The chinese fighter jets (MIG 29 / SU - 27) came over Iran to Turkey for Anatolian Eagle training 
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-223809-chinas-wen-visits-turkey-to-boost-bilateral-ties.htmlChinese Premier Wen Jiabao is scheduled to hold talks in Ankara today as part of a landmark bilateral visit at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
Ankara is the last stop of Wen's tour of Europe, which kicked off on Oct. 2 and has focused on how European countries can best recover from the global financial crisis. His visit will be the highest level visit between two countries since Turkish President Abdullah Gül's visit to Beijing in June. During Wen's visit, Turkey and China are expected to sign more than a dozen bilateral agreements in several fields, such as energy, telecommunication, transportation, health and foreign trade.
After his talks in Ankara, Wen is expected to proceed to İstanbul where he will meet with representatives of Turkish business sector. China is a key permanent member of the UN Security Council of which Turkey is also a temporary member, thus significant global issues as well as bilateral ties will be on the agenda of Wen's talks here.
Bilateral cooperation in the military field is a significant aspect of relations between Turkey and China and this draws the attention of some other countries. Back in 1996, Beijing agreed to transfer guided missile technology to Ankara, marking the start of Turkish-Chinese military cooperation in the field of defense.
Last month, China and Turkey held joint aerial exercises at Turkey’s training range in the Central Anatolian town of Konya, where Anatolian Eagle exercises are taking place between NATO allies and friendly countries. A leading Israeli daily suggested on Thursday that the United States and Israel are watching with concern the growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following the aforementioned aerial exercises.
“The Obama administration protested Turkey’s military cooperation with Iran after it was reported that the Chinese fighter planes were sent to Turkey via Pakistan and Iran. The developing ties among Turkey, Iran and China are also reflected in weapons deals, with Iran mainly buying missile technology from China,” English-language Haaretz said.
Both China and Turkey favor resolving disputes through dialogue and with peaceful methods, Turkey’s Ambassador to China Murat Salim Esenli said in an interview with the Cihan news agency, when reminded of some reports in Turkish media that criticized the joint exercises with China.
“Having joint exercises with other countries is a sovereign right for any state. Some countries may have been annoyed but we have to understand the reason. They should come and explain what their problem is,” Esenli told Cihan.
“The second point is that we don’t perceive any threat from China. On the contrary, our perspectives on international issues overlap to a large extent. The reason for having these exercises is the fact that the problems faced by the two countries are similar,” Esenli said, noting that both Turkey and China have been fighting against international terrorism and both have been trying to secure and stabilize their borders.
Why does Turkey need to be a part of either East or West? It can be part of both... It is and has always been part of both actually... Even if Turkey becomes full member of EU, she can still have excellent economic relations with China, Russia and Iran... Atm Turkey is not acting like a slut, she is actually acting smart... That's why she is more respected in international arena than it was 10 years ago... And screw the hubby... Our pretty lady is not divorced yet but she is stronger and more independent now...What's your point?
The government has to decide wether it wants to continue to be a part of the West or not.
I'm sorry but atm Turkey is acting like a slut, but hubby is losing patience.
can't agree with you more:cheers:Why does Turkey need to be a part of either East or West? It can be part of both... It is and has always been part of both actually... Even if Turkey becomes full member of EU, she can still have excellent economic relations with China, Russia and Iran... Atm Turkey is not acting like a slut, she is actually acting smart... That's why she is more respected in international arena than it was 10 years ago... And screw the hubby... Our pretty lady is not divorced yet but she is stronger and more independent now...
I am not against better economic and even strategic relations with countries outside the Western alliance (and I especially want our country to have closer ties with coutries like China and Russia). But if you are part of a military alliance you can't just go around conducting military exercises with third parties without consulting and getting the approval of the main alliance.Why does Turkey need to be a part of either East or West? It can be part of both... It is and has always been part of both actually... Even if Turkey becomes full member of EU, she can still have excellent economic relations with China, Russia and Iran... Atm Turkey is not acting like a slut, she is actually acting smart... That's why she is more respected in international arena than it was 10 years ago... And screw the hubby... Our pretty lady is not divorced yet but she is stronger and more independent now...
Turkey, China ‘turn a new page’ in ties through ‘strategic partnership’
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Chinese Premier Jiabao (L) and PM Erdoğan held a press conference in Ankara on Friday. Turkey aims to increase trade with China over the next five years to $50 billion. :cheers:
China and Turkey, two countries located on the opposite edges of Asia, took a landmark step on Friday in developing their bilateral relationship, which they have begun to define as a “strategic partnership.”
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who arrived in Ankara late on Thursday for an official visit, became the first Chinese premier to visit Turkey in eight years. Upon his arrival in Ankara, and before his meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday, Wen already expressed hope for “turning a new page” in Chinese-Turkish relations. Speaking at a joint press conference after talks with Erdoğan, Wen said the two countries had made significant progress through comprehensive meetings.
“We decided bilaterally to establish a strategic partnership in our relations and this will be an important milestone,” Wen said. “The two countries have also decided to work together in the fight against terrorism and extremism by establishing bilateral mechanisms,” he added.
For his part, Erdoğan announced that both countries had agreed to use their own currencies, rather than dollars, in bilateral trade. He said energy cooperation on nuclear power would form part of the burgeoning trade with China.
“We have agreed to use the lira and yuan in all of our relations,” Erdoğan said after the two leaders signed eight deals in areas including transportation and trade. In October 2009 Erdoğan announced that Turkey and Iran had prepared a legal framework for transitioning to settlements in national currencies.
Erdoğan described the decision to use the lira and yuan as a “step that will help build our strategic partnership” between Ankara and Beijing. China is widely recognized as one of the dominant global powers of the 21st century, while Turkey is currently the 17th largest economy in the world, with expectations of further growth.
Turkey wants to intensify cooperation within the G-20, which includes both Turkey and China as well as 18 other rich and emerging economies, to tackle financial instability, economic slumps and job losses.
The G-20 is an international body that meets to discuss economic issues. Its members -- 19 countries that are some of the world’s biggest industrial and emerging economies, plus the European Union -- represent about 90 percent of the world’s gross national product (GNP), 80 percent of world trade and two-thirds of the global population.
Ankara and Beijing have both increased their commercial ties with Iran, signing deals on oil and gas fields to the frustration of Western powers, who suspect the Islamic republic of seeking to build a secret nuclear weapons program, an allegation the latter denies.
China reluctantly backed the last round of UN sanctions on Iran while Turkey, along with Brazil, voted against the sanctions. Both China and Turkey have defended their trade with Iran as legitimate.
Currently, bilateral trade between the countries is heavily slanted in China’s favor. In 2009, a year when global trade slumped because of the economic crisis, Turkish exports to China rose 11 percent to $1.6 billion, while imports fell 20 percent to $12.7 billion. Overall, trade volumes between the countries fell 17 percent last year to $14.3 billion.
Turkey says it is seeking to rebalance its trade with China through an increase in Chinese investments in Turkey, tourism from China, joint-ventures in third countries and greater exposure for Turkish goods in China.
Eurasia, Silk Road, deals
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Ankara frequently draws attention to the importance of stability in Eurasia and voices a desire for revitalizing historical, economic and political relations in this region, which were maintained in the past thanks to the Silk Road and today via railroads, highways and air travel.
A considerable number of analysts agree that Eurasia, a geographical description defining the landmass of Asia and Europe, is rapidly becoming the world’s new economic center. Ankara’s focus on cooperation with Beijing is thus also related to its ambitions for Eurasian regional stability, which can be built through increasing regional cooperation.
Ahead of the joint press conference, Chinese and Turkish officials signed eight separate bilateral agreements in the fields of trade, culture and transportation. The agreements are as follows:
Agreement for improving and deepening intergovernmental-bilateral commercial and economical cooperation; a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for launching joint efforts for a medium and long-term improvement plan on bilateral commercial and economical cooperation; an MoU for increasing cooperation in third countries in infrastructure construction and technical consultancy services; an MoU for setting a joint working group for a new Silk Road connection; a cultural exchange and cooperation plan for 2010-2013; an MoU for cooperation in fields of information and communication technologies; an MoU for cooperation on transportation infrastructure and maritime; and an agreement on intergovernmental cooperation on railways.
The Chinese administration proposed that Gül’s stay include, in addition to top-level talks in Beijing, stops in China’s former capital, Xi’an and Urumqi, the ancient capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, populated by the ethnic Turkic Muslim Uighurs.
Yet, the visit’s success was marred by violent clashes between local ethnic-Turkic Muslim Uighurs and the dominant Han Chinese community. The clashes broke out in July in Urumqi, only days after Gül’s visit. The clashes left 197 dead and several hundred wounded, according to official Chinese numbers. At the time, Turkey condemned the incidents with harsh statements from leaders.
“For Turkey, this issue has been closed. We regard Xinjiang and the people living there as a means to solidify friendly relations between Turkey and China,” İhsan Arslan, a leading deputy of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), told Today’s Zaman on Friday.
“The Chinese officials have done their best to repair their image that was harmed by propaganda within the international media after last year’s incidents,” Arslan, who is also the head of the Turkey-China Interparliamentary Friendship Group, said, noting that Turkey was readying to build an industrial zone in Xinjiang as Turkish and that Chinese officials have reached an agreement on this project.
“For us, there is only one China,” Arslan said, echoing Turkey’s respect for China’s territorial integrity. “It is our wish that, like all other people in the whole of China, the people in Xinjiang should also live freely and peacefully,” he added.
According to Selçuk Çolakoğlu, an associate professor of international relations, relations between China and Turkey are doing so well that even experts are surprised.
The tension following the July 2009 incidents has been overcome through intensified contacts and thanks to Chinese officials, who did not publicly respond to Turkey’s harsh wording, according to Çolakoğlu, the head of the Asia-Pacific Studies department at the Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization (USAK).
“Relations have exceeded mere normalization since then and are heading towards a strategic partnership,” Çolakoğlu told Today’s Zaman, speaking before the two prime ministers used the same term to describe their relations.
“China wants to use Turkey in logistical terms to reach Eurasia and build the contemporary Silk Road. The engine of this relationship is the economy,” he said. “Yet, the soft belly of this relationship is the Uighurs. Turkish public opinion should be persuaded that there is no assimilation policy being implemented there. A PR campaign by the Chinese side is required,” he, however, warned.
Erkin Ertem of the Ankara-based Institute of Strategic Thinking (SDE) also believes that the Uighur issue is still a “sensitive” topic in relations. Notwithstanding, Ertem also maintains that Chinese officials finally understood that Turkey really respects the Asian country’s territorial integrity and that its main concern in Xinjiang is the full implementation of human rights.
“In this relationship between Ankara and Beijing, there are a lot of opportunities and potential for the future, but joint interests should be carefully determined and moves should be made towards a joint strategic goal that is clearly defined. If the parties set off only with a political view, then these efforts will not yield fruit and the entire picture will remain merely symbolic gestures,” Ertem told Today’s Zaman.
Russia is already our biggest trade partner and many cooperations are ongoing (Oil/Gas Pipelines and Nuclear Power Plants).Russian tourists are number one.Turkish Construction companies like ENKA building the Federation Tower in Moscow and many other constructions etc..I am not against better economic and even strategic relations with countries outside the Western alliance (and I especially want our country to have closer ties with coutries like China and Russia). But if you are part of a military alliance you can't just go around .
Good question Rabih :applause:Didn't these 2 have beef over the Uyghur people in Eastern Chinese province?
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/n...bln-for-turkeys-high-speed-train-network.htmlChina to extend $30 bln for Turkey's high-speed train network
Turkey and China have agreed to cooperate in the construction of 7,000 kilometers of rail lines across Turkey for a high-speed train network, a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Transportation has announced.
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Following the Railway Cooperation Agreement, signed early this week during the visit to Turkey by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, China will lend funds in the ballpark of $28 billion to $30 billion to finance a number of high-speed train construction projects which aim to connect all corners of the country. The rail network will be suitable for high-speed trains that reach speeds of 450 kilometers per hour, the official, who avoided giving his name, asserted.
As a result of this loan, the Sürat Railway Project, which had been pending for quite some time following issues with inappropriate physical conditions at the Ayaş Tunnel, is back on the agenda once again.
Chinese officials conducted studies over the Sürat line and examined the Ayaş Tunnel to conclude that the completion of the project will be difficult but not impossible.
Officials from the ministry are planning to complete the Ankara-Sivas, Ankara-İzmir and Ankara-Antalya lines within 10 years and the entire 7,000 kilometers by 2023, in time for the hundredth anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Republic. The Ankara-Konya and Ankara-İstanbul high-speed train lines are currently progressing under the country’s own resources. The government is also planning to kick off a Karaman-Mersin-Adana line under its own resources.
The Chinese loan, on the other hand, will fund the construction of the following high-speed rail lines: the Ankara-İstanbul Sürat Railway Project, which will pass through Bolu’s mountainous region; the Edirne-İstanbul line; the Ankara-Sivas line, which is also referred as the Ankara-Yerköy line; the Yerköy-Kayseri line; the Sivas-Malatya-Elazığ-Diyarbakır line; the Sivas-Erzincan-Erzurum-Kars line; the Erzurum-Trabzon line, the Ankara-İzmir line, which will pass through Afyon; the Ankara-Antalya line; and finally the Konya-Antalya line.
Once all these projects have been completed, a high-speed train starting its journey from Edirne in the farthest northwestern corner of Turkey will reach Kars in the outermost northeastern border in 12 hours. This train will pass beneath the waters of the Bosporus through the Marmaray tunnel, whose construction is still under way, and will travel along the lines of Eskişehir-Ankara-Yerköy-Sivas-Erzincan-Erzurum. The high speed train route will extend to Diyarbakır in Eastern Anatolia from Sivas, crossing Malatya and Elazığ. It will also stretch from Erzurum to Trabzon.