Turkey's political stability is no
longer just a national issue of 80 million Turks. It is a vital issue today for
the international community. And Turkey's role in the Israel-Syria peace talks
is only the tip of the iceberg. In the highly volatile Middle East situation,
Turkey also facilitated contacts between US National Security Advisor Stephen
Hadley and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. (The two adversaries
visited Ankara recently.) Furthermore, Turkey has waded into the Iraq project.
Besides, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is poised to spread to
the northern shores of the Black Sea. The new cold war has arrived in Turkey.
Turkish foreign policy is cruising at an optimal
level with its prestige as a regional power running high as it mediates peace
in its neighborhood and commands influence. Turkey has returned to the Middle
East region after an absence of almost nine decades.
clipped from: www.atimes.com