DAMASCUS, Dec 22 (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan began Wednesday a trip to Syria aimed at boosting the new-found friendship between the two former foes who came to the brink of war six years ago.
Erdogan is turning his attention to the Middle East after an EU summit last week that invited Muslim-majority Turkey to negotiate its eventual entry into the European bloc.
"A new era began" in relations when Syria's President Bashar al-Assad visited Turkey in January on the first such visit by a Syrian head of state, Erdogan told reporters on his departure for Damascus.
"God willing, during this visit we will take political and economic steps that will add to our bilateral ties," he added.
Erdogan was scheduled to meet Assad and Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otri on Wednesday and visit the northern city of Aleppo on Thursday before flying back home.
The two sides, whose trade amounted to one billion dollars in 2003, are to sign a free trade agreement during the visit. Erdogan's delegation includes three ministers, including the minister of foreign trade, Kursad Tuzmen.
Turkey, a member of NATO and a close ally of the United States and Israel, has pushed for closer relations with Syria since the US-led invasion of Iraq, despite warnings from Washington to limit its cooperation with Damascus.
Ankara and Damascus share concerns over the Iraqi Kurds' aspirations for self-rule in a future federated Iraq as they both have sizeable Kurdish communities of their own.
Ties have warmed between the two neighbors since 1998 when they came to the brink of war over Ankara's accusations that Damascus was sheltering separatist Kurdish militants fighting the Turkish government.
Tensions eased when Damascus expelled Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan from his safe haven in Syria and signed a security deal with Ankara, pledging to stop supporting Ocalan's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
As a result, Turkish intelligence operatives arrested Ocalan in Kenya, where he had fled, and brought him back for trial to Turkey, where he is serving a life sentence for treason.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, war-torn Iraq and the Kurdish question are expected to figure high on the agenda of Erdogan's talks in Damascus.
Turkey and Syria have since the March 2003 invasion of neighbouring Iraq signed a series of economic and security agreements, including one to jointly combat crime and terrorism.
Last year, Syria detained and extradited to Turkey 20 people wanted in connection with suicide-bombings that targeted synagogues and British interests in Istanbul.
Despite improved ties, two sticking points remain: sharing of the waters of the Euphrates river, which has its source in Turkey, and the status of Turkey's southern Hatay province, formerly Alexandretta, which Syria still claims.
12/22/2004 11:59 GMT - AFP