News Scan, 30th Jan: Hollande voices start of new economic era between Turkey & France

Hollande visit heralds a new era in Turkish-French business ties

A new chapter of revitalized trade and business ties is set to open between Turkey and France with French President François Holland’s official visit to Turkey. The first presidential visit from France to Turkey in the last 22 years, the two-day trip aims to improve relations between Paris and Ankara as well as give a much needed boost to trade between the two countries.

Speaking at the Turkish-French Business Forum held in Istanbul on the second day of his visit, the French President emphasized his visit’s importance and the new era of cooperation. “France admires Turkey’s economic transformation in the last decade to become the world’s 17th largest economy. As Turkey’s foreign trade tripled in the same period, a strong bond has been forged between Turkey and Europe”, Hollande remarked. “The trade volume between our countries has hit EUR 12 billion as of the end of 2013; however France’s share in Turkey’s total foreign trade has dropped from 6 percent in 2002 to 3 percent in 2012. A kickstart is necessary to revitalize our business and trade ties and my visit will accomplish that. Reaching EUR 20 billion of trade is possible and we are working towards that”, the French President said, setting a new target for Turkish-French trade.

There are around 400 French companies active in Turkey with French investments in the country amounting to USD 7 billion. French auto manufacturer Renault has a plant in the country with an output capacity of 250,000 vehicles per year. The two countries are also cooperating in the field of nuclear energy on Turkey’s second nuclear power plant, which will be built by a Japanese-French consortium.

INVEST.GOV.TR

Turkey and Iran to establish High Level Cooperation Council

Turkey and Iran signed a joint political declaration on establishing a high level cooperation council on Wednesday.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani signed the protocol during their meeting.

The high-level council is planned to happen during Rouhani’s visit to Turkey.

Erdogan’s visit to Iran’s Foreign Policy Institute was cancelled due to a possible of delay in meeting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Erdogan met Khamenei for roughly an hour at his residence. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu; Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci; Energy Minister Taner Yildiz; Development Minister Cevdet Yilmaz and Culture Minister Omer Celik.

AA

Turkey abolishes special courts as part of new democratization move

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government is working on the content of a fourth democratization package that will abolish the infamous specially authorized courts (ÖYM) and other special courts authorized by anti-terror laws.

With plans to pass the democratization package before Parliament’s recess on the eve of the March 30 local polls, the government is planning to finalize the drafted bill as soon as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan returns from Iran.

“We will take a historic step that we should have taken a long time ago as a requirement of the rule of law,” Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ told reporters Jan. 29. The measure would abolish ÖYMs and the courts authorized by Article 10 of the Anti-Terror Law, he added.

Bozdağ’s explanation followed a statement from Erdoğan late Jan. 27 in which he expressed his government’s firmness in scrapping ÖYMs.

HURRIYET DAILY NEWS

CHP submits motion to expose ‘parallel state,’ cover-up attempts

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) presented a motion to Parliament seeking to open an investigation into the government’s allegations of a “parallel state.”,

The motion said Parliament should look into the so-called parallel state claims raised by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government in the wake of the Dec. 17 corruption investigation. Recalling that “four ministers” had to resign amid the corruption probe, Akagün said the government had reassigned thousands of police officers and more than 100 prosecutors and judges. She said law enforcement officials failed to comply with court orders or did not enforce prosecutors’ summons. The motion underlined that the unprecedented move on the part of government in this major reshuffle must be investigated and its reasons explained.

Noting that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other government officials pointed out that there was a parallel state within the state, acting in conspiracy with foreign powers and aiming to topple the government, the CHP deputy said Parliament must set up an inquiry commission to expose such a parallel structure if it really exists in the government.

The motion was submitted to the Parliament Speaker’s Office on Wednesday.

TODAYS ZAMAN

Turkey voices will to expand energy deals with Iran during PM Erdoğan’s visit

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has arrived in Iran with the expectation of expanding economic cooperation between the parties, particularly with new energy deals that would feed the energy-thirsty country.

“It is obvious that we import crude oil and gas from Iran, which are strategic energy sources, and we [will be] able to increase the volume of these imports,” Erdoğan said in Tehran after inking several documents on cooperation with Iran on Jan. 29, Fars News Agency reported.

“Today we had a good chance to review bilateral ties,” Erdoğan said in remarks translated into Farsi and made during a meeting with Iranian Vice President Eshaq shown by Iranian television.

HURRIYET DAILY NEWS

Turkey Crisis Puts Jailed Millionaire at Heart of Gold-Smuggling Ring

Here he is, as a fluttering tarpaulin reveals a $72 million villa on Istanbul’s waterfront, a present for his pop-star wife, Ebru Gundes. Here he is, sitting near Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a government-housing ceremony. On another day, he clutches an award on a stage with Erdogan’s wife.

To catch a glimpse of his current life, flip through the manual for a Type T Prison in Istanbul, where Sarraf shares a room with four men and the entire prison population hangs out in a common room with a radio and a small kitchen. Once a day they’re allowed an hour of recreation on a basketball court.

bloomberg.com/

30.01.2014

This is a news-scan from major Turkish papers and internet sites. However, we do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.