Türkiye is overhauling its customs gates along the Syrian border, integrating artificial intelligence and upgrading physical infrastructure to transition to a digitized, faster trade corridor, a top customs official has said.
Speaking at a panel titled “A New Era in Production, Export and Customs” during the Anadolu Agency City Economies Summit on June 9, Director General of Customs Mustafa Gümüş outlined plans to modernize border checkpoints to meet the demands of a changing logistical landscape following the political shifts in Syria.
“We are working to make practices at the gates more modern and digital,” Gümüş said, adding that customs sit at the very center of foreign trade and logistics operations.
“We are trying to make foreign trade transactions faster and easier, and we will achieve this,” he added.
A central pillar of the modernization push is the introduction of advanced technologies. Gümüş described artificial intelligence as an “indispensable” tool for modern border management. To adapt to these technological shifts, the Trade Ministry is currently collaborating on AI-driven customs projects with both the World Customs Organization and the European Union, he noted.
The modernization efforts also include major structural upgrades at key border crossings to ensure infrastructure on both sides can handle the influx of goods. Gümüş said that integrating border processes through digital data sharing will significantly cut down waiting times and border bottlenecks.
Among the targeted sites is the Yayladağı Border Gate in Hatay.
“Renovation work has begun on the infrastructure of the Yayladağı Border Gate, which was previously open only to passenger traffic, to now allow for commercial crossings as well,” Gümüş said. “The Yayladağı Border Gate is currently under construction.”
Additionally, Gümüş announced that a budget has been secured to revitalize the Akçakale Border Gate, with modernization work scheduled to begin by the end of the year.
Regional business leaders welcomed the upgrades, noting that efficient border crossings are vital to sustaining round-the-clock industrial output.
Cengiz Şimşek, chairman of the Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone, emphasized that a reliable, 24-hour workflow is essential for manufacturers looking to invest long-term in the region, particularly under visions of a joint industrial zone with Aleppo.
“To make an investment, you need the right climate,” Şimşek said. “People need to think long-term when building a facility; there needs to be a 10- to 20-year foundation of trust.”
Exporters also view the digitization of customs as a critical step to counteracting global protectionist trends and strict new trade mandates, such as the European Green Deal’s carbon regulations.
Mete Akcan, coordinator chairman of the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters’ Associations, said fast-tracking customs and logistics operations will maximize the strategic value of the region’s manufacturing power.
“As exporters, we expect border gate processes to accelerate quickly so businesses can reap the benefits,” Akcan said. “In the long term, this will be a mutual win-win model that will develop the entire region.”
