Syria has welcomed the move by the Trump administration to ease sanctions, calling it a “positive step” to ease humanitarian and economic suffering in the war-torn country.

President Tayyip Erdogan told Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during talks in Istanbul on Saturday that Turkey welcomed the U.S. and EU decisions to lift sanctions on Syria, the Turkish leader's office said.

The president promised to ease sanctions on the war-torn nation when he met with its new leader this month. Most financial transactions with Syria were banned.