Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the launch of a dedicated support program for Syria under the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, known as COMCEC.

Istanbul is hosting the 41st session of COMCEC, with Syria participating.

According to Turkish media, including the semi-official Anadolu Agency, Erdoğan said on Monday, November 3, that the program would bolster human and institutional capacities and provide project support in areas such as training, expert exchanges, needs assessments, and feasibility studies. He expressed hope that member states would make valuable contributions during implementation.

Erdoğan said Syria’s integration into regional economies would bring tangible benefits to both the country and the region. He argued that focusing on transport projects, which he described as a cornerstone of integration, is of critical importance. In his speech, he encouraged the private sector to direct investment to Syrian regions.

The president noted that Türkiye provides support to Syria across multiple fields, including transport, education, security, trade, healthcare, and social services. “Thanks to our efforts, sanctions that hindered Syria’s economic development are being lifted gradually,” he said. He added that support from the OIC and the wider Islamic world is vital to preserve Syria’s political unity and territorial integrity and to ensure sustainable prosperity for all Syrians.

What is COMCEC

The Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation is the OIC’s fourth standing committee. It was created at the third Islamic Summit held in Mecca and Taif in 1981. COMCEC is the main platform for multilateral economic and commercial cooperation in the Islamic world. It serves as a central forum to address common development challenges facing OIC countries and to propose solutions, according to its official description.

COMCEC entered into force at the fourth Islamic Summit in Casablanca, Morocco, in 1984 with the election of Türkiye’s president as its chair, and the first ministerial-level meeting was held the same year. It comprises 57 member states and five observer states across four continents.

Syria is taking part this year in COMCEC’s 41st session in Istanbul with a Syrian delegation from the Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Development Fund, headed by Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Basel Abdul Hannan.

The session, which opened Sunday, November 2, included a special panel on strengthening national competencies and local institutions to support Syria’s reconstruction pathway and on the role of human development in rebuilding the national economy and creating an enabling investment climate.

Türkiye as a principal backer

Ankara has been among the chief allies of the government in Damascus since the fall of the former Syrian regime on December 8, 2024. The head of Türkiye’s intelligence agency, İbrahim Kalın, was the first foreign official to visit Syria after the political transition.

Türkiye has supported its neighbor across several service and political files and was among the leading contributors to easing US sanctions on Syria, alongside Saudi Arabia and Qatar.