Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Photo: AFP
Syrian PM Naji al-Otari
Photo: AP
Syria, Turkey sign trade treaties
Ankara, Damascus reportedly sign 47 trade agreements meant to boost financial cooperation. Treaties' objective to form regional bloc independent of Western dictates
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart Naji al-Otari signed a series of trade treaties between their respective countries Wednesday.
The treaties were signed at a high council on Syrian-Turkish cooperation meeting. Erdogan said it was " a historic day for Syrian-Turkish relations."
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem said the meeting saw 47 trade agreements signed and Turkish diplomatic sources added a total of 60 deals were struck.
Assad and Erdogan in Damascus (Photo: AP)
"Syrian and Turkey are adamant to increase their mutual trade to $5 billion," Erdogan said.
Current trade between Ankara and Damascus stands at $1.5 billion.
The trade agreements, however, represent only one facet of the tightening relations between the two nations: Syrian President Bashar Assad's communications director, Buthaina Shaaban, told Iran's Arabic-language al-Alam television that the Turkish premier's visit to Damascus was part of the two's efforts to boost ties in order to form a political-economical bloc in the region.
The future bloc is to include Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq. It aims to present a united front against any Western dictates.
"We are working to establish close ties between Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq so these countries can act as one regional bloc in order to promote peace, security and stability in the Middle East, while keeping the West's dictates and lust for the region's natural and oil resources at bay," said Shaaban.
