Turkey Approves U.S. Use of Bases
Suzan Fraser, The Associated Press, ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey's foreign minister said Tuesday, December 4 that his country would allow the United States to use military bases here if the United Nations approves military action against neighboring Iraq. Yasar Yakis spoke as U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was in Turkey to lobby for Turkish support of an operation against Iraq. Turkey is concerned that a war in Iraq could lead to the division of the country, with Kurds in northern Iraq declaring a separate state. More

Turkey ends emergency rule in Southeast
Claudia Parsons, 30 November 2002, ANKARA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Turkey lifted a 15-year state of emergency in the southeast of the country on Saturday, ending an era which saw security forces wield sweeping powers against Kurdish separatists in a conflict in which 30,000 died. More

ATAA and Turkish NGOs Support Turkey’s EU Membership
Turkish groups visit EU Embassies in Washington D.C.
The Turkish Times - In support of Turkey's accession into the European Union, Washington-based Turkish and Turkish/American non-governmental organizations paid visits in Washington D.C. to the Embassies of EU member countries. More

New Turkish Cabinet Approved
The Turkish Times - The 58th Turkish Cabinet list was approved by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on Monday, November 18, 2002. The government held its first Cabinet meeting on Monday, and the discussions were recorded for the first time, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said. He said that was a sign of the government's desire for more transparency. Sener said the government will read out its program in parliament on Saturday and on Nov. 28 will face a confidence vote it will almost certainly pass. More

Sailing Through the Dire Straits Turkish ships will go through some rather dire straits during this holiday month of December. For many Turkish observers the phrase "dire straits" probably sounds like the standard fare until one takes a peek at what's on Ankara's plate. On December 12 and 13, the European Union (EU) Copenhagen Summit will admit Greek-Cyprus as a new member and perhaps also extend a date to Turkey to start discussing the date on which Turkey's membership process could begin. Yes, "a date for a date," or "an appointment for an appointment." And at the end Turkey may not be admitted to EU at all, raising serious doubts in many minds as to whether EU is really ready to bridge the widening gap between the Christian West and the Muslim East. Secular Turkey is the best candidate EU has got to form a bridge between these increasingly withdrawing universes. More