1. #241
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    Russia to export meat, milk, fish to Turkey - agriculture minister
    Business & Economy
    March 11, 10:09 UTC+3
    Russia builds up import of Turkish agricultural products, Alexander Tkachev said
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    Russia's Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev
    Russia's Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev
    © Dmitry Astakhov/Russian Government Press Office/TASS

    MOSCOW, March 11. /TASS/. Russia may begin soon start exporting meat, milk and fish to Turkey, Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev said in an interview with TASS on Sunday.

    "We expect, Turkey soon will allow to its market Russia’s meat, dairy and fish products," he said, adding the Russian agriculture watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, has been working with the Turkish counterparts, hoping the products will get access to the Turkish market.

    Russia builds up import of Turkish agricultural products, added the Minister. Turkish vegetables and fruit, which Russia banned in 2016 after the Turkish Air Force downed a Russian bomber, are returning to the Russian stores.

    The cooperation between Russia and Turkey demonstrates positive dynamics, Tkachev continued, adding in 2017, the agricultural turnover grew by 21% year-on-year to about $2.8 billion.

    Turkey earlier asked Rosselkhoznadzor to allow to expand the list of its supplies of meat, fish and dairy products, licensed for exports to Russia. The Russian agriculture minister said lifting the food embargo off Turkey should be related to opening of the Turkish market for Russian meat and dairy producers.

    http://tass.com/economy/993452 Brave hondje erdogan

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    President Erdoğan defends secularism after remarks by parliament speaker
    ZAGREB
    President Erdoğan defends secularism after remarks by parliament speaker

    AA photo

    President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on April 26 that the state should have an equal distance from all religious faiths, following Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman’s call for Turkey’s new constitution to drop all references to secularism.

    In televised comments during his official visit to Zagreb, Erdoğan said Kahraman had simply “expressed his opinion” on the new constitution debate.

    He stressed that secularism was the idea that the state maintained “an equal distance from all belief groups,” and suggested that debates on the issue only distracted the country’s agenda.

    Kahraman had sparked outrage late on April 25 by suggesting that the principle of secularism “must be removed” from Turkey’s constitution.

    “As a Muslim country, why should we be in a situation where we are retreating from religion? We are a Muslim country. So we must have a religious constitution,” he said. http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/pre...-speaker-98392

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    Bij hypocriet erdogan moet je altijd kijken wat hij doet en niet wat hij zegt anatoliers zijn goed in het overdrijven en liegen .

  4. #244
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    Russia, Iran And Turkey: The Real Power Brokers In Syria
    By Amir Madani

    By entering into east Aleppo, it would seem that the Syrian Arab Army and allied forces have prevented their country from suffering Libya’s fate. But despite the government victory over the galaxy of Jihadist and “moderate rebels,” US Secretary of State John Kerry, among others, does not think control of Aleppo - the commercial and industrial hub of Syria - will in itself end the war. President Assad agrees, telling the Syrian daily Al-Watan, that the rebels’ defeat “won’t mean the end of the war in Syria.” However, he did call it a “huge step” in that direction.

    After more than five years of multiple civil and proxy wars wreaking havoc on a biblical scale, and despite some defections and losses, the Syrian Arab Army, supported by Iran-linked land forces and the Russian Airforce, remains compact and effective. Meanwhile, opposition forces, dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, are splintered. The rebellion is infected by Salafist Jihadis on the payroll of foreign countries, with their oppression of women, minorities, and dissent of all kinds, lacking any credible plan or agenda. One reason the Syrian Arab Army was able to prevail in east Aleppo is the power shift in Washington, where President-Elect Donald Trump’s enigmatic relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin likely portends the end of US aid for the anti-government rebels.

    A Divided Syria ?

    Like Kerry and Assad, most observers expect the war to continue for the present; nonetheless, the outlines of a tri-partite Syria are slowly forming:
    1. The North, dominated by Kurds but lacking territorial continuity to avoid further provoking Turkey;
    2. The West and Mediterranean Syria, with most urban centers already, or likely soon, under government control; and
    3. The desert-like South and South East, more or less controlled by various extremist groups warring against the government and among themselves, likely for the next 10-20 years.
    In this scenario, the rebels lose strength at the negotiation table, while the government gains, at the same time liberating almost 20,000 troops to redirect elsewhere. In the long run, the secularist coalition of minorities (Christian, Alawite, Druze, etc.) supported by a moderate Sunni majority will prevail. In the final analysis, the Syrian conflict is not sectarian in nature but rather a political and geopolitical power struggle, even though all the players use it as a tool.

    External Actors and New Balances

    United States
    Although the Syrian tragedy is mostly the result of interventionism rather than failure to intervene more decisively, the president-elect seems to be an isolationist. Although President Obama has already sought a reduced involvement in Syria, according to the Wall Street Journal Donald Trump has reaffirmed his campaign position that assisting the Syrian government in fighting ISIS should be the US objective in Syria.

    Despite the president-elect’s isolationist tendencies, the US will likely continue supporting Syrian Democratic Forces, mainly Kurds, yet with sufficient restraint to avoid antagonizing Turkey, which wants to prevent formation of an autonomous Kurdish region on its borders.

    Russia
    The new Middle East power balance undoubtedly includes a resurgent Russia supported subtly by China. Facing latent Sunni extremism within its borders, Russia could seek to shore up domestic security by taking on the extremists in Syria and in areas of the former Soviet Union.

    The military base at Tartus gives continuity to the Russian presence on the Mediterranean and the Syrian arena serves also as an effective showcase for the latest Russian weaponry. Russia is establishing itself solidly on the Mediterranean Sea and in the Middle East at a level not seen even at the height of the former Soviet Union. Putin thus becomes a kind of kingmaker, wielding the Russian Airforce, and promoting multi-party negotiations on Syria. He could leverage Syria as a bargaining chip for broader issues such as Ukraine or to push for the removal of sanctions applied by the West after his annexation of Crimea.

    Iran
    Although Russian influence has increased after the recapture of Aleppo, Tehran is the real victor according to the Financial Times. The Russian Airforce matters less than the Iranian revolutionary guards and Iran-linked militias.

    Iran has supported the Syrian regime from the start, with financial aid, armaments, intelligence advice, and militia on the ground - although it has also criticized the cruelty of Assad’s regime. Iran assembled militias and volunteers from Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to build battalions of ideologically motivated fighters to combat ISIS and other terrorism in the region. It was Tehran that convinced Russia to enter Syria, despite their competition for European natural gas markets. Of more concern to Tehran is the geopolitical competition from Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia; yet it is necessary to keep in mind that historically all the minorities in the Middle East have at one point or another set anchor in Iran to avoid harsh persecution from the Caliphate’s orthodoxy. Iranian regional power thus rises, yet its continuity still depends on avoiding any direct confrontation with Turkey, as well as the Middle East policy of the White House after January 20, when the president-elect takes office.

    Turkey
    Erdogan’s Muslim Brotherhood oriented government in Turkey has deep relations with all the Syrian rebel groups hoping to oust Assad and build a new sphere of influence in the informal space of the former Ottoman caliphate. Based on this logic, Turkey itself become the transit hub of Jihadi extremists moving to and from Syria, and according to WikiLeaks the hub of a dubious and illicit trade even with ISIS. Turkey’s relationship with most of the rebel groups active in Syria and Iraq is widely known and acknowledged.

    Aleppo, considered by Turkey as its back yard, was seen as crucial to Erdogan’s quest for regional hegemony. Therefore, the fall of Aleppo is a game-changer for Erdogan and demonstrates the failure of his neo-Ottoman aspirations. At the same time, by distancing itself further from Europe and its democratic values, and in riskily playing various extremist groups as geopolitical tools, Turkey has itself become a victim of terrorism. With insecurity increasing especially in urban centers, tourism is declining and the economy is contracting. The assassination of Russian Ambassador Andrey Karlov can only exacerbate the anxiety.

    Turkey now seems to be setting its sights on the more modest and realistic role as a power broker in forging a political solution for Syria, by participating in the trilateral Russian-Iranian-Turkish summit for peace in Syria.

    Saudi Arabia and Allied Kingdoms
    The Saudis and their allies along the southern shore of the Persian Gulf have invested a remarkable amount of their petrodollar income in, and tied their regional policy’s fate to, the Syrian Salafi-Jihadi rebels. If Syria’s al-Qaeda branch was on Turkey’s payroll, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have Jaysh al Islam, Ahrar al Sham and other groups. Yet after years of boldness culminating in the ascent of King Salman to the throne, Saudi Arabia has begun to retreat diplomatically. Aside from its regional competitor Iran gaining increased influence, Saudi Arabia has lost an important former/formal ally in the Egyptian general al-Sisi, who openly has supported the Syrian Army against the ideologized rebels. The Saudi war against Yemen has further weakened the aspirations of the petro-aristocracies of the Arabian Peninsula.

    The Saudis and their allies continue to dispense resources, putting further stress on their finances. Meanwhile, the international community is eager to prevent the funding and spread of the destructive ideology promulgated by clerics from Saudi Arabia.

    A Path to a Comprehensive and Lasting Cease-Fire ?

    The tri-partite negotiations among Russia, Iran and Turkey could offer hope for a cease fire and a real settlement. Whether the absence of EU and American participation will help or hurt these efforts remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the Russia-Iran-Turkey trio as real power brokers may yet decide the future of Syria.Yet Russia should remember it is a weak super power that, unless it reaches an understanding with the US and the EU, would lack the possibility of achieve a lasting and comprehensive cease fire and resolution of the Syrian war.

  5. #245
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    Strongmen like Putin and Xi might seem all powerful—but they make their countries weaker
    China's President Xi Jinping (R) and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin attend a welcoming ceremony at the Xijiao State Guesthouse, before the fourth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in Shanghai May 20, 2014. Trade between China and Russia is expected to reach $100 billion by 2015, Xi said on Tuesday, after meeting with Putin.
    On the same team. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)
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    Written by
    Max de Haldevang
    March 17, 2018

    Correction: The alleged poisoning of a British agent on U.K. soil is an “alleged attempted murder,” not an “alleged murder.” Quartz regrets the error.

    It’s turning into quite a month for global strongmen.

    Last weekend, Chinese president Xi Jinping upended his country’s two-term limit on power, meaning there’s now little to stop him from ruling for life. Two days later, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushed through sweeping changes to the electoral system that give him a strong chance of extending his 15-year reign in the 2019 elections.

    And there’s zero doubt that Russia’s Vladimir Putin will be re-elected with a massive majority on Sunday, taking him to a total of 24 years in power by the end of his next six-year term.

    Donald Trump responded last week by joking that America should itself give the president-for-life thing “a shot someday.” But the idea could have some actual backing among Trump voters: A 2017 Pew poll showed that 33% of Republicans (paywall) would like a “strong leader” whose power is unchecked by courts or Congress.

    All this fits nicely into the narrative of the world turning authoritarian at an unsettling speed.

    At times, that strongman model can look tempting. Putin’s centralized rule and disregard for international law allows him to take quick, daring actions that can leave liberal democracies looking impotent and flat-footed. The West’s riposte to Russia’s alleged attempted murder of a British agent on UK soil, for example, has so far been limited to the expulsion of a few diplomats and a grumpy letter from Britain’s friends.

    But take a step back, and you start to see all kinds of flaws in the strongman method.

    Putin may be able to flex his muscles on some international issues, but the length and autocratic nature of his reign has left Russia far weaker than it should be. The Russian president has shored up power with patronage. To stay popular with the masses, he has had to take massive risks—among them the seizure of Crimea—which have alienated Moscow from all the main global powers. On the world stage, Putin is more of a reactionary counter-puncher than an agenda-setter.

    Xi risks following Putin’s lead and sapping the dynamism out of his country’s economy—which became the world’s second-largest under a political system where the leading actors rotate and institutions more or less function. Strongman rule, by its very nature, undermines those institutions. Russia’s constant plunging in and out of recession should serve as a cautionary tale. For all its frustrations and seeming impotency, the “Western liberal order” bears that name because it is the order.

    Correction: The weekend brief on authoritarian leaders should have called an alleged poisoning of a British agent on U.K. soil an “alleged attempted murder,” not an “alleged murder.” Quartz regrets the error https://qz.com/1231698/strongmen-xi-...ntries-weaker/

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    Erdoğan congratulates Putin over re-election
    ANKARA – Anadolu Agency
    Erdoğan congratulates Putin over re-election

    President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on March 19 spoke to Russia’s Vladimir Putin over the phone and congratulated him over his presidential election victory.

    During their conversation, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and the trilateral summit of leaders from Turkey, Russia and Iran on Syria expected to be held in April in Turkey.

    Erdoğan and Putin also reiterated their determination to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

    Earlier, Russia’s Central Election Commission announced that Putin won a landslide re-election victory in March 18’s polls.

    Putin scored a record 76.67 percent of the vote with 99.75 percent of ballots counted, easily winning a new six-year term.

    He has ruled Russia as either president or premier since 1999. 6www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogan-congratulates-putin-over-re-election-129008

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    World
    Erdogan to inaugurate nuclear power plant with 'friend' Putin
    Ari Khalidi Ari Khalidi |
    March 20-2018 06:54 PM
    Erdogan to inaugurate nuclear power plant with 'friend' Putin
    Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Photo: AFP)
    Turkey Russia NuclearEnergy NATO Afrin

    ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday announced that the construction of his country’s first nuclear power plant in the Mediterranean province of Mersin would begin this year.

    “We are planning to lay the foundation for the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant with my dear friend Mister Putin,” Erdogan told an audience during an energy conference at his Ankara palace.

    “In fact, I had the chance yesterday to talk with him on this issue over the phone,” the Turkish President said, highlighting a blossoming friendship with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin whom he called to congratulate the latter’s weekend victory to rule for another six years.

    Akkuyu’s construction cost is estimated to be at $20 billion.

    Earlier this month, Reuters reported that the project was likely to miss its 2023 target start-up date as the Russian builder Rosatom struggled to find local partners.

    Ankara and Moscow have progressively developed relations in the fields of energy, defense, commerce, and tourism, after a reconciliation in mid-2016 over a Turkish shoot-down of a Russian warplane on the border with Syria where the two have supported warring factions.
    The construction site of the Turkish-Russian project, Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, in Mersin, southern Turkey. (Photo: Bloomberg Turkey)

    Last month, Turkey granted the Russian government-owned energy firm Gazprom exemption from several million-dollar tax requirements for its pipeline operations on the Turkish continental shelf as a sign of warming cooperation between the two nations.

    It came days after Moscow gave the green light to Ankara for a long-threatened invasion of the enclave of Afrin in Syrian Kurdistan which Turkey captured the same day Putin won Russia’s presidency for the fourth time.

    The NATO member Turkey is also buying Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile defense systems, despite warnings from its Western allies.

    Turkey has plans to build two other nuclear power plants, one near the Black Sea city of Sinop, the other known as Igneada in the Thracian province of Kirklareli.

    Erdogan had earlier said Turkey wanted to start construction in Sinop “as soon as possible.”

    The Turkish President also reiterated his administration’s insistence on not allowing the Republic of Cyprus to “unilaterally” explore gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean.

    Northern Cyprus has been under Turkish occupation since 1974.

    “I hope they have taken lessons from our clear position on drilling activities,” Erdogan said, telling the island nation that he wanted “a fair share” for Turkey and the unrecognized Turkish Northern Cyprus.

    Editing by Karzan Sulaivany
    UpdatedMarch 20-2018 07:15 PM
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    http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/9...a-f5fa9737c2d5

  8. #248

  9. #249
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    Turkey can’t leverage US-Russia tensions in Syria forever
    M.K. Bhadrakumar
    By M.K. Bhadrakumar March 22, 2018 5:39 PM (UTC+8)

    176
    3

    Turkey has so far played Washington and Moscow off against each other over the Syrian situation by leveraging its importance as a ‘swing state,’ its geography and its credentials as a NATO power.

    These are heady days for Turkish President Recep Erdogan. Confounding most western analysts, Turkey’s military has wrapped up its operation to wrest control of Afrin in northern Syria from the Kurds in the space of 74 days. Erdogan’s domestic popularity is soaring, as he rides the wings of Turkish nationalism.
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    It may seem he has outwitted both the Americans and the Russians. Washington pretended it was not party to the struggle to control Afrin (even as the Kurds fought with US-supplied weapons), while Moscow (whose past dealings with Kurds remain an open secret) chose not to impede the Turkish operation, allowing latent Turkish-American tensions to escalate. In the process, Erdogan walked away the winner.

    However, a contrarian picture is slowly emerging. Erdogan may not realize that Washington and Moscow might actually have entrapped Turkey. Half-way through the Turkish operation, Washington made an overture to Erdogan, with the then US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visiting Ankara on February 15. This led to a decision to form working groups to address differences over Syria.

    The group’s first meeting took place in Washington on March 8-9, but it only resulted in more acrimony. Turkey unilaterally claimed an “understanding” had been reached about the US removing Kurdish militia from Manjib (to the east of Afrin), which would obviate the need for an expanded Turkish military operation to eliminate Kurdish control all along northern Syria.

    But Washington furiously denies any such “understanding” and insists that it has no intention of vacating Manjib. Meanwhile, Tillerson has been replaced and a foreign-minister level meeting slated for March 18 stands postponed. The Turks have been left in limbo.

    “Turkey has not gained anything. Ultimately, if you form your policy in line with the interests of hegemonic powers like the US and Russia this is what you end up with”

    Unsurprisingly, Erdogan has “tilted” towards the Russian camp. A trilateral Russian-Turkish-Iranian presidential summit is due to take place in Istanbul on April 4. The Russians will hope to pin the slippery Turkish leader down firmly on their side.

    Turkey cannot afford to displease Russia at this point, since the latter has a line open to the Kurds in Afrin, who are threatening to wage a guerrilla war against “occupation” forces. Turkey is heavily dependent on air power to avoid a quagmire in Afrin, and Russia controls Syrian air space.

    From the US perspective, it won’t be a bad thing if a protracted guerrilla war ensues in Afrin, one which would sap Erdogan’s appetite to mount further operations in northern Syria. Washington is playing for time on the diplomatic track.

    The heart of the matter is that, new Cold War symptoms notwithstanding, Moscow still desires an enduring Syrian settlement to be the outcome of a Russian-American joint effort. Put differently, the prospect of a summit between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin in the “not too distant future” – as Trump disclosed on Tuesday – means that Turkey’s capacity to leverage US-Russia tensions is set to diminish.

    If the talks with the US gain momentum, Moscow is unlikely to encourage Turkey to crack the whip with the Kurds. Turkey may then have to make an existential decision as regards its future operations in northern Syria. It will be, in effect, attacking its NATO ally in Manjib.
    Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin meet in Ankara, Turkey, on December 11, 2017. Photo: Reuters / Umit Bektas
    Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin meet in Ankara, Turkey, on December 11, 2017. Photo: Reuters / Umit Bektas

    Again, if US-Russia talks resume regarding a Syrian settlement, Turkey may have to accept at some point the involvement of Syrian Kurds in any peace process – something that both Washington and Moscow have advocated in the past.

    The leader of the main Turkish opposition Republican People’s Party, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, had a point when he said this week that Turkey has been “dragged into the swamp of the Middle East.” To quote Kilicdaroglu: “The Americans have settled around Syria’s oil and gas fields, while the Russians have expanded their military bases, and Iran and China are getting lucrative tenders from the Damascus government for the reconstruction of Syria. Turkey, meanwhile, has not gained anything. Ultimately, if you form your policy in line with the interests of hegemonic powers like the US and Russia this is what you end up with.”

    In Kilicdaroglu’s opinion, Turkey should initiate a regional summit with Iran, Iraq and Syria, as these are countries with a “shared interest in defending their territorial integrity and fighting terrorism.” Indeed, all four of these states also run the risk of getting thrown under the bus at some point if the proxy war between the US and Russia morphs into a Syrian peace process. http://www.atimes.com/turkey-cant-le...syria-forever/

  10. #250
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    From Russia with love to Erdoğan

    Russian President Vladimir Putin’s predetermined victory in March 18’s elections is good news for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The latest crises between Moscow and London over the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergey Skripal and his daughter in the U.K., which has poured more fuel on Russia’s rivalry with the West, is also good news for Erdoğan.

    Both these developments could not have come at a better time for him. In the first instance his continuing close cooperation with Putin has been assured for the foreseeable future. This is important given that Ankara’s reliance on Moscow has grown in proportion to Turkey’s deteriorating ties with the West.

    All the indications are that this reliance will grow in view of the increasing antipathy Erdoğan and his followers have for all things Western. This antipathy is something Erdoğan shares with Putin and millions of Russians.

    Putin’s green light for Turkey’s “Olive Branch Operation” in Afrin will also be doubly appreciated by Erdoğan, now that this operation has brought him the victory he desired in less time and with fewer casualties than many in Turkey feared and many in the West expected.

    This is not just a victory that Erdoğan can use to poke his Western opponents in the eye with. It is also one that he will undoubtedly use in order to shore up his political position in the lead up to the presidential elections in 2019. These elections may even be brought forward now due to the favorable political atmosphere Erdoğan has caught at home.

    Erdoğan is not done in Syria yet though given his vow to move on to Manbij and the east of the Euphrates River, despite the U.S. military presence there. He has promised to expel the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) — the American-backed Kurdish group Ankara considers to be a terrorist outfit and that was defeated in Afrin — from the region stretching all the way to the Iraqi border.

    First, though, he has to set up Turkey’s own proxy administration in Afrin, and unify this with the administration set up by Ankara in adjoining territories captured previously by the Turkish military from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) with its Euphrates Shield operation.

    Erdoğan’s chief advisor and spokesman İbrahim Kalın has already said Turkey has no intention of turning Afrin over to the Syrian regime now that it has been cleared of the YPG. Ankara will need Russia’s intercession in order to ensure that Damascus does not try to complicate Turkey’s plans for this region.

    Those plans clearly involve the setting up of a safe haven for the millions of Sunni refugees in Turkey and opposition fighters from the “Free Syrian Army” formed and armed by Ankara. Russia might even find it helpful to concentrate all Sunni opponents of Bashar al-Assad in one region which is being kept in check by Ankara.

    As for Putin’s growing dispute with the West, the main advantage that Erdoğan will reap from this is the fact that Moscow’s need for good ties with Turkey, at a time when there is an active attempt by the West to isolate Russia internationally, will have grown.

    To be able to establish close ties with a NATO member that cannot only veto anti-Russian moves by the alliance, but can also help him drive a wedge into its unity will be even more important for Putin now.

    Whatever differences Erdoğan and Putin may have on other issues, these will pale now in the face of the advantages they can gain from their mutually beneficial relationship. http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/opi...erdogan-128985

  11. #251

  12. #252
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    Putin, Erdogan launch Turkey’s 1st nuclear reactor

    Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan centre left, and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, centre right, applaud during a welcome ceremony, in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, April 3, 2018. Turkey and Russia have put aside their traditional rivalries and differences on regional issues, to forge closer ties. (Burhan Ozbilici/Associated Press)
    By Associated Press April 3 at 11:20 AM

    ANKARA, Turkey — The leaders of Russia and Turkey on Tuesday launched the start of construction for Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, as ties between the two nations deepen.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin, on his first foreign visit since being re-elected on March 18, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remotely gave the go-ahead for the construction of the Russian-built nuclear plant on the Mediterranean coast at Akkuyu.

    Putin hailed the project as a symbol of growing cooperation between Russia and Turkey.

    “We face the ambitious goal of launching the first reactor in 2023 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey,” Putin said during Tuesday’s ceremony. “We agreed with my dear friend, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to do everything necessary to achieve that goal.”

    Erdogan said the power plant would meet 10 percent of Turkey’s energy needs after all reactors become operational.

    “Thus we will have made our energy basket — still largely reliant on petroleum, natural gas and coal — more robust,” he added.

    The Akkuyu plant is being built by Russia’s nuclear energy agency, Rosatom. The project is estimated to cost $20 billion.

    Turkey and Russia have put aside their traditional rivalries and differences on regional issues to forge closer ties. Putin and Erdogan have met several times in the past year and regularly speak on the phone.

    Their ever-warming ties comes as Russia is running into widespread diplomatic fallout from the poisoned spy scandal in British and Turkey’s relations with its Western allies have worsened over human rights issues and its military operations against Kurdish militia in Syria.

    Turkey is also set to purchase Russia’s long-range S-400 missile defense system — a deal that is raising eyebrows among some of Turkey’s NATO allies.

    Today's WorldView newsletter

    What's most important from where the world meets Washington

    On Wednesday, Putin, Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani are expected to hold a summit in the Turkish capital of Ankara to discuss Syria’s future. The three countries are sponsoring a series of efforts in a bid to end the seven-year war.

    Their cooperation comes despite having positions on opposing sides in the Syrian conflict. Moscow and Tehran have sided with Syrian President Bashar Assad while Turkey has been supporting his opposition foes.

    Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...=.2742a9dd8c23

  13. #253
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    Turkey and Russia: repairing ruptured ties
    AFP / 4 hours ago
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    Ankara (AFP) - Turkey and Russia have bolstered cooperation since the 2015 downing of a Russian jet caused a major rupture, their leaders launching Tuesday the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant.
    Turkey and Russia: repairing ruptured ties

    Turkey and Russia: repairing ruptured ties

    Here is a recap of relations between the strategically important nations, both heavily involved in the Syrian conflict and with strained ties with the West, since the crisis three years ago.

    - Russian jet downed -

    On November 24, 2015 a Turkish military jet blasts a Russian warplane out of the sky over the Turkey-Syria border.

    Turkey insists the Russian plane -- deployed as part of Moscow's military campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's fight against rebels -- strayed into Turkish airspace.

    Moscow adamantly denies the claim and a furious President Vladimir Putin labels the incident a "stab in the back".

    - Sanctions -

    Moscow fires back by announcing a raft of economic sanctions against Ankara, targeting trade in areas like agriculture, tourism and construction.

    A war of words between Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rages as Moscow demands an apology.

    Russia also accuses Erdogan of profiting from the illegal oil trade with Islamic State (IS) jihadists, claims the Turkish leader slams as "slander".

    - Reconciliation -

    In late June 2016 the Kremlin says Erdogan has apologised for the jet downing in a message to Putin, in which he calls for a return to friendlier ties.

    After talking to Erdogan, Putin -- whose own country is battling Western sanctions over Ukraine and low oil prices -- immediately announces an end to the tourism bans and the normalisation of trade ties.

    - Coup call -

    In a sign that ties are warming, Putin is one of the first international leaders to call Erdogan and offer support after a failed coup against the Turkish president in July 2016.

    He does not criticise Erdogan over a subsequent widely condemned purge of thousands perceived to have supported the coup.

    - Erdogan heads to Russia -

    Putin's hometown of Saint Petersburg in August 2016 hosts the first meeting between the two leaders since the 2015 plane incident, aimed at sealing the rapprochement.

    In December Russia's ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, is shot dead by an off-duty Turkish policeman. Moscow and Ankara say the act is a "provocation" aimed at sabotaging their reconciliation.

    - Energy, defence -

    In February 2017 Putin gives the green light for the construction of the TurkStream pipeline between Russia and Turkey which will eventually pump gas to the European Union.

    Several months later he signs a decree ordering the lifting of most of the remaining sanctions.

    In December Russia says it has completed negotiations with Turkey for the sale of an S-400 air defence missile system, with delivery scheduled for late 2019.

    - Syria -

    Russia and Turkey have also over the past months reinforced cooperation on the question of the dragging Syrian war. This is even though Russia is one of the main allies of Assad while Turkey backs the rebels trying to unseat him.

    With Assad-backer Iran they launch in early 2017 peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, becoming the powerbrokers in Syria and sidelining the United States.

    In January 2018 Turkey launches an operation inside Syria against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, which it considers a "terrorist" group despite its work with Washington against IS.

    The leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran meet in Ankara on Wednesday to coordinate policy on the war in Syria.

    - Spy poisoning -

    In March Britain blames Russia for the poisoning on its soil of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury. As a raft of countries join together to punish Moscow, Erdogan says Ankara will not take similar measures and that the charge is "based on allegation".
    https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/39...ruptured-ties/

  14. #254
    Verbannen

    Reacties
    9.641
    09-10-2015


  15. #255
    Verbannen

    Reacties
    1.479
    08-02-2017

    Citaat Geplaatst door Wouldcha3b Bekijk reactie

    Turkey and Russia: repairing ruptured ties
    AFP / 4 hours ago
    Share

    Ankara (AFP) - Turkey and Russia have bolstered cooperation since the 2015 downing of a Russian jet caused a major rupture, their leaders launching Tuesday the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant.
    Turkey and Russia: repairing ruptured ties

    Turkey and Russia: repairing ruptured ties

    Here is a recap of relations between the strategically important nations, both heavily involved in the Syrian conflict and with strained ties with the West, since the crisis three years ago.

    - Russian jet downed -

    On November 24, 2015 a Turkish military jet blasts a Russian warplane out of the sky over the Turkey-Syria border.

    Turkey insists the Russian plane -- deployed as part of Moscow's military campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's fight against rebels -- strayed into Turkish airspace.

    Moscow adamantly denies the claim and a furious President Vladimir Putin labels the incident a "stab in the back".

    - Sanctions -

    Moscow fires back by announcing a raft of economic sanctions against Ankara, targeting trade in areas like agriculture, tourism and construction.

    A war of words between Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rages as Moscow demands an apology.

    Russia also accuses Erdogan of profiting from the illegal oil trade with Islamic State (IS) jihadists, claims the Turkish leader slams as "slander".

    - Reconciliation -

    In late June 2016 the Kremlin says Erdogan has apologised for the jet downing in a message to Putin, in which he calls for a return to friendlier ties.

    After talking to Erdogan, Putin -- whose own country is battling Western sanctions over Ukraine and low oil prices -- immediately announces an end to the tourism bans and the normalisation of trade ties.

    - Coup call -

    In a sign that ties are warming, Putin is one of the first international leaders to call Erdogan and offer support after a failed coup against the Turkish president in July 2016.

    He does not criticise Erdogan over a subsequent widely condemned purge of thousands perceived to have supported the coup.

    - Erdogan heads to Russia -

    Putin's hometown of Saint Petersburg in August 2016 hosts the first meeting between the two leaders since the 2015 plane incident, aimed at sealing the rapprochement.

    In December Russia's ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, is shot dead by an off-duty Turkish policeman. Moscow and Ankara say the act is a "provocation" aimed at sabotaging their reconciliation.

    - Energy, defence -

    In February 2017 Putin gives the green light for the construction of the TurkStream pipeline between Russia and Turkey which will eventually pump gas to the European Union.

    Several months later he signs a decree ordering the lifting of most of the remaining sanctions.

    In December Russia says it has completed negotiations with Turkey for the sale of an S-400 air defence missile system, with delivery scheduled for late 2019.

    - Syria -

    Russia and Turkey have also over the past months reinforced cooperation on the question of the dragging Syrian war. This is even though Russia is one of the main allies of Assad while Turkey backs the rebels trying to unseat him.

    With Assad-backer Iran they launch in early 2017 peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, becoming the powerbrokers in Syria and sidelining the United States.

    In January 2018 Turkey launches an operation inside Syria against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, which it considers a "terrorist" group despite its work with Washington against IS.

    The leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran meet in Ankara on Wednesday to coordinate policy on the war in Syria.

    - Spy poisoning -

    In March Britain blames Russia for the poisoning on its soil of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury. As a raft of countries join together to punish Moscow, Erdogan says Ankara will not take similar measures and that the charge is "based on allegation".
    https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/39...ruptured-ties/
    Kijk de poedel braaf naast zijn meester ik zie erdogan kwispelen .