Syria's new interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Tuesday met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, where they discussed improved security ties and how to respond to Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria. Sharra flew into Turkey from Saudi Arabia where he sought Riyadh's funding to rebuild Syria after a devastating 13-year civil war.

The discussions in Ankara will include establishing Turkish airbases in central Syria and training for Syria's new army.

A hmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s president, spoke to The Economist on January 31st in Damascus. The conversation has been translated and lightly edited for clarity. You can read our analysis of the interview here.

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa began their meeting at the Presidential Complex in the Turkish capital Ankara on Tuesday. The closed-door talks started at 1400GMT. Meanwhile, Türkiye's first lady Emine Erdogan met with Sharaa's wife, Latife Al-Durubi.

Speaking alongside Sharaa at a press conference in Ankara, Erdogan said Turkiye was ready to help Syria’s new leadership in the battle against both the militant Islamic State group and Kurdish militants, and added he believed the voluntary return of Syrian migrants would accelerate as Syria became more stable.

He had spent the day with the leaders of Syria’s myriad armed factions, trying to persuade them to disband. Over seven weeks after the fall of Damascus, the fate of these groups is still uncertain. His aides claim that all militias will be dissolved and then absorbed into a new national army.

While the Turkish president lauded the visit as "historic," little of substance was announced and neither leader made any mention of an alleged defense pact reported Tuesday by Reuters.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa met in Ankara to discuss strategies against Kurdish militants and Islamic State forces in northeast Syria. Both countries are keen on enhancing cooperation,