Turkish Forum

Category: America

  • What can Syrian opposition give Russia? Nothing

    What can Syrian opposition give Russia? Nothing

    Face of Syrian OppositionThe visit of the delegation of the Syrian National Council headed by Burhan Ghalioun to Moscow ended in a failure for the opposition. In particular, the Associated Press news agency referred to Ghalioun’ statement in which he condemned “the actions of the authorities of the Russian Federation, supporting the Assad regime” and pointed to the need for Moscow to abandon this course. According to him, Russia’s support of the current Syrian regime “plays a negative role” in Syria.

    The visit of Ghalioun to Moscow took place on November 15. News agencies reported that he arrived in Russia at the invitation of the Society of Solidarity and Cooperation among the Peoples of Asia and Africa.

    Vice-President of the Society Kim Koshev talked about the visit of the immigrant from France of Syrian origin Ghalioun in an interview with “Pravda.Ru”:

    “Yes, indeed, we invited representatives of the Syrian opposition to Moscow. However, this is not because we take a side in this conflict. Russia is a great country and in this case we act as a father who reconciles his fighting children. We invited them in order to clearly hear their position and establish a dialogue between Syrians. We tell the Syrian Opposition: “Your slogans are “Overthrow Bashar Assad!” you say: “Go away, and we shall rule!” And then what? Where is the guarantee that you will not be even tougher than he is?

    This is clearly not a constructive position. You should put forward specific requirements of what you want. Create, finally, a full-fledged party, point out Assad’s errors. Indeed, at the moment Ghalioun does not represent anyone. They are behind the times and so far have not shown significant ability to compete with the government.

    So we tell them: learn to conduct a dialogue! In Syria, meanwhile, there are shootings. We want to remind both parties that the life was given by God, and that nobody has the right to take it from someone. We are telling both sides: you cannot shoot! Both sides are killing. A case in point is that it is not only the opposition members who are affected, but policemen are wounded as well.

    The nature of the actions of those who shoot at the Syrian military says that they are trained. I want the Syrian intelligence agencies to really work. So far they believe that this problem can be solved by the army. ”

    However, the hope that the Syrian opposition will show a constructive approach was in vain. During the talks with the Syrian opposition the Russian side represented by the Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged the Syrian opposition to begin a dialogue with the authorities in Syria.

    The following response was received from the opposition: “The opposition does not intend to pursue any negotiations with the regime in Damascus. Russia should appeal to Assad with an offer to resign … The only possible negotiations would be about establishing of a new, democratic, civil society in Syria. This should be preceded by the release of prisoners detained on charges of involvement in anti-government rallies, the dissolution of the police, army and security services and presence in Syria of “blue helmets” of the UN. International guarantees are necessary for international monitoring to determine the situation in the country. “

    In other words, the Syrian opposition insists on external intervention. In addition, it does not rule out the intervention of the military, adding that Bashar Assad unwilling to resign would be to blame for it.

    However, Russia has rejected these outrageous claims. As for the resignation of Assad, Sergei Lavrov reminded that even the countries of the Arab League that recently suspended the membership of the Arab Republic in the organization do not act in a manner consolidated with this similar requirement.

    According to him, the Syrian opposition is interested in the peaceful settlement of the situation in Syria. But who then proceeds to kill Syrian military from around the corner? Take, for example, a recent attack on the buildings of the Air Force Intelligence in the suburb of the Syrian capital. One gets the impression that Ghalioun really does not control the radicals, or is fooling Russia regarding the peaceful aspirations of the opposition.

    However, Ghalioun acknowledges that the visit of the members of the SNA to the Russian capital reaffirms the commitment to looking at Russia’s role as key in achieving balance and stability in the Middle East. The Syrian opposition will continue discussions with the Russian partners to find a way out from the current situation in Syria.

    Meanwhile, the Syrian opposition calls on Russia not to persist in supporting the Assad regime, pointing out that in the case of its coming to power all Russia’s interests in Syria will be respected.

    Among other things this means that the only foreign-based point of Russian navy in Tartous will remain untouched. But can we trust the Syrian opposition funded by the French, Americans and Saudis who to varying degrees conduct subversive activities against the Russian interests?

    Is this the reason why they are trying to overthrow the only remaining conductor of the Russian influence in the Arab world Bashar al-Assad? It is possible that someone from the opposition does have amicable attitude towards Russia. However, it must be remembered that the Syrian opposition is extremely loose. Ghalioun’s guarantees are not worth much since the main force of anti-Assad movement are not the liberal intellectuals fed by the West but Wahhabi and Salafi groups funded by Qatari intelligence.

    Sergei Balmasov

    Pravda.Ru, 18.11.2011

  • Turkish Airlines – Istanbul to New York

    Turkish Airlines – Istanbul to New York

    Turkish Airlines – Istanbul to New York

    myseats

    I should be posting about the Turkish airport and the Turkish Airlines Lounge but because I only spent around an hour at the airport I didn’t really have too much time to explore it. Since I’ll be spending more time at the airport on the return flight, I’ll post about the lounge once I get back to Kuwait. So instead, I’m going to post about the flight from Istanbul to New York.

    The total travel time from Istanbul to New York is around 10 hours and 50 minutes and we flew in their Boeing 777-300ER V2. The business class setup on this flight was the latest one which is made up of just 4 rows split up as 2-3-2. One of the first people to greet you once you enter the business class is the chef which kinda sets a level of expectation on the kind of food you’ll be served during the flight. There’s obviously a ton of legroom in business class and it’s needed since the chairs turn into 180 degree flat beds. I wasn’t sure at first if they would be true 180 degree “flat beds” or instead be “lie flats” which are seats that turn flat but are slightly angled. I’ve experienced lie flats on two other airlines and they’re not as easy to sleep in and I always feel like I’m going to slide off them. Thankfully, the Turkish Airlines seats were proper flat beds which made sleeping really cozy.

    Since the flight was long we were served two meals, one around an hour after take off while the other around 2 hours before arrival. The chef handled everything related to the food including handing out the menus which I noticed were customized with our names. It’s a little thing but gives the meals a very personal touch. The first meal we started off with were light appetizers which they rolled out on a trolley. You just tell the chef what you want and he’ll fill up your dish for you. Once we were done with the appetizers we were served soup which they only had one option called the traditional Turkish wedding soup. I had it and it tasted kinda like the Lebanese dish called “kebbeh bi laban” and that’s probably because think they both involve the same elements, beef and some sort of creamy sauce. After that we were presented with three options for main course, Swordfish Brochette, Grilled Beef Tournedos or Artichoke Ravioli. I went with the beef, Nat with the fish. She didn’t end up liking her fish much but I loved the beef. Once we were done with lunch they rolled out the dessert trolley which had a lot of different goodies. I was pretty full so I just went with ice cream. For my second meal later on in the flight I had a pasta dish and it was also superb.

    The flight was very comfortable and I didn’t have any issues falling asleep on the flat bed. I’m actually not sure how I can fly economy knowing how much more comfortable it is in business. On short flights it’s not as important but when you’ve only slept for 3 hours and you get on board a 10 hour flight, the thought of being able to fall asleep comfortably on a cushy bed is priceless. Actually not priceless, just a lot more expensive than economy. We had large screens in front of us with a ton of movies and tv shows to watch. One disappointing thing was the fact internet access wasn’t active yet and was still “coming soon” according to the message I got on the screen when trying to access it. On the other hand they did have live news feeds available. Power sockets and USB sockets were available of course. If you have a USB stick or hard drive loaded up with movies you can watch them on your seats screen via the USB port. Not sure what movie formats their media player handles but I would be safe and not take any 720p or 1080p movies with me.

    There’s an episode of Seinfeld where Jerry and Elaine’s flights get cancelled and they had to rebook on another flight. They end up finding two seats left, one in first class and the another in economy. Jerry explains to Elaine how she should take the economy seat since she’s never flown first and really wouldn’t miss anything but he on the other hand has and so he could no longer fly economy. Well that’s me right now, next time I fly economy I’m going to be thinking about all the cool things I’m missing from business.

    via Turkish Airlines – Istanbul to New York – 2:48AM.

  • Rep. Shelley Berkley opposes arms sale to Turkey

    Rep. Shelley Berkley opposes arms sale to Turkey

    Rep. Shelley Berkley opposes arms sale to Turkey

    By Karoun Demirjian (contact)

    1 t198She’s done it before, with Saudi Arabia. This time, Rep. Shelley Berkley doesn’t want another Israel-antagonist, Turkey, to be allowed to buy U.S. military materiel.

    Berkley is co-sponsoring a resolution to block the proposed sale of $111 million of U.S. attack helicopters to the NATO ally, and to require that the president consult Congress whenever the administration is planning to sell more than $50 million in military equipment to Turkey.

    In the “Dear Colleague” letter she and Rep. Eliot Engel have been circulating this week, Berkley lists several objections to Turkey’s political positions, including its “belligerence against Cyprus” that is “intensifying,” being “late to distance itself from the nightmare in Syria,” “undermin[ing] international efforts to impose strong sanctions on Iran,” and continued “refus[al] to apologize for the Armenian genocide.”

    But the key complaint Berkley has with Turkey is its increasingly icy relationship with Israel.

    Turkey’s humanitarian support for Palestinians in Gaza had already begun to vex Israel before May 2010, when things exploded into a full-fledged diplomatic crisis over an incident on the Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, which was part of an anti-occupation movement’s “Freedom Flotilla” to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Israeli commandos boarded the approaching ships at sea, and in the skirmishes that followed on board, killed nine Turkish nationals. Israel has not apologized for the incident, claiming it was self-defense.

    In the months since, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel, expelled the Israeli ambassador to Turkey, and refused Israel’s offer of aid after a devastating earthquake that hit Turkey’s eastern region around Lake Van.

    “This is the time for the United States to be raising our very serious concerns about Turkey, rather than selling arms to them,” Berkley and Engel wrote.

    (One point of dispute with Berkley’s complaints: while Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was late to support NATO action on Libya, his harsh criticism of Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown against protesters in Syria began only shortly after Hillary Clinton’s and before Barack Obama joined the fray. Turkey is now harboring most of the Syrian refugees, including military defectors who are helping coordinate the uprisings. One thing noticeably missing from Berkley’s letter: any mention of the Kurdish population of Turkey, currently being subjected to the most humanitarian injustices at the hands of the Turkish government.)

    Berkley isn’t going so far, as she did with Saudi Arabia, as to claim Turkey would use these weapons against Israel — just arguing that Turkey should not be rewarded for its anti-Israel and anti-Cypriate behavior.

    But if Berkley is this upset about the sale of three attack helicopters, it’s only bound to get worse: Turkey has also requested to purchase Predator and Reaper drones from the United States, and according to reports, the Pentagon isn’t opposed to the idea.

    Turkey has lobbied the U.S. to become a base for a fleet of Predator drones, most of which are operated from the Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, once the United States leaves Iraq at the end of the year. Turkey wants to use the drones to fight the P.K.K., the Kurdish separatist group that is fighting for its own country on Turkish territory.

    The United States and Turkey have collaborated on the P.K.K. in the past, with the United States sharing drone footage from northern Iraq, where there is a strong Kurdish population and from where, Turkey says, most of the group’s attacks are coordinated.

    In the past, the U.S. has cited Turkey’s strategic military position as a reason not to antagonize the country over some of the political positions Berkley complains of in her letter, including its occupation of part of Cyprus and its disavowal of the Armenian genocide.

    via Rep. Shelley Berkley opposes arms sale to Turkey – Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 | 1:14 p.m. – Las Vegas Sun.

  • Sarkozy calls Netanyahu ‘liar’

    Sarkozy calls Netanyahu ‘liar’

    sarko the mossad agent2

    Lost in Translation?

    Microphones accidently left on after G20 meeting pick up private conversation between US, French presidents. Sarkozy admits he ‘can’t stand’ Israeli premier. Obama: You’re fed up with him? I have to deal with him every day!

    French President Nicolas Sarkozy reportedly told US President 
Barack Obama that he could not "stand" Prime Minister Benjamin 
Netanyahu and that he thinks the Israeli premier "is a liar."

According to a Monday report in the French website "Arret sur 
Images," after facing reporters for a G20 press conference on 
Thursday, the two presidents retired to a private room, to 
further discuss the matters of the day.

The conversation apparently began with President Obama criticizing 
Sarkozy for not having warned him that France would be voting 
in favor of the Palestinian membership bid in UNESCO despite 
Washington's strong objection to the move.

The conversation then drifted to Netanyahu, at which time 
Sarkozy declared: "I cannot stand him. He is a liar." According 
to the report, Obama replied: "You're fed up with him, but I 
have to deal with him every day!"

The remark was naturally meant to be said in confidence, but 
the two leaders' microphones were accidently left on, making 
the would-be private comment embarrassingly public.

The communication faux pas went unnoticed for several minutes, 
during which the conversation between the two heads of state – 
which quickly reverted to other matters – was all but open 
to members the press, who were still in possession of headsets 
provided by the Elysée for the sake of simultaneous translation 
during the G20 press conference.

Arret sur Images 
    "By the time the (media) services at the Elysée realize it, 
it was on for at least three minutes," one journalist told 
the website. Still, he said that reporters "did not have a 
chance to take advantage of this fluke."

The surprising lack of coverage may be explained by a report 
alleging that journalists present at the event were requested 
to sign an agreement to keep mum on the embarrassing comments. 
A Reuters reporter was among the journalists present and can 
confirm the veracity of the comments.

A member of the media confirmed Monday that "there were discussions 
between journalists and they agreed not to publish the comments 
due to the sensitivity of the issue."

He added that while it was annoying to have to refrain from 
publishing the information, the journalists are subject to 
precise rules of conduct.

www.ynetnews.com, 07.11.2011
  • Turkey’s Collaboration Recognized at Turkish Republic Day Ball Celebration

    Turkey’s Collaboration Recognized at Turkish Republic Day Ball Celebration

    Monica Stevens, Detroit Immigration Examiner

    “Peace at Home, Peace in the World”.

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    These were the words of the father of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, that appeared printed on the programs placed on tables at the Turkish Republic Day Ball Celebration held last night, Saturday 5th, at the Diamond Center Hall of the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

    Several political, community, and diplomatic figures were present at the ball last night, including Novi City Mayor David. B. Landry, Novi City Manager Clay J. Pearson, the Consuls of Spain, Chile, Iraq, Yemen, Japan, and Turkey; leaders of the Azerbaijani-American and Syrian-American communities; the president of the Turkish-American Chamber of Commerce; members of APROMEX; and Congressmen Hansen Clarke (D-MI 13) and Gary Peters (D-MI 9) who addressed the audience, recognizing Turkey´s long-time assistance to the US.

    Both Congressmen Peters and Clarke received recognitions by TACAM as exceptional leaders.

    The Turkish American Cultural Association in Michigan (TACAM), established in 1972, also received proclamations from the State of Michigan, from Congressman Clarke, and from the cities of Ann Arbor, Lansing, Wixom and Ypsilanti.

    The Republic Day Ball last night not only celebrated the great Atatürk´s impressive victory in 1923. It also recognized the hundreds of victims affected during the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Eastern Turkey last October, and the 24 Turkish soldiers killed by the PKK while protecting the Turkish-Iraqi border. The audience observed a minute of silence for the soldiers killed, and for the earthquake victims.

    Atatürk is Turkey´s greatest hero. He was recognized by Presidents Roosevelt and Kennedy, writer Ernest Hemingway, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill as a man who in only 11 months managed to win the Ottoman´s first war of independence in 200 years on October 23, 1923. Atatürk´s victory brought progressive reforms that resulted in what we know today as modern Turkey, the pioneer of democracy in the Middle East; a country with a booming economy that ranks 16th in the world today.

    As Gen. MacArthur said after Atatürk´s death : “He was a military-statesman, one of the greatest leaders of our era. He ensured that Turkey got its rightful place among the most advanced nations. Also, he gave the feeling of support and self-confidence to the Turks that form the foundation stone of a nation’s greatness. I take great pride in being one of Ataturk’s loyal friends.”

    A portion of last night´s event´s proceeds will be donated to the families of the fallen soldiers, and the earthquake victims in Turkey through ATAA, the Turkish American Associations in the US, located in Washington, DC.

    Congressman Clarke pointed out that Turkey has managed to retain “a secular government in a majority-Muslim country”, while Congressman Peters recognized Turkey as a member of NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization) since 1952, and offered his help to the Turkish community in Metro Detroit.

    Congressman Clarke also described himself as the son of immigrants, and pointed out that it is precisely the immigrants who come to this country who truly appreciate the principles of freedom and the pursuit of happiness that the US stands for. He also commented on the fact that by being different, immigrants in Michigan can each contribute something special to this country.

    TACAM President Feridun Bek recognized guests from different ethnic communities in Metro Detroit who attended the ball, including guests from the UK, Mexico, and Syria.

    Turkey has been a close ally of the United States for many years, and will be the host to NATO´s US designated Nuclear Anti Missile Radar Program to develop the strategy that will protect members of the Treaty by spotting nuclear threats. Turkey will subsequently also host an anti-missile radar (solely defensive and not an assault radar system) to be installed in a military facility in Central Turkey.

    The Turkish Military has been providing training to the Afghan National Army and police, providing supplies, and helping to operate a hospital in Kabul, as part of a NATO stabilizing campaign, in anticipation of the forthcoming withdrawal of American troops by 2014.

    Due to its strategic location right between Europe and Asia, Turkey is also one of the most valuable US allies. Congressmen Clarke and Peters made it clear that international cooperation is vital to world security and economic development. Their presence as this year’s Turkish Republic Day Ball, and their strong words of recognition to the Turkish community in Metro Detroit were received as a symbol of renewed friendship and cooperation between Turkey and the US for the years to come.

    via Turkey’s Collaboration Recognized at Turkish Republic Day Ball Celebration – Detroit Immigration | Examiner.com.

  • Pentagon agrees to sell three attack helicopters to Turkey

    Pentagon agrees to sell three attack helicopters to Turkey

    By Craig Whitlock, Wednesday, November 2, 12:08 AM

    AH 1 Super Cobra 2

    The Pentagon has agreed to sell three attack helicopters to Turkey and is trying to persuade Congress to sell highly coveted Predator or Reaper drones to its increasingly influential ally in the Middle East, defense officials said Tuesday.

    Turkey has sought for years to purchase the helicopters and drones for use against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq but has had difficulty winning approval from Congress. Some U.S. lawmakers have been reluctant to part with sensitive drone technology and are concerned by Turkey’s worsening relations with Israel.

    In recent weeks, however, the Obama administration has achieved some breakthroughs in its attempt to solidify security ties with Turkey, a NATO ally and a reemerging economic and military power in the Middle East.

    On Friday, the Defense Department notified Congress that it would sell three AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters and parts to Turkey for $111 million. While Congress could still block the sale, it would have to do so within 15 days. Key lawmakers have given tacit approval.

    Pentagon officials also said this week that they support Turkey’s more controversial desire to buy Predator or Reaper drones, which can be equipped with Hellfire missiles and satellite-guided bombs. The unmanned aircraft have become a primary weapon in the Obama administration’s counterterrorism operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.

    They also are perpetually in demand among the U.S. armed services; the Pentagon’s willingness to sell the drones to Turkey underscores the importance that Washington places on its relations with Ankara.

    On Tuesday, Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz reiterated his country’s desire to acquire the drones in a meeting at the Pentagon with Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, according to Navy Capt. John Kirby, a defense spokesman.

    Congress, however, has expressed reservations, citing Turkey’s increasingly rocky relations with Israel, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. The two countries, once regional allies, have been at odds since May 2010, when Israeli commandos killed nine Turks aboard an aid flotilla attempting to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

    Alexander Vershbow, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, told the American-Turkish Council in Washington on Monday that the drone sale was being held up by concerns on Capitol Hill.

    “This topic is influenced by the problems in Turkish-Israeli relations,” said Vershbow, who also led a delegation to Ankara last week to discuss counterterrorism cooperation. “This is not a secret. But just to repeat it, we do support the sale.”

    Similar concerns affected negotiations between the United States and Turkey over a NATO missile-defense project under which Ankara agreed to host a key radar station.

    Turkey originally said it would refuse if the radar could benefit Israel, a stance that raised concerns in Congress. The Obama administration finessed the issue by omitting any mention of Israel from the accord, which was approved in September.

    Turkey wants to buy U.S. drones so it can deploy them against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. The Kurdish group, which is fighting to create an autonomous enclave in Turkey, has for years launched cross-border attacks from its hideouts in northern Iraq.

    The potential drone purchase is separate from Turkey’s request for the U.S. military to base a fleet of its Predator drones on Turkish soil.

    The United States has flown the unarmed Predators from Iraqi bases since 2007 and shared the planes’ surveillance video with Turkey as part of a joint crackdown against the PKK. But the U.S. drones will have to leave Iraq by Dec. 31, the deadline for American forces to exit that country.

    via Pentagon agrees to sell three attack helicopters to Turkey – The Washington Post.