Featuring news and articles from Turkey's Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Çaêlayan spoke at a conference in Cape Town regarding the trade preference system to be established among members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). At the conference on Thursday, which was organized by Turkish Exporters Assembly (TçM) President Mehmet Büyükekëi and Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) President Rzanur Meral, Çaêlayan spoke about Turkey's current trade strategies, especially in regards to the claim that Turkey is shifting away from European markets. “Comments claiming that Turkey is turning from the West to the East are incorrect; we do not have the luxury ofignoring the European market. We do, however, have other markets that we can sell to,” he said. Çaêlayan emphasized that trade strategies such as “trade with neighboring countries, product and market diversification and adherence to the market” did not mean that Turkey had turned away from the European Union. Noting that Turkey had lost a significant amount of market share in exports to its biggest markets such as Germany, Italy and Russia between January and September, Çaêlayan revealed that Turkey increased its trade by 20 percent to 110 percent in untapped markets in Africa and other Islamic countries. He also noted that a trade preference system with OIC countries could greatly benefit trade. The trade preference system in question was the Protocol on the Preferential Tariff Scheme for TPS- OIC (PRETAS). After 10 OIC members ratified the Framework Agreement on the Trade Preferential System Among the Member States of the OIC in 2002, the Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) was formed. After the first round of trade negotiations between April 2004 and April 2005, the TNC agreed on PRETAS, which focuses on reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade between countries that have ratified the protocol. CONTINUED ON PAGE 08 Tunceli embraces Presêdent Gül President Abdullah Gül was in the eastern province of Tunceli yesterdayin what was the first presidential visit to the city in 19 years. The president praised the city's Alevi cultural heritage, referring to different cultural traditions and practices as important elements of a nation's wealth. Gül, whose motorcade came to Tunceli from Elazê, was greeted with applause from residents. He first visited the Governor's Office, where he talked to the city's residents, hearing out their problems in fields concerning employment, education and financial aid. The president promised he would do his best to address these concerns. Some residents in the crowd told the president they would like to see a planned dam project on the Munzur River not implemented, while others held posters demanding the construction of a cemevi, an Alevi place of worship as well as a communitycenter, by the state. President Gül, addressing the crowd, said, “We are here for you.” During Gül's visit to the Governor's Office, Higher Education Board (YÖK) Chairman Yusuf Ziya Özcan, Cem Foundation head çzzettin Doêan and several deputies were also present. At a speech he delivered there, he said he was very happy to be in Tunceli and very proud to be the first president to visit the city in such a long time. He said: “Turkey is a great countrylocated over a vast area. We have a large population. We are the second-biggest countryin Europe in terms of population. … A countrylike this will most certainly have its diversity, different cultures and sociological realities. All of these are a wealth of this country. Let this be known as a fact -- there is no Edirne and Hakkari, no Sinop and Mersin or Kayseri and Tunceli. Are all the same. They are all the land of our noble motherland. People living in anycity are first-class citizens of this country. As all our regions have their own unique qualities, our Tunceli also has its own qualities. When we look at this point culturally, it is a province ofours that contributes a value with its cultural richness and diversity as a city where the Alevi culture lives on and where we have Alevi citizens. I am very proud to be in such a province of ours today.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 17 Trade preference program for OIC members on the way President Abdullah Gül is the first president to visit the predominantly Alevi province of Tunceli in nearly two decades. His visit comes at a time when the government is working on an initiative to meet Alevi demands for cultural rights The number of deaths caused by the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, has reached 19 in Turkey, the Ministry ofHealth announced yesterday, signaling a worrying increase in the death rate. Astatement released by the ministry said four new deaths occurred on Thursday. “Of our patients who have been undergoing treatment for the pandemic flu, a 28-year-old male, two female patients aged 32 and 33 and a 6-year-old girl have unfortunately lost their lives. With these deaths, the number ofpeople we have lost to the pandemic flu has reached 19,” it said. The ministry's statement also announced that a patient reported dead in Edirne had not in fact died, but was undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of a hospital. The ministry also announced yesterday that about 80,000 people were vaccinated on the first two days that the swine flu vaccination was available. “The vaccination campaign against the pandemic flu started on Nov. 2, 2009 with the vaccination of healthcare professionals and those preparing to go on the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. The campaign is still under way, and close to 80,000 were vaccinated on the first two days.”CONTI NUEDONPAGE03 P H O T O T O D A Y S Z A M A N P H O T O A A , C E M Ö Z D E L P H O T O A A Deaths from swêne flu êncrease, toll reaches 19 across the natêon E.BARIÙ ALTINTAÙ/A. HAYDAR GÖZLÜ, ØSTANBUL/TUNCELØ BAYRAM KAYA, ØSTANBUL A report fulfilling the requirements for the release from prison of can- cer patient Güler Zere, who is serv- ing time on charges of member- ship in a terrorist organization, has been issued by the ATK after a delay of three months. A number of Web sites, which a recent e-mail from an unknown military officer revealed to have been monitored by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), plan to take legal action against the armed forces. Turkish officials dismissed arguments that a planned visit by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the ICC for war crimes in Darfur, will be a test of Ankara's support for international justice. ATK issues report allowing Zere's release from jail Web sites under TSK monitoring ready for legal action Ankara shrugs off criticism over Bashir visit 06 0 5 04 p a r d o n p l o t d i p l o m a c y Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Ça¬layan Taxis of the Atatürk Airport Taxi Cooperative have been disinfected against the H1N1 virus as a precaution to prevent the spread of the virus. 19 0 5 0 9 Members of MHP Committee ofFounders warn party leader Devlet Bahçeli that his 'time is up' Designer Özlem Süer says people want their clothing to have 'meaning' and 'something to say' Your Way of Unders tandêng Turkey FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2009 WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM TL 1.50 Ban: Cyprus talks making ‘good progress' page04 New York Yankees beatPhillies to win 27th World Series Members of local folkdance group in traditional attire welcomed President Abdullah Gül yesterday at the mayor's office in Tunceli.
