BY SAMI KOHEN
MILLIYET- Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the past and present state of Turkish-Syrian relations. A summary of his column is as follows:
Syrian Prime Minister Muhammed Mustafa Miro’s visit to Turkey this week represents a turning point in the process of rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus. Speaking at an Istanbul banquet organized by the Turkish-Syrian Business Council, Miro stated that the two countries were starting to enter a period of ‘strategic relations’ and expressed his hope that rapid bilateral developments in economic ties would spread to other areas. Actually, considering where Turkish-Syrian relations were just a few years ago, we can better understand the importance of this new state of affairs.
During the Cold War, chill and even tense winds were blowing between NATO member Turkey and Soviet-leaning Syria. In that era and just after, Syria supported terrorist groups opposed to Turkey. The tense atmosphere this created grew worse with Damascus’ provocative stance on the issues of water and Hatay [a longtime Turkish province on the border with Syria and claimed by it]. This situation continued until Ankara forced Damascus to make a decision about terrorist PKK head Abdullah Ocalan. After then Syrian President Hafez al-Assad moved to expel Ocalan and the PKK from Syria, relations started to slowly normalize. Current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s policy of opening to Turkey, his domestic reforms and new developments in the region have caused both countries to leave the past behind, look towards the future and establish a new state of relations.
Three problems have dogged Turkish-Syrian relations for years: terrorism, water and the Hatay issue. Now the problem of terrorism between the two countries has been resolved. The Hatay matter also seems to have been dropped, and both Ankara and Damascus are trying to solve their disagreements over water through negotiations. Thus, there’s no longer any serious hindrance to our developing bilateral relations. Maybe the only ‘brake’ politically speaking might come from foreign shores – that is, Washington doesn’t want Ankara to warm up to Damascus. However, the US can play a role in terms of ending certain disagreements between our countries. However, Turkey is determined to continue the process of rapprochement with Syria, as it is considered a key element of our regional strategy.
During Miro’s visit to Syria, four economic cooperation agreements were signed, and he also proposed new opportunities to Turkish businessmen. This year cross-border trade is expected to reach $1 billion. The emerging new state of relations between our two countries can open the door to other Arab markets for Turkey, and, for Syria, the door to European Union markets. All these things can start, in Miro’s words, our era of ‘strategic relations’.