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TOP BUSINESS GROUP OFFERS A 'MODEL ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP'
Hurriyet
April 15 2009
Turkey
ISTANBUL - Both Turkey and the US government need to focus their
efforts in improving economic relations, according to a Turkish
Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association report. Both sides need
to develop programs to encourage Turkish and American companies located
in Turkey or its surrounding countries to engage in joint ventures,
says the TUSÄ°AD report
The Turkish Industrialists' And Businessmen's Association, or TUSÄ°AD,
has urged both the United States and Turkish governments to put
determined and concerted efforts into making economic relations a
relatively significant component of their partnership.
TUSİAD Chairwoman Arzuhan Dogan Yalcındag, introduced TUSİAD's
"Reconstructing the Alliance: A New Era in Turkish-US Relations Ä~^ A
Turkish Perspective" report at a seminar in Washington on Monday. The
TUSÄ°AD report, covering various issues such as Turkey's European
Union bid, regional security, the Armenian issue, energy policies
and economic relations, as well as concrete policy proposals on these
issues, was announced at the Brookings Institute.
Those who participated in preparing the report included Soli Ozel,
professor at Bilgi University and advisor to the chairman of board of
TUSÄ°AD, and Å~^ahnaz Yılmaz, associate professor of international
relations at Koc University and Abdullah Akyuz, TUSÄ°AD's Washington
representative.
"In our view the United States continues to be Turkey's indispensable
partner in transatlantic relations," the TUSÄ°AD report said. "By
the same token membership in the European Union remains Turkey's most
important strategic and civilizational goal. The role of the United
States in promoting closer links between Turkey and the EU had been
critical in the past. Therefore, even if there are limits to American
influence over the EU in decisions concerning 'deep integration,' we
expect that Washington will continue to play that constructive role,"
the report said.
"Being the largest and most dynamic market economy in the region,
Turkey now plays an important role in Eurasia and the Middle East in
promoting the economic foundations of liberal democracy in a distant
future," said the report, adding that particularly the United States
often underestimated the economic aspects of Turkey's increasing soft
power in the region.
Therefore, TUSÄ°AD called upon the U.S. government to underline the
importance of Turkey's role in the integration of its neighboring
countries into the global markets. Programs need to be developed
and implemented to encourage Turkish and American companies
located in Turkey or its surrounding countries to engage in joint
ventures. TUSÄ°AD also urged the Turkish government to establish a
special unit that would only focus on the increasing amount of trade
relations between Turkey and the United States. The Turkish government
should also provide further support for Turkish companies investing
in the United States, said TUSÄ°AD.
Assistance to the US
"From this perspective, we come to the conclusion that Turkey can
be of significant assistance to the United States in dealing with
the problems of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and the Caucasus,
as well as in moving the moribund Middle East peace process forward,
which will be crucial for rebuilding Turkish-American partnership in
a new era," said the report.
>From energy to enhanced trade to cooperation in attracting foreign
investment, common economic interests are likely to proliferate if and
when Turkey's neighboring regions can enjoy a political environment
that is conducive to economic development, said the report.
TUSÄ°AD urged the U.S. government to address the issue of the Armenian
resolution not only as a matter of domestic politics with respect to
the Armenian-American population. "Keep in mind the extremely adverse
effects on Turkish- American and Turkish-Armenian relations if it
passes," said the TUSÄ°AD report. The United States was also encouraged
to support the idea of forming a "Joint Historians Commission"
for an objective analysis of historic facts and for encouraging the
discussion of this issue on a more academic and objective international
platform. "Rather than focusing on the claims of the Armenian diaspora
in the United States, try to foster cooperation between Armenia and
Turkey, which will be more constructive and will be more likely to
yield strategic as well as political results," said the report.
Iraq and Nabucco
"A premature departure, particularly if the Iraqi state is still
incapable of providing security for all, will destabilize the country
and lead to a promiscuity of violence," TUSÄ°AD said on the issue
of Iraq. The United States was also urged to cooperate with Turkey
further to cut off all supply routes and logistical support for the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.
TUSÄ°AD also requested that the U.S. encourage economic integration
of Turkey and northern Iraq through energy projects, trade and
investment. "Provide support for the Nabucco project, by facilitating
the formation of the necessary legal and infrastructure framework to
plug Iraqi natural gas to Nabucco before the withdrawal of American
troops from Iraq."
The United States was also urged to be more actively engaged in the
Middle East peace process. In the Middle East, the United States
should make use of Turkey's accumulated experience in the region,
said the report, adding that the country should also focus on finding
a formula to integrate Hamas into the political process and assist
the Palestinians with nation-building practices and institutions.
Hurriyet
April 15 2009
Turkey
ISTANBUL - Both Turkey and the US government need to focus their
efforts in improving economic relations, according to a Turkish
Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association report. Both sides need
to develop programs to encourage Turkish and American companies located
in Turkey or its surrounding countries to engage in joint ventures,
says the TUSÄ°AD report
The Turkish Industrialists' And Businessmen's Association, or TUSÄ°AD,
has urged both the United States and Turkish governments to put
determined and concerted efforts into making economic relations a
relatively significant component of their partnership.
TUSİAD Chairwoman Arzuhan Dogan Yalcındag, introduced TUSİAD's
"Reconstructing the Alliance: A New Era in Turkish-US Relations Ä~^ A
Turkish Perspective" report at a seminar in Washington on Monday. The
TUSÄ°AD report, covering various issues such as Turkey's European
Union bid, regional security, the Armenian issue, energy policies
and economic relations, as well as concrete policy proposals on these
issues, was announced at the Brookings Institute.
Those who participated in preparing the report included Soli Ozel,
professor at Bilgi University and advisor to the chairman of board of
TUSÄ°AD, and Å~^ahnaz Yılmaz, associate professor of international
relations at Koc University and Abdullah Akyuz, TUSÄ°AD's Washington
representative.
"In our view the United States continues to be Turkey's indispensable
partner in transatlantic relations," the TUSÄ°AD report said. "By
the same token membership in the European Union remains Turkey's most
important strategic and civilizational goal. The role of the United
States in promoting closer links between Turkey and the EU had been
critical in the past. Therefore, even if there are limits to American
influence over the EU in decisions concerning 'deep integration,' we
expect that Washington will continue to play that constructive role,"
the report said.
"Being the largest and most dynamic market economy in the region,
Turkey now plays an important role in Eurasia and the Middle East in
promoting the economic foundations of liberal democracy in a distant
future," said the report, adding that particularly the United States
often underestimated the economic aspects of Turkey's increasing soft
power in the region.
Therefore, TUSÄ°AD called upon the U.S. government to underline the
importance of Turkey's role in the integration of its neighboring
countries into the global markets. Programs need to be developed
and implemented to encourage Turkish and American companies
located in Turkey or its surrounding countries to engage in joint
ventures. TUSÄ°AD also urged the Turkish government to establish a
special unit that would only focus on the increasing amount of trade
relations between Turkey and the United States. The Turkish government
should also provide further support for Turkish companies investing
in the United States, said TUSÄ°AD.
Assistance to the US
"From this perspective, we come to the conclusion that Turkey can
be of significant assistance to the United States in dealing with
the problems of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and the Caucasus,
as well as in moving the moribund Middle East peace process forward,
which will be crucial for rebuilding Turkish-American partnership in
a new era," said the report.
>From energy to enhanced trade to cooperation in attracting foreign
investment, common economic interests are likely to proliferate if and
when Turkey's neighboring regions can enjoy a political environment
that is conducive to economic development, said the report.
TUSÄ°AD urged the U.S. government to address the issue of the Armenian
resolution not only as a matter of domestic politics with respect to
the Armenian-American population. "Keep in mind the extremely adverse
effects on Turkish- American and Turkish-Armenian relations if it
passes," said the TUSÄ°AD report. The United States was also encouraged
to support the idea of forming a "Joint Historians Commission"
for an objective analysis of historic facts and for encouraging the
discussion of this issue on a more academic and objective international
platform. "Rather than focusing on the claims of the Armenian diaspora
in the United States, try to foster cooperation between Armenia and
Turkey, which will be more constructive and will be more likely to
yield strategic as well as political results," said the report.
Iraq and Nabucco
"A premature departure, particularly if the Iraqi state is still
incapable of providing security for all, will destabilize the country
and lead to a promiscuity of violence," TUSÄ°AD said on the issue
of Iraq. The United States was also urged to cooperate with Turkey
further to cut off all supply routes and logistical support for the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.
TUSÄ°AD also requested that the U.S. encourage economic integration
of Turkey and northern Iraq through energy projects, trade and
investment. "Provide support for the Nabucco project, by facilitating
the formation of the necessary legal and infrastructure framework to
plug Iraqi natural gas to Nabucco before the withdrawal of American
troops from Iraq."
The United States was also urged to be more actively engaged in the
Middle East peace process. In the Middle East, the United States
should make use of Turkey's accumulated experience in the region,
said the report, adding that the country should also focus on finding
a formula to integrate Hamas into the political process and assist
the Palestinians with nation-building practices and institutions.