Turkish diplomacy: An attentive neighbour

"STAR TREK", said one commentator. "They may as well wear a burqa," huffed another. Supposedly chaste new uniforms for Turkish Airlines (THY) cabin attendants have triggered mirth and horror in the cyberworld. They have also sharpened debate about creeping conservatism under the mildly Islamist Justice and Development (AK) government.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was on a high-profile visit to tension-gripped Lebanon on Wednesday, as Ankara seeks to emerge as a key mediator in the Middle East.He was greeted at the airport by his Lebanese counterpart, Saad Hariri, who is going head-to-head with Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah over a UN-backed court probing the murder of his father, ex-premier Rafiq Hariri.His arrival was punctuated by a group of Armenians protesting what they say was genocide against their community by Turkey's precursor, the Ottoman Empire, in the early 20th century.

France said Monday the Middle East diplomatic Quartet, which seeks rapid resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, should take a more active role in the bid for peace in the troubled region."We believe that the Quartet should assume a more active role notably in establishing the parameters under which negotiations should be held," French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called on the United States to play an active role in the Middle East peace process in talks with visiting US senators on Wednesday, SANA news agency reported."Washington and the international community must play an active role for peace and to put an end to occupation" of Arab land by Israel, Assad told the delegation led by Republican Senator Judd Gregg.He also reiterated that Syria "wants a just and durable peace based on international resolutions that guarantee security and stability in the region," SANA reported.

U.S. Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank visited Istanbul today to meet with U.S. and Turkish business leaders to advance commercial and trade relations between the United States and Turkey. This is the first visit to Turkey by a U.S. Commerce Secretary in 14 years. Acting Secretary Blank, along with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, are leading a delegation of senior U.S. Government officials, including representatives from the Department of State, the Department of Energy, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, U.S. Export-Import Bank and the National Security Staff. Throughout the meetings and events, Acting Secretary Blank highlighted President Obama and Prime Minister Erdogan's goal of elevating our commercial relationship with Turkey to the strategic level, contributing to the peace and prosperity of citizens of both countries and the world. Acting Secretary Blank and Ambassador Kirk met with U.S. companies that are active in the Turkish market to hear their views on the commercial environment in Turkey, and learn how the U.S. government can help grow their businesses, and support jobs and growth in Turkey and in the United States.

Guest blog post by Francisco J. Sánchez, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Secretary, Department of CommerceRecent events have reaffirmed just how extraordinary this period is for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).  The Arab Spring has generated a lot of hope for people across the region. However, it’s also presented a number of questions that need to be answered, many of which center around economic issues like unemployment and slow growth.  As the World Economic Forum (WEF) put it, “Recent shifts in the Arab world, coupled with an economic contraction at the global level, have created renewed urgency for decision-makers across the region to address the unfolding economic situation.” So, it’s fitting that, this past weekend, King Abdullah of Jordan hosted a WEF event to address job creation. World leaders gathered to discuss pressing issues including the advancement of youth and women, the impact of social media, and, of course, U.S.-Arab relations.