Damascus - During the last two years, Syrian-Turkish relations moved from building basis and establishing fields of comprehensive cooperation to a strategic level and an encompassing vision for the region's future and bolstering cooperation among its countries to help achieve economic development and bolster security and stability, which constitute the basis for continuing advancement in all economic and development sectors.
The visit of President Bashar al-Assad and Mrs. Asma al-Assad to Turkey on Saturday comes in the framework of strengthening partnership between the two countries and discussing regional developments.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul pointed out that he and President al-Assad will sign agreements between the two countries to boost bilateral cooperation, in addition to discussing all issues that can push cooperation forward.
Syrian-Turkish relations have become a model for brotherly relations among peoples and institutional relations among countries, with the results they have achieved in various sectors. these relations became a reality that cannot be ignored since they are based on popular support and the two countries' strong and mutual will.
Despite the remarkable achievements of Syrian-Turkish cooperation, they remain modest in comparison to the two countries' aspirations both on the official and popular levels, and this entails great responsibilities for the two countries to realize these aspirations.
Syrian-Turkish cooperation and the resulting agreements redrew the Middle East map, breaking the boundaries that some international forces have been attempting to maintain.
This cooperation became a motivator in the region, with several countries following the suit. The best example is the canceling of entry visas between a number of Arab countries and Turkey following the example of the Syrian-Turkish step.
The visit of President al-Assad to Ankara in 2004 marked the beginning of a new history between Syria and Turkey filled with cooperation and planning for a promising future based on constructive cooperation.
President al-Assad's visit to Istanbul in September 16, 2009 also was a pivotal point for taking cooperation between the two countries to the strategic level, through the establishing of the Syrian-Turkish High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council which yielded the signing of many agreements within less than a year.
The visits of Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Syria also helped give momentum to these relations on all levels. Direct and positive effect of these visits is reflected in the massive increase in trade exchange between the two countries.
The meeting of the Syrian-Turkish High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council resulted in signing 51 agreements, memos of understanding and work programs on cooperation in fields of politics, diplomacy, security, military, economy, electricity, health, higher education, scientific research, information technology, communications, housing, environment, culture, tourism, agriculture, irrigation, petroleum, transport, local administration, sport, youth and media.
The mutual canceling of entry visas for carriers of Syrian and Turkish passports in September 18, 2009 led to increasing visits by citizens from the two countries in significant numbers.
The two countries are working within the framework of the Syrian-Turkish Regional Cooperation Program to carry out projects on rehabilitating border crossing points and establishing a center for disaster management, firefighting and rescue, in addition to cooperation between businessmenfrom both sides in various fields, particularly banking, industry and tourism.
The considerable development in Syrian-Turkish political relations boosted economic and investment cooperation, a thing came to reality with the establishing of the Syrian-Turkish Partnership Council that emerged from the Free Trade Zone agreement which was put into force in 2007.
Turkey currently ranks first among countries investing in Syria, with most of these investments focusing on the industrial sector, such as the manufacture of trains and carriages, the manufacture of factory equipment, refinement and packaging of olive oil and vegetable oils, and more.
On the sidelines of the Syrian-Turkish Industrial Committee meetings held in Damascus earlier in May, Turkish Minister of Industry and Commerce Nihat Ergun affirmed that Turkish industrial investments in Syria have amounted to around USD 700 million, most of them focused in Aleppo due to its geographic locations.
Ergun expressed hope that these investments will amount to USD 2 billion within the upcoming few years. He underlined the Turkish government's commitment to supporting Turkish investors to set up companies with Syrian counterparts.
The two countries' governments recently took steps to develop and carry out a natural gas pipeline to transport Egyptian natural gas through Syria to Turkey, in addition to giving special attention to the electric link project among Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Palestine.
Syrian and Turkish stances are in agreement regarding most of the basic issues in the region, particularly the Arab-Israeli conflict and the need to find a solution to it according to international legitimacy resolutions and the land-for-peace principle. Both countries have affirmed their rejection of Israel's policy of settlement building, its continuing siege of Gaza Strip, its brutal practices against the Palestinian people, and its violation of Islamic and Christian sanctities, all of which constitute a breach of international law and true obstacles for resuming the peace process.
Turkish President Gul recently expressed these points, considering the latest Israeli threats against Syria a blatant attempt at diverting the peace process off its natural track, calling on Israel to halt settlements construction in the occupied lands in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Syria and Turkey are playing an active role in the regional developments and issues, from the peace process to confronting the Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people and the siege imposed on Gaza Strip.
Turkey's strong stances in support of the just Arab causes in general, and the Palestinian cause in particular, are an example of translating words into deeds, supporting justice, and rejecting occupation and injustice.
The preliminary indicators of signed agreements promise results that exceed expectations, establishing basis for new fields of cooperation to meet the aspirations of the two peoples.
By H. Sabbagh / Ghossoun
© SANA (Syria Arab News Agency) 2010
