GUL TO ATTEND NON-ALIGNED SUMMIT IN EGYPT
President Abdullah Gul is scheduled to attend the 15th anniversary summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt this Wednesday and Thursday. During the meeting, where representatives of 118 member countries and 17 observer members will discuss ways to promote a fairer international system that is more respectful of human rights, Gul will represent Turkey, which has guest status. Highlights of the summit's agenda include the global economic crisis, disputes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, tension between India and Pakistan, and the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The support many NAM members gave last fall to Turkey's successful bid for temporary UN Security Council membership helped spur Gul to attend. On the sidelines of the summit, which will also be attended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Gul will also have a number of bilateral meetings with leaders from Africa and South America. NAM's establishment was spearheaded in 1955 by Egypt, India and Yugoslavia in apparent reaction to the postwar bipolar international system. The only European member of the movement is Belarus, while 53 members are from Africa, 38 from Asia, and 26 from Latin America and the Caribbean. /Turkiye/
ANKARA HOSTING INTERGOVERNMENTAL SIGNING CEREMONY FOR NABUCCO
Hosted by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an intergovernmental signing ceremony for the Nabucco project, a planned major pipeline to carry Caspian natural gas to Europe via Turkey, will take place in Ankara today. Among the attendees of the ceremony are top representatives from the project's partner countries, including Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann, Romanian President Traian Basescu, Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev, and Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai. Also set to attend are European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, European Commission Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, US Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy Richard Morningstar, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee head Richard Lugar, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, and energy ministers from Azerbaijan, Syria, Turkmenistan and Egypt. In total, delegations from 18 countries, including potential suppliers and countries that have declared their support for the project, are expected to attend the ceremony. Commenting on the project yesterday, Erdogan said it means Turkey will play a key role in transporting natural gas and petroleum from Asia to Europe. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said that Nabucco would strengthen mutual interdependence and bolster Turkey's importance. Calling the project critical for the diversification of European energy resources, he said it will cost a total of _7.8 billion, with _4.8 billion invested in Turkey, the biggest single direct investment ever in Turkey. The 3,300-kilometer pipeline will pass through five countries, with 2,000 kilometers of it going through Turkey, Yildiz said, adding that its construction will mean at least 5,000 jobs. He also said the signing of the intergovernmental agreement in Ankara carries significance for Turkey's European Union accession membership process as well, as it highlights Turkey's importance for the EU's natural gas needs. He added that Nabucco will promote peace and stability across a vast region. Construction of the pipeline will begin next year, and its first deliveries are expected to reach Europe in 2014. /Hurriyet/
FM DAVUTOGLU SPEAKS WITH CHINESE COUNTERPART ABOUT UIGHUR REGION
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu over the weekend telephoned his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi to discuss the recent unrest in China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. During their conversation, which lasted for over an hour, Davutoglu spoke of Turkey's sensitivities and expectations about the events as well as negative public reaction to the violence and over 180 confirmed deaths. Davutoglu called the Uighur people a bridge of friendship in Chinese-Turkish relations, saying that Turkey is looking at the issue from the standpoint of human rights. Stating that Turkey has no intention of interfering with China's domestic affairs and that it respects China's territorial integrity, Davutoglu added that a swift and transparent investigation into the incidents would help the situation. In related news, World Uighur Congress head Rebiya Kadeer said over the weekend that she appreciated the Turkish public's support for Uighur Turks in East Turkistan. Kadeer also expressed gratitude for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan describing the incidents as genocide. "Our struggle is now being carried to the world media," she added. "We are hopeful for our future. Turkish people embraced their kin from East Turkestan. I believe this time tragedy can turn into triumph." /Milliyet-Aksam/
TRNC'S TALAT VISITING TURKEY
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President (TRNC) Mehmet Ali Talat will arrive in Ankara today to meet with President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug, and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. During the meetings, set for discussion are ongoing Cyprus negotiations, whose first part are almost concluded, and the Turkish side's common stance in them. /Aksam/
GOVT ANNOUNCES MAJOR AGRICULTURAL REFORM PROGRAM
In a press conference over the weekend, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Mehdi Eker announced a comprehensive reform program to rationalize the utilization of Turkey's agricultural resources and boost the sector's productivity. Based on a huge database called the Production and Support Model for Agricultural Basins, which includes wide-ranging information about climate, topography, soil and agriculture in the country's 30 agricultural basins, the program aims to create decision support models to shape government strategies towards enhanced agricultural productivity and production. Stating that thanks to this database, all of Turkey's cultivable lands can be analyzed in light of the above factors, Eker said this will enable efficient decisions on which plants can be grown productively in which parts of the country. He also said the program will also ensure the rational distribution of government financial support to the country's farmers, making productivity, and harmony between plants and the land determinants of that support. The new program will remarkably boost Turkey's agricultural production, he added. /Turkiye/