Blinken to discuss Syria during Turkey, Jordan tour

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Jordan and Turkey from Wednesday through Friday to discuss rebuilding an “inclusive” Syria and preventing it from being used “as a base of terrorism,” State Department spokesperson said.

Matthew Miller said in a statement that Blinken will “meet with leaders to discuss developments in Syria, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and across the region.”

Syria’s civil war reignited late last month when a coalition of rebels led by the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a blistering offensive against the Syrian army, seizing the northern city of Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and ultimately capturing the capital Damascus with Moscow announcing that it had granted asylum to Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad and his family.

Russia was a staunch supporter of Assad.

“The Secretary will reiterate the United States support for an inclusive, Syrian-led transition to an accountable and representative government,” the statement added.

“Displaced Syrians in the region will continue to need access to protection,” Blinken said.

A 2023 report from the United Nations Refugee Agency estimated that over 16 million people in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Blinken is expected to emphasize the importance of efforts to “prevent Syria from being used as a base of terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbors, and ensure that chemical weapons stockpiles are secured and safely destroyed.”

The top US diplomat is also set to discuss a Gaza ceasefire agreement, the release of hostages, and humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians.

Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on areas formerly controlled by the former regime through its over a decade-long civil war, often claiming to target pro-Iran militias, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, that supported the Syrian army.

The strikes have increased since October 7 of last year, when Palestinian Hamas launched an unprecedented, large-scale attack on Israel, which retaliated by invading Gaza. The conflict later spread into Lebanon before a ceasefire was announced late last month.