NEWS SCAN for Turkey – June 5th, 2013
Down below you will find a summary of topics from major Turkish papers and internet sites.
Ankara seeks to soothe the unrest across the country
Turkish President Abdullah GUL and Deputy Prime Minister ARINC spend intense efforts in the capital city of Ankara, to sooth down the unrest in many cities across the country, during PM Erdoğan’s tour of North African countries.
Bülent Arınç has said “Our citizens showed their legitimate, logical and righteous reaction at Gezi Park”.
Speaking at a press conference, Arınç offered an apology to those citizens who were victims of the excessive use of force during the initial police raids at Gezi Park. He spoke in a conciliatory tone, emphasizing the government’s “respect for different lifestyles,” which is a frequently voiced reason allegedly behind the country-wide protests.
Opposition deputy says democratic process at work
SIRRI SUREYYA ONDER, a deputy from Peace and Democracy Party met with President GUL and Deputy Prime Minister BULENT ARINC, on Tuesday to discuss Taksim Park incidents which caused big impact throughout the country.
ONDER who spoke to reporters following said meetings stated that he was convinced democratic processes were deployed to solve Gezi Park protests. He said “The event started as a simple democratic reaction against a violation of law. It reached this stage as the government refused to involve public in decision-making process and insisted to get its own way and to suppress every objection by violence”.
He also added “I explained my opinion about the nonsense, excessiveness and apathy in state violence. Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu is the primary person to be investigated for responsibility”.
PM Erdoğan says trade between Turkey & Algeria should be doubled
Prime Minister Erdogan who is in Algeria on an official visit delivered a speech at the Turkish-Algeria Business Forum yesterday and said two countries had kept a close relationship despite the distance in between.
Erdoğan went on to say that the trade volume between Turkey and Algeria had been 5 billion USD in 2012 and added, “I wish the trade volume between our countries reaches 10 billion USD in the shortest time. We desire a balanced increase in bilateral trade volume for the favor of both countries.”
He also emphasized that they paid special attention to economic and commercial relations between two countries to move forward and added “We are working hard to establish the necessary infrastructure for our private sectors to carry on with a better cooperation. We have taken another step forward today and decided to initiate Free Trade Agreement negotiations.”
Istanbul secures 6th spot among top 10 in global tourism
It is reported Istanbul has secured 6th place in Mastercard’s Index of Global Destination Cities, in terms of international visitor arrivals and spending.
The survey which was conducted by Mastercard recorded that Turkey’s megacity was expected to welcome 10.4 million international visitors this year, leaving rivals like Dubai, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Milan, Roma, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Los Angeles behind. According to the survey the giant city will most likely receive a tourism revenue of USD 8.6 billion, up 5.5 percent from a year earlier.
On the other hand the city ranked 3rd among European cities with the highest growth rate in the Old Continent.
Turkey which has been among the major holiday destinations recently expects to host about 33 million tourists this year, with the target of securing the 5th place among global tourist spots.
Turkey expects to receive more hotel investments
It is reported that thanks to the economic performance displayed recently and the following investment grade upgrades by int’l rating agencies Turkey hopes to enjoy a new wave of investments from global hotel chains. Among these establishments are groups like Hilton Worldwide, Wyndham Hotel Group and Accor Hotels.
Hilton group the first international hotel chain group which came to Turkey back in 1955 with the Istanbul Hilton for instance plans to expand its expand its presence in the country by adding 3 new hotels to the existing 24 throughout Turkey. On the other hand Wyndham group currently present in Turkey with Ramada brand plans to launch the Super 8 brand in the country with the opening of 20 new hotels. This brand is known for comfortable, quality accommodation at affordable prices for business travelers. Another group interested in investment in Turkey is the Accor Group from France, currently operating 10 Novotel and Ibis hotels in the country.
It is reported that new hotel chains, on top of the existing ones, are on their way to Turkey and the expectations voiced by the professionals of the sector are that Large customer bases of well-known hotel chains will be helpful in increasing the number of foreign arrivals to Turkey and contributing to the country’s touristic revenues.
05.06.2013
SOURCE: MEDIA
We do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.
