 to take part in rebuilding Syria after the installation of a friendlier interim administration following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.){kind=link}
İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has announced that the Damascus Governor’s Office accepted an offer from the Union of Municipalities of Turkey (TBB) to take part in rebuilding Syria after the installation of a friendlier interim administration following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.
“Our initiative, facilitated by the Turkish Embassy in Damascus, has been approved by the Damascus Governor’s Office. Very soon, our technical and bureaucratic team will visit the region,” İmamoğlu, who chairs the TBB, told Sözcü TV on Wednesday.
İmamoğlu noted the importance of rebuilding cities in a holistic manner, saying that reconstruction is not just about constructing buildings.
“You cannot rebuild a city just by constructing its buildings. Cities need a soul. Each city has its unique spirit, shaped by different ethnicities and beliefs,” he said.
The mayor said there is a need for peaceful environments for children, such as parks, daycare centers and student dormitories.
İmamoğlu further stated that the TBB aims to provide municipal expertise to a diverse range of Syrian cities, from Latakia, where Alevis are concentrated, to Kurdish-majority areas.
The mayor’s statements follow his announcement in late December that a delegation from the TBB would visit Syria to evaluate the needs of its cities, identify on-site requirements, establish sustainable partnerships and mobilize support from the union’s member municipalities.
The delegation is expected to start its assessment in Damascus and expand its focus to other areas.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmed al-Sharaa previously said in an exclusive interview with Turkey’s pro-government Yeni Şafak daily that Turkey, which had offered refuge to millions of Syrians during the civil war, will have priority over other countries in the reconstruction of Syria.
Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Turkey has become the country hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees, totaling up to 3.6 million.