Cyprus-Forum.com

[insan]

Armenia invites nuclear cooperation

ISTANBUL - Armenia invites Turkey to collaborate on construction of its new nuclear power plant. The new plant will replace the Metzamor plant. The EU and Turkey have been pushing Yerevan to close the Metzamor plant for safety concerns

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian has invited Turkey to collaborate on construction of its new nuclear power plant, the latest diplomatic effort to initiate dialogue between the two countries.

"The new power plant will contribute to regional cooperation," Sarkisian was quoted as saying by daily Milliyet. In remarks made during a conference to the Russian newspaper Nevazisimaya, the prime minister highlighted the economic and political importance of the project, noting that Russia would be definitely joining in the construction.

Metzamor plant to close

The Armenian government has recently announced a tender to identify a company to undertake construction of the new nuclear power plant, which it hopes to have completed by 2016, the deadline for closure of the Metzamor power plant. The European Union and Turkey have been pushing Yerevan to close down the Metzamor plant, which is located just a few kilometers from the Turkish border, due to safety concerns.

"The Turkish government expected Yerevan's official proposal to join the construction," reported daily Nezavisimaya, quoting an unnamed Turkish diplomatic source. "Upon receipt of the document, Turkey will consider the possibility of its participation in the project and will announce its decision. If all necessary formalities are observed, the offer can be accepted."

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/dome ... 119523.asp

[Paphitis]

An ancient alliance

Turks deny accusations of anti-Semitism, noting that the Ottoman Sultans opened their doors over 500 years ago to Jews fleeing from Christian persecution in Spain. In 1948, Turkey was among the first countries to recognise Israel. Under a military co-operation deal in 1996, Israeli pilots have been training in Turkish skies. In 2007, bilateral trade rose to $2.7 billion. Between 2006 and 2007, the number of Israelis visiting Turkey went up from 362,000 to 511,400—more than 7% of Israel’s population. Turkey has also earned praise from the Americans for its recent mediation between Syria and Israel.
But anti-Semitism is often part of a general anti-Christian and anti-Western feeling. “Jew” and “Armenian” are both often used as slurs. Last year a Pew Global Attitudes Survey found that anti-Jewish sentiment in Turkey had risen: 76% said they had negative views towards Jews, whereas only 7% said they looked kindly on them.
Anti-Semitism was also blatant during a campaign against an Israeli financier, Sammy Ofer, who had planned to invest with a Turkish partner in rehabilitating Istanbul’s historic Galata district and its port near the Golden Horn. The tender was cancelled amid widespread claims that the deal was crooked and that “Jewish capital” was trying to take over the country.
Radical Turkish Islamists have long tried to stir up anti-Semitism. Their long-standing jibe against the secular Kemal Ataturk, modern Turkey’s founder, was that he was “really a Jew”. In recent years assorted leftists and Kemalists have joined an anti-Jewish chorus that frequently accompanies hostility to America, which is often accused of plotting with Israel to set up an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq that will eventually take large chunks out of south-eastern Turkey.
Behind-the-scenes lobbying by Turkish, American and European Union diplomats may have persuaded Mr Erdogan to tone down his language. He recently told Turkey’s parliament, “As a leader, I have said that anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity.” But if anti-Israeli rhetoric in Turkey persists, the Israeli lobby in the United states could hit back by backing a congressional resolution to call the mass killings by Turks of some 1m Armenians “genocide”. Hitherto, Israel’s influential lobby in America has repeatedly helped block such a resolution, though Barack Obama and his vice-president, Joe Biden, have both referred to genocide in the past and have pledged to back the bill.
Secret talks between Turkey and Armenia to open diplomatic ties and reopen their borders are hotly opposed by some in the Armenian diaspora’s lobby in America. American Jews have long felt queasy about defending Turkey over the massacre of Armenians. Hitherto, pragmatism has prevailed and they have sided with the Turks. But if Mr Erdogan keeps on lambasting Israel, they may change their mind.

Jan 29th 2009 | ISTANBUL
From The Economist print edition

Σκληρή απάντηση του τουρκικού ΓΕΕΘΑ στις δηλώσεις του αρχηγού του στρατού ξηράς του Ισραήλ.

O στρατηγός Αβί Μιζραχί που έκανε τις σκληρές δηλώσεις εναντίον της Τουρκίας, καταγγέλοντάς την για τη Γενοκτονία των Αρμενίων και για την κατοχή της Κύπρου

του Σάββα Καλεντερίδη
Το Γενικό Επιτελείο της Τουρκίας εξέδωσε σκληρή ανακοίνωση μετά τις δηλώσεις του αρχηγού του στρατού ξηράς του Ισραήλ, στρατηγού Μιζραχί, με τις οποίες καταδίκαζε την Τουρκία για τη Γενοκτονία των Αρμενίων και των Κούρδων και την κατοχή του βορείου τμήματος της Κύπρου.
Στην ανακοίνωσή του το τουρκικό ΓΕΕΘΑ...αναφέρει:
"Έχουν δημοσιευθεί στον τύπο ορισμένες δηλώσεις του αρχηγού του στρατού ξηράς του Ισραήλ, που φέρεται να έκανε σε μια διεθνή συνάντηση, στις 13 Φεβρουαρίου 2009. Οι δηλώσεις που αποδίδονται στο προαναφερθέν άτομο, είναι ατυχείς και υπερβολικές, διαστρεβλώνουν την πραγματικότητα και είναι απαράδεκτες από κάθε πλευρά, ενώ δεν συνάδουν με τη θέση και τις αρμοδιότητες που κατέχει και το κυριώτερο, χαρακτηρίζονται ως δηλώσεις που μπορεί να πλήξουν τα εθνικά συμφέροντα των δυο χωρών.
Ανακοινώνουμε ότι θα αναμένουμε από τον αρχηγό ΓΕΕΘΑ του Ισραήλ, που θεωρούμε ότι δίδει σημασία στις σχέσεις με τις Τουρκικές Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις, να δώσει δημοσίως διευκρινήσεις σχετικά με το θέμα στην κοινή γνώμη".
Εν τω μεταξύ, ο πρέσβης του Ισραήλ στην Άγκυρα, Gavriel Levy, κλήθηκε στο τουρκικό υπουργείο εξωτερικών και του επιδόθηκε διάβημα για τις δηλώσεις του Ισραηλινού στρατηγού. Στη γραπτή ανακοίνωση του τουρκικού υπουργείου εξωτερικών αναφέρονται τα εξής:
"Επιδώσαμε διάβημα διαμαρτυρίας για δηλώσεις οι οποίες είναι αντίθετες σε κάθε διπλωματική πρακτική και περιέχουν εντελώς ανακριβή στοιχεία από την ιστορία και από την σύγχρονη πραγματικότητα, ενώ προσβάλλουν με απαράδεκτους χαρακτηρισμούς τον πρωθυπουργό και τη χώρα μας. Επί πλέον, ζητήθηκαν εξηγήσεις από τις αρχές του Ισραήλ για αυτές τις δηλώσεις, οι οποίες τονίστηκε ότι είναι αψυχολόγητες και απαράδεκτες".
Μετά από τις σκληρές ανακοινώσεις του τουρκικού υπουργείου εξωτερικών και του ΓΕΕΘΑ, που στην ουσία ζητεί την κεφαλή επί πίνακι του ισραηλινού στρατηγού, αλλά και το σκληρό διάβημα διαμαρτυρίας προς τον πρέσβη του Ισραήλ στην Άγκυρα, αναμένεται με ενδιαφέρον η αντίδραση του Ισραήλ.

ΠΗΓΗ: ΜΙΛΛΙΕΤ

Ever so slowly we see some major Geo Political changes unfold in the East Mediterranean.

An excellent opportunity for Cyprus to develop better diplomatic and defence ties with Israel.

Cyprus and Israel hand in hand in near future!

[miltiades]

How about inviting the USA to construct a base or two in Cyprus !!!
We better hurry because I have a nasty suspicion that the Russians might beat them to it or even worst Hamas itself !!!!

[Paphitis]

How about inviting the USA to construct a base or two in Cyprus !!!
We better hurry because I have a nasty suspicion that the Russians might beat them to it or even worst Hamas itself !!!!

Piss off!

[RichardB]

How about inviting the USA to construct a base or two in Cyprus !!!
We better hurry because I have a nasty suspicion that the Russians might beat them to it or even worst Hamas itself !!!!

Piss off!

classic

[miltiades]

How about inviting the USA to construct a base or two in Cyprus !!!
We better hurry because I have a nasty suspicion that the Russians might beat them to it or even worst Hamas itself !!!!

Piss off!

All over you ?

[insan]

Ok then. Whole word let's hand in hand. End of all disputes and wars.