ERDOGAN TO VISIT SYRIA FOR SECURITY TALKS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Syria today for talks expected to focus on regional cooperation against the terrorist PKK, before proceeding tomorrow to flood-stricken Pakistan. Although the latter visit was expected, Erdogan's Syrian visit - during which he will be accompanied by Interior Minister Besir Atalay - came as a surprise, only being announced on Saturday. Erdogan's visit was arranged following an Oct. 3 meeting of top Syrian and Turkish officials, during which the two countries pledged to stop any attempts to hamper strategic cooperation in the Middle Eas, including PKK activities. In related news, the government is continuing to seek support from EU member countries for its fight against the PKK. On Saturday Erdogan had talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. Turkey and Germany will cooperate closely in combating terrorism, and the countries' two interior ministries have founded a commission for this purpose, Merkel told a joint press conference following talks with Erdogan./Today's Zaman/
SARKOZY TO PAY LANDMARK OFFICIAL VISIT TO TURKEY NEXT MONTH
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is due to arrive in Ankara today to lay the groundwork for French President Nicolas Sarkozy's official visit to Turkey set for Nov. 13. Visiting Paris in April to attend the conclusion of Turkish Season in France, an eight-month series of activities to make Turkey and Turkish culture better known among the French public, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan invited Sarkozy to visit Turkey. The visit by Sarkozy, known for his staunch opposition to Turkey's EU membership bid, will mark an important milestone in relations between the two countries, breaking an 18-year hiatus in head of state-level visits from France to Turkey. The last such visit was then French President Francois Mitterand's official visit to Turkey in 1992. France is set to take over the term presidency of G-20, and Sarkozy's Turkey visit will take place as part of a tour of G-20 countries. During his one-day stay in Ankara, Kouchner and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu will jointly open the new campus of the French Charles de Gaulle high school. Kouchner will also visit the French Culture Institute. Turkey's EU accession process, which has slowed due to French and German opposition, and improving anti-terror cooperation between the two countries are expected to top Kouchner's talks with Davutoglu, who is expected to express Turkey's displeasure with political obstacles being put before Turkey's EU accession. Turkey is also urging France to do more to cut finances to the terrorist PKK. The foreign ministers are also expected to exchange views on an EU decision to review Turkey's relations with the Greek Cypriots, which is to be reflected in the EU Commission's fall progress report on Turkey. A number of issues of common concern such as Iran's nuclear program, the Middle East peace process, stalled peace talks between Syrian and Israel, the Cyprus issue, and the Nagorno-Karabakh issue are also expected to be discussed. Turkish-mediated peace talks between Syria and Israel came to a halt due to Israel's onslaught on Gaza in late 2008-early 2009. France wants to play a more active role in the Middle East, and to mediate talks between Tel Aviv and Damascus, but Syria has repeatedly said it wants to see Turkey mediate any talks with Israel. /Sabah/
GERMANY, TURKEY PLEDGE TO WORK ON THE INTEGRATION OF IMMIGRANTS
Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged Saturday to do more to improve the integration record of Germany's 2.5-million-strong Turkish minority. Germany plans to use celebrations next October of the 50th anniversary of a key immigration agreement on Gastarbeiter ("guest workers") between Germany and Turkey to "take stock," Merkel said after talks with Erdogan. "We propose that everywhere in cities and towns where there are people of Turkish origin, we use this event as a way of taking stock and seeing where we are and what has to be done," Merkel told reporters. "There are clear problems still which we want to solve when it comes to integration." Erdogan said he would attend events marking the anniversary of the 1961 agreement, which saw West Germany allow in large numbers of Turkish immigrants to provide workers for its postwar "economic miracle." Many stayed, and the size of the minority was made clear on Friday night in a football match between Germany and Turkey in Berlin where half of the 74,000 fans were Turkey supporters. German-born ethnic Turk Mesut Ozil sealed Germany's 3-0 victory with his 79th-minute goal. Erdogan reiterated controversial comments from a speech two years ago that assimilation, or a person being "forced" to abandon their culture and traditions, is a "crime against humanity." But he stressed that integration into another society is a different matter. "I am of course in favor of people of Turkish origin here in Germany integrating, for their own happiness, and for the happiness and future of German society," Erdogan said. "And if they have been in Germany for 50 years, then this is obviously required, so that people can live together peacefully." Merkel also said she would visit Cyprus in January to offer Germany's help in resolving an impasse holding up security cooperation and Turkey joining the European Union. "This will be an opportunity for me to see if Germany can play a helpful role in resolving" the difficulties there, Merkel said after talks with Erdogan in Berlin. Erdogan said progress toward Turkey joining the EU "should not slow down," and he had asked Merkel for Germany's support. Merkel reiterated her position that the process has an "open end." The Cyprus situation is "important for us all, primarily in issues of security cooperation between NATO and the EU. Both sides have an interest in this, but of course there has to be movement on both sides," Merkel said. /Hurriyet Daily News/
DAVUTOGLU: "STABILITY OR INSTABILITY IN IRAQ AFFECTS THE REGION"
Stability or instability in Iraq affects the rest of the region, said Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu over the weekend. Speaking to reporters before a dinner in Ankara in honor of visiting Iraqi Supreme Islamic Council Chairman Seyyid Ammar Abdulaziz Muhsin al-Hakim, Davutoglu said Turkey wants Iraq to take on a more stable structure in the wake of its elections this March, which have yet to produce a government seven months later. "On establishing a government, the final decision certainly depends on our Iraqi cousins," he said. "The task falling to all neighbors is to help our Iraqi cousins. We hope a government representing all sides will be established in the coming days." Saying that the future of Iraq is the future of the region, he added, "Both (Iraq's) stability and instability spread to the region." For his part, al-Hakim said, "We appreciate the constructive role that Turkey plays both in the Arab and Muslim worlds." He added, "A country like Iraq made up of so many groups cannot be governed by just one. We hope that the consultations of neighboring countries will continue in this way. There is no doubt that these consultations will have positive effects on deepening our relations." /Sabah/
NATO'S RASMUSSEN PLEDGES STRONGER ANTI-TERROR COOPERATION
Touring member countries ahead of next month's NATO summit, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen visited Ankara late last week and met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. During their talks, Rasmussen pledged to work harder to improve counter-terrorism cooperation between Turkey and the alliance's other members. It was agreed that cooperation between Turkey and NATO would be brought to the highest level in this respect. The extension of Turkey's mission in Kabul as part of international peacekeeping efforts in Afghanistan was also discussed. Per a request by NATO in light of Turkish troops' successful performance and rapport with the Afghan people, Turkey has agreed to extend by one year its command of the Kabul Regional Command of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). In return for the extension, Turkey has reportedly received assurances from NATO that it will no longer be asked to send combat troops to Afghanistan. Turkey says Turkish troops taking on a combat mission in Afghanistan would undermine its close relationship and cooperation with the Afghan people and be counter-productive. Turkey and Afghanistan have enjoyed very friendly relations since the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923. /Turkiye/
BAGIS: "TURKEY IS A KEY COUNTRY FOR THE EU'S FUTURE"
Turkey is a key country for the future of the European Union, said State Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU talks Egemen Bagis on Sunday. Bagis made the remarks to reporters before the Economy and Foreign Policy Research Center's (EDAM) Sixth Bodrum Roundtable Meeting in the coastal town. International participants at the meeting discussed Turkey's EU process as well as the future of the Union itself. "Turkey is a key country for the future of the EU," said Bagis. "One of Europe's most important problems has to do with energy. Seventy percent of all energy needed by Europe sits at Turkey's borders. Another important problem is the economic crisis. Turkey broke world records with its 11 percent growth in the first half of 2010." He added, "Europe is trying to reach new markets. European companies can reach a market of 1.5 billion people with a three-hour flight from Turkey. Europe has a security problem. Europe's largest army is in Turkey. We have the second-biggest armed forces in NATO. Europe has a problem associated with integration. Our civilization is the one that has united Islamic culture with democratic culture. When you consider Turkey from these perspectives, Turkey is indeed a key country for the EU." /Today's Zaman/
CASUS BELLI CAN BE REMOVED IF GREECE TAKES STEP AS WELL
Turkey's reiteration of a suggestion last week that it would rescind the casus belli -- reason to go to war -- on any attempt by Greece to extend its territorial waters to 12 miles if Greece simultaneously agrees not to attempt such a thing has ignited discussions on the issue but has not been greeted with enthusiasm by Greece officials, who have labeled the suggestion as "Eastern guile." During a visit in Athens last week, ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Foreign Affairs Chairman Omer Celik and Ibrahim Kalin, chief foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reiterated that the parliaments of the both countries should act simultaneously to remove the shadow of casus belli from the bilateral relations. In 1995, a year after the Third United Nations Convention on Sea Law went into force, the Greek parliament declared that it might extend its territorial waters to 12 miles in the Aegean Sea. In an answer to this move, Turkey's Parliament declared that if Greece unilaterally extended its territorial waters, Turkey would take measures to stop this, including military ones. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu recently hinted that the Turkish Parliament's decision can be rescinded if the Greece takes action, too. Also it is expected that Turkey's National Security Policy Document, which is going through a revision at the moment, will not include Greece as one of the main external threats. It is expected that the revised document will underline economic and political cooperation with Greece while scaling down the threat perception, although Ankara and Athens have come to the brink of war three times in the past over territorial disputes. Both Celik and Kalin, who were visiting Athens on the occasion of Turkey's very first attempts to strengthen its public diplomacy efforts in a joint meeting with Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), suggested the removal of the decisions of both the Greek and Turkish parliaments simultaneously. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also expected to pay a visit to Athens in October and most probably he will reiterate the same idea in his bilateral talks. Greek Deputy Defense Minister Panos Beglitis, while assessing the suggestions of Celik and Kalin, said the decisions of the parliaments were two different things entirely, the Anatolia news agency reported. He also claimed that Turkey is acting with "Eastern guile" and added that the Greek parliament's decision is about benefitting from an internationally recognized right whereas the Turkish Parliament's decision is arbitrary. /Today's Zaman/
CHINESE PM MEETS WITH TOURISM MINISTER GUNAY
The friendship and cooperation between Turkey and China is based on the relationship of our peoples, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Saturday. "Cultural contacts continue longer than others," he said at a meeting in Istanbul with Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay and members of the culture and art world. "The friendship and cooperation between Turkey and China is based on the relationship of our peoples. The interaction between these peoples contributes to cultural contacts." He added, "I pay great attention to cultural contacts between Turkey and China. Both countries have ancient civilizations. Despite having different cultures, our countries can learn a great deal from each other." Wen also said, "There are over 10,000 porcelain items from China at the Topkapi Palace." For his part, Gunay said the peoples of Turkey and China have known each other for thousands of years. "Turks and Chinese have not merely fought with each other. They have made peace, cooperated with each other, and at times formed kinship," Gunay said. "We plan to carry our historical closeness to cultural and art activities. A group of 40 artists from the Uighur Autonomous Region will perform in Ankara and Istanbul next week," he said. "2011 will mark the 40th anniversary of relations between Turkey and China. As part of this, we will hold artistic events in both countries. 2012 will be celebrated as the Year of China in Turkey, while 2013 will be celebrated in China as the Year of Turkey. During this time, we want to exhibit items from Topkapi Palace in China and display Chinese items in Turkey. We have a project to display Chinese porcelain from Turkey in China and Terracotta soldiers in Turkey." The meeting was attended by Topkapi Director Ilber Ortayli, UNESCO's Turkey National Committee Chairman and prime ministerial advisor Nabi Avci, artist Husamettin Kocan, Fire of Anatolia dance troupe Art Director Mustafa Erdogan, and other dignitaries. /Hurriyet Daily News/
CHOMSKY: "RACISM IS BEHIND EU RESISTANCE TO TURKEY"
The key reason for European Union resistance to Turkey's membership bid is racism, said US linguist and political scientist Noam Chomsky over the weekend. Citing German Chancellor Angela Merkel's recent statement that German culture is based on Christian and Jewish values and Muslims in the country should accept this, Chomsky called it "a pretty extreme and racist statement from a major political figure in Europe." According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, Germany is only one of the European countries where one can see a "right-wing backlash against Muslim immigrants," and he called racism "the background reason why Turkey is unlikely to be accepted into the EU, even if it meets all the human rights standards." According to Chomsky, who arrived in Istanbul on Friday to attend an international gathering on freedom of expression, the European Court of Human Rights is justified in insisting on better Turkish compliance with human rights standards, yet there are worse violators among EU countries, such as Britain, which participated in the invasion of Iraq. "Has Turkey done anything like that?" he asked. "On the contrary, it refused to participate in the invasion. That's a much higher level of observance of human rights and even international law." According to Chomsky, the stalemate in Turkey's EU membership bid is one of the tensions hampering the reconciliatory role that Ankara wants to play between the Middle East and the West. "Turkey is trying to play an intermediary role between Europe and the Middle East, which is a good position to maintain, but it's difficult. And it's particularly difficult because the US wants to make sure that it remains difficult," he said, citing as an example the US reaction to a compromise deal on Iran's nuclear enrichment brokered by Turkey and Brazil, after which the US obtained more sanctions at the UN Security Council against Iran. "Turkey is playing its role in this (issue) in a very crucial region (the Mideast), which has the world's major energy resources," he said. "I think Turkey can proceed on a path that is constructive and helpful for reconciliation, remedying some of the many internal problems of the region. It's not easy, but is possible." On the May 31 Israeli raid on an aid flotilla which killed eight Turks and one Turkish-American, Chomsky said, "This is clearly a serious criminal attack," adding, "It is hijacking in international waters and there were quite brutal murders." /Today's Zaman/
EMERGING ECONOMIES WIN SKIRMISH IN SEEKING LARGER ROLE IN THE IMF
Emerging powers won a battle on Saturday for heightened International Monetary Fund scrutiny of rich countries' economic policies as world financial leaders sought to defuse mounting tensions over currencies. The IMF's 187 member countries gave voice to long-running frustrations of emerging economies, which say the Fund has traditionally not been tough enough on its biggest shareholders, led by the United States. Now, with the US and Europe in the doldrums, and emerging economies providing the major growth engine for the world, the tables appear to be turning. "Stronger and even-handed surveillance to uncover vulnerabilities in large advanced economies is a priority," the IMF's steering committee said in a communiqué. The statement reflected the arguments of developing countries that weak finances and sluggish growth in the US are a fundamental cause of imbalances in the global economy, with US policies fueling the dollar weakness that is causing strains for many emerging market currencies. This view was driven home by Chinese Central Bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan on Saturday and won broader support. The US, in contrast, has pointed its finger at China, saying its huge current account surplus and undervalued Yuan are partly to blame for the imbalances that have caused the dollar to fall, and raised concerns about a "currency war." US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said there is a direct link between planned reforms at the IMF designed to give emerging powers a greater voice and foreign exchange rate policies, and said if emerging markets want more influence they must release their grip on tightly managed currencies. IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn put it slightly differently: "You cannot be at the center and be a free rider." Strauss-Kahn said he hoped to get an agreement possibly within weeks on giving emerging countries more IMF voting power, which would be in time to meet a deadline of the Group of 20 summit next month in Seoul. /Today's Zaman/
EUROPEAN ENERGY GIANT TO OPEN POWER PLANT IN SAMSUN
European energy giant OMV is planning to open an 870-megawatt gas-fired power plant in the Black Sea province of Samsun. The company is investing 600 million euros in the plant, which is designed to meet 3-4 percent of Turkey's total electricity demand. Speaking at the facility's groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, OMV Group CEO Wolfgang Ruttenstorfer said the company has no interest in entering the electric or gas distribution sector. Verbund, OMV's partner in Austria, however, is planning to invest in Turkey's energy distribution sector. Also speaking at the ceremony, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz, appealing to environmentalists concerned about the plant, said there are objectors to all kinds of energy, including renewable energy, but that such projects need to proceed due to Turkey's growing energy needs. "We don't have the luxury to tell people that we need to have power cuts two hours a day," Yildiz said. "Turkey's annual growth rate in energy, combined with international capital, is around $5.5 billion. We have to make these investments through the private sector in a more liberal and competitive environment." He also said the total amount of money raised after energy privatizations this year was $16 million. "Turkey has more than 8,000 kilometers of coastline, which means there is space for tourism, culture and energy projects," said Yildiz. "But we can't give up on energy projects for the sake of others, and I don't think that choosing one means we can ignore the rest." /Hurriyet Daily News/