the Turkish government levied about a 1.7 billion-euro tax penalty against Doğan

By Erol Izmirli for Southeast European Times in Ankara — 16/09/09

In an unprecedented action earlier this month, the Turkish government levied about a 1.7 billion-euro tax penalty against the country’s largest media group, Dogan, which had already been fined 340m euros in February. The penalties — the largest ever imposed on a Turkish company — could become a hurdle for the country’s EU bid.

Dogan Media Group, which owns dozens of newspapers, magazines and TV channels, says it is being targeted because of an ongoing dispute with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). In March, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the public to boycott the Dogan’s newspapers, for allegedly smearing the AKP’s reputation through “baseless” corruption stories.

The articles contained allegations of government involvement in the defrauding of Lighthouse e.V., a charity founded in Germany by Turks. According to the media, millions of donated euros were embezzled and transferred to Turkey in 2007.

More than 30 people have died in northwestern Turkey

More than 30 people have died in northwestern Turkey after two days of torrential rains triggered flash floods that turned roads into rivers and left hundreds of houses, offices and vehicles submerged.

Floods in the centre of Istanbul and the city’s districts of Catalca, Silivri and Ikitelli claimed 26 lives, the Anadolu news agency quoted Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying Wednesday (September 9th).

Another “five citizens died in the northwestern province of Tekirdag. Currently, nine people are reported missing”, he told reporters in Istanbul. The city has not seen this much rain in about 80 years.

Turkish daily Hurriyet quoted Erdogan as saying that the government would provide nearly 1.4m euros in emergency aid to deal with damage caused by the floods.

Neighbours Turkey and Armenia made a step towards

Neighbours Turkey and Armenia made a step towards ending their almost century-old enmity Monday (August 31st) as they agreed to launch talks aimed at normalising ties.

The decision was announced in a joint statement by the Turkish and Armenian foreign ministries following months of bilateral discussions mediated by Switzerland. It said the two sides would start internal political consultations over two protocols — on the establishment of diplomatic relations and on the development of bilateral relations.

The consultations would be completed within six weeks, after which the protocols would be signed and submitted for ratification to the Turkish and Armenian parliaments, according to the announcement.

At the end of the day, the lack of security agreements might put our personnel on the ground at risk

NATO chief urges Athens, Ankara to iron out differences

28/08/2009

“At the end of the day, the lack of security agreements might put our personnel on the ground at risk,” NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.

NATO’s new secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, urged Greece and Turkey this week to improve ties, stressing that their ongoing disputes are impeding the Alliance’s efforts in Afghanistan and Africa by putting ground troops at risk.

“I do not think we could allow a lack of security because of all these political disputes — we have to find pragmatic solutions,” Rasmussen said Thursday (August 27th).

Cyprus is at the core of tensions between the two neighbouring nations, both NATO members. Ankara does not recognise the Greek Cypriot-run part of the ethnically divided Mediterranean island, which joined the EU in May 2004, minus its Turkish Cypriot-controlled north.

In response, Turkey has prevented Cyprus’s inclusion in strategic co-operation between the EU and NATO, thus making it impossible for the Alliance to ensure adequate protection for the 27-nation Union’s trainers in Afghanistan.

Turkey may sign pact with Iraq on Nabuccco gas

Turkey may sign pact with Iraq on Nabuccco gas

Azerbaijan and even Russia and Turkmenistan have also been eyed as potential suppliers.
Sunday, 20 September 2009 10:14
Turkey and Iraq have discussed signing a memorandum of understanding to ship Iraqi gas to Europe via Turkey through the planned Nabucco pipeline, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Saturday.

Turkey and four European Union countries signed a transit deal in July for the $7.9 billion euro EU-backed pipeline to carry Caspian and Middle Eastern gas to central Europe, aiming to cut dependency on Russia.

No concrete supply deals have yet been signed for Nabucco, which plans to pump 31 billion cubic metres of gas to Europe by 2014, but backers of the Vienna-based consortium have said Iraq could be among the suppliers.

Azerbaijan and even Russia and Turkmenistan have also been eyed as potential suppliers.

Yildiz did not provide more details of the possible MOU with neighbouring Iraq.

But during the signing ceremony of the Nabucco transit deal in Ankara between Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria in July, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said Europe could receive 15 billion cubic metres of Iraqi gas via Turkey.