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Turkey, Syria Expand Energy Cooperation as Power Exports Near 900 MW

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Turkey and Syria are expanding energy cooperation across power, oil, natural gas and mining, with electricity exports set to reach above 800 megawatts, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Wednesday.

Bayraktar met Syrian Energy Minister Muhammed Al-Bashir, with the two sides discussing electricity, mining and phosphate, oil and natural gas, offshore drilling, energy transmission lines and transportation.

The new transmission link will help address Syria's electricity needs and extend daily lighting hours across the country, Bayraktar said.

The minister noted that with the Birecik-Aleppo Line, set to be commissioned in the coming weeks, Turkey will almost triple these exports and reach 800-900 megawatts.

Bayraktar said Turkey and Syria could expand cooperation in oil and natural gas, particularly by developing energy transit routes as the global energy crisis increases the importance of regional supply networks.

"Our companies, especially Turkish Petroleum, are ready for both the Syrian off-shore and on-shore fields," Bayraktar said, adding that Turkish firms could work on producing fields, assets with potential for higher output and areas open to new exploration.

"First of all, we want to work with you to bring these resources of Syria to the economy with different companies through partnerships, with a seismic study, followed by drilling works," Bayraktar said. He added Turkey wants to bring its geothermal expertise to Syria.

Turkey's General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, MTA International Mining and Syria's General Directorate of Geology and Mineral Resources signed a memorandum of understanding to build a strategic mining partnership, including cooperation on phosphate.

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