UPDATE - Turkish Embassy in Damascus resumes operations after 12 years

UPDATES WITH REMARKS BY TURKISH VICE PRESIDENT

By Merve Berker and Ayse Irem Tiryaki

ANKARA (AA) — The Turkish flag was raised at its embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus on Saturday as the mission resumed operations following a hiatus of 12 years.

The embassy, which had suspended operations in 2012, officially reopened with Burhan Koroglu, Türkiye's ambassador to Mauritania, as acting charge d’affaires.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had formally assigned Koroglu to the new post on Thursday.

Located near the city’s Rawda Square in an area where the diplomatic missions of many other countries are also located, the Turkish Embassy continued to provide its services for a time after the regime's violent crackdown on peaceful protesters in 2011.

However, it suspended its daily activities on March 26, 2012.

Embassy staff and their families returned to Türkiye following this decision.

Since the downfall of the Bashar Assad regime earlier this month, the Syrian Consulate General in Istanbul has continued its operations uninterrupted.

“We are delighted to see our embassy in Damascus resume operations after 12 years with the raising of our cherished flag,” Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said on X.

“The reopening of our embassy stands as one of the most concrete steps reflecting our commitment to Syria's stability, as well as to fostering peace and cooperation in our region,” he added.

Yilmaz also expressed hope that Türkiye's diplomatic engagements with Syria will "contribute to the normalization of life for the brotherly Syrian people and support the rebuilding of Syria’s institutional, economic, and physical conditions."

“I wish our embassy in Damascus great success and extend my gratitude to everyone who contributed to this achievement,” he added.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power in Syria since 1963.