Spread of 'green money' in Turkey unnerves Washington

[Dover]

Spread of 'green money' in Turkey unnerves Washington
Wednesday, March 30, 2005


At a time when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government is busy trying to get diplomacy efforts on track to mend worsening ties with Washington, the United States is increasingly concerned over what it sees as the uncontrolled spread of “green money” in Turkey.

United States policy-makers fear some of the funds circulating in the “Islamic market” in Turkey may spill over and be used to finance radical Islamic activity.

“Islamic business in Turkey … is expanding at a pace and in ways that we fear may go out of control,” said one State Department official. “We urge the Turkish authorities to take every possible measure to make sure green money does not fund radical Islamic activity in or outside of Turkey.”

The official said the “green money” in Turkey has, in recent years, boomed in a way that it is now extremely difficult to monitor its circulation. “It has spread to almost every corner of Turkish business, especially, as we have been able to spot it, through small and medium-scale businesses that have the potential to grow into big holding companies.”

Recently, Michael Rubin of the Middle East Quarterly, a think tank with close ties with the Bush administration, pointed to an economic boom in Kayseri, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul's hometown.. .cont'd

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=9415

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Middle East Quarterly
http://www.meforum.org/article/684
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Green Money, Islamist Politics in Turkey
by Michael Rubin

http://www.kerkuk-kurdistan.com/nivisarek.asp?ser=4&cep=2&nnimre=4488

[VegasWolf]

1. Simple, kiss more rattlesnakes and do the dance. n/t

[katsy]

2. Simple.

Accuse Turkey of harboring money of mass destruction, start a draft, throw $$$ at halliburton.

See how fast I learn?

[physioex]

3. LMAO....

Hilarious.