Turkey Welcomes the Lifting of U.S. Sanctions on Syria under the Caesar Act
Turkey welcomes the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria under the Caesar Act, and Syrians express gratitude for international support.
SUMMARY
Turkey and Syria welcome the lifting of U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act after U.S. President Donald Trump signed the repeal provision within the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026, paving the way for the return of investments, foreign aid, and support for stability in Syria.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Turkey welcomes the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria under the Caesar Act.
- U.S. President Donald Trump signs the repeal of sanctions within the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.
- Syria thanks the United States and friendly countries for supporting the end of sanctions.
- The Caesar Act imposed sanctions on Bashar al-Assad's regime due to war crimes.
- Repealing the law paves the way for the return of investments and foreign aid to support the new Syrian administration.
CORE SUBJECT
Lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria under the Caesar Act
On Friday, Turkey welcomed the lifting of U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act.
The spokesperson for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Öncü Kırcalı, said, "We welcome the United States' decision to lift the sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act."
Kırcalı added in a statement via the American company X platform, "We hope this step will further encourage international cooperation for the reconstruction and revival of Syria, contributing to enhancing stability, security, and prosperity in the country."
On Thursday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026 at a White House ceremony, which included a provision to cancel the sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act, thereby officially lifting the sanctions on Syria.
Syria welcomed the "final removal" of the economic sanctions imposed on it under the Caesar Act, which affected various aspects of daily and economic life, according to a statement from the Syrian Foreign Ministry.
It also expressed gratitude to the United States "and the brotherly and friendly countries that contributed through their positions and diplomatic efforts to support the endeavors aimed at ending these sanctions, based on their keenness on regional stability and respect for the sovereignty and unity of the Syrian Arab Republic."
On December 11, 2019, the U.S. Congress passed the Caesar Act to punish the pillars of the regime of the ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for "war crimes" committed against civilians.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted in favor of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for 2026, which included a provision to repeal the Caesar Act, and sent it to the President for signature to become effective.
The repeal of the law, which imposed broad economic and financial sanctions, is expected to pave the way for the return of investments and foreign aid to support the new Syrian administration.
The Caesar Act was signed during Trump's first presidential term, but developments in Syria late last year prompted him to work on repealing it.
On December 8, 2024, Syrian revolutionaries entered the capital Damascus, declaring the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime "2000 - 2024," which inherited power from his father Hafez "1971 - 2000."
KEYWORDS
MENTIONED ENTITIES 5
Öncü Kırcalı
👤 Person_MaleSpokesperson for the Turkish Foreign Ministry
Donald Trump
👤 Person_MaleFormer U.S. President who signed the repeal of sanctions
Syrian Foreign Ministry
🏛️ OrganizationEntity that issued the statement welcoming the lifting of sanctions
U.S. Congress
🏛️ OrganizationEntity that passed the Caesar Act in 2019
U.S. Senate
🏛️ OrganizationVoted in favor of repealing the Caesar Act within the 2026 Defense Appropriations Act
NOTABLE QUOTES 2
"We welcome the United States' decision to lift the sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act"
Context: Statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson via the X platform
"We hope this step will further encourage international cooperation for the reconstruction and revival of Syria, contributing to enhancing stability, security, and prosperity in the country"
Context: Statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson via the X platform