Turkey Wants Strong Arab Ties

[Semsem]

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jun2005-d...siness/b18.htm

Turkey calls for closer ties with Arab world

BEIRUT: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for closer ties with Arab countries at an Arab Economic Forum in Beirut on Thursday as he hailed his country’s economic advances.

In an address to bankers and businessmen, he welcomed Turkey’s commercial relations with Arab countries, which has nearly doubled in recent years.

"Turkey’s exchanges with Middle Eastern, Gulf and North African countries have soared by 97 per cent, from seven to 13 billion dollars, between 2002 and 2004," he said.

"Economic relations between Turkey and the Arab world must be reinforced."

He insisted on the need to expand commercial agreements that already exist between Turkey and countries such as Morocco, Syria and Algeria to others, among them Jordan and Lebanon.

"Trade between Turkey and Lebanon is only worth $280 million a year, a figure which we could bring up to one billion," he said, as he urged the "dismantling of custom barriers."

He also called on Gulf countries to channel financial surpluses obtained from soaring oil prices into investment projects in neighboring countries.

He said his country had managed positive growth rates in 2004 thanks to reforms.

"Turkey’s GDP (grew) over nine per cent in 2004, which means it is one of the fastest growing countries in Europe, while inflation fell to eight per cent. Our goal is to bring it down to five per cent in 2006," he said.

Part of Turkey lies in Europe, and the country is hoping to become of member of the European Union amid concerns there that it is not up to par with the bloc’s standards of democracy.

Ankara is due to begin EU accession talks on October 3. Erdogan said he championed a policy of "less state intervention" in economic affairs, saying that the role of the state should limit itself to one of a "regulator."

Erdogan’s statement came against the backdrop of efforts by several Arab countries to open and modernise their economies.

[Illuminatus]

Then what's their problem with France (it's almost Arab anyways) ?

http://www.reporter.gr/fulltext_ENG.cfm?id=60509105321

It's quite normal for the USA to have a problem with the French -- but Turkey?

I just heard Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened France with trade sanctions if it adopts a bill making it illegal to deny that the 1915-17 massacre of Armenians in Turkey was "genocide".

[.. Patience has its limits. We do not have hatred (toward France) but we will impose our sanctions ..] so says CNN quoting the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet.

French lawmakers are to consider next week a bill from the Socialists (my favorite Frenchmen) which would make anyone denying the existence of the "Armenian genocide" liable to a five-year jail term and a 45,000-euro ($57,000) fine.

and France is the number one investor in Turkey

I don't think "trade sanctions" are very smart at this time -- You can watch Turkey's entry into the EU (which have taken decades to get this far) go down the drain in minutes. But if Turkey waits a couple more years for the imminent collapse of France, then hit them with trade sanctions. Entry into the EU should be a "walk in the park".

It's not the first France has angered the Turks before over the Armenian question. In 2001 it adopted a law recognizing the massacres as "genocide." Turkey acknowledges that massacres took place, but refuses to class them as genocide.

Several French businesses were excluded from invitations to tender in Turkey (of which US firms happily replaced them) amid calls for a boycott of French products following the 2001 law.

French exports to Turkey after the 2001 law then plunged by $3.53 billion, according to Turkish figures.

But analysts predict the latest law could have a far greater impact on trade between the two countries than the 2001 bill.

With these EUtopian nutcases barely getting along and the US 6th Fleet on constant alert in the Med (if it isn't France it's Cyprus) -- maybe it's high time to scrap NATO and let them have at it.

^_^

[knar26]

Then what's their problem with France (it's almost Arab anyways) ?

http://www.reporter.gr/fulltext_ENG.cfm?id=60509105321

It's quite normal for the USA to have a problem with the French -- but Turkey?

I just heard Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened France with trade sanctions

I don't think "trade sanctions" are very smart at this time -- You can watch Turkey's entry into the EU (which have taken decades to get this far) go down the drain in minutes. But if Turkey waits a couple more years for the imminent collapse of France, then hit them with trade sanctions. Entry into the EU should be a "walk in the park".


^_^

I can't help but laugh out loud when I hear these "threats" of sanctions.

Who needs whom more? Turkey is as corrupt as France minus the industrial capabilities, has always depended on US handouts and has no leverage to hurt industrially anyone. They can pretend they do but they really don’t. Even if France looses a military contract Germany will gain from the fallout....but wait, Turkey has threatened Germany too for their parliament acknowledging the Armenian genocide and going further then France the German parliament apologized to the Armenians for not doing enough to stop the genocidal policies of the Ottoman Empire.

Last time Turkey threatened France was when the French Parliament officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, which by the way Israel has yet to muster up the courage to do so, but that’s another sad issue. The Turks huffed and puffed against the French and three months later it was business as usual. Turks will learn that they cannot forever threaten their way into clearing their name from the stain of history. Period.

Oh they are also threatening Canada, tomorrow they will threaten the US. I guess France and Canada will have to find new sources to import figs.

As for Turkey "walking" into the EU because of the collapse of France?? you can always dream!

Turkey might eventually enter the EU, however that will happen only if Turkey changes its attitude and accepts responsibilities of the past. Not to mention ending endemic corruption and providing jobs for their unemployed to make sure that they will not be a burden.

Belgium is next to be threatened by Turkey…

[Khazar]

Turkey's gonna enter the EU cos its what America wants, to control the EU, have UK at one end and Turkey at the others

American strategy is going through a big change thanks to Iran and Russia, just check what's going on in Iran as we speak about a certain caricture

Why doesn't the whole world accept the Algerian Genocide the French comitted or the handing of weapons to the Tutsi in the Ruwandan Genocide, France won't accept it because they're gonna open a pandaro's box and those ugly secrets are all going to come out into the open, Turkey is already looking to accept the Algerian Genocide comitted by the French.

Don't throw stones if you've got a glass house, what goes around comes around, theres how many millions of Algerians in France and they have the audacity to say, Leave it to the Historians for Algerians but don't bother listening or allowing historical research when it comes to other so-called episodes in history.

What a case of hypocrisy.

Have a nice day

[MrRight]

The French Bill that criminalizes to deny the Armenian Genocide will be accepted in the fall, none expected it to be affirmed now, even the French-Armenians, so time will tell