Istanbul Mayor and head of the Union of Turkish Municipalities, Ekrem İmamoğlu, announced that his delegation’s scheduled visit to Syria was canceled by the governor of Damascus. The visit, originally planned for Sunday, January 12, has now been postponed.
Speaking to Turkish journalists on January 10, as reported by the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, İmamoğlu said he received a response from the governor of Damascus stating that the visit would be delayed until after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s upcoming visit to Syria.
According to İmamoğlu, the Syrian authorities had initially confirmed the visit on Thursday, only to cancel it hours later.
“A technical delegation had prepared extensively for this visit,” İmamoğlu noted. “We even submitted a formal request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to inform them of the Union of Turkish Municipalities’ and Istanbul’s intent to visit Damascus and other Syrian cities.”
The Istanbul mayor questioned the rationale behind the cancellation, asking, “What harm is there in holding this meeting before President Erdoğan’s visit? Who would object if we sent construction equipment to Damascus, supported Aleppo, or shared our expertise by establishing an educational center for children?”
He also accused unnamed parties of meddling in the decision to cancel the visit, labeling it as “inappropriate interference.”
Addressing the postponement, İmamoğlu emphasized that conducting preliminary meetings before Erdoğan’s visit could provide Turkey with more comprehensive insights.
As of the publication of this report, the governor of Damascus had not issued any comments regarding the cancellation.
The Union of Turkish Municipalities has repeatedly expressed its desire to participate in Syria’s reconstruction efforts. İmamoğlu, speaking to Turkey’s Sözcü TV on Thursday, reiterated the importance of Syria’s reconstruction for Turkey and revealed that a technical and bureaucratic team was set to visit Damascus.
He confirmed that both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministries of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and Interior had been informed of the visit.
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.
