By Atef Saqr Tension between Syria and Turkey mounted to dangerous levels this week as the Turkish army stepped up activities on the border between the two countries and described the situation as an "undeclared state of war". According to reports, Turkey last Friday sent some 10,000 soldiers into northern Iraq, ostensibly to attack supporters of the Turkish Kurdish Worker's Party (PKK), which is fighting for autonomy in southeastern Turkey, and warned Syria of similar action. Syria, for its part, said it wants to resolve its differences with Turkey using diplomatic means. President Hosni Mubarak, who has been leading efforts to reduce tension between the two countries, visited Saudi Arabia on Saturday and Damascus the following day. On Tuesday, he arrived in Ankara on a brief visit where he met with Turkish President Suleiman Demirel. In this meeting, Mubarak reportedly conveyed Syria's desire to solve differences diplomatically. After his meeting in Ankara, Mubarak visited Syria again for talks with President Hafez Assad in order to explain to him the Turkish stand and proposals. If President Mubarak's efforts succeed, top officials from Turkey and Syria are expected to meet. Several joint committees are also expected to resume their discussions when the tension eases. Turkey accuses Syria of backing PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. But relations have deteriorated further recently, with Syria condemning Turkey's growing military alliance with Israel and accusing Ankara of taking more than its share of water from the Euphrates River. Damascus has repeatedly denied any links to Ocalan and has assured Ankara that many of his supporters reside in Syrian jails. But what appears to irritate Turkey most, say regional experts, is Syria's apparent success in convincing Arab and Islamic countries of Ankara's dangerous political activities and their impact on the region as a whole. Military cooperation between Turkey and Israel has deeply troubled Arab and Islamic countries since 1996, when the two countries signed a joint defence and training agreement. This concern is not so much that the cooperation benefits Turkey, but that more importantly it benefits Israel against its Arab and Islamic enemies, namely Syria and Iran. While Israel helps Turkey develop its military capabilities and indirectly applies pressure on the US to accede to Ankara's demands through the Jewish lobby in Washington, Tel Aviv, in return, receives generous financial backing from Turkey to develop its military programmes. A strong Israeli military ultimately reduces the chances of Arab countries with territories under Israeli occupation to liberate and regain control of what is legally theirs. Syria, which has for years been trying to regain control of the Golan Heights captured by Israel in 1967, leads the Arab world in its fight to liberate Israeli-occupied territories in Syria and in Lebanon and to realise the Palestinians' goals in creating an independent state and the return of refugees. Turkey's joint military exercises with Israel also pose a grave security threat to neighbouring Iran. Israel's threats to Iran are well-known. Israeli and Iranian military commanders were recently officially involved in a war of words, particularly after Tehran openly displayed its long-range missile, Shehab, which is capable of reaching targets inside Israel. Several Israeli politicians, including members of the opposition, asked the Israeli army to launch a "deterrence attack" against Iran. Israel's serious threats to Syria and its close ally Iran have led member countries of the Arab League and of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to take a firm stand against the Turkish-Israeli military alliance. Tensions between Turkey and Syria have intensified because of Ankara's growing fears that it might be isolated by the Arab world. On Sunday, the Arab League warned that Turkey's dispute with Syria was threatening the entire Middle East. "The Arab League is following with deep concern the escalation of tension on the Syrian-Turkish border... it is a blatant threat to the security and stability of the region and has negative implications on the historical relations between Turkey and the Arab world," said a statement issued from the Cairo-based league. The OIC issued a similar statement from its headquarters in Riyadh on Sunday. Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz openly called for differences between Syria and Turkey to be solved by peaceful means. Joint Syrian and Iraqi disputes with Turkey over water have also exacerbated the already hostile situation. Both Damascus and Baghdad have been demanding their fair share of water from the Euphrates River which Ankara had taken upon itself to divide between the three countries. But most important, is Turkey's accusation that Syria is supporting and sheltering PKK fighters who wage cross-border raids from camps in Iraq, Iran and Syria. Syria has not only repeatedly denied these accusations, but has also stated that it is taking all the necessary measures to stop Kurds living in Syria infiltrating Turkey. It has also said many pro-PKK Kurds have been imprisoned for breaking the law. Damascus has also pointed out that it would not be in Syria's interest for separatist Turkish Kurds to establish an autonomous state in Turkey because that would threaten the stability of other countries, including Syria, which has Kurdish citizens. Additional reporting by Maye Ostowani Related: Turkey's choice Scapegoating Syria
