TUSIAD Turkey Letter: 02 March 2015

Domestic Politics

  • Kurdish Rebels in Turkey Demand Democratic Reforms to Disarm
  • Kurdish leader Ocalan seeks end to Turkey armed struggle
  • Security draft will help Kurdish peace, says Turkish PM Davutoğlu
  • Police Officers in Turkey Held in Wiretaps of Officials
  • Buldan, Demirtaş to run in June 7 elections despite HDP’s two-term limit

Foreign Policy

  • Turkey assessing ‘further contribution’ to military operation in Mosul: Minister
  • Turkey-US train-equip program for Syrian opposition to kick off March 1
  • Turkey inks deal with South Korea on service industry, investments
  • Turkey Criticizes Britain Over Missing Schoolgirls

Economy and Energy

  • Turkey should find oil or attract more investment to avoid middle income trap: World Bank
  • Decreasing real wages cannot be acceptable, says Turkish boss
  • Turkish Central Bank prunes rates as inflation slows down
  • Bolstering technology Turkey’s priority in missile deal, says official

Domestic Politics

Kurdish Rebels in Turkey Demand Democratic Reforms to Disarm
Turkey’s push to end a three-decade Kurdish insurgency got a significant boost from a call by the group’s jailed leader for his rebels to disarm if the government delivers democratic reforms.
~~~
Wall Street Journal, March 1, 2015, Kurdish Rebels in Turkey Demand Democratic Reforms to Disarm, http://www.wsj.com/articles/kurdish-rebels-in-turkey-demand-democratic-reforms-to-disarm-1425252671

Kurdish leader Ocalan seeks end to Turkey armed struggle
The jailed leader of Turkey’s main Kurdish rebel group has urged followers to end a 30-year armed struggle.  In a statement read out on TV by a Kurdish MP, Abdullah Ocalan said he was seeking a “historical decision” to reach “a democratic solution”.
~~~
BBC, 28 February 2015, Kurdish leader Ocalan seeks end to Turkey armed struggle, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31673830

Security draft will help Kurdish peace, says Turkish PM Davutoğlu
According to Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, the controversial domestic security bill, opposed by both of the two main stakeholders of the peace process – the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and the Kurdistan Communities’ Union (KCK), a supra-organization that includes the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – is actually a measure which will facilitate progress in the peace bid.
~~~
Hurriyet Daily News, March 2, 2015, Security draft will help Kurdish peace, says Turkish PM Davutoğlu, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/security-draft-will-help-kurdish-peace-says-turkish-pm-davutoglu.aspx?pageID=238&nID=79093&NewsCatID=338

Police Officers in Turkey Held in Wiretaps of Officials
Turkish police officers on Wednesday arrested dozens of fellow officers accused of wiretapping President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and top government officials.
~~~
New York Times, February 25, 2015, Police Officers in Turkey Held in Wiretaps of Officials, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/26/world/europe/turkish-police-accused-of-wiretapping-recep-tayyip-erdogan-in-feud-with-fethullah-gulen.html?ref=todayspaper

Buldan, Demirtaş to run in June 7 elections despite HDP’s two-term limit
Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş and HDP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Pervin Buldan will be exempt from a rule in the party’s internal regulation that limits deputies to two consecutive terms in parliament.
~~~
Hurriyet Daily News, February 26, 2015, Buldan, Demirtaş to run in June 7 elections despite HDP’s two-term limit, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/buldan-demirtas-to-run-in-june-7-elections-despite-hdps-two-term-limit.aspx?pageID=238&nID=78933&NewsCatID=338

 

Foreign Policy

Turkey assessing ‘further contribution’ to military operation in Mosul: Minister

Turkey will continue to assess its “further contribution” to an international military operation to retake Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz stated on March 2.
~~~
Hurriyet Daily News, March 2, 2015, Turkey assessing ‘further contribution’ to military operation in Mosul: Minister, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-could-join-iraqs-mosul-offensive-against-isil.aspx?pageID=238&nID=79051&NewsCatID=510

Turkey-US train-equip program for Syrian opposition to kick off March 1
Turkey and the United States will begin training and equipping moderate Syrian opposition fighters on March 1 within the framework of a Feb. 19 agreement signed by the two countries, Ankara has announced.
~~~
Hurriyet Daily News, February 27, 2015, Turkey-US train-equip program for Syrian opposition to kick off March 1, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-us-train-equip-program-for-syrian-opposition-to-kick-off-march-1.aspx?pageID=238&nID=78964&NewsCatID=510

Turkey inks deal with South Korea on service industry, investments
Turkey has signed an agreement in the service industry and other investments with South Korea within the scope of a free trade agreement (FTA) that entered into force in 2013.
~~~
Hurriyet Daily News, February 26, 2015, Turkey inks deal with South Korea on service industry, investments, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-inks-deal-with-south-korea-on-service-industry-investments.aspx?pageID=238&nID=78926&NewsCatID=345

Turkey Criticizes Britain Over Missing Schoolgirls
Turkey has criticized Britain for taking too long to inform it about three London schoolgirls who travelled to Turkey last week, possibly en route to join Islamist militants in Syria.
~~~
Hurriyet Daily News, February 24, 2015, Turkey Criticizes Britain Over Missing Schoolgirls, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-criticizes-britain-over-missing-schoolgirls.aspx?pageID=238&nID=78775&NewsCatID=510

 

Economy and Energy

Turkey should find oil or attract more investment to avoid middle income trap: World Bank
Turkey needs to rebuild trust to attract more investments so as to avoid the middle-income trap, said the World Bank Country Director for Turkey, Martin Raiser.
~~~
Hurriyet Daily News, February 24, 2015, Turkey should find oil or attract more investment to avoid middle income trap: World Bank, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-should-find-oil-or-attract-more-investment-to-avoid-middle-income-trap-world-bank.aspx?pageID=238&nID=78815&NewsCatID=344

Decreasing real wages cannot be acceptable, says Turkish boss
The world economy and financial markets have been growing for the last 50 years, but decreasing real wages  relative to GDP is unacceptable and unsustainable, said the board member of Turkey’s Koç Holding and the current B-20 Employment Task Group Coordinator Ali Koç.
~~~
Hurriyet Daily News, February 26, 2015, Decreasing real wages cannot be acceptable, says Turkish boss, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/decreasing-real-wages-cannot-be-acceptable-says-turkish-boss.aspx?pageID=238&nID=78925&NewsCatID=345

Turkish Central Bank prunes rates as inflation slows down
Turkey’s Central Bank trimmed its key interest rate by 25 basis points Feb. 24, taking action in the face of falling inflation and prompting a government with one eye on a June parliamentary election to call for steeper cuts.
~~~
Hurriyet Daily News, February 24, 2015, Turkish Central Bank prunes rates as inflation slows down, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-central-bank-prunes-rates-as-inflation-slows-down.aspx?pageID=238&nID=78791&NewsCatID=344

Bolstering technology Turkey’s priority in missile deal, says official
Turkey’s top priority when procuring its first long-range missile defense system is to bolster its own technological ability, a defense official said on Feb. 27, as reported by Reuters.
~~~
Hurriyet Daily News, February 27, 2015, Bolstering technology Turkey’s priority in missile deal, says official, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/bolstering-technology-turkeys-priority-in-missile-deal-says-official.aspx?pageID=238&nID=78982&NewsCatID=344

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