	Domestic Situation

		Politics

Justice and Development Party. Prime Minister Erdogan and the AKP appear to be securely in power and, with its parliamentarymajority, AKP has been able to pass its legislative program. Divisions within the AKP evident onMarch 1, 2003, when parliament rejected a government resolution to approve the deployment of U.S.forces to Turkey to open a northern front against Iraq, have faded. Erdogan rejects the Islamist label, preferring to callhimself and his party "conservative democrats." (4)
The priority that Erdogan and other party leaders give to beginning accession talks with the European Union (EU) aids the AKP's political repositioning. (5)
There have been other controversies about AKP's supposed "Islamist agenda." Officials plan to sign a new three-year stand-byagreement to cover the period 2005-2007. Terrorism

Kurdistan Workers Party. Radical Religious Terrorism. (39) Thepolice are focusing on the Kurds. (41) The Turkish parliament haspassed nine packages of reforms since October 2001-- five since the AKP took office -- to harmonize Turkish laws and Constitution with EUstandards. Iraq

		After the March 1, 2003 Vote

The Turkish parliament's refusal on March 1, 2003, to authorize the deployment of U.S. forces to Turkey for the purpose of opening a northern front against Iraq jolted the settled U.S. view ofTurkey as a malleable strategic partner. Many of Turkey's fears about an Iraq war were not realized. Bilateral military ties still have not recoveredfrom Sulaymaniyah. Turkish Peacekeepers

At the request of the United States, the Turkish government considered sending peacekeeping troops to Iraq. The motion conveyed several messages: it stressed that Turkeywould take "all necessary measures to clear out PKK-KADEK elements in Iraq and prevent Iraq'sbecoming an asylum for terrorists in the future;" it stated that "protection of Iraqi territorial integrityand its national unity and establishment of a new democratic Iraq ... carry vital importance forTurkey;" and it said that in addition to its security and stability missions, the Turkish army would"improve humanitarian aid and the economic structure." (85)

		The EU Factor

Turkey may be attempting to conform its foreign policies to those of major European Union members in order to get a date for accession talks. position." Other Issues in U.S.- Turkish Relations

		U.S. NATO is usingIncirlik to support the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Turkey allows the use of Turkish bases, ports, and airports to assist in the reconstruction of Iraq. And, as noted above, thousands of U.S. troops are rotating from Iraq via Incirlik. Turkey's role as a transit route for energy resources from Caucasus and Central Asia is being realized with construction of the long-awaited Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and of a gas pipelinefrom Azerbaijan to Turkey, with both pipelines scheduled for completion in 2005. Turkey is closely cooperating with the United States in the war on terrorism. intelligence agencies. Finally, Turkey is an example of a predominantly Muslim, democratic country at a time when U.S. policy is to encourage democratization in the Muslim world. Image in Turkey

Opposition to the war in Iraq and U.S. actions against Turkish soldiers at Sulaymaniyah helped to form an unfavorable image of the United States in Turkey.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) remain popular and have a firm hold on power in Turkey. The AKP is trying to recast itself from anIslamist-rooted party to a centrist "conservative democratic" party. Although some AKP actions fuelsecularist suspicions of a hidden Islamist agenda, the high priority that the party gives to attainingEuropean Union (EU) membership may mitigate fears about its intentions and support its centristambitions.
The government remains focused on the economy. With the aid of the International MonetaryFund (IMF), it has undertaken major macroeconomic reforms, achieved solid growth, and reducedinflation. The IMF has reviewed the government's economic performance positively and is expectedto approve a new three-year stand-by agreement for 2005-2007.
The government also has been challenged by terrorism and is dealing with both Kurdish terrorism, a radical religious terrorist threat with possible international links, and remnants of leftistterrorism.
In order to obtain a date to begin accession talks with the European Union (EU), the Turkish parliament has passed many reforms to harmonize Turkey's laws and Constitution with EUstandards. The EU is expected to scrutinize implementation of the reforms carefully before settinga date for accession talks. The situation on Cyprus is not expected to affect EU decision-making.
U.S.-Turkish relations were shaken on March 1, 2003, when the Turkish parliament rejected a resolution to allow the deployment of U.S. troops to Turkey to open a northern front against Iraq. Bilateral ties have been strained by other developments in Iraq. The Turkish parliament's October2003 decision to authorize the deployment of Turkish peacekeepers to Iraq helped to improve ties,even though the offer was not accepted. However, Turkey continues to be concerned about thesituation in Iraq and U.S. actions there, which fuel anti-Americanism.
Turkey remains important to the United States. Turkish air bases were used in the Afghan war and its airspace in the Iraq war. Its ports, airbases, and roads are used to resupply coalition forcesand for reconstruction efforts in Iraq. U.S. troops rotate to and from Iraq via Turkey. Turkey willbe an important transit route for pipelines carrying energy resources from the Caucasus and CentralAsia to the West, and the often sabotaged oil pipeline from Iraq to Turkey could be helpful to Iraq'srecovery. Turkish and U.S. intelligence agencies are cooperating closely in the war on terrorism. Turkish peacekeepers have served in many hot spots in support of U.S. policies, and commandedthe International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Finally, some U.S. officials andanalysts believe strongly that Turkey, as a predominantly Muslim, democratic country, could serveas an example to others.