PRESIDENT GUL URGES MUSLIM COUNTRIES TO ADDRESS STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS
The global economic crisis hit Muslim countries hardest, and these nations must urgently deal with their structural problems in order to avoid suffering the same fate, argued President Abdullah Gul yesterday. Addressing top officials of Muslim nations in Istanbul attending the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC), he said only through solving chronic problems such as poverty and unfair income distribution can Muslim nations reach the place they deserve in the international arena. Gul asserted that 22 of the COMCEC member countries are underdeveloped economically and that most suffer from political problems, wars, and widespread violence and also take insufficient precautions against natural disasters, all of which exacerbate their poverty. Although the global crisis began in developed countries, he said, it spared no country due to the high level of international interdependence, and underdeveloped nations suffered the worst. Gul said the economic and social development levels of Islamic countries fall far short of their potential. Especially the countries with rich natural resources should have a larger slice of global wealth, he argued. "Islamic countries, which make up nearly 22 percent of the world's population, get only 7 percent of the total annual global income," he said. /Today's Zaman/
CHINA'S WEN VISITS TURKEY TO BOOST BILATERAL TIES
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is scheduled to hold talks in Ankara today as part of a landmark bilateral visit at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ankara is the last stop of Wen's tour of Europe, which began last week and has focused on how European countries can recover from the global economic crisis. His visit will be the highest-level visit between the two countries since President Abdullah Gul's visit to Beijing this summer. During Wen's visit, Turkey and China are expected to sign more than a dozen bilateral agreements in such fields as energy, telecommunications, transportation, health, and trade. After his talks in Ankara, Wen is set to proceed to Istanbul to meet with business leaders. /Today's Zaman/
GUL: "TURKEY NEEDS A NEW UNIVERSITY SYSTEM"
Turkey needs to rework its university system, starting with the law establishing the Council of Higher Education (YOK), the body regulating the nation's universities, said President Abdulah Gul yesterday. Delivering a speech at 29 Mayis University marking the new academic year, he recalled the days when Turkey had only state universities, before private ones were authorized. "The same regulations used to be applied to all universities," he explained. "And this was used to prevent them from making great leaps forward. The YOK law must be changed. It is very pleasing to see Turkey's universities again embracing innovation. There's no need to shy away from this." /Sabah/
TURKEY SEEKS AUSTRIAN SUPPORT FOR EU BID
Ankara yesterday sought the Austrian government's help to make sure the European Union keeps its promises to EU candidate Turkey and also to convince a Turkey-skeptic European public that Turkey deserves to be admitted to the bloc. "We consider Austria not a distant country, but a neighbor across the Danube River," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a press conference alongside his visiting Austrian counterpart Michael Spindelegger. "We expect friendship from neighboring countries." He added, "We expect Austria to take the initiative, at both the level of EU member states to enable the EU to keep its promises to Turkey, and also at the level of public opinion by telling Europeans about the contributions of (Turkey's EU) process." Spindelegger said his country had initially been suspicious of Turkey's EU accession bid but that this stance had shifted over time. Austria is not blocking the opening of more chapters in Turkey's EU entry talks but is actually standing up to the obstruction of other member states, he said. "We're not focusing on the outcome (of negotiations) but on the process," said Spindelegger. "What's being talked about is the outcome. The process is ongoing. Turkey and the EU will make their own decisions on the outcome once the process is over. Right now it is important to support the process." Davutoglu said despite the injustice of the Cyprus problem and discouraging messages from Europe, the Turkish public still supports EU membership. "In 2004 over 70 percent (of the Turkish public) supported EU membership, but now this stands at around 55-60 percent," he said. "But when they're asked if they believe Turkey will be able to join the EU, this figure falls to 35 percent. The Turkish public still has a strong will to join the EU, but they want to see to see the same will from the Union." Spindelegger said the way many Turks in Austria live has affected Turkey's image there. Davutoglu said a clear distinction must be made between assimilation and integration. "Integration is a social responsibility that helps multicultural societies live in a legal system with respect," he said. "But assimilation means destroying a culture, which is unacceptable." /Hurriyet Daily News/
IN ANKARA, RASMUSSEN FOCUSES ON NATO-EU TIES
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen yesterday again pressed Turkey to lift its veto on Greek Cyprus' possible role in European Union-NATO cooperation, a longstanding hurdle to Brussels' ambition of increasing its military capability. "We're ready to work with (Rasmussen) to find a solution that would take into consideration Turkey's attitude in principle and allay our concerns," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters before meeting with the NATO chief in Ankara. Rasmussen was visiting Turkey as part of a tour of several key NATO allies prior to the alliance's Lisbon summit next month, where he will present his strategic concept for the alliance. Meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as Davutoglu, top topics were reportedly NATO's new strategic concept, enhancing NATO-EU cooperation, missile defense, and NATO's mission in Afghanistan. /Hurriyet Daily News/
TAN: "IF ISRAEL DOESN'T TAKE THE FIRST STEP, RELATIONS WITH TURKEY WON'T IMPROVE"
Turkish Ambassador to Washington Namik Tan on Wednesday urged Israel to take necessary steps to restore ties with Turkey, warning that otherwise it could lose a key friend in the region. Commenting on the slide in Turkish-Israeli ties since Israel's deadly May 31 raid on the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara aid ship, Tan told a conference given by US think-tank the Potomac Institute, "If Israel fails to see that it's on the brink of losing one of its closest friends in the region, and doesn't act accordingly, putting our ties back on track will be impossible." Tan said Israel's attack, which took the lives of eight Turks and one Turkish-American, was the first time Turkish citizens were killed by a sovereign state during peacetime in the history of the Turkish Republic. "Moreover," he added, "that attack came from a friendly country. I think you appreciate how surprised we were at the attack." Reiterating Turkey's demand that Israel officially apologize and compensate the victims' relatives, Tan said he couldn't understand Israel's refusal, adding that in 1992 the US government apologized and paid compensation to Turkey after mistakenly targeting a Turkish battleship during a NATO exercise. Stressing that Israel must take the first step to mend ties with Turkey, Tan said issuing an apology wouldn't constitute a stain in ties between the two countries. /Star/
ASSAD: "TURKEY IS NEEDED FOR PEACE IN THE REGION"
Turkey should be involved in all aspects of any peace process between Syria and Israel, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with Turkish state-owned Arabic channel TRT Turkiyya on Wednesday. Assessing Turkish-Syrian relations and regional developments - especially in light of Turkey's mediation of indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel - Assad said Turkey has achieved great success and that the country should be involved in all efforts to secure peace. Syria and other regional neighbors have full confidence in Turkish officials, he said, adding that relations between Turkey and Syria have improved significantly in a surprisingly short period of time. Assad said envoys from the two countries are trying to accommodate Syria's demands for the return of the Golan Heights and Israel's security objectives. Turkey's stance on certain regional matters has helped improve Turkish-Syrian ties, he said, and the two countries enjoy full trust in each another. Asked about an earlier statement saying Turkish-Israeli tensions could hurt the peace process, Assad said he meant a total breakdown in ties could affect the peace process. Assad also said his country is watching developments in Iraq since they also directly affect Syria and that its territorial integrity carries paramount concern for Syria. /Hurriyet Daily News/
BAGIS: "THE EU SHOULD LIFT ITS UNFAIR VISA REQUIREMENTS"
Europe should put an end to its unfair visa requirements on Turkish citizens, State Minister and Chief Negotiator for European Union Talks Egemen Bagis said yesterday. Bagis made the comments on a visit to Germany, during a Turkish-German Friendship Association ceremony honoring former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Speaking at the ceremony, Bagis said that citizens of countries that haven't begun even their EU accession negotiations can easily get into Europe while citizens of Turkey, which has been determinedly pursuing its accession for years, suffer under the unfair visa requirements. Bagis also said that several years ago, when Turkey's negotiations nearly came to a dead end, Schroeder and then British Prime Minister Tony Blair were the only politicians that continued to support its membership bid. /Turkiye/
FIRST TURKISH-MADE PLANE SET TO ROLL OUT, GONUL ANNOUNCES
Attending the Second Izmir Global Aviation, Space, and Offset conference yesterday, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said that test flights for the Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicle Anka have been completed, and that the first Turkish-designed plane is due to soon roll off the production lines. On the Turkish defense industry's advances in recent years, Gonul said, "Our defense industry reached $2.3 billion annual turnover, with $800 million in exports. Now the industry meets 45 percent of the Turkish Armed Forces' needs, and this is expected to hit 50 percent next year." Turkey's ready-to-use military vehicles imports have fallen 10 percent, he added. Gonul also attended the opening of the Ahmet Eroglu Wing of the Aegean Vocational High School's Plane Technology Program, affiliated to Izmir's Aegean University. Addressing the ceremony, Gonul stressed that Turkey's rapidly developing aviation sector has exposed a qualified workforce shortage in the sector. In related news, a large proportion of the parts Turkey will produce under the joint production of F35 Fighter Jet engines will be supplied by the Aegean Free Zone, the Anatolian News Agency reported yesterday. A joint venture set up by Turkey's Kale Group and US engine producer Pratt & Whitney will start the production of 300 such parts in early 2012. Investments under the F35 project are set to create nearly 1,000 medium-term jobs. /Star/
"WISE MAN" GONZALEZ: "TURKEY SHOULD BE A MEMBER OF THE EU"
In a new book, former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez, who chairs a special European Union "wise men" committee examining the bloc's future, reverses his previous public opposition to Turkey's EU membership. In his "My Idea of Europe," Gonzalez argues that when Turkey's negotiations are concluded, Europe must keep its promises, or negative consequences will follow. /Sabah/
FIRST LADY HAYRUNNISA GUL PROMOTES DISABLED CHILDREN'S RIGHTS AT PACE SESSION
Hayrunnisa Gul yesterday promoted the rights of children with disabilities in Strasbourg in an address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), becoming the first Turkish first lady to address the body. Gul, the leader of Turkey's Education Enables initiative, began her speech by saying that a great deal remains to be done for children's human rights worldwide. "Disabled children no longer live in isolation, as if on distant islands, but we all know that in some countries they are still confined to the four walls of their homes, which is why we're sometimes not even aware of them," she said. We must remember that children are not disabled by choice, she said, adding, "But they must live with their disabilities." She continued, "We can make a better society by protecting children with disabilities, and not leaving their parents to cope with them alone. We must provide them with opportunities for education when they are young, and so allow them to be productive members of society." /Today's Zaman/
IMF'S LIPSKY: "TURKEY IS AMONG THE STRONGEST CANDIDATES FOR THE NEW EXECUTIVE BOARD"
If a compromise is reached, rising markets will have a stronger say in International Monetary Fund management, and Turkey is among the strongest candidates for this, said IMF First Deputy Managing Director John Lipsky yesterday. Lipsky's remarks came on the eve of IMF-World Bank annual meetings in Washington set to begin today. "European countries have nine seats on the board, but this shouldn't be like this. Many people look at this situation and ask why Turkey shouldn't be here," he said. Lipsky predicted that rising economies will take a stronger voice at the helm of the Fund, and among those economies Turkey is a top candidate. On planned changes to IMF quotas, Lipsky said the US, as the world's largest economy, will continue to have the biggest quota share, followed by China with the second or third biggest share when quota reforms are completed. A nation's IMF quota, the maximum amount of financial resources that it is obligated to contribute to the fund, determines its allotment of SDRs (Special Drawing Rights). But Lipsky downplayed the perception that quota changes will change everything, adding that in the IMF management decisions are taken unanimously. On the IMF's standby programs and instruments to solve the economic crisis that hit Asia in the 1990s, Lipsky said, "Now we see in modern finance that such measures and instruments absolutely fail to prevent economic crises. What we need is to take insurance measures before a crisis hits." Some countries have permanent seats on the 24-member IMF Executive Board, and European countries have eight or nine seats. The Fund is set to decide about changing the board's composition before its term expires at the end of this month. /Hurriyet/
JAPAN BIDS TO BUILD NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN TURKEY
Japan has submitted a bid to construct a nuclear energy power plant in Turkey through the mediation of Toshiba, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz has said. Speaking at a press conference after receiving a delegation from Toshiba in Ankara on Thursday, the minister said the Japanese delegates submitted a letter from the Japanese economy, trade and industry minister that delineated possible areas of cooperation in Turkey's energy sector. "We see this offer from Japan as an important bid in terms of our efforts to construct nuclear power plants in Turkey. However, we told them that we cannot give them a definite answer before concluding our negotiations with South Korea," Yildiz said. Turkey is in the final phase of negotiations with South Korea in building a power plant in Sinop province, which borders the Black Sea, and recently signed an international agreement with Russia to build another plant in Mersin province, along the Mediterranean Sea. Yildiz said Turkey currently has no plans to build a third plant. In response to a question, the minister said Turkey has received no bid whatsoever from the US concerning the construction of nuclear power plants, adding that they were open to proposals from the US and France. Japanese Ambassador to Turkey Nobuaki Tanaka also delivered a brief speech at the meeting, particularly underlining Japan's rising interest in Turkey's energy arena, especially in nuclear and renewable projects. The offer includes the formation of a consortium of companies gathered under the leadership of Toshiba, he said, adding that the US company Westinghouse will also be included in this consortium. /Today's Zaman/
TURKEY SET TO SETTLE SCORE WITH GERMANY
There is so much at stake as Germany hosts Turkey in what is expected to be a mouth-watering Euro 2012 qualifying Group A at match at the Berlin Olympic Stadium this evening. First and foremost both teams have maximum points from two games, with Germany leading the group only by virtue of a better goal difference. Today's winner, if any will emerge, will take sole possession of pole position. The Turks crushed hapless Kazakhstan 3-0 away on Matchday 1 (Sept. 3) and followed on with a 3-2 home victory on Matchday 2 (Sept. 7). The Germans pipped Belgium 1-0 on the road on Matchday 1 and walloped poor Azerbaijan 6-1 at home on Matchday 2. Secondly, the two countries met in the Euro 2008 semifinals in Basel, Switzerland -- the Germans beating Turkey 3-2 with Philipp Lahm's last minute goal before going on to lose to Spain in the final. It was the Germans who stopped a highly depleted Turkey from making its first European Championship final on June 26. So the Turks have a score to settle with "Die Nationalmannschaft" today. Thirdly, with over 30,000 Turkey fans expected at the Olympic Stadium this evening, drawn mainly from the large Turkish expatriate population in Berlin, it is not only going to be a tough clash; the winner will also earn bragging rights. /Today's Zaman/