Polls opened in Turkey today for parliamentary elections that were called early amid a growing rift over the role of Islam in society.

Turkish politicians today began voting to choose a new president in an election that has been marked by tensions between the Islamic-rooted government and defenders of Turkey’s secular ideals.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in remarks published today that economic sanctions against Iran would force it to review its nuclear programme and compel neighbouring Turkey to “change” its relations with the country.

Pope Benedict XVI has been greeted in Turkey with a lecture on how the Christian West scorns Islam. He left yesterday with Istanbul’s chief Islamic cleric speaking lyrically of better days ahead between the faiths.

Turkish security teams fanned out across the Turkish capital Ankara today before the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI on his first visit to a predominantly Muslim country, where he faces public anger over his remarks on violence and Islam.

Police in Turkey have detained a suspected Kurdish rebel believed to be plotting a new bomb attack.

Police in Turkey have foiled an alleged plot to attack premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan and have detained nine suspects, including military officers, newspapers reported today.

Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turkish gunman who shot Pope John Paul II, might have been released from prison by mistake and might return to his cell to serve at least 11 more months, a newspaper said today, quoting the country’s justice minister.

Turkey’s Justice Minister Cemil Cicek criticised EU officials today for pressuring Turkey to stop a freedom of expression case against renowned author Orhan Pamuk, but hinted that a court could drop the case.

Turkish authorities said today they had finished culling birds in a quarantined area where preliminary tests detected bird flu and urged people not to panic, saying that the disease had been contained, media reported.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Israel today for a visit seeking to mend relations with the Jewish state and join in a new wave of Middle East peace efforts.

Three crew members of a derailed express train that killed 37 people in Turkey have been charged.

The Turkish government was under fire today for ignoring warnings about a new express train that derailed in northwestern Turkey killing 36 people and injuring 81 in one of the country’s worst train disasters.

Railways investigators today began a massive inquiry into Turkey’s worst rail disaster.

A suicide bomb attack by two suspected Islamic militants on an Istanbul Masonic lodge which killed one person and wounded five others was not believed to be the work of al-Qaida, blamed for a series of suicide bombings in the city last year, authorities said.

The death toll in the weekend roof collapse at a Moscow water park could rise by up to 13, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said today as rescuers sifted through the wreckage.

Syria has handed over 22 people suspected of involvement in Turkey’s quadruple suicide bombings, authorities said.

Syria today handed over 22 people suspected of involvement in Turkey’s quadruple suicide bombings, authorities said.

More terrorist attacks may be “imminent” in the Turkish cities of Istanbul and Ankara, the Foreign Office warned today.

Public prosecutors today began their interrogation of 15 alleged accomplices of last week’s Istanbul suicide bombers, amid signs of progress in the investigation into a suspected Islamic terror cell.

Police took 18 alleged accomplices of the Istanbul suicide bombers to a state security court for questioning by prosecutors today.

Several suspected accomplices of the suicide bombers who struck in Istanbul last week were expected to be brought before a court to face charges today, a leading Turkish newspaper reported.

TURKISH officials investigated claims that the al-Qaida terrorist network was responsible for the truck bombings that devastated two Istanbul synagogues and killed 23 people, the prime minister said early yesterday.

THE gulf between the Anglo-American axis and hitherto close allies over the looming war in Iraq grew wider yesterday despite attempts to cool down the festering feud.

Turkish Premier Bulent Ecevit today said he would step down if his economy minister is forced out.