Trade between Türkiye and Syria has began the brand new yr on a powerful observe, a senior official mentioned Tuesday, as exports gained tempo following final month’s ouster of longtime dictator Bashar Assad.
Within the primary 25 days of this yr, Türkiye’s exports to Syria’s northern areas rose by 35.5% to $219 million, up from $161 million throughout the identical interval in 2024, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat mentioned.
Türkiye has been the primary backer of the opposition forces that overthrew Assad and has since pledged to assist Syria’s reconstruction and financial revival.
It has been the most important host of Syrians who fled the civil warfare that started in 2011, taking in some 3 million folks, and is the primary entry level for assist.
Since 2016, Türkiye, with its Syrian allies, mounted a number of cross-border navy campaigns in opposition to PKK terrorists that it sees as a risk to its nationwide safety and liberated most of Syria’s northeast.
With its sturdy ties to Syria’s new management, Türkiye stands to profit from intensified commerce and cooperation in areas together with reconstruction, vitality and protection.
Bolat attributed the expansion to the top of the warfare and the institution of a brand new administration in Damascus, which he says is carefully cooperating with Ankara. He mentioned the battle had important impacts reminiscent of migration, terrorism and the interruption of Türkiye’s commerce circulation to the Middle East and the Gulf.
“In the brand new period, there shall be important momentum within the fields of financial system, commerce, funding and reconstruction between Türkiye and Syria,” mentioned Bolat.
The commerce quantity between the 2 international locations stood at $2.3 billion in 2010, in response to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), earlier than the warfare broke out. In 2012, the amount plummeted to $565 million.
It elevated through the years however by no means achieved pre-2011 ranges. Türkiye exported items price round $2.2 billion to northern Syria in 2024, led by gross sales of wheat, iron and metal merchandise, and cement. Imports totaled round $450 million.
On Monday, Bolat introduced that Syria has determined to cut back tariffs on practically 270 merchandise it imports from Türkiye after the 2 international locations agreed to reassess customs duties and held discussions on financial and commerce relations throughout final week’s conferences in Damascus.
These items embrace meals reminiscent of rooster eggs, flour, corn, milk and cream, some iron and metal, and hygiene merchandise.
Earlier this month, stories steered Syria had elevated duties by 300% to 500%, together with on imports from Türkiye, which left kilometers-long truck traces piling up close to border crossings between the 2 nations.
However, the Trade Ministry has mentioned that the newly applied tariff system, efficient as of Jan. 11, was not unique to Turkish items however utilized equally throughout all borders and customs administrations.
Bolat mentioned claims have been fully “ill-intentioned, greedy, deliberate and baseless.”
“Even after the decisions regarding customs duties, our exports between Jan. 11 and Jan. 25 reached $130 million. This figure was only $98 million for the same period in 2024,” he added.
During the civil warfare, Syria had minimal customs duties on meals, building supplies and different necessities because of its wants, Bolat mentioned on Tuesday. The new management made adjustments to six,302 customs tariffs to gather income for public expenditures, he added.
“There have been will increase in some customs duties and reductions in others for exports to northern Syria,” the minister mentioned.
At conferences in Damascus, officers additionally agreed to start out negotiations to re-enact the free commerce settlement (FTA) suspended in 2011.
“We proposed to fully revive it (free trade deal), come together and work on necessary adjustments on a product basis, and they responded positively. So, we have an agreement,” mentioned Bolat.
Source: www.dailysabah.com