BABACAN: "A POSSIBLE IMF DEAL WOULD LAST TWO YEARS"
Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan said yesterday that Turkey and the International Monetary Fund have reached an agreement on the length of a possible standby deal, stating that the two-year deal would be to support development in Turkey rather than pull Turkey out of an economic crisis. In a televised interview, Babacan said negotiations between the Fund and Turkey are continuing and that if a deal is reached, it would be publicly announced. He added that he didn't want to create expectations by releasing any details before they come to an agreement. Babacan stated that although small issues have come up during the talks, many of the larger hurdles have been cleared. He added that the IMF had dropped several conditions they had attached to a possible standby. "We have arrived at an agreement with the IMF on the two-year length of a possible standby deal," he said. "We want a deal that ends with the end of 2011, so that we can reevaluate our situation at that time." Speaking on the IMF's outlook on the government's medium-term program, Babacan said that the IMF gave its approval and support for the program after the government sent it the general framework. Though 2009 could be seen as a "lost year" for Turkey's economic performance, it was much better prepared for the global economic crisis than many developed nations, as it made necessary reforms long before the crisis began, Babacan added. /Today's Zaman/
BELGIAN PM LETERME IN ANKARA FOR TALKS
Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme yesterday arrived in Ankara for a two-day working visit. During his stay, Leterme and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan are expected to discuss Turkey's European Union membership bid, efforts to fight terrorism, and other issues of common concern, as Belgium will assume the EU's term presidency in the second half of 2010. Bilateral relations and the Cyprus issue will also be discussed. The Belgian premier will also have talks with President Abdullah Gul. Leterme took the premier's post last month for a second time after his predecessor, Herman Van Rompuy, was appointed the EU's first president. /Hurriyet Daily News/
JAPANESE FM TO LAUNCH YEAR OF JAPAN IN TURKEY
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada will begin a two-day visit to Turkey on Sunday to attend a ceremony marking the start of the 2010 Year of Japan in Turkey, the Japanese Foreign Ministry announced yesterday. During the visit, he is also expected to meet with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu and President Abdullah Gul. Stressing Turkey's important role in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East and Central Asia, the statement also emphasized Turkey's vital role in international political and economic issues as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and a member of the G-20. Okada will speak with people involved in organizing the Year of Japan and visit the sites of Japanese economic projects in Istanbul, the statement said. The Year of Japan festivities will take place throughout the year. Ondekoza, a group featuring drummers Ichitaro and Sato Akihiro and flute player Nakamura Masaki, will hold concerts in Ankara, Istanbul and Yalova throughout the year. Cherry trees, a symbol of Japan, will be planted in 10 Turkish provinces. A Japanese film festival will also be held in Istanbul next month. /Today's Zaman/
JEFFREY: "IF BOTH SIDES AGREE, THE US WILL BACK TURKEY MEDIATING SYRIAN-ISRAELI PEACE TALKS"
Visiting the central Anatolian province of Konya yesterday, US Ambassador to Ankara James Jeffrey met with Governor Nezih Dogan. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Jeffrey said that the US welcomes a possible restarting of Syrian-Israeli peace talks under Turkish mediation. "If both sides agree on a mediator, we will support it," he said, when asked about Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's recent remarks seeming to rule out such a Turkish role. "The US will especially welcome Turkey as a mediator. Until a year ago, Turkey played an extremely important and successful role in indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel." Asked about the rising controversy over Iran's nuclear program, Jeffrey expressed hope that this crisis will come to an end as soon as possible. Praising both Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu for their active promotion of a peaceful solution to the issue, Jeffrey said, "This is a serious problem for the whole world. If international efforts to solve this problem through diplomacy fail, it will be brought to the UN Security Council." In related news, Israeli lawmakers criticized Lieberman for bluntly rejecting Turkey as a mediator in any future peace talks with Syria, saying he is harming Israel's interests. Turkish-mediated indirect talks between Syria and Israel collapsed following Israel's operation in Gaza which ended early this year, leaving 1,400 Palestinians dead. /Turkiye/
CAGLAYAN CONVEYS ERDOGAN'S SUPPORT FOR UAE'S AL MAKTOUM
State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafer Caglayan held talks with officials of the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Caglayan met with UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. During the meeting, Caglayan delivered a letter of support from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Al Maktoum, whose country was recently hit by a severe debt crisis and sought a delay in repayment on billions of dollars of debt for the Dubai World conglomerate. In the letter, Erdogan highlighted the depth of the friendly and historical ties between Turkey and the UAE, and pledged Turkey's continued support for the crisis-hit country. Erdogan expressed his desire to build new bridges of cooperation with the UAE to promote economic, trade, investment and cultural partnerships in the common interests of both their countries and peoples. In response, Al Maktoum asked Caglayan to convey his greetings to Erdogan. He went on to say that the people of the UAE, including its government and leadership, welcome all forms of constructive cooperation between their two countries. He said bilateral trade has already risen to $9 billion annually, adding that he is optimistic about the future of Turkish-UAE relations. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Caglayan said the UAE is a very important trade partner for Turkey and ranked third in Turkey's exports last year. "Thirty-five Turkish companies undertook 77 projects worth $6.2 billion in the UAE, and concluded some of them," he said. "There was a serious drop in Turkey's trade due to the global crisis. Turkey's iron and steel exports to the region fell, as construction particularly in this region slowed down." He added, "The purpose of my visit was to communicate a message from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Al Maktoum reaffirming that Turkish industrialists, entrepreneurs and exporters will continue to work with businessmen of Abu Dhabi and that investments will continue." Caglayan said UAE investments in Turkey total $5 billion, with around 90 companies active mainly in the areas of jewelry, food, furniture, construction, and ready-wear. /Sabah/
ECO-TOURISM A NEW TREND IN TURKEY
In a search for new paths that are both profitable and nature-friendly, as traditional tourism nears a possible saturation point, "eco-tourism" has emerged to suit then sector's needs and expectations. Coined at the 2002 Rio Environment Summit, eco-tourism refers to making the best use of natural resources without harming the environment while contributing to the economic development of locals without affecting their cultures. Among the most suitable destinations for eco-tourism, Turkey is noteworthy especially for its flora, fauna and untouched natural beauty. Eco-tourism could be very profitable for Turkey if practices are put into effect in various parts of the country, Antalya tourism investor Kemal Ergin told the Hurriyet Daily News. "It benefits both tourists and the country," he said. "While tourists pay less for a holiday that goes hand-in-hand with nature instead of spending it inside the walls of a luxurious five-star hotel, the country gains much more from it than any other industry since its total costs are comparatively lower in ensuring a good amount of liquidity." Stressing that eco-tourism requires lower capital costs and shrinks faster in terms of investments, Ergin said it is on the way to becoming one of the strongest trends in the tourism sector. In related news, Turkey attracted nearly 26 million tourists in the first 11 months of this year. Through November, many German, Russian and British tourists came to Turkey, especially its Mediterranean region. Nearly 26 million tourists visited Turkey in the period, a 2.4 percent rise over last year, tourism officials said, including 4.2 million Germans, 2.6 million Russians, 2.3 million British visitors, and tourists from Iran, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Georgia, France, the US, and Italy. Most of the tourists entered the border in the Mediterranean province of Antalya, the southwestern province of Mugla, or Istanbul. The number of Iranian and Arab tourists also rose. Nearly 140,000 Iranian tourists and more than 1 million visitors from the Middle East came to Turkey in the first 11 months. While 70.3 percent of tourists arrived in Turkey by plane, 21.6 percent came by land. /Hurriyet Daily News/