LEADERS OF TURKIC-SPEAKING NATIONS TO CONVENE FOR COUNCIL SUMMIT
The first high-level summit of the Turkic-speaking Countries Cooperation Council will kick off Sept. 15-16 in Istanbul, heralding a new way that might provide a major impetus to advance coordination and improve ties among Turkic nations. Reportedly, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan are expected to attend the Istanbul summit at the presidential level. Halil Akinci, Turkey's ambassador to Russia, is expected to be approved as secretary-general of the council for three years during the summit. Foreign ministers earlier decided on the appointment of Akinci to the post. Along with Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kyrgyz leader Rosa Otunbayeva and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov will attend the summit. This is the first time that Turkmenistan is attending the Turkic-speaking countries meeting at the level of head of state. Diplomatic sources said the council will seek to improve ties among the Turkic nations.The first such summit was held in 1992 at the initiative of then-Turkish President Turgut Ozal. The most recent edition of the summit took place in November 2006 in Antalya, where Nazarbayev offered to institutionalize the meetings through a council. The leaders realized Nazarbayev's offer at the summit in Nakhchivan, where Turkey was represented by President Gul. The latest summit was the ninth of its kind. /Today'a Zaman/
TURKISH PM ERDOGAN ANNOUNCES PLANS TO VISIT PAKISTAN
Criticizing oil-rich Islamic countries for their reluctance to send humanitarian aid to Pakistan, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced his plan to visit the flood-hit South Asian country after the Sept. 12 referendum."What is the Muslim world, which says it owns oil resources, doing? How much of their oil have they sent to Pakistan?" Erdogan said during a symposium in Istanbul on Sunday. "I do not want them to get offended, but it was not they who discovered the oil resources. The resources are a blessing." Erdogan's wife, Emine Erdogan, visited Pakistan last week, but the prime minister had to postpone his own trip due to his busy schedule during the campaign ahead of the referendum on proposed constitutional amendments. Calling on Muslim countries to enhance their efforts on behalf of Pakistan, the prime minister noted that member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, or OIC, have only pledged $1 billion in aid."As the Turkish state, we are doing what we should," Erdogan said. "Beyond sending a significant sum of money to Pakistan, we are helping the country rebuild itself." /Hürriyet Daily News/
EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF ASHTON: "WE WELCOME TURKEY MAINTAINING DIALOGUE WITH IRAN"
The European Union welcomes Turkey continuing dialogue with Iran as well as its efforts to reach an agreement on a swap deal to provide nuclear fuel for a research reactor in Tehran, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said yesterday, responding to a written question at the European Parliament. Under a nuclear fuel swap deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil in May, Iran agreed to ship most of its enriched uranium abroad in return for nuclear fuel for a medical research reactor in Tehran. But this didn't prevent the US and its allies from passing a new round of sanctions on Iran at the UN Security Council in June. After their passage, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu engaged in hectic diplomatic activity to keep the swap deal alive. Davutoglu's efforts paid off, with Iran agreeing to resume negotiations with the EU and the Vienna Group, which is made up of the US, France, Russia and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Iran also asked Turkey and Brazil to be included in the renewed talks on controversial nuclear program. "It is evident that Turkey will maintain dialogue with its neighbors. The EU welcomes Turkey's efforts to come to an agreement on the swap deal to provide nuclear fuel for a medical research reactor in Tehran," Ashton said, adding that such an agreement on the supply of nuclear fuel would serve to build confidence, provided that certain matters are clarified. /Hurriyet-Sabah/
NABUCCO RECRUITS THREE GIANT FINANCING INSTITUTIONS FOR APPRAISALS
Shareholders in the Nabucco natural gas pipeline project and three international financial institutions have formalized conditions under which appraisals of the project will be conducted. According to a statement posted on the Nabucco website Monday, the signatures of representatives from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC) appear on a mandate letter that indicates "potential levels of financing ... and sets out the work that will be required before a final financing decision can be taken." The mandate letter "starts the appraisal process of the Nabucco project, a required step toward a potential financing package of up to 4 billion euros," the statement said. The potential finance package will consist of up to _2 billion from the EIB, up to _1.2 billion from the EBRD and up to around _800 million from IFC. "The involvement of the three institutions is a demonstration of global and European support for the project and represents an important milestone in ensuring the overall financing of Nabucco," the company said. "This involvement will support Nabucco in meeting the highest standards in environmental and social risk evaluation and procurement. The appraisal of the project will include a thorough assessment of commercial, social and environmental aspects." Following the successful conclusion of the appraisal, financing will need to be approved by the relevant governing bodies of each institution. Export credit agencies and international banks are expected to commence their appraisals of the Nabucco project soon after their approval. Commitments from potential lenders are expected to be sought next year. The planned Nabucco pipeline aims to connect the world's richest gas regions - the Caspian region and the Middle East - to European consumer markets. The ambition behind the pipeline is to link the Eastern border of Turkey to Baumgarten in Austria, via Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. Shareholders in the project are Turkish group Botaş, the Bulgarian Energy Holding, Hungary's Mol, Austria's OMV, Germany's RWE and Romania's Transgaz. Each shareholder maintains an equal share of 16.67 percent of Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH. /Hurriyet Daily News/
DAVUTOGLU DISCUSSES MUFTI CRISIS WITH BULGARIAN COUNTERPART
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had two separate telephone conversations with his Bulgarian counterpart, Nikolay Mladenov, on Sunday, in a bid to resolve a recent crisis in Bulgaria over the reappointment of a former spy and retired lieutenant colonel as chief mufti instead of the former mufti who was elected by the Muslim community, the Anatolia news agency reported late on Sunday. The report cited anonymous sources and did not elaborate on the content of the discussion between Davutoglu and Mladenov. Nedim Gendzhev, recently restored as chief mufti in Bulgaria, and his predecessor Mustafa Alish Hadzhi, have long been engaged in a dispute about the spiritual leadership of Bulgaria's Muslim community. According to reports by Bulgarian media, in October 2009, the National Muslim Conference elected Mustafa Alish Hadzhi as chief mufti. However, Gendzhev appealed the conference's vote and in May 2010 the Bulgarian Supreme Court of Cassation decided to reinstate Gendzhev to the post. A majority of Bulgaria's muftis insist Hadzhi is the only legally elected chief mufti in Bulgaria. Since May, Muslims have organized a wave of protests around the country in support of Hadzhi and against Gendzhev. Last Thursday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov held a meeting with both Hadzhi and Gendzhev. According to reports, the possibility of calling a new National Muslim Conference was discussed at the meeting. Borisov, meanwhile, reportedly said that the government cannot intrude into the work of the judicial system. /Today's Zaman/
CAGLAYAN, BABACAN TO VISIT US TO ESTABLISH TURKISH-US BUSINESS COUNCIL
Turkey wants a greater share of US import market, one of the world's biggest, with an annual volume of $1.3 trillion. Turkey's exports to the US currently stand at $2.3 billion, which falls well short of the immense trade potential between the two countries. The government wants to change this situation, and improving trade ties with the US is a top priority as part of its model partnership with this traditional ally. To this end, State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafer Caglayan, along with Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan, will travel to the US next month to establish a business council between the two countries. The new council will play an active role in determining general strategies for improving bilateral trade ties in addition to its sector-based activities. It will work at both the federal and US state level to boost trade. The new council will organize promotional activities to foster awareness of Turkey across the US while facilitating direct contacts between business organizations from both sides. Shortly after his inauguration last year, US President Barack Obama paid his first visit overseas to Turkey, and introduced the notion of "model partnership" to redefine the US relationship with Ankara. Under this new model, Turkey wants not only develop political and security ties but also economic and scientific cooperation with the US, the world's largest economy and a leading nation in science and innovation. /Star/
IRISH ROCK BAND U2 WALKS OVER BOSPORUS BRIDGE
Members of the legendary Irish rock band U2 walked from Europe to Asia on Sunday, via Istanbul's iconıc Bosporus Bridge. The band was accompanied for the walk over the bridge by State Minister and European Union chief negotiator Egemen Bagis, his wife, Beyhan Bagis, and State Minister Hayati Yazici. Bono, the band's 50-year-old front man, said he met with Bagıs in New York in September 2009 where Bagis asked him to play an Istanbul concert -- while mentioning the possibility of a walk, from Europe to Asia, over the bridge. Bono said that Turkey was a bridge between East and West and added that the band felt ashamed it had not previously performed in Turkey.At the end of the walk, Yazici gifted Bono with a replica of the letter of thanks that Irish authorities sent to Sultan Abdulmecid after the Ottoman Empire sent aid to Ireland during 1845-1852 Great Potato Famine. The band performed in Istanbul last night as part of Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture events at Ataturk Olympic Stadium. The U2 Istanbul concert was organized by LiveNation in cooperation with the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV). /Today's Zaman/
TURKEY TRASHES FRANCE TO SET UP A QUARTERFINAL CLASH WITH SLOVENIA
Turkey and its vaunted zone defense paved the way for another dominating win at the FIBA World Championship Sunday night against France.A nearly capacity crowd of 15,000 - including 22 members of Turkey's national football squad sitting courtside - witnessed a powerful performance at Sinan Erdem Dome as Bogdan Tanjevic's team scored 13 points off 11 first-half turnovers to take command and then lowered the boom in the third quarter before pulling away for a 95-77 triumph.The round-of-16 victory has thrown Turkey into a quarterfinal showdown with the Slovenians, who blew away Australia 87-58 in the first game of the day. Turkey coach Tanjevic was delighted with the victory. "We found France to be tough and playing great defense," he said a post game press conference. "Before Hidayet opened the shooting and from then on, we found everything easy. We played another good game, great defense and executed on offense." When asked if his team could be stopped at the quarterfinals, Tanjevic said he did not know. "I think we are ready, but the Slovenians are, also," he said. "They play with great intensity and it's going to be another test for us." /Hurriyet Daily News/