Jordan Times
Turkey’s role and attempts at solving some major regional conflicts have increased, and the fact that Istanbul recently played host to two conferences on Libya and Syria is proof of the fact that the country is acknowledged as a linchpin by the nations in the area.
The international conference on Libya ended with a major agreement to recognise the opposition as the sole, legitimate representative of that country. The countries that participated in the meeting pledged material and political support to the opposition in Libya, hoping to leave the regime of Muammar Qadhafi with no choice but to negotiate an exit scenario.
The “National Syrian Salvation Conference”, on the other hand, in which some 300 Syrian dignitaries and human rights advocates took part a few days ago, was also significant and sent a clear signal, to Damascus and elsewhere, on where Ankara stands on the situation in Syria.
These events and Ankara’s stand on various other issues in the Middle East reinforce the view that Turkey is a major regional power to which many nations look up.