Turkish minister says reviving Silk Road trade route remains Turkey's goal. The Silk Road Forum, launched in Antalya in 2008 as a Turkish initiative, has started to flesh out action plans being implemented incrementally despite the many challenges that remain to be dealt with, Customs and Trade Minister Hayati Yazıcı has said.
In an interview with Today's Zaman, Yazıcı said there is huge trade potential to tap into among countries located along the Silk Road stretching from Central Asia to Europe, accounting for 22 percent of the world's trade volume, which amounts to some $30 trillion. “We are trying to simplify customs procedures to move goods faster along this path and we have made some progress on this issue,” he said, speaking against the backdrop of a meeting that brought together customs administration officials from the Silk Road countries in İstanbul last week. Yazıcı underlined that the same growth can be seen in import figures as well. “While Asia's share in world imports was 30 percent in the year 2007, this figure reached 35 percent in 2010. Russia willing to up winter gas flow to Turkey if asked. Russia would be willing to increase its gas supplies to Turkey this winter if Ankara asked it to and an agreement was reached, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Sunday.
"As has happened many times in the past, we have always helped Turkey when they have experienced problems managing during the winter," Novak told reporters during a visit to the Turkish Black Sea town of Karasu east of Istanbul. "If needed and a joint agreement was reached, it is possible to do this again," he said. Turkey's Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told Reuters last month Ankara planned to enable state pipeline company Botas to buy natural gas on the spot market, a move that would help it meet demand during harsh winters.
A country of 75 million people, Turkey has limited underground storage capacity and faces difficulties meeting high demand as temperatures plunge in the winter months. Energy ministry officials say daily demand could rise to near 220 million cubic metres this winter from 125 million. Turkey, Russia set aside Syria, focus on boosting business.
Turkey and Russia will put aside their disagreements over the 20-month-long Syrian crisis and will instead focus on improving their multifaceted bilateral ties during Russian President Vladimir Putin's long-awaited visit to Turkey on Monday, experts say.
Following Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Moscow in July, Putin's visit in December is expected to raise bilateral relations to a strategic level as this is the Russian president's first visit abroad after two months of postponing visits to other countries. The main item on the agenda of the visit was expected to be the Syrian crisis, on which the two countries have different points of view, but experts as well as diplomats agree that the visit will focus on steps to be taken in concrete areas such as trade, economy, finance and energy, setting aside the topics that further strain relations. “Great powers like Russia will always act according to their own interests. 2013 to revive hopes in EU process, despite problems. The year 2013 offers a new wave of optimism in Turkey’s relations with the EU as Ireland is about to take over the rotating term presidency from the Greek Cypriot administration in January.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks published on Thursday signal a new phase in the long journey of Turkey to the EU. “I believe there might be a new revival [in the negotiations process] with Ireland,” said Erdoğan, adding that they “had already declared a freeze in everything even before the Greek Cypriot term started.” After a lost year in 2012, there is also hope that the approach of major EU actors, particularly France, could change in a more constructive direction. Erdoğan added that “the new administration in France could have a different attitude on the issue” in comparison to former French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s unwelcoming stance towards Turkey. While criticizing the EU for “reading Turkey through the Cyprus or Kurdish question only,” Dr. Today's Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news.
Turkey’s Erdogan Hints at ‘Lira Zone’ - Emerging Europe Real Time. Ottomans and Zionists.