This morning's key headlines from
GenerationalDynamics.com:
- Turkey asks Germany for help with PKK terrorists
- Erdogan's visit to Germany highlights some major differences
- Eurozone unemployment reaches new historic high
- Still no progress on Greece's next bailout payment
Turkey asks Germany for help with PKK terrorists
In a visit to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Turkey's
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked for Germany's help in
fighting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a terrorist group in
Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran seeking a separate state of Kurdistan.
Erdogan is complaining that Germany permits PKK fundraising activities
to occur in Germany. Erdogan also complains that many western
countries refuse extradition requests for people wanted in Turkey on
terrorism charges despite extradition agreements they have with Turkey
even though his government frequently approves the extradition of
criminals to these countries. Erdogan's case is difficult for some
people to accept because of Erdogan's open support of Palestinians in
Gaza, some of whom have been conducting terrorist attacks against
Israel. Zaman (Istanbul)
Erdogan's visit to Germany highlights some major differences
Athough Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkey's Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan were all smiles for the press conferences and
photo ops during Erdogan's visit to Berlin on Wednesday, the strains
were evident. The biggest faux pas occurred in their joint press
conference, when Erdogan said that it had been a mistake to allow
"South Cyprus" into the European Union, and he added the Merkel shared
that view -- which is not true. Cyprus has been a sore point between
Turkey and the Europeans ever since the Cyprus war of 1974, which
partitioned the island into separate parts, controlled respectively by
Greece and Turkey. The EU recognizes the Greek government as the
official government of Cyprus, and has admitted that government to the
EU.
Turkey formally applied to join the European Union in 1987, but
negotiations have frequently broken down. Erdogan is unhappy about
the treatment of 3 million people of Turkish origin living in Germany.
On the other side, the EU has complained breaches of freedom of speech
and the right to free assembly in Turkey, and says that Turkey's
democratic reforms have come to a standstill. Erdogan says that the
EU will "lose Turkey," unless it's admitted by 2023. Spiegel
Eurozone unemployment reaches new historic high
The unemployment level in the 17-country eurozone hit 11.6% in
September, a new historic high in a continuing series of historic
highs, with youth unemployment at 23.3%. Spain's unemployment rate is
26%, and Greece's is 25%. It's over 50% for young people in both
countries. At the same time, new figures indicate that the inflation
rate is lower than expected. The eurozone continues its deflationary
spiral, while politicians pray for a miracle. Bloomberg
Still no progress on Greece's next bailout payment
With Greece about to go bankrupt in mid-November unless it receives
the next bailout payment, Greece revealed on Wednesday that it will
overshoot its deficit and debt targets again next year because of a
deeper than forecast recession. There was no progress on negotiations
over the bailout because the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
remained at loggerheads with Germany on the need for European
government lenders to participate. (The new acronym to learn is OSI,
which stands for "official sector involvement. Earlier this year, the
big issue was PSI, or "private sector involvement".) A final decision
on the bailout will be made at the finance ministers' face-to-face
meeting on November 12. Kathimerini
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