Turkey President Questions Iran Sanctions, Seeks Israel Apology
NEW YORK—Turkey’s president questioned the effectiveness of sanctions as a tool to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and indicated his country’s relations with Israel won’t improve until the Jewish state apologizes for its deadly May raid on a flotilla trying to reach Gaza.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 54496.html
Clinton Blasts Brazil-Turkey Approach To Iran
by Lit » Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:15 pm
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/world ... ss&emc=rss
At the U.N., Turkey Asserts Itself
Published: September 22, 2010
UNITED NATIONS — If the United Nations General Assembly often serves as a stage for ambitious countries to project a new image, none has grabbed that opportunity this year with as much vigor as Turkey.
In a flurry of speeches and meetings — and one meeting that did not happen — the Turkish president, Abdullah Gul, defended his country’s close ties to Iran, proclaimed Turkey’s intention to become a leader in the Muslim world, and spurned an attempt to mend fences with Israel over its deadly raid on an aid flotilla bound for Gaza.
Turkey’s muscle-flexing has left the United States uneasy, with administration officials worried that Iran has obtained access to financing for its nuclear program through Turkish banks, and that Turkey’s rift with Israel could complicate American efforts to make peace in the Middle East.
Israeli officials reached out to Turkey to arrange a meeting this week between Mr. Gul and the Israeli president, Shimon Peres, in New York. But it collapsed amid Israeli claims that Turkey had demanded an apology from Mr. Peres for the flotilla raid and Turkish claims that Mr. Gul had no time – all of which inflamed a sore that the Israelis hoped had been gradually healing.
Turkey’s leaders made no apologies, saying they did not start the fight with Israel. Nor are they shy about Turkey’s ambitions, declaring that its status as a Muslim democracy, its growing economy, and its location at the hinge of Europe and Asia should make it a central player in resolving problems like the Iranian nuclear program and the Middle East conflict.
“If you look at all the issues that are of importance to the world today,” Mr. Gul said in an interview with The New York Times on Tuesday, “they have put Turkey in a rather more advantageous position.”
Turkey, Mr. Gul said, was the “the only country that can have a very important contribution to the diplomatic route” with Iran – a clear reference to its effort, along with Brazil, to head off the last round of United Nations sanctions against Iran. After the United States brushed aside those negotiations, Turkey voted against the sanctions in the Security Council.
Mr. Gul said Turkey would adhere to the United Nations sanctions, even if he questioned their effectiveness. But he said Turkey would not allow the measures to constrict its broader trade with Iran, which the Turkish government has said will triple in the next five years.
On Wednesday, Turkey’s trade minister said in Istanbul that the American-led campaign to ban all banking transactions with Iran was a mistake and that Turkey was pushing for looser restrictions. Turkish officials said it was up to its banks and companies to decide whether to go along with tougher unilateral sanctions decreed by the United States and the European Union.
“If the demand is for Turkey not to have any trade, any economic relations with Iran,” Mr. Gul said, “it would be unfair to Turkey.” He claimed that some American and European companies continue to do business with Iran under new names, circumventing the sanctions. “That is why the sanctions do not yield the results that are envisioned for them, in most cases,” he said.
Administration officials and experts on sanctions said that as Dubai and other Persian Gulf emirates have begun to crack down on their banking links to Iran in response to the sanctions, Iran has sought other intermediaries that would give it access to the Western financial system. Turkey is an obvious channel, as is Qatar, these officials said.
“In a climate of financial restrictions and sanctions, Turks are actually increasing their trade with Iran,” said Ray Takeyh, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former adviser to the Obama administration on Iran. “It stems from their desire to be a pivotal power in the region.”
Treasury Department officials have visited Turkey to urge the government to implement the sanctions. The United States has also reminded Turkey of its obligations as a member of the NATO alliance.
A senior administration official said that what mattered more than Turkey’s public stance was the response of Turkish banks and companies. And he said many are worried that dealing with Iran could have repercussions on their business in the United States and Europe.
Mr. Gul insisted that Turkey did not want to see a nuclear-armed Iran, and that it was working with the United States for a diplomatic solution. “The perception here in the U.S. is that what Turkey is doing is in some way undermining U.S. policy,” Mr. Gul said. “That is definitely not the case.”
For now, Turkey’s rift with Israel has hampered its role as a peacemaker in the Middle East. In 2008, Turkey mediated talks between Israel and Syria, but those ended after Israel’s military strike on Gaza, which was harshly criticized by Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Mr. Gul, an academic who has served as foreign minister, has a less blunt public image than Mr. Erdogan, though both are viewed with concern by critics who fear Turkey is drifting toward a more militant Islamic focus.
After failing to meet Mr. Peres, Mr. Gul made time to see Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He also met Wednesday with Turkish and American companies at the Plaza Hotel.
Nothing seemed to make Mr. Gul prouder than Turkey’s economy. Turkish bonds, he pointed out, were a safer investment than those of Portugal, Italy, and Spain – three members of a European Union that has not yet accepted Turkey. And Turkey did not have to bail out its banks.
Mr. Gul recounted a meeting with a head of state this week, in which the leader told him: “Turkey used to be known as the sick man of Europe, whereas Turkey now is the only healthy man of Europe.”
At the U.N., Turkey Asserts Itself
Published: September 22, 2010
UNITED NATIONS — If the United Nations General Assembly often serves as a stage for ambitious countries to project a new image, none has grabbed that opportunity this year with as much vigor as Turkey.
In a flurry of speeches and meetings — and one meeting that did not happen — the Turkish president, Abdullah Gul, defended his country’s close ties to Iran, proclaimed Turkey’s intention to become a leader in the Muslim world, and spurned an attempt to mend fences with Israel over its deadly raid on an aid flotilla bound for Gaza.
Turkey’s muscle-flexing has left the United States uneasy, with administration officials worried that Iran has obtained access to financing for its nuclear program through Turkish banks, and that Turkey’s rift with Israel could complicate American efforts to make peace in the Middle East.
Israeli officials reached out to Turkey to arrange a meeting this week between Mr. Gul and the Israeli president, Shimon Peres, in New York. But it collapsed amid Israeli claims that Turkey had demanded an apology from Mr. Peres for the flotilla raid and Turkish claims that Mr. Gul had no time – all of which inflamed a sore that the Israelis hoped had been gradually healing.
Turkey’s leaders made no apologies, saying they did not start the fight with Israel. Nor are they shy about Turkey’s ambitions, declaring that its status as a Muslim democracy, its growing economy, and its location at the hinge of Europe and Asia should make it a central player in resolving problems like the Iranian nuclear program and the Middle East conflict.
“If you look at all the issues that are of importance to the world today,” Mr. Gul said in an interview with The New York Times on Tuesday, “they have put Turkey in a rather more advantageous position.”
Turkey, Mr. Gul said, was the “the only country that can have a very important contribution to the diplomatic route” with Iran – a clear reference to its effort, along with Brazil, to head off the last round of United Nations sanctions against Iran. After the United States brushed aside those negotiations, Turkey voted against the sanctions in the Security Council.
Mr. Gul said Turkey would adhere to the United Nations sanctions, even if he questioned their effectiveness. But he said Turkey would not allow the measures to constrict its broader trade with Iran, which the Turkish government has said will triple in the next five years.
On Wednesday, Turkey’s trade minister said in Istanbul that the American-led campaign to ban all banking transactions with Iran was a mistake and that Turkey was pushing for looser restrictions. Turkish officials said it was up to its banks and companies to decide whether to go along with tougher unilateral sanctions decreed by the United States and the European Union.
“If the demand is for Turkey not to have any trade, any economic relations with Iran,” Mr. Gul said, “it would be unfair to Turkey.” He claimed that some American and European companies continue to do business with Iran under new names, circumventing the sanctions. “That is why the sanctions do not yield the results that are envisioned for them, in most cases,” he said.
Administration officials and experts on sanctions said that as Dubai and other Persian Gulf emirates have begun to crack down on their banking links to Iran in response to the sanctions, Iran has sought other intermediaries that would give it access to the Western financial system. Turkey is an obvious channel, as is Qatar, these officials said.
“In a climate of financial restrictions and sanctions, Turks are actually increasing their trade with Iran,” said Ray Takeyh, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former adviser to the Obama administration on Iran. “It stems from their desire to be a pivotal power in the region.”
Treasury Department officials have visited Turkey to urge the government to implement the sanctions. The United States has also reminded Turkey of its obligations as a member of the NATO alliance.
A senior administration official said that what mattered more than Turkey’s public stance was the response of Turkish banks and companies. And he said many are worried that dealing with Iran could have repercussions on their business in the United States and Europe.
Mr. Gul insisted that Turkey did not want to see a nuclear-armed Iran, and that it was working with the United States for a diplomatic solution. “The perception here in the U.S. is that what Turkey is doing is in some way undermining U.S. policy,” Mr. Gul said. “That is definitely not the case.”
For now, Turkey’s rift with Israel has hampered its role as a peacemaker in the Middle East. In 2008, Turkey mediated talks between Israel and Syria, but those ended after Israel’s military strike on Gaza, which was harshly criticized by Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Mr. Gul, an academic who has served as foreign minister, has a less blunt public image than Mr. Erdogan, though both are viewed with concern by critics who fear Turkey is drifting toward a more militant Islamic focus.
After failing to meet Mr. Peres, Mr. Gul made time to see Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He also met Wednesday with Turkish and American companies at the Plaza Hotel.
Nothing seemed to make Mr. Gul prouder than Turkey’s economy. Turkish bonds, he pointed out, were a safer investment than those of Portugal, Italy, and Spain – three members of a European Union that has not yet accepted Turkey. And Turkey did not have to bail out its banks.
Mr. Gul recounted a meeting with a head of state this week, in which the leader told him: “Turkey used to be known as the sick man of Europe, whereas Turkey now is the only healthy man of Europe.”
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by Lit » Thu Sep 23, 2010 12:37 pm
From the Islamic Republic of Iran's Presidency website 
http://www.president.ir/en/?ArtID=24056
Thursday 23 September 2010 - 09:16
Iran - Turkey Presidents visiting in New York:
Dr.Ahmadinejad: Future world full of human perspective Abdullah gul: Ankara without limits after expanding ties with Iran
The presidents of Iran and Turkey mentioned that the continuity of lobbying between the two countries is in favor of peace and world security regarding the regional and international subjects.
Dr.Ahmadinejad visiting Abdullah gul the president of Turkey mentioned that the two countries possess joint and logical perspectives on most important issues, he announced; the future world must be managed with the human perspective and this is the same thing that Iran and Turkey are after.
The president in this visit congratulating Turkey on the presidency at the Security Council mentioned: “We are confident to witness new balance of management at the Security Council with the management of Turkey.
Dr.Ahmadinejad touched upon the latest decision of the two countries to increase the volume of the trade and economical exchanges and specified: “The increase of the mutual co-operations beside the close and harmonized relations of the two countries in the international issues can be a good pattern of constructive relations for other countries. Abdullah Gul the president of Turkey in this visit touched upon the prominent position of Iran in the region and the world and remarked: “Ankara without any limits is after expanding multilateral ties with Iran.
He stressed on the co-operations and co-ordinations of the two countries in the regional and international subjects and mentioned: “Turkey believes everyone will benefit from the close relations of the two countries.
http://www.president.ir/en/?ArtID=24056
Thursday 23 September 2010 - 09:16
Iran - Turkey Presidents visiting in New York:
Dr.Ahmadinejad: Future world full of human perspective Abdullah gul: Ankara without limits after expanding ties with Iran
The presidents of Iran and Turkey mentioned that the continuity of lobbying between the two countries is in favor of peace and world security regarding the regional and international subjects.
Dr.Ahmadinejad visiting Abdullah gul the president of Turkey mentioned that the two countries possess joint and logical perspectives on most important issues, he announced; the future world must be managed with the human perspective and this is the same thing that Iran and Turkey are after.
The president in this visit congratulating Turkey on the presidency at the Security Council mentioned: “We are confident to witness new balance of management at the Security Council with the management of Turkey.
Dr.Ahmadinejad touched upon the latest decision of the two countries to increase the volume of the trade and economical exchanges and specified: “The increase of the mutual co-operations beside the close and harmonized relations of the two countries in the international issues can be a good pattern of constructive relations for other countries. Abdullah Gul the president of Turkey in this visit touched upon the prominent position of Iran in the region and the world and remarked: “Ankara without any limits is after expanding multilateral ties with Iran.
He stressed on the co-operations and co-ordinations of the two countries in the regional and international subjects and mentioned: “Turkey believes everyone will benefit from the close relations of the two countries.
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by Lit » Thu Sep 30, 2010 11:48 pm
Iran, Turkey Study Ways to Further Boost Economic Ties
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8907040629
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian and Turkish officials in a meeting in New York conferred on ways to bolster economic relations and cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
The issue was raised in a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on the sidelines of the 65th UN General Assembly session on Saturday.
At the meeting, the two sides reviewed ways to expand mutual, regional and international cooperation between Tehran and Ankara.
Mottaki expressed pleasure in the growing ties between Iran and Turkey in the different political, economic and cultural fields, and underlined the necessity for the implementation of all the agreements already signed between the two sides.
Davutoglu, for his part, said he was pleased with the level of relations between Tehran and Ankara, and stressed the necessity for the development of mutual cooperation, specially in drawing plans for the establishment of free trade zones at the two countries' shared borderline.
Iran and Turkey have in recent years boosted their cooperation in all the various fields of economy, security, trade, education, energy and culture.
The two sides have exchanged several politico-economic delegations during the last few months.
Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, accompanied by a senior delegation including Iran's Minister of Industries and Mines Ali-Akbar Mehrabian, Minister of Commerce Mehdi Qazanfari, Minister of Culture and the Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini as well as a number of top Iranian officials paid a two-day visit to Turkey earlier this month.
During the visit, the Iranian and Turkish officials signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on mutual cooperation.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8907040629
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian and Turkish officials in a meeting in New York conferred on ways to bolster economic relations and cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
The issue was raised in a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on the sidelines of the 65th UN General Assembly session on Saturday.
At the meeting, the two sides reviewed ways to expand mutual, regional and international cooperation between Tehran and Ankara.
Mottaki expressed pleasure in the growing ties between Iran and Turkey in the different political, economic and cultural fields, and underlined the necessity for the implementation of all the agreements already signed between the two sides.
Davutoglu, for his part, said he was pleased with the level of relations between Tehran and Ankara, and stressed the necessity for the development of mutual cooperation, specially in drawing plans for the establishment of free trade zones at the two countries' shared borderline.
Iran and Turkey have in recent years boosted their cooperation in all the various fields of economy, security, trade, education, energy and culture.
The two sides have exchanged several politico-economic delegations during the last few months.
Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, accompanied by a senior delegation including Iran's Minister of Industries and Mines Ali-Akbar Mehrabian, Minister of Commerce Mehdi Qazanfari, Minister of Culture and the Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini as well as a number of top Iranian officials paid a two-day visit to Turkey earlier this month.
During the visit, the Iranian and Turkish officials signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on mutual cooperation.
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by Lit » Fri Oct 08, 2010 11:15 am
The end of a secular society in Turkey bodes ill for U.S.
By LAWRENCE J. HAAS
WASHINGTON -- No one should expect allies to always agree.
The United States and Britain tangled over strategy during World War II, and the Soviet Union did not always see eye to eye with its Eastern European satellites.
But allies share the same general hopes for the future and work for the same goals. That's what makes them allies. Nations that hold different hopes and act against the interests of one another are competitors if not adversaries
Turkey has transformed itself from reliable U.S. ally to brazen adversary -confronting our allies in the region, strengthening its ties to our enemies, and promoting outcomes that conflict with our goals.
The transformation was years in the making, fueled by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has worked to change Turkey's government from democratic to authoritarian and its society from secular to Islamic.
Early in his tenure, Erdogan refused to let the United States attack Iraq from Turkish territory and backed Syria after the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon. Recently, he has acted more forcefully against U.S. interests.
The United States has no more urgent foreign policy challenge than preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons - and Turkey has increasingly undercut U.S. efforts to pressure and isolate Tehran.
Turkey warmly welcomed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whom Erdogan calls a "friend," to Istanbul this year; cast one of just two votes against the latest U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran; vowed not to comply with additional sanctions from the United States and Europe; and, in the weeks before the U.N. sanctions vote, worked with Brazil on a deal to break the nuclear impasse, undercutting U.S. efforts to rally the world around a tougher stance.
Meanwhile, Ankara has deepened its economic ties to Tehran, inking a deal to build a gas pipeline, expanding trade, inviting more Iranian investment in Turkey as other nations have shunned Iran, and providing a gateway for Iranian banks to evade U.S. and European financial sanctions.
The United States has no greater regional ally than Israel - and Turkey has increasingly confronted Israel on the world stage and incited anti-Israeli sentiment at home by promoting crude anti-Semitism.
Erdogan embarrassed Israel's president, Shimon Peres, at Davos last year, telling him at a public event that "I know well how you kill children on beaches, how you shoot them" before storming off the stage.
Then, last spring, Turkey's government supported the flotilla whose confrontation with Israeli commandos was orchestrated by a terror-tainted Islamic "charity." Turkey let the boats depart from its territory, dismissed Israeli offers to deliver "humanitarian" aid to Gaza by truck, and then demanded that Israel apologize for the bloodshed that was instigated by passengers on one boat who were armed with axes, knives, bulletproof vests and gas masks and had previously expressed a desire for martyrdom.
Later, Turkish officials welcomed flotilla participants back home, called Israeli actions "state terrorism" and a "bloody massacre," and spearheaded the U.N. Security Council efforts to sharply rebuke Israel.
Turkey's warmth toward Iran and iciness toward Israel are strokes on a larger canvas. Ankara has sought closer ties with Syria, backed the terrorist group Hamas as the legitimate voice of Palestinians, welcomed Hamas leader Khaled Mashal to Turkey, and reportedly helped smuggle rockets to the terrorist group Hezbollah.
Thus, Ankara has picked its side in the deepening regional divide between, on one hand, Iran, Syria, and their terrorist clients and, on the other, the United States, Israel, and Arab states like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan that fear Iran's ascendance and seek to block its nuclear ambitions.
Ankara has one world view, Washington another. This is no quarrel among allies. It's a basic split between former allies, replaced by an adversarial relationship to which Washington should respond accordingly.
ABOUT THEWRITER
Lawrence J. Haas is a senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the American Foreign Policy Council. Readers may write to him at AFPC, 509 C Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002; website: www.afpc.org.
link here: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/10/07/1468 ... z11l0BhaTv
By LAWRENCE J. HAAS
WASHINGTON -- No one should expect allies to always agree.
The United States and Britain tangled over strategy during World War II, and the Soviet Union did not always see eye to eye with its Eastern European satellites.
But allies share the same general hopes for the future and work for the same goals. That's what makes them allies. Nations that hold different hopes and act against the interests of one another are competitors if not adversaries
Turkey has transformed itself from reliable U.S. ally to brazen adversary -confronting our allies in the region, strengthening its ties to our enemies, and promoting outcomes that conflict with our goals.
The transformation was years in the making, fueled by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has worked to change Turkey's government from democratic to authoritarian and its society from secular to Islamic.
Early in his tenure, Erdogan refused to let the United States attack Iraq from Turkish territory and backed Syria after the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon. Recently, he has acted more forcefully against U.S. interests.
The United States has no more urgent foreign policy challenge than preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons - and Turkey has increasingly undercut U.S. efforts to pressure and isolate Tehran.
Turkey warmly welcomed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whom Erdogan calls a "friend," to Istanbul this year; cast one of just two votes against the latest U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran; vowed not to comply with additional sanctions from the United States and Europe; and, in the weeks before the U.N. sanctions vote, worked with Brazil on a deal to break the nuclear impasse, undercutting U.S. efforts to rally the world around a tougher stance.
Meanwhile, Ankara has deepened its economic ties to Tehran, inking a deal to build a gas pipeline, expanding trade, inviting more Iranian investment in Turkey as other nations have shunned Iran, and providing a gateway for Iranian banks to evade U.S. and European financial sanctions.
The United States has no greater regional ally than Israel - and Turkey has increasingly confronted Israel on the world stage and incited anti-Israeli sentiment at home by promoting crude anti-Semitism.
Erdogan embarrassed Israel's president, Shimon Peres, at Davos last year, telling him at a public event that "I know well how you kill children on beaches, how you shoot them" before storming off the stage.
Then, last spring, Turkey's government supported the flotilla whose confrontation with Israeli commandos was orchestrated by a terror-tainted Islamic "charity." Turkey let the boats depart from its territory, dismissed Israeli offers to deliver "humanitarian" aid to Gaza by truck, and then demanded that Israel apologize for the bloodshed that was instigated by passengers on one boat who were armed with axes, knives, bulletproof vests and gas masks and had previously expressed a desire for martyrdom.
Later, Turkish officials welcomed flotilla participants back home, called Israeli actions "state terrorism" and a "bloody massacre," and spearheaded the U.N. Security Council efforts to sharply rebuke Israel.
Turkey's warmth toward Iran and iciness toward Israel are strokes on a larger canvas. Ankara has sought closer ties with Syria, backed the terrorist group Hamas as the legitimate voice of Palestinians, welcomed Hamas leader Khaled Mashal to Turkey, and reportedly helped smuggle rockets to the terrorist group Hezbollah.
Thus, Ankara has picked its side in the deepening regional divide between, on one hand, Iran, Syria, and their terrorist clients and, on the other, the United States, Israel, and Arab states like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan that fear Iran's ascendance and seek to block its nuclear ambitions.
Ankara has one world view, Washington another. This is no quarrel among allies. It's a basic split between former allies, replaced by an adversarial relationship to which Washington should respond accordingly.
ABOUT THEWRITER
Lawrence J. Haas is a senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the American Foreign Policy Council. Readers may write to him at AFPC, 509 C Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002; website: www.afpc.org.
link here: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/10/07/1468 ... z11l0BhaTv
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by EPSILON » Fri Oct 08, 2010 1:11 pm
Get Real! wrote:Brazil and Iran can look after themselves but Turkey overestimates herself. If Turkey continues to assume that she is a superpower and able to play ball alongside Iran & Brazil against the opposition, it may well end up being the geopolitical reshuffling that Cyprus has been waiting for…
So Erdogan, please keep it up!
the best post i saw in this subject
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by Lit » Tue Oct 19, 2010 2:49 am
Turkey Shields Iran from US Missile Defense in Europe
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=121261
Turkish officials have said Turkey would oppose plans for a NATO-wide missile defense system in Europe that would single out Iran as a source of threat.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=121261
Turkish officials have said Turkey would oppose plans for a NATO-wide missile defense system in Europe that would single out Iran as a source of threat.
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by Lit » Thu Oct 21, 2010 3:57 am
Turkey, spurning U.S., says companies free to trade with Iran
By PAUL RICHTER - Tribune Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Turkey on Wednesday rebuffed a U.S. effort to persuade it to scale back its trade ties with Iran, despite a persistent U.S. lobbying campaign this week in Washington and Ankara.
Ali Babacan, Turkey's deputy foreign minister, told reporters in Washington that Turkish companies will remain "free to make their own decisions" about whether to comply with U.S. and European sanctions aimed at cutting off trade with Iran.
Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/10/20/1488 ... z12xEaLncp
By PAUL RICHTER - Tribune Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Turkey on Wednesday rebuffed a U.S. effort to persuade it to scale back its trade ties with Iran, despite a persistent U.S. lobbying campaign this week in Washington and Ankara.
Ali Babacan, Turkey's deputy foreign minister, told reporters in Washington that Turkish companies will remain "free to make their own decisions" about whether to comply with U.S. and European sanctions aimed at cutting off trade with Iran.
Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/10/20/1488 ... z12xEaLncp
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by Lit » Thu Oct 21, 2010 7:34 pm
US plays 'genocide' card to pressure Turkey on NATO missile system
With already-troubled Turkey-U.S. ties further challenged by NATO plans for a missile defense system, Washington is now attempting to use one of the touchiest issues in the two countries’ relationship to gain Turkish cooperation.
Frustrated by the growing divergence of views, the United States has warned Turkey that it will not be able to block the adoption by the U.S. Congress of a resolution based on Armenian genocide claims, the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review has learned.
Full story here: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php? ... 2010-10-21
With already-troubled Turkey-U.S. ties further challenged by NATO plans for a missile defense system, Washington is now attempting to use one of the touchiest issues in the two countries’ relationship to gain Turkish cooperation.
Frustrated by the growing divergence of views, the United States has warned Turkey that it will not be able to block the adoption by the U.S. Congress of a resolution based on Armenian genocide claims, the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review has learned.
Full story here: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php? ... 2010-10-21
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by Lit » Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:02 pm
With already-troubled Turkey-U.S. ties further challenged by NATO plans for a missile defense system, Washington is now attempting to use one of the touchiest issues
Washington is adamant on implementing this system but the Turks are objecting. They are probably trying squeeze some benefits out of Washington in return for agreeing to host the system. Since NATO must operate by consensus...the Turks will probably agree on the missile system but not host it on its soil so as not to damage their new found friendship with Iran.
This is a perfect time for the Greeks to step up. A time for a change in mentality. Fuck thinking like that Box Head twat. Greece should agree to host the fucking system...make Turkey completely irrelevant. Fuck the anarchists, HOST IT! The so called defense system would be pushed southward near Israel rather than Russia so Moscow would not object. Greece should host these missiles on its soil and make itself relevant to this region once again.
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