Category: South Asia

Turkish Airlines plans expansion in India

By IBTimes Staff Reporter | November 16, 2010 7:12 AM EST

(Photo: REUTERS/Anatolian Anatolian) A Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-400

Turkish Airlines is mulling over starting flights from destinations in South India, Levent Bilman, Turkish Ambassador to India, told ENS, adding that this would connect Indian travelers to 93 places across Europe.

“Turkish Airlines is exploring new destinations in India. Talks are on with civil aviation authority for connecting Istanbul with Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata,” he said.

Currently operating seven flights from Mumbai and Delhi, the airline plans to increase its services with more than 14 flights a week.

According to travel industry experts, Turkish Airlines will lure Indian travelers mainly for its connectivity to Europe, including destinations such as Germany, France, the UK and Russia. The airline’s connectivity to Middle East and Africa would be another attraction, they pointed out.

Tourism industry officials note that more than half the tourists visiting Europe and Russia transit through Istanbul. Therefore, Turkish Airlines’ increased service between India and Turkey would be a tourist-friendly move.

Turkish Airlines is expanding services globally. Recently the airline resumed services between Istanbul and Moscow with four flights a week, and launched nonstop flights from Istanbul to Washington DC.

International Business Times

November 17, 2010
Greece frets over Turkey’s ties to Iran

Ankara’s NATO role questioned

By Ben Birnbaum

Turkey’s growing ties to Iran and opposition to NATO missile defenses targeting Tehran are raising “many doubts about Turkey’s future” among officials in the alliance, Greece’s No. 2 defense official says.

“I’m a bit pessimistic about the Turkish future,” Greek Deputy Defense Minister Panagiotis A. Beglitis said in an interview with The Washington Times. Mr. Beglitis was in Washington on Thursday for meetings with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen and other Pentagon officials.

Mr. Beglitis said Turkey’s government recently “objected to mentioning Iran as a potential threat in a NATO text concerning” missile-defense doctrine.

“Also, they objected very, very recently to [the Security Council] of the United Nations concerning sanctions against Iran. They voted against sanctions. That’s the reality. We have to pay attention to that,” he said.

Mr. Beglitis said he does not know what the future holds for Turkey’s place within NATO, but he said Greece “share[s] the same concerns with many, many colleagues within the alliance.”

Greek Deputy Defense Minister Panagiotis A. Beglitis says he is concerned about the Turkish government’s growing ties with Iran. In an interview Thursday, he said it may have an impact on the NATO alliance. (Associated Press)”I can tell you I would not be surprised to see a Turkey outside of the Western institutions and playing an autonomous strategic role in the whole region.”

Turkish officials declined to comment on Mr. Beglitis’ statements.

Turkey also had a strong alliance with Israel until December 2008, when Israel launched its 22-day war against Hamas in Gaza. Relations further deteriorated after May 31, when nine Turkish nationals were killed in a confrontation with Israeli commandos aboard a ship seeking to run Israel’s blockade of the territory.

Turkey has demanded an apology from Israel for the deaths. Israel has refused.

Greece, a historical rival of Turkey, meanwhile, has been developing closer ties to Israel.

via Greece frets over Turkey’s ties to Iran.

November 15, 2010
Turkey, Bangladesh forge links, seek higher cooperation in trade

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for a higher level of trade with Bangladesh on Sunday, vowing to support the South Asian Muslim country in international platforms.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited the International Turkish Hope High School in Bangladesh and was moved by a warm welcome from students of the educational institute.

“We will never leave Bangladesh alone,” Erdoğan told reporters in a joint press conference with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina in capital Dhaka during his two-day visit. This visit, which was the first Turkish prime ministerial visit in 21 years to the country, was to bolster growing trade relations and bilateral ties between the two countries. The two prime ministers held bilateral talks and meetings with delegations before the news conference, which Erdoğan defined as “very useful.”

State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, State Minister Mehmet Aydın, who is also the co-Chairman of the Turkey-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission, Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız, Deputy Chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Nükhet Hotar and Samsun Deputy Suat Kılıç accompanied Erdoğan during his visit.

Noting that he is pleased to be in a “friendly and brotherly” country, Erdoğan said he assessed the current level of bilateral ties between the two countries today with his counterpart.

Erdoğan said, “Turkey is one of the first countries that recognized Bangladesh’s independence. Our relations have increasingly strengthened. We appreciate and follow Bangladesh’s steps in its path to development. We are monitoring its successful record in human rights, rule of law and gender equality. There have never been problems between Turkey and Bangladesh. In addition, the two countries also display solidarity in international organization. We want to continue to enhance our economic, cultural and political cooperation,” Erdoğan told the news conference.

Pointing to the fact that trade volume between the two countries was only $47 million in 2002 but reached $658 million by 2009, Erdoğan said these numbers don’t reflect the potential between Turkey and Bangladesh. The prime minister said they have increased the previously set $1 billion goal for 2015 to $3 billion. “There should be more, not less,” Erdoğan underlined.

Erdoğan also noted that Turkish Airlines will launch direct flights to Dahka on Dec. 23 this year, which he believes will increase trade and tourism and solidarity between the two nations.

Turkey and Bangladesh are also in the Developing-8 (D-8) — an arrangement for development cooperation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey — that enhances dialogue between the two countries.

The establishment of the D-8, an organization aimed at fostering economic cooperation among its Muslim developing country members, was announced officially by a summit of heads of state and government in İstanbul in June 1997.

Saying that there is also cooperation between Bangladesh and Turkey in the sphere of education, Erdoğan said Turkey is helping the country in bachelor, masters and military education.

Turkey and Bangladesh signed two agreements in health and diplomatic sectors during Erdoğan’s visit. The first agreement envisages cooperation in the health sector between the two countries. The second agreement is about granting plots of land for diplomatic missions both in Ankara and Dhaka.

Hasina also said talks held with Erdoğan and with the Turkish delegation took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Noting that they hold similar views on many topics in international affairs, Hasina said they have an agreement in the struggle against any type of terrorism.

Hasina stated they agreed to continue cooperation in health, education and the defense industry.

“I want to express my admiration to Prime Minister Erdoğan for his success in international relations and his leadership,” Hasina concluded.

Before his meetings with Bangladeshi officials, Erdoğan visited Savar National Cemetery on his second day in Dhaka. Erdoğan later was expected to hold talks with Bangladesh’s President Muhammad Zillur Rahman and was set to proceed to a lunch hosted by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).

During his visit, Erdoğan also visited International Turkish Hope High School, which was established in 1996 by Turkish businessmen, where he was welcomed by traditional Turkish and Bangladeshi dances and songs, congratulating those who have contributed to the foundation and maintenance of the school.

While the host school ran video footage featuring Erdoğan reciting the poem “Canım İstanbul,” Erdoğan and other ministers nearly wept. Stressing that his presence here has a special meaning, Erdoğan said it is pleasing to see Turks and Bangladeshis moving together towards the same goal.

Speaking at a ceremony at the high school, Erdoğan said Bangladesh and Turkey are two countries that have no problems between one another. Noting that Bangladesh could be one of the most modern countries in the world, Erdoğan said the country has a young population of 160 million and could successfully utilize this human capital. Erdoğan also stressed the need for democracy and noted there needs not be compromise to achieve freedom. “Better democracy, better life standards, better economy,” Erdoğan pointed out.

via Today’s Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news.

November 15, 2010
VIEW: Lessons from Turkey —Usman Mujib Shami

The Deep State, the name given by pro-democracy Turks to the alliance of the judiciary and military, has gradually lost strength and authority at the hands of the wisdom and vision displayed by the political leadership, a quality rarely found amongst the leaders of our country

Think of a country
marked with a history of frequent military interventions, political instability, human rights violations, and fierce standoffs between its right and left wings; a place where thousands have lost their lives to the quarrels triggered by the religious, ideological, and ethnic differences. Reading these lines, you might be thinking of Pakistan. However, it would be surprising for many people to know that these words describe the history of the Republic of Turkey as adequately as they highlight Pakistan’s past. It is amazing how similar is the (recent) history shared by the two countries, but more astonishing is the fact that Turkey has been able to break itself free from its gloomy past and turned into what can be safely referred to as today’s economic giant.

A recent visit to the country that took place as a result of Rumi Forum’s invitation revealed the aspects of Turkey’s economic and social development that are more than enough to baffle any visitor from a country like Pakistan. Rumi Forum is a Turkish organisation working in Pakistan under the Gulen Movement, a movement known by the name of one of the most influential religious scholars of Turkey — Fethullah Gulen. An initiative that primarily started in the 1960s with establishing dormitories for Turkish students with conservative backgrounds has today turned into a colossal movement providing services in the fields of education and health, and promoting dialogue and inter-faith harmony through media and dialogue forums. These numerous organisation in various fields are knitted together primarily by one simple vision — eradication of poverty and ignorance, and peaceful coexistence between the different sects of society, i.e. promoting tolerance. The impact of the organisation’s efforts on Turkish society is enormous and beyond comprehension.

Coming back to Turkey, visiting the place puts one in an ambivalent state. On the one hand is the joy of witnessing one of the most successful Muslim countries, particularly in light of its economy. On the other is the depression caused by the realisation of the precious years wasted by our countrymen. Turkey’s development highlights the fact that achieving economic supremacy is no mission impossible (given that the intent is present). It is almost unbelievable that a country that was experiencing one of the worst economic crises of its history in 2002 has managed to achieve such a dramatic turnaround. Government’s nominal debt stock that stood at an alarming level of 74.4 percent of GDP has shown a persistent decrease, falling to around 45 percent by the end of 2009. Today’s Turkey is characterised by a GDP of more than $ 600 billion, which is amongst the top 20 in the world, and a growth rate of over 7 percent per annum, which also makes it one of the fastest recovering economies from the global financial crisis of 2007.

More impressive than the economic highlights of the country are the trust and belief exhibited by the common public in Turkey’s leadership. The Justice and Development Party (AKP), after ruling the land for five years from 2002 through 2007, managed to defend its majority in parliament during the 2007 elections; a clear indication of the success of its leadership that is still quite popular across the various segments of Turkish society.

The new face of Turkey, as many locals refer to it, is characterised by the supremacy of democracy. The recent referendum is believed to have blocked the path of military interventions for good. The 26-point referendum has led to amendments in the constitution that was promulgated by the military coup of 1980. A major amendment aims to abolish the article of the constitution that provides protection to coup leaders. Thus military leaders involved in such plans can now be tried in civilian courts.

The violent quarrels of the past have been replaced by a peaceful dialogue, in most aspects, in a society that still faces a vast ideological distance between the two schools of thought. The liberation of the social and economic structure has been achieved despite the forceful opposition of the judiciary and the military junta, making the accomplishment even more praiseworthy. The Deep State, the name given by pro-democracy Turks to the alliance of the judiciary and military, has gradually lost strength and authority at the hands of the wisdom and vision displayed by the political leadership, a quality rarely found amongst the leaders of our country.

Turkey, even today, faces some serious social challenges that mostly revolve around the issues pertaining to human rights violations, difference of opinion among various sects of society regarding sanctioning of headscarves in educational institutions, etc. It is no anomaly as it is impossible to name a country without any internal conflicts. However, the fact worth mentioning is the determination of the leadership and people for a peaceful solution to these problems. More importantly, these ideological differences have not been able to halt the process of economic liberation. Under the cover of the European Union regulations, Turkey, over the past decade, has vigorously followed a persistent economic line that is primarily characterised by export-oriented industrialisation and increased role of the private sector with a certain degree of regulation. The success of these policies is evident from the fact that its exports, which were a mere $ 36 billion in 2002, rose to a level of $ 102 billion in 2009; the export target for 2013 is set at $ 200 billion.

The development model pursued by Turkey has several important implications for a country like Pakistan. It is a pragmatic demonstration of the fact that economic development can take place despite the presence of domestic conflicts. Leaders are defined by their quality to deliver and overcome the obstacles faced in the path of development. Whining over the problems encountered is not a characteristic of effective leaders. It would be unfortunate if our political elite fail to learn a few lessons from Turkey’s political and economic progress — a country that possesses a very similar recent political history pattern but, so far, a very different future outlook.

The writer is a graduate of Institute of Business Administration, Karachi. He can be reached at usmanshami@yahoo.com

November 14, 2010
President Gül says Turkey may join ranks of BRIC countries

President Abdullah Gül has said he hoped Turkey’s economic progress would take it into the ranks of emerging BRIC countries — Brazil, Russia, India and China — although he made it clear Turkey remains committed to joining the European Union.

Gül, in an interview with the Financial Times, said the international order was shifting towards the East. “It wouldn’t be surprising if we start talking about BRIC plus T,” he said. The BRIC countries are considered to be at a similar stage of newly advanced economic development, and their growing influence in the global scene is seen as an indication of the shift in economic power from the developed West towards the developing world.

Turkey, which has built closer ties with its Middle East neighbors under the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, has been accused in the West of turning away from the Western club and cozying up to countries such as Iran.

Gül, who was on a visit to Britain to receive the prestigious Chatham House Prize, said in the interview that Turkey still saw membership in the EU as a “strategic vision” and wanted to be part of the principles that Europe defends, promising that Ankara would make sure it met all standards required for membership even though large parts of its entry negotiations are frozen.

But Gül, speaking a day before the European Commission criticized Turkey for restrictions on freedom of expression and over Cyprus in an annual progress report released on Tuesday, also complained of political obstacles raised by some EU member countries. “We see certain political issues being included in the process, which have the effect of slowing down and, to a certain extent, hijacking these negotiations. We are not happy about this,” Gül told the Financial Times on Monday.

Speaking in Oxford also on Monday, Gül said some EU member states were creating “artificial problems” in Turkey’s EU membership negotiations but said Turkey would stick to the task. “The injection of some political issues of certain member countries in the negotiating process leads to certain artificial problems that in our point of view are not fair and not acceptable,” he said at an event hosted by the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. “But Turkey is determined to move forward in the direction of working on the negotiations,” he said.

Gül declined to name any country when he complained that certain, unnamed, “short-sighted” EU countries had hidden behind the Greek Cypriots to pursue their own objective of delaying Turkey’s membership bid in interviews with the British media. But Turkish officials say some EU countries, such as France, are using the impasse over Cyprus to stall Turkey’s accession bid.

He also said one cannot say for sure that Turkey will eventually join the EU because there will be public votes in several EU countries on Turkish membership after conclusion of accession talks with Turkey. “When the time comes, those countries will decide whether or not Turkey would be a burden on them. Maybe Turkish people would say, ‘although we concluded the negotiation process successfully, let us not be a member’,” Gül told the BBC’s “HARDtalk.”

Responding to a question on Turkey’s position regarding a planned NATO-wide missile defense system, Gül was hopeful that the alliance’s upcoming summit in Lisbon will produce a consensus on the issue. “The NATO Summit will convene in Lisbon next week. I think everybody will reach a consensus in the end,” he said.

Turkey insists that no country should be named as a potential threat in relevant NATO documents, a reference to Turkey’s neighbor, Iran.

When it was pointed out that US President Barack Obama addressed Muslim countries and relayed messages about peace and dialogue when he first came to power and he was asked whether Obama has caused disappointment since then, Gül said: “No, I think he is kindhearted. He does good things sincerely. However, maybe he could not succeed. Not only Muslims but others should listen to Obama. He should also persuade others, not just one party, to achieve peace in the region.”

via Today’s Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news.

November 12, 2010
Regional approach in Turkish foreign policy and the case of Afghanistan

Regional approach in Turkish foreign policy and the case of Afghanistan

by
Şaban Kardaş*

11 November 2010, Thursday

Today’s Zaman

The activism of late observed in Turkish foreign policy demonstrates a clear preference for a regional approach to international relations. It has been almost a mantra for Turkey’s new foreign policy elite to promote regional actors’ ownership of economic and security affairs in their own neighborhood. Various such initiatives that Turkey has been spearheading recently in its adjacent regions, including the Middle East, Caucasus, Balkans and beyond, underscore Turkey’s emergence as a regional power willing and able to assume leadership roles in those regions. Turkey has been pursuing customs and visa liberalization with many of its neighbors, while initiating strategic cooperation councils with others. Similar to Turkey’s initiation of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in the 1990s, Turkey has also launched a Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform. Complementing these efforts are various other bilateral or trilateral processes under its patronage, such as the ones between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, or between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

These regional cooperation schemes are driven by a unique mix of principled and instrumental reasons. On the one hand, by forging closer economic and political ties among regional actors and providing a venue for the exchange of opinions between rival forces, Turkey hopes to promote interdependence, hence the formation of peaceful regional orders, as an end in itself. In that sense, Turkey can be seen as acting as a “good international citizen,” seeking to project a progressive, liberal internationalist outlook in its own neighborhood. Perhaps, Ahmet Davutoğlu’s depiction of Turkey as an “order instituting” power — though some find this term implies imperialistic tendencies, as reflected in the notorious debate on neo-Ottomanism — summarizes well Turkey’s desire to foster peaceful neighborhoods.

On the other hand, Turkey definitely has some self-interested reasons to invest in these sometimes costly projects, as the eventual rise of peaceful neighborhoods is likely to create a belt of stability surrounding Turkey, thus boosting its own security. Moreover, this new approach to regional affairs, equipped with soft power instruments, can reduce the anxiety of other actors, thus facilitating Turkey’s penetration into new areas in pursuit of commercial and political interests. It is, therefore, no wonder that the Turkish business community is also actively supporting the new cooperation schemes initiated by the government, as they are the most immediate benefactors of the new “trade and economic development promote peace” approach.

A recent case to show the contours of this new approach is Turkey’s efforts to form a platform to aid the stabilization and recovery of Afghanistan in the wake of the decades-old civil war and a devastating foreign intervention. In addition to various other contributions it has made towards the stabilization of Afghanistan, Turkey also initiated the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA). The fourth meeting of RECCA, co-chaired by Davutoğlu and his Afghan counterpart, Zalmai Rassoul, was held in İstanbul on Nov. 3, bringing together officials from neighboring countries as well as representatives from international organizations. On the sidelines of the conference, a business forum organized by the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) and the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), and an academic forum organized by the Foreign Ministry and Boğaziçi University, also took place, underscoring the multidimensionality of Turkey’s new approach.

The RECCA idea follows on Turkey’s accumulated experience from the platform of countries neighboring Iraq, which has played a critical role by forestalling the involvement of regional countries in Iraqi domestic affairs to capitalize opportunistically on the internal weaknesses of the country in the transition period. As such, regional actors’ coordination of their policies, though to a limited extent, has played a substantial role in dampening the tensions in the Middle East, and preventing further destabilization of Iraq and the region.

Afghanistan’s challenges and prospects

The discussions taking place at the RECCA academic platform, which I also attended, highlighted the challenges as well as the prospects of the regional approach to Afghanistan. The RECCA process has yet to produce concrete outcomes, but even the clear expression of support and commitment from Afghanistan’s neighbors to regional cooperation model as the best way to ensure Afghanistan’s economic development and political stabilization can be considered as a substantial achievement.

If the neighbors get together around the same table to discuss their possible contributions and coordinated action, instead of jockeying for power, in Afghanistan, Turkey deserves some credit. If the idea of regional ownership takes hold in this volatile corner of the world and trust among the neighboring countries can be established, it might offer the best way to tackle the many destabilizing forces that are all trans-boundary and require regional responses, such as terrorism, drug and human trafficking and organized crime. Such a regional approach can also facilitate the undertaking of massive investments needed to build transportation infrastructure and health and education facilities, as well as (re)building a functioning government apparatus. Especially promising is the prospect of constructing roads, railways and pipelines traversing Afghanistan so that it emerges as a transportation hub to facilitate the free flow of minerals, goods and people both in East-West and North-South directions.

A major challenge before this rather optimistic vision, however, is the poor condition of the existing regional institutional architecture, both in terms of physical infrastructure and legal regulations. Turkey has been single-handedly advocating this project, yet it is unclear if other regional countries do share the same degree of enthusiasm and commitment to sustain it, short of Turkey’s contributions. The countries in the region have lagged behind other parts of the world that have come a long way towards setting up effective regional organizations. In an environment where many of the regional countries are beset with political and economic crises of their own, there are grounds to maintain skepticism towards the prospects of a regional approach. Therefore, outside involvement from the international community seems necessary to maintain the momentum.

At this juncture, there emerges yet another major challenge before the regional cooperation approach to Afghanistan: What role outside players, or the international community, should be allowed to play. Ideally, one might argue that outside actors could play constructive roles by bringing in valuable technical expertise or financial resources to build functioning regional institutional mechanisms and ease Afghanistan’s socioeconomic restructuring. Despite the bad reputation of foreign involvement, which in many ways is responsible for the current standing of this country, the current Afghan government wants to see the continuation of foreign involvement, including that of the US. In the Afghan view, which is also shared by Turkey in principle, regional cooperation should proceed in tandem with the assistance of the international community. Other actors, especially Iran, are rather eager to approach regional cooperation from an exclusivist point of view, seeking to reserve the management of regional security and stability to regional actors exclusively and confine the involvement of the international community to the provision of development assistance only. This is part of Iran’s power play, in which it works to end the penetration of the US in its immediate periphery to the extent possible, as in its advocating of a similar position in the Persian Gulf.

This is a dispute Turkey definitely does not want to take part in, but it will have to confront those questions increasingly, as the regional emphasis in its foreign policy gains pace. Turkey will come under pressure to weigh the costs and benefits of pursuing its regional approach on the basis of regional exclusivity or greater harmonization with the international community.

November 11, 2010