Turkey must use influence in the Middle East

Autopsies of the victims of the Israeli military attack on the international aid flotilla have sparked another wave of indignation in Turkey. According to the findings, nine people were killed by 30 gunshots. The left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung warns that Turkey must not succumb to nationalist outrage, lest it lose its role as observer and go-between: "What has made Turkey so valuable until now - also for the United States and the EU - was its non-partisan stance and its contacts with both Palestinians and Israelis . ... Turkey could now play its other card. If its prestige has in fact grown among Palestinians as a result of the sad events of the past weeks, it should now use this influence to wring the concession out of Hamas that Israel rightly demands: a recognition of its right to exist and an end to the missile attacks."

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