Türkiye is planning to conduct a flight to Syria's Damascus in the coming days, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on Thursday.
"We are planning a flight from Türkiye (to Damascus) in the coming days ... When the connection from Damascus to Istanbul is established, we will have solved a great need. Our efforts continue on this issue," Uraloğlu said.
In an interview with broadcaster NTV, the minister said the initial flights would be visually guided due to a lack of technology but regular flights connecting Istanbul to Damascus are planned after the radar system is operational at the airport.
Without providing an exact timeframe for regular flights, he said that likely it would not take more than three or four months, suggesting willingness in this direction.
"Let there be continuity here as much as possible. We can, of course, try it in the first stage, but our aim is to bring continuity," he noted.
Earlier this week, the first international commercial flight took place in Syria following the fall of the regime of Bashar Assad as Qatar Airways landed at Damascus International Airport.
Qatar Airways announced last week that it would operate three weekly flights to Damascus starting on Tuesday.
On the other hand, Ashhad al-Salibi, the head of Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, announced Tuesday that commercial flights between Syria and Türkiye are set to resume within a week.
Al-Salibi revealed that Syria has submitted a consent letter to Türkiye’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation and anticipates a response within two days.
Türkiye has offered assistance to its southern neighbor, preparing an action plan to help repair and rebuild Syria’s war-damaged infrastructure, including airports, bridges, roads and railways, Uraloğlu said last month.
On Thursday, he recalled that a Turkish inspection team recently evaluated Syria’s airports and found no functional radar systems. He also pointed to issues such as X-ray screening and baggage control and highlighted security concerns and the importance of ensuring security and stability.
The Turkish government and the business world also held talks earlier this week to exchange views on ways to help Syria’s reconstruction and economic revival following the ouster of Assad a month ago.
The main agenda of the meeting in Ankara on Tuesday centered on "what our business world and our country can do in the reconstruction, development, and strengthening of the economy and trade of the brother country Syria in the new era," the Trade Ministry said in a statement.
Türkiye is expected to play a pivotal role in the reconstruction of its war-torn neighbor, including in areas such as construction, logistics and infrastructure development.
Syria's economy has been marred by more than a decade of civil war and broad sanctions that have severed it from the global financial system. The World Bank reclassified Syria as a low-income country in 2018, and more than 90% of the 23 million Syrians live below the poverty line, according to U.N. agencies.
At the same time, in the interview with NTV, Uraloğlu also provided insights on other topics related to infrastructure and telecommunications, suggesting that tenders for 5G in the country are expected this year and that they hoped to receive the first signal in 2026.
The minister also suggested the prevalent and very active use of social media platforms among users in Türkiye for different purposes, from informational to online shopping, but highlighting the importance of responsibility and regulation in this sphere.
The minister also referred to the debate related to the use of social media among children, which has growing concerns about certain negative impacts, citing ongoing global talks in this regard.
"There is a debate in the world about whether it should be 13 or 16 years old. We also talk with our ministries, Family Ministry, Justice Ministry and Interior Ministry," he said.
Moreover, he suggested that this year, the party group and commissions in the Turkish Parliament could discuss this issue and bring it to the agenda.
"We want to bring a protective reflex for our children and youth there. We want to make a regulation. Our opinion is that the age is 16. The final decision will, of course, be made by Parliament," the minister noted.
