SHOTLIST ISTANBUL, TÜRKİYE (MAY 24, 2025) (TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY-ACCESS ALL) 1. U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA AND SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA THOMAS BARRACK AND SYRIAN PRESIDENT AHMED AL-SHARAA SHAKING HANDS 2. BARRACK AND AL-SHARAA SITTING AND TALKING (2 SHOTS) ISTANBUL, TÜRKİYE - MAY 24: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa held talks with U.S. Ambassador to Ankara and Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack in Istanbul on Saturday, May 24, according to diplomatic sources. The meeting follows the U.S. Treasury Department’s decision to issue a general license on Friday, May 23, providing immediate sanctions relief for Syria. The move marks a significant shift in U.S. policy toward Damascus. "As President Trump promised, the Treasury Department and the State Department are implementing authorizations to encourage new investment into Syria," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. Last week, during his visit to the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to lift what he described as "brutal and crippling" sanctions on Syria, stating that the move would give the country "a chance at greatness." The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) confirmed that the general license authorizes transactions previously prohibited under the Syrian Sanctions Regulations, effectively easing economic restrictions on Syria. No further details were released regarding the discussions between President Sharaa and Ambassador Barrack.