Erkan in the Army now...: Enlargement chief: Turkey’s involvement in Mideast not harming EU bid

EU enlargement commissioner Stefan Fule. AFP photo Turkey’s involvement in Mideast not harming EU bid, enlargement chief says from Hurriyet Dailynews Turkey’s growing involvement in Middle East affairs does not contradict its bid to join the bloc, the European Union’s enlargement chief said in remarks published Monday. Turkey’s policies not harming EU bid: report from Yahoo news (ANKARA ) – The European Union’s enlargement chief has said that Turkey’s growing involvement in Middle East affairs does not contradict its bid to join the bloc, in remarks published Monday. Turkey Looks Out for Turkey’s Interests – What Else Should Be Expected? from WhirledView by Patricia H. Kushlis By Patricia H. Kushlis If the June 6 New York Times front page article “Turkey Goes from Pliable Ally to Thorn for US” is an indication of the newspaper’s understanding of Turkey and the US-Turkish relationship, its readers are in for trouble. At the very least, reporters – Sabrina Tavernise and Michael Slackman filing from Ankara – should have spent more time with a book or two on Turkish history or maybe one on US-Turkish relations. I’m surprised that the people they interviewed – including former New York Times Istanbul correspondent Steven Kinzer – didn’t set them straight. Or perhaps the right questions were not asked. Here’s the problem: not only is the headline wrong but the premise of the story needs reexamination. Fortunately Tabernise corrected the record somewhat in her Sunday news analysis which described Turkish-Iranian relations far more accurately but she still failed to address the inaccuracy of the less “pliable Turkey” label which was, after all, the thrust of her earlier report. ÖMER TAŞPINAR – A new era in Turkish foreign policy The flotilla incident and Turkey’s “no” vote to new sanctions against Iran at the United Nations Security Council once again triggered a familiar debate about Turkey’s alleged “Islamic” turn in foreign policy. ŞAHİN ALPAY – Brussels supportive of constitutional amendments in Turkey I spent most of the past week in Brussels. The occasion was an invitation to participate in a panel discussion on “Democracy in Turkey” organized by the European Policy Center (EPC), a leading think tank based in the capital of the European Union. BÜLENT KENEŞ – Black propaganda Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is quite right. For some time, a systematic campaign of black propaganda has been waged against the Turkish government in domestic politics and against Turkey in the international arena. Turkey and global transformation: ‘work in progress’in a multi-polar world by Brad Staples & Mehmet Öğütçü When we look back on last year’s events, they will no doubt be viewed by historians as significant a watershed in international politics as the attacks of Sept. 11. Int’l law expert Aral: Israel not as untouchable as before by YONCA POYRAZ DOĞAN Berdal Aral, an international law expert who teaches at İstanbul’s Fatih University, has said that Israel has been increasingly criticized by the world community and that it is more vulnerable than before because of its actions. Turkey’s shift spurs concern on Capitol Hill from Yahoo news The deadly May 31 flotilla clash off Gaza has prompted some in Congress to condemn Turkey, not Israel, and to note with concern Ankara’s steady shift in favor of U.S. adversaries Iran and Hamas. While the world press reported international criticism of Israel, away from the headlines was a bipartisan … Islam: democratic underachiever or overachiever? from istanbul notes by istanbulnotes Let me dispense with the preliminaries and put one of the big questions straight on the table. What is the relationship between Islam and democracy? I want to consider some research by the political scientist Alfred Stepan, who looks at this question in ways that are apposite at a time when Turkey’s prime minister is busy making something of a hero of himself on the Arab ‘street’. Turkey has ‘no trust’ in probe from Yahoo news ANKARA – TURKEY has ‘no trust’ that a commission set up by Israel to probe the deadly raid on Gaza-bound aid ships would conduct an impartial investigation, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Monday. ‘We have no trust at all that Israel, a country that has carried out such an attack on a civilian convoy in international waters, will conduct an impartial investigation,’ Mr Davutoglu told … Osez l’autre Chypre by acturca Aujourd’hui en France, 13 juin 2010, p. 32 Bérangère Lepetit, Nicosie (Chypre) de notre envoyée spéciale Des sites historiques méconnus et un paysage sauvegardé : cet été, laissez-vous tenter par la République turque de Chypre du Nord (RTCN). Le plus : des tarifs avantageux. Amoureux de la Méditerranée et des routes bordées d’oliviers et d’orangers, cette île vous tend les bras ! Pas étonnant qu’Aphrodite, déesse de l’amour, soit née sur ces côtes ensoleillées plus de trois cent quarante jours par an. Moins étendue que la partie grecque du sud et délaissée à tort par les touristes européens, la Chypre du Nord* mérite vraiment un séjour de l’autre côté de cette ligne verte qui scinde l’île en deux depuis 1974. Pour apprécier le nord chypriote, mieux vaut prévoir une semaine, mais l’escapade peut aussi se coupler avec une visite de la partie grecque, ou alors constituer une étape de quelques jours lors d’un voyage en Turquie. Le Fonds Green for Growth, Sud-Est de l’Europe, réalise son premier investissement en Turquie by acturca Business Wire 9 juin 2010 Le Fonds Green for Growth, Sud-Est de l’Europe (GGF, anciennement South East Europe Energy Efficiency Fund) a conclu un prêt privilégié de 25 millions d’euros avec la banque commerciale turque Şekerbank. Ce prêt permettra à la Şekerbank d’amplifier son programme de financement en faveur de l’efficacité énergétique en Turquie, en aidant les ménages privés, les propriétaires, ainsi que les petites et moyennes entreprises à réduire leurs coûts et leur consommation d’énergie, de même que leurs émissions de CO2. La marche turque by acturca Le Point (France), 10 juin 2010 De notre correspondant Guillaume Perrier Ambition. Erdogan veut renouer avec le rêve ottoman. Et restaurer l’influence de son pays au Moyen-Orient. Depuis l’assaut sanglant d’un commando israélien contre la flottille d’activistes propalestiniens, le drapeau turc flotte sur tout le Proche-Orient. De Beyrouth au Caire, la popularité du Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan est à son apogée. L’opération maritime lancée à partir d’Istanbul pour briser le blocus imposé par Israël a été stoppée au large des côtes de Gaza, mais, pour le gouvernement turc, elle a atteint son but.” A cause de cet incident, les équilibres et les alliances vont changer au Moyen-Orient, souligne l’éditorialiste Mehmet Ali Birand.La Turquie en est le bénéficiaire. Elle est parvenue à attirer l’attention de la communauté internationale. ” La manoeuvre a porté ses fruits. Le discours musclé d’Erdogan au Parlement, au lendemain de l’attaque israélienne, a été diffusé sur 25 chaînes à travers le monde et traduit en arabe et en anglais pour lui donner plus d’audience. L’accord signé en mai à Téhéran avec le Brésil sur le nucléaire iranien était déjà un signe de la volonté turque de s’émanciper de ses alliés traditionnels, les Etats-Unis et Israël. La flottille a donné l’occasion à la Turquie d’abattre ses cartes.                            Related posts:EU enlargement chief was in town… Franco-German pressure on Turkey for the NATO chief selection… Egemen Bağış: Turkey's new chief EU negotiator Office of Chief of Staff gives Turkish journalists a ride to Southeast region… "Why enlargement is in trouble