The Turkish Connection

By Janice Castro

Turkish President TURGUT OZAL is a close ally of President Bush, but some think he's taking on too grand a role. Ozal staunchly supported Bush during the gulf war, and has volunteered Turkey's help in forging closer U.S. ties with the fledgling Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union. Diplomatic sources say the White House passed the word in Washington that Turkey will be the conduit for assistance to those five republics. But the republics are unhappy with the arrangement. Tulegen Zhukeyev, a respected top Kazakhstan official, maintains that his fellow Central Asians welcome U.S. ties but are concerned that the U.S. has given Turkey virtual carte blanche as its regional surrogate.