Here you'll find reports from the Turkish dailies, some stuff from international papers and anything else we think is relevant. Please remember that this is a country involved in a full scale guerilla war and not all the news is printed. Please comment.

• Apo back in Italy? - Prime Minister Ecevit seems convinved that Apo, PKK founder and Turkey's most wanted, is once agin sheltering in Italy. Rome has firmly denied this accusation but Mr. Ecevit seems unimpressed. It is hard to belive that Ocalan has simply vanished but wherever he may be Ankara has vowed to track him down. It's a marvellous opportunity for all you conspiracy theorists out there. Please send in your suugeestions to whereisapo@ankaralife.com and we'll be happy to publish the most interesting. (31/01/99)

• Is this a record? - In the last 16 years the Turkish Constitutional Court has banned 14 political parties. The latest target is, unsurprisingly, HADEP. The People's Democratic Party is the Sinn Fein of the Kurdish Independence movement and is widely perceived by many Turks as a front for the political avtivities of Kurdish Guerilla fighters. HADEP members were severely harrassed by Turkish security forces during the early stages of the Apo crisis with staff of the various regional offices being imprisoned en masse. How banning the party will effect the popularity of HADEP's causes is, to me anyway, a little unclear. I suppose we can expect the formation of a substitute body fairly quickly. Welfare became Virtue with very little difficulty. (31/01/99)

• Romeo and Juliet? - Israel and Turkey, 2 adolescent countries whose parents don't want them to see each other after 8:00pm continue their illicit relationship despite the complaints of their elders.Former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani expressed his concerns, which reflect those of much of the Islamic world, at Turkey's military and economic co-operation with Israel. Hikmet Cetin, the Speaker of the Turkish National Assembly, met with Mr. Rafsanjani last week in Iran. Mr. Cetin stressed Turkey's wish to co-operate with regional powers etc. etc... (31/01/99)

• Mumcu mourned - The biggest news in Ankara over the weekend was the demonstration by thousands of protestors in honor of investigative journalist Ugur Mumcu, killed 6 years ago while investigating links between government and organised crime. A suspect, Abdullah Argun Cetin, was indicted last month and is believed to have had close links with state directed death squads operating at the time of Mumcu's death. The protests were mirrored in other cities within Turkey. The Mumcu case is widely perceived as a test of the security forces committment to reform. A result is impatiently awaited. 25/01/99

• Still no sign of Apo - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit reminded the international community that harboring Abdullah Ocalan will be interpreted as an 'openly hostile act' by Turkey. Mr. Ecevit was speaking on Friday after Moscow stated that Apo was not in Russia. The whereabouts of the PKK leader are still unknown. 25/01/99

• Patriots delivered - Wednesday saw the delivery and installation of the Patriot missile battery that Turkey had requested from the US a couple of weeks ago. The battery was installed at the Incirlik Air Base, home to the US and British planes patrolling the no-fly zones. 25/01/99

• 1 step forward, 2 steps back - Leaders of the two Cypriot communities both cancelled meetings scheduled with the British High Commission following comments to the effect that the current peace process was not as effective as it could be made by Cyprus envoy David Hannay. 25/01/99

• Apo continues Grand Tour - Nobody seems to know where he's gone or exactly when he left but Abdullah Ocalan is no longer in Italy (probably). The most heavily suggested destination is Russia but this had been denied by people who ought to know. A spokesman for the Italian Government said: "He's already left. He should have even arrived." but refused to speculate on Apo's ultimate destination. It had become apparent that asylum was not going to be offered by the Italian government and that progress towards an 'international' trial had halted. I will be interested to see where he turns up next, no doubt the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also curious. 17/01/99

• Take that! - It is reported that Tansu Ciller's husband, a background figure for some time, will stand for election as a deputy. But wait, there's more. He's chosen to do so in the constituency of Yalim Erez, the man who almost kept Ciller out of the coalition. Ow, that smarts. 17/01/99

• Patriot Games - In an unsettling move, Turkey has asked the Clinton Administration for a Patriot Missile battery to complement their defences against possible Iraqui attack. The request has been aproved in principal but is yet to be actioned. The Patriot system is an anti-missile missile and would provide protection against long range missile attack. Opinions differ as to whether or not the Iraquis still have long range SCUD missiles at their disposal. The request seems strange in the light of Prime Minister (almost) Ecevit's recent outspoken criticism of US and British policy against Iraq. 17/01/99

• Clashes continue - Turkish troops have been involved in fighting with PKK guerillas in the country's troubled South East. Several PKK rebels were killed during a rocket attack on an oil refinery near Batman while others were involved in a firefight near the Syrian border. 17/01/99

• Silly story about Coffee - A group protesting against the marginalistaion of Turkish Coffee in restaurants and cafes in Ankara and Istanbul has made an appearance this week. Coffee, generally accepted as Turkish in origin, is now shunned in favour of Cappacino and Expresso. Anybody who has traveled at all in Turkey will probably find this concern a little overstated. It is surprisingly difficuly to get any kind of coffee apart from Turkish once you get outside of major towns and cities. HiTiT Turkey advises travelers to take their own jar of instant with them. 17/01/99

• Kocatepe - Ankara's largest and most central Mosque was the location for a protest, nominally about bans on the wearing of the headscarf by female students and employees. Clerics addressed a crowd of 100's who chanted and sang until broken up by riot police. The issue of headscarves is a convenient focus for the much more important issues of the influence of Islam in this aggresively secular country whose population is 99% Muslim. 17/01/99

• Not unrelated - The biggest single political party in Turkish Politics is Virtue, once known as Welfare,and the party representing Islam in politics. The survival of this party is always hanging in the balance. It is accepted that if they become to outspoken or influential the military will step in and remove the threat to the secularism that has formed the backbone of Turkish domestic policy since the formation of the Republic 75 years ago. The question remains though, why is this party, who are unlikely to be allowed to exercise power, still so popular?
  Secular parties on the campaign trail use buses, leaflets and loudspeakers. Virtue uses soup, bread, medicine and coal. In Ankara, for example, the Islamic administration, led by Mayor Melih Gokcek, have operated kitchens and clinics for the city's poor (of which there are more than many other parties would like to admit) for the last 4 years. The kitchens have operated throughout Ramadan and with 3 months before the elections and hungry people probably wont forget when it comes to casting their votes. 17/01/99

• Back after 20 years - Bulent Ecevit settled in for his 3 months running things on Monday. The political wranglings of the last 10 weeks or so have left Turkey with a caretaker coalition run by the same old faces. The Military have made their point and Mr. Ecevit has made it very clear that he feels his primary concerns are keeping to the secular faith :-) and economical damage limitation. Mr Ecevit last held the post of Prime Minister 20 years ago and is best remembered for presiding over the invasion of Northern Cyprus in 1974. The April elections are anticipated to be a wrangle between the Islamacists, the largest party in parliamanet and the various secularist factions. Last time the Islamacists won but the military intervened and effectively removed them from power. 13/1/99

• Early stance on US - Mr. Ecevit has already voiced concerns over the use of air strips in the South East of Turkey by US and British pilots. While Turkey accepts the use of Incirlik air base for patrolling the No-Fly zone, an extension of Operation 'Provide Comfort', it does not wish to see the base used for any other 'strikes' on Iraq. This is the strongest stance taken by a Turkish government on this issue. 13/1/99

• Immigrants seized - 82 illegal Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrants are to be expelled from Turkey following their detention on Tuesday. They were being hidden in Turkey prior to being smuggled into Greece and 3 arrests of individuals charged with organising the transfer were also made. It was planned to transport the immigrants on a private motor yacht from the Izmir for a fee of $2,500 a head. 13/01/99

• Erez out of the picture - It seems to be just a matter of details now, Mr. Ecevit will present his cabinet list on Monday. It might have been this week but there's still some wrangling going on. Mrs. Ciller denies that she is putting conditions on her support for the Ecevit coalition, specifically she denies putting pressure on Ecevit to exclude a secularist education minister. She did however state she she did not wish Islamacist ministers to be removed from the same minstry. They might have a interim government sorted out in time for thr elections in April. 9/1/99

• Army miffed - For the third time this week the mighty military have rattled sabres at politicians. The message is simple. The army will intervene in the government of the Republic if it feels that the secularism it supports is under threat. The main target of these comments is thought to be the Islamicist Virtue party, formed from the ashes of the Welfar party which was disbanded after military intervention a couple of years ago. Virtue is the largest single party in parliament but has not been directly involved in the attempts to form a coalition government.

• Virginity tests prohibited by law - A week ago Hasan Denizkurdu, Minister for Justice, signed a decree that aims to prevent the forced gynaecological examination of women and young girls to determine their virginity. This practise has been common in many parts of Turkey and the ban is likely to be very difficult to enforce. There have been many cases in recent years of young women committing suicide rather than undergo such tests. The tests are still permissible at the request of a judge. 9/1/99

• It's not over until... - Well, I seem to recall saying somewhere in the December News stories that Tansu Ciller was holding out. I guess she could only hang on for so long. Just as President Demirel's protege Erez was about to present his cabinet list for approval, prior to setting up a coalition government, the dynamic Ms. Ciller performed a handbrake turn and proposed a coalition of convenience to Bulent Ecevit. Ms. Ciller no doubt realised that an Erez led coalition would leave her and her party isolated. In a slightly less surprising move former Prime Minister Yilmaz, no doubt after wrestling with his conscience, found a place for himself on the bandwagon and it looks as if the tripartite bloc will swing it. The irony is that this could have happened a month ago, well that's one of the ironies anyway. One of the consequences of all this is, I guess, an increase in the gap between concepts of democracy in this country and the reality of the situation. The air of cynicism, political opportunism and alleged corruption that surrounds the principal players in this drama is tainting the concept of politics in Turkey to the detriment of all concerned. Poor old Mr. Erez is left out in the cold in a 'not so fast Mr. Bond' kind of way and we three have met again. 05/01/99

• "The country needs domestic stability more than ever" - General Atilla Ates' words on Tuesday attempt to bring a little order to the Turkish political scene. The army's constant goal of secularism is threatened by the imminent failure of Erez and Tansu Ciller's return to the scene. The military have never forgiven Ciller for making friends with the Islamicists when it suited her politically and will not be best pleased at the current turn of events. 5/1/99

• Empty vessels... - Bonn has said that it fully supports Turkey's candidacy for EU membership provided that democracy and human rights are fully respected within the country and that domestic problems are resolved. I guess on that basis one could fully support Angola's candidacy as well. Perhaps this is an attempt to patch things up after that nasty Ocalan incident. 5/1/99

• Completely unrelated story - The Governer of Diyabakir, a province operating under emergency conditions and a key strategic center in the South eastern conflict, banned a leftist newspaper 'Yeni Evrensel'. He declined to comment on the reason for the ban. 4/1/99

• Tax Panic - Prominent Turkish entertainers have been targeted by the Istanbul Finance Directorate. Sibel Can, Bulent Ersoy, Hande Ataizi and 50 other popular artistes are being questioned with regard to suspected under declaration of income. The public have already instigated boycotts of certain artists to demonstrate their disapproval. Several of the individuals involved have made a point, if not a living, out of representing themselves as model citizens. 4/1/99

• Bulent Ersoy - is still in intensive care after a traffic accident last week. The famous transexual entertainer received a serious injury to the groin when involved in the accident near Canakkale in Western Turkey. She had been travelling with her husband, Cem Adler, who was on his way to Germany to begin his military service. 4/1/99

• Sibel Can - One of Turkey's leading arabesque singers could be looking at a decade in prison if charges made against her and her husband are upheld. It is alleged that the prominent show biz couple contracted an underworld gang to intimidate and assault male model Can Kuzu. It is further alleged that Mr. Kuzu was targeted as a result of a blackmail attempt. Apparently he hade a video tape in his possession on which Sibel Can was recorded having sex with former Mr. Turkey Karahan Cantay. Maybe she didn't have time to pay her taxes. 4/1/99

• Apo threatens "Big War" - A fortnight after renouncing the armed struggle of the Kurds against the Turkish security forces PKK leader Apo has said that if a political solution isn't found then there will be a "Big War". Ocalan, also known as Apo, is currently living in Italy (see Decembers News) and made his statement in an interview with Med-TV, the Kurdish run satellite TV station. This pair of, apparently contradictory, statements from the man the the Turkish Government like to hold responsible for 37,000 deaths, doesn't come as much of surprise, to a cynical observer it looks like he's trying to manipulate public opinion and the opinion of his own followers without burning too many bridges (or boats). 1/1/99

• Boring Money News - Inflation last year wasn't quite as crazy as it was the year before. The TL started 1998 at 205,000 to the USD and started 1999 at 313,000. That represents a deflation against the dollar of about 35%. When I got to Turkey about 4 years ago 1 Million TL was about $30. Now its about $3. 1/1/99

• Mission Impossible - Yalim Erez, Turkey's Trade and Industry minister has reported that he hope to have formed a coalition government by the middle of next week. This would be a neat trick - nobody else has managed to come up with a formula for stability after the messy collapse of the Yilmaz government under corruption charges at the end of last year.1/1/99

• Missile Mess - The issue of where, if anywhere, the Greeks are going to put the S-300 air defense missile batteries that Santa left them for Christmas continues to provoke sabre-rattling around the Eastern Mediterranean. It looks like they won't end on Cyprus - something that is seen as a concession to Turkey's wishes (and threats of pre-emptive strikes). Whether or not they are installed on Crete is the new issue. Goodwill and Peace to all men. 1/1/99

• Drugs, what's the score? - A recent seizure of 49 kg of heroin brings the total quantity of drugs captured this year in Turkey to 10 tonnes. The latest shipment was found in a tanker which had entered the country from Iran. 5000 Turks and 300 foreigners have been detained on trafficking charges in the last 12 months and 15 people have been killed by security forces in drug related incidents. A lot more than 10 tonnes of drugs have come through Turkey this year. 31/12/98

• Radicals Held - Police in Istanbul are claiming to have prevented a series of New Year attacks by arresting members of the Great Islamic Eastern Raiders-Front (Oh yes indeed). Salih Mirzabeyoglu and three others were arrested after being apprehended in a series of police raids. They are said to have been heavily armed. 31/12/98

• Ugur's killer found? - Abdullah Argun Cetin had been charged as an accomplice in the slaying of Ugur Mumcu, the journalist assassinated 6 years ago while investigating links between the government and organised crime. If the identification of Mumcu's killers could be confirmed it might to something to restore confidence in the impartiality of the state, tarnished as a result of the Susurlik incident in which a police chief, state deputy and fugitive mobster were discovered in the same car (after it crashed). 31/12/98