Turkish current events in brief

Quotes from

http://www.byegm.gov.tr/

http://www.iha.com.tr/bin/directory.dll/pf?OY0BK

“"We have not made requests with respect to the Turkish air space or air base," General Tommy Franks told reporters after talks with top Turkish military officials. United States has made no decision about a possible strike against the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. We all said that the course towards war should not be favored. The purpose of my visit was not to make any specific request. Collaboration, cooperation and discussion, that was the purpose of my visit, and we have accomplished that," he said. Ankara, a key NATO ally, currently allows US and British planes to use an air base for enforcing a no-fly zone in Iraq, but it remains deeply opposed to any attack on its southern neighbour. “

update: “Franks will brief Ozkok on regional military issues and the international security force in Afghanistan, which Turkey has been commanding since June, before his trip to the United States in early November. The talks can touch on the use of Turkish airbases for operations against Iraq. Turkey's Incirlik airbase is currently used by British and US planes enforcing the no-fly zone over northern Iraq which has been out of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's control since the 1991 Gulf war. Ankara is concerned about the impact a war could have on its troubled economy, as well as moves by Kurds to strengthen their grip on northern Iraq, where they already have a de facto state within a state. “

remarks by French President Jacques Chirac

The position of Paris is shared by a considerable majority of countries in the world, My concern is to have enough pressure on the Iraqi authorities for disarmament to be real, controlled and indisputable, and then the prospects of war will go away," he said.

“France, which as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council has veto power, has led opposition to initial U.S. proposals calling for the immediate use of force against Iraq if any Security Council member judges it to be impeding inspections to determine whether Baghdad was developing weapons of mass destruction.”

“But Washington reserved the right to launch a military strike at any time if President George W. Bush decided it was in the interests of U.S. national security, Boucher said…A White House official told Reuters: "It has long been understood that an effective opposition is part of our overall regime-change policy as first outlined in the 1998 Iraq Liberation Act." That law authorized $98 million for opposition training. ”

Turkey Cyprus Greece

1974 cease-fire line. Peacemaker youths called for definite resolution of Cyprus during the bicommunal peace building activity with the attendance of almost hundreds of participants. It also was an example of collaboration between two communities of the divided island.United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) Chief of Mission Zbigniew Wlosowicz Acting Special Representative of Cyprus made a welcoming speech saying he hoped all Cypriots of both sides had much fun of the organisations.

http://web.nps.navy.mil/~relooney/C40Larra.pdf

“South Caucasus Stability Pact: The pact is designed to increase Turkey’s profile in the region, as well as to enhance Western involvement. By including not only Western powers, but also Russia, Turkey is, in effect, seeking to legitimize Western involvement in the area and implicitly
asking Russia to view the region as an area of international cooperation rather
than as its own backyard.” .. would include Armenia, Azerbaijan,
and Georgia, as well as Turkey, Russia (and possibly Iran), the United States,
the European Union (EU), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) and The International Monetary Fund (IMF)”…

” At the same time, the energy issue has given the Turkish interest in the Caucasus
and Caspian region a sharper focus. The Caspian region is a major source of the natural
gas and oil that Turkey needs to meet its increasing domestic energy requirements.
Ankara is particularly interested in the construction of a pipeline to carry
Caspian oil from Baku in Azerbaijan to the port of Ceyhan on Turkey’s Mediterranean
coast. This would not only help meet Turkey’s growing domestic energy needs
but also increase its political influence in the region.”

“The Turkmenistan-Turkey gas pipeline would parallel the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline and could sideline alternative routes such as the Russian Blue Stream project—dubbed Blue Dream by critics—to transport natural gas underneath the Black Sea.”

“Russia has come to see Turkey as a major rival for influence in Central Asia and the Caspian region. In some ways, the 19th century Great Game of diplomatic maneuver is being replayed in a new geopolitical context, with energy and pipelines replacing the railroads as the
main means of extending political influence.”

“In order to be commercially viable, Baku-Ceyhan needs to pump 1 million
barrels of oil a day. At present, Azerbaijan is not able to guarantee this amount. Kazakhstan
oil could cover the deficit and ensure that the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline will be
commercially viable.”

http://www.turkishdailynews.com/FrTDN/latest/dom2.htm#d21

Justice Minister Aysel Celikel, who noted at the opening of the conference that men were dominant in the world parliaments, said "Sex of political power is definite today but the condition for existence in politics is to provide equality between men and women. However, this is known but not realized. There was never a world managed by women and regional peace but this does not mean that it will not happen."

Stating that she believed that women would contribute to development and peace in the world, Celikel said that women should get involved in politics. Noting that the economic effects of globalization made rich countries richer and poor countries poorer, Celikel said that this was a menace to the world peace.

Economy

http://www.turkishdailynews.com/FrTDN/latest/econ.htm

A Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) between the United States and Turkey has come into force, which will bolster their bilateral economic relations, the US Embassy in Ankara announced yesterday.

World Bank Turkey Director Ajay Chhibber says Turkey has made a lot of progress in terms of overcoming the economic and financial crisis in the past two years, but that the social crisis was continuing to haunt the country with a high unemployment rate and poverty…Chhibber told Turkish Daily News exclusively that the economic outlook next year would depend on many variables like the elections, global situation and what happens in Iraq and advised a careful economic management in order to sustain growth.

“Among these I would rate these days the high taxes, exorbitant energy costs, high interest rates and the cost of social security - especially the costly employer contributions. Turkey's natural advantages with Europe - in the form of cheaper skilled labor and geography are neutralized by these factors. Surveys of Turkish and foreign business also rate Turkey's slow legal system as a major constraint to business. So Turkey is competitive - but could be more so. Turkey must also focus much more on knowledge and technology in a rapidly changing world - it must not fall behind and needs a coordinated effort in this area. Turkey caught up to the rest of the world after the industrial revolution - but must ensure that the new digital revolution does not leave it behind.”…” If Turkey could attract about $5-6 billion in foreign investment every year it could raise its growth rate by some 2 percent every year - so that if without foreign investment Turkey would grow at 4-5 percent, then with it the growth could increase to 6-7 percent and Turkey could catch up to the more developed EU much faster.. All in all our support for Turkey over the past 5 years has exceeded $ 6 billion in credits.”

Latest news on the Kurds

http://www.turkishdailynews.com/FrTDN/latest/for.htm#f4

"Certain press organs have reported today that 12,000 members of the Turkish Armed Forces entered northern Iraq. These reports are completely wrong," Turkey's General Staff said in a written statement.

Massoud Barzani: 'But we know about international conditions and we know it's not possible to do everything whenever you want. Our views are clear. At the moment we definitely want a federal solution in Iraq within Iraq's boundaries... There's a difference between what you wish for and what you're capable of. We have wishes but we don't have the power to do it right now'
'I don't know what relevance Kirkuk has for Turkey, I can't understand that. According to opinion polls carried out in Iraq, Kurds have the majority in Kirkuk. As a result of these polls we saw Kirkuk as appropriate for the interests of Kurdish people... Perhaps the capital will not be Kirkuk, but everyone agrees for now that it should be Kirkuk'

Talabani: Turkey Won't see an independent Kurdistan

'We have no intention to divide Iraq... A federation within Iraq would be the best system... Turkey will never see establishment of an independent Kurdistan. There is no need for Ankara to worry. There won't be an independent state in northern Iraq. There will be a united Iraq'
'We are against disintegration of Iraq. We want a united democratic Iraq. We want to have one state. But, we want restructuring. We want to build the new Iraq on the pillars of a parliamentary system, secularism and federal state'
'Kirkuk is a city where Kurds, Arabs, Turkomans and Assyrians are living together. It is a city where there is brotherhood. There are some chauvinistic slogans. Some say it is solely a Kurdish city. We are against that. Some others say it is a Turkoman city. We are against that chauvinistic slogan as well'

Meanwhile Secretary General for EU Affairs, Ambassador Volkan Vural said to be an EU member country in 2010s is not a dream for Turkey adding that Turkey has an experience which may help Turkey to finish the negotiations in 4-5 years.

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	HOME NEWS PENTAGON CIA MKULTRA THE STORE MUST READ! CONTACT index letters Turkish current events in brief Quotes from http://www.byegm.gov.tr/ http://www.iha.com.tr/bin/directory.dll/pf?OY0BK “"We have not made requests with respect to the Turkish air space or air base," General Tommy Franks told reporters after talks with top Turkish military officials. United States has made no decision about a possible strike against the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. We all said that the course towards war should not be favored. The purpose of my visit was not to make any specific request. Collaboration, cooperation and discussion, that was the purpose of my visit, and we have accomplished that," he said. Ankara, a key NATO ally, currently allows US and British planes to use an air base for enforcing a no-fly zone in Iraq, but it remains deeply opposed to any attack on its southern neighbour. “ update: “Franks will brief Ozkok on regional military issues and the international security force in Afghanistan, which Turkey has been commanding since June, before his trip to the United States in early November. The talks can touch on the use of Turkish airbases for operations against Iraq. Turkey's Incirlik airbase is currently used by British and US planes enforcing the no-fly zone over northern Iraq which has been out of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's control since the 1991 Gulf war. Ankara is concerned about the impact a war could have on its troubled economy, as well as moves by Kurds to strengthen their grip on northern Iraq, where they already have a de facto state within a state. “ remarks by French President Jacques Chirac The position of Paris is shared by a considerable majority of countries in the world, My concern is to have enough pressure on the Iraqi authorities for disarmament to be real, controlled and indisputable, and then the prospects of war will go away," he said. “France, which as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council has veto power, has led opposition to initial U.S. proposals calling for the immediate use of force against Iraq if any Security Council member judges it to be impeding inspections to determine whether Baghdad was developing weapons of mass destruction.” “But Washington reserved the right to launch a military strike at any time if President George W. Bush decided it was in the interests of U.S. national security, Boucher said…A White House official told Reuters: "It has long been understood that an effective opposition is part of our overall regime-change policy as first outlined in the 1998 Iraq Liberation Act." That law authorized $98 million for opposition training. ” Turkey Cyprus Greece 1974 cease-fire line. Peacemaker youths called for definite resolution of Cyprus during the bicommunal peace building activity with the attendance of almost hundreds of participants. It also was an example of collaboration between two communities of the divided island.United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) Chief of Mission Zbigniew Wlosowicz Acting Special Representative of Cyprus made a welcoming speech saying he hoped all Cypriots of both sides had much fun of the organisations. http://web.nps.navy.mil/~relooney/C40Larra.pdf “South Caucasus Stability Pact: The pact is designed to increase Turkey’s profile in the region, as well as to enhance Western involvement. By including not only Western powers, but also Russia, Turkey is, in effect, seeking to legitimize Western involvement in the area and implicitly asking Russia to view the region as an area of international cooperation rather than as its own backyard.” .. would include Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, as well as Turkey, Russia (and possibly Iran), the United States, the European Union (EU), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and The International Monetary Fund (IMF)”… ” At the same time, the energy issue has given the Turkish interest in the Caucasus and Caspian region a sharper focus. The Caspian region is a major source of the natural gas and oil that Turkey needs to meet its increasing domestic energy requirements. Ankara is particularly interested in the construction of a pipeline to carry Caspian oil from Baku in Azerbaijan to the port of Ceyhan on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. This would not only help meet Turkey’s growing domestic energy needs but also increase its political influence in the region.” “The Turkmenistan-Turkey gas pipeline would parallel the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline and could sideline alternative routes such as the Russian Blue Stream project—dubbed Blue Dream by critics—to transport natural gas underneath the Black Sea.” “Russia has come to see Turkey as a major rival for influence in Central Asia and the Caspian region. In some ways, the 19th century Great Game of diplomatic maneuver is being replayed in a new geopolitical context, with energy and pipelines replacing the railroads as the main means of extending political influence.” “In order to be commercially viable, Baku-Ceyhan needs to pump 1 million barrels of oil a day. At present, Azerbaijan is not able to guarantee this amount. Kazakhstan oil could cover the deficit and ensure that the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline will be commercially viable.” http://www.turkishdailynews.com/FrTDN/latest/dom2.htm#d21 Justice Minister Aysel Celikel, who noted at the opening of the conference that men were dominant in the world parliaments, said "Sex of political power is definite today but the condition for existence in politics is to provide equality between men and women. However, this is known but not realized. There was never a world managed by women and regional peace but this does not mean that it will not happen." Stating that she believed that women would contribute to development and peace in the world, Celikel said that women should get involved in politics. Noting that the economic effects of globalization made rich countries richer and poor countries poorer, Celikel said that this was a menace to the world peace. Economy http://www.turkishdailynews.com/FrTDN/latest/econ.htm A Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) between the United States and Turkey has come into force, which will bolster their bilateral economic relations, the US Embassy in Ankara announced yesterday. World Bank Turkey Director Ajay Chhibber says Turkey has made a lot of progress in terms of overcoming the economic and financial crisis in the past two years, but that the social crisis was continuing to haunt the country with a high unemployment rate and poverty…Chhibber told Turkish Daily News exclusively that the economic outlook next year would depend on many variables like the elections, global situation and what happens in Iraq and advised a careful economic management in order to sustain growth. “Among these I would rate these days the high taxes, exorbitant energy costs, high interest rates and the cost of social security - especially the costly employer contributions. Turkey's natural advantages with Europe - in the form of cheaper skilled labor and geography are neutralized by these factors. Surveys of Turkish and foreign business also rate Turkey's slow legal system as a major constraint to business. So Turkey is competitive - but could be more so. Turkey must also focus much more on knowledge and technology in a rapidly changing world - it must not fall behind and needs a coordinated effort in this area. Turkey caught up to the rest of the world after the industrial revolution - but must ensure that the new digital revolution does not leave it behind.”…” If Turkey could attract about $5-6 billion in foreign investment every year it could raise its growth rate by some 2 percent every year - so that if without foreign investment Turkey would grow at 4-5 percent, then with it the growth could increase to 6-7 percent and Turkey could catch up to the more developed EU much faster.. All in all our support for Turkey over the past 5 years has exceeded $ 6 billion in credits.” Latest news on the Kurds http://www.turkishdailynews.com/FrTDN/latest/for.htm#f4 "Certain press organs have reported today that 12,000 members of the Turkish Armed Forces entered northern Iraq. These reports are completely wrong," Turkey's General Staff said in a written statement. Massoud Barzani: 'But we know about international conditions and we know it's not possible to do everything whenever you want. Our views are clear. At the moment we definitely want a federal solution in Iraq within Iraq's boundaries... There's a difference between what you wish for and what you're capable of. We have wishes but we don't have the power to do it right now' 'I don't know what relevance Kirkuk has for Turkey, I can't understand that. According to opinion polls carried out in Iraq, Kurds have the majority in Kirkuk. As a result of these polls we saw Kirkuk as appropriate for the interests of Kurdish people... Perhaps the capital will not be Kirkuk, but everyone agrees for now that it should be Kirkuk' Talabani: Turkey Won't see an independent Kurdistan 'We have no intention to divide Iraq... A federation within Iraq would be the best system... Turkey will never see establishment of an independent Kurdistan. There is no need for Ankara to worry. There won't be an independent state in northern Iraq. There will be a united Iraq' 'We are against disintegration of Iraq. We want a united democratic Iraq. We want to have one state. But, we want restructuring. We want to build the new Iraq on the pillars of a parliamentary system, secularism and federal state' 'Kirkuk is a city where Kurds, Arabs, Turkomans and Assyrians are living together. It is a city where there is brotherhood. There are some chauvinistic slogans. Some say it is solely a Kurdish city. We are against that. Some others say it is a Turkoman city. We are against that chauvinistic slogan as well' Meanwhile Secretary General for EU Affairs, Ambassador Volkan Vural said to be an EU member country in 2010s is not a dream for Turkey adding that Turkey has an experience which may help Turkey to finish the negotiations in 4-5 years.
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