Syrian and Turkish officials are set to discuss trade and investment cooperation in Turkey’s Gaziantep province on Tuesday, June 9, as Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Mohammad Nidal al-Shaar meets Turkish Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat to outline the next phase of economic and trade relations between the two countries.
The meeting comes as part of the “City Economies Summit Gaziantep-Aleppo,” organized by Anadolu Agency in cooperation with the Gaziantep Governor’s Office and the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, with the participation of government officials, private sector representatives, and chambers of commerce and industry from the Syrian and Turkish sides.
Ministerial Meeting to Discuss the Future of Trade
The Syrian and Turkish ministers are scheduled to participate in a session titled “New Horizons for Trade Between Turkey and Syria,” as part of the summit’s activities. The session will address opportunities to develop trade and economic relations between the two countries during the next stage.
According to Anadolu Agency, the meeting falls within efforts to discuss the features of a new stage in trade relations between Damascus and Ankara, with a focus on strengthening trade exchange and joint investments.
Economic Summit Brings Together Aleppo and Gaziantep
The “Gaziantep-Aleppo City Economies Summit” is expected to be held at the Mavera Congress and Arts Center at Gaziantep University, with the participation of business sector representatives from Turkey and Syria.
Anadolu said the summit will discuss the possibility of establishing specially regulated production and trade zones between Gaziantep and Aleppo, allowing for large scale investments that contribute to building an intermediate production system along the border strip between the two countries.
Official Opening With Officials From Both Sides
The summit will open with speeches by Gaziantep Governor Kemal Çeber, Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib, Gaziantep Mayor Fatma Şahin, and Anadolu Agency Board Chairman and Director General Serdar Karagöz.
After the opening, the first session, titled “New Horizons in Trade for Turkey and Syria,” will be held under the moderation of Serhat Akkan, director of Anadolu Agency’s economy and finance news, with the participation of the two ministers, Ömer Bolat and Mohammad Nidal al-Shaar.
Trade and Logistics Relations on the Agenda
Turkey’s ambassador to Damascus, Nuh Yılmaz, will be a guest at a special session during the summit, where he will speak about renewed trade, logistics, and production relations between the two countries, as well as issues of regional economic integration.
Anadolu said the session will address developments related to economic and production cooperation between Syria and Turkey at the current stage.
Businesspeople Discuss Opportunities in the New Stage
The summit will also include a session titled “Opportunities and Potential in the New Stage,” with the participation of Gaziantep Chamber of Industry Chairman Adnan Ünverdi, Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce Chairman Mehmet Tuncay Yıldırım, Aleppo Chamber of Commerce Chairman Mohammad Said Sheikh al-Kar, and Aleppo Chamber of Industry Chairman İmad Taha Al Qasım.
According to Anadolu, the session will discuss the strategic importance of the Gaziantep-Aleppo line in economy and trade, and the opportunities it could provide to stimulate cooperation between economic actors in the two countries.
Production, Exports, and Customs
The summit will conclude with a session titled “A New Stage in Production, Exports, and Customs,” moderated by Anadolu Agency Economic News Director Merve Özlem Çakır.
Participants in the session will include Mustafa Gümüş, director general of customs at the Turkish Ministry of Trade, Cengiz Şimşek, chairman of the board of Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone, and Mete Akcan, coordinator chairman of the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters’ Associations.
Anadolu said the closing session will address production, exports, and customs procedures, along with ways to strengthen industrial and trade cooperation between border regions in the two countries.
The agency sees the summit as a platform bringing together government officials and private sector representatives from Syria and Turkey to discuss opportunities for economic and investment cooperation, with a special focus on trade relations between Aleppo and Gaziantep and potential projects along the border strip between the two countries.
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