On Demirel's recent visit to the region

The Turkish daily al-Zaman said on Tuesday that the recent visit of Turkish President Suleiman Demirel to Israel, Gaza, Amman, Cairo and Rabat stressed that Turkey is one of the key players in the region. The paper said that Demirel's recent visits have contributed to increasing the volume of the Turkish presence and influence in the region and that Turkey could silence the Egyptian criticism for the Turkish-Israeli cooperation. The Turkish paper added that these visits are aimed at sending a message that Turkey will play a role in the Middle East.