Iraqi, U.S. officials court Turkey over war threat
Ayla Jean Yackley, ANKARA, Turkey (Reuters) - Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz urged Turkey Monday September 30 not to support any U.S. strike against Baghdad after a U.S. envoy met Turkish officials to rally support against the Gulf nation. Aziz said threats from the United States posed a danger to the entire region and especially Turkey, which publicly opposes any war against its neighbor Iraq. More

Former Turkish Diplomat Kent Dies
Risked his life to save Jews during WW2
The Associated Press, ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - Necdet Kent, a Turkish diplomat who risked his life to save Jews during World War II, died Friday. He was 91. The Foreign Ministry said Kent died in Istanbul.On one occasion, Kent boarded a train bound for Auschwitz after Nazi guards refused to let some 70 Jews with Turkish citizenship disembark. After more than an hour, the guards allowed Kent and the Jews to leave. More

BP starts work on Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline
Lada Yevgrashina, BAKU, Sept 18 (Reuters) - British Oil giant BP started work Wednesday on a $2.9 billion oil pipeline from Azerbaijan to Turkey which will bypass Russia and bring crude from the land-locked Caspian Sea to Western markets. The Presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey hailed the United States-backed pipeline, long dismissed as a costly dream, and during the groundbreaking ceremony called on other post-Soviet states to join the project. The pipeline is due for completion in 2005. More

Iraqi Opposition Conference Urges Saddam's Fall
Iraq's Kurdish, Turkmen and Assyrian groups met in Turkey
Mert Ozkan, AVANOS, Turkey, Sept 29 (Reuters) - A conference of Iraqi Arab and ethnic minority groups opposed to President Saddam Hussein called on Sunday for an end to his rule. The groups, which included representatives of Iraq's Kurdish, Turkmen and Assyrian minorities, released a joint statement at the end of a three-day conference on the future of Iraq in the event the United States ousts Saddam for his alleged pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. More

Tayyip Erdogan Launches AKP Electoral Campaign
Islamist leader is banned from active politics
The Turkish Times - Despite the ban on his political future as a candidate, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the chairman of the pro-Islamist AKP (Justice and Development Party) launched a campaign in Hakkari to win the November 3rd Turkish general elections. Erdogan was banned from active political duty by a Turkish court after he was found guilty on charge of "Islamist sedition." Erdogan has made a number of public speeches during the 1990s exhorting his followers to follow a radical Islamist line. More

Israeli defense establishment:
Turkey to upgrade most of 900 Patton tanks
The IMI deal could amount to $7 billion
Dror Marom, September 29, 2002, Global Online www.globes.co.il - The Turkish army is likely to upgrade most of its 900 M-60 Patton tanks. This is the optimistic prediction of Israel's defense establishment today, just before the contract for upgrading the first 170 tanks comes into effect tonight. The price of the upgrade for the first 170 tanks is $668 million. If the remaining 730 tanks are also upgraded, the deal could amount to $7 billion. The upgrade is already the largest overseas upgrading project by an Israeli consortium, exceeding the $640 million upgrading of Turkish Air Force Phantom fighters by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). More

NYC Mayor Tours Exhibit in Turkey
Esra Aygin, The Associated Press, ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - Touring a former Ottoman palace housing an exhibit on Sept. 11, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Saturday that the terror attacks were aimed at "all people who desired to live free." Bloomberg visited Topkapi Palace for an exhibition of paintings by some 70 American artists depicting the attacks. The traveling exhibition, "True Colors: Meditations on the American Spirit," opened Sept. 11 in Istanbul. More

Germany Bans 16 Terror-Linked Groups
STEPHEN GRAHAM, The Associated Press, BERLIN (AP) - Police stormed homes and froze bank accounts across Germany Thursday after outlawing another 16 groups linked to a jailed Islamic militant accused of plotting an airplane attack in Turkey. Authorities raided 100 offices and homes as the ban came into effect overnight, the Interior Ministry said. It did not say if there had been any arrests. More

WWII submarine Razorback, gives North Little Rock ‘navy’
Turkey to donate submarine to Arkansas
Jake Sandlin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, September 04, 2002 - A World War II submarine auspiciously named the Razorback will become the newest riverfront attraction in North Little Rock next spring. "North Little Rock now has a navy," North Little Rock Mayor Patrick. Hays said at a news conference Tuesday along the Arkansas River, where the historic submarine is planned as part of a maritime museum. More

Amnesty accuses Greek police of torture
Angeliki Koutantou, ATHENS, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Human rights watchdog Amnesty International accused Greek police on Tuesday of regularly abusing and even torturing detainees, especially members of minority groups and illegal immigrants. In a report on human rights violations in Greece, which assumes the European Union presidency in January, Amnesty listed 66 cases of ill-treatment of detainees, including Albanians, Nigerians and Romas -- Greece's largest nomadic minority. More

Turkish-Iraqi Business Council Issues Report On Iraq
ISTANBUL, AA - Turkish-Iraqi Business Council issued a report on Monday September 30 stating that the Gulf crisis cost Turkey 100 billion USD in 12 years including alternative costs and a possible U.S. operation against Iraq would have a cost of 150 million USD to Turkey. The report indicates that Turkey's loss from the Gulf crisis was much higher than 44 billion 622 million USD, the amount so far calculated by adding up measurable items. More

Turkish Times Exclusive
Minister Gurel: "Turcomans of Iraq should be treated
equally by US Administration"
Vural Cengiz, ATAA Treasurer, The Turkish Times - Developments in Northern Iraq is as interesting for the Turkish government as the prospects of war with Iraq is to the American Administration. President Bush seems very determined to attack Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein from power despite the fact that most American sources are claiming that a successful campaign requires more soldiers and fire power than what US has in the region now. More

Dogukan Hamzaoglu, left, plays with an American flag as he waits with his father Kursat, center, and mother Nazli, from Turkey, in a room packed with more than 500 people from 61 countries for the start of a naturalization ceremony, to became U.S. citizens, Monday, Sept. 23, 2002, in Omaha, Neb.

Afghanistan Chief of Staff General Asif Dilawar (R) and acting COMISAF Brigadier General Mehmet Alpman Emin of Turkey salutes during a ceremony to mark the commencement of specialist training of the 1st battalion Afghan national guard at the presidential palace in Kabul on September 21, 2002. The training of the 1st battalion Afghan national guard by Turkish army staff will start on September 21. The course will last 10 weeks and during this period, the Afghan personnel will be trained in areas such as basic, private and unit combat training at the tactical level. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

Congress Includes Turkey Provisions in Trade Bill
Existing Qualifying Industrial Zone program with Israel to encompass Turkey
The Turkish Times - The House Ways and Means Committee approved legislation on September 30 that would reduce or eliminate over 300 non-controversial import tariffs. It also would affect U.S. trade relations with Turkey, an ally in the war on terrorism. The panel approved the bill (HR 5385) on a voice vote, after approving an amendment that would expand the existing Qualifying Industrial Zone program with Israel to encompass Turkey. The provision, which is similar to other legislation introduced in both the House and Senate (S 2663, HR 5002) would amend the 1985 law (PL 99-47) implementing the U.S.-Israel free trade agreement, and allow Turkey to work with Israel to create "qualifying industrial zones" where some products would be eligible for duty-free entry into the United States as long as Turkish and Israeli companies both were involved in producing them.