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Turkey bid to bring Karzai, Zardari together

DUBAI: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is set to meet his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai in Istanbul, amid efforts by Turkey to acquire a higher profile in South Asia.

"The meeting will be about security throughout all of Asia, the future of Afghanistan and the resolution of problems between Afghanistan and Pakistan on the basis of friendship," said Turkish President Abdullah Gul. Discussions are also expected on preventing drug smuggling and organised crime. Afghanistan is the largest global producer of drugs and trade in narcotics is a major factor financing conflict in the region.

It is the second occasion when Turkey will host leaders from Pakistan and Afghanistan. In April 2007, Mr. Karzai had met the former Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf, in Turkey, to ease tensions between the two neighbours.

The Turkish decision to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan comes amid efforts by Ankara to acquire a firmer niche in South Asia. Turkey has recently hosted Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in New Delhi in November. Energy security emerged as a major topic of discussion then, as Turkey is keen on India’s participating in the construction of pipeline that will extend from its port city Ceyhan to Israel’s Red Sea port of Eilat.

Mr. Erdogan has been keenly involved in international efforts to defuse tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks. On November 29, Mr. Erdogan telephoned UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The next day, he called British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, urging joint action to prevent tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad from escalating.

Despite their growing interest in South Asia, the Turks are still wary of getting fully involved in issues pertaining to India and Pakistan, analysts say. Asked to comment on events in Mumbai during a joint press conference with Mr. Rajapaksa, Mr. Gul said, "The dynamics of that region are very different. One has to have careful insight and it is not possible to make general comments."

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