SYRIA: The Syrian president, Dr Bashar Assad, yesterday wound up a landmark trip to Turkey by inaugurating the day's trading at the Istanbul stock exchange, writes Michael Jansen in Nisocia
His three day visit, the first of a Syrian head of state since the country gained independence in 1946, marks a major shift in relations between the two countries since 1998 when Turkey threatened war over Damascus' support for a Kurdish revolt in southeastern Turkey.
Following a meeting with the Turkish President, Mr Ahmet Necmet Sezer, Dr Assad observed, "We have moved together from an atmosphere of distrust to one of trust. We must create stability from a regional atmosphere of instability." His discussions with Turkish leaders focused on the US occupation of Iraq, Iraqi Kurdish ambitions for self-rule, regional instability and weapons of mass destruction.
Dr Assad said Ankara supported his call for a Middle East free of such weaponry but, apparently, did not respond to Turkey's offer to facilitate and host talks between Syria and Israel over the Golan Heights, Syrian territory occupied by Israel in 1967.
Nevertheless, the Turkish Premier, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan, yesterday assured the Israeli Ambassador in Ankara, Mr Pini Avivi, that Dr Assad was serious about reviving peace talks with Israel in line with a proposal aired last month.
The stage was set last November for a successful visit by Dr Assad when Syria handed-over to Turkey 22 people suspected of involvement in suicide bomb attacks against British and Jewish targets in Istanbul.
The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr Abdullah Gul, responded by saying, "The Syrians are being extremely helpful in tracking down the terrorists. We are extremely grateful."
The extradition of the bombing suspects was followed in mid-December by the signing of a memorandum of understanding providing for co-operation in fighting crime and terrorism.
While relations have been improving for several years, the US occupation of Iraq last spring has accelerated the rate of rapprochement.
Both countries fear that the US supports a bid for independence by Iraqi Kurds, precipitating unrest amongst Kurdish minorities in both Syria and Turkey.
On the eve of his trip to Ankara, Dr Assad told CNN-Turk, "We are opposed not only to a Kurdish state but also to any action against the territorial integrity of Iraq. For that reason the breakup of Iraq would be a red line, not only as far as Syria and Turkey are concerned but for all the countries in the region." Ankara agrees with this assessment.
Turkey's moderate Islamist government is also keen to establish good relations with its Arab neighbours to compensate for a cooling connection with Washington due to Ankara's opposition to the US war on Iraq.
Syria is seen by Turkey as its door to the Arab world.
In order to reassure the Arabs, Dr Assad and Mr Erdogan would like to create some distance between the traditional Turkish politico-military establishment and Israel.
In a bid to reach out to Arab and Muslim countries, Mr Erdogan, refused to go to Israel last year but accepted an invitation to Iran - which he was compelled to cancel ahead of this month's encounter with the US President, Mr George Bush.
To achieve reconciliation, Syria and Turkey had to end a century of hostility flowing from Turkish resentment of the Arab role in the breakup of the Ottoman Empire which ruled the region for 500 years and Arab antagonism against their former rulers.