ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Trade between Turkey and Syria has increased by 60 percent since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December, the head of Ankara’s mission in Damascus told Rudaw on Friday.
Relations between the neighbouring countries are developing in all fields, Burhan Koroglu, Turkey's Damascus chargé d'affaires, said on the sidelines of an international fair in the Syrian capital.
"We are now in a new phase of Syria's history, the new Syria, which needs development in all fields, such as reconstruction and industries. As a neighboring and sister country to Syria, we want to contribute to the country's new beginning and join hands with our Syrian brothers to develop these industries together," he said, adding that the volume of trade between the two has increased by nearly 60 percent in the past half a year.
The fair features Turkish companies specializing in textile supplies and machinery.
One Syrian business owner told Rudaw that his company trades in “all cotton fabrics, in which Syria was previously a leader. We specialize in all types."
Damascus has hosted several business and industry exhibitions as the country looks to revive its economy after years of dictatorship, conflict, and international sanctions.
