An Energy Ministry delegation will visit Syria "soon" to discuss possible energy cooperation including transmitting electricity to ease power shortages, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said late on Monday.

Türkiye has recently reopened its embassy in Damascus and its intelligence chief and foreign minister have met with Syria's new de-facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa following the overthrow of the regime of Bashar Assad earlier this month.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last week said that Ankara would do whatever is "necessary" for the reconstruction of Syria, including improving energy ties.

"A delegation from the Energy Ministry will visit Syria as soon as possible and will conduct examinations on the electricity and energy infrastructure of Syria," Bayraktar told reporters.

The Turkish delegation will also discuss energy cooperation with the new Syrian government and Türkiye's possible assistance on the issue, he said.

The collapse of Syria's Baath regime is considered a new phase for the region, with renewed attention on how Türkiye will shape its energy security policies moving forward.

Several experts have recently highlighted the importance of regional stability and energy geopolitics while stressing Türkiye’s pivotal role in reconstruction efforts in the region.

"The main problem in Syria in the field of energy is the electricity (shortage) at the moment. A formula will be sought (for Türkiye) to provide electricity to Syria," Bayraktar added.

Türkiye currently provides electricity to some parts of northern Syria where since 2016 it conducted four military operations, citing national security threats. It has thousands of troops in the region to push back PKK/YPG terrorists from its borders.

Since Syria’s key oil and gas fields are outside the control of the central government, Damascus had earlier relied on Iran for fuel supplies.

Iran, itself has been facing an energy crisis amid cold weather and sanctions in the recent period, prompting it to save resources and close schools and offices last week, despite having its vast natural gas and oil reserves.

Reconstruction efforts

"Türkiye could step in and provide fuel to Syria. Ankara's influence with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the anti-regime forces in their march to Damascus, it will likely be involved in the reconstruction effort and have political sway with the new leadership," Kate Dourian, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, told Anadolu Agency (AA) last week.

Stating that hydrocarbon production had accounted for around a quarter of Syria's revenues before the civil war, Dourian emphasized that the region's energy output suffered a severe blow when Daesh, followed by the PKK/YPG terrorist organization, operating under the name Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), seized control of key oil fields.

"There is an opportunity for Turkish energy companies to step in and revive oil and gas production, which would generate revenues to help with the reconstruction effort," Dourian underlined.

"However, this will require a political settlement that is inclusive and a stable government that can negotiate with foreign partners, which will take time," she said.

Türkiye is in a broader sense expected to play a key role in rebuilding Syria's economy, analysts opined while industry representatives highlighted opportunities for increased trade cooperation, particularly in areas such as agriculture, construction and energy.

The shares of major Turkish construction companies rallied sharply in the first days after the fall of Assad and some business associations have also expressed cautious optimism regarding potential commercial relations in Syria if the situation stabilizes.

However, years of civil war under Assad left Syria under sanctions and rebuilding Syria post-regime will also require international aid and a reassessment of these sanctions.

At the same time, the question and discussions about reviving the "Qatar-Türkiye Natural Gas Pipeline," which was shelved in 2009, have also resurfaced following the fall of Assad on Dec. 8.