(MENAFN) Türkiye has experienced a significant 60% increase in road freight shipments to Syria during the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period last year. This growth reflects improving conditions in Syria and renewed initiatives to reopen transit routes to the Gulf, according to the head of Türkiye’s international transport association.

Serafettin Aras, chairman of the board at the International Transporters Association (UND), reported that Türkiye completed nearly 113,000 road shipments to Syria from January to May 2025, up from approximately 70,000 in the same months of 2024.

Looking ahead, Aras expressed confidence that the volume of trips between Türkiye and Syria will continue to rise. He added, “I believe that the 50,000 transit numbers to Syria, before 2011, will increase three, four, or fivefold.”

Aras highlighted that Syria and Iraq remain crucial trade partners for Türkiye and emphasized progress made during the recent Global Transportation Corridors Forum in Istanbul. The event gathered ministers and senior officials from nearly 40 countries to discuss transit cooperation.

“Our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also attended the opening ceremony. The importance of Türkiye’s position as a corridor country was once again underlined,” Aras said.

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