Türkiye appoints chargé d’affaires to its embassy in Damascus

Türkiye has appointed Ambassador Burhan Köroğlu as the temporary charge d’affaires of Ankara’s embassy in Damascus.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan informed Köroğlu of his new position.

The Turkish embassy in Damascus stopped working on March 26, 2012, after the escalation of violence against demonstrators by the Assad regime.

In a related context, the head of Turkish intelligence (MIT), Ibrahim Kalin, visited the Syrian capital, Damascus Thursday.

Kalin visited the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus amid tight security measures, as witnesses confirmed that at least one car was seen heading towards the mosque, but the identity of the passengers wasn’t clear.

At the same time, the Syrian Ministry of Information announced the arrival of a Turkish-Qatari delegation to Damascus, which included Kalin and the head of the Qatari State Security Service, Khalfan al Kaabi.

For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed Türkiye’s continued support for the Syrian people and the protection of their territorial integrity, noting that reconstruction efforts will contribute to facilitating the voluntary and safe return of Syrians to their homeland.