With the collapse of the 61-year Baath regime in Syria, a new process has begun in the region, and the Turkish textile and retail industry has announced that it aims to contribute to employment and production in the country. Industry representatives emphasised that Türkiye is one of the countries that will contribute the most to the reconstruction of Syria. Ahmet Öksüz, Chairman of the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (İTHİB), said in his statement to AA that there are great opportunities for Türkiye in Syria, and that production in Syria would be beneficial for Turkish textile manufacturers in the face of increasing costs and labour shortages.
Öksüz reminded that there is a significant Syrian population in Türkiye, especially when evaluated in terms of labour force, saying: “They were working in many areas. Now that they have returned to their country, it will be in our best interest to establish some production facilities there.” Öksüz pointed out that prices are much more affordable in on-site production and that regions in Syria, especially those close to Türkiye, could be a production base for the country.
“It would be a great advantage if production is in Syria instead of Egypt”
Ahmet Öksüz stated that the industry has recently focused on production in Egypt; “It would be a great advantage if this happens in Syria instead of Egypt. Because, right now, in Türkiye, we are having problems both in finding labour and in terms of costs. I am talking about labour-intensive industries in particular. I think there could be great opportunities here if we can evaluate this,” he said. He indicated that employment could be provided in the region, and noted the following:
“Why should not we provide job opportunities to Syrians there? Why don’t we go to Syria instead of Egypt? Syria is also very advantageous logistically due to its proximity to Türkiye. If we can start production in labour-intensive industries in the region close to Türkiye on the Syrian side, Türkiye will turn this into an advantage. In the coming period, it will become even more difficult to find labour in Türkiye. Costs will increase even more. We can at least tolerate this. This would be very beneficial both in terms of the employment of Syrians and in terms of contributing to Türkiye’s production.”
“The Turkish retail industry can take its place in the region with its dealerships”
Sinan Öncel, the President of the United Brands Association (BMD), also stated that the normalization process in Syria could take a long time, saying: “If the normalization process is realized, cooperation opportunities will definitely be carried out with our southern neighbour within the framework of Türkiye’s security. Right now, everything is in a process of settling down with some developments”. Öncel relayed that he thinks the Turkish retail industry will also be present in the region with its dealerships after normalization begins, and noted that this could also take time.
“While there was a lot of work in the sector, our Syrian neighbours contributed to employment significantly”
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) Garment and Apparel İndustry Assembly President Şeref Fayat also explained that the apparel industry has become expensive in exports and the domestic market due to the increase in costs. Relaying that Syrians created significant employment during the period when work was intense in the industry, Fayat said: “Therefore, it will not be a big problem since it coincides with this period. While there was very intense work in the industry in 2021-2022, our Syrian neighbours contributed to employment significantly.”