DURING ERDOGAN VISIT, OBAMA REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR TURKEY'S REGIONAL ROLE
Amid speculation that Turkey may be turning away from the West, Washington this week clearly voiced its appreciation of Turkey's role in promoting world peace. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Barack Obama reaffirmed during a meeting on Monday at the White House that defending each other has been an obligation for the two NATO allies. Despite differences between Turkish and US approaches towards the Iranian nuclear issue, and Ankara's unwillingness to change the parameters of the mission of Turkish troops in Afghanistan despite an official US request for more troops, including combat troops, and more flexibility on the Afghanistan mission, messages delivered by both Erdogan and Obama following the meeting reflected a mutual determination to flesh out the declared "model partnership" between Ankara and Washington. During a landmark visit to Turkey this April, Obama refrained from characterizing relations between Turkey and the US as a "strategic partnership," but rather suggested building a "model partnership" based on ideals and values. "Turkey is a NATO ally, which means that we are pledged to defend each other. . And given Turkey's history as a secular democratic state that respects the rule of law, but is also a majority-Muslim nation, it plays a critical role I think in helping to shape mutual understanding and stability and peace not only in its neighborhood but around the world," Obama told a joint press conference following the talks. As Obama pressed him for more support to curb Iran's nuclear program, Erdogan said he is willing to serve as a diplomatic channel to Tehran. Obama said he told Erdogan how important it is to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue in a way that allows Iran to pursue peaceful nuclear energy but provides assurances that it will abide by international rules and norms. "I believe that Turkey can be an important player in trying to move Iran in that direction," Obama said. "Turkey can play the role of a negotiator or a mediator," Erdogan said, adding he had made that suggestion to Obama and the two were in agreement on Iran's nuclear program. "As long as Iran is willing to increase its nuclear capability for civilian purposes or peaceful purposes, we will never have a negative approach towards this demand," he said. But he said if Iran's nuclear program was aimed at building weapons of mass destruction, "those problems can only be solved through diplomatic means." /Today's Zaman/
ERDOGAN TELLS EU TO FIX ITS FOREIGN POLICY ORIENTATION
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week once again dismissed speculation that Turkey is reorienting its foreign policy away from the West and said the European Union, by casting doubt on its membership promises to Turkey, is the one that should answer questions about its policy orientation. In speeches at both Johns Hopkins University and the Washington branch of the Ankara-based Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) following his meeting with US President Barack Obama on Monday, Erdogan brushed aside arguments suggesting that Turkey's foreign policy orientation has been shifting away from the West. "Turkey cannot lose the West while looking towards the East; cannot lose the East while looking towards the West; cannot lose the South while looking towards the North; cannot lose the North while looking towards the South," Erdogan said, underlining EU candidate Turkey's democratic and secular structure. Claims over a shift in Turkey's foreign policy orientation are "deliberate" and "unfair," he said, adding that as a member of the Western alliance, Turkey's ability to speak with everyone should be seen as "an opportunity." Stating that regional issues around Turkey have global importance, Erdogan said for this reason, Turkey's efforts to resolve regional issues serve global peace. "There is nothing such as a shift of orientation, etc. It's a normalization process. If there is something such as a shift in orientation that has to do with Europe, it should urgently be dealt with," Erdogan said, apparently criticizing EU member states such as France and Germany who have proposed options to Turkey that fall short of full membership. Erdogan also reiterated his sensitivity over poor conditions in Gaza. "Israel has to end domestic opinion differences so that problems between Israel and Turkey can also be overcome," he said. He added that there are conflicting messages from the Israeli coalition partners on Turkey's possible mediation of talks between Israel and Syria. /Today's Zaman/
CHIEF EU NEGOTIATOR BAGIS URGES GREEK CYPRUS TO WORK FOR SETTLEMENT
State Minister and Chief Negotiator for European Union membership talks Egemen Bagis yesterday called on Greek Cyprus to work sincerely to reach an agreement with Turkish Cyprus for reunification of the island. "We expect that the Greek Cypriot administration will quit dabbling with vessel trafficking schedules and concentrate on taking honest steps with its counterpart towards a solution," Bagis told reporters in Washington, where he was accompanying Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on an official visit, referring to an EU foreign ministers resolution on Tuesday expressing regret over Turkey's refusal to open its ports to Greek Cypriot vessels. In a resolution, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels for a General Affairs council meeting said Turkey had made no progress towards normalization of relations with the Greek Cypriot administration, saying they would check the situation again next year. "On this basis, the council will continue to closely follow and review progress made. Progress is now expected without further delay," said the resolution. "The Cyprus problem cannot be solved by simply letting [Greek Cypriot] vessels into Turkish ports," Bagis said. "Time is running out fast. It is up to the Greek Cypriot administration to choose between settlement and deadlock." He said the council's resolution in general reaffirmed Turkey's accession bid proceeding without any interruption. "We welcome efforts by almost all EU members and their common sense to pass the resolution as it is, which is in Turkey's favor. I would especially like to thank the Swedish term presidency in this context," Bagis said. In related news, speaking in Washington, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu criticized what he called unfair treatment of Turkey's EU accession bid, and said that it is the EU which is seeing an axis shift in its policies, not Turkey. Davutoglu also reiterated Turkey's criticism of Israel's Gaza offensive, saying, "Israel used phosphorus bombs in Gaza, and this is a criminal act." /Turkiye/
SIMSEK URGES FRANCE TO CONSIDER TURKEY'S STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek yesterday said that France should keep in mind Turkey's strategic importance and not make populist decisions based on short-term gains. "Turkey is an important country with its history and culture. It is an important country for Europe," Simsek told a conference in Lille, France on joint business and investment opportunities between the two countries. Simsek said Turkey is not an ordinary rising market, as it has the second-largest population in Europe and the sixth-largest economy. He said EU is the engine of economic and political changes of countries in Europe, adding that Turkey is also changing. Simsek said the Turkish banking sector proved its solidity in the face of the world economic crisis and would assume a large role in growth after the crisis. "The Turkish banking sector may be the world's most profitable," he added. Simsek stressed that without Turkey Europe can't be a global power, saying Turkey would bring added value to the EU. Simsek said Turkey places importance on renewable energy and that it has great potential in wind and geothermal energy. Asked about the Maastricht criteria, Simsek said, "Turkey is working to fulfill the obligations of these criteria. Targets are about to be fulfilled in inflation and interest rates." On joint investment, Simsek said Turkish companies could cooperate with French firms on agriculture, energy and infrastructure projects. /Hurriyet/
US DEVELOPMENT AGENCY NAMES TURKEY 'COUNTRY OF THE YEAR'
The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has announced the Republic of Turkey as the recipient of its 2009 Country of the Year award. USTDA Acting Director Leocadia I. Zak presented the award to Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan yesterday in Washington. "USTDA is delighted to add Turkey to the distinguished list of high-performing partners who have earned the agency's Country of the Year award," said Zak. "This important award reflects the strong economic relationship between Turkey and the United States, and I am very proud that USTDA has been able to contribute to this relationship." In related news, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Washington visit this week was used to diversify the strong political and military cooperation between the two allies with the launch of an initiative aimed at boosting trade and investment ties. "We can ... build on what is a good trade and commercial relationship and make it a much more robust one," US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said at a press conference with Babacan. The initiative creates a new Cabinet-level forum to discuss ways to expand the flow of bilateral trade and investment and to try to resolve disputes when they arise, similar to an agreement the US has with China. "I am incredibly optimistic about the prospect of stronger and stronger ties between the United States and Turkey that will be based not only on our NATO relationship, our military-to-military relationship, our strategic relationship, but also increasing economic ties," said US President Barack Obama on Monday. "And one of the concrete outcomes of this trip is to follow through on discussions that I had with both Prime Minister Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul in Turkey to stand up a strategic working group around economic issues and improving commercial ties." The initiative has been widely characterized as another concrete sign of the mutual desire to make the model partnership more substantial. /Today's Zaman/