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ANKARA After decades of enmity, Syria and Turkey have launched strategic cooperation.
In September, the two neighbors signed an agreement meant to launch strategic cooperation, including in the defense and military sectors. The accord also saw the removal of restrictions along the border between Syria and Turkey.
"The brotherhood that exists between our people has been lifted to the political level with joint Cabinet meetings to be held between our two governments," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.
Officials said the government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan regarded Syria as part of Ankara's "zero problems with neighbors" policy. They said Ankara and Damascus have decided to establish what was termed a high-level strategic cooperation panel.
"Turkey is your second country and the people of Turkey have opened their arms to welcome you without the need for a visa," Davutoglu said.
Come on in and bring in whatever you want, no questions asked.
At a joint news conference on Sept. 17, Davutoglu and his Syrian counterpart, Walid Mualem, agreed to lift customs on trade between the two countries. They said trucks that shuttle between Syrian and Turkey would be exempt from taxes.
"This is the biggest demonstration of cooperation, solidarity and mutual trust," Mualem said.
Turkish analysts said Syria and Turkey could establish strategic cooperation to the same level as that with Iraq. They said this could marginalize Ankara's military and security cooperation with Israel.
That would be putting it mildly.
"It is too early to say that what was often described as Turkey's strategic alliance with Israel is being replaced by Syria," Bulent Alireza, a senior researcher at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said. "However, the increasingly close relationship with Damascus, combined with the recent strains in the relationship with Tel Aviv, seems certain to raise additional questions about a possible change of direction in Turkish foreign policy in the Middle East."
Your list of real dependable friends grows thin.
In 2009, Syria and Turkey launched its first military exercise. The exercise took place along the border and was meant to demonstrate joint security cooperation.
The analysts said the Turkish military has not been enthusiastic over cooperation with Syria. Syria has long been seen by the Turkish military as a haven for insurgency groups, including the Kurdish Workers Party.
We will have to see what if anything the Turkish military does about this.
"Syrian and Turkish weapons systems are different so I'm doubtful there is much scope for cooperation along these lines," Raymond Hinnebusch, a professor at the University of St. Andrews and author of books on Syria, was quoted in the Turkish media as saying. "Perhaps intelligence sharing, confidence-building measures etc. can develop at a fairly low level of salience."
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...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
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