The Göktürk satellite will also be used for monitoring civilian activities such as control of forestland, tracking illegal construction.
China will launch Turkey’s first intelligence satellite, Göktürk-2, for $20 million since Turkey lacks the required technology to launch the satellite. Göktürk-2, which will be capable of detecting the movements of objects smaller than even one square meter, will help capture terrorists infiltrating Turkish borders.
The optical camera for the satellite has been bought from South Korea, while all the other parts have been produced and manufactured in Turkey. Göktürk is expected to be launched in December or in early 2012.
The Göktürk satellite will also be used for monitoring civilian activities such as control of forestland, tracking illegal construction, rapid assessment of damage after natural disasters, determination of agricultural boundaries and geographical data gathering. The project also aims to furnish national industries with the capability to design and integrate satellite systems and run tests on them here in Turkey.
Turkish defense industry companies and research centers Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Aselsan, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) and Turksat will participate in all phases of the project. The project consists of the construction of an electro-optic satellite system that will be put into orbit, a fixed land station and a mobile land station.
However, it is said that Israel is trying to block the launch of Göktürk-2, fearing that Turkey will be able to monitor Israel’s territory.
Cihan news agency
via China to launch Turkey’s first intelligence satellite in December | General | World Bulletin.
Could Turkey be heading towards membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization? China, at least, seems enthusiastic about it, according to a report in the Associated Press of Pakistan:
“China is very positive for Turkey to become a SCO dialogue partner. However, whether it become dialogue partner it would depend on the consensus of the member states of the SCO”, said Cheng Guoping, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister…
“Turkey is a friendly country of China and in terms of economic, political, security and people-to-people cultural exchanges and cooperation we have very smooth cooperation”, Cheng observed.
Now, becoming a “dialogue partner” would put Turkey in the same class as Belarus and Sri Lanka, which is to say, not very significant in the SCO. But it’s still an intriguing move, not least because it seems like China is especially interested in Turkey’s cooperation. A Chinese scholar, Zhao Huasheng, speaking recently here in Washington, mooted Turkey as a possible cooperation partner, as well. As Cheng put it:
The SCO is an open organization as defined in its charter, he said, noting that it is willing to cooperate with “organizations and nations that hold the same opinions as us”.
How, exactly, China imagines that Turkey has “the same opinions” as China is not clear, but that’s an interesting statement, in the context. Last year the two countries carried out two rounds of military exercises, which raised some eyebrows in Washington.
Turkey reportedly had some interest in SCO cooperation a few years ago, but I haven’t been able to find any Turkish official commentary on this, or analysis (if there is some out there, I’d love to hear about it).
The SCO is holding its 10th anniversary summit in Astana on June 15, and according to the Kazakh hosts, there probably isn’t too much to expect, at least in terms of expansion of the group, other than adding Afghanistan as an observer:
The Summit is highly unlikely to produce decisions on expanding the full members list but is going to review Afghanistan’s bid to obtain an observer status.
But it’ll be worth watching to see if Turkey comes up in the discussion.
via Turkey, China and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization | EurasiaNet.org.
China will launch Turkey’s first intelligence satellite, Göktürk-2, for $20 million since Turkey lacks the required technology to launch the satellite. Göktürk-2, which will be capable of detecting the movements of objects smaller than even one square meter, will help capture terrorists infiltrating Turkish borders.
The optical camera for the satellite has been bought from South Korea, while all the other parts have been produced and manufactured in Turkey. Göktürk is expected to be launched in December or in early 2012.
The Göktürk satellite will also be used for monitoring civilian activities such as control of forestland, tracking illegal construction, rapid assessment of damage after natural disasters, determination of agricultural boundaries and geographical data gathering. The project also aims to furnish national industries with the capability to design and integrate satellite systems and run tests on them here in Turkey.
Turkish defense industry companies and research centers Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Aselsan, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) and Turksat will participate in all phases of the project. The project consists of the construction of an electro-optic satellite system that will be put into orbit, a fixed land station and a mobile land station.
However, it is said that Israel is trying to block the launch of Göktürk-2, fearing that Turkey will be able to monitor Israel’s territory.
There is growing evidence that some of the world’s major developing economies might be overheating. China and Turkey in particular.
China has been experiencing rapid economic growth for nearly the whole of the previous decade. The Shanghai composite index is up over 100% since 2005, and roughly 500% in the past 15 years.
That growth may be coming at a cost. In May, the Chinese Consumer Price Index rose at an annualized rate of 5.5%. This was after the CPI declined in April to 5.3% from 5.4% in March.
The Chinese have been struggling with containing food inflation for quite some time. In November of 2010, the price of 18 key vegetables rose at an annualized rate of 62.4%, according to Business Insider.
Food inflation might harm the pocketbooks of Chinese consumers, but Ken Peng—an economist at Citigroup—is warning that wage increases might be behind the inflation, according to Business Day.
If wages are the driving force behind the inflation, the Chinese economy might be in for a turbulent future, as wage price inflation could signal that Chinese economic agents are factoring in higher inflation expectations.
Turkey is facing similar problems.
In May, inflation in the Turkey rose at an annualized rate of 7.2%. Perhaps most alarming, however, was not the actual rate of inflation but rather the rate of increase—inflation was up 2.4% from April.
Reuters reported that the International Monetary Fund was barred from releasing its full report on Turkey. The Turkish government stated that the report was written by an “inexperienced analyst.” Was this a valid critique, or is Turkey afraid to acknowledge the truth?
Perhaps the economies of Turkey and China are overheating because the central banks of those countries are stubbornly refusing to enact the necessary reforms.
The Central Bank of Turkey is attempting to fight inflation by increasing reserve rate requirements—the percentage of deposits a bank must hold as reserves—but refusing to hike interest rates. A policy CNBC described as “unorthodox.”
The People’s Bank of China, on the other hand, has hiked interest rates and increased reserve requirements to no avail. Some economic commentators have stated that China should remove its currency peg to the dollar. In that case, the Chinese yuan may appreciate, and inflation in China might subside.
There have been speculative announcements that the Chinese might do exactly that, but as of yet, no follow through.
These economies may face significant hardships in the future if there central banks cannot get a hold on inflation. However, both economies appear to be growing for a reason, and that growth may continue over the longer term.
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via Will Central Banks of China and Turkey Doom Their Economies? | Benzinga.com.
China admits ‘secret’ aircraft carrier is nearly ready for launch
Officials suggest refurbished former Soviet vessel will operate in disputed waters including Taiwan Straits
guardian.co.uk
The rusty-looking Varyag aircraft carrier sold by the Ukraine to China passes through the Bosphorus near Istanbul in 2001 en route to Dalian where it has been refurbished to join the Chinese naval fleet. China initially claimed it was going to be a floating casino. Photograph: Kerim Okten/EPA
The rusty-looking Varyag aircraft carrier sold by the Ukraine passes through the Bosphorus
China has moved a step closer to launching its first aircraft carrier with senior generals in the People’s Liberation Army finally confirming one of the world’s worst kept military secrets.
Officers from the general staff acknowledged the existence of a carrier, which one of them described as a “symbol of a great nation”, amid reports that it could set sail within weeks.
The vessel in question is a defunct Soviet-era carrier formerly named the Varyag that was bought in 1998 from Ukraine by a Hong Kong company on the pretext that it would be used as a floating casino off the shores of Macau.
Instead it has been upgraded at China’s Dalian naval shipyard with combat sensors and defensive weapons and painted in the colours of the People’s Liberation Army. For several years foreigners have been kept out of the area of Dalian where the work has taken place. But the existence of a 67,500 tonne vessel is not easily concealed and in recent months photographs have appeared in state-run media.
Chen Bingde, the chief of China’s military general staff, has gone a step further in an interview published in the Hong Kong Commercial Daily (translated link), saying the 300m long carrier “is being built but has not been completed”.
His assistant chief, Qi Jianguo, suggested the vessel was both a status symbol and a long-overdue strengthening of China’s naval defence. “All of the great nations in the world own aircraft carriers – they are symbols of a great nation,” Qi was quoted as saying. “It would have been better for us if we acted sooner in understanding the oceans and mapping out our blue-water capabilities earlier.”
Referring to areas where territorial waters are disputed, he said that China faced “heavy pressure” in the South China Sea, East China Sea, Yellow Sea and the Taiwan Straits. But the carrier would never sail into the waters of other nations.
No further details have emerged, leaving military experts to speculate whether the revamped hulk will indeed mark a significant projection of Chinese military power as a “blue water” force or the revamped hulk will hold only symbolic value, lacking the technology and operational experience to challenge the US navy.
The commander of US Pacific forces, Admiral Robert Willard, told the Senate in April that he was not concerned about the carrier’s military impact but expected it would make a big impression on public opinion. “I think the change in perception by the region will be significant,” he said.
In the past year the Chinese military has surprised many foreign observers with the speed of its weapons development – notably the test flight of a J-20 stealth fighter and a “carrier-killer” missile.
China has yet to announce whether the carrier will be renamed. One report suggests it will be called Shi Lang, after a Qing dynasty admiral who conquered Taiwan – further fuelling unease about its impact on regional stability.
• This article was amended on 9 June 2011. The original suggested that the carrier will be called Shi Lang, after a Ming dynasty admiral. This has been corrected.
via China admits ‘secret’ aircraft carrier is nearly ready for launch | World news | The Guardian.
The Turkish Central Bank and the Chinese Central Bank are negotiating to support trade in national currencies, says Turkish Deputy PM Ali Babacan (2nd L).
Turkey plans to open a bank in China as a result of the developing trade and monetary relations between the two countries, according to a statement by Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Ali Babacan.
The Bank of China, the Asian county’s third-largest lender by market value, has received a license to open a branch in Istanbul, Babacan said while speaking at the Turkey China business forum held Thursday in Istanbul.
The Turkish Central Bank and the Chinese Central Bank are negotiating to support trade in national currencies, the economy minister added. “We are pleased to see that the head of the branch has been assigned by the bank to operate in Istanbul,” he said.
“We are also trying to open a Turkish bank in China as soon as possible,” Babacan said, noting that the Turkish government hopes to develop a long-term and multidimensional strategic partnership with China.
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, or ICBC, has also been looking for opportunities to open branches in Turkey, Ning Zhang, the secretary-general of the standing committee of Shenyang Municipal People’s Congress, told the Hürriyet Daily News earlier. Chinese banks started to plan new branches in Turkey following a November meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Ankara, agreeing to use local currencies, the Turkish Lira and the yuan, in bilateral trade.
More than 50 Chinese companies looking for investment and trade opportunities in the Turkish market joined Thursday’s event.
Leading energy firms from the two countries agreed to invest nearly $120 million in a solar-energy business in Turkey, the top executive of Turkey’s Akfel Engineering told the Daily News during the forum.
CEEG Solar Science & Technology, the largest solar-cell manufacturing company in China, will directly invest nearly $100 million in a new solar plant in southern Turkey, said Fatih Baltacı of Akfel. He added that his firm will invest nearly $20 million in the project.
The total electricity-generation capacity of the solar plant will be nearly 50 megawatts, according to Baltacı. “Turkey plans to reach a total of 600 MW of energy generated through solar power plants within four years,” Baltacı said, adding that Chinese solar-energy companies, primarily CEEG, are looking for a bigger share of this market.
“I believe that more investment will come to Turkey,” he said.
“The Bank of China may fund the Chinese firm for the solar investment in Turkey,” Baltacı said, noting that the location of the investment has not yet been decided, but the negotiations are continuing between the companies.
More firms eying Turkey
The DAQQ Group, which has 23 subsidiaries and joint venture companies cooperating with Germany’s Siemens and Moeller, the U.S. firm Eaton and the Swiss firm Secheron, is meanwhile eyeing investments in hydropower stations in Turkey, the Daily News has learned.
Huadong Electrical & Mechanical Engineering plans new investments in hydropower stations and renewable energy in Turkey, while Chinese manufacturers of construction equipment, including Jiangsu Jianhua Concrete Pile and Fuzhou Xia, aim to manufacture equipment in the Turkish market. The leading Chinese construction firms Shanghai Euro Sunshine Group and Zhongwei Real Estate are meanwhile among the companies looking for investment opportunities in Turkey’s rapidly growing property market.
via Turkey plans to open bank in China – Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review.
