Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam announced that his country has turned a new page in its relations with Turkey and is determined to develop cooperation in all fields, noting that they have closed the file on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
In statements to the newspapers “Hürriyet” and “Milliyet,” Khaddam remarked that it is natural for there to be problems between neighbors, but what matters is resolving them within the framework of mutual trust. He urged Ankara to work together on resolving the water issue with Syria and Iraq through fair distribution of the Euphrates River’s waters.
Khaddam described the efforts by some American circles to label Syria as an “axis of evil” as irrelevant to Damascus. He pointed out Washington’s attempts to incite sectarian and religious conflict in Iraq.
He explained that Syria’s hostility towards the U.S. stems from its absolute support for Israel and added that Turkey’s membership in NATO has led Arab countries to be cautious about their relations with Turkey throughout the Cold War.
Meanwhile, Turkish political circles are paying significant attention to the upcoming visit of Syrian Prime Minister Mustafa Miro on the 28th and 29th of this month. This will be the first visit by a Syrian Prime Minister to Turkey in 18 years, during which an agreement on friendship and cooperation between the two countries will be signed. Sources indicated that the dispute over the Iskenderun region persists, with the Turkish side emphasizing the need for Damascus to officially relinquish this region to Turkey.
