ERDOGAN BRANDS CLAIMS OF "AXIS SHIFT" IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY "DIRTY PROPAGANDA"
Ankara argued yesterday that legitimacy, consistency, and a principled stance, rather than an alleged "axis shift," led to its vote on Wednesday at the UN Security Council rejecting new sanctions against Iran. Turkey and Brazil, both non-permanent members of the council, were the only states among the council's 15 members to vote against the imposition of a fourth round of sanctions against Iran over a nuclear program the West suspects is aimed at developing atomic weapons. Lebanon abstained. A uranium swap deal brokered last month by Turkey and Brazil - a deal almost identical to one proposed by UN atomic watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and backed by the US and other world powers only seven months ago - was the main reason cited by the nations for their "no" votes; they have insisted that the door to diplomacy with Tehran be kept open. "If we hadn't said 'no,' then we would have denied ourselves, we would have denied our signatures on the nuclear swap deal with Iran, which would have been dishonorable," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the opening of a foreign ministerial meeting of the Turkish-Arab Forum in Istanbul. "We wouldn't want any part in such a mistake, because history wouldn't forgive us. Future generations wouldn't forgive us," Erdogan told the meeting attended by ministers from 22 Arab League members. "Today, we're still working to resolve the issue through diplomatic means; these efforts will continue." Turkey's vote against the sanctions was followed by various media reports calling it another sign of a shift in the orientation of Turkish foreign policy. At least one story claimed that Turkey has come "unstuck" from its loyalty to America and the Western alliance, while others argued that Turkey is leading itself into isolation. Speaking at the forum, Erdogan branded charges that Turkey is turning away from the West "dirty propaganda," and pointed to French investments in Syria and other Arab countries. "But when it comes to Turkey investing in Arab countries or vice versa, dirty propaganda tries to impede this process," he argued. "Those who say that Turkey has broken away from the West are the messengers of ill-meant propaganda. We are open to all parts of the world. We're not open to one and closed to another." Asked about claims of Turkey's isolation after its "no" vote, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Burak Ozugergin said, "Since when does acting in a principled manner lead to a country's isolation?" In related news, the Obama administration said that last month's uranium swap deal still remained in place, and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the door was still open to diplomacy with Iran. "We do want them back at the negotiating table," she said. She also hinted that the US might be willing to sit down with Iranian officials as part of a group that includes Turkey and Brazil. /Today's Zaman/
PM ERDOGAN: "TURKEY OFFERS HIGHLY LUCRATIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARAB INVESTORS"
Addressing the third foreign ministers meeting of the Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum (TAC) and the fifth meeting of the TAC Economic Forum in Istanbul yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey rejected new sanctions against Iran's controversial nuclear program in a UN Security Council vote this week because the nuclear swap deal Turkey and Brazil brokered with Tehran last month made new sanctions unnecessary. Reiterating that Turkey wants Iran's nuclear issue to be solved through diplomatic means, Erdogan pledged that Turkey will continue working toward this end. Stating that the swap deal was reached after Turkey, a temporary member of the UN Security Council, consulted with the permanent members, Erdogan said, "They could have acted accordingly if Iran failed to keep its promise. Yet Iran kept its promise and sent a letter. Just when a process was about to begin, they acted to cut off this process by adopting (new) sanctions. They also said that they were open to negotiations. Turkey will work with Brazil and Iran to continue the negotiations. We will make efforts so that the Tehran agreement stays on the table. The world must be managed by diplomacy. We have to succeed by diplomacy. Our votes on Wednesday showed that we stand behind the Tehran agreement. We will succeed through diplomacy. We do not want to be part of a wrong (move)." Stating that Turkey and Arab countries share a common geography and history, culture and civilization, Erdogan said, "Turkey has taken a clear, bold stance on global issues and humanitarian matters without racial, regional or geographical distinctions. We're making great efforts for peace, stability and prosperity in the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Middle East." Touching on Turkey's efforts to boost relations with neighboring and regional countries, Erdogan dismissed claims of an "axis shift" in Turkish foreign policy, saying, "Strengthening friendly relations between Turkey and Arab countries with which we share a common culture and civilization has led some ... especially recently to ask if Turkey has changed its axis or taken a new course. Those who have long tried to hinder Turkey's relations with the Arab world are still trying this today." Those alleging that Turkey is breaking away from the West are spreading ill-intentioned propaganda, Erdogan said, adding that Turkey and the Arab world have been distant from each other for a century due to such propaganda. Many Western states invest in Arab countries, yet we hear dark insinuations about Turkey's investments in the Arab world and Arab investments in Turkey, he said. On the Palestinian issue, Erdogan said there can be no peace and stability in the region as long as Gaza remains under Israeli blockade and urged Arab countries to work harder to solve the issue. Erdogan also urged the international community and organizations to join Turkey in condemning Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last week. "We should boost alliances and work harder in the name of peace," he said. "Turkey is trying to carve itself a role in the region. We believe that the suffering, tragedies, unlawful acts and piracy do serious damage to all the countries in the region and the region itself." Predicting that political and economic ties between Turkey and Arab countries will strengthen dramatically in the years to come, Erdogan said Turkey offers extremely profitable opportunities for Arab investors with its rapidly growing economy, which is fast recovering from the global economic crisis. Erdogan said Turkey is expected to be Europe's fastest-growing economy this year and added, "We aim to make Turkey one of the world's 10 biggest economies in 2023. According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates, Turkey will be the fastest-growing economy among OECD countries in 2011-2017 with a 6.7 percent growth rate." /Sabah/
DAVUTOGLU PROPOSES REGIONAL TRADE ALLIANCE AT TAC MEETING
Turkey is working to create a visa-free trade zone with Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told the Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum (TAC) in Istanbul yesterday. "We want a vehicle to be able to leave Turkey and reach Morocco without having to stop at any border gates," he said, adding that the government would make a declaration on this plan before the weekend. The third meeting of TAC foreign ministers and the fifth meeting of the TAC Economic Forum began with the participation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ystanbul, along with Foreign Minister Davutoglu, Finance Minister Simsek, and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa. Twenty-one countries are participating in the foreign ministers' meeting. In the opening ceremony, Simsek said free trade agreements between Turkey and Arab countries will not only help their economies but also contribute to peace. Saying that trade between Turkey and Arab countries jumped fourfold between 2002 and 2009, Simsek added, however, that this still falls short of its potential. "We should allocate more resources to research and development and investments in infrastructure as well as to train a qualified labor force; this is the key to achieving long-term stability," he said. Touting Turkey's opportunities for foreign investors, Simsek said international organizations have forecast that Turkey will grow by around 6-7 percent this year. Moussa, for his part, argued that Arab countries should develop financial interests with Turkey. He said commercial relations between Turkey and the Arab world should be enhanced, lamenting how Turkey's trade volume with Arab markets fell from a high of TL 40 billion in 2008 due to the global economic crisis. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said at the meeting that Turkey and the Arab nations could establish an integrated economic structure. "This partnership would foster power for Arabs and Turkey in economic and political platforms and in the international arena against challenges in the region," he said. /Today's Zaman/
ARAB NATIONS UNITE IN APPLAUSE FOR TURKEY'S TOUGH ISRAEL STANCE
Arab nations burst into applause yesterday as Turkey's prime minister walked to the podium at a summit, reflecting Turkey's meteoric rise on the world stage amid disputes over Israel's blockade of Gaza and U.N. sanctions against Iran. The Turkish-Arab Economic Forum opened with calls for an international investigation into the May 31 Israeli commando raid on aid ships bound for Gaza, a topic emphasized by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Meanwhile, the participant nations condemned Israel in the final declaration of the forum. "Are we going to remain silent over the murder of nine people? We can't turn a blind eye to this banditry in international waters," Erdogan told the Turkish-Arab Economic Forum. "From now on, this can't continue as it is." Arab league chief Amr Moussa also accused Israel continued "atrocity and assault" in violation of human rights and international law and praised Turkey for challenging Israel on the raid that left eight Turkish activists and a Turkish-American teenager dead. Israel insists its commandoes acted in self-defense after being attacked by pro-Palestinian activists on the aid ships. Moussa said the nine dead "are our martyrs as well." Turkey's popularity in the Muslim world has surged as it led the world in condemning Israel for the raid on ships trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. Turkey - a non-Arab, predominantly Muslim country - also won favor among Arab allies for objecting to new sanctions against Iran, which the UN Security Council passed Wednesday after rejecting an Iranian nuclear fuel swap-deal brokered by Ankara. "Arms, embargoes and exclusion are not working," Erdogan said, adding that the world was paying a heavy price as a result of such policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. "There are hundreds of thousands of widows, who will account for this? There are orphans, who will account for this? Those who turn this geography into this (mess) have to be held accountable." Erdogan strongly rejected allegations in the West that Turkey was shifting toward the East, describing such claims as "evil intentioned" and attempts to prevent Turkey from establishing relations with the Arab world. Erdogan stressed Turkey's commitment to its membership bid in the European Union, but at the same time accused the EU countries of not being sincere and raising obstacles. Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri and other foreign ministers from about 15 other Arab nations also attended the summit. Hariri said the Middle East was suffering under Israel's "criminal and barbaric" attitude. "We support Turkey's demands not only about the international investigation, but for Israel to apologize," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said. "We support Turkey's demand to try those behind these acts." Turkey also says Israel's partial easing of its Gaza blockade was not enough. At another summit in Istanbul earlier this week, Turkey and 21 Asian countries urged Israel to join the nuclear nonproliferation treaty and place its nuclear capabilities under the safeguards of the International Atomic Agency. Turkey said Israel should not be left out from any scrutiny of its alleged nuclear arsenal, which Israel has never confirmed, and also said Iran should be able to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. /Hurriyet Daily News/
DEFENSE MINISTER GONUL ATTENDS NATO SUMMIT IN BRUSSELS
Cost-cutting measures headlined a NATO defense ministers' summit in Brussels yesterday attended by Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul. In line with these measures, NATO command posts in both Izmir and Larissa, Greece are set to be closed down. In related news, Gonul met with his Spanish counterpart Carme Chacon Piqueras on the sidelines of the meeting. /Milliyet/
FIVE TURKISH DEPUTIES ELECTED TO DUTCH PARLIAMENT
At least five deputies of Turkish origin were elected to the Dutch Parliament in Wednesday's general elections: Nebahat Albayrak and Metin Celik (Labor Party), Coskun Coruz (Christian Democrats), Fatma Koser Kaya (Democrats 66), and Saadet Karabulut (Socialist Party). All except for Celik were sitting deputies reelected to new terms. In addition, up to six other Turkish-Dutch candidates may also be able to claim victory after the final distribution of seats is announced. /Aksam/
IMF HEAD SEES BRIGHT FUTURE FOR TURKISH ECONOMY
In the future, Turkey will be one of the world's most important economies, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said yesterday. Speaking to reporters after the sixth meeting of the Turkish Investment Advisory Council in Istanbul, Strauss-Kahn said that if it adopts international standards, Turkey could stay on the path towards a higher league. The IMF head also said that Turkey has managed the global economic crisis well since the beginning, adding that the Turkish economy is currently strong. Saying that now is the time for recovery, Strauss-Kahn said the IMF would continue to watch Turkey's current account deficit, saying that fiscal discipline is very important. A final declaration issued at the close of the meeting said new reforms are needed in the investment environment in order to boost Turkey's productivity and protect its global competitive edge. The meeting brought together the chairmen, CEOs, or deputy chairmen of 18 global giants. Among the participants were Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan, the IMF's Strauss-Kahn, and World Bank Vice President Philippe Le Houerou. Heads of leading Turkish business organizations, such as the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD), Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges TOBB), Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM) and International Investors' Association of Turkey (YASED), also attended. /Turkiye/