Category: Turkey

BNP and Greek Connection Unleashed

By Kevin Widdop, 12/04/2009

THIS chilling picture shows BNP deputy leader Simon Darby being given a NAZI SALUTE at a fascist rally.

Three extremists flashed the banned Hitler-style sign to the British far-right boss outside the event in Italy.

Our exclusive snap fuels fears of danger ahead as the British National Party gains popularity in the recession.

Darby, leading a drive for seats at the European Parliament elections in June, was following Stratos Karanikolau, from the Greek nationalist Proti Grammi (Front Line) party.

They were joined by MEPs Roberto Fiore, a convicted terrorist, and Holocaust denier Bruno Gollnisch at the 400-strong meeting in Milan.

Last night Labour MP Jon Cruddas said: “This shows the BNP are a gang of thugs parading as politicians.”

POLITICAL LINE-UP: Gollnisch, Fiore, Karanikolau and Darby

News Of the World

May 22, 2009
Putin: Russia becomes Turkey’s leading economic partner

MOSCOW, May 16 (Xinhua) — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that his country has become Turkey’s leading trade partner.

Trade turnover between Russia and Turkey reached a record 35 billion U.S. dollars, making Russia one of the most important trade and economic partners of Turkey, Putin said during talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Searesort of Sochi.

The heads of government hailed the cooperation between the two countries. “If several years ago we talked mostly about cooperation in the construction sector, now diversification is very broad,” Putin was quoted as saying by the Itar-Tass news agency.

The premiers agreed to immediately start talks on extending two agreements under which Russia delivered natural gas to Turkey, the third largest consumer of Russian gas after Germany and Italy. Meanwhile, Russian companies are expected to participate in building four nuclear power plants in Turkey.

Erdogan told reporters after their meeting that Putin would visit Turkey soon.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Source: news.xinhuanet.com, 17.05.2009

May 22, 2009
ACTION ALERT – UNITED KINGDOM

Vote to keep the BNP out

DISTURBING leaflets sent out by the British National Party

By Suzan Nuri

DISTURBING leaflets sent out by the British National Party ahead of the 4 June Euro elections, has warned that the UK will be ‘swamped’ by Muslim Turks.

The offensive leaflet, sent out to people in the north of the country and the Midlands, says the BNP “Oppose the dangerous drive to give 80 million low-wage, Muslim Turks the right to swamp Britain”.

The BNP, already under fire for using foreign models in the pictures on campaign leaflets, now seem to be targeting the Muslim communities in what can only be described as racist rants.

Fevzi Hussein who works for trade union CWU, was told of the offensive leaflets this week.

He said “A UNISON member alerted us to the latest BNP leaflet which amongst other things, makes reference to a pledge to ‘oppose the dangerous drive to give 80 million low-wage Muslim Turks the right to swamp Britain’.

“The tone of the leaflet is disgusting and no-one should be fooled by the smart suits and nice hair-cuts of these far-right fascists. Their rhetoric is the same – they are just targeting Muslims more now than Blacks and Asians, which used to be their more traditional targets back in the 70’s and 80’s.

“The BNP will do everything in their power to de-stabilise Turkey’s efforts to get into the EU – messages like this are also deliberately pumped out to instil a negative perception of Turkish people.

“It is essential everyone gets out and uses their vote – vote for anyone BUT the BNP. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Equality & Human Rights Commission made it their business to investigate this lot and at the very least demand an explanation as to why they seek to demonise Turks as part of their electioneering campaign?”

Nilgun Canver, who is a Labour London candidate in the Euro elections strongly condemned the BNP, saying they should be banned.

“It would be a disaster if the BNP were able to send an MEP to the European Parliament as they would be able to link up with facists from France and Italy, with all the resources that is available to them in Parliament.

“People must realise that the EU is entirely relevant to us here in the UK and is a way of us supporting increased dialogue regarding Cyprus and also Turkey’s EU accession.

“Voting is extremely important and with the voting system of PR, every vote does count. A low turn out will benefit the far right parties and we must oppose the idea of fascists legitimising themselves through election to the EU Parliament.”

Sener Saglam, chairman of the Turkish Federation told London Turkish Gazette that as a community we must take a stand against racist comments.

“We strongly criticise these comments by the BNP and will always challenge their right to spread such comments. This is why it is important that people do go out and vote in the Euro elections on 4 June. Some in our community say we should boycott the elections as a way of protesting against the EU’s reluctance in accepting Turkey. However, I say if we fail to turn up and vote, it opens the way for parties such as the BNP to get elected.”

Mr Saglam added that the Turkish community should be more united and also put forward candidates for elections.

“We need to get more involved politically and put forward people we can support in elections, no matter which mainstream party they are from and this is an idea the Federation fully supports.”

In another twist, some postal workers have protested at having to distribute election leaflets they find offensive or which customers might find offensive.

Their union, the CWU, has an agreement with Royal Mail which protects postal workers’ right to refuse to deliver such election.

Bob Gibson, CWU national official, said: “We have a national agreement with Royal Mail with a conscience clause which allows individuals to exercise their right to not deliver material which they find offensive or believe their customers may find offensive.

“It is not specific to any political party. We are protecting the rights of our members to be safe at work. Royal Mail has a responsibility to ensure the safety of their employees.

“We have had instances of delivery workers being threatened, chased and spat at for delivering some election leaflets. We will support individuals who feel strongly about delivering these items.

“Postal workers are well within their rights to refuse to deliver offensive material.”

Source: www.londragazete.com, 21 May 2009

May 22, 2009
Italy and Turkey: A strategic alliance

An article by Hon. Ignazio La Russa, Italian Minister of Defence

The friendship and the solid alliance between Italy and Turkey have deep roots. The Mediterranean is definitely one of the elements which bring our two countries nearer. It makes our peoples, cultures and politics so similar to each other. For decades, as members of the Atlantic Alliance, Turkey and Italy always shared the burdens and the risks linked to the need to keep a stable and fair international order.

In the Balkans, in Lebanon, in the Middle East, in Afghanistan, the Armed Forces of our two countries work side by side, relieving each other in the hardest tasks, to defend a precious and indivisible good: international security.

This common action marks not only the identity of our interests, but first and foremost the values that we share. Because our countries believe in peace, abroad and at home.

Our countries are equally and hardly struggling to consolidate an international order based on the principle of a fair and efficient multilateralism.

It must be fair, because all communities and all identities must be equally represented and capable to make their voices heard.

It must be efficient and able to give an answer to collective needs, avoiding that single vetoes could block the whole international community.

Together we fight to defeat terrorism, which threatens our nations and the stability of our democratic systems.

Italy and Turkey share a common vision and a common action strategy. The deep friendship between our countries which has been reaffirmed in the first Intergovernmental Summit held in ?zmir in November 2008, is not the final result of our relations but the point of departure for further joint actions in diplomacy, economy, culture and also to military operations aimed at the maintaining of peace.

At the beginning of 2009, Turkey took over Italy?s non-permanent membership under the Security Council of the UN. After two years of permanence in the Council, Italy can now fully rely on the action the Turkish government will take to affirm once again the same values and principles which were the basis of Italian action.

Italy supports Turkey’s aspirations in its path towards the European Union. The EU membership will be the final step of a difficult process which is anyway coherent with the ambitions and capabilities of Turkey.

Turkey may give a new decisive impetus to the action of the EU, particularly in areas where Turkey has strong and deep cultural and historical ties, such as Eastern Mediterranean, Caucasus and Central Asia.

I deem it is important to stress, last but not least, the extraordinary importance of Turkey for energy security not only for Italy, but for Europe as a whole. Because of its strategic position and above all for its stabilizing functions, Turkey is the strategic partner for all energy resources coming from the Caspian Region and “later on” the Persian Gulf.

Within this close cooperation framework between Italy and Turkey, we must underline the important role played by the cooperation in weapon systems production.

In both our countries defense industry plays a crucial role due to its valuable high technology features. It also works as an “innovation engine” for the entire production system, thanks to spin-offs linked to the high investments in R&D, typical of the defense industry.

In Italy defense industry employs 51.000 workers, a high percentage of which is composed by highly qualified people, particularly in engineering and IT (information technology). As far as turnover of the defense industry is concerned, it accounts for the 1% of the total Italian GNP. Furthermore, our defense industry is one of the most dynamic and outward looking sectors in the whole Italian production system.

In last years, due to significant international buyouts of important foreign firms, Italian defense industry saw a considerable increase in its turnover, production range and R&D investments.

The buyouts of British Westland, American DRS Technologies and of US Manitowoc Marine Group have been great operations of industrial politics aiming to further strengthen Italian defense industry which has now strong transnational characteristics.

Today, and even more so in the future, defense industry is going to be one of the strongest elements in our country system. It is a huge legacy of top level knowledge and skills, which Italy wants to share with friends and allies.
Collaboration in defense industry between Turkey and Italy has proved itself through the decades as one of the most vital components of the strategic partnership between our countries.

In recent years, the level of our collaboration reached new peaks, in particular in helicopters and shipyards sectors. We have now established a real partnership, with an exchange of technologies and know-how enriching both countries.

Looking into the future and always keeping in mind our historical, cultural and political ties, I am sure that all conditions we may need in order to further enhance the cooperation between our countries in this crucial technological and industrial sector are already here.

Company or Organisation Portrait:

Ayse AKALIN
Publisher and Editor in Chief
DEFENCE TURKEY MAGAZINE

Defence Turkey Magazine
Mahatma Gandhi Cad. 33/7
GOP ANKARA TURKEY
Phone: 0090 312 4471320
www.defence-turkey.com
info@defence-turkey.com

Source: www.defpro.com, May 21 2009

May 22, 2009
Ahmad bey Aghaoghlu

Baku. Ramil Mammadli – APA. Event on the 140th anniversary of public figure, journalist, pedagogue and writer Ahmad bey Aghaoghlu was held in Ataturk Center on the initiative of Karabakh Liberation Organization, APA reports. Historian Firdovsiyye Ahmadova spoke about the activity of Ahmad bey Aghaoghlu. She said that Ahmad bey Aghaoghlu was one of the persons, who contributed much to forming national, independent ideology in Azerbaijan. Touching on Aghaoghlu’s relations with Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, Ahmadova said he also had a role in the formation of Turkish Republic. Chairman of Karabakh Liberation Organization Akif Nagi mentioned Ahmad bey Aghaoghlu’s struggle for Azerbaijan’s independence. He said Aghaoghlu was one of the famous intellectuals of Turkey and Azerbaijan and did much for the development of Turkish nation. The event continued with the speeches of scientists and intellectuals.

Ahmad bey Aghaoglhu was born in Shusha in 1869. He studied in St. Petersburg and Sorbonne University. He was the head of Difai organization. He was member of Young Turkish movement in Ottoman Empire and president of Turkish Hearth Turkish National Movement. In 1915 he was elected representative of Ottoman Majlis. In 1918 Aghaoghlu became the member of Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan People’s Republic. Aghaoghlu returned to Turkey after Soviet government was established in Azerbaijan. He became editor-in-chief of Hakimiyyeti-Milliye newspaper and aide to the founder of Turkish Republic Mustafa Kamal Ataturk. Aghaoghlu died in Turkey in 1939.

May 20, 2009
Turkey ‘Should Not Link’ Armenia Thaw To Karabakh: Negotiator

May 20, 2009

ANKARA (Reuters) — Turkey should not link its efforts to normalize ties with Armenia to a settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a French negotiator has said.

Ankara and Yerevan have been engaged for months in high-level talks aimed at establishing diplomatic relations after a century of hostility and last month announced a “road map” to reopen their borders.

But after Turkey’s Muslim ally Azerbaijan condemned the reconciliation moves, Ankara said there would be no progress until the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was resolved.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity with Azerbaijan, which fought a war with ethnic Armenian separatists in the 1990s over the Caucasus enclave.

Last week, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev during a visit to Baku that Turkey would not open the border with Armenia until the “occupation” of Nagorno-Karabakh ended.

“Normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations and the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute are two separate processes which should continue in parallel but along their own paths,” the French Embassy in Ankara said in a statement after a visit earlier this week by Bernard Fassier, a co-chairman of the Minsk Group.

The Minsk Group — set up in 1992 and co-chaired by Russia, the United States, and France — is seeking a solution to Nagorno-Karabakh, one of the most intractable conflicts arising from the Soviet Union’s collapse.

A thaw between Turkey and Armenia, who trace their dispute to the mass killing of Christian Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I, would shore up stability in the Caucasus and boost Turkey’s drive to join the European Union.

U.S. President Barack Obama has urged Ankara and Yerevan to reach a solution soon, but Turkey has been careful not to harm energy projects with Azerbaijan.

The two countries, which share linguistic and cultural ties, are in talks to sign energy deals, including the purchase of Azeri gas which could be used for the planned Nabucco pipeline to transport Caspian gas to Europe.

May 20, 2009