NEWS SCAN for Turkey – May 11th, 2013
Down below you will find a summary of topics from major Turkish papers and internet sites.
Explosions in the southeastern Turkish province of Hatay
Four explosions have taken place in the southeastern Turkish province of Hatay, which is located near the Syrian border.
Two explosions occurred within the city center, and two on the outskirts of the city.
The explosions struck an apartment building, and the other a municipal building, while while the other one struck a crowded city center. It has come to knowledge that the expolsions that occured in the city center were result of car bombs. As of now there are 4 deaths and 22 injuries recorded.
The Turkish Minister of Health, Mehmet Müezzinoğlu stated that they had sent out vehicles to respond to the situation.
President Gül says Turkey would welcome cooperation with Israel and Cyprus
Turkish officials have been signaling that Ankara is ready to approach warmer to “extensive cooperation” with Israel and Greek Cyprus. President Gül who addressed the participants at the energy conference organized by Sabancı University in İstanbul on Friday said Turkey would welcome a new cooperation model that envisages the transfer of resources from the Mediterranean to world markets via Turkey.
It is reported that the east Mediterranean basin is estimated to hold about 3 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves. Turkey strongly objects any unilateral moves by the Greek Cypriot administration to extract natural gas and oil reserves off of the coast of Cyprus.
Main opposition leader says Turkey would lose in case of failure of peace process
During a meeting with the editors-in-chief of daily newspapers in Istanbul yesterday, main opposition (CHP) leader KILICDAROGLU warned that a failure of the ongoing peace process would mean the whole country would lose.
Explaining why his party had refused to become part of the ongoing peace effort he said any failure to find a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue would mean a threat to the whole country.
The main opposition leader added “We want the process to succeed. If it fails, all of us will lose”
Energy Minister YILDIZ says Turkey has major energy projects to develop in Iraq
Taner YILDIZ who delivered a speech at the “Towards a New Global Energy Landscape: What Role for Turkey?” titled Annual Energy Forum held at Sabanci University’s Istanbul International Energy and Climate Center (IICEC) on Friday said “not opening of energy chapter with the EU” was more than Turkey’s problem.
The Minister stated that Turkey had developed relations with its neighbors in the energy field and added, “Turkey will also continue its facilities in Venezuela, Colombia, like in third countries. It is out of question for Turkey to sit idly by Iraq while it has facilities in such distant countries. Turkey took a 25 billion USD worth of project in south of Iraq. This was not on the agenda much. Likewise Iraq’s south, its north is good area to work on a project. All these projects would help normalization of Iraq.”
Turkey is set to cut its debt to IMF to zero next week
PM Erdoğan said on Friday that his country was set to cut its debt to the IMF to zero next week.
This is a step that will amend Turkey’s status from being a borrower to a lender in its 52-year-old relations with the fund. Many experts see this a clear sign that the country has achieved a major economic success within the past decade.
It is reported that the Turkish Treasury will repay on May 14 a last slice of $422.1 million and Turkey is set to loan the fund $5 billion, making the country the 23rd biggest lender in the international institution.
11.05.2013
SOURCE: MEDIA
We do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.
