Syria–Turkey relations
Encyclopedia
Syrian–Turkish relations have long been strained, even though Turkey
shares its longest common border with Syria
; various geographic and historical links also tie the two neighboring states together.
This friction has been due to disputes including the self annexation of the Hatay Province
to Turkey in 1939, water disputes resulting from the Southeastern Anatolia Project
, and Syria’s support for the Kurdistan Worker's Party which have been recognised as a terrorist organisation by NATO, EU and many other countries. But relations have improved greatly since October 1998; when PKK leader terorist Abdullah Öcalan
was expelled by Syrian authorities.
Syria currently maintains an embassy in Ankara
and two consulates–general in Istanbul
and Gaziantep
. Turkey has an embassy in Damascus
and a consulate–general in Aleppo
. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean
and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
became independent from the French mandate of Syria
as the Republic of Hatay
and following a referendum
, 8 months later in 1939, it decided to join Turkey. This self-annexation was never recognized by Syria, which continues to show the Hatay Province
of Turkey as part of Syria's territory on maps.
on the Euphrates
and Tigris
rivers as part of the Southeastern Anatolia Project
to develop the region.
organization internationally by a number of states and organizations, including the USA, NATO and the EU and has claimed that Syria employed Alois Brunner
to train Kurdish militants for attacks against Turkey.
The two countries came to the brink of war when Turkey threatened military action if Syria continued to shelter Abdullah Öcalan
in Damascus
, his long-time safe haven. Relations have improved since October 1998, when Öcalan was expelled by Damascus and Syria pledged to stop harbouring the PKK terorists and the 1999 signing of the Adana agreement, following his subsequent capture in Kenya
, envisaged security cooperation between the two countries.
(Granta Books, 2005
) BBC
correspondent Chris Morris
claims that Syria was “for years a bitter foe” as “Turkey’s secular democracy
, its application for EU membership
and its close relationship with the United States
have long been regarded in Tehran
, Baghdad
and Damascus
with intense suspicion. Islamists
look at the secular state which buried the caliphate
and think ‘betrayal’; and Arab nationalists
still haven’t forgotten that Turks are their former colonial rulers.” “But there’s been a thaw, especially since the AKP
came to power,” and “the new Turkish model – trying to mix greater democracy and Islam together – is now the subject of curiosity and not a little envy.”
The Turkish Parliament’s refusal to cooperate militarily with the 2003 US invasion of Iraq was a turning point in Syrian-Turkish bilateral relations as Syria’s perceptions of Turkey as incapable of acting independently were altered.
In late 2004 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
flew to Damascus to sign a free trade
agreement in the follow-up to former Turkish President Turgut Özal
’s high-level trade negations with Syrian authorities, which included the first ever visit to Turkey by a Syrian President, in the 1990’s and Erdoğan’s own recently successful bid to initiate a Turkish EU accession which would allow Europe, “to extend its reach to the borders Syria, Iraq and Iran.”
In 2008 Turkey was, as a sign of mutual trust in Damascus
and Tel Aviv
, invited to play the role of facilitator between Syria and Israel
to solve their dispute over control over the Golan Heights, but these talks were abandoned after four rounds, following the deterioration in Turkey-Israel relations after Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan criticised Israel’s conduct of the 2008-2009 Israel-Gaza conflict as a "crime against humanity."
The Syrian-Turkish relationship becomes now very strong and intimate as Syria and Turkey have cancelled entry visas and signed joint declaration of strategic council.
Visiting Syrian Defense Minister Hassan Turkmani and Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül
also signed a letter of intent giving the green light for cooperation in the defence industry, on the sidelines of the 9th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF’09) that commenced in Istanbul the same day, as a sign of the level of political relations reached between the two states, although a Turkish defence industry source emphasised that, “it does not mean that the two countries will immediately enter into cooperation in arms production.”
Shortly before the visit new Syrian Ambassador to Turkey Nidal Qablan confirmed that Syria was ready to restart the Turkish mediated peace negotiations with Israel and Gül supported the call, following his meeting with Assad, stating that, “We have heard Syria say it is ready to resume the peace talks from the point where they stopped with the previous [Israeli] government. We in Turkey are also ready.” Assad confirmed, “Turkey’s role is important because we have trust in Turkey.” Israeli President Shimon Peres dismissed these calls stating, “The Syrians should be ready to talk. If President al-Assad wants peace, why is he shy? We suggested direct talks many times. He thinks direct talks are a prize for Israel. It’s not a prize. It’s normal.”
which took place in many smaller cities throughout Syria began to impact Turkey when at least 3,000 Syrian refugees fled crackdowns by the Syrian army on towns such as Jisr ash-Shugur
. In June, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan described to Anatolian Agency his feeling that "They [Syria] are not acting in a humane manner. This is savagery." Earlier in May, he advised the Syrian government to not initiate another Hama massacre
. However, the Turkish government is currently refraining from describing the Syrians who have fled as "refugees" or "asylum-seekers", instead referring to them as guests, and Erdogan, while demanding for implementation of promised reforms by the Syrian government, is currently refraining from calling for Bashar al-Assad
's departure.
On 9 August, 2011, BBC and numerous other news sites have reported that Turkey is sending its foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu
, to Syria to give the regime a "tough" message. Erdogan has said that he is becoming impatient with the "savagery" of Bashar al-Assad's authoritarian regime.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
shares its longest common border with Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
; various geographic and historical links also tie the two neighboring states together.
This friction has been due to disputes including the self annexation of the Hatay Province
Hatay Province
Hatay Province is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast. It is bordered by Syria to the south and east and the Turkish provinces of Adana and Osmaniye to the north. The province is part of Çukurova, a geographical, economical and cultural region that covers the provinces of...
to Turkey in 1939, water disputes resulting from the Southeastern Anatolia Project
Southeastern Anatolia Project
The Southeastern Anatolia Project is a multi-sector integrated regional development project based on the concept of sustainable development for the 9 million people living in the Southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey...
, and Syria’s support for the Kurdistan Worker's Party which have been recognised as a terrorist organisation by NATO, EU and many other countries. But relations have improved greatly since October 1998; when PKK leader terorist Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan , Kurdish founder of the terrorist organization called Kurdistan Workers' Party in 1978.Öcalan was captured in Nairobi and extradited to the Turkish security force, and sentenced to death under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code, which concerns the formation of armed gangs...
was expelled by Syrian authorities.
Syria currently maintains an embassy in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
and two consulates–general in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
and Gaziantep
Gaziantep
Gaziantep , Ottoman Turkish: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo, Syria...
. Turkey has an embassy in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
and a consulate–general in Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean
Union for the Mediterranean
The Union for the Mediterranean is a multilateral partnership that encompasses 43 countries from Europe and the Mediterranean Basin: the 27 member states of the European Union and 16 Mediterranean partner countries from North Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans...
and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Hatay annexation
In 1938 Republic of HatayRepublic of Hatay
Hatay State , also known informally as the Republic of Hatay, was a transitional political entity that formally existed from September 7, 1938 to June 29, 1939 in the territory of the Sanjak of Alexandretta of the French Mandate of Syria. The State was transformed de jure into the Hatay Province on...
became independent from the French mandate of Syria
French Mandate of Syria
Officially the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon was a League of Nations mandate founded after the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire...
as the Republic of Hatay
Republic of Hatay
Hatay State , also known informally as the Republic of Hatay, was a transitional political entity that formally existed from September 7, 1938 to June 29, 1939 in the territory of the Sanjak of Alexandretta of the French Mandate of Syria. The State was transformed de jure into the Hatay Province on...
and following a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
, 8 months later in 1939, it decided to join Turkey. This self-annexation was never recognized by Syria, which continues to show the Hatay Province
Hatay Province
Hatay Province is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast. It is bordered by Syria to the south and east and the Turkish provinces of Adana and Osmaniye to the north. The province is part of Çukurova, a geographical, economical and cultural region that covers the provinces of...
of Turkey as part of Syria's territory on maps.
Water politics
Water disputes have been a major source of conflict, as Turkey has constructed several damsDAMS
Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,...
on the Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
and Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
rivers as part of the Southeastern Anatolia Project
Southeastern Anatolia Project
The Southeastern Anatolia Project is a multi-sector integrated regional development project based on the concept of sustainable development for the 9 million people living in the Southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey...
to develop the region.
Support of Terrorism
Turkey has condemned Syria for supporting the PKK, which is listed as a terroristTerrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
organization internationally by a number of states and organizations, including the USA, NATO and the EU and has claimed that Syria employed Alois Brunner
Alois Brunner
Alois Brunner is an Austrian Nazi war criminal. Brunner was Adolf Eichmann's assistant, and Eichmann referred to Brunner as his "best man." As commander of the Drancy internment camp outside Paris from June 1943 to August 1944, Brunner is held responsible for sending some 140,000 European Jews to...
to train Kurdish militants for attacks against Turkey.
The two countries came to the brink of war when Turkey threatened military action if Syria continued to shelter Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan , Kurdish founder of the terrorist organization called Kurdistan Workers' Party in 1978.Öcalan was captured in Nairobi and extradited to the Turkish security force, and sentenced to death under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code, which concerns the formation of armed gangs...
in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, his long-time safe haven. Relations have improved since October 1998, when Öcalan was expelled by Damascus and Syria pledged to stop harbouring the PKK terorists and the 1999 signing of the Adana agreement, following his subsequent capture in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, envisaged security cooperation between the two countries.
Diplomatic thaw
In The New TurkeyThe New Turkey
The New Turkey: The Quiet Revolution on the Edge of Europe is a 2005 Granta Books publication by BBC World Affairs Correspondent Chris Morris which examines the potential and the problems of the far-reaching political and economic reforms being undertaken in what the author describes as a second...
(Granta Books, 2005
2005 in literature
The year 2005 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February 25 - Canada Reads selects Rockbound by Frank Parker Day as the novel to be read across the nation....
) BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
correspondent Chris Morris
Chris Morris (journalist)
Chris Morris is a British broadcast journalist who regularly contributes to BBC News, Today and From Our Own Correspondent, and is the author of the 2005 Granta publication The New Turkey.-Biography:...
claims that Syria was “for years a bitter foe” as “Turkey’s secular democracy
Constitution of Turkey
This article relates to a current event. See also the Turkish constitutional referendum, 2010The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey is Turkey's fundamental law. It establishes the organization of the government and sets out the principles and rules of the state's conduct along with its...
, its application for EU membership
Accession of Turkey to the European Union
Turkey's application to accede to the European Union was made on 14 April 1987. Turkey has been an associate member of the European Union and its predecessors since 1963...
and its close relationship with the United States
Turkey-United States relations
Turkey – United States relationsIn the post-World War II period evolved from the Second Cairo Conference in December 1943 and Turkey's entrance into World War II on the side of the Allies in February 1955, as a result of which Turkey became a charter member of the United Nations...
have long been regarded in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
and Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
with intense suspicion. Islamists
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
look at the secular state which buried the caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
and think ‘betrayal’; and Arab nationalists
Arab nationalism
Arab nationalism is a nationalist ideology celebrating the glories of Arab civilization, the language and literature of the Arabs, calling for rejuvenation and political union in the Arab world...
still haven’t forgotten that Turks are their former colonial rulers.” “But there’s been a thaw, especially since the AKP
AKP
-Companies:* Aamir Khan Productions, an Indian motion picture production and distribution company, based in Mumbai.-Political parties:* Justice and Development Party of Turkey , a Turkish political party* Ang Kapatiran, a Philippine political party...
came to power,” and “the new Turkish model – trying to mix greater democracy and Islam together – is now the subject of curiosity and not a little envy.”
The Turkish Parliament’s refusal to cooperate militarily with the 2003 US invasion of Iraq was a turning point in Syrian-Turkish bilateral relations as Syria’s perceptions of Turkey as incapable of acting independently were altered.
In late 2004 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...
flew to Damascus to sign a free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
agreement in the follow-up to former Turkish President Turgut Özal
Turgut Özal
Halil Turgut Özal was Prime Minister of Turkey and President of Turkey . As Prime Minister, he transformed the economy of Turkey by paving the way for the privatization of many state enterprises.-Early life and career:...
’s high-level trade negations with Syrian authorities, which included the first ever visit to Turkey by a Syrian President, in the 1990’s and Erdoğan’s own recently successful bid to initiate a Turkish EU accession which would allow Europe, “to extend its reach to the borders Syria, Iraq and Iran.”
In 2008 Turkey was, as a sign of mutual trust in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
and Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, invited to play the role of facilitator between Syria and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to solve their dispute over control over the Golan Heights, but these talks were abandoned after four rounds, following the deterioration in Turkey-Israel relations after Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan criticised Israel’s conduct of the 2008-2009 Israel-Gaza conflict as a "crime against humanity."
The Syrian-Turkish relationship becomes now very strong and intimate as Syria and Turkey have cancelled entry visas and signed joint declaration of strategic council.
Military cooperation
On April 26, 2009 the two states announced an “unprecedented” three-day military manoeuvre involving ground forces along their mutual border in what was described as “a step farther in their ever expanding cooperation.” According to Turkish military sources, “The aim of the exercise is to boost friendship, cooperation, and confidence between the two countries land forces, and to increase the ability of border troops to train and work together.” The exercise which commenced on April 27 involved teams from each country crossing the border to visit outposts.Visiting Syrian Defense Minister Hassan Turkmani and Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül
Vecdi Gönül
Mehmet Vecdi Gönül is Minister of Defence of Turkey and Member of Parliament for Kocaeli.-Biography:Gönül's father, Saffet, was a teacher in Military high schools. His mother's name was Lütfiye. He graduated in political science from Ankara University in 1960 and returned to Erzincan as a civil...
also signed a letter of intent giving the green light for cooperation in the defence industry, on the sidelines of the 9th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF’09) that commenced in Istanbul the same day, as a sign of the level of political relations reached between the two states, although a Turkish defence industry source emphasised that, “it does not mean that the two countries will immediately enter into cooperation in arms production.”
2009 Turkish Presidential visit to Syria
Turkish President Gül’s 15–17 May official visit to Syria was made at the invitation of Damascus in reciprocation of Syrian President Assad’s 2007 official visit to Turkey. A senior Turkish diplomat confirmed that, “The main topic on the agenda and the goal of the visit is the maintenance of momentum that has built up in bilateral relations within the last decade.” The Turkish delegation included Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Çağlayan, Agriculture Minister and Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay.Shortly before the visit new Syrian Ambassador to Turkey Nidal Qablan confirmed that Syria was ready to restart the Turkish mediated peace negotiations with Israel and Gül supported the call, following his meeting with Assad, stating that, “We have heard Syria say it is ready to resume the peace talks from the point where they stopped with the previous [Israeli] government. We in Turkey are also ready.” Assad confirmed, “Turkey’s role is important because we have trust in Turkey.” Israeli President Shimon Peres dismissed these calls stating, “The Syrians should be ready to talk. If President al-Assad wants peace, why is he shy? We suggested direct talks many times. He thinks direct talks are a prize for Israel. It’s not a prize. It’s normal.”
Syrian refugees in Turkey (2011-present)
The 2011 Syrian uprising2011 Syrian uprising
The 2011 Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal conflict occurring in Syria. Protests started on 26 January 2011, and escalated into an uprising by 15 March 2011...
which took place in many smaller cities throughout Syria began to impact Turkey when at least 3,000 Syrian refugees fled crackdowns by the Syrian army on towns such as Jisr ash-Shugur
Jisr ash-Shugur
Jisr ash-Shugur is a city in Syria in the Idlib Governorate. Situated at an altitude of above sea level on the Orontes river, the city was inhabited by 44,322 people as of 2010....
. In June, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan described to Anatolian Agency his feeling that "They [Syria] are not acting in a humane manner. This is savagery." Earlier in May, he advised the Syrian government to not initiate another Hama massacre
Hama massacre
The Hama massacre occurred in February 1982, when the Syrian army, under the orders of the president of Syria Hafez al-Assad, conducted a scorched earth policy against the town of Hama in order to quell a revolt by the Sunni Muslim community against the regime of al-Assad...
. However, the Turkish government is currently refraining from describing the Syrians who have fled as "refugees" or "asylum-seekers", instead referring to them as guests, and Erdogan, while demanding for implementation of promised reforms by the Syrian government, is currently refraining from calling for Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
's departure.
On 9 August, 2011, BBC and numerous other news sites have reported that Turkey is sending its foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu
Ahmet Davutoglu
Professor Ahmet Davutoğlu is a Turkish political scientist, an academic and an ambassador. On May 1, 2009, he was named Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey after being the chief advisor to the Prime Minister of Republic of Turkey.-Life and career:...
, to Syria to give the regime a "tough" message. Erdogan has said that he is becoming impatient with the "savagery" of Bashar al-Assad's authoritarian regime.
See also
- Foreign relations of SyriaForeign relations of SyriaEnsuring national security, increasing influence among its Arab neighbors, and achieving a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace settlement, which includes the return of the Golan Heights, are the primary goals of President Bashar al-Assad's foreign policy...
- Foreign relations of TurkeyForeign relations of TurkeyForeign relations of the Republic of Turkey are the Turkish government's policies in its external relations with the international community...
- Turks in Syria
- Turkish pilgrim bus attackTurkish pilgrim bus attackThe Turkish pilgrim bus attack occurred on November 21, 2011 when two out of a convoy of eight to nine buses carrying Turkish pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia came under fire from Syrian soldiers....