Erdoğan joins Trump, Syria Leader Meeting via Video Conference

In the conversation, Erdoğan hailed Trump's decision to lift Syrian sanctions as one of historic importance, AA said.

Erdoğan also said Turkey's efforts to stop the cycle of violence in Gaza continue, adding that the time has come to put an end to the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.

 In the meeting, Erdoğan stressed that Turkey will continue to support Damascus in fighting terror groups, particularly ISIL.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was also present at the talks.

Trump, in Riyadh on the first state visit of his second term, met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, an erstwhile Islamist guerrilla turned interim president after the December overthrow of longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad.

The two held brief talks ahead of a larger gathering of Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia during Trump's tour of the region, a White House official said.

No U.S. president has met a Syrian leader since Bill Clinton saw Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's father, in Geneva in 2000 in a failed effort to persuade him to make peace with Israel. 

Trump announced on Tuesday that he was lifting "brutal and crippling" Assad-era sanctions on Syria in response to demands from Sharaa's allies in Turkey and Saudi Arabia — in his latest step out of tune with U.S. ally Israel. 

Trump said he was listening to the appeals of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as President Erdoğan.

Trump said it was Syrians' "time to shine" and that easing sanctions would "give them a chance at greatness."

Syrians celebrated the news, with dozens of men, women, and children gathering in Damascus's Umayyad Square.

The Syrian foreign ministry called Trump's decision a "pivotal turning point" that would help bring stability.

The United States imposed sweeping restrictions on financial transactions with Syria during the brutal civil war and made clear it would use sanctions to punish anyone involved in reconstruction so long as Assad remained in power without accountability for atrocities.

Trump gave no indication that the United States would remove Syria from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism — a designation dating back to 1979 over support to Palestinian militants that severely impedes investment.

Source: HDN/AA