Syria's future unclear, will infrastructure be the key to its stability?

Syria's future after the overthrow of authoritarian ruler Bashar al-Assad last month, with optimism for peace and democracy, remains unclear.

The European Union and its regional interlocutors – Turkey and the Gulf monarchies – are engaging with Syria's new leaders, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to encourage a peaceful and inclusive transition and avoid the outbreak of a new civil war. .

"The decisions taken now will determine the future of Syria for years to come," said the UN Secretary-General's special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen.

"There are great opportunities and real risks ahead, Syria and the UN must act properly in view of the next phase," he added.

It is understood that massive investment in infrastructure by the international community could help stabilize Syria after 14 years of civil war, and Turkey is set to be a key player in such a development.

Syria, a new transport hub in the Middle East?

The country urgently needs infrastructure such as railways, airports and roads to maintain cohesion and ensure the delivery of basic needs to people and businesses.

"The important thing at this stage is the distribution of aid to all territories in Syria in the most effective way," said a European Commission source.

Turkey, which for years backed rebels seeking to topple al-Assad, has a potentially decisive role in shaping Syria's future for a variety of geographic, political and economic reasons.

Over the past three decades, Turkey's vast construction and infrastructure companies have proven their effectiveness, becoming versatile vehicles for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's "abroad" ambitions.

According to the recent statements of the institutional leaders of Turkey, the EU and the Gulf countries, a Syrian territory with clear sovereignty that guarantees its cohesion is inevitably part of this scheme.

Ankara is reported to be in close contact and share some mutual trust with the HTS rebel group, which is leading the current government in Damascus.

However, Syria is still not at peace, he writes € news, the Telegraph reports.

There are frequent clashes between factions in the north and east of the country, and occasional Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) incursions into the south, even beyond the Golan Heights area.

Turkish construction energy

Turkey has two objectives: in the near term, to eliminate the threat of Syrian Kurdish factions on its southern border and, further, to increase its political influence in the entire region by becoming the main interlocutor for the EU.

Infrastructure is therefore essential as a catalyst for regional integration and trade, two key elements of Brussels' neighborhood policy, which governs the EU's relations with 16 of the bloc's closest eastern and southern neighbours, including Syria.

Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu recently announced a government action plan to renovate Syria's ports, airports, railways and bridges.

This includes plans to renovate parts of the historic 1750-kilometer Hejaz railway in Syria — built between 1900 and 1908 — that ran from Istanbul to Medina, according to Turkish media.

"However, for the moment it is essential to reach Damascus," Uraloglu said.

Meanwhile, Luigi Narbone, a lecturer at Luiss University in Rome, explained why Syria is an essential element of Turkey's national interest at this crucial moment.

"Due to its location in the Gulf and the Mediterranean, Syria can serve Turkey to realize its geo-economic ambitions, placing it at the center of a series of connections between the Gulf and the Mediterranean region," said Narbone.

Gulf money can be important

Otherwise, Turkish engagement in Syria will require significant investment and financial resources that may be out of reach due to hyperinflation and public debt strangling its economy.

"Economic fragility is one of the limits to achieving Turkey's regional ambitions," said Narbone.

"It is important that it secures economic and financial support especially from Qatar and also from other Gulf countries. Projects like the railway are probably something more important for the region", he added.

A new regional integration?

If Ankara's railway ambitions for Syria were to become a reality, in the future the Arabian Peninsula would be connected by high-speed rail – thanks to the Syrian territorial platform – to the Mediterranean, to Turkey and thus to the vast corridor between India, the Middle East and Europe (IMEC), which is also known as the "Cotton Road".

The project is supported by the US, in competition with China's Belt and Road Initiative, and is based on a combination of rail, road and air infrastructure.

In fact, the Turkish government has announced that Syrian reconstruction will begin from Damascus airport, where the first scheduled international passenger flight operated by Qatar Airways landed on Tuesday. /Telegraph/