European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Turkey on 17 Dec. 2004
Afghan refugees in Calais will be removed on flights jointly funded by the British and French governments.
Sylvie Copyans, from the French charity Salam, said:”Many of the Afghan refugees sleeping rough here fought against the Taliban. They face huge dangers if they go back, especially since the Taliban are becoming more powerful again.”
Daily Express: Afghans will be sent home in handcuffs
Indymedia: Afghans in Calais to be mass deported on Anglo/French charter flights
He was Jimmy Carter’s National Security Advisor, a hawk in terms of foreign policy. In an interview with Stern magazine Zbigniew Brzezinski explains why President-elect Obama reminds him of John F. Kennedy, what he expects from the new administration’s foreign policy – and why the US will demand a greater European military commitment in Afghanistan
I was with friends, watching television. I had predicted his win. But when it actually really happened, it was exactly 11.01 p.m., I was very moved.
I saw the faces of so many citizens, black and white, reacting to their choice. And it just dramatized to me, that this was really a historically significant election. We might witness the birth of a 21st century America. In fact, this election could define America as the prototype of an eventual global society.
I cannot imagine another country, neither in Europe, neither in Asia, which could have elected someone as uniquely different as Barack Obama is. Barack Hussein Obama is accepted and cherished, really cherished, because he epitomizes the unique diversity of American society and shares the dominant values of that society.
Racial equality, a basic commitment to democracy, a notion of elementary social justice. The notion that some people should not be allowed to be as poor as they are – and that some are not entitled be quite as rich as they think they can be.
I met him last year, and he made the best impression on me of anyone since John F. Kennedy. He is better equipped in intellect and temperament for the highest office than anyone I can think of in recent memory. He is very different from most American politicians.
A kind of intellectual self-confidence, which reflects real intelligence, not arrogance. A friendliness – but with a distance and a dignity. A little patrician, almost. And a calculating rationality. He does not wave the do-gooders flag. He is an idealist, but not an ideologue. He knows, that compromises will be needed.
No. That’s nonsense and often said with a lot of schadenfreude. The matter of fact is, that the era of American superpower stupidity is over, the time of self-isolation. Under President Bush, we acted arrogant, unilateralist and – worst of all – driven by fear. A culture of fear was cultivated by this administration, which replaced the Statue of Liberty as a symbol for America with Guantanamo. America has lost its confidence. This is one of the worst legacies of the Bush era. But that will come to an end now, very quickly.
He will inherit a grim reality. But the painful financial crisis also teaches us an important lesson: without America the world is in trouble. If America is declining, the rest of the world is falling apart. And have no illusions: the German economy will not recover without an American recovery. America can recover without Germany. At the same time, we understand: we have to cooperate with the world in order to do well.
Afghanistan is certainly one of them. There, for he time being, we would need to deploy more troops. But more soldiers are not the solution. The solution is a demilitarization of our engagement.
By negotiating wit the various groups of Taliban. We should be able to reach local and regional arrangements with them. If they would stop al-Qaeda activities, for example, we would locally disengage.
No. Nato has to continue our military activities in the meantime. And if we are serious about our alliance and about consultations, we have to be also serious about sharing burdens. You cannot have arrangements, where some soldiers risk their lives day and night and some soldiers cannot even go on patrols at night. That is not an alliance.
The American people expect this. If the Europeans want to give us only nice advise, but expect us to do the heavy lifting – then don’t expect America necessarily to listen to these advises. Europeans will no longer have the alibi of Bush’s bad policy. But let’s be clear: there are no alibis for us any more, either. We will have to consult, share decisions and cooperate.
Yes, but I think we can relax.
Russia is a country with enormous problems. Its leaders should know, that Russia cannot isolate itself from the world or base its foreign policy on the assertion that it is entitled to an imperialist sphere of influence. It is baffling to me, how unintelligent its leaders are. Self-isolation will be destructive for Russia, not for us.
We need a more realistic, a more flexible and sensible approach. We should negotiate; we might negotiate even without preconditions. A successful approach to Iran has to accommodate its security interests and ours. This new diplomatic approach could help bring Iran back into its traditional role of strategic cooperation with the United States in stabilizing the Gulf region. This would be a sensible path.
Interview: Katja Gloger
Source: www.stern.de, 14. November 2008
The Norwegian research ship Malene Ostervold has sent a message informing that it has stopped its research operations in the sea region southeast of the island of Kastelorizo.
Foreign Ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos said in an announcement on Saturday that as of Friday, November 14, the Norwegian research ship “Malene Ostervold” had entered the region of the southeastern Mediterranean and more specifically, to the south and to the east of Kastelorizo to carry out, outside Greek territorial waters, geophysical research for Turkish interests, accompanied by the Turkish frigate “Gediz.”
“Given that according to the relevant provisions of the International Agreement on Sea Law, a large part of this region includes the Greek continental shelf, the Foreign Ministry, in constant contact and coordination with the Defence Ministry, has made demarches as of yesterday to the Norwegian ambassador and to the Turkish ambassador in Athens, as well as to the Turkish Foreign Ministry in Ankara, at the level of Assistant Deputy Foreign Minister,” Koumoutsakos said.
The spokesman further said that “at noon today, Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis communicated with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Stere” and that “apart from this and following relevant instructions by the minister, the Greek ambassador in Oslo communicated with the shipping company owning the Norwegian research ship to notify it of Greece’s relevant positions.”
Koumoutsakos also said that a short while ago “the Norwegian research ship informed with a relevant message that it is stopping research activities in the specific region.”
The National Defence General Staff also announced that the Norwegian ship “Malene Ostervold” informed the gunboat “Polemistis” that it was stopping its research operations.
FTA UK Press Release
London, 10th November 2008The Federation of Turkish Associations UK would like to voice their extreme frustration and disappointment at the actions and comments of the Duchess of York, presenter Chris Rogers and inferences made by Barrister John Cooper in the broadcasting of the distorted portrayal of Turkey in the programme “Duchess and Daughters: Their Secret Mission” aired by ITV on the 6th October 2008.
The rules and broadcasting codes laid out by Ofcom have been infringed according to section 1: “protecting the under eighteens”, section 2: “harm and offence”, section 3: “crime”, section 5: “due impartiality and due accuracy”, section 7: “fairness” and section 8: “privacy” and we are reporting these infringements to Ofcom and expect a full and detailed explanation of why this programme has been allowed to be aired.
Duchess and Daughters: Their Shambolic Secret Mission
The Federation of Turkish Associations UK would like to voice their extreme frustration and disappointment at the actions and comments of the Duchess of York, presenter Chris Rogers and inferences made by Barrister John Cooper in the broadcasting of the distorted portrayal of Turkey in the programme “Duchess and Daughters: Their Secret Mission” aired by ITV on the 6th October 2008.
As an NGO based in the UK, we have to clarify that our criticism regarding this programme is not because it is highlighting an institution which certainly needs improvement or to defend the methods used to treat mentally or disabled children under state protection in those institutions, but the presentation made and the wording used in the program to accuse and insult the Turkish nation as a whole.
We would of course like to see things improve in the social services in Turkey and as we are informed many improvements have been made over recent years. It is a pity that this programme has been made in such a way as to misguide the British public as to the conditions and attitudes towards disabled children in Turkey and has created negativity in the relations between the two countries and more seriously created grave concerns amongst the Turkish community in this country as to the aims and sincerity of ITV.
It is clear that the programme from the beginning had a separate agenda, perhaps to glorify the work of the Duchess of York or as a locomotive to encourage opposition to Turkey’s aspirations about the EU. It seems that the producers of the programme had in mind more of a two-pronged PR stunt aimed firstly at demonising Turkey and secondly at improving the flailing popularity of the Duchess of York at someone else’s expense. Perhaps in her own mind, she imagines she can fill the void left by Princess Diana who was a true campaigner for humanitarian causes. Unfortunately, our members do not believe that she sincerly cares about the issue and suggest she participate in a programme uncovering some of the child abuse cases that are frequently uncovered in Britain or to visit the war zones in Afganistan and Iraq to see the gross humanitarian crisis, particularly in the lives of innocent children.
Secret cameras used to film as if there were some cloak and dagger activities going on seem to be gimmicks used to imply that the Duchess was in some form of danger in Turkey. Another reference to police stopping the camera crew likened Ankara to some third world war zone, sensationalising the programme. Some of our members have been stopped and searched several times in the centre of London and they don’t need a camera to prove this since ‘stop and search’ is used as a regular practice by Metropolitan Police.
In any case the institutions visited by the Duchess were not orphanages for abandoned children as portrayed, but institutions for the mentally disabled. These institutions so ‘secretly’ filmed by the Duchess are open for inspection on a regular basis to NGO’s from anywhere in the world and not ‘hidden away’ as implied by the documentary. After the filming, no respect was shown to the rights of those filmed to protect their identity and no permission was obtained to show the film from the families of those involved. This is a gross violation of their rights.
Certain actions and generalisations used in the programme have been found very offensive by our members and have led to distress and disillusionment across a wide section of our community. Comments made such as “Many of these children are abandoned by their parents because in Turkey there is a shame associated with having a disabled child” is an unfair and untrue generalisation suggesting that Turkish people do not care about their handicapped.
Turkey has a population estimated at 70 million, of which 3% are registered as either physically or mentally disabled putting the total amount of handicapped people at approximately 2.1 million. The number of mentally disabled children in these 53 homes and institutions total only 3673 given by the State Ministry of Women and Family Affairs. This in itself shows, contrary to the accusations in the programme, that the vast majority of handicapped children are looked after in the home. The new initiatives set up by the government are facilitating even more of those in homes to be looked after back in their family unit. Unlike Britain, in Turkey most of the families look after their handicapped children at home and without any financial assistance from the government. Those children shown in the documentary are there because they come from extremely poverty stricken families or broken homes.
Again, claims by Barrister John Cooper “any country that treats its children like this is not ready to accede to a family of nations that aspire to dignity and humanity” is an insult to the whole nation and has given our members the feeling that the whole programme has been engineered to smear Turks and Turkey in an attempt to sabotage their accession. We would be very pleased if all EU member countries treat their children as he claims but we all know his statement is far from truth.
Comments like “Europe’s forgotten children”, “no hope for kids”, “born with a life sentence”, “grave concerns on Turkey’s human rights record” and many others are all exaggerated and unfair to the children or staff of the institutions shown in the programme.
Many things were also wrongly implied, for example, the impression was given that Britain is only giving support to Turkey because they need their cooperation in the war on terror. This is an outrageous claim, since Turkey has been on the forefront of fighting terrorism for many years and has suffered attacks at the hands of Al Qaida on several occasions.
It is very regrettable that such a programme has been aired, ignoring the damage it will make to the innocent people who live and work in those institutions. It is essential when doing any programme that a complete and balanced view be provided for the viewer and this is the responsibility not only of those involved in the filming but more so by the producers and broadcasters whom in this instance, have shown a blatant disregard for professional ethics.
We believe the rules and broadcasting codes laid out by Ofcom have been infringed by ITV1 according to section 1: “protecting the under eighteens”, section 2: “harm and offence”, section 3: “crime”, section 5: “due impartiality and due accuracy”, section 7: “fairness” and section 8: “privacy”. Therefore, we are reporting these infringements to Ofcom and expect a full and detailed explanation of why this programme has been allowed to be aired.
We believe that the “Every Child Matters” policy of the Government is vital and should be made universal. Whatever a child’s background or circumstances, they should be given the support they need to stay safe and healthy, enjoy, achieve, make a positive contribution and reach economic wellbeing. Therefore, we all have to work towards making the lives of all children better wherever in the world they may live, certainly not using them as a tool for personal or political aspirations just because they are a member of another nation. The positive approach would be offering sincere help by providing training courses in working with the disabled and psychiatrically disturbed and supporting those NGO’s who are making a difference to their inadequate system of caring for the disabled.
We as viewers have every right to expect fair, impartial, accurate and balanced programs from ITV and are therefore demanding that another program be aired to repair the damage done and help those affected. We also expect an apology from the Duchess of York for not acting responsibly and taking part in a program based on politics to smear Turkey by exploiting mentally disabled Turkish children and her daughters should realise that it is us, the British taxpayer that provides them with their luxurious lifestyles not Turkish or Romanian. If the Duchess and her daughters want to get involved in good causes there are many deserving groups in this country who may welcome their involvement and their financial contribution. Charity begins at home.
Notes to editors
About FTA UK
The Federation of Turkish Associations UK (FTA UK) was formed in 2002 consisting of sixteen independent and diverse Turkish associations to bring together the voice of their members on common issues. The FTA UK represents a large proportion of the Turkish community which is estimated at nearly 500,000 ethnic Turks who live mainly in London and its surrounding areas and includes Turkish Cypriots.
The Federation’s main aims and objectives are; to bring together the Turks living in Britain in solidarity and strengthen their relationship; to help the community to integrate better within the British system whilst maintaining their own culture and identity; to find solutions to their common problems and protect their common interests; to promote and enhance the British – Turkish friendship and to share the Turkish culture and history.
The Federation carries out its duties completely independently without being influenced by any political party, ethnic influence, religion or any form of discrimination and in the interest of the British-Turkish Community. It is a non profit – non governmental organisation and acts as an umbrella organisation and communication vehicle for the whole community.
Contact FTA UK :
E-mail: turkishfederationuk@yahoo.co.uk
Post: FTA UK, 41 Camberwell Church Street, London SE5 8TR
Telephone : + 44 (0)77 7000 003
By Michael Hirst
BBC News
The argument over rights within Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre is as complicated and seemingly intractable as the Middle East conflict itself.
But when the dispute descends into violence, battles are pitched with crucifixes and staves rather than missiles, guns and stones.
Many Christians believe the church in the heart of Jerusalem’s old city marks the place of Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. As such, it is arguably Christianity’s holiest site.
A church has stood in the area for 1,700 years. Due to the conflicts that Jerusalem has since endured, the building has been partly destroyed, rebuilt and renovated several times.
It is now a labyrinthine complex of chapels and living quarters that is visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tourists every year.
“Caught On Tape:” What began as an annual procession by Christian monksat the Church Of The Holy Sepulchre, ended in a flurry of punches. The church is believed to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion.
The church is grudgingly shared by six claimant communities – Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Egyptian Copt and Ethiopian Orthodox – who have always jealously defended their rights over various parts of the complex.
Rivalry between the groups dates back to the aftermath of the crusades and to the great schism between Eastern and Western Christianity in the 11th Century.
The Status Quo
So intense is the intra-Christian dispute that the six communities cannot agree which of them should have a key to the site’s main door.
Consequently, two Muslim families have been the sole guardians of the 25cm (10 inch) key since they were entrusted with the task by the Muslim ruler Saladin in 1178.
One family is responsible for unlocking the door each morning and locking it each night, while the other is responsible for its safekeeping at all other times.
In order to settle disputes, the Ottoman sultan issued a 1757 edict (now referred to as the Status Quo agreement) which outlined jurisdiction over Jerusalem’s various Christian holy places.
Regarding the Holy Sepulchre, it defined exactly which parts – from chapel, to lamp, to flagstone – of the complex were to be controlled by which denomination.
The ruling forbad any changes in designated religious sites without permission from the ruling government.
It also prohibited any changes whatsoever to designated sacred areas – from building, to structural repairs to cleaning – unless collectively agreed upon by the respective “tenants” from the rival religious communities.
Punishment for a violation of the edict could result in the confiscation of properties overseen by the offending group.
So closely is the ruling followed that it took 17 years of debate before an agreement was reached to paint the church’s main dome in 1995.
Acrimonious processions
Monks and friars have been known to exchange blows over who owns a chapel or whose right it is to clean which step.
Religious ceremonies can appear more like singing contests with communities battling to chant the loudest.
Access to the tomb of Christ – a pale pink kiosk punctuated with portholes and supported by scaffolding that the writer Robert Byron compared to a steam-engine – is particularly fiercely guarded on such occasions.
Processions on holy days regularly become acrimonious, with jostling crowds exacerbating tensions over territorial disputes that periodically descend into in punch-ups.
The smallest slight can end in violence: In 2004, a door to the Roman Catholic chapel was left open during a Greek Orthodox ceremony.
This was perceived by the Greeks to be a sign of disrespect, and a fight broke out which resulted in several arrests.
The intractable nature of the territorial arguments over the site are epitomised by the short wooden ladder that rests on a ledge above the church’s main entrance.
It has been there since the 19th Century because rival groups cannot agree who has the right to take it down.
Under the Status Quo agreement, rights to the windows reached by the ladder belong to the Armenians, but the ledge below is controlled by the Greeks.
Roof falling in?
Also emblematic of the territorial dispute’s intensity is an ongoing row which, unless resolved, could see the church’s roof collapse.
Ethiopians were banished from the church’s interior by the sultan two centuries years ago because they could not pay the necessary taxes, and have been living in a monastery on the roof ever since.
The monastery, Deir al-Sultan, now comprises two chapels, an open courtyard, service and storage rooms and a series of tiny huts inhabited by Ethiopian monks. It is reminiscent of a basic African village.
All agree the monastery is in poor shape, but a recent Israeli report said it had reached an “emergency state”, and was at risk of collapsing through the roof into the church.
Israel has said it will pay for the repairs if the Christians can reach agreement on them, but this seems unlikely, due to a long-running ownership dispute between Ethiopian monks and their Egyptian counterparts.
Over the years, this dispute has been played out on various battlefields, including Israel’s highest courts.
So intense has the argument become that when a monk moved a chair out of the sunshine into a shadier area during a heat-wave six years ago, his action was seen as an attempted land-grab.
A fight broke out that left several monks needing hospital treatment.
Such skirmishes may seem nonsensical, but are all too common an occurrence at Christianity’s most revered shrine.
Source: news.bbc.co.uk, 11 November 2008
*** Call for Applications ***
The Germany Meets Turkey Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy Berlin, 26 – 30 January 2008
The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) is currently seeking applicants for participation in The Germany Meets Turkey Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin between the 26th and 30th of January 2009.
=== About the Symposium ===
The weeklong symposium will offer diverse participants the opportunity to explore and improve diplomacy at the level of social relations between Germany and Turkey. Participants will meet in some of Berlin’s most
prominent sites, where the issues of cultural diplomacy between the two countries are most closely felt: the Bundestag, the Auswärtiges Amt, the Kreuzberg Museum, and Berlin City Hall. Symposium workshops and
discussions with experts will cover not only legal and institutional aspects of the complex relationship between the two societies but will also examine firsthand the daily effect of this relationship as well as mutual cultural contributions.
=== About the Organizers ===
The ICD is an international, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization working to improve intercultural relations by organizing and researching initiatives that facilitate intercultural exchange. Germany Meets
Turkey-A Forum for Young Leaders is an interdisciplinary network which organizes bilateral events such as yearly study tours and whose activities are supported by the Istanbul Policy Center at Sabanci University as well as the Robert Bosch Stiftung in Germany. More detailed information about the ICD can be found at:
www.culturaldiplomacy.org
=== How to Apply ===
The Symposium is designed especially for young academics and advanced university students from both Turkey and Germany. Applicants from other countries with a strong interest and background in Turkish or German studies are also eligible for consideration. An application form, as well as more detailed information about the GMT Symposium can be found at:
If you have any further questions, or require any more information, please do not hesitate to contact me at:
gmt.symp@culturaldiplomacy.org
With kind regards,
Alex Balistreri
Program Director – Germany Meets Turkey Symposium
————
*** Aufruf zur Bewerbung ***
The Germany Meets Turkey Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy
Berlin, 26. – 30. Januar 2009
Das Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) sucht derzeit Bewerber für die Teilnahme am Programm Germany Meets Turkey: Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin vom 26. bis 30. Januar 2009.
=== Über das Symposium ===
Das einwöchige Symposium wird unterschiedlichen Teilnehmern die Gelegenheit bieten, Diplomatie auf der Ebene sozialer Beziehungen zwischen Deutschland und der Türkei zu erforschen und zu verbessern. Die Teilnehmer werden an einigen der prominentesten Orte in Berlin, an denen die Probleme kultureller
Diplomatie zwischen der Türkei und Deutschland am spürbarsten sind, zusammenkommen: im Bundestag, im Auswärtigen Amt, im Kreuzberg Museum und im Berliner Rathaus. Die Workshops und Diskussionen des Symposiums werden nicht nur rechtliche und institutionelle Aspekte der komplexen Beziehung zwischen
beiden Gesellschaften näher betrachten, sondern auch Gelegenheit bieten, die täglichen Auswirkungen dieser Beziehung und ihre wechselseitigen kulturellen Beiträge persönlich zu untersuchen.
=== Über die Organisatoren ===
Das ICD ist eine internationale, gemeinnützige Nichtregierungsorganisation mit dem Ziel der Verbesserung der interkulturellen Beziehungen durch die Organisation von Veranstaltungen und Förderung von Initiativen mit dem Ziel der Verbesserung des interkulturellen Austauschs. Germany Meets Turkey – A Forum for Young Leaders ist ein interdisziplinäres Netzwerk, das bilaterale Veranstaltungen, wie z. B. jährliche Studienreisen, organisiert und dessen Aktivitäten vom Istanbul Politikzentrum der Sabanci Universität und der Robert Bosch Stiftung in Deutschland unterstützt werden. Weitere Informationen zum ICD können Sie unter folgendem Link finden:
www.culturaldiplomacy.org
=== Bewerbung ===
Das Symposium ist besonders auf junge Akademiker und fortgeschrittene Universitätsstudenten aus der Türkei und Deutschland zugeschnitten. Interessierte Bewerber aus anderen Ländern, die einen Hintergrund in
Türkeistudien oder Germanistik haben, werden ebenfalls berücksichtigt. Bewerbungsunterlagen und weitere ausführliche Informationen über das GMT Symposium finden Sie unter:
Sollten Sie weitere Fragen haben oder zusätzliche Informationen benötigen, kontaktieren Sie uns bitte unter:
gmt.symp@culturaldiplomacy.org
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Alex Balistreri
Programm Direktor – Germany Meets Turkey Symposium