Turkey Set for a Hot Summer

A rally in the Turkish city of Izmir brought out between 1 and 2 million protesters Sunday as the country prepared itself for this summer's elections. Protesters carried red and white Turkish flags and chanted slogans such as "No to Islamic law, no to military coups, a democratic Turkey" and "Turkey is secular and will remain secular," reported Reuters and the AP newswires.

As Turkey prepares for parliamentary elections, the first since 2002, there are fears among some Turks that the candidate from the Justice and Development Party could try to break down the degree of secularism in Turkish society.

April 27, the Turkish military's General Staff released a statement that said, "The Turkish armed forces maintain their sound determination to carry out their duties stemming from laws to protect the unchangeable character of the Republic of Turkey. Their loyalty to this determination is absolute."

Turkey's strategic location between mainland Europe and the Middle East has put it on the front lines of just about every political tension that has surfaced between "The West" and "Islam" since September 11, 2001.

Democrats Change Rules for Free Trade

In Washington, D.C. last week, the Democrats were able to secure new prerequisites for any foreign trade agreement to which the U.S. is a signatory. The party insisted on the right of all workers to organize, bargain collectively, not be used as forced or child labor and not to be discriminated against.

The Democrats, led by speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, also ensured that future trade agreements would allow for faster access to generic drugs, such as anti-retroviral AIDS drugs, for poor countries.

New York Times columnist and economist Paul Krugman wrote yesterday that the new criteria for trade deals probably won't help U.S. blue collar workers. Krugman said U.S. workers need free universal health care paid for by the richest Americans if they wish to see their quality of life increase.

What Krugman missed, however is the international victory that a leftist free trade agreement signifies for many workers around the world. Workers in the Third World will begin to gain rights and protections against foreign multinational exploitation and many of them will remember who made it possible: Americans and Congress.

China Launches Nigerian Satellite

The Chinese government continued its campaign of propelling Africa into the industrialized world economy by helping Nigeria launch its first satellite into space Sunday.

According to the state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua, the Chinese-constructed communications satellite was purchased by Nigeria for $311 million, which included fees for its launching.

The satellite is expected to broadcast telecommunication and internet services for subscribers in both Africa and Europe and has an expected life span of 15 years.

China has substantially increased its aid to Africa over the past five years in the hope of gaining political and economic influence in the region.

Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa and the eighth largest exporter of oil in the world. Nigeria, following a dictatorship and civil war in the 1990s, has used its military in peacekeeping missions across the African continent and may rise to become an African superpower in decades to come.