SYRIA AND NATIONALISM

* The most important psychological problem was Syria’s habit of drawing maps showing our province of Hatay within Syrian borders.

* The second has been water issues. Just like Hatay, Syria has tried to get the waters of the Firat (Euphrates) River.

* The third was Syria using terrorism as a weapon to push its position on the first two.

Starting from the third one, these problems have begun to improve and Assad wants to do even more. The former leaders of Arab nationalists were closed to the world, as they adopted radicalism rather than pragmatism and the emotional over the rational. Pan-Arabism was attractive to them. That’s why Syria made the Hatay and water issues into problems and used terrorism as a weapon. Thus, these leaders of old established authoritarian – and even totalitarian and militant – regimes. However, when the Soviet Union collapsed, it was slowly realized that not closed regimes, but open ones will spur the development of countries. Cooperation with your neighbors rather than quarreling works better. Becoming a state of law rather than supporting terrorism helps countries more. In such an era of change, Assad became president.

Isn’t it interesting that Assad abolished the prohibition of the Internet and satellite dishes in his country? He’s a new generation leader, one lacking the imperial complex. Such a leader is favorable for both Syria and us. Trade, tourism and investment ties between Turkey and Syria will develop under two agreements to be signed this week in Ankara. Our mutual economic interests will be further strengthened. The Ankara-Damascus friendship can be a model for solving all the problems plaguing the Middle East.”