Turkey reopens Damascus embassy after Assad's fall

Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, 12 years after shuttering it during the civil war, following the rebel overthrow of longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

The Turkish flag was raised over the embassy in a ceremony attended by Burhan Koroglu, Turkey's new chargé d'affaires, and representatives of Syria's rebel-led transitional government.

Located in Damascus’ Rawda district, the embassy was reopened just days after rebels seized the capital in a lightning offensive.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed Friday that Koroglu and his staff were en route to Damascus, making the diplomatic mission operational by Saturday.

The embassy closed in March 2012 due to worsening security conditions and Ankara’s call for Assad to step down. Turkey has since supported opposition groups throughout Syria’s civil war.

Koroglu previously served as Turkey’s ambassador to Mauritania. It is unclear how long he will remain in his current post.

Turkey’s move underscores its support for the transitional government formed by an alliance of Islamist-led rebels after Assad's ouster.

Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin reportedly visited Damascus earlier this week, signaling closer ties with the new administration.