Category: Czech Republic

  • Sarah Palin Calls for Invasion of Czech Republic

    Sarah Palin Calls for Invasion of Czech Republic

    Sarah Palin called for the invasion of the Czech Republic today in response to the recent terrorist attacks in Boston.

    In an interview with Fox News, the former governor of Alaska said that although federal investigators have yet to complete their work, the time for action is now.

    “We don’t know everything about these suspects yet,” Palin told Fox and Friends this morning, referring to Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who allegedly carried out the Boston Marathon attacks. “But we know they were Muslims from the Czech Republic.

    “I betcha I speak for a lot of Americans when I say I want to go over there right now and start teaching those folks a lesson. And let’s not stop at the Czech Republic, let’s go after all Arab countries.

    “The Arabians need to learn that they can’t keep comin’ over here and blowing stuff up. Let’s set off a couple of nukes in Islamabad, burn down Prague, then bomb the heck out of Tehran. We need to show them that we mean business.”

    Can’t See Russia…

    Although hosts Steve Doocy and Gretchen Carlson applauded Palin’s jingoism, they immediately attempted to rectify her multiple geographic errors.

    “Well Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan, which isn’t Arab,” Carlson corrected, “and Tehran is the capital of Iran, which is predominantly Persian. But I do see your point.”

    “Also Czech Republic isn’t really an Arab or even Muslim country, I don’t think,” Doocy added, “but otherwise what you’re saying makes a lot of sense. I think most Americans wish Obama would step up and lead on this one.”

    Palin, however, didn’t take kindly to being corrected and defended her analysis.

    “Steve, that’s probably one of the most ignorant things I’ve ever heard. How is Czech Republic not a Muslim country? You saw those brothers, they were Islamic and they were Chechen!”

    “Yes there were Muslim and they were ethnic Chechens,” Doocy started, “but they grew up mostly in Kyrgyzstan and the United States. And more importantly, Chechens don’t come from the Czech Republic, they come from Chechnya, which is part of Russia. ”

    “What’s the difference?” Palin responded. “Isn’t Russia part of the Czech Republic?”

    “No, the Czech Republic is a separate country. It’s part of the European Union and a strong NATO ally,” Doocy noted. “But heck, why not? Let’s invade. What could go wrong?”

    “Yeah and while we’re at it,” Carlson added, “let’s call the Queen of England and see if the U.K. will join us.”

    In a statement released after the interview, Palin attacked Fox News and its “pro-Islamic” and “pro-geography” bias.

    “This is just another case of the politically correct liberal media refusing to tell the truth about radical Islam,” she said.

  • Czech firms turn toward Turkey

    Czech firms turn toward Turkey

    The two countries’ prime ministers focus on trade links at bilateral summit

    Walter Novak

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    Nečas says there is scope for growth in trade between Turkey and the Czech Republic.

    By Markéta Hulpachová and Daniel Bardsley

    Staff Writers

    The growing energy sector in Turkey offers major opportunities for Czech companies, the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has indicated on a visit to Prague.

    As the Czech utility ČEZ continues its heavy involvement in Turkey, Erdoğan said there would be scope for more Czech firms, with work such as cleaning up power plants and providing generators likely to figure highly.

    Erdoğan even suggested there might be chances in the nuclear industry as Turkey presses ahead with its plan for three plants.

    Making his comments Feb. 4 after talks with Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas, the Turkish prime minister said he wanted bilateral trade, currently around $2.65 billion a year, to nearly double to $5 billion in the coming years.

    “The Czech Republic is skilled in energy infrastructure, has a lot of know-how and experience, and Turkey expects advancement, especially in hydro, coal [and] gas power plants,” Erdoğan said at a press conference alongside Nečas.

    There was, he said, “room for cooperation” in work to reduce emissions at the country’s coal- and gas-fired power plants, adding the two countries should “take steps” together in nuclear energy.

    “Now, a third nuclear plant is planned, and there is a possibility this will be a part of our strengthened mutual cooperation and contribute to raising the current [trade volume] numbers,” he said, referring to Turkey’s plan for its third nuclear power station – its first is not due to begin power generation until 2020 – to be built at Iğneada on the Black Sea coast.

    ČEZ has for several years had major investments in Turkey, notably holding a stake in Akenerji, a major power-generation company, whose projects have included the building of the Egemer-Erzin gas-fired power plant, due to begin operations late next year. Škoda Power, based in Plzeň, has also secured large contracts in the power-generation sector, while other Czech players in Turkey include engineering companies Vítkovice and ČKD.

    There could be opportunities for smaller Czech companies to win contracts, suggested Petr Bartek, an energy analyst at Erste Group Bank A in Prague.

    “There’s a long-term experience in small Czech companies with construction of pipes and power plants and such things, so in Turkey there’s the outlook that there will be more installed capacity needed, and our companies are offering to bring the expertise,” he said.

    “It’s not only about ČEZ, which is investing money there. It’s mainly about the small and midsize companies in the energy sector. This whole industry is quite well developed in the Czech Republic, and we have the know-how, and Turkey is a market that is expected to grow pretty fast in energy.”

    Fueled by economic development in the country of 76 million, Turkey’s total electricity consumption could reach as much as 368 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2020, compared with 159.4 TWh in 2008.

    Linked to Erdoğan’s visit, media reported that the Czech Republic and Turkey had finalized a memorandum of strategic energy partnership.

    Nečas said there was scope for further significant growth in bilateral trade on the back of heavy increases in recent years.

    “In the past 10 years, mutual trade has increased sevenfold, but we shouldn’t be happy with that as there is enormous potential for further development,” he said.

    While Czech companies have been active in Turkey, especially in the energy sector, the presence of Turkish firms in the Czech Republic has been limited.

    Indeed, Václav Hubinger, the Czech ambassador to Turkey, told media during a recent interview “the Turkish presence in the Czech market is almost zero.”

    Erdoğan’s visit could help to change that, since the agenda also featured a business forum that included Czech companies and Turkish businesses. Significantly, the Turkish prime minister was accompanied by representatives of about 100 Turkish companies.

    After talks between the two prime ministers, Nečas said he supported allowing Turkey entry into the European Union, while Erdoğan told media that membership for his country would improve the standing of the EU.

    “The European Union should get strength from Turkey if it wants to be a global economic and political power. Today, the EU needs Turkey, not the other way around,” Erdoğan said.

    While saying Turkey’s possible joining of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – a possibility some commentators have not taken seriously – did not preclude the country joining the EU, he criticized the 27-member European bloc for failing to grant Turkey membership so far.

    The EU also came in for criticism over what Erdoğan indicated were inadequate efforts to aid Turkey’s efforts to combat terrorism. “We cannot seem to receive the necessary support from Europe,” he said in comments reported by the Turkish-based Hürriyet Daily News.

    “Even when we alert the authorities on suspects and provide evidence of their terrorist acts, we don’t receive attention. They tell us they are following those suspects.”

    The writers can be reached at business@praguepost.com

    via Czech firms turn toward Turkey – Business – The Prague Post.

  • Czechs join NATO defense mission in Turkey

    In the next couple of weeks, four Czech soldiers are set to join other troops from Germany, Holland, Slovakia and others in Turkey. The NATO-approved mission aims to help the Turks protect their border with Syria and prevent the civil war in Syria from spilling over.

    German Military trucks and other vehicles for the ‘Patriot’ defense missiles are loaded onto the Danish ferry in the harbor of Luebeck, January 8, 2013, photo:

    German Military trucks and other vehicles for the ‘Patriot’ defense missiles are loaded onto the Danish ferry in the harbor of Luebeck, January 8, 2013, photo: CTKGerman Military trucks and other vehicles for the ‘Patriot’ defense missiles are loaded onto the Danish ferry in the harbor of Luebeck, January 8, 2013, photo: CTK In early December, the US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced to the Turkish military that America was ready to help defend its NATO ally. Soon after, the German and Dutch parliaments also approved the deployment of their Patriot PAC-3 missile defense batteries that will protect the southern Turkish-Syrian border. To service the missile defense system and help the Turkish army reinforce their other defense mechanisms, a little over 1,000 NATO troops have also been deployed.

    The Czech soldiers will join their Slovak and Polish colleagues from the 3rd NATO communication battalion by the end of January. German and Dutch troops should already be on the ground in southern Turkey. According to Petr Pavel, the chief-of-staff of the Czech army, the Czech soldiers are going to Turkey in an assistance capacity.

    Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas, Petr Pavel, photo: CTKCzech Prime Minister Petr Nečas, Petr Pavel, photo: CTK “The Turks have asked for the Patriot missile defense system after a Turkish airplane was shot down in June of last year. Our soldiers will not be directly part of the Patriot system. They will be in supporting positions of its command and operations system.”

    The four soldiers from the Lipník nad Bečvou military base belong to the 102nd communication division and are trained to operate the DCM communication module, which usually serves mobile command posts. Their role in the mission is to set up and oversee the communication system between the commanders of the NATO mission and the units operating the Patriot defense system.

    Binnish, Syria, photo: CTKBinnish, Syria, photo: CTK The Syrian government and media cried foul immediately after NATO agreed to send Patriot missiles and troops to Turkey, claiming that the Northern alliance is actually trying to protect insurgents in the north of the country. But Turkish officials say they are simply trying to prevent any Syrian missiles from penetrating their airspace again. The Patriot missiles, they claim, will be positioned far enough from the border that they would not be able to help anti-government troops in Syria.

    So far, the allied mission in Turkey is set to take place in four three-month rotations of army specialists. NATO is likely to request the Czech Republic to participate in each of them, but as of right now the Czech soldiers are planning to return home in April.

    via Radio Prague – Czechs join NATO defense mission in Turkey.

  • TOP PROTON THERAPY CENTER BEING OPENED IN THE HEART OF EUROPE

    TOP PROTON THERAPY CENTER BEING OPENED IN THE HEART OF EUROPE

    phPRESS RELEASE

    Prague, 12 December 2012

    TOP PROTON THERAPY CENTER BEING OPENED IN THE HEART OF EUROPE

    From December 2012, oncological patients can access proton therapy in a brand new Proton Therapy Center Czech which has just opened in Prague. It is only a fifth center in Europe and currently the best equipped center in the world. The facility is going to attract child and adult cancer patients from throughout the world who are seeking advanced cancer care with few treatment-related side effects.

    Launching its first fixed-beam treatment room, the center is going to treat prostate and brain cancer this year. With launching another four treatment rooms, it will soon start treating head and neck tumors, child cancer, lung cancer, eye melanoma or pancreatic cancer; this means indications that are difficult to treat by conventional radiotherapy. The benefits for the patients are mainly lower damage of healthy tissue, less side effects and complications and better chances of cure. Ability to precisely irradiate only the tumor with the highest possible dose is what makes proton therapy a revolutionary form of cancer treatment.

    The center provides the necessary comfort for international patients, including English and Russian speaking medical personnel. There are patient managers who help facilitating medical visas, medical documentation and made to measure services for foreign patients. The center provides full entry examinations and diagnostic methods including PET/CT scanning.It also employs international specialists in medical physics and radiation oncology such as the former medical director of the Rinecker Proton Therapy Center in Munich, Germany. “The goal of the Czech center is to maximize the curability in the shortest time possible by applying maximal treatment dose, “ saysProfessor Dr. Herbst.


    ABOUT PROTON THERAPY CENTER CZECH
    Proton Therapy Center Czech is a privately owned and operated cancer center that relies on the power of proton beams to cure cancers with minimal treatment-related side effects. The center operates in cooperation with the public hospitals and clinics of the Czech Republic and other proton therapy centers abroad both already running (RPTC Pennsylvania, UFPTI Jacksonville) and being prepared (University of Uppsala Sweden, PTC Holland, Krakow). With the idea of making the treatment available to the largest number of patients PTC Czech has already started preparing patient programs with the leading oncological centers in Europe, Asia and Africa. Website: http://en.ptc.cz/

    Press contact: Jana Kulhankova, Ph.D., jana.kulhankova@ptc.cz

  • Czech FM scolds Turkey over Cyprus EU stance

    Czech FM scolds Turkey over Cyprus EU stance

    FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE

    5 8 2012 6 41 56 PM 2278192

    In a terse statement aimed at Turkey, the Czech First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg has said that no country from outside the European Union can intermingle in it or proclaim conditions for another member state.

    Turkey has declared that it will not participate in any EU session when Cyprus is hosting the presidency, which begins on July 1.

    Schwarzenberg was speaking after meeting his Cypriot counterpart, Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, when they examined issues concerning the EU and the forthcoming presidency of the European Council.

    In her remarks, Marcoullis warmly welcomed the FM of the Czech Republic, noting “that with the Czech Republic we have longstanding and very strong bonds of friendship and cooperation on a number of issues and in many fields”.

    As members of the EU, she said, that joined together on the 1st May 2004, “we have embarked on this very important membership in the EU in the family of the EU”, noting the Czech republic already had a very successful presidency and Cyprus is now preparing for its own presidency of the Council of the EU in less than two months.

    “We discussed today all these issues, our bilateral relations and how we can make this relationship even stronger in some new fields of cooperation”, she added.

    Marcoullis said they also discussed regional issues, issues that are being examined in the Foreign Affairs Council, particularly the Southern Neighbourhood and the situation in the countries of the Arab Spring. She briefed her colleague on Cyprus’ preparations for the EU and discussed the Cyprus issue.

    Concluding, Marcoullis said “we look forward to much stronger and closer cooperation”.

    In his remarks, Schwarzenberg congratulated Marcoullis who will be at the helm of the Presidency, noting it “will be a very exciting experience. I am sure that she will manage it very well”.

    He said the Czech Republic will respond to the Cyprus presidency, for whatever it is needed and is ready to offer its experiences.

    Referring to Turkey’s reaction to Cyprus assuming the presidency of the European Council, Schwarzenberg said “we are very disappointed that a neighbouring country of Cyprus, instead of using the chance of a country which expressively says that it wishes to become a member of the EU, instead of using this in its own ambition to become a member of the EU, evidently, it acts in the wrong way to the Cyprus presidency”.

    He stressed “I can assure one thing that the EU and its member states won’t let blackmail by anybody in the world. We have a member state and the member states are entitled to the presidency – STOP. You see nobody from outside can intermingle in it or proclaim conditions and I hope that Turkey will understand that the Cyprus presidency is a chance for Turkey, much more than anything else”.

    Concluding, he said “I hope very much that Cyprus will be successful in its projects of extracting gas and oil in its territorial waters”.

    via Czech FM scolds Turkey over Cyprus EU stance.

  • Czech President Klaus backs Turkey’s EU bid

    Czech President Klaus backs Turkey’s EU bid

    Czech President Klaus backs Turkey’s EU bid

    Český prezident Václav Klaus na návštěvě Ankary, vlevo je jeho turecký protějšek Abdullah Gül.
    Český prezident Václav Klaus na návštěvě Ankary, vlevo je jeho turecký protějšek Abdullah Gül.

    published: 14.02.2012, 15:46 | updated: 14.02.2012 16:00:12

    Ankara – Current economic EU problems cannot be any reason to weaken support to Turkey’s EU bid and the reverse should be true, Czech President Vaclav Klaus said after meeting his counterpart Abdullah Guel today.

    Accompanied with over 60 Czech businessmen, Klaus has started a four-day state visit to Turkey.

    “I am sure Europe needs a change, it needs to be woken up, it needs to be shaken. The entry of such a big and dynamic country as Turkey could spark off the shock,” Klaus said.

    Klaus is a long-standing proponent of Turkey’s EU membership.

    “The Czech Republic is a clear and obvious supporter of Turkey with its EU bid,” Klaus said.

    Guel said Klaus’s stand on the EU and Turkey was well-known, adding that he thanked him for this.

    Guel said Klaus was a critic of some EU steps.

    He said it could be seen now that his views were right.

    Klaus and Guel also agreed on the solution to the situation in Syria. They said it was untenable and a change had to occur.

    “A domestic and regional solution should take precedence over decisions coming from outside the region. The farther from the area, the more simplistic view,” Klaus said.

    Klaus stressed the importance of his trip for Czech businessmen.

    “Along with me, the biggest business delegation in the history of the Czech Republic is coming. For the first time, we are flying by two, not one plane. This is evidence of our great interest,” Klaus said.

    Later in the afternoon, Klaus will open the Czech-Turkish Business Forum that will continue in the Turkish towns of Adana and Mersin.

    A number of contracts will be signed. Representatives of the Czech Export Bank are to confirm the mandate agreement on financing the construction of port infrastructure and a trade center in Istanbul.

    Author: ČTK

    www.ctk.cz

    via Czech President Klaus backs Turkey’s EU bid – ČeskéNoviny.cz.