President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara on July 8 [1] during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey [1, 2].

The meeting marks a significant diplomatic engagement between the U.S. and Syria, occurring on the sidelines of a major international security forum.

During the encounter, Trump praised the historical and intellectual foundations of the Syrian state. "Syria had one of the great cultures — the professors and lawyers and doctors — it had one of the great cultures of any country," Trump said [1].

The meeting took place while the U.S. president was in Turkey for the summit. While some reports focused on Trump's arrival in the country and his interactions with Turkish President Erdogan [2], other records confirm the specific meeting with President al-Shara [1].

This interaction occurs amid the broader context of the NATO summit, where leaders are gathering in Ankara to discuss regional security, and transatlantic cooperation. The presence of the Syrian president at the event highlights the shifting diplomatic landscape in the Middle East.

“"Syria had one of the great cultures... it had one of the great cultures of any country."”

The meeting between President Trump and President al-Shara suggests a potential shift in U.S. foreign policy toward Syria. By engaging with the Syrian leadership at a NATO summit, the U.S. administration is signaling a willingness to utilize direct diplomacy to address regional stability, despite the complex history of conflict and sanctions in the region.