Turkish Forum

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  • Consent of Armenia to Participate in Turkish Project is Positive Trend

    Consent of Armenia to Participate in Turkish Project is Positive Trend

    29.09.08 13:15Azerbaijan, Baku, 27 September /corr. Trend News E.Tariverdiyeva / Consent of Armenia to participate in the Turkish project “Platform of security and stability in Caucasus” is a positive trend for discussions over many disputable questions in the Caucasus region. However, the opinions of political scientists do not conver the question of the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with the help of the Turkish initiative.

    “It is very important that the Armenian leadership is more opened to the Turkish role in the region and this is positive changes, which now occur,” American expert on Caucasus, Svante Cornell, told TrendNews by telephone from Stockholm.

    At the meeting in New York on 26 September, the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia supported Turkish initiative to establish “Platform of security and stability in Caucasus”, Foreign Minister of Turkey, Ali Babajan, told CNN Turk television.

    “Negotiations in format of troika will be continued further. There is real desire of the authorities of the two states to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem,” said the diplomat.

    In mid September, Russia and Turkey began realization of plan with regards to establishment of “Platform of security and stability in Caucasus” for five countries – Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Turkey and Armenia. The aspiration of Turkey for the prompt solution of the territorial conflicts in Caucasus between Armenia and Turkey, and between Armenia and Azerbaijan was the purpose of the creation of this platform.

    Observers consider that the consent of Armenia to participate in the Turkish initiative is the first step to the beginning of constructive talks on the problems in the region.

    The European Commission considers that Turkey could make a contribution to the solution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

     

    “Turkish initiative to establish “Platform of security and stability in Caucasus” is very interesting, and it can contribute to the solution of conflicts in this region,” the Head of the Diplomatic Mission of the European Commission to Azerbaijan, Alan Waddams, told TrendNews .

    The proposal of Turkey is interesting and should be considered, he said.

    “I believe that with the initiative of Turkey, the OSCE Minsk Group can achieve solution of protracted conflicts,” the diplomats said.

    The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988 due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding Districts. Since 1992, these territories have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, France and USA) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.

    The Azerbaijan side hopes for Turkish initiative in the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

    “It is completely possible that after the visit of the Turkish President to Yerevan, Armenia will also participate in the establishment of peace and stability in Caucasus,” member of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, MP Aydin Mirzazade, said.

    This means the new way of Armenian policy, and in the near future, it is completely possible that we will observe changes in the policy of Armenia, he said.

    “Azerbaijan, as state close to Turkey, and Armenia, which wants to establish relations with Turkey, helped Turkey and gave worthy assessment to its initiative, which is no longer pointless talk and proposal in air,” Mikhail Remizov, President of Russian Institute of National Strategy, told TrendNews.

    However, the political scientist does not consider this decision of Armenia and Azerbaijan in linkage to the Karabakh conflict. “I do not here see the Karabakh theme, with exception of the fact that in the case of creating this format, this will be favorable for discussion of similar questions,” he said.

    Turkish political scientist Arif Keskin does not believe in the success of platform, proposed by Turkey, in the Karabakh problem solution.

    “Talks with the mediation of Turkey can at best lead to the liberation of Azerbaijani regions around Karabakh, which will make a Karabakh problem even more difficult,” representative of Eurasian Research Strategic Center (Ankara), Keskin, told Trend News by telephone.

    American expert on Caucasus Cornell connects further solution of the conflict with the actions of Russia.

    According to him, the conflict will not be resolved unless there are serious signals that Russia is inclined to the peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

    “In the present situation, when Russia became stronger in the region, and the West is weaker, it would be good be see changes in the direction of the solution of conflict in Karabakh,” Cornell, Research Director of Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at Johns Hopkins University, told TrendNews by telephone.

    E.Ostapenko (Baku), B.Hasanov (Baku), I.Alizade (Baku) and R.Agayev (Moscow) attended the preparation of the material.

    The correspondent can be contacted at: trend@trend.az

  • Turkey launches first national warship

    Turkey launches first national warship

    ANKARA (Xinhua) — The national warship “”Heybeliada”” and mine-sweeper “”Akcay”” were put to sea in a ceremony held at a dockyard in Pendik, Istanbul, according to the report.

    Heybeliada and Akcay are the first part of Turkey’s national corvette program of “”Milgem,”” the purpose of which is to build a modern littoral combat warship with indigenous capabilities, extensively using the principles of stealth technology in its design.

    “”We have set minimizing independence of our Turkish Armed Forces on foreign countries and meeting the needs of the Naval Forces Command through national industry our prior target,”” Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying in the ceremony.

    The construction of Heybeliada began on July 26, 2005, and is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 25, 2010, when it will start undergoing full sea trials before being officially commissioned. It is expected to enter service in 2011.

    A total of twelve Milgem class warships (eight corvettes and four frigates) will be built for the Turkish Navy, with possible exports to other countries.

    Ilker Basbug, chief of the General Staff, was quoted as saying that it was an indispensable obligation to ensure security of the seas surrounding Turkey and have a strong naval force to cope with threats.

    Basbug said, “”With the national ship project, we aim to have a more qualified and deterring naval force that is capable of countering symmetric and asymmetric threats and that can continue its mission without any interruption in the most challenging conditions.””

  • Are Turkey’s women too posh to push?

    Are Turkey’s women too posh to push?

    By Fazile Zahir

    FETHIYE, Turkey – Turkey is suffering from an epidemic that seems to out of control. Like many developing countries, as the level of wealth and standards of education increase there has been a reluctance to give birth naturally and, consequently, a staggering rise in the number of Caesarean-section births.

    The first recorded Caesarean, or C-section, in Turkey was in 1879. After 36 hours in labor, a Turkish mother cut her own belly and uterus open with a razor. The wound was sewn up by a neighbor and both mother and infant survived. Since then, C-sections have become increasingly common.

    In the late 1980s, 92% of women had natural births. By the mid-1990s this figure had dropped to 81%, and in 2004, normal births constituted 79%. But the past four years have seen an explosion

    in these figures and last year only 59% of women were giving birth naturally. It seems that Turkish women have become either too scared, or too posh, to push.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has a recommended upper limit for medically justified C-section births of around 15% in any country – Turkey’s current level is more than double this. The figures are even more astounding if looked at on a geographical, educational or monetary basis.

    Asia Times Online :: Middle East News, Iraq, Iran current affairs.

  • EU agrees on 4.5 bln euro aid for candidate states

    EU agrees on 4.5 bln euro aid for candidate states

    BRUSSELS, Sept 29 (Reuters) – The European Union’s executive arm agreed on Monday how to spend 4.5 billion euros ($6.5 billion) in aid to the bloc’s candidate countries in 2008-10, giving priority to improving governance and the rule of law.

    The European Commission’s decision brings closer the release of the EU funds to Croatia, Turkey, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo.

    ‘The road towards the EU is paved with reforms to improve the everyday lives of citizens and to comply with the strict EU accession criteria,’ EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said in a statement.

    The Commission said the 1.8 billion euros of aid for Turkey would focus on supporting the stability of institutions so as to guarantee fundamental rights and freedoms, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for minorities.

    EU agrees on 4.5 bln euro aid for candidate states – Forbes.com.

  • TURKEY’S FIRST MILGEM WARSHIP LAUNCHED IN ISTANBUL

    TURKEY’S FIRST MILGEM WARSHIP LAUNCHED IN ISTANBUL

    On September 27 the Turkish navy launched the corvette TCG Heybeliada, the first modern warship to be designed, built, and equipped primarily from local resources.

    The TCG Heybeliada is the first in what will eventually be a series of 12 multi-purpose littoral combat warships built under the Milli Gemi (National Ship or MILGEM) program. The Heybeliada has an overall length of 99 meters (325 feet), a maximum beam of 14.4 meters (47 feet), and a displacement of 2,000 metric tons (2,200 tons). In addition to weapons systems, the Heybeliada will have a hangar and platform for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) Sea Hawk helicopters and/or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The vessel has been designed to operate with a crew of 93, including aviation personnel. It is expected to have range of 3,500 nautical miles and a top speed of over 29 knots.

    The Turkish navy has traditionally either bought its vessels secondhand, particularly from the United States, or had them built by foreign shipyards. The MILGEM project has its origins in a 1996 plan to have German MEKO A-100 corvettes built in Turkish shipyards. The Turkish navy subsequently shelved the idea and decided to try to build the country’s first entirely indigenous modern warship using Turkish shipyards, universities, and companies. Work on the plans began on March 12, 2004.

    TURKEY’S FIRST MILGEM WARSHIP LAUNCHED IN ISTANBUL – Eurasia Daily Monitor.

  • U N I T E D N A T I O N S ; International Day of Older Persons – Message from the Secretary-General

    U N I T E D N A T I O N S ; International Day of Older Persons – Message from the Secretary-General

    Please find attached a message of the Secretary-General on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons.

     

       
                                                      U N I T E D   N A T I O N S                                N A T I O N S   U N I E S

     

     

     

                                                                                            THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

     

    MESSAGE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF OLDER PERSONS

     

    1 October 2008

     

     

    The theme of this year’s International Day of Older Persons, “Rights of Older Persons”, is especially apt in this year in which we mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

     

     

    Promoting the independence, participation and dignity of older persons has long been on the agenda of the United Nations and is central to implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.  In adopting that Plan six years ago at the Second World Assembly on Ageing, UN Member States committed “to eliminating all forms of discrimination, including age discrimination”.  They recognized “that persons, as they age, should enjoy a life of fulfillment, health, security and active participation in the economic, social, cultural and political life of their societies”.  And they determined “to enhance the recognition of the dignity of older persons and to eliminate all forms of neglect, abuse and violence”.

     

     

    Despite this commitment, in many parts of the world, the rights of older persons are violated every day.  Older persons often face age discrimination at a workplace.  In social environments, they may experience a lack of recognition and respect.  They may be deprived of full inclusion and participation in social, economic, cultural and political affairs.  Most disturbingly, in many countries, incidences of neglect, abuse and violence against older persons are not at all rare or isolated events.

     

     

    Acknowledging the crucial role that older persons play in society is an important pillar of the Madrid Plan of Action.  Earlier this year, the first review and appraisal of the Plan made abundantly clear that much more needs to be done at the national level to support older persons, promote their income security and social protection, and ensure quality health care as well as the provision of long-term care services.  To make this possible, national ageing-specific policies must be improved substantially and the concerns of older persons mainstreamed into a wider policy framework.

     

     

    This International Day is an opportunity to stimulate discussion on promoting the rights of older persons and strengthen partnerships aimed at securing their full participation in society.  Let us all redouble our efforts to realize the rights of older persons, and make the dream of a society for all ages a reality.