TURKISH, GERMAN LEADERS JOIN IN MUTUAL PLEDGES FOR MINORITIES
At a joint news conference yesterday with his visiting German counterpart Christian Wulff, President Abdullah Gul said he is also the leader of the country's non-Muslim communities. "We have non-Muslim citizens, we have Christian and Jewish citizens," said Gul. "I am also their president," he added, echoing Wulff's earlier assertion that that "Islam is now a part of Germany." Despite strong economic and social ties with Germany, Wulff's five-day trip to Turkey is the first presidential visit in a decade. It comes amid rising debate in Germany over integration, in which Wulff has taken a conciliatory stance. Yesterday he shared successful integration stories with Gul, such as that of Aygul Ozkan, Lower Saxony's new minister for social affairs. "Seeing her success has encouraged our ethnic Turkish citizens, who believe they will be taken seriously. I am also their president," said Wulff. Gul urged that Germany not respond to rising immigration by tightening its visa policy. On Turkey's European Union bid, Wulff echoed Berlin's line that the process is "open-ended" but also that the principle of "pacta sunt servanda" (agreements must be kept) should be observed. Later addressing Parliament, Wulff spoke on Turkish-German economic ties, saying that many German companies are operating in Turkey and helping its economic dynamism. On the Cyprus dispute, he said resolution of the decades-long impasse would bring stability to the eastern Mediterranean, urging, "This problem, this knot should be untied." On Turkish-Armenian normalization, Wulff said Germany supports this process, encouraging an "open border" in the common future with Armenia. On the Middle East, Wulff said Germany favors a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel, stressing that Turkey has a role to play in peace negotiations between the two parties. The president said German citizens of Turkish descent are a part of Germany, adding that he is the president of all, including Turkish-Germans, and urged them to actively participate in German society. Wulff stressed that successful integration is possible through open dialogue within the rules of German society. /Hurriyet Daily News/
ERDOGAN: "WE NO LONGER WANT TO SEE WAR JETS OVER THE AEGEAN"
Ahead of his Athens visit to attend a conference on climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean on Friday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday extended an olive branch to Turkey's neighbor, calling for an end to the frequent dogfights between Turkish and Greek warplanes over the Aegean Sea. Stating that Turks and Greeks should stop seeing relations through a militarist lens, and that he believes his Greek counterpart George Papandreou wants the same, Erdogan told Greek Skai TV that Turkey wants to end the flights by Turkish and Greek warplanes over Aegean islands. "Of course the Turkish General Staff has sensitivities about this," he said. "Greek warplanes enjoy a wide berth over the Aegean Sea, and fly up to the Turkish continental shelf. We have no such long area to cover. There needs to be a mutual understanding on this." Decrying how much these flights cost both countries, Erdogan suggested that future Turkish and Greek military flights over the Aegean be controlled by NATO. On Turkey and Greece's dispute over the continental shelf, along with the dogfights, Erdogan said, "Mutual compromise will help us reduce our military spending." The total cost of dogfights between Turkish and Greek warplanes from 2000 to 2009 was nearly _450 million. /Milliyet/
AS US SEEKS BACKING ON MISSILE SHIELD PLANS, TURKEY INSISTS ON TERMS
Turkey on Monday insisted that a planned NATO anti-missile system not be seen as a threat against any of its eastern neighbors, as this would threaten the flourishing economic and political bilateral ties of recent years, while US officials called on Ankara to agree to place part of the Europe-wide shield on Turkish soil. Speaking at panel discussions held as part of the two-day 29th Annual American-Turkish Council (ATC) Conference in Washington, both Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul and US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the talks over the proposed missile shield are continuing on the basis of mutual trust and dialogue. "Contrary to some press reports, we are not pressuring Turkey to make a contribution," said Gates. "But we do look to Turkey to support NATO's adoption at the Lisbon summit (next month) of a territorial missile defense capability." Amid these calls from the US for approval, Turkey is particularly seeking guarantees from the West that the system not be perceived as an anti-Iran or anti-Russia move. /Today's Zaman/
PM: "I WILL BOYCOTT INTL CONFERENCE IF NETANYAHU ATTENDS"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said he will not attend an environmental conference in Greece this Friday if his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu is also there. Speaking to Greek Skai TV, Erdogan said, "If he takes part in this event, I will not be there." Bilateral relations nosedived after an Israeli commando raid in May on a peaceful aid convoy, resulting in the deaths of nine Turkish peace activists. "There is no way that I can speak with a prime minister who is proud of such an armed intervention," explained Erdogan. /Today's Zaman/
WALESA SET TO SHARE POLAND'S EXPERIENCE OF DEMOCRATIZATION, EU ACCESSION WITH UNIONISTS
Former Polish President and legendary union leader Lech Walesa is due to arrive in Turkey this Friday at the invitation of Chief Negotiator for EU Talks Egemen Bagis and labor union Hak-Is. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Walesa, currently a member of the European Union's "wise men" group, is scheduled to speak at a panel on Poland's successful EU accession, democratization, and freedom. Walesa was the leader of Poland's Solidarity, the first independent labor union in the Warsaw Pact. Instrumental in the Soviet Union's eventual collapse, Solidarity was also the primary catalyst in the democratization of Poland towards EU membership. Bagis, Labor and Social Security Minister Omer Dincer, and Hak-Is head Salim Uslu will also deliver keynote addresses at the panel, which will be attended by politicians, union members, and academics from around the world. During his stay in Ankara, Walesa, a firm supporter of Turkey's EU accession bid, will also meet with representatives of Turkish labor unions. /Cumhuriyet/
US, TURKEY TO REVISIT IRANIAN BANK TRANSACTION ISSUE
Turkey and the United States today will revisit the topic of monetary transactions with Iran-based banks, an issue which has soured relations between the two allies in recent months, at a two-day meeting to review the implementation of international sanctions on Iran. US Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey is leading an interagency delegation to Turkey for meetings with senior government officials and private-sector leaders on protecting the international financial system from illicit activities, according to a US Embassy statement. The US is particularly worried about commercial relations between the Turkish state and private banks with their Iranian counterparts. As Turkey and Iran use their national currencies in trade, there are concerns that suspicious transactions could escape international monitoring. According to the embassy, Levey will also continue the US Treasury's ongoing dialogue with foreign governments and financial institutions on recent measures taken by the US and others around the world to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1929 as well as the US' Comprehensive Iran Sanctions Accountability and Divestment Act (CISADA). Turkey has already said it will abide by UN sanctions against Iran, despite voting against the measures in spring, but that US laws restricting business with Iran are not binding on Turkey. /Hurriyet Daily News/
TURKEY, US SEEK NEW ERA IN BILATERAL TRADE TIES
The first ministerial level meeting of the Framework for Turkish-US Strategic Economic and Trade Cooperation took place yesterday in Washington. During the meeting - co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan and State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafer Caglayan from Turkey, as well as US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and US Trade Representative Ron Kirk - a US-Turkish Business Council, a forum for Turkish and US businesspeople to meet regularly, was also established. Speaking at a joint press conference afterwards, Locke said relevant officials from both countries are seeking joint venture opportunities in such areas as energy, commerce and investment. He also called Turkey a friend, critical ally, and important partner for the US. Stating that Turkey has one of the world's fastest-growing economies, Kirk stressed the significant untapped trade potential between Turkey and the US. The current bilateral trade volume falls short of that potential, he said. For his part, Babacan said the two countries should have a busy slate of trade and investment cooperation, just like their intensified political cooperation. Babacan also said the second ministerial-level meeting is planned to take place in Turkey. Asked about Turkey improving trade ties with China, Babacan said Turkey has a multifaceted foreign trade policy, adding that signing trade deals with China poses no obstacle to the development of Turkish-US trade ties. Also speaking to reporters, Caglayan said Turkey and the US turned a new page in bilateral trade ties with the first ministerial-level meeting. Echoing Kirk's remarks on the insufficient bilateral trade volume, Caglayan said that they had reached an agreement during the meeting to boost this figure. Caglayan also said that they had discussed certain trade-related problems between the two countries, from the US requiring visas of Turkish businesspeople to hurdles keeping Turkish agricultural products out of US markets, as well as US concerns about Turkey's pharmaceutical sector and problems with US genetically modified (GM) food reaching Turkish markets. Asked whether they had discussed UN and US sanctions targeting Iran's controversial nuclear program, Caglayan said the subject hadn't come up. Stressing Turkey's need to boost its trade ties worldwide, Caglayan said, "Turkey's share of US imports, the world's biggest import market, is only two per thousand. We're not happy with this." During the meeting, a memorandum of understanding on direct foreign investments programs was also signed, with both sides pledging more efforts to develop cooperation between small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). /Cumhuriyet/
CAGLAYAN: "A TURKISH-US BUSINESS COUNCIL WILL LAUNCH BEFORE YEAR'S END"
Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan said on Tuesday that within a week Ankara will select Turkey's 12 members of a new Turkish-US business council, a body established as part of the Framework for Strategic Economic and Commercial Cooperation. Caglayan added that the council will start its work before year's-end and will include Sabanci Holding's Haluk Dincer and Yuksel Construction's Emin Sazak, among others. Caglayan said they had already asked the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB), Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD), Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD), Turkish Contractors Association (TMB), and Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) to suggest one name for each of the 12 sectors in which the two countries are seeking to strengthen cooperation. The sectors are as follows: motor vehicles, textiles and ready-made clothing, machinery (including electrical and electronic goods), chemicals (including pharmaceuticals), quarrying and mining, metals, food and herbal products, defense and air transportation, information technologies, energy, logistics, and construction. /Today's Zaman/