Turkey says work advances on opening border crossing with NE Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat on Wednesday said work is progressing rapidly to open the Qamishli-Nusaybin border crossing between Syria and Turkey in northeastern Syria.
Bolat said trade and passenger traffic through existing border crossings between the two countries continues without interruption.
He made the remarks during a meeting in Ankara titled “Free Trade and Industrial Zones in Syria and Investment Environment,” attended by Qutaiba Ahmad Badawi, head of Syria’s General Authority for Land and Sea Ports, and Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, president of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency.
Bolat said bilateral trade reached about $3.75 billion last year, marking an increase of more than 40 percent, adding that both countries are working to raise the figure to $10 billion.
Separately, Syria’s General Authority for Ports and Customs said on its Telegram channel that Syrian and Turkish officials discussed ways to strengthen economic and trade relations and advance them in line with the two countries’ capabilities and shared interests.
The authority said the talks covered mechanisms to increase bilateral trade, facilitate the movement of goods and trucks through border crossings, improve transit operations and address challenges facing traders, importers and exporters. The discussions also explored cooperation in transport, logistics, free zones and dry ports.
The two sides also stressed the importance of continued coordination between relevant institutions, simplifying customs and administrative procedures and accelerating trade flows to strengthen Syria’s and Turkey’s roles in regional trade and transport routes while improving links between Arab, Turkish and European markets.