A delegation from Turkey’s energy ministry headed to Syria on Saturday to help Syria restore electrical power service following years of civil war and the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, Agence France-Presse reported.
“A team from our energy ministry is on the way to Damascus,” Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar told a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party in the central Anatolian province of Nevşehir.
“We will identify Syria’s infrastructure, energy and electricity needs and will do our best to ensure [Syrians] can access these essential services,” he said.
Turkey is home to more than three million refugees who fled Syria after the start of the civil war in 2011. Assad’s overthrow has raised hopes that many will go back.
Turkish officials said nearly 31,000 Syrians had returned home since Assad’s ousting on December 8.
“We hosted our Syrian brothers and sisters. Turkey was on the right side of history,” Bayraktar said.
“There was a fire in our neighbor’s house… Now, God willing, we will do our best as Turkey to rebuild our neighbor’s house,” he added.
The minister said there was a lot to do in the war-torn country.
“It is very important to get Syria back on its feet.”