Last week, the visit of Ahmed al-Sharaa, President of the Syrian Interim Government, to Türkiye was the top in the agenda.
Another significant event was the expulsion of five lieutenants from the military after they took an oath on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during the Turkish Military Academy’s Banner Handover and Graduation Ceremony, which sparked widespread public outrage.
Also, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Türkiye.
Erdoğan-Sharaa meeting
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, President of the Syrian Interim Government, in Ankara.
Following a bilateral meeting and an official working lunch between delegations at the Presidential Complex, Erdoğan and al-Sharaa held a joint press conference.
Expressing his pleasure in hosting President al-Sharaa in Ankara, Erdoğan stated:
“For 13.5 years, the Syrian people have endured every form of oppression. They have been subjected to inhumane massacres, including the use of chemical weapons. Nearly one million of our Syrian brothers and sisters were martyred due to attacks of the former regime and terrorist organizations. Millions of our brothers and sisters were forced to leave their homes and homeland. Yet, despite all this, the brave people of Syria never abandoned their struggle against the oppressive regime and its supporters. Ultimately, on December 8, they reached the victory. Firstly, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to my dear brother Ahmed al-Sharaa and to the entire Syrian nation for their perseverance and victory. I also pray for mercy upon all our brothers and sisters who were martyred in Syria’s struggle for freedom.”
Erdoğan continued:
“The Syrian people now have the will to determine their own future. Just as we did not abandon our Syrian brothers and sisters in their most desperate and challenging times, we will continue to support them in this new era. I made this very clear to my esteemed brother and his delegation. I see today’s historic visit as the beginning of a new era of lasting friendship and cooperation between our countries. Over the past two months, all our institutions and organizations have been working diligently to restore our relations to a strategic level. As you know, I had also welcomed the new foreign minister of the interim government on January 15. I believe that visits and communication will become more frequent in the coming period.”
Erdoğan also stated that they discussed counter-terrorism efforts with al-Sharaa:
“I was pleased to see that we are in full agreement on nearly every issue. We specifically evaluated the steps to be taken against the separatist terrorist organization and its affiliates occupying northeastern Syria. Whether it is ISIS or the PKK, I reiterated our readiness to support Syria in its fight against all forms of terrorism. We also reaffirmed our commitment to assist the Syrian government in the control of the camps in northeastern Syria. I would like to express our appreciation for my brother Ahmed al-Sharaa’s strong stance in combating terrorism. There is no other path for us than to unite our efforts toward the same goal for the safety of our countries and our region. Inshallah, I believe that by acting in solidarity, we will establish a lasting atmosphere of peace and security free from terrorism in our geography.”
Erdoğan also expressed Türkiye’s willingness to take part in Syria’s reconstruction:
“At this critical stage, we consider it essential to establish governance in Syria in a way that reflects the will of its people, with an inclusive and embracing approach. In addition to humanitarian aid, we are ready to provide the necessary support for rebuilding Syria’s cities and critical infrastructure destroyed by the war. The more Syria’s economic recovery accelerates, more people will be voluntary to return to their homeland. However, international sanctions on Syria remains a significant obstacle to the country’s economic and infrastructural recovery. Thanks to our efforts to lift the sanctions targeting the thrown regime, there has been partial has been relaxation. However, we will continue our initiatives until a full resolution.”
Ahmed al-Sharaa, in his speech, expressed his deep gratitude to President Erdoğan for his invitation and to the Turkish people for their hospitality:
“The Syrian people will never forget the historic stance of the Turkish state and people in opening their doors to millions of refugees. This solidarity reached its peak in recent years when Syrian and Turkish blood was shed together in the struggle for liberation.”
Al-Sharaa also emphasized that Türkiye’s efforts to ensure the political and economic success of Syria’s current administration are of great importance for their country’s independence, territorial integrity and security.
Al-Sharaa highlighted the historical ties between Syria and Türkiye:
“We reaffirm our determination to transform these ties into a deep strategic partnership in every field. In this regard, we have already initiated cooperation in humanitarian, economic, cultural and social domains. Additionally, we are working together on major strategic issues, particularly on a common strategy to face security threats in the region. These efforts aim to establish sustainable security and stability for both Syria and Türkiye. During our meeting, we addressed the threats in northeastern Syria that threats the territorial integrity. We also discussed the importance of international pressure for Israel to withdraw from the buffer zone in southern Syria and implement the 1974 agreement.”
Notably, the ongoing Israeli occupation of Syrian and Palestinian territories was not mentioned during the joint press conference.
Expulsion of lieutenants
Following the graduation ceremony held at the Turkish Military Academy on August 30, 2024, an investigation was launched against lieutenants who took an oath on the values of the Republic and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The investigation, conducted on the grounds of alleged indiscipline, resulted in the expulsion of five lieutenants and three commanding officers who supported them.
The Ministry of National Defense announced that, in accordance with the Turkish Armed Forces Disciplinary Law and the relevant regulations of the High Disciplinary Boards, the three commanding officers and five lieutenants were expulsed from the Turkish Armed Forces.
The announcement stated: “In our Turkish Armed Forces, whose primary priority is to uphold and maintain established discipline, no act that goes against discipline will be tolerated in any way.”
The press shared some details on statements of the lieutenants on the court. The lieutenants emphasized that they are the “soldiers of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk”. It was also reported Ebru Eroğlu, one of the lieutenants protested by saying “You can take away the rank on my shoulder, but you cannot take away the Military Academy badge on my chest”.
President Erdoğan had previously criticized the lieutenants’ act, saying:
“Who are you drawing your swords against? All necessary investigations are being conducted. A few individuals will also be expulsed. No matter how many they are, they cannot remain in our army.”
Following the decision, officials of the ruling AKP party expressed their satisfaction, while the main opposition strongly opposed it.
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel responded to the decision, saying:
“We warned you not to make this historic mistake against our army, but you did not listen to us. We promise that when we come to power, we will reunite our lieutenants with their honorable uniforms. And we will hold accountable everyone who played a role in this injustice.”
Various civil society organizations and political parties also objected to the decision of expulsion. Also, social media saw widespread criticism.
Erdoğan-Steinmeier meeting
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Ankara for talks with President Erdoğan. Both leaders held a joint press conference after the talks.
President Erdoğan expressed pleasure in welcoming Steinmeier once again following his visit to Türkiye in April last year. He recalled that 2023 marked the 100th anniversary of the Türkiye-Germany Friendship Treaty. Erdoğan continued:
“Our strong political, economic, social and cultural ties allow us to enhance our relations. We have addressed regional developments as well as steps aimed at deepening our bilateral cooperation during our talks. Our economic and trade relations are already quite strong. We continue to increase our trade volume and to promote mutual investments.”
Erdoğan said that the talks also covered regional developments, anti-terror fight, irregular migration, visa issue, defense industry and matters that concern the Turkish community in Germany. Erdoğan stated that Turkish community’s security, prosperity and welfare is Türkiye’s top priority in their agenda with Germany:
“We witness that acts and discourses that involve xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia are on the rise across Europe. This concerns the Turkish community as well. We will continue to work with our German friends about all these issues.”
Erdoğan also shared that the talks covered the issues of Syria, Gaza and Ukraine:
“We will maintain our cooperation with Germany in terms of such global issues as the developments in Syria, the latest situation in Gaza and the war in Ukraine. A Syria where permanent peace and prosperity prevail is the desire of all of us. In this sense, I believe that Germany will duly contribute to Türkiye’s efforts for the reconstruction of Syria. Great responsibilities fall on all for the preservation of the ceasefire declared in Gaza. We as the international community should maintain our efforts for a two-state solution. We have long been advocating that the war in Ukraine must end with a just peace. We have discussed this issue with my German counterpart as well.”
In his remarks, Steinmeier stated that the Middle East and the surrounding region were going through a particularly turbulent period:
“Germany and Türkiye view these developments from different perspectives, but we share a common interest: establishing lasting peace in the region. Türkiye is a key player in this process. The President and I agree that, despite the ongoing tensions, we must seize opportunities and work toward peaceful and lasting progress in the region.”
Steinmeier shared that they addressed the Israel-Palestine issue and agreed that the current ceasefire in Gaza was only a first step toward securing the release of all remaining hostages and ending the humanitarian crisis.
Reflecting on his discussions over the past three days during his West Asia visit, Steinmeier said:
“Proposals and suggestions to force Palestinians to leave or be exiled from the Gaza Strip have caused deep concern and fear in all my meetings. Such proposals are unacceptable under international law. It is crucial to establish a solid foundation for upcoming discussions with the US administration. As Germany, we continue to advocate for a two-state solution.”
Regarding Syria, Steinmeier noted that President Erdoğan briefed him on his recent meeting with Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa. Steinmeier emphasized the importance of an “inclusive process”, the “need for coordination with all international actors” and the ”participation of all ethnic groups” in Syria’s stabilization efforts.