Turkey and the security agreement signed with Syria
Syria-Turkey, Politics, 10/22/1998

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has welcomed the agreement reached with Syria. It expressed hope that if Syria would start the implementation of the items of the agreement, the door will be open for advancing bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Najati Otcan, said that senior officials at the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Tuesday and Wednesday morning had fully evaluated the talks held with the Syrian side. He said it was agreed to form a mechanism to monitor the implementation of the agreement's items.

He added that the agreement intends to put an end to the Kurdistani Workers Party separatist organization in Syria and to establish direct "hotlines" between the two countries' security representatives. The representatives will be part of the monitoring mechanism to implement the agreement.

Otcan expressed Turkey's thanks and gratitude over the mediation efforts exerted by Egypt and Iran to calm down tension with Syria. Replying to a question on whether Turkey will pursue the same policy with other neighboring countries which support the Kurdistani Workers Party, Otcan said the "type of support Syria used to provide to the Kurdistani workers party is different from the support given by other countries," thereby Turkey will deal with such an issue with these states in a different way."

Otcan indicated that there is a third part in the inspection mechanism of implementing the agreement with Syria, besides the "direct hotline" and the security representatives. He refrained from mentioning this mechanism.

Otcan called upon Syria to carry out items of the reached agreement. On the possibility of holding talks on the bilateral level between the two countries, Otcan ruled out such a possibility, adding, "There is no need to convene a bilateral meeting."

Otcan added that a tripartite meeting may be held. It will include Syria, Lebanon and Turkey to discuss terrorism, from which Syria has suffered for 14 years. He commented that eliminating terrorism will positively reflect on the countries of the region, not only Turkey.

As for the list of names of Kurdistani Workers Party detainees submitted to by Syria, Otcan said, "Turkey will study the case in the context of the agreement concluded with Syria."

As for Turkey's position concerning al-Iskandaroun Sanjak, Otcan said "Turkey has no problem with the Sanjak. It is rather Syria which frequently debate this matter. Turkey will never give an inch of its territories."

On the presence of Abdullah Oclan in Russia, Otcan added that Turkish Prime Minister Mesout Yilmaz had said that Oclan is in Russia, adding that there is no more additional information in this regard.

Otcan noted that the Syrian delegation left Turkey at a very late hour of Tuesday night after it signed the agreement with Turkey. Turkey, he said, highlights the importance of the agreement because it states that Syria will cut ties with terrorism.

He added that if Syria proceeds to fight terrorism, Turkey will reconsider its bilateral relations with Syria and develop these relations for the better.

Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Ismael Cem was quoted on Wednesday as saying that his country is still cautious towards its neighbor Syria despite the deal the two countries concluded in the campaign against a separatist Kurdish group. Cem added in statements to Turkish businessmen in Ankara that the results of the agreement are very important. "But we have to be very careful towards its implementation. We follow up developments closely and carefully," he said.

Previous Stories:
  Ankara announces that accord with Damascus meets Turkish security demands   (10/21/1998)
  Askandaroun Sanjak and the International Court of Justice   (10/17/1998)
  Syria bans Kurdistani Workers Party activities, Turkish ambassador: No regional dispute   (10/15/1998)

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