GUL: "THE TURKISH-AZERI SPIRIT OF ONE NATION RISES ABOVE ALL"
The ties of friendship and brotherhood between Turkey and Azerbaijan and their commitment to the spirit of "one nation, two states" rises above all, President Abdullah Gul, on a two-day official visit to Azerbaijan, said yesterday. Speaking to reporters before meeting with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Baku, Gul said, "In Azerbaijan, we're actually in our own country, on home soil, and among brothers." After their meeting, Gul and Aliyev also co-chaired an interdelegational meeting, accompanied by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz. Speaking at a joint press conference afterwards, Gul highlighted the importance Turkey places on stability in the Caucasus. Touching on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Gul reiterated Turkey's stance that it should be resolved in line with Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azeri territory, was invaded by Armenia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, prompting Turkey to close its border with Armenia in solidarity with Azerbaijan. In recent years, Turkey has taken important steps to normalize relations with Armenia as part of its policy of zero problems with neighboring countries. The two countries signed historic rapprochement protocols last October to restore diplomatic ties and reopen their sealed border. But this process came to an impasse due to Armenia's refusal to take steps towards solving the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Turkey has repeatedly made it clear that normalization of relations with Armenia depends on solving the issue in line with Azeri territorial integrity under international law. In Baku, Gul also visited the tomb of late Azeri President Haydar Aliyev and the Turkish Cemetery. Speaking at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which honors Ottoman Turkish soldiers who fought to save Baku from Armenian and Bolshevik forces during World War I, Gul said you can see names and birthplaces from both sides of the border there. Gul also visited the Azeri Parliament, and Aliyev gave him a tour of Baku by automobile. /Sabah/
GUL, ERDOGAN REBUFF CLAIMS OF US ULTIMATUM TO TURKEY
Speaking to reporters en route to Azerbaijan for an official visit yesterday, President Abdullah Gul brushed aside press reports that US President Barack Obama warned Turkey it could lose its chance to obtain US-made weapons over its position on Israel and Iran, suggesting that people uncomfortable with Turkey's new activist foreign policy were behind the false report. "I would have known about it had there been such a warning," he said. "There is no problem in our relations with the US. Turkey has been pursuing a constructive policy in every field. But, for some, the Turkey that they were used to no longer exists. Instead, there is a Turkey that plays an active role in many processes. This is puzzling for some." The Financial Times reported on Sunday that Obama warned Erdogan about the issue during a meeting in Toronto at the G-20 gathering in late June, just weeks after the flotilla incident with Israel and Turkey voting against imposing new sanctions on Iran at the UN Security Council. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also played down the FT report, saying that Turkey enjoys very good relations with the US. "There are some distortions both at home and abroad," he said in a TV interview. "The US Congress can have different opinions about arms sales to Turkey. Our Parliament can also think differently about some matters. We feel comfortable with this. Such things may happen in international relations." Erdogan stressed that Turkish-US ties are quite good and that there's no trouble in the bilateral relationship. The US administration has not notified Congress of any big arms sale to Turkey to date this year. Earlier, Turkey sought six Predator unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and two armed versions of the Predator UAVs, also known as Reapers, from the US, defense analyst Lale Kemal said. In September, the Obama administration notified Congress of a possible $7.8 billion sale of Patriot PAC-3 antimissile batteries and related gear to Turkey, a transaction that would be one of the biggest US government-to-government arms sales in years. Kemal said the administration's request for permission to sell arms reached Congress, according to her sources, but she said the administration might also think of putting the delivery of the arms on hold depending on Turkey's position regarding Israel and Iran. /Today's Zaman, Star/
WHITE HOUSE DENIES REPORT OF ULTIMATUM TO TURKEY
The White House yesterday denied a newspaper report claiming that Washington warned Ankara that weapons sales to Turkey would be jeopardized if it didn't change its position on Israel and Iran. A story in Sunday's Financial Times said that during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Toronto early this summer, US President Barack Obama personally delivered the warning to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to the story, Obama's warning is significant as Ankara wants to buy US drone aircraft, such as the missile-bearing Reaper, to use in its fight against the terrorist PKK. "The president has said to Erdogan that some of the actions that Turkey has taken have caused questions to be raised on the Hill (Congress) . . . about whether we can have confidence in Turkey as an ally," the story quoted a senior US administration official as saying. "That means that some of the requests Turkey has made of us, for example in providing some of the weaponry that it would like to fight the PKK, will be harder for us to move through Congress." According to the story, Obama told Erdogan that the Turks had failed to act as an ally in the UN vote on Iran and called on Ankara to cool its rhetoric about an Israeli raid this May that killed eight Turks and one Turkish-American on a flotilla bearing aid for Gaza. "They need to show that they take seriously American national security interests," the story quoted the same official as saying. The official added that Washington was looking at Turkish conduct and would then assess if there were sufficient efforts that the US could go forward with Turkey's arms request. But White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton denied the report, telling reporters, "I really don't know where they would have divined that (story) from. The president and Erdogan did speak about 10 days ago and they talked about Iran and the flotilla and other issues related to that. But we obviously have an ongoing dialogue with them. But no such ultimatum was issued." Commenting on the same report, White House National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer yesterday said, "We discussed Iran and Gaza with Turkey but it's not true that an ultimatum has been given to Turkey. We have deep and strong relations with Turkey. President Obama has established a fruitful dialogue with Prime Minister Erdogan." /Today's Zaman, Turkiye, Star/
TURKEY, US CONTINUE TALKS ON IRAQ TROOP PULLOUT
Turkey and the US have increased the frequency of talks over the use of Turkish soil for the transfer of American troops, arms and logistics equipment out of Iraq, Foreign Ministry sources said yesterday. "There are no new requests from Washington concerning the withdrawal process, and the implementation is going on as before," said one source. Some US military equipment has already been transferred through Turkey since last year under an agreement that allows Incirlik Airbase to be used by US forces as a logistics hub. There are reportedly plans to establish an aerial bridge between southeast Turkey and the base to transfer troops and equipment coming from Iraq. Since there are no plans to transfer heavy equipment through Incirlik, no new agreement is needed to carry out those plans, sources said. It is not yet clear whether the Americans will only use Turkish airspace and Incirlik or if they will also seek to transport heavy equipment overland during the withdrawal process. After taking office last year, US President Barack Obama announced that the US would end its combat mission in Iraq this month, but retain a transitional force of up to 50,000 US troops to train and advise Iraqi security forces. "Most of the troops and equipment are being transported out of Iraq through Kuwait, although Jordan and Turkey are also permitting transit," said the source. The pullout, however, has been controversial, with Gen. Babaker Shawkat Zebari, the commander of Iraq's military, warning again last week that his army may not be ready to defend the nation until 2020. According to the US State Department's Office of the Inspector General, the US Consulate in Adana "anticipates an increased role in the event of a US military withdrawal from Iraq through Turkish territory," a new report on the US mission in Turkey said. Incirlik is located about 12 kilometers east of the center of Adana. Turkey's number two diplomat, Foreign Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, is meanwhile set to visit Washington next week for routine political consultations on such issues as Turkey-Israeli ties, the Middle East peace process, Iran's nuclear program, developments in the Caucasus, and the Iraq withdrawal. /Hurriyet Daily News/
TURKISH, GREEK PREMIERS STRESS FRATERNITY AFTER HISTORIC MASS AT SUMELA MONASTERY, TRABZON
Following Sunday's historic Mass at Sumela Monastery in the Black Sea province of Trabzon, both the Turkish and Greek prime ministers expressed hope for improved ties. The mass, the first one since 1923, drew 3,000 Orthodox Christians from Greece, Russia, Georgia, and other countries. It was officiated by the Istanbul-based Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at critics of allowing the ceremony, saying their arguments were refuted by the peaceful atmosphere at the historic church. "We're determined to maintain our good ties with all nations," he said on Sunday at a fast-breaking dinner. "We have to do it. Christians visited Sumela Monastery and performed a religious service there. So what happened? What did we lose? On the contrary, we're winning." The monastery was abandoned after the foundation of the Turkish Republic and the subsequent population exchange between Turks and Greeks. It has since become a major tourist destination along Turkey's Black Sea coast. The government recently approved Bartholomew's request to hold this year's celebration of the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos on Aug. 15 at Sumela, in line with its stated policy of addressing the issues of religious minorities. Erdogan also expressed his government's intention to pursue friendlier relations with other countries. "We will also move forward," he added. "We pursued the same policy on Cyprus. We said we would take the first step with the Greek Cypriots. What did we lose?" Also speaking on Sunday, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou hailed the "historic and important" mass, calling it a sign of Turkish-Greek rapprochement reflecting "a spirit of cooperation and peace" between the two neighbors. /Today's Zaman/
TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADER OPTIMISTIC ABOUT TALKS
If the leaders on Cyprus act responsibly, a solution can be found by year's-end, said Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Dervis Eroglu yesterday. "As soon as I took office as Turkish Cypriot president, I sent a letter to the United Nations secretary-general demanding that Cyprus negotiations for a comprehensive solution pick up from where they left off," Eroglu said in a televised address to the Turkish Cypriot nation. "I have put forward my determination for a just and lasting peace agreement on Cyprus." He added, "We believe that if the leaders on Cyprus act responsibly, we can reach a solution by the end of the year. I'm ready to do what I must towards this end." He added that it is out of the question for Turkish Cypriots to return to the days before 1974. "My colleagues and I will continue to work so that the Turkish Cypriot people reach the status they deserve in the international arena with their rights and legal entity," he said. /Hurriyet Daily News/
KOSOVO HOPES FOR TURKISH INVESTORS IN FREE TRADE ZONE
Kosovo is willing to host a free trade zone incorporating Balkan countries including Turkey, according to Kosovar Economy and Finance Minister Ahmet Shala. "As a young country, Kosovo presents various investment opportunities in sectors such as agriculture, food processing, construction, textiles, information technology, automotive components, and energy and mining," Shala said in an interview. "We're interested in such an agreement and have already discussed it with Turkish authorities. We're ready to negotiate and make this happen." Shala said a free trade zone similar to the one established between Turkey, Jordan and Syria could boost trade in the region. He said that if Turkey came up with a proposal they would like to negotiate to take part in it. "Turkey always supported us before, during and after the war, and now we would like to integrate more and work collaboratively for a better future with Turkey," he said. Already a member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, and Serbia, Kosovo also benefits from non-reciprocal, customs-free access to the European Union market based on the EU Autonomous Trade Preference (ATP) regime. /Hurriyet Daily News/
11 YEARS AFTER AUG. 1999 QUAKE, EFFORTS FOCUS ON POST-DISASTER RELIEF
Eleven years have passed since what to this day remains arguably the most traumatizing natural disaster to ever have affected Turkey, the Aug. 17, 1999 earthquake - a devastating tragedy that left nearly 18,000 dead and 49,000 injured, according to official records. However, experts say little improvement has been made in terms of earthquake readiness on the 11th anniversary of the disaster, with most of the measures taken focusing on what needs to be done after an earthquake happens. Experts warn that efforts to reinforce structures to prepare them for a potential quake in Turkey, especially in Istanbul where a major quake has been expected for some time, have been seriously lagging. The chief criticism says measures aren't focused on minimizing the loss of life and damage to property but rather on managing the aftermath of a quake. The 7.4 earthquake took place at 3:02 am on Aug. 17, 11 years ago, with its epicenter in Golcuk. It caused much damage and destruction and took many lives in Kocaeli, Golcuk, Duzce, Sakarya, Yalova and Istanbul. The quake brought down 112,000 buildings, and in Istanbul left 124 structures damaged. According to the law, all of these structures should have been demolished within the first year after the quake, but the majority are still waiting to be razed. /Today's Zaman/
JOBLESS RATE DOWN BY 2.6 PCT, BOOSTING RAPID ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Turkey's unemployment rate fell to 11 percent in May, with the number of jobless down by 536,000 year-on-year, the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) said yesterday. The total number of unemployed dropped below 3 million, according to the data, confirming analysts' expectations of Turkey's accelerated recovery from the limited impact of the global financial crisis. Unemployment had already dropped 2.9 percent to 12 percent in April year-on-year. Participation in the labor force, on the other hand, rose to 49.4 percent in May, marking a 1.2 percent increase year-on-year. TurkStat's new data also bolstered Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's May prediction that the unemployment rate could drop below 10 percent in a couple of months. "Those who made fun of us when we said the world's economic crisis will only give Turkey a glancing blow before moving on are now eating their words," he said at the time. In related news, Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan said that the new figures foreshadow the rate soon falling to single digits. "The increase in our exports in January to May has played a particular role in the drop in unemployment," he added. "In order to reduce unemployment (further), the sustainable growth of our exports should continue." /Today's Zaman/