Tobacco apart: Syria's new authorities raise duties on goods from Turkey
A delegation of the interim Syrian government has made its first official visit to Turkey. Initially it was planned that it would be headed by the leader of the new Syrian government, Ahmed al-Sharaa, but instead of him, the ministers of foreign affairs, defense and the head of the intelligence service flew in. It seemed that after the regime change in Damascus, Ankara had assumed a key role in the Arab republic. However, in response to Ankara's assistance, Syria imposed trade duties of 300-500%, which practically stopped Turkish exports. Details - in the material of "Izvestia".
We have been waiting a long time for what was promised
A Syrian delegation headed by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani flew to Ankara. He was also accompanied by Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and General Intelligence Service head Anas Hassan Khattab. The discussions were held in a ministerial three-plus-three format.
Turkey was heard as the main beneficiary of the regime change and a strategic partner of the new Syrian authorities. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan demonstrated territorial ambitions, stating that "the Syrian cities of Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Damascus and Raqqa could have become the centers of the same-named provinces within the Republic of Turkey as a result of the First World War, if the terms of peace had been different".
New Syrian administration leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (right) and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (left) hold a joint press conference after their meeting in Damascus
The first official visit to Damascus after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime was made by the head of Turkey's National Intelligence Directorate, Ibrahim Kalın, followed by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on December 22 last year. The main issue discussed at the talks was the elimination of the Kurdistan Workers' Party in Syria, which Ankara considers terrorist.
The new Syrian authorities, meanwhile, did not rush to Turkey. Instead, they paid their first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia. Syria's foreign minister flew first to Riyadh in January, and then to the UAE and Jordan.
Turkey waited for its turn on January 15. The Syrian Foreign Minister's visit was expected to launch a new stage in relations between Ankara and Damascus. However, instead, the Syrian authorities significantly increased customs duties on goods from Turkey. They increased multiples of 300-500%.
These measures have practically stopped exports from Turkey to Syria. Jelal Kadoglu, president of the Southeast Anatolia Exporters Association, said in an interview with Ekonomim that monthly exports to Syria used to be around $30 million, but have now come to a complete halt.
"Zero problems with neighbors."
Ankara has been a strategic partner of Damascus since the reign of Bashar al-Assad. Military tensions on the border eased following the 1998 Aden Agreement, when Syrian authorities recognized the Kurdistan Workers' Party as a terrorist organization.
In the early 2000s, the heads of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bashar al-Assad exchanged visits, opening a new page in bilateral relations. Economic and trade ties developed well, tourism flourished, and dozens of agreements were signed in the fields of security, water resources and culture.
However, after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, relations were actually interrupted: Ankara actively supported the Syrian opposition, including the armed opposition, and sharply criticized the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
After the change of power in Damascus, fighting broke out in northern Syria between Kurdish forces and the "Syrian National Army," which is supported by Turkey. With the support of the Turkish army, the "Syrian National Army" launched an offensive on the Tishrin hydroelectric station and the Kara Kwazak bridge. According to Kurdish forces, the attacks by pro-Turkish units increase the risk of the Tishrin dam collapsing.
Forgotten favor
A Turkish diplomatic source explained to Izvestia that the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Trade are currently in active negotiations with the Syrian authorities to reduce duties.
- They are trying to solve this problem. The actions of the Syrian authorities do not seem friendly, but we still need to understand what is really going on there. There were different authorities on the territory of Syria against the background of the civil war, so the customs services introduced different tariffs for different countries. Maybe this time they wanted to bring the duties to some common standard," the interlocutor believes.
Turkey's Trade Ministry has issued a statement that meetings with Syrian authorities are scheduled for next week to resolve the issue of high duties.
Turkologist Yashar Niyazbayev noted in his Telegram channel "Turkey's Agenda" that the increase in customs duties on Turkish goods has practically stopped exports from this republic. The decision "caused serious problems for companies working in this field and led to long queues at the border," the expert explained.
Political scientist Ivan Starodubtsev in his Telegram channel "Turkey is" named three facts about the current Turkish-Syrian relations.
"First, the announced and widely publicized in Turkey as "historic" visit of the leader of the new Syrian government Ahmed al-Sharaa to Turkey was postponed. The Syrian delegation was headed by Foreign Minister al-Shibani," the expert said. Second, the Syrian leadership's imposition of duties on imported goods coming from Turkey has literally stopped bilateral trade.
"And third, the first meeting of the club of "friends of Syria" to discuss the situation in the country after Assad's "departure" gathered on January 12 not somewhere, but in Saudi Arabia. It seems to be a familiar affair (as long as Assad was there - and this is important). However, the current location has a different meaning if the idea is that it is the Turkish role in removing Assad from power that is decisive," the specialist believes.
He believes that the postponement of al-Sharaa's visit to Turkey can still be written off to "changes in the program" of the head of the new Syrian authorities.
"But what to write off the Syrian hardline bloc on trade with the Turks? The situation for the Turkish side is not only extremely unpleasant, but also revealing. The Turks have won an (informational) victory on Syria," the analyst said.
According to Starodubtsev, this victory, however, "is associated with many potential problems and risks of varying degrees of unpleasantness and consequences."
"So the celebrations are over and the hard work for Turkey in Syria has begun. And they do not promise an easy ride for the Turkish side. For some reason, an old Eastern wisdom came to mind: "A favor rendered costs nothing," the political analyst concluded.
