Tag: Istanbul

  • African, Turkish NGOs meet Thursday in Istanbul

    African, Turkish NGOs meet Thursday in Istanbul

    Paris, France – The Africa Institute of the Turkish Asian Centre for Strategic Studies (TASAM) will organise a forum on Thursday in Istanbul between Turkish and African non governmental organisations (NGOs) to set a joint cooperation platform between the two parties, PANA reported.

    “The proposed Turkey-Africa NGO Forum, aimed at identifying the opportunities that will serve their mutual interests, can contribute to developing a joint clear vision that can be applied in the future,” TASAM Chairman Süleyman Sensoy said.

    Organisers of the forum plan to set up research institutes and centres on Africa in Turkey universities and promote the twin-city projects among African and Turkish cities.

    They also plan to organise “Turkey and Africa weeks”, provide information about Africa to Turkish companies seeking to invest in the continent and “find joint solutions to communication problems”.

    The meeting, taking place 14-16 August on the theme ”Cooperation ad Development”, aims at providing a data base in the areas of economy, development, education, health, communication, environment, culture, tourism, women and children.

    The NGOs will make a joint declaration, to be submitted to the “Turkey-Africa cooperation summit” that will bring together senior African leaders 18-21 August, under the aegis of the Turkish Foreign Affairs ministry.

  • Legends and Talismans of Istanbul

    Legends and Talismans of Istanbul

    Legends and Talismans of Istanbul

    A book on legends and talismans of Istanbul has been published as part of the ARCHIMEDES Project within the framework of the MED-PACT Programme. “ARCHIMEDES” stands for “Action to Regenerate Cities and Help Innovate Mediterranean Economic Development Enhancing Sustainability”. The project is led by Venice and Istanbul as co-leaders, in cooperation with Bordeaux (France), Genova (Italy), Oran (Algeria), El-Mina (Lebanon) and Beirut (Lebanon). The aim of the project is to define institutional settings, instruments and tools based on the best practices of EU partner cities, in order to promote public- private partnerships, mobilize civil society, promote sustainable tourism, and valorisation of underutilized cultural heritage in the MEDA partner cities. The Çemberlitaş-Mahmutpaşa-Yeni Cami Axis in Eminönü has been chosen as the pilot region in Istanbul and a strategic study programme has been undertaken. The ARCHIMEDES Project International Conference also took place in June 2008 in Istanbul. Besides the publication of the book on legends and talismans of Istanbul, the project activities in relation to Istanbul will include a guidebook of Eminönü for tourists, a tourism itinerary with sign boards for information and directions, a feasibility study for the restoration of a han and a training course for the Eminönü Municipality staff.

  • Turkish Government to Pay Compensations to Istanbul Terrorist Attack Victims

    Turkish Government to Pay Compensations to Istanbul Terrorist Attack Victims

    Turkey, Ankara, 2 August / corr. Trend News A.Aleskerov / Families of victims, who died in a terrorism act in a densely populated Gungeren district in Istanbul, will be paid pecuniary compensations. The decision was taken by the Cabinet of Ministers, which has already allocated the relevant sum, a governmental official said to NTV channel.

    The compensation totals 20,000 Turkish liras, which approximately makes up $16,630. Moreover, the Government undertook all hospital expenditures for those who were wounded in the terrorism act.

    A terrorism act in the Gungeren district in Istanbul left 17 dead and over 150 wounded people. Turkish police said that cameras recorded one of the men who implemented the blasts and at present the police are holding active search of the terrorist.

  • Turkey eyes to turn Istanbul into a finance center

    Turkey eyes to turn Istanbul into a finance center

    Nazım Ekren

    Turkey discussed to turn Istanbul into a financial center on Thursday. Making Istanbul a financial center would contribute to development of not only this city, but also Turkey, Deputy PM Nazim Ekren said.
     
    “It will also help Turkey gain a global prestige,” Ekren also said in Istanbul Province Economic and Social Council Meeting. Ekren said that the timing of the project was right after the mortgage crisis in the United States.

    Ekren also said that the government was planning to establish a development agency in Istanbul within this year.

    Istanbul is a city where 20 percent of Turkey’s total population is living of which population has been up by 10-folds since 1950 and almost 15 million people are residing.

    Ekren said that Istanbul was providing one-fourth of the gross domestic product (GDP), 38 percent of overall industrial income, more than half of services, and 40 percent of tax revenues.

    “Istanbul can be a financial, cultural and logistic center of Turkey, thanks to its unique geographical location; rich historical, cultural and architectural heritage; giant infrastructural investments; economic links with Europe, Asia and the Balkans; and relatively cheap labor force,” the minister said.

  • Historic travel book to be exhibited at Istanbul Modern

    Historic travel book to be exhibited at Istanbul Modern

    ISTANBUL – Anatolian News Agency

    The “Seyahatname” exhibition of travel books will be on display at the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art in 2010. “Seyahatname” is a book reflecting the Ottoman Empire’s relations with other states and describing foreign cultures of cities that travelers visited.
     
    Curator of the exhibition Sinan Dirlik and art director Eray Makal say they see the exhibition as a lyric to Istanbul — the pearl of the Ottoman Empire, and are making their preparations on the grounds of this perception.

    The exhibition will be produced by Ece Seki and the 2Yaka Communication Company, as well as a research team of Ali Ay and Nihal Boztekin.

    The exhibition is planned go on display in January 2010 at the Istanbul Modern.

    While researchers and designers are preparing the project, contributions of other institutions and amateur researchers are expected to complete the project.

  • BOMBS DETONATED IN ISTANBUL TAKEN FROM ARSENALS OF INTELLIGENCE STRUCTURES

    BOMBS DETONATED IN ISTANBUL TAKEN FROM ARSENALS OF INTELLIGENCE STRUCTURES

    Same explosives used by Ergenekon

    “Azg” Daily dares to express opinion that the explosions, which burst on July 26 in the Gungoren district of Istanbul, Turkey, and caused 17 people killed and 152 injured, served rather the interests of the underground “Ergenekon” organization than PKK.

    Such point of view is first of all grounded by recent detainment of 89 Turkish citizens under suspicion of involvement in “Ergenekon” activities. “Ergenekon”, that secret extremist terror organization, is accused by the authorities of Turkey for destabilizing the political situation in the country, spreading chaos, creating background for military revolution and exciting the conflicts with Kurds.

    Moreover, in case of having organized the explosions, PKK would have taken the responsibility, otherwise the act of terror becomes senseless. In the meanwhile “Ergenekon” is not interested in taking the responsibility for the explosions at all, as it works for at least discrediting Erdogan’s regime, if not messing up all the Turkish statehood. Moreover, “Ergenekon” had something to take revenge for after the mentioned arrests.

    In despite of the eagerness of Istanbul Mayor Muammer Guler to asribe the explosions to PKK, a point of view which fairly coincided with those of terrorism experts Erdal Sarizbeyki and Ercan Citioglu, rector of “Bahcesehir” university Deniz Ulkyu Ariboga suggested that such actions are rather dangerous for the Kurdish organization and run contrary with its policies. Then the rector suggested that the explosions might be somehow connected to the “Ergenekon’s” case.

    As “Eni Safak” newspaper says, Ariboga’s statement was indirectly confirmed by terrorism expert Odner Aytac, professor at the Turkish Police Academy. Examining the PKK-“Ergenekon” connections, the expert suggested that the two organizations could even cooperate in realizing the July 26 explosions. Ariboga stated that ascribing the explosions to PKK at once without due examination of the facts would be a great mistake.

    But the matter is not only about the statements of the experts, university rector or even the Mayor of Istanbul. The type of the explosives used, this is what really matters. According to “Zaman”, RDX explosives were used in Istanbul on July 26, which is not a novelty in Turkey. Why? Because the very same type of explosives were used in the murders of Bahriye Ucok, Ahmed Taner Kisal, Ugur Mumcu, as well as in the terror acts in the bazaar of Ankara and Diarbekir school.

    Moreover, the Security Court of Turkey wrote to the commission examining the Ugur Muncu case that the aforementioned type of explosives is most frequently used by the Turkish secret intelligence structures. It also came to be known that the same RDX explosives were used in the Asian part of Istanbul against the demonstrators on May 1, 1996. Former PKK members say that the explosions were plotted by the intelligence department of the Gendarmerie.

    Mentioning all those facts, “Zaman” newspaper wonders why the explosions were organized. Then Zaman finds the answer to its own question in the accusatory act against “Ergenekon”: “…in order to weaken the positions of the legitimate authorities, to create atmosphere of chaos, organize acts of terror, in secrecy obtain the administrative leverage and come to power against the will of the nation”.

    By H. Chaqrian, translated by A.M.

    Source: AZG Armenian Daily