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ANKARA, April 8 (AFP) - Turkish President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer will pay an official visit to
neighbouring Syria on April 13-14 for talks on
further improving ties between the two former foes,
a Turkish official said.
The visit comes against a backdrop of US displeasure
with Ankara's improving relations with Damascus at a
time when it is under international pressure to end
its military presence in Lebanon.
Sezer is expected to hold talks with Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad and Prime Minister
Mohammad Naji Otri, said the official, who requested
anonymity.
Ankara supports a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon,
but also says it wants to contribute to developing
good neighborly ties in the conflict-torn Middle
East.
Turkey and Syria have vastly improved their
relations since 1998 when they came to the brink of
war as Ankara threatened military action if Damascus
continued to shelter Turkish Kurd rebel leader
Abdullah Ocalan and his militants.
The tensions eased when Damascus expelled Ocalan and
signed a security agreement with Ankara.
Turkey has sought closer ties with Syria since the
US-led invasion of Iraq, both countries sharing
concerns that post-war Iraq may break up and spark
new turmoil in the region.
AFP
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