Turkey, Syria sign agreements to deepen bilateral ties towards economic integration

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday began his official talks in Syria after a welcoming ceremony in the capital Damascus. Erdogan met with his Syrian counterpart Muhammad Naji al-Otri after the ceremony, and the two later co-chaired the first prime ministerial-level meeting of the Turkey-Syria High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. A number of Cabinet ministers also attended, including Interior Minister Besir Atalay and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, and their Syrian counterparts. Syrian President Bashar Assad also attended the landmark gathering. "Turkey sees Syria as a gateway to the Middle Eastern markets of 320 million people," Erdogan told the meeting. "Turkish banks can open branches in Syria, giving a significant momentum to bilateral trade." He also said Turkey could contribute to Syria in the construction of Latakia airport and privatization bids. On the Middle East peace process, Erdogan said regional peace could be established on firm foundations when Turkey and Syria work hand-in-hand, and thanked Assad for supporting Turkey's mediation between Syria and Israel, which was halted early this year due to the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Also speaking at the meeting, al-Otri said that Turkey and Syria could cooperate in many areas. Stating that region faces many economic and political challenges, al-Otri expressed support for Turkey's efforts to solve regional conflicts through diplomacy and peaceful means. Accusing Israel of unwillingness to continue peace talks, he underlined Turkey's role as a mediator. "This is essential, and peace can only be ensured thanks to this role," he said. Following the meeting, 51 official documents were signed in various areas, with an eye to deepening bilateral ties and economic integration between the two countries. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Erdogan said, "We can consider today's meeting the first milestone on a long road. We can cooperate in such areas as transportation, the economy, commerce, security, local administrations, energy, water, environment, culture, education and urban transformation." Erdogan said that the agreements must be implemented for the good of future generations. For his part, al-Otri said the meeting had been fruitful. "Our goal is to contribute to the economies of our countries," he said. Al-Otri also hosted a luncheon in Erdogan's honor.