Erdogan and Nasrallah…And Pulling the Rug?

Tariq Alhomayed
Asharq Al-Awsat
06 June '10

(Just a quick reminder before reading, that there are a number of players in this game, and this article will reflect the Saudi royal family. The questions raised though, are good questions and require some thought. Y.)

A while ago my father asked me about the role of Iran and Turkey in the region, and the Iranian nuclear file, and I began to explain this in detail, however my father interrupted me saying "the issue is simpler than this, my son!" I asked him "how?" He answered "for years the game has been the same game, however the ability of the two players is in decline."

I remembered these words whilst I was reading a statement issued by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, in which he called for the formation of a "Freedom Flotilla II" in order to break the Gaza blockade, as well as for [the people of Lebanon] to "embrace and support" the new Turkish position towards Israel via "more Lebanese participation in Freedom Flotilla II." Nasrallah also said that "Just as Israel takes into account the red flag of Turkey, so it takes into account the yellow flag" that belongs to Hezbollah. The Hezbollah leader justified a second Freedom flotilla, saying "those who take part in the Freedom Flotilla II should know that they belong to a resistance that doesn’t leave anyone in Israeli jails." What does all of this mean?

The issue is clear, and this is that Nasrallah feels that Turkey's new position [towards Israel] has pulled the rug from underneath him, and from under Iran of course, and as a result of this he wants to get involved and raise the stakes, and this is in order to pull the rug from under Turkey. However the fact of the matter is that we are afraid that this rug will tear in half from all of this pushing and pulling.

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