With a 911 km border with Syria, Turkiye has a direct strategic interest in the country’s stability and Ankara views a unified Syrian state as essential to securing their shared frontier and reducing refugee movements. However, Turkiye’s interest in Syria’s reconstruction runs deeper than border management. It sees the rebuilding effort as a chance to consolidate its influence over Syria’s new leadership, strengthen a new regional alignment centered on Damascus and block Iran from reestablishing a foothold in Syria and Lebanon.