Turkey : Part Tres :)

[Exit40]

Netanyahu: Iran sanctions not working

During historic visit to Cyprus, PM says Iran 'most irresponsible force in the world'; signs search and rescue deal with President Christofias

Moran Azoulay
Published: 02.16.12, 16:41 / Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias signed a search and rescue agreement on Thursday.

According to the agreement, in the event of a disaster Israeli aircraft will be authorized to enter Cyprus' airspace, and vice versa. A similar agreement between the Jewish state and Turkey was revoked recently in light of heightened tensions between the countries. While in Nicosia, Netanyahu also addressed the Iranian nuclear threat, saying the sanctions imposed by the international community on the Islamic Republic "are not working."

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David

[Exit40]

Turkish Christians Subject to Discrimination, Attacks
Posted GMT 2-16-2012 23:41:32

ISTANBUL -- Despite some promising developments, Christians in Turkey continue to suffer attacks from private citizens, discrimination by lower-level government officials and vilification in both school textbooks and news media, according to a study by a Protestant group.

In its annual "Report on Human Rights Violations," released in January, the country's Association of Protestant Churches notes mixed indicators of improvement but states that there is a "root of intolerance" in Turkish society toward adherents of non-Islamic faiths.

"The removal of this root of intolerance is an urgent problem that still awaits to be dealt with," the report states. "There is still a lot of room for improvement," said Mine Yildirim, a member of the legal committee for the association. "These problems have not been solved in some time."....

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David

[Exit40]

FEBRUARY 18, 2012, 3:57 A.M. ET
Turkey Passes Spy Law
By AYLA ALBAYRAK

ISTANBUL--Turkey's government on Friday passed emergency legislation blocking senior Turkish intelligence officials from being called to testify in a criminal court, signaling the ruling party's victory in the latest battle of a behind-the-scenes power struggle that last week reached the doorstep of Prime Minister.

The bill, which passed by a wide margin in the early hours of Friday morning marked the latest move in what appeared to be a tussle between the country's two security forces, the police and the national intelligence agency, the MIT. The new law marks the latest accumulation of political power in the hands of Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, enabling him to block prosecutors' summons for intelligence officials or other public servants he has appointed for "specific duties." .....

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David

[Exit40]

PKK presence in Syria grows to fill power vacuum
18 Şubat, 2012 | 12:19
The presence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has dramatically increased in Syria’s restive northern provinces as the group looks to build ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and capitalize on the chaos that has gripped Syria for nearly a year.

Local sources indicated to Today’s Zaman on Thursday that a 150-person PKK camp has been established in the Ra’s al-’Ayn district of Syria, a border province that sits across the border from the southeastern Turkish province of Sanliurfa.

Reports from the northern district of Afrin, which includes the second-most populous Syrian city, Aleppo, suggested on Thursday that the PKK had begun to set up roadblocks and monitor traffic along rural roads in the province.

The reports come amid predictions in recent months that an alliance between the embattled Syrian president and the terrorist group would form in response to Turkey’s growing support for Syria’s anti-regime movement. In a Today’s Zaman column last week, Ali Othman of the Turkish-Kurdish Studies Center in Iraq predicted that the PKK was working to “repair its old alliance with the Syrian regime” given the group’s fear of growing Turkish influence among Syria’s political opposition and worries over a possible Turkish intervention in Syria....

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David

[Exit40]

19 February 2012, Sunday
EKREM DUMANLI e.dumanli@todayszaman.com
Society, not community!
Considering that the issue of “the Community” has been discussed extensively, I would like to make a humble contribution to this matter. Most of the arguments raised on this matter have been wrong or unfair.

Those who raise these arguments have little knowledge of the cultural atmosphere and the emotions of the members of this society. In this case, even people familiar with the issue may be tempted by these false interpretations.

It is unfair to call the people who are dedicated to a society inspired by Fethullah Gülen and who extend material or spiritual support to this society as members of a community. Such a description restricts the scope of this society and also ignores the unity of hearts existent in all layers of the society. It is wrong to label these people as a community. They should be considered part of a society. If I am not mistaken, it was Hadi Uluengin from the Hürriyet daily who first used the notion of a society. It was a proper approach. Let me present some of the features of a society and why this type of description should be used for the “Hizmet” society.....

11 point explanation

**** Any thoughts on this ? D.

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

02-18-2012
U.S. - Turkey United On Syria

Since March 2011, the regime of President Bashar al-Assad has killed well over 5,000 people.

The on-going violence in Syria and how best to end it were primary topics of discussion between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. “It is deplorable,” said Secretary Clinton, “that the [Syrian] regime has escalated violence in cities across the country, including using artillery and tank fire against innocent civilians. We stand with the Syrian people and we are looking for a peaceful resolution.” Since March 2011, the regime of President Bashar al-Assad has killed well over 5,000 people.

The United States and Turkey continue to call on the Assad regime to heed the Arab League’s latest efforts to end the killing immediately, withdraw military forces from residential areas, allow in monitors and journalists, release political prisoners, and begin a genuine, sincere democratic transition that starts with a serious dialogue with the opposition....

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David

[Exit40]

Iran's FM says will hold nuclear talks in Turkey

TEHRAN - The Associated Press

Iran's foreign minister says the next round of talks between Iran and six world powers on the country's nuclear program will be held in Istanbul, Turkey.

Ali Akbar Salehi made the comments during a press conference in Tehran Sunday. He didn't give any timing for the talks....

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David

[Exit40]

FM: UNSC’s disagreement over Syria causing civilian deaths
20 February 2012 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, ANKARA

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has said the United Nations Security Council’s failure to adopt a daft resolution on Syria, which called on President Bashar al-Assad to relinquish power, has encouraged the Syrian regime to engage in an even more brutal crackdown against its own people.

“The failure of the Security Council [to adopt the resolution] has caused more civilian deaths in Syria. Since the Assad regime interpreted the disagreement [on the Security Council] as signaling that the UN would not take action against them, Assad has launched more brutal crackdowns on protesters,” Davutoğlu said on Sunday in Los Cabos, Mexico, where he attended a G-20 foreign ministers summit.

Davutoğlu criticized the Security Council for failing to reach a consensus and said that even though five permanent members of the council discuss and decide a country’s future, those who end up paying the price for their decisions are not just the countries themselves, but also their neighbors and the region.

Underlining the inadequacy of the Security Council in producing a solution to this issue, Davutoğlu said: “If the UN does not work as a platform to solve this issue, then a new international initiative should be launched.....

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David

[Exit40]

Chinese leader visits Turkey, talks are expected to focus on violence in Syria
By Associated Press, Published: February 20 | Updated: Tuesday, February 21, 1:59 AM

ANKARA, Turkey — Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping was in Turkey on Tuesday, where he was sure to hear from Turkish leaders about their growing concerns over the raging violence in neighboring Syria.

Turkey’s government says the world cannot remain silent in the face of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on dissent. But China, along with Russia, has vetoed two Security Council resolutions backing Arab League plans aimed at ending the conflict and condemning Assad’s crackdown on protests that killed 5,400 in 2011 alone, according to the U.N.

China on Saturday said it supports the League’s proposals. The seemingly contradictory stance appears to reflect Beijing’s desire for mediation while remaining averse to U.N. involvement that could lead to the authorization of force, as happened with Libya.....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkish FM proposes new initiative in G-20 meeting
12:06, 21 February 2012 Tuesday

After the meeting of G20, Davutoglu assessed his talks in Los Cabos, saying that G20 was an organization that would assume important roles in this critical period.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Monday that he proposed a new initiative which would bring together the least developed and the developed countries for global peace and security in the informal meeting of foreign ministers of G20 countries held in Los Cabos city of Mexico.

After the meeting of G20, Davutoglu assessed his talks in Los Cabos, saying that G20 was an organization that would assume important roles in this critical period.

Davutoglu said he proposed in the meeting that a gathering between the most developed 20 economies, G20 and the least developed 47 economies of the world be held.

"We have made a new initiative on bringing together these two mechanisms. I offered that a new mechanism should be formed to get rid of inequalities between the developed and the least developed countries. It was approved in the meeting. We hope that such a mechanism will be formed in the coming period," he said.....

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David

[Exit40]

12:17, 21 February 2012 Tuesday
School manager dismissed over "bad boys extinction" remarks
Education Ministry also has launched an investigation into the school director.

The Education Ministry has dismissed the manager of a school in Erzurum province who said a genetic map should be created and children that have a tendency to commit crimes should be put to death before they start to walk during a conference in Erzurum on Monday.

Education Ministry also has launched an investigation into the school director.

Dumlupınar Primary School Manager Mustafa Aydın said a genetic map should be prepared from blood samples, collected from criminals in police stations, to determine which children have tendency to commit crime after they are born, and the children who have this tendency should be put into death before they start to walk.

Unbelievable

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

MIDEAST DEBT-Turkey to overcome secular qualms with Islamic bond
Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:00am EST

* Sovereign sukuk in 2012 could raise several billion dollars
* Would pave way for corporate issues, set benchmark
* Could be used to fund large projects
* Turkish non-financial firms keen to tap market

By Seda Sezer and Nevzat Devranoglu

ISTANBUL, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Turkey's government plans its first-ever issue of Islamic bonds this year, overcoming sensitivities about Islamic finance in the secular republic as it seeks to tap a rich pool of investors flush with oil money.

A sovereign sukuk issue from an economy regarded as one of the most progressive and successful in the Muslim world would signal intent on Turkey's part to play a bigger role in Islamic finance. The size of the global sukuk market is estimated at more than $100 billion.

"It will be like ringing a bell and attracting all the attention," said Murat Cetinkaya, deputy chief executive for treasury at Kuveyt Turk, an Islamic bank that has been a trend-setter for corporate sukuk issues in Turkey.

"Other issuances will follow the sovereign and Turkey will be on the agenda in this market constantly...as a frequent issuer."...

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey reaches out to its minorities in another step for writing new constitution
Thomas Seibert , Feb 22, 2012

ISTANBUL // Leaders of Turkey's small Christian community have hailed as historic a meeting with Turkish lawmakers to discuss the country's new constitution, but the visit also highlighted the challenge of securing rights of minorities in this mostly Muslim nation.

"A new Turkey is being born," said Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and spiritual leader of the world's estimated 300 million Orthodox Christians, after addressing a parliamentary panel in Ankara on Monday. "For the first time in the era of the republic, a formal invitation like this has been extended to the minorities," the patriarch said, according his spokesman, Father Dositheos.

The parliamentary panel, known as the Committee for Constitutional Agreement, is gathering views from all sectors of Turkish society in preparation for writing a new constitution, which is due for completion by the end of the year. The current constitution was written under military rule in 1982....

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David

[Exit40]

Iran's talks with G5+1 may not be held in Turkey: FM
(Xinhua)
08:26, February 22, 2012

TEHRAN, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said on Tuesday that the next round of nuclear talks between the Islamic Republic and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (G5+1) may not be held in Turkey, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.

"We said earlier that Turkey had expressed its readiness to hold the talks. Other countries may express their readiness as well," Salehi made the remarks at a press conference he held jointly with his Omani counterpart Yusuf Bin Alawi in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

The venue of the talks will be decided after the dialogue between Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, he said, expressing hope that the venue would be finalized by the next Saturday or Sunday.....

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David

[Exit40]

New report urges West to learn from Turkey in dealing with Iran
23 February 2012 / TODAYSZAMAN.COM,

The West may corner itself in a perilous war if it does not present a realistic offer to diplomatically resolve a dispute with Iran over the country's nuclear program, and Turkey's experience in engaging Tehran could offer useful lessons in such an undertaking, according to a new report from the International Crisis Group (ICG).

The report, titled “In Heavy Waters Iran's Nuclear Program, the Risk of War and Lessons from Turkey,” says while it is widely acknowledged in the West that war could have devastating consequences, the current policy of the Western countries that consists of introducing tougher sanctions may indeed pave the way for a military confrontation. That policy, according to the report, “has almost no chance” of convincing Iran to take a step back. “Far from a substitute to war, it could end up being a conduit to it. As 2012 begins, prospects of a military confrontation, although still unlikely, appear higher than ever,” the report, made public on Thursday, says.

Iran said at the weekend that talks with the group of P5+1, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, over its nuclear program will be held in İstanbul, although when the talks will take place remains unclear....

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David

[Exit40]

Thursday,February 23 2012, Your time is 7:56:58 AM
F-type non-Turkish diplomats

Over the course of the past year I had several opportunities to go to Brussels for different occasions. Each time I made sure to make a stopover in NATO headquarters to speak with Alliance officials.

In one such visit I was walking in NATO corridors accompanied by a member of the Turkish delegation. As the Turkish diplomat kept greeting his colleagues with “hi” and “bonjour,” at one stage he said “hello” in Turkish. They were from the Albanian delegation. “When did the Albanians start speaking Turkish?” I asked. “They are the F-type” was the reply I got.

It took me a few seconds to understand they were graduates of Fethullah Gülen schools. “Look at how time passes quickly,” I told myself.

**** two snips ****

Yet you won’t hear those graduates of Gülen schools saying they are from Gülen schools, because technically there are no Gülen schools. But we know they exist....

As citizens we can hold the elected government accountable. But we are powerless against a shadowy organization that apparently is asking for a share in ruling the country.....

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David

[Exit40]

Israel's Balkan Strategy
Posted: 02/22/2012 4:08 pm

Amid the ocean of reports full of both misinformation and disinformation regarding Israel's likely plans concerning Iran's nuclear project, not enough attention is being paid to what is already happening, as opposed to what may or may not happen.

I'm referring to the interesting and seemingly successful Israeli strategy of getting close to countries surrounding Turkey. The latest was the visit of PM Netanyahu in Cyprus and the unprecedented agreement signed between the two countries which would allow Israeli troops, both naval and aerial, to be stationed in the small island nation in times of emergency.

PM Netanyahu is a right-wing Israeli leader, the lightening rod of many left-wingers all over the world. His host was President Demetris Christofias, a member of the AKEL party, the communist party of Cyprus, the only communist leader of any member nation of the EU. What seemed to be political science fiction just some time ago became a reality, and this is just one example of the shifting sands of Mediterranean and South European politics.....

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David

[Exit40]

Gulf Arab states, Turkey demand tough Syria action
24 February 2012, Friday / TODAYSZAMAN.COM WITH WIRES,

Powerful Gulf Arab countries and Turkey pushed on Friday for more forceful intervention against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the United States warned he would have "even more blood on his hands" if he blocked aid to stricken civilian areas. Speaking at a meeting of Western and Arab nations which sought to escalate pressure on Assad over his crackdown on 11 months of protests, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Feisal said he supported arming the rebels.

**** Two snips ****

In a political blow to Assad, the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas turned publically against their long-time ally on Friday. "I salute the heroic people of Syria who are striving for freedom democracy and reform," Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said......

Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said an Arab force should be created to impose peace and open humanitarian corridors in Syria.....

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David

[Exit40]

Tens of thousands of Turks rally to mark anniversary of brutal attack in Karabakh war
By Associated Press, Updated: Sunday, February 26, 6:39 AM

ANKARA, Turkey — Tens of thousands of Turks, vawing Azeri flags, rallied Sunday to mark the anniversary of a notorious attack that Azerbaijanis say killed hundreds of people during the 6-year war with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan.

Turkey’s Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin made an impassioned nationalist speech at the rally in Istanbul, estimated at between 20,000 and 50,000 participants, which underlined the deep tensions with neighboring Armenia, even though fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh ended in 1994.

Ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia drove Azerbaijani troops out of Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990s during the war that killed some 30,000 people and sent 1 million fleeing from their homes. A cease-fire was reached in 1994, but the final status of the enclave, whose self-proclaimed sovereignty is not recognized internationally, is unresolved. The dispute continues to damage both nations’ economies and the threat of renewed war hangs over the region.....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey Goes Retro With Blockbuster Ottoman Film
By Dorian Jones
February 26, 2012

ISTANBUL -- After the formation of the Turkish secular state on the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, reference to the country's imperial era was generally frowned upon. But the days of Turkey ignoring its past are history.

Turkey is no longer hesitant to put its former glory on display both at home and in its old imperial stomping grounds, where "neo-Ottomanism" is being employed as a foreign-policy tool. As one filmmaker puts it, the time has come to tell Turkey's story to the world. And based on the record crowds who flocked this week to see his new film about the conquest of Constantinople, it's a story people are eager to hear.

Faruk Aksoy's lavishly produced "Conquest 1453" relies on a heavy dose of violence, sex, and symbolism to remind viewers how Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II conquered the heart of the Byzantine Empire and renamed it Istanbul....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey 'turning a blind eye' to sanctions-busting arms trade

by: Richard Beeston and Charles Bremner
From: The Times
February 28, 2012 12:00AM

SYRIA is using Turkey as a route to bypass sanctions and obtain material and equipment for its weapons industry, intelligence sources say. While the European Union is today set to tighten sanctions on the government of President Bashar al-Assad, weapons materials from Iran, China and elsewhere may be getting in through Turkey, in spite of Ankara's tough public stance against Damascus.

"We don't think that the Turkish government is openly encouraging the trade but some officials know about it," one Middle Eastern intelligence source said. "Let's say they are turning a blind eye." Three Turkish companies are selling equipment to a Syrian government research institute that makes vehicle armour and ammunition for the police and the army, the source alleged.

At the heart of the operation is the Scientific Studies and Research Centre, in Syria, currently subject to US and EU sanctions.....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey marks 60th anniversary in NATO, Macedonia on glide path
27/02/2012

As Turkey marks a NATO membership milestone, there are encouraging signs for Macedonia and Montenegro.

Since Turkey joined NATO on February 18th 1952, the organisation has remained the lynchpin of the nation’s security policy, protecting the country from internal and external threats while constituting the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic integration and co-operation.

Although the relationship was not without hiccups -- most notably over Cyprus -- it nonetheless fostered peace and stability. In the post-Cold War world, the role of NATO and Turkey's position within it has changed, as both parties have had to adapt to new security challenges and keep the Alliance relevant and efficient.

In addition to traditional security threats, uncertainty and non-traditional threats -- including terrorism, organised crime, drug-trafficking, weapons proliferation, migration and piracy -- have changed the security environment and the nature of the Alliance....

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David

[burien1]

Turkey 'turning a blind eye' to sanctions-busting arms trade

by: Richard Beeston and Charles Bremner
From: The Times
February 28, 2012 12:00AM

SYRIA is using Turkey as a route to bypass sanctions and obtain material and equipment for its weapons industry, intelligence sources say. While the European Union is today set to tighten sanctions on the government of President Bashar al-Assad, weapons materials from Iran, China and elsewhere may be getting in through Turkey, in spite of Ankara's tough public stance against Damascus.

"We don't think that the Turkish government is openly encouraging the trade but some officials know about it," one Middle Eastern intelligence source said. "Let's say they are turning a blind eye." Three Turkish companies are selling equipment to a Syrian government research institute that makes vehicle armour and ammunition for the police and the army, the source alleged.

At the heart of the operation is the Scientific Studies and Research Centre, in Syria, currently subject to US and EU sanctions.....

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David

Why am I not surprised ?

[Exit40]

Mohammed bin Zayed holds talks with Turkey PM
By WAM
Published Wednesday, February 29, 2012

General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday. They held talks over mechanisms to enhance relations of cooperation in light of unflinching support extended by leaders of the two friendly countries. General Mohammed and his Turkish host exchanged views on the latest developments in the region with an eye on current events in Syria and issues of mutual concern.

General Mohammed said: "The UAE-Turkey relations were built on solid foundations of mutual interests and respect, underlining the sincere desire of the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to deepening these bonds and pushing them forward for maintaining security and stability in the region'.

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David

[Exit40]

Wikileaks: Turkey planned to ‘burn bridges’ with Israel even before flotilla
Latest leaked Stratfor email has Erdogan telling Kissinger of ambition to lead the Arab world
By Aaron Kalman February 29, 2012, 3:34 pm

Turkey planned on downgrading relations with Israel even before the May 2010 flotilla incident, documents published Wednesday by WikiLeaks suggest.

A leaked email from George Friedman, the head of US-based global security analysis company Stratfor, reveals that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger that at some point he would burn bridges with Israel in favor of a closer relationship with the Islamic world.

According to the Turkish newspaper Sunday Zaman, Friedman also wrote in the same email that Turkey does not get along with Israel and the United States. An attack by Israel on Iran would provide a good opportunity for Erdogan to finally cut Turkey’s ties with Israel and the US and to expand Turkey’s power, he further wrote....

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Hey Brenda. No surprise here either.

God Bless

David

[burien1]

Wikileaks: Turkey planned to ‘burn bridges’ with Israel even before flotilla
Latest leaked Stratfor email has Erdogan telling Kissinger of ambition to lead the Arab world
By Aaron Kalman February 29, 2012, 3:34 pm

Turkey planned on downgrading relations with Israel even before the May 2010 flotilla incident, documents published Wednesday by WikiLeaks suggest.

A leaked email from George Friedman, the head of US-based global security analysis company Stratfor, reveals that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger that at some point he would burn bridges with Israel in favor of a closer relationship with the Islamic world.

According to the Turkish newspaper Sunday Zaman, Friedman also wrote in the same email that Turkey does not get along with Israel and the United States. An attack by Israel on Iran would provide a good opportunity for Erdogan to finally cut Turkey’s ties with Israel and the US and to expand Turkey’s power, he further wrote....

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Hey Brenda. No surprise here either.

God Bless

David

Thanks David, for all the work you do here. God bless you !

[Exit40]

Thanks David, for all the work you do here. God bless you !

God Bless You too !! Thanks for the kind words. I'm just trying to hold up my end of the log, watching from the Eastern wall.

David

[Exit40]

March 01, 2012
Bomb Explodes Near Turkey's Ruling Party Offices

Forensic police cover a damaged police vehicle after a bomb went off near the country's ruling party offices in Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, March 1, 2012.

Turkish officials say a remote controlled bomb exploded near the offices of the country's ruling party in Istanbul Thursday, injuring at least 16 people, mostly police officers.

Police chief Huseyin Capkin said explosives mounted on a stationary motorcycle were detonated when a bus carrying 21 police officers drove by early Thursday.....

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David

[Exit40]

Published 18:36 01.03.12
Latest update 18:36 01.03.12

Report: Turkey's Erdogan to visit Iran following nuclear summit
Today's Zaman says Turkish PM to meet Iranian President Ahmadinejad in Tehran, one week after 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, due to take place late March.

Turkish Prime Minister will visit Iran next month to discuss the results of preceding nuclear security summit in South Korea, the Turkish daily Today's Zaman reported on Thursday.

According to the report, the Turkish PM ins scheduled to meet Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran in the week following 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, due to take place on March 26-27.

News of Erdogan's planned visit came amid a continued standoff between Iran and the West over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, on which Israeli asserts is geared toward the production of nuclear weapons....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey: Russia, Iran must yield to Syria peace efforts
By Stabroek staff | 0 Comments | World News | Friday, March 2, 2012

ISTANBUL, (Reuters) – Turkish President Abdullah Gul said yesterday Russia and Iran would soon realise they had little choice but to join international diplomatic efforts for the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

He acknowledged, however, the divisions in the Syrian opposition and its lack of preparedness to take power, saying it must create a structure that embraces all segments of society.

“This transformation will no doubt take time.”

**** Snip ****

Gul said Ankara was talking to Iran, a close ally of Assad, in an effort to persuade it to accept the inevitable and back diplomatic action against Assad.

“Even Iran doesn’t have the power to make water run uphill … And if the worse scenario were to come true, it is not possible that Iran could not feel any responsibility for that. It will be responsible.”...

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David

[Exit40]

Published 22:49 01.03.12
Latest update 22:49 01.03.12
With France out of the way, Turkey can deal with Iran's nuclear program
Israel, Turkey can take a lesson from the way Paris and Ankara returned to normal after a French attempt to make the denial of the Armenian genocide illegal threatened the longtime relationship.
By Zvi Bar'el

After the storm of the "Armenian genocide bill" rattled Turkish-French ties to the point of crisis, both nations could breathe a sigh of relief on Wednesday. France's Constitutional Council struck down the bill, saying that it was ran counter to the country's constitution, to 1789's the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and 1879's Act of the Freedom of the Press. The Constitutional Council did so, in the words of the eminent pundit Mehmet Ali Birand, to prove that "France is France," and mainly to take France off the tree Turkey placed it on.

The aforementioned bill aimed to sentence anyone who denied the Armenian genocide to up to one year in prison, along with a fine of 45,000 Euros. When it was passed both in the House of Representatives and the Senate, Turkey saw red. It sanctioned French warships and jets that wished to use its ports and airports, chilled its diplomatic relations with France, and it seemed that the two countries were headed on a full-on collision course.....

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David

[Exit40]

Published 14:48 03.03.12 Latest update 14:48 03.03.12
Amid fresh violence in Syria, Turkey calls on Iran to cut support for Assad regime
47 Syrian soldiers who tried to defect in the city of Idlib were executed by Syrian security forces.
By Zvi Bar'el

As the number of deaths in Syria continues to grow, the international community can't formulate a practical decision on military intervention, the establishment of security zones for civilians fleeing from violence, or even the dispatching of secure humanitarian aid.

On Saturday, it was reported that 47 Syrian soldiers who tried to defect in the city of Idlib were executed by Syrian security forces. According to reports from opposition activists, civilians are being executed and kidnapped constantly and the Red Cross can't reach the Baba Amr neighborhood in Homs to assist the wounded. In some places, there is no water and there is a severe shortage of basic food items, and civilians are not able to escape areas under attack due to the massive presence of Syrian forces.

Turkey, which could serve as an effective conduit of arms to the rebels, is preventing arms transfers until a decision is made by the UN, and is trying to convince Russia and Iran to change their position. Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Friday that ultimately Iran and Russia will realize they have no choice but to join international efforts against the Assad regime....

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David

[Exit40]

'Turkey conference will not produce military measures against Syria’

While the first “Friends of Syria” meeting in Tunisia was deemed disappointing by some participants, who had anticipated substantial military measures would be decided at the end of it, a prospective second meeting to take place in İstanbul will also be unable to come up with military measures, political observers have claimed.

At the end of the Friends of Syria group meeting on Feb. 24 in Tunisia, where 70 countries convened, including the United States, Turkey, the EU and those from the Arab League, Turkey was chosen to host a second meeting. A third meeting will be held in France, the countries also decided.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a Turkish diplomat told Sunday’s Zaman last week that Turkey, as a reliable actor initiating and backing measures to end the bloodshed in its southern neighbor, does not necessarily see international conferences discussing the Syrian issue as a platform to discuss military measures. “Rather, Turkey perceives such conferences as alternative platforms to keep international awareness of the Syrian crisis alive as the UN Security Council has failed to take action due to a lack of consensus,” the diplomat claimed. On Feb. 4, Russia and China, backers of the Syrian regime, wielded a veto over a UN Security Council resolution calling on President Bashar al-Assad to step down, drawing the ire of the international community.....

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David

[Exit40]

‘Muslim Facebook’ to be launched in İstanbul in Ramadan
4 March 2012 / MEHMET SOLMAZ , İSTANBUL

Described as a “Halal Facebook,” the new social networking phenomenon, Salamworld, set to hit the Muslim world during the fasting month of Ramadan, will create an Internet platform for Muslims of all ages. The headquarters of the company are located in İstanbul.

There are currently 800 million Facebook users around the world, 300 million of whom are Muslim. This number is expected to increase by 100 percent in 10 years’ time. Speaking to Sunday’s Zaman in an inclusive interview, the chairman of Salamworld, Abdulvahit Niyazov, said that the platform has been developed with the aim of providing a more “halal” (Islamically permissible) website for Muslims to interact with each other online.

Niyazov said İstanbul is seen as an ideal location due to its unique position between the Eastern and Western worlds and that Turkey is economically stable, thus attracting many businessmen from all around the world. He added that Turkey is seen as a leading Muslim country among Islamic countries. Niyazov says this project is solely a business project that intends to serve needs of Muslims in the modern world and it is not supported by any political movements or countries. He added that he has always shown great respect to the works of Turkish scholars around the world, including well-respected figures Fethullah Gülen and former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan.....

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Turkey uneasy with mushrooming Iranian firms, fears clash with allies

04 March 2012, Sunday / ABDULLAH BOZKURT, ANKARA
The rapid increase of Iranian-funded foreign companies in Turkey at an unprecedented rate has raised alarm bells for Turkish authorities, who suspect some of these may be front companies set up to circumvent UN-sponsored sanctions.

Turkey is also concerned that some of the activities of Iranian companies may risk an unwanted confrontation between Ankara and its Western allies because of what is considered a violation of the US and EU-imposed unilateral sanctions, albeit not running afoul of UN Security Council resolutions.

“We are carefully watching the operations of these [Iranian-funded] foreign companies to see if they are in breach of Turkish law as well as international laws to which Turkey is a party,” one government official told Sunday’s Zaman. The official spoke under the customary condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue on the bilateral relations between the two countries. “We won’t allow any of these companies to jeopardize our national interests,” he added.....

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March 4, 2012, 6:12 p.m. ET
Turkey's Prime Minister Erdogan Battles Health Rumors
By JOE PARKINSON

ISTANBUL—Turkey's prime minister returned to work last week after months of intermittent surgery and recuperation fueled frenzied speculation he is gravely ill.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country's most popular and powerful leader for decades, has insisted his condition is not serious, but his absence from public view has spotlighted two inconvenient truths for Turkey's government: that the ruling party is beset by internal feuding, and the glaring absence of a successor in a system increasingly centralized around the prime minister's personal popularity.

Mr. Erdogan first underwent stomach surgery in late November to remove noncancerous tissue growths from his bowel, followed by a second minor intestinal operation in February, according to the prime minister's office. The treatment forced the 57-year-old to cancel two consecutive cabinet meetings and downgrade official appearances with world leaders including U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who visited the prime minister at the Istanbul residence where he was convalescing.

Unaccustomed to the absence of its talismanic leader, the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP—a patchy coalition of conservatives, Islamists and nationalists—openly squabbled over policy, while the business of government slowed to a crawl. Lawmakers and cabinet ministers in December dissented from the prime minister by calling for more severe penalties for those convicted in a politically charged soccer match-fixing case.In January, as Mr. Erdogan recovered from surgery, a party power struggle was laid bare as religious conservatives sought to weaken moderates by summoning the country's intelligence chief, a key ally of the prime minister, to testify over his alleged role in negotiations with Kurdish terrorists.....

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Monday,March 5 2012, Your time is 6:43:00 AM
Turkish foreign minister recalls Srebrenica crimes for Syria killings

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said the Syrian regime committed crimes against humanity “on a daily basis,” and the U.N. had to take measures to stop it, which could include a possible arms delivery to the opposition.

Davutoğlu spoke on March 3 at a joint news conference with his Italian counterpart, Giulio Terzi. Both ministers criticized Syria for blocking a Red Cross convoy from delivering badly needed aid to a rebellious neighborhood in the central city of Homs.

“The incidents in Syria have turned into army regulars massacring their own people,” Davutoğlu said.

“The regime used live rounds only against protesters previously, now they are shelling civilian neighborhoods indiscriminately with artillery rounds.

That is not acceptable even in case of war,” he said. “The international community must speak louder.”....

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[Exit40]

Bomb blast near Turkish PM's offices
One person wounded after percussion bomb explodes in Ankara shortly before Erdogan was due to host cabinet meeting.
Last Modified: 05 Mar 2012 10:36

A bomb has exploded near the Turkish prime ministry building in the capital Ankara, lightly injuring one person, state-run TV reported.

The device, described as a percussion bomb, went off early on Monday, about 30 metres from the building in the central Kizilay district, about an hour before a cabinet meeting was due to be headed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister. Police blocked access to the blast zone in the entrance to the parking lot of the supreme court of appeals, fearing a second explosion, the private NTV station said.

A court employee was injured in the explosion. Bomb experts, wearing protective gear, are searching the area to make sure that no other bomb has been placed. Percussion bombs usually produce a loud bang, but do not cause major damage.

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Turkey May Annex North Cyprus If No Reunification, Kibris Says
By Emre Peker - Mar 5, 2012 12:23 AM PT

Turkey may annex northern Cyprus if the divided Mediterranean island can’t resolve a four-decade split through United Nations-led reunification talks, a government official told the Turkish Cypriot Kibris newspaper.

“All options are on the table,” Turkey’s European Union Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis told Kibris in an interview in London. Turkey hopes for reunification under a federal system or a two-state solution, Bagis said, adding that if those proposals fail, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus may be attached to Turkey, the only country that recognizes the breakaway state....

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[Exit40]

Obama Letting Turkey Drive a Wedge Between NATO and Israel
Omri Ceren | @cerenomri 03.06.2012 - 8:47 AM

President Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan share a warm friendship. The Turkish PM is considered a close foreign friend to a president who notoriously has very few. And though American diplomatic cables concluded years ago that the AKP harbors neo-Ottoman ambitions, risking “‘creeping’ Islamization, naivete, and anti-Westernism,” the president has continued boosting Turkey’s regional posture and insulating the AKP’s domestic position.

The Obama administration has supported a leading role for Turkey on Syria. It has tried to put Bulgaria in Turkey’s orbit. It has even transferred Super Cobra helicopters from Afghanistan to Turkey so Turkish troops could use them against Kurds, part of the Turkish army’s cross-border bombing campaign. For the first time in 100 years, the Turkish navy is conducting general-purpose patrols in the Mediterranean. They’re threatening Israel and Cyprus, telling energy companies that they might get attacked by Turkish troops, freaking out the Greeks, and pledging maritime dominance. The White House is seemingly unable or unwilling to stop these provocations.

The Turks have responded to Obama’s indulgence by sabotaging American policy in Central Asia and the Middle East: voting against international Iran sanctions, refusing to implement U.S. Iran sanctions, and undermining the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, which has been the central pillar of U.S. strategy in the region for decades.

Now Erdogan and his Foreign Minister Davutoglu have dragged NATO into their campaign to force Israel to “kneel down” to Turkey.....

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Turkey Urges Syria Aid Corridors as Russia Resists UN Bid to Condemn Assad
By Emre Peker and Tony Capaccio - Mar 6, 2012 8:53 AM PT

Turkey called for an “immediate opening” of humanitarian aid corridors in Syria as Russia rebuffed efforts to revive a United Nations Security Council condemnation of President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian security forces killed 21 people across the country today, including 13 from two families in the Baba Amr area of the central city of Homs, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria said on its website. The conflict has claimed more than 7,500 lives, according to UN estimates.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Syrian government must “really be pressured” to end the violent repression of protests. Syria’s army is “butchering its own people, pointing its guns at the masses,” Erdogan told members of his governing Justice and Development Party in the Ankara parliament today.

In Washington, Marine Corps General James Mattis, head of the U.S. Central Command, said Assad, drawing support from neighboring Iran, will remain in power “for some time.” The conflict “will get worse before it gets better,” Mattis said in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee....

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[Exit40]

Turkey, U.S. Kick Off International Weapons Training Exercise

08:09 GMT, March 7, 2012 KONYA, Turkey | An international weapons-training deployment involving Turkish and U.S. air forces began here March 5 and lasts until March 15. The 480th Fighter Squadron from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and the Turkish air force's 3rd Main Jet Base combined their efforts during Anatolian Falcon 2012, an exercise designed to strengthen joint operations between the two allied countries.

Turkish air force Col. Ercan Dursun, 3rd Main Jet Base Operations Group commander, expressed his appreciation for the U.S. Air Force's commitment to building relations and military interoperability. "It's good to see you here," Dursun said during opening remarks at an initial mass briefing March 4. "I hope we will have a fruitful exercise." He went on to say that one of the main goals of the training is to share lessons learned. By working together, the two air forces can individually evolve into a more flexible force.

"Training with the Turkish air force now ensures smooth communication and tactical effectiveness if we should ever have to go to war together," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Paul Murray, 480th Fighter Squadron commander....

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Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey sign Nakhchivan declaration
Wed 07 March 2012 12:16 GMT | 4:16 Local Time

The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey have pledged to further cooperation in a declaration signed in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan.

The ministers - Elmar Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan, Ali Akbar Salehi of Iran and Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey - first held one-to-one talks in Nakhchivan and then met together on Wednesday.

In the declaration, adopted at the end of their talks, the ministers express their backing for further discussions of important regional and international issues and welcome Azerbaijan’s election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, APA reported.

They stress the the importance of solving the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh with respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law....

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Turkish Foreign Ministry says no military shipments from Turkey to Syria
By aira – March 4, 2012Posted in: Editors' Picks, Syria

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has dismissed speculation that some Turkish companies are selling weapons materials to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and that Turkish officials are “turning a blind eye” to the practice, Today’s Zaman reported.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a Turkish diplomat on Tuesday deemed such claims “absurd and baseless,” citing Turkey’s strong stance against the current regime in Syria and tight border-controls due to a trade embargo on the country.

On Monday, Britain’s Times reported, with information from intelligence sources, that Syria is obtaining material from Turkey to use in its weapons industry. One Middle Eastern intelligence source, the daily claimed, said the Turkish government does not openly encourage the trade between Turkey and Syria; however, some officials are turning a blind eye to it.....

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Syrians 'flee into Turkey after Idlib assault'

(AFP) – 7 hours ago

ANKARA — Dozens of Syrian refugees have fled across the border into Turkey since Syrian troops stormed the rebel stronghold of Idlib near the border, a Turkish government official said on Sunday. At least 189 Syrians have crossed into Turkey since Saturday, the official told AFP, adding the figure tended to increase.

Syrians had been crossing into Turkey at a rate of 40 to 50 a day, he noted, but the rate tripled in recent weeks as President Bashar al-Assad's regime intensified its crackdown on opposition areas. The recent influx comes as Syrian troops poured into the northwestern city of Idlib over the weekend after the Homs neighbourhood of Baba Amr was stormed on March 1 after a month-long blitz in which hundreds of people died.

With the latest arrivals, the total figure of Syrian refugees registered at the camps set up to provide refuge in Turkey's southeastern province of Hatay has reached 12,519, said the official....

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11:52 | 2012-03-10
Turkish FM: Iran, G5+1 to Hold Talks in Istanbul

TEHRAN (FNA)- Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the next round of talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) will be held in Istanbul. Turkish Hurriyet daily on Friday quoted Davutoglu as saying that Istanbul will host the multifaceted talks between Iran and the six major world powers in early April.

The report came a day after the Group 5+1 announced in a statement that they are prepared to resume talks with Iran. The group also expressed the hope that the upcoming talks would contain "serious discussions on concrete confidence building measures."

In the latest developments regarding talks between Iran and six world powers, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in a letter to Iran's chief negotiator Saeed Jalili called for the resumption of negotiations between Iran and the Group 5+1.....

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[Exit40]

Published 09:47 08.03.12 Latest update 09:47 08.03.12
Report: Mossad warned Turkey against Iranian plan to attack Israeli diplomats

The Turkish Hurriyet quotes a report on NTV news that Israel had sent a letter to Ankara warning against Iranian individuals planning attacks on Israelis on Turkish soil.

The Mossad had warned Turkey that Israeli diplomatic missions in the country could be the target of attacks, the Turkish daily Hurriyet reported on Wednesday.

The Turkish paper quotes a story aired on NTV news, in which it was reported that Israel's main intelligence agency sent a letter to the National Intelligence Agency saying that the "Iranian Revolutionary Guards-Quds Force" is preparing to attack Israelis in Turkey.

According to the report, four individuals have already "entered Turkey from Iran" with weapons....

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Turkey struggles in the role of Mideast power during Syria crisis
Turkey, once friendly to Syria, Iran and Iraq, has seen its relations with all three tested as it has tried to stop the violence in Syria.
By J. Michael Kennedy, Los Angeles Times March 11, 2012, 9:04 p.m.
Reporting from Istanbul, Turkey—

Turkey envisions itself as a Middle East power, a dynamic Islamic democracy with a thriving economy that can help guide the region through the turmoil of the "Arab Spring." But it has stumbled in its efforts to stop the violence and repression in its neighbor and onetime ally Syria.

Although Turkish officials have harshly criticized President Bashar Assad's response to a yearlong uprising that is increasingly taking on the character of a civil war, they have not budged the Syrian leader. And they are aware that a tougher stance could backfire.

The harder they squeeze Syria, the more likely they are to anger the other non-Arab power with regional ambitions, Iran, which remains loyal to Assad. And Assad could retaliate by fomenting unrest within Turkey's borders.....

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Exxon eyeing Turkish shale gas prospects: TPAO CEO
By Humeyra Pamuk KUWAIT | Mon Mar 12, 2012 10:38am EDT

(Reuters) - Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) has held talks with state energy company TPAO on exploring for shale gas in Turkey, the head of TPAO said on Monday. According to analysis released by the U.S. government in early 2011, Turkey has 15 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable shale gas, reserves that Exxon could help TPAO tap.

"We have carried out our studies ... We have big shale gas potential ... This attracts a lot of foreign firms, Exxon Mobil in particular," TPAO Chief Executive Mehmet Uysal told Reuters. "They are currently considering the potential in Trakya (western Turkey) and they're going to make up their mind whether or not to become partners with us."....

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[Tevye]

Turkey Rejects Israel Airline Request for Increased Security

The Turkish government rejected a request by Arkia Israel Airlines
for increased security at the Antalya airport.
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israelnationalnews.com/News