ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkey is considering a new oil pipeline to Syria that will also link to the Turkey-Iraq pipeline, the minister of energy and natural resources said on Friday.
“There are still many aspects to be developed, such as the creation of an oil pipeline from Syria to Turkey, integrating it with the Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline,” said Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar.
Ankara has been quick to establish ties with Syria’s interim government, put in place by rebel forces who ousted Bashar al-Assad and ended over five decades of Baathist rule earlier this month.
“In addition, we are engaged in efforts to utilize Syria's natural resources, such as oil and gas, for the reconstruction of the country. Syria had a daily oil production of 600,000 barrels in the early 2000s, which has now dropped to around 30,000 barrels,” said Bayraktar.
Ankara was a harsh critic of Assad and a staunch supporter of opposition forces in Syria. The Turkish government was one of the first to reopen its embassy in Damascus and open relations with Syria’s new rulers.
Bayraktar said he expects to lead a Turkish delegation to Syria in the near future.
