As reverberations of a tender rigging case continue, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said he supports the probe into allegations of corruption, stressing that his party will back anyone who pursues with determination those who abuse public resources.
Speaking at the Mevlana Cultural Center in Konya on Tuesday, Kılıçdaroğlu touched upon the recent investigation into alleged bribery linked to public tenders, saying that his party will closely monitor the probe.
“Uğur Mumcu [a journalist who was assassinated in 1993] has a saying: Murderers have no ideology, be they leftists or conservatives; he is simply a murderer. We should go after anyone involved in corruption,” said Kılıçdaroğlu, expressing strong backing of the investigation into corruption cases.
TODAYS ZAMAN
49, including sons of Turkish ministers, detained in fraud and bribery probe
Istanbul and Ankara police staged morning raids Dec. 17 as part of a probe into tender fraud and bribery operation allegations, detaining at least 49 people and issuing search warrants for seven others, daily Hürriyet reported on its website.
The sons of three Cabinet members, Interior Minister Muammer Güler, Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan and Environment and Urbanization Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar, are among the detained. Barış Güler, Salih Kaan Çağlayan and Abdullah Oğuz Bayraktar were detained on accusations of bribery, the report said.
Other detainees include Turkish construction tycoon Ali Ağaoğlu, Halkbank General Manager Süleyman Aslan, Azerbaijani businessman Reza Zarrab, Fatih Mayor Mustafa Demir and civil servants from the Environment Ministry and the Economy Ministry, according to Hürriyet.
The general manager of Emlak Konut, Turkey’s largest housing developer, was also called to the police department later in the day to provide information on the issue.
The police and the prosecutor’s office have yet to make an official statement about the raids.
HURRIYET DAILY NEWS
Turkey to double medical tourism income – Health Minister
Turkey’s rise in world health tourism will double the revenue the country makes from treating foreign patients in 2014, according to Minister of Health, Mehmet Muezzinoglu.
“Russians and citizens of the Turkic republics top the list of foreign patients who prefer Turkey. We aim to double this year’s USD 2.5 billion medical tourism income in 2014”, Muezzinoglu said, assessing his Ministry’s yearly performance.
“Beginning in 2014, two successive 5-year plans will be put into action to further improve Turkey’s status as a regional healthcare hub that can serve the surrounding region of about a billion people”, Turkey’s Minister of Health noted.
Hosting a large number of world-class healthcare facilities and internationally accredited hospitals, Turkey welcomed some 270,000 foreign patients seeking high-quality and affordable treatment in 2012, up from 74,000 in 2008.
Planning to introduce tax-free healthcare zones specifically tailored for foreign patients, Turkey’s Ministry of Health intends to increase the number of medical tourists to 500,000 by 2015 and 2 million by 2023.
YENI SAFAK
Turkey aims to reach a record high tourism figure in 2013 – PM Erdogan
Turkey will break a new record if an annual tourism revenue of USD 30 billion is reached in 2013, as the number of tourists climbed from 13 million to 36 million in 11 years, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday. Erdogan stated that the newly-laid Gazipasa Airport would serve at least 1.5 million tourists after the completion of the new track and terminal building, at a groundbreaking ceremony in Turkey’s southern coastal province, Antalya.
As he pointed out, Antalya is a city of civilization, history, culture, tourism, industry and agriculture. Erdogan noted that it is first and foremost a world city that serves as a window for Turkey to open up to the world. He asserted that the Turkish government invested 13 billion Turkish Liras in Antalya during the last 11 years. Despite the bottleneck, which even world economies such as EU countries, the U.S. and Japan are going through, Erdogan said Turkey is proceeding on its way as it breaks records in series.
Turkey is the 6th most popular tourist destination according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Tourism Highlights 2012 Edition. The country attracted a total of 31.8 million foreign visitors in 2012, achieving a total revenue of USD 23.4 billion.
HURRIYET DAILY NEWS
BASF commissions new plant in Turkey
German chemicals supplier BASF has commissioned a new plant in Turkey’s southern province of Adana.
The construction chemicals plant in Adana will take over production operations from the company’s recently-closed Burdur plant with the output capacity remaining the same initially but slated to rise at a later date, according to BASF Turkey officials.
“Located in Adana Organized Industrial Zone, the new BASF plant will allow the company to better address the changing domestic market dynamics”, BASF Turkey Construction Materials Director, Bugra Kavuncu said, adding that Turkey was among the most important markets for BASF with its strong economy and growing chemicals sector.
“Turkey’s rapid economic growth encourages companies with production investments in the country to expand their operations”, Kavuncu noted, highlighting Turkey’s key strategic location, situated between Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Employing 700 people, BASF Turkey is active in construction chemicals, polyurethane systems and textile/leather chemicals sectors with production plants in Kocaeli and Trabzon in addition to Adana.
MILLIYET
Turkey, Mexico sign trade agreements for strategic cooperation
Turkish and Mexican Presidents Abdullah Guland Enrique Pena Nieto sign mutual agreements concerning mutual tax exemptions, encouraging investments and air transportation agreements
President Abdullah Gul said Turkey’s trade volume is about 1 billion USD with Mexico, which may have greater potential, hereby, the two countries have agreed to start negotiations of free trade agreement, adding “We signed vital agreements concerning mutual tax exemptions, encouraging investments and air transportation agreements. We also desire to open direct flights between the two countries which will, I believe, start soon.”
President Gul and Mexico’s President held a signature ceremony for the agreements signed between the two countries after the inter-delegational meeting and a joint press conference.
Making a statement during the conference, the Turkish president expressed his pleasure for hosting President Nieto and the ministers in his delegation, adding a physically long distance existed between the two countries, but a diplomatic relation was established in 1928 whereas the bilateral relations had commenced 150 years ago during Ottoman Empire.
AA
17.12.2013
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.
