ANKARA: Turkiye鈥檚 foreign minister Hakan Fidan met with Syria鈥檚 new leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa in Damascus on Sunday, Ankara鈥檚 foreign ministry said.

A video released by the Anadolu state news agency showed the two men greeting each other.

No details of where the meeting took place in the Syrian capital were released by the ministry.

Fidan had announced on Friday that he planned to travel to Damascus to meet Syria鈥檚 new leaders, who ousted Syria鈥檚 strongman Bashar Assad after a lightning offensive.

Turkiye鈥檚 spy chief Ibrahim Kalin had earlier visited the city on December 12, just a few days after Assad鈥檚 fall.

Kalin was filmed leaving the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, surrounded by bodyguards, as broadcast by the private Turkish channel NTV.

Turkiye has been a key backer of the opposition to Assad since the uprising against his rule began in 2011.

Besides supporting various militant groups, it has welcomed Syrian dissenters and millions of refugees.

However, Fidan has rejected claims by US president-elect Donald Trump that the militants鈥� victory in Syria constituted an 鈥渦nfriendly takeover鈥� of the country by Turkiye.

International sanctions on Damascus must be lifted 鈥渁s soon as possible鈥� to allow Syria to get back on its feet and refugees to return home, Fidan said.

鈥淭he sanctions imposed on the previous regime need to be lifted as soon as possible,鈥� he said, adding: 鈥淭he international community needs to mobilize to help Syria get back on its feet and for the displaced people to return.鈥�

During a joint press conference, Al-Sharaa said that all weapons in the country would come under state control including those held by Kurdish-led forces.

Armed 鈥渇actions will begin to announce their dissolution and enter鈥� the army, Sharaa said during a press conference with Fidan, adding 鈥渨e will absolutely not allow there to be weapons in the country outside state control, whether from the revolutionary factions or the factions present in the SDF area,鈥� referring to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Syria alone was responsible for overthrowing Bashar Assad, Fidan also said.

鈥淭his victory belongs to you and no one else. Thanks to your sacrifices, Syria has seized a historic opportunity,鈥� he said. Turkiye has repeatedly dismissed claims it had any hand in the lightning 12-day rebel offensive that ended with Assad鈥檚 overthrow on December 8.