Turkey Trade

Turkey to Open Gold Exchange: The nation, whose 60 million people have stashed away 5,000 metric tons of gold jewelry, will open its first such exchange in February to try to tap the idle savings. Up to 300 tons of gold a year are expected to change hands. Turkey is the world's seventh-biggest jewelry producer, with an output of about 116 tons a year.

The Turkish government closed off overland trade in oil and other products with Iraq on Wednesday and beefed up its defenses against possible retaliation from Baghdad if U.S. troops are allowed to deploy on Turkish soil for a possible war. Dutch Patriot missiles were unloaded from a cargo ship in the southern port of Iskenderun and a NATO radar plane arrived in central Turkey.

Prime Minister Turgut Ozal unveiled a plan Friday to sell off state enterprises, free interest rates and loosen restrictions on the Turkish currency. He also told members of the 450-seat Parliament that Turkey will continue to seek membership in the European Communities.

Turkey to Open Gold Exchange: The nation, whose 60 million people have stashed away 5,000 metric tons of gold jewelry, will open its first such exchange in February to try to tap the idle savings. Up to 300 tons of gold a year are expected to change hands. Turkey is the world's seventh-biggest jewelry producer, with an output of about 116 tons a year.

The Turkish government closed off overland trade in oil and other products with Iraq on Wednesday and beefed up its defenses against possible retaliation from Baghdad if U.S. troops are allowed to deploy on Turkish soil for a possible war. Dutch Patriot missiles were unloaded from a cargo ship in the southern port of Iskenderun and a NATO radar plane arrived in central Turkey.

U.S. Says China Top Priority on Copyright Action: China was cited as the worst pirate of copyrights and patents and the highest priority for action in a report released by the U.S. trade representative's office. The report said that although some progress had been made by Beijing in halting the retail trade of pirated music, films and computer software, it has failed to stop widespread production of counterfeit products.

Among the many components that have not yet come together to facilitate a U.S. invasion of Iraq, some are impossible and others improbable. But one crucial step -- winning permission for U.S. forces to attack from Turkey -- is eminently doable. So far, our blandishments to the Turks have not been sufficient to quell the political opposition in the Turkish parliament. But there are several things the Bush administration still can do to seal the deal with Turkey. It's vital that U.S.

I was astonished that a leading newspaper such as The Times would publish a column as strongly biased as Claudia Wright's (Editorial Pages, April 1),"It's Time to Get Tough With Turkey." Wright is certainly entitled to her opinion about Turkey. But she has made a series of false assertions that she represents as fact. The assertions Wright has made are so outrageous that I can only conclude she has never been to Turkey nor spoken with a Turk. I recommend she do both.

In the space of a few weeks this summer, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed President Obama's approach to Mideast peacemaking, threatened to block U.S. business from drilling for oil and gas in the Mediterranean, and warned he might mobilize Turkish warships to protect activists sailing to Gaza against America's chief regional ally, Israel. Yet when Obama met Erdogan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting last month, he once again gave him more face time than any other world leader.

Wading through a knee-high sea of wattles and beaks, Mary Pitman shouts above waves of gobbles to rattle off the names of turkey breeds on her family farm in the San Joaquin Valley. She points out the Narragansett, the white Holland and the standard bronze ? birds that Americans have eaten since the days of the founding fathers. Pitman Family Farms ? which produces the Mary's Free Range Turkey brand ? sold out of Thanksgiving birds several months ago. The flock percolating around Pitman is reserved for Christmas.

Prime Minister Turgut Ozal unveiled a plan Friday to sell off state enterprises, free interest rates and loosen restrictions on the Turkish currency. He also told members of the 450-seat Parliament that Turkey will continue to seek membership in the European Communities.

CAIRO - Egypt and Turkey are forging an alliance that showcases two Islamist leaders maneuvering to reshape a Middle East gripped by political upheaval and passionate battles over how deeply the Koran should penetrate public life. The relationship may foreshadow an emerging regional order in which the sway of the United States gradually fades against Islamist voices no longer contained by militaries and pro-Western autocrats. Each country has a distinct vision of political Islam, but Turkey, which straddles Europe and Asia, and Egypt, the traditional heart of the Arab world, complement each other for now. Turkey's strong economy may help rescue Egypt from financial crisis, while Cairo may further Ankara's ambition to rise as a force among Islamic-backed governments.

President Turgut Ozal of Turkey said Saturday that international economic sanctions against the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein are already showing evidence of success. Ozal said Turkish truck drivers returning to his country from Iraq are reporting food shortages in some Iraqi cities. "Some of the truck drivers say that people in Iraq are fighting to get more food from the stores," Ozal said during an interview at the presidential palace here.