Turkish Forum

Category: Regions

  • Gül, Bush speak on the phone after Lavrov talks in Istanbul

    Gül, Bush speak on the phone after Lavrov talks in Istanbul

    ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

    President Abdullah Gül yesterday held a telephone conversation with U.S. President George W. Bush for “comprehensive consultations” over regional and international matters, reported the Anatolia news agency.

    The two leaders discussed the Turkish-led Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform, as well as the problem over the oil-rich Iraqi city of Kirkuk and the negotiations set for today on the divided island of Cyprus, said Anatolia, citing unidentified sources.

    The telephone conversation follows a meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Istanbul. At the expense of triggering a collision course with the west, Russia declared last month that it recognizes the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The global balances upset in the wake of the latest Caucasus crisis has left Turkey in a dilemma as the country may be forced to choose between the two if the rift deepens in the near future.

    The passage of NATO’s military vessels through the Turkish straits, under the Montreux Convention of 1936, to dispatch humanitarian aid to war-torn Georgia has become a source of controversy. Russian military officials raised concerns over the NATO buildup in the Black Sea.

  • “Joe Biden: A Realist Cold War Liberal”

    “Joe Biden: A Realist Cold War Liberal”

    New from SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research:
    Policy Brief No. 21, September 2008


    “Joe Biden: A Realist Cold War Liberal”

    by Nuh YILMAZ,
    George Mason University , Washington D.C.

     

     

    Joe Biden was selected as Barack Obama’s vice presidential candidate largely because of his expertise in foreign policy. Traditionally, in U.S. politics, Dick Cheney-like strong vice presidents are exception, not the rule. It is wiser to focus on Obama’s foreign policy outlook rather than Biden’s, which would benefit Turkey in the long run with its realistic tendencies. Biden’s voting pattern, as it is displayed in three different issues (Cyprus-Armenian Issue-Iraq) does not seem friendly to the Turkish position. However, Biden as a statesman would not create extra problems for Turkey at the expense of U.S national interests. In all of these issues, the person that should be watched carefully is Obama, not Biden. Spending more energy to analyze Obama’s geopolitical priorities can benefit Turkey in the long run.

    Please find attached a copy of SETA Policy Brief No. 21, “Joe Biden: A Realist Cold War Liberal”

    Please click on the following link to download the document:



    SETA FOUNDATION FOR POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH
    Resit Galip Caddesi Hereke Sokak No: 10 GOP, Cankaya 06700 Anka ra , Turkey
    Tel: +90 312 405 61 51   Fax: +90 312 405 69 03
    www.setav.org     info@setav.org
  • Georgian Prime Minister to Participate in Istanbul International Conference

    Georgian Prime Minister to Participate in Istanbul International Conference

    Georgia, Tbilisi, 1 September / Trend News corr. N.Kirtskhalia/ Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze will participate in the Istanbul International Conference 5th Annual Emerging Europa. According to Georgian governmental administration, the conference will take place on 5-6 September.
    Georgian delegation will include Georgia’s Ambassador to Turkey Grigol Mgaloblishvili, Deputy Energy Minister Levan Mchedlishvili, Director of the Investment Agency Nata Kasradze, Prime Minister’s advisor Giorgi Melikidze, head of the governmental chancellery protocol department Giorgi Zurabishvili.

    Bilateral meetings between Georgian delegation and participants will take place within the conference to draw investments to Georgia.

    The correspondent can be contacted at trend@trend.az

  • Turkey retaliates with checks on Russian cargoes

    Turkey retaliates with checks on Russian cargoes

    Turkey is going to tighten checks on goods being transported from Russia. The retaliatory move follows similar measures against cargoes from Turkey introduced by Moscow around the time of the Russian invasion of Georgia.The stringent checks on the Russian side of the border have led to long queues, especially for lorries. The original Russian measures were seen as punishment for Turkey’s allowing United States ships into the Black Sea.

    Source : Radio Netherlands

  • Greek Tourists Increasingly Head to Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Istanbul

    Greek Tourists Increasingly Head to Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Istanbul

    BalkanTravellers.com

    2 September 2008 | Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and the city of Istanbul are becoming increasingly popular destinations among Greek tourists, Greek media reported recently.

    In the last few years, according to the Ta Nea newspaper, Greeks have headed to the neighboring Balkan countries as a more economic option of spending the holidays.

    Turkey and Romania are popular with Greeks mainly as summer destinations, according to tour agency representatives.

    Bulgaria, on the other hand, enjoys success both as a summer and a winter destination, especially among Greeks from Thessaloniki and the rest of the northern part of the country. The large ski resorts, the close geographical distance and the lower prices are among the reasons why Greeks head north, the publication wrote.

    According to tour agency representatives, the more vacation package prices increase in Greece, the more Greek tourists will prefer to spend their holidays in other countries in the region.

  • PM Erdogan says Turkey must keep balance, cannot ignore Russia

    PM Erdogan says Turkey must keep balance, cannot ignore Russia

    Turkey would maintain a balance in its relations with Russia in line with its own interests, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told Milliyet daily on Tuesday. He added there has been a significant cooperation between the two countries on trade and energy.

    Turkey could not ignore Russia due to the economic and commercial relations, Erdogan told Milliyet in an interview published on Tuesday, and added his country would pursue a balance based on its national interests.  

    “It would not be right for Turkey to be pushed towards any side (of the conflict),” the Turkish prime minister said. “Certain circles want to push Turkey into a corner either with the United States or Russia after the Georgian incident.” 

    “One of the sides is our closest ally, the United States. The other side is Russia with which we have an important trade volume. We would act in line with what Turkey’s national interests require,” he added. 

    Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said Monday Turkey started to subject Russian goods to detailed searches at border posts in retaliation for the extensive inspections holding up Turkish trucks in Russian customs. 

    Turkey’s council of ministers, however, has rejected the custom restrictions demanded for Russian export goods, while Turkey’s Government spokesman Cemil Cicek said he hoped recent trade problems between Turkey and Russia would be resolved during Lavrov’s visit to Turkey. 

    Speculation is rife in Turkey, a NATO member, that the Russian move is linked to Turkish support for neighboring Georgia, and especially Ankara’s decision to allow U.S. warships to pass through the Turkish Straits into the Black Sea to deliver humanitarian aid to Tbilisi. 

    Russia was the largest market outside the European Union for Turkish goods last year, with $4.9 billion of exports. 

    Trade volume between Turkey and Russia, the largest market outside the European Union for Turkish goods in 2007, is estimated to reach $38 billion at the end of 2008. Turkish exports to Russia reached $4.7 billion in 2007 consists mostly of the sale of automobiles, citrus fruits, tomatoes, synthetic thread, textiles and jewelry. 

    Turkey imported mostly oil, natural gas and mineral oil from Russia worth $23.5 billion for the same period. Turkey meets nearly two-thirds of its total natural gas needs from this country.

    Source : Hurriyet