Türkiye and Syria
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Damascus in September 2026 and held contacts with the president and Syrian officials responsible for Foreign Affairs and the Interior. The agenda also included the Syrian Turkmen Council and visits to historical and religious sites in the capital.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08Bilateral context
The official Turkish account documents Hakan Fidan's visit to Damascus on 13 and 14 September 2026.
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, goods trade between Türkiye and Syria totalled 3,728.7 million current USD.
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, mineral fuels and oils stands out in shipments from Türkiye to Syria, at 212.7 million USD in 2025.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 3,728.73 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Türkiye to Syria | 3,493.63 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Syria to Türkiye | 235.11 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Türkiye to Syria | 1.28 % | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Export share: Syria to Türkiye | ||
| Investment stock: Türkiye in Syria | ||
| Investment stock: Syria in Türkiye |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter TUR. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Türkiye to Syria
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter TUR. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Syria to Türkiye
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter TUR. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Export share: Türkiye to Syria
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Exports to the partner / worldwide exports by the same reporter; same year and coverage.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | Türkiye | Syria |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 1.6 trillion USD2025 · WB | |
| GDP per capita | 18,599.44 USD2025 · WB | |
| GDP growth | 3.6 %2025 · WB | |
| Policy interest rate | 37 %2026-09-10 · TCMB | |
| Inflation · annual average | 34.88 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 29.73 %Headline CPI · 2026-09 · year-on-year · TCMB / TURKSTAT | |
| Unemployment | 8.52 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 13.57 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 23.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -0.77 %2024 · WB | |
| Population | 85,878,5562025 · WB | 25,620,4272025 · WB |
| Area | 785,350 km²2023 · WB | 185,180 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDTürkiye: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personTürkiye: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Türkiye: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Türkiye: 2026-09-10 · One-week repo auction rate · TCMB · Official central-bank decision; not a commercial lending rate or a bill yield.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Türkiye: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedTürkiye: 2026-09 · National headline CPI, change from the same month of the previous year · TCMB / TURKSTAT · Official monthly data. Not mixed with the annual average. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionTürkiye: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Syria: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Türkiye: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Türkiye: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPTürkiye: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Population
- PeopleTürkiye: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Syria: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceTürkiye: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Syria: 2023 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Türkiye to Syria
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 212.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Vehicles and components | 198.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 142 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 133.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Meat and edible offal | 90.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Dairy products, eggs and honey | 35.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 26.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Metal ores | 0.0281 M USD2025 · Source |
Syria to Türkiye
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical products | 1.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 0.0666 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 0.0486 M USD2025 · Source |
| Meat and edible offal | 0.0338 M USD2025 · Source |
| Vehicles and components | 0.000023 M USD2025 · Source |
How trade has changed
Billions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | Türkiye to Syria | Syria to Türkiye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,295.4 | 2,108.3 | 187.1 |
| 2022 | 2,468.7 | 2,234.1 | 234.6 |
| 2023 | 2,415.3 | 2,051.8 | 363.5 |
| 2024 | 2,620.4 | 2,182.8 | 437.6 |
| 2025 | 3,728.7 | 3,493.6 | 235.1 |
Connections between people
Fidan met Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and was received by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Türkiye living in Syria | ||
| Residents from Syria living in Türkiye | ||
| Study and training: Türkiye in Syria | ||
| Study and training: Syria in Türkiye | ||
| Academic stays: Türkiye in Syria | ||
| Academic stays: Syria in Türkiye | ||
| Travel: Türkiye to Syria | ||
| Travel: Syria to Türkiye |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Bilateral context
The official Turkish account documents Hakan Fidan's visit to Damascus on 13 and 14 September 2026. Fidan met Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and was received by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. [1]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Cooperation and bilateral issues
He also participated in a meeting with Interior Minister Anas Khattab and maintained contact with Abdurrahman Mustafa of the Syrian Turkmen Council. The programme included the Umayyad Mosque, the Suleiman Mosque, sites associated with Ibn Arabi and Saladin, and the Turkish aviators' cemetery. The communication documents these political contacts and the visit's historical component, but does not announce signed treaties, new funded projects or specific negotiating outcomes. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (Türkiye and Syria) totalled 3,728.7 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 3,493.6 million; those in the opposite direction, 235.1 million. The difference between the two flows was 3,258.5 million, in favour of Türkiye. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from Türkiye to the partner represented 1.28% of its worldwide goods exports in 2025. The share compares the same reporter, year and coverage. It measures export concentration, not the percentage of GDP dependent on this relationship. A partner may be important in a specific sector even if its share of total goods trade is small. [2]
Five years of trade trends
The consistent series shows 2,295.4 million USD in 2021 and 3,728.7 million in 2025. The change between the two endpoints was +62.4 % in current dollars. The highest annual value in the period was recorded in 2025, at 3,728.7 million. The chart allows the two directions to be compared to see whether they moved together or differently. The change combines quantities, prices and exchange rates; it is not automatically attributed to a treaty, a visit or a political decision. The same reporter is retained and missing years are not interpolated. [3]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, mineral fuels and oils stands out in shipments from Türkiye to Syria, at 212.7 million USD in 2025. Within the selected chapters, pharmaceutical products stands out in shipments from Syria to Türkiye, at 1.1 million USD in 2025. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [4]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — TUR-SYR
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Trade series 2021–2025
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade
2026-10-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-08 · Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record.