A hmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s president, spoke to The Economist on January 31st in Damascus. The conversation has been translated and lightly edited for clarity. You can read our analysis of the interview here.

Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Monday it would take between four and five years to hold presidential elections, the first time he has laid out a timeline for the vote since he was named transitional president last week.

Syria's new interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Tuesday met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, where they discussed improved security ties and how to respond to Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria.