Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar declared plans to increase energy exports to Syria to restore its electricity supply as the country continues to recover from years of conflict.
The minister stated on Thursday that Turkey has agreed to supply Syria with 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually while speaking at a joint press conference in Damascus alongside his Syrian counterpart, Mohammad Al Bashir. Bayraktar also confirmed the signing of a cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing energy collaboration between the two nations.
“We want to triple our current electricity exports to meet Syria’s electricity needs and realize an electricity export of approximately 1,000 megawatts in the coming months,” said Bayraktar. He mentioned that the energy exports would boost Syria’s electricity production by approximately 1,200 to 1,300 megawatts.
Mohammad Al Bashir noted that the two sides agreed to activate a gas pipeline from Turkey to Syria in June. Earlier this month, the ministers confirmed a deal for Turkey to supply Syria with six million cubic meters of natural gas per day through a pipeline running from Kilis in southern Turkey to Aleppo in northern Syria.
The cooperation also allows Turkish companies to invest in Syria’s mining, phosphate, electricity generation, and distribution industries.
The energy supplies will extend Syria’s electricity availability to up to 12 hours per day while both sides plan to explore natural resources to support reconstruction efforts.
Syria is working to attract investments, especially after the United States and the European Union decided to lift economic sanctions this month. Meanwhile, in March, Qatar revealed that it had started financing gas shipments to Syria from Jordan, a step intended to alleviate electricity shortages and support infrastructure development.
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