Editors' Foreword.

Choosing the two topics that are covered in each year's Journal is always a process debated at length. It is rare that a single country is chosen as the focus for an entire issue; until this year, only China and Mexico had been awarded this distinction. Yet, as we considered the most current topics in international affairs--from the strains that accompany development in a globalized economy to the rising influence of religion-based politics to the dramatic institutional accomplishments of the European Union--one country kept coming up: Turkey.

Since the founding of the Republic in 1923, Turkey has played a significant role on the world stage, a much larger role, indeed, than its size, population or economic strength would indicate. Turkey's geographic position--at the crossroad of Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East--makes it a pivotal state, one whose development and stability affect countries in several regions. This heightened importance is a mixed blessing; with it come the responsibility and the challenge of interacting with countries of with vastly different political, economic and cultural landscapes. This ideological and cultural melange, combined with the historical legacy of the Ottoman era, make Turkey a compelling and intriguing subject.

Little did we know when we chose Turkey as our topic in May 1999 that Turkey was on the verge of an extraordinarily tumultuous year. In August 1999, horrific earthquakes struck Turkey, taking innumerable lives and causing immense economic losses. Ironically, this devastation helped to bring about a nascent reconciliation between Turkey and Greece, as the two countries generously provided aid to one another after their respective natural disasters. Despite the damage to Turkey's economy in the wake of the earthquake, the EU finally accepted Turkey as a candidate for membership at the Helsinki Summit in December 1999. However, this good fortune did not carry through into the new year: in the spring of 2000, the gruesome Hizbullah murders were uncovered, as were that organization's links to state-sanctioned terrorism. But, on a more positive note, elections in May 2000 replaced longtime politico President Stileyman Demirel with Ahmet Necdet Sezer, the former president of the Constitutional Court, known for his liberal stance on ethnic and religious freedoms. Turkey changed even as we were soliciting and editing articles for the issue. A year ago it would have been premature and naive to state...