Turkish leader to visit Egypt and soothe Arab worries

Suleyman Demirel, the Turkish president, will pay a one-day visit to Cairo on Tuesday, September 16 for talks with President Hosni Mubarak, the Turkish ambassador to Cairo said yesterday.

He added that the two leaders talks will focus on the Middle East peace process and Arab-Turkish ties. Demerel will search to soothe Arab worries over upcoming joint military exercises between Turkey and Israel.

There is growing concern about the role Turkey is playing in the Middle East. Its growing alliance with Israel is on the top agenda of some Arab leaders, which have condemned the newly strengthened Israeli-Turkish relations as a threat to Arab interests, and a security concern. Sources indicate that part of the motivation behind the visit is Turkish fears about economic reprecussions by individual and collective Arab governments against Turkey.