Relations between Syria and Turkey have a new tone

The Kuwaiti daily al-Rai al-Am has stressed that after President Bashar al-Assad assumed power in Syria, it seems that a new tone at the internal and external level has started to crystallize with the emergence of a new strategy that might be materialized during the few coming years.

The paper added that the development at the internal level of economic and political openness has been maintained calmly and smoothly in contrary to foreign examples especially regional and especially those relating to relations with neighborly countries and this is evident in the accelerated relations with Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey.

The paper indicated the relations between Syria and Turkey that used to be tense since very long time and were about to lead to a confrontation in 1998 at a time when Damascus is preoccupied by its relations with Israel "whether to have peace or war."

The paper added that Damascus has contained the " crisis" with Turkey and evacuated Abdullah Ocalan, noting that there are still other problems relating to waters in the pressing years of drought on both Syria and Turkey, besides the question of Alexandaritta.

The Kuwaiti daily also praised the role played by the Palestinian Intifada in inflaming the religious feelings in the Muslim Turks who made pressures on the Turkish government to this effect.

The paper also expected more detente in bilateral relations between the two countries and recalled the participation of the late Turkish President Ahmad Cezar in the funeral of the late President Hafez al-Assad and the recent visit made by the Syria vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam to Ankara.