Category: Europe

  • Turkey, Russia to work on simplified customs to overcome trade row

    Turkey, Russia to work on simplified customs to overcome trade row

    ISTANBUL – Russia and Turkey are working on a simplified customs system in order to overcome the ongoing trade row between the countries. Russian and Turkish foreign ministers also emphasized the friendship and significant cooperation between the two neighbors.

    The Russian Foreign Minister paid a one-day working visit to Turkey on Tuesday where he met his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan in Istanbul. The two ministers had discussed the trade row, recent developments in Caucasus, and Iran and Iraq. 

    Russia was not discriminating against Turkey in the trade relations between the countries, hit by a recent customs dispute, Lavrov told the joint conference with Babacan, adding Russian customs authorities were working to simplify their bilateral customs system.

    Hundreds of trucks transporting Turkish exports to Russia have been held at the country’s checkpoints for up to four weeks, costing exporters billions of dollars in losses.

    The row has triggered speculation that Russia is trying to punish Turkey for allowing U.S. warships carrying aid to Georgia to pass through the Bosporus to the Black Sea.

    Lavrov, however, denied that stricter Russian controls on Turkish imports are politically motivated, underlining Russia’s commitment to reach the 25-billion-dollars trade volume target in 2008.

    He said some countries had breached customs regulations prompting Russian authorities to take more stringent measures.

    Babacan said he believed that trade problems between Turkey and Russia would be overcome with a flexible attitude and the cooperation of Russia.

    “We discussed in a sincere and constructive way the problems caused by keeping and checking Turkish products at Russian customs gates longer than usual,” Babacan told the conference.

    SUPPORT TO CAUCASIAN PLATFORM

    Russia also reiterated its support to the Turkey-sponsored idea of forming a Caucasian stability and partnership platform.

    “We have also agreed to further develop cooperations (in the Black Sea) such as the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)”, he said.

    Turkey had offered to form a Caucasus alliance to contribute peaceful solutions to the conflicts in the region. The alliance is envisaged to bring together Russia, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, though the task seems to be hard given the bilateral issues between these countries.

    Lavrov said some conditions should be met in order to take part in such a formation. A similar comment was also made by the Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili who met Babacan on Sunday.

    CRITICISM FOR NATO

    Turkish and Russian top diplomats also agreed to maintain security and peace in the region, adding that international responsibilities were violated and attacks were staged on South Ossetia.

    “Under those circumstances recognition of independence of Ossetia and Abkhazia was the only way out,” Lavrov added. He said recognition would not only protect the security of Abkhazia and South Ossetia but also it would be the only alternative for those people to pursue their existence.

    He also reiterated Russia’s support for sending an international police mission to Georgia to help maintain security around South Ossetia and the similarly secessionist region of Abhkazia.

    “We are in favor of an international police mission in the security zone, especially in the framework of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe),” the Russian minister said.

    Lavrov criticized NATO members for arming Georgia ahead of last months conflict over a rebel region.

    “International agreements were violated when Georgia was given arms… In practice, it was NATO countries who were arming (Georgian President Mikheil) Saakashvili,” Lavrov said.

    Lavrov said Moscow had no intention of keeping its forces there “forever”.

    STRESSING GOOD RELATIONS

    Both ministers also underlined the relations between two countries based on friendship and cooperation.

    Babacan said the two countries’ have been cooperating on energy, and hoped that new joint projects would be implemented in the future.

    “Turkey has a key position in transferring oil and natural gas of Russia and other producer companies in the region to consumer markets safely and economically,” he said.

    Lavrov said the relations between two countries are intact and acknowledged Turkey’s responsibilities as a NATO member.

    Source : Hurriyet

  • Turkey fights back and introduces a fee for Bulgarian trucks

    Turkey fights back and introduces a fee for Bulgarian trucks

    Petar Kostadinov

    As of September 1 2008 all Bulgarian trucks have to pay a transit fee of 83 euro when entering Turkey. The fee was imposed by Turkish authorities in response to Bulgaria’s decision to introduce a similar measure against Turkish cargo companies.As of July 1 2008 Bulgaria started charging Turkish trucks with an 83 euro transit fee. According to the Turkish side, Bulgaria’s move was a breach of a 1979 Bulgarian-Turkish bilateral agreement on road transit that would allow both sides to transport goods without paying any additional fees.

    Until July 1 2008, this meant that Turkish cargo trucks were paying only for the obligatory vignette sticker when going trough Bulgaria.

    When Bulgaria decided to introduce the 83 euro fee the explanation authorities used was the fact that Bulgaria has become a European Union member state and the cargo traffic between the two countries needed to be discussed again. From its side Turkey did not accept this reasoning and called the fee a breach of the agreement and threatened to introduce a fee for Bulgarian cargo.

    As a result Bulgaria’s Transport Ministry has proposed to the Turkish side to discuss the introduction of a regulatory framework that will apply for both Bulgarian and Turkish trucks vice versa. Such a framework currently exists for Serbian, Macedonian and Croatian trucks on transit via Bulgaria.

    The issue with Turkish trucks transporting cargo via Bulgaria was first raised in February 2007 when Bulgarian cargo companies asked for restrictive measure against Turkish trucks. The companies said that since Bulgarian trucks were asked to pay transit fee from EU countries in the days when Bulgaria was not a member states there was no reason why Turkish truck should not be asked to do the same when passing trough Bulgaria.

    Source : Sofia Echo

  • Russian FM denies trade discrimination against Turkey

    Russian FM denies trade discrimination against Turkey

    ANKARA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) — Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday denied there is discrimination against Turks in trade issues.At a joint press conference in the Turkish largest city of Istanbul after talks with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan, Lavrov said “Concrete approaches were assessed and our customs administration proposed a simplified customs system.”

    Since last week, Turkish exporters began suffering delays at Russian border crossings. Turkey charged Russia as imposing non-tariff barriers against Turkish exports, saying it was against rules of the World Trade Organization and other international agreements.

    Turkey has threatened to retaliate against new Russian import controls that are seen as an attempt to punish Turkey for allowing U.S. warships carrying aid to Georgia to pass through the Turkish straits, which connect the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.

    Lavrov said “This is not an action directed against Turkey; Turkey is not being singled out,” stressing “There can be no politics involved in trade.”

    He said that Turkey was the top trade partner of Russia, and the target of relations between Turkey and Russia was “cooperation on basis of advanced multilateral partnership.”

    Lavrov, who arrived in Istanbul for a working visit, said relations between Turkey and Russia had always been friendly and their investments and cooperation were developing each day.

    Meanwhile, Babacan said he believed that trade problems between Turkey and Russia would be overcome with a flexible attitude and cooperation of Russia.

    “We discussed in a sincere and constructive way the problems caused by keeping and checking Turkish products at Russian customs gates longer than usual,” the semi-official Anatolia news agency quoted Babacan as saying.

    Last year, Turkish exports to Russia were only 4.7 billion U.S. dollars, compared with 23.5-billion-dollars imports from Russia, mainly oil, natural gas and mineral oil.

    Babacan defined Turkey and Russia as two neighboring countries, and said that Turkey was seeing Russia as not only a friend and neighbor but also as its main trade and energy partner.

    The foreign minister underlined importance of cooperation in energy, and hoped that new joint projects would be implemented in the future.

    “Turkey has a key position in transferring oil and natural gas of Russia and other producer companies in the region to consumer markets safely and economically,” he said.

    Babacan expressed belief that the cooperation between two countries would contribute to energy supply safety.

    Russia is Turkey’s largest trade partner. Trade volume between the two countries was estimated to reach 38 billion U.S. dollars at the end of 2008.

    Editor: Mu Xuequan

    Source : China view

  • Edinburgh festival: Istanbul Music and Sema Group

    Edinburgh festival: Istanbul Music and Sema Group

    Edinburgh Playhouse

    Closing the Edinburgh International festival dance programme, this concert of Turkish classical and Sufi music climaxes with a still sacred religious ceremony little changed since its conception in the 15th century.

    There is essentially only one repeated movement to review – the whirling. And this spinning is performed, rather surprisingly given the dance billing, for only a short period in the second half. Pre-interval, the group concentrates on ancient music performed on delicately beautiful traditional instruments and five deeply male voices. There are readings from religious texts too. Delivered in English, they are sincere but add little.

    So, the slow build-up to the whirling lasts nearly two thirds of the evening. The rhythms are soporific and mystical, the words sung low and sonorous, the verses many and repetitive. Hypnosis seems the aim. Much of the six-part Sema ceremony consists of walking in circles, gesturing and bowing with respect. Meanwhile, a moth dances in the lights above.

    When the dervishes finally treat us to the main attraction, their billowing white full-length skirts (the ego’s shroud) are freed from black cloaks (the grave) and transcendence is gentle and without extravagance. One hand turned to the sky and God, and the other to earth, their tall fez-like hats (the ego’s tombstone) tilt to one side in unison. It is as simple as that. A beautiful, poetic, meditative gesture. The only concession to performance are pink, blue and orange spotlights catching each turn.

    [Edinburgh festival dance review: Istanbul Music and Sema Group, Edinburgh Playhouse – This article appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday September 02 2008 on p36 of the Features & reviews section. It was last updated at 00:57 on September 02 2008]

    Source: www.guardian.co.uk, September 2 2008

  • Turkey’s new top general firm on secularism, nation-state, US ties, EU membership

    Turkey’s new top general firm on secularism, nation-state, US ties, EU membership

    General Ilker Basbug, new chief of the Turkish General Staff, says a pluralistic democracy requires the preservation of secularism. He considers Turkish-US relations “excellent” and calls for fair EU treatment of Ankara’s membership bid.

    By Ayhan Simsek for Southeast European Times — 01/09/08

    General Ilker Basbug became chief of the Turkish General Staff last week and gave a key speech to outline his views on secularism, the nation-state and globalisation.

    A months-long power struggle in Turkey between the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and secularists led by the military focused attention on the turnover of the military’s top position.

    Basbug, in a long-awaited address, expressed the military’s commitment to democracy and democratic principles but raised concern over the increasing Islamisation of society under the AKP.

    “Part of our society fears a new cultural identity and lifestyle in Turkey under the domination of religion emerging. These fears should be taken seriously,” Basbug said.

    Commander of the Turkish Land Forces in the past two years, he firmly advocates preservation of the secular, unitary character of the Turkish nation-state.

    “General Basbug took over the most difficult position at a most difficult time,” veteran liberal columnist Mehmet Ali Birand wrote in the daily Milliyet. Birand credits the general for possessing “outstanding qualifications” at such a time.

    According to Birand, Basbug is renowned for his deep knowledge of political-military issues and realism.

    During the handover ceremony, the scholarly Basbug cited philosopher Jurgen Habermas in emphasising the need to preserve the nation-state against the challenges of globalisation.

    Leading actors of globalisation try to strengthen their national structures to address the challenges of globalisation. We cannot ignore that this holds true for the United States and the European Union member-states as well, he stressed.

    Weighing the nationalism principle and Kurdish issue, Basbug signalled support for expanding cultural rights for Turkey’s ethnic Kurds but ruled out any move to confer “group rights”, which he said would undermine the nation-state structure.

    Like many top-ranking Turkish generals, Basbug has a NATO background. He served as chief of logistics and infrastructure at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium, and as commander of the 1st Armoured Brigade in Istanbul.

    During his first address as the top Turkish commander last week, he described military relations with the United States as “excellent” and praised US help in countering the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Army. “Turkish-American relations are deeply rooted and built on common values,” he said.

    He had a message for the EU as well. Basbug called on Brussels to give Ankara the treatment enjoyed by other EU membership candidates.

    He pointed to the EU’s strategic needs and warned the 27-member bloc’s influence would end in the Balkans, falling short of the Caucasus and the Middle East, if it did not admit Turkey. Besides, he said, Turkey is the most powerful secular democracy in the region.

    This content was commissioned for SETimes.com

    Source: Southeast European Times, 01/09/08

  • Georgian, Russian FMs expected in Turkey

    Georgian, Russian FMs expected in Turkey

    ANKARA – The foreign ministers of Georgia and Russia are expected to visit Turkey separately in a few days’ time for talks on the escalating crisis in the Caucasus, a government official said Friday.Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will host his Georgian counterpart Eka Tkeshelashvili on Sunday in Istanbul, two days before he meets Sergei Lavrov of Russia on September 2 in the same city, said the official, who requested anonymity.

    There were no plans for a three-way ministerial meeting, he added.

    Turkey was put on edge as Russia sent tanks and troops into Georgian territory on August 8, a day after a Georgian offensive to retake the rebel region of South Ossetia.

    Tensions increased on Tuesday when Russia recognised South Ossetia and Abkhazia — another secessionist Georgian teritory on the Black Sea — as independent states.

    Turkey, which has developed close ties with Georgia, said at the time that it supported its northeastern neighbour’s territorial integrity, but refrained from openly condemning Russia.

    Ankara has in recent years worked hard to improve ties with Moscow, which has become an important trading partner and Turkey’s biggest supplier of natural gas.

    Russia is on the other hand angry that NATO member Turkey has allowed US and NATO warships through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits into the Black Sea.

    Moscow has accused the Atlantic alliance of building up its forces in the Black Sea and has said it was taking “measures of precaution”.

    NATO has denied Russia’s accusations while Turkey says the ships’ passage was in line with the 1936 Montreaux Convention which sets limits for the number and type of military vessels in the Black Sea.

    NATO says five ships are currently in the Black Sea for routine exercises planned before the Georgian conflict while two US warships are in Georgia to provide humanitarian aid.

    han/gk

    Source : Turkishpress