Türkiye's top energy official on Thursday announced plans to start exporting up to 500 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the northern province of Aleppo, which was held by the Syrian regime for almost a decade before last month's ouster of longtime dictator Bashar Assad.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar also emphasized the need for cooperation with Syria's new government and said he could visit the war-torn nation once his counterpart is named.
Syria's second-largest province, Aleppo had been held by the regime since 2016 before it was captured by opposition forces in late November amid a surprising offensive that ended the 13-year civil war and decades of Assad family's rule on Dec. 8.
The war killed more than half a million people and ravaged the economy of the country, which suffers from severe power shortages, with state-supplied electricity available just two or three hours a day in most areas. The caretaker government says it aims to provide electricity for up to eight hours per day within two months.
Bayraktar described the dire state of Syria's energy infrastructure, stating that in some regions, there is virtually no infrastructure.
"Some regions in Syria are very bad. We cannot even speak of any infrastructure in some areas. Other areas require strengthening and additional investments," he told an interview with private broadcaster CNN Türk. "Capacities are insufficient. People do not have access to electricity for most of the day. Mobile generators are being used," the minister explained.
Türkiye has pledged swift support to help rebuild the country and was the first nation to reopen its embassies in Damascus in the aftermath of Assad's fall.
Two delegations from Türkiye's Energy and Natural Resources Ministry have already visited the Syrian capital, said Bayraktar.
Since 2017, Türkiye has been exporting electricity and fuel to some parts of northern Syria that it cleared from terrorists through four military operations since 2016.
Bayraktar said about 210 MW of electricity have been supplied daily to Afrin, Idlib, and other regions in northern Syria through seven delivery points, distributed locally by firms operating in those areas. Plans are underway to increase this to 300 MW by February, the minister added.
Bayraktar highlighted the urgent need to expand electricity exports to Aleppo and further south. “Aleppo's situation is more critical. One of the necessary actions for this is the lifting of international sanctions on Syria,” he said.
"We can work on exporting up to 500 MW of electricity to Aleppo within the next six months. In this sense, we can alleviate Aleppo's situation," he added.
Earlier this week, Syria said two electricity-generating ships from Türkiye and Qatar were heading to the country to boost energy supplies.
The two ships would provide a total of 800 MW of electricity, around half of the current total output, Khaled Abu Dai, director-general of the national electricity company, told Syrian News Agency (SANA).
The minister underscored that Türkiye is exploring models that do not involve assuming the full cost of Syria's infrastructure rebuilding. He suggested that lifting international sanctions could pave the way for donor conferences and investment opportunities.
"We believe (lifting the sanctions) would be appropriate. In addition, there could be an international donors' conference. We are working on business models. Investments can be made with long-term concessions. I'm talking about a process where the private sector is fully involved," Bayraktar explained.
The U.S. has gradually lifted some penalties since Assad departed Syria for protection in Russia. The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas earlier Friday said the 27-nation bloc could begin lifting sanctions if Syria's new rulers took steps to form an inclusive government that protects minorities.
Bayraktar also mentioned the potential extension of Türkiye’s domestic natural gas network from Kilis province that sits on the border with Syria to Aleppo.
"In the short and medium term, we can transport the natural gas needed for power plants in Aleppo via pipeline. We have natural gas lines in Kilis, and within a year, we can supply the power plants in Aleppo with a pipeline," he said.
Türkiye has been home to nearly 3 million refugees who fled Syria after the start of the civil war in 2011, and Assad's overthrow has raised hopes that many will go back.
More than 50,000 returned home since the fall of the regime, authorities said on Thursday.
