TURKEY'S SHIFT OF EMPHASIS

THE RECENT two-day visit to Turkey by the Ruler of Kuwait, Shaikh Jabr al Ahmad, was the first such visit by any Gulf head of state. Shaikh Jabr's presence in Ankara also brought into focus a shift in emphasis in Turkey's relations with the Arab world. From the time of Kemal Ataturk's revolution in 1923 Turkey has faced away from the Middle East and directed its international alignments towards Europe. At one stage relations with Israel were very close and Turkey regarded Israel as a major partner.