NEWS SCAN for Turkey – Oct 23rd, 2013

Down below you will find a summary of topics from major Turkish papers and internet sites

Turkish PM rebukes NATO over China missile deal criticism

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rebuffed intensified international criticism over Turkey’s choice to agree a missile defense deal with China, a day after NATO declared that it wanted a say in the decision-making process.

“Nobody has the right to overshadow our understanding of independence,” Erdoğan said Oct. 22 before departing for Kosovo. Recalling NATO’s discontentment over Turkey’s decision to accept a Chinese bid to build its first long-range anti-missile system, Erdoğan noted that many NATO members have Russian weapons in their inventory.

The prime minister’s statement came a day after NATO Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s remarks expressed the hope that NATO’S reaction would be taken into account before Turkey makes its final decision over the long-range anti-missile system.

HURRIYET DAILY NEWS

Turkey says new EU chapter opening a positive but insufficient step

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has welcomed the European Union’s General Affairs Council approving talks on the opening of a new chapter in Turkey’s accession to the EU and added that Turkey seeks a faster process in its bid to join the union.

Speaking to the press in Ankara before his departure to Kosovo on Wednesday morning, Erdoğan said, “This is a positive step but it is certainly not satisfactory for us because faster steps need to be taken [by the EU] as there is a massive amount of wasted time [in the accession talks].”

The council had already agreed in June that Chapter 22 on regional policy would be opened, but it delayed the intergovernmental conference until October in retaliation for Turkey’s handling of the Gezi Park protests.

TODAYS ZAMAN

Number of Syrian refugees in Turkey exceeds 600,000

The number of Syrian refugees in Turkey has exceeded 600,000 and more than 400,000 of them are living outside the refugee camps set up mainly in Turkish border cities, the Turkish disaster management agency said on Monday.

Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) spokesperson Mustafa Aydogdu said that they have conducted a study before the Eid (al-Adha) holidays and seen that the numbers have increased above 600,000. Aydogdu added that nearly 200,000 Syrians were living in 21 refugee camps, while the rest chose to live in rented accommodation outside the camps.

DUNYA.COM

Turkey to decide on its own missile system

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says Turkey is the one to decide on which option to opt for in securing the nation’s new long-range missile defense system.

Responding to reporters’ questions during a NATO Defense Ministers Meeting, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated, “Our position is very clear. It is a national decision to decide which equipment to purchase. However, from a NATO perspective, it is of utmost importance that the systems nations plan to acquire can work and operate together with similar systems in other Allied nations.

He also added “I feel confident Turkey is aware of this NATO position and will take that into account before making the final decision.” Rasmussen added that as far as he understands, Turkey has yet to make a final decision.”

SABAH

Turkish president defends intelligence chief

Turkish President Abdullah Gul defended Turkish intelligence service chief Hakan Fidan against a recent wave of criticism leveled against him by foreign media.

“MIT (National Intelligence Agency) and its chief undertake the missions assigned to them in the best manner possible,” Gul said. Gul added that MIT’s activities in keeping with the country’s national interests might be a source of annoyance for some.  The president also said “Turkey’s independent policies and their implementation, and Turkey’s interests, come before anything else. So what is being written abroad (on Fidan) is not that important for us.”

International media outlets have accused Fidan of revealing to Iran some of the intelligence information which Israel shares with Turkey. Turkey denies the allegations, while Israel says it is not the source of claims and criticism against Fidan.

Media

City hospitals project to increase country’s health standards

The Ministry of Health is to construct two city hospital complexes in Ankara as a part of its plan to build 15 such facilities in 14 cities across Turkey under a public-private sector partnership project to increase health standards in the country.

Speaking at a press conference held on Monday for the planned Ankara Etlik city hospital complex, which will be one of the largest health complexes in the world, Health Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu told reporters that these city hospitals will help bring Turkey one step further in terms of health standards.

The city hospitals project by the Ministry of Health is designed to add a large number of hospital beds to the healthcare system and solve the issue of delayed medical examinations as well as address a shortage of doctors by establishing new hospital campuses in many of the country’s provinces. The new system will employ a public-private partnership model in which the government will lease the hospitals to private companies and will pay the handling fees for their services in the areas of medical imaging, laboratories, information processing, security, maintenance and catering. The government will only directly pay healthcare workers’ salaries.

TODAYS ZAMAN

23.10.2013
compiled by Editor BTT,

We do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.