Iran, world powers resume nuclear talks in Istanbul - Summary

Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Istanbul - Iran and six world powers held the first of two days of talks on Iran's controversial nuclear program in Istanbul Friday, with both sides hoping a positive approach could make headway in the stand-off.

Iran's National Security Council, of which Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Saeid Jalili is the secretary general, said the talks had begun with a "positive atmosphere," according to a statement reported by Iranian state PressTV.

The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany (collectively referred to as the 5+1 group) are seeking improved dialogue with Iran because of concerns about its nuclear program. European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is negotiating on behalf of the 5+1 group.

Diplomatic sources said Friday that Ashton advised Jalili to have a bilateral meeting with US undersecretary of state for political affairs William J Burns, who is leading the US delegation, in order to achieve more substantial results.

The talks come just over a month after a round of negotiations in Geneva, which resumed dialogue between Iran and world powers after a 14-month hiatus, but achieved little more than an agreement to hold further talks in Istanbul.

Though Iran insists its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes, many countries fear the program is aimed at developing nuclear weapons.

Iran's delegation told the six powers in the opening session of talks that it had a right to develop nuclear technology for civilian use and that the lifting of sanctions was a precondition for negotiations.

Despite the pressure of four rounds of United Nations-imposed sanctions, Tehran has not been pressured to abandon nuclear enrichment, which the 5+1 group demands.

In a statement released a day before the start of talks, US state department spokesperson Philip J Crowley said the US sought to "launch a meaningful and practical process that addresses the core issues with Iran's nuclear program."

But with Iran insisting that its nuclear enrichment activities were not up for debate, substantive results from the talks may remain elusive.

In recent days, both sides had expressed tentative hopes for a nuclear swap deal, in which Iranian low-enriched uranium (LEU) would be exchanged in return for foreign-made fuel for a Tehran research reactor.

Seen as a confidence-building measure, such a plan would remove some nuclear material from Iran that could theoretically be used for making bombs, replacing it with fuel that cannot be used militarily.

In a swap deal proposed at talks in 2009, Iran was to send 1,200 kilograms of LEU abroad - a figure that represented about 75 per cent of Iran's nuclear stockpile at the time.

But because Iran's known stockpiles of enriched uranium are now up to more than 3,000 kilograms, world powers say the amount of uranium would need to be revised upwards for a swap deal to be considered meaningful.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363590,talks-istanbul-summary.html.

Qatari, Turkish officials in Beirut for crisis talks - Summary

Tue, 18 Jan 2011

Beirut - Qatar's prime minister and the Turkish foreign minister Tuesday held talks in Beirut with Lebanese officials in an effort aimed at solving Lebanon's latest political crisis.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Bin Jaber al-Thani and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made no comments after their meetings with various officials. But a government source told the German Press Agency dpa that both leaders were on a "tough mission to Lebanon."

"The deep rifts among the Lebanese leaders will make the talks harder on both Qatari and Turkish officials," the source said.

Both met with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, House Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker premier Saad Hariri.

"There are some complexities, but issues are being discussed," a source close to Berri said.

He said that Turkish and Qatari officials might ask the country's leaders to postpone parliamentary consultations on the prime ministerial nomination until the current impasse is resolved.

Al Thani and Davutoglu were also to meet later Tuesday with Hezbollah leaders.

Lebanon plunged into a political crisis after Hezbollah and its allies walked out of the unity coalition government on January 12.

Suleiman was to start consultations with the various parliamentary blocs on Monday, but this has been postponed to January 24-25, to pave the way for regional leaders to intervene and ease tensions in Lebanon.

Al-Thani and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday attended a mini-summit in Damascus where they met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The three agreed to back efforts by Damascus and Riyadh to end the political impasse in Lebanon.

Saudi Arabia and Syria have for months been seeking to solve the Lebanese political crisis, which erupted over disagreements regarding a United Nations tribunal's probe into the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

Tensions have been high in Lebanon amid reports that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), based in The Hague, would indict members of Hezbollah. The group had threatened to "cut the hands of anyone" who accused its members of involvement in the Hariri assassination.

The STL submitted its indictment on Monday, but its contents - including who was named - remain confidential while a pre-trial judge reviews the documents.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362968,crisis-talks-summary.html.

Turkey is no 'docile supplicant' for EU accession, Erdogan warns

Mon, 17 Jan 2011

Brussels/Ankara - Turkey is not prepared to beg an increasingly hostile European Union to be let in into the club, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Monday.

Turkey has been negotiating EU membership with Brussels since 2004, but talks have ground almost to a halt due to Turkey's involvement in the Cyprus dispute and to entrenched Franco-German opposition to its EU application.

"Our European friends should realize that Turkey-EU relations are fast approaching a turning point ... we are no more a country that would wait at the EU's door like a docile supplicant," Erdogan wrote in an opinion piece on the United States magazine Newsweek.

Describing their labor markets and welfare systems as "comatose," their economies as "stagnant" and their societies as "near geriatric," Erdogan argued that EU countries needed Turkey's economic and demographic dynamism to get out of their current mess.

He added that the EU would benefit from Turkey's new-found activism in foreign affairs, which Erdogan maintained has "yielded fruit in Iraq and Afghanistan, in the Balkans, and also in regard to the Iranian nuclear program."

The Turkish leader also boasted about his country's "political stability," glossing over the simmering conflict between his moderate Islamic Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the traditionally secular military.

"Some claim that Turkey has no real alternative to Europe ... however, the opposite is just as valid. Europe has no real alternative to Turkey," Erdogan concluded.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362679,eu-accession-erdogan-warns.html.

Turkish premier rejects Merkel criticism of Cyprus conflict - Summary

Wed, 12 Jan 2011

Istanbul - Turkey's prime minister has strongly rebuffed comments made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticizing Turkey for making insufficient effort to solve the Cyprus conflict, Turkish media reported Wednesday.

"I guess Ms Merkel has forgotten what she has said. She herself said that it was wrong to admit southern Cyprus into the European Union," the semi-official Anatolian Agency quoted Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying while on an official visit to Qatar.

European Union Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis, meanwhile, said that Merkel had made a historic mistake, while Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned her that Germany could only contribute to Cypriot peace if she makes objective judgments.

Merkel visited Cyprus on Tuesday - the first visit by a German leader - and praised the steps taken by the Cypriot government, but asserted that Turkey and Turkish Cypriots have not tried hard enough to find a resolution to the Cyprus problem.

The Cypriot government had "really proven their willingness to compromise, but unfortunately there has not been any response from the other side so far," Merkel said following talks with Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias.

The government in the Cypriot capital Nicosia on Wednesday said Merkel's comments show that Christofias' efforts to find a solution within European Union law and United Nations resolutions is being acknowledged and valued.

Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said Cyprus would "resolutely and consistently continue to work on a solution."

The Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded the northern third of the island in response to a Greek- inspired coup.

Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, but only the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south enjoys EU privileges. The Turkish Cypriot north is recognized only by Turkey.

In a strongly worded response to Merkel's statements, Erdogan pointed out that Greek Cypriots in 2004 rejected a UN-sponsored plan for reunification of the island, which Turkish Cypriots had accepted.

"It is clear that [Merkel] does not know about the history of the Cyprus issue. I call on her to research its history and have tea with [former German chancellor] Gerhard Schroeder," Erdogan said.

Negotiations in recent years between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have made some progress on issues of governance and a power sharing formula under a future federation. But many more difficult issues, including that of property lost during the war, have yet to be resolved.

The Cyprus issue is a key obstacle to Turkey's efforts to join the EU. Eight out of the 35 chapters that guide the EU accession process have been frozen by the EU because of Turkey's conflict with Greek Cyprus, while Cyprus itself has informally blocked another six.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362030,cyprus-conflict-summary.html.

Erdogan: Turkey will stand by Hamas

13-01-2011

Al Qassam website-Istanbul -Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country stands by Hamas, calling the resistance movement an election-taking political party, and ruling out achieving peace in the region without them.

"We stand by Hamas when they are right, because the Hamas movement is a resistance movement. I do not see Hamas as 'terrorist'. They are people who defend the land, and it is a political group that entered the elections and won the elections," Erdogan told Al-Jazeera Wednesday night.

The Turkish premier accused those who call Hamas "enemies of democracy" of not giving the party a political opportunity. "They have been able to place all obstacles in front of them (Hamas) so they do not succeed in any way."

Erdogan urged Quartet head Tony Blair to include Hamas in the peace process, saying: "Peace will not come out of a Hamas-excluded table."

"Currently, Fatah and Hamas are two important elements in Palestine. If you see them as an element and do not see the other element, Palestinian peace will not materialize."

The Turkish PM called on the Israeli government to compensate for the May 2010 attack on the Mavi Marmara ship that killed nine Turkish citizens.

"We want Israel, after returning the Marmara ship to us, to apologize, to pay compensations, and thirdly, to lift the siege. Gaza is an open prison. It is not your right to sentence all those people to jail. If these demands are not met, our relations will not return to what they were."

Erdogan spoke harshly against Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, saying: "Lieberman has done every despicable act." He said the current government under Netanyahu is at its worst with Turkey.

Source: Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades - Information Office.
Link: http://www.qassam.ps/news-4028-Erdogan_Turkey_will_stand_by_Hamas.html.

Greek and Turkish premiers meet in eastern Turkey

Fri, 07 Jan 2011

Istanbul - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Greek counterpart George Papandreou were to meet in Erzurum, eastern Turkey on Friday.

Papandreou arrived in the country late Thursday for a visit aimed at improving relations.

The visit follows a recent announcement by Greece of a controversial plan to build a 12.5-kilometer fence along part of its border with Turkey in an effort to keep out illegal migrants.

It is expected that the two leaders will discuss the border situation and related issues.

The two Aegean neighbors have historically had tense relations but have undergone a tentative rapprochement since a historic two-day visit by Erdogan to Greece in May. He also paid a courtesy visit to Athens in October for a climate change conference.

Papandreou was invited by Erdogan to address the Third Conference of Turkish Ambassadors, the second leg of which is being held in Erzurum.

The Greek premier would also attend the inauguration of a stadium that will host the 2011 Winter Universiade (World University Games) later this month.

Papandreou was accompanied by Foreign Minister Dimitrios Droutsas, who would meet his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu Friday.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/361119,premiers-meet-eastern-turkey.html.

Genetic Relationship Between Hungarian And Turkish Apricots Confirmed

by Staff Writers
Budapest, Hungary (SPX) Jan 04, 2011

Apricots are important to Turkey, the country where more apricot crops are grown and exported than anywhere in the world. Looking to unlock the mystery of apricots' origins and increase crop production, scientists are studying the genetic relationship between apricot varieties.

New research from a team of Hungarian and Turkish scientists has confirmed the genetic link between Turkish and Hungarian apricot cultivars, yielding information that provides valuable data for apricot growers and breeders.

It is widely believed that apricots originated in China, arriving in Europe through central Asia and Asia Minor. Apricot cultivars are classified into four major eco-geographical groups: central Asian, Irano-Caucasian, European, and Dzhungar-Zailing.

The central Asian and Irano-Caucasian (including Turkish cultivars) groups show the richest diversity, while the European group-including cultivars grown in North America, Australia, and South Africa-is thought to be the least diverse.

Apricots from eastern European cultivars have clearly distinguished characteristics from other cultivars of European origin. Although many studies have been done on Turkish apricots, there remains uncertainty about the self-incompatibility genotypes for many Turkish cultivars.

A team of researchers from the Corvinus University of Budapest and Ataturk University and the Malatya Fruit Research Institute in Turkey published a study in the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science that confirms an evolutionary theory.

"Microsatellite analyses have suggested that Hungarian and European apricot cultivars might have originated through hybridization among Irano-Caucasian genotypes", said corresponding author Julia Halasz.

This assumption seems to be confirmed by historical and linguistic evidence; during the Ottoman occupation of Hungary numerous records documented the introduction of Turkish graft-wood and other propagation materials to Hungary.

The researchers used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification to determine the S-genotypes of a set of Turkish apricot cultivars, and extended the method to identify self-compatible apricot cultivars.

"We determined the complete S-genotype of 51 cultivars and the partial S-genotype of four cultivars. A total of 32 different S-genotypes were assigned to the 51 cultivars, and many of them (28) were classified into newly established cross-incompatibility groups", Halasz noted. Another 12 cultivars demonstrated unique incompatible genotypes and seven self-compatible cultivars were identified in the examined accessions.

"The fact that Turkish and Hungarian apricot cultivars carry twelve and five S-alleles, respectively, and all five alleles detected in Hungarian cultivars were also present in Turkish apricots furnished molecular evidence supporting the long-suspected historical connection between Hungarian and Turkish apricots", said Halasz.

The research confirms that Turkish germplasm contributed considerably to the development of several desirable Hungarian apricot cultivars." Halasz added that the connection between the two gene pools appeared to be relatively recent, associated with historical events dating back 300 years.

This study is the first to examine S-genotype diversity of apricots native to Turkey. The scientists anticipate that the research findings will be used by producers to make correct selections of pollination partners in new orchard plantings, as well as by researchers interested in the evolutionary history of apricots.

Source: Seed Daily.
Link: http://www.seeddaily.com/reports/Genetic_Relationship_Between_Hungarian_And_Turkish_Apricots_Confirmed_999.html.

Jordan, partners steer their way towards economic integration

By Abeer Numan

AMMAN - Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey will develop a joint sectoral outlook to arrive at economic integration, Minister of Transport Alaa Batayneh said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a joint press conference with transport ministers of the three partners, Batayneh said each country was entrusted with examining means to develop a certain economic sector from those earlier designated as priority sectors.

Jordan was entrusted with the transport sector, Syria with energy, Lebanon with tourism and Turkey with industry, Batayneh noted.

Stressing the importance of land, sea and air transport projects among the quartet cooperation council, Batayneh said: “Once we realize transport integration among the four countries, we will be able to tackle other aspects of cooperation.”

Yesterday’s round of talks was the first held by the council, which was launched at a meeting of the quartet’s foreign ministers in New York in September last year during which they renewed commitment to a statement issued by the four countries in Istanbul in June of the same year on boosting cooperation.

After intensive technical meetings on Tuesday, the four countries yesterday signed a communiqué that stipulates the formation of a higher steering committee and other technical committees that will examine and unify related legislation, Batayneh explained.

The sectoral committees, to be chaired by the secretaries general of the concerned ministries, will work in parallel, he said.

The officials in charge will discuss all transport issues, including customs, to streamline and increase the flow of goods and passengers among the four countries, he elaborated, noting that the partner countries have already lifted visa requirements.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Batayneh and Syria’s Transport Minister Yarub Badr yesterday signed minutes of the board meeting of the Jordanian Syrian Land Transport Company.

Moreover, Batayneh, Badr and Lebanon Transport Minister Ghazi Aridi signed a cooperation agreement on the proposed regional railway connectivity project and financing joint studies of technical issues.

Underling the importance of the political will to achieve more efficient connectivity, Turkey’s Minister of Transport Binali Yildirim said: “Each country will boost its infrastructure individually, to achieve economic integration between the north and the south.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Samir Rifai met on Tuesday with the visiting transport ministers, in the presence of Batayneh, who briefed him on the outcome of their meetings.

During the meeting, discussions focused on means to boost transport cooperation among the four countries.

Rifai emphasized the importance of focusing on the regional railway project, underlining its economic and commercial importance.

The premier also urged the transport officials to examine the possibility of expanding their air transport deals to reach Latin American countries to meet the travel needs of Arab and Turkish residents there.

6 January 2011

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=33226.

Turkish police thwart hijack attempt

Thu Jan 6, 2011

An attempt to hijack a Turkish Airlines flight has been thwarted after security forces stormed the plane and arrested the hijacker.

The Boeing 737 was about to land at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport en route from Oslo on Wednesday when a passenger threatened to detonate a bomb if the plane did not return to Oslo, dpa reported.

A passenger identified as Salim Tahar, who lives in Oslo, said the man stood up in the rear of the cabin, put on a mask and threatened to blow up the plane.

When the aircraft landed, the crew moved the passengers to the front of the plane while some attendants prevented the hijacker from entering the cockpit.

The Turkish police immediately stormed the plane and arrested the man, whose identity was not immediately known.

None of the 60 passengers onboard the plane was harmed in the incident.

Ataturk airport reported that no explosives were found on the aircraft. The passenger was drunk and was subdued by other passengers till the police arrived, it said.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/158848.html.

US, Israel 'biggest threats to Turkey'

Wed Jan 5, 2011

Nearly most people in Turkey see the United States and Israel as the biggest threats to their country, a recent opinion poll has revealed.

According to a survey conducted in December by the Ankara-based Metropoll research company, 42.6 percent of the respondents consider the US as "the greatest external threat," while another 23.7 percent describe Israel as a major cause for concern.

"The US foreign politics since the Iraqi invasion, the hood incident [the US detention of Turkish soldiers during the Iraq war], the war in Afghanistan, repeated Armenian bills in US Congress and the negative statements that Turkish leaders make about the US and Israel play a major role in this perception," Professor Ozer Sencar, chairman of Metropoll Research Center, told Turkey's Hurriyet on Wednesday.

"It is interesting that Turkish people perceive an ally, the US, a country with whom Turkey has high-level, bilateral relations and is in NATO, as a threat", Sencar said, adding that Turkish people had not perceived the US as a threat before the US-led invasion of Iraq.

He also cited Washington's strong support for Israel's brutalities against the Palestinian people as another source of the negative perception.

"Israeli politics in the region and the suffering of Palestinians are not opposed -- let alone reacted to -- by the US administration", Sencar said.

The poll, which was conducted on some 1,500 people across Turkey, also showed that nearly 64 percent of Turks believe that Ankara should freeze relations with Israel.

The survey also made it clear that Turkish hostility toward Israel was on the rise.

Ankara-Tel Aviv's once strong relations turned sour last year after Israeli forces killed nine Turkish activists onboard an aid ship, which was carrying humanitarian supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip in May.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/158826.html.

Greece planning border fence with Turkey

Sat, 01 Jan 2011

Athens - Greece is planning to build a fence along its border with Turkey in a bid to keep out illegal immigrants, Citizen Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis said in an interview on Saturday.

"Cooperation with the other EU states is going well. .., now we plan to construct a fence to deal with illegal migration," he told the semi-official Athens News Agency ANA.

In the six months up till the end of November, 33,000 illegal immigrants have been detected crossing the Greek-Turkish land border. Most are from Afghanistan, Algeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Iraq.

Papoutsis said the 206-kilometer-long fence would be like the one erected by the United States along its frontier with Mexico.

The minister did not say whether the European Union had been informed of the plan. Since November, European Union teams have been patrolling the border with Greek police.

It is the first time that a team of the EU's Rapid Border Intervention agency Frontex has been deployed to an EU member state since the teams were created in 2007.

Papoutsis said that in 2010 an average of "200 refugees each day" had crossed into Greece from Turkey.

Around 80 per of the illegal immigrants in the EU arrive via Greece. Large numbers then seek to reach Italy via ferry.

There are currently an estimated 300,000 people living illegally in Greece.

Illegal immigrants nabbed by border police are placed in detention camps, which are bursting at the seams. Human rights groups have criticized Greece's asylum policy and and conditions in the camps.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/360359,planning-border-fence-turkey.html.

Turkish president in Kurd region: one-language policy stands

Thu, 30 Dec 2010

Istanbul - Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Thursday reiterated that Turkish is the country's only official language during a trip to the country's primarily Kurdish south-eastern region.

The trip was aimed at easing recent tensions over Kurdish issues.

"The official language of the Turkish Republic is Turkish, and it will continue this way. Moreover, the language of the state and of public institutions is Turkish; it is our common language," Gul said, according to the semi-official Anatolia Agency.

Gul's two-day trip to Diyarbakir, Turkey's largest Kurdish- majority city, comes in the wake of a period of heated debate in Turkey about Kurdish rights following a recent proposal by Kurdish groups for the establishment of a politically autonomous Kurdish region in south-eastern Turkey.

Earlier this month, the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) also called for education of Kurdish citizens in their mother tongue and for a policy of "bilingualism" in municipalities that are largely Kurdish.

Kurds are estimated to make up around 20 per cent of Turkey's population, but have long faced discrimination against and restrictions on their linguistic and cultural self-expression.

The recent debates prompted Turkey's National Security Council (MGK) on Wednesday to issue a strong statement against proposals for more widespread use of the Kurdish language. Stating that Turkish is the country's official language, the MGK warned that: "Initiatives aiming to change this fact are unacceptable."

Though Gul characterized his visit to Diyarbakir - his second since he became president in 2007 - as a regular visit, it was nonetheless timed as a goodwill trip to soothe political tensions.

"I am here to see Diyarbakir's problems first-hand," the president announced at a meeting with Diyarbakir mayor Osman Baydemir.

Baydemir, who belongs to the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), presented Gul with a Turkish-Kurdish dictionary and said attempts to deal with Kurdish issues solely as a security problem have been unsuccessful.

Calling the Kurdish issue "Turkey's biggest problem," Baydemir said, "The lack of tolerance toward demands and suggestions by Kurdish politicians regarding the mother tongue and democratic autonomy is very worrisome."

The president accepted the dictionary and acknowledged that the different languages spoken by Turkish citizens add to the country's diversity.

"Our constitution gives us the duty of protecting cultural heritage. These [languages] are partly a cultural heritage, partly a living heritage," he said.

Gul, who received a warm welcome in Diyarbakir without any political protest, was also scheduled to meet with other officials, tour the city's industrial zone and visit Dicle University.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/360191,region-one-language-policy-stands.html.

No nuclear concessions in Istanbul, says Iran's Ahmadinejad

Tue, 28 Dec 2010

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that, just like in Geneva, his country will provide no concessions in next month's nuclear negotiations in Istanbul, the ISNA news agency reported.

"We are willing to cooperate with the world powers in Istanbul, but all of them should acknowledge Iran's right to pursue nuclear technology and know that we will not retreat on inch from these rights," Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the city Karaj, west of the capital Tehran.

After the talks between the six world powers and Iran in Geneva earlier this month, the two sides agreed to continue the talks in Istanbul at the end of January.

"And if (the powers) come again with sanction threats, they should know that all the sanctions already issued and all the hundreds more to be issued will not in the least affect Iran's will, and just speed up our progress," Ahmadinejad said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday that Iran would discuss "ways to explore more cooperation" with the six world powers on global and economic issues, but not discuss the nuclear dispute.

The six world powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - primarily demand that Iran suspend its controversial uranium enrichment, in line with five United Nations Security Council resolutions, four of them with sanctions, designed to make sure the Islamic state is not pursuing a secret military program.

While denying the existence of military nuclear programs, Tehran has referenced its right as a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory and International Atomic Energy Agency member, saying, like any other country, it has the right to have civil nuclear projects, including uranium enrichment.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/359961,concessions-istanbul-irans-ahmadinejad.html.

Turkey, UAE agree to boost trade ties

Davutoglu said that there was a big potential between Turkey and the United Arab Emirates for commercial and economic cooperation.

Sunday, 26 December 2010

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that there was a big potential between Turkey and the United Arab Emirates for commercial and economic cooperation.

Davutoglu and UEA's Foreign Minister Abdallah bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan held a joint press conference after their meeting in Istanbul on Saturday.

Recalling that Turkey and UAE signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a joint cooperation committee in November, Davutoglu said that this committee would contribute to develop relations in politics, economy, trade, culture, consulate and security areas.

Davutoglu said that trade volume between the two countries reached 3.1 billion USD in the first ten months of 2010.

Guest minister, in his part, said that the aim of his visit was to further develop economic and commercial relations, and exchange views for the steps that would be taken in this regard.

Nuhayyan said that he and Davutoglu agreed to exert more efforts to develop cooperation in economy, trade, renewable energy, banking and tourism.

He added that they also discussed regional matters during their meeting.

Upon questions of reporters regarding Turkey-Israeli relations, Davutoglu said that Turkey wanted to be in peace with all countries including Israel too, and conditions to recover relations with Israel were clear.

Stressing that lifting of blockade on Gaza was very important, Davutoglu said that recovery of economic and social life conditions of Palestinian people was a priority for Turkey.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=67834.

Turkey, Syria to hold high-level military meeting

Deputy Chief of Turkish General Staff Gen. Aslan Guner will pay a visit to Damascus, Syria.

Sunday, 26 December 2010

Deputy Chief of Turkish General Staff Gen. Aslan Guner will pay a visit to Damascus, Syria.

Gen. Guner, who will arrive in Damascus on Sunday, will open Turkish Air Martyrdom which has been under construction for a while.

Gen. Guner will also attend a high-level military dialogue meeting between Turkey and Syria. He will pay a three-day visit, and hold several meetings with Syrian officials.

The main agenda item of Gen. Guner's visit will be cooperation on security between the two countries and fight against terrorism.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=67829.

Turkey's support to Macedonia to continue, defense minister says

Gonul is currently paying a two-day visit to Skopje upon an invitation of Macedonian Defense Minister Zoran Konjanovski.

Saturday, 25 December 2010

The Turkish defense minister said on Friday that Turkey would continue to extend support to its friend Macedonia.

Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, who arrived in Macedonia on a two-day formal visit, was welcomed by the country's Defense Minister Zoran Konjanovski with a military ceremony in Skopje.

Following their meeting, the two ministers attended the signing ceremony of a military cooperation agreement between their countries.

Appearing at a joint press conference together with his Macedonian counterpart after the signing ceremony, Turkish Defense Minister Gonul said Turkey and Macedonia had perfect relations in every field.

"Our support to friend and brother Macedonia will continue," he said.

Macedonian Minister Konjanovski said in his part that Macedonia highly appreciated Turkey's support and assistance.

"Turkey is an indispensable friend for Macedonia," Konjanovski said.

Meetings with President and PM

Following his talks at the Macedonian defense ministry, Gonul got together with the country's president Gjorge Ivanov.

Relations between Turkey and Macedonia as well as the latest developments in the region were on the agenda of the gathering.

Turkish National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul also met with Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

Besides Turkey-Macedonia relations, recent developments in the region were high on agenda of the meeting.

Later, Gonul attended a ceremony in which the Turkish Armed Forces donated military equipment worth of 253 thousand euro to Macedonian army.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=67796.

Gulf countries to meet in Turkey

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council will be held in Turkey

Saturday, 25 December 2010

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdurrahman Hamad Al-Attiyah will visit Turkey between December 27 and 30 upon an invitation by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

In a statement issued Friday, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that Al-Attiyah will be received by Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Al-Attiyah and Turkish officials will discuss bilateral relations since 2008, the year when a Strategic Dialogue was established, and exchange views on both regional and international issues, the MFA also said.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=67792.

Turkish PM tests Turkey's first electric car

The maximum speed of the electric cars is 135 km, and they can be driven for 160 km with a full battery.

Saturday, 25 December 2010

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan tested Turkey's first electric car on Saturday.

Officials briefed Erdogan about Turkey's first mass production electric car Renault Fluence Z.E. at Prime Ministry residence.

Industry & Trade Minister Nihat Ergun as well as National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul accompanied Erdogan during his test drive.

Erdogan told reporters about the car that it was a very silent vehicle, and easy to drive, adding that the electric cars would started to be sold in 2011.

The maximum speed of the electric cars is 135 km, and they can be driven for 160 km with a full battery.

These zero-emission cars can be charged with a patch cord in business places and houses. They also can be charged in 30 minutes in rapid charging stations. They have low energy cost and high environment sensitivity.

Electric cars are being produced in Oyak Renault factories in Bursa province. Renault has been operating in Turkey for 40 years. Oyak Renault plant has built 15 different models so far, mostly in mid-size compact cars.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=67817.

Turkish workers may lose jobs in Israel

Mon Dec 27, 2010

Hundreds of Turkish employees may lose their jobs in Israel after Tel Aviv's deadly attack on a Gaza-bound aid convoy sparked tensions between the two sides.

Turkey's construction company Yilmazlar Holdings said on Sunday that 800 employees may return to Turkey at the end of this year, Israeli website Ynetnews reported.

In 2003, Turkey and Israel signed an agreement by which Tel Aviv Aerospace Industries (IAI) will sell security and industrial equipment to Ankara and in exchange allow Yilmazlar to keep employees in Israel.

The deal is usually renewed on January 1 each year, but the rising tension has caused the Turkish government to delay its answer this year and it has not yet renewed the deal.

"We are still working on projects we have already begun here, worth hundreds of millions of shekels, but we haven't signed anything new. The employees are really scared, they keep asking what will happen if they are deported?" Yilmazlar's director in Israel Ahmet Arik argued.

On May 31, Israeli commandos attacked a Gaza-bound aid convoy in international waters, killing nine Turkish peace activists and injuring dozens of others.

The fleet was carrying approximately 750 human rights activists and around 10,000 tons of construction material, medical equipment and school supplies for the impoverished people of Gaza.

Turkey has repeatedly called on Israel to apologize over the incident and compensate the families of the victims.

On Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman reiterated that Tel Aviv would never make an apology to Ankara over the attack.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/157376.html.

Turkish parl. approves austerity budget

Mon Dec 27, 2010

The Turkish parliament has approved an austerity budget for 2011, which aims at fiscal belt-tightening while encouraging growth, the country's finance minister says.

Mehmet Simsek said on Sunday that the budget stands at 312.5 billion Turkish liras (almost 153.7 billion euros).

The budget provides for a deficit of about 16.5 billion euros. Revenues were pegged at 104 billion euros, Turkish daily Hurriyet reported.

Turkey, with a population of 77 million, is ranked 17th in the world in terms of economic power and boasts one of the highest global growth rates.

While the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, has been attempting to draw attention to the social deficiencies it sees in the 2011 proposals, the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, argued that the budget would not be sufficient to fulfill the pledges made by opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

Turkey was the quickest country to have emerged from the global economic crisis and "its growth is exemplary," the finance minister said before parliament voted on Turkey's fiscal year that begins in January.

Economic success is vital for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of general elections next year, in which his AKP will seek a third straight term in power.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/157315.html.