On my way back from Turkey to London I stopped off in Istanbul to carry out a quick recce for next month's NATO summit.

Some of the most powerful leaders in the world -- Bush, Blair, Chirac, Schroder...er....that Norwegian bloke Kjell Magne Bondevik -- will be there. My main aim was to get a sense of the security operation that's being planned. Needless to say, with up to 30,000 police and security officers on duty and snipers on every rooftop Istanbul is going to be a fortress -- especially since a group allegedly linked to al-Qaeda was arrested for plotting to blow up the summit.

The biggest unknown is how big the demonstrations by anarchists, left-wing groups and anti-globalization protestors will be -- and how the Turkish authorities will respond. Activists are planning to turn out to show their opposition to the summit. They can expect and swift and robust response from the security forces.

As is so often the case in this job, I'm trying to predict the unpredictable and plan for the unknown.

While working through the list of who'll be attending the summit, the winner of the Best Looking International Statesperson Contest became clear. Step forward Kristiina Ojuland, Estonian Foreign Minister, Euro-Diplo-Babe and founding member of the Kaberneeme Club for the promotion of country life. Meanwhile, the Great Face for Radio award goes to the Prime Minister Of The Slovak Republic and Swiss Toni lookalike, Mikuláš Dzurinda. You know, running Slovakia is like making love to a beautiful woman....