Turkey to change strategy towards Syria
Syria-Turkey, Politics, 9/5/1998

A correspondent for Monte Carlo radio in Ankara said that Turkish military and political circles refused yesterday to comment on a study by the Turkish national security council for the project of changing Turkey's strategy towards Syria and its imposing of political and economic sanctions against Syria under the pretext of Syria's military and moral support for the activities of the Kurdistan Worker's Party.

The Turkish sources said that if such a decision is to be taken in this regard, it will be announced by the end of the current month. The correspondent said that the Turkish dailies quoted former Turkish Army chief of staff Shafik Beir as saying: It is time now to carry out a special operation to arrest Abdullah Ojlan, leader of the Kurdistani Workers' Party and to bring him from Damascus.

The correspondent continued that observers in Turkey said the Turkish media campaign against Syria comes on eve of the visit of the Turkish Prime Minister Mesout Yilmaz to Israel. He added that Turkish media used to launch similar media campaigns against Syria before the arrival of any Israeli official to Turkey or the departure of any Turkish official to Israel.

For her part the Monte Carlo radio correspondent in Damascus said that Turkish-Syrian relations are still hanging on several conditions. These are based on the issue of dividing the waters of the Euphrates, a process demanded by both Damascus and Baghdad, as well as the question of terrorism Turkey accuses Syria of conducting, support of the Kurdistani Workers' Party and the Turkish-Israeli military accord, denounced daily by Syria.

The correspondent added despite the positive atmospheres the two sides were careful to give to July negotiations held in Turkey, presided over by Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Adnan Omran with the objective of continuing dialogue, the main points of dispute still exist.

She added that Syria accuses the leaders of the Turkish army and foreign sides including the US and Israel of obstructing Syrian-Turkish negotiations and exerting efforts to foil them in support of Ankara's alliance with Tel Aviv.

Previous Stories:
  Damascus, Ankara fail to settle disputes   (7/4/1998)
  Syrian, Turkish officials meet on bilateral issues in Ankara   (7/1/1998)
  Turkey to keep open dialogue door with Syria   (5/14/1998)

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