Syria borders two powerful regional actors. To the north lies Türkiye, with which it shares deep historical ties; from the very onset of the Syrian popular uprising against the Assad regime, Ankara provided support to the Syrians, a stance it has continued to uphold to this day.
To the south, Syria borders Israel, an occupying force in Palestine and the Syrian Golan Heights. Israeli officials have openly lamented the fall of Assad’s regime. In February 2025, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked that Israel did not receive flowers at the fall of Bashar Assad. Worse still, Israel escalated its military operations in Syria, carrying out airstrikes and causing civilian casualties, under the recurring pretext of safeguarding its national security.
Turkish-Syrian relations
There is no doubt that the relationship between Türkiye and Syria is of central importance to both countries, due to their proximity and historical ties. Before the outbreak of the Syrian revolution against the Assad regime, Syrians – like many other Arabs – looked to the Turkish economic model with admiration, nurturing the hope for an economic, social and political renaissance similar to that of their Muslim neighbor.
From the earliest hours of the revolution, Türkiye played a key role in supporting the revolutionaries and hosting millions of civilians displaced by force or fleeing the regime’s repression and bombings. As the Syrian conflict evolved, and while the PKK exploited the chaos to occupy large portions of northern Syria, Türkiye conducted several military operations, thus breaking the group’s expansionist ambitions and establishing military observation posts in the northern part of the country. This policy was perfectly in line with the aspirations of the majority of Syrians, who make no distinction between the YPG/PKK and the terrorist organization Daesh, both of which are accused of sabotaging their revolution.
It is therefore natural that the good relations between Türkiye and Syria continue and strengthen.
The Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan was the first foreign official to visit Damascus on Dec. 22, 2024, where he met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, then head of the transitional Syrian administration. This visit carried a clear message: one of firm support, a desire to consolidate the achievements of the revolution, and a commitment to work for the benefit of Syria and its people. Türkiye’s interest is to see a united Syria, and it perceives no threat in having a militarily and economically strong state on its borders, quite the opposite. In contrast, Israel’s interest is to see Syria fragmented and weakened; it views the emergence of any form of state as a threat to its security –which, it should be noted, has no boundaries.
Commercial, economic co-op
When Qatar was targeted by a regional blockade led by its neighbors and Egypt in 2017, Türkiye distinguished itself by providing historic support. It ensured between 30% and 40% of Qatar’s basic market needs (its exports skyrocketed by 400% to 500%, and more than 197 flights were chartered in the first months of the blockade, according to Turkish statistics).
Syria’s situation today can be compared to Qatar’s in 2017: it needs funding, and in this regard, Arab countries will undoubtedly offer their help. But Syria also requires another type of support, which only Türkiye is capable of providing, primarily due to geographical proximity: concrete economic assistance in the form of machinery, equipment and expertise in agriculture, industry and construction.
Türkiye has demonstrated that it is an alternative market to global supply chains during and after the COVID-19 crisis. Ankara’s policy in Africa, based on the principle of win-win, also illustrates, if we may say so, the “ethics” of trade.
Between 2016 and 2021, annual trade exchanges between Türkiye and northern Syria, held by the opposition, averaged $2 billion.
Since the day of liberation, economic and commercial relations between the two countries have accelerated significantly, opening the door to new cooperation and investment opportunities. On Jan. 23, 2025, a high-level Turkish delegation led by Commerce Deputy Minister Mustafa Tuzcu visited Damascus, where it met with the Syrian minister of Commerce and Consumer Protection.
An agreement was reached to reactivate the free trade agreement between the two countries, suspended since 2011, and to expand cooperation into an integrated economic partnership. It was also decided to support industrial and agricultural sectors, food product exchanges, as well as land and maritime transport. A key aspect of the agreement concerns facilitating Turkish companies’ access to Syria’s reconstruction projects. Several vital projects have already been launched, such as the rehabilitation of Damascus International Airport.
Working together for security
Türkiye is capable of offering Syria something that other neighboring countries, such as Iraq, Lebanon or Jordan, cannot: cooperation to reestablish a secure environment.
Military assistance on the ground can be made possible by its geographical proximity and the already established presence of military observation posts within northern Syria. Additionally, securing its southern border against YPG terrorists is a priority for Ankara, which aligns with Damascus’ interests. The latter has also taken several steps to contain the “Syrian Democratic Forces” and persuade them to abandon their separatist plans.
As soon as the announcement of a Turkish military delegation’s visit to the Syrian air base T4 in Homs was made, some hastily labeled the move as “Turkish occupation.” On the other hand, some Syrian groups did not hesitate to request direct protection from the Israeli occupying state.
Türkiye and Israel are among the top 20 global economies, but where does Syria’s interest lie (with all due reservations regarding this comparison)? With the democratic and sovereign neighbor, or with the occupying power, an ephemeral project? The Syrian revolution has taught us that injustice and arrogance do not endure, and that the people will ultimately prevail, God willing.
Syrians admired the Turkish model and aspired to replicate it in their own country. Even today, they reaffirm this desire: to achieve, through national hands and skills, the well-being of the citizen and the power of the nation, in the image of what Türkiye has accomplished – whether it is called a secular Muslim republic or a Muslim secular republic, it doesn’t matter.