Crossfire War – ANKARA WATCH – Mediterranean Theatre: Ankara – Tehran – Tripoli – Damascus – Beirut – Rabat – Algiers – Tunis – Athens/Cairo – Rome – Paris – Berlin – Washington – London – Jerusalem; Enter Turkey – Egypt Foreign Minister Summoned to Ankara – Conflicting Discussions Concerning Mubarak’s Military Relations with West
Night Watch: ANKARA – The biggest mystery of this World War III is the extent of Turkey’s involvement and support of the Jihad. Ankara has excellent relations with Tehran and has openly given support to Islamabad as opposed to Delhi. Nor did Ankara mind that Moscow lost the first Chechen war from 1994-96 and has probably assisted Islamic groups still fighting Russia in the North Caucasus. Recently crossfirewar.com reported a possibly argumentative phone call between Russia President Vladimir Putin and Turkey Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan one month ago as Ankara increased its support of Tbilisi, as has Tehran. Georgia has been involved in a serious military confrontation with Russia and any support to Georgia increases their defense budget. Ankara would not mind if Russia were defeated in the South Caucasus, which would give Turkey more economic influence in Central Asia. [AKI]
In regards to West Asia (Middle East), Ankara would not mind if the West’s military presence there was defeated. Turkey never gave any support to the U. S. – Europe’s demand that Syria should be isolated and cut off economically. However, it was not all Europe demanding that, principally Paris – Berlin – London – Washington. When European UNIFIL naval forces began to arrive off Lebanon, as a result of the Rome Conference in July, Ankara stated the Eastern Mediterranean is Turkey’s responsibility. Tehran and other Islamic governments agree and even Athens would not be to disagreeable since they and Ankara have the same policies concerning the Balkans as opposed to Western-Northern Europe. Regional identity is as much of a unifying factor as religion, especially since not everyone in any region is religious, but they are nationalistic and like to see regional cooperation and what unites them is outside interference.
AKI reports that according to Ceyda Karan, Turkish columnist and Chief Editor of the daily Radikal, Egypt/Turkey are historical, natural rivals for influence in West Asia – Eastern Mediterranean. That is indeed true and the primary reason for the contentious two day visit, summons, by Ankara to Egypt Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, is that Cairo and Egypt President Hosni Mubarak are still more responsive to the West than to the Islamic world and its demand that leading governments in the West and its ability to manipulate and control the region be defeated. Ankara is aware that another war in the region is coming and one that will have more impact on Cairo than on Jerusalem.
Ankara will have improved relations with Cairo after Mubarak is removed.
www.crossfirewar.com
