Import of Agricultural Products from Syria

Dear Member,
With reference to the letter sent to our Chamber by TOBB, the letter dated 07.03.2025 and numbered 18347074 received from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and forwarded to our Union states that, in a letter forwarded to our Union, it was stated that a Phytosanitary Certificate is required for the import of agricultural products from Syria, but that there is currently no institution in Syria that can issue the said document.
In the letter, it was explained that the import of plant-based raw materials such as cotton had come to a standstill, and it was requested that the practice of requiring the certificate be postponed for three (3) months and that the Syrian side be informed about the issuance of the relevant documents.
Based on the said request, our Union made representations before the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the letter referenced above was forwarded to our Union.
The letter mentions that an e-mail received from the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of the Directorate of Agricultural Affairs and Protection
of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform of the Syrian Arab Republic (Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Directorate of Agricultural Affairs and Protection) notified that, regarding Syrian Phytosanitary Certificates (PC), a new PC model has been adopted under the International Plant Protection Convention (International Plant Protection Convention-IPPC) and put into circulation.
The letter explains that, for plants, plant products and other materials intended to be imported into our country, procedures are carried out in line with the provisions of the "Plant Quarantine Regulation", prepared in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 5996 on
Veterinary Services, Plant Health, Food and Feed, and entered into force upon publication in the Official Gazette dated 3/12/2011 and numbered 28131
.
The letter further states that, with regard to import procedures from Syria to our country within the scope of the said legislation, for products for which a Phytosanitary Certificate has been issued as a result of official controls carried out by the Directorate of Agricultural Affairs and Protection
of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform of the Syrian Arab Republic (Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Directorate of Agricultural Affairs and Protection), an import application must be made to the Provincial Directorates of Agriculture and Forestry in the relevant province.

Kind regards,
Elazığ Chamber of Commerce and Industry