilkent University and earlier studied sociology at Middle East Technical University.

Alongside his professional career, Yilmaz has authored several books and academic studies, most notably his 2017 book published by Dogan, “İslam’da Resim Yasağı Söylemi” (The Discourse on the Prohibition of Images in Islam). He also co-edited “History, Politics and Foreign Policy in Turkey,” published by SETA in 2011.

In addition to Turkish, Yilmaz is fluent in English and Arabic. He has completed advanced training programs at international institutions, including NATO Defense College in Rome, Harvard University, and Georgetown University.