ERDOGAN, MERKEL TO OPEN WORLD’S BIGGEST INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FAIR IN HANOVER
Along with his German counterpart Angela Merkel, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to open CeBIT, the world’s largest information technology, late this month in Hanover. Nearly 100 Turkish firms will take part in the event, offering the opportunity to hold business contacts with many giant information technology firms from across the world. Companies from 68 countries, including Turkey, will showcase recent developments projected to shape the future of information technology around the world. Erdogan’s stay in Germany will also include a meeting with Merkel, and an address to Turkish expatriates living there. Last month Erdogan criticized Merkel’s claims that Turkey isn’t doing enough to solve the Cyprus issue, an issue partly responsible for the impasse in Ankara’s accession talks with the European Union. Erdogan called Merkel’s remarks unfair and groundless, citing how in 2004 Turkey threw its support behind a UN plan to reunite the divided island, which was rejected by the Greek Cypriot administration. Following his German visit, Erdogan will proceed to Brussels, and meet with European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso to discuss ways to jump-start Turkey’s EU accession negotiations. /Turkiye/
LARGEST TURKISH EVACUATION EVER BRINGS 5,000 HOME FROM LIBYA
More than 5,000 Turks have been taken out of Libya within 72 hours in the largest-ever evacuation in Turkey’s history, amid growing unrest that has killed one Turkish worker, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said yesterday. The Turks were spirited out of crisis-hit Libya on ferries and charter and regular flights. Speaking at a press conference in a crisis room set up at the Foreign Ministry, Davutoglu said one Turkish citizen, a 27-year-old worker from the Black Sea city of Trabzon, had been killed in Tripoli. The Dogan news agency (DHA) reported that the worker was killed by long-range weapons fire while climbing a crane. Charter and regular flights have been arranged to evacuate 1,422 Turks from Tripoli, 429 from Benghazi and 248 from Alexandria, Egypt, while two ferries are transporting 3,000 Turks from Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city, Davutoglu said. He added that the Foreign Ministry is working to evacuate Turkish citizens from Libyan seaports to Egypt or Tunisia, where they could more easily be brought home on planes. News channel NTV yesterday reported that planes carrying close to 250 Turks had landed successfully in Turkey. Turkey has approximately 25,000 citizens living in Libya, where more than 200 Turkish companies are involved in construction projects worth some $15 billion. Some 4,000-5,000 Turkish citizens have requested evacuation from Libya, Davutoglu said, but added that the situation is in flux and such figures are constantly changing. Saying Turkey’s number one priority is evacuating its citizens from critical areas of Libya, he asked Turks in other parts of the country not to panic. Stressing that Turkey is taking additional measures and has backup plans to ensure the safety of its citizens in Libya, Davutoglu said, "We’re not abandoning Libya. We’re taking security measures." No other country has conducted such an evacuation effort from Libya, Davutoglu stressed, adding that 21 other countries – including the US, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, France, China, Britain and Ukraine – have requested Turkey’s help in evacuating their citizens. Turkey held two crisis meetings since the weekend to better coordinate its evacuation efforts. Davutoglu briefed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, while Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek briefed the opposition parties. Davutoglu also called on the international community to show solidarity with the people of Libya during the critical transformation process it is undergoing. /Hurriyet Daily News/
BAGIS TO EU: "PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF"
Turkish leaders see its European Union membership process as part of their "Great Turkey" vision, and will continue to do so, Interior Minister Besir Atalay said yesterday. Speaking at a meeting at Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) headquarters in Ankara about a project to boost provincial governors’ involvement in Turkey’s EU accession process, Atalay stressed that the EU needs to accept Turkey as a full member. Telling how Turkey has made great progress in recent years to align itself with EU criteria in a number of areas, Atalay said, "Once Turkey was associated with torture cases, and saw many lawsuits filed against it with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). But when we (the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AK Party) came to power, we introduced a policy of zero tolerance for torture." EU countries will likely one day belatedly ask Turkey to join the bloc, Atalay predicted. "The main point is that we continue our determined path towards the EU," he added. Also speaking at the meeting, Chief EU Talks Negotiator Egemen Bagis spoke about the democratic progress Turkey has made in recent years. Referring to tense 2004 negotiations with EU leaders to made them declare a date for starting Turkey’s accession talks, Bagis said, "Back then Turkey had many democratization problems. People were afraid to use their mother tongue, and couldn’t express their opinions freely. Now the impact of the EU accession process is seen all areas of life in Turkey." He stressed that amid rising anti-foreigner sentiments across Europe, Turkey’s democratic expansion policies at home has become a source of inspiration for other countries in Europe. Comparing the EU to a doctor who fails to heed his own health advice, Bagis said, "But we will fulfill the EU’s prescription, and Turkey’s full membership will come true." On the stopover visit to Turkey tomorrow of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a staunch opponent of Turkey’s EU membership bid, Bagis said President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will give Sarkozy very clear messages. Also attending a reception hosted by Dutch Ambassador in Ankara Jan-Paul Dirkse yesterday, Bagis called Turkey the solution to various problems facing the EU. "Turkey will save the EU," he suggested. /Hurriyet/
TURKEY "VITAL" FOR THE TRNC, STRESSES TURKISH CYPRIOT LAWMAKER
Anti-Turkey protests in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) won’t be able to break its ties with Turkey, which carry vital importance for Turkish Cyprus, said TRNC parliamentarian Serife Unverdi, heading a Turkish Cypriot delegation in Ankara yesterday. Unverdi, who chairs the TRNC Parliament’s Law and Political Affairs Committee, told Turkey-TRNC Parliamentary Friendship Committee Chairman Zekeriya Aslan that Turkish Cypriots were set free with Turkey’s help, adding that ties between the countries are based on fellowship, not pragmatism. "A few signs carried by a handful of people at a rally can’t separate us from the mainland," she said. "We will fight the Greek Cypriot mindset. Turkey is vitally important for us." Aslan decried the anti-Turkey protests last month and said he hoped TRNC officials would take appropriate measures ahead of a planned March 2 rally. In the Jan. 28 demonstration to protest austerity measures, a group of Turkish Cypriots chanted anti-Turkey slogans, calling on Ankara not to interfere in their affairs. "Ankara, we don’t want your money or austerity package," read some signs. Afterwards the Turkish government lashed out at the protesters. /Hurriyet Daily News/
CAGLAYAN PREDICTS NEW FOCUS ON INDIAN, ASIAN MARKETS
Turkey will concentrate more on Indian and other Asian markets in the years to come, State Minister Zafer Caglayan told a conference in Lisbon yesterday. In a speech, Caglayan said that in the wake of political upheaval, Northern African markets may be closed to exports for some time. He also urged Portuguese politicians and businessmen to forge economic and commercial ties with Turkey, and said a meeting with Turkish businessmen about Lebanon will be held today. /Sabah/
AS LIBYAN UPHEAVAL ESCALATES, TURKISH FIRMS ASSESS DAMAGE
Turkey’s biggest companies continue to evacuate workers from Libya, while State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafer Caglayan called construction firms for an urgent meeting today. The head of the Association of Turkish Building Material Producers says Turkish firms have taken considerable losses in Libya, adding that Turkey can’t afford to lose this lucrative market. As companies continue to pull workers out of Libya, an association of Turkish construction firms said it is extremely worried about the lives of employees and possible financial losses. Building giant Akfen Holding announced it is evacuating employees from two airport terminal projects in Libya. In a statement to the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE), Akfen said its unit TAV Construction has a 25 percent share in a contract to build a new terminal at the Tripoli Airport. The company has a 50 percent share in another contract for Sebha Airport. Meanwhile, Caglayan said he would meet today with Turkish construction companies that have stakes in Libya. Turkish firms currently have ongoing construction projects worth $15 billion in Libya. Istanbul Chamber of Commerce head Murat Yalcintas said he hopes for a rapid normalization of the situation in Libya. He said the situation in Egypt may harm Turkish businesses, but in Libya the question is about lives. "This is a transformation," he added. "This is about demands for democratization. I hope these fraternal nations complete their democratic transformation as quickly as possible." /Hurriyet Daily News/
TURKEY SEALS LARGEST SINGLE DEFENSE EXPORT DEAL WITH MALAYSIA
Turkish and Malaysian defense companies on Tuesday signed a $600 million deal – a landmark, as Turkey’s largest single sale in defense industry exports to date. Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul and his Malaysian counterpart Amhad Zahid Hamidi participated in the deal’s signing ceremony in Ankara. In a separate meeting, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced alongside his visiting Malaysian counterpart Mohamed Najib bin Abdul Razak that Turkey and Malaysia are mutually ending visa requirements for short stays. /Today’s Zaman/
TURKISH-SERBIAN TRADE COULD QUADRUPLE IN A FEW YEARS, PREDICTS TUSKON
The recent abolition of visa requirements between Turkey and Serbia will contribute substantially to improvements in bilateral economic ties, said Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) Deputy Chairman Ahmet Coskun yesterday. Last year’s trade volume of some $500 million will likely reach $2 billion within a few years, he predicted. /Today’s Zaman/
TURKEY, VIETNAM SIGN PACT TO BOLSTER BILATERAL TIES
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc, currently on a tour of Southeast Asian, yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with Vietnamese Trade and Industry Minister V Huy Hoang in Hanoi. Arinc and Hoang signed the agreement at the close of the fifth meeting of the Turkey-Vietnam Joint Economic and Trade Committee (KEK) in Hanoi. Speaking after the signing ceremony, Arinc said the pact would contribute to the friendship between the two countries as well as strengthen their economic ties. He added that economic relations between Turkey and Vietnam are sustainable and full of opportunities for progress. /Today’s Zaman/