THOUSANDS of Syrians gathered in the capital Damascus today in rallies called by its new rulers to celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad, as the United States and Turkey “broadly agreed” on their plans for the country.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met allies in Jordan, Turkey and Iraq to shape the transition of Syria’s leadership, calling for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government.
After talks with Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Mr Blinken said there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the US on what they would like to see in Syria.
Mr Fidan said the priority was “establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that Islamic State and the Kurdistan Workers Party aren’t dominant.”
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has ruled Idlib since 2017 under Turkish protection and swept to power last weekend, claims it has broken ties with its extremist past linked to al-Qaida and its leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani), invited the public to “show their happiness” at Damascus’s squares.
Huge crowds, including some insurgent fighters, packed the capital’s historic Umayyad Mosque in the old city for Friday prayers.
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