You may have heard a lot of news about how Turkey was set to start negotiations to enter to EU. While these events have grabbed the headlines, the story to report about Turkey has so much more depth and vitality to it than one political process. This is about the re-emergence of one of the old centres of global power.

In 1923, the great Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK established the modern and secular state of Turkey. He was determined, and has been successful, in establishing a nation populated primarily by Muslims but where religion and state are clearly seperated. This has enabled Turkey to develop modern institutions. It’s powerful military is constitutionally empowered to ensure that the secular nature of the state is not challenged.

Historically some of the Turkey’s institutions have not allways been democratic. Since 1980, however, Turkey has been moving increasingly towards a western democratic profile, the Rubicon was crossed in December.2005 when Turkey was deemed to have met the “ Copenhagen Criteria “, enabling the country to opentalks with the EU. This event in itself is confirmation that Turkey’s democracy significantly entrenched.

While there is much debate as to whether EU entry is good for Turkey and Europe, given that , at best entry is ten years away, it is the changes being wrought now that are important. In order for Turkey to entertain any thoughts of starting negotiations for entry it had to meet what are called “ Copenhagen Criteria “ . These are political requisites for starting negotiations . That these criteria have been met and Turkey began talks on 3 rd. October. 2005 should give investors even more confidence in this burgeoning economy.