Turkish Forum

Category: Europe

  • ERDOGAN AND BERLUSCONI WORK TOGETHER TO DEEPEN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

    ERDOGAN AND BERLUSCONI WORK TOGETHER TO DEEPEN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

    ERDOGAN AND BERLUSCONI WORK TOGETHER TO DEEPEN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

    By Saban Kardas

    Friday, November 14, 2008

    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted his Italian counterpart, Silvio Berlusconi, in the Aegean city of Izmir on November 12. The visit cemented the personal relations between the two leaders and provided a platform for discussing projects to expand bilateral political, economic, and cultural cooperation.  

    Following the model of high-level meetings Italy holds with major European countries, Erdogan and Berlusconi also co-chaired an intergovernmental summit bringing together ministers from the two sides. The gathering brought together ministers of foreign affairs, defense, transport, economy, energy, and the interior from both sides, who discussed, in addition to bilateral relations, joint strategic projects in the Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Middle East.

    A statement from the Italian Embassy in Ankara emphasized that by initiating this process with Turkey, Italy made it clear that it considered relations with Turkey as “strategic” (Anatolian Agency, November 11). Similarly, a press brief from the office of the Turkish prime minister emphasized the strategic aspect of the relationship and added that such meetings would be held annually (www.cnnturk.com, November 11).

    The current state of Turkish-European relations was the major item on the agenda. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government has not achieved any major progress toward EU membership since beginning the process in 2005. What led to the current stalemate in the accession process has been a matter of contention. The AKP government has come under criticism from pro-reform circles as well as EU institutions for slowing down the membership process, while Erdogan has repeatedly put the blame on the EU’s attitude toward Turkey (EDM, November 6).

    Maintaining Italy’s traditional pro-Turkey position, Berlusconi repeated his unconditional support for Erdogan and Turkey during the summit, saying that they had overcome many difficulties “shoulder to shoulder” (www.haberturk.com, November 13). Berlusconi noted that although some EU countries continued to oppose Turkey’s membership, he would continue to emphasize Turkey’s strategic importance and convince the EU that it needed to admit Turkey as a member. Berlusconi criticized the slow pace of Turkey-EU accession negotiations. He called on the upcoming Czech and Swedish presidencies of the EU to accelerate the process and open four negotiating chapters in one year. These remarks definitely pleased Erdogan (Anadolu Ajansi, November 12).

    In an interview with the Turkish daily Hurriyet, Erdogan noted that “Italy is Turkey’s greatest advocate in the EU.” Berlusconi further dismissed the claim that secularism was under threat in Turkey, and he argued that Erdogan had been a great reformer. (Hurriyet, November 12). These emotional remarks were no surprise, given the close friendship that has been cultivated between Erdogan and Berlusconi over the last six years.

    It remains to be seen, however, to what extent Italy can use “Turkey’s strategic importance” to exert leverage on its European partners and deliver on those promises. For Berlusconi, Turkey’s progress on political reforms was satisfactory (Hurriyet, November 12). Only the previous week, however, the European Commission’s progress report criticized Turkey in many areas (EDM, November 6). Chairman of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee Joost Lagendijk said that Turkey’s strategic importance was no guarantee for membership and placing too much emphasis on this thesis undermined domestic reform processes (Anatolian Agency, November 6).

    Nor is it clear whether Berlusconi commands support at home for his Turkish policy. When the news about Berlusconi’s warm remarks on Turkey arrived at a session of the Italian Parliament, representatives from his coalition partner, Lega Nord, were reportedly outraged. They repeated their party’s opposition to Turkey’s membership on geographical, cultural, and religious grounds, and underlined that admitting Turkey would be a grave strategic mistake and undermine European unity (www.tgrthaber.com, Dogan Haber Ajansi, November 13).

    Italy, nonetheless, prefers to approach Turkey from a strategic perspective. In that context, Berlusconi constantly refers to the strategic role Turkey plays as a bridge between European markets and hydrocarbon reserves, a factor that led Italy to invest in pipelines passing through Turkey (Hurriyet, November 13).

    Berlusconi also detailed Italy’s position on expanding membership of the G-8 forum of industrialized countries. He emphasized the need to bring in more countries to make it an inclusive organization, moving first to G-14 and then to G-20. Given Turkey’s constructive role in international diplomacy, Berlusconi vowed to seek ways to include Turkey in the activities of the G-8, when Italy assumes the presidency of the organization next year (www.cnnturk.com, November 12). Both leaders are scheduled to attend the G-20 Summit in Washington, D.C., on November 15 (Today’s Zaman, November 14).

    During the press briefing following their summit, Erdogan and Berlusconi stressed determination to work together for a more peaceful world. Erdogan highlighted the destruction that miscalculated American policies had brought onto the region, particularly to the Iraqi people. He remarked, “If we really want global peace, all world leaders have to work in solidarity…and the G-20 has an important role to play.” In response to a question about whether the two countries would provide additional troops to expand the international mission in Afghanistan, they both declined to rule out the possibility and said that the new U.S. administration would have to clarify its position first and they will be ready to discuss the issue in NATO (ANKA, November 12).

    The joint declaration released after the summit reiterated Italy’s support for Turkey’s EU process and emphasized two countries’ willingness to expand cooperation in other areas. The declaration also noted that the foreign ministers had signed an agreement for the establishment of an Italian university in Istanbul (www.bbm.gov.tr, November 12).

     

  • Baby and toddler ‘stabbed to death’

    Baby and toddler ‘stabbed to death’

    A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a baby and toddler were reportedly found stabbed to death.

    The bodies of a three-month-old baby and a child of three were discovered at a property in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester.

    A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “A 21-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in police custody for questioning.

    “An investigation is currently under way into the circumstances surrounding (the children’s) deaths.”

    A local newspaper reported that the children received fatal stab wounds to the chest, but a spokesman for the force said he was “unable to confirm or deny the reports”.

    Officers were alerted to the grim find at the property in Kilmington Drive after reports of “concern for welfare” were made.

    The house has been cordoned off, with several police officers standing outside. Forensic experts are carrying out a detailed examination of the house.

    The sexes of the children will not be disclosed until next of kin had been informed, the force said.

    Cheetham Hill is around two miles north of Manchester City Centre. It is undergoing regeneration and has a large proportion of council housing.

    Greater Manchester Police is appealing for anyone with any information about the discovery to contact CID officers on 0161 856 3540. People can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ITN

  • Baron David de Rothschild: Economic Crisis Will Bring New World Order, Global Governance

    Baron David de Rothschild: Economic Crisis Will Bring New World Order, Global Governance

    The first barons of banking

    Last Updated: November 06. 2008 7:11PM UAE / November 6. 2008 3:11PM GMT

    Nobleman: Baron David de Rothschild, the head of the Rothschild bank. The Rothschilds have helped the British government since financing Wellington

    Among the captains of industry, spin doctors and financial advisers accompanying British prime minister Gordon Brown on his fund-raising visit to the Gulf this week, one name was surprisingly absent. This may have had something to do with the fact that the tour kicked off in Saudi Arabia. But by the time the group reached Qatar, Baron David de Rothschild was there, too, and he was also in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

    Although his office denies that he was part of the official party, it is probably no coincidence that he happened to be in the same part of the world at the right time. That is how the Rothschilds have worked for centuries: quietly, without fuss, behind the scenes.

    “We have had 250 years or so of family involvement in the finance business,” says Baron Rothschild. “We provide advice on both sides of the balance sheet, and we do it globally.”

    The Rothschilds have been helping the British government – and many others – out of a financial hole ever since they financed Wellington’s army and thus victory against the French at Waterloo in 1815. According to a long-standing legend, the Rothschild family owed the first millions of their fortune to Nathan Rothschild’s successful speculation about the effect of the outcome of the battle on the price of British bonds. By the 19th century, they ran a financial institution with the power and influence of a combined Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley and perhaps even Goldman Sachs and the Bank of China today.

    In the 1820s, the Rothschilds supplied enough money to the Bank of England to avert a liquidity crisis. There is not one institution that can save the system in the same way today; not even the US Federal Reserve. However, even though the Rothschilds may have lost some of that power – just as other financial institutions on that list have been emasculated in the last few months – the Rothschild dynasty has lost none of its lustre or influence. So it was no surprise to meet Baron Rothschild at the Dubai International Financial Centre. Rothschild’s opened in Dubai in 2006 with ambitious plans to build an advisory business to complement its European operations. What took so long?

    The answer, as many things connected with Rothschilds, has a lot to do with history. When Baron Rothschild began his career, he joined his father’s firm in Paris. In 1982 President Francois Mitterrand nationalised all the banks, leaving him without a bank. With just US$1 million (Dh3.67m) in capital, and five employees, he built up the business, before merging the French operations with the rest of the family’s business in the 1990s.

    Gradually the firm has started expanding throughout the world, including the Gulf. “There is no debate that Rothschild is a Jewish family, but we are proud to be in this region. However, it takes time to develop a global footprint,” he says.

    An urbane man in his mid-60s, he says there is no single reason why the Rothschilds have been able to keep their financial business together, but offers a couple of suggestions for their longevity. “For a family business to survive, every generation needs a leader,” he says. “Then somebody has to keep the peace. Building a global firm before globalisation meant a mindset of sharing risk and responsibility. If you look at the DNA of our family, that is perhaps an element that runs through our history. Finally, don’t be complacent about giving the family jobs.”

    He stresses that the Rothschild ascent has not been linear – at times, as he did in Paris, they have had to rebuild. While he was restarting their business in France, his cousin Sir Evelyn was building a British franchise. When Sir Evelyn retired, the decision was taken to merge the businesses. They are now strong in Europe, Asia especially China, India, as well as Brazil. They also get involved in bankruptcy restructurings in the US, a franchise that will no doubt see a lot more activity in the months ahead.

    Does he expect governments to play a larger role in financial markets in future? “There is a huge difference in the Soviet-style mentality that occurred in Paris in 1982, and the extraordinary achievements that politicians, led by Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy, have made to save the global banking system from systemic collapse,” he says. “They moved to protect the world from billions of unemployment. In five to 10 years those banking stakes will be sold – and sold at a profit.”

    Baron Rothschild shares most people’s view that there is a new world order. In his opinion, banks will deleverage and there will be a new form of global governance. “But you have to be careful of caricatures: we don’t want to go from ultra liberalism to protectionism.”

    So how did the Rothschilds manage to emerge relatively unscathed from the financial meltdown? “You could say that we may have more insights than others, or you may look at the structure of our business,” he says. “As a family business, we want to limit risk. There is a natural pride in being a trusted adviser.”

    It is that role as trusted adviser to both governments and companies that Rothschilds is hoping to build on in the region. “In today’s world we have a strong offering of debt and equity,” he says. “They are two arms of the same body looking for money.”

    The firm has entrusted the growth of its financing advisory business in the Middle East to Paul Reynolds, a veteran of many complex corporate finance deals. “Our principal business franchise is large and mid-size companies,” says Mr Reynolds. “I have already been working in this region for two years and we offer a pretty unique proposition.

    “We work in a purely advisory capacity. We don’t lend or underwrite, because that creates conflicts. We are sensitive to banking relationships. But we look to ensure financial flexibility for our clients.”

    He was unwilling to discuss specific deals or clients, but says that he offers them “trusted, impartial financing advice any time day or night”. Baron Rothschilds tends to do more deals than their competitors, mainly because they are prepared to take on smaller mandates. “It’s not transactions were are interested in, it’s relationships. We are looking for good businesses and good people,” says Mr Reynolds. “Our ambition is for every company here to have a debt adviser.”

    Baron Rothschild is reluctant to comment on his nephew Nat Rothschild’s public outburst against George Osborne, the British shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. Nat Rothschild castigated Mr Osborne for revealing certain confidences gleaned during a holiday in the summer in Corfu.

    In what the British press are calling “Yachtgate”, the tale involved Russia’s richest man, Oleg Deripaska, Lord Mandelson, a controversial British politician who has just returned to government, Mr Osborne and a Rothschild. Classic tabloid fodder, but one senses that Baron Rothschild frowns on such publicity. “If you are an adviser, that imposes a certain style and culture,” he says. “You should never forget that clients want to hear more about themselves than their bankers. It demands an element of being sober.”

    Even when not at work, Baron Rothschild’s tastes are sober. He lives between Paris and London, is a keen family man – he has one son who is joining the business next September and three daughters – an enthusiastic golfer, and enjoys the “odd concert”. He is also involved in various charity activities, including funding research into brain disease and bone marrow disorders.

    It is part of Rothschild lore that its founder sent his sons throughout Europe to set up their own interlinked offices. So where would Baron Rothschild send his children today?

    “I would send one to Asia, one to Europe and one to the United States,” he said. “And if I had more children, I would send one to the UAE.”

    [email protected]

    Source: www.thenational.ae, November 06. 2008

  • Calls grow for inquiry into baby’s death

    Calls grow for inquiry into baby’s death

    Pressure is growing for a public inquiry after a baby died despite the involvement of social services, police and doctors.

    Three people face jail for repeatedly assaulting the 17-month-old boy died in the same area of London where Victoria Climbie died from abuse in 2000.

    Minister for Children Beverley Hughes has called in the same man who looked into that case to conduct an independent nationwide review.

    Social services have been slammed after two men were convicted of causing or allowing the death of the baby who was on the “at-risk” register.

    An Old Bailey jury heard the boy, who had been used as a “punchbag”, died in August last year from a broken back – which a doctor had failed to spot – and other injuries sustained over a period of months at his home in north London.

    The men – a 32-year-old handyman and Jason Owen, 36, of Bromley, southeast London, who had lived with the family for five weeks – were however found not guilty of murdering the toddler who was on Haringey Council’s child protection register.

    The child’s 27-year-old mother had previously pleaded guilty to the charge of causing or allowing the child’s death.

    The series of failings by Haringey Council was described as “worse than Climbie” – referring to the case of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie who was murdered by her great aunt and the woman’s lover in 2000, after care workers and police in the borough had failed to save her.

    In an bitter twist, the homes of both the little boy and Victoria were a stone’s throw from each other. Two social workers and a lawyer have been given formal written warnings over the toddler’s case, the Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board has said.

    The baby was seen 60 times by health or social workers during an eight-month period.

    By the end, he was unrecognisable, his curly, golden locks shaved off, his cheeks hollow and his eyes dead to the world.

    He had more than 50 injuries or bruises – 15 of them to the mouth – and at one stage had been smeared with chocolate to hide the marks. In the 48 hours before he was found dead in his blood-spattered cot, a doctor failed to spot his broken spine.

    A detective in the case described the boyfriend as “sadistic – fascinated with pain”. He had Nazi memorabilia in the house. The court heard the mother was “a slob, completely divorced from reality. She was living in a dream world and put her lover before her child. She closed her eyes to what was going on”.

    Gillie Christou, in charge of social workers looking after children on the register in Haringey, told the court she had agreed to keep the baby with his mother.

    She said: “I made the decision at the time based on the material in front of me and based on the background to the case.”

    The family cannot be identified for legal reasons. All three will be sentenced on December 15.

    ITN

  • Baby P death sparks national child protection review

    Baby P death sparks national child protection review

    A nationwide review of child protection services has been launched after two men were found guilty of involvement in the death of a 17-month-old baby who suffered horrific injuries after being used as a “punchbag”.

    In a case described as one of the most severe child protection failures since the murder of Victoria Climbié, the boy’s mother had earlier pleaded guilty to involvement in his death.

    The abuse of the child, known in court as Baby P, was said to have taken place over eight months, during which time the boy was on the child protection register of Haringey – the same local authority that was found to have failed seriously in its duty of care to Victoria, who died eight years ago.

    The verdict prompted an immediate response from authorities:

    • The children’s minister, Beverley Hughes, announced an independent review of child protection services.
    • A senior paediatrician is under investigation over claims that she failed to spot that the child had a broken back and ribs.
    • Two social workers and a lawyer had been given formal written warnings over the case.

    Baby P, who was 17 months old, died after months of being used “as a punchbag” and then having his back and ribs broken, the court heard.

    One of the men convicted of causing or allowing his death in the Old Bailey today was the 32-year-old boyfriend of the baby’s mother. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was cleared of murder charges.

    The other man convicted today was Jason Owen, 37, who lodged in the same house. The boy’s 27-year-old mother pleaded guilty to the same charge at the start of the trial in September.

    Both men have been remanded in custody to be sentenced on December 15.

    Last week, on the orders of the judge, Stephen Kramer QC, the jury found the mother and Owen not guilty of murdering the baby on August 3 last year.

    The children’s minister said she had asked Lord Laming, who chaired the Victoria Climbié inquiry, to prepare an independent report of progress being made to implement reforms set out following the Climbie case.

    “Ed Balls [the children’s secretary] and I have today asked Lord Laming to prepare an independent report of progress being made across the country,” she said.

    Lord Laming told BBC Radio 4’s World at One: “It would be awful wherever it happened, but it seems particularly sad that it happened in the same area where Victoria experienced this awful cruelty and a terrible death and involved the very same services.”

    He added: “What we know about people who deliberately harm children is that they go to great lengths to disguise their activities.

    “People who work in this field have to be streetwise and they certainly have to be sceptical. They have to make sure that all the activities are monitored, that the child is regularly seen and that they observe the way in which child and parents relate to each other.”

    Baby P was seen 60 times by health or social workers during that period, around twice a week. However, close to his death, he became unrecognisable, with more than 50 injuries or bruises, and an attempt had been made to cover up the crime.

    A postmortem examination revealed the boy had a broken back, eight fractured ribs, missing fingernails and toenails, multiple bruises and an injury to the inside of his mouth. He had also swallowed one of his own teeth. The court heard that his back had been broken by slamming him down over a bent knee or a bannister, which would have left him paralysed.

    It is claimed he was taken to hospital three times in the months before his death after being repeatedly beaten and abused. The child was last seen by social services on July 30 – when his mother and her boyfriend had smeared him with chocolate to cover up his injuries, according to Owen – and by a paediatrician two days before his death.

    Sally O’Neill QC, prosecuting, told the jury that the boy was taken to a child development clinic at St Ann’s hospital, Haringey, on August 1.

    By that time he is said to have had eight fractured ribs and a broken back, injuries that would have left him in terrible pain and unable to move his legs.

    He was examined by a consultant paediatrician, Dr Sabah al-Zayyat, who noted that Baby P appeared “cranky” and “miserable” but was said not to have found any indication that he had fractured ribs or a broken back.

    However, two medical experts told the court they believed those injuries would have been evident.

    At 11.35am on August 3 2007, an ambulance was called to the house. Its crew found Baby P already stiff and blue in his cot. He was taken to North Middlesex hospital where he was pronounced dead at 12.20pm.

    The Old Bailey heard he should have been protected by social workers, police and health professionals, but his mother had manipulated them with lies.

    Gillie Christou, in charge of social workers looking after children on the register in Haringey, told the court she had agreed to keep the baby with his mother.

    She said: “I made the decision at the time based on the material in front of me and based on the background to the case.”

    A detective in the case told the court the boy had more than 50 injuries, 15 of them to the mouth. He added that the boyfriend was “sadistic – fascinated with pain”.

    The mother was “completely divorced from reality. She was living in a dream world and put her lover before her child. She closed her eyes to what was going on.”

    Outside court today, Detective Superintendent Caroline Bates said police errors were made that caused a delay at the start of the abuse inquiry, but these had not been significant to the outcome.

    “With hindsight, having the benefit of a major investigation, we know quite clearly that the mother was lying and trying to subvert agencies involved with the family,” she said.

    In June, “police officers felt very strongly that [Baby P] should not be returned” to his mother, and a police inspector asked twice whether the threshold had been reached to start care proceedings.

    “This was a huge tragedy which should have been avoided. If we had only known the truth about the adults in the house,” said Ms Bates.

    In a statement after the verdicts, Sharon Shoesmith, chair of Haringey local safeguarding children board, said an independent review into what happened has been set up. Every recommendation had been acted upon, she said.

    The independent review concluded that the abuse should have been discovered by the community paediatrician who saw the child two days before he died.

    The report said that just over a week before Baby P died, the legal advice was that, on the information provided, the threshold for initiating care proceedings had not been met.

    It said: “Expert medical opinion commissioned during the course of this serious case review concluded that a diagnosis of abuse should have been made at that point.”

    Wes Cuell, the NSPCC acting chief executive, said professionals dedicated to protecting children were being “overwhelmed” by the scale of child abuse, and supporting them must be a priority for the government.

    According to the NSPCC, half of the children killed or seriously injured through abuse and neglect are babies under a year old, while a further 20% are under the age of five. On average, 47 pre-school children are killed every year, mostly by their parents or carers.

    After the verdicts, the judge, Stephen Kramer, excused members of the jury from serving for 10 years, telling them: “You have heard evidence of a harrowing nature and you have seen things which in the course of your everyday life you would not be expected to see.”

    Guardian

  • Is Turkey’s EU membership dream vanishing?

    Is Turkey’s EU membership dream vanishing?

    By Ibon Villelabeitia – Analysis

    ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey risks seeing its dream of European Union membership vanish unless it urgently pushes reforms, but to rebuild trust between the two sides EU members must send a clear message that Ankara’s bid is not doomed.

    An EU enlargement progress report last week said Turkey had a long way to go, while Croatia, which began accession talks at the same time as Ankara, was at the doors of entering the bloc.

    The report, which raps Turkey for slow progress on issues ranging from human rights to intellectual property protection to curbing the power of the military, has raised fresh doubts over whether this large and predominantly Muslim country of 70 million will ever become a full EU member.

    “The million dollar question is whether Turkey will ever join the European Union,” said Amanda Akcakoca, an analyst at the European Policy Center in Brussels.

    “Trust is starting to ebb away between the EU and Turkey. Turkey has a lot of homework to do but it is important for the EU to send a symbolic message to Turkey,” Akcakoca said.

    Turkey began accession negotiations in 2005, but the pace of reforms has since slowed and talks are moving at snail’s pace.

    Analysts say political distractions at home and little appetite for enlargement among EU member states after the bloc’s costly expansion into central and eastern Europe have pushed the EU agenda to the backburner of Turkey’s ruling AK Party.

    “We have reached a stalemate and it is difficult to see how Turkey and the EU will get out of it and gain momentum,” said Wolfango Piccoli, an analyst for Eurasia Group.

    “The longer it takes the tougher it will be for Turkey to enter the EU. There is a danger that slow progress will fuel a growing estrangement which will be difficult to repair.”

    Turkey has always had a rocky relationship with the EU, clashing frequently over free speech, minority rights and the divided island of Cyprus.

    HUMAN RIGHTS

    Turkey had won praise for its efforts to stamp out police mistreatment in the past, but a rise in complaints of torture mentioned in the report has prompted fears that progress on key reforms may be stalling.

    “There is a danger that in this stalemate we might see some progress slipping back,” said Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, director of the Ankara office of the German Marshall Fund think-tank.

    “It could start at low level and the government could say: ‘Ok, mistreatment of prisoners and torture is getting bad, but we have more pressing issues now’,” he said.

    The EU wants Turkey to make progress on judicial reform, minority rights and to open its ports to traffic from Cyprus.

    The ruling AK Party, which secured Turkey’s decades-long quest to officially launch EU membership negotiations, has repeatedly pledged to revive its EU drive.

    But few observers have any faith Turkey’s bid will regain momentum in the near future, with municipal elections in March and a slowing economy dominating the government’s agenda.

    “We risk being in 2009 with nothing on the menu,” a European Commission source, who declined to be named, said.

    This stand-still would come from a combination of lack of reforms in Turkey and the opposition of some EU states’ to Turkey’s full membership. France, Cyprus and Germany are all blocking one or several areas — so-called chapters of talks.

    Analysts have said it will be decades, rather than years, before Turkey joins the EU.

    Turkish officials complain of double standards, and have cited the example of Croatia, a Roman Catholic country of 4.4 million which has leapfrogged Turkey on the EU path.

    At stake are broader security and energy repercussions for both Europe and Turkey, analysts say.

    Turkey, a NATO member, is a key transit route of Central Asian gas for the West. Europe needs a stable Turkey and the EU membership is an anchor for financial and political stability.

    (Additional reporting by Ingrid Melander in Brussels)