Syrian President arrives in Ankara for Trump talks

ANKARA: Syria's President Ahmed al Sharaa arrived in Ankara on Wednesday, where he met US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Nato summit. Al Sharaa was invited by Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
'Because of the president (Erdogan), we have a very good relationship with Syria's new leader,' the US leader told reporters on Tuesday. 'He's done an amazing job in a year and a half; he's pulled the whole country together. And I have a very, very good relationship with him. 'Somebody said, well, he's pretty tough... I approved him along with the president (Erdogan); we were the two that really wanted him. And he's done a great job; he's pulled it together. Not an easy job.'
Sharaa visited Washington in November last year seeking financial support for Syria. But last month, he refused calls from Trump to intervene militarily in neighbouring Lebanon against Hezbollah, which is in open conflict with Israel. 'We are looking for economic channels between Lebanon and Syria, not military ones,' he said in an interview last month. — AFP