Turkish observers speculate Bush to attack Iran before leaving office

Earlier media reports suggested Turkish President Abdullah Gul warned his Iranian counterpart against the possibility of a U.S. attack and urged him to accept the latest package of incentives and suspending uranium enrichment works.

Eyup Can, Referans business daily's editor-in-chief, wrote in his column that the mood in Washington had changed and the possibility of an U.S. attack on Iran before Bush leaves office has been under consideration.

The U.S. had informed Turkey that they could strike Iran during the presidential campaigns and this prompted Ankara to invite Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"(Turkey) is working really hard for the functioning of diplomatic channels... And unfortunately for now, there is nothing left to Turkey after an American attack, but tell Iran 'We warned you'. And unfortunately it seems inevitable that Bush would bomb Iran before he leaves the office," he added.

Western powers suspect Tehran's nuclear program is a cover for the development of the atomic bomb, claims strongly rejected by Iran.

Iran is risking a possible fourth round of U.N. sanctions after it failed to give a clear response to an incentives package offered by six major world powers in return for halting its uranium enrichment activities.

ATTACK WOULD COMPLICATE MIDEAST
A U.S. military attack would further complicate the situation in the Middle East, which has already lost its stability due to the Iraq war, Milliyet daily's Ankara bureau chief Fikret Bila commented in his column.

"Tehran's reaction to a military attack would create enormous problems both for Israel and the U.S. presence in Iraq. It is a fact that Iran is not like Iraq. It is very hard to foresee the end of such period given the military capability, the technological level and the fanatic nationalists, who came together in the name of religion, of Iran," Bila added.

Turkey believes it is Iran's legitimate right to pursue nuclear works but is against any country in the region acquiring nuclear weapons.

Ankara has earlier said it would help to resolve the row over Iran's nuclear work but stayed short of labeling its efforts as "mediating". Ahmadinejad's visit is the latest development on Turkey's intensified diplomatic efforts on the row.

Commentators and analysts also warned that Turkey should follow a very careful policy between its neighbor Iran and its traditional ally the United States.

"The EU is very active in this (international row over Iran's nuclear) issue, so it should not be expected Turkey play a deeper role. However, if we are elected to the U.N. Security Council then we will face difficult times during votes on Iran. We are pursuing a correct policy on Iran. This policy should be continued without keeping expectations high or falling into traps," former foreign minister Ilter Turkmen said.