Opening of Arab League office in Ankara signals new era

Turkish-Arab relations have turned a new page with the opening of an Arab League office in Ankara, a move that heralds an effort to dispel misconceptions and work together more closely in the future. "The Arab and Turkish people were far from each other, despite being neighbors and having a common history and the same aspirations," Ambassador Mohammed Al-Fatah Naciri, the Arab League's representative to Turkey, said in an interview late last week. Admitting that the mission in Ankara is overdue, Naciri said both sides are now seeking to end problems and turn a new page in ties.