TOP LEADERS CALL FOR RESTRAINT TO PROTECT STATE INSTITUTIONS
In the wake of this week's detentions and arrests of former senior military officers over alleged involvement in a coup plot, President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug met for three hours at the Cankaya Presidential Palace yesterday to discuss ongoing developments, with Gul aiming to ease rising tension over the coup probe. "Issues of recent discussion were dealt with at the meeting," said a statement released after the meeting, which was reportedly held at Gul's suggestion. "Our citizens should rest assured that these issues will be solved within the framework of constitutional order and the law. It was also underlined that everybody should act responsibly in this process in order not to harm state institutions." Speaking to reporters afterwards, Erdogan called the meeting positive, but did not go into details. Asked about his government's plans to reform the Constitution, Erdogan said that their work on that project is continuing. In related news, receiving a delegation led by Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM) head Mehmet Buyukeksi following his meeting with Erdogan and Basbug, Gul reportedly signaled that necessary harmony was achieved among state institutions. The dialogue between state institutions is going well and will improve in the future, Gul reportedly said, urging his visitors to focus on boosting Turkey's exports. /Today's Zaman-Milliyet/
FM DAVUTOGLU MEETS WITH ARMENIAN PRESIDENT
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, attending the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, yesterday met with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. Afterwards, Davutoglu said that the two had a friendly conversation about recent developments in the Caucasus and the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations. /Cumhuriyet/
CAGLAYAN: "TURKEY AND FRANCE SHOULD BOOST TRADE TIES"
Speaking to a meeting of the Turkey-France Joint Economic Committee (JEC) meeting in Ankara yesterday, State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafer Caglayan said that economic ties between Turkey and France fall short of their actual potential and called for their improvement, as well as for joint investments to be pursued in third countries. Telling how Turkey's overall trade volume fell 22 percent last year from 2008 due to the global economic crisis, he said that although its trade with France during the same period didn't rise, the contraction was only 6%, a comparatively small figure. "Trade relations between the two countries can't be affected even by economic crises," he said. Echoing his remarks, French Foreign Trade Minister Anne-Marie Idrac told the gathering that bilateral trade should be increased. Saying that Turkey and France could make joint investments in Africa, the Balkans and Central Asia, she called on Turkish investors to take a more active role in France. /Today's Zaman/
YASED: "HEALTHY DEMOCRACY IS A MUST FOR A STRONG ECONOMY"
Maintaining a healthy democracy is vital to Turkey's economic well-being, participants at a meeting of the International Investors Association (YASED) stressed on Wednesday in Istanbul, urging that there be no further escalation of the current political tension in the country. Speaking separately at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Minister Ali Babacan and YASED Chairwoman Piraye Antika both emphasized the importance of political stability for a strong economy. Babacan said all parties in Turkey should intensify their quest to realize a "first-class democracy," underlining that the government is committed to doing its part to this end. "Turkish democracy is undergoing a transformation; it is improving," he said. "No reform like this is easy to achieve, and nobody should shrink from their responsibilities in this process." Reiterating that a new, modern constitution is critical for this, he called on opposition parties and civil society organizations to help the government in this "process of democratization." Babacan said the government has faith that the Turkish economy will resume rapid growth following recovery of the global financial markets. "We have introduced some critical economic reforms along with a recently introduced mid-term strategy plan," he added. "Today most countries are still working on plans to lift themselves from the crisis." /Today's Zaman/
TURKEY'S AMBASSADOR TO WASHINGTON SUBMITS HIS CREDENTIALS TO OBAMA
Turkey's newly appointed ambassador to Washington, Namik Tan, yesterday submitted his credentials to US President Barack Obama and officially started his duties. Tan succeeds former Ambassador Nabi Sensoy. /Star/