Turkey's big Syria play: Rebuild, but only if Gulf can pay for it
As sanctions on Syria ease, Turkey is hoping to turn economic engagement into regional influence and encourage refugee returns.
As Western powers begin to lift sanctions on Syria, Turkey is positioning itself as a key player in the country’s reconstruction, betting that economic revival next door will ease domestic pressures and bolster regional influence.
With years of experience managing reconstruction in Syrian regions under its military control, Ankara is now seeking to scale up its efforts across the country. Turkish officials and business leaders are mobilizing plans to direct investment and trade into war-torn sectors like energy, water, housing and infrastructure. But Turkey lacks the financial muscle to go it alone, making international partnerships, particularly with Gulf states and potentially Europe, critical to Ankara’s ambitions.
Following President Donald Trump's announcement to lift sanctions on Syria and his meeting with Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on May 14, Tom Barrack — who wears the dual hats of US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria — announced on Thursday a $7 billion energy deal in Damascus involving the United States, Turkey and Qatar.
Reconstruction blueprint
