Category: East Asia & Pacific

Japanese companies join forces for Istanbul bridge

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Only days after a failed government tender for the construction and operating rights of a large toll road and a third bridge over Istanbul’s Bosphorus, Japanese candidates decide to set up a consortium to re-try their chances

Fatih Sultan Bridge over the Bosphorus is seen in this undated photo. Turkey is seeking investors to build a third bridge to connect two sides of Istanbul.

Gökhan Kurtaran
gokhan.kurtaran@tdn.com.tr

Four Japanese firms are still interested in building a third bridge over Istanbul’s Bosphorus following the failed tender by the Turkish government Jan. 10, according to a Japanese diplomat.

“Japanese companies are still showing their interests to join the construction of the third bridge,” Yasuhiro Fukuda, trade attaché from Japanese Embassy in Ankara, told the Hürriyet Daily News in an interview yesterday.

Mitsubishi, IHI, Obayashi and Itochu, the companies that were authorized to but did not attend the tender, along with five more foreign and nine local competitors, were still willing to take their chances and restart the talks with the government, according to the Japanese official.

“They are open to talks on the details of the project with the government officials,” said Yasuhiro.

The cost of the highway road project that stretches from Adapazarı to Tekirdağ in Turkey’s northwest, which also includes a third bridge over Istanbul’s Bosphorus, was estimated at $6 billion.

“The project is too big to finance,” general manager of one of the Japanese firms told the Daily News under the condition of anonymity yesterday by phone. Both construction and operating rights of the third bridge and the highway should be divided and introduced as two tenders, which would ease financing, the source said.

“A smaller scale would make the project feasible and profitable for us,” the source said, adding that Japanese firms were preparing to start the talks with Turkey. “Any action plan including some incentives from Turkish government would be appreciated by us,” said the executive.

Talks may start soon

Despite the failure of the tender, Fukuda said this shouldn’t be taken as a sign that the Japanese firms are losing their interest in the project. Bilateral talks between a possible Japanese consortium and the Turkish government was possible soon, he added. Turkey’s Finance Minister Mehmet Şimsek said Jan. 11 the state was capable of funding the project on its own, but preferred not to.

The government offers 25-year operating rights for the toll road project which spans 414 km.

Cengiz, Gülsan, Kolin, STFA, Mapa, Nural, Park, Holding, Varyap and Yüksel were the possible local bidders. In addition to the Japanese firms, Stradag from Austria; Moskovskly Metrostroy, NPO and Mostovik from Russia; FFC Construction from Spain; and Astaldi from Italy also received specifications for the tender.

via BUSINESS – Japanese companies join forces for Istanbul bridge.

January 20, 2012
***30-story building built in 15 days*** Construction time lapse *View Fullscreen*

What can you accomplish in 360 hours?
The Chinese sustainable building company, Broad Group, has yet attempted another impossible feat, building a 30-story tall hotel prototype in 360 hours, after building a 15-story building in a week earlier in 2011.

You may ask why in a hurry, and is it safe? The statistics in the video can put you in good faith. Prefabricated modular buildings has many advantages over conventional buildings.

Higher precision in fabrication (+/- 0.2mm).
More coordinated on-site construction management.
Shorter construction time span.
Lower construction waste.
Also many other health and energy features are included in Broad Sustainable Buildings (BSB)

The building was built over last Christmas time and finished before New Years Eve of 2012.

An Introduction to BROAD SUSTAINABLE BUILDING CO., LTD Jan.11, 2012
Established in March, 2009, BROAD SUSTAINABLE BUILDING CO., LTD is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BROAD Group, solely operates the magnitude-9 earthquake resistant, 5x more energy efficient, 20x purer air, 90% factory-built, and 1% construction waste Broad Sustainable Buildings (BSB).
BSB headquarter and its R&D Center are situated in the Xiangyin County of Hunan Province in Southern China, with 80,000sqm workshops, 900 employees in 2011. In 2012 with 220,000sqm workshops, 12,000 employees, and in 2013 with 360,000sqm workshops and 19,000 employees, reaching an annual production and installation capacity of 10 million sqms. BSB’s central goal is:
1. Improving R&D of BSB technologies, setting up supply chains
2. Sell BSBs in compliance with local regulations in the Hunan building market.
3. Transfer BSB technology to 100 partnership enterprise, every Chinese province and distributed evenly in each nation worldwide.
By December, 2011, BSB technology reached finalization, altogether with 12 BSBs built in Changsha, Xiangyin, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Mexico and developed 2 franchise partners in Ningxia and Fujian with identical factory sizes to the Xiangyin BSB Factory. Another 10 Chinese & international potential partners are in negotiation.
BROAD envisions in the near future, there will be one BSB among three buildings worldwide, allowing all men and women to share BSB’s solace. Proving that by responsible use of technology, earth’s environment and human living can be elevated simultaneously.
Lin Gang Industrial Zone, Xiangyin County, Hunan Tel: 86-731-84086266 Email: bsbs@broad.net www.broad.com/bsb

January 11, 2012
Turkey expects to acquire Japanese know-how on nuclear energy

Turkey intends to sign, this spring with Japan, an agreement on cooperation in the nuclear energy sector, Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu stated in an interview with Japan’s leading economic periodical, “The Voice of Turkey” informs.

Davutoglu noted that, “they believe in Japanese technology and its safety,” yet again stressing a readiness to cooperate.

Turkey’s FM also said accordance was reached toward continuing the talks on Iran’s nuclear program.

Incidentally, even though Turkey constantly calls for the international community to apply pressure on Armenia to close down the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, Turkey itself is building several nuclear plants in seismically active zones.

via Turkey expects to acquire Japanese know-how on nuclear energy | Armenia News – NEWS.am.

January 10, 2012
Obama: the US can no longer fight the world’s battles

President plans to cut half a million troops and says US can’t afford to wage two wars at once
The mighty American military machine that has for so long secured the country’s status as the world’s only superpower will have to be drastically reduced, Barack Obama warned yesterday as he set out a radical but more modest new set of priorities for the Pentagon over the next decade.

After the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that defined the first decade of the 21st century, Mr Obama’s blueprint for the military’s future acknowledged that America will no longer have the resources to conduct two such major operations simultaneously.

Instead, the US military will lose up to half a million troops and will focus on countering terrorism and meeting the new challenges of an emergent Asia dominated by China. America, the President said, was “turning the page on a decade of war” and now faced “a moment of transition”. The country’s armed forces would in future be leaner but, Mr Obama pointedly warned both friends and foes, sufficient to preserve US military superiority over any rival – “agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats”.

The wider significance of America’s landmark strategic change was underlined by British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, who used a visit to Washington to warn that America must not delay the production of US warplanes bound for British aircraft carriers. The US strategy is expected to make a drawdown of some of the 80,000 troops based in Europe.

“We have to look at the relationship with Americans in a slightly different light,” Mr Hammond told Channel 4 News. “Europeans have to respond to this change in American focus, not with a fit of pique but by pragmatic engagement, recognising that we have to work with Americans to get better value for money.”

But there is little doubt that Europe will be a much-reduced priority under the new scheme. The blueprint’s status as the president’s own property, after a first three years in office dominated by wars he had inherited from his predecessor, was underlined by his rare personal appearance at the Pentagon flanked by Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and other top uniformed officials.

Henceforth, Mr Obama underlined, the priorities would be maintaining a robust nuclear deterrent, confronting terrorism and protecting the US homeland, and deterring and defeating any potential adversary. To these ends, the US will also boost its cyberwarfare and missile defence capabilities.

At the same time, iIf all goes to plan, the centre of gravity of the US defence effort will shift eastwards, away from Europe and the Middle East. The focus will be on Asia and – both he and Mr Panetta made abundantly clear without specifically saying so – in particular on an increasingly assertive China, already an economic superpower and well on the way to becoming a military one as well.

The specifics of the new proposals, set out in a document entitled “Sustaining US Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense”, have yet to be fleshed out. But they are likely to entail a reduction of up to 490,000 in a total military personnel now standing at some 1.6 million worldwide, as well as cuts in costly procurement programmes – some originally designed for a Cold War environment.

The “Obama Doctrine” reflects three basic realities. First, the long post-9/11 wars are finally drawing to a close. The last US troops have already left Iraq, while American combat forces are due to be out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014 (though a limited number may stay on as trainers and advisers).

Second, and as the President stressed in a major speech during his recent visit to Australia, America’s national interest is increasingly bound up with Asia, the world’s economic powerhouse, and where many countries are keen for a greater US commitment as a counterweight to China.

Third, and most important, are the domestic financial facts of life, at a moment when government spending on every front is under pressure. For years the Pentagon has been exempt – but no longer, as efforts multiply to rein in soaring federal budget deficits.

At $662bn, Pentagon spending for fiscal 2013 will exceed the next 10 largest national defence budgets on the planet combined. Even so, that sum is $27bn less than what President Obama wanted, and $43bn less than the 2012 budget.

www.independent.co.uk, 06 JANUARY 2012

January 9, 2012
Japan, Turkey agree to restart nuclear cooperation

By MarketWatch

Japan and Turkey agreed Friday to work toward the resumption of negotiations on a bilateral nuclear cooperation pact, Kyodo News reported.

The agreement was announced by Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu after their meeting in Ankara.

Davutoglu also told a joint news conference that Turkey is hoping to launch talks with Japan on a bilateral free trade agreement.

In an attempt to enhance bilateral economic cooperation, the two countries agreed to start regular ministerial-level dialogue, Gemba said, adding that Japan will consider the feasibility of an FTA with Turkey within this new framework.

Turkey is planning to build nuclear power plants in three locations by 2023. The talks between Tokyo and Ankara on the construction of its second nuclear complex, as well as on a civilian nuclear power pact, were suspended following the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

Gemba is on an eight-day tour that started Thursday and will also take him to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to discuss regional and energy issues.

via Japan, Turkey agree to restart nuclear cooperation – MarketWatch.

January 7, 2012
Solidarity action in Istanbul/Turkey for the 64 punks arrested in Aceh/Indonesia

Contributed by: aforum

On the 11th of December 2011, in the very conservative and religious province of Aceh in Indonesia, 64 punks who were attending a punkrock show, were arrested and taken to jail without any criminal charges whatsoever. The only reason for them to be victim of that totally arbitrary state repression was that they are punks. The police shaved their hair off and removed their piercings, their clothes were taken away from them, replaced by “decent” ones and they were forced to wash themselves in a “religious ritual”. Then they were brainwashed and “re-educated” for ten days through “religious education” and “military discipline”.

Solidarity action in Istanbul/Turkey for the 64 punks arrested in Aceh/Indonesia

On the 11th of December 2011, in the very conservative and religious province of Aceh in Indonesia, 64 punks who were attending a punkrock show, were arrested and taken to jail without any criminal charges whatsoever.

The only reason for them to be victim of that totally arbitrary state repression was that they are punks. The police shaved their hair off and removed their piercings, their clothes were taken away from them, replaced by “decent” ones and they were forced to wash themselves in a “religious ritual”. Then they were brainwashed and “re-educated” for ten days through “religious education” and “military discipline”.

Against this outrageous police action, solidarity actions and demonstration took place in Moscow, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, China and Malaysia.

On the 24th of December a solidarity concert for the Indonesian punks was organized in Istanbul with the Hardcore/Punk bands POSTER-ITI and FRANKENSTEIN to inform people and gather supporters for the protest on the following day.

On the 25th of December at 3:00 in the afternoon, as a sign of solidarity with the “Aceh 64”and as a reaction to this ultra-repressive measure of the Indonesian state, 30 punks and anarchist activists attacked and vandalized the outside walls of the “Indonesian Consulate General” located at “Seneryildizi Sokak, No. 22/11 Etiler” in Istanbul, Turkey.

While playing punkrock music with a portable sound system, those 30 activists spray-painted the consulate with slogans saying: ”Dinleriyik Yoket (Abolish all Religions)“, “Free Aceh Punx”, “ACAB”, “Punklar burda (The Punks are Here)” and “Özgur Kal (Stay Free)”. The doors were covered with stickers and graffiti and two large banners were hung on the consulate walls saying: ”Free the Indonesian Punks” and “Bütün Devletler Fasittir, Polisler kiralik Katil (All governments are fascist, all cops are assassins)”. Afterwards a small but loud demonstration took place in the very rich and elitist vicinity of the consulate in support of the 64 Indonesian punks, expensive cars were decorated with anarchist symbols and some vandalism occurred until the 30 activists dispersed and vanished.

There was no interference with the police whatsoever and fortunately nobody was arrested.

Flyer that distributed during action:

In the region Aceh in Indonesia, 65 punks were put into police custody without any criminal charges.

They were arrested just for being different. The police shaved their hair off and removed their piercings and they will now be brainwashed through “religious education” and “military discipline”.

We strongly protest against this new fascist attempt to oppress and punish everybody who does not want to fit into their disgusting capitalist mainstream. State repression and police brutality is getting worse and worse every day worldwide and we are sick of it. We will fight back.

WE MIGHT BE FEW BUT WE STAND TOGETHER!

———————

What happened in Aceh?

After years of war and the devastation of the 2004 tsunami, a peace process was started which resulted in considerable autonomy for Indonesia’s northernmost province. Former GAM fighters won the elections. One of the changes they brought in was a form of Islamic Syaria’h law, which is not enforced in any other part of Indonesia. Currently Aceh is in the run-up to new elections and different candidates are pitching their image to the public.

In nearly all parts of Indonesia there is a large punk scene. Many young homeless kids are attracted by the music and the lifestyle and can support each other in many ways, forming a subcultural community. Indonesian punks often earn a living by busking on buses or at traffic lights, and travel the country for free, hitch-hiking on the back of trucks. But at concerts, which are usually free or cheap and organised according to DIY ethics, people from all backgrounds come along.

The concert on 10th December 2011 was a benefit gig to raise money for orphans. Apparently the event started at about 3pm and it was supposed to continue into the night. but at 21.30, police climbed onto the stage and demanded that the event should finish. The people there tried to negotiate for the gig to continue, but the cops didn’t seem to care. Reacting to the cops’ behaviour, the punks started singing a popular resistance song, Darah Juang (blood of struggle), but as it happened, that song seemed to provoke the anger of the cops who then started beating people and arresting them.

The arrested punks were taken to the Seulawah National Police School one hour from Banda Aceh city. That’s where their hair was shaved off and they were forced into the lake. Punks in Aceh who weren’t arrested have found it difficult to get any communication with their friends, because it seems they are in isolation.

Worldwide solidarity actions:

December 28, 2011