A Turkish newspaper published a report confirming that the value of the investment by Syrian businessmen in Turkey could soon exceed $10 billion.
“Syrian businessmen supported Turkey’s exports last year, with more than $3 billion,” the newspaper quoted Abdel Ghafour Saleh Asfour, from an association with mostly Syrian members, as saying.
“Syrian businessmen have exported their goods to more than 50 countries because of their relations with European and Asian countries, especially Arab countries, and plan to raise their total export value to $10 billion in the coming years,” Asfour said. He noted that there are 3,000 Syrian entrepreneurs registered with the Chamber of Commerce in Gaziantep province alone, as well as 101 companies registered in the Chamber of Industry and 1,445 companies registered with the Association of Southeast Anatolian Exporters.
Read Also: As Part of Turkification Policy, Turkey Opens Academy in Northern Syria
“Syrian businesses not only drive exports, but they also create hundreds of jobs for Turks,” he said, adding: “Syrian projects and companies create between 450,000 and 500,000 jobs throughout Turkey, a large number of which employ Turks.”
Asfour said that Syrians are trying to create added value with thousands of companies in the textile, plastic, footwear, slippers, carpets, and logistics sectors, especially in the cities of Gaziantep, Urfa, Mersin, Istanbul, Kilis, and Adana.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is constantly pressuring the European Union (EU) with the Syrian refugee issue, in order to extract more financial assistance for Turkey. In December, the EU announced that it would allocate 560 million euros to the Syrian refugee support program in Turkey.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
