Turks have today demanded Pope Benedict XVI make amends over comments on Islam that enraged Muslims before visiting the predominantly Muslim country in November.

Officials inaugurated the first section of a 1,100-mile, US-backed pipeline today that will bring Caspian Sea oil to Western markets, a project seen as an economic and political boon for the troubled Caucasus region.

The Turkish parliament today approved proposals to scale down police powers and improve conditions of detainees before a crucial European Union summit that will decide whether to start membership negotiations with Turkey.

The Turkish Parliament today discussed proposals to scale down police powers and improve conditions of detainees in a debate before a crucial European Union summit that will decide whether to start membership negotiations with Turkey.

TURKEY’S parliament voted overwhelmingly yesterday to approve penal code reforms aimed at boosting Turkey’s chances of starting membership talks with the EU.

A Turkish court today adjourned until September the trial of 69 people suspected of involvement in suicide attacks last year in Istanbul blamed on al-Qaida.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, ahead of a visit to Turkey today, said the European Union would start membership talks with the country if it met requirements on human rights and democracy by the end of the year, a newspaper reported in Ankara.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who strongly backs Turkey’s aspiration to join the European Union, travels to Ankara tomorrow for talks on the EU, Cyprus, Iraq and the Middle East, officials said today.

America’s hopes of deploying troops along Turkey’s northern border with Iraq have been given a huge boost by the appointment of the charismatic leader of Turkey’s governing party as prime minister.

TURKEY’S ruling party leader Tayyip Erdogan was last night poised to take the reins as prime minister in a move Washington hopes will clear the way for deploying US troops in Turkey for a possible attack on Iraq.

US President George Bush warned European allies yesterday that NATO countries face threats from terrorism in this century as dangerous as those from German armies in the past.

Turkey’s president today designated Abdullah Gul, a leading moderate figure from a party with Islamic roots, as prime minister and asked him to form the country’s first majority government in more than a decade.

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has urged the leaders of the 15 EU countries to set a date for accession talks with Turkey at their Copenhagen summit in December, a Turkish official said.

TURKEY'S foreign minister one of the country's most popular politicians - resigned yesterday dealing a critical blow to ailing Premier Bulent Ecevit's chances of survival.

The political head of the Afghan opposition says his fighters can handle the Taliban on their own and do not need troops sent in from other countries.

Turkey was thrown into crisis today when the prime minister stormed out of a meeting after the president accused him of being "too passive" in the fight against corruption.