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Turkey moves into Syria oil and gas sector with exploration plans

thenationalnews.com · 6h · first reportShare

Turkey's state oil company and private firms will start seismic surveys and exploration in Syria, Turkish energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar said, as Damascus seeks to attract foreign capital to its battered energy sector. Turkiye Petrolleri AO (TPAO) has the capacity to start work "immediately" on onshore and offshore blocks, Mr Bayraktar said at a joint press conference in Damascus on Wednesday. He signed a raft of energy agreements with his Syrian counterpart Mohamed Al Bashir. The deals demonstrate Ankara's ambition to become a leading partner in Syria's reconstruction, building on its close ties with the government that replaced Bashar Al Assad. Turkish officials have engaged more extensively with Damascus than any other foreign government since Mr Al Assad's ouster in December 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cultivated close ties with Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara, positioning Ankara as the dominant foreign player in Syria's economic and political transition.