Examiner: "On December 1 Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Jordanian King Abdullah II agreed to abolish visa requirements between the two countries and create a free trade zone...
During his visit to Jordan Gul also opened an office in Qastal for a Turkish scheme to extract water from a Jordan's Disi aquifer. "Regional cooperation is a must to tackle water issues," said Gul.
President Gul took the opportunity to side with the Arabs against Israel, saying that the "Palestinian issue is not only a matter of Palestinians but of all Muslims. . . . The frictions in Jerusalem are not only a case of the Arabs. It is the case of all Muslims.”
Turkey, under the current mildly Islamist government, has clearly turned from its Western orientation to embrace a Muslim/Arab outlook. Turkey has been improving its relations with Syria, which in turn is Iran's most important Arab ally. A Turkish-Syrian-Iranian axis in the Middle East would be a worrying development. "
(To read the entire article, click here: http://www.examiner.com/x-4814-LA-Middle-Eastern-Policy-Examiner~y2009m12d3-Turkey-and-Jordan-sign-free-trade-agreement)
My comments: Turkey has certainly been busy creating alliances in the middle east (see the post from Dec 1, 2009). There is also no doubt that the current powers in Turkey are moving the country in a more "Islamic" direction, and they are doing it with speed and cunning.
I would expect the calls for the return of an Islamic Caliphate (one Islamic government to rule all Islamic countries) to become much louder in the near future.
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