Cyprus-Forum.com

[Lit]

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribun ... _08_31.asp

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

U.S. warns Turkey on warming its ties with Iran

ANKARA — The United States has warned of the prospect of sanctions on Turkey.

Officials said a U.S. delegation has relayed its concern over Turkey's strategic relationship with Iran. They said the administration warned that Turkish investment in Iran's energy or military sectors would result in sanctions.

"They sent a delegation with names of our companies that were doing business in Iran," an official said.

Officials said the U.S. delegation focused on Turkey's efforts to win projects in Iran's energy sector. They cited the state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corp., which has been delivering gasoline and other fuel to Iran.

The administration has warned that several Turkish companies could come under sanctions which officials said would ban these companies from doing any business with or in the United States.

Another Turkish contractor in Iran was identified as the state-owned Turkish Petroleum Refineries Corp., or Tupras. In July, Tupras resumed gasoline exports to Iran amid the threat of an embargo on Teheran.

"The message was that any Turkish company caught doing this would be penalized," the official said.

[Lit]

Published 16:45 01.09.10

Report: U.S. threatens to shun military drill with Turkey if it bans Israel

Turkish daily Hürriyet reports that the U.S. relayed its position to Ankara after invitations for a joint drill were sent out to several countries, but not to Israel.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-d ... l-1.311506

[Lit]

Report: Iran donates $25 million to Turkish PM Erdogan's party

Iran agrees to give $12 million to Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP), with additional payments of up to $25 million to be made later, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Iran has agreed to donate up to $25 million to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP), a British newspaper reported on Tuesday.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Iran agreed to bolster AKP campaign funds by up to $12 million, with further transfers of up to a total $25 million to be made later this year.

Erdogan has said he will run for a third term as prime minister in Turkey's 2011 general election.

The Turkish government denied receiving funds from Iran, the Telgraph said.

News of the deal appears to contradict a recent report by the International Crisis Group, which questioned Western fears that Turkey is abandoning traditional European ties in favor of a closer alliance with Iran.

Read more here:

http://www.haaretz.com/news/internation ... y-1.313938

and here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... party.html

[Lit]

Turkey moving closer to Iran, not to Europe.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/w ... 515485.htm

Turkey wishes to promote regional peace with Iran: PM
English.news.cn 2010-09-16 18:45:19

ISTANBUL, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said here on Thursday that Turkey and Iran could launch joint initiatives for regional peace, stability and welfare.

The Turkish premier made the statement while addressing Turkish- Iranian Business Forum at Istanbul's Ceylan Intercontinental Hotel.

Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi also attended the forum.

Erdogan said that Turkey and Iran, two countries situated close to problematic regions like Middle East and the Caucasus, maintained their existence as elements of peace and stability despite those problems and areas of conflicts.

"I think that there are initiatives we can launch together to ensure welfare, peace, stability and confidence in the entire region," Erdogan added.

He said: "As we are Iran's door opening to Europe, Iran is our gate opening to Asia."

Erdogan said geographical closeness offered unique opportunities to Turkey and Iran to boost their commercial and economic relations.

Turkey and Iran, two countries with many common goals and features, should be in more cooperation and solidarity, he said.

According to Turkish State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafer Caglayan, the trade volume between Turkey and Iran was up 86 percent in the first seven months of 2010.

"It seems that we will reach the trade volume we had before the 2009 global crisis in 2011," Caglayan said, the trade volume was 2. 3 billion U.S. dollars in 2002, and it reached 11 billion dollars in 2008.

Turkey's exports to Iran was up 40 percent, but Turkey had only 2 billion dollars of share in Iran's 68.5 billion dollars imports in 2008.

[Lit]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 86468.html

* EUROPE NEWS
* SEPTEMBER 17, 2010

Turkey Aims to Triple Iran Trade, Despite International Sanctions

ISTANBUL—Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that Ankara is seeking to triple trade volumes with Iran over the next five years, in comments likely to raise concern in Washington at a time when U.S.-led sanctions are deterring many investors from doing business with the Islamic Republic.

In a speech in Istanbul to business delegates interested in investing in Iran's mainly state-owned machinery, automotive and textile industries, Mr. Erdogan said the two countries were near signing a "preferential trade agreement" that could see trade volumes swell to $30 billion in the period.

Mr. Erdogan was hosting the meeting with Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi.

"I can't see any reason why we can't establish an unimpeded trade mechanism with Iran similar to the one with Europe," the Turkish leader said. "There are lots of things that we can give to Iran, as Turkey has made a serious industrial leap."

Mr. Rahimi said the Islamic Republic was working on legislation to remove all trade barriers with Ankara and had "no better friend than Turkey in today's world."

Full article below:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 86468.html

[Lit]

Iran invites Turkey into space programme-report

ISTANBUL, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Iran has invited Turkey to cooperate in work on the Islamic Republic's space programme, which aims to put a man in space by 2017, the Turkish newspaper Haberturk said on Saturday.

Western countries which suspect Iran is trying to build nuclear bombs are concerned the long-range ballistic technology used to propel Iranian satellites into orbit could be used to launch atomic warheads. Tehran denies such suggestions.

http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOil ... 3U20100918

[B25]

This is such good news, the beast is finally moving away and telling the US to FO.

ha ha, great, can't wait until the US disowns them.

Watch the US policy change on Cyprus (Turkey being the bad guy now) sometime really soon, bring it on!

[Get Real!]

Iran has invited Turkey to cooperate in work on the Islamic Republic's space programme, which aims to put a man in space by 2017

If they’re not planning to bring him back why don’t they just tie one up on a missile and blast him into space?

I nominate Miltiades…

[Oracle]

the Islamic Republic's space programme, which aims to put a man in space by 2017 ...

I nominate Eroglu!

[Lit]

Special report - Tracking Iran's nuclear money trail to Turkey

UNITED NATIONS | Mon Sep 20, 2010 1:12pm BST

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -- Turkey and other U.S. allies have been allowing Iranian banks with suspected links to Tehran's nuclear program to do business within their borders, frustrating Western countries trying to put a financial squeeze on the Islamic Republic, Reuters has learned.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE68J1R720100920