TURKEY-WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE
5 –11 MARCH 2010
POLITICAL NEWS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will hold a series of meetings with artists from Turkey’s cinema and theater world to seek support for the government’s democratic initiative. The Abant Platform is meeting again this week at Ankara’s Rixos Hotel to discuss Democratization for a New Societal Consensus. The Abant Platform regularly arranges meetings to discuss some of the most vital issues of Turkey and the world. The individuals from every segment of society are taking participation in these meetings. Sledgehammer coup plan is consisted of 5,000-pages. This Plan contains the names of about 200 senior policemen. The policemen were classified into the execution group those which could be used in interrogations and possible administrators. These policemen were assigned code names. When the plans were made in 2003,the policemen were on active duty in cities including İstanbul, Kocaeli, Bursa, Balıkesir, Edirne, Tekirdağ and Kırklareli.
According to the Sledgehammer documents, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had a systematic plan to create chaos in society by bombing mosques and attacking popular museums with Molotov cocktails. The purpose of the attacks was to increase pressure on the government for failing to provide security to its citizens, eventually leading to a military coup. A Turkish court arrested three more soldiers in an investigation over an alleged Sledgehammer plot.
A recent report by the National Police Department’s Anti-smuggling and Organized Crime Bureau (KOM) has shown that a significant number of the bureau’s operations in 2009 in Turkey were launched in the field of health. Among a total of 154 operations, 61 were launched in the health sector, resulting in the detention of 1,238 people. More than 230 of them were later arrested on corruption charges. Others held the Corruption in the purchase of medicine and medical equipment due to the use of individuals’ health cards. According to human rights activists, Turkey’s flourishing and ever-growing civil society, with its expanding focus on fundamental rights and liberties, has become a significant agent of social change.
A middle school student, Sebiha Alaş, was removed from her school in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır because she was wearing a headscarf. According to a statement issued by the Presidential Press Center , President Abdullah Gül approved a bill seeking to reduce the waiting period before a proposed referendum is held from 120 days to 60 days. Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) President Rızanur Meral expressed support for efforts by the government and Parliament to reform the judiciary by arguing that the Ergenekon, Sledgehammer and Erzincan cases must be used as an opportunity to turn Turkey into a country governed by the rule of law.
In Edirne 3.16 kilograms of heroin discovered in electric oven which was to be smuggled out of the country. Turkish narcotic police seized 747 kg of hashish and 175 kg of heroin in three operations. Gender inequality and sexual violence were on Turkey's agenda this March 8, International Women's Day. A United Nations Turkey report released yesterday put forward that almost half of the country's female population has been subject to sexual and physical violence at the hands of their husbands. It also noted that there are only 52 women's shelters in Turkey despite a female population of 35 million.
The number of women holding seats in Parliament also low while the numbers are even lower in terms of municipal seats. The 2007 general elections saw women win 9.1 percent of seats in Parliament, and only 27 of 2,948 mayoral posts -- 0.9 percent -- are held by women.
Turkey came in 101st on a list of 109 countries on the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM), which is calculated according to women's participation in economic and political life in their countries.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said his government holds all doors open to women by supporting their right to pursue a political career, during a speech addressing women delivered on International Women’s Day. He recalled that his government amended Article 10 of the Constitution by adding to the article the sentences: "Men and women have equal rights. Stating that the government enabled the schooling of nearly 350,000 girls through programs led by his party .The Prime Minister was speaking at the International Women’s Rights Summit held at his Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) headquarters. Turkish security forces detained a total of 77 illegal migrants in separate operations.
The illegal migrants were of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Palestinian, Somali, Afghan and Georgian origin. The detained migrants would be deported following legal proceedings, officials said. The Turkish frigate "Gemlik" has encountered a small skiff in the Gulf of Aden, and captured seven alleged pirates. This naval vessel, which is serving under an international mission to fight off piracy in the Gulf of Aden.Pirates are reported to have hijacked a Norwegian chemical tanker, the "UBT Ocean" along with her crew of 21. On Monday, March 1, a Saudi-owned tanker was captured, with a crew of 14 aboard.
GEO-STRTEGIC NEWS
An agreement on civil aviation cooperation was signed by Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım and New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully in Ankara.Under the agreement,both the states will launch direct flights.Both will cooperate with eachother in technical , engineering and air traffic issues, which could boost economic relations and tourism.First mobile hospital produced by Turkey was opened in Darfur, Sudan.The mobile hospitals have dental unit, X-ray, pharmacy, blood bank, morgue, reverse osmosis water purification, laundry, generator and kitchen, and they cover 1,500 square meters.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will travel to Saudi Arabia on a formal visit on March 8 to receive the King Faisal International Prize for Service to Islam, popularly known as the "Arab Nobel Prize."
Turkey's Prime Minister said that Israel had accepted that his country again mediate talks with Syria but the Israeli Prime Minister said no decision had been made. While A senior official in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied news reports suggesting that Israel had accepted Turkey’s offer to resume its role as mediator in peace negotiations with Syria.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu had talks with senior Syrian officials on Sunday that focused on the Middle East peace process as well as tensions escalating from time to time between Lebanon and Syria.
Israel's military has been forced to significantly reduce its exercises along the boders with Lebanon and Syria amid pressure by the United States, the World Tribune reported. It quoted Israeli officials as saying that the administration of President Barack Obama has warned Israel that its exercises were escalating regional tension.They said Israel's government has responded by canceling or reducing exercises meant to prepare for a war with Syria.Earlier in March, Israel reduced the scope of a major command exercise, Firestones-12, at the request of the United States. "The exercises were planned on the assessment that Syria is likely to join Hizbullah in the next war," the official told the World Tribune. "We are very much aware of Syrian preparations and coordination with Iran and Hizbullah."
A US resolution that branded as "genocide" the World War One incidents will seriously damage US-Turkish relations, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan said on Saturday. NATO member Turkey, an ally crucial to US interests in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and the Middle East, has expressed its outrage at Thursday's non-binding vote in the Foreign Affairs committee of the US House of Representatives and recalled its envoy to the United States for consultations.
The senior official of a Turkish-American association said on Sunday that leading US TV channel CNN should be protested for its recent broadcast on the incidents of 1915.
CNN, which broadcasted a program titled "Scream Bloody Murder" in December 2008, has recently re-run the production which assesses incidents such as the Holocaust, deceased Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's chemical attack against Iraqi Kurds, as well as the incidents that had taken place in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfour.The program, presented by US journalist Christian Amanpour, briefly points to the incidents of 1915 as well, and alleges that "Christian Armenian citizens were killed and forced to migrate, and consequently, 1 million Armenian people died at the time".
Relations between Spain and Turkey have flourished in the past decade; nevertheless, as Spain is currently chairing the EU’s term presidency, it is of the utmost importance for Turkey to work closely with Spain to open as many EU negotiation chapters as possible.
Operations have been carried out in several European countries against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) over the last two weeks, with a wide-ranging operation conducted in Belgium on Thursday following anti-PKK operations in France, Germany and Italy.
Turkey may contribute police force to the United Nations' mission in quake-hit Haiti, said a chief aide to the UN secretary-general on Monday. Turkey has already sent a 52-member police team, consisting of inspectors, chief inspectors and heads of police departments to serve as part of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the UN peacekeeping department's civilian police management coordinator from Turkey, Ata Yenigün, said and added that Turkey was now planning to send up to 160 police officers.
Erdogan called for more South Korean investments in Turkey. Speaking at the Turkey-South Korea Business Forum in Istanbul, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey had been one of the least affected countries by the global economic crisis thanks to the economic reforms and policies implemented by the government. Erdogan called for more South Korean investments in Turkey, saying that the current level of 500 million USD was far from being satisfactory. Turkey and South Korea signed on Wednesday a cooperation protocol to establish a nuclear energy power plant in the northern Turkish province of Sinop.
Turkey and South Korea would sign a memorandum on launching negotiations on a free trade agreement. Two countries could cooperate in contracting, ship construction, defense industry and banking.
After the rubble is cleared in Turkey's Quake-hit Region, Turkey's state housing authority promises, new homes will be built for residents in the affected area. Three more Turkish provinces such as Bursa, İzmir and Antakya at risk of quakes.
Turkey has welcomed Israel’s willingness to help in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in eastern Anatolia, but warned the issue should not become part of a political agenda.Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Parliament Speaker Fehmida Mirza of Pakistan and the accompanying lawmakers. The closed-door meeting lasted for about 45 minutes.
ECONOMIC NEWS
Turkey’s prime minister also thanked the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists TUSKON for its supportive stance on the government’s "national unity project," a name for the AK Party’s Kurdish initiative, a plan to extend cultural rights and freedoms of Kurdish citizens to end separatism.He also highlighted the importance of TUSKON in making Turkey’s name well-known globally, bringing together businessmen from the East and the West.
International investors see Turkish political climate as deterrent, survey shows International investors in Turkey are looking forward to a mostly stable first half of the year but are see domestic political turmoil as one of the most adverse developments to affect foreign direct investment (FDI). The Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) has worked hard over the last four years to bring more than 8,500 foreign businessmen to Turkey from more than 135 different nations, resulting in more than $14 billion in trade for the nation, but is still looking for opportunities in places like Indonesia.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the biggest purchaser of Turkey’s gold jewelry last year, at $348.9 million, while the US followed with $120 million in Turkish gold jewelry imports.
Turkey exported $57.3 million in gold jewelry to Germany, its third-largest market, in 2009, data from the Export Promotion Center (İGEME) released Monday showed. According to the data, Turkey’s total gold jewelry exports amounted to $1.1 billion last year.
According to a research note from the Bahçeşehir University Center for Economic and Social Research (BETAM), female labor force participation in Turkey is a dismally low 26.9 percent, much lower than comparable economies in Latin America, the Middle East and current European Union members.
The strategically crucial Nabucco pipeline got a thumbs up from the Turkish Parliament on Wednesday, breaking legal ground in Turkey for the pipeline connecting the country’s eastern neighbors to Austria. Parliament passed a bill approving the Nabucco project and the establishment of a national Nabucco company dealing with issues regarding the new pipeline. The bill, titled "The Acceptance Agreement Regarding the Nabucco Project between Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Turkey," was passed after debate on the floor of Parliament.
Turkish State Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said on Wednesday that there would not be any negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding the program till May. Turkey owes nearly eight billion USD of debt to IMF. Turkey's debt to International Monetary Fund (IMF) will completely end in 2013.Turkish State Minister Cevdet Yilmaz departed for Algeria on Tuesday to attend the Turkey-Algeria Joint Economic Committe meeting. Trade volume between the two countries increased to $5 billion in 2008 from $1.6 billion in 2003. However, in 2009, it dropped to $3.8 billion after a fall in Turkey's natural gas and iron products imports. Turkey's exports to Algeria was up 10 percent in 2009 to reach $1.7 billion.
Turkish people have spent $27.5 billion for 135 million mobile phone handsets sold in Turkey since 1994, either registered or unregistered, a study showed. Dubai-based developer Emaar Properties plans to launch a $1.5 billion real estate project in Istanbul, company's CEO in Turkey said on Monday.
Turkish Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergun said on Monday country's economy has seen moderate recovery since the second quarter of 2009 after a stagnation caused by the global economic downturn.Turkey's industrial production was up 12.1 percent year-on-year in January 2010. However, industrial production was down 15.3 percent when compared to previous month.
SOCIAL NEWS
A strong, pre-dawn earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6 struck eastern Turkey on Monday, killing 51 people as it knocked down stone and mud-brick houses and minarets in at least six villages. The government initially put the death toll at 57 but later lowered it to 51.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned people in the eastern province of Elazığ to stay away from the damaged buildings since aftershocks were continuing to shake the region.
Prime Minister Erdoğan expressed profound sorrow over loss of lives in the quake. The Mediterranean city of Antalya, the capital of Turkish tourism, has also become popular for theater events, including the 1st International Theater Festival, which will take place in the city from May 10 to 26.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
TURKEY- WEEKLY NEWS UPDATES
TURKEY
WEEKLY NEWS UPDATES
From 26 February to 4th March 2010
POLITICAL NEWS
KURDISH DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVE
Since the government launched its democratization initiative last summer, it has made many promises but has failed to fulfill many of them and has not offered solutions to certain demands. These certain demands are as follows:
Despite positive signals from the government is the reinstating of place names to their original Kurdish. The government hinted that villages and districts could change their names with the approval of the district governor, but for cities, a law is required, and such laws are not on the government’s agenda.
The government also issued regulations to remove checkpoints on roads and to minimize the amount of land to which access is prohibited, changes that would lead to an easier daily life. But all these regulations are carried out through circulars or administrative decisions, but the improvements that are planned require legal amendments that have not yet been prepared.
The government drafted a bill to solve the problem of children who are in conflict with the Counterterrorism Law or the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). According to current laws, minors can face trial as adults. The bill was sent to Parliament before the new year but was later withdrawn, and despite government promises, it hasn’t reappeared on the agenda as yet.
The government also declared that it will establish four institutions to improve human rights in Turkey, a project presented within the framework of the democratization initiative but one that is actually a requirement of the European Union accession process. One of those institutions will be the National Human Rights Presidency, which will come out of a restructuring of the Prime Ministry Human Rights Directorate.
The government promised that these institutions would be independent, have the power of sanction and be established through the participation of civil society. However, when the government drafted legislation on the National Human Rights Board, it was harshly criticized by the Human Rights Joint Platform (İHOP) for not fulfilling the promises it had made. The draft has not yet been sent to Parliament.
The other changes proposed are establishing an institution to fight discrimination, opening prisons to international monitoring following the approval of the UN Optional Protocols to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) and establishing an independent body to monitor the security forces. No legislation has been drafted on these institutions, but they have been opened to discussion among the relevant state organs. The democratization process also requires constitutional changes, but the government has declared that a new constitution can only be drafted after the 2011 elections.
Improvements under the Democratic Kurdish Initiative
Within the framework of the initiative, there have been some improvements regarding the daily use of the Kurdish language. In prisons, inmates are allowed to speak in Kurdish with their visitors. State-run TRT 6, which broadcasts in Kurdish, was launched and private TV and radio stations were given permission to broadcast in other languages. A Living Languages Institute was opened at Mardin’s Artuklu University, but this led to disappointment among pro-Kurdish circles as they expected Kurdish language departments to be opened.
JUDICIAL REFORMS PACKAGE
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s announcement that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) plans to bring a comprehensive judicial reform package to Parliament, details of the package have started to emerge, including its main elements -- making party closures harder and preventing the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) from making arbitrary decisions. The reform package was the main item on the agenda in the Cabinet and AK Party officials’ meetings on Monday. The package is expected to be in Parliament by the end of this month.
The government plans to restructure the HSYK in line with the norms of the European Union, which Turkey aspires to join. With the reforms, it will try to prevent the HSYK being a board that acts according to ideological impulses.
The most important change in terms of the guarantees of judges and prosecutors is allowing judicial oversight of HSYK decisions. In addition, procedures to select members should be designed to ensure that the HSYK represents a range of opinions, not just one view.
In that regard, the government plans to increase the number of HSYK members from seven to 17. HSYK members will be selected by both the top courts and Parliament. Currently, the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Council of State select five of the HSYK members. Observers say Turkey’s higher courts exercise undue influence on judges and prosecutors.
Moreover, the reform package is expected to include constitutional amendments that would make party closures more difficult. Both the EU and the Council of Europe have issued stern warnings to Turkey regarding its closures of political parties. If the package is adopted, party closure cases will have to be judged in accordance with the Council of Europe’s Venice criteria, which do not allow closures except in extreme cases where a party is actively promoting violence. In accordance with this, changes would be made to Articles 68 and 69 of the Constitution.
The package also intends to ease the current five-year political activity ban imposed on the leaders of political parties that are shut down. With this change, these individuals will only be barred from participating in the next elections.
Meanwhile, two small parties, the Democratic Left Party (DSP) and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), announced that they will support the reform package if the 10 percent election threshold is reduced to 5 percent. But the AK Party does not support reducing the threshold, claiming that it would threaten political stability.
CHP, MHP determined to block package
The AK Party has 336 seats in Parliament, and 330 supporters are needed for the reform package to be approved. A few AK Party deputies may not support the package, but some deputies of other parties are expected to support it.
Republican People’s Party (CHP) Secretary-General Önder Sav had said his party will not lend its support to the package on the grounds that the planned amendments would harm judicial independence. CHP parliamentary group deputy chairman Hakkı Süha Okay said the CHP cannot be party to the constitutional amendments of a party that has been designated as a focal point of anti-secular activities. Okay was referring to a 2008 Constitutional Court decision on a closure case filed against the AK Party.
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which has proposed changes to the Constitution on various occasions, also plans to reject the AK Party’s reform package.
AK Party parliamentary group deputy chairman Bekir Bozdağ said they would not disclose the content of the package before consulting with the opposition. He added that reforms are a response to society’s demands and they hope the opposition will support them.
Although the CHP supported legal reforms until 2006, it withdrew its support for reform packages following the crisis regarding the selection of the country’s president. The CHP disapproved of the nomination of Abdullah Gül as president on the grounds that he came from the National View movement led by Necmettin Erbakan.
Another article to be included in the package will affect women, children, elderly people and the handicapped. The government promises affirmative action regarding those groups. With an amendment to Article 12 of the Constitution, there will be a statement added to prevent acts damaging the honor of an individual during detention.
Turkish parliament approves referendum bill
Under the bill, Turkish citizens living abroad will be able to vote for referendum in 20 days. Turkish parliament enacted a bill shortening referendum period to 60 days from 120 days. The bill envisages holding a referendum on constitutional amendments 60 days after they were ratified. Earlier, 120 days had to pass after ratification of constitutional amendments to hold a referendum. Under the bill, Turkish citizens living abroad will be able to vote for referendum in 20 days. Earlier, Turkish citizens could vote for 40 days.
ARMY PLOT
A significant number of documents signed by Konya Provincial Gendarmerie Command head Col. Hüseyin Özçoban -- currently imprisoned on charges of leading a special team created as part of the Sledgehammer coup plan that was allegedly to bomb the Beyazıt Mosque in İstanbul -- have been discovered discarded in an empty field to the southwest of Konya.
Columnists protest Erdoğan’s harsh remarks
Erdoğan frequently complains about the way some columnists write about his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, and last week, he directed criticism toward columnists and warned newspaper bosses to control them as he said they cause tension in the country.
An online petition was initiated by a group of Turkish columnists in protest against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who said media bosses should control their columnists at a meeting of his party’s provincial chairmen last week.
Feb. 28 instigators planned penalties for religious observance
Newly emerged documents have revealed that the instigators of the Feb. 28, 1997 coup d’état in Turkey had detailed plans to restrict and punish all forms of religious practice in the country.
Thirteen years later, the unarmed military coup of Feb. 28 still wields an important influence on Turkish societal life and politics. Included in the coup’s legacy are legal remnants hostile to the religion of Islam, the religion that most Turks subscribe to -- such as the controversial headscarf ban. But in the light of documents that have recently surfaced, it is clear that the coup stagers did not accomplish all that they wanted in the name of suppressing religious practice in Turkey -- a 10-article plan signed off by the National Security Council (MGK) Legal Counselor’s Office includes much broader measures, including harsh punishments, to control religion.
The MGK proposal includes a ban on the Islamic headscarf in all public and private areas excluding mosques and homes -- including hospitals, workplaces and any places hosting political party activity. Not restricted to indoors, the ban would have meant a ban on wearing headscarves on buses, in cafes and out on the streets. The proposal would also have banned religious education, with harsh penalties for those who teach religion privately or publicly.
The plan’s proposed sentencing for teaching religion was even harsher -- five to eight years in prison for any of a wide range of activities connected to teaching religion individually or as part of an organization, including teaching, organizing or administrating the provision of religious education. For those involved in more than one such educational venture, the jail time rises to 10-15 years in jail. The ban would not have stopped at parents providing private religious education to their own children -- they would have been slapped with a jail sentence of five to eight years.
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has called on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to demand an accounting from the perpetrators of the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup if he is sincere in his opposition to coup attempts.
Observers voice strong reaction to ongoing headscarf ban
Participants at a meeting organized by the Women’s Rights Association against Discrimination (AKDER) in İstanbul yesterday roundly criticized the ongoing headscarf ban in Turkey.
The meeting, titled "Feb. 28 will not last for a thousand years. Lift the headscarf ban" and held at the Taksim Hill Hotel, drew attention to the headscarf ban, which was entrenched during the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup period. The controversial headscarf ban is in place in Turkey’s public sphere and applies to university students as well as those working in the public sector. AKDER, an association founded by women who were victimized by the Feb. 28 period, launched a signature campaign earlier this week for the removal of the ban through their 28subat1000yilsuremez.blogspot.com Web site.
Çağaptay uses Foreign Policy in smear campaign against Gülen
Soner Çağaptay of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy has added yet another controversy to his record by writing a highly biased and unscholarly piece for Foreign Policy, a US publication, misrepresenting the truth of the historic Ergenekon probe.
Observers have said the article, published on Feb. 25, seriously distorts realities surrounding the ongoing Ergenekon probe -- which aims to expose the deep state nested within the military, academia and the business world -- and targets the faith-based civil society movement inspired by Fethullah Gülen. Though the article contains numerous allegations and accusations against Gülen personally and his movement as well as the Turkish government, Çağaptay does not provide a single piece of evidence to support his arguments.
Turkish megastar Tarkan detained in anti-drug operation
Turkish pop star Tarkan Tevetoğlu, who goes by just his first name in the entertainment business, was detained early Friday in an anti-drug operation in İstanbul along with several other Turkish celebrities. The police obtained search warrants and raided the addresses listed, including Tarkan’s villa in the Ömerli district, detaining a number of entertainers and three businessmen. The son of a former deputy was also reportedly taken into custody. Police seized 12.5 grams of cannabis at Tarkan’s villa.
Turkish Security Forces Seize 104 Kg Hashish in Separate OperationsTurkish security forces confiscated 104 kilograms of hashish in two separate operations in the west and southeast of the country.
GEO-STRATEGIC NEWS
Gül sends message of support to Yemen
Yemeni security forces clashed with suspected rebels in the southern Abyan province, where separatists are campaigning against the rule of President Saleh.North and South Yemen united under Saleh’s presidency in 1990 but many in the south, home to most Yemeni oil facilities, complain that northerners have used the unification to grab resources and discriminate against them.
Yemen’s government struck a truce on Feb. 11 with Shiite insurgents with whom it had been fighting in the north, allowing it to turn its attention to unrest in the south as well as al-Qaeda. Saleh has urged northern rebels, called Houthis after the clan name of their leaders, to join the political process by establishing a party. Yemen rose to the forefront of Western security concerns after the Yemeni arm of al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for a failed attempt to bomb a US-bound plane in December.Western governments and neighboring Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, fear al-Qaeda is exploiting instability in Yemen to recruit and train militants to launch attacks in the region and beyond.
Ankara also supported Yemen last summer when it faced natural disasters. Turkey sent Yemen $100,000 to aid the country’s recovery.Yemen has repeatedly invited Gül to visit the country. As the foreign minister, Gül visited Sana’a in 2005. Following several clashes in northern and southern Yemen, Turkey has sent a special envoy to the country, voicing support for its territorial integrity.
Davutoğlu: Democratization boosts Turkey’s clout in Mideast
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has praised Turkey’s role in the Middle East, saying Ankara’s increasing clout is a result of its democratization and growing economic might. Under the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, which came to power in 2002, Turkey took steps to revamp its once ignored relations with its Middle Eastern neighbors. It has mediated peace talks between Syria and Israel, is seeking a peaceful settlement to an international row over Iran’s nuclear program and has strongly criticized Israel for its policy toward the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. The shift in foreign policy has been accompanied by drastic measures to limit the military’s influence in political life and expand rights for Kurds and non-Muslim minorities at home.
TURKEY AND EGYPT
Davutoğlu is visiting Egypt for talks as part of the Memorandum for a Framework for Turkish-Egyptian Strategic Dialogue, which was signed in the autumn of 2007. He had a one-hour meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheik before flying to Cairo. He flew to Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Mubarak told Davutoğlu that the number of Turkish businessmen operating in Egypt is increasing and said marine links between Turkey and Egypt must also be improved. The two also discussed the situation in Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Davutoğlu said Turkey appreciated Egypt’s efforts to ease disagreements between rival Palestinian groups and said Turkey was ready to offer its help if needed. They discussed the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and ways to overcome the deadlock.
Brown, Miliband laud change, progress in Turkey
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband have commended the change and progress in Turkey in recent years.
Brown and Miliband joined British constituents of Turkish descent in London late on Monday, where they assessed developments in Turkey, particularly in the last several years, and reiterated their support for its bid to join the European Union.
Brown said ‘’I want to congratulate Turkey for the excellent change and progress it has realized in recent years. Let me tell you once again that we support Turkish membership in the EU. We will do everything we can to make it real in the years ahead of us. You are now listening to a friend who earnestly believes that Turkey’s place should be in the EU.Turkey is no longer the sick man of Europe. It has been showing this for [a long time]. It has now the 16th largest economy in the world and is expected to elevate its position in 10 to 15 years," he said and added that the EU should certainly accept Turkey as a full-fledged member.
French file charges on 9 PKK terror suspects
A French judicial official says preliminary terrorism charges have been filed against nine suspected terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members.
The official says seven of the suspects will remain in jail pending further investigation and two have been freed under judicial supervision. The official was not authorized to be named because the investigation is ongoing.
Italian police searching for 11 suspects in anti-PKK operation
Italian police are seeking 11 suspects in a widespread operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in an effort to break up a ring of Kurds who allegedly recruited and trained fighters for terror attacks against Turkey.
Venice’s anti-terrorism police said in a statement Friday that they have issued 11 arrest warrants for 10 Turkish citizens and an Italian who allegedly supplied fighters to the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union (EU). Another 16 people are under investigation.
Belgium police launch operations against PKK
Some 300 Belgian police raided 25 addresses across the country on Thursday in an operation against a militant PKK group.
Some 300 Belgian police raided 25 addresses across the country on Thursday in an operation against a militant PKK group, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a high-placed police source said.Turkey welcomes PKK operations in Belgium
Davutoglu thanked Belgian authorities for their cooperationTurkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Thursday Turkey was pleased with the operation being waged in Belgium against terrorist organization PKK.
Government speeds up work for visa-free travel to Europe
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said the government is planning to make the improvements necessary to put the wheels in motion for all Turkish citizens to be able to travel to European Union member countries without a visa. Erdoğan also stated that he was particularly hopeful for the advancement of accession negotiations during the Spanish term presidency of the EU.
Erdoğan: Turkey not to be a burden to EU
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Sunday that Turkey would not be a burden to the EU, on the contrary, it would undertake the burden of the Union.Speaking after the 19th meeting of EU Reform Follow-up Group in Ankara, Erdoğan said that the Reform Follow-up Group undertook an important function to follow the reforms which had been implemented in Turkey's EU membership process as well as to institutionalize the process.
Turkish on the way to becoming an official language in EU
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) announced on Wednesday that it has taken considerable steps toward the Turkish language being included among European languages in an electronic environment, underlining that Turkish will become an official language of the European Union.
Turkey's EU Secretary Says EU Will Have to Admit Turkey When Time ComesTurkey's secretary general for the European Union (EU) said on Wednesday that the union did not have the luxury not to make Turkey a member when Turkey got adjusted to EU standards. Secretary General Volkan Bozkir said that Turkey was trying to become a member to "a living style", and defined the EU as a "living style that had reached success." "When Turkey fulfils EU acquis, it will become equal to EU standards whether or not it become a member," Bozkir told a conference in Ankara. Bozkir said Turkey would be the leading country in decision-making mechanisms of the EU and would have the highest number of representatives at the European Parliament when it became a member. Turkey would be one of the top five countries in the EU in regard to its geography, military and population after it completed the membership process, Bozkir said
Turkish cultural center opens in Kazakh capital
The Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center, built as part of a program to promote Turkey, Turkish culture and the Turkish language under the aegis of the Yunus Emre Foundation, has opened in the Kazakh capital of Astana. The first center of its kind was opened in Sarajevo in October 2009 and another is being inaugurated in Egypt today. Turkey also plans to open Yunus Emre cultural centers in Macedonia, Spain, Germany and France.
Turkey welcomes framework cease-fire deal in Sudan
The Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Turkey welcomes a cease-fire deal signed between the Sudanese government and the country’s largest rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).
Turkey welcomes the signing of a framework agreement to end the conflict in Darfur between the Sudanese government and Darfur’s largest rebel group, JEM, in the presence of Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of Chad Idriss Deby and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani in Doha on Feb. 23," the statement read, continuing that Turkey hoped the agreement would serve as an important step to encourage other rebel groups to take part in the peace process. The Sudanese government has come to terms with JEM officials after a year of internationally sponsored negotiations. The agreement raised hopes that the bloody seven-year conflict could soon draw to an end. Khartoum has agreed to a series of cease-fires during the seven-year conflict, but all the previous cease-fire were short-lived and thus unable to deliver concrete results.
Turkish Foreign Minister In Cairo
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu inaugurated the Yunus Emre Turkish Culture Center in Cairo as part of his visit to Egypt. It is the third cultural center behind the first two in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania. These centers aim at promoting Turkey, Turkish language, art and history. ECONOMIC NEWS
Turkish airline company targets 7 million passengers in 2010
Turkish airline company SunExpress, a subsidiary of Turkey's national air carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) and Germany's Lufthansa, announced on Saturday that it aimed at carrying 7 million passengers in 2010.
Central bank foresees possible inflation increase
The Central Bank of Turkey predicted on Feb. 16 that the annual rate of inflation would continue to rise markedly in February and hover above its target for some time to come due to tax adjustments, unprocessed food price increases, base effect and annual inflation.
Educational hubs in Turkey to enliven real estate market
The Turkish real estate market could get much more lively as cities such as İstanbul and Ankara develop as hubs of education, art and commerce, although legal barriers still present difficulties for foreigners looking to purchase property.
French minister calls on Turkey and France to collaborate in energy
France and Turkey may establish cooperation in various fields in the energy sector, French Minister of State for Foreign Trade Anne-Marie Idrac has said, calling for the two countries to increase their trade volume from the current 10 million euros to 15 million euros by 2012.
Turkey’s foreign trade deficit surges by 160.6 pct in January
Turkey’s foreign trade deficit increased by a record 160.6 percent in January over the same month a year before, reaching $3.64 billion. The Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) released the results of a foreign trade survey on Friday. According to TurkStat data, Turkey’s exports in January decreased by 0.3 percent over the same period of 2009, while imports surged by 23.9 percent in the same period. Exports in January equaled $7.86 billion, while imports reached $11.5 billion.
Turkey, Iran sign MoU to develop cooperation in industry
Turkey and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost commercial and industrial relations between the two countries.The memorandum was signed by Turkish Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergün and Iranian Minister for Industries and Mines Ali Akbar Mehrabian on Tuesday on the sidelines of the first ministerial meeting of Developing Eight (D-8) countries in Tehran. The two sides agreed to sign the memorandum during Mehrabian’s visit to Ankara in January.
Turkey earns $825.9 mln from hazelnut exports
Turkey, one of the world’s leading hazelnut producers, brought in $825.9 million from hazelnut exports in the last six months, the industry union’s data revealed on Wednesday
Turkey shipped more than 133,898 tons of hazelnuts to almost 90 countries between September and February, figures released by the Black Sea Hazelnut Exporters Union show.
Tax hikes continue driving inflation higher in February
Fueled by recent tax hikes, the consumer price index (CPI) increased by 1.45 percent in February over the preceding month, putting annual inflation at 10.13 percent, data released by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) on Wednesday have shown.
The central bank last month warned that the government's price and tax adjustments in December 2009 would drive inflation figures higher in February. Shaped by the aftereffects of tax hikes, the annual inflation rate had increased by a significant 1.66 percentage points in January to reach 8.19 percent.
Şimşek: Tax information exchange deal to be signed with Switzerland
Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek has said that talks on a tax information exchange agreement with Switzerland have been initiated and the deal is expected to be signed very soon.
2010 Year of Japan’ a step to improve economic relations
Mitsuru Horiguchi, deputy consul general of Japan in İstanbul, told Today’s Zaman that he expects the upcoming events of the 2010 Year of Japan in Turkey to foster the development of economic relations between the “two friendly countries.”
İstanbul leads list of regions with highest unemployment
İstanbul, Turkey’s economic powerhouse, saw the highest increase in the number of unemployed from 2008 to 2009 among the 26 regions of the country, with an additional 260,000 people joining the ranks of the jobless over the course of a year.
Turkish contractors to expand into India, Central and West Africa
Turkish contractors’ targets for 2010 include expanding into new regions such as India, Central Africa and West Africa, while also increasing their operations in their current overseas markets, Turkish Contractors Association (TMB) Chairman Erdal Eren has said.
Sudan offers great opportunities for Turkish investors’
Even though the trade volume between Turkey and Sudan has risen significantly in recent years, economic relations between the two countries are still far from being satisfactory, Erdoğan Kök, Turkey’s ambassador to Sudan, has said, calling on Turkish investors to take advantage of lucrative opportunities Sudan offers.
He said that annual trade between Turkey and Sudan rose to $250 million last year, but added that this figure does not reflect relations between the two countries. "An important number of Turkish businessmen carry out operations in Sudan. But they have been unable to proceed further due to the difficulties Sudan has been experiencing," he said.
The main obstacles preventing Turkish businessmen from expanding their businesses in Sudan are recent drops in the price of oil, which is the main source of income in Sudan, and difficulties in securing loans from banks, Kök stated.
Ergün: D-8 members should improve mutual trade relations
Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergün has said that cooperation among the Developing Eight (D-8) countries should be boosted to assure that member countries are able to wield more power in the global arena.
The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, a group of developing countries that formed an economic development alliance in 1997, contains more than 1 billion people living in a wide region, Ergün noted, while speaking at the first meeting of industry ministers of D-8 countries in Tehran yesterday. He said that D-8 countries are unable to take advantage of the big potential they have. The D-8 is of great importance since it creates an environment for enhancing political, economic and cultural relations among members, Ergün noted. The organization will also lead members to joint involvement in cooperative projects, he said, stressing that this will eventually add to their economic growth.
"Economically developing countries of the organization will possess more power in world policy. Turkey’s trade with D-8 member countries rose from $2.9 billion in 2002 to $17 billion in 2008 before falling to $13 billion last year due to the global financial crisis, still representing a nearly fivefold rise over seven years.
Turkey 14th among countries with highest taxes on tobacco
Turkey has moved into 14th place on a list of countries levying the highest taxes worldwide on tobacco products, with a recent rise in the private consumption tax (ÖTV) on cigarettes, which is anticipated to reduce the number of smokers by more than half a million this year.
Turkey also has the second-highest taxes levied on tobacco products among countries that have the highest tobacco consumption, the Anatolia news agency reported on Monday.
According to a report on the economics of tobacco control and taxation of tobacco products prepared jointly by the University of Illinois at Chicago and the World Health Organization (WHO), cigarette users are expected to drop from 17.3 million to 16.7 million with the recent tax increases. In January of this year, the lump-sum tax levied on tobacco products increased from TL 2.05 to TL 2.65, while a proportional tax on tobacco rose from 58 percent to 63 percent.
Turkey and Philippines sign aviation agreement
Turkey and the Philippines signed an aviation agreement Turkey's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement, "during the talks presided by Turkish Deputy Director General for Civil Aviation Bahri Kesici and Philippines Ministry of Transportation & Communication Undersecretary Doroteo Reyes, the parties agreed to increase number of airline companies flying between the two countries and number of destinations."
Turkey and Lithuania to establish a joint chamber of commerce
Turkey and Lithuania decided to establish a joint chamber of commerce
A protocol was signed by the Independent Industrialists' & Businessmen's Association (MÜSİAD) and the Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists.Turkey-Lithuania trade volume was 110.9 million USD in the first nine months of 2009, with a decrease of 37.4 percent from 177.2 million USD in the same period 2008. Turkey and Lithuania signed an agreement to encourage investments mutually in 1994 and another agreement to prevent double taxation in 1998.
Antalya attracts top number of tourists
Turkey’s popular holiday resort city of Antalya has drawn the highest number of tourists in Turkey with 311,995 in the first two months of the year. Antalya Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorate head İbrahim Acar told the Anatolia news agency on Monday that 311,995 tourists had visited the city since the beginning of the year, representing an increase of 58,167 over the same period of 2009.
Pakistani Minister: Investment and Commerce Should Increase Between Turkey & PakistanPakistani State Minister said on Monday that there was not enough business relation between Turkey and Pakistan, adding that the two countries should work to boost investments and commerce. He stressed that good relations between the two countries could be reflected to economic relations, thus, more Turkish and Pakistani companies could work together. The trade volume between the two countries was 700 million USD. Pakistan was on the 75th rank among the countries Turkey exported products in 2009. Turkey exported products worth of 163 million USD to Pakistan, and imported 619 million USD of products from that country last year. There are 81 Pakistani-financed companies in Turkey as of the end of 2009. These companies are working on electronic, telecommunication, machine, trade and banking sectors. Turkey invested 17.2 million USD in Pakistan in 2008-2009 period. Turkish companies in Pakistan are working in energy, finance, infrastructure and construction sectors.
SOCIAL ISSUES
March brings 10-degree drop in temperatures
Temperatures are expected to drop 8-10 degrees Celsius across the country, officials from the General Directorate of Meteorology announced on Wednesday, with most of Turkey, and particularly the northern and eastern regions, experiencing heavy rainfall this week.
Black Sea getting warmer, attracting Mediterranean fauna
The temperature of the Black Sea is increasing, and species normally seen in the Mediterranean have been observed in the Black Sea as well, a professor from Sinop University has said.
The Black Sea has a special place in the Turkish fishing sector and that more than 70 percent of fish caught in Turkey since the 1970s have come from this sea, Bat said more than half of the fish caught in the country are anchovies.
The professor further stressed that more importance must be placed on research in the Black Sea and that a strong research and monitoring policy must be followed. Noting that there is no inventory of species living in the Black Sea, Bat said a list must be made and different species tracked in the sea. He also added that the temperature change will be observed more clearly over the next century.
WEEKLY NEWS UPDATES
From 26 February to 4th March 2010
POLITICAL NEWS
KURDISH DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVE
Since the government launched its democratization initiative last summer, it has made many promises but has failed to fulfill many of them and has not offered solutions to certain demands. These certain demands are as follows:
Despite positive signals from the government is the reinstating of place names to their original Kurdish. The government hinted that villages and districts could change their names with the approval of the district governor, but for cities, a law is required, and such laws are not on the government’s agenda.
The government also issued regulations to remove checkpoints on roads and to minimize the amount of land to which access is prohibited, changes that would lead to an easier daily life. But all these regulations are carried out through circulars or administrative decisions, but the improvements that are planned require legal amendments that have not yet been prepared.
The government drafted a bill to solve the problem of children who are in conflict with the Counterterrorism Law or the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). According to current laws, minors can face trial as adults. The bill was sent to Parliament before the new year but was later withdrawn, and despite government promises, it hasn’t reappeared on the agenda as yet.
The government also declared that it will establish four institutions to improve human rights in Turkey, a project presented within the framework of the democratization initiative but one that is actually a requirement of the European Union accession process. One of those institutions will be the National Human Rights Presidency, which will come out of a restructuring of the Prime Ministry Human Rights Directorate.
The government promised that these institutions would be independent, have the power of sanction and be established through the participation of civil society. However, when the government drafted legislation on the National Human Rights Board, it was harshly criticized by the Human Rights Joint Platform (İHOP) for not fulfilling the promises it had made. The draft has not yet been sent to Parliament.
The other changes proposed are establishing an institution to fight discrimination, opening prisons to international monitoring following the approval of the UN Optional Protocols to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) and establishing an independent body to monitor the security forces. No legislation has been drafted on these institutions, but they have been opened to discussion among the relevant state organs. The democratization process also requires constitutional changes, but the government has declared that a new constitution can only be drafted after the 2011 elections.
Improvements under the Democratic Kurdish Initiative
Within the framework of the initiative, there have been some improvements regarding the daily use of the Kurdish language. In prisons, inmates are allowed to speak in Kurdish with their visitors. State-run TRT 6, which broadcasts in Kurdish, was launched and private TV and radio stations were given permission to broadcast in other languages. A Living Languages Institute was opened at Mardin’s Artuklu University, but this led to disappointment among pro-Kurdish circles as they expected Kurdish language departments to be opened.
JUDICIAL REFORMS PACKAGE
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s announcement that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) plans to bring a comprehensive judicial reform package to Parliament, details of the package have started to emerge, including its main elements -- making party closures harder and preventing the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) from making arbitrary decisions. The reform package was the main item on the agenda in the Cabinet and AK Party officials’ meetings on Monday. The package is expected to be in Parliament by the end of this month.
The government plans to restructure the HSYK in line with the norms of the European Union, which Turkey aspires to join. With the reforms, it will try to prevent the HSYK being a board that acts according to ideological impulses.
The most important change in terms of the guarantees of judges and prosecutors is allowing judicial oversight of HSYK decisions. In addition, procedures to select members should be designed to ensure that the HSYK represents a range of opinions, not just one view.
In that regard, the government plans to increase the number of HSYK members from seven to 17. HSYK members will be selected by both the top courts and Parliament. Currently, the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Council of State select five of the HSYK members. Observers say Turkey’s higher courts exercise undue influence on judges and prosecutors.
Moreover, the reform package is expected to include constitutional amendments that would make party closures more difficult. Both the EU and the Council of Europe have issued stern warnings to Turkey regarding its closures of political parties. If the package is adopted, party closure cases will have to be judged in accordance with the Council of Europe’s Venice criteria, which do not allow closures except in extreme cases where a party is actively promoting violence. In accordance with this, changes would be made to Articles 68 and 69 of the Constitution.
The package also intends to ease the current five-year political activity ban imposed on the leaders of political parties that are shut down. With this change, these individuals will only be barred from participating in the next elections.
Meanwhile, two small parties, the Democratic Left Party (DSP) and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), announced that they will support the reform package if the 10 percent election threshold is reduced to 5 percent. But the AK Party does not support reducing the threshold, claiming that it would threaten political stability.
CHP, MHP determined to block package
The AK Party has 336 seats in Parliament, and 330 supporters are needed for the reform package to be approved. A few AK Party deputies may not support the package, but some deputies of other parties are expected to support it.
Republican People’s Party (CHP) Secretary-General Önder Sav had said his party will not lend its support to the package on the grounds that the planned amendments would harm judicial independence. CHP parliamentary group deputy chairman Hakkı Süha Okay said the CHP cannot be party to the constitutional amendments of a party that has been designated as a focal point of anti-secular activities. Okay was referring to a 2008 Constitutional Court decision on a closure case filed against the AK Party.
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which has proposed changes to the Constitution on various occasions, also plans to reject the AK Party’s reform package.
AK Party parliamentary group deputy chairman Bekir Bozdağ said they would not disclose the content of the package before consulting with the opposition. He added that reforms are a response to society’s demands and they hope the opposition will support them.
Although the CHP supported legal reforms until 2006, it withdrew its support for reform packages following the crisis regarding the selection of the country’s president. The CHP disapproved of the nomination of Abdullah Gül as president on the grounds that he came from the National View movement led by Necmettin Erbakan.
Another article to be included in the package will affect women, children, elderly people and the handicapped. The government promises affirmative action regarding those groups. With an amendment to Article 12 of the Constitution, there will be a statement added to prevent acts damaging the honor of an individual during detention.
Turkish parliament approves referendum bill
Under the bill, Turkish citizens living abroad will be able to vote for referendum in 20 days. Turkish parliament enacted a bill shortening referendum period to 60 days from 120 days. The bill envisages holding a referendum on constitutional amendments 60 days after they were ratified. Earlier, 120 days had to pass after ratification of constitutional amendments to hold a referendum. Under the bill, Turkish citizens living abroad will be able to vote for referendum in 20 days. Earlier, Turkish citizens could vote for 40 days.
ARMY PLOT
A significant number of documents signed by Konya Provincial Gendarmerie Command head Col. Hüseyin Özçoban -- currently imprisoned on charges of leading a special team created as part of the Sledgehammer coup plan that was allegedly to bomb the Beyazıt Mosque in İstanbul -- have been discovered discarded in an empty field to the southwest of Konya.
Columnists protest Erdoğan’s harsh remarks
Erdoğan frequently complains about the way some columnists write about his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, and last week, he directed criticism toward columnists and warned newspaper bosses to control them as he said they cause tension in the country.
An online petition was initiated by a group of Turkish columnists in protest against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who said media bosses should control their columnists at a meeting of his party’s provincial chairmen last week.
Feb. 28 instigators planned penalties for religious observance
Newly emerged documents have revealed that the instigators of the Feb. 28, 1997 coup d’état in Turkey had detailed plans to restrict and punish all forms of religious practice in the country.
Thirteen years later, the unarmed military coup of Feb. 28 still wields an important influence on Turkish societal life and politics. Included in the coup’s legacy are legal remnants hostile to the religion of Islam, the religion that most Turks subscribe to -- such as the controversial headscarf ban. But in the light of documents that have recently surfaced, it is clear that the coup stagers did not accomplish all that they wanted in the name of suppressing religious practice in Turkey -- a 10-article plan signed off by the National Security Council (MGK) Legal Counselor’s Office includes much broader measures, including harsh punishments, to control religion.
The MGK proposal includes a ban on the Islamic headscarf in all public and private areas excluding mosques and homes -- including hospitals, workplaces and any places hosting political party activity. Not restricted to indoors, the ban would have meant a ban on wearing headscarves on buses, in cafes and out on the streets. The proposal would also have banned religious education, with harsh penalties for those who teach religion privately or publicly.
The plan’s proposed sentencing for teaching religion was even harsher -- five to eight years in prison for any of a wide range of activities connected to teaching religion individually or as part of an organization, including teaching, organizing or administrating the provision of religious education. For those involved in more than one such educational venture, the jail time rises to 10-15 years in jail. The ban would not have stopped at parents providing private religious education to their own children -- they would have been slapped with a jail sentence of five to eight years.
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has called on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to demand an accounting from the perpetrators of the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup if he is sincere in his opposition to coup attempts.
Observers voice strong reaction to ongoing headscarf ban
Participants at a meeting organized by the Women’s Rights Association against Discrimination (AKDER) in İstanbul yesterday roundly criticized the ongoing headscarf ban in Turkey.
The meeting, titled "Feb. 28 will not last for a thousand years. Lift the headscarf ban" and held at the Taksim Hill Hotel, drew attention to the headscarf ban, which was entrenched during the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup period. The controversial headscarf ban is in place in Turkey’s public sphere and applies to university students as well as those working in the public sector. AKDER, an association founded by women who were victimized by the Feb. 28 period, launched a signature campaign earlier this week for the removal of the ban through their 28subat1000yilsuremez.blogspot.com Web site.
Çağaptay uses Foreign Policy in smear campaign against Gülen
Soner Çağaptay of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy has added yet another controversy to his record by writing a highly biased and unscholarly piece for Foreign Policy, a US publication, misrepresenting the truth of the historic Ergenekon probe.
Observers have said the article, published on Feb. 25, seriously distorts realities surrounding the ongoing Ergenekon probe -- which aims to expose the deep state nested within the military, academia and the business world -- and targets the faith-based civil society movement inspired by Fethullah Gülen. Though the article contains numerous allegations and accusations against Gülen personally and his movement as well as the Turkish government, Çağaptay does not provide a single piece of evidence to support his arguments.
Turkish megastar Tarkan detained in anti-drug operation
Turkish pop star Tarkan Tevetoğlu, who goes by just his first name in the entertainment business, was detained early Friday in an anti-drug operation in İstanbul along with several other Turkish celebrities. The police obtained search warrants and raided the addresses listed, including Tarkan’s villa in the Ömerli district, detaining a number of entertainers and three businessmen. The son of a former deputy was also reportedly taken into custody. Police seized 12.5 grams of cannabis at Tarkan’s villa.
Turkish Security Forces Seize 104 Kg Hashish in Separate OperationsTurkish security forces confiscated 104 kilograms of hashish in two separate operations in the west and southeast of the country.
GEO-STRATEGIC NEWS
Gül sends message of support to Yemen
Yemeni security forces clashed with suspected rebels in the southern Abyan province, where separatists are campaigning against the rule of President Saleh.North and South Yemen united under Saleh’s presidency in 1990 but many in the south, home to most Yemeni oil facilities, complain that northerners have used the unification to grab resources and discriminate against them.
Yemen’s government struck a truce on Feb. 11 with Shiite insurgents with whom it had been fighting in the north, allowing it to turn its attention to unrest in the south as well as al-Qaeda. Saleh has urged northern rebels, called Houthis after the clan name of their leaders, to join the political process by establishing a party. Yemen rose to the forefront of Western security concerns after the Yemeni arm of al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for a failed attempt to bomb a US-bound plane in December.Western governments and neighboring Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, fear al-Qaeda is exploiting instability in Yemen to recruit and train militants to launch attacks in the region and beyond.
Ankara also supported Yemen last summer when it faced natural disasters. Turkey sent Yemen $100,000 to aid the country’s recovery.Yemen has repeatedly invited Gül to visit the country. As the foreign minister, Gül visited Sana’a in 2005. Following several clashes in northern and southern Yemen, Turkey has sent a special envoy to the country, voicing support for its territorial integrity.
Davutoğlu: Democratization boosts Turkey’s clout in Mideast
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has praised Turkey’s role in the Middle East, saying Ankara’s increasing clout is a result of its democratization and growing economic might. Under the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, which came to power in 2002, Turkey took steps to revamp its once ignored relations with its Middle Eastern neighbors. It has mediated peace talks between Syria and Israel, is seeking a peaceful settlement to an international row over Iran’s nuclear program and has strongly criticized Israel for its policy toward the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. The shift in foreign policy has been accompanied by drastic measures to limit the military’s influence in political life and expand rights for Kurds and non-Muslim minorities at home.
TURKEY AND EGYPT
Davutoğlu is visiting Egypt for talks as part of the Memorandum for a Framework for Turkish-Egyptian Strategic Dialogue, which was signed in the autumn of 2007. He had a one-hour meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheik before flying to Cairo. He flew to Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Mubarak told Davutoğlu that the number of Turkish businessmen operating in Egypt is increasing and said marine links between Turkey and Egypt must also be improved. The two also discussed the situation in Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Davutoğlu said Turkey appreciated Egypt’s efforts to ease disagreements between rival Palestinian groups and said Turkey was ready to offer its help if needed. They discussed the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and ways to overcome the deadlock.
Brown, Miliband laud change, progress in Turkey
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband have commended the change and progress in Turkey in recent years.
Brown and Miliband joined British constituents of Turkish descent in London late on Monday, where they assessed developments in Turkey, particularly in the last several years, and reiterated their support for its bid to join the European Union.
Brown said ‘’I want to congratulate Turkey for the excellent change and progress it has realized in recent years. Let me tell you once again that we support Turkish membership in the EU. We will do everything we can to make it real in the years ahead of us. You are now listening to a friend who earnestly believes that Turkey’s place should be in the EU.Turkey is no longer the sick man of Europe. It has been showing this for [a long time]. It has now the 16th largest economy in the world and is expected to elevate its position in 10 to 15 years," he said and added that the EU should certainly accept Turkey as a full-fledged member.
French file charges on 9 PKK terror suspects
A French judicial official says preliminary terrorism charges have been filed against nine suspected terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members.
The official says seven of the suspects will remain in jail pending further investigation and two have been freed under judicial supervision. The official was not authorized to be named because the investigation is ongoing.
Italian police searching for 11 suspects in anti-PKK operation
Italian police are seeking 11 suspects in a widespread operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in an effort to break up a ring of Kurds who allegedly recruited and trained fighters for terror attacks against Turkey.
Venice’s anti-terrorism police said in a statement Friday that they have issued 11 arrest warrants for 10 Turkish citizens and an Italian who allegedly supplied fighters to the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union (EU). Another 16 people are under investigation.
Belgium police launch operations against PKK
Some 300 Belgian police raided 25 addresses across the country on Thursday in an operation against a militant PKK group.
Some 300 Belgian police raided 25 addresses across the country on Thursday in an operation against a militant PKK group, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a high-placed police source said.Turkey welcomes PKK operations in Belgium
Davutoglu thanked Belgian authorities for their cooperationTurkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Thursday Turkey was pleased with the operation being waged in Belgium against terrorist organization PKK.
Government speeds up work for visa-free travel to Europe
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said the government is planning to make the improvements necessary to put the wheels in motion for all Turkish citizens to be able to travel to European Union member countries without a visa. Erdoğan also stated that he was particularly hopeful for the advancement of accession negotiations during the Spanish term presidency of the EU.
Erdoğan: Turkey not to be a burden to EU
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Sunday that Turkey would not be a burden to the EU, on the contrary, it would undertake the burden of the Union.Speaking after the 19th meeting of EU Reform Follow-up Group in Ankara, Erdoğan said that the Reform Follow-up Group undertook an important function to follow the reforms which had been implemented in Turkey's EU membership process as well as to institutionalize the process.
Turkish on the way to becoming an official language in EU
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) announced on Wednesday that it has taken considerable steps toward the Turkish language being included among European languages in an electronic environment, underlining that Turkish will become an official language of the European Union.
Turkey's EU Secretary Says EU Will Have to Admit Turkey When Time ComesTurkey's secretary general for the European Union (EU) said on Wednesday that the union did not have the luxury not to make Turkey a member when Turkey got adjusted to EU standards. Secretary General Volkan Bozkir said that Turkey was trying to become a member to "a living style", and defined the EU as a "living style that had reached success." "When Turkey fulfils EU acquis, it will become equal to EU standards whether or not it become a member," Bozkir told a conference in Ankara. Bozkir said Turkey would be the leading country in decision-making mechanisms of the EU and would have the highest number of representatives at the European Parliament when it became a member. Turkey would be one of the top five countries in the EU in regard to its geography, military and population after it completed the membership process, Bozkir said
Turkish cultural center opens in Kazakh capital
The Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center, built as part of a program to promote Turkey, Turkish culture and the Turkish language under the aegis of the Yunus Emre Foundation, has opened in the Kazakh capital of Astana. The first center of its kind was opened in Sarajevo in October 2009 and another is being inaugurated in Egypt today. Turkey also plans to open Yunus Emre cultural centers in Macedonia, Spain, Germany and France.
Turkey welcomes framework cease-fire deal in Sudan
The Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Turkey welcomes a cease-fire deal signed between the Sudanese government and the country’s largest rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).
Turkey welcomes the signing of a framework agreement to end the conflict in Darfur between the Sudanese government and Darfur’s largest rebel group, JEM, in the presence of Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of Chad Idriss Deby and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani in Doha on Feb. 23," the statement read, continuing that Turkey hoped the agreement would serve as an important step to encourage other rebel groups to take part in the peace process. The Sudanese government has come to terms with JEM officials after a year of internationally sponsored negotiations. The agreement raised hopes that the bloody seven-year conflict could soon draw to an end. Khartoum has agreed to a series of cease-fires during the seven-year conflict, but all the previous cease-fire were short-lived and thus unable to deliver concrete results.
Turkish Foreign Minister In Cairo
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu inaugurated the Yunus Emre Turkish Culture Center in Cairo as part of his visit to Egypt. It is the third cultural center behind the first two in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania. These centers aim at promoting Turkey, Turkish language, art and history. ECONOMIC NEWS
Turkish airline company targets 7 million passengers in 2010
Turkish airline company SunExpress, a subsidiary of Turkey's national air carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) and Germany's Lufthansa, announced on Saturday that it aimed at carrying 7 million passengers in 2010.
Central bank foresees possible inflation increase
The Central Bank of Turkey predicted on Feb. 16 that the annual rate of inflation would continue to rise markedly in February and hover above its target for some time to come due to tax adjustments, unprocessed food price increases, base effect and annual inflation.
Educational hubs in Turkey to enliven real estate market
The Turkish real estate market could get much more lively as cities such as İstanbul and Ankara develop as hubs of education, art and commerce, although legal barriers still present difficulties for foreigners looking to purchase property.
French minister calls on Turkey and France to collaborate in energy
France and Turkey may establish cooperation in various fields in the energy sector, French Minister of State for Foreign Trade Anne-Marie Idrac has said, calling for the two countries to increase their trade volume from the current 10 million euros to 15 million euros by 2012.
Turkey’s foreign trade deficit surges by 160.6 pct in January
Turkey’s foreign trade deficit increased by a record 160.6 percent in January over the same month a year before, reaching $3.64 billion. The Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) released the results of a foreign trade survey on Friday. According to TurkStat data, Turkey’s exports in January decreased by 0.3 percent over the same period of 2009, while imports surged by 23.9 percent in the same period. Exports in January equaled $7.86 billion, while imports reached $11.5 billion.
Turkey, Iran sign MoU to develop cooperation in industry
Turkey and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost commercial and industrial relations between the two countries.The memorandum was signed by Turkish Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergün and Iranian Minister for Industries and Mines Ali Akbar Mehrabian on Tuesday on the sidelines of the first ministerial meeting of Developing Eight (D-8) countries in Tehran. The two sides agreed to sign the memorandum during Mehrabian’s visit to Ankara in January.
Turkey earns $825.9 mln from hazelnut exports
Turkey, one of the world’s leading hazelnut producers, brought in $825.9 million from hazelnut exports in the last six months, the industry union’s data revealed on Wednesday
Turkey shipped more than 133,898 tons of hazelnuts to almost 90 countries between September and February, figures released by the Black Sea Hazelnut Exporters Union show.
Tax hikes continue driving inflation higher in February
Fueled by recent tax hikes, the consumer price index (CPI) increased by 1.45 percent in February over the preceding month, putting annual inflation at 10.13 percent, data released by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) on Wednesday have shown.
The central bank last month warned that the government's price and tax adjustments in December 2009 would drive inflation figures higher in February. Shaped by the aftereffects of tax hikes, the annual inflation rate had increased by a significant 1.66 percentage points in January to reach 8.19 percent.
Şimşek: Tax information exchange deal to be signed with Switzerland
Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek has said that talks on a tax information exchange agreement with Switzerland have been initiated and the deal is expected to be signed very soon.
2010 Year of Japan’ a step to improve economic relations
Mitsuru Horiguchi, deputy consul general of Japan in İstanbul, told Today’s Zaman that he expects the upcoming events of the 2010 Year of Japan in Turkey to foster the development of economic relations between the “two friendly countries.”
İstanbul leads list of regions with highest unemployment
İstanbul, Turkey’s economic powerhouse, saw the highest increase in the number of unemployed from 2008 to 2009 among the 26 regions of the country, with an additional 260,000 people joining the ranks of the jobless over the course of a year.
Turkish contractors to expand into India, Central and West Africa
Turkish contractors’ targets for 2010 include expanding into new regions such as India, Central Africa and West Africa, while also increasing their operations in their current overseas markets, Turkish Contractors Association (TMB) Chairman Erdal Eren has said.
Sudan offers great opportunities for Turkish investors’
Even though the trade volume between Turkey and Sudan has risen significantly in recent years, economic relations between the two countries are still far from being satisfactory, Erdoğan Kök, Turkey’s ambassador to Sudan, has said, calling on Turkish investors to take advantage of lucrative opportunities Sudan offers.
He said that annual trade between Turkey and Sudan rose to $250 million last year, but added that this figure does not reflect relations between the two countries. "An important number of Turkish businessmen carry out operations in Sudan. But they have been unable to proceed further due to the difficulties Sudan has been experiencing," he said.
The main obstacles preventing Turkish businessmen from expanding their businesses in Sudan are recent drops in the price of oil, which is the main source of income in Sudan, and difficulties in securing loans from banks, Kök stated.
Ergün: D-8 members should improve mutual trade relations
Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergün has said that cooperation among the Developing Eight (D-8) countries should be boosted to assure that member countries are able to wield more power in the global arena.
The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, a group of developing countries that formed an economic development alliance in 1997, contains more than 1 billion people living in a wide region, Ergün noted, while speaking at the first meeting of industry ministers of D-8 countries in Tehran yesterday. He said that D-8 countries are unable to take advantage of the big potential they have. The D-8 is of great importance since it creates an environment for enhancing political, economic and cultural relations among members, Ergün noted. The organization will also lead members to joint involvement in cooperative projects, he said, stressing that this will eventually add to their economic growth.
"Economically developing countries of the organization will possess more power in world policy. Turkey’s trade with D-8 member countries rose from $2.9 billion in 2002 to $17 billion in 2008 before falling to $13 billion last year due to the global financial crisis, still representing a nearly fivefold rise over seven years.
Turkey 14th among countries with highest taxes on tobacco
Turkey has moved into 14th place on a list of countries levying the highest taxes worldwide on tobacco products, with a recent rise in the private consumption tax (ÖTV) on cigarettes, which is anticipated to reduce the number of smokers by more than half a million this year.
Turkey also has the second-highest taxes levied on tobacco products among countries that have the highest tobacco consumption, the Anatolia news agency reported on Monday.
According to a report on the economics of tobacco control and taxation of tobacco products prepared jointly by the University of Illinois at Chicago and the World Health Organization (WHO), cigarette users are expected to drop from 17.3 million to 16.7 million with the recent tax increases. In January of this year, the lump-sum tax levied on tobacco products increased from TL 2.05 to TL 2.65, while a proportional tax on tobacco rose from 58 percent to 63 percent.
Turkey and Philippines sign aviation agreement
Turkey and the Philippines signed an aviation agreement Turkey's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement, "during the talks presided by Turkish Deputy Director General for Civil Aviation Bahri Kesici and Philippines Ministry of Transportation & Communication Undersecretary Doroteo Reyes, the parties agreed to increase number of airline companies flying between the two countries and number of destinations."
Turkey and Lithuania to establish a joint chamber of commerce
Turkey and Lithuania decided to establish a joint chamber of commerce
A protocol was signed by the Independent Industrialists' & Businessmen's Association (MÜSİAD) and the Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists.Turkey-Lithuania trade volume was 110.9 million USD in the first nine months of 2009, with a decrease of 37.4 percent from 177.2 million USD in the same period 2008. Turkey and Lithuania signed an agreement to encourage investments mutually in 1994 and another agreement to prevent double taxation in 1998.
Antalya attracts top number of tourists
Turkey’s popular holiday resort city of Antalya has drawn the highest number of tourists in Turkey with 311,995 in the first two months of the year. Antalya Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorate head İbrahim Acar told the Anatolia news agency on Monday that 311,995 tourists had visited the city since the beginning of the year, representing an increase of 58,167 over the same period of 2009.
Pakistani Minister: Investment and Commerce Should Increase Between Turkey & PakistanPakistani State Minister said on Monday that there was not enough business relation between Turkey and Pakistan, adding that the two countries should work to boost investments and commerce. He stressed that good relations between the two countries could be reflected to economic relations, thus, more Turkish and Pakistani companies could work together. The trade volume between the two countries was 700 million USD. Pakistan was on the 75th rank among the countries Turkey exported products in 2009. Turkey exported products worth of 163 million USD to Pakistan, and imported 619 million USD of products from that country last year. There are 81 Pakistani-financed companies in Turkey as of the end of 2009. These companies are working on electronic, telecommunication, machine, trade and banking sectors. Turkey invested 17.2 million USD in Pakistan in 2008-2009 period. Turkish companies in Pakistan are working in energy, finance, infrastructure and construction sectors.
SOCIAL ISSUES
March brings 10-degree drop in temperatures
Temperatures are expected to drop 8-10 degrees Celsius across the country, officials from the General Directorate of Meteorology announced on Wednesday, with most of Turkey, and particularly the northern and eastern regions, experiencing heavy rainfall this week.
Black Sea getting warmer, attracting Mediterranean fauna
The temperature of the Black Sea is increasing, and species normally seen in the Mediterranean have been observed in the Black Sea as well, a professor from Sinop University has said.
The Black Sea has a special place in the Turkish fishing sector and that more than 70 percent of fish caught in Turkey since the 1970s have come from this sea, Bat said more than half of the fish caught in the country are anchovies.
The professor further stressed that more importance must be placed on research in the Black Sea and that a strong research and monitoring policy must be followed. Noting that there is no inventory of species living in the Black Sea, Bat said a list must be made and different species tracked in the sea. He also added that the temperature change will be observed more clearly over the next century.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Ongoing Turkey’s Negociation Process for European Union for getting its Permanent Membership
Ongoing Turkey’s Negociation Process for European Union for getting its Permanent MembershipTurkey started her negociation for Europe union membership on 3rd October 2005.Turkey wants to get Europe union Permanent membership in order to achieve a rich and Progressive economy and Political interests.But,economy is her Preliminary Object.European Union Commission launched her Annual Progress Report on Turkey in October 2009.In this Report,European Union appreciated Turkey’s active role and gave many suggestions regarding this,these suggestions are as follows :
1-Kurdish Issue should be solved with Social consensus.European Union highlights that Kurdish People have no freedom of Speech.
2-European Union appreciates Turkey for the establishment of the Military Courts.
3-The Report also applauds the Turkish Government’s support for the dialogue Process in Cyprus.European Union suggested that the Turkey should imposed more sanctions over Greek Cyprus.
4-European Union Praised the Protocols signed by Turkey and Armenia.5-European Union Commission Report Critised the Judicial System of Turkey suggested certain reforms as follows: (a)-Justice Minister should not nominations of the Judges should be lessened.
(b)-Turkish Armed (TSK be a member a of Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors.The role of Justice Minister in elections for the nominations for the) should not put influence over the Judiciary.
Forces Germany and France, openly opposed the Turkey’s membership in European Union.Both the states, Germany and France, used the word of ‘"Privileged Membership"for Turkey.While Turkey say clearly that European Union membership is a main and a big Objective for Turkey, nothing else.
Turkey says, if the negotiation Process is successfully finalized then French and Austrians will cast their votes in referenda and if they say "no ‘". Then, Turkey will draw its own way and react like Norway.Norway in 1994 referendum, refused to become the member of European Union.
In February 2010,the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) deputy chairman for external affairs in a warning tone that Turkey has no geopolitical patience to wait for another 10-15 years to become a member.Turkey may not want to join the EU which, particularly nowadays, shows symptoms of a very narrow and self-isolated vision. The 27 countries are having great difficulty making decisions; I don’t believe that Turkey would like to enter an Islamophobic union which is self-isolated and lacking of self-confidence.
Questions:
Q1-Would Turkey get EU Membership?Should She keep hope in future for this?
Q2-Should Turkey waits more to Join European Union despite of increasing high Profiled demanding Criteria of European Union?
Q3-Should Turkey Join the Islamic Blocks Permanently?If She does the same then in which level of Progress would you like to put the Islamic Block ?
1-Kurdish Issue should be solved with Social consensus.European Union highlights that Kurdish People have no freedom of Speech.
2-European Union appreciates Turkey for the establishment of the Military Courts.
3-The Report also applauds the Turkish Government’s support for the dialogue Process in Cyprus.European Union suggested that the Turkey should imposed more sanctions over Greek Cyprus.
4-European Union Praised the Protocols signed by Turkey and Armenia.5-European Union Commission Report Critised the Judicial System of Turkey suggested certain reforms as follows: (a)-Justice Minister should not nominations of the Judges should be lessened.
(b)-Turkish Armed (TSK be a member a of Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors.The role of Justice Minister in elections for the nominations for the) should not put influence over the Judiciary.
Forces Germany and France, openly opposed the Turkey’s membership in European Union.Both the states, Germany and France, used the word of ‘"Privileged Membership"for Turkey.While Turkey say clearly that European Union membership is a main and a big Objective for Turkey, nothing else.
Turkey says, if the negotiation Process is successfully finalized then French and Austrians will cast their votes in referenda and if they say "no ‘". Then, Turkey will draw its own way and react like Norway.Norway in 1994 referendum, refused to become the member of European Union.
In February 2010,the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) deputy chairman for external affairs in a warning tone that Turkey has no geopolitical patience to wait for another 10-15 years to become a member.Turkey may not want to join the EU which, particularly nowadays, shows symptoms of a very narrow and self-isolated vision. The 27 countries are having great difficulty making decisions; I don’t believe that Turkey would like to enter an Islamophobic union which is self-isolated and lacking of self-confidence.
Questions:
Q1-Would Turkey get EU Membership?Should She keep hope in future for this?
Q2-Should Turkey waits more to Join European Union despite of increasing high Profiled demanding Criteria of European Union?
Q3-Should Turkey Join the Islamic Blocks Permanently?If She does the same then in which level of Progress would you like to put the Islamic Block ?
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
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