Water, borders file obstructs concluding a Syrian- Turkish statement
Syria-Turkey, Politics, 3/10/2000

Diplomatic sources in Damascus said that Syrian - Turkish talks were concluded on Wednesday evening without reaching a final formula for a "declaration of principles" organizing relations between the two countries and that the two sides had agreed to convene additional talks next month in Ankara to settle problems connecting to the water and border files.

In the two past days, the Syrian deputy foreign minister, Suleiman Haddad, and the Turkish foreign ministry secretary, Ogore Ziyal, presided over the delegations of their two countries in talks which were the first of their kind to formulate a "declaration of principles," to be announced during the visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem to Damascus scheduled for April, in preparation for holding the joint committee.

The sources added that the two sides agreed not to "leak the content of the talks to the mass media due to the sensitivity of the debated issues and in order to prevent effects on the positive and frank atmosphere in which the talks were held."

The diplomatic sources continued that the statement (declaration) will deal with main issues, including "the security, the borders, economic cooperation, border trade and tourism" and that disputes are over the issues of "waters and the borders," in that the Syrian side wants to add a provision calling for having serious negotiations to reach a just final agreement for the water issue according to the international law, while the Turkish side concentrates on official Syrian recognition of the existing borders between the two countries.

Previous Stories:
  A new page of relations between Syria and Turkey   (3/9/2000)
  Al-Shara confers with Turkish officials   (3/8/2000)
  Turkish - Syrian discussions   (3/6/2000)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search