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Turkey hoping Syria talks will ease domestic turmoil By Yoav Stern Tags: AKP, Syria, Turkey, Israel ISTANBUL - The Turkish government is very pleased with the outcome of the Israeli-Syrian talks it mediated in Istanbul this week, and with good reason: The talks do much to bolster Turkey's status as a regional power. However, it seems that the government is also hoping its success will shore it up domestically. Just as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's continued tenure is threatened by the police investigation against him, Turkey's government faces its own legal threat: The constitutional court is to rule on a petition to declare the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) illegal. "It's very similar to what's happening to Olmert," Cengiz Candar, a well-known Turkish columnist who writes for the economic daily Referans, told Haaretz. "Our government wants to prove to the public that it is very active and can advance regional processes. But that is not its problem: [Its problem] is domestic." Advertisement Turkey's activity on the Israeli-Syrian issue is also a signal to the international community, Candar said: "The government is showing the European Union and the United States that it is worth their while to support the ruling party, because it is functioning effectively." While the Turkish papers reported on the Israeli-Syrian talks, they paid far more attention to the political crisis. In Hurriyet, for instance, the two top stories both related to the court case: a statement by several senior justices backing the constitutional court's decision to hear the petition, and the government's accusation that the court, far from being neutral, was actively working against it. The talks received only third billing. Nor, it seems, have the negotiations generated much interest among ordinary Turks. "I knew the Turks were trying to mediate between the sides, but I didn't know there were talks," said an Israeli-born Jewish resident of Istanbul. "You know how it is: People are busy with their work and don't necessarily hear the news." Related articles: Olmert: Israel has made no promises to Syria New Knesset bill would require referendum on Golan pullout IDF reservists greet news of Israel-Syria talks with cynicism Bookmark to del.icio.us   Jet error Israeli warplanes come close to shooting down Tony Blair's plane. Rehab (live) Report: Singer Amy Winehouse is to undergo drug rehab in Israel.

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