Turkey will fully reopen a land trade corridor through Syria to Jordan and the Gulf by 2026, restoring a key commercial route disrupted for more than a decade by the Syrian war, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported, citing Trade Minister Ömer Bolat.
Speaking in Amman after a meeting of the Turkey-Jordan Joint Economic Commission on Tuesday, Bolat said Turkish trucks already reach Jordan and the Gulf via Syria but noted that work on customs procedures, visa regulations and road rehabilitation is still ongoing. He expressed hope that the corridor would be fully operational next year once those efforts are completed.
The reopening is expected to shorten transit times and lower costs for Turkish exporters to the Middle East. Since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, truck drivers have relied on more expensive sea routes or have transferred cargo to Syrian trucks in buffer zones near the border.
According to industry data, road export trips to Syria rose by nearly 60 percent in the first half of this year, reflecting growing demand for a direct route.
Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Syria’s transitional government has worked to normalize regional trade and reopen major transport corridors, a move analysts say could help reintegrate the country into regional supply chains and support post-conflict recovery.
Bolat described the route linking Turkey with Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf as one of the region’s most vital trade arteries. Reviving both roads and railways to pre-2010 conditions, he said, would significantly boost commerce and regional prosperity.
He added that Turkey and Jordan are coordinating efforts to repair and renew the historic Hejaz Railway, which once connected Damascus to Medina. Bolat said the line is planned to carry both freight and passengers and that technical coordination between the two countries is progressing rapidly.
The minister also said bilateral trade reached $1.1 billion in 2024 and is on track to exceed $1.6 billion this year. He noted that Turkish contractors are being encouraged to take part in Jordan’s $15 billion infrastructure plan and pointed to more than 30 weekly flights between the two countries as evidence of strong and growing economic ties.