Zafer Çağlayan says Romania has opportunities for Turkish contractors

Minister says Romania has opportunities for Turkish contractors
Turkish foreign trade minister said Friday Romania offered a lucrative market for Turkish construction companies.
Friday, 18 September 2009 13:16
Turkish foreign trade minister said Friday Romania offered a lucrative market for Turkish construction companies.

“Romania needs transportation investments specifically in construction of highways, rail roads and ports. And there are vast opportunities for Turkish contractors here,” Turkish State Minister Zafer Caglayan told Turkish reporters in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, citing a 31 billion euro funds the country expects to receive from the European Union to renew its infrastructure.

Turkish State Minister Babacan said that talks continued with the IMF for a new deal.

Turkey says 17 deals with IMF could not be concluded earlier

Friday, 18 September 2009 16:56

Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan said on Friday that talks continued with the IMF for a new deal.

Babacan attended “Emerging Markets Summit 2009″ which The Economist magazine hosted in London.

Babacan gave information to participants about Turkey’s economy, global economic crisis and impacts of the economic crisis on Turkish economy.

Commenting on relations with the IMF, Babacan said 17 deals had been signed with the IMF before the Justice & Development (AK) Party government, noting the deals could not be concluded.

Turkey military says US missiles cost $1 bln

The U.S. administration has notified Congress of a possible sale of Patriot PAC-3 antimissile batteries and related gear to Turkey, the only NATO member bordering Iran.

Friday, 18 September 2009 12:02
A Turkish military spokesman said Friday a possible purchase of Patriot missiles from the United States would cost 1 billion USD, not previously reported figure of 7.8 billion USD.
General Ferit Guler, chairman of the Communication Office with the Turkish General Staff, said Turkey was planning to buy four Patriot PAC-3 batteries at a cost of 1 billion USD with a six-year repayment period.

U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), a part of the U.S. Defense Department, earlier said it had notified the Congress of the possible sale to Turkey of 13 Patriot batteries and estimated cost around 7.8 billion USD.

“The news reports that say the purchase would cost 7.8 billion USD are not correct on the part of Turkey,” Guler told a weekly press briefing in Ankara, the Turkish capital.

The spokesman said the purchase was a part of the military’s procurement plan and “it isn’t against any specific country.”

Ali Babacan says Turkey ready for energy cooperation with Greece

Babacan says Turkey ready for energy cooperation with Greece

Babacan said Turkey was ready to enhance the emerging cooperation in the area of energy.

Friday, 18 September 2009 11:15

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, who is visiting England to attend a series of meetings, delivered a speech Thursday in Oxford University on Turkey-Greece relations during the inauguration ceremony of the Turkey branch of Southeastern Studies Programme (SEESOX).

Babacan who said that the relations between Turkey and Greece were developing, pointed out that the trade volume between the two countries reached 3.5 billion USD.

He said 350,000 Turkish tourists visited Greece, and around 550,000 Greek tourists visited Turkey annually said the positive developments in the tourism sector contributed to mutual understanding between the two countries.

New congress center in Turkey opened for major meetings

New congress center in Turkey opened for major meetings

The Istanbul Congress Center, the venue for the upcoming annual meetings the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, opened on Thursday.

Friday, 18 September 2009 08:15

The Istanbul Congress Center, the venue for the upcoming annual meetings the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, opened on Thursday.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas attended the ribbon cutting ceremony of the center, which cost the Istanbul municipality some 330 million Turkish Liras.

The massive congress center is set to host on October 6-7 about 20,000 people during the 2009 Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and the IMF.

The congress center in built upon 120,000 square meters with 12 storeys. Seven of the storeys are underground on a 19,000 square meters land.

Turkey’s Central Bank cut interest rates by half points

Turkey’s Central Bank cut interest rates by half points
The Central Bank of Turkey cut interest rates by half points on Thursday.
Friday, 18 September 2009 08:02
The Central Bank of Turkey cut interest rates by half points on Thursday.

The Monetary Policy Board of the Central Bank reduced overnight borrowing interest rates from 7.75 to 7.25 percent.

The board dropped the lending interest rates from 10.25 to 9.75 percent.

Turkey raises price of electricity

Turkey raises price of electricity

EPDK stated on Thursday that the price increase would be valid as of October 1, 2009.

Thursday, 17 September 2009 16:12

The price of electricity increased 9.85 percent per kilowatt hour in industry, and 9.68 percent per kilowatt hour in residences in Turkey.

Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) stated on Thursday that the price increase would be valid as of October 1, 2009.

Turkey, Iraq to sign deals on agriculture

Turkey, Iraq to sign deals on agriculture
The agreement are expected to be signed at a later date in Baghdad.

Thursday, 17 September 2009 14:57

Turkish Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker met Thursday with his Iraqi counterpart Akram al-Hakim as part of a ministerial meeting of the Turkey-Iraq Strategic Cooperation Council in Istanbul.

Eker and al-Hakim discussed issues such as water resources, irrigation and stockbreeding as the Iraqi minister conveyed his country’s willingness to cooperate on the water problem as well as animal diseases and counter measures against drought.

Kemal KILIÇDAROĞLU, Local politics heats up in İstanbul after the flood

Local politics heats up in İstanbul after the flood
The recent flash floods that wreaked havoc in İstanbul and cost the lives of at least 40 have left behind not only devastation, wreckage and mud, but also a polemic between the heads of local chapters of both the ruling and opposition parties.

Aziz Babuşcu, the chairman of the İstanbul chapter of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), has called on Gürsel Tekin, the head of the İstanbul chapter of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), to resign. Babuşcu had held the CHP responsible for the flood disaster in Silivri, claiming that river rehabilitation efforts on the Boğluca Stream in Silivri had been prevented because of a lawsuit brought by people including CHP members.

Hasan Gerçeker’s speech shows that the judiciary itself is displeased with this power.

‘Judicial reform strategy’ by MÜMTAZ’ER TÜRKÖNE

September and October are characterized by the opening ceremonies of major institutions. Last week, a new judicial year started.

On Oct. 1, Parliament’s new session will begin with the opening speech delivered by the president. Such opening ceremonies are generally brought to the agenda in the speech delivered therein. Using these opening speeches, the relevant institutions have the opportunity to make a long statement to the general public. In this way, state institutions establish dialogue with each other through these speeches, which seemingly target the general public.

The opening speech delivered by Supreme Court of Appeals President Hasan Gerçeker on Monday was one of the most important of these speeches. The Supreme Court of Appeals president is the person in charge of the judiciary. In his speech, he explained how judicial reform efforts, which are on the agenda these days, are viewed by the judiciary and listed their proposals. As always, this speech also included the judiciary’s concerns about the fundamental principles of the regime. These two major headings represent the debates that the judicial front will maintain throughout the year.

What the judiciary understands from the concept of ‘unitary state’