Merchants in the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib have a new, and in fact their only, market for export- Turkey. After the three-year freeze, due to lack of access, local traders registered with the Free Idlib Provincial Council will now be able to export to Turkey and the main products will be figs, cherries and coriander.
The agreement between the Turkish government and the Victory Army will have a “positive effect on the economic situation in [rebel-held] territories,” says Suheil Musilmani, who heads the province’s legal office overseeing registration.
Registration will positively affect the flow of trade between both sides. Coordination will organize import and export and hopes to eliminate the unmonitored and unregulated trade. Although it is said that the thriving smuggling routes in northern Syria will remain largely unaffected by the step, which is aimed at legitimizing and expanding above-board trade with Turkey by Syrians in opposition-held territories.
Beyond that, the Turkish government needs a legitimate Syrian partner to do business with. The Turkish government will not accept the import or export of goods by Syrian traders unless they are registered with the Idlib provincial council, which is a legitimate civilian authority because it is elected by the people and recognized internationally.
Source: syriadirect.org
