TURKEY: Syrian and Iraq FMs meet as Turkey mediates in their dispute over militant attacks

Record ID: 279850

  • Title: TURKEY: Syrian and Iraq FMs meet as Turkey mediates in their dispute over militant attacks
  • Date: 18th September 2009
  • Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (SEPTEMBER 17, 2009) (REUTERS) IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER HOSHYAR ZEBARI, SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WALID MOALLEM, TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER AHMET DAVUTOGLU, ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY-GENERAL AMR MOUSSA POSING WITH BOSPHOURS IN BACKGROUND ZEBARI AND MOALLEM SHAKING HANDS CLOSE UP OF HAND SHAKE ZEBARI AND MOALLEM TALKING MEMBERS OF MEDIA WIDE OF MEETING PAN FR
  • Embargoed: 3rd October 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVA7J107GJ8IBPQ9DXP9SFS3XL0I
  • Story Text: Syria's foreign minister and Iraqi foreign minister met in Istanbul on Thursday (September 17) as part of Turkish efforts to mediate in a diplomatic feud between Baghdad and Damascus over militant attacks.
    Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa also attended the meeting.
    Iraq and Syria recalled their ambassadors last month after Baghdad accused Damascus of sheltering militants it blames for a string of bombings on Iraqi soil, including two huge truck bombs outside government ministries that killed 95 people.
    Turkey, which in recent years has deepened ties with neighbours Iraq and Syria, is worried the feud could destabilise the region, in particular as Ankara seeks a solution to its decades-long conflict in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast.
    Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu appealed for confidence-building measures and concrete steps on the diplomatic and security front.
    "We, as Turkey and Arab League, we appealed to have some confidence building measures, especially regarding media statements and also to take some concrete steps in two tracks. One in more security theoter is diplomatic tracks. And this process should continue, all the efforts should be done to find out the reasons and to prevent future terrorist attacks in our region," he said.
    Davutoglou said Turkey was trying to resolve differences between Syria and Iraq over militant attacks before the discussion of the matter in a wider forum became necessary.
    Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has formally asked the U.N. Security Council to launch an inquiry into the bombings in Baghdad, which triggered a diplomatic feud between Iraq and Syria, which had only recently begun to deepen ties strained since the early days of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
    Syrian President Bahsir al-Assad has called Iraq's accusations "immoral" and demanded Baghdad provide proof to back them up.
    Davutoglu said that any purchase of Patriot missiles from the United States was not due to a particular threat from neighbours but part of a modernisation of the country's defence.
    Davutoglu told a news conference. "We don't assume any threat from neighbouring countries. This is clear. It is more about a comprehensive approach to security and not because of any particular threat," he said.
    The U.S. administration has notified Congress of a possible sale of Patriot PAC-3 antimissile batteries and related gear to Turkey, the only NATO ally bordering Iran. Turkey has not publicly confirmed the deal.
    Turkey has good relations with Iran, a country the United States sees as a possible threat. Turkey also shares land borders with Georgia, Bulgaria, Greece, Iraq and Syria.
    A Foreign Ministry source said the price of the Patriot missiles would be much less than a previously quoted figure of $7.8 billion.
    The United States said on Thursday it was abandoning plans to install a missile shield in eastern Europe and U.S. President Barack Obama said a stronger, swifter defence system would be put in place instead to protect U.S. allies against any threat from Iran.
    The sale to Turkey would include 13 Patriot "fire units," 72 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles and a range of associated hardware for ground-based air defence, the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a notice made public last week.
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