On President Bashar al-Assad's visit to Turkey
The Sudanese " al-Share' al-Seyasi " daily has expected that President Bashar al-Assad will shortly pay a visit to Turkey following the visit held by vice- President Abdul Halim Khaddam to Ankara in an attempt to open a new page that would minimize the israeli influence in the Turkish policies.
In its analysis issued on December 8, the paper added that many sides considered the Syrian address at the Cairo and Doha summits as a proof for Syria's declared stances, noting " but this address proposes in a new framework especially at the Arab level to get rid off the burden of previous traditional disputes and that the coincidence of the simultaneous Syrian move to Baghdad and Ankara with the eruption of the Palestinian Intifada." The paper added this inclination prompts many observers to look into these changes in that there is an attempt to immunize Damascus position against the consequences resulted from Israel's confusion resulting from its defeat in South Lebanon.
The paper added although some analysts indicate President Bashar al-Assad's desire to form an eastern front including Syria, Iraq and Iran, observers say that this needs also good relations with Turkey with whom commercial trade exchange with Syria was increase from US $ 600 million to US $ one billion. This means that relations between the two countries should not be kept confined to security and water issues and what Israel tries to campaign, rather to open a new page that eliminate the Israeli impact in the Turkish policies and serves the formation of the Eastern Front against Israel.
The paper added that while the Syrian public does not show great interest in the Turkish issue ( relations with Turkey), it has been preoccupied by the Syrian- Iraqi rapprochement and pins great hopes on the reconciliation steps with Baghdad so as to underline the importance of the Iraqi depth for Syria and the importance of having the two states in one front.
The paper concluded as saying that with the positive Syrian official signals towards Iraq, there is a reading for these signals that an alliance will be established between Damascus and Baghdad to withstand the Israeli threats.
