Context
Turkish authorities are working hard to try and fulfill Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s desire to visit Gaza next week (July 24-25) as a sign of defiance for Israel and the US, intelligence sources have revealed. Two obstacles stand in his way though: fear of a murder attempt by Al-Qaeda linked groups in Sinai and the Gaza Strip; and strong objections from PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who sees the trip as de facto Egyptian and Turkish recognition of the Hamas movement. According to sources in Washington, the Obama administration hasn’t yet decided how to respond to Erdogan’s gesture.
