ISDS Case Map
Syria
Turkey will join an economic bloc comprising of the Middle Eastern states such as Syria, Lebanon and Jordan ahead of the protracted accession to the EU.
Syrian President Assad has expressed his interest in joining the Free Trade Zone within the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan.
Turkey has embarked on the road to a “Middle Eastern Union” as an alternative to the European Union, according to some observers, after Ankara unveiled its vision for a giant free-trade zone spanning from the Bosphorus to Sudan and Morocco.
Turkey aims to create a free trade zone without visa restrictions with Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told the Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum (TAC), which began in İstanbul on Thursday.
Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria agreed yesterday to set up a free trade zone based on “existing bilateral agreements and practices on free trade and visa exemption” between the parties, adding that Turkey and Lebanon were required to complete a bilateral arrangement before the four-way process could go ahead.
Turkey's prime minister has urged Arab nations to unite and step-up efforts to end Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Syria said on Tuesday it will soon restart talks with the European Union on a stalled partnership agreement, but that its timing will depend on the flexibility shown to Damascus over certain points.
Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otri and Turkish Minister of State for Economic Affairs Zafer Caglayan on Wednesday discussed means and ways of bolstering the standing cooperation between Syria and Turkey.
European Union president Spain expects the EU to sign by June a major economic deal with Syria that has been on ice for the last five years, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said on Wednesday.
The EU finally agreed to its trade deal with Syria in October. Syria surprised Europe by saying it needed time to decide. Now it has admitted why – Syrian businessmen are concerned about competition from European companies.
