Turkish Forum

Category: Turkey

  • 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.

  • Istanbul skyline gets woman’s touch

    Istanbul skyline gets woman’s touch

    When I met designer Zeynep Fadillioglu, she was giving instructions to her team of architects on the installation of a cutting-edge water feature.

    The design draws heavily on Turkey’s Islamic traditions

    The metal sphere created by British designer William Pye will dominate the entrance of the Sakirin Mosque.

    The fountain, along with a modern glass chandelier from China made from thousands of individually crafted shards of glass, are central pieces in what is being seen as one of most radical mosque designs in Turkey in generations.

    “Designing everything we tried to be contemporary, but not, let’s say, too futuristic or avant garde,” Ms Fadillioglu says.

    “We don’t want the public to reject the place. We want the public to feel part of the place, rather than watching it as an incredible art object. I think it should be their own place.”

    The internationally renowned interior designer sees herself as a product of Turkey’s secular republic, which was established in 1923, and gave equal rights to men and women.

    BBC NEWS | Europe | Istanbul skyline gets woman’s touch

  • Clyde sells systems for Turkish satellites

    Clyde sells systems for Turkish satellites

    MARK SMITH DEPUTY BUSINESS EDITOR mark.smith@theherald.co.uk 

    CLYDE Space, Scotland’s only space industry business, has struck a £150,000 deal to supply two flight model power systems to Turkey’s fledgling satellite programme.

    The deal with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (Tubitak) will see Glasgow-based Clyde provide two flight model battery charge regulator systems for the launch of Rasat, the first Earth-observation satellite to be built and developed in Turkey.

    The 120kg spacecraft is to be launched into a “700km sun-synchronous orbit” in late 2009.

    Clyde Space, one of the world’s leading suppliers of small satellite power systems, has been capitalising on the growing demand for so-called nano and miniature satellites.

    Craig Clark, who set up Clyde Space in 2006 with the help of Scottish Enterprise, said: “We were delighted to be part of the Rasat team and to supply our small satellite battery charge regulator to Tubitak.”

    The battery charge regulator is specifically designed for use with lithium ion battery technology, and includes four 85-watt solar panel trackers and digital interface to battery and solar panel telemetry.

    Clark added: “Lithium ion is still a relatively new technology to most spacecraft manufacturers, and our knowledge and experience in this area added significant value to the Rasat engineering team.”

    Clark, who is based at Glasgow Science Park, last month revealed plans to turn his business into a multimillion-pound venture with the world’s first website selling Earth-orbiting satellites.

    The website, which was launched in August, primarily targets the US market and offers credit card sales of satellites for research purposes.

    The satellites, which put a futuristic spin on the notion of Clyde-built engineering, are all designed and manufactured at the Clyde Space base in Maryhill. The miniature satellites – most of them as small as 10cmcubed – known as cubesats and microsatellites, unfold in space like pizza boxes. They are launched into space by a rocket, then fired into orbit, where they unfold and begin gathering information.

    Source: The Herald, 26 Sep 2008

  • TWO MORE TURKISH HIGH RANKING EXECUTIVE IN COCA-COLA

    TWO MORE TURKISH HIGH RANKING EXECUTIVE IN COCA-COLA

    ISTANBUL, Sep 24, 2008 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX)

    Two more Turks were included among high ranking executives of Coca-Cola company.

    According to a written statement by Coca-Cola company, Turks Guran Yet was assigned as Institutional Director of Coca-Cola in Atlanta and Can Arcasoy, another Turk, was appointed as Director of Eurasia and Africa Group Fruit Juice Category.

    For full details on Coca-Cola Co (KO) click here. Coca-Cola Co (KO) has Short Term PowerRatings of 4. Details on Coca-Cola Co (KO) Short Term PowerRatings is available at This Link.
    Source: www.tradingmarkets.com, Sep 24, 2008