The image of the two men meeting, having discarded their military uniforms and put on suits, illustrates how leaders can seize the moment and opt for peace over war.

The deal would allow Kurdish-led forces which hold a quarter of Syria to merge with Damascus, along with regional Kurdish governing bodies.

Ahmad Al-Sharaa, the interim president of Syria and a former rebel, met with Turkish officials in the Syrian capital, including Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s foreign minister, Yasar Guler, defence minister, and Ibrahim Kalin, the head of national intelligence. They were accompanied by Turkey’s ambassador to Syria, Burhan Koroglu.