 AP Photo By Daniel Steinvorth in Istanbul
New friendships: Ministers from Turkey and Syria lift up a barrier to celebrate the visa exemption agreement between their countries last week.
Turkey has recently sought to secure a new role as Middle East mediator. But fallout from postponed military exercises has seen it move further from Israel and closer to Syria. Israelis are concerned, Syrians are celebrating and the Turks are guardedly diplomatic.
It was a good week for Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem. Last Tuesday, he was part of a group of Syrian and Turkish politicians that met at Oncupinar, a border crossing between Syria and Turkey, to mark the removal of entry visa requirements between the two countries.
It was a big... TAGGED: Turkey, Israel, Syria, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ahmet Davutoglu, Haldun Solmazturk, Walid al-Moualem, Daniel Steinvorth, Gaza, Ankara, Istanbul, Prime Minister, foreign minister , mediator, Gaza Strip, Turkish-Syrian border, Middle EastRECOMMENDED ARTICLES| The Duma's confirmation of Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister on 8 May, a day after Vladimir Putin's inauguration as president, marked the completion of their long-anticipated role swap and a new period in Russia's foreign... more ›› |
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