ON WORLD PEACE DAY, ERDOGAN REAFFIRMS ATATURK'S PRINCIPLE 'PEACE AT HOME, PEACE IN THE WORLD'
In a message marking September 1 World Peace Day, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said, "As a nation cherishing a civilization based on love, solidarity and tolerance, and in line with Ataturk's principle of 'Peace at home, Peace in the world,' we're determinedly continuing to preserve our identity and acting in line with this." Erdogan also stressed the need for full international solidarity and cooperation against terrorism, calling it a global problem. Also marking the day, Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin issued a message urging everyone to work for world peace through a common sense of responsibility shaped by lessons from past wars and tragedies. "Just as in years past, our country is continuing to pursue policies to reach the goal of 'Peace at Home, Peace in the World' set by our beloved Ataturk, and directed towards a peaceful world." /Sabah/
TURKEY SAYS SOLUTION TO KARABAKH KEY TO STABILITY IN THE CAUCASUS
Solving the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict is a key element for transforming the Caucasus into a peaceful, stable and prosperous region, said Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday. "Our strategy towards the Caucasus region has certain pillars," he told reporters during a visit to the eastern cities of Agri and Igdir. "We're working very hard to make it successful. In this vein, solving regional conflicts, particularly the Azeri-Armenian conflict, is necessary to transform the Caucasus into a peaceful, stable and prosperous region." The Caucasus is plagued by three longstanding armed conflicts - in South Ossetia and Abkhazia between Russia and Georgia, and in Nagorno-Karabakh between Azerbaijan and Armenia - which sometimes flare up from skirmishes into all-out battles. Davutoglu said all borders, including the Azeri and Armenian borders, must be opened for the region to become a prosperous one. "The opening of the Turkish-Armenian and Azeri-Armenian borders will bring peace and prosperity together," he said. "We signed protocols last year towards this end, as we want normalization among all countries in our region." He added that unilateral normalization cannot last and that though a Turkish-Armenian normalization process has stalled, there has been significant progress in peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. /Today's Zaman/
BABACAN: "AROUND THE WORLD, TURKEY IS SEEN AS A SUCCESS STORY"
Turkey is seen worldwide as a success story due to its stable economic performance even in times of crisis, said Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan on Tuesday. Speaking after a visit to the Eskisehir Chamber of Commerce (ETO), Babacan linked Turkey's rising economic reputation to confidence in its economic policies. "Every week we see several international newspapers or magazines talking about Turkey's successes," he said. "How did that happen? Trust is the key here. When it is sustained, everything becomes easier, but when you can't forge an atmosphere of trust, everything becomes more difficult." Babacan also argued that the constitutional reforms set to face a referendum on Sept. 12 are all about making Turkey a more stable country and raising its democracy to modern standards. "I don't think Turkey can reach higher goals under its present order and constitutional framework," he explained. "Look at the countries with a gross domestic product [GDP] of $30,000-40,000. No country at that level has a poorly functioning democracy or one under the shadow of a coup. We, too, should close the door on that era and make Turkey a civilian democracy, to open our horizons and make it a much more predictable country. The essence of the constitutional reform package is precisely this; making Turkey a more predictable country and putting its democracy in a higher league." /Today's Zaman/
CALLING ISRAELI AID FLOTILLA RAID UNLAWFUL, TURKISH COMMISSION TO SUBMIT REPORT TO UN
A Turkish commission probing Israel's May 31 raid on the lead ship of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, which left eight Turks and one American-Turkish dead, has completed its report, and is set to submit it to a UN commission probing the same incident. The document reportedly include video footage shot during the raid, records of the ship's course, forensic reports on the raid victims, and testimony by the crew and other people aboard the ship, the Mavi Marmara. The report concludes that Israel unlawfully raided the aid ship in international waters and that Israeli naval commandos, intentionally and with the aim of killing, fired their guns at unarmed civilians at close range. The report also presents evidence that Israeli soldiers shot Turks in the back. /Sabah/
TURKEY STEPS UP PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PUSH TO DISPEL MISCONCEPTIONS AMONG US CONGRESS, MEDIA
Turkey is set to step up public diplomacy efforts to dispel misconceptions about Turkish foreign policy among the US Congress and media in the months since Turkey voted against new sanctions on Iran at the UN Security Council as well as its outrage at Israel's deadly May 31 aid flotilla raid. Some US congressmen have expressed increasing uneasiness with Turkey's foreign policy path in recent years, questioning whether Ankara is a reliable US ally any more. They have also expressed suspicion of Turkey's changing foreign policy priorities, branding them an "axis shift." Similar views have also made their ways into the US media. Turkey denies such claims, and a high-profile Foreign Ministry delegation recently visited Washington to assure high-level US officials that Turkey will continue intensive bilateral cooperation in various areas, and that the two countries' foreign policy priorities largely overlap. Against this backdrop, Turkey's new public diplomacy push aims to help US congressmen and members of the media get information firsthand about Turkey and its foreign policy, thus avoiding groundless misperceptions. To this end, nearly 30 US congressmen and a number of leading US commentators, including Roger Cohen and Thomas Friedman of The New York Times, will be invited to Turkey. The congressmen set to visit Turkey notably include both Democrats and Republicans, either pro-Turkish or Turkey-skeptic. During their visit, the congressmen and media commentators are set to hold various talks and be received by both President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. /Sabah/
US BOWS OUT OF NEXT MONTH'S TURKISH ANATOLIAN EAGLE EXERCISES
The US will not be participating in next month's Anatolian Eagle exercise hosted by the Turkish Air Forces because the drills will be conducted at the national level, a US Embassy spokesperson said yesterday. "We were part of the planning conferences for Anatolian Eagle 10/3," said the spokesperson. "However, there were no other international participants and because our aircraft were assigned for other missions, we will not be able to participate in the exercise." Some Turkish media reports claimed that the US told Turkey it wouldn't take part in the exercise if Israel were not invited, citing Turkish military officials who expressed concerns that other international participants would hesitate to take part if Washington withdrew. The Foreign Ministry, however, denied these claims. "We weren't informed by the US of anything like this," said one senior diplomat. /Hurriyet Daily News/
SIMSEK TOUTS TURKEY'S VIGOROUS ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Turkey's economy is recovering from the global crisis better than expected and is likely to see growth of at least 5.5 percent this year, Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said yesterday. Speaking at an economics conference in Kyrenia, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Simsek and TRNC President Dervis Eroglu also called on the international community to bring an end to Turkish Cyprus' isolation. Simsek also noted that the growth of Turkey's real gross domestic product for the first half of this year was approximately 10 percent. "We were expecting a strong recovery, but it exceeded even our expectations," Simsek said. "Full-year estimates range from 5.5 percent all the way to 7 percent, so we do expect some slowdown in the second half of the year, but it looks like our growth will pass the record high among European Union member states or at least OECD (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development) nations, and be second only to China as a major economy among the G-20 countries." On the Cyprus problem, Simsek said, "Turkey was very constructive in 2004 and encouraged both the Greek and Turkish Cypriots to agree to the UN peace plan, which Greek Cypriots rejected. Unfortunately, despite the Turkish Cypriots' constructive approach and the Greek Cypriot rejection of the plan, the EU took Greek Cyprus as a member and left Turkish Cypriots out in the cold and isolated. We're hoping that the EU will rectify this so that this part of the island can also begin to enjoy very strong growth." He added, "Any solution on Cyprus needs to be workable and viable, one that is sustainable." /Hurriyet Daily News/