Turkey to send trade minister, businessmen to Iraq
ANKARA, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Turkey's trade minister will lead a delegation of 150 businessmen to Baghdad on January 10 to discuss trade issues, as his government considers how much support it will offer Washington in a possible war against Iraq.

Ministry officials said on Thursday that Kursad Tuzmen would be accompanied by energy and foreign ministry officials on the visit. It was not yet clear who he would meet in Baghdad.

NATO member Turkey opposes a war in Iraq, fearing economic damage and regional turmoil. But as a close ally of Washington it is expected to provide at least air space and other logistic support if the United States does go to war.

Turkey already allows U.S. and British warplanes to use its southern Incirlik airbase to patrol a no-fly zone over northern Iraq, much to Baghdad's annoyance.

Turkey says it has lost more than $30 billion as a result of the 1991 Gulf War and the subsequent U.N. sanctions on Iraq which was one of Ankara's main trading partners before the war.

The Turkish government has resisted making a firm commitment to supporting Washington militarily and has urged a peaceful solution to the current crisis.

Turkey contains inflation rate
The Associated Press, ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey's consumer inflation rose by 29.7 percent in 2002, according to figures released Friday. It was lower than the 35 percent target set in the country's International Monetary Fund-backed economic recovery program. The State Statistics Institute said wholesale inflation was 30.8 percent in 2002. Turkey's new government has said it will aim for 20 percent inflation in 2003, in a sign that it plans to stick to the IMF program. The government, which came to power in November, has pledged to follow the IMF-backed plan, but wants to make some revisions to help the poor. The IMF has given Turkey $16 billion in loans to help it recover from a recession that saw the economy shrink 9.4 percent and prices rise by 68.5 percent in 2001. The IMF program aims to cut spending and privatize state companies to boost growth and curb inflation.