Since 1960, nineteen Standby arrangements have been signed. With these agreements, significant progress has been made in Turkish economy: inflation has fallen to the lowest level since 1986, the public debt-to-GNP ratio has been falling, and interest rates have declined rapidly. IMF’s immediate goals concern exchange rate stability and balance of payments, and evaluations of IMF programs tend to concentrate on these two objectives. Yet, whether or not the IMF programs have positive effects on these short-term goals, what ultimately matters is that they induce economic growth and do not concentrate on incomes.

Mr. Blix addressed the present challenges and opportunities on the way toward nuclear disarmament and peace in the world in general, in the Middle East in particular.

The AK Party's efforts to end the past's military intervention in politics, chauvinism of governments discriminating against Kurdish people, still makes the party the most reformist one in Turkish politics.