The seven-year war in Syria has dealt a heavy economic blow to Turkish border provinces, but, as wars often do, it has created its own economy and traders. Since 2013, when rebel groups seized control of border crossings on the Syrian side, Turkish exports have perked up, benefiting also from Turkey's military intervention in northern Syria.
After the eruption of the war, bilateral trade hit its lowest point in 2012, when Turkey's exports plunged to $501 million and its imports from Syria went down to $67 million. In 2010, when the ties still flourished, Turkey's exports had stood at some $1.85 billion, while its imports were worth $663 million. Last year, Turkish exports to Syria reached nearly $1.4 billion, while imports from Syria, which are subject to official permission, amounted to only $71 million. The export average of the past three years — $1.3 billion — points to a notable revival in Turkish sales to Syria, though without a corresponding increase in imports, whose average remains at no more than $70 million.
