News Scan for Turkey, July 22nd 2017

Main opposition objects to coup panel with new report

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has responded in a 70-page report to the parliament’s coup inquiry commission’s accusations that the party and the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) were in some form of agreement, daily Cumhuriyet reported on July 20.

The CHP report included pictures and footages of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan together with Fethullah Gülen, the U.S-based Islamic preacher who is accused of leading last year’s coup attempt, as well as interviews and press videos that show the relationship between the AKP executives and the latter, the daily said.

Such material belongs to before the end of year 2013, when the Gülenists launched a campaign against the government, including illegal wiretappings. The report came after the parliamentary commission, established to investigate the attempted takeover, concluded its final report on July 12. Different from the draft report issued in May, a section was added to the final report under the “politics” section, which included claims that the CHP was working with the same motive as FETÖ.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/main-opposition-objects-to-coup-panel-with-new-report.aspx?pageID=238&nID=115812&NewsCatID=338

74 percent of Syrians in Turkey want Turkish citizenship: Poll

Some 74 percent of Syrians who fled their war-torn country to seek a better life in Turkey have said they wanted to obtain Turkish citizenship, according to a poll carried out by the Humanitarian Development Foundation (İNGEV) and IPSOS.

Some 52 percent of the Syrian respondents said they were planning to build their future in Turkey, the poll showed.

The “Refugee Livelihood Monitor” survey aims to periodically track the living conditions of Syrian refugees living outside refugee camps, their general sentiments and their future plans in regards to living in Turkey, as well as their consumption and shopping behavior.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/74-percent-of-syrians-in-turkey-want-turkish-citizenship-poll.aspx?pageID=238&nID=115799&NewsCatID=341

Ankara says Germany protects PKK, FETÖ terrorists

urkish politicians on Friday harshly criticized what they called Germany’s tolerance and support for the PKK and the Gülenist Terror Group’s (FETÖ) activities in its borders amid new tensions between the two NATO allies. Speaking at an event on Friday for a hospital that will be built in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized Germany for the PKK activities in its borders.

“The government that hides terrorists running away from Turkey should answer these first: Why do terrorists fleeing Turkey hide in Germany? How do they explain the financial support given to them? How does Germany explain the PKK, which has been banned in Europe, holding rallies in its streets under police protection? Germany should pull itself together, they cannot scare us with these threats,” Erdoğan said.

Turkey has long criticized Germany for not taking serious measures against the PKK, which carryies out propaganda, recruitment and fundraising activities in the country. Germany outlawed the PKK in 1993, but German authorities have been reluctant to take strong measures against the activities of the group, despite repeated warnings from Turkey.

https://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2017/07/22/ankara-says-germany-protects-pkk-feto-terrorists

Turkey’s giant hospital project lures $1.5 billion financing from int’l investors

Turkey’s Rönesans Health Investment and Japan’s Sojitz have concluded a $1.5 billion (163 billion Japanese yens) financial deal with eight international investors for their joint city hospital in central Istanbul. Some 80 percent of the total investment of the project was thus met with the financial closing agreement, which was signed in Istanbul on July 21 by the project owners with JBIC, NEXI, SMBC, BTMU, Nippon Life Insurance Company, Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, the Iyo Bank and Standard Chartered.

In a bid to be one of the world’s largest hospitals with a capacity of 2,700 beds, Istanbul’s İkitelli City Hospital will provide and create 10,000 jobs when it is commissioned, according to a follow-up press release from Rönesans. The hospital will provide services to 23,600 patients on daily basis. Its construction is planned to commence on Oct. 1 and to be completed within 36 months. To be equipped with more than 2,000 isolators, the hospital will be the world’s largest building with seismic isolators, which enables it to be able to continue its normal operation even during big earthquakes.

Erman Ilıcak, president of Rönesans Holding, said the hospital would be built on an over 1 million-square-meter area by more than 5,000 workers in a three-year period.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-giant-hospital-project-lures-15-billion-financing-from-intl-investors.aspx?pageID=238&nID=115819&NewsCatID=345

Trump nominates ambassador to Turkey as new top diplomat in Afghanistan

Washington – President Donald Trump has nominated a key diplomat as the new US ambassador to Afghanistan.

The White House said in a statement Thursday that Trump would name John Bass, the US ambassador to Turkey, to lead diplomatic efforts in the war-torn nation.

Bass has been in his current post since 2014. Prior to that he was ambassador to Georgia, also during the Obama administration. The White House said he had served at six US missions overseas.

The announcement of the nomination came as the US undertakes a review of its strategy in Afghanistan.

http://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/trump-nominates-ambassador-to-turkey-as-new-top-diplomat-in-afghanistan-171054.html

Germany to review its projects with Turkey in defense fields as tension deepens

Germany’s Economy Ministry on Friday said that Berlin would be reviewing all future exports of weapons to Turkey, which like Germany is a member of NATO.

“Special weight” was being given to “the current situation and particularly respect for human rights,” a ministry spokesperson said in a statement. The spokesperson added that since the failed military coup in Turkey in July 2016, permission to export arms to Turkey had only been given “after very differentiated and careful review of individual cases.” We can solve our problems through dialogue, says Turkey’s PM as tension with Germany grows We can solve our problems through dialogue, says Turkey’s PM as tension with Germany grows.

There was no indication that the announcements would affect any already agreed upon deals for arms. In 2016, Germany approved the sale of 83.9 million euros ($98 million) in weaponry to Turkey – in the first four months of this year, arms deals worth $22 million were permitted.

http://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/germany-to-review-its-projects-with-turkey-in-defense-fields-as-tension-deepens-171033.html

Turkey, Tunisia pledge to strengthen economic ties

Turkey will make every effort to strengthen trade ties with Tunisia, Ankara’s economy minister said on Friday. Turkey and Tunisia signed deals to promote bilateral relations on energy, industry and trade during Nihat Zeybekci’s visit to the North African state.

Zeybekci underlined the importance of Turkish investments in Tunisia and added an agreement to protect and support investment should be signed immediately.

Turkey could import olive oil and phosphate, which is generally used for fertilizer, from Tunisia, Zeybekci said: “We can buy the whole phosphate that Tunisia produces. We had problems about production and supply. Now, with the agreement … we started to buy phosphate from Tunisia again.”

http://www.yenisafak.com/en/economy/turkey-tunisia-pledge-to-strengthen-economic-ties-2760623

22.07.2017
compiled by Editor BTT

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.