Richard Salame

Richard Salame is a Beirut-based freelance journalist.

He is covering Lebanon and Syria. His work has appeared in The Nation, The Guardian, Financial Times, Al Jazeera, Columbia Journalism Review, and other outlets.

Last modified:

29/10/2025

Minor scrap pickers playing during a break inside a building destroyed in the civil war in Damascus’s suburb, Syria.

Scrap Wars

ISTANBUL / DAMASCUS – A cross-border investigation uncovers how Turkey’s booming recycled steel industry is fuelled by scrap metal sourced from war-torn countries such as Syria, Libya, and Ukraine. By tracing shipping data, satellite images, and smuggling routes, journalists reveal a shadow trade involving militias, child labour, and sanctioned actors, linking Europe’s steel supply chain to the region’s conflicts.

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Richard Salame

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Scrap Wars

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