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Türkiye's foreign minister said Saturday that international collaboration is proving essential to Syria's recovery efforts, as investment begins trickling back into the war-torn country despite the massive scale of destruction from more than a decade of conflict.
Hakan Fidan told a local television channel that regional nations alongside European and American partners are working together to establish foundations for reconstruction, though formidable obstacles remain across Syria's devastated landscape.
"Investments in Syria are gradually starting to take shape, but the scale of destruction is enormous," Fidan said, noting that returning displaced Syrians require functioning infrastructure and access to essential services.
The foreign minister addressed persistent criticism from Western governments that Syria's current administration lacks comprehensive control over the country's territory. Fidan countered that Türkiye assesses control as largely established, while acknowledging certain areas remain problematic.
He specifically highlighted regions under the SDF, a Kurdish-led military coalition that controls significant territory in northeastern Syria. Fidan said unresolved matters in SDF-held areas must be addressed through the March 10 agreement, which aims to integrate the force into state institutions and prevent additional fighting.
Fidan identified southern Syria as presenting particular dangers to stability efforts. "The south is perhaps our biggest risk area at the moment," he said, explaining that while the situation there remains manageable, Israeli military activity complicates the security environment and demands careful attention.
Israeli forces have conducted frequent and intensive incursions into Syrian territory following the overthrow of longtime leader Bashar Assad in December, according to the foreign minister.
Fidan emphasized Türkiye's active involvement in Syrian reconstruction projects, pointing to the neighboring countries' intertwined geographic and economic relationships. He outlined substantial opportunities for expanded trade, transportation networks and cross-border connectivity between the two nations.
"There is significant potential in terms of trade, transportation and connectivity. But first, stability needs to be restored within the country," Fidan said.
Syria's civil war, which began in 2011, resulted in widespread infrastructure destruction, hundreds of thousands of deaths, and the displacement of millions of people both internally and as refugees in neighboring countries including Türkiye.
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