Turkey, Syria ready to look up at same sky

From the brink of war 10 years ago, Turkey and Syria are now sailing toward a strategic partnership. Ministers from both sides met in Aleppo and then traveled visa-free to Gaziantep on Tuesday and made an open invitation expressing that the partnership is not an alliance against others countries and is open to all.

“Our slogan is about a common destiny, common history and common future. And we’ll build the future together,” Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart, Walid al-Muallem. He repeated the message in Arabic, which was applauded by the Syrians in the room.

“Today is bayram for the peoples of Turkey and Syria. We are celebrating a third bayram, which is the removal of visa procedures, in addition to Ramadan and the Feast of Sacrifice,” he said.

Turkey and Syria announced plans to establish a high-level strategic cooperation council to deepen their relations in every field from security to energy. Davutoğlu and al-Muallem co-chaired the first foreign ministerial meeting of the council to be followed at the prime ministerial level in early December when Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits Damascus.

“This partnership sets a standard and brings with it a message to the region. We hope this understanding will spread throughout the region,” said Davutoğlu.

For his part, al-Muallem said nothing should be sought behind his country’s partnership with Turkey. “Our call to friendly countries is open,” he said.

Turkey established a similar mechanism with Iraq under the government’s policy of zero problems and maximum cooperation with neighbors, but Ankara’s steps elevated fears among NATO members that EU aspirant Turkey was drifting farther from European values.

“Turkey’s relations with Syria are complementary to its foreign policy. If we join the EU, Syria will be a neighbor to the EU, and if the EU lets Turkey in, its doors will open up to the Middle East,” said Davutoğlu.

Later in the day, Davutoglu and al-Muallem signed an agreement to exempt mutual visas and the two ministers crossed the border in a symbolic move to remove the barrier at the Öncüpınar Border Gate, a narrow gate and an area surrounded by minefields.

Delay of military exercise with Israel

Syria welcomed the Turkish decision to delay the international part of a military exercise including Israel.

Turkey recently canceled a joint military exercise on its territory with Israel, the United States and Italy. Many people consider the decision a continuation of Turkey’s reaction to Israel’s Gaza war last year.

“We are pleased with Turkey’s decision, reminiscent of Turkey’s approach to the Israeli-led attacks in Gaza,” said al-Muallem, adding that Israel has continued its offensive policies and rejected Turkey’s peace efforts and initiatives.

Davutoğlu reminded the press that the exercise was a national drill open to international participants. “Everyone should act with common sense and in a way that does not harm peace and stability,” Davutoğlu said, without naming Israel. He said the human tragedy unfolding in Gaza should come to an end and Islamic holy places in East Jerusalem including al-Aqsa Mosque should be respected.

“If Turkey’s sensitivities are taken into consideration an atmosphere of peace will emerge. We are ready to do our best for peace,” said Davutoğlu.

Turkey sponsored five rounds of indirect negotiations between Israel and Syria but the talks were suspended over Israeli war in Gaza early this year. Davutoğlu said the Israeli attack dealt a serious blow to peace in the Middle East.

“We are always ready [to mediate peace talks] but there is need for strong political will that must be demonstrated by the parties concerned,” he said.

Al-Muallem said, “We trust the role played by Turkey as a mediator for peace in the region.”

De-mining the common border

Clearing landmines from the Turkish-Syrian border is controversial. The Turkish Parliament passed a controversial law last May about de-mining, but appealed to opposition at the country’s top Constitutional Court.

Davutoglu said once the ongoing technical work is over, the fields will open to agriculture after the mines are cleared away.

“That is important in economic terms, but it also has a symbolic meaning. From now on, we want neither mines, walls, wires, nor border gates. We want complete integration,” he said.

PKK problem

The PKK problem was once a point of contention that brought the two neighbors to the edge of a war in 1999. However, in the new term Damascus extended support to Turkey’s fight against the PKK, with Syrian President Bashar Assad saying before a visit to Istanbul last month that his country was ready to welcome the return of Syrian members of the PKK.

“Syria considers the PKK a terrorist organization,” said al-Muallem. “Turkey’s security is part of Syria’s security.”

Armenia protocols

The Syrian minister welcomed the protocols signed between Turkey and Armenia on Saturday to normalize their troubled relations. Turkish-Armenian ties closely concern Damascus due to its Armenian population.

“I have spoken with the Armenian citizens living in Syria and saw that they are also happy. Turkish-Armenian relations are in the interest of Syria,” said al-Muallem.

Snapshots from Aleppo-Gaziantep

• Ten Turkish ministers attended the strategic council meeting. Diplomats said the meetings took place not in the format of the two separate Cabinets’ convention but under one umbrella.

• Turkish ministers accompanied members of the press, as well as opposition deputies and think tanks.

• In Aleppo, ministers from both sides made a joint meeting described as “energetic and efficient beginning” by the diplomats and in Gaziantep concrete projects were discussed.

• The Turkish delegation was welcomed at the border by Turkish citizens living in Syria waving flags.

• The government aimed to transform economic cooperation with Syria into economic integration. The objective is to attain $5 billion in mutual trade volume, which was $1.8 billion in 2008.

• Cyprus was among the issues on the agenda. Diplomats said Turkey’s proposal to Syria to let northern Cyprus open an office in Damascus was welcomed by the Syrian officials.

• Higher Education Board, or YÖK, head Ziya Özcan suggested joint high education license programs between Turkish and Syrian universities.

• Turkey offered to build a dam in Syria and name it the “Friendship Dam.”