US says it is in contact with new Syria rulers

US, EU, Turkey and Arab countries jointly voice support for a united, peaceful Syria

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AQABA, Jordan - The US said on Dec 14 it had made contact with Syria's victorious Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels, as Western and Arab states along with Turkey jointly voiced support for a united, peaceful Syria.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comment on "direct contact" with the HTS rebels came despite the US having designated the group as terrorists in 2018.

While Mr Blinken and other diplomats held talks on Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus, nearly a week after the Islamist-led rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad - and 12 years after Ankara's diplomatic mission was shuttered early in Syria's civil war.

"We have been in contact with HTS and with other parties," Mr Blinken told reporters without specifying how the contact took place.

Ankara has been a major player in Syria's conflict, holding considerable sway in the north-west, financing armed groups there, and maintaining a working relationship with HTS, which spearheaded the offensive that toppled Mr Assad.

In a joint statement after the meeting in Jordan, diplomats from the US, Turkey, the European Union and Arab countries "affirmed the full support to the Syrian people at this critical point in their history to build a more hopeful, secure and peaceful future".

They called for a Syrian-led transition to "produce an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government formed through a transparent process", with respect for human rights.

"Syria finally has the chance to end decades of isolation," the group said.

The head of the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, in the country's north-east, on Dec 14 appealed on X for Kurds "to adopt a favourable position towards the Syrian dialogue".