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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to enlist the support of Donald Trump to strengthen Turkey’s influence in the Middle East and benefit from Syria’s post-war reconstruction. According to Bloomberg, Ankara is seeking to take control of reconstruction contracts worth hundreds of billions of dollars and consolidate its geopolitical dominance in the region.
Erdogan sees the current events as a unique opportunity that could provide his country with both financial and political dividends. The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime has paved the way for Turkey’s participation in the reconstruction of Syria, and the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip creates prospects for normalising relations with the West. Turkish companies are already transporting food, medicine and construction materials across the border. Shares in Turkish cement and steel producers have risen sharply, and Turkish Airlines flights to Damascus have resumed after a 13-year hiatus.
According to Middle East expert Oytun Orhan, Turkey seeks to capture a major share in the reconstruction of Syria. At the same time, this is not just an economic issue – Ankara wants to establish long-term political control over the reconstruction process.
However, Turkey’s plans have faced obstacles from the United States, which does not agree to the elimination of Kurdish military formations in Syria. Turkey considers the YPG and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to be terrorist groups affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been fighting Ankara for decades. Washington, in turn, considers these groups to be key allies in containing the Islamic State and refuses to make concessions.
Erdogan has already openly stated that Kurdish forces in Syria must disband or face a violent crackdown. Turkey hopes that Trump, once back in power, will support its position, as he has previously spoken out against US support for the Kurds.
Ankara is also trying to improve relations with Israel, after it suspended all trade with Tel Aviv in May 2024 in response to the military operation in Gaza. Turkey’s strategy includes involving the Gulf states in financing the reconstruction of Syria, rebuilding the country’s oil infrastructure, and creating alternative export routes through Aleppo, which would allow Turkey to reduce its dependence on expensive sea transportation through Egypt.
After being re-elected in 2023, Erdogan aims not only to strengthen his political influence but also to bring Turkey’s economy out of a deep crisis. Against the backdrop of record inflation, he wants to use the opportunities in the Middle East for an economic breakthrough and strengthen Ankara’s international role.
If Erdogan is able to convince Trump of Turkey’s strategic importance to the security of the Middle East, this could be a key moment in the geopolitical redistribution of power in the region.
