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The Pakistani flag is based on the old Ottoman religious flag system like this one. Pakistan and Turkey don't jsut share a Crescent and Star and a flag--they share a common history, religion and ethnicity

Uzun ya?amak Türkiye ve Uzun ya?amak Pakistan! Viva Pakistan-Turkey friendship

Pakistan and Turkey don’t jsut share a Crescent and Star and a flag–they share a common history, religion and ethnicity. The current government of Turkey has made Turkey the 17th largest economy in the world. It has now undertaken massive projects around the world to spread its power and influence. Many hope of the Neo-Ottomans to resurrect Muslim unity. Others see Ankara as a bridge between the East and the West.

Gialni while speaking to the Turkish grand assembly said

“It is a relationship predating our modern states, an affinity transcending generations. Our people’s affection for Turkey is spontaneous, their love, deep and sincere,”

“There may be a distance of thousand miles between Jinnah Cadesi in Ankara and Ataturk Avenue in Islamabad, but there are no spaces between our hearts. We are one nation living in two states.”

Gilani also referred to the spiritual bond between Maulana Rumi and Allama Iqbal that epitomises the essence of Pak-Turk relationship. He said the two great thinkers, who lived centuries apart, shared a common thread of spiritualism. PM Gilani (The Nation).

The effusive eulogies were not one sided. President Gul also had some very good words to say “Gül described both the award and the medal bestowed upon Gilani as “a strong symbol of eternal, everlasting and unwavering fraternal relationship between our countries and our peoples.” (Daily Zaman)

Both sides were tight-lipped about the burgeoning military cooperation between the two countries–however it is common knowledge that Turkey and Pakistan are working together in UAVs, and Satellites.  Ankara is also extremely interested in the JF-17 Thunders.

• Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Gilani discussed ways to reinvigorate and deepen Pakistan-Turkey ties by widening cooperation in all spheres.
• Erdogan said the Turkish defence industry had significant production capacity in armoured personnel carriers, unmanned aerial vehicles and sea vessels. He said Turkey would start production of attack helicopters by 2013, while referring to possibilities of defence cooperation between the two countries.
• PM Gilani met with Turkish Grand National Assembly Speaker Mehmet Ali Shaheen, co-chaired the first plenary session of the High-Level Cooperation Council along with the Turkish PM, and visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kamal Ataturk. Daily Times.

Turkey is eager to build wind farms and housing in Pakistan.

The Tribune Express from Pakistan reports. ANKARA: Pakistan and Turkey signed 18 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) in Ankara on Tuesday, in the first-ever meeting of the High Level Cooperation Council (HPCC).

The HPCC brings together senior cabinet ministers from Turkey and Pakistan to actively work on avenues of cooperation between the two countries. A senior Pakistani official described the HPCC as a “joint cabinet”.

Significant MoUs were signed between the health ministries of the two countries, focusing on post-disaster health services, training health personnel and reducing maternal and child mortality rates. More significantly, Turkey also signed a MoU offering Pakistan concessions on Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) trade. Turkey also focused on assisting Pakistan on post-flood infrastructure reconstruction with the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan pointing out that Turkey had extensive experience in the housing sector and would offer its expertise to Pakistan on rebuilding homes, schools and hospitals in the flood-affected areas.

The Turkish prime minister also said that Pakistan had a critical need for clean drinking water, which was a project that he wanted to focus on.

This focus on the social sectors is likely to be somewhat disappointing for Pakistan, which was hoping to sign MoUs and agreements on projects such as Thar Coal, hydroelectric power and oil and gas exploration. Pakistan had focused extensively on attracting investment in these sectors, a move that Turkey seems to have set aside for now.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is likely to return to Pakistan as a happy man given that Turkish President Abdullah Gul awarded him the Jamhuriyat Nisan (Republic Order).

Earlier in the day, Gilani also addressed the Grand National Assembly, where he suggested raising the level of trade with Turkey to $2 billion by 2012 and asked the Turkish government to encourage its private sector. Gilani, who became the first Pakistani head of state to address the 90-year-old Grand National Assembly, said the Jamhuriyat Nisan was a great honour for him.

In response to a question by a Turkish journalist in the press conference, Prime Minister Erdogan commented on WikiLeaks, explaining that Turkey had formed a commission to follow up on the disclosures made on the website. The commission comprises the justice ministry, the prime minister’s office and the foreign ministry. He sharply criticised the leaks, saying it would negatively impact America’s diplomatic efforts. (With additional input from APP). Published in The Express Tribune, December 8th, 2010.

Gilani ended his speech at the grand Assembly of Turkey with the words.

“Viva Pakistan-Turkey friendship”.

Uzun ya?amak Türkiye ve Uzun ya?amak Pakistan!

Uzun ya?amak Pakistan Turkey dostluk

Sevgili Türk erkek karde? ve k?z karde? Pakistanis ve Türk erkek karde?

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• Wiki Secret: U.S. Distrusts Turkey’s PM Erdogan (abcnews.go.com)

VVD-leader Mark Rutte campaigning in Amsterdam during the local elections Wikipedia

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Geert Wilders, who built his popularity on his maverick image, has been hit with a series of embarrassments from other mavericks in his own party who are accused of misconduct or violent behaviour before becoming freshman lawmakers.

The scandals swirling around Wilders’ Freedom Party highlight the fragility of the new minority coalition government, led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who needs the support of each one of Wilders’ parliament seats to stay in power in the Netherlands.

In the latest incident, a member of Wilders’ Freedom Party quit parliament Thursday amid reports he had hit an athlete with a spiked running shoe years ago and that a company he was involved with was fined for misleading consumers.

James Sharpe said he was quitting to spare his family from the intense scrutiny that members of Wilders’ party are being subjected to in the media.

He will be replaced by another party member after handing back his seat to Wilders, whose popularity is based largely on his tough anti-Islam rhetoric.

Last weekend, another Freedom Party legislator, Eric Lucassen, came under fire after reporters dug up a 2002 conviction for engaging in sexual relations with a subordinate when he was in the army. He also was twice fined for public order offences and harassing his neighbours.

On Monday, Wilders refused to fire Lucassen after Lucassen refused to relinquish his seat if he were forced to leave the party.

In one of the most significant setbacks to his meteoric rise in popularity, Wilders was forced to apologize to parliament and to his voters this week for the Lucassen scandal.

Another of Wilders’ lawmakers has conceded lying on his resume about having been a primary school principal.

Wilders has run into trouble with his hand-picked parliament members because, unlike traditional Dutch parties with deep roots, the Freedom Party is new and lacks a national organization capable of screening parliamentary candidates. It is essentially a one-man show.

Rutte, who took power after national elections in June, leads a coalition of his VVD party and the Christian Democrats. However, the two parties only have 52 of parliament’s 150 seats so he needs the support of all 24 Freedom Party lawmakers to enact legislation.

Dutch lawmakers can remain in parliament even if they are kicked out of their party. If Wilders had ejected Sharpe from his party the lawmaker could remain as an independent and Rutte would no longer be guaranteed a majority in key votes.

In a text message to The Associated Press, Wilders said of Sharpe: “I respect his decision to leave parliament.”

Wilders broke with Rutte’s VVD party in 2004 over its support for Turkey‘s membership in the European Union. In his first election, Wilders won 9 seats, and nearly tripled that in this year’s vote, thanks almost exclusively to Wilders’ tough anti-Islam rhetoric that tapped into a groundswell of resentment among many Dutch at the country’s growing Muslim minority.

Wilders’ popularity kept growing even after he was put on trial for hate speech for his anti-Islam comments. The trial was aborted last month after Wilders’ lawyer accused judges of bias and will restart next year. Lawmaker with Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party quits parliament amid reports of wrongdoing By: Mike Corder, The Associated Press. Posted: 18/11/2010 4:02 AM

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Image by pmorgan via Flickr

After the Israeli raid on freedom flotilla, which killed 6 Turkish peace activists, relations between Turkey and Israel were tensed. Since then a change in Turkish foreign policy has been observed, and good strategic relations with China is a part of that policy change.

Historically Turkey has not held good relations with China, which was intensified in 2009 after the suppression of Uighurs in the Chinese province of Xinjiang by PLA.

After Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visited Turkey in October 2010, Turkey-China strategic relations took a new turn and Turkey, despite being a NATO ally, agreed to hold joint military drills with People’s Liberation Army (Air Force).

Turkey is keen in further strengthening its political and strategic ties with China, for which the Turkish foreign minister is visiting China. The Turkish FM started his visit in the province of Xinjiang. During his stay in China, he will meet prominent figures and will address media and students of China.

Turkey is planning a strategic council with China, like it had with Russia, but unlike Russia, it will be a simpler council.

Like China, Turkey is also considering whether it wants to develop good relation with its neighbor countries like Iraq, Syria, and Greece.

The new revived foreign policy of Turkey has three key points: frequent dialogue with its allies including the United States and European countries, increased cooperation with its neighbor countries, and renewing its strategic ties with Brazil, India , Japan, China, Australia, Russia and South Korea.

Turkey plans to establish a trilateral cooperate platform with China and Pakistan and hopes it will result in a peaceful solution to the 2009 Uighurs crisis. China is also aware of the Turkey’s influence in the region and with new friendly ties with Turkey, China can benefit in improving its ties with European countries and especially Muslim countries.

Turkey’s new foreign policy ensures that every matter should be addressed in a peaceful manner and solved by composite dialogue process. Person to person contact should be increased in order to strengthen the relations with neighbor countries.

If Turkey successfully implements the new foreign policy it could help build peace in the region. Reported by: Soha Middle East Correspondent

The old Ottoman Flag which preceded the current Turking flag. Wikipedia

Recently, the Prime Ministers of Turkey and Pakistan ‘vowed’ for joint efforts to face international and regional challenges. This is a dream that every Muslim has and nurtures. If memory serves right, the idea of Muslim unity politically was attributed to Liaquat Ali Khan, the first PM of Pakistan. Ideologically, the concept of Ummah is the basic theme in the Holy Quran, but we pay only lip service to the idea. [Few] Muslim leaders [have] tried to put the idea into practical shape. Bhutto had convened a Muslim Summit at Lahore and hopes were kindled that the Ummah may become united politically. But alas! Hopes and dreams of Muslim unity were shattered; the dream of a Muslim ‘Block’ vanished with the assassination of Liaquat Ali and hopes of Muslim unity died with the hanging of Bhutto. So, the ‘vow’ made by the PMs of Turkey and Pakistan have rekindled the old hopes. If they are able to move in this direction even one step, Muslims will move one step closer to that ideal.

But what are the challenges facing their respective countries; both PMs did not specify. The challenges can be classified as country-specific or the ones confronting the Muslim community collectively. Country-specific challenges can best be overcome by the respective countries; friendly countries can provide diplomatic and moral support. At this point in time, Turkey is facing the resistance from the West against its bid to become a full member of the EU. Iran is facing the US-led challenge of political, diplomatic and economic isolation. Pakistan is embroiled in the anti-terror war within its boundaries and internal instability, which weigh heavily on its economic development. These challenges only individual countries can meet, others may be able to assist them to successfully face such challenges.

The real challenges are those which the Muslim community is facing collectively. These are multi-directional and affect the community in totality. These challenges are ideological, economic and political. Though on surface these appear as facing Muslim countries individually, but are in essence collective and need a collective response. There was a time when the Ummah faced all challenges in unison whenever any of its components was exposed to danger. There were no barriers to movements across the Muslim lands, despite the fact that various tracts of land were under different political control. This all changed after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and emergence of nation states. Now, the Ummah stands aloof and unconcerned when individual countries are subjected to political, economic, diplomatic, and even military pressures. As a result of this individual psyche, we have become subservient to alien ideology, social.

The modern political philosophers have divided the world in eastern and western civilisations and call the ongoing conflict a ‘clash of civilisations’; in fact it is the clash of ideologies. Now, the clash has reached to its zenith. The clash between the West and the East had started on November 25, 1095CE, when Pope Urban II rallied the First Crusade against the Muslims at the Council of Clermont. English author Karen Armstrong calls it “a crucial and formative event for the western Europe”, whose repercussions are felt even today. The mounting of crusades was the physical manifestation of ideological clash. The observation of Ms Armstrong hits one in the face, when one recalls the initial speech of Bush Jr after USA’s attack on Iraq – he had described the attack as the beginning of a new crusade.

The West, as it stands today, professes a capitalistic ideology, which dominates its social, economic and political values. This ideology moves around the capital, as the central social theme; it propagates accumulation of wealth in a few hands and making the rest of the society subservient to it. In a capitalistic society, the few who control the wealth control everything. This system works on the principle of ‘end justifies the means’. Today, the clash is in evidence because the West wants to impose this ideology on ME and the rest of the Muslim world through the power of the gun and other means at its disposal. In this social system, man is central to everything and has reached the peak of his evolution, as a neocon scholar Fukuyama describes it in his famous book The End of History…, thus, in the western ideology man is not answerable to anyone for his actions. Islamic ideology, on the other hand, describes man as the Reagent or Viceroy (Khalifa) of his Creator – Allah Almighty – and represents Him on the earth. He is responsible and accountable for his actions and deeds and will be rewarded or punished accordingly. This system demands equality in all human activity and calls for equal distribution of wealth and dispensation of social justice for all. It demands that ‘the means justify the end’. Thus, it hits at the core values of capitalism as an ideology. The West believes in a liberal, secular (read Godless) and free-for-all society: Islamic ideology is totally opposed to this concept.

This clash of ideology has assumed a new dimension after the fall of communism. Now, Islam is being projected as a radical concept opposed to civil liberty and secularism. This gives the West a reason to wage war against the ideological enemy. So, this challenge needs a collective response from the Ummah; no country can face it individually. At this point in time collective effort is lacking, only a few scholars and organisation are responding to it. The entire Muslim community needs to mobilise all its scholars and use all organs of the media to project the true and practical facets of Islam. We lack this ability because the Ummah is divided in thought and actions. It needs a collective and effective body to collate, direct and execute the response to ideological challenge.

Politico-economic exploitation is the second dimension of the collective challenge. This exploitation had started with the subjugation of the East as colonies. It erupted with full force with the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The exploitation of Arab oil resources is well documented and does not need any repetition. Order to keep their hold on these resources, the West has cultivated the rulers on the western thought and developed ME as a consumption-oriented society. This gives West the chance to exploit the natural resource as well as the revenue from it. The Ummah, thus, stands to lose all. To keep control on this energy source, the West can go to any limit.

So, what should Muslims do to face this challenge? It is a collective challenge and needs a collective response. The road to the solution of all Muslim problems is long and arduous. It demands sacrifices at personal, national and community levels. The Muslims have not realised their power potential or are too meek to demonstrate it. Muslim countries sit over watching the Strait of Jabal-ut-Tariq in the West to the Melaka Straits in the East. They dominate the central region of the ‘old’ world and are contiguous. With Central Asian Muslim Republics, they have more than 75 percent of world energy sources and dominate all trade outlets and inlets. With such potential with them, they have the wherewithal to make themselves heard in the world. Three countries – Turkey, Iran and Pakistan – are so located that they dominate ‘West, Centre and East’ of the region and can play a significant role to unite this region with an international Muslim body, as their United Muslim Organisation promoting peace, trade and development in the region. Turkey has taken the first step; it has entered into free trade agreements with Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. This is a positive beginning. Turkey must expand this pact to include all the Muslim countries of the region. Gradually, the Muslim countries should form a Free Trade Zone in the region scraping trade and travel barriers. This will pave way for Muslim nations United Nations making the existing UNO a redundant body for the Muslims. Only then Muslims will achieve the dignity, prestige and respect in the world. We will be the masters of our lives and resources; and we will be able to face the challenges. If we cannot do that, we will remain at the mercy of those who nurture perpetual hate for us. We cannot live honourably in the world by defying Allah’s commandment in Al-Quran V-51. Sooner or later the Muslims will have to embark on this road to glory and be ready to make the sacrifices; the sooner we unite under collective Muslim banner the better. The writer is a freelance columnist.

• Erdogan says wont attend climate conference if Netanyahu attends
• Turkish premier Recep Erdogan has said that he would not attend the Mediterranean climate conference in Athens in the event Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu attends.

Turkish premier Recep Erdogan has said that he would not attend the Mediterranean climate conference in Athens in the event Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu attends.

Turkey told Sky TV news channel in an interview aired at a late hour on Monday night that he does not want to speak to Netanyahu.

Ankara has been at odds with Tel Aviv over the latter’s navy attack on the Freedom Flotilla late last May while carrying relief material to the besieged Gaza Strip in which 9 Turkish activists were killed and many others wounded.

Erdogan said that he would not like to speak to a premier who boasts such a military act.

He said that Israel is about to lose an important friend in the Middle East namely Turkey, adding that the Israelis should pay for the rudeness of their government.

Erdogan is scheduled to attend a Mediterranean conference on climate change in Athens next Friday.
tags: Erdogan / Netanyahu / Flotilla / Gaza Siege / Israeli Crimes / Massacre / Turkey / Climate Conference
Posted in Palestine

It is learnt that Chinese Air Force planes had re-fueled in Pakistan and Iran last month while on their way to Turkey to participate in a joint air exercise with Turkish Air Force planes. On the way back, they refueled only in Iran. The air exercise preceded the recent visit of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to Turkey.

Turkey’s agreement to hold a joint exercise with the People’s Liberation Army (Air Force) is significant for two reasons. Firstly, Turkey agreed to participate in the exercise and to host Wen despite the considerable unhappiness and anger caused among the religious elements of Turkey last year over the suppression of the Uighurs of Xinjiang by the PLA. The Munich-based World Uighur Congress, which Beijing blamed for the Uighur uprising in Xinjiang last year, enjoys considerable support in Turkey. Secondly, the Obama Administration does not appear to have opposed the joint exercise despite the fact that the planes of the Turkish Air Force that participated in the joint exercise had been given by the US.

Some details of the exercise have been carried by the “People’s Daily” of China on the basis of Western and Turkish media reports. The salient points are summarized below:

Turkish press reports confirmed the unprecedented involvement of PLA ( Air Force) jets in Turkey’s annual joint exercises, known as Anatolian Eagle, held over the centre of the country.

Army Lt. Col. Tamara Parker, a Pentagon spokeswoman, confirmed European press reports of the unusual aerial military exercises involving U.S.-made Turkish jets and Chinese Su-27 fighters that engaged in simulated aerial combat. She said: “The Government of Turkey is committed to the NATO Alliance and the continuation of strong ties to the United States, and Turkey assured us they would take the utmost care related to their possession of U.S. and NATO technologies.” However, she did not address the issue of whether the Chinese military might have learned sensitive NATO aerial combat information.

Jane’s Defense Weekly, quoting Turkish diplomatic sources, stated that the exercises involved less-capable U.S.-made F-4s and Chinese Su-27s, but not the more advanced U.S.-made F-16s.

Ed Timperlake, a former Marine Corps fighter pilot and former Pentagon technology security official, said allowing the Chinese Air Force to exercise with a NATO ally posed security risks. He said: ‘The Turkish Air Force helping the PLAAF to see NATO combat tactics and training is a very bad idea. It is deadly serious stuff.” He said the exercises and Turkey’s warming relations with neighboring Iran should lead the Pentagon to rethink its decision to sell the new F-35 jet to Turkey. Richard Fisher, a specialist on China’s military at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, also criticized Turkey’s military for conducting aerial exercises with a communist power that posed a threat to U.S. and allied security interests in Asia. “It’s not a good thing,” he said.Mr. Fisher said Turkey in the late 1990s used Chinese technology to jointly develop short-range B611 missiles.

The Tehran Press TV Online reported that Iran opened its airspace to the Turkish and Chinese jets.

The daily “Hurriyat” ( of Turkey?) reported that Iran indirectly supported a secret military drill between the Turkish and Chinese Air Forces. Four drill-bound Chinese SU-27 warplanes that took off from bases in China refueled in Iran – the first time the Islamic Republic has ever allowed foreign warplanes to refuel at its airbases, the daily said. The Russian-made SU-27s used by the Chinese Air Force had to refuel in both Pakistan and Iran because of their limited 3,500-kilometer range. Official letters were sent to the two countries prior to the exercise requesting the use of airspace and passage and refueling privileges. The warplanes refueled a second time in Iran on their return to China. The exercise was conducted after two years of deliberations, the report said, adding that its sole purpose was to improve mutual cooperation between the two friendly countries. Washington contacted Ankara ahead of the drill to express concerns over the planned use of F-16 warplanes in a military drill involving China – which the U.S. considers a possible threat. “We expect you to honor the agreement article that requires the exercise of caution regarding the transfer of technology to third countries,” the memorandum read. American concerns were taken into consideration and F-16 fighters were replaced by older F-4 models in the exercise.

The “China Daily” reported on October 15 that a new Strategic Concept expected to be discussed by a NATO summit to be held in Lisbon next month proposes regular consultations with countries like China and India. The paper said: “However, there is slim hope that China will put on its own agenda the cooperation with the NATO, according to Tao Wenzhao, a professor at the Institute of American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. “NATO has been eyeing deeper ties with China for some time, because they are looking for substantial help from China to ease things up in Afghanistan, a nine-year-old war that has required the deployment of 150,000 multinational troops,” Tao said. But even if Beijing is supportive of anti-terrorism measures, China remains a country firmly committed to non-alliance. Moreover, it is unlikely China would carry out in-depth cooperation with NATO, an outcome of the cold war, said Tao.” (October 16, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian)

( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com

China, whose relations with Turkey went through a period of tension last year following the Turkish condemnation of the atrocities allegedly perpetrated by the Chinese on the Uighurs in Chinese-controlled Xinjiang in July , has undertaken measures to repair the relations and seek Turkey’s support for the pacification of Xinjiang. The Munich-based World Uighur Congress (WUC), headed by its President Mrs. Rebiya Kadeer, enjoys some support in the political class and the public in Turkey. It calls for independence for Xinjiang under the name Eastern Turkestan. It is not a fundamentalist organisation and does not suppoprt the Islamic Movement of Eastern Turkestan , which is an associate of Al Qaeda and the Pakistani and Afghan Talibans.

Even before tension and misunderstanding arose in the relations between China and Turkey following the alleged suppression of pro-WUC demonstrators by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Urumqi in July last year, the two countries had been negotiating for a joint air exercise by their air forces in the Turkish air space. They did not allow the misunderstanding and tension over the alleged suppression of the Uighurs to disrupt these negotiations.

The return of normalcy in the bilateral relations was marked by two significant events in September and October, 2010. The first was the holding of the joint air exercise by the Air Forces of the two countries.According to Turkish press reports,the joint air exercise took place between September 20 and October 4 from the Konya air base in Turkey’s central Anatolia region.The Turkish Air Force flew F-4 Phantom fighters, used by the US during the Vietnam war, while China flew Russian-built SU-27s. The Chinese planes refueled in Pakistan and Iran while on their way to Turkey and in Iran on their way back to China. The Turkish media reports also spoke of the joint development of a surface-to-surface missile by China and Turkey.

The second significant event was the official visit of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to Turkey while on his way back to China after official bilateral visits to Greece, Belgium and Italy and after attending the Asia-Europe summit at Brussels. Wen arrived in Ankara on October 7—-three days after the joint air exercise was over— and stayed for three days. His visit was marked by anti-China demonstrations by Uighurs and their local supporters. While the demonstrations were allowed by the Turkish authorities, they reportedly rejected a request from Mrs.Kadeer to visit Turkey on October 8 to participate in the demonstrations against China. She has been quoted by media reports as saying that the WUC would have no objection to Turkey improving its relations with China, provided the objective was to make Beijing recognise and respect the human rights of the Uighurs. She cautioned against any action which could facilitate the Chinese suppression of the Uighurs.

In an interview with the Anatolia news agency, she said:”I have been disappointed over the fact that Turkey would receive Chinese Premier Jiabao on October 8.Following the incidents of July 5, 2009, thousands of Uighurs have been arrested (by Chinese officials) and we have not heard from them since then.After July 5, the Chinese Government has been exercising great pressure on the Uighurs and land belonging to the Uighurs has been taken away from them by the Chinese authorities.Premier Jiabao’s visit to Turkey would provide an opportunity to Turkey to ask about the Chinese pressure put on the Uighurs and encourage the Chinese to end the pressure.The Uighurs are in a battle of death and survival. We are concerned with the efforts of the Chinese Government to change the views of the Turkish people.

I am seeking for ways to be able to visit Turkey on October 8, the day when Chinese Premier Jiabao will be in Turkey. I will try to convey, with the Turkish people, our demands from the Chinese Premier Jiabao. I expect the Turkish Government to provide me the same privilege that they have granted to the Chinese Premier Jiabao. I wish to be in Turkey in order to tell the realities to the Turkish people.”

This was the first visit by a Chinese Prime Minister to Turkey in eight years.In a despatch dated October 9 from Ankara, the Chinese Government controlled Xinhua news agency reported that Wen and the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had agreed to upgrade their bilateral ties to the level of a strategic relationship of cooperation.Wen said he and Erdogan reached broad consensus during the talks and added that the decision to set up the strategic cooperative relationship would have an important effect on world peace and development. Wen pointed out at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart that China and Turkey both faced the threat of the three evil forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism and shared common interests in safeguarding the integrity of territory and sovereignty.He said China would continue to deepen mutual political trust and take active measures to promote trade with Turkey. China attached great importance to Turkey’s influence in regional and international affairs.China would encourage investment by Chinese enterprises in Turkey and facilitate cooperation in various economic fields, such as power projects, bridge construction and the financial sector, Wen said.

The Chinese have been providing many lollipops to Turkey in order to dissuade it from supporting the Uighurs. Among these lollipops are:

A proposal for the joint construction of 4,500kms of railway in Turkey and for the construction of an oil pipeline to Turkey from Iran. Chinese companies are already involved in the construction of railroads for two high-speed train links.

The value of the bilateral trade during 2009 amounted US $14.2bn – $12.6bn of which consisted of Chinese exports. Thus, China has been the major beneficiary of the trade. The two Prime Ministers agreed to raise the value to US $50 billion by 2015 and US $100 billion by 2020. They also agreed to use the national currencies to carry out the trade. Turkey has now similar arrangements with Russia and Iran.

Though promotion of economic relations and a strategic partnership were projected as the main objective of the visit of Wen to Turkey, the Uighurs believed that an important purpose was to seek the support of Turkey for the pacification of Chinese-controlled Xinjiang and for the political neutralisation of the WUC. According to Uighur sources, Pakistan had played an active role in bringing Turkey and China together despite the protests in Turkey last year over the suppression of the Uighurs. While the Uighurs are even prepared to understand the measures for the promotion of economic relations, they are surprised by Turkey’s agreeing to a joint air exercise with the PLA (Air Force) despite the role of the PLA (Army) in the suppression of the Uighurs.(October 17, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian)

( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute for Topical Studies, Chennai. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the US was supporting some common enemies of Pakistan and Turkey and the time has come to unmask them and act together.

In an exclusive chat with this correspondent in the presence of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the Turkish prime minister very candidly answered critical questions not only about Turkey-Pakistan relations but also on some other important issues before leaving Pakistan on Tuesday night.

The Turkish premier said that the people of Pakistan should not fight with each other and they must concentrate on rehabilitation of 20 million flood victims. “Instability and infighting will only help your enemies who are looking for an opportunity to use Pakistanis against Pakistanis.

“If you will not understand the evil designs of your enemies then what will be the future of 20 million flood victims of Pakistan, who will help them if you start fighting with each other,” Erdogan warned.

He said that Pakistan,Turkey, Afghanistan and Iran have a common future, security of one country lies in the security of others but our enemies are creating problems for us. He said: “Pakistan is my second home and I am concerned about the internal situation of my second home”.

He insisted that Pakistan and Turkey must play a decisive role to stabilise Afghanistan. He said that both Pakistan and Turkey suffered from military dictators who were always supported by the USA; politicians were hanged by military regimes in both countries, and both the countries are fighting against terrorism these days. Erdogan said: “We have common problems and common solutions, military dictatorships have always created problems and democracy is a common solution”.

When asked why no military dictator has ever not been tried in courts of Turkey and Pakistan, he said: “I don’t support hanging any military dictator but law must take its action against all those who abrogated constitution”. He said that some foreign hands are supporting terrorists in Pakistan and Turkey directly and also through some NGO’s.

Erdogan was very hard on the “double standards” of the USA and said that a recent Israeli attack on a Turkish ship Freedom Flotilla have unmasked the so-called civilised face of Washington who openly and shamelessly supported the state terrorism of Israel. “Nine Turkish martyrs on the ship received 21 bullets from Israeli soldiers in their bodies, we provided post mortem reports and even the pictures to the EU and USA but Washington is not ready to condemn the state terrorism of Israel against Turkey which means that the USA is supporting an international terrorist who killed our citizens in international waters”.

When asked that Turkey have diplomatic relations with Israel and what would be his advice to Pakistan for making diplomatic relations with Israel, Erdogan responded very carefully and said that “despite diplomatic relations Israel never behaved like a civilised country with Turkey and I cannot give any advice to my Pakistani brothers; it is their right to decide about making relations with Israel”. Erdogan said that Pakistan and India must resolve Kashmir dispute by peaceful talks. “You need strong political will for resolving Kashmir dispute,” he added.

During the conversation of the Turkish prime minister with this scribe, Yusuf Raza Gilani also suggested a question that “what is the procedure for the appointment of judges in Turkey?” Erdogan explained the whole process in detail and said that Parliament has an important role for the appointment of judges in Turkey. “I am facing problems from the courts but I am sure these problems will be resolved.” After listening this answer a very meaningful smile appeared on the face of PM Gilani and he said that “everything will be resolved nothing bad will happen in Pakistan”

Image by serdar via Flickr

ISLAMABAD – Turkey and Pakistan on Wednesday came closer in materialising ideas of currency swap and upgrading of the existing railway track between the two countries via Iran.
The two countries moved further on cementing bilateral cooperation when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the Presidency on Wednesday.

According to media Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar, the President, during the meeting, reiterated the proposal of up-gradation of railway line between the two countries and urged the Turkish Prime Minister to seriously consider the proposal. He said that Pakistan was eager to further enhance mutual cooperation between the two countries for taking maximum advantage of the existing potential of the two countries and to fully translate their equation into a strategic partnership. He said that railway line up-gradation project between the two countries was one such step for not only speedy transportation of the cargo but would also open new vistas of opportunities for the people and would contribute towards economic development. The President said that there was a need to urgently evaluate similar projects so that the next step that involved raising finances could be vigorously pursued. In this context the President also suggested a currency swap agreement between the two countries to facilitate business, trade and commerce.

Babar told the media persons that the President also felicitated Turkish Prime Minister on the vote for a series of democratic measures in the recently held referendum. He hailed the verdict on reform package as a triumph of democracy and democratic processes and recalled recent democratic reforms in the shape of 18th Constitutional Amendment in Pakistan.

The President also appreciated Turkish Government’s generous assistance, both in cash and kind, for providing relief to flood-hit people of Pakistan and also its pledge to actively participate in reconstruction and rehabilitation activities for the flood-affected people. He said that the Government and people of Pakistan greatly valued sensitivity and the support of the Turkish people and government at this hour of distress.

The President said that both the countries needed to aim at increasing their trade and investments equations and further cooperate especially in transport, telecommunications, manufacturing, tourism and other industries.

Discussing regional situation, the President said that Turkey had an important role to play for not only bringing in socio-economic development in the region but also for the stability of the region. He said that regional issues could be best addressed by regional powers and finding indigenous solutions.

Prime Minister Erdogan thanked the President for the warm welcome and said that Turkey would continue to support Pakistan and its people at every critical occasion and would actively participate in the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase for the flood affectees. He said that the Turkish government would consider the proposal of Currency Swap Agreement.TN.Turkey, Pak come closer on currency swap, railway track upgradation By: Afzal Bajwa | Published: October 14, 2010

Sometime during September, an unknown number of China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force Russian-built Su-27 and Mig-29 fighters landed at the huge Konya airbase in Turkey’s central Anatolia region. Within a few days they were training with Turkish US-built F-16 fighters in the first ever military exercise of its kind between China and a NATO country.

The brief training exercise, significantly held under the aegis of the ‘Anatolian Eagle’ series of joint military manoeuvres with NATO and other friendly powers, reflects multiple factors that will take some time for Turkey’s allies to fully decipher. From a western perspective, China’s sudden appearance on NATO’s southern flank and other Chinese military adventures in the so-called ‘Stans of Central Asia at about the same time was provocative in a period when relations between Beijing and Washington and many European countries are strained by a mixture of economic and military tensions.

This may have been the immediate – if probably opportunistic – intention as the Turkish deployment presaged China’s Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s attendance at a summit with the EU commission in Brussels on Oct. 6 which was widely anticipated to be tense and probably fruitless.

The other, more strategic message embedded in the dog fights over Anatolia is nearer to China’s core concerns. The deployment will strengthen the agenda of those within China’s government and military who are keen to demonstrate Beijing’s reach and ability to surprise. While some remain unsure whether the training event ever actually occurred, most are looking at what the episode may reveal about Turkey’s motives and the country’s future relationship with NATO and the European Union.

Certainly, China and Turkey appear an uneasy fit for any form of military co-operation beyond the institutional round of bland functions and stilted social events intended to somehow soothe mutual suspicions and calm often barely concealed enmities.

In particular, both countries have recently experienced serious differences over the treatment of the Uighur community, a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority long settled in western China. The Uighurs are widely viewed with suspicion by Beijing and many of the Han Chinese now living among them as both a source of separatist unrest and potential Islamic extremism. Equally, many Turks view the Uighurs as victims of Chinese colonial persecution and readily offer their support in the name of pan-Turkic solidarity.

The strength of emotion the issue can generate was evident in Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s accusation that the situation in Xinjiang in July 2009 following clashes between Uighurs and Han Chinese was akin to “genocide.” Once it became evident that the majority of the casualties among the nearly 200 dead and thousands of injured where ethnically Chinese, the Turkish government moderated its language – even if the overwhelming mood among many Turks remained pro-Uighur if not anti-Chinese.

Erdogan’s seemingly instinctive if overblown response and his subsequent softer tone towards China – perhaps reflecting Ankara’s grudging recognition that Beijing’s position towards the Uighurs echoes Turkey’s own problems with Kurdish separatists – is likely to have been regarded in the Chinese foreign ministry as an opportunity to strengthen ties. China’s diplomats were aided in this potentially tricky task by Ankara’s own calculations following a series of diplomatic reversals that required a powerful, if indirect, response.

It is certain that Turkey’s increasingly fraught relationship with the European Union, where a strong ‘Gates of Vienna’ tendency filters any efforts by Ankara to move closer to the European heartland while playing on atavistic memories of Muslim expansion, will have contributed to the decision of invite Chinese fighters to train in NATO airspace.

Similarly, the March 2010 vote by US legislators that agreed the 1915 killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks was genocide, coupled with Washington’s failure to seriously censor Israel over its killing of nine ethnic Turks on the Gaza “aid flotilla” in May 2010, have convinced many in Turkey that their country occupies a lowly position in the US pantheon of allies.

Another, perhaps irresistible, motive for the invitation to the Chinese airmen may have been to emphasize the difference between Turkey and Greece. The parlous state of the Greek economy has left the country in the position of permanent mendicancy, most recently relying on China to buy its debt and finance its key shipping sector. Turkey’s action, by contrast, demonstrated – if mainly to a domestic audience – the country’s independence and sovereign parity with a major power.

China’s motives for accepting a Turkish invitation to send its aircraft to Konya also reflects interests that have little to do with the location or significance of their host. While Beijing is now far more comfortable seeing its military deployed further from the country’s self-determined core areas of interest, China’s often cautious diplomats appear to be increasingly overruled or ignored by political and military factions who value the utility of such displays for a nationalistic domestic audience.

This mood was captured when the despatch of warships in January 2009 to the Gulf of Aden to take part in anti-piracy operations evoked official comparisons with the 15th century Admiral Zheng He’s seven voyages to the Middle East and Africa.

The People’s Liberation Army and Air Force also participated in the “Peace Mission 2010″ series of military exercises conducted in September 2010 in Kazakhstan with military personnel from the other Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia. Although the ostensible purpose of the exercise was to test and coordinate joint counter-terrorist operations, in reality the ‘Peace Mission’ gave China a unique opportunity to deploy land and air units in strength beyond its borders.

According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, at least eight Chinese fighters, bombers, airborne early warning and tanker aircraft flew an unprecedented round trip from Urumqi in western China to an unnamed location in Kazakhstan, where they carried out practice air strikes. The aircraft that flew to Turkey must have taken a similar route, before heading south to Iranian airspace and on to Konya in Turkey.

More pressing, given the persistent tensions in the South China Sea between the US and China, the dramatic appearance of Chinese fighters maneuvering in a NATO country should also enliven the conversation between US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his Chinese counterpart General Liang Guanglie when they meet in Hanoi at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations conference on 12 October. China’s Air Force Goes Abroad By Gavin M. Greenwood. Dudgeon and dragons for the Americans. Gavin M. Greenwood is a security consultant with the Hong Kong-based security risk management consultancy firm Allan & Associates. World Bulletin