According to KurdPress, Ahmad al-Sharaa, head of the Syrian Interim Government, arrived in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Wednesday, July 8, to meet and hold discussions with various international leaders and officials on the sidelines of the 36th NATO summit.

According to the official Syrian news agency (SANA), the plane carrying Ahmad al-Sharaa landed at Ankara's Esenboğa Airport, where he was welcomed by Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and a group of Turkish officials.

This visit coincides with a two-day NATO summit taking place in Ankara on July 7 and 8—a gathering attended by the heads of state and government of 36 nations, senior NATO officials, and various leaders from partner and regional countries, focusing primarily on security, defense, and regional developments.

The White House had previously announced that U.S. President Donald Trump would meet with Ahmad al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the summit. International media have also reported that this meeting is taking place as part of efforts by Washington and Damascus to discuss developments in Syria and regional security issues.

Reports from Turkish media further indicate that Ahmad al-Sharaa met with a delegation of US Congress members and Thomas Barrack, the US Special Representative for Syria, during his visit to Ankara. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani was also present at this meeting.

According to Syrian and regional media, the head of the Syrian interim government attended the NATO summit at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; the move is being described as a step toward increasing Damascus's political engagement with international actors and advancing the process of normalizing Syria's foreign relations.