Istanbul, Dec 25 (FN Agency) Turkey expects to sign an agreement on maritime borders with Syria, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Tuesday. “In the future, an agreement on maritime borders may be signed, thereby protecting our interests in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Uraloglu was quoted as saying by the DHA news agency. With Syria’s government being formed, there are currently no discussions about the exact prospects for concluding agreements, Uraloglu added. “This agreement will expand the scope of actions and authorities of Syria and our country, allowing us to share or extend our authorities in terms of oil and hydrocarbon exploration in accordance with international law.
Of course, there are also Lebanon and Israel to take into account. However, Syria is the closest country to us and we need to have a clear control system in the region,” the minister said. Syria’s armed opposition captured Damascus on December 8. Russian officials said that Syrian President Bashar Assad stepped down after negotiations with participants in the Syrian conflict and left Syria for Russia, where he was granted asylum. Mohammed al-Bashir, who ran an Idlib-based administration formed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other opposition groups, was named interim prime minister. He later announced that an interim government had been formed and would remain in place until March 2025.