At the United Nations, the president of Turkey, Abdullah Gul, as stated in the NYTimes, “defended his country’s close ties to Iran, proclaimed Turkey’s intention to become a leader in the Muslim world, and spurned an attempt to mend fences with Israel over its deadly raid on an aid flotilla bound for Gaza.”
This is not surprising as recent years have shown the UN as the venue for up-and-coming nations to make a statement announcing their arrival on the world stage i.e. Iran or seeking support for domestic policy initiatives.
Yes, the United States is weary and Europe with its sizable Turkish populations wobble between alarm and apathy. The second decade of the 21st Century seems to present more challenges and potential trouble more than the first.
