Turkey Set to Approve Military Moves Against Rebel Kurds in Iraq (click here)
By VOA News 17 October 2007
Turkey's parliament is expected to vote Wednesday on a government motion authorizing cross-border military operations against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says passage of the motion will not mean a military operation is imminent. But he says Turkey will act to defend itself at the right time and under the right conditions....
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 — Worried about antagonizing Turkish leaders, House members from both parties have begun to withdraw their support from a resolution backed by the Democratic leadership that would condemn as genocide the mass killings of Armenians nearly a century ago.
Almost a dozen lawmakers had shifted against the measure in a 24-hour period ending Tuesday night, accelerating a sudden exodus that has cast deep doubt over the measure’s prospects. Some made clear that they were heeding warnings from the White House, which has called the measure dangerously provocative, and from the Turkish government, which has said House passage would prompt Turkey to reconsider its ties to the United States, including logistical support for the Iraq war....
Almost a dozen lawmakers had shifted against the measure in a 24-hour period ending Tuesday night, accelerating a sudden exodus that has cast deep doubt over the measure’s prospects. Some made clear that they were heeding warnings from the White House, which has called the measure dangerously provocative, and from the Turkish government, which has said House passage would prompt Turkey to reconsider its ties to the United States, including logistical support for the Iraq war....
Caspian summit in Tehran ends with final declaration (click here)
The second summit of the Caspian Sea states ended in Tehran today. The presidents of Iran, Turkmenistan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan attended the summit. Speaking at the summit, Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that "Turkmenistan rejects the practice of unilateral activities in the Caspian Sea, first of all with regards to exploration of disputable oil fields." The president emphasized that Turkmenistan strictly observes the universally recognized norms and principles of international law designed to ensure respect of sovereignty and equitable relations between regional partners. "The legitimate rights and interest of Turkmenistan should be treated the same way," Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said. A joint declaration was adopted in the end of the summit. The declaration defines a set of principles of behavior for the Caspian Sea states. It is designed as a political guide in the Caspian affairs until the adoption of a convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea. In particular, the declaration acknowledges sovereign rights of the Caspian Sea states in relation to the Caspian Sea and its resources, the need for urgent joint efforts to resolve ecological problems in the region, determines the navigation regulations in the Caspian Sea exclusively for the Caspian Sea states' ships. The document asserts the right of countries to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The declaration also notes that the Caspian Sea states will not allow other states to use their territories for committing aggressions and other military activities against any Caspian Sea state. In the course of the Tehran summit the sides will also discuss and agree on a number of issues of bilateral and multilateral nature. In particular, it is expected that a trilateral agreement on construction of a railroad through the territories of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Iran will be signed. It should be noted that Turkmenistan was the initiator of the first Caspian summit. It took place in Ashgabat in April 2002. The next Caspian summit will be held in Baku in 2008.
