ANKARA, December 25. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that a Turkish consulate general will open soon in Aleppo, while Ankara will continue to support Syria’s new authorities in all spheres.
"We resumed operations of our embassy in Damascus and will open our consulate general in Aleppo soon. We see that the leader of Syria’s new administration did a very good job steering the process [during the change of power], and his moderation and constructive approach received their due. We will support Syria in everything it will need: from energy to education and healthcare, from security to trade. We will help the new authorities so that Syria recovers, strengthens its potential, and allows state institutions to resume fulfilling their main obligations," Erdogan said, speaking in parliament before the faction of the ruling Justice and Development Party.
Citing UN data, the Turkish leader noted that "total damages from actions by previous authorities and destruction caused by war in Syria nearly approach $500 billion." "War-weary Syria cannot shoulder this burden independently, without any support from the international community. The Arab and Islamic world must be at the forefront in the matter of restoring Syria and set an example for other countries. Turkey, as before, will continue to assist Syria in the most robust way," Erdogan said.
He also noted that Turkey’s "ministries, agencies, local authorities, and NGOs are also intensively working" on planning aid to Syria.