Turkish construction and engineering firm Guris broke ground Friday on its cement plant in Syria.

Turkey’s State Minister for foreign trade Zafer Caglayan pushed the button at a ceremony in the Syrian city of Raqqa, where the plant will be built.

Syrian Economy & Trade Minister Lamia Assi, Governor of Raqqa Adnan Suhni and Guris executives were in attendance at the ceremony.

Expected to be fully operational by 2013, the EUR280m cement plant will have a capacity to produce 1.5Mta.