A 25-member technical team from Turkiye has begun work in Syria to renovate Damascus International Airport, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced.

“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 statement on Sunday.

The team entered Syria through the Cilvegozu Border Gate in Hatay province on February 7. They are specialists in navigation, air traffic electronics, terminal electronics, security, and airport rescue operations.

To restore operations, Turkiye has sent 113 vehicles, devices, and systems via six trucks, including materials to repair air navigation aid systems that were damaged or nonfunctional for years. Two new radio receiver and transmitter systems have also been installed in the control tower, Uraloglu stated.

Security upgrades include the installation of 10 X-ray machines, four explosive trace detectors, 10 walk-through metal detectors, and eight handheld detectors. Most of these devices have already been installed, with ongoing efforts to further enhance security levels.

Despite severing diplomatic ties with Syria in 2012, Turkiye has pledged support for the country’s reconstruction. The initiative is part of Ankara’s broader strategy to assist Syria in rebuilding state infrastructure.