Category: Business
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More U.S. job hunters look for work in other countries
By Paul Davidson, USA TODAY
Here’s one way to deal with the brutal U.S. job market: Leave the country.
With the nation’s unemployment rate at a 26-year-high of 10.2%, more Americans are hunting for, and landing, work overseas, according to staffing companies and executive search firms.
Jeff Joerres, CEO of Manpower, the No. 1 U.S. staffing company, says about 500 clients are seeking jobs abroad, up from a few dozen six months ago.
“It suddenly looks like there may be better opportunities outside the U.S.,” Joerres says. “It is a phenomenon we haven’t had before.”
While the number of globe-trotting job candidates is still relatively small, the trend reverses a longtime pattern of far more foreign workers seeking jobs in the U.S., Joerres says.
Fifty-four percent of executives said they’d be likely or highly likely to accept a foreign post, according to a survey of 114 executives Friday by talent management company Korn/Ferry. Just 37% of those surveyed in 2005 said they’d go abroad.
The hottest international job markets include India, China, Brazil, Dubai and Singapore, recruiters say. International companies are largely seeking candidates in engineering, computer technology, manufacturing, investment banking and consulting.
Although the global recession hit Asian economies, they did not suffer as deeply as the U.S. and are rebounding faster, says economist Nariman Behravesh of IHS Global Insight. Contact Singapore, which recruits executives in that country, says it’s seeking “global talent to help foster innovation” for fields such as digital games.
Steve Watson, chairman of executive search firm Stanton Chase International, says he recently sought a CEO for a Dubai manufacturer, and “three or four people quickly raised their hands. I do not think we would have had that two years ago.”
After completing his junior year at Georgia Institute of Technology, Charles Wang, an industrial engineering major, worked as a project manager for United Parcel Service in Dubai from July 2008 until last May. His task: develop a delivery system for the Arab state’s first-ever network of streets and addresses. After graduating next month, he plans to return to Dubai for a permanent job.
USA TODAY
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AMERICAN-TURKISH COUNCIL ELECTS A NEW CHAIRMAN
American-Turkish Council
Press Release
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Contact: ATC offices at 202-783-0483AMERICAN-TURKISH COUNCIL
ELECTS A NEW CHAIRMANIn recognition of the vital role outstanding leadership plays in the promotion of U.S.-Turkey relations, the Board of Directors of the American-Turkish Council today announced that retiring Chairman Brent Scowcroft will be succeeded as Chairman by Ambassador Richard L. Armitage, President of Armitage International. Ambassador Armitage will begin his service as Chairman, January 1, 2010.
With the completion of his current term on December 31, 2009, Brent Scowcroft will have served nine years as Chairman of the Board of the American-Turkish Council.
The Board of Directors and the Members of the American-Turkish Council take this opportunity to thank General Scowcroft for more than a half-century of personal commitment to a strong U.S.- Turkey relationship and particularly for his highly successful leadership of the American-Turkish Council. He will continue to be an active member of the ATC Board.
Corporate members of ATC, both American and Turkish, welcome Ambassador Armitage and look forward to working with him to strengthen the business, defense, trade and investment, foreign policy and cultural relations between the United States and Turkey, two proven allies and friends. General Scowcroft and Ambassador Armitage will travel to Turkey November 16-20 for senior-level discussions with Turkey’s government, military and business leadership. This timely visit will assure the smoothest possible transition for ATC.
BIOGRAPHY OF AMBASSADOR RICHARD L. ARMITAGE
Richard L. Armitage has been President of Armitage International since 2005, continuing a more than 40-year career of alternating private practice and government service. Previously, he served as the Deputy Secretary of State from March 2001 until 2005.
From 1993 until March 2001, Mr. Armitage was President of Armitage Associates L.C. In 1992 and 1993, Ambassador Armitage directed U.S. assistance to the Newly Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union. From 1989 until early 1992, Mr. Armitage filled key diplomatic positions as Presidential Special Negotiator for the Philippines Military Bases Agreement and Special Mediator for Water in the Middle East. President George H. W. Bush sent him as a Special Embassy to Jordan’s King Hussein during the 1991 Gulf War. In the Pentagon from June 1983 to May 1989, he served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.
In May 1975, Mr. Armitage came to Washington as a Pentagon consultant and was posted in Tehran, Iran, until November 1976. Following two years in the private sector, he took the position of Administrative Assistant to Senator Robert Dole of Kansas in 1978. In the 1980 Reagan campaign, Mr. Armitage was senior advisor to the Interim Foreign Policy Advisory Board, which prepared the President-Elect for major international policy issues confronting the new administration. From 1981 until June 1983, Mr. Armitage was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia and Pacific Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Born in 1945, Ambassador Armitage graduated in 1967 from the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. He served on a destroyer stationed on the Vietnam gun line and subsequently completed three combat tours with the Mobile Riverine Advisory Forces in Vietnam. Fluent in Vietnamese, Mr. Armitage left active duty in 1973 and joined the U.S. Defense Attaché Office, Saigon. Immediately prior to the fall of Saigon, he organized and led the removal of Vietnamese naval assets and personnel from the country.
Mr. Armitage currently serves on the Board of Directors of ConocoPhillips, ManTech International Corporation and Transcu Ltd. He is a member of The American Academy of Diplomacy as well as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He was awarded the Department of State Distinguished Service Award, is a four-time recipient of the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Award for Outstanding Public Service, the Presidential Citizens Medal, and the Department of State Distinguished Honor Award. He has received decorations from the governments of Russia, Thailand, Republic of Korea, Bahrain, and Pakistan, and he was awarded a KBE and became a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in 2005.
=================================================
yorum
From: tkeskingoren@yahoo.com
To: tkeskingoren@yahoo.com
Sent: 10/29/2009 5:46:40 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Fwd: American-Turkish Council Elects A New Chairman ve Cumhuriyet BayramiWelcome to the new page of Imperialism in Turkey. Emperyalizmin Turkiye icin actigi yeni sayfaya hosgeldiniz. Aslinda Dick Cheney’i baskan atamalari gerekirdi ama herhalde yanlislik yapmislar veya Amerikan Turk Is Konseyini destekleyen Turkiye’ye ve dunya ya silah satan sirketler ile petrol sirketlerinin tercihi Armitage’ten yana. Emperyalizmin Turkiye somurusu ATC, ATAA ve Turkish Cultural Foundation uzerinden yogun hiziyla devam edecege benziyor. ARI hareketi gibi emperyalizmin sivil toplum kuruluslari simdilik bir kenara birakildi, yerini eski fakat koklu emperyalist isbirlikcisi aktorler olan ATC, ATAA ve Turkish Cultural Foundation aliyor. Turkiye elcisi Nabi Sensoy’ ise bu olusumda kopru rolunu ustlenmis olmali.Charles Reese’in Emperyalizm ile ilgili sozu belki bize bu surecte bir ipucu verebilir: The truth is that neither British nor American imperialism was or is idealistic. It has always been driven by economic or strategic interests.
Cumhuriyet bayraminizi kutlamanin bir geregi oldugunu dusunmuyorum, cunku olmayan bagimsizlik kutlanmaz.Baris ve ozgurluk dolu gunler dilegimle,
Tugrul
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‘Iran is our friend,’ says Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan
• We have no difficulty with Ahmadinejad – Erdogan
• Warning to Europe not to ignore Turkey’s strengthsWith its stunning vistas and former Ottoman palaces, the banks of the Bosphorus – the strategic waterway that cuts Istanbul in half and divides Europe from Asia – may be the perfect place to distinguish friend from foe and establish where your country’s interests lie.And sitting in his grandiose headquarters beside the strait, long the symbol of Turkey‘s supposed role as bridge between east and west, Recep Tayyip Erdogan had little doubt about who was a friend and who wasn’t.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran‘s radical president whose fiery rhetoric has made him a bête noire of the west? “There is no doubt he is our friend,” said Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister for the last six years. “As a friend so far we have very good relations and have had no difficulty at all.”
What about Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France, who has led European opposition to Turkey’s bid to join the EU and, coincidentally, adopted a belligerent tone towards Iran’s nuclear programme? Not a friend?
“Among leaders in Europe there are those who have prejudices against Turkey, like France and Germany. Previously under Mr Chirac, we had excellent relations [with France] and he was very positive towards Turkey. But during the time of Mr Sarkozy, this is not the case. It is an unfair attitude. The European Union is violating its own rules.
“Being in the European Union we would be building bridges between the 1.5bn people of Muslim world to the non-Muslim world. They have to see this. If they ignore it, it brings weakness to the EU.”
Friendly towards a religious theocratic Iran, covetous and increasingly resentful of a secular but maddeningly dismissive Europe: it seems the perfect summary of Turkey’s east-west dichotomy.
Erdogan’s partiality towards Ahmadinejad may surprise some in the west who see Turkey as a western-oriented democracy firmly grounded inside Nato. It has been a member of the alliance since 1952. It will be less surprising to Erdogan’s secular domestic critics, who believe the prime minister’s heart lies in the east and have long suspected his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development party (AKP) government of plotting to transform Turkey into a religious state resembling Iran.
Erdogan vigorously denies the latter charge, but to his critics he and Ahmadinejad are birds of a feather: devout religious conservatives from humble backgrounds who court popular support by talking the language of the street. After Ahmadinejad’s disputed presidential election in June, Erdogan and his ally, the Turkish president, Abdullah Gul, were among the first foreign leaders to make congratulatory phone calls, ignoring the mass demonstrations and concerns of western leaders over the result’s legitimacy.
Talking to the Guardian, Erdogan called the move a “necessity of bilateral relations”. “Mr Ahmadinejad was declared to be the winner, not officially, but with a large vote difference, and since he is someone we have met before, we called to congratulate him,” he said.
“Later it was officially declared that he was elected, he got a vote of confidence and we pay special attention to something like this. It is a basic principle of our foreign policy.”
The gesture will be remembered when Erdogan arrives in Tehran this week for talks with Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, that will focus on commercial ties, including Turkey’s need for Iranian natural gas. Ahmadinejad has voiced his admiration for Erdogan, praising Turkey’s recent decision to ban Israel from a planned Nato manoeuvre in protest at last winter’s bombardment of Gaza.
Since the election, Iran has witnessed a fierce crackdown on opposition figures that has resulted in activists, students and journalists being imprisoned and publicly tried. Detainees have died in prison, and there have been allegations of torture and rape. Some of those alleging mistreatment have sought refuge in Turkey.
But Erdogan said he would not raise the post-election crackdown with his hosts, saying it would represent “interference” in Iranian domestic affairs.
He poured cold water on western accusations that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon, saying: “Iran does not accept it is building a weapon. They are working on nuclear power for the purposes of energy only.”
Erdogan has overseen a dramatic improvement in the previously frigid relations between Turkey and Iran, which was viewed with suspicion by the pro-secularist high command of the powerful Turkish military. Trade between the two countries last year was worth an estimated £5.5bn as Iran has developed into a major market for Turkish exports.
Erdogan’s views will interest US foreign policy makers, who have long seen his AKP government as a model of a pro-western “moderate Islam” that could be adopted in other Muslim countries. They will also find an audience with President Barack Obama, who signalled Turkey’s strategic importance in a visit last April and has invited the prime minister to visit Washington. They are unlikely to impress Israel, which has warned that Erdogan’s criticisms risk harming Turkey’s relations with the US.
Erdogan dismissed the notion, saying: “I don’t think there is any possibility of that. America’s policy in this region is not dictated by Israel.”
He insisted that the Turkey-Israel strategic alliance – which some AKP insiders have said privately is over – remains alive but chided the Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, who he said had threatened to use nuclear weapons against Gaza.
The Guardian
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Turkey Exposed:
Cannot Pretend to be
Both Pro-Israeli and Pro-Palestinian
Publisher, The California Courier
Playing the skillful political games of their Ottoman predecessors, Turkey’s current masters present their country under various guises — as European and Middle Eastern, Islamic and secular, pro-Arab and pro-Israeli.
It now appears that the end is near for at least one of these Turkish charades. Israeli officials have finally awakened from their prolonged coma to discover that their erstwhile “strategic partner” is far more hostile than their Arab enemies.
For a long time, Turkish leaders have been calling the Israelis all sorts of unsavory names and accusing Israel of committing barbaric acts, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Strangely, Israel has shown little indignation, even in the face of persistent racist and anti-Semitic outbursts by large segments of the Turkish public.
The latest display of Turkish hostility was the exclusion of Israel from a multinational military exercise which was to start in Turkey on October 12. In protest, the United States, Italy and Holland pulled out of these maneuvers, causing their cancellation. In a move designed to further irritate the Israelis, Turkey announced that it would instead hold joint military exercises with Syria, Israel’s main adversary.
Turkey’s Prime Minster Rejeb Erdogan told the Anatolia Press Agency last week that he had banned Israel from the military drill in response to the wishes of the Turkish public. “Turkey does not take orders from anyone in regards to its internal affairs,” Erdogan boasted. Some Turkish officials indicated that the ban was instituted because the Israeli jets assigned to the exercise had participated in the Gaza bombings earlier this year.
This episode marks a major escalation of the long-standing Turkish bitterness towards Israel. For the first time, the Turkish military joined the civilian government in adopting an anti-Israeli position. Furthermore, Turkey went beyond mere verbal condemnation to taking concrete action. For years, the Israeli government was willing to swallow insults from Turkish officials, as long as its Air Force was permitted to make practice runs in the vast Turkish airspace, shared intelligence, and sold military hardware to Turkey.
Making matters worse, Israelis were deeply offended by the broadcast of a Turkish show on state TV last week, depicting graphic scenes of Israeli soldiers killing Palestinian children and committing other atrocities.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman reacted by summoning the Turkish ambassador and accused Turkey of inciting hatred against Israelis. Lieberman stated that not even Israel’s enemies would air such a hostile TV series. Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom urged Turkey “to come to its senses.” Another Israeli official stated: “We need to stop accepting the Turkish dictates and humiliations. It is inconceivable that they should insult us at every opportunity, and we should continue to hold our tongues.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu categorically rejected any future mediating role for Turkey in talks with Syria. An unnamed “senior Israeli official” was quoted by Haaretz as stating that the strategic ties with Turkey may “have simply ended.” Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post quoted some Israeli defense officials as stating that “advanced weapons sales to Turkey would now be reviewed.”
There were also widespread calls last week for the Israeli public to boycott Turkish resorts. National Public Radio (NPR) reported that Israel’s largest labor union would no longer plan for thousands of its workers organized tours of Turkey, and would direct them to go instead to Greece and Bulgaria. Since January, there has been a 47% drop in the number of Israelis spending their vacations in Turkey, according to Time magazine. An Israeli coffee shop chain expressed its displeasure by announcing that it would no longer serve Turkish coffee to its customers. In an unprecedented move, several Israeli cabinet ministers declared that they would turn down the Turkish Embassy’s invitation to attend Turkey’s Independence Day celebrations later this month.
Many outraged Israelis advocated that, in retaliation, Israel acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. Dan Margalit of “Israel Hayom” newspaper accused the Turks of not only committing Genocide, but also the “ongoing crime, which is expressed in energetic Turkish activity to deny the atrocity and to incite against any country and government and artist who wish to express their horror.”
Ephraim Inbar, head of the BESA Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, reminded the Turks that they are still in need of “Israeli influence in Washington to prevent the passage in Congress of a resolution declaring the killing of Armenians during World War I a genocide.”
In an unprecedented action, the “Im Tirtzu” Israeli student movement held a protest last week in front of the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv. The students displayed bloody pictures of victims of the Armenian Genocide, handed out books on the Genocide to passersby, and carried signs calling on Turkey to formally recognize the Genocide.
To atone for its past sin of siding with Turkish denialists, Israel must officially affirm the Armenian Genocide as well as actively lobby for its recognition by other states. Israel should also permit the erection of a monument at a prominent location to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide and reverse its long-standing ban on TV broadcast of documentaries on this subject. It is certainly in Israel’s own interest to side with the victims of genocide rather than with its perpetrators!
Instead of maintaining at all cost its unholy alliance with Turkey, Israel should earnestly pursue a peace settlement with the Palestinians and live in peace with its Arab neighbors, thus obviating the need to curry favors with the Turkish denialist regime.
==================== SUBJECT RELATED E-MAIL’S RECEIVED=
From: Ismet Takim [ismettakim@yahoo.com]
Subject: {Pax Turcica} Our problems are just begining, l worned you all before, we play this game we will loose and guess who is happy???
READ
and any of you still have any questions about this? some of our readers here is also responsiable for this and you have no idea what we will face, you just sit and watch, pro Palestenian Turkey is comitting suicide,
Erdogan made the biggest mistake, and some of you who posts pro
Filistin BS, tags and articles here should be ashame of themselves
they have done a disservice and put our mainly my efforts back in
time, and we have to fix this now, l have to go to work again and undo some of this,
stupid stupid stupid bird brains bleeding hearts, stop your Anti Israel stands and get real, stop hurting Turkey,
======================================================
From: Metin Mangir [mangir.metin@gmail.com]
Subject: {Pax Turcica} Are you aware of the slap to Erdogan by Obama?
While we are all focussed on the Armenian issue (because of our
proxomity to the diaspora) Obama invited (!) Erdogan to come to WDC on
Oct 29 (with two weeks notice), following the cancellation of the joint
military exercises with Israel, US, and the increasing row with Israel
upon showing of a TV program on TRT. (now that Turkey has good
relations with Syria, does it not need Israel to squeeze Syria?? which
was what started the close military collaboration with Israel.)
The choice of date and such short notice is VERY significant (and
insulting)! The big brother is calling the errant boy on the carpet?
By the way, in general the news about the Armenian protocols are
positive in Turkey (amazing!). Very few voices are opposing it. Also
it has lost its luster as the “milli birlik acilimi” and the return of
34 people from Irak upon Ocalan’s orders has taken the center stage.
If the borders open the real big winner will be Russia, more than
Armenia. Since (rightly) Azerbeycan will be pissed off at Turkey and
the West, and get closer to Russia (if it can dare to play with such
danger) and the West, US will loose the Caucases.
What I do not understand is
1) how come US is willing to let this happen? What has Russia forced
upon US following Georgia?
2) Davutoglu, who has written in three different places in his book
about the crucial importance of Azerbeycan for Turkey, is going along
with this protocols steps?
Metin
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From: Ergun [ergun@cox.net]
Subject: {Pax Turcica} Re: Are you aware of the slap to Erdogan by Obama?Metin,
I suspect one major thing behind Obama’s sudden invitation: Afghanistan.
He may ask for more troops from Turkey. Secondarily, Iraq. O. may discuss
strategy with E. on the mechanics of US pull out, the vacuum in Iraq, etc.
All have to do with US involvement in unpopular, unwanted wars that are
draining the US economy and social life.
Israel, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and others are little more than dressing for
the salad.
This is one man’s opinion. 🙂
Ergun KIRLIKOVALI
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Statement released by National Security Council that met today is below. Afghanistan issue has been discussed. Turkey will resume Kabul Area Commandership for the second time.
Afganistan‘da son dönemde meydana gelen gelişmeler, Cumhurbaşkanlığı seçimleri dahil, değerlendirilmiş, ülkemizin Afganistan‘ın istikrarına yönelik katkı ve girişimlerinin sürdürüleceği belirtilmiştir. Bu kapsamda; Türk Silahlı Kuvvetlerinin Kabil Bölge Komutanlığı görevini Kasım 2009 başında ikinci defa alacağı, yine önceki görevlerde olduğu gibi, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetlerinin terörle mücadele, uyuşturucu ile mücadele, mayın temizleme görevlerinde kullanılmayacağı teyit edilmiştir.
Fariz Huseynov [huseynovfa@gmail.com]
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On Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 12:52 PM, <vaslay@aol.com> wrote:
dear Ergun
you are not alone for this opinion
is isn’t funny while we are disgracing our man and women in uniform ( TSK)
Obama needs our soldiers not governmentif you didn’t have one of the best army in the middle east
O. wouldn’t care less for you
regardas,
vedat aslay
——————-
Dear Metin
Excellent observation and analysis
I wonder what is going behind the close doors?
Yes Russia it seems that the big winner?
how come for the US. Are we underestimating her.
The is a big game going on over the middle east and Central Asia.
The player are strong and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Syria, TURKEY and even Israel is foot soldiers in this game
Obama will make sure that Erdogan is not out of step. If he is you know in military
SOL, SAG, SOL SAG, SOL, SOL P……. SOL
Don’t worry this game is a long game and we are just watching part IVedat Aslay vaslay@aol.com
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From: Yusif [yusif@azeris.com]
Subject: {Pax Turcica} Re: Are you aware of the slap to Erdogan by Obama?That’s correct. Russia will be a winner big time.
First, they will close the discussion on Nabucco both restricting
other countries’ willingness to diversify their exports and preventing
anything that could possibly harm Russia economically and
politically.
Second, they will realize the South Stream project, always viewed as
an alternative to Nabucco and through that project will still control
southern Europe and Turkey itself.
Third, under the pretext of protection of South Stream, Russia will
completely militarize Black Sea with additional Russian fleet and will
henceforth prevent another proposed rival energy project White Stream
to go from Georgia to EU through Ukraine from realization.
Fourth, Russia will get deeper into Turkish economy through Armenia
and through Armenian element will be able to exert pressure on Turkey
and possibly other Middle Eastern states in the future. It benefits
Russia to see islamization of Turkey. The practice of moderate Islam
in the form of Gulenist ideology actually may suit Russia’s interests.
In regards to US interests in the deal there are several factors.
First of all, US was hoping for Russia’s support on the issues of
nuclear threat from Iran. In general, apart from everything else, it
is not in Russia’s interest to see containment and any sort of
democratization of Iran. There is 25 mln Azeri minority in Iran which
if needed could be a decisive factor in the future partition of Iran
or a tool to bring down the current mullah regime. That’s one of the
reasons Stalin was willing to and finally withdrew from Iran in 1946
because he did not want a more sizeable Azeri minority within Soviet
borders.
Secondly, in my opinion, it’s not the US that is exerting pressure on
Turkey. I think it’s Turkey which is using its inadequate behavior
with Israel to pressure the United States. If we go back to 2003 we
would see that Turkey was bold enough to withstand pressure from US
during proposed invasion of Iraq from Turkey. To me personally, it
doesn’t make sense to see America give up Azerbaijan and Georgia and
the existing energy projects therefore losing both economically and
politically.
As far as Turkey’s position about Azerbaijan is concerned, I think
they might have striken a deal on withdrawal of Armenian troops from 5
occupied regions and agreed with Russia and US on joint peacekeeping
mission. In any case, allowing any peacekeeping missions in Karabakh
would be disastrous for Azerbaijan. If Russia’s troops are allowed to
be stationed on Azerbaijani soil in any form, this would be the end of
Azerbaijani independence and goodbye to Karabakh. Experience with
Georgia is a good example.
Presence of US troops would mean almost the same. Experience with
Kosovo is a good example. That’s why Kaidanow is all around (http://
www.a1plus.am/en/official/2009/10/20/nalbandian-tina-kaidanow)
Presence of Turkish troops, if any, would mean nothing at all,
especially if the protocols are ratified and diplomatic relations
established and ‘good will of friendly’ Turkish government is
recognized in Armenia and separatist regime in Karabakh.
Any peacekeeping mission whatsoever would mean protraction of this
conflict and interim status of NK last forever, therefore ending in
partitioning of Azerbaijan forever.
I guess, the original plan of these regional players is:
1. to strike a deal, have Armenian troops withdrawn from 5 regions;
2. bring in the peacekeeping force into those regions;
3. ensure return of Azerbaijani refugees to those regions;
4. re-arrange routes of energy resources from Azerbaijan and Central
Asia through Armenia and/or through occupied Karabakh, as many allege;
5. build confidence between people of the region
6. hold a referendum in NK. Holding a referendum in Karabakh would
mean complete loss.
Opening any borders means directly benefitting Armenia economically
which will stimulate economy and therefore human reproduction of
Armenians in Karabakh. That’s when the numbers will matter.
Yusif
================================================
Turkey’s The policy of “zero problems” creating “new problems”https://www.turkishnews.com/en/content/2009/10/20/turkeys-the-policy-of-zero-problems-creating-new-problems/From: Ergun [ergun@cox.net]
The policy of “zero problems” with neighbors seems to be creating “new problems” with neighbors
Case one: Azerbaijan.
The U.S.-Russia-mandated protocols with murky gains but sure losses for Turkey are already costing Turkey dearly. Check out these recent developments:
1- Azerbaijan Looks For Gas Routes To Europe Bypassing Turkey
2- Azerbaijan warns Turkey, West on gas exports
3- Azeri leader slams Turkey as gas route to Europe
https://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSLG44450320091016
4- Azerbaijan stops flying the Turkish flags over the Turkish martyrs’ cemetary in Baku.
When the U.S. and Russia (an EU) forced these protocols on Turkey, they probably expected the estrangement of Azerbaijan. If the oil and gas lines from Azerbaijan to Turkey run dry, the biggest beneficary would be, you guessed it, Russia. Risk all you got for something in return that may or may not pan out. We are sold this deal as “dialog, normalization, peace, and democracy” package. Sometimes I wish an engineer was the leader in Turkey so that he would know simple math, as in addition and subtraction.
April 24 is not far away. We will all see if the protocols bring “normalization and peace” or ” more chaos, polarization, and stalemate”, with the net result of poorer Turkey due to weakened/lost energy lines. (Prediction: the latter. Why? Because the deal incredibly left Azerbaijan out. Huge mistake!)
Case two: Israel
This one has to do with Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, although the tensions came to a head over other things like a cancelled joint military exercises and an aired TV-show:
TV Show Deepens Split Between Israel and Turkey
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125573461255590957
Turkey points to Israel to deflect from itself
Netanyahu declares in Madrid that due to recent developments, Turkey is no longer an impartial mediator for peace talks between Syria ad Israel.
My take on all this:
I am not against dialog or peace. I am against poor business deals, especially if they are conducted under pressure of partisans with vested interests clashing with yours.
The foreign policy of Turkey should be updated from “zero problems with neighbors” to “zero old and new problems with neighbors”.
Ergun KIRLIKOVALI
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Turkey ‘set to sue’ Israel as rift deepens
TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 19 (UPI) — Turkey’s high-profile rift with its erstwhile strategic ally Israel has deepened with reports that Ankara is ready to sue the Jewish state if it fails to supply 10 unmanned aerial vehicles ordered in 2005.Under the $180 million contract, Israel Aerospace Industries, the flagship of Israel’s defense industry, and Elbit Systems, the country’s leading electronics specialist, were expected to deliver four of the Heron UAVs in August, with the series completed by the end of October.
But they missed the deadline. The Israelis said the delay was caused by problems in upgrading the Heron engines so that Turkish-made electro-optical payloads could be fitted to the UAVs.
Israel Radio quoted Defense Ministry officials as saying the problem had now been solved.
It was not clear whether deliveries had taken place. But Turkish publication Today’s Zaman quoted a senior official at the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries as saying Thursday: “Turkey plans to impose a heavy monetary penalty for the delay.
“If this country refuses to comply with the penalty, then Turkey will head to the International Court of Commercial Arbitration.”
The Turkish government’s hard-line position underscored the degree to which once-flourishing relations between the two countries, the leading non-Arab military powers in the eastern Mediterranean and the Levant, have deteriorated in recent months.
In particular, a series of serious diplomatic confrontations over Israeli military actions against Palestinians in recent months, culminating in the Dec. 27-Jan.18 invasion of the Gaza Strip, effectively shattered the alliance that was formalized in a 1996 agreement.
Trouble has been brewing ever since the Islamist-based Justice and Development Party took power in Ankara in 2002.
The Turkish move away from Israel has accelerated under Prime Minister Recep Tayyep Erdogan, who has his eyes on restoring Turkey’s leadership role in the Muslim world following the collapse of Ankara’s bid to join the European Union.
To restore Turkey’s status in the Muslim world, which vanished with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, Erdogan had to shed the alliance with Israel.
Last week NATO member Turkey abruptly excluded Israel from biannual air exercises codenamed Anatolian Eagle, in which U.S., European and Israeli forces regularly participated. The maneuvers were canceled after the United States and Italy subsequently pulled out.
Ankara cited the delay in the Heron deliveries as one of the main reasons for snubbing Israel over the October exercises.
The impact of the Turkish action has been heightened by international condemnation of Israel’s massive 22-day military offensive in Gaza, in which some 1,300 Palestinians, most of them civilians, were killed. Israeli fatalities totaled 13, several from friendly fire.
Israelis feel Ankara is employing a double standard by ignoring that it conducts offensive operations against its Kurdish separatists, including incursions into northern Iraq.
Turkey’s leading daily newspaper, Hurriyet, has suggested that the “icy new tone” in relations is not likely to ease off any time soon.
Israelis have been aghast at the deterioration in relations with a country they thought was a close ally and friend. Their concern has been deepened by an upswing in Ankara’s relations withSyria, one of Israel’s main Arab foes, in recent weeks.
In April, Turkey conducted military exercises with Syria, a country with which it almost went to war in the late 1990s.
If the Turks decide to take legal action against Israeli defense companies over the Heron issue, relations will undoubtedly be aggravated further. It would also likely mean the end of substantial Israeli arms sales to Turkey.
According Israeli media reports, the largely state-run defense industries acknowledge that the volume of exports to Turkey has been diminishing in the last couple of years.
U.S. and European companies, particularly Italian, have been moving in to replace Israeli companies.
As the crisis has deepened, Israeli defense sources have indicated that the Jewish state might seek to retaliate against Turkey, possibly by cutting off the sale of advanced weapons systems.
Source: www.upi.com, Oct. 19, 2009
