Turkey

The military earlier announced their watch presidential elections closely, implying they will overthrow Islamist candidates.

which brought Islamist Abdullah Gul to presidency.

Turkey assembled 140,000 troops at Iraq’s border. The planned Turkish invasion is meant to oust Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK). Los Angeles court acquitted PKK of the terrorist status. Israel cooperates with Kurds to maintain a base for operations against Iran.

European leaders urge new Turkish government to continue political reforms, namely liberalization and democratization which will bring Turkey’s Islamists to power. Polls indicate support for the US sinking in Turkey to 2%. Jordan, another major American ally in the region, sports the same approval rating for its patron.

Abdullah Gul, a noted Islamist, is voted Turkey’s president.
A major American Jewish organization ADL recently alienated otherwise friendly Turkey by declaring the deaths of more than a million Armenians in riots during the Ottoman rule genocide – as if the Armenian-Turkey relations are Jews’ business.

The US Administration continues a dumb policy of undermining security measures of its close allies. After twisting the hands of Israeli government and Pakistani military, Bush’s administration now prevents Turkey from attacking Kurdish terrorists in their safe haven across the border with Iraq. Turkey is posed to retaliate against Kurdish insurgents for the attack on Turkish military. In similar situations, Israel undertakes token retaliation only.

Turkey admitted a number of Jews expelled from Spain in 1492; Spanish government recognized Israel only in 1986. Peres spoke to Turkey’s overwhelmingly Islamist parliament. According to Peres, Islamist Turkey instills trust in him, and can liberate Gaza from Hamas.

Turkey was creative in showing disdain for Condi Rice who visits the country. On the night of Rice’s visit, Turkish forces entered Iraq against the US-supported Kurdish insurgents.

Syria, Turkey signed energy act aimed at mutual development of nuclear energy. Turkish military would love to have the nuclear technology, and Israel cannot afford to bomb nuclear facilities in Turkey.

Iraqi Kurdish rebels scored a rocket hit at the apartment house of police families in Turkey.

For decades since Ataturk’s brutal reforms, Turkey’s military guaranteed its secular character. The army repeatedly toppled the governments suspected of Islamic leanings. In the unusual shift of power, the Islamist government arrested two generals who organized earlier massive protests against Turkey’s Islamization.
As backward villagers stream into cities, Turkish society becomes increasingly Islamist.

Israel lashed against Germany for a minor E100 million gas deal with Iran, but here Turkey - an ally of Israel and the US, and aspiring member of the EU - openly trades with Iran in circumvention of sanctions.
Turkey, Iran will construct a new gas pipeline.

Turkey is the first NATO member to invite Ahmadinejad. The Iranian president has earlier visited other NATO member countries, including the US, on diplomatic occasions.
During his visit, Ahmadinejad is expected to sign an oil deal with Turkey for $3.5 billion despite the UN sanctions. Europe, too, buys Iranian oil for E5.5 billion annually.

Turkey seeks to purchase various S-300 modifications and TOR-1M SAM batteries from Ukraine to use them for evasion training at its Konia air force base. Israel, too, uses that base.
The arrangement works fine with Russians. They soothe Israeli and American fears over TOR-1M and possibly S-300 deliveries to Iran by implicitly allowing IAF to train against those SAMs. Russian SAMs are Iran’s best option, and the Islamic republic cannot afford to refuse further purchases even though IAF learned to evade them.