13 years later, again! Uninterrupted transportation from Türkiye to Syria

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that direct international road transport between Türkiye and Syria has resumed after a 13-year hiatus.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced in a written statement that direct international road transport between Turkey and Syria has resumed after a 13-year hiatus. Minister Uraloğlu stated, "Four trucks from Mersin crossed into Aleppo, and three trucks from Idlib crossed into Mersin through the Cilvegözü Border Gate yesterday." Uraloğlu noted that transportation activities first ground to a halt and then halted completely due to the civil unrest that began in Syria in 2011. He stated, "For years, cargo was being transported through transshipment at the border gate. Following the developments on December 8, 2024, we initiated the process to restart transportation."

Uraloğlu stated that they signed a memorandum of understanding with Syria on land transportation at the Global Transport Corridors Forum held in Istanbul on June 27-29, 2025. He said, "Then, we held a technical meeting at the Cilvegözü Border Gate on July 9. We determined the conditions for passage. Now, we are starting this process on the ground."

"TRANSPORTATION WILL BECOME FASTER AND MORE ECONOMICAL" Minister Uraloğlu stated that with the resumption of transportation, vehicles with Turkish and Syrian license plates will now reach their destinations directly, eliminating the need to transfer cargo at the border. Uraloğlu highlighted the commercial impact of the resumption of transportation, stating, "When we compare August 2024 to August 2025, we saw a 50 percent increase in our transportation to Syria. This trend will continue to increase. With the reopening of the Syria route, transportation from cities like Hatay, Gaziantep, and Mersin to Jordan and Saudi Arabia will become faster. This step will invigorate not only our exporters but also the regional economy."