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Turkiye optimistic about EU sanctions relief in Syria: Fidan

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
27 Jan 2025 10:33

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discusses the possibility of the EU removing certain sanctions off Syria, as well as Turkish efforts for aid provision.

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Turkiye's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, answers questions from media members during a press conference in Istanbul, Turkiye, on Friday, January 10, 2025. (AP)

Turkiye is confident that the European Union will lift certain sanctions previously imposed on Syria in the upcoming days, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Saudi Arabia's Alsharq News.

EU foreign ministers are scheduled to convene on Monday in Brussels for discussions focused on key topics, including extending existing sanctions and imposing new ones on Russia, potentially lifting sanctions on Syria, addressing developments in Palestine and the occupied territories, and examining EU relations with the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Fidan reportedly emphasized that the US has already eased some sanctions on Syria and expressed optimism that the EU would soon follow suit. He also mentioned that Turkiye has established a coordination mechanism to provide immediate aid in crucial sectors such as transportation, energy, and healthcare.

The Washington Post revealed on Friday that European countries are nearing a consensus on easing sanctions against Syria. This move is intended to support the nation's political transition, engage with its new leadership, and reduce Russia's regional influence.

The sanctions relief would be gradual and contingent on Syria's new government respecting what the Europeans described as the rights of women and ethnic and religious minorities, according to The Post.

"The approach should be step-for-step, meaning sanction relief tied to positive developments," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated to The Post. "If we see the opposite happening, the EU must be ready to reverse. This is our leverage."

This shift would signal a major policy realignment for Europe. It could offer critical support to Syria's struggling economy, which has been devastated by over 13 years of war, while also lending legitimacy to the country's new rulers. Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda, now leads Syria after spearheading the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad. Discussions on whether to remove HTS from the terrorist organization list will take place later, depending on developments in Syria and an assessment of its leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa.