Turkey reopens Damascus embassy after Assad’s fall
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An image of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is damaged by bullet holes, following his ouster.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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DAMASCUS - Turkey on Dec 14 reopened its embassy in Damascus after a 12-year closure, a week after rebels toppled long-time leader Bashar al-Assad, an AFP journalist said.
The Turkish flag was raised over the diplomatic mission in the presence of the new charge d’affairs Burhan Koroglu, the journalist said.
Representatives of the rebels’ transitional government were present at the ceremony at the embassy in the capital’s Rawda district, which also hosts other diplomatic missions.
An Islamist-led rebel alliance launched a lightning offensive on Nov 27, sweeping swathes of territory from government control and taking the capital
Turkey has long supported rebel groups in Syria.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Dec 13 that Mr Koroglu and staff had left for Damascus, and the embassy would be “operational” the following day.
The Damascus embassy closed on March 26, 2012, a year after Syria’s civil war began, due to the deteriorating security situation amid calls by the Turkish government for Mr Assad to step down.
Mr Koroglu was previously Turkey’s ambassador to Nouakchott, Mauritania.
It was not immediately clear how long he would hold the post in Damascus.
Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin was in Damascus on Dec 12, Turkish television channels reported. AFP
