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Despite heavy US pressure, the leader of Turkey’s ruling party fought shy of making a clear commitment on Turkish support for an American-led invasion of Iraq in Washington this week.

With the European Union deciding to wait two more years before deciding whether to start accession talks with Turkey, the EU Copenhagen summit seems to have been a setback for Turkey’s new government.

Conflicting statements coming out of Ankara concerning the US military’s possible use of Turkey’s airbases came as yet another episode in Washington’s efforts to increase pressure on Iraq to comply with UN weapons inspectors. On December 3rd, Turkey's Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said during a visit by US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz that Turkey would allow the bases' use – but only if the United Nations approved the use of force.

The newly elected Turkish government is in a race against time to meet criteria required by European leaders if Turkey is to be considered for permanent membership in the EU. Two issues are at stake that are certain to influence the course of Turkey’s accession: reforms and Cyprus.

Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer approved on November 18th Abdullah Gul as the country’s next prime minister and a list of cabinet ministers as the new government races to meet a fast fading window for a start to EU membership talks.

The conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP), which bounded to a decisive victory in Turkey’s general election on November 3rd, is determined to dispel claims that it has designs on overhauling the country’s secular regime. With the old cast of characters unable to pass the 10% threshold required to enter parliament, the AKP and its popular leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan are in position to prove they can govern, and do it under Turkey’s rigid secular framework.