Mazen Alloush, Director of Relations at the Syrian General Authority of Ports and Customs, stated that Turkey will stop the movement of passengers and goods through all of its border crossings with Syria, starting at 5:30 pm Damascus time on Thursday, March 19, and this closure will continue throughout the days of Eid al-Fitr.
Alloush explained that the movement of individuals and goods through these ports will resume normally starting on the morning of Monday, March 23, after the end of the official holiday period for Eid al-Fitr in Turkey.
He pointed out that this step comes within the usual regulatory measures taken by the Turkish authorities during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, stressing that the authority is keen on continuous coordination with the Turkish side to ensure the smooth resumption of transit traffic immediately after the end of the closure, according to what was reported by the Syrian news agency “SANA.”
Alloush also confirmed that the authority will inform travelers and merchants of any developments or additional procedures through official channels, and called on everyone to follow the authority’s statements and adhere to the instructions related to transit movement, in order to facilitate procedures and maintain the smooth flow of movement across borders.
The Syrian General Authority of Ports and Customs had previously announced the final closure of the Al-Hammam border crossing with Turkey, starting from the end of official working hours on Tuesday, March 17, and called on travelers, merchants, and shipping companies to take this measure into account when planning their trips or arranging shipping operations, to avoid any possible delays or congestion that may occur during the closure or when work resumes at the crossings.
