Al-Sharaa Meets Trump and Erdoğan on Sidelines of NATO Ankara Summit

President Ahmad al-Sharaa attended the 2026 NATO summit in Ankara (July 7–8) as a guest, holding sideline meetings with US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on July 8. At a joint news conference with Trump, al-Sharaa credited US sanctions relief and backing from Turkey and Gulf allies for Syria's progress on 'national consolidation' over the prior year and a half. Erdoğan and al-Sharaa held closed-door talks on bilateral relations and regional developments at the presidential complex in Ankara. A previously planned Washington meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa had been cancelled the prior month, with the White House citing scheduling reasons.