Turkey : Part Tres :)

[Exit40]

Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey Sign Cooperation Declaration
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 9 Jun.'12 / 17:39

Foreign Ministers from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey met on June 8 in Trabzon on Turkey's Black Sea coast and pledged to further boost “already existing successful cooperation” between the two countries.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and his counterparts from Azerbaijan and Georgia, Elmar Mammadyarov and Grigol Vashadze, respectively, agreed to hold trilateral foreign ministerial meetings on the regular basis.

The meeting resulted into a Trabzon Declaration, which outlines priority areas of cooperation between the three countries ranging from mutual support in international organizations to joint energy and transpiration projects.

Full Text: Trabzon Declaration

Georgian Foreign Minister, Grigol Vashadze, said that this format of cooperation between the three countries “is not directed against anyone.”....

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**** No this isn't directed at Armenia, whom these nation surround. It's not about the Nogorno/Karabakh occupation by Armenia in Azerbaijan, or the presence of Russian troops in Armenia. Nothing to see here, move along. D.

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Neglecting Cyprus, Turkish FM again meddles in Karabakh issue
June 09, 2012 | 13:33
By Arthur Hakobyan

YEREVAN. – Even though the Armenian side has stated on numerous occasions that Turkey is neither a mediator nor an advisor with reference to resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu again spoke about this matter.

The FMs of Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia held a joint news conference in the Turkish city of Trabzon, Turkish Haberx news agency informs.

And during the event, Davutoglu did not mention that Azerbaijan’s military had carried out a provocative diversion operation against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh days ago, and, instead, he merely stressed that he was extremely saddened by the news about the five “martyred” Azerbaijani soldiers....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkish Muslims Insist on Converting World's Largest Church into a Mosque
Raymond Ibrahim June 9th 2012

Ostensibly dealing with a building, a recent report demonstrates how Turkey's populace—once deemed the most secular and liberal in the Muslim world—is reverting to its Islamic heritage, complete with animosity for the infidel West and dreams of Islam's glory days of jihad and conquest. According to Reuters: Thousands of devout Muslims prayed outside Turkey's historic Hagia Sophia museum on Saturday [May 23] to protest a 1934 law that bars religious services at the former church and mosque. Worshippers shouted, "Break the chains, let Hagia Sophia Mosque open," and "God is great" [the notorious "Allahu Akbar"] before kneeling in prayer as tourists looked on. Turkey's secular laws prevent Muslims and Christians from formal worship within the 6th-century monument, the world's greatest cathedral for almost a millennium before invading Ottomans converted it into a mosque in the 15th century.

Hagia Sophia—Greek for "Holy Wisdom"—was, in fact, Christendom's greatest cathedral for a thousand years. Built in Constantinople, the heart of the Christian empire, it was also a stalwart symbol of defiance against an ever encroaching Islam from the east. After parrying centuries of jihadi thrusts, Constantinople was finally sacked by Ottoman Turks in 1453. Its crosses desecrated and icons defaced, Hagia Sophia—as well as thousands of other churches—was immediately converted into a mosque, the tall minarets of Islam surrounding it in triumph. Then, after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, as part of several reforms, Ataturk transformed Hagia Sophia into a "neutral" museum in 1934—a gesture of goodwill to the then triumphant West from a then crestfallen Turkey.....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey Tweaks Cult Of National Founder
ISTANBUL June 10, 2012, 01:22 pm ET

ISTANBUL (AP) — On a trip to Rio de Janeiro, a Turkish notary public gazed at the Christ the Redeemer statue that looms over the Brazilian city and was inspired to build a monumental likeness of his idol: Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkey's independence war hero and national founder.

"I said to myself: 'Jesus Christ is a great man, but my Ataturk is as great as him,'" said 78-year-old Sitki Kahvecioglu, who fulfilled his dream 15 years later.

A 22-meter (72-foot) high copper statue of Ataturk — the country's biggest of the iconic figure — was inaugurated on May 19 in northeastern Turkey, a tribute to the near-mystical hold that Ataturk exerts over his fervent believers, whose admiration is rooted in his success in imposing secular values on a largely Muslim nation.

Yet the cult of Ataturk, once a staple of Turkish state ideology, is slowly, sometimes imperceptibly, being diluted, replaced in part by the Ottoman imperial era as inspiration for an Islamist-rooted government with its own set of ideas about modernity, morality and regional stature....

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David

[Exit40]

In Turkey the right to free speech is being lost
Mehdi Hasan, guardian.co.uk, Sunday 10 June 2012 12.00 EDT
Erdogan is using a series of alleged plots to justify a crackdown on dissent that threatens basic freedoms

Which country in the world currently imprisons more journalists than any other? The People's Republic of China? Nope. Iran? Wrong again. The rather depressing answer is the Republic of Turkey, where nearly 100 journalists are behind bars, according to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Yes, that's right: modern, secular, western-oriented Turkey, with its democratically elected government, has locked away more members of the press than China and Iran combined.

But this isn't just about the press – students, academics, artists and opposition MPs have all recently been targeted for daring to speak out against the government of prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his mildly Islamist Justice and Development Party, or AKP.

There is a new climate of fear in Istanbul. When I visited the city last week to host a discussion show for al-Jazeera English, I found journalists speaking in hushed tones about the clampdown on free speech. Within 24 hours of our arrival, one of my al-Jazeera colleagues was detained by police officers, who went through his bag and rifled through one of my scripts. They loudly objected to a line referring to the country's "increasingly authoritarian government". Who says that Turks don't do irony?....

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David

[Exit40]

US excludes Israel from anti-terror forum because of Turkey
10 June 12 13:23, Ran Dagoni, Washington

The US blocked Israel's participation in the Global Counterterrorism Forum's (GCTF) first meeting in Istanbul on Friday, even though Israel has one of the most extensive experiences in counterterrorism in the world. A pro-Israeli source in Washington told "Globes" that Israel was excluded from the meeting because of fierce objections by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Israel tried hard to obtain an invitation to the meeting, and its exclusion, despite the tight US-Israeli intelligence ties, has greatly disappointed officials in Jerusalem.

The GCTF, one of the pillars of President Barack Obama's antiterrorism campaign, was established in September 2011. The White House calls the forum as a wise use of force against terrorism, and chose Turkey as the forum's joint chair, together with the US....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkish Government Firm on Curbing Special Courts’ Power
Monday, 11 June 2012

The AKP government shows no signt of U-turn on axing the authority of special-courts despite the criticism that the move will weaken the fight on coup plotters.

The government won’t take a step back from its determinacy in curbing the broad authorities of the special-authority courts despite growing criticisms that this move will weaken the legal struggle against coup plotters and organized crime gangs as the draft law is expected to be submitted to Parliament this week.

“Special-authority courts should function within the legal boundaries drawn by the law,” Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ said in an interview with private Channel 7 yesterday. “While taking steps against military and civilian tutelage, against gangs, mafia and other power groups in the name of relieving Turkey, we cannot tolerate new groups [establishing] own tutelage,” Bozdağ said....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey
Jerusalem was not invited to the inaugural session of Hillary Clinton’s Global Forum on Counterterrorism. Was it another attempt by Erdogan to isolate Israel?
By Raphael Ahren June 11, 2012, 1:50 pm

The Foreign Ministry on Monday denied reports that the US blocked Israel’s participation in an American-sponsored counterterrorism conference in Istanbul due to pressure from Turkish government.

“We did not plan on going to that meeting anyway,” the ministry’s spokesman, Yigal Palmor, said. “We will take part in working groups on different issues of this forum; that’s confirmed. We’re not estranged from that forum.”

Last Thursday, the Global Counterterrorism Forum’s inaugural meeting was held in Turkey. Launched last year by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a “multilateral counterterrorism body,” it includes 29 countries, many of them from the Arab world. It aims to “build the international architecture for dealing with 21st century terrorism,” according to US authorities....

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David

[Exit40]

Monday, 11 June 2012, 07:24 GMT
PM led KRG delegation to World Economic Forum in Istanbul
The Kurdish Globe

Both sides also discussed the ongoing political developments in Iraq and the broader region,

Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani led a KRG delegation to the 2012 World Economic Forum in Istanbul on June 4 and 5. He also attended private meetings with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other senior Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglou.

In their meeting, Prime Minister Erdoğan welcomed the KRG delegation and discussed the ongoing developments in bilateral relations.

Prime Minister Barzani thanked the Turkish Prime Minister for the welcome saying, "The Kurdistan Region is pleased with the continued progress that we have been able to make in building an economic partnership between our peoples." He added, "We are committed to building on our mutual needs and interests to promote a future of peace and opportunity for all of us." ....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey starts talks to buy Saudi oil -minister
By Ozge Ozbilgin
ANKARA | Tue Jun 12, 2012 7:09am EDT

(Reuters) - Turkey has begun talks with Saudi Arabia on long-term crude oil purchases, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Tuesday, after the United States said it would exempt Turkey from financial sanctions because it cut purchases of Iranian oil.

Yildiz said the talks were in line with Turkey's main energy target to increase the number of countries from which Turkey imports crude oil. "Talks with Saudi Arabia on long-term crude oil purchases have started. This doesn't concern only Tupras but also concerns Saudi Arabia's Aramco. Talks are still going on; they will discuss the quantities between them," Yildiz told reporters. Asked whether the Saudi oil would be as cheap as Iranian oil, Yildiz said Turkish refiner Tupras would compare crude oil prices and take the decision itself.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday the U.S. would exempt India, South Korea, Turkey and four other countries from financial sanctions because they have significantly cut purchases of Iranian oil.....

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David

[Exit40]

Tuesday,June 12 2012, Your time is 9:36:21 AM
Where did the war between the government and the community start; where will it end?

İSMET BERKAN
Those who are gathered around Fethullah Gülen’s views want to be called “hizmet,” meaning “service, serving” in Turkish. In fact, when you take a look at the activities of this crowded group, the overwhelming majority is really in “service”; such as schools, hospitals, aid organizations, social solidarity organizations. However, at the core of all the activities of “hizmet” are those meetings formulated as religious conversations. For this reason the name “Cemaat” (community, congregation) is also used widely. Books titled “The Cemaat” have been written.

The overwhelming majority of the activities done are service, but the community also has a political side; especially in the police and judiciary, and also in the media and among opinion leaders we can talk about a serious and significant share. The segment that is fighting with the government is this segment essentially....

Snip... The fact that the power is not seen or felt does not mean it has been or will be extinct....

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David

[Exit40]

Obama Urged to Encourage Turkey to Acknowledge Armenian Genocide
By Christian Solidarity International (CSI)
Published: Tuesday, Jun. 12, 2012 - 1:21 pm

WASHINGTON and ZURICH, June 12, 2012 -- Taner Akcam Speaks at Christian Solidarity International (CSI) Event on the Future of Religious Minorities in the Middle East

WASHINGTON and ZURICH, June 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Taner Akcam, Professor of History at Clark University, has urged President Obama and his European allies to encourage "Turkey to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, and to follow the post-Holocaust example of Germany by making appropriate compensation for lives and property."

Dr. Akcam made this plea last week while contributing to CSI's spring 2012 conference series on The Future of Religious Minorities in the Middle East. (See www.formime.ch for videos of Akcam's lectures in English and Turkish.)

Akcam said Turkey's willingness to recognize the Genocide, in which approximately 1.5 million Christians – mainly Armenians and Assyrians – perished, and to provide compensation, is a litmus test of its fitness to fulfill its aspiration for Great Power status and leadership in shaping the destiny of the Middle East. Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu calls for the "reintegration" of territories in Syria, Greece, Bulgaria, and Georgia with Turkey – a policy often referred to by political commentators as New Ottomanism. (Davutoglu, "Vision 2023: Turkey's Foreign Policy Objectives," London, November 22, 2011.)....

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David

[Exit40]

Frustrated S.East Europe power traders eye Turkey
Fri Jun 15, 2012 7:47am EDT

* Complaints about trading restraints in SEE
* Problems with EU-forced market-coupling
* Turkey seen as attractive power market
By Maja Zuvela and Maciej Onoszko

PRAGUE, June 15 (Reuters) - Southeast European power traders say they are looking to new markets in Turkey and areas further east, frustrated by growing regulatory, political and economic risks in local markets, participants at an industry seminar said this week.

In the past few years power markets have been opening up in southeast Europe, where grid connections are good and there is scope for prices to rise. But traders said liberalisation is not moving fast enough in some areas and that new obstacles appear in a number of markets, including Bulgaria, Romania and Greece....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkish PM Erdogan gets bolder : To Islamic leader Fethullah Gülen ‘ Return to Turkey ‘
15 June, 2012 | 12:36

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested that the self-exiled Islamic leader Fethullah Gülen, the head of Gülen Movement and claimed to be the shadow government in Turkey should return to Turkey.

Istanbul / NationalTurk – ‘ We want this yearning to come to an end,’ Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested. ‘ We want to see those who are abroad and longing for the homeland among us.’ The leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party and Turkish Prime Minister has reached out to Fethullah Gülen for the first time without directly mentioning the founder of Gülen movement by name.

Erdogan’s remarks and plea came after he was granted a special award during a ceremony marking the end of the Turkish Olympics, an event that is connected directly to the Gülen movement, which is a network of Turkish schools all around the globe. While the movement’s aim on paper is helping the youth in poor countries the secret agenda is regarded as spreading Islam as wide as possible in the world.....

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**** Possible significant event. D.

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Turkey's culture wars heat up after PM equates abortion with murder

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to effectively ban abortions. It's the latest signal his party aims to shape Turkey's secular political system along more religious lines.

By Alexander Christie-Miller, Correspondent / June 13, 2012
Istanbul, Turkey

Obstetrician Ayse Akin fought for 13 years to legalize abortions in Turkey after seeing dozens of women die trying to perform them on themselves.

“It was shocking,” she recalls. “They used chemicals from match tips, soap, or feathers. In one week alone at my hospital we had three fatal cases of self-induced abortion.”

Now, 29 years after she achieved that goal, she is preparing to resume the fight amid signs that the Islamist-rooted government intends to effectively outlaw it once again.

She's not alone.

Thousands of women have protested across the country since Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month denounced abortion as "murder," vowing to revise the current law allowing termination in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

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God Bless

David

[amessenger4god]

Good for the Prime Minister! Calling a spade a spade. Goes to show that sin is so widespread, especially in our own culture that even our enemy can show us up in godliness.

[Exit40]

Good for the Prime Minister! Calling a spade a spade. Goes to show that sin is so widespread, especially in our own culture that even our enemy can show us up in godliness.

This is actually a two fold distraction/promotion. One, it is meant to distract from the national debate on the misconceived killing of thirty four civilian Kurdish smugglers by the govt's war on terror program against the Kurds, a hot button topic. Two, the PM has said every woman should have at least three children for the benefit of the state, even claiming abortion is an outside conspiracy to rob Turkey of it's future growth. Actually, it's three. It is meant also to bolster the conservative values of the AKP moderately islamist party and gain more support from it's pious conservative base to sway even more Turks into their value system. So it's not really Godly or Righteous at all, but a deceptive political ploy to advance other islamic values into the nationalistic Turkish view of itself.

Nevertheless, I too believe it is a good thing in it's basic concept, and I hope it inspires a global debate on the topic. As one leading female activist there asked, why don't these women want to have their babies ? Whatever the answer, whatever the excuse, I find it to be an incomprehensible, irresponsible, unimaginable ... there aren't enough words like that in our language , but I'm sure you know what I mean.

God Bless You

David

[Exit40]

Energy Resources
EU, Turkey sign energy agreements

Published: June 15, 2012 at 8:11 AM

STUTTGART, Germany, June 15 (UPI) -- The European Union announced the signing of agreements aimed at ensuring enhanced energy relations with the Turkish government.

European officials met in Stuttgart, Germany, with Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz and Turkish Minister for EU Affairs Egemen Bagis. Both sides agreed on a package of measures meant to define long-term energy cooperation and the need to promote clean energy technologies.

"Turkey and the EU are important energy partners, sharing common strategic challenges and objectives," a joint statement read. "There is great scope for cooperation on issues which are in the interest of both sides."

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David

[Exit40]

Sunday,June 17 2012, Your time is 10:16:30 AM
The choice is up to Gülen, says Turkish PM

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said the choice on whether to return or not return is up to the Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen himself, following Gülen's remarks that he is likely to stay in the United States, according to daily Hürriyet.

"I knew there was such an expectation," Erdoğan told press members ahead of a planned Mexico visit. "I wanted to share that expectation with all those who were present at the Turkish Olympics finale." ...

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey calls for ‘fair’ handling of Iran nuclear issue
Tehran Times Political Desk

On Line: 17 June 2012 08:59
In Print: Monday 18 June 2012

altTEHRAN – Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has called on Western countries to adopt a “just” approach toward the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.

Davutoglu made the remarks during a press conference in Istanbul on Saturday, which was held on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting on the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative launched by Turkey, Germany, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Poland, and Chile.....

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David

[Exit40]

Sunday,June 17 2012, Your time is 11:05:28 AM
Barçın Yinanç, barcin.yinanc@hurriyet.com.tr
‘I worship so I can do anything I like’ is Turks’ lifestyle: Scholar

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
A majority of Turks might be religious conservative, but many follow a lifestyle that leaves little room for religious reflection beyond that of the bare dictates of worship, according to a Turkish professor. ‘Once you worship, you can do whatever you want,’ says Ersin Kalaycıoğlu adding Turks want to live a life avoiding rules

Turks like to live as they please and the fact that the majority of them are defined as religiously conservative does not alter this lifestyle, according to a professor at Sabancı University.
“You worship, so you are religious,” Professor Ersin Kalaycıoğlu said in the wake of a field survey for the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) that he helped conduct with Professor Ali Çarkoğlu about health but which also touched on a number of other issues.

The theological and moral aspects of religion are not really internalized by a huge majority of the population, he told the Daily News in a recent interview.

Q: What do your findings tell us in a nutshell?

**** Snip Did you ask people this?

A: We did not, but I am not sure whether they know the answer. There are misconceptions about the state in Turkey. The state effectively has the status of God....

Interesting interview

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Sunday,June 17 2012, Your time is 11:23:33 AM
Court clears way for Gül to re-run top post

ANKARA
Turkey’s top court enters the fray over President Gül’s term, fixing his mandate at seven years an allowing him to rerun in 2014 for five years

President Abdullah Gül’s mandate is seven years, and he can stand for re-election for another five years, Turkey’s top court has announced, putting an end to the ambiguity over the timing of the presidential elections.

However, by allowing Gül to run again, the Constitutional Court’s ruling could ignite a fresh debate given Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan well-known plans to become president in 2014. The ruling also gives Gül an upper hand in the period ahead, especially in potential disagreements between him and the government....

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David

[Exit40]

Erdogan’s personality cult
By ORAY EGIN
06/17/2012 22:12

A few weeks ago two of Turkey’s most popular soccer teams, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, met for the last game of the season in Istanbul. It would determine the league champion, and given the everlasting rivalry between two teams, Fenerbahçe supporters weren’t happy with Galatasaray taking the lead. So a brouhaha began. Players rushed to their locker rooms waiting for the crowd to calm down. But then another problem emerged: Turkey’s Soccer Federation wanted to hand the championship cup to Galatasaray in their locker room, yet the team objected to this attempt. It became obvious that someone charismatic and experienced in conflict resolution was needed to overcome this crisis.

An executive of Galatasaray eventually delivered the message: “‘Beyefendi’ says that the cup should be handed on the field.”

“Beyefendi,” loosely translated as “gentleman,” is an honorific used after a man’s first name. However, “Beyefendi” no longer needs a name attached to it since pretty much everybody knows who it is referring to: Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Even his staff refers to Erdogan as just “Beyefendi,” including the ministers of his cabinet and media members....

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David

[Exit40]

WND EXCLUSIVE
World's most powerful imam to rise?
Middle East invites Islamist billionaire to return from exile
Published: 18 hours ago

In a stunning move, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for Fethullah Gülen, the reclusive imam of arguably the most powerful Islamist movement in the world, to return home to Turkey from his self-imposed exile in rural Pennsylvania.

Erdoğan’s appeal to Gülen came after he received an award during the closing ceremony of the Turkish Olympics.....

Snip.. Gülen’s response was almost immediate. With tear-filled eyes, Gülen praised both the rise of Islamism and the vibrant economy of Turkey, while indicating that for now, he may prefer to stay in the U.S.

“If [my return] halts positive developments in Turkey, [I prefer] staying here, if my lifespan allows, and I will not return not to damage my country, my nation and those [positive] things in my country,” Gülen said.....

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**** Gulen will return to Turkey, at least to visit. Then watch the outpouring lovefest, not only in Turkey, but many other nations as well, and not only muslim ones. This has become a very significant potential. D.

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Gülen says prefers staying in US to avoid ‘harming positives’

17 June 2012 / SEZAI KALAYCI, NEW YORK
Turkish-Islamic scholar and intellectual Fethullah Gülen extended his thanks to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his kind invitation to Turkey, but said he prefers staying in the US to “avoid damaging positive developments in Turkey” in his latest speech, broadcast live on Friday.

“If [my return] is to halt positive developments in Turkey, even with a possibility of one percent, [I prefer] staying here if my lifespan allows it, and I will not return to damage my country, my nation and those [positive] things in my country,” Gülen said, teary eyed, in a recording published on the herkul.org website. The scholar's remarks were in response to an open call by Erdoğan, who had invited Gülen to return to Turkey in a speech during the closing ceremony of the 10th Int’l Turkish Olympiad last week. “We want to see those who are abroad and longing for the homeland among us.

We want this yearning to end,” the prime minister said, without directly mentioning a name but openly referring to Gülen...

More info

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David

[Exit40]

Tuesday,June 19 2012, Your time is 11:15:14 AM
Gülen should form a party, CHP official proposes

The Fethullah Gülen movement should form a political party so that the country can better understand who they are, a senior opposition deputy has proposed.

“This ‘master of service,’ whose interest in politics is proven with his flexible approach during every coup period, would better form a political party. It should tell people who he is and with whom he is cooperation,” deputy parliamentary group leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Emine Ülker Tarhan said in a written statement Monday.

She added that Gülen was indirectly instructing the government to clear Turkey of all opponents so that he could return to Turkey.

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey Central Bank ‘Outsmarted’ Investors, SocGen Says
By Benjamin Harvey - Jun 20, 2012 8:23 AM PT

Turkish central bank Governor Erdem Basci “outsmarted” many investors with a dual rates policy that has made Turkey “the Mediterranean safe haven,” Societe Generale SA (GLE) said.

“All credits to the central bank for having built up some considerable credibility even though it all started with a lot of confusion and misunderstanding,” Benoit Anne, head of emerging-markets strategy at Societe Generale in London, said in an e-mailed note to clients today. “The central bank of the Republic of Turkey has outsmarted a lot of investors and strategists. Even the ratings agencies seem to agree.”

Moody’s Investors Service upgraded Turkey’s credit rating to Ba1 today, one level below investment grade, from Ba2, citing a significant improvement in public finances and policies to address a current-account deficit that was $69.2 billion in the 12 months to April. The government targets a budget deficit of 1.5 percent of gross domestic product this year.

Basci introduced a dual rates policy in October that allows him to vary the rate at which he provides funding to banks between the benchmark rate of 5.75 percent and a higher rate of 11.5 percent. The policy is gradually reducing imbalances in Turkey’s economy while creating a “healthier” foundation for growth, he wrote in an article in the Turkish policy magazine Iktisat ve Toplum in April.....

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Potentially significant development. D.

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Bloomberg News
Turkey Upgraded to Level Below Investment Grade by Moody’s
By Aydan Eksin and Benjamin Harvey on June 20, 2012

Turkey’s credit rating was raised to a level below investment grade by Moody’s Investors Service, which cited “significant” improvement in public finances and policies to cut the current-account deficit. Lira bonds rallied.

Turkey’s debt was upgraded one step to Ba1, according to an e-mailed statement. Moody’s kept its positive outlook on expectations “the drivers that led to today’s rating upgrade will continue to improve the country’s fiscal and macroeconomic resilience.”

“An upgrade to an investment-grade rating will probably be dependent on Turkey becoming more resilient to balance-of- payment shocks, given the already favorable public-finance metrics,” Moody’s said.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government cut the budget deficit to 1.3 percent of gross domestic product last year from 3.6 percent in 2010 and state debt to 39 percent from 42 percent, according to Treasury data. Central Bank governor Erdem Basci began setting benchmark borrowing costs daily in October to slow inflation and cut the world’s second highest current-account deficit after the economy grew 8.5 percent last year.....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey drops controversial plan to reduce abortion limits
Thursday, 21 June 2012
By AFP Ankara

Turkey’s conservative government has dropped plans for a controversial bill that would have slashed the time limit for abortions, a parliamentary source told AFP on Thursday.

“The government has backed away from initial plans to curb abortion rights,” the source said on condition of anonymity, adding that the Islamist-rooted government would instead seek to limit the number of Caesarean sections being performed in the country.

The legislation initially proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), would have required all abortions to take place within the first six weeks of pregnancy, down from the 10 weeks currently allowed.

Experts said the limit would effectively be an abortion ban, since most women do not realize they are pregnant until around the sixth week of pregnancy.....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey to drop sanctions on France over Armenia
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and new French President Francois Hollande agree to turn new page after Sarkozy-era deterioration in relations
AFP , Thursday 21 Jun 2012

Turkey on Thursday praised the positive attitude adopted by the new French president toward relations with Ankara, saying that sanctions imposed on Paris would no longer be implemented.

"Sanctions will drop from the agenda thanks to this new stance adopted by France," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in a televised interview, adding that he would be visiting Paris next month.

New French President Francois Hollande promised to open a "new page" in relations, which hit a low over French objections to Turkey's bid to join the European Union and controversial legislation in France seeking to make it a crime to deny the Armenian genocide....

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David

[Exit40]

CIA joins allies helping Syrian opposition
Published: June 21, 2012 at 7:47 AM

DAMASCUS, Syria, June 21 (UPI) -- Allies in southern Turkey helping Syrian opposition fighters have been joined by a small number of CIA officers, U.S. and Arab officials said.

The officials told the New York Times the CIA officers are helping the allies decide which Syrian opposition fighters across the border will receive arms to fight the Syrian government.

The arms are being funneled mostly across the Turkish border by a network of intermediaries that include Syria's Muslim Brotherhood. They are paid for by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the Times reported Thursday.

A senior U.S. official said the CIA officers have been in southern Turkey for several weeks, in part to keep weapons out of the hands of al-Qaida and other terrorist groups.

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David

[Exit40]

‘Hollande Spring’ in Turkish-EU relations

Friday, 22 June 2012

FM Davutoğlu hails a thaw in Turkey-EU ties as the bloc pledges to ease Turks’ visa procedures while Ankara ends sanctions against France.

Turkey has ended sanctions against France thanks to newly elected French President François Hollande’s positive approach toward Turkey in a restoration of ties that had deteriorated under the rule of ex-French leader Nicholas Sarkozy.

The decision to end eight measures – mostly military – was given by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after his meeting with Hollande in Brazil late June 20, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said....

Snip.... In response to Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz, who said Turkey was a superpower and Israel needed to come to terms with Turkey, Davutoğlu said it was a clear indication of the rise of Turkey as the regional power....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey Hires Ex-Islamic Banker Oztekin as Chief Regulator
By Mark Bentley - Jun 22, 2012 12:53 AM PT

Turkey appointed Mukim Oztekin, formerly of Islamic banks Albaraka Turk Katilim Bankasi AS (ALBRK) and Asya Katilim Bankasi AS (ASYAB), chief of the country’s banking regulator.

The decision to hire Oztekin for five years was published in the Ankara-based Official Gazette today. He last worked as a board member of the Savings and Deposits Insurance Fund, which manages the assets of failed banks, according to state-run Anatolia news agency. He also worked at Turkiye Garanti Bankasi AS (GARAN), the country’s biggest bank by market value.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, rooted in an Islamic movement banned from politics in 1997, and other institutions have broken with Turkey’s staunchly secular traditions by seeking to appoint Islamic bankers to key positions in the state. The central bank hired Sabri Orman, an expert on Islamic economic thought, to its board in November. Former President Ahmet Necdet Sezer rejected Erdogan’s appointment of an Islamic banker as central bank chief in 2006....

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[Exit40]

Turkey's Jews are Under My Protection: Turkish PM

Friday, 22 June 2012

Turkey’s prime minister has sought to reassure the country’s Jewish community, saying they are under his protection, Anatolia news agency reported.

Two American-Jewish men approached Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan yesterday while he was attending the Rio 20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development to ask him "to protect" Jewish people living in Turkey.

"Under my leadership, the Jewish community in Turkey is safe," Erdoğan said. "They are under my protection. We see [Jewish people] as brothers."...

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[Exit40]

EU, Turkey attempt immigration give-and-take

Turkey made a first step toward accepting to take back illegal immigrants who crossed into the EU from its territory, apparently in exchange of easing the visa requirement for its citizens visiting the border-free Schengen space.

Turkey and the European Commission initialled yesterday (21 June) a “readmission agreement”, according to which Turkey would take back illegal immigrants from third countries who have crossed into EU territory from its borders. The initialling is a first step before official signing. For years, Turkey has resisted EU pressure for concluding such an agreement.

Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström welcomed the initialling of the readmission agreement, adding that she was looking forward to its signing.

“This will also enable us to make progress in the perspective of visa liberalisation, as a clear sign to the Turkish population and authorities that the EU stands up to its commitment to improve the mobility of our citizens," she said....

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Turkey, Iran to Trade in Local Currencies to Replace Greenback
Economic Desk

On Line: 23 June 2012 15:46
In Print: Sunday 24 June 2012

Turkey is planning a money exchange structure with Iran which will cut the usage of U.S. dollars as much as possible and develop trade with the two countries’ national currencies, Energy Minister Taner Y?ld?z has said.

The minister’s statement came at a time when Iran, suffering from money transaction problems due to a hard U.S. embargo, is seeking opportunities in the Turkish banking sector.

Turkey has already taken steps to trade with local currencies with a number of countries including Russia, China and the Islamic republic.

Speaking on broadcaster CNBC, Y?ld?z said that Turkey has already been using gold in Iranian trade.....

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Iran bought gold worth $1.2 billion in April of this year alone.

[Exit40]

Greek FM Turkish PM’s friend

ATHENS - Hürriyet
Newly appointed Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos enters the room for the delivery and reception ceremony at the ministry in Athens, Greece, 22 June 2012. EPA/ALKIS KONSTANTINIDIS

Newly appointed Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos enters the room for the delivery and reception ceremony at the ministry in Athens, Greece, 22 June 2012. EPA/ALKIS KONSTANTINIDIS
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras formed his Cabinet on June 21, appointing Dimitris Avramopoulos, a friend of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as the new foreign minister.

Erdoğan’s friendship with Avramopoulos goes back to the latter’s time as Athens mayor (1994-2002), according to daily Hürriyet. Avramopoulos tried to visit Erdoğan in prison at that time, but could not get authorization....

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[Exit40]

Syria: downing of Turkish plane not a hostile act
June 23, 2012 11:08 AM (Last updated: June 23, 2012 08:35 PM)
By Suzan Fraser
Associated Press

ANKARA: Syria said Saturday that it shot down a Turkish military jet because the aircraft had violated its airspace, but Turkey threatened retaliatory action as it searched for its two missing pilots.

Both sides signaled they do not want to escalate an incident that has the potential to explode into a regional conflict, but the downing of the Turkish reconnaissance plane on Friday was a dramatic sign that the violence gripping Syria increasingly is spreading outside its borders.

Tensions already were high between Syria and NATO-member Turkey. The neighbors used to be allies before the Syrian revolt began in March 2011, but Turkey has become one of the strongest critics of the Syrian regime's brutal response to the country's uprising and is playing host to civilian and military Syrian opposition groups.

Germany and Iraq urged Turkey and Syria to remain calm and not let the unrest in Syria become a wider conflict in the area.

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[Exit40]

Turkey blames Syria for jet attack, consults NATO
By Jonathon Burch and Khaled Yacoub Oweis
ANKARA/AMMAN | Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:56am EDT

(Reuters) - Turkey accused Syria on Sunday of shooting down a military plane in international airspace without warning and called a NATO meeting to discuss a response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Amid growing acrimony between the once-friendly neighbors, Syria said its forces had shot dead "terrorists" infiltrating its territory from Turkey, which along with Western and Arab nations has backed the cause of Syrians fighting Assad.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the search for two missing pilots was still under way, in coordination with the Syrian authorities. He denied it was a "joint" operation.

He told state broadcaster TRT the plane had been clearly marked as Turkish and dismissed Syria's assertion it had not identified the aircraft before opening fire.

Davutoglu said he also planned to set out Turkey's case before the United Nations Security Council where Western powers are seeking, in the face of Russian and Chinese opposition, to push through a motion that could allow stronger measures against Assad. Moscow fears this could lead to military action that could undermine its interests in Syria.....

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[Exit40]

Syria's downing of Turkish jet an 'escalation': Iraq

Syria's downing of a Turkish plane marks a serious escalation of the Syrian conflict, Iraq's foreign minister said on Saturday, saying he feared a spillover of the crisis into neighbouring countries.

Syria shot down a Turkish jet over the Mediterranean yesterday and Ankara has said it will do whatever is necessary after the incident that threatened to open a new dimension in the 16-month revolt against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"Our main concern is the spillover of the crisis into neighbouring countries," Hoshiyar Zebari told a news conference with his Swedish, Bulgarian and Polish counterparts in Baghdad.

"No country is immune from this spillover because of the composition of the societies, the extensions, the connections, the sectarian, ethnic dimensions," he said.....

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[Exit40]

This Turkish jet issue has more to it than the appearance of Turkish innocence. If the jet had it's transponder on, which it would have if it were not up to something, I would have been easily identified. Syria says it had not identified it prior to shooting at it. Maybe they thought it was Israeli ? At any rate there is still confusion about the incident, with PM Erdogan saying sometimes jets momentarily cross borders because they fly so fast they can't turn in time. Pilots know their rules of engagement and flight paths intimately so there is not much chance of this being a coincidental incursion. Umm, couple that with the PM's measured response and I have to believe this is a contrived incident, doubtfully unilateral, possibly to test Syria's air defense, which evidently is working fine. Maybe Turkey wasn't provoking Syria to shoot, but the result is almost the same. Turkey now goes political with this, not wanting to be the bad guy in it's islamic neighborhood, invoking Article Four at the NATO meeting on Tuesday, quietly calling their allies for support, and going to the UNSC also. This is rapidly going from push to shove. The issue of possible overspill of violence is now not possible, it is here, very real, it has happened on more than one occasion, with Syrian snipers killing two refugees in a Turkish camp in April, I believe it was. Plus Syria brags about snipers killing armed insurgents slipping in from Turkey. It is looking more and more sectarian, an enhanced and supported civil war, aimed specifically at Teheran and it's proxies. I believe.

There has been some international outrage over this incident, Britain's PM in particular. I say, where is the outrage at the killing and imprisonment and torture of civilians, and murdering of children and women ? Has fourteen months of this almost daily butchery become so common place it has become irrelevant ? Or is this incident a contrived and planned provocation to get the major powers more engaged ? National sovereignty is not the issue,that has already been breached, it is attempted avoidance of a major war in the ME and the fragile global economy that is the issue. Nobody wants war, most especially me, but if something must be done militarily let's do for the right reasons, the end of this senseless brutality and killings of civilians.

God Bless

David

[burien1]

I agree, David. this whole incident, is too coincidental.

[Exit40]

Syrian officers defect, Turkey looks to NATO
By Jonathon Burch
ANKARA | Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:15am EDT

(Reuters) - A Syrian general and 38 other soldiers defected to Turkey overnight, state television said on Monday, days after Syria shot down a Turkish warplane, escalating tensions between the two neighbors.

Turkey has summoned a NATO meeting for Tuesday to agree a response to the downing of its military reconnaissance jet in what it says was an attack without warning carried out over international airspace.

Turkey's cabinet was to meet on Monday to discuss Friday's attack, which lent a more menacing international dimension to the 16-month-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. Britain said it could press for more serious action at the United Nations Security Council.

European Union foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg called for a calm response from Turkey, saying they would increase pressure on Assad. There seemed little appetite, however, for any military retaliation against Syria

"Military intervention in Syria is out of the question," said Dutch foreign minister Uri Rosenthal. "It is not a matter of consideration for the Dutch government. That is also at stake in the ... context of NATO."....

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[Exit40]

I agree, David. this whole incident, is too coincidental.

Meanwhile, Turkey continues it's cross border incursions and attacks into Iraq against the PKK.

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey now says plane Syria shot down was in international airspace

By ROY GUTMAN
McClatchy Newspapers

ISTANBUL -- Turkey on Sunday called for a meeting of its NATO allies after charging that Syria shot down a Turkish F4 Phantom jet Friday over international waters without any warning.

Both the United States and Great Britain denounced Syria in response to the new Turkish details, and the North Atlantic Council set a meeting for meeting for Tuesday under the NATO treaty, under which any party can call for consultations if it feels its territory or security is threatened. The meeting, however, falls well short of calling for military support.

A Turkish spokesman said Turkey would use the meeting to brief NATO allies and exchange information. He said Ankara reserves the right to respond to the Syrian action at a time and manner of its choosing. A NATO spokesman said the alliance would consult on the incident and decide if further steps are appropriate.

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[Exit40]

Turkey Threatens Force if Syrian Troops Near Border
By SEBNEM ARSU, ALAN COWELL and PAUL GEITNER
Published: June 26, 2012

ISTANBUL — Buoyed by support from NATO allies, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday warned Syrian forces to stay clear of their troubled border or face a Turkish military response to any perceived threat, following the disputed downing of a Turkish warplane.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, of Denmark, at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday. He said NATO condemned Syria's downing of a Turkish military plane.

The Turkish leader’s bellicose tone signaled no discernible easing of tensions between the two Mediterranean neighbors as ambassadors from the NATO alliance, desperate to avoid a wider conflict, held emergency talks in Brussels.

After the meeting, the NATO secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said the alliance considered Syria’s actions in shooting down the Turkish warplane last Friday “unacceptable.”

In a unanimous statement, the NATO allies called the episode “another example of the Syrian authorities’ disregard for international norms, peace and security, and human life.” Turkey is a member of the alliance.....

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High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a99257ea-ab0c ... z1yuY8a0gW

June 25, 2012 12:44 am
Rising power, growing questions
By Daniel Dombey

On a warm evening in Istanbul, the most powerful man in Turkey’s recent history was holding court.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, prime minister, had come that day from a World Economic Forum meeting at a nearby hotel, where he exulted in the country’s achievements under his 10-year rule: average growth of more than 5 per cent a year, a tripling of gross domestic product in dollar terms, increased trade and foreign investment and a rising place in the world.

“The experience we have had is an important example, not just for countries in the region, but for countries in Europe affected by the crisis,” he declared.

The contents of his speech were not Mr Erdogan’s only show of strength that day; so too were the circumstances in which it took place.

Having sworn in 2009 that he would never return to Davos, after a dispute with Shimon Peres, Israel’s president, in the Swiss mountain retreat that year, Mr Erdogan had instead made Davos come to him.

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey won't strike back at Syria, for now
In the wake of the downing of a Turkish fighter jet, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is talking tough but makes it clear there will be no immediate strike against Syria. His stance reflects a reluctance by other nations to get involved in Syria's internal strife.

By Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times
June 27, 2012, 8:39 a.m.
BEIRUT -- In the case of its downed fighter jet, Turkey's bark has proved mightier than its bite.

For days, Turkey has been warning neighboring Syria about the possible consequences of the downing of a Turkish fighter plane in what Ankara says was international airspace in the eastern Mediterranean.

On Tuesday, however, in a much-anticipated address to parliament, Turkish Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan made it clear there would be no immediate retaliatory strike or military action against Syria....

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[Exit40]

Turkey Deploys Antiaircraft Units Along Syrian Border
Published: June 28, 2012

ISTANBUL — As diplomats prepared for a weekend meeting to revive stalled Syria peace efforts, regional tensions swirling around the 16-month-old crisis ticked higher on Thursday as Turkey said it was stationing antiaircraft batteries on the common border following the downing of one of its warplanes.

Word of the border fortification coincided with further suggestions within Syria that insurgents seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad were operating with increasing audacity in an and around the capital, Damascus. The state news agency, SANA, said an explosion rocked the parking lot of the Palace of Justice, a government court building, on Thursday, sending a plume of black smoke into the sky and injuring three people, just a day after a disputed attack on a pro-government satellite television station 14 miles south of the city.

The news agency’s Web site published images of swirling smoke in the parking lot and cars blanketed in white foam sprayed by firefighters.

Earlier, Turkey’s TRT state broadcaster showed convoys of military trucks carrying antiaircraft guns, a multiple rocket launchers and troops toward several border areas near the southern province of Hatay, where thousands of Syrians have taken refuge from the increasingly bloody insurrection against Mr. Assad’s government.....

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[Exit40]

Thursday,June 28 2012, Your time is 10:37:43 AM
CONTRIBUTOR
By 16 Foreign Ministers; the foreign ministers of Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K.

The EU and Turkey: Stronger Together

At a time when the EU faces economic challenges and continuing instability in the Middle East, our relationship with Turkey matters more than ever. Last week saw the 50th EU/Turkey Association Council, which demonstrated the need to work together to promote our shared prosperity, security and values.

Delivering prosperity and mobility

In these tough economic times, increasing trade with Turkey offers opportunities for EU businesses. With a GDP growth rate of 8.5% last year, the second fastest in the G-20 after China, Turkey is now the EU’s fifth largest export market. Turkish entrepreneurs in Europe run businesses worth 40 billion euros, employing half a million people. In sectors like aviation, automobiles and electronics, our economies are increasingly integrated. Turkey is well placed to become an energy hub, with both sides benefiting from projects to build the necessary infrastructure, including development of the southern gas corridor.

The commercial relationship is strong, but could be stronger. While EU/Turkey trade has grown steadily, Turkey’s trade with other regions has grown even faster. This is partly a symptom of the wider shift of economic power to Asia, but also reflects problems with the EU/Turkey Customs Union and other trade restrictions that prevent our commercial relationship from achieving its full potential. Removing these restrictions should form an important part of wider efforts to boost economic growth, building on the recent G-20 Summit and on the European Council later this week.

We welcome the very recent agreement on a path towards visa liberalization, linked to broader cooperation on migration. This has the potential to promote trade, combat illegal immigration and support wider people-to-people contacts. Here, signature by Turkey of the EU/Turkey Readmission Agreement would be a crucial step on the way towards fulfilling Turkish citizens’ aspirations to travel more freely in Europe. As the dialogue between the EU and Turkey on mobility and security grows, we hope to see further concrete results. In this framework, we hope Turkey will extend visa-free travel to EU member states....

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**** Momentum builds. D.

God Bless

David