President Tayyip Erdogan told Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during talks in Istanbul on Saturday that Turkey welcomed the U.S. and EU decisions to lift sanctions on Syria, the Turkish leader's office said.

The statement came after the Trump administration granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions on Friday (May 23) in a major first step toward fulfilling the president’s pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country shattered by 14 years of civil war.

President Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the lifting of U.S. and EU sanctions on Syria during a meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Istanbul. The talks, attended by top officials, focused on regional stability and the integration of YPG into Syrian forces.