Constructive meetings between Turkish and Syrian officials
Syria-Turkey, Politics, 2/26/1998

The chairman of the Middle East Department at the Turkish Foreign Ministry met on Tuesday in Damascus with Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Muhammad Omran, and the two men discussed means of resuming dialogue between the two countries, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Wednesday.

The Turkish diplomat, Ekud Tchitirji, was scheduled to meet Wednesday night with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa.

Tchitirji has not made any press statements, but the spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Najati Otkan, described the talks held in Damascus as very "positive and constructive," adding that Turkey feels satisfied with the results of the visit.

Political dialogue between Ankara and Damascus has been suspended since September 1995 when the sixth joint meeting convened by Turkey, Iran, and Syria was held in Tehran to discuss events in northern Iraq. Such tripartite meetings started between the three countries following the end of the Gulf War in 1991.

Syrian-Turkish relations are affected by several disputes between the two countries, as Ankara accuses Damascus of "supporting" the separatist Kurdish Labor Party which has been launching attacks against the Turkish government since 1984.

Damascus accuses Ankara of reducing the flow of the Euphrates' waters into Syrian territory and demands fair distribution of the waters among Syria, Iraq and Jordan. Syria also condemned the military alliance agreement signed by Turkey and Israel in 1996.

Previous Stories:
  Turkish diplomat arrives in Damascus   (2/23/1998)
  Ankara seeks to resume dialogue with Damascus   (2/20/1998)
  Iraq calls on Turkey to join water talks   (10/23/1997)

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