Ankara- In a move described as paving the new stage of economic openness between Ankara and Damascus, Turkish Minister of Trade Omar Balla made an official visit to the Syrian capital on April 16 and 17, at the head of a high delegation that included representatives of major Turkish commercial federations and institutions.
The visit is the first economic move at this level since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, and it has had a Syrian official welcome expressed by the Minister of Economy and Industry, Mohamed Nidal Al -Shaar, describing the discussions with Balla as “fruitful and reflects the brotherly ties between the two countries,” noting that it “will constitute the beginning of a solid economic partnership that serves the interests of the two peoples.”
For his part, Minister Balla affirmed Ankara’s commitment to support the efforts of economic recovery in Syria, considering that “the stability and unity of Syria is in the interest of Turkey as well,” stressing that rebuilding the Syrian economy represents an essential pillar to confront common challenges, foremost of which is terrorism and the crisis of asylum.
Discussion agreements
The talks of the Turkish delegation in Damascus resulted in an initial compatibility between the two sides to start negotiations aimed at concluding a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, including gradually reducing customs duties, encouraging joint investments, and rehabilitating the affected industrial and infrastructure, according to Turkish Trade Minister Omar Balla.
This trend comes in parallel with the resumption of the debate on the 2007 free trade agreement, which was stretched out with the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011. Official sources confirmed to the two parties that there is a preliminary understanding to expand the scope of the agreement and adapt it to the current economic changes.
The two sides also agreed on a comprehensive review of the investment protection agreements and the prevention of double tax, in a way that paved the way to cancel the work with the 2004 agreement and replace it with a new, more inclusive and modern legal framework.
The talks included executive files on the ground, foremost of which is the facilitation of customs procedures, the establishment of free zones and joint industrial cities, and the development of the transportation and logistical services sector between the two countries. It was also agreed to intensify mutual visits between ministries officials and business departments during the next stage, and to activate communication channels between the chambers of commerce and investor federations with the aim of accelerating the steps of coordination and implementation of projects.
In the context of these understandings, the Syrian government announced the adoption of a new customs system that entered into force on January 11, and included a modification of 6302 customs tariffs related to the land borders with Türkiye and neighboring countries.
It also decided to reduce customs duties on 269 basic Turkish commodities in the fields of food and building materials, in response to a Turkish proposal student to facilitate the entry of biological materials to the Syrian markets to avoid high prices and inflation.
Trade exchange recovery
The trade exchange between Türkiye and Syria continued its upward path, driven by the signs of political breakthrough and the increasing economic coordination between the two countries. Turkish exports to Syria during the year 2024 amounted to about 2.2 billion dollars, while the Syrian imports to the Turkish market did not exceed 450 million dollars, according to the data of the Turkish Ministry of Trade.
At the beginning of the year 2025, the commercial movement witnessed a remarkable acceleration, as Ankara’s exports to northern Syria recorded between 1 and 25 January last of $ 219 million, an increase of 35.5% compared to the same period last year, which was then 161 million dollars.
This continuous growth reflects the aspirations of both sides to raise the ceiling of bilateral trade exchange to 10 billion dollars in the next few years, in conjunction with the launch of reconstruction projects after more than 13 years of war.
The historical comparison shows that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries reached its peak in 2010 by about $ 2.3 billion, before it collapsed to only 565 million dollars in 2012 due to the repercussions of the war and the severing of official relations.
The resumption of transportation
In a new indication of the transformation of the economic relationship between Ankara and Damascus from theoretical coordination to practical application, Türkiye has begun taking concrete measures to facilitate the movement of trade and movement with Syria.
In mid -April, the Turkish Ministry of Trade announced the lifting of the restrictions imposed on the border exchange, to treat the goods to Syria with the same conditions applied in the transit trade with the rest of the neighboring countries, in a move that was considered in preparation for a smooth return to the movement of goods.
On April 21, the ministry issued a new circular that allows the first time since 2011 to cross the Syrian, private and commercial cars to Turkish territory through the official land crossings.
This development came after the meeting of the Turkish Minister of Commerce Omar Balla with the Syrian Minister of Transport, Ya`sar Badr, where it was agreed to accelerate the customs and technical measures in the crossings, and to develop a joint plan to activate the transaction transport through the Syrian territories, in a way that links Türkiye directly to the Arab Gulf and the Middle East markets, and provides alternative paths for traditional international roads.
In conjunction with these land steps, Turkish Airlines announced at the beginning of this year the resumption of flights to Damascus International Airport after a 13 -year break, while talks are being held to connect Syrian ports, especially in Lattakia and Tartous, in Turkish ports on the Mediterranean, in addition to researching the restarting of the parked railways.
New alliance
Economic analyst Mustafa Akoch believes that the economic alliance between Ankara and Damascus is re -established from scratch, not on the basis of the restoration of the past, but rather through a strategic partnership based on integration in reconstruction, energy and transportation, and is based on a political consensus between two allies.
Akoch confirms, in an interview with Al -Jazeera Net, that the political transformation in Syria gave a rare opportunity to establish a common economic structure, noting that Turkey has effective tools to pay reconstruction, but it faces challenges, most notably the weak infrastructure, dependence on external financing and the institutional gap between the two economies.
In the same context, economic researcher Maryam Ouyanik confirms that the Turkish private sector is a candidate to play a pivotal role in reviving the Syrian economy, because of its experience in post -conflict environments, but she stresses – in her talk to Al Jazeera Net – the importance of providing a stable and safe legal environment for investment, ensuring transparency and stimulating capital to enter with confidence and sustainability.
