ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday announced a program to support Syria’s “human and institutional capabilities” at the ministerial meeting of the 41st Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Istanbul.

The announcement was made at the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) which the OIC formed to promote economic and trade cooperation among the Islamic member states.

“Through this program, which will contribute to strengthening human and institutional capacity, we will provide project support to Syria in areas such as training, expert exchange, needs analysis, and feasibility studies,” Erdogan said.

“For nearly 14 years, our Syrian brothers and sisters have paid a heavy price; nearly one million Syrians lost their lives in attacks by the Baath regime and terrorist organizations,” he added.

Syria is going through a transitional period after the former Bashar al-Assad regime was toppled in December by a group of rebels headed by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which was led by now-president Ahmed al-Sharaa. Turkey has been the core supporter of the transitional government since.

Erdogan recalled that millions of Syrians were forced to migrate, with 3.6 million finding refuge in Turkey during the civil war. Turkey has ramped up efforts to repatriate them since Sharaa took power.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced in late September that more than half a million Syrians in Turkey returned to their home country since the fall of Assad’s regime. He added that Turkey continues to support Syrians in the repatriation process, noting that “voluntary returns accelerated” after Assad was deposed.

Yerlikaya added that the total number of Syrians who have voluntarily returned has reached 1,249,390 since 2016. 

Turkey continues to support Syria with transportation, education, security, and trade, Erdogan said. “The support of our organization and the Islamic world is extremely important in ensuring the political unity and territorial integrity of the country and the lasting prosperity of our Syrian brothers and sisters.”

He also stressed that Syria’s integration with the region’s economies will benefit both Damascus and the wider region.

Many countries in the region and internationally—especially in the Gulf—have supported Syria by easing sanctions and providing economic aid.