MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

Very interesting developments are being reported regarding Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and rumors that he may be suffering from cancer. If, as FT’s Michael Williams suggests, the tough position taken by Turkey against Syria could be the final catalyst sealing the fate of Bashar al-Assad, what could happen if the head of Turkey’s leadership is no longer himself in a position to lead the country against the Syrian dictatorship, or Turkey’s focus shifts its spotlight away from Syria? Coincidental timing, or is there a higher power pulling the strings? …

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu – “Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphatically denies reports he is suffering from cancer, but Obama is worried.

Western intelligence sources told DebkaFile Sunday that Erdogan is suffering from rectosigmoid cancer, but it is not known what stage the disease has reached.

The Turkish daily Today’s Zaman reported last week that Health Minister Recep Akdağ said, ‘Our prime minister is in good health, but we recommended he gets some rest following recent laparoscopic surgery.’

His condition forced him to cancel a scheduled visit to Qatar last week. Erdogan has been unusually quiet and out of the public eye since his surgery on November 26, but official photographs show him smiling and hosting foreign officials the same day.

Despite the denials that Erdogan has cancer, officials have given no explanation why he was being treated in a special room. Erdogan is usually featured in Turkish newspapers almost every day, but he has been conspicuously absent from the pages of two of Turkey’s most popular dailies, Today’s Zaman and Hurriyet.

His prolonged absence from public life and his ‘rest’ outside of the capital of Ankara is worrying the Obama administration, especially in view of the instability in Syria, according to DebkaFile’s sources. If Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad directly involves Iran in the Syrian crisis, Turkey’s response could be critical to further developments in the Middle East.” Read more.

Turkey’s stance will seal the fate of Syria’s Ceausescu – “When the leader of the rising power in the Middle East reminds a neighbour, and former close friend, of the fates of Adolf Hitler and Nicolae Ceausescu, that is a health warning to be heeded. So what are the chances of Bashar al-Assad taking the advice of his erstwhile friend, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan? In my experience, slim indeed… in Mr Erdogan, Mr Assad may have met his match. Turkey is growing more and more impatient with Mr Assad – and increasingly carries more weight in the region than the Arab League does.” Read more.

Report: Turkish Prime Minister’s Health Deteriorating – “The health of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has deteriorated in the three weeks following his intestinal surgery, according to Arab media. An unconfirmed report says Erdogan was taken to an Ankara hospital, Sunday evening because of his deteriorating condition.” Source – Arutz Sheva.

Health minister says Turkish PM Erdoğan fine, just resting – “Turkey’s Health Minister Recep Akdağ has said there is nothing wrong with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s health after last month’s surgery. ‘Our prime minister is in good health, but we recommended he gets some rest,’ Akdağ said on Thursday. The Prime Ministry announced on Wednesday that Erdoğan cancelled a trip to Qatar this week to spend more time recovering from surgery at home. The prime minister had been scheduled to visit Qatar on Dec. 10-12. Erdoğan, 57, underwent abdominal surgery on Nov. 26 and has been resting out of the public eye since then.” Read more.