Türkiye vowed to increase assist in rebuilding Syria following the autumn of the regime of Bashar Assad, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan introduced on Wednesday.
Addressing lawmakers from his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Parliament, Erdoğan mentioned Ankara will provide all-encompassing assist to Syria’s new administration because the nation rebuilds.
His remarks adopted the feedback by vitality and transportation ministers, who in latest days introduced motion plans, together with a Syria go to by an Energy Ministry delegation and aiding the nation in restoring key infrastructure together with airports and railways.
Syria wants the whole lot to begin a brand new starting, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu mentioned on Tuesday, including that Türkiye has ready an motion plan for repairing and rebuilding the war-torn nation’s airports, bridges, roads and railways.
Türkiye is anticipated to play a pivotal function in rebuilding Syria’s economic system following the autumn of the Assad regime earlier this month, consultants opined, whereas representatives of some Turkish sectors anticipate they might leverage their experience and contribute to employment and manufacturing within the war-torn nation.
In line with this, Turkish authorities have additionally signaled readiness for involvement in reconstruction, together with in vitality and key infrastructure in its southern neighbor, disadvantaged by years of battle.
Türkiye has just lately reopened its embassy in Damascus and its intelligence chief and international minister have met with Syria’s new de-facto chief Ahmed al-Sharaa just lately.
Airports
Syria has 5 airports, two of which have just lately turn out to be operational, Damascus and Aleppo, Uraloğlu mentioned at a news convention in Ankara, noting that the airports nonetheless require vital enhancements.
Damascus Airport dealt with roughly 100,000 journeys final yr, whereas Aleppo managed between 50,000 and 60,000, Uraloğlu mentioned on Tuesday, including {that a} Turkish group checked airports and found that there is no such thing as a radar system.
“There is an air radar application that we use on our mobile phones. Imagine, they were trying to manage it from that mobile phone application,” he mentioned.
Computers from the Nineties are nonetheless used at these airports, and there aren’t any correct X-ray gadgets, detectors or the rest, he defined.
He added that the runways are significantly growing older and that the primary flight to Damascus and Aleppo was completely on the pilots’ initiative, in different phrases, with none system and beneath visible situations.
“So our friends made a determination, and then we have put forward an action plan,” he mentioned.
The minister mentioned Türkiye will take motion to revive Damascus Airport within the first section.
“There are parts of the railways that go from Türkiye to Hejaz; they have not been operated for a long time. We will quickly identify them and take a position to ensure the integrity of the railroad up to Damascus in the first place,” he mentioned.
Hejaz Railway
“We sent passenger trains there in 2009-2010. There is infrastructure there, but only in certain regions,” the minister mentioned.
The roughly 1,750-kilometer (1,085-mile) Hejaz Railway was constructed by Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II to attach Istanbul, Mecca, Medina, Yemen and Damascus. It started working in 1908.
The railway, which contributed to the area’s improvement, was constructed for spiritual, army and political functions.
The line had been offering Hajj pilgrims with a protected route.
M4, M5 highways
Pointing to counterterrorism operations, he mentioned, “Whether in the internal dynamics in Syria, the M4 and the M5 highways have always been discussed.”
“In other words, a highway can have such an impact on the politics of a country.”
Türkiye is coping with these roads, however Ankara has already accomplished lots of work, notably on highways, the minister mentioned.
The M4 freeway connects the capital, Damascus, and Aleppo, whereas the M5 freeway hyperlinks the Mediterranean metropolis of Latakia to Aleppo.
The 450-kilometer M5 is a strategic freeway in southern Syria, near the borders with Jordan and Türkiye.
The freeway hyperlinks the nation’s largest provinces: Damascus, Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Idlib.
It was a significant financial route for the nation, notably connecting the commercial hub Aleppo.
The 120-kilometer M4 additionally runs via the M5. Half of the M4 spent a very long time within the struggle zone.
“I can say that we have done a lot of work there and repaired many destroyed bridges,” the Turkish minister underlined.
Importance of Mediterranean
The minister additionally mentioned Syria is 20-30 years behind Türkiye when it comes to communication, noting that cell telephones will not be used at many factors.
Uraloğlu pledged that, “We will make the necessary determinations about these, and we will try to realize them as the ministry, as I said; everything is needed there.”
He mentioned though Syria was not in a position to print its personal cash, Russia has been printing for it.
“Right now, many nations in Africa are in an analogous place; some developed nations are printing their cash. At this level, Türkiye will assist this.”
He acknowledged Syria’s strategic location as a gateway to the Mediterranean however famous that its ports are underdeveloped.
“We will most likely make determined efforts to make specific investments there.”
“Of course, a Maritime Jurisdiction Agreement, probably, so that we can protect our interests in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Blue Homeland; our relevant institutions will take a position there when the day comes.”
Türkiye had beforehand ready an analogous settlement with Libya.
The delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas is important given the presence of hydrocarbon sources within the Eastern Mediterranean, in addition to the presence of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Greece, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek Cypriot administration, along with Türkiye.
Although the TRNC concern stays unresolved, the Greek Cypriots signed maritime boundary agreements with Egypt in 2003, Lebanon in 2007 and Israel in 2010, disregarding the equal rights of the Turkish Cypriots.
The Agreement on the Delimitation of Maritime Jurisdiction within the Mediterranean, signed on Nov. 27, 2019, by Türkiye and Libya, is important as a result of it protects the 2 nations’ rights within the Eastern Mediterranean.
Trade historical past
“In terms of trade,” the minister mentioned, Damascus and Syria have a historical past. “We will do our best to revive it.”
Stating that such an settlement will enhance the effectiveness and competence of each Syria and Türkiye, he mentioned, “At the point of oil and hydrocarbon exploration there, taking into account international law, we will share or expand all kinds of authority as two countries.”
“Of course, to begin with, an authority must be established there. Look, the salaries of the civil servants there must be paid.”
He additionally mentioned there’s a plan for armed teams to put down their arms.
“This will definitely be on the agenda, but it would not be very accurate to say that it is today’s agenda.”
Development Road
Referring to the Iraq-Türkiye Development Road challenge, the minister mentioned, “The first phase of Iraq’s Fav Port will be commissioned in 2025, and port activities will begin.”
The Development Road is a vital commerce route that might join Iraq and Türkiye through railways, roads, ports and cities.
The 1,200-kilometer railway and freeway will join the Great Faw Port, which goals to be the most important port within the Middle East.
With the Iraqi Silk Road, another path to the Suez Canal is being constructed to facilitate quicker and extra environment friendly commerce.
“We can say that the challenge is kind of completed.”
Only negotiations between the regional administration and the central authorities about the place it’s going to cross in northern Iraq are ongoing, he said, including, “We are currently following up.”
The minister defined that the difficulty is being mentioned from administration to financing and operations.
“There are things that need to be done in Türkiye; we are planning them. Approximately 2,092 kilometers of railway will pass through Türkiye,” he mentioned.
Approximately 1,900 kilometers of freeway may even be a part of the challenge, he added.
Source: www.dailysabah.com