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The reported success of the Obama - Netanyahu summit by the mainstream U.S. media overshadowed some recent important developments in the Middle East and the fears that the region is sinking into chaos. In reality, although this tactical meeting with warmed up relations image was very much needed both by Obama and Netanyahu for strategic and political reasons, it does not have any favorable effect on the realities on the ground.

Recriminatory words exchanged between Turkey and Israel over the latter’s May 31 assault on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla have given way to the pragmatism of national self-interest. On June 30, ministers from the two countries “secretly” met in Brussels to attempt to smooth over differences and repair bilateral ties marred in the wake of the attack.

July 6, 2010 (Haaretz) - The Turkish foreign minister has warned Israel that ties with its decades-long ally could be in jeopardy unless the country apologizes for the May flotilla raid that cost the lives of eight Turkish citizens.

July 2, 2010 (Reuters, Seyhmus Cakan) - Clashes between Turkish troops and Kurdish rebels in southeast Turkey intensified on Friday after Turkish planes bombed Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq.

June 22, 2010 (Reuters,Tulay Karadeniz) - Turkish commandos backed by helicopters deployed along the Iraqi border on Monday after Kurdish guerrillas killed 11 soldiers at the weekend in one of the deadliest attacks for years in their separatist war.

June 17th (Al Jazeera) - Turkey has sent hundreds of troops into northern Iraq to chase fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in an operation likely to increase tensions within the region.

June 4th (BBC News) - Turkey has warned it may reduce economic and defence ties with Israel following the deadly raid on a Gaza aid flotilla.

May 3, 2010 (Press TV) - A senior Iranian energy official has announced that Iran's natural gas exports have doubled since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21).

Feb. 25 (BBC News) - Turkey's president has said tensions over an alleged military coup plot will be resolved within the law, after meeting the head of the armed forces.

The defense chiefs of all 28 NATO nations and an undisclosed number of counterparts from non-Alliance partners gathered in Istanbul, Turkey on February 4 to begin two days of meetings focused on the war in Afghanistan, the withdrawal of military forces from Kosovo in the course of transferring control of security operations to the breakaway province’s embryonic army (the Kosovo Security Force) and “the transformation efforts required to best conduct the full range of NATO’s agreed missions.”