ERDOGAN HELPS OPEN "1,001 INVENTIONS" EXHIBIT IN ISTANBUL
In Istanbul's Sultanahmet Square yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated an exhibit called 1,001 Inventions, featuring inventions made by Muslim scientists from the golden era of Islamic civilization between the seventh and 17th centuries. After drawing record numbers of visitors in London, the exhibit is now in Istanbul as part of a world tour which will later take it to New York. Erdogan saw the exhibit during a London visit and asked it to be brought to Istanbul. Speaking at the opening, Erdogan said the long historic period between the seventh and 17th centuries, which saw a flowering of Islamic civilization in many areas, including science and technology, has long been ignored by Western civilization. "There were deliberate efforts to promote an understanding of the history of science which goes straight from ancient Greece to Renaissance Europe, excluding that era of Islamic civilization," Erdogan said. Stating that although Islamic civilization showed great respect to the civilizations that preceded it, such as the Assyrian, Babylonian, Chinese, Greek, Indian, Persian and Roman civilizations, internalizing their contributions to humanity, Erdogan said, "Islamic civilization faced a different attitude. However, over the course of time, this attitude started to be questioned by many, including members of Western civilization." Citing inventions by Muslim scientists on display at the exhibit in such areas as medicine, astronomy, mathematics, geometry and chemistry, Erdogan added, "Inventions by the scholar al-Jazira, known as the Leonardo Da Vinci of the Muslim world, such as robots, clocks, vessels for collecting blood, water- raising machines, combination locks, vacuum bottles and automatic toys for children, evoke admiration even today." Abu al-'Iz Ibn Isma'il ibn al-Razaz al-Jazari (1136-1206) was a prominent Muslim polymath: a scholar, inventor, mechanical engineer, craftsman, artist, mathematician and astronomer from Al-Jazira, Mesopotamia (now northwestern Iraq and northeastern Syria), who lived during the Islamic Golden Age. He is best known for writing the Kitab fi ma'rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya (Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices) in 1206, where he described 50 mechanical devices along with instructions on how to construct them. Also speaking at the opening, Professor Salim al-Hassani, the head of the London-based Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilization (FSTC), the architect of the exhibit, said, "Western historians say there was a dark age in the millennium between the seventh and 17th centuries. But this was a golden era for Islamic civilization." He also said exhibit-goers in London couldn't hide their astonishment when they saw Muslim scientists' inventions at the exhibit. /Sabah/
WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, TURKISH DELEGATION TO TELL US OFFICIALS
A delegation of senior Turkish officials is heading for Washington next week for talks that Turkish policymakers say are important for the future of Turkish-US relations. The delegation, headed by Foreign Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, will tell US officials that Turkey is not in disagreement with the US on key foreign policy objectives, although there might be differences over the ways to reach these objectives. Ankara hopes the message will help ease concerns in Washington about the future of the alliance with Turkey. The two NATO allies cooperate closely in Iraq, where problems in the formation of the government still persist five months after parliamentary elections, and in Afghanistan. But there are visible rifts on two other issues: Iran's nuclear program and the state of Turkish-Israeli relations. The US expressed disappointment after Turkey voted against sanctions on Iran at the UN Security Council in June, a move that led many conservatives in Washington to question whether Turkey is still an ally. Turkish criticism of Israel, which intensified after Israeli commandos killed eight Turks and one Turkish-American on an aid ship in international waters, further deepened concerns about Turkey in Washington. Earlier this month, the State Department made it known to the public that it held a closed-door session on Turkey meant to, in the words of one official, "assess in a free, think-tank sort of way, are we moving in the right direction, are there other areas we can address?" Sinirlioglu, accompanied by his deputies Selim Yenel and Tacan Ildem, will discuss Iran's nuclear program and the sanctions on Tehran, the government formation process in Iraq, Turkish-Israeli relations and the situation in Afghanistan, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday. They will tell their US counterparts that there is no shift in Turkey's axis and explain that Turkey is instead pursuing a more independent course, the sources said. Turkish and US interests converge on Iraq, where both countries want a quick solution to the ongoing political impasse, and Afghanistan, where Turkey is a key Western ally. The Obama administration has made clear that it wants cooperation with Turkey to continue in these two areas, but this may prove to be a difficult task as skeptics begin raising their voices within the US Congress. The Turkish delegation is expected to ask for the administration's help in easing concerns about Turkey in Congress, the sources said, stressing that the administration should better explain ties with Turkey to the congressmen so that Turkish-US ties won't be seriously damaged. While in Washington, Sinirlioglu and other officials will be seeking to unblock the appointment process of Francis Ricciardone, ambassador designate to Turkey, telling US officials that it would be best for Turkish-US ties if Ricciardone begins his job as soon as possible. Some Republican senators are already working to block the appointment. Ricciardone had been expected to be swiftly confirmed in the Senate, but the Senate failed to vote on the nomination this month, automatically postponing his appointment to September, when the Senate is due to return from recess. /Today's Zaman/
TURKEY ISSUES RALLYING CRY FOR FLOOD-HIT PAKISTAN
Turkish state bodies and private aid groups alike are working to organize aid for flood-ravaged Pakistan and seeking public help. "A large-scale campaign will be launched next week, and we will contribute to the reconstruction of Pakistan with the money we raise," Tekin Kucukali, head of the Turkish Red Crescent, said yesterday. Turkey has pledged $10 million in cash and humanitarian aid worth $1 million to Pakistan. Organizers expect the call for aid to be heeded because the two countries enjoy a unique relationship. A Red Crescent team is already in Pakistan to help distribute aid and report back to Ankara on the country's immediate needs. In addition, the Prime Ministry is also already involved in coordinating help for Pakistan. "The two countries' people love each other unconditionally," said Kucukali. "That's why the Turkish people wholeheartedly participate in aid campaigns for Pakistan." A fourth plane full of humanitarian aid was sent to Pakistan on Tuesday, he said, adding that they are calling on municipalities and trade chambers to contribute to the efforts. "We're planning to send 2,000 prefabricated houses to Pakistan next week," he explained. "They can last 10 years." Torrential rain triggered the catastrophic floods that have affected 20 million people in three weeks, wiping out villages, farmland, and infrastructure and killing at least 1,500 people. The United Nations last week launched an appeal for $460 million, but so far has raised just 40 percent of the target. Aid agencies are now calling for pledges to be turned into cash. Education Minister Nimet Cubukcu told reporters that a campaign could be organized in schools when they open next month. "We can't be indifferent to the disaster in Pakistan. We'll do whatever is necessary," she said during a meeting with Tariq Azizuddin, Pakistan's ambassador to Turkey. A number of Turkish businessmen have also started aid campaigns. "The disaster in Pakistan has saddened me greatly," said hotel mogul Fettah Tamince. "We're preparing a plane that will carry food, medicine and generators to Pakistan." Tamince said he had called about two dozen other businessmen to coordinate aid for Pakistan. "We can increase our humanitarian assistance to the country," he added. Rizanur Meral, head of the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON), said around 3,000 of the group's members have already pledged to help. "From the very beginning, we have guided our members to the region," he said. "It's very important that more aid is sent. Pakistan is a very important country." Cihad Vardar, head of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD), said the group is helping Pakistan through their representation there. "Our growing trade relations with Pakistan push us to extend more aid," he added. /Hurriyet Daily News /
ISRAEL, TURKEY FACE NEW TENSION OVER EMBASSY SECURITY
The already-shaky relations between Turkey and Israel are coming under the strain of two more controversies, this time over the security of their respective diplomatic missions in Ankara and Tel Aviv. Turkey has asked Israel to boost security at Turkey's embassy in Tel Aviv, diplomatic sources told reporters yesterday, in the wake of a Palestinian man's attack on the embassy on Tuesday. "This incident has proven that there is a security weakness," said one source. "Tuesday's attack would have been worse if our security personnel hadn't been able to act in time." The embassy has already contacted Israeli officials about boosting security. Coincidentally, on the same day as the attack, security measures near the Israeli Embassy in Ankara were loosened when a set of barriers in front of the embassy was removed. The barriers were originally placed by Ankara Municipality transportation officials at the request of the embassy, said Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek. In 2006 Recep Tarhan, a layman, sued the city to have the barriers removed, arguing that they made it harder for people to get around. When Anakra's Ninth Administrative Court eventually ruled in his favor, the city removed them. "Disobeying the court ruling was out of the question," said Gokcek. The embassy is often the site of protests against Israeli policies towards the Palestinians. Turkish-Israeli ties soured after Israel's deadly flotilla attack in May that killed nine Turkish peace activists. /Hurriyet Daily News /
TRT AVAZ BEGINS BROADCASTS IN ALBANIA AND ROMANIA
State-run television channel TRT Avaz, which reaches some 250 million people from Central Asia to the Balkans, has started to broadcast news in both Albanian and Bosnian. "TRT Avaz went on the air about a year ago with programs in such languages as Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Turkmen and Turkish," Adnan Suer, the channel's coordinator, told a press conference on Tuesday. He said the channel has quickly become one of the most popular in the region. "We reached out to a large audience, especially in the Balkans," he added. In a bid to meet demand from other countries in the region, TRT head Ibrahim Sahin decided to start broadcasts in Albanian and Bosnian. "After finishing our preparations, we started to broadcast news in Albanian and Bosnian every day from 12 midnight to 1 am local time," Sahin said. Many people from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania who watch the channel have praised this decision, he added. /Today's Zaman/