Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Ankara on Tuesday, on the heels of a visit to Saudi Arabia – a move that is being interpreted as a balancing act by Sharaa between the two regional powers, amidst growing competition for influence over Syria.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not hold back on the hospitality when hosting Sharaa, sending one of his presidential jets to fly the new Syrian leader and his large delegation to Ankara.
The Turkish president was keen too to underline the significance of the meeting. "I see today's historic visit as the beginning of a period of permanent friendship and cooperation between our countries," he declared in a joint press statement with the Syrian leader.
Erdogan also announced that Turkey's institutions and ministries are coordinating efforts to help with Syria's reconstruction.
Sharaa was quick to praise this assistance, saying: "The significant support is still tangible through Turkey's ongoing efforts to ensure the success of the current leadership in Syria politically and economically, ensuring the independence, unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria."
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Ties with Turkey
The new Syrian leader developed close ties with Ankara during the years of fighting the Assad regime. The Turkish military protected the Idlib enclave where Sharaa was based, while Turkey offered refuge to many Syrians fleeing the fighting.
"Ankara will definitely be viewed as a positive outside contributor by these new Syrian rulers because of the fact that we here in Turkey are hosting over 5 million Syrians and that, also, Turkey helped protect Idlib," said Aydin Selcen, a former senior Turkish diplomat who served in the region, now an analyst for the independent Turkish news outlet Medyascope.
However, Selcen cautions that Ankara should not overestimate its influence when it comes to dictating policy for its Syrian neighbour. "The centre of this Syrian endeavour, of this restructuring or this fresh beginning, will be Damascus. It will not be Doha, it will not be Ankara, it will not be Geneva," he said.
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'Islamic background'
While the Syrian and Turkish leaders meeting in Ankara lasted more than three hours and was followed by an exchange of warm words, no concrete announcements came out of it – only vague commitments to cooperation in security and development.
And despite Ankara's strong support for the Syrian rebels, Syria's new leader chose to make his first overseas visit as president to Saudi Arabia, one of Turkey's main rivals in the region.
International relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University says the Syrian president is sending a message to Ankara.
"He [Sharaa] is an Arab nationalist with an Islamic background, not a Turkish one," said Bagci. "And that's why many people expect that in the long run, there will be different opinions on certain regional issues [with Turkey]."
For several years, Saudi and Turkish leaders have been engaged in a competition for influence among Sunni Arab countries. But Ankara is at a disadvantage, with its economy in crisis. Unlike oil-rich Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, it has little cash to offer to pay for Syria's rebuilding.
'Realpolitik'
Sharaa also appears ready to broaden his horizons further as he seeks to rebuild his country. "He has turned out to be such a realpolitik buff. He's turning and negotiating with almost everyone, including the Russians," observed Sezin Oney, an international relations commentator for Turkey's Politikyol news outlet.
"They [Syria] will also be approaching Turkey with their own interests, and whether they're aligned with Turkey's interests is another question," she added.
Turkey's ongoing military presence in Syria as part of its war against a Kurdish insurgency by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) could become a point of tension between Ankara and Syria's new rulers, experts predict.
Iran too – like Russia, also a key backer of the ousted Assad regime – is now seeking to reposition itself to reach out to the new Syrian regime.
"There are some pragmatic approaches," said professor of international relations Bilgehan Alagoz, an Iran expert at Istanbul's Marmara University.
"The Iranian authorities have already started to label Assad as a person who didn't act in accordance with Iran in order to have some new approach towards the new system in Syria."
Ankara still has cards to play with Syria, being well positioned to offer support in helping to rebuild the country with its expertise in construction, energy and security. But experts warn Turkey faces a battle for influence in Damascus, as Syria seeks to widen its opportunities.
