Turkey tells Syria: make reforms now
March 30, 2011 at 10:19 am | Posted in Turkmens | Leave a commentTags: Erşat Hürmüzlü, Turkey
Turkey tells Syria: make reforms now
SEVİL KÜÇÜKKOŞUM
ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
As Syrian protests turned increasingly violent in recent days, Turkey urged the country’s administration to make reforms “without delay,” an adviser to the Turkish president has said.
“Waiting for the protests to end to make reforms is the wrong approach. Necessary reforms should be made now, not later. Leaders should be brave,” Erşat Hürmüzlü, adviser to President Abdullah Gül on the Middle East, told Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in an interview on Monday.
Syria is a very important country for Turkey, Hürmüzlü said, recalling that this country is in a significant process of transformation. “The system, stability and demands of the Syrian people are all equally important for us,” he said. The Syrian leader should apply immediately “whatever they believe in without waiting for other accounts,” Hürmüzlü said.
Citing indirectly the aspect of the Syrian administration that resists reforms, Hürmüzlü said some defects could occur in the administrative systems such as corruption or being privileged. “Yet, leaders should push them,” he said.
Syrian authorities accused fundamentalists and “armed gangs” of aiming to incite unrest in the country after the demonstrations turned violent in recent days.
Giving Turkey as an example for its recent transformation, Hürmüzlü said: “We, as Turkey, faced our mistakes and made reforms. We changed our minds rather than laws. Economic and social-cultural changes follow that. Changing the vision is more important than changing laws. Implementers of law may resist, however, a complete change of mind can pave the reforms,” he said.
Hürmüzlü drew attention to the differences between Syria and other Arab countries. “Similarly, the people of the region are pouring into the streets not for food, but for their dignity. The difference is that the foreign policy and domestic policy of other Arab countries, such as in Egypt, was kept separate. The expectations of the people were not reflected in foreign policies,” he said.
However, foreign policy and people’s expectations almost overlap in Syria, Hürmüzlü said, adding that this was the reason Syria was the last country to witness protests, he added.
The adviser is optimistic that the protests would not end with a change of regime. “The reforms can respond to the demands of the Syrian people. It would be an easy transformation if the Syrian administration can make significant reforms on human rights and democracy and find solutions in the struggle against corruption,” Hürmüzlü said.
“There have been coups and monarchic republics. A normal birth of regimes can only come with election polls,” he said, adding that the systems in the Middle East were created very late, 20 years after the Cold War had finished. He recalled Turkey also suffered similar troubles, but transformed easier.
He ruled out that foreign countries’ intervention caused uprisings in Arab countries. “Some say that these uprisings came one after another because some circles pushed the button for the natural resources of these countries. Saying someone pushed the button is an insult for people of the region,” he said. Hürmüzlü described the reaction of those people as a “burst of anger, which was suppressed for many years by fear.”
Asked about the criticisms against Turkey for not voicing a stronger stance on democracy for countries such as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, which also have been facing revolts, Hürmüzlü said Turkey would not impose anything on other countries. People of the region could observe what Turkey had been doing in the name of democracy and they could inspire, he said. “Turkey can’t be a sub-contractor.”
For the case of Bahrain, Gulf states not only sent troops to the conflict-hit country, but also supported it financially with $10 billion to help Bahrain make reforms, Hürmüzlü said. “States in the region should solve their problems within the region. They should not seek solutions outside the region by delegating to powerful countries as sub-contractors,” he said.
Asked about Turkey’s shift in policy regarding NATO intervention in Libya, Hürmüzlü said Turkey opposed a military occupation to change regime in Libya. Prime Minister Erdoğan’s remarks ruling out NATO intervention in Libya were to prevent an illegitimate military occupation of the country, he said.
”We don’t want Libya to turn into an Iraq. No country or countries independently can decide to intervene in another state. That decision should be taken within the scope of international laws.”
Hürmüzlü said Ankara’s attitude to NATO’s role in Libya should be considered as “before and after the U.N. Security Council decision on the issue.”
“The U.N. decision presented international legitimacy,” he said.
© 2009 Hurriyet Daily News
URL: www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=ankara-calls-syrian-president-for-courageous-and-immediate-decision-on-reforms-2011-03-29
Turkey as a model for a new Middle East
March 17, 2011 at 12:56 am | Posted in Turkmens | Leave a commentTags: Dr Boutheina Shaaban, Turkey
Turkey as a model for a new Middle East
Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban
Wednesday, 16 March 2011 12:40
We still remember Erdogan’s defence of the dignity of his people when Israeli soldiers killed, in cold blood, unarmed Turkish activists on the Mavi Marmara.
In the middle of the stupendous social change sweeping Arab shores, French President Nicolas Sarkozy made a landmark visit to Turkey. He has always refused to visit Turkey, and had declared publicly his opposition to “Muslim” Turkey joining “Christian” Europe, but he had to go on this one occasion as a leader of the G20; he stayed for only six hours. When he arrived he was chewing gum and then he met Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan and sat cross-legged all the while.
What is extraordinary about this event was the calculated and calibrated Turkish response to this patronising western arrogance; it was characteristic of Turkey with its democratic system, Islamic character, pluralistic government and rule of law in a Muslim society, not to mention the pride and wisdom of its leaders who reject any form of subordination or submission. This is the Turkey that has become an inspiration to the Arab people.
Photographs of the Sarkozy visit included one with Erdogan standing at the top of the stairs, a sphinx-like figure of pride and dignity, while Sarkozy extended his hand from below. Erdogan looked very much unlike those leaders who shake and kiss the hands stained with the blood of their brothers in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon, and kiss, with humility, the hands and cheeks of secretaries of state of countries threatening Arab countries, blockading Gaza and funding the occupation of Palestine.
In order to drive the message home, Erdogan’s gift to Sarkozy was a letter written by Ottoman Sultan Sulaiman the Magnificent in 1526, in response to a plea from the Christian king of France. Francis I had been taken prisoner by fellow Christian Spaniards, and he asked for assistance from the Muslim Ottomans. Sulaiman sent his assurances, followed by a military force which freed the French king. Sarkozy, with his opposition to Turkey’s accession to the European Union, no doubt needed a reminder of the kind of civilised conduct which befits the history and status of Turkey and its tolerant Islamic values which stand in stark contrast with the shameful Islamophobia of Europe.
We still remember Erdogan’s defence of the dignity of his people when Israeli soldiers killed, in cold blood, unarmed Turkish activists on the Mavi Marmara, part of the aid flotilla en route to breaking the blockade on Gaza. So too do we remember his dignified anger in Davos when he withdrew from a panel chaired by David Ignatius when the latter refused to let him speak and gave the floor to Israeli President Shimon Peres instead.
This Turkish-French news story, full of small gestures with significant implications, is of interest to us Arabs at this critical juncture in our history. It is an expression of the maturity of the political institutions and the energy of those running them who are in touch with their people, confident in the knowledge that they have their democratic support. Compare this with the performance of Arab officialdom, wherein you see a pitiful waste of Arab energy, capabilities, institutions, resources and heritage.
When nations make progress, it usually covers all areas of life. The same is true of retrograde steps. For example, the Arab awakening at the beginning of the 20th century was accompanied by a free media and the proliferation of political parties associated with the struggle for freedom from colonialism and despotism. This coincided with a programme to build schools and universities, women’s liberation and a revival of art and culture.
Today it is clear that progress and stagnation never meet in the same country. When one prevails, it covers all areas of life. We can see similarities between most Arab countries, especially the weakness of their official political institutions and, in particular, the absence of young people therein. Forums do not exist for them to express their views and aspirations, except on the streets where they demonstrate to make their voice heard.
The revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, now spreading to other Arab countries, have shown that existing government institutions are ruled, in terms of structure and personnel, by the mentality of the Middle Ages; the most advanced among them date back to the middle of the last century. This alienates future generations and deprives state institutions of the energy and vitality of youth and their enthusiasm for building and creativity. It has also created near paralysis in political, administrative and education systems across the Middle East.
Societies should mobilise the creative powers of every generation and make the best use of university graduates to build a better state for everyone, not just a small elite. Arab regimes have failed to remedy weaknesses in government institutions and keep abreast with creativity and progress in the fields of management, economics and politics.
The current upheaval has exposed the weaknesses of basic and university education and the weak, or non-existent, links between universities and the labour market; students finish their higher education and either join the ranks of the unemployed or migrate. Intellectuals have also been alienated, from each other and from the suffering and aspirations of the people; culture is no longer a factor empowering national dignity. The same weaknesses have spread to the media, the legal system and elsewhere to destroy trust between regimes and their people.
The list of failing indicators is long, but is summarised in the weakness of regimes which have not developed since gaining their independence from colonial powers. These countries have been run by different political systems but there is a common denominator in the absence of political institutions which rejuvenate themselves through new blood and innovative ideas.
What Turkey has done over the past two decades has laid the foundations for a national democracy where the whole country – government and people – reaps the benefits and where everyone has a role to play. The Arabs must learn from this if we are to rid our countries of backwardness, stagnation, oppression and unrest.
Turkish President Shocked by Talabani’s Remarks
November 24, 2010 at 12:26 pm | Posted in Turkmens | Leave a commentTags: Abdullah Gül, Turkey
Turkey’s zero-problems foreign policy
May 27, 2010 at 9:30 am | Posted in Turkmens | Leave a commentTags: Turkey, Turkish foreign policy
Turkey’s zero-problems foreign policy
The Turkish government this week brokered an 11th-hour nuclear fuel swap deal with Iran. Turkey’s foreign minister explains the principles that made it possible.
by Ahmet Davutoglu
Throughout modern history, there has been a direct relationship between conflict and the emergence of new ways of arbitrating world affairs. Every major war since the 17th century was concluded by a treaty that led to the emergence of a new order, from the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 that followed the Thirty Years’ War, to the Congress of Vienna of 1814-1815 that brought an end to the Napoleonic Wars, to the ill-fated Treaty of Versailles that concluded the first World War, to the agreement at Yalta that laid the groundwork for the establishment of the United Nations in 1945. Yet the Cold War, which could be regarded as a global-scale war, ended not with grand summitry, but with the fall of the Iron Curtain and the collapse of the Soviet Union. There was no official conclusion; one of the combatant sides just suddenly ceased to exist.
Strategy shift in the Middle East, by Thierry Meyssan
May 17, 2010 at 9:04 pm | Posted in Turkmens | Leave a commentTags: Middle-East, New alliance in M-E, PKK, Turkey
Strategy shift in the Middle East by Thierry Meyssan* The failure to reshape the Greater Middle East has left the field open to a new alliance, the Tehran-Damascus-Ankara triangle. Since nature is allergic to vacuums, Moscow is filling the space left vacant by Washington. The wind has changed and it’s blowing strong. In a matter of a few months, the entire regional balance of power has tipped. |
16 May 2010 |
In recent months the equilibrium of the Middle East has undergone a complete shift. First of all, the capabilities and positions of a number of players have changed. The Israeli armed forces, who had gone from one victory to another for decades, are no longer able to control the ground. During their offensive against Lebanon (2006) and against Gaza (2008), they displayed an increase of destructive power, but showed they are not longer capable of achieving their goals, in this case the destruction of Hezbollah and Hamas. In addition, their arsenal, equipped as required by the United States, no longer guarantees their domination. Their tanks have become vulnerable to Russian RPG, when they used to constitute the major component of their blitzkrieg. Their navy is threatened by the land-sea missiles supplied to Hezbollah by China, which are now equipped with an anti-jamming system that they lacked in 2006. Finally, their air dominance will not resist for long to the proliferation of Russian S-300, currently being shipped to the region. The quasi-independence of Iraqi Kurdistan engineered by the United States, the economic development of this quasi-state under Israeli control plus Washington’s blatant support of the separatist Kurds under the PKK umbrella, compelled the Turkish military to a complete turnaround. The Atlantic Alliance is no longer a warrant for Turkish territorial integrity and Israel becomes an enemy. While Ankara is careful to placate Washington, the tone with Tel Aviv has continued to escalate since the altercation between Recip Erdogan and Shimon Peres at the Forum in Davos, and the diplomatic incident linked to the Turkish television series The Valley of the Wolves. The Iraqi chaos and the creation of a quasi-state in Kurdistan have forced neighbouring states to work together to avert a spillover effect, especially since Washington has already attempted to destabilize them all to keep them out of the Iraqi game. Thus the United States and Israel covertly supported Kurdish separatists in Turkey (PKK), those in Iran (Pejak) and those in Syria. As a result, the Iran-Syria axis has been replaced by the Iran-Syria-Turkey triangle. This new alliance enjoys a historical legitimacy without parallel. Since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has been the leader of the Shiites. After Paul Bremmer’s destruction of the Iraqi Baath party, Syria stepped in as the undisputed leader of the secular camp. Finally, Turkey, heir to the Ottoman Caliphate, is the cradle of Sunni Islam. Taken together, these states cover nearly the entire field of Middle Eastern politics. This alliance has dropped the curtain on the Divide et Impera (divide and rule) policy, successfully applied by the colonial powers to dominate this vast region. In particular, it puts an end to the Fitna, that is to say the Islamic “civil war” between Sunnis and Shiites. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has already invited Iranian President Ahmadinejad to join him in a pilgrimage to Mecca, of which he is the custodian. As the heir of the Ottomans, Turkey embodies the historical legacy of Sunni Islam. In addition, the new triangle widens Ankara’s horizons constantly clogged by the endless procrastinations of the European Union. The “de-Baathisation” process of Iraq, i.e. the hunting season against the former executive officers of the country, has caused a mass exodus. In six years, more than one million Iraqis have been welcomed to Syria. Such Arab hospitality includes totally free admission to schools and universities as well as access to the overall health system. Initially, this vast immigration wave caused a serious economic crisis, but once digested, it has provided Syria with highly qualified executives and has injected a new dynamism. The turmoil organized by the United States in Yemen forced the Saudi royal family to support King Abdhallah’s policy of appeasement towards Syria and Iran. Consequently, the Hariri Lebanese-Saudi clan was asked to reconcile with President Bashar al-Assad and to recognize the legitimacy of the armed Lebanese Resistance. Suddenly, the ambivalent results of the rigged 2009 parliamentary elections – where General Aoun and Hezbollah won by a majority of votes, but where a majority of seats was obtained by the coalition formed around the pro-American clan Hariri and the extreme Christian right – took on a different meaning, opening the way for a government of national unity. While the warlords like socialist Walid Jumblatt made a 180 ° turn in order to go with the tide. However, this trend remains fragile since Washington may still have the possibility to destabilize the new troika. Be that as it may, several attempts by corrupt Syrian generals to overthrow Bashar al-Assad were foiled even before they could act. The multiple attacks orchestrated by the CIA in the non-Persian provinces of Iran failed to trigger separatist revolts. While the colour revolution, organized by the CIA and MI6 during the presidential election, was been drowned out by a human tidal wave. To the tens of thousands of protesters in the northern neighbourhoods of Tehran, the rest of the country responded with a massive demonstration of 5 million people. Finally, it appears that Washington is incapable of resorting again to Gladio to establish a military dictatorship in Turkey. On the one hand because the new generation of Turkish generals no longer buttressed to Kemalism and secondly because the AKP Muslim-Democratic is intent on dismantling Ergenekon (current version Turkish Gladio). Washington and Tel Aviv could also fabricate fraudulent files to justify military action. Thus, since 2007, they have been alleging that Israel discovered and bombed a military nuclear research center in Syria and that Iran is developing a vast programe of a similar nature. More recently, the same powers have accused Syria of having introduced Scuds into Lebanon. However, these accusations do not stand up to analysis any more than those formulated by Secretary of State Colin Powell before the United Nations Security Council United Nations regarding Iraqi’s alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction. The numerous IAEA inspection teams that visited Iran only found evidence of civilian activities, and the UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon have denied the presence of Scuds in the country.
Russian makes its entrance The loss of U.S. influence is so palpable that General David Petraeus, Commander of U.S. Central Command, has set off alarm bells in Washington. In his view, the game played by the Israelis not only in Palestine, but especially in Iraq, has thwarted U.S. plans in the region. Moreover, the stagnation of the GIs situation in Iraq and Afghanistan has made them hostages to Turkey, Syria and Iran, the only ones able to pacify the rebellious populations. In a complete reversal of roles, the strategic ally of the Pentagon has become a burden, while its regional enemies are now its shields. Noting the failure of U.S. plans to reshape U.S. Greater Middle East, Moscow has repositioned itself on the regional scene on the occasion of President Dmitry Medvedev’s visits to Damascus and Ankara. With regard to Israel, Russia reaffirmed that the political settlement of the conflict should be based on the relevant UN resolutions (including the inalienable right of return for Palestinians) and the principles of the Madrid conference (return of the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, in exchange for a peace treaty). Moreover, Dmitry Medvedev confirmed his country’s preference for the two-state solution. Given the presence of one million ex-Soviets in Israel, Moscow wants to forestall a foreseeable exodus in case the Zionist regime should fall. In this context, he advocated for reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, and met Khaled Mechaal, the political leader of the Palestinian resistance, notwithstanding Washington’s stigmatisation of Hamas as a “terrorist” organisation. This represents a decisive step for Russia: President Medevedev had refused three times to receive Mechaal when he passed through Moscow; this time he had an interview with him and, what is more, in Damascus. On this occasion, the Russian president stressed the increasing urgency of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and deplored Washington’s lack of interest in solving this tragedy. Finally, alluding to Israeli threats to bomb the convoys of weapons from Syria to Lebanon, he warned Tel Aviv against an escalation of tension. Russia supports the political and economic rapprochement in progress between Iran, Syria and Turkey. The three leading States in the Middle East have entered a phase of intense cooperation. In a matter of months, they have opened their borders and liberalised their trade at an accelerated pace. Their economies which were paralised by years of war have suddenly been energised. Russia has no intention of staying out of this new area of prosperity. Immediately, Ankara and Moscow have brought up the need for visas for their citizens. In this way, a Turk can enter Russia without any formalities while he cannot do the same in the United States nor the EU, despite the fact that Turkey is a NATO member and a EU candidate. Moscow has set up permanent consultative bodies at high diplomatic and economic levels with Damascus and Ankara, in contrast with the policy of the United States. Earlier this year, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had ordered Syria to distance itself from the Resistance. In response, President Bashar al-Assad immediately appeared alongside his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and ironically signed a document titled “Treaty of reduced distance”. The meeting was convened short notice and Khaled Mechaal could not attend, but Hamas was nevertheless involved in the process. Following up on his threats, President Barack Obama has renewed economic sanctions against Syria for another two years. Rosatom and Atomstroyexport, which are completing the construction of a civilian nuclear plant in Iran (Bushehr) and are contemplating new ones, will build another one in Turkey for 20 billion dollars. It should be launched in seven years. A similar project is under study in Syria. The lack of electricity in a region that withstood Israeli bombardments is the main obstacle to economic development. From a Middle Eastern point of view, Russia’s eagerness to build these power stations stems less from a commercial appetite than from a desire to provide the populations concerned with the means to accelerate the economic development that Westerners have denied them for so long. In addition Stroitransgaz and Gazprom will ensure the transit of Syrian gas to Lebanon, Beirut being prevented by its Israeli neighbour from exploiting its large reserves offshore. Militarily, Russia has taken delivery of its new naval base in Syria. This will allow it to restore the balance in the Mediterranean from which Russia has been more or less absent since the dissolution of the USSR. It also confirmed the forthcoming delivery of S-300 missiles to Tehran to protect Iran from U.S. and Israeli threats of bombardment. While condemning Iran’s provocations, Russian diplomats have reiterated that they do not believe in Western accusations about Iran’s and Syria’s alleged nuclear weapons programme. While the protocol among the states bordering the Caspian Sea only provides for a supply of arms to Iran in case of attack, President Dmitry Medvedev spoke of a possible direct involvement of Russia and warned the United States against a war in Iran that could degenerate into a Third World War. On this basis, he endorsed the denuclearization plan of the region, that is to say the dismantling of the Israeli nuclear arsenal. The case has recently been brought before the IAEA.
Russia attaches special importance to helping Turkey resolve its ancient disputes with Greece and Armenia, including the Cyprus and Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts. Thus, Ankara could move away permanently from Tel Aviv and Washington and recover its full independence. Important, albeit insufficient, steps have been made by President Abdullah Gül vis-à-vis Yerevan. Ignoring 95 years of hatred, Turkey and Armenia established diplomatic relations. Further progress should follow vis-à-vis Athens with the blessing of the Orthodox Patriarch Cyril I of Moscow. From this point of view, Recip Erdogan’s visit to Greece marks a historical event that boosts the process of reconciliation in the Aegean Sea, which began in the 30s and was interrupted by the Second World War.
Disrupting U.S. strategy in the Black Sea and the Caspian, Ankara accepted a huge Russian investment to build a pipeline between Samsun to Ceyhan. It is expected to carry Russian oil from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean without having to use the straits, unfit for the transit of pollutants. Identically, Ankara is considering its possible involvement in the Russian South Stream gas pipeline project. If it were to be confirmed, it would render ineffectual the competing Nabucco project sponsored by the United States and the European Union. Ultimately, Russia’s support ensures the sustainability of the Tehran-Damascus-Ankara triangle in the face of U.S. and European hostility. The strategic balance in the Middle East has tipped. The shockwave could spread to the Caucasus. == Related articles:
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Ankara proposes ‘strategic cooperation council’ with Greece
November 6, 2009 at 4:15 am | Posted in Turkmens | Leave a commentTags: Turkey
Ankara proposes ‘strategic cooperation council’ with Greece ZAMAN
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In its latest step in implementing its foreign policy principle of “from zero problems to maximum cooperation” with neighbors, Turkey has approached its Aegean neighbor Greece to establish a “high-level strategic cooperation council,” similar to those it has established with Iraq and Syria.
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In its proposal sent to Athens, Ankara underlined the cooperation platforms it has recently established with other neighbors, and said it would be possible to have such a platform with Athens, in a mechanism based on mutual respect and understanding.
Continue Reading Ankara proposes ‘strategic cooperation council’ with Greece… |
Chomsky lauds Turkey’s ’independent’ actions
November 3, 2009 at 1:44 pm | Posted in Turkmens | Leave a commentTags: Noam Chomsky, Turkey
Chomsky lauds Turkey’s ’independent’ actions
ISTANBUL – Daily News with wires
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
American intellectual Noam Chomsky praised Turkey’s progress toward becoming a “significant independent actor” and urged the country to make crucial decisions that will direct the course of its diplomacy, The Palestinian Chronicle reported Tuesday.
During two lectures organized by the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, he also blamed Israel for the conflict that erupted in the Gaza Strip earlier this year, accusing the Israelis of resorting to military force before “exhausting peaceful means.”
Chomsky said that Turkey could become a “significant independent actor,” if it chooses to.
“Turkey has to make some internal decisions: Is it going to face West and try to get accepted by the European Union, or is it going to face reality and recognize that Europeans are so racist that they are never going to allow it in?” Chomsky said.
The Europeans “keep raising the barrier on Turkish entry to the EU,” he explained.
But Chomsky said Turkey did become an independent actor in March 2003 when it followed its public opinion and did not take part in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Continue Reading Chomsky lauds Turkey’s ’independent’ actions…
Turkish Republic marks 86th year
October 29, 2009 at 5:55 pm | Posted in Turkmens | Leave a commentTags: Turkey
Turkish Republic marks 86th year
ANKARA Hürriyet Daily News
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The 86th anniversary of the Turkish Republic was celebrated Thursday across the country as well as in northern Cyprus and at several of Turkey’s international outposts.
The first ceremony led by President Abdullah Gül took place at the Atatürk Mausoleum in Anıtkabir. Gül led a delegation of the country’s top officials to the tomb of the Republic’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, where he placed a wreath of red and white carnations. The group paid homage to Atatürk and sang the Turkish national anthem. The ceremony concluded with Gül signing the Anıtkabir visitors’ book.
Gül wrote: “Great Atatürk. We are proud to celebrate the 86th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey. The Republic announced to the world that our nation would not make concessions on the road to its independence and freedom. It has also become an indication of our determination to achieve our rightful place in the contemporary world.
“We are determined to strengthen the Republic with progress, continue our democracy and leave a stronger and a more prosperous country to the next generations.”
Turkey’s Pipeline Politics
July 1, 2009 at 9:48 am | Posted in Turkmens | Leave a commentTags: Azerbaijan, Iraqi oil and gas, Kazakhstan, Kerkuk-Yumurtalik pipeline, NABUCCO, Sedat Laciner, Turkey, Turkmenistan
Turkey’s Pipeline Politics by Sedat Laciner Tuesday, 23 June 2009 |
* Turkey’s Political Expectations From The PipelinesWhether Turkey has become an energy hub is a subject of continuous debate, even though the pipelines passing through or reaching Turkey indicate it has already become a regional center for energy transportation: Currently, there are two main naturalgas pipelines between Russia and Turkey. While the first reaches Turkey via the Balkans, the other ends in Samsun, a Turkish city on the Black Sea coast. Another route is the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) pipeline, which transfers Azerbaijani gas from the Shah Deniz-I field to Turkey via Georgia. This pipeline carries natural gas not only for the Turkish domestic market, but also for Greece. The other pipeline that lies between Turkey and Azerbaijan is known as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Crude Oil Pipeline (BTC) and Azerbaijani oil reaches the Eastern Mediterranean coast via this 1760-km route.The fifth pipeline transports gas from Iran to Turkey, and the sixth, Turkey’s oldest pipeline, delivers crude oil from Iraq to Turkey’s southern coast. In addition, Turkey has been building a domestic web of pipelines throughout the country for more than 20 years. As several cities are connected to the natural gas network each year, Turkey is becoming one of the leading energy importers in the region. Besides, this only reflects a small piece of the big picture – there are other projects waiting to be realized: |
Hilterman: Turkey’s plan B are the Iraqi Kurds
June 16, 2009 at 9:06 pm | Posted in Turkmens | Leave a commentTags: Iraqi Kurds, Joost Hilterman, PKK, Turkey, Wladimir van Wilgenburg
Hilterman: Turkey’s plan B are the Iraqi Kurds
16-06-2009
By Wladimir van Wilgenburg
International Crisis Group (ICG) vice-director *Joost Hilterman spoke on Thursday 10 June about Iraq, Turkey, Kurds and security at the press centre Nieuwspoort in the Hague. The lecture was organised by the Turkey Institute and the Atlantic Commission. Hilterman says that if the American army retreats from Iraq, Iraq could collapse and Turkey has to make tough choices.
Continue Reading Hilterman: Turkey’s plan B are the Iraqi Kurds…
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