Mohammad Yaqoub Al-Omar, Director of the Consular Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, affirmed that the opening of the Consulate General of the Syrian Arab Republic in the Turkish city of Gaziantep comes as part of the ministry’s plan to rebuild and expand Syria’s diplomatic and consular presence around the world, in a manner that meets the needs of Syrian citizens abroad and enhances the quality of services provided to them.
In a statement to Damascus News Platform, Al-Omar explained that the timing of the consulate’s inauguration follows the steps announced by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Al-Shaibani regarding the expansion of new Syrian missions and consulates, particularly in areas with a high concentration of Syrians. He noted that southern Türkiye is home to one of the largest Syrian communities outside the country.
Al-Omar stated that the new consulate serves approximately 1.5 million Syrians residing in the southern Turkish provinces and handles more than 1,000 transactions daily. These include the issuance and renewal of passports, authentication of documents and certificates, civil status and personal affairs services, legal powers of attorney, and other essential consular services.
He added that the consulate has been designed according to a one-stop-service model and equipped with modern technological infrastructure. It also relies on prior electronic appointment booking through the MOFA SY application, helping citizens access services more easily and ensuring faster processing of their transactions.
Al-Omar pointed out that the opening of the consulate will significantly reduce the financial and logistical burdens previously borne by Syrians in southern Türkiye, who had to travel to Istanbul to obtain consular services. The new facility will save time, effort, and costs, while also reducing waiting periods thanks to its high operational capacity.
Regarding future plans, Al-Omar explained that the ministry views the opening of the consulate as the beginning of a continuous development process, which includes periodic performance evaluations, expansion of electronic services, stronger integration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ central systems, further development of human resources, and enhanced communication channels with members of the Syrian community.
He stressed that the ultimate goal is to make the Gaziantep Consulate a leading model for modern Syrian consular work, ensuring the delivery of highly efficient services to citizens based on the principles of respect, transparency, and prompt service.
