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CONTENTS:
• EU Foreign Policy Chief Holds Talks in Turkey
• Clinton, Davutoglu Discuss Cooperation on Iranian Nuclear Issue, PKK Terrorism
• Assad Reaffirms Turkey's Role as Mediator with Israel
• Turkey Ready to Open Armenia Border for NATO Exercise
• EP Report Stresses Importance of Turkey's Economy for the EU
• Turkish Minister Eyes Increased Trade with US
• Turkish Diplomat Appointed to Top NATO Position
EU Foreign Policy Chief Holds Talks in Turkey
The EU's foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton held talks in Istanbul last week on Turkey's bid to join the bloc and cooperation on terror, the first such meeting at a ministerial level since the enactment of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009. 'The main objective of the meeting is to reaffirm the EU's commitment to Turkey and explore ways for the EU and Turkey to enhance cooperation in the region,' the EU statement on the event declared.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Enlargement Commissioner Stephan Fule said the meeting was about the synergy between Turkey and the EU regarding the country's accession process. It was also a chance to discuss foreign policy matters on both regional and global levels. "Today's issue is not about how to follow but how to lead," Fule explained, adding that there were two important messages the EU wants to give to Turkey. First, he said, was that the union was determined in its commitment to Turkey's full membership. "There should be a zero-doubt policy in this respect." The second important message was that the EU once more confirmed that Turkey's political reforms, and especially the constitutional reform package that will be subject to a referendum on Sept. 12, have met European standards and that they had to continue progressing further.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, also in attendance, said there were three main topics of discussion: strengthening Turkey-EU political dialogue; harmonizing foreign policy in both regional and global issues; and, most importantly, increasing common efforts to speed up Turkey's accession process. "The constitutional reform is welcomed by our EU counterparts," stated Davutoğlu, adding that during the meeting the high-level EU representatives encouraged Turkey's ongoing political reforms as well as the democratization process that the country has been going through. He also said Turkey and the EU share a common vision on both regional and global developments. Turkey's chief negotiator for EU talks, Egemen Bağıs, also participated in the meeting.
Another important issue on the agenda of Tuesday's EU-Turkey ministerial meeting was the fight against terrorism. "We have to strengthen cooperation and improve coordination of our efforts," Ashton said, expressing strong condemnation on behalf of the EU for recent attacks that have taken many lives among the military and civilians. "There is no justification of such acts," she said, adding that the EU lends all its sympathy and solidarity to families who have lost loved ones, to the Turkish government and all the Turkish people. Ashton also stated the PKK is a terrorist group that uses the EU as a base for its actions as well, and that cooperation between Turkey and the EU would be further extended and institutionalized very soon. "The EU counterterrorism representative visited Ankara to find practical ways in which we can collaborate," she highlighted, adding that the meeting had been very fruitful and that it would be followed with real action. /Hurriyet/
Clinton, Davutoglu Discuss Cooperation on Iranian Nuclear Issue, PKK Terrorism
Early last week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had a phone talk during which they discussed issues such as Iran, Israel, the Caucasus and the Balkans. During a daily press briefing at the US State Department, Assistant Secretary Philip Crowley replied to a question on Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's statement denying an agreement between the U.S. and Turkey to leave Turkey out of the negotiation process on Iran's nuclear program, and expressing that the country would continue to be involved in the process. "I do not see those as necessarily being mutually exclusive. In other words, Turkey and Iran are neighbors. One would expect that Turkey and Iran will continue to have diplomatic contacts. It is within their rights, and obviously, what happens in Iran has a profound and direct influence on Turkey," Crowley said. Commenting on the content of the recent telephone conversation between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Davutoglu, Crowley explained, "What the Secretary said to the foreign minister in their call earlier this week was that at this stage, the primary focus should be on Iran engaging constructively [with] the IAEA and the P-5+1... And we believe that there was a mutual understanding about the importance of getting Iran to engage the IAEA and the P-5+1 at this stage of the game," Crowley added.
Crowley also said Clinton reiterated that Washington will continue to assist Turkey's fight against the terrorist PKK, calling the terrorist group the enemy of both Turkey and the US. During the call Clinton had repeated the US commitment to help Turkey in the fight against the PKK, which the US has long recognized as a terrorist group.He explained Clinton told Davutoglu that the PKK remains a threat to Turkey, Iraq, and the US, and endangers regional stability. During their conversation, Clinton and Davutoglu also discussed strained relations between Turkey and Israel due to the Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. While Davutoglu reaffirmed the importance Turkey places on establishing an international commission to probe the attack, Clinton encouraged Turkey to continue what she called important dialogue with Israel, saying that this carries vital importance for the future of the region. /Anadolu Ajansi, Turkish Press Review/
Assad Reaffirms Turkey's Role as Mediator with Israel
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has insisted that Turkey is his country's best hope for a mediator in possible peace talks with Israel, even after Ankara's ties with the Israeli state have suffered following the Mavi Marmara incident in May. "The interceding role in indirect talks [with Israel] belongs to Turkey. Other countries can play only a supportive role, not an alternative one," Assad told a group of Turkish journalists in an interview in Damascus. "We are fully confident that Turkey will successfully fulfill this role. If we had found a more successful negotiator, we would have gone to them," he added.
In the interview, the Syrian president called the Israeli raid an "act of terror" and backed Turkey's demands for an apology, compensation for families of the victims and establishment of an international investigation. On the topic of peace efforts, Assad suggested that resumption of talks with Turkish mediation could be difficult if Turkey's demands are not met. "Turkey has made a few attempts lately to resume its role [as mediator], but now blood has been shed," Assad said, "Turkey cannot give up on the blood of its nationals for the sake of mediation. Otherwise, it might lose its weight and credibility." When asked whether the Israeli fulfillment of Turkish demands was a Syrian condition for the resumption of talks, he said it was a condition for Turkey, not for Syria.
The Syrian president also denied a report in the Turkish media that he had asked a Western leader to assume the role of mediator, underlining that he also explains how vital Turkey's role is in peace efforts in each and every one of these meetings. Earlier this month, Assad was quoted as saying that the crisis between Israel and Turkey could affect the stability of the Middle East and undermine Ankara's role in the region's peace process. "If the relationship between Turkey and Israel is not renewed, it will be very difficult for Turkey to play a role in negotiations [to revive the Middle East peace process]," he said during a visit to Spain. Assad backed Turkey's EU membership bid as well, and said Turkey's recent increase in ties with its neighbors in the Middle East would be a supplement, not an alternative, to its relations with the EU. /Today's Zaman/
Turkey Ready to Open Armenia Border for NATO Exercise
Though normalization efforts between estranged neighbors Turkey and Armenia have stalled, Turkey will be among the NATO and partner countries taking part in an exercise to be held in Armenia by NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center (EADRCC). Foreign Ministry officials based in Ankara confirmed a media report on Wednesday that Turkey will participate in a disaster response exercise called "Armenia 2010." The exercise, organized by the EADRCC as a consequence management field exercise, will take place between Sept. 11 and 17 in Armenia. For the exercise, the border between Turkey and Armenia may be opened "temporarily," Turkish diplomatic sources stated. "During technical discussions at NATO headquarters in Brussels a while ago, when such a possibility was raised by NATO officials, the Turkish side responded favorably."
Yet whether the border is physically suitable for the conduct of the exercise is still in question. Nonetheless, whatever the scenario is and however the border will be used, for instance for the crossing of trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, the border will be closed again upon the end of the exercises, the same diplomatic sources highlighted. /Today's Zaman/
EP Report Stresses Importance of Turkey's Economy for the EU
A new European Parliament report highlights Turkey's economic importance for the European Union. The first-ever report on Turkish-EU trade ties by the EP's International Trade Commission, approved by the commission yesterday, matters because it urges that Turkish-EU relations be seen from an economic perspective rather than through political disputes, stressing Turkey's economic indispensability for the EU. The report, which is set to come to the EP floor in September, warns that the Customs Union between the EU and Turkey, which is improving its trade ties with more and more countries throughout the world, could suffer for political reasons. It also criticizes the visa restrictions the EU imposes on Turkey, saying that they are depressing trade.
Stating that Turkey has the world's 17th largest economy and the sixth largest in Europe, the reports asks the EU's executive organ, the European Commission, to examine why trade between Turkey and the EU is in decline. "Though the EU remains the largest trade partner of Turkey, in recent years Russia, China, the US and Iran took their places among Turkey's main trade partners while Turkey's trade volume with the EU has decreased," the report says. It also stresses Turkey's importance for the EU's energy supply, as a country located at the crossroads of energy supply lines. /Turkish Press Review/
Turkish Minister Eyes Increased Trade with US
Turkey is trying to build a new trade mechanism with the United States and would like to undersign a "new-generation contract" to improve trade volume, State Minister Zafer Çağlayan told reporters Sunday during a visit to Chicago. Turkey wants U.S. companies to produce goods in Turkey and sell them in the U.S. market. "We want U.S. companies to get to know the Turkish market better," Çaglayan said. "We met with some big companies from Indiana. They want to cooperate with Turkey in energy efficiency ... as well as in the poultry, furniture and timber businesses. They want to come to Turkey." The U.S. companies want to cooperate with Turkey to open up to the Middle East, Africa, Caucasus, and Europe, the minister added.
Turkey will soon open new commercial attachés in Houston and Miami. Turkey already has commercial attachés in Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. The U.S is the world's third highest exporter of goods behind China and Germany and is the leader in terms of service exports, Çağlayan explained, adding that Turkey also attached a great importance to the export of services. In addition, he highlighted the fact that the U.S. imports $67 billion of textiles every year, $27 billion of which comes from China.Turkey's textile exports to the U.S., meanwhile, total only $270 million. "We want to sign a new-generation agreement with the U.S." /Hurriyet/
Turkish Diplomat Appointed to Top NATO Position
Diplomat Huseyin Dirioz, a former foreign policy adviser to President Abdullah Gul, has been designated NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen's new deputy secretary general and will act as chief adviser on political-military policy and planning issues, including logistics, missile defense, terrorism, WMD issues, nuclear policy, and defense aspects of cooperation with partners and international organizations. He will be responsible for the development and delivery of NATO's defense policy and for planning mechanisms to support national and collective defense and force planning. Dirioz will have an important role in the political motivation of the new strategic concept expected to be adopted at the fall NATO summit in Portugal. Dirioz will be responsible to the North Atlantic Council as long as he assumes this position. He earlier served as the Foreign Ministry spokesperson and ambassador to Jordan.
Following Dirioz's recent appointment Turkey is planning to pursue a more dynamic diplomacy in both NATO and the international arena. Accordingly, Turkey will work to make sure that fight against the terrorist PKK remains an important concern for the security alliance, urging member countries to act in concert with Turkey in fighting the group. Dirioz's appointment to the key NATO post is also expected to weaken claims by Athens that Turkey violates Greek airspace because Turkey notifies NATO about all its training flights over the Aegean Sea. Among other items that Turkey plans to bring to the NATO agenda are the Cyprus issue and the appointment of a special envoy to the Middle East. In this way, Turkey wants to gain NATO's support for its diplomatic efforts in the international arena. /Turkish Press Review/
