Gul's address over Syria quoted out of context: Expert

An expert in Turkish affairs said to Zaman Alwasl that Gul’s speech had driven out of context by media outlets, especially by Assad's loyal media.

Analyst Abdul Qader Abdully said that President Gül did not mention any changes in Turkish policy regarding the Syrian people in his address, saying that no need to exaggerate worries by Syrian refugees who live in Turkey.

Turkey should re-calibrate its Syrian diplomacy and security policies in the face of realities, President Abdullah Gül urged Jan. 14 in his address to Turkish ambassadors convened in Ankara for an annual conference, according to Turkish Daily News.

Abdully also shed the light on the positive side of the address that major shifts and changes in the Syrian conflict with its impacts on the region, is a matter can not be ignored by Turkey, what recalls a new vision to deal with all these challenges, but that does not mean to open a new page with Bashar al-Assad or giving him any legitimacy, the analysts said.

“The key for the settlement of both internal and external issues is common sense, collective mind, dialogue and the empathy. I am of the opinion that we should re-calibrate our diplomacy and security policies given these facts in the south of our country and given the threat perception of (political) centers around us,” Gül advised. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu was also present during Gül’s speech.

President Abdullah Gül addresses to Turkish ambassadors convened in Ankara, Jan. 14. AA photo

“We are pondering what to do for the realization of a win-win situation in the region; the way for that is patience, calmness, insistence and when necessary silent diplomacy. But I believe difficulties could be overcome through diplomacy and I am confident that Turkey is playing and will play very important roles thanks to its rooted tradition of diplomacy and diplomats,” Gul said.

Gul address draws attention that Turkey is on the brink of a new era in its region where unprecedented cross enmities are being observed, Gül said “Today’s situation, however, represents a lose-lose scenario for each state, regime and people of the region. Unfortunately we see there are no magic formulas to reverse this picture.”

Contributing from Istanbul by Adnan Abdelrazak

Zaman Alwasl-Istanbul