This year, as the American-led effort to mediate a Middle East peace settlement began to falter, Turkey took up the job of mediator in both the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the conflict between Syria and Israel. Now, in the immediate wake of the Russia-Georgia crisis, Turkey’s leaders have stepped forward once again to take a leadership role in the Caucasus.
确实，土耳其从来就没有错过机会成为地区调停人。苏联解体后，它马上就提议建立黑海经济合作组织。今年，当亚美尼亚主导的中东和平倡议告吹之际，土耳其担当了巴以冲突和叙以冲突之间的调停人。现在俄国和格鲁吉亚危机刚刚结束，土耳其领导人再次站出来在高加索地区发挥领导作用。