The presidents of Syria and Azerbaijan discussed what role Baku could play in rebuilding Syria's oil and gas sector at their first meeting in Turkey over the weekend, sources familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye.

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Ilham Aliyev on the margins of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum, where they held talks on how to move forward after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria.

A source familiar with the discussions said the Syrian government is interested in Azerbaijan's state oil company Socar to help develop oil and gas fields in northeastern Syria, an area largely controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) armed group.

In January, the CEO of Socar's Turkish unit, Socar Türkiye, Elcin Ibadov, announced the company's willingness to participate in Syria's energy sector.