Turkey offers trilateral mechanism to reconcile Iraq, Syria

Relations between Iraq and Syria deteriorated after Baghdad alleged that Damascus was harboring the leaders behind one of two devastating truck bombings that killed 95 people and wounded about 600 in the Iraqi capital on Aug. 19. Last week, Iraq recalled its ambassador in Damascus, and Syria retaliated within hours by ordering its envoy to return from Baghdad.

“The attacks targeted the Iraqi government and Iraq's stability,” Davutoğlu was quoted by the Anatolia news agency as telling Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during their meeting.

Davutoğlu, meanwhile, cautioned the Iraqi side that harsh remarks against Syria would not be helpful in overcoming the current crisis, adding: “At first, we should find a short-term solution. Then we can move on to long-term solutions.”

He also asked the Iraqi side to entrust certain documents, evidence and information to the Turkish side in order for them to be conveyed to Syrian officials, Anatolia said, noting that said documents, evidence and information were eventually given to Davutoğlu. The material given to Davutoğlu is assumed to reveal that supporters of Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath party were behind last week's attacks and that they have taken refuge in Syria.

In order to fight against those who launch attacks on their territories, Davutoğlu proposed the establishment of a joint trilateral mechanism between Iraq, Syria and Turkey to Maliki, Anatolia said.

Davutoğlu later met with his counterpart, Hoshyar Zebari, and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

Davutoğlu paid visits to Baghdad and Damascus to defuse tensions between the neighbors, which erupted over Iraqi allegations that Damascus is harboring the masterminds behind one of two devastating truck bombings which left 95 dead and 600 wounded.

Ahead of Davutoğlu's arrival in Baghdad, Iraq's state-sponsored Al-Sabah newspaper said Davutoğlu would urge Iraq not to seek United Nations help to secure the return of suspects it accuses Syria of harboring. Instead, he would push for an urgent meeting in Ankara between Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari and his Syrian counterpart, Walid Muallem, the report said, as well as holding a security meeting where Iraq would present evidence that people in Syria were planning violence against its neighbor. Anatolia did not elaborate on whether such issues were discussed between Davutoğlu and Iraqi officials.

“The focal point of these contacts is an effort aimed at defusing the tension between two precious neighbors of ours, the two brotherly countries, Iraq and Syria, which also have very close relations with Turkey,” Davutoğlu said in Ankara earlier on Monday before his departure for Baghdad.

Recalling that Ankara has been planning to establish a joint mechanism with Damascus that would be similar to the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council established between Ankara and Baghdad, Davutoğlu said: “During a period of time in which we head for such comprehensive strategic cooperation, we attach great importance to the maintenance of closer relations between the two brotherly countries, both of which we share extensive borders with.”

According to Davutoğlu, strong strategic cooperation in the region will turn the Mesopotamian Basin and the Middle East into a zone of welfare and stability.

“This is our vision. Preventing all kinds of negative developments which may have impact on this vision before they emerge is the main diplomatic priority for Turkey. Indeed, in the recent period of time, the most important principles of Turkish diplomacy have been efforts based on preventing crises before they emerge. This diplomatic understanding, which we call proactive peace diplomacy, is based on intervening when the first signs of a crisis are seen instead of intervening after the tension has escalated,” he said.

When asked whether he would introduce a particular formula for overcoming the tension between the two neighboring countries, Davutoğlu noted that various high-level telephone conversations had been conducted between Turkish, Iraqi and Syrian officials during the initial tension and added that his visits to Baghdad and Damascus were based on these conversations.

“That's to say, we are not in the first phase of the incident. We will, first of all, exert efforts to facilitate the reemergence of an environment of confidence between the two parties. If an environment of goodwill and confidence is built between the parties, overcoming these crises is very easy,” he said, adding that Turkey has certain ideas about preventing such a crisis of mutual confidence, but avoided disclosing these ideas. Recalling that Iraq and Syria revived diplomatic links in 2006 after more than 20 years of mutual hostility and that Maliki recently paid a visit to Syria, Davutoğlu added, “Turkey will exert all kinds of efforts to bring relations back to that level.”

Following his talks in Baghdad, Davutoğlu departed for Damascus, where he was scheduled to have talks President Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Muallem.

After his visit to Syria, Davutoğlu will travel to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) in order to have talks with Turkish Cypriot officials ahead of their upcoming negotiations with Greek Cypriots in September.

On Tuesday evening, Davutoğlu will proceed to Cairo, where he will have talks with both President Hosni Mubarak and Omar Suleiman, the chief of Egypt's intelligence service.

Turkey, a NATO member and a candidate for European Union membership, has in recent years focused on boosting its political and economic cooperation with Middle Eastern countries and has sought to set itself up as a peace broker in regional conflicts. Turkey maintains dialogue with Hamas, which won democratic elections in 2006 and now controls the Gaza Strip despite protests from Israel, which views the group as a terrorist organization.

In his capacity as chief foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Davutoğlu had talks with controversial political actors, including Damascus-based Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, and was behind the Turkish-brokered mediation between Syria and Israel. 

After his visit to Cairo, Davutoğlu will travel to Stockholm in order to attend an informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the 27-member EU. He will return to Turkey on Sept. 5.