Turkey excluded Israel from a NATO military exercise because of Israel's delay in delivering unmanned aerial vehicles to Turkey, a Turkish newspaper reported. “Turkey needs those vehicles in its fight against terror. What led to the recent crisis between Turkey and Israel was the delay in the delivery,” Today's Zaman quoted an unnamed senior Turkish air force official as saying on Wednesday. The UAV surveillance drones are known as Herons. Turkey signed on four years ago to purchase 10 of the Herons from Israeli Aerospace Industries and Elbit Systems, Ltd. at a cost of over $180 million. The companies missed the original delivery deadline and then missed a new deadline to deliver four Herons in August, followed shortly after by another two and then the last four by the end of October, the newspaper reported. Two Herons that have already been delivered have not been used by Turkey due to problems with strengthening the engine that the Israeli companies were supposed to take care of, according to the report. "The General Staff asked Israeli authorities one last time about the delivery of the Herons. Israeli authorities refused to give an exact date and said they planned to deliver the vehicles by the end of 2009, whereupon the General Staff decided to cancel the international part of the exercises,” the air force official told the newspaper. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Syria's Foreign Minister told Al Jazeera that Turkey and Syria held joint military exercises last week, the second military exercise between the two countries since April. Also on Tuesday, the United States criticized Turkey for excluding Israel from participation in the scheduled NATO drill, which led to its cancellation. The criticism came during a State Department press briefing.
The European Union told Turkey on Wednesday to speed up reforms to boost its chances of joining the bloc and made a special appeal to protect the freedom of expression of Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk. The European Commission's annual progress report on Turkish membership said Ankara has improved its handling of human rights issues and the Kurdish minority. But it said that overall, a lot more work needed to be done for membership. The EU and Turkey started membership negotiations in 2005, but they have made little progress since, while France and Germany have expressed opposition to Turkey's bid. The report did not yet take on board Turkey's recent moves to end a century of enmity with neighboring Armenia, a new momentum which has been welcomed around the world and which EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn also highlighted. "I'm encouraged by the historic steps Turkey and Armenia have just taken toward normalizing their relations. This process should now lead to full normalization as soon as possible," Rehn said in a statement. Egemen Bagis, Turkey's chief EU negotiator, welcomed the EU progress report as "the most objective report so far." Bagis said Turkey will work to carry out more reforms, but he did not mention the critical issue of Cyprus, where Turkish troops are based in the Turkish Cypriot north, a legacy of a 1974 invasion. In the report, the European Commission said the Turkish government has not used its large parliamentary majority to push through more reform measures. But bitter divisions between the Islamic-oriented government and opposition lawmakers have slowed advances. "Little progress can be reported on effective implementation of political and constitutional reforms," said the report. On civil rights, it said that "allegations of torture and ill-treatment, and impunity for perpetrators, are still a cause for great concern, and need to become a priority area." Turkey's enthusiasm for EU membership has eroded under internal tension, European skepticism and a dispute over divided Cyprus, an EU member. Plans to reform the constitution, a legacy of military rule, have stalled. The Turkish military has kept a relatively low profile, but still acts with an independence unseen in European countries.
The European Commission recommended on October 14 2009 that EU accession negotiations be opened with Macedonia. "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has made important progress and has substantially addressed the key accession partnership priorities. The Commission considers that the country sufficiently fulfils the political criteria set by the Copenhagen European Council in 1993 and the Stabilisation and Association Process and therefore has decided to recommend the opening of accession negotiations," the EC said in a report on the progress of would-be member states. Macedonia was given EU candidate country status in December 2005. "Political dialogue has improved: the governing coalition is stable, the political climate is more co-operative and the parliament is more effective. The key Accession Partnership priorities regarding the reform of the police, the judiciary, public administration and corruption have been substantially addressed," according to the EC. Macedonia had generally good relations with countries in the region, but relations with Greece continued to be affected by the unresolved issue about the use of the name Macedonia. The country is engaged in talks under the auspices of the UN on resolving this dispute. "Maintaining good neighbourly relations, including a negotiated and mutually acceptable solution to the name issue, remains essential," the EC report said.
A decade after the armed conflict in Kosovo, Germany plans to repatriate thousands of refugees from the region, most of them of Roma origin. Critics have labeled the project “monstrous”. There are an estimated 14,000 refugees from Kosovo in Germany, and 10,000 of them are Roma. The legal status of many of them has not been regulated. An agreement between Berlin and Pristina is to outline a major repatriation program for them, reports this week German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. The reason for the move is that the situation in the disputed region has become more stable, German officials say. The Interior Ministry plans to process 2,500 repatriation cases yearly and pledged to maintain “a reasonable ethnical composition” among them. In addition, Germany will pay 750 euro (about $1,100) to each returning person and cover their travel expenditures. It also promised to help repatriates to find accommodation and jobs in Kosovo. Meanwhile, Ulla Jelpke from the Left Party in Germany’s Parliament labeled the project “monstrous”, arguing that deported Roma will face “absolute poverty” and “daily alienation” from the Albanian majority in Kosovo. Roma human rights group Chachipe has condemned the repatriation program, saying the German government is overly optimistic when describing the situation in Kosovo. “The Roma have been driven out from Kosovo, and in ten years, the international community has been unable to create the conditions for their safe return. Their interests have been sacrificed and abandoned in an attempt to pacify the antagonisms between Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs. Now, they are requested to return in order to make it possible for the international community to say that Kosovo has become a multi-ethnic country, which deserves to be an independent state,” the group said.
Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor has condemned the nationalist chants made by fans of her country's under-21 team in a match against Serbia. The crowd at Tuesday's game in Varazdin chanted "Kill, kill the Serb" and "For the homeland, ready!" - a saying from Croatia's pro-Nazi regime during the Second World War - while Serbia's coach was attacked by two people. He was unhurt but a Croatian passer-by who went to help him received minor injuries. Kosor said Wednesday she "will no longer tolerate" fan violence, adding that "those savages will not get the message" as long as matches and TV coverage aren't suspended following incidents. Last year, Croatia was fined US$27,700 by FIFA for fans' racist chants during a match against England.
Russia will continue to promote the idea of creating a new pan-European security body despite the U.S. decision to scrap its missile shield plans for Central Europe, the Russian president said on Wednesday. "Despite the easing of tensions, the solving of several problems, and the recognition of a multipolar world order by key international players, it seems to me sensible to set up such a system, and we will promote this idea further," Dmitry Medvedev said after talks with his Czech counterpart, Vaclav Klaus. Medvedev proposed in the summer of 2008 setting up an organization ensuring peace in Europe, in which no state or organization would have a monopoly. Medvedev said that existing organizations and blocs, including the EU, NATO, the OSCE and the post-Soviet CIS alliance, are unable to tackle all security issues, and that European countries need a forum to discuss and tackle them. He drew a parallel with the Group of 20 developed and developing nations, whose role has become more prominent since the onset of the current global economic crisis. Speaking at the news conference with Medvedev, Claus welcomed the thaw in Russia-U.S. relations and the end to the dispute over the planned radar in the Czech Republic and a missile base in Poland. Moscow had considered the plans a threat to its security. "I feel tensions are subsiding. I am happy about this," Claus said. Russian-Czech ties had also been strained by Prague's consent to host the radar. U.S. President Barack Obama in September scrapped the plans due to a re-assessment of the threat from Iran. The move was also seen as part of efforts to "reset" ties between the two former Cold War foes.
The Pacific Northwest’s only Russian Orthodox monastery — nestled in Dockton among towering firs, madronas and hemlocks — is secluded and private, a world apart from the bustle of town. Its 12 buildings are clustered close together, the surrounding acreage undeveloped. Vehicles make a lengthy trek up the driveway, passing through a shroud of native vegetation before reaching the clearing where the small buildings are scattered. This Saturday, the monks at the quiet religious community are officially inviting community members to an open house at their newly completed campus, one of 40 Orthodox monasteries nationwide. “We’re looking forward to sharing what we’ve built with the Island community,” said Father Tryphon, the monastery’s abbot. Orthodox Christianity is both different and similar to the Western Christianity that many Americans are more familiar with. Orthodox Christians take a more intuitive approach to their faith, Tryphon said. “It’s ancient, it’s beautiful, it’s mystical theology that is based on the intuitive nature of the heart, rather than logic and reason,” he said. Monks spend as much time as possible in solitude and private prayer. That’s how the monastery differs from the two dozen Russian Orthodox churches in the Seattle-Tacoma region — it’s a brotherhood of monks on a spiritual journey, not a parish with a congregation. “People are welcome to join us in our spiritual path and our services, but we’re primarily contemplatives — that’s why we live out here surrounded by forests,” Tryphon said with a smile. The purpose of a monastic life, he added, is “the acquisition of a humble and contrite heart,” as well as offering service to those around him — Father Tryphon, for example, is a member of Vashon Island Rotary Club and the chaplain for Vashon Island Fire & Rescue. A monastic day begins at 6:30 a.m. with a morning service, followed by breakfast and obediences. Then the monks do chores — be it cleaning, preparing lunch, keeping the books or gardening — and have a communal meal at 1:30 p.m. At 5:30 p.m. the order holds its vespers, or evening service. There are also two Orthodox nuns who live in a rented house on the Island and attend services at the monastery each day. Sundays are marked by a divine liturgy service at 9:40 a.m. “It’s the same service that’s been done for almost 2,000 years,” said congregation member Cheryl Hunt. The Sunday service is both traditional and beautiful. As incense clouds the air within the one-room carpeted chapel, a monk sings lengthy opening chants. The ornate, gleaming icons of saints cover the side walls — men on the right and women on the left, just as the worshippers stand during the service itself. The chapel houses a relic of St. John Maximovitch of Shanghai, an American saint from San Francisco who died in 1966. Reliquaries are an old-world tradition, and the relic’s presence suggests the depth of the Vashon monastery’s connection to the practices of the past.