Turkey's relations with Central Asian states are perhaps at the lowest point since the breakup of the Soviet Union. The diplomatic downturn has occurred during a domestic political transition, in which the charismatic Suleyman Demirel has been succeeded as president by the more reserved Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
In May, Turkey's president and seasoned statesman Suleyman Demirel turned his office over to a political newcomer, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, making him Turkey's tenth president.
The latest James Bond film, "The World Is Not Enough," depicted a fierce battle among oil executives, spies, and villains for control of a lucrative new pipeline linking Caspian oil to world markets. The Hollywood production is clearly a work of fiction.
