According to Kurdistan Press, Turkish Ambassador to Damascus, Nusaybin Yilmaz, in an interview with Qatari media about Ankara-Damascus relations and regional developments, stated that Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a great desire to visit Damascus and hopes that this trip will take place before the end of this year.Yilmaz also announced a plan to gradually reopen border crossings between Turkey and Syria, especially the Nusaybin-Qamishlo crossing, over the next three months.

Speaking to Qatari media about Ankara-Damascus relations, Nove Yilmaz, the Turkish ambassador to Damascus, referred to Erdogan's desire to visit Syria and said that the Turkish president is very interested in Damascus and the Umayyad Mosque.

Yilmaz stated: "Our president is very interested in Damascus and the Umayyad Mosque. We had hoped that this visit would take place earlier, but it was postponed due to the regional conditions. We hope to see our president in Damascus before the end of this year."

He did not provide further details about the exact timing of the visit, but emphasized that Ankara hopes that Erdogan's visit to Damascus will take place before the end of 2026.Reopening of the Nusaybin-Qamishlo border crossing

In another part of his remarks, Yilmaz addressed the issue of reopening border crossings between Turkey and the areas under the control of the autonomous administration of northern and eastern Syria, saying that Turkey's goal is to activate all existing crossings along the approximately 900-kilometer border with Syria.

He said: "Within the framework of the agreement between our Ministry of Commerce and Syrian customs authorities, we anticipate that the border crossings will begin operating in stages over the next three months. In particular, the Nusaybin and Qamishlo crossings will begin operating."

According to the Turkish ambassador, the reopening of this crossing could pave the way for increased traffic and trade between the northern and eastern regions of Syria and Turkey.Increasing trade volume between Turkey and Syria

The Turkish ambassador in Damascus also announced the increase in trade volume between the two countries, saying that trade exchanges between Turkey and Syria have increased by about 40 percent in a short period of time and reached $3.75 billion.

Yilmaz added that Turkey's medium-term goal is to increase the volume of bilateral trade to $10 billion.

Emphasis on security issues

Yilmaz also commented on the security situation in Syria and emphasized the importance of maintaining the country's sovereignty.

He said: "The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the PKK must be completely disbanded throughout Turkey, Syria and Iraq."

The Turkish ambassador's remarks came while Ankara continues to consider the SDF and the PKK as its main security issues in Syria and the region.

Plan to establish Turkish international schools in Damascus

The Turkish ambassador in Damascus also announced Ankara's plans to expand educational cooperation with Syria.According to Yilmaz, Turkey is preparing to establish "Turkish International Schools" in Damascus and surrounding areas within the framework of educational cooperation; a move that is part of Ankara's plans to develop educational and cultural cooperation with the Syrian government.