Following the lifting of US sanctions against Syria, Ahmad al-Sharaa, the interim president of Syria, met in Istanbul with Tom Barak, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy of President Donald Trump to Syria. 

This meeting, also attended by Assad al-Shibani, Syria's foreign minister, marks a turning point in the two countries' efforts to rebuild relations and strategic cooperation. 

During the meeting, Barak commended al-Sharaa's actions in combating terrorism, improving relations with Israel, and working to return missing American citizens. 

He also stressed the importance of lifting sanctions to support the Syrian people and rebuild the country. 

Al-Sharaa, noting the heavy burden of sanctions on the Syrian people, called for the expedited and complete lifting of sanctions. He declared his government's readiness to attract foreign investment, particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors. 

A key focus of the discussion was the implementation of the March 10th agreement between the interim Syrian government and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This agreement, brokered by Washington and overseen by Tom Barak, is considered a significant step towards the gradual restoration of Syrian national sovereignty over the northeastern regions of the country. 

Under the agreement, the security and administrative structures affiliated with the SDF – primarily operating in Kurdish and Arab areas of Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor, and Raqqa provinces – will be integrated into the central Syrian government's structures in a phased process. 

In this process, SDF military forces will gradually be organized within the framework of the country's official security institutions, particularly the Syrian Ministry of Defense. 

This process will coincide with administrative reforms in regional civil institutions to ensure the participation of Kurds, Assyrians, and native Arabs in local and national governance. 

The Syrian government has also pledged to officially recognize the Kurdish language in education and guarantee the cultural rights of minorities within the framework of the revised constitution. 

The United States, under this agreement, will play the role of guarantor of its gradual implementation and has stated that it will provide limited security support to the transition process until the full implementation of the agreement. 

A joint monitoring committee comprising representatives of the Syrian government, senior SDF commanders, and UN representatives, with a US observer present, will assess the progress of this process every three months. 

Crucially, the agreement stipulates that US forces and their allies will reduce their military bases in these areas and transfer control to the Syrian government concurrently with the integration and stabilization of government structures in northeastern Syria. 

Barak announced that the Syrian government has agreed to cooperate in locating and returning missing American citizens, including Austin Tice and Maged Kamal Maz. He considered this a significant step towards building mutual trust. 

Turkey Welcomes New Developments: 

In a separate meeting with al-Sharaa, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the lifting of sanctions and reiterated his government's support for Syria's territorial integrity. He also reaffirmed Turkey's opposition to Israeli occupation of Syrian territory.