Gaziantep, Turkey (SANA) – The 1st ministerial meeting of the Syrian-Turkish High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council was concluded on Tuesday evening with a closing session at the Turkish city of Gaziantep.
During the closing session, the results of the bilateral meetings between ministers were reviewed in order to establish basis for projects, agreements and cooperation mechanisms between the two countries, which will lead to strategic partnership between the two countries in various fields.
At the beginning of the meeting, Assistant Vice President Lieutenant General Hassan Tourkmani said "We can now look with confidence to the future which will show the results of our work for developing this partnership, which will serve the interests of the two brotherly peoples."
For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu affirmed that the peoples of the two countries and their cities are embracing in a new beginning that will create a better future for our grandchildren.
A joint statement was issued at the end of the meeting, stating the following:
The government of the Syrian Arab Republic and the government of the Turkish Republic agreed to form a long-term strategic partnership to bolster and expand their cooperation in a wide spectrum of issues of mutual benefit and interest and strengthen the cultural bongs and solidarity among their peoples, which aims to build upon their strong bonds due to their mutual historical, cultural, fraternal and good-neighborly relation.
During the visit of President Bashar al-Assad to Turkey on September 16, the two sides affirmed their agreement to the establishment of the Syrian-Turkish High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council to serve as a systematic dialogue mechanism for expanding and institutionalizing the satisfactory standing cooperation between the two countries.
Syria to Hold Military Drill with Turkey, US Faults Ankara on Israel
14/10/2009 The United States criticized Turkey on Tuesday for canceling a NATO military exercise which was to include Israeli participation. Israeli occupation officials have said the international military exercise, which was supposed to be held this week in Turkey and to include the U.S. and NATO, were scrapped over Turkish opposition to Israel's participation.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the reason for scrapping the drill was linked to Israel's war in the Gaza Strip last winter.
U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Tuesday that "as to the question of whether there was a government that was invited to participate and then removed at the last minute, we think it's inappropriate for any nation to be removed from an exercise like this at the last minute."
He was asked whether that was what happened, and Israel was the spurned country. He confirmed both. Syria, however, praised Turkey for canceling the exercise, saying it amounted to a reprimand for Israel's occupation of Arab lands.
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas also applauded the Turkish decision, saying other Muslim nations should take similar steps, including severing ties with Israel.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem commended Ankara canceling of the exercises, in comments made during a high-level meeting of Turkish and Syrian ministers. "We extremely welcome that decision. This decision is based on Turkey's approach towards Israel and reflects the way Turkey regards the Israeli attack in Gaza," Mouallem told reporters in the Syrian city of Aleppo, where 10 Turkish ministers met 15 Syrian ministers to discuss energy and electricity projects.
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