Syria demands Israel withdraw from Golan as US signals talks
Shafaq News- Antalya
Syrian transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa on Friday urged Israel's withdrawal from the Golan Heights and return to the 1974 disengagement lines, as a US official signaled possible talks between the two sides.
Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2026), Al-Sharaa said any recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights* is “invalid,” reaffirming Syria’s position that the territory remains under Israeli occupation.
“If an agreement [with Israel] is reached, we may engage in long-term negotiations to resolve the issue of the occupied Golan Heights,” Al-Sharaa noted.
Syria, he added, has avoided aligning with either Iran or the United States in the broader regional conflict involving Israel, positioning itself as a diplomatic bridge while maintaining ties with major powers.
At the same forum, US Syria Envoy Tom Barrack indicated that Washington is pushing for renewed Syria-Israel talks and did not rule out a normalization agreement between the two sides, possibly ahead of a similar deal with Lebanon.
Barrack also said Damascus had avoided escalation following the October 7, 2023 attacks, noting that Al-Sharaa –who was appointed on January 29, 2025– had made clear Syria did not seek confrontation with Israel.
* Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it, a move not recognized by any country except the United States.
Read more: Syria's shifting stance: Is normalization with Israel on the horizon?
