TİM President Gültepe in Damascus: “Trade with Syria is Rapidly Reviving”
Minister of Trade Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat and President of the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM), Mustafa Gültepe, held high-level talks in Damascus to discuss Türkiye-Syria trade relations. Speaking at the “Türkiye-Syria Trade Delegation and Bilateral Business Meetings” program in Damascus, Gültepe stated that exports to Syria increased by 51 percent in the first half of 2025 and emphasized that even greater targets will be achieved in the new era of trade.
Minister of Trade Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat and TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe, together with a delegation of businesspeople, conducted a series of official meetings in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
As part of the visit program, the Turkish delegation first met with the Director General of Syrian Land and Sea Ports Authority, Kuteybe Ahmed Bedevi, and his accompanying team, to assess potential collaborations in transportation and logistics. Following this, a meeting was held with Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry, Dr. Nedal Alchaar, during which comprehensive evaluations were made regarding the future of Türkiye-Syria commercial relations.
“Challenging times are behind us”
Following the visits, Chairman Gültepe delivered a speech at the “Türkiye-Syria Trade Delegation and Bilateral Business Meetings” organized by TİM, where he emphasized the historical, cultural, and humanitarian ties shared by the two nations. Noting that Syria had endured a difficult period over the past 15 years, Gültepe said: “Fortunately, those challenging times are largely behind us. I sincerely believe that Syria will recover swiftly and that a full atmosphere of peace will be established in the near future.”
Trade volume is rapidly increasing
Gültepe also shared figures illustrating the trajectory of commercial relations between Türkiye and Syria in recent years. Recalling that the bilateral foreign trade volume was at the level of 1.4 billion dollars in 2008, Gültepe continued: “Between 2015 and 2020, our exports ranged between 1.6 and 1.9 billion dollars. During the period of 2021 to 2023, we surpassed the 2-billion-dollar threshold annually. In 2024, we exported goods worth 2.2 billion dollars to Syria and imported goods worth 438 million dollars. Thus, our trade volume reached 2.6 billion dollars. In the first half of this year alone, our exports surged by 51 percent to 1.5 billion dollars. During the same period, our imports amounted to 129 million dollars.”
“Syria Desk” established
Underlining his belief that commercial relations will progress even more swiftly in the new period, Gültepe announced that a “Syria Desk” has been established within TİM to allow the business community to closely monitor developments in the region. Gültepe stated: “This desk will pave the way for new projects, business opportunities, and joint initiatives based on mutual cooperation. We place great importance on taking concrete steps and increasing engagement in the coming period. We sincerely hope to see the relations between our two countries develop on the basis of strength and mutual benefit. As exporters and industrialists, we are fully prepared to contribute in every possible way to revitalize trade.”
As part of the program, Minister Bolat and Chairman Gültepe, accompanied by representatives from the business world, also visited the 62nd International Damascus Fair. The delegation toured the export unions' booths and received information about the products exhibited at the fair.