Türkiye’s state oil company TPAO and private Turkish firms signed multiple energy agreements with Syria on 19 August 2026, with Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announcing that exploration can begin immediately across Syrian onshore and offshore blocks. The deals, formalized at a joint press conference in Damascus alongside Syrian Energy Minister Mohamed Al Bashir, mark one of the most concrete foreign energy commitments to Syria since its government changed hands in late 2024.
Türkiye and Syria sign energy agreements in Damascus
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar signed several energy agreements with Syrian counterpart Mohamed Al Bashir on 19 August 2026 in Damascus. The deals authorize TPAO, alongside private Turkish firms, to kick off seismic surveys and oil and gas exploration across Syrian onshore and offshore blocks.
Bayraktar didn’t hedge on timing. He said TPAO has the capacity to start operations immediately—a clear sign Türkiye’s treating this as an active operational commitment rather than a long-range planning exercise.
Türkiye’s early and deep diplomatic engagement with Syria’s post-Assad government has given Ankara a structural advantage in locking in these agreements.
These agreements represent a formal, concrete move into Syria’s energy sector. Oil and gas exploration sits within a broader cooperation framework between the two countries, one that’s been building steadily since Syria’s government changed in late 2024.
Ankara’s close ties with Damascus underpin the deal
Türkiye’s position in Syria didn’t happen overnight. Since Bashar Al Assad was deposed in December 2024, Turkish officials have maintained more extensive diplomatic engagement with Damascus than any other foreign government—and that head start has translated into real leverage.
President Erdogan has built a close working relationship with Syria’s new President, Ahmad Al Shara. That personal diplomacy has put Ankara in a dominant position as Syria works through its economic and political transition, and these energy agreements are a direct result.
The deals also extend Türkiye’s broader ambition to lead Syria’s reconstruction. Energy is a central pillar of that vision. Bayraktar announced that Türkiye and Syria are expected to commission new infrastructure over the coming weeks that will triple electricity transmission capacity between the two countries to more than 800 megawatts.
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TPAO itself is pushing aggressively beyond its home market. The company is currently developing an exploration well off the coast of Somalia and earlier this year secured a licence for offshore blocks in Libya. Syria adds another frontier to a growing overseas footprint, backed by an expanding deep-sea drilling fleet.
Syria’s energy sector requires billions in investment after years of conflict
To understand why foreign companies are moving fast, you need to grasp how far Syria’s energy sector has fallen. According to the US Energy Information Administration, Syria was previously a significant oil and gas producer in the eastern Mediterranean. Fourteen years of civil war changed that drastically.
Oil output has dropped roughly 80 percent from a prewar peak of 380,000 barrels per day. Syria’s Energy Ministry reported that crude production reached approximately 82,000 barrels per day in the first half of 2026—a fraction of what the country once put out.
The Syrian government estimates it’ll take more than $30 billion to rehabilitate the sector. That’s a massive number, but it also signals the scale of opportunity for foreign energy companies willing to take on the risk of operating in a post-conflict environment. Depleted output, significant reserves, and a government actively courting investment have made Syria one of the more closely watched emerging energy markets in the region.
Gulf companies and Western firms also targeting Syrian energy opportunities
Türkiye isn’t the only player moving into Syria’s energy space. Gulf energy companies are sizing up opportunities too, and some deals are already done.
Abu Dhabi-listed Adnoc Drilling has identified Syria as a growth market, placing it alongside Egypt and Iraq in its expansion plans. Syria has also signed an agreement with ConocoPhillips, in partnership with Novaterra—a venture linked to Syrian-British billionaire Ayman Al Asfari—while the UAE’s Dana Gas reached a separate deal with Syria following the lifting of US sanctions late in 2024.
The broader Gulf commitment goes well beyond individual energy deals. Gulf states pledged $28 billion in investment across the Syrian economy in 2025 alone, reflecting a wider regional bet on Syria’s recovery.
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The competitive field is filling up fast. Multiple companies from different countries are now staking positions simultaneously, which suggests that confidence in Syria’s trajectory—still cautious, but real—is growing.
A wider pattern of Turkish ambition in Syria
The agreements signed in Damascus on 19 August 2026 confirm that TPAO, along with private Turkish firms, is authorized to begin seismic surveys and exploration across Syrian onshore and offshore blocks, with operations potentially starting right away.
Türkiye’s early and deep diplomatic engagement with Syria’s post-Assad government has given Ankara a structural advantage in locking in these agreements. The deals fit into a wider pattern of Turkish ambition in Syria, covering energy exploration and electricity infrastructure alike.
Syria’s energy sector, which has lost roughly 80 percent of its prewar production capacity, requires an estimated $30 billion in rehabilitation investment. That need has drawn interest from Gulf energy companies and Western firms, including ConocoPhillips and Dana Gas, not just Türkiye. The race to participate in Syria’s energy recovery is clearly underway.
Staff Writer
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
