Egyptian and Turkish officials are trying hard to meet Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan wish to visit the Gaza Strip next Sunday or Monday (24-25 July) as a gesture of defiance for the United States and Israel, debkafile's Middle East sources report.

Two obstacles still stand in their way: Fear of an assassination attempt by the al Qaeda groups operating in the Gaza Strip and Sinai; and strenuous objections from Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who regards the visit as de facto Turkish and Egyptian recognition of Ismail Haniya's Hamas government.
If the visit does go ahead, Abbas demands permission to enter Gaza City in time to lead the Palestinian welcoming party for the Turkish Prime Minister. The Egyptian military junta likes this plan, viewing it as an important step toward reviving the moribund Fatah-Hamas reconciliation deal which they brokered. However, the Hamas government is standing fast against Abbas' entry to the Gaza Strip.
According to our Washington sources, the Obama administration has not decided how to regard the Erdogan gesture. His plan reached US notice as an unexpected extension of the Turkish prime minister's trip to the Turkish Republic of Cyprus and Cairo, which they did knew about.
Erdogan broke the news himself Tuesday, July 19: "If conditions are right, I will consider a visit to Gaza," he said.The Turkish foreign office is working on the specifics, he said, and he was awaiting their decision.

Our military sources report that Turkish and Egyptian security agencies rule out his reaching Gaza by convoy through Sinai because Cairo, it turns out, is not in full control of the peninsula's main roads and cannot therefore guarantee his safety.
Flying him in through Sinai by helicopter is another non-option because Israel would have to be asked for permission under the terms of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty and the flight would have to be coordinated with Israeli Air Force flight control authorities. To this Turkey objected.
Rejected too on the same grounds was a fighter plane escort for the Turkish prime minister's helicopter, which would be customary state leaders' travel through or over hostile territory.
debkafile's political sources note that Israel's high hopes for better relations with Ankara, active urged by the US. The Turkish leader keeps on winkling out provocations to throw in Israel's face and show the Arabs he is keeping faith with the Palestinian cause and willing to breach Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. A visit to Gaza, from which terrorists fired at least 20 missiles in the last two weeks, would derail the effort to mend the fences between Jerusalem and Ankara.

He is partly motivated, they say, by the serious snub he has suffered over the Libya conflict. Up until recently, he had been sure that President Barack Obama would get him named mediator between Muammar Qaddafi and the rebels. Then, last week, he discovered the US president had asked Moscow to assume this role and had left Ankara to tag along.
Erdogan was moved to try to reach the Gaza Strip and visit Hamas can be arranged as a loud signal of protest and an expression of his frustration.