GAZIANTEP, Türkiye/ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s exports to Syria surged 69.9% year-on-year to $2.5 billion, following the end of the 61-year Baath Party regime in 2024, according to data from the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM).

The highest exports were seen in the cereals, legumes, oilseeds, and related products sector, which rose 35.4% to $700 million.

Chemical and chemical product exports surged 78.6% to $299 million, while electrical and electronics exports climbed 61% to $224.3 million.

The southeastern Turkish province of Gaziantep exported the most goods, worth $652.9 million, up 35.7%.

Istanbul came second with $381.9 million, followed by Ankara $281.7 million.

Celal Kadooglu, head of TIM’s Syria desk and chair of Southeastern Anatolia Cereals Exporters’ Association, told Anadolu that the rise in Turkish exports to Syria was the result of systematic work.

Kadooglu said Türkiye-Syria trade relations were based on a more predictable, institutional, and sustainable base in 2025.

“We addressed the needs of our exporters with relevant public authorities and maintained contact, found solutions, and got results throughout the year,” he said. “The export level we reached is the concrete outcome of this approach, showing that the Syrian market extends beyond the bordering provinces to include different production hubs in Türkiye.”

“As investments in the region rise, mutual trust and predictability become stronger, directly showing in the volume and the quality of trade relations,” he added.

Kadooglu said stability in the Middle East allowed for economic relations to be based on healthier and more long-term foundation, adding that Syria’s reintegration into regional trade networks boosts its bilateral trade with Türkiye and strengthens a broader trade route spanning across the Middle East, Africa, and the Gulf markets.