Southeast exports to Syria jump

GAZİANTEP - Anadolu Agency

Turkey’s southeastern provinces’ export volume to Syria reached $217 million in the first eight months of this year in a 540 percent increase from the same period a year earlier.

While exports to Syria reached their highest value of $220 million in 2010, they contracted to $60 million last year due to civil unrest and violence in the country. However, the exports to Syria increased to $217.7 million between the January to August period, according to recent figures revealed by the Southeast Anatolia Exporter Unions (GAİB). 

The exports of cereal-pulse made up $125.3 million of the total export value to Syria, while textile exports were worth $41.2 million. 

Abdulkadir Çıkmaz, chairman of the GAİB, said if military intervention in Syria did not take place, export value was expected to surpass $224 million by the end of this month.