STORY: Türkiye helping Syria renovate Damascus airport: minister
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Feb. 17, 2025
LENGTH: 00:01:01
LOCATION: Ankara
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu (Date: 11.02.2025) (Courtesy of Ihlas News Agency)
2. various of the first flight of Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to Damascus after 13 years (Date: 23.01.2025) (Courtesy of Ihlas News Agency)
3. various of Abdulkadir Uraloglu (Date: 11.02.2025) (Courtesy of Ihlas News Agency)
4. various of the first flight of Turkish Airlines from Damascus to Istanbul after 13 years (Date: 23.01.2025) (Courtesy of Ihlas News Agency)

STORYLINE:

A technical team of 25 people from Türkiye has started working in Syria to renovate Damascus International Airport, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Sunday.

"Our team, consisting of personnel from the General Directorate of State Airports Authority, has been deployed to restore Damascus (International) Airport, which was severely damaged and became inoperable during the 13-year-long Syrian civil war," Uraloglu said in a written statement.

He said the 25-member team entered Syria through the Cilvegozu Border Gate in the southern Turkish province of Hatay on February 7.

The Turkish minister explained that the technical team, composed of specialists in navigation, air traffic electronics, terminal electronics, security, and airport rescue and firefighting, had delivered essential materials to the airport.

"To ensure safe flight operations at the airport and within Syrian airspace, we have dispatched 113 vehicles, devices, and systems via six trucks. Our team is not only installing the necessary equipment but will also complete the training of the airport's personnel," he said.

Repairs have been carried out on several air navigation aid systems that were either damaged during the war or had been out of service for years. Additionally, two new radio receiver and transmitter systems have been installed in the control tower, according to Uraloglu.

To enhance airport security, Türkiye has provided 10 X-ray machines, four explosive trace detectors, 10 walk-through metal detectors, and eight handheld detectors, he added.

"Our teams, working in coordination with Syrian officials, have completed the installation of most of these devices. Efforts to further improve the security level of Damascus (International) Airport are ongoing, with necessary assessments and reports being prepared," he noted.

Türkiye, which severed diplomatic relations with Syria in 2012, has voiced support for a peaceful transition in the country after the collapse of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. Ankara has pledged to back the new Syrian administration in rebuilding the country and establishing its state structures.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ankara.
(XHTV)