Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al‑Sharaa, has arrived in Berlin for talks expected to center on refugee returns and postwar reconstruction, prompting protests and sharp criticism. Al‑Sharaa was formally received by German President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier and is scheduled to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz and to take part in a business roundtable.
Al‑Sharaa, 43, came to power after the Islamist militia Hayat Tahrir al‑Sham (HTS) ousted longtime ruler Bashar al‑Assad in late 2024, an upheaval that brought an end to nearly 14 years of civil war. Since assuming office, his government has pursued closer ties with Western states; he has met leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump. His Berlin visit, postponed from January because of renewed violence in Syria, is the first of its kind and has drawn organisers and authorities to prepare for demonstrations of around 5,000 people.
The trip has drawn fierce criticism inside Germany. Left Party lawmaker Cansu Özdemir denounced Chancellor Merz’s planned meeting with al‑Sharaa as “a moral bankruptcy,” accusing the government of normalising Islamist figures with links to violence against minorities. Germany’s Kurdish community has likewise accused al‑Sharaa of human rights abuses and war crimes. Ali Ertan Toprak, chairman of the Kurdish community, said al‑Sharaa belongs in court rather than the chancellery.
Center‑left Social Democrat Hakan Demir voiced concerns over al‑Sharaa’s past while arguing for engagement. Demir described him as “an Islamist” who has not fully broken with his history, noting that the US placed a $10 million bounty on him about two years ago, and adding that “a suit does not make a democrat.” At the same time, Demir said Germany cannot confine diplomatic contacts only to states already judged democratic, stressing that the quality and conditions of engagement matter. He urged that reconstruction talks must prioritize the welfare of Syrians and explicitly protect minority rights.
Demir warned that Christians face threats in Syria, pointed to massacres of Alawites and said Druze and Kurds are also at risk. He insisted any German support for reconstruction or development aid should be contingent on human rights guarantees and protections for minorities.
A German government spokesman said Berlin’s interest is in seeing Syria rebuilt as a stable, prosperous state, with the participation of Syrians who sought refuge in Germany and elsewhere in Europe during the civil war. Security measures accompanied al‑Sharaa’s visit, with police convoys and heightened preparations ahead of protests and official meetings.