NSC STRESSES TURKEY’S UNITY UNDER ’ONE FLAG AND ONE STATE’

In a statement released after its final meeting of the year, the National Security Council (NSC) yesterday drew a line in the sand, making it clear that any attempt to change the unitary state structure of Turkey is unacceptable. Urging the avoidance of inflammatory approaches which could harm democracy, the development of individual rights and freedoms, social peace and fellowship, the statement said it is very important that everyone acts responsibly. Coming amid a debate over bilingualism and autonomy, a debate branded by Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan a conspiracy to sabotage Turkey’s democratization process and peace and brotherhood initiative to solve the Kurdish issue, the MGK statement said, "It must be known that no attempt to change the understanding of ’one flag, one nation, one homeland and one state’ or the fact that the official language of the Republic of Turkey is Turkish, which constitutes one of our core common denominators, is acceptable." The multi-pronged fight against terrorism and factors that foster it will be maintained without any concession in the coming year as well, it said. The statement added that developments in Iraq and ongoing negotiations on Cyprus were also discussed during the meeting. /Aksam/

GUL DUE IN DIYARBAKIR FOR TWO-DAY VISIT

President Abdullah Gul is set to arrive in Diyarbakir today for a two-day visit. During his visit, Gul will be welcomed by Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir. /Hurriyet/

ERDOGAN URGES NATION TO REJECT POPULIST APPEALS

In his last address to the nation this year, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday argued that the government made significant progress in 2010 to improve public services in areas ranging from education to health, to better the situation of working people and retirees, and to develop the country’s industry. Calling this progress laudable but insufficient, Erdogan added, "We want to give our people much more than this, but Turkey’s resources allow only this, at least for now." Warning that a return to populist economy policies and reckless spending for political gain would drag Turkey back to the bad old days, Erdogan urged people to resist the appeal of populist pledges. It is Turkey’s poor that ultimately pay the price for such populism, he said. Stating that Turks are properly wary of such populist appeals due to bitter experience, in an apparent rebuff to the pledges of main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu to woo low-income voters ahead of next year’s general elections, Erdogan said, "Our nation asks: Where on earth will the money come from?" /Star/

DAVUTOGLU: "TURKEY COULD BECOME THE WORLD’S WISE COUNTRY"

Next year Turkey will emerge as an influential and wise country whose principles, values and suggestions are taken seriously, said Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday. "We have all the opportunities to act as a country that creates solutions to conflicts, and to lead the way for others," he told state broadcaster TRT. "We have the chance to become the world’s wise country. This is our next goal." Ankara has already succeeded in one of the main goals of Turkish foreign policy, namely boosting its international profile, he said, adding that in the future Turkey’s profile will grow even more prominent. "We want to become a country that has principles and values and a certain power of influence," he said. This year Turkey not only managed to strengthen its strategic ties with NATO, the European Union and Council of Europe, but also expanded cooperation with neighboring countries and extended its activities to new regions such as Africa, the Far East and Latin America, he said, adding that Turkey has successfully blended the values of the East and the West. On the Iranian nuclear issue, Davutoglu said that Turkey has taken a principled stand. "We will definitely step in because every crisis where we failed to do so caused our nation to pay the price, strengthened terrorism, and led to economic problems. We can’t be indifferent to matters related to our neighbor Iran, especially the nuclear issue," he said. "The world knows how effective Turkey’s Iran policy is, so the ball will return to our court every time." On the severely strained Turkish-Israeli relations in the wake of Israel’s deadly attack this May on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, Davutoglu said Turkey is still waiting for an apology and compensation from Israel. "Turkey’s demands are clear," he said. "We are as determined as we were on May 31 [the day of the attack]. If Israel wants to normalize its relations with Turkey, it should take this into account." /Hurriyet Daily News/

IRAQI SHIITE CLERIC THANKS ERDOGAN FOR ASHURA REMARKS

Iraq’s Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr sent a letter this week to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, thanking him for his speech marking Ashura, a day of mourning for Shiite Muslims commemorating the death in 680 of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Mohammed, in the Battle of Karbala. Speaking in Istanbul’s Halkali district, Erdogan said the historical tragedy had ultimately helped foster brotherhood in the Muslim world. Erdogan’s message marking Ashura followed allegations that Turkey had supported Sunni groups during efforts to form a new Iraqi government, claims denied by Ankara. "You have touched the hearts of each and every Muslim. You have done what no other Muslim leader has done," al-Sadr told Erdogan in his letter. Erdogan said in his speech that "martyrdom of Hussein was not a farewell but a reunion, not an end but a start… Those who try to take advantage of Karbala by making it as a point of division or hostility for Muslims are betraying the legacy of the prophet’s grandson." Karbala’s pain is still alive in our hearts, even after nearly 1,400 years, Erdogan said. The anti-American al-Sadr now represents one of the main players in Iraqi politics, following an uneasy detente reached between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the Sadrists several months ago to form a government after years of fighting each other. /Hurriyet Daily News/

TURKISH-SYRIAN BORDER BOOMING WITH TRADE

Turkey’s less-developed border cities are riding the wave of Ankara’s increasing engagement with the Middle East, boosting trade and economic cooperation, as well as cultural and sporting interaction, with southern neighbor Syria. "The border between Turkey and Syria is an artificial one. No boundaries exist in our minds or thoughts," Mardin Governor Hasan Duruer said. The southeastern Anatolia cities of Mardin and Sanliurfa have joined nearby Kilis, Gaziantep and Hatay in a 25 million TL program to promote trade, employment and sports and cultural exchanges between their cities and three Syrian counterparts, Aleppo, Rakka and Haseki. Of the total budget, 15 million TL will be allocated by Turkey; the rest will be provided by Syria. "One of the planned projects concerns maintaining border security," Duruer said. "The area next to the Nusaybin border gate is full of land mines. We’re looking into clearing the mines and establishing a free trade zone with Syria. Perhaps in the future we can include Lebanon and Jordan." The cross-border initiative follows Turkey’s move to establish a high-level strategic council with Syria to deepen bilateral ties in a wide range of areas and relax visa requirements for travel between the two countries. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly called for the establishment of a kind of European-style Schengen zone for Middle Eastern countries, including Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Government leaders from the three nations are expected to meet next month in Istanbul to implement the plans. /Hurriyet Daily News/

ASSAD MEETS WITH TOP TURKISH GENERAL TO DISCUSS MILITARY COOPERATION

Syrian President Bashar Assad on Tuesday held talks on bilateral military cooperation with Turkey’s visiting Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Aslan Guner. Guner traveled to Damascus on the weekend to participate in a Turkey-Syria Military High-Level Dialogue Meeting. During their meeting, Assad and Guner focused on strategic dialogue on the military and cooperation between the Syrian and Turkish armies, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. "The two sides discussed joint military training carried out by units from both armies and the possibility of expanding them to find common ground in the face of various challenges," Syrian news agency SANA reported. /Today’s Zaman/

BYEGM CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN THE TURKISH PRESS

The second Ministry Executive Assistants and Press Advisers Meeting initiated by the Prime Ministry’s Directorate General Press and Information (BYEGM) was held this week at BYEGM headquarters in Ankara. Efforts to strengthen the press and boost journalists’ occupational standards have gathered speed in recent years, said BYEGM head Murat Karakaya in a speech to the meeting. BYEGM will launch new projects for both the national and local media, and is also working to establish a legal groundwork for web-based media, he added. /Turkiye/

BASKETBALL STAR KOBE BRYANT "PROUD" TO SERVE AS THY AMBASSADOR

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has begun appearing in Turkish Airlines (THY) commercials as the national carrier’s "global brand ambassador," despite pressure from some Armenian-American groups that have threatened to boycott the star. The first such commercial, in which Bryant says that he is "proud" to be THY’s ambassador, is part of a two-year contract signed to mark THY’s new non-stop flights to Los Angeles from Istanbul. In the same commercial, Bryant says he and his team are excited because they will be able to enjoy the beauty and cultural richness of Turkey thanks to the flights. California has some 700,000 Armenians, mainly in Southern California. The influential Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is working to pressure Bryant by threatening to boycott his matches. /Today’s Zaman/