Turkey on Friday appointed an ambassador to Syria, whose new rulers it has supported since they came to power in December, a diplomatic source told AFP.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan named his deputy, Nuh Yilmaz, as Turkey’s ambassador to Damascus, the source said.
Until now, Turkey had been represented in its southern neighbour by a charge d’affaires.
The appointment of a close associate of the foreign minister is being interpreted as an important diplomatic signal.
Yilmaz has served as deputy foreign minister since May 2024, said the ministry.
Like Fidan, Yilmaz hails from the National Intelligence Organisation and is fluent in English, having held several posts in Washington and taught in the United States.
Ankara and Damascus had severed diplomatic ties under Syria’s toppled ruler Bashar al-Assad
Since December, the two countries have been strengthening their ties and cooperation, both economically and militarily.
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© Agence France-Presse
