Istanbul, September 17: The leaders of Turkey and Syria held talks on Middle East peace efforts Wednesday and announced the end of visa requirements between their countries.
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the Middle East and efforts to contain Kurdish separatist rebels, Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem said afterwards.
Mouallem and Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made an accord to end visa requirements and signed a bilateral cooperation accord under which top ministers from the two countries will meet each year.
Davutoglu said the accord aimed to “maximise integration” between the two countries, particularly in economic matters. Turkey has signed a similar accord with Iraq.
Relations between Turkey and Syria have improved significantly after several years of mistrust highlighted by Turkey’s accusations that Syria gave support to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which is fighting for a Kurdish state.
Turkey acted as an intermediary last year in attempted talks between Syria and Israel. On Thursday it was to host a meeting between Syrian and Iraqi officials in a bid to ease tensions between them.
The Iraqi government said this week it will send a delegation to Turkey with evidence backing its allegations that terrorist groups based in Syria orchestrated deadly bombings in Baghdad.
Syria’s president has dismissed the allegations as “immoral” and politically motivated.
–Agencies