10 December 2012 Volume 7, Issue 8
Japan Prepares For North Korean Rocket Launch Missile-defence system deployed, with orders to shoot down rocket if it looks set to fall on Japanese territory. Japan has begun deploying a surface-to-air missile defence system and is putting its armed forces on standby in advance of a planned North Korean missile launch this month, reports and officials say. The Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported that a naval vessel carrying PAC-3 (Patriot Advanced Capability-3) ballistic missiles left a western Japan naval base on Monday,
headed for the country's southern to deploy troops in Okinawa", Okinawa island chain. North which the rocket may fly over. Korea announced on Saturday Continues in Page 6... that it would launch a rocket between December 10 and 22. Japan's defence minister, ordered the military on Saturday to prepare for the rocket launch, with a defence ministry spokesman telling AFP news agency that "our ground, marine, and air forces are now preparing
Iraq Bars Minister’s Plane From Landing in Arbil Maliki 'punished' Turkey for relations with Kurdish region by not allowing minister’s plane to land Tensions between the two countries, which soured significantly due to oil agreements Turkey signed with the Kurdish administration without the consent of the Iraqi government, hit a new low this week when Iraq denied flight permission to a plane carrying Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız, who was on his way to Arbil to attend an energy conference. Maliki claimed Yıldız was planning to conclude a business deal with the Kurdish
administration in Arbil and Yıldız said ―We were going there for an international meeting.‖ But he also added that ―Turkey's being ―sensitive about Iraq's decisions does not necessarily mean that we will not develop projects in Iraq.‖ However, after two days Maliki has said Baghdad is ready to improve ties with Ankara only on the condition that Iraq and Turkey do not interfere in each other's internal affairs. He said ―I am sending a message of
brotherhood again. I am ready to re-establish our brotherhood. Continues in Page 10...
THIS WEEK
EUROPE PAGE 2
AMERICAS PAGE 3
OPINION PAGE 4-5
ASIA PAGE 6
MIDDLE EAST&AFRICA PAGE 7
ARTICLE OF THE WEEK PAGE 8-9
TURKEY PAGE 10
SOCIAL PAGE 11
INFO & ADS PAGE 12
EUROPE ECB cuts growth forecasts and holds rates The European Central Bank (ECB) has revised down its Eurozone growth forecasts for this year ECB President Mario Draghi (pictured) said the bank expected the bloc's economy to shrink by about 0.5% this year, before recovering later in 2013. He said weak consumer and investor sentiment was weighing on growth. Mr Draghi said rates had been left unchanged due to higher energy prices, rising taxes and the fact inflation fell from 2.5% to 2.2% last month. He also said that the bank expected inflation to fall below 2% next year. The target rate is below but close to 2%. Interest rates have been at 0.75% for five months, after July's cut from 1%. The Bank of England also kept its main interest rate unchanged on Thursday, leaving it at 0.5%. Likewise Britain, Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank, has cut its growth forecast for next year, saying the country's economy might be entering a recession. BBC / December 6, 2012
Electronics Firms Fined £1.1bn for Fixing Prices of TVs and Computers
Germany's NDP party is one step closer to being banned this week after Germany's 16 regional ministers supported the Companies including Philips, LG Electronics and Panasonic artificially move to pursue the ban. set prices according to the European Commission . Euronews / December, 5
Transparency International annuals Corruption Index has revealed Greece to be the most corrupt country in the EU. The UK came 17 as those with the most severe economic problems proved to be the most corrupt. The I ndependent December 5
/
Angela Merkel was reelected with 98% support from her CDU colleagues. This is now the seventh time the most powerful woman in Europe has been re-elected party leader. The Guardian / December 4
Executives from some of the world‟s biggest electronics manufacturers met in Europe and Asia to illegally fix the price of televisions and computers for a decade, the European Commission ruled on Wednesday. Handing out huge fines to Philips, Panasonic, Samsung and four other firms, Brussels ruled that between 1996 and 2006 they held back supply of cathode ray tubes, then the key component in TV sets and computer monitors. Because the tubes made up between 50 and 70 per cent of the retail price, consumers consequently paid an “over price” for TVs and computers. The scam was “among the most organised cartels that the Commission has investigated”, the EC said. The cartelists‟ “anti-competitive practices” included price fixing, market sharing, customer allocation and exchanging commerciallysensitive information. The Independent / December 5, 2012
Reapplication or Negotiation Government has insisted an independent Scotland would remain in the EU, despite reports suggesting the country would have to reapply. Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney (pictured) told, membership was not in question, but negotiations on detail would be needed. He spoke after a report in The Scotsman newspaper said, as a referendum on independence is scheduled for 2014, the European Commission had confirmed in a letter that a go-alone Scotland would have to reapply for membership. Swinney told that in case of yes vote in referendum, Scotland would be a part of UK and member of the EU, therefore there has to be negotiations about the details of Scotland‟s membership of the EU. He believed that any talks on agreeing new terms of membership would be completed by 2016. It seems that Scotland will be going through a process similar to the Catalonia‟s secession question and EU membership as Artur Mas has raised earlier. BBC / December 6, 2012
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AMERICAS Fiscal Cliff Arguments Put U.S. Government in Deadlock Post-Election The fiscal cliff issue in the States is heating up as Obama doesn’t look likely to compromise The fiscal cliff refers to US tax rises and spending cuts set to automatically come into force in January. They can only be avoided if Democrats and Republicans agree a budget deal. On Wednesday, Obama, and Republican House Speaker John Boehner spoke by telephone in an effort to break the continuing deadlock. Both sides have proposed plans to reach a deal, but they remain divided over how to reach it. Obama wants to see tax rises on wealthy Americans, but Republicans object, calling instead for larger government spending cuts. On Friday, Boehner accused Obama of adopting a "my way or the highway" approach and engaging in "reckless talk" about going over the fiscal cliff. "This isn't a progress report because there is no progress to report," Boehner told reporters. "The president has adopted a deliberate strategy to slow walk our economy right to the edge of the fiscal cliff." Correspondents say the White House currently has the upper hand, given that Obama has just won re-election and that opinion polls show that Americans would blame Republicans if the US went off the fiscal cliff. BBC / Dec. 7, 2012 At least 20 Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) anti-government In preparation to the upcoming Olympics and the World Cup, Brazil fighters have been killed in tightened the war on corruption Colombia after the military Authorities in Rio de Janeiro have arrested at least 59 state police officers launched bombing raids accused of receiving bribes to look the other way or aid drug dealing and against their camp in other crimes by gangs that occupy the city's sprawling hillside shanty towns. The arrests are the result of a year-long investigation, dubbed Opera- Narino province, near the tion Purification, that figures as part of the city's broad efforts to reduce border with Ecuador. Al crime and bring order to the shanty villages, called favelas, before the sea Jazeera / December 3, side city hosts the finals of soccer's 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic 2012 games. In recent years, Rio has begun systematically clearing the favelas of gangs that once ruled the neighborhoods all-but unchallenged by authoriEnrique Peña Nieto has ties. The officers arrested face a range of charges, from drug trafficking to formally taken office corruption. Police also arrested several members of the city's feared Red as Mexico's new president Command gang. Wall Street Journal / December 4, 2012 with a vow to restore peace security and prosperity. Guardian / December 2, A United Nations treaty to ban discrimination against people with 2012. disabilities went down to defeat in the Senate on Tuesday 61 to 38.
59 Corrupt Cops Arrested in Rio
The US Senate Rejects UN Treaty
The treaty, backed by President Obama and former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.), that it would create new abortion rights and impede the ability of people to home school disabled children. Sen. James Inhofe (ROkla.) argued the treaty would infringe on U.S. sovereignty, an argument echoed by other opponents.―This unelected bureaucratic body would pass recommendations that would be forced upon the United States if we were a signatory,‖ he said. Supporters of the treaty argued that the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities would simply require the rest of the world to meet the standards that Americans already enjoy under the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act. The treaty was negotiated and first signed under former President George W. Bush and signed again by Obama in 2009. At least 153 other countries have signed it. The Hill / Dec. 4, 2012.
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OPINIONS EUROPE Scotland on the Way of Independence As we all know an independence referendum in the autumn of 2014 will be hold on and the franchise in a Scottish independence referendum would be the same as for a Scottish Parliament election and for a local council election. But the question is, what are the consequences will be after the referendum? Furthermore how the process would be held by the UK and Scottish governments and also by the citizens? I believe that prior to predict the results we should have an in-depth look at the issue. The starting point, unification, took place in 1707. The main moves for independence started when Scottish National Party became the minority government after winning a plurality of seats in the 2007 Scottish election. The first serious move came on 30 November 2009, with a white paper for the bill. A draft bill for public consultation has published on 25 February 2010, but SNP failed to obtain support from the other parties, and receded the draft bill. The victory of SNP came on 10 January 2012, when the Scottish Government announced that they intend to hold the referendum in the autumn of 2014. An agreement was signed on 15 October 2012 by David Cameron and Alex Salmond which provides a legal framework for the referendum to be held. The principal issues in the referendum are economic policy, defence arrangements, continued relations with the UK and membership of supranational organisations, particularly the European Union. As far as I have learned from Andrew Black who is a political reporter at BBC the ballot paper would be something like "The Scottish Parliament should negotiate a new settlement with the British government, based on the proposals set out in the white paper, so that Scotland becomes a sovereign and independent state.", and the responses would be "Yes I agree" or "No I disagree". It has been suggested that full independence, in the event of a 'yes' vote, could be delivered in 2016. Recently, the Scottish government has insisted an independent Scotland would remain in the EU, despite reports suggesting the country would have to reapply. The BBC's Europe editor Gavin Hewitt said: "There would be a negotiation which would only start when it was clear what the relationship was between Scotland and London." I am not sure if it would be the best for Scotland to be independent or not in such an environment, since the Eurozone has “visible” economic problems, but if the referendum would end with the dominance of “yes” votes, I believe that Scotland deserves a chance to prove that it could be a powerful sovereign state without the endorsement of UK. Asude Dilan YİĞİT
TURKEY Agreement to Disagreement : Turkey and Russia Ever since the beginning, the relations between Turkey and Russia sustained in a circle. That is, periods when relationships is good and bad have followed each other. Time of the Ottoman Empire and Russian Empire, the two countries, mainly in opposition to each others condition. Then, until 1945, we see that the Soviet Union and Turkey's Kemalist government become strategic allies. The end of the Second World War began the Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union, Turkey took place in the United States side and broke relations with Moscow. Turkey, until the disintegration of the Soviet Union, mostly, took place in opposite side of Moscow. From the second half of 1990s, significant progress was seen in relationships. In this, emergence of groups advocating that turning to Eurasia instead implement proWestern policies had an important effect. This convergence continued until 2010. In recent times, Russia has a range attitude towards Turkey because Russia thinks that Turkey is influenced by the United States in foreign policy. In recent periods, Turkish-Russian relations are going through the most serious test of endurance with Syria event. The two sides are in different fronts about Syria. Russia, with all his effort, trying to keep Assad with Syria; however , Turkey is making plans for a Syria without Assad. So, there is the game which the ones earning means the others loss that is a zero-sum game. The only common point is that both two sides want to solve the problem with non-military methods. However, if Russia can persuade Assad to go without an international intervention, than the policies of two countries nearer to each other. Putin postponed all visits abroad about for nearly two months then performed his first trip to Turkey as a sign of given importance to Ankara. Even the two countries are in different places in international policies, the most important thing is economic and commercial ties between them. In order to protect it, lots of mutual concessions were given and will be given.The most important point that both two countries agreed is disagreement about foreign issues. Didem ELERMAN
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OPINIONS ASIA ‘‘Re-Sovietization’’, is it true ? H. Clinton slammed the Moscow-led Customs Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan, apparently castigating it as a front for reviving the Soviet Union.―Let‘s make no mistake about it,‖ she said. ―We know what the goal is and we are trying to figure out effective ways to slow down or prevent it.‖ Russian NATO envoy Grushko rejected Clinton's claim, insisting Russia‘s partnership with its neighbors is purely pragmatic.―Russia takes the position that every government is interested in using all possible resources to cooperate with its neighbors,‖ he said.Moscow has sought to pull together many of the former Soviet republics into what President Vladimir Putin has christened the "Eurasian Union," a political and economic union between Russia, Belarus and several Central Asian countries. Who‘s saying the truth Clinton or Gurshko, US or Russia? I think, Russia doesn‟t want a new Soviet Union, wants US of East Europe and Central Asia because idealist soviet diplomacy isn‟t suitable for new and pragmatist Russia. And Soviet Union had more larger diplomacy network than Russia can dream about. Arab and African liberation movements were important as Central Asia for Soviet diplomacy; however, new Russia has limited diplomatic opportunities. Russia lost superiotiy in most areas like Africa and Middle East during early 90‟s. If Russia wants to control Central Asia again, it must jar with US and may face new powers like India, Iran and Turkey. They are more powerful than before. Iran and India are allies of Russia but nobody knows the future of these alliances and Russia‟s future dream isn‟t Turkey‟s future dream. For example, Russia is jarring with Turkey because of Syria. We can say the Shanghai Five and the Eurasian Union are efforts of „„re-Sovietization‟‟ but they aren‟t clear alliances. In conclusion, Russia‟s sphere of influence is growing but every country wants to grow own sphere of influence like Russia or Turkey. We can not say that it is signal of re-Ottomanization or re-Sovietization. We can say it‟s signal of the new diplomatic era. H. Sinan Güler
MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA Enough is More Than One Word Protests, march and slogans are not new for history of Egypt. Before the Arab Uprisings, the history of Egypt had significant demonstrations. In the past, these events were based on the nationalist feelings because the Egypt was under control of British Empire or in Nasser period, the politics of Egypt was dominated by Arab Nationalism. However, in my opinion, Arab Uprisings has not any philosophical background or political preparation to construct new political systems. After the resign of Mubarek, the Muslim Brotherhood, as the largest and the most organized entity, took the power in the Egypt. Muhammad Morsi was elected as president however the President of Egypt was constrained by the power of Army and Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. Moreover, for Morsi, the judicial mechanism and the parliament are other obstacles to get ultimate power in the country, so Morsi acted a decree to reduce effectiveness of check and balance system over his decisions. I think this decree may be the biggest mistake of Morsi because Egyptian said enough to not only Mubarak but also all possible pharaoh candidates. In spite of lack of philosophical background and political roots, Egyptians in Tahrir learnt that a government or a state cannot be survived without its people, so Morsi retreat the decree that gives to Morsi enormous power without any control system over his decisions. Now, in Egypt, the people are waiting for new constitution and I am sure that if their demands are not met, Egyptian will say a word: kefaya. The developments reveal that Liberals are trying to form a front against Muslim Brotherhood, so Morsi may have to face with more opposition from the different parts of the society. Especially, in the election period, the instability and protest will be main issues of the agenda of Morsi in my opinion because old pretexts are not enough to continue dictatorial habits for everyone. Alper AKGÜN
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ASIA
ASIA Japan Prepares For North Korean Rocket Launch Continues from Page 1…
Japan is also planning to deploy Aegis warships in neighbouring waters, Japanese media reported on Monday. Officials are preparing to issue an advance order as soon as Friday to shoot down the rocket if it looks set to fall on Japanese territory, after an emergency meeting chaired by Yoshihiko Noda, prime minister. Noda on Monday called for close co-operation with the US, China, South Korea and Russia in preparation for the planned launch, which has drawn international condemnation. "I have ordered cabinet ministers to gather and analyse information closely with each other and as we closely collaborate with related countries," he was quoted by Dow Jones Newswires as saying. North Korea has reportedly notified neighbours, including Japan, of the trajectory of the planned rocket launch. Al Jazeera/ December 3, 2012 Afghanistan‘s intelligence chief Asadullah Khalid has been wounded in assassination attempt in Kabul. The attack was claimed by the Taliban. Al Jazeera / December 7, 2012
Australia and 36 other industrialised countries signed up for binding emission cuts by 2020 as part of a package of agreements extending the life of the Kyoto Protocol at a UN conference in Doha. New Zealand Herald / December 9, 2012
„Magnitsky Act‟ Approved The US Senate has passed a new bill normalizing trading relations with the Russian Federation, while critisizing their human rights record. In response, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said Russia would take similar, reciprocative actions. “During a meeting with Hillary Clinton in Dublin, I confirmed that we will close entry to Americans who have been guilty of human rights violations,” Lavrov said. The act automatically repeals the Jackson-Vanik amendment placing trade restrictions on Russia and establishes permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Moscow. The Jackson-Vanik amendment was enacted in 1974 during the Cold War and originally targeted the Soviet Union. The act, while finally normalizing trade relations with Moscow, will allow Washington to deny visas as well as freeze the assets of Russian officials allegedly involved in the death of the Russian lawyer, Sergey Magnistky. The bill also stipulates that future possible violations in the field of human rights would be prosecuted by the same measures. Russia Today / December 6, 2012
Indian Officials Accused of Kashmir Rights Abuses More than 500 members of India's armed forces are accused of human rights abuses in a damning report on conflict in Kashmir.
Former Thai prime minister is charged over the death of a taxi driver who was killed amid a crackdown on protests in Bangkok in 2010. A court ruled last month that his death resulted from military acts ordered by the prime minister. CNN / December 7, 2012
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In the report by a leading human rights group include custody deaths, abduction, torture and rape. Army, police and paramilitary officers of senior rank are among those named. There was no immediate army response. Thousands have died in a separatist insurgency in Kashmir since 1989. The disputed region, claimed by both India and Pakistan, has seen violence fall in recent years. But tens of thousands of Indian army and paramilitary troops continue to be deployed in the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley. The report's authors say they gathered information from the police and under India's new freedom of information laws, as well from interviews with families and others. An army spokesman said "If they have sent it to the defence ministry we have not received it so far. We can respond after proper perusal of the document." BBC / December 6, 2012
MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA Egypt braced for more protests Egypt's opposition coalition refuses to meet Friday to discuss Morsi's call for Saturday dialogue meet; several opposition groups holding rallies after Friday prayers. Backers and opponents of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi planned to stage rival mass protests on Friday, as the country was locked in a deepening crisis over the Islamist leader's grab for powers and his call for a referendum on a controversial draft constitution. Opponents of the president gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square, chanting slogans against Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood group. Thousands also marched to the president's palace. The protesters were joined by leading opposition leader Hamdeen Sabahy. "Down with Morsi Mubarak," chanted the protesters, implying that toppled in a popular revolt almost two years ago. In a televised address late Thursday, Morsi said that a decree he issued last month, making all his decisions immune from judicial review, would be cancelled after the constitutional referendum scheduled for December 15, whatever the result of the vote. Haaretz / December 7, 2012
Hamas leader returns to Gaza to a hero's welcome Khaled Meshaal is making his first visit in 45 years to celebrate the founding of the group . Khaled Meshaal, the exiled political leader of Hamas, will receive a hero‘s welcome when he arrives in Gaza this week for his first visit to the Palestinian territories for 45 years, to celAebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the group. It will be Mr Meshaal‘s first ever visit to Gaza, which has been ruled by Hamas since it overthrew the Fatah administration of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007. Both Hamas – whose name is an acronym for the Islamic Resistance Movement – and Fatah are trying to gain domestic support as they try to revive stalled unity talks and hold a long-overdue general election. Independent / December 5, 2012
Iran's navy has captured what it says is a U.S. drone after it entered Iranian airspace over the Persian Gulf.However, a U.S. defense official, who could not be named because the official was not authorized to speak to the media that whatever the Iranians claim to have, it is not an actively operating U.S. Navy drone. CNN / December 5, 2012
Jordan's King Abdullah II paid a rare visit to the West Bank in a show of support for Mahmoud Abbas' successful bid for US president says there will be "consequences" if President Assad uses UN recognition of a chemical weapons on his own people. Palestinian state. Barack Obama, the US president, has warned Syrian President Bashar alHaaretz / December 6, Assad not to use chemical weapons on his own people, saying there would 2012 be consequences if he were to do so. "Today I want to make it absolutely Five men were killed in the clear to Assad and those under his command: The world is watching," he said on Monday."The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally Lebanese port city of unacceptable and if you make the tragic mistake Tripoli today during of using these weapons there will be consequences sectarian clashes between and you will be held accountable."Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state, who is in Prague, the capital gunmen loyal to opposing in neighbouring of Czech Republic, said she would not outline any sides specifics."But suffice it to say, we are certainly Syria's civil war, residents planning to take action if that eventuality were to said. Independent / occur," she said. Al Jazeera / December 4, 2012 December 6, 2012
Obama warns Syria over chemical weapons use
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ARTICLE OF THE WEEK Thomas L. Friedman Author and Columnist in The NY Times
The Full Israeli Experience These were the main regional news headlines in The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday: “Home Front Command simulates missile strike during drill.” Egypt‘s President ―Morsi opts for safety as police battle protestors.‖ In Syria, ―Fight spills over into Lebanon.‖ ―Darkness at noon for fearful Damascus residents.‖ ―Tunisian Islamists, leftists clash after jobs protests.‖ ―NATO warns Syria not to use chemical weapons.‖ And my personal favorite: ― ‗Come back and bring a lot of people with you‘ — Tourism Ministry offers tour operators the full Israeli experience.‖ Ah, yes, ―the full Israeli experience.‖ The full Israeli experience today is a living political science experiment. How does a country deal with failed or failing state authority on four of its borders — Gaza, South Lebanon, Syria and the Sinai Desert of Egypt — each of which is now crawling with nonstate actors nested among civilians and armed with rockets. How should Israel and its friends think about this ―Israeli experience‖ and connect it with the ever-present question of Israeli-Palestinian peace? For starters, if you want to run for office in Israel, or be taken seriously here as either a journalist or a diplomat, there is an unspoken question in the mind of virtually every Israeli that you need to answer correctly: ―Do you understand what neighborhood I‘m living in?‖ If Israelis smell that you don‘t, their ears will close to you. It is one reason the Europeans in general, and the European left in particular, have so little influence here. The central political divide in Israel today is over the follow-up to this core question: If you appreciate that Israel lives in a neighborhood where there is no mercy for the weak, how should we expect Israel to act? There are two major schools of thought here. One, led by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, comprises the ―Ideological Hawks,‖ who, to the question, ―Do you know what neighborhood I am living in?‖ tell Israelis and the world, ―It is so much worse than you think!‖ Bibi goes out of his way to highlight every possible threat to Israel and essentially makes the case that nothing Israel does has ever or can ever alter the immutable Arab hatred of the Jewish state or the Hobbesian character of the neighborhood. Netanyahu is not without supporting evidence. Israel withdraws from both South Lebanon and Gaza and still gets hit with rockets. But this group is called the ―ideological‖ hawks because most of them also advocate Israel‘s retaining permanent control of the West Bank and Jerusalem for religious-nationalist reasons. So it‘s impossible to know where their strategic logic for holding territory stops and their religious-nationalist
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reasons. So it‘s impossible to know where their strategic logic for holding territory stops and their religious-nationalist dreams start — and that muddies their case with the world. The other major school of thought here, call it the ―Yitzhak Rabin school,‖ was best described by the writer Leon Wieseltier as the ―bastards for peace.‖ Rabin, the former Israeli prime minister and war hero, started exactly where Bibi did: This is a dangerous neighborhood, and a Jewish state is not welcome here. But Rabin didn‘t stop there. He also believed that Israel was very powerful and, therefore, should judiciously use its strength to try to avoid becoming a garrison state, fated to rule over several million Palestinians forever. Israel‘s ―bastards for peace‖ believe that it‘s incumbent on every Israeli leader to test, test and test again — using every ounce of Israeli creativity — to see if Israel can find a Palestinian partner for a secure peace so that it is not forever fighting an inside war and an outside war. At best, the Palestinians might surprise them. At worst, Israel would have the moral high ground in a permanent struggle. Today, alas, not only is the Israeli peace camp dead, but the most effective Israeli ―bastard for peace,‖ Defense Minister Ehud Barak, is retiring. As I sat with Barak in his office the other day, he shared with me his parting advice to Israel‘s next and sure-to-be-far-right government. Huge political forces, with deep roots, are now playing out around Israel, particularly the rise of political Islam, said Barak. ―We have to learn to accept it and see both sides of it and try to make it better. I am worried about our tendency to adopt a fatalistic, pessimistic perception of history. Because, once you adopt it, you are relieved from the responsibility to see the better aspects and seize the opportunities‖ when they arise. If Israel just assumes that it‘s only a matter of time before the moderate Palestinian leaders in the West Bank fall and Hamas takes over, ―why try anything?‖ added Barak. ―And, therefore, you lose sight of the opportunities and the will to seize opportunities. ... I know that you can‘t say when leaders raise this kind of pessimism that it is all just invented. It is not all invented, and you would be stupid if you did not look [at it] with open eyes. But it is a major risk that you will not notice that you become enslaved by this pessimism in a way that will paralyze you from understanding that you can shape it. The world is full of risks, but that doesn‘t mean that you don‘t have a responsibility to do something about it — within your limits and the limits of realism — and avoid self-fulfilling prophecies that are extremely dangerous here.‖ The New York Times/ December 8, 2012
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TURKEY Iraq Bars Minister’s Plane From Landing in Arbil Continue from Page 1… We are ready for all kinds of agreements. But we have a condition: Neither Turkey nor Iraq will interfere in each other's internal affairs.‖ He added ―Now, despite all the problems, we want dialogue with Turkey, I am offering an olive branch. We are ready and willing to cooperate with you on security, oil, trade and culture. But, there should not be interference in Iraq's internal affairs.‖ Meanwhile, Maliki invited Turkey‘s main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to a conference on Turkish-Iraqi ties to be held in Bagdad. However, Kılıçdaroğlu said that he would not be able to attend the conference, but a delegation of his Republican People‘s Party chaired by Deputy Head Faruk Loğoğlu will be joining the event. Loğoğlu said this visit was previously planned and had nothing to do with Baghdad‘s refusal to allow Yıldız to fly to Arbil. Today’s Zaman – Hurriyet Daily News / December 4-7, 2012 During Justice Minister Ergin's visits to Brussels, the EU made it clear that BDP deputies should not be "excluded" from politics, referring to the raging debate on whether or not the immunity of those deputies should be lifted, leaving them open to prosecution. Today’s Zaman / December 6, 2012 Germany will send up to 400 troops to the TurkishGerman border as part of NATO mission to protect Turkey from Syrian rocket attacks. Deutsche Welle / December 6, 2012
Putin meets Erdogan for Syria talks Despite their differences over Syria, the two countries enjoy strong trade and energy ties, and are expected to look to strengthen those links during talks. President Putin, who paid a one day working visit to Turkey, and Erdoğan met at Dolmabahçe Besides economic relations, the two leaders discussed a variety of subjects, the Syria crisis in particular and gave messages regarding it. Erdoğan said the economic investments made reciprocally gained great momentum and Russia is Turkey's biggest trading partner. Putin said it was planned to raise the trade volume to $100 billion in the forthcoming years, and regarding the Patriot missiles to be deployed on the Turkish border with Syria pointed out that he did not believe Syria would attack Turkey but Russia was understanding of Turkey's concern regarding its border security. They later signed some cooperation agreements and held a joint press conference. Erdoğan also thanked Russia for its support for Palestine to get the non-member observer status from the UN. TRT-English - BBC / December 4, 2012
Ban-Ki-Mun In Ankara Mr. Ban praised the humanitarian work being carried out to care for the 200,000 Syrians who are being housed in Turkey.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited a camp in southern Turkey hosting Syrian refugees and thanked Turkey for its efforts, calling on the international community and the UN SC to unite and The director of the Greek take decisive action to end the conflict in Ministry of Defense's War Syria. ―The government and the people of Museum was removed from Turkey, you have a broad heart for generosity office following a statement and friendship. I have so much to say after by Turkey declaring its visiting this camp. Thank you very much for disappointment on the your support,‖ he said. After a stopover in the promotion in the museum Islahiye camp which houses some 8,500 of a book penned by Murat refugees, Ban headed to Ankara to meet with Karayılan one of the leaders Gul, Erdogan and Davutoglu. Hurriyet Daily of the PKK. Today’s News / Dec. 7, 2012 Zaman / Dec. 3, 2012
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EVENT CALENDAR 10 December 2012:
Basit Bir Ev Kazası (Theater)
ġinasi Sahnesi/20.00 11 December 2012:
Cyrano De Bergerac(Theater)
Cüneyt Gökçer Sahnesi/20.00
33 Varyasyon (Theater)
Akün Sahnesi/20.00 12 December 2012:
Anathema Acoustic Night with
Danny Cavanagh (Concert) Jolly Joker/21.00 13 December 2012:
Balkan Clarinet Summit(Concert)
MEB ġura Salonu/21.00
Mickey's Musical (Show)
ATO Kongre ve Sergi Sarayı/18.00 14 December 2012:
Dünya Rakı Haftası (Festival)
7 Kapı Bahçelievler/19.00
Metin ve Arkas Trio (Concert)
Bilkent Konser Salonu/20.00 15 December 2012
Levent Yüksel (Concert)
Jolly Joker/22.00
Antonius ile Kleopatra(Theater)
YB Nazım Hikmet Kongre ve Kültür Mrkz/20.30
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INFO & ADS GENERAL DIRECTOR Alper AKGÜN
TWITTER FEED
CO-EDITOR Yiğitcan ERDOĞAN COORDINATORS Hazal AKGÜL, AyĢe ATASOY, Cansu BULUKLU, Begüm ÇELĠKTUTAN
Status quo not an option. I support Leveson recommendation for independent regulator with real power. New law governing press may curb free speech David Cameron, PM of the UK
EUROPE CORRESPONDENTS Ekin BOZKURT, Dan PRITCHETT, Asude Dilan YĠĞĠT AMERICAS CORRESPONDENTS Paddy SPICER WARD, Ayça ġEN ASIA CORRESPONDENTS Bektur ELEBESOV, H. Sinan GÜLER, AyĢenur ġANLI M. EAST & AFRICAS CORRESPONDENTS R. Sinan USTA, Çağlar YILDIZ TURKEY CORRESPONDENTS Didem ELERMAN, Yağmur ERġAN
Unless US government wakes up to Argentina bond crisis, framework for orderly sovereign debt restructurings and global financial stability at risk. Jamie Mcgeever, Editor for Reuters Putin on Patriot deployment: “We say if you have a rifle on the wall eventually you will use it.” Joe Parkinson, Istanbul bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal Putin arrives sunny and warm İstanbul wearing a bulky big coat, almost two size bigger for him.
SOCIAL EVENTS CORRESPONDENT Yağmur ÇĠFTÇĠ Twitter: @metunewsreport
Zeynep Erdim, BBC World Turkey