Baku-APA. Turkey and Lebanon are expected to sign several deals this week, including a partnership establishing a free-trade zone and a joint political declaration aiming toward a new high-level strategic cooperation council, APA reports quoting voanews.com website.
The pacts are on the agenda for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Lebanon expected to start Wednesday. Mr. Erdogan’s Lebanese counterpart, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, invited the Turkish leader for the formal visit.
Mr. Erdogan’s office announced that the Turkish leader is scheduled to have meetings with several Lebanese officials, including Mr. Hariri, President Michel Sulayman and National Assembly Speaker Nabih Berri.
During his trip, Mr. Erdogan is also expected to receive an award at an Arab banking conference, visit Turkish troops assigned within the United Nations’ forces in Lebanon, and inaugurate Turkish-built schools and a rehabilitation center.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for a higher level of trade with Bangladesh on Sunday, vowing to support the South Asian Muslim country in international platforms.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited the International Turkish Hope High School in Bangladesh and was moved by a warm welcome from students of the educational institute.
“We will never leave Bangladesh alone,” Erdoğan told reporters in a joint press conference with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina in capital Dhaka during his two-day visit. This visit, which was the first Turkish prime ministerial visit in 21 years to the country, was to bolster growing trade relations and bilateral ties between the two countries. The two prime ministers held bilateral talks and meetings with delegations before the news conference, which Erdoğan defined as “very useful.”
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, State Minister Mehmet Aydın, who is also the co-Chairman of the Turkey-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission, Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız, Deputy Chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Nükhet Hotar and Samsun Deputy Suat Kılıç accompanied Erdoğan during his visit.
Noting that he is pleased to be in a “friendly and brotherly” country, Erdoğan said he assessed the current level of bilateral ties between the two countries today with his counterpart.
Erdoğan said, “Turkey is one of the first countries that recognized Bangladesh’s independence. Our relations have increasingly strengthened. We appreciate and follow Bangladesh’s steps in its path to development. We are monitoring its successful record in human rights, rule of law and gender equality. There have never been problems between Turkey and Bangladesh. In addition, the two countries also display solidarity in international organization. We want to continue to enhance our economic, cultural and political cooperation,” Erdoğan told the news conference.
Pointing to the fact that trade volume between the two countries was only $47 million in 2002 but reached $658 million by 2009, Erdoğan said these numbers don’t reflect the potential between Turkey and Bangladesh. The prime minister said they have increased the previously set $1 billion goal for 2015 to $3 billion. “There should be more, not less,” Erdoğan underlined.
Erdoğan also noted that Turkish Airlines will launch direct flights to Dahka on Dec. 23 this year, which he believes will increase trade and tourism and solidarity between the two nations.
Turkey and Bangladesh are also in the Developing-8 (D-8) — an arrangement for development cooperation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey — that enhances dialogue between the two countries.
The establishment of the D-8, an organization aimed at fostering economic cooperation among its Muslim developing country members, was announced officially by a summit of heads of state and government in İstanbul in June 1997.
Saying that there is also cooperation between Bangladesh and Turkey in the sphere of education, Erdoğan said Turkey is helping the country in bachelor, masters and military education.
Turkey and Bangladesh signed two agreements in health and diplomatic sectors during Erdoğan’s visit. The first agreement envisages cooperation in the health sector between the two countries. The second agreement is about granting plots of land for diplomatic missions both in Ankara and Dhaka.
Hasina also said talks held with Erdoğan and with the Turkish delegation took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
Noting that they hold similar views on many topics in international affairs, Hasina said they have an agreement in the struggle against any type of terrorism.
Hasina stated they agreed to continue cooperation in health, education and the defense industry.
“I want to express my admiration to Prime Minister Erdoğan for his success in international relations and his leadership,” Hasina concluded.
Before his meetings with Bangladeshi officials, Erdoğan visited Savar National Cemetery on his second day in Dhaka. Erdoğan later was expected to hold talks with Bangladesh’s President Muhammad Zillur Rahman and was set to proceed to a lunch hosted by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).
During his visit, Erdoğan also visited International Turkish Hope High School, which was established in 1996 by Turkish businessmen, where he was welcomed by traditional Turkish and Bangladeshi dances and songs, congratulating those who have contributed to the foundation and maintenance of the school.
While the host school ran video footage featuring Erdoğan reciting the poem “Canım İstanbul,” Erdoğan and other ministers nearly wept. Stressing that his presence here has a special meaning, Erdoğan said it is pleasing to see Turks and Bangladeshis moving together towards the same goal.
Speaking at a ceremony at the high school, Erdoğan said Bangladesh and Turkey are two countries that have no problems between one another. Noting that Bangladesh could be one of the most modern countries in the world, Erdoğan said the country has a young population of 160 million and could successfully utilize this human capital. Erdoğan also stressed the need for democracy and noted there needs not be compromise to achieve freedom. “Better democracy, better life standards, better economy,” Erdoğan pointed out.
via Today’s Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday everyone had to carefully read the message given by the recent global crisis so that a new global crisis could be avoided and countries did not get damaged.
Speaking at a round table meeting on technology and production that took place as part of the G-20 Summit in Seoul, Prime Minister Erdogan said that as countries made efforts to overcome the global crisis, the need to spare more time for social and environmental problems had become clear.
Some of the important problems in many parts of the globe are poverty, difficulty in reaching health services, high unemployment and climate change, Erdogan said.
As long as these problems are not solved, they will have an impact on all countries and cause global damage, Erdogan said.
Touching on Turkey’s experience in agriculture and technology, Erdogan said that Turkey made significant progress in agriculture thanks to technology utilized.
Turkey is about to become self-sufficient in agriculture, Erdogan added.
Women protested PM Erdoğan at the International Women’s Istanbul Meeting for having said that “men and women are not equal”. Pointing to women murders they said, “”More of us are being killed when you say we are not equal”.
Burçin BELGE burcin@bianet.org
Istanbul – BİA News Center 08 November 2010, Monday
Women at the International Women’s Istanbul Meeting protested Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his speech at the Istanbul Congress Centre. They rose to their feet and held up banners reading “More of us are being killed when you say we are not equal” and “The men’s love kills three women per day”.
The women protested quietly. Security personnel in the hall took the banners and removed the women from the venue.
“The Prime Minister should think about our safety instead of the number of children”
Members of the Feminist Collective underlined that 236 women were killed in the first seven months of 2010. “Prime Minister Erdoğan continues to tell women to give birth to three children whereas he does not mention the women who died”, they criticized.
The women reminded Erdoğan’s statement made in a meeting with women organizations in Istanbul where he said, “I do not believe in gender equality”. The women questioned “Prime Minister Erdoğan’s policies to be implemented to provide safety for the life of women”.
Başbakan Erdoğan’ın Dolmabahçe’de kadın örgütleriyle yaptığı toplantıda “kadın erkek eşitliğine inanmıyorum” dediğini hatırlatan kadınlar, “Başbakan Erdoğan’a kadınların can güvenliklerini sağlamak için hayata geçirecekleri politikaları” sordular:
“We do not ask Prime Minister Erdoğan to work on the women’s ‘disposition’ or on ‘how many children they should have’. We want him to fulfil his duty and prevent violence against women, oppression and discrimination. We want to hear that steps are being taken and policies are being implemented that guarantee our right to life and life safety. We want to hear that very urgently because on every day that passes with all these announcements, another three women are being killed”.
“Women murders are not on the government’s agenda”
The women made a press release including the following issues:
* According to the standards of the European Union (EU), one women’s shelter should be opened per 7,500 people. Hence, there should be 7,500 shelters in Turkey, but in reality there are 38. They have a total capacity of 867 people.
* In the Gender Equality report of the World Economic Forum Turkey ranks in 126th position among a total of 134 countries.
* The number of women murders increased by 1,400 percent within the past seven years. There is no action plan to stop this development. In fact, the legislature and the executive do not even have an according agenda.
* At court, the murders benefit from an unjust mitigation of punishment because of provocation. The women are killed by their husbands after they come back from the police, from shelters and prosecutors.
Erdoğan again defended rights of “ladies with headscarves”
In his speech delivered at the International Women Istanbul Meeting, Erdoğan once more claimed that the rights of women with and without headscarves should be defended. Read the main points of his speech as follows:
Don’t wait for you rights to be delivered: We appreciate to see more of our sisters in every area from politics to local administration, from work life to education and in culture and sports; we appreciate to see more successful women. Yet we know that this is not sufficient. Do not wait for your rights to be delivered but struggle for obtaining your rights.
Rights and freedoms are not the vision of a certain section: Rights and freedoms as basic human needs may not be assessed as owned by a certain section [of society] or as the dream of a certain section.
Headscarf question: Despite our struggle, both in the name of contemporary life and modernity it does not accord with equality, humanity or conscience to have young girls removed from school because of their way to dress. (BB/VK)
Turkey’s environment minister said that Turkey would bring water to Cyprus through pipelines beneath the sea.
Turkey’s environment minister said on Wednesday that Turkey would bring water to Cyprus through pipelines beneath the sea.
Minister Veysel Eroglu defined the project a difficult one, and said it would be the first of its type in the world.
“Thus, we will be connected to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with water,” Eroglu said during his meeting with TRNC’s Tourism, Environment and Culture Minister Kemal Durust in Ankara.
Eroglu said Turkey hoped to solve Cyprus’ water problem, and tenders had been opened for the project–the first step of which was Alakopru Dam.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would lay the foundation of the dam on November 3, Eroglu also said.
Another dam named Gecitkoy will also be constructed within the framework of the project aiming to carry water from Turkey to TRNC through pipelines beneath the sea. The tender for the Gecitkoy dam will be held as soon as possible.
Alakopru dam is expected to be constructed within four years and Gecitkoy within three years.
A dungeon horrible, on all sides round,
As one great furnace flamed; yet from those flames
No light; but rather darkness visible
Served only to discover sights of woe,
Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace
And rest can never dwell, hope never comes
That comes to all, but torture without end
Still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed
With ever-burning sulphur unconsumed.
John Milton Paradise Lost
When Emile Zola published his historic letter, J’Accuse, addressed to the President of France, in L’Aurore newspaper on 13 January 1898, he was rich and famous. But that did not stop his mighty anger. Outraged by the travesty of justice that resulted in the false arrest, conviction, and imprisonment of Alfred Dreyfus, a loyal Jewish army officer, he appealed to the president and the nation for reason and justice to prevail.
Dreyfus was convicted by falsified evidence and forged documents, and was a scapegoat for the thoroughly corrupt French Army general staff. He had been imprisoned at a hell hole called Devil’s Island for three years when Zola wrote his letter. (1)
Zola did so for two reasons. First, to draw the public’s attention to the shameful miscarriage of justice. Second, to provoke his own arrest for libel so that new evidence could be introduced that would prove Dreyfus innocent. He succeeded on both counts. Dreyfus was cleared in 1899 and fully exonerated and reinstated in the French Army in 1906. Zola died under suspicious circumstances on 29 September 1902, “a moment in the history of human conscience,” as eulogized by Anatole France. (2)
On 29 September 2010, 108 years to the day after Zola’s death, the ongoing disaster called Turkey received yet another Pinochet-style shock in its struggle to retain its secularity. Hanefi Avcı, the head of the police department in the city of Eskişehir, was arrested for writing a best seller. His book laid bare the widely suspected fact that Turkey’s highest government institution’s—police, army, and judicial system—had been infiltrated and indeed subverted by a religious cemaat, the Fethullah Gülen movement. (3) Since Avcı himself was once an eager activist for Gülen’s cemaat, the book has a certain whiff of authenticity.
And yesterday, Avcı was arrested. The reason? The usual nonsense of the Ergenekon prosecutor. It seems that suddenly the previously highly esteemed police chief has connections with a terrorist organization. Was the terror organization the Gülen movement? Ha, ha, ha, no not quite. The Gülenista government of Turkey, also known as the AKP, paid no attention to the compelling information in Avcı’s book about their sugar daddy, Gülen. It decided on some other “terror group,” some socialist or maybe, horror of horrors, some communist operation. Another Alice-in-Wonderland group, cobbled together with false documents and bogus telephone conversations, using the latest listening and stealth technology provided by…guess who?
Avcı refused to file a petition suggested by his lawyer to demand release from prison pending presentation of formal charges. Like Zola, he wants to experience the whole disgusting mess called Turkish justice. He also refuses to speak to any judicial or prosecutorial officials that he suspects of being members of the Gülen cemaat. But Avcı says that he will talk, at his trial. Like Emile Zola, may he sing long and loud.
Hanefi Avcı, KORKMA!
Cem Ryan
Istanbul
NOTES: 1. An excellent summary of the Zola/Dreyfus affair by University of Georgia law professor Donald Wilkes can be found at: For those interested in a dramatic representation of this incident see the stunning classic film (1937) The Life of Emile Zola:
2. “Il fut un moment de la conscience humaine.” Anatole France, 5 October 1902.
3. Gülen lives in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. It is well and widely known that his activities are aided, abetted, and otherwise supported by the United States government, in particular by the CIA. The latter’s officials were signatories to Gülen’s permanent residency application (“green card”), which he was granted in 2008. For more detailed information see ISLAM, SECULARISM, AND THE BATTLE FOR TURKEY’S FUTURE at:
for writing a best seller. His book laid bare the widely suspected fact that Turkey’s highest government institution’s—police, army, and judicial system—had been infiltrated and indeed subverted by a religious cemaat, the Fethullah Gülen movement. (3) Since Avcı himself was once an eager activist for Gülen’s cemaat, the book has a certain whiff of authenticity.
For those interested in a dramatic representation of this incident see the stunning classic film (1937) The Life of Emile Zola: