shining eyes
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ANKARA, Turkey - Turkish and Syrian soldiers will hold joint drills this week to enhance border security cooperation, the Turkish general staff said April 26.
The announcement came as yet another sign of the flourishing ties between the two neighbors, who came to the brink of war in the late 1990s after decades of hostility.
Related Topics
* Europe
* Middle East & Africa
* Land Warfare
The three-day exercises, starting April 27 at two border outposts on the Turkish side of the frontier, aim to "boost cooperation and confidence between the land forces of the two countries, and raise border units' level of training and ability to work together," the statement said.
Turkey has significantly improved ties with Syria in recent years, much to the annoyance of Israel, its once close ally with whom relations have deteriorated.
The Syrian and Turkish militaries held joint exercises in April 2009, stirring criticism from the Jewish state.
In 1998, Ankara had threatened military action if Damascus continued to shelter Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan. Tensions eased after Syria expelled Ocalan, paving the way for improved ties.
The announcement came as yet another sign of the flourishing ties between the two neighbors, who came to the brink of war in the late 1990s after decades of hostility.
Related Topics
* Europe
* Middle East & Africa
* Land Warfare
The three-day exercises, starting April 27 at two border outposts on the Turkish side of the frontier, aim to "boost cooperation and confidence between the land forces of the two countries, and raise border units' level of training and ability to work together," the statement said.
Turkey has significantly improved ties with Syria in recent years, much to the annoyance of Israel, its once close ally with whom relations have deteriorated.
The Syrian and Turkish militaries held joint exercises in April 2009, stirring criticism from the Jewish state.
In 1998, Ankara had threatened military action if Damascus continued to shelter Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan. Tensions eased after Syria expelled Ocalan, paving the way for improved ties.
