RESHUFFLED CABINET TO HOLD FIRST MEETING TOMORROW
After meeting with President Abdullah Gul at the Cankaya Presidential Palace late Friday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a major Cabinet reshuffle, with nine new ministers, ten ministers retained, and eight gone. Among those who lost their seats are Deputy Prime Minister Nazim Ekren, Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, Education Minister Huseyin Celik, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Mehmet Hilmi Guler, State Minister Murat Basesgioglu, State Minister Kursad Tuzmen and State Minister Mustafa Said Yazicioglu. Erdogan said those removals had nothing to do with any mistakes made by the officials. The most striking appointments were those of former Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and Ahmet Davutoglu, Erdogan`s chief foreign policy advisor, now named foreign minister from outside Parliament, taking over the post from Ali Babacan. Babacan was made a deputy prime minister responsible for coordinating the country`s economy. Arinc became one of the three deputy prime ministers. The last deputy prime minister is still Cemil Cicek, who kept his seat. Selma Aliye Kavaf and Cevdet Yilmaz, two of the Cabinet`s nine new faces, became ministers of state. Other newcomers are Nihat Ergun as industry and commerce minister, Sadullah Ergin as justice minister, Omer Dincer as labor and social security minister, Taner Yildiz as energy and natural resources minister, and Mustafa Demir as public works and housing minister. Retaining their seats are State Minister and chief negotiator for EU talks Egemen Bagis, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Interior Minister Besir Atalay, Health Minister Recep Akdag, Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Mehdi Eker, Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay and Environment and Forestry Minister Veysel Eroglu. Besides Babacan, six other ministers` positions were changed in the Cabinet. Hayati Yazici was appointed minister of state from the position of deputy prime minister, and former State Ministers Mehmet Simsek and Nimet Cubukcu became the finance and education ministers, respectively. Faruk Nafiz Ozak, Zafer Çaglayan and Faruk Celik also left their posts to become state ministers. The distribution of duties among the state ministers has not yet been determined and will be announced later. "I decided to make changes in the economic administration," Erdogan told reporters. "We wanted the economy minister to be much more powerful and manage the economy with a single hand." Babacan, state minister for the economy before his recent posting as foreign minister, will be the economy`s new coordinator. The revamped Cabinet is set to have its first meeting tomorrow. /All papers/
ERDOGAN: "WE`RE WORKING TO MAKE TURKEY A HOPE FOR STABILITY IN ITS REGION"
With its democratic structure, strong economy, and contributions to regional and global peace, Turkey is working to be a hope for stability in the region, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday. Speaking at the opening of the 2009 World Jewelry Congress in Istanbul, Erdogan said he was pleased to see the participants of the congress in Istanbul, a city that has been a home to world civilizations. "As you see in the congress` slogan, Istanbul is a city that connects the East with the West," he said. "Istanbul is a city that connects two continents, two cultures and two cultural geographies." He added, "You, the distinguished representatives of the world jewelry sector, will have a chance to see Istanbul and discover the gems of this city. You will witness how historical artifacts in Istanbul were made as if they came out of the hands of an expert jeweler. I am pleased to see that you will be experiencing Istanbul, a city I served as mayor from 1994 to 1998." Touting the economic record of his government over the last seven years, Erdogan reiterated that they are continuing to take all necessary measures to cushion the blow of the global economic crisis. Thanks to these measures, Turkey is feeling the crisis less than other developing countries, he said, adding that the government will continue to strictly follow the country`s economic program. Expressing his resolve to protect Turkey`s economic, domestic and foreign policy momentum, Erdogan also said that after the crisis has passed Turkey will continue its developmental progress with its stable, high economic growth rate and as a foreign trade and investment magnet. Erdogan also said that Turkey would determinedly continue EU reforms despite the obstacles in its path, and that it will continue to promote regional peace and stability, which is critical for economic development. On Saturday, addressing the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB), Erdogan defended his government from criticisms that it underestimated the crisis and was slow to take action. He said he was striving to keep in close touch with both employers and workers unions to address the problems firsthand. "Current figures show we were right to suggest that Turkey will sustain only limited damage," he said. /Turkiye/
IRAQI SHIITE LEADER AL-SADR VISITS TURKEY
Iraqi Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr arrived in Ankara late last week to hold a series of talks on Iraq`s political process as part of Turkey`s efforts to seek compromise among Iraqi groups from different ethnic and sectarian origins to ensure the smooth continuation of the country`s democratic process. Al-Sadr was received by President Abdullah Gul at the Cankaya Presidential Palace and also met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey`s Special Envoy to Iraq Murat Ozcelik was also present during the latter meeting with al-Sadr, who is known for his strong opposition to the American occupation of Iraq. The meetings were closed to the press and no statements were released. After completing his talks in Ankara, al-Sadr proceeded to Istanbul to attend a meeting held under Turkey`s auspices bringing together representatives of Iraqi Shiite groups to seek consensus on efforts to shape Iraq`s future. Five Iraqi deputies also attended this meeting. Analysts say the visit offered al-Sadr an important opportunity to participate in the democratic process in Iraq under Turkey`s mediation. They also say that Turkey is expected to assume a more active role in Iraq in the years ahead while the US is preparing to withdraw most of its troops in the country within two years. Al-Sadr spokesperson Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi confirmed that they had asked Turkey to be a more active player in the Middle East for the sake of the region. "Turkey is a good, old friend. Trusting that, we had no hesitation in traveling here," he said. Al-Obeidi also stated that they don`t plan to establish a political party but that they have a say in politics. He added that they are still considering which party to support in general elections later this year. Iraq`s 275-member Parliament has about 30 al-Sadr loyalists. Al-Sadr, opposed to proposals favoring a confederation of the country, supports the idea of a strong Iraqi central government. Agreeing with Turkey`s position on Kirkuk, he does not want it to be left under Kurdish control. /Sabah
TURKEY, GERMANY, AND HUNGARY GIVE SUPPORT FOR 2010 ECOC
Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan released a joint statement on behalf of Turkey, Germany and Hungary yesterday following a meeting with representatives from the three countries at Istanbul`s Dolmabahce Palace. Toptan said the three countries had reiterated their commitment and support for the 2010 European Capital of Culture (ECOC) project. The ECOC is a title designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which a city is given a chance to showcase its cultural life and development. Istanbul was recently awarded ECOC status for 2010, along with Essen, Germany and Pécs, Hungary. Toptan said Turkey had brought a new dimension to its cooperation with the EU through the 2010 ECOC project, also praising improving inter-parliamentary relations with Germany and Hungary. Toptan later accompanied the Turkish, German and Hungarian delegations as they saw an exhibit at the palace on friendly relations between the three countries. In other news, asked about last week`s major Cabinet reshuffle, Toptan yesterday said, "In politics, these kinds of changes always bring a new excitement and mark a new beginning." He wished success to the new Cabinet members, whom he praised as experienced, and added that the reshuffle did not mean the displaced ministers had failed. Toptan also expressed hope that Turkey would benefit from the changes. /Turkiye/
NEW FM DAVUTOGLU TO TAKE OATH OF OFFICE TOMORROW
Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey`s first foreign minister appointed from outside Parliament, will take his oath office in Parliament tomorrow. As he is not a deputy, Davutoglu will be able to assume his post after the swearing-in. /Star/
AMID CONTINUED FLU CONCERNS, DETECTION MEASURES TIGHTENED AT TURKISH AIRPORTS
Mexico`s flu outbreak appeared to be easing with a fall in serious cases, the government said, but world health officials warned the unpredictable virus could still become a pandemic. "Each day there are fewer serious cases and the mortality has been decreasing," Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova told a news conference in Mexico City, where millions were heeding government advice to stay at home. Of the more than 100 suspected deaths from the new H1N1 virus that have emerged in Mexico, 19 had been confirmed, Cordova said. Mexico had already scaled back from its original estimate of 176 suspected deaths. However, new cases of the mongrel virus, which mixes swine, avian and human flu strains, were still being tracked across the world. Costa Rica, Italy and Ireland confirmed cases of the disease, which has now been found in 18 countries. In Geneva, the World Health Organization said the H1N1 influenza had not spread in a sustained way outside North America, as required before the pandemic alert is raised to its highest level. But it said that would probably happen soon. In related news, Health Minister Recep Akdag late last week conducted inspections of measures taken at Istanbul Ataturk Airport against possible carriers of the disease. Akdag was briefed by airport officials and saw personnel use thermal cameras to measure the body temperatures of passengers arriving on a flight from Spain. Any traveler arriving at the airport whose temperature is found to be unusually high then has their temperature taken using a second aural device. He later told reporters that thermal cameras can detect whether a person`s body temperature is above 38.5 degrees Celsius. He explained that cameras were only used for scanning purposes and that officials take the utmost care not to cause passengers any discomfort. "We are planning to increase the number of these devices to 10. Currently, they are installed in three locations," he said, adding that there are two thermal cameras at the two airports in Istanbul and one at Esenboga in Ankara. Akdag indicated that they are planning to install one thermal camera each in the Izmir, Dalaman and Bodrum airports, and two at the airport in Antalya. They may consider having additional cameras in airports with a high number of arrivals such as at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. He maintained that Turkey is one step ahead of the World Health Organization (WHO) on efforts to contain the spread of the swine flu virus. "The WHO advices that this practice (use of thermal cameras) should be applied to arrivals from the countries where this disease first broke out, but we apply it to all arrivals," he said. Suggesting that these measures may help to identify infected individuals entering the country, Akdag pointed to the disease`s incubation period. "Currently, there is no case of swine flu in Turkey," he said. "People shouldn`t be worried about catching the virus if they haven`t visited a foreign country or been in contact with a person coming from abroad, even if they have the symptoms of flu or the common cold." /Today`s Zaman/
TURKEY TAKES COMMAND OF GULF OF ADEN ANTI-PIRATE FORCE
South Task Group Commander Gen. Erdem Caner Bener yesterday assumed command of an anti-pirate force in the Gulf of Aden from US Gen. Michelle Howard at a handover ceremony in Bahrain`s Manama Harbor. Turkey is expected to command the force until August 15. /Cumhuriyet/
TOBB REELECTS CHAIRMAN HISARCIKLIOGLU
Rifat Hisarciklioglu on Saturday was reelected chairman of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) at its 64th general assembly in Ankara. With 1,362 votes, Hisarciklioglu will be TOBB head for the next four years. Legally, no head of the group can serve more than two four-year terms. Hisarciklioglu was first elected in June 2001. /Today`s Zaman/