ERDOGAN HITS BACK AT WIKILEAKS CLAIMS

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday again denied that he owns secret Swiss bank accounts, claims made by US diplomats in confidential documents released by online muckraker site WikiLeaks, and criticized opposition leaders for insisting that the claims be disproved. "A politician who wants a stronger foreign policy profile (for Turkey) wouldn't greet (such) claims with shouts of joy," Erdogan told a meeting of university rectors in his office at the Dolmabahce Palace. "He wouldn't tell his premier to get documents from Switzerland. Something that doesn't exist has no documents." About the leaks, he asked if they are "meant to disclose state secrets, or is there another aim? Is the publication of these cables a full disclosure of all secrets, as (WikiLeaks) claims? Or is it an operation in which certain documents are filtered through a censor within a clear timetable? Is it spreading veiled, dark propaganda? Are there efforts to manipulate relations between certain countries?" /Today's Zaman/

IN ANKARA, PALESTINIAN LEADER ABBAS SET TO SPEAK WITH GUL, ERDOGAN

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Ankara yesterday for a two-day visit during which he is set to meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In his third visit to Turkey this year, Abbas is also set to hold official talks with President Abdullah Gul. After a face-to-face meeting, the two leaders are set to preside over discussions between their delegations as well as hold a joint press conference. According to Gul's press office, the meetings will focus on bilateral relations and the latest situation in Palestine and the Middle East peace process. /Hurriyet Daily News/

DAVUTOGLU: "TURKEY IS AGAINST NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE REGION WHEREVER THEY ARE"

Turkey doesn't want to see nuclear weapons in its region, and it is working to make sure talks between major powers and Iran in Geneva today over Tehran's suspected nuclear program go well, said Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at a weekend security conference in Bahrain. "The Middle East being a nuclear-free zone is a pillar of Turkish policy," Davutoglu said in his speech at an Institute of International Security Studies (IISS) summit. "If we have a problem or a disagreement, as with the Iranian nuclear program, the best way and only way to solve this is diplomacy." Davutoglu said more diplomacy, transparency, international efforts, and contributions from both Iran and the international community are needed to resolve the issue. Turkey is against nuclear weapons "wherever they are," he said, adding that Turkey's policy on Iran's nuclear program has been consistent. Davutoglu urged officials to boost political dialogue among countries in the region and to establish economic interdependence and respect for multicultural coexistence in cosmopolitan cities to ensure a more stable, peaceful region. On the sidelines of the summit, Davutoglu also met with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman ibn Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, and Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd. /Today's Zaman/

SIMSEK: "NEXT YEAR TURKEY WILL BE ONE OF 3 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES FULFILLING MAASTRICHT"

Next year Turkey will be one of the three European countries fulfilling the Maastricht criteria, said Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek yesterday. In closing remarks at the Bogazici Regional Partnership Summit in Istanbul, Simsek said this year global growth would total 4.5-5 percent. "The economies of developed countries aren't too promising. On the other hand, the economies of Turkey and other developing nations are in good shape," he said. "Things are leaning towards change," he added. "While growing economies don't create new jobs in the US and parts of Europe, the world economy will continue to grow faster than its potential... in 2011 and 2012. This growth will be shaped by developing markets." Simsek also said, "Turkey's neighbors will be in a good position . If global growth takes place at the scale I expect, direct foreign investments in our region will grow. The same goes for Turkish investors. Turkish investors should look to the Middle East." Saying that the government's priority is to boost Turkey's global competitiveness, he added, "Turkey's future rests on its people, and so we place importance on education. We've doubled the number of universities in Turkey." Finally he exhorted the international visitors in the audience, "Come to Turkey to make investments. You will be successful. Don't fear competition, since competition is to your advantage. Do encourage your governments to direct resources towards worthy aims." /Milliyet/

FIRE AID SPURS MOVE TO MEND TURKISH-ISRAEL TIES

Israeli daily Haaretz reported over the weekend that after Turkey sent assistance to help Israel put out a massive fire near Haifa last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a representative to a UN committee investigating the Mavi Marmara incident. Quoting a senior Israeli source, the newspaper said Foreign Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu and Israel's Yosef Ciechanover are expected to meet to draw up a draft agreement to end the crisis which has hampered bilateral ties since May, when Israel attacked a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, resulting in the deaths of nine Turks. A Foreign Ministry spokesman, however, said he could neither confirm nor deny this. The Carmel fire is Israel's worst forest fire ever and prompted Turkey to send two firefighting planes and a team of firefighters to help extinguish the flames. The aid thawed the frost between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Netanyahu, who made the first contact in months by calling Erdogan to give his country's thanks. /Hurriyet Daily News/

ANTALYA MEETING FOCUSES ON CHALLENGES TO NATO

NATO is facing challenges not only in its operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo but also in maintaining its structure and image, in addition to global issues such as climate change, energy security and terrorism, analysts argued in a weekend meeting in the Mediterranean city of Antalya. The Atlantic Council of Turkey, which works to boost public involvement in NATO affairs, brought together international analysts, academics and journalists for its 18th International Antalya Conference on Security and Cooperation to discuss the alliance's future. During the two-day conference, Nejdet Pamir, a member of the World Energy Council's Turkish National Committee, stressed that 10 years from now, 51.4 percent of the world's primary energy demand will be met with oil and gas. Energy security doesn't stop at national borders but goes all the way to the consumer, he said, adding that protecting energy supplies requires a multidimensional international policy approach. Yonah Alexander, director of the Inter-University Center for Terrorism Studies in Washington, DC, emphasized that the September 2001 attacks were not the worst, as future threats to the international community include cyber attacks intended to provoke power outages, telephone system crashes, financial system disruptions, and computerized bombs. Nabeela Al Mulla, the Kuwaiti ambassador in Brussels and a representative of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (a NATO partner), composed of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, added that partnership is a necessity and since challenges are global, NATO needs partners. She added that NATO also needs the UN for political legitimacy and international acceptance, while the UN needs NATO for logistical support. /Today's Zaman/