Macedonian-Turkish relations

[Prolet]

Turkish Companies to invest 100 million euros in Ohrid. A hospital and an Aqua Park are being mentioned as possible investments.

Турски бизнисмени ќе инвестираат 100 милиони евра во Охрид
Градоначалникот Александар Петрески оствари работна средба со поголема група бизнисмени од Република Турција.



На средбата се разговараше за инвестирање во градежништвото, инфраструктурата, изградба на болници, аква-паркови, водоснабдување и пречистување на отпадни води.



Според првичните најави, вредноста на турските инвестиции во Охрид ќе бидат околу 100 милиони евра, а потпишувањето на првите конкретни договори се очекува за еден месец.

http://www.ohridnews.com/index.php?mod=1&kat=4&id=28741

[osiris]

Onur do you have any family connections with macedonia

[Onur]

Onur do you have any family connections with macedonia

Not anymore but my grandparents was from Pirin Macedonia. They migrated to Turkey in 1912-1913. My brother`s wife is from just east side of Pirin tough and her family lives in there. I`ve been to Bulgaria year ago and stayed in their house. I`ve traveled some places in Pirin too.

[Prolet]

Macedonia and Turkey form Healthcare Partnership
Wednesday, 16 March 2011

Macedonia and Turkey are becoming strategic partners in the field of healthcare and medicine, not only through their investments in private healthcare, but also through ministries' cooperation in state healthcare, Minister of Health Bujar Osmani said Tuesday after meeting with Turkish Ambassador to Macedonia, Gürol Sökmensüer.

Osmani said that in line with the cooperation agreement signed in 2010, Turkey was hosting 38 doctors from Macedonian public healthcare institutions to be trained in Turkish hospitals in accordance with modern protocols, which should be applied in Macedonian public health institutions.

"In addition to these 38 doctors, additional 10 are attending training in Turkey on external assessment of hospital standards in the accreditation process. The training is funded by Turkey's Ministry of Health," said Osmani adding the agreement envisaged seven areas for agreement.

Turkish doctors and experts, the minister said, have already been in Macedonia to learn from our experiences on the implementation of the diagnosis-related group (DRG) system and family medicine.

Ambassador Sökmensüer said Turkey's support for Macedonia in the field of healthcare would resume in the future more intensely.

"Relations and cooperation between the countries are being strengthened on daily baisis," he stressed.

"We aim at attracting more patients from abroad to be treated in Macedonia, because of the economic interest. The goal is Macedonia to become a regional center, thus facilitation for patients who would use health services in Macedonia will be enabled," Minister Osmani stressed.

Macedonian and foreign patients currently pay the same price for health services in private hospitals, whereas foreign patients pay 100 percent more than Macedonians in state hospitals.

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/17764/1/

[Prolet]

Turkish Halkasi Bank buys IK Banka
Friday, 18 March 2011

Turkey's Halk Bankasi will purchase the majority shares of Skopje-based Izvozna I Kreditna Banka (IK) AD Skopje (Export and Credit Bank Inc).

It is planning to buy 91,56 percent of Skopje IK Bank, which has been approved yesterday by Macedonia's National Bank Governor Petar Gosev.

The Halk Bankasi is the seventh largest bank in Turkey in terms of assets and fourth largest network in Turkey with 586 branches (including special transaction centers and offices) nationwide. The bank opened 31 branches and increased its net profits to 1.5 million Turkish Lira-TL (US$1.01 million) as of the end of September 2010. The bank's total assets reached 69.5 million TL ($46.9 million) in September 2010.

Skopje Export and Credit Bank was established in 1993 as a joint stock company. The Bank has a wide international network, which includes correspondent relationships with over 330 banks and account relationships with 17 foreign banks.

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/17785/1/

[Prolet]

Macedonia gets new state of the art optometrist hospital which was built by Turks. It will work 24 hours a day and will have the capacity to do 300 eye tests per day aswell as perform surgeries which means our people wont have to travel to other countries if they need complicated eye surgery.

http://www.sitel.com.mk/video/makedonija/turskite-oftalmolozi-otvoraat-evropska-ochna-bolnica-vo-makedonija

[Onur]

There was two different news about Macedonia in Turkish media today. I found same stories in english with google, so you can read it;

Macedonia affirms meeting all NATO membership criteria - Turkish DM

The Republic of Macedonia should be a part of the Euro-Atlantic family, which is still hampered by a fictional name issue, Turkey's Minister of National Defense Vecdi Gonul said at Monday's press conference with Macedonian Defense Minister Zoran Konjanovski in Ankara.

"Macedonia today as well as 2,5 years ago is affirming that it has met all the conditions for NATO membership," Gonul stated, adding that NATO in its report at the summit in 2008 had noted that Macedonia deserved to join the Alliance.

Today's meeting, he said, is a resumption of talks held with Konjanovski in December 2010 in Macedonia focusing on reviewing opportunities for cooperation in the military industry. Minister Konjanovski said Turkey was the first country to say before NATO that it had recognised Macedonia under its constitutional name, MIA reports.

"Since 1994 till today, over 600 Macedonian Army members have received expert training in Turkey, which is the first country that kicked off a cooperation to train Macedonian officers," Konjanovski said. Turkey, he noted, has allocated more than 16 million dollars for the Macedonian Army.

Both ministers concluded that Macedonia and Turkey had no open issues, expressing hope that Macedonia would promptly join NATO, where Turkey is a member since 1952.

Later in the day, DM Konjanovski in Ankara will meet with Commander of Turkey's Armed Forces, General Isik Kosaner for talks on strengthening army cooperation.

The Macedonian delegation today visited Nurol holding and is set to also tour Otokar company, which last year manufactured 34 Land Rover vehicles for the Ministry of Defense.

21 March 2011

http://www.mia.com.mk/default.aspx?m...E+AND+SECURITY

One of them is quite interesting. Turkey`s chief negotiatior of EU and the state minister Egemen Bagis is in Macedonia and according to the journalists, he advised to his Macedonian counterpart before the press conference that they should stay firm and never change their country`s name. According to the Turkish media, Athens immediately contacted with Ankara to express their discontent about state minister`s dialogue about Macedonia`s name and then they told us that Turkey don't have a right to interfere this issue in a diplomatic language.

Greeks are getting disturbed even for Turkey`s state minister to explain his own thoughts to his Macedonian counterpart in a dialogue!!!;

Turkey to resume providing support to Macedonia's EU, NATO integration

Macedonia is a country sharing not only a mutual past with Turkey, but also a common future. It is our honor to be one of the first countries to recognize your independence, and we will not only resume to provide support to the country's Euro-integration, but we will also jointly solve problems, said Turkish State Minister and chief negotiator with the EU, Egemen Bagıs after Friday's meeting with Vice Premier for European Affairs Vasko Naumovski.

"We believe that Macedonia will soon join EU and NATO, regardless of the fact that governments in Skopje and Athens are negotiating the name issue. The whole world knows that the country I am visiting today is Macedonia. We recognized the constitutional name of your country since the first day, and as you do not have the right to change my name, I do not have the same right to change yours. There are difficulties, but I am certain that a solution will be found and Turkey will remain on your side", said Minister Bagis.

Vice Premier Naumovski labeled the meeting friendly and constructive, saying both countries continue to work together on improving mutual cooperation in politics, economy and other sectors, the focus being on European integration.

Asked if a name settlement was possible in 2011, taking into consideration current political developments in Macedonia, Naumovski said the country's will for a mutually acceptable solution to the long-standing imposed row has been clearly presented on a number of occasions.

"The acceptability of such a solution should also be confirmed by all citizens through a referendum. We believe that if Greece has sincere intentions to solve the issue, this is possible in the foreseeable future, i.e. making progress in the process during the year", underlined Vice Premier Naumovski.

25 March 2011

http://www.mia.com.mk/default.aspx?m...REIGN+AFFAIRS+

[makedonche]

Onur
Many thanks for the information.......and many thanks to your government for their continued support!

[Onur]

Just saw this link from a Turkish web site. A small contribution from Turkey to Macedonia`s military force but more importantly, it says that 600 Macedonians have been educated in Turkish military academies;

ARM gets US$900.000 worth Turkish donation
Turkish donation worth US$ 900.000 intended to the Army of the Republic of Macedonia was handed over Friday to Defence Minister Fatmir Besimi by Turkish Ambassador Gurol Sokmensuer.

Equipment is consisted of 18 Land Rover terrain vehicles, of which 15 for personnel transportation and 3 commanding vehicles as well as 95 field phones and night vision binoculars.

Minister Besimi thanking for the donation pointed out that two countries have excellent cooperation and Turkey gives significant contribution for the development of the country, democracy and economic prosperity and its full fledged-membership in NATO.

- Our gratitude is much larger than the figures. The support of a friend means much more than money. So far, 600 members of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia have the honour to be educated and trained in military schools in Turkey, Besimi said.

Ambassador Sokmensuer said that agreement for cooperation is planned to be signed by yearend, which foresees donation of equipment for special operations battalion and logistical support at amount of US$ 1.15 million.

14 October 2011

http://www.mia.com.mk/default.aspx?v...71&lId=2&pmId=

[George S.]

Thanks for the help Onur but the Rom govt has deliberately run the army down i wonder why.?Not having a big army i suppose costs less but at the same time we are open to enemiesNot having a good enough army to offer protection is a huge mistake.It leaves open macedonia to destablization.If we invested in an army it would be for defensive purposes & to save civilian life.Not like some of our neighbours on the offencive.

[makedonche]

Onur
Once again thanks for the information and many thanks to your government for training and financial assistance, this will be remembered!

[Volk]

Rising Turkish power

As greece sinks into anarchy will calls for revolution, Turkey is investing and moving its strength into Macedonia which puts it in the prime position to disengage from any talks and remove any fyr ing.

Macedonia is benefiting greatly from Turkish investments who have opened up channels to Arab countries, such as the Prince of Katar along with a team of 100 'helpers'...

Its in Turkeys favour to have a strong Macedonia and as part of the former Ottoman Empire has strong bonds to it.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.p...-pm-2011-10-18

Turkey a force for peace in Balkans: deputy PM

Turkey has long fought for peace and stability throughout the Balkans and elsewhere, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said yesterday during a visit to Macedonia.

“Turkey always assumed a leading role in every initiative for peace,” Arınç said during the Seventh International Atatürk Congress in the country’s capital, Skopje.

Arınç met with Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov before the congress yesterday and was expected to meet Minister without Portfolio Hadi Neziri and members of the Turkish community living in Skopje and Ohrid.

“We were one of the first countries to recognize Macedonia. We keep assisting Macedonia in every area,” Arınç said, adding that there were deep-rooted ties between the two countries.

Turkey will also continue to support Macedonia for NATO membership, the deputy prime minister said.

“[Turkish republican founder Mustafa Kemal] Atatürk became acquainted with European principles while in Macedonia, and he applied these principles in Turkey by establishing a modern republic,” Ivanov said during the congress, adding that Atatürk had returned to the Balkan country a century after he went to an Ottoman military school in the modern-day Macedonian city of Bitola.

Atatürk was a reformist leader who founded a modern republic after the War of Independence following World War I, Arınç said.

Turkey’s founder always referred to peace with his motto “Peace at Home, Peace in the World,” he said, adding that Turkey exerted great efforts for peaceful solutions to issues in the Caucasus, the Middle East, the Balkans and Afghanistan.

“We believe that the world and humanity can become happy by means of dialogue and mutually good relations in the direction set by Atatürk,” he said.

The congress is taking place in Skopje until Oct. 22. Almost 300 academics and historians are participating in the congress, which is being organized by the Atatürk Research Center and the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

[Risto the Great]

Ataturk was a remarkable man.
The Turkish relationship should be nurtured.
I am dubious of any USA/Turkish relationship though.

[George S.]

Erdogan: Macedonia has natural right to use name

Erdogan: Macedonia has natural right to use name, Greek stance unreasonable and unjust

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/19247/2/

Skopje, 29 September 2011 (MIA) - Macedonia has a natural right to use its constitutional name under which it became an independent state. We see the Greek position as unreasonable and unjust. We cannot comprehend any additions such as upper, lower or northern. We live in a global world where peace and understanding should prevail, said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Thursday's joint press conference with Macedonian counterpart Nikola Gruevski.



Erdogan urged for Macedonia's deserved place in NATO and EU, saying that Turkey would continue to support the country in the European and Euro-Atlantic integration process.

Pertaining to Macedonia's efforts for EU membership, the Turkish PM stressed that the country makes swift progress, promotes stability and prosperity, implements its commitments, and that is why it will become part of the EU sooner than Turkey.



The two PMs stressed Macedonia and Turkey do not have any open political issues, close bilateral cooperation will be enhanced, whereas commercial-economic cooperation and exchange will intensify.



PM Gruevski emphasized the excellent bilateral relations, which is best confirmed through the Agreement on Strategic Partnership.



He thanked Turkey for its strong support to Macedonia's NATO accession, as well as the respect of the identity and the constitutional name.



Erdogan said both countries have mutual history and culture, recognized through friendship among people.



Gruevski and Erdogan agreed that economic cooperation and commercial exchange, which amounts to approximately US$ 400 million in 2011, could intensify.



Turkish PM Erdogan, who pays a two-day official visit to Macedonia, is set to meet later today with President Gjorge Ivanov and Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski, as well as DUI leader Ali Ahmeti.



In addition, the PMs' wives Borkica Gruevska and Emine Erdogan will visit children's embassy "Megjasi" in Skopje.

[Soldier of Macedon]

George, this is old news and I pretty sure it has been posted here already.