Fidan’s Damascus Talks Add Political Weight to Türkiye’s Expanding Economic Push in Syria

By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan traveled to Damascus on April 5 for meetings covering reconstruction, security coordination and regional developments, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also present in the Syrian capital during the visit, according to official Turkish and Syrian accounts.

The visit comes as economic and financial coordination between the two countries moves into a more structured phase. As Bosphorus News reported earlier, Syria said it was in the final stage of establishing a correspondent banking relationship with Türkiye while also discussing a possible currency swap, a step that would replace cash-based trade with formal payment channels

That financial opening is unfolding alongside a rapid expansion in trade. Turkish exports to Syria rose by more than 50 percent in 2025, passing the $3 billion mark, underlining the economic weight already building behind the diplomatic track.

The scope of cooperation is also extending beyond trade and finance. As previously reported, Türkiye and Syria are working toward an offshore energy exploration framework, a move that would introduce legal and geopolitical dimensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and add a new layer to bilateral engagement.

These tracks are advancing in parallel rather than in sequence. Diplomatic contact, financial coordination, trade expansion and energy planning are now moving together, supported by direct state involvement on both sides.

Fidan's visit adds political weight to that trajectory. The discussions in Damascus point to a relationship that is no longer limited to normalization or short-term coordination. The direction now reflects a more structured engagement, with Türkiye positioning itself across the channels that will shape how Syria reconnects with regional economic and institutional networks.