Anadolu Agency
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Anadolu Agency
AA’S INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM TRAINING PROGRAM BEGINS EUROPEAN BANK EBRD FINALIZES STAKE IN BORSA ISTANBUL Anadolu Agency’s News Academy launched its first course EURO 2016: TURKEY FACES SPAIN, CZECH REPUBLIC, CROATIA The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Borsa Istanbul have finalized the bank’s purchase of a 10 percent stake in the Turkish stock exchange. The acquisition, which had been announced about six months ago, was signed by the bank’s First Vice President Phil Bennett and Borsa Istanbul’s Chief Executive Officer Tuncay Dinc in the presence of Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek at the bourse’s headquarters in Istanbul late Friday. >>ECONOMY in the “International Journalism Training Program for Central Asia and North Africa” for Ethiopian participants in Istanbul Saturday. In his keynote address, AA News Academy Coordinator Umit Sonmez congratulated the program participants and said that Ethiopian people were “industrious and hardworking”. “Ethiopian people are always very hardworking. They always finish their duties...>> TURKEY Erdogan says Iraqi UN move against Turkey ‘not honest’ SundayDecember 13, 2015 Iraq seeks to lodge complaint to UN Security Council concerning presence of Turkish troops in northern Iraq Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Friday that Iraq’s complaint to the UN Security Council over a recent Turkish troop deployment in northern Iraq was “not a sincere step”. According to a statement by the Iraqi Prime Ministry press office, the Iraqi foreign ministry was told to lodge a complaint concerning Turkish troops’ presence in Bashiqa, near Mosul. “They can apply to the United Nations Security Council,” said Erdogan on Turkish TV. “This is their natural right, but it is not a sincere step.” Approximately 150 Turkish soldiers and 20 to 25 tanks were deployed near Mosul on Dec. 4 to reportedly replace training forces already in the area, leading to tensions between Ankara and Baghdad. “During a visit to Turkey in 2014, [Iraqi PM Haider al-] Abadi demanded [Turkish troops] for training,” he said. “After these demands, we set up the Bashiqa camp. They are aware of all of this.” “They [Turkish troops] are more a training team rather than a combative force,” said Erdogan, adding that the training program was part of the fight against Daesh. “I believe this [Iraq’s complaint to the UN] is based on Russia and Iran’s moves in the region,” he added. >MORE DETAILS PM: Turkey could reassess troop deployment in N. Iraq Davutoglu accuses third parties of turning Turkey’s troop deployment in northern Iraq into crisis between Ankara and Baghdad Turkey’s military presence in northern Iraq could be re-evaluated depending on conditions in the field, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Friday. Speaking to press members in the capital Ankara, Davutoglu said: “When it is found necessary, the nature and bulk of the measure [Turkey’s troops deployment] will be re-evaluated, depending on conditions in the field.” His remarks came as tensions between Ankara and Baghdad have arisen over the recent deployment of Turkish military troops to Bashiqa, near the northern Iraqi city Mosul. Approximately 150 Turkish soldiers were deployed near Mosul on Dec. 4 to reportedly replace training forces already in the area. In addition, 20 to 25 tanks were also sent to the region. Referring to certain media reports which he accuses of using this recent deployment of troops to start a crisis between Turkey and Iraq, Davutoglu noted: “Showing Turkey as if it is running a secret activity [in Bashiqa] is totally untrue.” >MORE DETAILS Assad regime ‘primary consumer of Daesh oil: US official Pennsylvania court receives legal complaints relating to US-based Turkish preacher Fetullah Gulen A U.S. official has said that behind a seemingly conflict-ridden relationship between the regime of the Syrian president and the terrorist Daesh group, the two, infact, are engaged in a very lucrative oil trade. “Asad regime in Syria is the primary consumer of the ISIL’s oil, withstanding the fact that they are in open military conflict,” Adam Szubin, US acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, told the BBC, using an alternative acronym for the terror organization. “Each has something the other one wants and in this case money on one side and the oil on the other. They have been doing quite a bit of oil trade,” he told BBC Newsnight on Thursday. “ISIL is sitting on a tremendous amount of money. We need to be very candid about the risk as we cut of the access to its revenues. But the primary tool sources of funding have been oil sales and taxation you might call extortion from the population at the territory that they control,” he said. Szubin said unlike many other terrorist groups Daesh derives a relatively small amount of its funding from donors abroad. >MORE DETAILS Kasparov: Putin’s Turkey Cavusoglu: Turkey trained policy is bad for Russia Mosul forces to fight Daesh World-famous chess champion and Russian opposition figure Garry Kasparov has sharply criticized President Vladimir Putin’s “provocative” policy towards Turkey. “It’s very short-sighted, very stupid, very provocative and also bad for Russia,” Kasparov said in an interview with Anadolu Agency in Berlin. “Unfortunately, Putin thinks he can sacrifice the interests of Russia for his own short-term gains,” he added. Kasparov warned that economic sanctions towards Turkey would soon backfire and have a serious impact on the Russian economy. “Putin doesn’t have resources but he imposes sanctions that hurt the Russian people. It is quite serious,” he said. “Putin has been creating a huge crisis in Russia because Russia already cut economic ties with many European countries. Now, with these sanctions towards Turkey, the Russian tourist industry is basically dead, most of it,” he added. Following Turkey’s shooting down of a intruding Russian military jet over the Turkey-Syria border last month, the Kremlin imposed a range of unilateral sanctions, including a ban on food imports, an end to visa-free travel and calls for Russian tourists not to visit the country. Kasparov, an outspoken critic of the Kremlin, criticized Putin for following a dangerous policy in the region, risking ties with key players, and presenting himself as a successful world leader to the Russian people, using a vast number of propaganda channels and media outlets. “It is the same policy he used against European nations. Putin’s survival strategy in Russia is based on virtual reality. He should be seen as a leader who reacts… He made big statements saying that we could go into war. But of course he is not going to fight a NATO country,” he said. >MORE DETAILS A senior Turkish minister has said the country is training Mosul forces in Iraq to destroy the Daesh terror organization. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Turkish NTV on Friday: “These [Mosul National Guards] are being trained to destroy Daesh in Iraq.” “At the moment, we are fighting together with the coalition in Syria. Turkey wants to join the operations also in Iraq, because the terror organization must be wiped out of the two countries,” Cavusoglu added. Cavusoglu’s comments come as tension between Ankara and Baghdad remains high over the recent deployment of Turkish military troops to Bashiqa, near Mosul. Approximately 150 Turkish soldiers were deployed near Mosul on Dec. 4 to replace training forces already in the area. In addition, 20-25 tanks were also sent to the region. Cavusoglu said Turkey needed to eliminate Bagdad’s concerns regarding the issue. In that direction, Cavusoglu said, Turkey’s defense minister had spoken to his Iraqi counterpart. Cavusoglu confirmed that he had also spoken for 90 minutes with Iraq’s foreign minister and that Turkish premier Ahmet Davutoglu had sent a letter to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. “What we all stressed is that Turkey is the country that advocates and respects most Iraq’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Cavusoglu said. Abadi has said the solution to IraqiTurkey disagreement can only be found by a “full withdrawal of Turkish troops from Iraqi territory”. >MORE DETAILS The 24 nations participating in the 2016 European Championship have discovered who their group-stage opponents will be next summer. Turkey will face Spain -- crowned European champions in the last two tournaments -- the Czech Republic and Croatia in Group D. The Euro 2016 draw was held on Saturday night in Paris, capital of the host country. France will compete with Romania, Albania and Switzer- WEATHER / ANKARA Sunday SUNNY 8 °C Monday PARTLY CLOUDY 8 °C land in Group A. >>SPORT Erdogan calls for global unity to resolve conflicts Leaders of Belarus and Kyrgyzstan call on Russia and Turkey to de-escalate tensions in wake of downing Russian warplane on Nov. 24 Turkmenistan (AA) – Conflicts with civilian losses and mass migration incidents should be resolved immediately through unity, Turkish president has said. In remarks made during the “Neutrality Conference” held in the Turkmenistan capital Ashgabat Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “Conflicts threatening the peace and stability, and the uncertainties these conflicts break out are unexceptionally affecting all the countries. “I desire these conflicts, which have a humanitarian dimension with civilian losses and mass migration incidents, be immediately resolved within international law and cooperation,” the president said. He called on the international community and institutes to take responsibility, adding that the world could overcome future conflicts through unity. Erdogan also highlighted Turkey’s “special importance” to its ties with Turkmenistan. The “Day of Neutrality” recognizes and supports the declared status of permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the event. Turkey was the first country to recognize Turkmenistan when it declared its independence on Oct. 27, 1991, and appointed an ambassador first to Ashgabat. “Rooted history and our joint values we have with Turkmenistan set a strong ground of our relations and I believe these relations will continue with reinforcing in the future period,” Erdogan added. Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow said that his country’s neutrality policy was based on “peace, noninterference in other states’ affairs, and respect for their independence and territorial unity”. MEP says Turkish EU bid now linked to refugee issue EP rapporteur Kati Piri ends five-day visit to Turkey in Istanbul Although the European Parliament’s rapporteur to Turkey is not happy about the recent linking of EU membership talks to the refugee crisis, she has claimed it may be an opportunity to mend ties between Ankara and the 28-member bloc. Kati Piri was speaking to reporters in Istanbul on Friday at the end of a five-day visit to Turkey. The Dutch MEP traveled to Izmir, Diyarbakir, Istanbul and the capital Ankara as Turkey’s relations with the EU enter a new phase following a summit in November. When asked about the conflation of accession talks and the refugee crisis, Piri said: “I was not happy with this linkage. “But it is clear that if the two parties sit on the table, both have their own demands,” she said, adding: “I think [Turkey] wisely used this in order to again put accession talks on the table.” “We can use this as an opportunity to really build a better relationship; more constructive, high-level relationship between Turkey and the EU,” she added. Faced with the worst migrant crisis since World War II, the EU is in the process of negotiating with Turkey on a refugee action plan. The 28-nation bloc has offered Turkey funds to reduce the flow of asylum seekers coming into Europe in exchange for easier visa travel rules for Turkish citizens. Turkey has spent about $8.5 billion since 2011 supporting more than two million Syrian refugees in the country. Describing as “regrettable” that the refugee crisis was needed in order to restore momentum to stalled EU-Turkey relations, Piri added: “Now it is a fact that in this joint agreement, this has become an obvious link to the refugee question. “Taking that as a starting point, I think we should welcome the fact,” she added. The draft agreement states that both the EU and Turkey have agreed to re-energize accession talks and the opening of chapter 17 on the economy in December. Since negotiations on Turkey’s accession into the European Union began in 2005, 13 out of 35 chapters, which must be completed in order for the country to join the 28-nation bloc, have been opened. Noting that Turkey still needs to fulfill standards set for EU membership, Piri said: “Important reforms will [need to] be made especially in the field of fundamental rights and the rule of law.” >MORE DETAILS On Dec. 12, 1995, Turkmenistan gained the status of permanent neutrality with the support of Turkey and 185 other countries. Berdimuhamedow said that Turkmenistan would do everything through the UN to reinforce peace, stability and security in the world. “Turkmenistan will continue to fight against international terrorism, separatism, international crime organizations and drug trade,” he added. Meanwhile, leaders of Belarus and Kyrgyzstan called on Russia and Turkey to de-escalate tensions in the wake of downing the Russian warplane over breaching Turkish airspace on Nov. 24. Gambia now ‘ an Islamic state’: President Jammeh Gambia is now an Islamic state, the west African country’s president has declared. Gambian President Yahya Jammeh made the declaration in the country’s coastal town of Brufut on Thursday. Climate change draft deal agreed in Paris The final draft of the climate change deal has been agreed in Paris, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced Saturday following a two-week UN summit in the French capital. “If adopted, this text will mark a historic turning point,” Fabius, who is also the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21) president, said at a press conference attended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and French President Francois Hollande. Fabius said that the overall goal written in the deal would be “to have a mean temperature [increase] well below 2 degrees - and to endeavor to limit that increase to 1.5 degrees”. >