Ruhsar Pekcan
Turkey plans to open 35 more Turkish Trade Centers in various regions worldwide, the country’s trade minister said on Friday.
"Currently we have five Turkish Trade Centers (TTC) in 15 sectors. Our new aim is to open centers in 35 more destinations," Ruhsar Pekcan told Anadolu Agency’s Editors' Desk in the capital Ankara.
This September Turkey inaugurated a trade center in London focused on ceramics and marble, Pekcan said.
She added that the current trade center in Moscow will be reworked to better showcase Turkey’s fresh fruits and vegetables, which returned to Russian markets earlier this year.
She said the country will continue to hit export records through the end of the year.
"Turkey’s gift to Djibouti", East Africa’s largest mosque being built in the capital city, is set to be inaugurated in two months’ time.Turkey Diyanet Foundation (TDV) launched the construction of the mosque in 2017, which will be completed soon and inaugurated in February 2019.Modeled in the style of classic Ottoman architecture, the mosque majestically stands at a suitable area of 10,000 square meters overlooking the Indian Ocean shores near the Djiboutian presidential palace.The mosque has enough room for 5,000 people to pray at once, project manager of the construction, Furkan Kazim Yuksel, told Anadolu Agency.“There is also a green area, a courtyard, modeled after the Blue Mosque in Turkey,” Yuksel said adding that part of the mosque rests on the ocean, which made the construction very challenging.Two minarets jetting up to 45 meters each mark off one big dome and four small ones to give the cream-white mosque building an air of architectural grandeur. Inside, a low-hanging chandelier brightens illustrious Turkish hand-drawn patterns.“The compound also includes a quarter for teaching children,” he said, pointing beyond a fountain in the middle of the courtyard which he said would be used for ablution.According to Yuksel, most of the materials come from Turkey, including cut stones that are used in Ottoman-style buildings.- Turkey’s gift to DjiboutiHe said that the mosque is "Turkey’s gift to the people of Djibouti" -- a country with which Turkey came in contact in ancient times together with other countries and places in the Horn of Africa.“Our forefathers made contact with the people of this region in ancient times and I feel honored to be part of this project,” he said.Yuksel added, “I want my children to be proud.”- Winning heartsTurkish Ambassador to Djibouti Sadi Altinok told Anadolu Agency that Turkey’s interventions in Djibouti -- a small country of less than 1 million people -- are not focused on the military, but on the development and humanitarian support.In addition to the mosque, Altinok said, Turkey has carried out several socio-economic projects aimed at the benefit of the people.A pediatric hospital is in the pipeline and a water dam has been completed by 50 percent, he said, listing the several projects Turkey has launched in the tiny, yet strategically important country.
Turkey to inaugurate largest mosque in Djibouti in February
"Turkey's exports in November were the highest monthly figure ever,” at $15.5 billion, she said.
“We will increase this and close out 2018 with a record."
She said the ministry's main purpose is to pave the way for businesses, and therefore to collaborate with other ministries.
"We protect our producer-exporters under the rules of the World Trade Organization. Accordingly, we take various measures," Pekcan said.
The ministry aims to give prominence to quality and increase the number of exporters, especially in the field of technology, the minister added.
UAE Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed al-Nahyan’s chief hitman in the region Mohammad Dahlan threw vicious accusations at Yeni Şafak daily after the newspaper exposed his dirty plots.Yeni Şafak on Monday published a report based on various sources stating that Zayed and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were preparing to blame Dahlan for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Yeni Şafak stated that Dahlan was hospitalized in Dubai with “a broken neck,” following a brawl that broke out on a luxury yacht in the oil-rich emirate after Dahlan refused to become the new “scapegoat” for the murder.Mohammed Dahlan, the former security chief for the Palestinian Authority who is also known as the “hitman” of the Middle East, was the main mediator between the UAE government and an assassination squad in Yemen.Dahlan allegedly hospitalized in Dubai after refusing to take fall for Khashoggi murderDahlan falters under pressureReporter Sami Kemal, who has close ties to Egyptian intelligence circles, confirmed Yeni Şafak’s report and also said that Israel had invited Dahlan to Tel Aviv for treatment. Kemal claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened in order to “save” Dahlan.When such reports spread across the Arab world, Dahlan could not handle the pressure and proceeded to attack Yeni Şafak, saying the publication was a “terror ally” while speaking to Al Arabiya Al-Hadath in a televised interview.Hitman threatens Yeni Şafak staffDahlan claimed that Yeni Şafak attacked Salman, Zayed and Egyptian Presiden Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with “fake news,” and added that these leaders would stay in power for five decades.“Rumors circulated by the Turkish media to sabotage Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Brace yourselves… bin Salman will remain in power for the next 50 years unless we witness a divine intervention.”Wave of rage bigger than Arab Spring to hit region: UAE politicianJamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in early October.After initially saying he had left the consulate alive, Saudi Arabia admitted weeks later that he was killed there, blaming his death on a group of rogue Saudi operatives.Khashoggi’s murder has tarnished the Saudi crown prince’s reputation, deepening questions among Western allies and some Saudis about his leadership.A group of the U.S. senators introduced a resolution on Wednesday urging the U.S. government to hold the crown prince accountable for a number of actions, including the Khashoggi killing and contributing to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.UN urges international inquiry on Khashoggi killingDahlan responds to so-called “rumors” “They threaten the Middle East’s stability. Their reporting about Palestine, Libya, Iraq and Syria supports terror and they will be held to account,” Dahlan said, referring to Yeni Şafak.“I am not affected by rumors, and I am not intimidated, but rather I am taking advantage of these rumors. It is a skill that I learned from the late leader Yasser Arafat,” said Dahlan, who felt the need to take to TV to deny that he was not physically assaulted by a Dubai gang that coincided with the visit of bin Salman.The Palestinian hitman also continued his tirade on Twitter. Figures close to him commented on his tweets threatening Yeni Şafak Editor-In-Chief İbrahim Karagül and reporter Yılmaz Bilgen.'No doubt' prince tied to Khashoggi murder: US senator
Dahlan launches tirade to defend Salman after Turkish media exposes his dirty game
Meanwhile, Turk Eximbank will have supported Turkey's exports with $44 billion by the end of this year, according to Pekcan.
"We plan to boost this figure to $48 billion in 2019," she said.
Since Turk Eximbank was founded in 1987, it conducts export credit, buyer credit, credit insurance and guarantee programs aimed at developing economic and political relations between Turkey and other countries.
Forty-one former Turkish Air Force personnel were arrested early Friday in the capital Ankara in a probe into FETÖ, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, according to police sources.The 41 were part of a group of 87 former air force sergeants wanted by Ankara prosecutors for their links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.Separately, Istanbul prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 41 active-duty soldiers -- including a major, two captains, five first lieutenants, and two lieutenants -- at the Istanbul gendarmerie for their alleged FETÖ links.FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.Turkish FM: FETÖ abusing European security body'FETÖ overshadows Turkey-Kyrgyzstan relations'
Turkey arrests 41 ex-air force officers in FETÖ probe
Turkey's foreign minister on Thursday expressed his discomfort at the participation of terror-linked groups at the events of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Speaking at the 25th Council of Ministers Meeting of OSCE in Italy's Milano, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said: "Persons and groups linked to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) have been disguising themselves as civil society actors and have been abusing OSCE events.""This is against OSCE's own rules and past practice. We have patiently but persistently been raising this problem for two years now, this cannot go on."We expect a concrete and satisfactory solution to this problem, without any further debate," he added. FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup attempt on July 15, 2016 which left 251 people dead and nearly 2,200 injured.'FETÖ overshadows Turkey-Kyrgyzstan relations'Çavuşoğlu expressed concern over the tensions between Ukraine and Russia following a dispute in the Black Sea."Recent developments in Kerch Strait are concerning. We urge responsible behavior and respect for international law and the tension should be de-escalated as soon as possible," he added. Ukrainian servicemen, including two security service agents, were arrested on Nov. 25 by Russia when three Ukrainian naval vessels in the Black Sea tried to enter the Kerch Strait to reach the Sea of Azov.Çavuşoğlu said Turkey supports Ukraine's sovereignty and integrity including Crimea. Russia and Ukraine have been at loggerheads since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea after a controversial referendum.Çavuşoğlu said frozen conflicts such as Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia are indeed to be resolved."Again, our guiding principle must be international law and full respect for the territorial integrity of the states concerned," he said.Çavuşoğlu said they need collective action against intolerance and discrimination."Our joint fight against terrorism, radicalization and extremism should be intensified as well," Çavuşoğlu said.He added that Turkey is at the forefront of this fight and expects better cooperation from its friends.Earlier on Thursday, Çavuşoğlu held bilateral meetings with OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger and with his Kyrgyz, Belarusian, Danish, Belgian and Austrian counterparts.
Turkish FM: FETÖ abusing European security body
Turkey recorded the largest fall in terrorism across Europe last year, a global terrorism ranking list said.The Global Terrorism Index 2018 said fatalities from terrorism in the country fell from 659 in 2016 to 123 in 2017.Across Europe deaths from terrorism reduced 75 percent.The list based on 163 countries was released by Australia-based think tank Institute for Economics and Peace.Turkey also showed a reduction in Daesh and PKK presence by 81 percent.The deadliest terror attack in 2017 was the New Year’s Eve nightclub armed attack that killed 39 people in Istanbul, Turkey.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women and children.Turkish jets 'neutralize' 8 PKK terrorists in N IraqFormer HDP lawmaker Önder surrenders to security forcesTurkey makes largest ever heroin bustTurkey 'invaluable' in fight against Daesh: UK envoy
Turkey records largest fall in terrorism across Europe