Nov. 20th Press Review
FM DAVUTOGLU ATTENDS AFGHAN PRESIDENT KARZAI’S SECOND-TERM INAUGURATION
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday attended the inauguration ceremony of Afghan President Hamid Karzai for a second term in office, along with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and heads of state, foreign ministers and other high-level officials. Before the ceremony, Davutoglu attended a breakfast hosted by Clinton at the US Embassy in Kabul and a luncheon hosted by his Afghan counterpart Dadfar Spanta. Davutoglu was also received by Karzai and visited the Turkish force which took over the Kabul regional command. /Aksam/
CHIEF EU NEGOTIATOR BAGIS RECEIVES INDEPENDENT TURKEY COMMISSION HEAD AHTISAARI
State Minister and Chief Negotiator for Turkey's European Union Talks Egemen Bagis yesterday met with Martti Ahtisaari, the head of the Independent Commission on Turkey, and other commission members. Bagis hosted a luncheon in honor of the commission, which released a landmark report on Turkey's EU bid in September. In related news, Bagis also received Mark Parris, the US special envoy for Eurasian energy and a former ambassador to Ankara. /Hurriyet Daily News-Turkiye/
TURKEY, SYRIA TO HOLD JOINT CABINET MEETING NEXT MONTH
During Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's official visit to Damascus next month, the Turkish and Syrian governments are set to hold a joint cabinet meeting, similar to one held with Iraq last month when Erdogan visited Baghdad. Preparations for the meeting, which will be chaired by Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart Naji al-Otri, have been completed. During the meeting, discussions are expected to focus on ways to improve bilateral trade ties and better cooperate against terrorism. Work is also underway for a similar meeting with the Russian Cabinet. In line with developing ties between the two countries in recent years, Russia has become Turkey's biggest trading partner, with a bilateral trade volume of $38 billion. In related news, Erdogan yesterday met with Syrian Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Abrash, who also held talks with his Turkish counterpart Mehmet Ali Sahin. In other news, Erdogan also received Ammar al-Hakim, the head of Iraq's Supreme Islamic Council, the country's most influential Shiite group. Speaking at a conference in Ankara held by the Turkish Economy Policy Research Foundation (TEPAV), al-Hakim characterized Kirkuk, Iraq's biggest oil-producing city, as a prototype of Iraq, pledging that they would continue working to forge compromises among its various ethnic and sectarian groups. /Turkiye-Sabah/
REPORT PREDICTS TURKEY WILL BE FASTEST-GROWING OECD COUNTRY IN 2011-2017
As the recovery in developed economies accelerates next year but is likely to remain fragile, growth in Turkey is likely to be the highest among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries in 2011-2017, the group said Thursday. The Paris-based watchdog's chief economist, Jorgen Elmeskov, told a news conference that the recovery has been mostly driven by government stimulus measures and interest rate cuts. Those benefited financial markets, whose recovery has been "considerably faster and stronger" than earlier anticipated, he said. The OECD more than doubled its estimate for 2010 growth in its 30 member countries – which include the US, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom – to 1.9 percent, compared to a 0.7 percent forecast in June. The projections are based on the assumption that by the middle of next year, financial conditions will have returned to normal. While banks have started to loosen lending conditions – a vital condition for the economy to grow again – there are still some concerns about the health of their balance sheets and their ability to provide credit to fund the economy, he said. Stating that the four-quarter contraction in the Turkish economy due to the impact of the global economic crisis reached its end in the second quarter of this year, the report predicted 3.7 percent growth for the economy next year, followed by a 4.6 percent in 2011. The report also predicted that Turkey will be the fastest-growing economy among OECD member countries in 2011-2017, with average annual growth of 6.7 percent. The OECD publishes its economic outlook twice a year, although it updated some 2009 forecasts in an interim assessment published in September. /Today's Zaman-Star/
TURKEY GUEST OF HONOR AT FRENCH EDUCATION FAIR
Turkey is the guest of honor of an education fair that began in Paris yesterday, as part of the ongoing Turkish Season in France activities. French Education Minister Luc Chatel inaugurated the European Education Fair yesterday at the Versailles Exhibition Hall. At the fair, information on Turkey is available to anyone wanting to improve their knowledge of the country or to visit as part of the European Union'ss Erasmus student-exchange program. French citizens living and working in Turkey were also present to share their experiences with visitors to the four-day fair. The Turkish Season began in July with a Fire of Anatolia dance show and a concert by Mercan Dede. During the nine-month season, Turkey is being promoted by over 400 artistic and cultural activities in more than 70 French cities. /Today’s Zaman/
