Pakistan, Turkey sign 18 MoUs

ANKARA: Pakistan and Turkey agreed to further strengthen and take their existing close bilateral ties to ‘greater heights’ through enhanced cooperation in the range of areas including defence, with Turkey offering military hardware and assistance in infrastructure building.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after co-chairing the first High Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) meeting here told a press conference that the inaugural session of HLCC remained very useful and would help to steer “our unique partnership to ever greater heights.”

The two sides on this occasion also signed 18 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and Protocols for increased cooperation in various fields including health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, housing, media etc.

The Turkish Prime Minister said

Erdogan asks Israel to apologize for raid on Flotilla

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has again urged Israel to apologize for, and compensate the victims of, a raid earlier this year on a flotilla trying to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
Mr Erdogan said if Israel fails to make those gestures it would remain isolated in the Middle East. He accused Israel of committing state terrorism.Eight Turkish activists and one Turkish-American were killed during Israel’s raid in May on the ship Mavi Marmara. Israel said its troops acted in self-defense after being attacked by activists. A few days ago, Turkish lawyers for pro-Palestinian activists filed a complaint in the International Criminal Court, accusing Israel of war crimes in its flotilla raid. That filing revived an issue that has severely strained Israel’s relations with Turkey. A delegation representing 300 activists and a Turkish organization submitted the complaint to the prosecutor’s office in The Hague, seeking an investigation of the raid. The prosecutor’s office offered no comment on whether it intends to pursue the case. The court, which began work in 2002 as the world’s first permanent war crimes tribunal, receives hundreds of complaints every year. So far, it has filed indictments against 17 war crimes suspects, all of them involved in African conflicts.

Erdogan calls on Gilani

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and discussed matters relating to flood victims rehabilitation, Dunya News reported Wednesday.
During a meeting at the breakfast table, the two men took stock of flood affectees and other issues of bilateral interest. Gilani thanked his Turkish counterpart for extending help to Pakistan to meet with the post-flood crises.
Tayyip would also visit the flood-ravaged areas where he would be briefed about the reconstruction and rehabilitation plans.

Pakistani scientist lawyers seek 12-year sentence

NEW YORK: A U.S.-trained scientist from Pakistan who was convicted of trying to murder U.S. agents and military officers in Afghanistan should be sent to prison for 12 years rather than life because she is mentally ill, her lawyers said in court papers Wednesday.

Lawyers for Aafia Siddiqui, 38, made the request in a filing in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, where she was convicted in February of two counts of attempted murder in the July 2008 attack on U.S. authorities while she was detained in an Afghan police station.

The lawyers said Siddiqui was “driven” to her crime by mental illness.

“While the degree and extent of Dr. Siddiqui”s mental illness has been the subject of much discussion in this case, one thing stands perfectly clear: the victim of Dr. Siddiqui”s irrational behavior is — first and foremost — none other than herself,” the lawyers wrote.

They described her behavior in Ghazni, Afghanistan, as “bizarre,” saying Siddiqui was “cut off from any form of rational thought” by her knowledge that U.S. authorities had engaged in the torture of detainees overseas.

“Cornered in the Afghan National Police compound, and left to her own devices, Dr. Siddiqui tried, by any means available, to escape what she viewed as a horrific fate,” the lawyers said.

During Siddiqui”s three-week trial, FBI agents and U.S. soldiers testified that when they went to interrogate her at an Afghan police station, she snatched an unattended assault rifle and shot at them while yelling, “Death to Americans!” She was wounded by return fire but recovered and was brought to the United States to face trial.

Siddiqui is scheduled to be sentenced in mid-August but the date is expected to be moved to September or later.

Her jury conviction set off protests in Pakistan, where there is a widespread belief that the charges against her were fabricated.

Siddiqui, trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University in the early 1990s, left the United States and returned to Pakistan after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Testifying in her own defense at trial, Siddiqui claimed she was tortured at a “secret prison” before her detention. Charges that she attacked U.S. personnel who wanted to interrogate her were “crazy,” she said. “It”s just ridiculous.”

Her lawyers said her behavior at trial demonstrated her mental illness. They noted that she declared she was boycotting the trial, rejected her lawyers” advice and subjected the court “to frequent, nonsensical outbursts.”

After trial, she refused to meet with the probation officer or her lawyers, they said.

The lawyers urged the sentencing judge to reject the probation office”s recommendation that she be sentenced to life in prison, especially since she was never charged with any crimes of terrorism.

A message left with the federal prosecutors” office seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Release of secret docs endangers Afghans: Karzai

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai says the release of secret documents have endangered the lives of Afghan citizens who have cooperated with the international forces.

Karzai said Thursday that he has ordered his Cabinet ministers to study the more than 90,000 secret U.S. military documents on the Afghanistan war posted Sunday on the Web by WikiLeaks. He called the release of papers naming Afghans who side with the NATO-led force “shocking” and “irresponsible” and said “their lives will be in danger now.”

At a news conference, Karzai says he”s particularly interested in the papers that address civilian casualties and militant and terrorist sanctuaries across the border in Pakistan.

Erdogan: A Rising Star For Arabs

By Cynthia JohnstonTurkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s star is rising in the Arab world over his willingness to confront Israel, outshining even regional leaders whose tough rhetoric has proved popular but won little for the Palestinians.

Read the original post:
Erdogan: A Rising Star For Arabs

Iran says no talks on nuclear issue if sanctioned

ISTANBUL: Iran will not agree to talks on its nuclear programme if the UN Security Council adopts fresh sanctions, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday, saying a nuclear swap deal with Turkey was an opportunity that would not be repeated.

End of Gaza blockade mandatory for peace: Turkish PM

ISTANBUL: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said restoration of peace without removal of Gaza blockade is not possible.

Erdogan hosted a dinner in the honor of the guest heads of state and government of the countries who visited Turkey to participate in the Third Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA).

Referring to the blockade in Gaza, Erdogan said, “as long as the blockade in Gaza continues and as long as Gaza continues to be a bleeding wound being an open air prison, it will not be possible for peace to prevail in the Middle East, Asia and the whole world.

“We all know the fact that Jerusalem is holy for Jews and Christians as well as the Muslims. Any initiative aiming at altering status or demographical structure of Jerusalem will cause uneasiness not only in the Islam world but also for the Christians.”

“I would like to remind that we are waiting for a fair and satisfactory approach for the removal of blockade on Gaza, ensuring transportation of humanitarian aid to Gaza and investigating bloody attacks in the Mediterranean. It is the last think we want new international conflicts in our region and continent. Every country should exert efforts to restore Palestinian-Israeli peace, resumption of peace talks urgently and establishment of a Palestinian state that has East Jerusalem as capital, ” he said.

Referring to Israel’s attack on ships on May 31 carrying aid to Gaza, Erdogan said Israeli troops attacked ships in the international waters carrying 600 activists from 33 countries who aim to assist Palestinians who were exposed to inhumane conditions in Gaza. Nine people were killed and more than 20 civilians were seriously injured in this piracy attack.

Those taken hostage were exposed to maltreatment and violence. I would like to underline that this attack will be recorded in history of humanity as a disgrace.

Israel in eye of storm over Gaza ship raid

ANKARA: Israel”s regional allies froze military ties as angry protests erupted over the storming Monday of aid ships bound for Gaza, while Muslim leaders demanded swift UN action to punish the “criminal” assault.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was “shocked” by the navy assault on a convoy carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists, lawmakers and journalists through international waters towards besieged Gaza.

Ban called on Israel to “urgently” explain itself over the raid, reported to have killed up to 19 people, many of them Turks, and a UN diplomat said the Security Council had scrambled to convene emergency talks on the crisis.

Israel”s closest ally Washington said it “deeply regrets the loss of life” and was “working to understand” what caused the “tragedy.”

The Jewish state”s chief regional partner Turkey responded with fury, scrapping plans for joint war games with Israel and recalling its ambassador, as it warned the “flagrant breach of international law” would have “irreparable consequences” for bilateral ties.

Tens of thousands of furious Turks poured into the streets with protestors in Istanbul burning Israeli flags, shouting “Damn Israel!” and demanding “A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, revenge, revenge!”

The Vatican voiced “deep sadness and concern” and Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair expressed his “deep regret and shock,” as capitals across Europe summoned Israel”s ambassadors to explain the assault.

Greece, which had dozens of nationals in the convoy, also pulled out of joint military exercises with Israel as an aid group claimed that commandos in helicopters had fired on a Greek vessel.

Israel said its troops were attacked after they stormed six ships loaded with thousands of tonnes of aid and with hundreds of activists aboard, and that both sides used live fire.

Israel, which has blockaded Gaza since its bitter foe Hamas was elected to power three years ago, had called the expedition illegal and warned it would act to stop it.

Muslim leaders united in condemning what Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called a “massacre” and Arab League chief Amr Mussa said was a “crime.”

Hamas, which rules Gaza urged world Muslims to “rise up” in protest, as Iran”s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced the raid as “inhuman Zionist regime action.”

Lebanon”s Prime Minister Saad Hariri described the raid as “dangerous and crazy” and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, chaired by Beirut until midnight in New York.

Across the country Palestinian refugees and activists demonstrated to denounce the raid, chanting slogans like “Give us weapons, give us weapons and send us on to Gaza.”

The UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Richard Falk, called for a worldwide boycott and sanctions against Israel, saying “those Israelis responsible for this lawless and murderous behaviour” should be held criminally accountable.

Pakistan also “strongly condemned” the attack on a “peaceful flotilla,” as politicians, lawmakers and journalists protested in Islamabad against Israel.

Egypt condemned the “acts of killing” by Israel forces while Kuwait”s parliament speaker said the storming of the flotilla, which was carrying 16 Kuwaitis including an MP, was a “heinous Israeli crime.”

And Indonesia, the world”s most populous Muslim nation, said “there was no basis” for Israel”s assault.

In Europe, condemnation was equally swift, with the European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton demanding Israel mount a “full inquiry.”

Spain — the current European Union president — France, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Greece and Cyprus summoned Israel”s respective ambassadors, with Madrid slamming the operation as “unacceptable”.

France”s President Nicolas Sarkozy accused Israel of a “disproportionate use of force.”

Germany”s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he was “deeply concerned” about the deaths, while Italy”s Foreign Minister Franco Frattini “deplored” the loss of civilian life.

Russia also condemned a “crude violation” of international law.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague deplored the loss of life, saying Israel must “act with restraint” — but also said London had warned of the risks of defying the Gaza blockade.

A Cyprus MEP, Kyriacos Triantafyllides, who was involved with the mission, said activists had “expected a strong reaction from Israel.”

“But nobody believed it would come to this point, where they would face something akin to an invading army,” he said.

Nato to meet Tuesday on Gaza flotilla raid

BRUSSELS: Nato will hold emergency talks on Tuesday at Turkey”s behest after the deadly Israeli raid on a flotilla of aid-carrying ships bound for Gaza, spokesman James Appathurai said.

“Planning is underway for a meeting… at the request of the Turkish authorities tomorrow afternoon,” Appathurai told AFP. The talks will gather ambassadors from the 28 Nato member countries at its Brussels HQ.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Santiago, Chile, that his government was demanding the Nato council gather to address a crisis that has already seen Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu cut short a visit to Canada and Washington where he had been due to meet with US President Barack Obama on Tuesday.

Appathurai said in a statement that the military alliance is “deeply concerned about the loss of life” in international waters, with at least nine people — many Turks according to reports — killed and dozens more reported wounded.

“Nato does not really have instruments with which to deal with the follow-up from this type of affair,” said a diplomat.

“Turkey has not invoked article five which envisages all allies coming to the aid of a member country that is the victim of an attack.

“But, given that numerous Turkish citizens appear to figure among the casualties, it is understandable that (Ankara) triggers political dialogue with its parners,” the diplomat added.

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