Despite ongoing war, is trade between Turkey, Syria rebounding?
As the number of Syrian companies set up in Turkey increases, the trade between the two countries is returning to prewar levels.
It is mind-boggling how trade in Syria continues despite the ongoing civil war with massive human and material losses.
Although after the onset of the civil war in 2011 warm relations between Syria and Turkey had come to an abrupt halt, that is about to change. A substantial portion of the more than 2 million refugees are expected to stay in Turkey, even after the war ends. Concurrently, Syrian businessmen are settling down and Syrian-owned or partnership companies prosper.
According to the Commercial Register, published by the Turkish Union of Chambers & Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), up until the end of November 2010 there was no Syrian-owned company operating in Turkey. In December 2010, the first two companies were set up.
Most of the massive waves of refugees pouring into Turkey headed to the provinces of Sanliurfa, Kilis, Gaziantep, Mardin, Kahramanmaras and Adiyaman in southeastern Anatolia and Hatay, Adana and Mersin in the Mediterranean region. Naturally, such a major demographic tremor affects the socio-economic structures of any region.
