		Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 8 - 14 October 1998 Issue No.398
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Current issue \| Previous issue \| Site map

A house in order

Since Turkey and Israel announced the signing of their first joint military training agreement in 1996, the Arabs have been deeply concerned as to the possible consequences. At the time, Turkey insisted that its agreement with Israel was not aimed at any third party in the region, and that the pact with Tel Aviv was like many other agreements it had concluded with over 30 countries. But as the state of war continues between Syria and Israel, and all hopes for a revival of the peace process on the Palestinian track are replaced by depression and frustration due to the extremist policies of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Turkey should expect only fools to believe its claims. The moderate Arab regimes, led by Egypt, however, have chosen not to escalate tension with Turkey, instead urging its leaders to consider Arab advice carefully.

With reports on Turkish troops massing on the Syrian border, however, Turkey's military leaders cannot expect the Arabs to react with anything short of outrage. Any threat to Syria's security is a threat to the whole Arab world, and can only produce an escalation in regional tension and instability. Turkey's unjustified "ultimatum" simply confirms Arab suspicions that it has secretly decided to form a "strategic military alliance" with Israel, aimed at containing Syria and diverting its attention from its main concern: liberating the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Egypt, like most other Arab countries, has been crystal clear in expressing its opposition to any such military alliance, saying it could be only viewed as a threat to Arab security.

Since the beginning of this week, President Hosni Mubarak has again shown the wisdom moderate Arab nations have used in dealing with Turkey. He has decided to personally lead a mediation mission between the two neighbours. The guiding principle of Mubarak's mission is that differences must not be solved by military means. If it fails to heed this message, Turkey will risk losing any Arab sympathy or understanding it still enjoys. Ankara should also listen to the views expressed by some Turkish politicians and commentators, who have repeatedly warned that the solution to the "Kurdish problem" is to be found not in Syria but in Ankara. The government must examine the domestic reasons for this long-standing problem.