SANA - Syrian Arab News Agency

Ankara, Sept. 29 (SANA) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that problems affecting part of the country’s investment fund market posed no broader threat to the financial system, as authorities investigate suspected market abuses and liquidate more than 100 funds.

“The Turkish financial system is strong,” Erdogan said after chairing a Cabinet meeting in Ankara, according to Anadolu Agency. He said the problem was confined to a limited segment of the fund market and there was no risk of it spreading through the wider financial system.

Turkey’s Capital Markets Board decided on Sept. 17 to liquidate 131 funds managed by seven portfolio management companies after detecting unusual price movements in stocks linked to some of the funds.

Erdogan said the liquidation process was being handled carefully and investigations were continuing into people suspected of making illicit profits through investment funds or stocks. Those found to have engaged in practices that destabilized markets would face legal action, he said.

The government is also preparing administrative and legal measures aimed at improving the functioning of capital markets. Erdogan said he would meet Tuesday with his economic team, senior advisers and officials from relevant institutions to discuss market regulation and steps to prevent similar problems.

Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said separately on X that the government was taking measures to protect investors and preserve market stability.

Legal proceedings against those suspected of violating market rules would continue, Simsek said, while individuals and companies not connected to the alleged activities would not face action.

He said maintaining the real economy’s capacity for investment, employment, production and exports remained a government priority.

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Homs, Sept. 29 (SANA) Thirty-five damaged schools in Syria’s central Homs province have been brought back into service under a Saudi-funded rehabilitation project, providing classroom space for about 18,000 students, local education officials said Monday.

Two of the schools — Omar al-Mukhtar School in al-Qusayr and Suleiman al-Rajab School in al-Ghanto — formally reopened Monday after repairs funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief).

Malak al-Sibai, Homs’ director of education, told SANA that all 35 schools had previously been out of service. Their reopening is expected to ease pressure on classrooms, particularly in communities seeing families return, she said.

The project is part of a wider KSrelief program to rehabilitate 60 schools across Syria, benefiting more than 50,000 students, according to Nayef al-Shammari, the organization’s director in Syria.

Syria’s education system is still recovering from years of war that left thousands of schools damaged or out of service. The Education Ministry has said about 40% of schools nationwide require rebuilding or rehabilitation, while the return of displaced families is adding pressure on classrooms as student enrollment rises.

At Suleiman al-Rajab School in al-Ghanto, principal Hayyan Assaf said damage from airstrikes by the former regime had forced the school to close and students to attend classes elsewhere.

Repairs included restoring doors, windows, classrooms, the schoolyard and restrooms, as well as painting and tiling work. The school now serves about 950 students in two shifts, Assaf said.

Homs education authorities have separately completed maintenance work at 70 schools that remained operational in the city and surrounding countryside, part of efforts to expand classroom capacity and improve learning conditions.

KSrelief, established in Saudi Arabia in 2015, provides humanitarian assistance in sectors including education, health, food security and shelter.

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Jeddah, Sept. 28 (SANA)  Syria assumed the chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics for its 51st session, succeeding Sudan, during a meeting in Jeddah focused on developing statistical capabilities across Arab countries.
 
Anas Salim, head of Syria’s Planning and Statistics Authority, participated in the meeting, hosted by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics and attended by heads and representatives of Arab statistical agencies and relevant Arab and regional organizations.
 
In a statement posted on Telegram on Monday, Syria’s Planning and Statistics Authority said discussions focused on strengthening training and research to keep pace with technological developments and expanding the use of modern tools to improve the quality of official statistics and their role in supporting development and economic policies.

The authority said Syria took over the board’s chairmanship from Sudan, while Iraq assumed the acting chairmanship. The position rotates among member states according to the alphabetical order of their names.
 
The meeting coincided with Saudi Arabia’s preparations to host the sixth United Nations World Data Forum in Riyadh in November 2026.
 
Established in its current form in 1977, the Amman-based Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics is an official, nonprofit institution that works to develop the capabilities of Arab statistical agencies through training, research, technical consultations and the exchange of expertise and modern practices in official statistics.

R.D/RK

R.D/ABD

Aleppo, Sept. 28 (SANA) Deir Samaan Citadel, a centuries-old religious complex in northern Syria associated with St. Simeon the Stylite, reopened to visitors Monday after restoration and safety work, marking World Tourism Day.

The site in Aleppo countryside underwent cleaning and landscaping, repairs to visitor routes and facilities, and work to reinforce structures considered at risk.

Rakan al-Tayeh, director of the General Authority for Tourism and Hotel Training at Syria’s Tourism Ministry, said the reopening was part of efforts to revive tourism in Aleppo province.

A website dedicated to the site has also been launched, offering virtual-reality features that allow people outside Syria to explore the complex, he told SANA.

Mulham Oqeidi, a member of the Aleppo Governorate Executive Office, said restoration work included returning the Column of St. Simeon to its location, rehabilitating the main square and visitor routes, and reinforcing structurally vulnerable areas.

The work involved Aleppo Governorate, Syria’s antiquities authorities, representatives of Christian communities, emergency management officials, a development organization, volunteers and archaeology students from Aleppo University.

A fifth-century pilgrimage site

The Church of St. Simeon was built in the late fifth century around the column associated with St. Simeon the Stylite and became an important destination for Christian pilgrims in the region, according to Amal Hussein, an official responsible for managing World Heritage sites in Idlib province.

Hussein said the complex had suffered damage in recent years and that its reopening would make it accessible again to visitors, researchers and people interested in archaeology and history.

Visitors at the reopening said restoring the site offered Syrians an opportunity to reconnect with the country’s archaeological heritage and could help draw renewed attention to historic destinations in Aleppo.

Deir Samaan is part of the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria, a group of archaeological sites inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2011. The complex includes a church, monastery, baptistery and processional route, with surrounding structures that were later incorporated into a fortified complex.

R.D/ABD

London, Sept. 29 (SANA)  Oil prices rose for a second straight session on Tuesday as persistent concerns over potential supply disruptions from the Middle East outweighed signs of a recovery in the region’s crude exports.

Reuters reported that Brent crude futures rose 63 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $105.91 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 72 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $93.32 a barrel.

The gains came despite preliminary data showing a rebound in crude exports from major Middle Eastern producers in September.

Figures released Monday by commodities data firm Kpler showed that crude oil exports from major producers in the region rose to 12.8 million barrels per day in September, their highest level since February.

The recovery in regional exports was driven by increased shipments from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The export figures pointed to an improvement in crude shipments from the region, but concerns over potential supply disruptions continued to weigh more heavily on the oil market during Tuesday’s trading.

R.H/R.K

Washington, Sept. 29 (SANA)The Pentagon awarded RTX’s Raytheon a provisional multiyear contract worth up to $20.7 billion to accelerate production of AMRAAM missiles as the U.S. military seeks to replenish weapons stockpiles depleted by conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, Reuters reported. RTX said the five-year contract includes two option years.

The United States has supplied large quantities of weapons to allies while also using munitions in its military operations in Iran, raising concerns about inventories of key air-defense and precision-guided weapons.

Separately, Washington in May approved $8.6 billion in arms sales to Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates after Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited emergency circumstances to fast-track the transfers without prior congressional review.

The approvals included $992.4 million in Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems and related equipment for Israel and $2.5 billion in battle command systems for Kuwait. Qatar was approved for nearly $5 billion in precision-guided weapons and Patriot air- and missile-defense replenishment, while the United Arab Emirates was cleared for a $147.6 million precision-guided weapons package.

The sales came as Israel and Gulf states faced Iranian missile and drone attacks that depleted stocks of U.S.-made weapons and strained their air-defense systems, according to Al Jazeera.

Pentagon pushes to expand missile production

RTX said it nearly doubled AMRAAM production in 2025 compared with 2024. The company has set an annual production target of at least 1,900 missiles under production agreements with the Pentagon.

The prospective AMRAAM deal is the latest in a series of large munitions contracts pursued by the Pentagon to accelerate weapons production. It follows a seven-year Patriot PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement procurement agreement with Lockheed Martin valued at up to $58.62 billion.

Industry executives have cautioned that Congress has not yet appropriated the funding needed to support the full AMRAAM multiyear commitment, Reuters reported. Without those appropriations, contractors may be unable to make large-scale investments in components and production facilities.

Such multiyear agreements are intended to give defense contractors greater certainty to expand production capacity and accelerate deliveries, supporting investment in workers, suppliers and manufacturing facilities to meet longer-term demand. Reuters said the agreements are part of a broader Trump administration effort to prioritize increased weapons production.

If Congress provides the funding, the contract would allow RTX to continue investing in its workforce, supply chain and facilities as U.S. demand rises.

AMRAAM’s air-defense role

AMRAAM, or Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, is a beyond-visual-range weapon used by U.S. and allied fighter aircraft and also serves as the primary interceptor for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS. RTX said AMRAAM operates on 14 platforms and is fielded by 44 countries.

The contract forms part of the Pentagon’s “Arsenal of Freedom” initiative, a broader effort to increase U.S. weapons production.

U.S. weapons inventories under pressure

An April report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the United States had enough missiles to continue operations in the Iran war under plausible scenarios but warned that depleted inventories posed risks for future conflicts, particularly against a peer competitor such as China.

The report, which examined seven key munitions, estimated that rebuilding their inventories to prewar levels could take between one and four years. It said prewar stocks were already considered insufficient for a peer-competitor conflict and that depleted inventories could constrain U.S. operations in a future war.

In June, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon had told lawmakers it needed about $80 billion to cover costs from the Iran war and other expenses. Reuters said at the time that it could not independently verify the report.

Days later, the White House formally asked Congress for $87.6 billion in additional funding, including $67.15 billion for the military. The administration said the request included money for Iran-war operational costs, military readiness and rebuilding weapons stockpiles.

T.S /M.F

Tartous, Sept. 28 (SANA) Children and young performers took part in theater, music and art events at the Arab Cultural Center in Tartous on Monday as part of the “Tartous Summer 2026” tourism season program, which brings cultural and educational institutions into activities promoting the province’s tourism and heritage.

The Tartous Directorate of Education participated through its Protection and Activities Department and School Theater Division, staging an art exhibition by the Fine Arts Department and performances by the Education Orchestra.

Led by conductors Manar Muhartam and Samer al-Atki, the orchestra performed international, Arab and local pieces with around 50 children and young people taking part.

Inas Hussein, head of the Protection and Activities Department at the Tartous Directorate of Education, told SANA that the participation was aimed at involving institutions across the province in tourism-related activities within their respective fields.

She said involving children and young people helps introduce them to the importance of tourism in Tartous and gives them an active role in events held in the province, adding that the experience could pave the way for broader participation in future tourism activities.

The Shahrazad Folk Arts Troupe also took part at the invitation of the Directorate of Culture. Its director, Ons Harfoush, said the troupe’s focus on folk and traditional arts closely links its work to culture and tourism.

Harfoush said the troupe has more than 50 members across different age groups. A group of senior members, known as the “Shumous al-Firqa,” performed folk, heritage and national pieces at Monday’s event.

The 2026 tourism season program highlights activities held across Tartous during the summer, combining tourism, cultural, service and commercial initiatives and showcasing the province’s tourism attractions, local products and traditional crafts.

T.S /M.F

Abu Dhabi, Sept. 29 (SANA) UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed regional developments and efforts to strengthen security and stability in the Middle East and advance lasting peace during talks in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

The Emirates News Agency (WAM), reporting on the meeting Monday, said the two sides discussed areas of cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye and ways to further strengthen bilateral ties in support of their mutual interests.

The talks addressed regional and international issues of mutual interest, focusing on developments in the Middle East and ongoing efforts to promote security, stability and lasting peace across the region.

The meeting took place during Fidan’s Sept. 28 visit to the UAE, which had been announced a day earlier by Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry.

The discussions reflected continuing contacts between the UAE and Türkiye on bilateral relations and developments across the Middle East.

On Sept. 4, Sheikh Mohamed and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed bilateral cooperation and regional developments during a phone call.

According to WAM, the two leaders reviewed efforts concerning regional developments and stressed the need to intensify work to strengthen security and stability in the Middle East and advance lasting peace for the benefit of the region’s peoples.

The latest talks come amid continued regional tensions and diplomatic efforts focused on security, stability and dialogue across the Middle East.

T.S /R.K

Abu Dhabi, Sept. 29  (SANA) Syria and the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) discussed expanding cooperation on combating emerging forms of crime, financial investigations and transnational criminal networks during talks in Abu Dhabi.

Brig. Gen. Abdul Rahim Jabara, director of the International Cooperation Department at Syria’s Interior Ministry, met Sunday with Bo Mathiesen, director of UNODC’s Division for Operations, on the sidelines of the 15th U.N. Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.

The two sides discussed moving their existing cooperation toward practical programs tailored to Syria’s current national priorities and needs.

The talks covered financial investigations, tracing criminal proceeds and strengthening international and regional cooperation against transnational criminal networks.

Jabara said the Interior Ministry was seeking to develop a practical and sustainable partnership with UNODC to strengthen its institutional and technical capabilities and improve international cooperation in combating crime.

Mathiesen stressed the importance of maintaining communication and identifying priority areas for technical assistance and capacity-building.

In a separate meeting, Jabara held talks with Lt. Col. Saeed Khalfan al-Kaabi, director of international cooperation at the UAE Interior Ministry, on future cooperation and closer coordination between the two ministries.

Jabara thanked the UAE for hosting and organizing the conference.

Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab is leading the country’s delegation to the U.N. congress in Abu Dhabi. The delegation includes Attorney General Hassan al-Turba.

Syria’s participation is aimed at expanding international cooperation on transnational organized crime, drugs and emerging forms of crime while strengthening law enforcement and criminal justice institutions.


MHD

New York, Sept. 28 (SANA) Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf on Monday strongly condemned continued Israeli attacks on countries in the region, particularly Syria and Lebanon, reaffirming Algeria’s rejection of violations of state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Speaking during the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Attaf said Algeria “renews its condemnation of violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the region,” according to U.N. News.

He called for an approach based on de-escalation and respect for international law in addressing tensions and conflicts affecting regional security and stability.

Algeria reiterated earlier this month its support and solidarity with Syria and Lebanon in the face of continued Israeli aggression and expansionist policies, while calling for an end to the occupation of Arab territories.

MHD

Damascus, Sept. 28 (SANA) Syria and the U.S. discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and move from dialogue toward practical, institutional cooperation.

The talks took place during a meeting between the Director of the International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Qutaiba Kadish, and a U.S. State Department delegation headed by Andrew Kent.

The two sides stressed the United States’ role in supporting Syria’s recovery and stability and discussed prospects for developing bilateral cooperation.

The meeting also addressed the “Syria Without Camps” initiative as a priority for the current phase, with representatives of relevant Syrian ministries attending.

MHD

Quneitra, Sept. 28 (SANA) Israeli occupation forces fired several artillery shells at the outskirts of Tranja village in northern Quneitra countryside on Monday, with no casualties reported.

Four artillery shells landed on al-Hamriyah Hill near the village, a SANA reporter in Quneitra reported.

The latest shelling follows a similar incident on Sept. 20, when four Israeli artillery shells struck agricultural land southeast of al-Rafid in southern Quneitra countryside. Three other shells hit woodland near the village of Bir Ajam in the province’s north, with no casualties reported.

MHD

Damascus, Sept. 28 (SANA) Syria’s Fourth Criminal Court, which specializes in transitional justice cases, opened the public trial on Monday of Samer Ali Haidar and Ali Nour Shamseddin on charges related to alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity against civilians in the Damascus countryside and Aleppo provinces.

The National Commission for Transitional Justice said in a statement that prosecutors accused Haidar of joining armed “Shabiha” militias and carrying out arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, as well as participating in armed groups.

Prosecutors also accused him of involvement in kidnapping, detention and killings as part systematic crimes against civilians, and submitted a list of prosecution witnesses. Haidar denied the charges and withdrew statements he had previously made before the investigating judge.

In the second case, prosecutors sought the conviction of Ali Nour Shamseddin, from the town of Nubl in Aleppo countryside, on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges.

According to the commission, prosecutors alleged that Shamseddin, who had joined Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was involved in killings and enforced disappearances as part of widespread and systematic practices in Aleppo. They also submitted documents and photographic evidence that they said showed the mutilation of bodies and sectarian slogans.

Shamseddin denied the charges and also withdrew statements he had previously made.

The court adjourned both cases until Oct. 13. The next hearing is expected to include prosecution witnesses in Haidar’s case and further submissions by the prosecution and defense in Shamseddin’s case.

MHD

Damascus, Sep.28 (SANA) Director of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Saad Baroud, met on Monday with UAE Ambassador in Damascus Hamad bin Rashid Al Habsi.

The meeting focused on the latest preparations and developments related to the Syrian Arab Republic’s participation in the 2026 U.N. Water Conference, scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Syria-UAE relations have expanded since the fall of the ousted regime in December 2024, with the two countries increasing high-level political contacts and cooperation in economic, investment, development and security-related fields.

A/Dh – MZN

Damascus, Sept. 28 (SANA) Syria and Sudan discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and facilitate the work of the Sudanese diplomatic mission in Damascus.

The talks took place during a meeting between Mohammad Ahmad Abdulsalam, Director of Protocol at Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, and Khalid Mohammad Ali Hassan, Chargé d’Affaires of the Sudanese Embassy in Damascus.

The two sides discussed arrangements aimed at ensuring the diplomatic mission can operate effectively, as well as ways to further develop relations between Syria and Sudan.

MHD

Ankara, Sept. 28 (SANA) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto discussed bilateral relations and regional and international issues in a phone call Monday, according to Turkey’s presidential communications office.

Erdogan expressed satisfaction with the solidarity between the two countries on international platforms, Anadolu Agency reported, citing a statement from the communications office.

He stressed the importance of expanding cooperation in several areas, particularly trade and defense industries, and said the two countries would continue taking steps in that direction.

Erdogan also invited Subianto to attend the COP31 U.N. climate summit, scheduled to be held in the southern Turkish province of Antalya in November.

The talks come amid renewed regional tensions involving the United States and Iran and threats by Yemen’s Houthi militia to maritime traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Erdogan said Saturday that the region was experiencing a “storm of crises,” adding that the international system had reached an impasse over legitimacy, representation and justice.

MZN

Aleppo, Sept. 28 (SANA) A second voluntary return convoy carrying 65 displaced families, or about 300 people, left al-Rasm camp in Manbij area of eastern Aleppo province on Monday for their home communities in Maskanah, Deir Hafer and Raqqa province.

Manbij area official Hashem al-Sheikh told SANA that the convoy was prepared in line with Legislative Decree No. 59 and as part of a plan aimed at making Aleppo province free of displacement camps by the end of 2026.

Al-Sheikh said local authorities were working with the Social Affairs Directorate and humanitarian organizations to facilitate voluntary returns and address challenges facing returnees, including livelihoods and the reconstruction of damaged homes.

Moataz al-Haj Ahmad, director of the Social Affairs and Labor Department in Manbij, said transportation had been arranged for families leaving al-Rasm al-Akhdar camp for their original homes in eastern Aleppo and Raqqa.

Several returnees welcomed the opportunity to go home after years of displacement.

Bahjat Mohammad Ramadan expressed his happiness at returning to his area and home, while Ibrahim Hussein al-Mohammad spoke about difficult conditions in the camp and called for continued support to rehabilitate schools and basic services and provide jobs and livelihoods, particularly as winter approaches.

The convoy was organized in coordination with the Manbij administration, the Social Affairs and Labor Directorate and the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) under the “Syria Without Camps” initiative.

Similar return convoys were organized in July and August, alongside projects to rehabilitate service facilities and infrastructure in rural Aleppo and neighboring provinces.

A/Dh – MZN

Beijing, Sept. 28 (SANA) China and the United States have agreed on reciprocal tariff reductions covering about $30 billion worth of imports from each side, China’s Commerce Ministry said Monday, following their latest economic and trade talks.

Tariffs on around 90% of the products covered would return to most-favored-nation rates, the ministry said. The reductions will take effect simultaneously after both countries complete their domestic legal procedures.

The agreement was reached during the eighth round of bilateral economic and trade consultations, held in New York and Washington from September 20 to 23. The two sides also agreed to establish mechanisms for discussions on trade and investment, according to the ministry.

The U.S. reductions cover Chinese goods including toys, household appliances, baby products, kitchen and bathroom goods and holiday products. China’s list includes U.S. agricultural products, personal care products, medical devices and coal.

The ministry said including U.S. coal in the tariff arrangement was expected to facilitate Chinese imports in 2027 and 2028.

The planned China-U.S. Trade Council will provide a forum to expand bilateral trade and address outstanding disputes, the ministry said. An agricultural working group will discuss market access and regulatory issues and is expected to meet for the first time before the end of 2026.

The countries also agreed to establish an investment council for regular discussions on opportunities and obstacles facing businesses.

On financial services, the ministry reported a preliminary understanding under which China would consider applications from financial institutions, including U.S.-funded firms, to operate and open branches in the country. China called on Washington to provide a fair, transparent and stable policy environment for Chinese financial institutions.

The two sides will continue discussing their existing trade arrangements after their extension through January 10, 2027, with the aim of reaching a mutually acceptable solution, the ministry said. It said the extension would allow time to assess the arrangements and provide greater predictability for businesses.

The delegations also exchanged views on increasing direct passenger flights and agreed to remain in contact on the issue.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence. The two sides agreed to hold another dialogue before the end of November and establish a channel for communicating about AI incidents.

The ministry said senior-level economic and trade contacts would continue before the end of the year as the countries work to stabilize relations amid differences over tariffs, market access, investment and technology.

kA/MF