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Turkish and Syrian business leaders convened Friday in Aleppo for a Türkiye-Syria Business Forum focusing on construction and building materials, as both countries explore new avenues for economic cooperation and post-war reconstruction, according to Syrian state television Al-Ihbariya.
The forum was organized by Türkiye’s Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MUSIAD) and included delegations of businesspeople from both nations. It aimed to foster dialogue between companies, explore investment opportunities, and advance reconstruction projects in northern Syria.
The gathering comes as part of broader cooperation agreements between the Turkish and Syrian governments, signaling deepening engagement despite years of frozen diplomatic ties.
A similar Türkiye-Syria Business Forum was held earlier in December in Istanbul.
The Aleppo meeting coincided with a key geopolitical development: Syria on Thursday welcomed a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal the Caesar Act sanctions, calling it a major step toward economic normalization.
The vote was included in the $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), passed Wednesday, which outlines Pentagon policies and includes $800 million in assistance to Ukraine alongside the repeal of Caesar sanctions imposed in 2019.
In a statement, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said the move reflected the success of months of “constructive diplomatic engagement” between Damascus and Washington and called it a “pivotal moment” for rebuilding trust and reviving Syria’s war-torn economy.
The statement, attributed to the new Syrian administration under President Ahmad al-Sharaa, emphasized that lifting the sanctions would boost the import of essential goods and medical supplies, while also paving the way for economic recovery and foreign investment.
“The Syrian state will continue working diligently to lift the remaining restrictions in service of the Syrian people,” it said, expressing appreciation to all parties that supported the legislative move and voicing optimism ahead of an expected Senate vote next week.
The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, enacted in 2019, empowered the U.S. to impose economic and travel sanctions on any individual or entity, Syrian or foreign, that supported the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime’s military, intelligence, energy, or aviation sectors.
Its repeal would mark a major shift in U.S. policy toward Syria and could open the door for broader international economic engagement, including reconstruction partnerships like those being discussed between Turkish and Syrian stakeholders.
While the U.S. Senate has yet to vote on the bill, Damascus has hailed the House decision as a turning point, and Turkish-Syrian business forums appear to be accelerating in parallel.
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