Turkey has lifted trade and transit restrictions at its border with Syria, the trade ministry announced, marking a step toward expanding trade following the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
Goods exported, imported, or transited through Syrian border crossings will now be subject to the same conditions as other international shipments. “The existing restriction lists on exports to and transit through Syria via the Turkish Customs Territory have been lifted,” the ministry stated.
Ankara had severed ties with Damascus after the Syrian civil war began in 2011.
Turkey’s steel exports to Syria could rise to 2 mln tons as post-war reconstruction drives demand. Currently, shipments stand at 200,000 tons, but exports could reach 750,000 tons in the second half of the year if regional conditions stabilize, according to Steel Exporters’ Association (CIB) Chairman Adnan Aslan.
