Türkiye, Syria to resume direct road transport under new deal

Turkiye and Syria have inked a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) on international road transport, paving the way for the resumption of direct land transportation between the two countries, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said Saturday. Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) during the Global Transport Connectivity Forum in Istanbul, Uraloglu said the agreement revives the 2004 International Road Transport Agreement between the two countries. Trucks will now be able to cross the border without transferring goods to another vehicle, making trade faster, easier and cheaper, according to the agreement.

"Cargo transfer at border crossings will end, allowing goods to be transported directly between Turkiye and Syria without the need for transshipment," he said. Uraloglu said the two countries also agreed to initiate transit transport operations, enabling direct overland access from Turkiye to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and other Gulf countries. Turkish and Syrian officials will also cooperate in various areas of passenger and freight transport, including holding mutual training programs, he said.

The resumption of transport between Turkiye and Syria will not only strengthen both countries' positions in regional trade between Europe and Asia but also help integrate the Middle Corridor with Gulf nations, Uraloglu added.

Following the fall of Syria's decades-long Assad regime last December, a transitional government took power this January, helping enable stronger ties with both its regional neighbors and countries worldwide.