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Post by The March Hare on Dec 1, 2006 9:44:54 GMT 1
EU countries turn the wheels for motor industry
Turkey’s automotive sector made 71.7% of its car exports to 25 different EU countries in the first nine months of this year. The Uludag Exporters Union (UIB) has published statistics that show that Turkish-made vehicles were exported to a total of 165 countries in five different continents and worth more than 10 billion dollars - seven billion dollars in vehicle exports went to EU countries alone.
Italy, France, Germany, and England come at the top of the list of countries receiving Turkey’s car exports, with those four countries paying more than five billion dollars for car imports from Turkey.
Amongst other makes Turkey manufactures or assembles vehicles for Toyota, Fiat, Hyundai and Ford.
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Post by The March Hare on Dec 2, 2006 8:50:31 GMT 1
Turkish general elections to be held November 2007
Saturday, 02 December 2006
Turkey's parliament has agreed that general elections should be held a year from now, quashing long-running speculation that the ruling AK Party would call snap polls. The centre-right AK Party and two opposition parties in the general assembly approved a law setting the polls for November 4, 2007. The ruling AK party has presided over strong economic growth following a 2001 financial crisis and the launch of Turkey's European Union entry talks. The AK Party became Turkey's first single-party government in 15 years after a stunning election victory in 2002 and with its grassroots popularity the party has brought stability to the country after years of mismanagement. But a September poll, commissioned by the party and published in October showed its support falling to 26.2 percent from nearly 33 percent just two months earlier.
Only one other party, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), could gain enough votes to clear a 10 percent threshold needed to enter parliament, the poll showed. Support for the CHP stood at 15.5 percent. Nearly a third of those canvassed said they were undecided about whom to back in the next general election
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Post by The March Hare on Dec 14, 2006 9:08:58 GMT 1
Someone’s making a pile from carpets!
Thursday, 14 December 2006
National papers are reporting that officials checking through Usak museum’s inventory, could not find 71 of the 210 antique carpets and kilims (oriental rugs) belonging to the museum. Usak museum’s director and nine other people are currently on trial suspected of involvement in the theft of at least two items from the museum, including a valuable Roman coin and a priceless gold brooch, both of which were apparently replaced with worthless replicas.
Ironically the missing antique carpets and kilims, which originated from mosques in the region, were taken into the museum for safekeeping. The theft of antiques from mosques, such as carpets, tiles and even doors are not uncommon in Turkey. Unfortunately in recent years it seem that the museums themselves are also being pillaged. Turkey is rich in treasures left by the many civilizations that have settled here since the Neolithic Age, but some of the treasures are displayed in small provincial museums with few visitors and minimal security.
In June, Turkey’s Culture Ministry pressed for a lawsuit against the manager of a small museum’s storehouse after inspectors found that 545 ancient silver coins, dated to the 4th century BC, had been replaced with fakes.
The Usak Governor Kayhan Kavas said that a formal investigation would be launched into the missing carpets.
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Post by The March Hare on Dec 14, 2006 16:55:25 GMT 1
Turkey criticises EU 'injustice'
EU foreign ministers struggled to reconcile divergent views
The Turkish prime minister has accused the EU of acting unfairly towards Turkey by deciding to slow down its membership talks.
"The EU decision is an injustice against Turkey," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the Turkish parliament.
He said EU-Turkey relations were now facing a "serious test".
EU foreign ministers decided on Monday to suspend accession talks with Turkey on eight of the 35 areas that candidates are required to complete.
The decision stems from Turkey's refusal to open its sea and air ports to EU member Cyprus, under a customs union pact it signed with the bloc last year.
Reform pledge
The ministers agreed that talks should be suspended in areas touching on trade, transport, financial services and agriculture, but not others.
"Whatever the EU says, the reform process in Turkey will continue," said Turkey's Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, quoted by the Anatolia news agency on Tuesday.
"Economic and democratic reforms must be achieved with courage and determination," he said.
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The EU decision includes no ultimatums, or deadlines by which Turkey must have opened its ports and airports to Cypriot traffic, the BBC's Jonny Dymond reports from Brussels.
"There has been no train crash - the train is still firmly on track. Eight chapters have been suspended - 27 out of 35 are not frozen, and there is every prospect that things will work steadily and effectively to make Turkey, in the fullness of time, a member of the European Union," said UK Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett.
The ministers also reiterated a promise to end the economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community - but left the details to be worked out next year.
Talks on Turkey's bid to join the EU began last year, after Ankara promised to allow Cypriot ships and aircraft to use its ports and airports.
The foreign ministers' decision will be endorsed formally at a summit of EU leaders on Thursday and Friday.
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