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Turkish selection of Chinese missile system angers US
27 September 2013 /LALE KEMAL, ANKARA
NATO member Turkey's selection of a Chinese missile system for its long-term, long-range missile and aerial defense program, code-named T-Loramids, has highly irritated and frustrated the US, which has been advising Ankara not to opt for a non-NATO missile system that it said would cause interoperability problems, Western defense industry sources based in Ankara told Today's Zaman.
“The US is very, very unhappy about Turkey's selection of China [as their provider]. US President Barack Obama has twice taken up the missile issue with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during their face-to-face meetings and reminded the Turkish prime minister about the interoperability problems that … a non-NATO system will create,” said a defense industry source in Ankara, quoting the US sources.
The result of the multi-billion dollar tender may further anger the US because state-run defense firm China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp. (CPMIEC), which made the winning bid, has been sanctioned by Washington.
In February, the United States announced sanctions on CPMIEC for violations of the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act, Reuters reported on Sept. 26.
Turkey has decided to start contract negotiations with CPMIEC in its six-year project to acquire long-range missile and air defense systems.
“It has been decided to start contract talks with China's CPMIEC for the joint production of the missiles and their systems in Turkey,” said a statement released after a four-hour meeting on Sept. 26 of the Executive Committee (EC) of the Turkish Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM). The EC, chaired by the prime minister, includes the defense minister and the chief of the general staff.
Officials made no announcement to the press after the meeting apart from releasing a statement about the EC's decisions. However, local industry sources told Today's Zaman that the Chinese offer to co-produce the missiles with Turkey involved high-technology transfer to the Turkish defense industry, which played a role in Turkey's choice.
The systems competing in the T-Loramids surface-to-air missile (SAM) acquisition project were the Chinese HQ-9, the US Patriot, Europe's Aster 30 SAMP/T and the Russian S-300.
The tender envisioned the acquisition of 12 missile firing units for a cost of around $4 billion. But China priced their bid at about $3 billion, the sources said.
The project is intended to bridge Turkey's gap in missile defense. Turkey opened a contract in March 2007 for the acquisition of long-range missiles, at the time citing, though implicitly, an effort to deter a possible threat from neighboring Iran.
Why China?
Local defense industry sources close to the industry told Today's Zaman that CPMIEC's bid included a huge investment to build a technology park next to Turkey's Sabiha Gökçen International Airport on the Anatolian side of İstanbul. This was one of the demands Turkey made to bidding companies -- and China met it, according to the sources.
Erdoğan is known for his policy of building everything in Turkey, including weapons, a defense industry source said.
“China reduced the price of its T-Loramids bid to about $3 billion, while other three bidders were slightly over $4 billion. Erdoğan must have calculated that he could pay Turkish engineers to do some of the work in developing the missiles with the extra $1 billion that will be saved with the Chinese offer,” the sources said.
Analysts say Erdoğan was also making a political point to his European and NATO partners by choosing China for the long-range missile project -- that Turkey is dependent neither on Europe nor the US and can get what it needs in the East.
In fact, Turkey has a close defense relationship with South Korea. Seoul has been giving technical support to Ankara on its ambitious and controversial project of building its own fighter jet by 2023.
The US has good relations with South Korea, however.
Disappointing widespread expectations, Turkey did not finalize the six-year-old T-Loramids project tender at an EC meeting in January this year. Local and foreign defense industry sources told Today's Zaman at the time that at the meeting, Erdoğan used his influence to abandon the purchase of 12 SAM systems in favor of the development of an advanced SAM system between Turkey and one of the bidding companies.
US is upset at the moment
According to Western military officials in Ankara, Turkey choosing China has upset the US.
“But in the long term, it is not expected to affect overall relations between Turkey and the US, two close NATO allies, very badly. But there will be some concerns on the part of the US government as well as NATO regarding having the Chinese around the Turkish defense industry, which the US has been intensely involved in,” the sources said, citing Turkey's participation in the US' F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
In the long run, Turkey will pay the price in isolation, since NATO will not integrate Turkey's Chinese long-range missile systems with its own.
“This is the price Turkey will pay for choosing Chinese missile systems,” said a Western defense industry source in Ankara.
In the meantime, Turkey is seeking to keep NATO Patriot missiles deployed here to thwart ballistic missile threats from Syria for another year. The deployment ends in October. It remains to be seen how NATO -- and the US in particular -- will react to a Turkish request to keep the missiles on Turkish soil after the country chose China for its long-range missile defense project.
There have been speculations in Ankara that Erdoğan might have in mind enabling the transfer of NATO Patriots in the form of a grant to Turkey.
In the final analysis, Turkey's decision to co-develop high-tech missile systems with China to strengthen its relatively weak defense industry infrastructure will be more beneficial than buying these costly systems off the shelf from other bidders.
27 September 2013 /LALE KEMAL, ANKARA
NATO member Turkey's selection of a Chinese missile system for its long-term, long-range missile and aerial defense program, code-named T-Loramids, has highly irritated and frustrated the US, which has been advising Ankara not to opt for a non-NATO missile system that it said would cause interoperability problems, Western defense industry sources based in Ankara told Today's Zaman.
“The US is very, very unhappy about Turkey's selection of China [as their provider]. US President Barack Obama has twice taken up the missile issue with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during their face-to-face meetings and reminded the Turkish prime minister about the interoperability problems that … a non-NATO system will create,” said a defense industry source in Ankara, quoting the US sources.
The result of the multi-billion dollar tender may further anger the US because state-run defense firm China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp. (CPMIEC), which made the winning bid, has been sanctioned by Washington.
In February, the United States announced sanctions on CPMIEC for violations of the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act, Reuters reported on Sept. 26.
Turkey has decided to start contract negotiations with CPMIEC in its six-year project to acquire long-range missile and air defense systems.
“It has been decided to start contract talks with China's CPMIEC for the joint production of the missiles and their systems in Turkey,” said a statement released after a four-hour meeting on Sept. 26 of the Executive Committee (EC) of the Turkish Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM). The EC, chaired by the prime minister, includes the defense minister and the chief of the general staff.
Officials made no announcement to the press after the meeting apart from releasing a statement about the EC's decisions. However, local industry sources told Today's Zaman that the Chinese offer to co-produce the missiles with Turkey involved high-technology transfer to the Turkish defense industry, which played a role in Turkey's choice.
The systems competing in the T-Loramids surface-to-air missile (SAM) acquisition project were the Chinese HQ-9, the US Patriot, Europe's Aster 30 SAMP/T and the Russian S-300.
The tender envisioned the acquisition of 12 missile firing units for a cost of around $4 billion. But China priced their bid at about $3 billion, the sources said.
The project is intended to bridge Turkey's gap in missile defense. Turkey opened a contract in March 2007 for the acquisition of long-range missiles, at the time citing, though implicitly, an effort to deter a possible threat from neighboring Iran.
Why China?
Local defense industry sources close to the industry told Today's Zaman that CPMIEC's bid included a huge investment to build a technology park next to Turkey's Sabiha Gökçen International Airport on the Anatolian side of İstanbul. This was one of the demands Turkey made to bidding companies -- and China met it, according to the sources.
Erdoğan is known for his policy of building everything in Turkey, including weapons, a defense industry source said.
“China reduced the price of its T-Loramids bid to about $3 billion, while other three bidders were slightly over $4 billion. Erdoğan must have calculated that he could pay Turkish engineers to do some of the work in developing the missiles with the extra $1 billion that will be saved with the Chinese offer,” the sources said.
Analysts say Erdoğan was also making a political point to his European and NATO partners by choosing China for the long-range missile project -- that Turkey is dependent neither on Europe nor the US and can get what it needs in the East.
In fact, Turkey has a close defense relationship with South Korea. Seoul has been giving technical support to Ankara on its ambitious and controversial project of building its own fighter jet by 2023.
The US has good relations with South Korea, however.
Disappointing widespread expectations, Turkey did not finalize the six-year-old T-Loramids project tender at an EC meeting in January this year. Local and foreign defense industry sources told Today's Zaman at the time that at the meeting, Erdoğan used his influence to abandon the purchase of 12 SAM systems in favor of the development of an advanced SAM system between Turkey and one of the bidding companies.
US is upset at the moment
According to Western military officials in Ankara, Turkey choosing China has upset the US.
“But in the long term, it is not expected to affect overall relations between Turkey and the US, two close NATO allies, very badly. But there will be some concerns on the part of the US government as well as NATO regarding having the Chinese around the Turkish defense industry, which the US has been intensely involved in,” the sources said, citing Turkey's participation in the US' F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
In the long run, Turkey will pay the price in isolation, since NATO will not integrate Turkey's Chinese long-range missile systems with its own.
“This is the price Turkey will pay for choosing Chinese missile systems,” said a Western defense industry source in Ankara.
In the meantime, Turkey is seeking to keep NATO Patriot missiles deployed here to thwart ballistic missile threats from Syria for another year. The deployment ends in October. It remains to be seen how NATO -- and the US in particular -- will react to a Turkish request to keep the missiles on Turkish soil after the country chose China for its long-range missile defense project.
There have been speculations in Ankara that Erdoğan might have in mind enabling the transfer of NATO Patriots in the form of a grant to Turkey.
In the final analysis, Turkey's decision to co-develop high-tech missile systems with China to strengthen its relatively weak defense industry infrastructure will be more beneficial than buying these costly systems off the shelf from other bidders.
Gov't unveils landmark reforms to boost democracy, headscarf ban removed
30 September 2013 / TODAYSZAMAN.COM, İSTANBUL
Turkey's prime minister has unveiled a long-anticipated package of reforms designed to strengthen democracy and keep on track a fragile settlement process to end the conflict between the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the state but said the newly introduced democratization package is just an additional phase in democratization and does not represent the final stage.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters in a press conference at the Prime Ministry building in Ankara on Monday that the reform package is a result of Turkey's long path of democratization and that it will not be the final set of amendments to consolidate the country's democratization as it won't meet everyone's expectations.
Erdoğan said the package of reforms his government announced on Monday is only part of a decade-long effort to democratize Turkey. The prime minister said the package will "bolster the country's independence" and advance freedom. He added that package is not the "first but also not the last" one that will put Turkey among “modern” nations.
Describing the package as a critical step in stopping bloodshed in the country, Erdoğan emphasized that the package, whose items require amendments in either current legislation or regulations to become effective, will set the stage for Turkey to treat equally all citizens regardless of their ethnic background.
The announcement of the "democratization package" follows the declaration earlier this month by the PKK that it had halted its withdrawal of militants from Turkey because the government had failed to take steps it had agreed to.
Kurdish politicians were seeking reforms to allow full Kurdish-language education, soften anti-terrorism laws, lower the electoral threshold to enter Parliament from 10 percent and strengthen local government.
The most important reforms include removing restrictions on the wearing of Islamic headscarves; providing for education in mother tongue; the restoration of original names of villages, districts and provinces that existed before 1980; sweeping changes in the law on political parties, including the possibility of lowering the 10 percent electoral threshold for entering Parliament; improving freedom of assembly; and other more specific rights for religious and ethnic minorities.
Aside from the Kurdish-related reforms, expected measures also included the reopening of the Halki Greek Orthodox seminary on an island near İstanbul and boosting the rights of the Alevi minority. These demands were not met.
The prime minister's first proposal was a change to the electoral system, long criticized by the main opposition and pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). Erdoğan offered three alternatives for overhauling the electoral law. He said the current election system with the 10 percent election threshold to enter Parliament could remain. His second proposal was that the electoral threshold be lowered to 5 percent of the national vote. And third, he said the barrier could be eliminated completely and a system called “Limited Small Area Election System” be created. He said these three proposals will be discussed in the coming days and they will choose the best for Turkey. The reform would likely benefit pro-Kurdish political parties, who secure a wide margin of votes in the mainly Kurdish Southeast but fail to garner enough support nationwide to enter Parliament.
Other changes were related to the law on political parties. Erdoğan said parties that exceed 3 percent of votes in general elections will get necessary state funding. According to current Turkish law, parties need to receive at least 7 percent to be eligible for state funding. The prime minister underlined that the amendments will increase political participation and make competition fairer between parties.
Moreover, the reforms bring more freedom for citizens to become party members. Erdoğan said the package includes the lifting of obstacles that restrict citizens from becoming members of political parties.
Another change in the law on political parties regards the language they use in their campaigns. Erdoğan said every party is free to use languages aside from the official Turkish language in promoting their campaigns and platforms.
The democratization package also aims to reduce hate crimes, bringing harsher punishment for these types of crimes. Erdoğan said sentences for crimes related to racist, hate or discriminatory speech or attacks will be increased. He noted that the suspects could be punished with between one and three years of jail time. A council tasked with fighting against discrimination and for equality is also being established.
The prime minister said the amendments will make it easier for groups and particularly individuals to freely perform their religious duties. He said the new measures will protect religious freedom.
He noted that banned letters such as q, w and x -- Kurdish letters that don't exist in the Turkish Latin alphabet -- can now be freely used.
Also among the reforms, coming months after the country was shaken by anti-government protests that stirred accusations of police brutality, were changes in the law regulating public meetings and protests. The reforms include improving freedoms and rights for assembly such as extending time periods for rallies and meetings.
Another drastic and much-anticipated reform regards education in languages other than Turkish. The reforms will make it possible for students to receive education in their mother tongue in educational facilities. The schools will able to deliver education in languages besides the official language of Turkish, the prime minister said. The measure paves the way for Kurds, who have long demanded the government offer full education in the Kurdish language, to establish private schools providing education in Kurdish.
In an amendment to be made to the related law, languages and dialects in which education will be able to be offered by private schools will be determined by Cabinet, while the Education Ministry will prepare regulations these private schools need to respect. “In these schools, certain classes will be given in Turkish as in the past,” stated the prime minister, who noted that the government had also made it possible last year for languages other than Turkish to be taught at schools as an elective course.
Furthermore, Erdoğan announced that the original names of villages, districts and provinces that existed before 1980 will also be restored. This includes restoring the name of Dersim, which was changed to Tunceli in 1934. Kurdish and other original names of thousands of villages and districts have been changed throughout the republican era and the new amendment will make it possible to restore these names.
In contrast to expectations, the package doesn't contain much about Alevis. The only step that may appeal to Alevis in Erdoğan's speech at the press meeting is changing the name of Nevşehir Üniversitesi to Hacı Bektaş Veli, after a prominent and beloved Alevi figure whose tomb is in Nevşehir.
Granting legal assurances for protection of personal data is another change Erdoğan unveiled in his speech. He noted the 2010 referendum on constitutional changes already gave constitutional guarantees for the protection of personal data.
He said the draft law on the protection of personal data will be brought before Parliament soon. According to law, Erdoğan said, it will be impossible for "irrelevant individuals" to share private data of citizens. The government has in recent past come under criticism for various agreements the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) made with a number of public companies, allowing the intelligence organization to obtain personal data illegally.
Erdoğan said the reforms will also remove restrictions on the wearing of Islamic headscarves in public spaces. The ban, however, will remain in effect for judges, prosecutors and military personnel. Muslim but secular Turkey has long had tough restrictions on the clothing worn by women working in state offices. “The restrictions violate the right to work, freedom of thought and faith; they were discriminatory.” Erdoğan said, adding: “We will impose a punishment upon those who prevent people exercising or enjoying some rights due to practicing their religious duties.”
The requirement of the primary school oath, a mass recital of the Turkish pledge of allegiance, deemed as a militaristic imposition of republic's founding philosophy, was also lifted.
The reforms include returning properties of religious and ethnic minorities and establishing language and cultural institutes for Roma citizens. Erdoğan announced plans to return the Mor Gabriel Monastery property belonging to Syriac Christians, which was seized by the state. He said efforts are under way to return seized properties of other religious minorities.
He said several restrictions on charity activities are also loosened or lifted.
Parliament returns from its summer recess on Oct. 1 and will vote on the package.
May swine sisi and other public enemies' turn come next
Turkish appeals court upholds convictions of chief Sledgehammer suspects
The 9th Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals on Wednesday announced its ruling in the appeals trial of the Sledgehammer coup plot case, upholding convictions of 237 suspects, including retired Gen. Çetin Doğan.
The court overturned arrest decisions for 63 suspects while prison sentences for 36 suspects including retired Gen. Çetin Doğan were upheld. The court upheld the acquittal of 34 suspects while it overturned convictions of 25 others and ruled for their acquittal. Explaining its grounds for overturning the arrest decisions for the 63 suspects, the high court said they should have been charged with membership in a criminal organization instead of a failed coup attempt.
Turkish appeals court upholds convictions of chief Sledgehammer suspects
The 9th Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals on Wednesday announced its ruling in the appeals trial of the Sledgehammer coup plot case, upholding convictions of 237 suspects, including retired Gen. Çetin Doğan.
The court overturned arrest decisions for 63 suspects while prison sentences for 36 suspects including retired Gen. Çetin Doğan were upheld. The court upheld the acquittal of 34 suspects while it overturned convictions of 25 others and ruled for their acquittal. Explaining its grounds for overturning the arrest decisions for the 63 suspects, the high court said they should have been charged with membership in a criminal organization instead of a failed coup attempt.
