Turkey is considering the purchase Russia’s S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft weapon system amid growing tensions in the region. According to local media, Turkey’s government is choosing between Russia’s S-400, US Patriot missile defense system, China’s FD 2000 system and French-Italian Eurosam SAMP/T.
Russia’s system is capable of combating all existing types of strategic offensive weapons, including missiles with the ground speed of 5,000 m/s, AWACS planes and reconnaissance-strike systems.
Interfax
via Turkey wants to buy Russian defense system: Voice of Russia.
Posted: 06/13/2012 10:41:05 AM PDT
Updated: 06/13/2012 10:52:31 AM PDT
ANKARA, Turkey — Russian ex-spy Anna Chapman has walked a Turkish catwalk in a long red dress at a fashion show, flanked by two men posing as secret service agents in black suit and sunglasses.
Hikmet Eraslan said Wednesday his Dosso Dossi clothing company donated to Chapman’s charity foundation for children with poor eyesight in Volgograd in return for her appearance last Friday.
The 30-year-old Chapman was deported from the United States in 2010 along with nine other Russian sleeper agents. She appeared on the runway in the Mediterranean city of Antalya, a top Turkish vacation destination.
Chapman has been keeping a high profile since her deportation to Russia, modeling, editing a magazine, giving lectures and running the foundation.
via Russian ex-spy Anna Chapman takes a turn on catwalk in Turkey – San Jose Mercury News.
Director of Information and Analytical Center Etnoglobus (ethnoglobus.az), editor of Russian section of website www.turkishnews.com , (mete62@inbox.ru)
Declaration of statement by the chairman of “Bargavac Ayastan” (Prospering Armenia)
(PA) party Gagik Tsarukyan not to form a coalition with the ruling Republicans Party has yet proved to be a game. Upon PA party officials statement that they will not agree on coalition with the ruling party and that they will declare their decision regarding minister portfolio in the government until May 31 enables us to think that Tsaraukyan is conducting discussions with ruling party.
Next year’s presidential elections and ruling party’s wining 30% against the 44% increased the pretention of PA party. Party, for the purpose of justifying the confidence of voters, attracting those hesitating for presidential elections to OY and consequently obtaining majority of votes, demonstrates its power in this way.
Head of Armenian government Tigran Sarkisyan in his response to the question who can hold the post of Prime minister confirmed that OY chairman Gagik Tsarukyan can lead the new government answering that he is happy to have people to hold high posts.
Afterwards, Armenian government head Tigran Sarkisyan’s statement “who said PA would go to opposition” indicate how the ruling party is aware of processes and secret negotiations are under way.
G. Tsarukyan’s name is mentioned among the presidential candidates along with L.Ter-Petrosyan, R.Kocharyan and S. Sarkisyan.
The fact that Tsarukyan won the votes of half million of citizens enables him to be more confident in presidential elections along with flirting with the Republicans fearlessly and being pretentious for prime minister in the newly formed government.
To change the situation to his benefit G.Tsarukyan may form a coalition lead by himself creating a new plan for presidential elections.
Sochi, the site for the 2014 winter Olympics, just happens to be where the russians dispossessed an entire nation exactly 150 years earlier. the survivors’ descendants say it was genocide—and now they’re demanding justice.
1940: Circassian guards at the home of collaborationist Gen. Maxime Weygand. (Margaret Bourke-White / Time & Life Pictures-Getty Images)
Vladimir Putin may think he has trouble enough on Moscow’s streets without worrying about demonstrators outside the country. If so, perhaps he should think again. This week in Istanbul, New York, Brussels, and other world cities, protesters are taking aim at his most cherished project: the 2014 Winter Olympics. Although the facilities at the Caucasus Mountains resort of Sochi are already winning enthusiastic praise from visiting skiers, thousands of angry activists are determined to spoil Putin’s party.
The marchers are Circassians, the descendants of a people who once had their own country on the shores of the Black Sea, between Crimea and the modern-day Republic of Georgia. They lost it a century and a half ago to a brutal campaign by the imperial Russian army to seize the entire Caucasus region. The Circassians resisted for four decades until May 21, 1864, when they finally surrendered and were expelled from the land of their fathers. Until recently their descendants marked the date only with quiet remembrance ceremonies. But in 2007 the International Olympic Committee accepted Russia’s bid to hold the 2014 Games at Sochi—the very place where the Circassians surrendered in 1864. Since then, May 21 has become a day of rage.
“How would you feel—how would the Russians feel, if athletes came from all over the world to ski or ice-skate on the graves of their ancestors—and [the athletes] did not even know they were doing it?” demands Danyal Merza. Last May 21, the 29-year-old telephone technician, along with two other ethnic Circassians, his friends Clara and Allan Kadkoy, traveled from their homes in New Jersey all the way to Turkey, where most members of the Circassian diaspora now live. The four of us ended up near the head of a chanting crowd of thousands of Circassians. The human wave, topped by a foam of anti-Sochi banners, poured down Istanbul’s Istiklal Street before breaking against a triple line of police who stood with truncheons and tear gas outside the Russian consulate.
Speaking into a bullhorn, Merza squared his shoulders and shouted the group’s demands in English: no Sochi Olympics, recognition of the Circassian genocide, and the right to move back to the homeland the Russians seized a century and a half ago. His listeners roared their approval in Turkish, and their voices resounded from the steep houses on either side: “We don’t want Olympics in Sochi!” Allan pumped his fist and shouted along with them. “It’s the first time I’ve chanted without knowing what the words mean,” he told me afterward. His wife was similarly transported. “I could never imagine feeling like this,” she said. “We might not speak Turkish, but we’re all saying the same thing in different languages.”
more: Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: The Circassians Cry Genocide – The Daily Beast.
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned anti-Russian actions which took place in Istanbul and were allowed by the Turkish government. According to Ria Novosti official representative of the Russian MFA Alexander Lukashevich announced about this during the briefing in Moscow.
“The participants of the action threat the territorial integrity of Russia and safety of Russian nation. And this action can not be allowed”, Lukashevich underlined and reminded that on May 12-13 some actions took place in Istanbul and in frame of the international conference on Caucasus an anti-Russian statement was accepted.
MFA representative underlined that such events “make a shadow on the relations between two countries and the government must hold appropriate measures against it”.
According to the speaker the point which for example says “to support struggle against Russia” is unacceptable.
via Russia condemned anti Russian actions in Istanbul.
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Major oil and gas companies such as Russia’s Novatec, Italy’s ENI, France’s Total, and Malaysia’s Petronas are among 15 firms and consortiums that are seeking to carry out exploratory drilling for gas deposits off southern Cyprus, the island’s commerce minister said Friday, despite Turkey’s strong objections.
The minister, Neoklis Sylikiotis, said the companies that applied for a license to drill by Friday’s deadline also include ones from Canada, the UK, Norway, Israel, South Korea and the U.S., surpassing the government’s hopes.
The bids come as the small east Mediterranean island nation is reeling from Europe’s financial crisis. It economy is projected to shrink by half a percentage point of GDP this year, and unemployment is hitting record highs.
“We’ve all had great expectations from this licensing round and I can tell you not only have the results not belied those expectations, they’ve exceeded them by far,” Sylikiotis told a news conference.
via Russian, Italian, French companies among 15 bidding for oil and gas drilling rights off Cyprus – The Washington Post.
