IN BAKU, GUL HAILS TURKISH-AZERI TIES
Turkey and Azerbaijan need to act in solidarity, cooperation and brotherhood, President Abdullah Gul said Monday on the last day of a two-day official visit. "We are one nation with separate states," he said, citing a proverbial refrain. "We come together frequently based on this understanding. We will continue our solidarity and cooperation." He made the remarks after signing a treaty of strategic partnership and mutual cooperation with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev. During his visit, Gul met with Aliyev and Azeri Prime Minister Artur Rasizade, who expressed confidence that Gul's visit would promote better relations and benefit both nations. On the new treaty, Gul said: "Such agreements are clear proof of the importance of political relations. Our bilateral ties continue to develop in such areas as politics, security, the economy and culture. Today we discussed ways to promote our relations." Speaking at a joint press conference with Aliyev, Gul said he was grateful to "brotherly" Azerbaijan for the hospitality shown to him and his delegation. Aliyev said Turkey and Azerbaijan's friendship has deep historical roots, adding, "President Gul's current visit to Azerbaijan will help to develop our relations." Gul said Turkey would continue to support Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. "We discussed today what must be done to make the Caucasus a region of stability and security; we talked about solving the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and ending the occupation of Azeri territory," he said. Aliyev added: "Azerbaijan will continue to make political and diplomatic efforts for its territorial integrity. I believe that we will realize Azerbaijan's territorial integrity." He also thanked Turkey for its support over Nagorno-Karabakh. "Turkey will continue to work so that the issue of occupied Azeri territory is solved," Gul said. "I want all of my Azeri brothers and sisters to know that Turkey is, and will always be, on the side of Azerbaijan." Asked about visa liberalization with Turkey, Aliyev said this will happen once Azerbaijan makes the necessary arrangements. "Resolving problems will lead to greater cooperation, the opening up of borders, the construction of new highways, and the creation of bigger economic activities," said Gul, who was accompanied on the trip by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Energy Minister Taner Yildiz. "Big problems can be solved by silent diplomacy, and this is how we will solve the problems of the region." During the visit, Gul attended the opening of the new headquarters in Baku of Azer-Turk Bank, a Turkish-Azeri partnership, and later met with Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahsukur Pashazade, the chairman of the group Muslims of the Caucasus (BMC) at the Tazepir Mosque. Gul and Pashazade were shown around the mosque by its imam. Before returning to Turkey, Gul attended the opening of an iron and steel factory operated by DHT holding. Speaking at the opening, Gul said that since Azerbaijan is an oil and gas exporting country, for its economy to improve, factories like this are key. /Hurriyet Daily News, Turkiye, Star/
ANKARA BRISTLES AT ALLEGATIONS OF WHITE HOUSE ULTIMATUM OVER ARMS SALES
Turkish leaders yesterday continued to deny a news report that President Barack Obama had warned Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey stands little chance of getting weapons it wants to buy from the US unless it changes its stance on Iran and Israel. "No country can issue warnings against Turkey. No one, particularly, can talk to the prime minister in such a tone," said Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of the report, which appeared in the Financial Times on Sunday. Citing an anonymous US official, the daily reported that Obama told Erdogan that some of Turkey's actions have "caused questions to be raised" in Congress and thus Turkey's weapon requests could be harder to move through the US Congress. The warning came during the two leaders' meeting on the sidelines of a G-20 gathering in Toronto in late June, claimed the report. Davutoglu, however, said the meeting in Toronto was a "friendly" one, befitting the good ties between the two allies. "It was a conversation between leaders of perfectly equal countries. Thus, there was no warning and these claims are completely unfounded," Davutoglu said during a visit to the southeastern province of Kahramanmaras. The government says ties with the US are strong, particularly at a time when the two countries are intensifying dialogue over stabilizing Afghanistan and ensuring a smooth US withdrawal from Iraq. The US also denied the report, with White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton saying, "We obviously have an ongoing dialogue with them (Turkey). But no such ultimatum was issued." Speaking late on Monday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey's ties with the US ties are at a "historic peak," although he admitted that some in Congress are unhappy with Turkey's policies and that this could affect US actions regarding Turkey. "There might be difficulties in arms trade; such issues are internal issues for any country," Erdogan said, emphasizing that his government might also change its course of action due to views in Parliament. "This is natural," he said, and added that Turkey is now capable of producing many of the weapons it needs. /Today's Zaman/
ERDOGAN PLEDGES PIECEMEAL REFORM PACKAGE TO BE FOLLOWED BY BRAND NEW CONSTITUTION
Pledging to keep his promise to draft a brand new constitution, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said that should his party win next year's parliamentary elections, its new government will replace the current Constitution, drafted decades ago under military rule, with a civilian one. "Consider the constitutional amendment package an effort to pave the way for broader changes," he said in a TV interview, referring to a package set to face a referendum next month. "I believe a stronger government will take office after the 2011 elections. And the new government will make the expected constitutional changes. But such changes depend on the structure of the new government. If it is made up of deputies who favor changing the Constitution, this will happen." The Justice and Development Party (AK Party), led by Erdogan, had hoped to replace the current Constitution, a remnant of the 1980 coup regime, when it swept into power in late 2002. It drafted a document in 2007 but failed to convince the opposition parties to support it. Later, after seeking input from the public and opposition parties, the majority-AK Party Parliament passed a package of changes to some of the Constitution's most problematic articles, which will face a referendum on Sept. 12. Erdogan also criticized efforts by opposition parties to paint the package as an "AK Party project" which doesn't reflect the views of other parties. "This Constitution belongs to the nation," he said. "The opposition parties are working to paint the reform package as an AK Party project. They are wrong. This isn't an AK Party project. This isn't my own project. We wanted to prepare the constitutional amendment package with the support of the opposition parties, but instead, without even seeing the content of the package, they refused to give any support." /Today's Zaman/
BABACAN: "THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PACKAGE WILL HELP OUR ECONOMY CONTINUE TO GROW"
Speaking at a fast-breaking dinner hosted by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Ankara, Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan yesterday said Turkey's economy can't move to the next level under its current Constitution and judicial system. Stressing the need for more democratic procedures to select the country's top judges, as included in the constitutional reform package set to face a referendum next month, Babacan said the reforms will make Turkey's judicial bodies more representative, giving all prosecutors and judges a say in selecting those bodies' members. Babacan stressed the importance of an improved democracy and well-functioning judiciary for the continued health of Turkey's economy, adding, "Turkey has broken past per the capita income level of $10,000, but in all frankness, we can't boost this level to $20,000 under Turkey's current Constitution and the judicial system. No country in the world has managed to achieve $20,000 per capita income with an inadequate democracy and judicial system. It can't be done." On the economic gains Turkey has seen since 2002, when the AK Party came to power, he said, "The Turkey of eight years ago and the Turkey of today are almost like two different countries." Stressing that interest rates are now the lowest in the republic's history, Babacan said Turkey's economy had weathered the global crisis with minimal damage compared to countries around the world and in Europe. Saying that international investors now see Italy as a riskier investment than Turkey, Babacan said that this success would not have been possible if they had only focused on economic policies but ignored democratic reforms. "The steps Turkey has taken in recent years to improve its democracy, to expand basic human rights and freedoms, and to strengthen the rule of law enabled it to move to a higher league," he said. "Turkey is playing in a very different league than it did eight years ago." Babacan said that the reform package, which faces a vote some three weeks from now, can lay the groundwork to propel Turkey to a higher league still. /Milliyet/
FUND MANAGER SEES TURKEY AS POST-CRISIS ENGINE OF GLOBAL ECONOMIC GROWTH
Turkey, along with South Africa and the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), will drive global economic growth in the post-crisis period, according to Mark Mobius, the respected head of the Emerging Markets Group of Templeton Asset Management, one of the world's biggest hedge funds with assets worth $444 billion. Calling a double-dip recession for the world economy unlikely, Mobius said Turkey is set to play an important role in leading future global economic growth. "The global economic recovery is on track, and if the economic growth in emerging markets manages to resist the slowing recovery in Japan and the US, the global economic recovery may accelerate," he said. /Star/
TURKEY STEPS UP AID FOR FLOOD-HIT PAKISTAN
Both the Turkish government and the public, after already donating 35 tons of humanitarian aid and $5 million to Pakistan, are set to send additional assistance to the flood-stricken country. Along with the Turkish Red Crescent, other aid organizations are appealing for aid to Pakistan, where one-fifth of the country has been hit by floods, affecting nearly one in 10 Pakistanis - up to 20 million people. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the Turkish scholar who heads the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), urged the whole world, and especially Turkey, to help Pakistan. Ihsanoglu said the OIC is working to coordinate the assistance from its member countries and private groups in those countries. Eleven years ago, when western Turkey was devastated by a large earthquake, the Pakistani people did their best to help, he said, and now it is the Turkish people's turn. "No matter how much we help, it's not enough. The Pakistani people need help more than ever," he said. According to the Foreign Ministry, humanitarian aid from the Turkish government to Pakistan will total 140 tons, at a value of $1 million. Its first aid shipment included medicine, medical equipment, tents, and blankets. The Humanitarian Aid Foundation (IHH) has also launched a major aid campaign. /Today's Zaman/
ON ANNIVERSARY OF DEVASTATING MARMARA QUAKE, EXPERTS STRESS TURKEY HAS TO BE EARTHQUAKE-SAVVY
Marking the 11th anniversary of the devastating Aug. 17, 1999 earthquake yesterday, experts stressed that Turkey must become a nation that is knowledgeable about earthquakes and ready to face them. Some 18,000 people died in the 7.4 earthquake centered in Golcuk, which 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. But Turkey has been slow to reinforce weak buildings in most residential areas, according to experts. "We have the obligation to become a society that has a strong awareness of earthquakes and that lives in sturdy buildings," said Dogan Kalafat, the director of the Kandilli Observatory's National Earthquake Monitoring Center. Speaking at a panel in Golcuk, Kalafat said Turkey sees an average of 25 tremors every day, and that earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher occur every 10 years. Stressing that the nation must learn how to protect itself from earthquakes, Kalafat said people should find out whether the buildings they live in are quake resistant. "We must become a society that has a strong awareness of earthquakes and lives in strong buildings," he said. "We have to pass this on to our children. Making a building earthquake resistant adds not more than 10 percent to the cost. The ground it is built on and how it is built should be examined." /Today's Zaman/