GUL HOSTS TUBITAK SCIENCE AWARDS AT PRESIDENTIAL PALACE
Top Turkish scientists were honored yesterday in a ceremony hosted by President Abdullah Gul at the Cankaya Presidential Palace, in the 45th annual awards given by the Turkish Scientific and Research Board (TUBITAK). This year’s awards covered three categories: science, scientific service and initiative, and – for the first time – history. Speaking at the gathering, Gul said although Turkey can claim many important scientific achievements, it still lags in comparison to many other countries. Gul blamed this lag in part on time wasted on domestic political disputes rather than prioritizing scientific research. Gul said his official residence was hosting the ceremony to demonstrate the state’s highest support for science. Princeton University’s Sukru Hanioglu, an Ottoman scholar who has done work in the history of science, won the premier TUBITAK history award. At the end of the ceremony, Gul, State Minister Mehmet Aydin and TUBITAK head Nukhet Yetis posed for a photo with the award winners. The event ended with a reception. /Today’s Zaman/
ERDOGAN SLAMS GREEK CYPRIOT "RACISM" IN BASTKETBALL MATCH VIOLENCE
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday slammed an attack on a Turkish basketball team in Greek Cyprus as a sign of rising Greek Cypriot "racism" that threatens peace efforts on the long-divided island. Erdogan also criticized the "inadequate" European Union reaction to the incident and international basketball federation FIBA’s fine on the Greek Cypriots as overly lenient. "It is worrying that racism and violence against Turks ... are rising in Greek Cyprus even while we are striving for dialogue and reconciliation," Erdogan said during a weekly speech in Parliament. "Even this single incident demonstrates who on the island favors peace and who doesn’t want to give peace a chance." A basketball game last week between hosts APOEL Nicosia and Turkey’s Pinar Karsiyaka ended in violence when local fans threw objects at the visiting team, poured onto the court, and clashed with police. "We expect more satisfactory statements especially from the EU — both on this incident and the racism and hatred that is being fanned on the island," said Erdogan. "The penalty imposed on APOEL is insufficient. If this is their justice, then they shouldn’t speak about fair play." A FIBA tribunal fined APOEL €40,000 and ordered them to play their next European home matches behind closed doors. /Hurriyet Daily News/
DAVUTOGLU: "TURKEY’S APOLOGY AND COMPENSATION DEMANDS FROM ISRAEL STAND"
Days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that his government regrets the Mavi Marmara incident this May, which left nine Turkish peace activists dead, but is unlikely to take further steps, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday said Turkey’s demand from Israel for an apology and compensation to families of the victims remain unchanged. During a joint press conference with visiting Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Abdurrahman bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Davutoglu said, "Our expectations that Israel issue an apology and give compensation hold with the same determination as on May 31," the day the Mavi Marmara, the flagship of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, was raided by Israeli commandos in international waters. Turkey protects the rights of its citizens, Davutoglu stressed. In related news, speaking to official Syrian news agency SANA, Davutoglu dismissed claims from some in Europe and the US that Turkey has been trying to export "neo-Ottomanism" to the Middle East, saying that this concept has no place in Turkish foreign policy. Stating that the European Union fails to understand Turkey’s approach to foreign relations, including pursuing better relations with its neighbors and eased visa regimes, Davutoglu blamed this failure for misplaced reactions to Turkey’s stance on the Iranian nuclear issue and its voting against new UN sanctions on Tehran this summer. /Aksam/
IRAN, IRAQ TO SEE VISITS BY TOP TURKISH LEADERS EARLY IN THE NEW YEAR
Turkish leaders will visit officials in Middle Eastern neighbors early in the New Year to discuss burgeoning bilateral cooperation. President Abdullah Gul is expected to visit Iran in January 2011, probably before the next round of nuclear talks between Tehran and six world powers, set to be held in Istanbul in late January, while Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will pay a visit to neighboring Iraq to meet with the country’s new government, which was recently formed nine months after an inconclusive election left politics in limbo. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told the Mehr news agency on Monday that Gul’s Tehran visit will take place at the invitation of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but didn’t specify an exact date for the visit. Both Ahmadinejad and Salehi were in Istanbul last week to participate in a regional economic summit. Shortly after Davutoglu’s visit, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also visit Iraq for the second prime ministerial level meeting of the high-level strategic cooperation council with the new Iraqi government. The visits to Iraq were planned in a telephone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Maliki, whom Erdogan called to congratulate on forming a new government, Davutoglu told reporters yesterday at a joint press conference with visiting Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General (GCC) Abdurrahman bin Hamad Al-Attiyah. /Today’s Zaman/
AHMADINEJAD: "WE’RE READY TO MEET WITH THE WEST IN ISTANBUL"
Istanbul, Tehran and Brazil are the best places to hold talks with the West on Iran’s nuclear program, said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday. "We’re ready to meet with the P5+1" – the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany – in any of those three places, he said. Ahmadinejad added that they want to pursue negotiations, but Iran’s status as a nuclear power must first be accepted. /Star/
BABACAN: "WE CAN’T LET TURKEY RETURN TO THE ECONOMIC OLD DAYS"
The Central Bank is doing what it believes to be right, and will continue to do so, Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan yesterday told the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) in Istanbul, rebuffing recent criticisms of the bank. Pledging that the CB will work to ensure that foreign capital comes to Turkey for the long term, Babacan added, "However, Turkey will continue to be a country where foreign capital moves conveniently, or a country which foreign capital enters comfortably. We can’t take a stance that makes Turkey turn in on itself. We can’t let Turkey return to the old days economically." Expressing concern over continuing economic woes in Europe, Babacan added that he doesn’t see a new economic crisis on the horizon, but did urge a cautious approach by Turkey next year. "We may face new problems in financial markets," he explained. "Some countries’ credit problems may grow bigger. All this may affect Turkey one way or the other." Stressing that his team isn’t trying to follow economic fashions, Babacan said, "We’re going to approach things differently so that we ultimately succeed economically." Babacan also pledged swift action on what he called "dangerous policies" by the US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank on capital movements. Pointing to the recent expansion of seats on the International Monetary Fund Executive Board, Babacan said, "We’d like to see the same thing on the UN Security Council." On the eve of concluding two successful years on the council, Ankara recently vowed to seek another temporary seat on the top UN body. /Hurriyet/
TURKEY, GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL SET TO STRENGTHEN TIES
Relations between Turkey and the Gulf Cooperation Council are growing deeper through an action plan to promote strategic ties between Ankara and the council. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said working groups in nine separate areas – trade, agriculture, transportation, environment, tourism and culture, among others – would discuss concrete projects, including a railway connecting the Gulf countries to Europe via Turkey. Speaking at a press conference yesterday alongside Abdurrahman Hamad al-Attiyah, the council’s secretary-general, Davutoglu also said there are efforts to finalize a free trade agreement between Turkey and the council. He also said he had invited the council to open an office in Turkey. Al-Attiyah praised Turkey’s positive role in the region and its support on the Palestinian issue. Relations between Turkey and the council since 2008 have progressed into true strategic cooperation, he added. Al-Attiyah also called for Turkish investments in the region. /Hurriyet Daily News/
ANKARA DECLARES 2011 THE YEAR OF NORTHERN CYPRUS
Seeking to promote Turkish Cyprus as an tourism hot spot, Turkey has declared 2011 the Year of Northern Cyprus. "We will promote Northern Cyprus as a destination to boost the number of tourists visiting the country," Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay told reporters Monday in a joint press conference with visiting Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Irsen Kucuk. Turkey wants to share its deep tourism sector experience with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) so that it can live up to its employment, prosperity and development potential, Gunay said. Tourism revenues in the TRNC rose 12 percent in the first 10 months of this year, while the number of visitors from Turkey to the island rose 15 percent, he added. Saying 2011 will be an important year for the TRNC tourism sector, Kucuk added that joint investments by Turkish investors and Turkish Cypriot entrepreneurs will strengthen both groups against competition. /Hurriyet Daily News/
ANKARA TO OPEN THREE DEFENSE INDUSTRY EXPORT OFFICES ABROAD
Turkey has decided to take yet another step to boost its defense industry exports by launching three more promotional offices in Europe, Central Asia and the Gulf. According to anonymous Defense Ministry sources, Turkey has intensified efforts to that end in recent months. The sources said Turkey has already received an offer from Qatar to establish an office inside the country’s General Staff headquarters, while the remaining two offices will be opened in Belgium and either Azerbaijan or Turkmenistan. The first such office last month opened in Washington, DC, headed by retired Air Marshal Maurice Lee McFann. Turkey’s exports of defense industry products rose as high as $900 million this year, and the target for next year has been set at an unprecedented $1 billion. With the opening of the offices, Turkey hopes to strengthen its foreign policy influence as well as boost its exports to these three regions. Turkey wants to reach a total export volume of $500 billion – over four times the present figure – and become one of the world’s top 10 economies by 2023, the centennial of the modern republic. /Today’s Zaman/