Italian Minister Elsa Fornera cries during austerity announcements
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taly’s new Welfare Minister Elsa Fornero broke down in tears as she announced a new batch of austerity measures aimed at getting the government’s spending back under control. Fornero was overcome as she took part in a press conference, when she was discussing proposals to cut the traditional link between state pension and the rate of inflation. The plans also include moves to raise the retirement age for women to 66 by 2018, in line with the move already planned for men. Page 7
Italian Welfare Minister Elsa Fornera
Turkey’s coasts enjoy tourist hike in 2011 Key countries signal recession, data show
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NKARA The number of tourists visiting Turkey exceeded 13 million in the first half of the year, 12.5 percent more than the same period in 2010, according to recently released data. Page 3
www.img.com.tr
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ONDON - November manufacturing data from the world’s three key economies became another proof that a global economic slowdown could be in the making – raising worries over the possibility of another recession. Page 5
ISSN 1300-2260
December 2011 Year: 10 No: 111
What is next for the EU? E
urope’s top leaders have moved forward to turn the sovereign debt crisis into opportunity, announcing plans to establish a fiscal union. German Chancellor Angela Merkel talks of ‘budgetary intervention,’ while French President Nicolas Sarkozy says there can be no common currency without ‘economic convergence.’ German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that European nations were on the verge of establishing a “fiscal union” with rigorous budgetary oversight to battle the eurozone debt crisis. The announcement came after French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Paris and Berlin will push for a broad treaty “refounding and rethinking the organization of Europe.” The French leader warned that that without some new “convergence” among European countries, the crisis could destroy the euro. The most powerful signal for that convergence came from Merkel. “We are not only talking about a fiscal union, we are beginning to establish it,” she said in a speech to parliament, adding it would be a “fiscal union with strict rules, at least for the eurozone.” “Anyone who had said a few months ago that we, at the end of 2011, would be taking very serious and concrete steps toward a European stability union, a European fiscal union, toward introducing (budgetary) intervention in Europe would have been considered crazy,” Agence France-
Merkel and Sarkozy aim to rebuild the EU on euro
What makes Merkel and Sarkozy laugh?
OECD calls for urgent action to boost ailing global economy
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ecisive policies must be urgently put in place to stop the euro area sovereign debt crisis from spreading and to put weakening global activity back on track, says the OECD’s latest Economic Outlook.
IMF: Emerging markets regarded as part of the solution
The euro area crisis remains the key risk to the world economy, the Outlook says. Concerns about sovereign debt sustainability are becoming increasingly widespread. If not addressed, recent contagion to coun-
tries thought to have relatively solid public finances could massively escalate economic disruption. Pressures on bank funding and balance sheets increase the risk of a credit crunch. Page 5
Minister Yazici: “We work on options for transit shipment” egarding Syria suspended the free trade agreement, Turkey considers shifting transit transport via Iraq, and in addition another alternative is that R0-RO shipping is evaluated via Alexandria. Turkey’s Customs and Trade Minister Hayati Yazici said that after Syria suspended the free trade agreement they had set options about transit shipment. After the panel under the title ‘What New Turkish Trade Law Brings to Our trade Life’ which was held at Gazi University, Minister Yazici responded questions of reporters. Page 10
R Turkey’s Customs and Trade Minister Hayati Yazici,
The year 2011 world’s tenth warmest on record, UN report finds
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emperatures this year are the tenth highest on record since 1850, and the highest ever in a year which experienced a La Niña event, a meteorological phenomenon which is supposed to have a cooling influence on Earth’s atmosphere, a United Nations agency reported. Page 3
Presse quoted her as saying. “Now these items are on the agenda, we are on the verge of it, there are still difficulties to be surmounted but their necessity is now widely recognized.” Merkel will hold talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy to hammer out a common position. Sarkozy warned that the developed world was entering a “new economic cycle” dominated by austerity, heralding tough times ahead for jobs and business. “There can be no common currency without economic convergence, without which the euro will be too strong for some, too weak for others, and the eurozone will break up,” Sarkozy said that in Europe this would require a new political and budgetary consensus that would win back the confidence of the markets. “France is fighting with Germany for a new treaty. More discipline, more solidarity, more responsibility ... true economic government,” he said, urging members to adopt a “Golden Rule” obliging them to balance their budgets. Sarkozy spoke after the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve and the central banks of Canada, Japan and Switzerland moved together to make it easier for commercial banks to borrow dollars. It was a move intended to calm financial markets, which had grown increasingly worried about European debt. Page 3
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MF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, wrapping up a visit to Latin America, said that the balance of economic power was shifting and that emerging economies were part of the solution to global problems. Lagarde, completing a trip to Latin America during which she met with leaders of Brazil, Mexico, and Peru, said that over the past decade, Brazil has had a remarkable trajectory, “combining economic stability, growth and significant progress in reducing poverty and inequality—even becoming an international benchmark
in that area. In the IMF Managing Director process, the country Christine Lagarde has established itself as a leading actor on the global economic stage.” Lagarde, who was in Mexico ahead of it taking over the leadership of the Group of Twenty (G-20) industrial and emerging market countries, met on December 1 with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, and held productive meetings with Finance Minister Guido Mantega and Central Bank President Alexandre Tombini. Page 6
Emerging star of foreign trade: Turkey
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ccording to the report conducted by HSBC Foreign Trade volume in 10 sectors across 36 countries, Turkey’s trade volume with the rate of 109 percent is quite higher than average 73 percent of the world trade. Deputy General Manager of HSBC in Turkey Virma Sokmen said that
Turkey would continue to boost in exports and total foreign markets as well as taking place in 20 big markets which HSBC foresees growth. Virma Sokmen said, “As an indicator of our knowledge accumulation, the report of HSBC Foreign Trade Trust Index and HSBC Foreign Connections has proved the impor-
tance of Turkey once more. Page 5
Turkey plans to manufacture aircrafts Turkish Technology Minister Nihat Ergun
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urkey plans to produce its own regional aircraft and jets by 2023, the centenary of the Republic of Turkey, according to the statement of Nihat Ergun, Turkey’s science, industry and technology minister.
During his visit in the USA, Minister Ergun toured Boeing plant in Seattle; the Deputy Chairman of Boeing, Dan Mooney briefed the Minister Ergun and said that 350 - 400 Turkish engineers contributed to the company.
This is one the significant steps that the country aims to take place in aviation sector, Minister Nihat Ergun said. “Boeing take place among companies we can cooperate with,” Ergun added. Page 6