Turkey aims to provide power to Syria, collaborate on oil, gas, newspaper says

27/12/2024 16:28

Turkey aims to provide electricity to Syria and strengthen its power infrastructure, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar was quoted on Friday as saying, adding that Ankara may also work with Syria's new leadership on oil and natural gas.



After backing the Syrian rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad this month after a 13-year civil war, Turkey has emerged as one of the main power brokers in its southern neighbour, and has vowed to help rebuild the country.



Ankara was one of the first countries to reopen its embassy in Damascus, while its foreign minister and intelligence chief both met with Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa there.



Bayraktar said a delegation was planning to travel to Syria on Saturday to discuss electricity transmission, infrastructure and other matters.



"We must very rapidly provide electricity to parts of Syria that do not have electricity, with imports in the initial phase. In the medium-term, we also plan to increase the set electricity power, the production capacity there," Hurriyet newspaper cited him as saying.