Syria: Türkiye's Energy Minister Bayraktar meets Syrian counterpart in Damascus.

SHOTLIST: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (AUG. 19, 2026) 1. TÜRKİYE'S ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES MINISTER ALPARSLAN BAYRAKTAR AND SYRIAN ENERGY MINISTER MOHAMMED AL-BASHIR SHAKING HANDS / BAYRAKTAR AND AL-BASHIR POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS 2. VARIOUS OF BAYRAKTAR, AL-BASHIR AND DELEGATIONS HOLDING MEETINGDAMASCUS, SYRIA - AUG. 19: Türkiye's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar met Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir in Damascus on Wednesday, Aug. 19, as part of his official visit to Syria. Türkiye and Syria signed Wednesday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on phosphate, opening the way for joint mining and transport projects as the two countries expand cooperation in energy and infrastructure. The MoU was signed between MTA IC, an affiliate Türkiye's General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA), and Syria's General Directorate of Geology and Mineral Resources, in Damascus. The phosphate agreement is part of a broder effort by both countries to build economic and energy ties as Syria rebuilds its infrastructure. Ankara and Damascus are also working on electricity transmission, oil and natural gas projects, and renewables. Through this initiative, Syria could gain investment, infrastructure and technical expertise needed for reconstruction. Speaking at a joint press conference following the signing, Türkiye's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the agreement would expand bilateral energy and mining cooperation to phosphate resources. Bayraktar said the two sides aim to move toward a commercial agreement and develop a project covering phosphate production, phosphate field development and construction of a railway linking the fields to a port. - Turkish companies to continue investments in Syria Turkish companies will also continue to invest in Syria's electricity generation and transmission infrastructure, supporting the country's reconstruction efforts, Bayraktar said. The Birecik-Aleppo line, with a capacity of around 500 megawatts, is expected to enable Türkiye to nearly triple its electricity exports to Syria to around 900 megawatts. Bayraktar said the line is expected to be commissioned "in the coming weeks." Both countries have been physically interconnected through the Birecik-Aleppo link for years, but its operation has been hampered by differences in grid configurations and damage to Syrian infrastructure. Bayraktar also called for more Turkish companies to participate in Syrian infrastructure projects, citing thier expertise in pipelines, electricity transmission lines, storage facilities and tanks. - Cooperation potential in oil, gas On oil and natural gas cooperation, Bayraktar said there is significant potential, including in Syria's offshore and onshore fields, existing producing fields and areas with potential for new discoveries. "Our companies, particularly TPAO, are ready for this," he said, adding that Türkiye aims to conduct seismic surveys and drilling and develop projects through partnerships with Turkish and international companies. On geothermal energy, Bayraktar said Türkiye, which has the world's fourth-largest installed geothermal capacity, was ready to share its expertise with Syria. "I believe this will make a very important contribution to Syria's reconstruction and development and to maintaining stability in the region," he said. - Syria seeks broader mining cooperation Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir said the two countries aim to develop cooperation in energy and mining. Al-Bashir said a new transmission line is planned to be commissioned by the end of September and will provide around 500 megawatts of additional electricity to Aleppo and surrounding areas, contributing to more stable energy supplies and improved public services. He said the phosphate MoU would form the basis for further mining cooperation, including establishing sulfuric and phosphoric acid production facilities, rehabilitating the phosphate transport fleet and importing phosphate.