Jordan confirms participation in Israeli-Turkish maneuvers

Jordan declared that it would participate as an observer in naval maneuvers which start today between Israel, the US and Turkey and declared that this is a sovereign decision regarding an internal affair. Jordan declared that there is no justification for the Syrian and Egyptian criticism of Jordanian participation.

Meanwhile, Syria escalated its press campaigns, calling the maneuvers an aggressive act and speculating about Jordan's participation in them.

Acting Jordanian Minister of Information Nasser Al Louazy stated that his country agreed to participate in the maneuvers as an observer due to Jordanian regional strategic interests.

The Jordanian government rejected the Egyptian and Syrian criticism. Cairo believes that the maneuvers come amid unstable climates in the region and it is unwise to participate in these maneuvers, while Syria strongly believes that they are aimed against it, Iraq and Iran.

There has been wide ranging condemnation and criticism of this event in the Arab world. This event is bound to further stress Syrian -Jordanian relations.