Senior officials from Türkiye and Syria came together at the opening of a fair focused on Syria’s reconstruction. The ceremony was attended by Syrian Minister of Local Administration and Environment Muhammed Ancerani, Tourism Minister Mazen Salhani, Director General of the Syrian Fairs and International Markets Directorate Muhammed Hamza, Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ömer Bulut, and Deputy Head of the Urban Transformation Directorate Savaş Keçeci.
A total of 45 organizations from Türkiye and the Gulf countries opened booths at the fair, which featured various institutions and companies, including the Housing Development Administration of Türkiye (TOKİ). Ömer Bulut toured the Turkish booths and the TOKİ section, receiving information about the projects and ongoing contacts.
Türkiye shares its urban-planning and social-housing experience
Bulut said the fair had been organized with strong participation from both countries and companies. He said holding such an event after the war showed that Syria was looking to the future with hope, adding that the participating Syrian local companies had demonstrated their ability to do business.
Bulut said Syrian companies could become more integrated with the world from now on, noting that Türkiye was one of the countries with which Syria could establish the closest ties. He said several major Turkish private-sector companies were also attending the fair and that Türkiye’s experience in urban renewal and social-housing projects was being shared with the Syrian side.
We shared with our counterparts the experience Türkiye has developed in areas ranging from urban renewal to social-housing projects, including its technical and administrative aspects.
Investment opportunities for Turkish companies
Bulut said Turkish private-sector companies could assess investment opportunities in Syria, adding that talks could be held with Syrian authorities to resolve obstacles facing investments.
Bulut said he believed Syria would recover in terms of reconstruction within a short period and that its cities would be rebuilt in a way that suited their own cultures.
Emphasis on construction-sector workforce
Bulut said Syria had many skilled workers and technical teams capable of working in the construction sector, noting that Aleppo’s stone masons were well known. He said workers had also been brought to Türkiye from Aleppo, adding that establishing partnerships with Syrians could contribute to the country’s reconstruction.
