From the AP: Turkey’s attempts to mediate Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West have evolved into an aggressive effort to forestall new UN sanctions.

The assertive campaign is placing Turkey in opposition to longtime allies Israel and the United States.

It also raises the question of whether NATO’s only Muslim member is becoming less of a bridge between East and West than a powerful international advocate for its neighbors in the Middle East. …

“Turkey wants to prevent the escalation of tensions with Iran to avoid suffering from it economically,” said Nihat Ali Ozcan of the Economic Policy Research Institute in Ankara. “It is also seeking to raise its profile in the Muslim world but its loyalty is at risk in the eyes of the West.”  (photo: AP)

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