Turkey opens its embassy in Damascus after 12 years

Turkey raised its flag at its embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus as the mission resumed operations after a 12-year hiatus. 

The embassy, which had suspended operations in 2012, officially reopened with Burhan Koroglu, Ankara's ambassador to Mauritania, as acting charge d’affaires.

Located near the city’s Rawda Square in an area with the diplomatic missions of many other countries, the Turkish embassy continued to provide its services for a time after the government's violent crackdown on peaceful protesters in 2011.