Ankara, Feb 17 (IANS): A technical team of 25 people from Turkiye has started working in Syria to renovate Damascus International Airport, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said.
"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 on Sunday in a written statement.
He said the 25-member team entered Syria through the Cilvegozu Border Gate in the southern Turkish province of Hatay on February 7.
The Turkish minister explained that the technical team, composed of specialists in navigation, air traffic electronics, terminal electronics, security, and airport rescue and firefighting, had delivered essential materials to the airport, Xinhua news agency reported.
"To ensure safe flight operations at the airport and within Syrian airspace, we have dispatched 113 vehicles, devices, and systems via six trucks. Our team is not only installing the necessary equipment but will also complete the training of the airport's personnel," he said.
Repairs have been carried out on several air navigation aid systems that were either damaged during the war or had been out of service for years. Additionally, two new radio receiver and transmitter systems have been installed in the control tower, according to Uraloglu.
To enhance airport security, Turkiye has provided 10 X-ray machines, four explosive trace detectors, 10 walk-through metal detectors, and eight handheld detectors, he added.
"Our teams, working in coordination with Syrian officials, have completed the installation of most of these devices. Efforts to further improve the security level of Damascus (International) Airport are ongoing, with necessary assessments and reports being prepared," he noted.
Turkiye, which severed diplomatic relations with Syria in 2012, has voiced support for a peaceful transition in the country after the collapse of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. Ankara has pledged to back the new Syrian administration in rebuilding the country and establishing its state structures.