Raqqa, May 20 (SANA) Raqqa Governor Abdul Rahman Salama met on Wednesday with a Turkish delegation from Şanlıurfa Province to discuss prospects for partnership in reconstruction, investment, infrastructure, and industry.
The meeting reflects a new orientation toward boosting economic and service cooperation between the two sides.
Members of the Turkish delegation affirmed their readiness to provide technical and engineering support to Raqqa, contributing to reconstruction projects and improving the service and economic reality. They stressed the importance of building genuine partnerships to revitalize productive and service sectors in the governorate.
Governor Salama expressed appreciation for the support provided by Şanlıurfa Province and the Republic of Türkiye to the Tel Abyad area over the past seven years. He noted that Raqqa is working under a five-year development vision aimed at rebuilding the city, upgrading infrastructure, and enhancing economic and investment opportunities.
Industrial Cities Along the Euphrates River
The governor outlined plans for establishing a new industrial city covering five square kilometres, alongside a tourism and leisure city on the banks of the Euphrates River spanning 1.5 square kilometres. He also highlighted projects in agro-industrial processing designed to transform Raqqa into an active economic and investment hub.
Salama called on Turkish investors to invest in Raqqa Governorate and contribute to its reconstruction, stressing that the governorate is working in cooperation with the relevant authorities to remove obstacles to investment projects and provide the necessary facilities in order to achieve the interests of the two peoples and countries.
Technical Expertise for Raqqa
Nebi Bayram, deputy chairman of the industrial zone administration in Şanlıurfa, said during the meeting that the industrial city includes 25 factories owned by Syrian investors, noting that their presence had contributed significantly to industrial activity in the area.
Bayram called for reducing customs tariffs between the two sides to support trade exchange and open new economic opportunities between Syria and Türkiye.
He affirmed the Turkish side’s readiness to provide technical expertise and services to support the industrial sector in Raqqa province and transfer the experience of Turkish industrial cities in a way that could accelerate economic development and create new job opportunities.
Raqqa Governorate Secretary-General Shahoud Abdul Aziz said the city had suffered extensive infrastructure destruction as a result of the war, in addition to major challenges linked to the spread of war tunnels in several areas, which continue to hinder the implementation of many service projects.
Abdul Aziz expressed the province’s aspiration to establish strategic partnerships with the Turkish side in the sanitation, waste management, water treatment and solid waste sectors.
Real Estate Development Projects in Raqqa
Raqqa City Council Head Abdul Rahman al-Hassan said the council was seeking to strengthen cooperation with the Turkish side in municipal services and project management.
He said the council had prepared an integrated package of projects related to infrastructure, lighting, roads, parks and sewage systems, with implementation expected to begin in the coming days.
Al-Hassan added that the city council was also working to develop the real estate investment sector in Raqqa in a way that would improve urban and service conditions and create a more suitable environment for investment and reconstruction.
Boosting Social and Economic Ties
The Turkish delegation pointed to the social and historical ties linking the Syrian and Turkish peoples, saying there were strong similarities between Raqqa province and Şanlıurfa province in social and economic terms.
Delegation members also praised the role of Syrians living in Türkiye during recent years, particularly in the agricultural, commercial and industrial sectors, saying Syrians had made an important contribution to Turkish society and supported economic activity in several sectors.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides stressed the importance of maintaining coordination and joint cooperation during the next phase, saying the reconstruction of Raqqa required combined efforts and an exchange of expertise to support a new phase of economic and service-sector development in the province and enhance investment and partnership opportunities between the Syrian and Turkish sides.
MHD
