ADDRESSING ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT IN LIBYA, ERDOGAN URGES RESOLUTION OF PALESTINIAN ISSUE
Speaking at an Arab League summit meeting in Sitre, Libya over the weekend, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Palestinian issue is the most important problem in the region and that it cries out for an immediate solution. Stating that Turks and Arabs share not only a common geography but also a common culture, civilization and beliefs, Erdogan said that all problems in the region can be overcome through sound cooperation. Turkey places great importance on the Arab League and is pleased with the group's influence in both regional issues and global politics, Erdogan said. "Turkey is ready to cooperate with the Arab League in any area. It will do whatever it can," he said. On Palestine, Erdogan said the international community faces tough new tests to revive the peace process there. "Jerusalem carries great importance for the whole region and the Islamic world. Israel's attacks on Jerusalem and its holy sites are unacceptable," he said. Erdogan also said Israel's blockade of the Gaza strip is causing a humanitarian tragedy to unfold before the eyes of the international community. "Five thousand families in Gaza are living in tents. Humanity should raise its voice against this situation," he said, urging an immediate end to the Israeli blockade. The international community should do whatever is necessary to normalize conditions in the region, he also urged. Turkey sees solving the Palestinian issue as key to achieving peace and stability in the region, he stressed. /Hurriyet Daily News/
ERDOGAN SLAMS ISRAEL'S STANCE ON JERUSALEM
Slamming Israel's policy of considering all of Jerusalem as its capital, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the weekend charged that Israel is violating international law by building homes in East Jerusalem, and so added pressure for a halt in construction there. "This is madness," Erdogan said of Israel's Jerusalem policy in a speech delivered on Saturday, the first day of an annual Arab League summit. The summit hosted by Libya was aimed at discussing a common strategy towards Israel's plans to build new Jewish homes in annexed East Jerusalem. "Jerusalem is the apple of every Muslim's eye ... and we can't accept any Israeli violation in Jerusalem or in Muslim sites," Erdogan said. He called Israel's decision to build more than 1,600 houses for Jews in parts of Jerusalem that it captured in 1967 "unacceptable and unjustifiable." He added, "With these positions, Israel is not just violating international law, but also human feelings and history." The US, Israel's strongest ally, as well as the European Union, Arab states and the Palestinians have condemned the construction program. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa also urged the 22-nation bloc to engage directly with Iran over concerns about its growing influence and nuclear activities. At the summit Moussa presented an engagement plan involving a forum for regional cooperation and conflict resolution including non-Arab nations, including Iran and Turkey. His plan comes as the US and other Western powers push for a fresh round of sanctions over Iran's nuclear defiance. "I realize that some are worried about Iran, but that is precisely why we need dialogue," Moussa said. Erdogan, whose government is extremely reluctant to join the US-led push to further punish Iran for its controversial nuclear ambitions, saying diplomatic means should be pursued instead of imposing new sanctions, immediately endorsed the plan. On Sunday, Erdogan and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi held a closed-door meeting which was described as productive, warm and frank. The two agreed to pursue greater cooperation between their countries. /Today's Zaman/
DUE IN TURKEY TODAY, GERMANY'S MERKEL SET TO DISCUSS BILATERAL TIES, MIDEAST PEACE, IRAN
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to arrive in Ankara today for a two-day official visit focusing on bilateral relations, particularly trade ties, and a number of issues of common concern such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and the Middle East peace process. In a video posted on her official website, Merkel said that the Middle East peace efforts and Iran's nuclear program would be discussed in her talks with top Turkish officials. She said Germany wants to see Tehran acting transparently on its nuclear ambitions. "Otherwise, the German government favors that sanctions be imposed on Iran," she added. "It is an issue which we will also discuss in Ankara." Merkel said she was very happy to be visiting Turkey, adding that she had very good relations with both President Abdullah Gul and her Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Merkel will also hold talks in Istanbul. In related news, Erdogan reiterated his call for diplomatic means to resolve the dispute between the West and Iran over Tehran's controversial nuclear program. "What we need here is nothing but diplomacy. Anything else would threaten global peace and yield nothing," Erdogan told German weekly Der Spiegel. Asked about International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) doubts that Iran would use nuclear power for civilian purposes only and whether Turkey would support sanctions on Tehran, Erdogan said the IAEA has no such doubts. "Past sanctions on Iran have failed to yield any results. US and German goods reach Iran, albeit indirectly. There are Mercedes and Peugeots in Iran," Erdogan said. "We do not want nuclear weapons in our region. And this is what I have told the Iranian president, too." Dismissing a US House panel's recent passage of a resolution seeking official recognition of the so-called Armenian "genocide" claims, Erdogan said the US and other countries are not parties to the issue. Stating that Turkey was established on the remains of the Ottoman Empire, Erdogan said, "We're ready to face our history but the Armenian side should be ready to do same as well." Stressing that there was no "genocide" but rather civil strife and fighting caused by revolting Armenian armed groups who sought to establish an Armenian state in eastern Anatolia with the support of the invading Russian Army during World War I, Erdogan said many Turks and Armenians alike lost their lives in those incidents. "This should be examined carefully," he said. Erdogan also dismissed Merkel's "privileged partnership" proposal in lieu of full European Union membership, saying that Turkey is continuing its EU accession talks towards full membership. "There is no other eventual option for Turkey," he said. Stating that Turkey and the EU need each other, Erdogan said, "Turkey won't bring an additional burden on the shoulders of the Union but on the contrary, it will lighten the 27-member bloc's burden." /Turkiye/
DAVUTOGLU, CLINTON DISCUSSES "GENOCIDE" RESOLUTION ON PHONE
In a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu discussed the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement process and a US House panel's recent passage of a resolution seeking to recognize the so-called Armenian "genocide" claims. During the 40-minute conversation, Davutoglu relayed Turkey's hope that President Barack Obama will consider Turkey's sensitivities in his speech this year marking April 24 Armenian Remembrance Day. The negative impact third countries are having on the rapprochement process between Turkey and Armenia by mistakenly trying to judge history should be clear by now, he said. "As befits a global power, we expect the US government to adopt a stance that brings countries closer to each other, rather than alienating them," said Davutoglu. "The ongoing normalization process between Turkey and Armenia, which will positively affect peace and stability in the entire Caucasus as well, should not be allowed to fall victim to domestic political calculations." He urged Washington to take into account Turkey's positive ideas for not only the Caucasus but also other regions, making clear that Turkey will never bow to pressure, no matter its source. Davutoglu and Clinton also exchanged views on the results of recent Iraqi parliamentary elections. /Hurriyet/
NATO CHIEF: "THE EU DEFENSE ARM NEEDS TURKEY"
NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Saturday urged the European Union to bring Turkey into the bloc's defense development arm and security structures. "Why doesn't the EU grant such an arrangement to Turkey?" said Rasmussen, in a pointed demand for Ankara, which provides NATO with one its biggest armed forces, to join the European Defense Agency (EDA), a mainly research and development arm. His call, delivered to top policymakers attending a transatlantic security conference in Brussels, was directed squarely at listening EU parliament head Jerzy Buzek. The former Danish premier has actively courted Ankara since before it dropped opposition to his appointment last year at the last minute. Rasmussen said that Brussels should also conclude a security partnership with Ankara, and involve non-EU countries in decisions affecting its mission to Bosnia. "Turkey is the second-largest contributor to the EU operation in Bosnia ... but the EU does not provide non-EU contributors with the opportunity to contribute" to policy and decision-making, he said, adding that it is "essential" it does. /Hurriyet Daily News/
CICEK ATTENDS NEVRUZ CELEBRATIONS IN TEHRAN
Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek participated in Nevruz celebrations in Tehran, Iran over the weekend. Speaking at the celebrations, Cicek said Nevruz, which heralds the start of spring, represents a common value and cultural marker among various countries of the region. "The people gathered here are not unknown to each other," he said. "We have to be friends and brothers. We are nations who keep a common culture such as Nevruz and common values alive." Also attending the celebrations in Tehran were Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Tajikistan's President Imam Ali Rahman, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov, and Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Memmedyarov. "I think this gathering is very meaningful," said Cicek. "We need solidarity, we need cooperation, and we need to keep our common values alive together." /Sabah/
TOP TURKISH BUSINESS WOMAN ELECTED TO PRINCE'S CHARITIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Suzan Sabancı Dincer, the general manager of Akbank, one of Turkey's leading private banks, has been elected to the advisory committee of The Prince's Charities, a group of not-for-profit organizations of which Charles, Prince of Wales, is president, the group announced on Sunday.In a written statement, Dincer said it is an honor for her to be a member of the committee, drawing attention to the need for cooperation between all social institutions internationally. The largest multi-cause charitable enterprise in the UK, the group consists of 20 charities, 18 of which were founded personally by Prince Charles. Raising more than 100 million pounds annually, the organizations are active across a broad range of areas. /Today's Zaman/