NYT editorail urges Obama seek Turkey's support for renewed mideast peace push

For a renewed push for peace in the Mideast to be successful, US President Barack Obama must seek Turkey's support, argued a New York Times editorial on Monday. After a two-year standstill, direct talks between Palestinians and Israelis are expected to resume on Thursday after Obama hosts a White House dinner for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Jordan's King Abdullah, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, representing the Mideast Quartet. "That (dinner) will make for a fine ceremony and important symbolism," continued the editorial, "but Mr. Obama's involvement cannot end there. He needs to keep pressing everybody — his dinner guests and other regional leaders, including Saudi Arabia and Turkey — to stand behind peace efforts." In related news, Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Meshaal called for Turkey to continue supporting efforts to solve the Palestinian issue and Arab-Israeli conflict, as well as to end Israel's naval blockade of Gaza. Meshaal also called Turkey a powerful country playing a key role in the region.