ISTANBUL, February 11 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The Egyptian President arrived in Ankara on Wednesday, February 11, for a visit one analyst said would allow Hosni Mubarak "feel the pulse" of the Turkish government's leanings.

Mubarak was due to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Egyptian officials said.

The Egyptian leader would attempt to "feel the pulse" of officials in the Islamic-oriented government of the ruling Justice and Development Party, Turkish analyst Hosni Mahli said.

The U.S. officials has recently said that the initiative would be released in an effort to promote democracy in the region, in "a sweeping change in the way we approach the Middle East".

Mahli said that Mubarak felt concerned over Egypt's retreating role in the Middle East and Washington's turning its sights towards Turkey - the prominent secular country in the Islamic world - as part of efforts to redraw the map in the region.

Erdogan said in press statements on January 31 that Islamic ruling regimes should make more efforts towards democracy and immediate internal reforms.

Other issues would be high on the table during the visit - the first visit by the Egyptian leader in five years.

"Mubarak's visit arrives at an opportune moment concerning developments in the region," Gul told Wednesday's edition of the Egyptian government newspaper Al Ahram.

"It will help reach a common position between Egypt and Turkey on questions of a regional order, especially Iraq and the Palestinian problem," Gul said.

Sources said he would try to use Turkey's influence with Israel to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

A source close to the Egyptian presidency said on Monday, February 9, that Mubarak's talks with Turkish leaders would focus on Egypt's efforts to revive the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations.

The Egyptian head of state wants to take advantage of "the strategic relations between Turkey and Israel (to try to find) a solution to the conflict," the source said.

The possibility of pushing Israel and Syria back on the negotiating table would be also discussed, especially with the imminent Turkish role in defusing the long-standing tension.

Erdogan has said that his foreign minister would begin mediating a settlement between Israel and Syria soon, with press reports saying the Turkish premier called Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad after the former's talks in Washington on January 26.