Turkey has reacted to the decision by the United States to remove Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, congratulating Washington on its decision and expressing the hope that the move will enable the country to strengthen its ties with the international community following the fall of the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad.
“We welcome the decision of the USA to remove Syria from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List. We commend the constructive approach of the US Administration, which has demonstrated its resolve in this regard, as well as that of the US Congress, which has supported this process. We also congratulate the Syrian Government and people for their steadfastness,” stated the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.
“With this important step, which Türkiye has also long advocated, one of the major obstacles to Syria’s economic recovery and reconstruction has been overcome,” the diplomatic statement emphasised.
Turkey hopes for greater international integration of Syria
“We believe that this decision will give further impetus to efforts to strengthen Syria’s ties with the international community and establish lasting security and stability in the country. At this juncture, we call on the international community to join forces to achieve the goal of a prosperous Syria and to fulfill its responsibilities to put an end to aggressive actions that jeopardize this vision,” concluded the official statement issued by Ankara, in a clear reference to the actions of Israel.
This response comes after the United States formally removed Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism on 24 August and lifted the designation as a terrorist group that still applied to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, authorised the revocation once the mandatory 45-day notification period to US Congress had elapsed, and also revoked the designation of the Al-Nusra Front – also known by the acronym HTS – as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organisation.
Al-Sharaa hails the end of a “dark and painful chapter” for Syria
In a public statement early on 25 August, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa welcomed his country’s removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, a move which represents a significant easing of the sanctions still imposed on the country.
“Today, Syria is shaking off a dark stain and turning the page on a painful chapter of its past to embark on a path of development, reconstruction and recovery,” Sharaa stated in his speech, in which he expressed his “thanks to the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and to all the friendly and supportive nations that stood by our side”, referring to countries such as Turkey.
The US State Department had already revoked the designation of HTS as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation in July 2025. Syria had been on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism since December 1979, which entailed restrictions on potential US aid, exports, financial transactions and the sale of defence equipment, amongst other measures.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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