Name: Turkeys Gaziantep rebounds after Syria war and earthquake
Uploaded: 2025-12-08T14:20:31.758Z
Duration: 5 min 37 s
Description: Turkey sees major economic opportunities in postwar Syria, with the border city of Gaziantep poised to benefit most. The end of the Syrian war and eased sanctions could revive trade routes and spark a reconstruction boom.

Turkey sees major economic opportunities in postwar Syria, with the border city of Gaziantep poised to benefit most. The end of the Syrian war and eased sanctions could revive trade routes and spark a reconstruction boom.

Gaziantep

Gaziantep, located near the Syrian border, has faced significant economic challenges over the past decade due to the closure of Syrian markets during the civil war and the impact of a major earthquake in 2023. With recent improvements in Syrian stability and economic reforms, Gaziantep businesses are renewing their focus on cross-border trade and construction projects, including large-scale housing developments in Syria.

The return of Syrian refugees from Gaziantep is creating labor shortages in local industries, where Syrians have become a vital part of the workforce. Business leaders in Gaziantep see continued peace and economic reforms in Syria as opportunities for growth, with the potential for increased exports to Arab League countries and reduced production costs.

Turkey's Gaziantep rebounds after Syria war and earthquake

For Turkey's industrial city of Gaziantep, it's been a tough decade. With Syria just 50 kilometers away, the civil war closed one of the city's most lucrative markets. Economic pain compounded by the 2023 earthquake. But Salih Balta, CEO of TUT Global, whose company's interests span from sweep-making to construction to medical supplies, believes the end of Syria's civil war could open a new chapter for Gaziantep businesses. The momentum is gaining traction in Syria. For Gaziantep, historically our neighboring cities were the most valuable export partners in this region. Therefore, we can say that for Gaziantep, Syria is closer to us than our Turkish neighboring provinces. For instance, we can reach the center of Aleppo within an hour or an hour and a half. Balta, who studied at Damascus University, is now a regular visitor to Syria, leading Gaziantep's drive back into the Syrian market. He says Syria is moving to embrace a free market and international investors, allowing 100 percent foreign ownership of companies and land, along with binding legal arbitration. Last month saw the first international transfer of funds using the SWIFT system since Syria's readmittance. Balta's company, with a Syrian partner, is constructing and furnishing 10,000 housing units, drawing on the expertise from the rebuilding of Gaziantep after the devastating 2023 earthquakes in Turkey. The number of Syrians returning is accelerating. The most pressing need in this return process is shelter. The Syrian authorities contacted us to utilize Turkey's experience in fast action engineering and construction. At this point, we're organizing a large-scale effort to bring together successful representatives of the construction sector who served in the earthquake zone with people in Syria. Our goal is to pioneer rapid construction for housing in a similar way in that region. Gaziantep's large haulage industry is also seeing peace dividends. Syria, before the civil war, was not only a market in itself for Turkish goods, but also a transit route to the lucrative Gulf states. The return of the valuable trade was boosted by the new Syrian regime, allowing Turkish drivers to get transit visas at the Syrian border. In the past, the transportation sector, particularly in Gaziantep, relied heavily on shipments to the Middle East. However, the Gulf crisis and the wars in Iraq and Syria have led to a stagnant period in the transportation business. But of course, with the establishment of a new government in Syria, both the volume of business and its potential for haulage are increasing. We plan to increase volume from now on. We have such hope. With peace, Syrian refugees in Turkey are starting to return. According to authorities, around 80,000 have already left Gaziantep, a fifth of those who found refuge in the city. But for many companies in Gaziantep's industrial zone, this poses a problem. Halil Yarbay, the owner of Inca Boya paint company, says that with many Turks reluctant to endure the long hours and difficult conditions, Syrians have become vital to companies like his. And the economic impact of their return is being already felt. If we ask about the percentage of Syrians currently employed here, the response would be somewhere in the range of 50%, 70% or even 100%. Look, in some workshops, almost 100% are Syrians. Whether to stay or return is very much on the minds of Assyrian workers. Ahmed Hach Hussein has been working at this workshop for eight years, and his son Ibrahim started last year. They have different aspirations for the future. I lived in Aleppo for 35 years. I have so many friends I haven't seen for 14 years. I have three sisters there, and I didn't see them either. We can go, but I don't have a house in Aleppo. You need to have money to pay the monthly rent. You need a job, but there is no work. My brother went back to Aleppo, but he says business is still low. He's been waiting for the last four to five months to see if things would work out. I grew up here. This is my second homeland, and I love it very much. Yabai believes economic and security uncertainties in Syria means most of his workers will at least for now stay. But Baltar believes that if peace and stability continue in Syria, many Gaziantep companies will follow their returning workers into Syria. It is logistically very close to Gaziantep, and it offers an opportunity to both produce and export at a cost that can be reduced by up to 35 percent. We don't see Syria as just Syria. Syria is also a member of the Arab League. Under the free trade agreement with 17 Arab countries, that means that all production in Syria can be exported tax-free to all of them. For us, the Gulf countries are a very important market. For Gaziantep and its businesses, their fortunes look set to be increasingly entwined with those of its Syrian neighbour, and its struggle for stability and prosperity.

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