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Politics : Israel to U.S. : Now Deal with Syria and Iran -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Elmer Flugum who wrote (4174)	1/6/2004 3:31:13 AM
From: GUSTAVE JAEGER	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 22250

First an Iran-Egypt rapprochement ()... and now, a Turkey-Syria summit: Syrian President Makes Visit to Turkey Tuesday January 6, 2004 8:01 AM By ALBERT AJI* Associated Press Writer DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syria, accused by the United States of supporting both the ousted Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein and terrorism, is looking to forge close ties with Turkey and ease its increasing isolation. Syrian President Bashar Assad has made major trips to European capitals such as Paris and London. Assad travels to Turkey on Tuesday to cement Syria's ties with Turkey. ``I do not want to confine Turkish-Syrian relations to the borders of the two countries. We should look at a regional and, perhaps in the future, at an international level,'' Assad said in an interview aired Monday with Turkey's private CNN-Turk television. ``No matter how we define our relations - a strategic partnership, alliance, brotherhood, or whatever - we have doors wide open ahead of us to achieve our objectives and, for me, our cooperation is super,'' he said, stressing he was also looking to improve economic cooperation. The visit, though, is likely to irk the United States, which has expressed unease over improving Turkish-Syrian relations. Syrian analyst Imad Fawzi al-Shueibi said the U.S.-led war in Iraq, opposed by both countries, served to bring Syria and Turkey closer. ``The presence of U.S. troops in Iraq is one of the factors that have led to improved relations,'' he said. Turkey refused to let its territory be used by U.S. forces during the war on Iraq. Analysts said Assad's visit signals a major departure from the limitations that governed Syrian-Turkish relations. ``Assad's visit represents a turning point in regional politics, a turning of a page from the past and opening of a new page,'' said analyst Imad Fawzi al-Shueibi. In the late 1990s, Turkey threatened military action against Syria over its hosting and support of Turkish Kurdish rebels. The threat forced Damascus to expel Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, who is now imprisoned in Turkey. One reason for Turkey to develop ties with Syria is to prevent Turkish rebels from finding safe havens there again. The two countries still have disputes over Syria's claims to Turkey's Hatay province, which has a large Arab population, and the sharing of water from the Euphrates River. But NATO-member Turkey and Syria have in the past three years signed military and security agreements and the volume of trade between the two countries has reached some $1 billion. In July 2003, then-Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa Miro became the first Syrian premier to visit Turkey in 17 years. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul visited Damascus in November for a meeting of Iraq's neighbors on the impact of the war. George Jabbour, a political analyst and a Syrian lawmaker, said he believed an emerging Syrian-Turkish alliance might force some rethinking in Washington. ``This would convince the United States to improve its relations with both Syria and Turkey,'' he said. U.S. legislation approved by President Bush in December threatens to impose sanctions on Syria unless it complies with U.S. demands to cooperate. Talal Salman, editor-in-chief of Lebanon's leftist As-Safir newspaper, wrote Monday that Assad's visit is a ``courageous step at an exceptional moment.'' The situation in Iraq is likely to be a main topic in Assad's talks with Turkish leaders. Turkey's Ambassador to Syria, Ahmet Oguz Celikkol, said in remarks published Sunday that Assad's visit would be a ``turning point'' in the two countries' relations, adding that Turkey and Syria consider preserving Iraq's territorial integrity and independence a ``substantial issue.'' He said the visit would result in the signing of two agreements: One to protect and encourage mutual investments, and the other to avoid double taxation. A tourist protocol will also be signed during the visit. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004 (*) Message 19584525