Turkey’s Energy Ministry Sends Delegation To Damascus

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A delegation from Turkey’s energy ministry headed to Syria on Saturday to help Syrians obtain access to essential services after the fall of strongman Bashar al-Assad.

“A team from our energy ministry is on the way to Damascus,” Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar told a meeting of the ruling AKP party in the central Anatolian province of Nevsehir.

“We will identify Syria’s infrastructure, energy and electricity needs and will do our best to ensure (Syrians) benefit from these essential services,” he said.

Turkey is home to nearly three million refugees who fled Syria after the start of the civil war in 2011.

Assad’s overthrow has raised hopes that many will go back.

Turkish officials said nearly 31,000 Syrians had returned home since Assad’s ousting on December 8.

“We hosted our Syrian brothers and sisters. Turkey was on the right side of history,” Bayraktar said.

“There was a fire in our neighbour’s house… Now, God willing, we will do our best as Turkey to rebuild our neighbour’s house,” he added.

The minister said there was a lot to do in the war-torn country.

“It is very important to get Syria back on its feet.”

fo/gil