Rubin: 'We have long encouraged development of a strong relationship between Turkey and Israel, both of whom are our major friends and allies in their respective regions' Turkish Daily News Ankara/Washington- The United States has assured Middle Eastern countries that there is nothing to worry about regarding the joint Turco-Israeli-U.S. military exercises being staged in the Mediterranean since they are not directed at any country in the region. "As stated in the past, Reliant Mermaid [the code

Reuters Tehran- An opinion poll carried out by an Iranian newspaper reported on Tuesday that most Iranians did not think it was the right time to restore relations with the United States, the Islamic republic's arch-foe. The English-language Tehran Times said it carried out a series of interviews with a cross-section of Iranian people, including members of Parliament, ahead of a televised address to the American people by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to be broadcast by Cable News Network (CNN)

Washington reaffirmed its determination to stick with hardline policy toward Iraq Reuters Baghdad- Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Tuesday praised his army for its achievement in the 1991 Gulf War over Kuwait and the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war. In a televised speech marking the 77th anniversary of the armed forces, he said the army registered a "glorious record in the Qadissiya battle (Iraq-Iran war) and the eternal Um al-Ma'arik (Mother of All Battles)," a reference to the Gulf War in which

Yavuz and Zafer frigates reach Port of Haifa Turkish Daily News Ankara - "Reliant Mermaid," the Turkish, Israeli and U.S. joint maneuvers, started on Monday in the international waters of the eastern Mediterranean following the preparatory and transportation phases of the maneuvers and after the Yavuz and Zafer frigates had reached Israel's Port of Haifa. Nearly 600 navigators travelled to Israel with the frigates commanded by Colonel Tekin Kiyar, while U.S. destroyer, John Rodgers, also

Reuters Paris- Thirty-five civilians were killed in more Algerian attacks at the weekend as government troops hunted the killers of more than 400 villagers slaughtered in massacres last week, Algerian newspapers said on Monday. Crack military units, backed by police and paramilitary forces, swept through Remka forest and Ouarsenis mountain in western Algeria, tracking the suspected authors of the massacre of 412 people in neighboring Relizane area overnight last Tuesday-Wednesday, said Le Matin daily.

Jiang followed up his public relations coup by hosting a state visit by Russian President Yeltsin, during which the two leaders made a show of personal friendship with bear hugs and warm chit-chat about their grandchildrenBy Andrew Browne / Reuters Beijing- Superstitious Chinese peasants once believed that earthquakes, floods and famines foretold the death of an emperor. They all feared "great chaos under heaven". This year, the dynastic cycle turned and the heavens smiled. Deng Xiaoping, the

Ankara's message regarding Kurdish immigration From a Jan. 4 article by Milliyet's Sami Kohen: Turkey's message to Italy and other European countries regarding "Kurdish immigration" will be: "We are prepared to cooperate with you to solve this problem. But, in turn, you must refrain from encouraging this tendency by putting forth the 'Kurdish problem' in this context." This will be the essence of the letter - naturally written in a more diplomatic language -- that Foreign Minister

TDN with Wire Services Ankara - Turkish police detained 18 refugees late Friday in Istanbul as they were trying to board a ship bound for Italy, the Anadolu news agency reported Saturday. According to the report, the would-be refugees from Turkey's mainly Kurdish-populated southeast were hiding in the back of truck loaded with car tyres when the police caught them. The detainees, aged between 20 and 25, told the police that they had paid 1,000 Deutschmarks (about 555 dollars) each to two people whose

Reuters Bonn- German Udo Lattek has been offered the job of coaching Iran in this year's World Cup finals in France, the daily Bild reported. Lattek, 62, told Bild he had met Iranian officials in midweek in Tehran and was considering their proposal. "There are several things I must discuss with my family (before giving an answer)," Lattek told

Feb. 1- Turks begin a campaign to plunge their houses into darkness at 9.p.m. to throw some light on the Susurluk scandal, which involves government links with the criminal underworld. Feb. 3- Controversial remarks by Iranian Ambassador Muhammed Reza Bagheri during "Jerusalem Night," organized two days previously by the fundamentalist mayor of Ankara's Sincan, causes a political storm. Bagheri is called to the Foreign Ministry to receive verbal protest. Feb. 4- Tensions in Sincan are

June 1- Deputy Prime Minister Ciller meets President Demirel and says later she will take over the premiership by the end of June, ahead of early elections, within a "reasonable" time to solve the government crisis. June 2- The DYP's disciplinary board decides to expel former Industry Minister Yalim Erez from the party. June 2- President Demirel leaves for the first-ever visit by a Turkish president to the Baltic countries. June 4- A Turkish Army Cougar helicopter crashes during a flight

Dec. 1- President Demirel arrives in Oman for a three-day official visit. Dec. 1- Turkey launches a fresh initiative to combat chronic inflation with a bold pledge to freeze public prices for the first half of 1998. Dec. 1- The PUK says that Turkey had counted itself out of mediation efforts for peace in northern Iraq through its attacks on PUK positions. Dec. 2- Greece and Turkey resolve their decades-old dispute over the use of airspace over the Aegean Sea and open the way for the shaping of a new

December 26 Turkey denies that its warplanes entered Greek airspace on Christmas Day or broke an agreement barring military exercises on holidays. "Greece's claims that the accord was broken are completely baseless. Turkey has always complied with the agreement," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Iraq's official press criticizes Turkey for extending a U.S.-British aerial surveillance force policing northern Iraq, saying Ankara is damaging its "interests" and ties with Baghdad.

One black spot: A power struggle that pits supporters of the appointed supreme leader, hardline Ayatollah Khamenei, against the popularly elected President Khatami Reuters Tehran- After a watershed year, Iran is charting a new course. Ahead are more international acceptance, better ties with conservative neighbors who once feared the export of the Islamic revolution, and even attempts by some Iranian leaders towards easing tensions with Washington after two decades of confrontation. The signs are here

Bonn calls on Italy to tighten border controls Rome rejects Ankara's call for Italy to refuse asylum to Kurdish immigrants and to send them back TDN with wire dispatches Italy on Friday stood firmly by its stated aim of granting political asylum to Kurds despite mounting fears in Germany that Rome was opening the flood gates to a tide of immigrants into the European Union. "The government line is one of maximum understanding," Italian Interior Ministry Undersecretary Giannicola Sinisi told

The spiritual leader's remarks come a few days before moderate President Mohammad Khatami is due to give an interview to CNN Reuters Tehran- Iran's supreme leader denied on Friday Tehran was making any moves toward rapprochement with Washington, days before President Mohammad Khatami was due to address the American people in a television interview. "Western media say some faction, individuals, groups...or even the government have a tendency toward a reconciliation with the West and America,"

Turkish Daily News Electronic Edition, 'Washington Insight' By Harun Kazaz, January 3 1998 3 January, 1998, You can be sure that the day Iran feels ready, in terms of having the nuclear capability as well as the ability to deliver to its region, will be the day we see Iran's true warming springing into action and opening the floodgates of Western and US goodwill, capital and technology'Washington Insight' By Harun Kazaz This past October, former president of Iran Hashemi Rafsanjani in his Friday

Turkish Daily News Electronic Edition, Letter to the Editor, January 3 1998 3 January, 1998, 'Good fences make good neighbours' I am of Greek heritage and I recently stumbled upon your on-line newspaper. Since then I have become a regular reader in an attempt to learn more about Turkey and in order to achieve a better insight of Turkish views of foreign events that link our nations. I must say that although our nations' difficult past present many obstacles in having a balanced relationship today, I

Controversial Constitutional Court Chief Justice Yekta Gungor Ozden tried hard to finalize the closure case against pro-Islamic Welfare Party but failed. He retired as the year came to a closeBy Ilnur Cevik It started as a turbulent year and ended on the same note as Turkey's relations with the European Union hit an all-time low and Ankara severed its political dialogue with Brussels. Turkey had high hopes that, provided it played its cards right, it would be given a place among the other 11 countries

CIA and DIA claim first test flight in 1998 or 1999 Missile can hit Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Turkey, Washington Post claimsBy Ugur Akinci / Turkish Daily News Washington - Iran conducted "the engine test for a new generation of ballistic missiles" on Dec. 15, a day after President Khatami called for a "thoughtful dialogue" with "the great people and nation of America," according to a Washington Post story. The contradictory developments have created a rift within