Syria, Turkey to launch joint cross-border energy projects
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Ministry of Energy announced on Saturday that electricity transmission from Turkey to Syria will soon begin via a 400-kilovolt power line, under the framework of a new bilateral agreement.
The announcement was made by Muhammad al-Bashir, Minister of Energy in the Syrian Transitional Government, during an interview with Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit, which began on May 2.
Al-Bashir also revealed ongoing work on a natural gas pipeline project between Kilis in southern Turkey and Aleppo in northern Syria.
“This pipeline will enable the supply of up to 6 million cubic meters of natural gas per day to Syrian power plants, significantly improving the energy situation in the country,” he said.
He further noted that a second cross-border energy transmission line is also under discussion. Preparations are underway to begin construction in the coming days. The line will connect the Turkish town of Reyhanlı in Hatay province to the Harem region in rural Idlib.
According to al-Bashir, a power conversion station on the Turkish side will facilitate the transmission of approximately 80 megawatts of electricity to northern Syria once the tender process is finalized.
In the mining sector, Al-Bashir stated that cooperation will extend to the exploration and development of mineral resources, including phosphate and lithium.
He also mentioned that Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar raised the issue of offshore natural gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.
A general framework agreement on energy cooperation between Syria and Turkey is expected to be signed soon.