The new administration’s first visit to Ankara comes amid an intensifying struggle for the partition of Syria between the states behind the overthrow of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by jihadists led by the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

An official with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said on Thursday the militant group would agree to leave northeastern Syria if the U.S.-allied Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) maintains a significant joint leadership role there.

Turkey threatened Tuesday to launch military operations against Kurdish forces in Syria unless they accepted Ankara's conditions for a "bloodless" transition after the fall of strongman president Bashar al-Assad.

Syria will never allow its territory to be used as a staging ground for threats against Turkey, its top diplomat said Wednesday after talks in Ankara.

Turkey has offered military assistance and capacity-building support to the new Syrian military to combat “terrorist groups”, during an unprecedented visit by a high-level Syrian delegation led by the new Syrian foreign minister to Ankara on Wednesday.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan highlighted that the new Syrian administration should address Kurdish militants, but Ankara would not hesitate to act against them if necessary. He acknowledged Russia's strategic decision not to support Assad and anticipated no issues with the U.

Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad were allegedly communicating before rebels took over the Syrian government in December.

ANKARA, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- A high-ranking Syrian delegation, led by interim Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, wrapped up a landmark visit to Türkiye this week, signaling a thaw in relations after more than a decade of estrangement.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday that the new Syrian administration should be given an opportunity to address the presence of Kurdish militants in the country, and reiterated that the Turkish military would act if it did not.

Syria’s semi-autonomous Kurdish administration accused Turkey of killing four civilians in the Manbij area, where clashes have raged for weeks over control of a strategic dam.

Syria's semi-autonomous Kurdish administration accused Turkey of killing four civilians in the Manbij area, where clashes have raged for weeks over control of a strategic dam.

“The two leaders discussed the current situation in Syria, including the latest security and political developments,” Barzani’s office said in a statement following the Thursday meeting. Both leaders emphasized the importance of establishing a unified Kurdish front in Syria, the statement added.