USEFUL INFORMATION AND LINKS IN PLANNING FOR THE 26th INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON GLOBAL SECURITY IN ISTANBUL - JUNE '09

Defense Ministers Dr. Nuno Severiano Teixeira of Portugal and Jaak Aaviksoo of Estonia agree to address the opening session of the 26th International Workshop on Global Security in Istanbul. Among the other opening speakers will be Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Patron of the Istanbul Workshop, and Dutch Defense Minister Eimert van MIddelkoop.

Portuguese Defense Minister Dr. Nuno Severiano Teixeira Biography of Minister Severiano Teixeira

Estonian Defense MInister Jaak Aaviksoo will address the workshop and join the panel discussion on "Cyberspace Security and Resiliance." Biography of Minister Aaviksoo

Montenegrian Defense Minister Boro Vucinic will be the first representative of his country to address the international workshop on Global Security. Biography of Minister Boro Vucinic

Slovenia's new Defense Minister, Ljubica Jelusic, agrees to address the 26th International Workshop. Biography of Minister Jelusic

Latvian Defense Minister Imants Liegis has been invited to address the Istanbul Workshop on the theme of economics and security. Biography of Minister Liegis

Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich has agreed to address the 26th International Workshop. Biography of Minister Bogdan Klich

Georgian Defense Minister Vasil Sikharulidze will address the 26th International Workshop in Istanbul, as well as Vice Prime MInister Giorgi Baramidze. Biography of Minister Vasil Sikharulidze

Georgian Vice Prime Minister Giorgi Baramidze will address the Istanbul Workshop.

Italy's Chief of General Staff, General Vincenzo Camporini, Honorary Chairman of last year's Workshop in Rome, will speak on "Dealing with Crises in Afghanistan and Pakistan." Biography of General Camporini

Indian Deputy National Security Advisor Dr. Shekhar Dutt will address this workshop. Dr. Dutt has previously served as India's Defense Secretary and, prior to that, as Defense Production Secretary.

Terrence C. Morgan is Chairman, Executive Council, Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium as well as Director, Net-Centric Strategies, Global Government Solutions Group at Cisco. He wil address the workshop on “Why Cisco at Global Security?”

Mr. David Patterson is Executive Director, National Defense Business Institute in the University of Tennessee College of Business Administration. Previously, he was the U.S. Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).

Suggestion for a panel (General George Joulwan, former SACEUR)
- Gen Joulwan recommends adding a civil-military panel, since effective civil-military integration is essential to effective operations in Afghanistan and other conflict situations.

Suggested topics for discussions on Network Centric Operations (Terrence Morgan, Cisco).
1. Security may have less to do with defense and more to do with jobs, education and a vision of hope.  The precursor to economic development (country transformation) includes a sense of safety and security on the streets and a “guarantee of future returns” by securing and defending the nation in the long-term with the greater goal of deterrence. These are two of the foundational pieces that accelerate economic and societal development – the others involve the rule of law; a legally-founded orderly transfer of property and that property holders do not live in the fear of expropriation.
2. At the recent NATO Networked Centric Operations Industry Consortium, (NCOIC), several speakers emphasized the imperative of NATO and NCOIC to work together. The NCOIC isn’t just defense; NCOICs technical activities involve Networked Enabled Emergency Response, global Air Traffic Management, Maritime Awareness for border security and Sense and Respond Logistics. Except for the Logistics, each is critical to global security.

Preliminary Outline of presentation on Afganistan (Ambassador Boguslaw Winid, Poland).
- International context of the current situation in Afghanistan (inter alia: “Afpak”, NATO’s relations with Pakistan and Central Asian countries (land transit), cooperation with Russia,  prospects for cooperation with Iran, UN role).
- Preconditions for achieving success in Afghanistan (international and NATO’s dimensions) and possible ways forward (inter alia: comprehensive approach, increase of civilian support “Afghanisation” - involvement of Afghan legal authorities, regional cooperation).
- NATO’s current work in terms of ISAF mission and Poland’s priorities in this regard.
- Polish engagement and lessons learned.

Suggested themes for defense industry panel (Under Secretary of Defense--AT&L, A. Volkman, Col. M. Price, R. Golden).
- How industry can contribute in the Afghanistan conflict.
- Providing helicopters for Afganistan.
- Lessons learned from Afghanistan and how to translate this experience into the defense acquisition process
- Especially in the U.S., the defense department needs to move away from acquistions that provide "exquisite" solutions. Instead, the need is for systems that are merely "good enough" but can be more quickly fielded. The development of such systems would have the additional advantage of depending far less on the accuracy of long-term forecasts as to future requirements.
- Under the leadership of Secretary Gates, there is an ongoing paradigm shift in favor of spending more on low-tech solutions that directly help troops in the filed and away from the kind of high-end solutions required by the cold war.
- Acquistion reform: What is needed? What is likely to work? What is unlikely to work? Why?

Suggested issues for the workshop to address (Ambassador Robert McRae, Canada):
"From NATO's perspective, it would be important to address the way ahead in Afghanistan, especially in light of the new challenges we face there and the new US commitment. NATO-Russia relations are also important, together with relations with the Ukraine and Georgia." There would also be "...interest in NATO-EU relations, and NATO and the Mediterranean. One of the issues with which the Alliance will also be preoccupied in the coming year will be a new Strategic Concept for NATO."

Suggestions for Turkish defense industry participants: Some of the largest "government owned" companies in Turkey are MKEK, ASELSAN, TAI, HAVELSAN, ROKETSAN. Other important firms include FNSS, OTOKAR, TEI, GATE ELECTRONIK, METEKSAN SAVUNMA, MILSOFT, STM and AYESAŞ.

Israel-Palestine.
At a conference in Syria, foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), "...criticized Israel..but said they were open to better ties with the Jewish state if it took steps toward a 'just and comprehensive' Middle East peace deal." According to the statement, "We must not reward Israel for its crimes." "Muslim nations link better Israel ties to peace." Reuters. by Khalad Yacoub Oweis. 25 May 2009.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu says that "his country would continue to build in Jewish settlements in Jerusalem and the West Bank, despite calls from the US administration for a halt." "Netanyahu: Israel will still build on Jewish settlements." Guardian.co.uk by Rory McCarthy. 24 May 2009.

After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Barck Obama said that there is now an "extraordinary opportunity" for progress. Palestinians must "do a better job of providing the kinds of security assurances that the Israelis would need to achieve a two-state solution" while Israel must accept a two-state solution and, in particular, "settlements have to be stopped." "Obama Vows End to Impasse on Palestinian State." Washington Post, by Scott Wilson. 18 May 2009.

"Israeli President Simon Peres called for a regional peace agreement in the Middle East and said it was possible for Israel and its Arab neighbors to 'overcome the remaining differences'..." at the World Economic Forum meeting in Jordan. "Israel’s Peres Says Time Has Come for Regional Peace." Bloomberg, by Massoud A. Derhally and Mahmoud Kassem. 17 May 2009.

Pope Benedict XVI calls the wall between Israel and Palestine "a stark reminder of the stalemate that relations between Israelis and Palestinians seem to have reached." Al Jazeera English Edition. 13 May 09.

Visiting Israel, Pope Benedict XVI calls for a Palestinian homeland. "Pope arrives in Israel for a 5-day visit." Washington Post, by Howard Schneider. 11 May 2009.

Global security policy:
U.S. President Barack Obama in "an unprecedented videotaped appeal" offers "to turn the page on decades of U.S. policy" toward Iran. "Obama offers a new start with Iran," Washington Post, by Matt Spetalnick, Reuters. 20 March 2009.

British Defense Minister the Rt Hon John Hutton spoke at Wilton Park on 15 January 2009: "NATO at 60: Towards a New Strategic Concept." READ the speech...

General David Jones, U.S. National Security Advisor. Address to the 45th Munich Security Conference. January '09. READ a review...

Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul addressed the IISS Regional Security Summit in Bahrain on 14 Dec '08. READ the speech...

Water and security:
Turkish Minister of Enviroment and Forestry Veysel Eroğlu wants "to use water to build peace rather than allowing it to become a source of tension as dwindling water supplies begin to turn this natural resource into an increasingly precious commodity." READ the article...

Afghanistan:
According to the NY Times, corruption in Afghanistan cripples the effectiveness of police, judges, and other government officials. In fact, some see the Taliban justice as more effective, even if it is sometimes crude or ruthless. Richard A. Oppel, Jr. 8 April 2009. Corruption undercuts hopes for Afghan police.

IDEF '09 9th International Defense Industry Fair. Istanbul, Turkey: 27-30 April 2009 is held annually under the auspices of the Turkish Ministry of National Defense.

United Nations - The Istanbul Forum: 6-7 April 2009 The Second Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations.
Aimed at "advancing intercultural understanding," the second forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations was held in Istanbul, Turkey. Opening speakers included the U.N. Secretary General and the Prime Ministers of Spain and Turkey. U.S. President Barack Obama also participated.

World Water Forum. Istanbul, Turkey. March 2009. The forum is "A stepping stone towards global collaboration on water problems."

Istanbul newspapers in English: Hurriyet Daily News and Today's Zaman.

Pakistan newspapers in English (and Urdu): Pakistan Link and Dawn

SASAD. Turkish Defense Industry Association. The SASAD web site is primarily intended for Turkish companies and the information is mostly in Turkish.

Among the internationally-known Turkish authors are Elif Safak (The Flea Palace), Irfan Orga (Portrait of a Turkish Family), and especially Nobel Prize-winner Orhan Pamuk (Snow, and Istanbul, Memoirs and the CIty). French Academician Pierre Loti's career was launched with his first novel, Aziyade or Constantinoble, based on the diary of his visit as a young naval officer in 1876.

	BLUE MOSQUE & ANCIENT ISTANBUL The Blue Mosque, one of the most famous sites of Istanbul, was built on the ancient Byzantine Hippodrome for Sultan Ahmet I in 1616.  The architect was Mehmet Aga.  The mosque’s name comes from the 20,000 blue Iznik tiles that decorate the interior.		ISTANBUL STRAIT CRUISE Istanbul Strait cruise passing the historic Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Yildiz Park, Ortaköy, Bosphorus bridge, Arnavutköy port, and return via Beylerbeyi Palace and Asian side.
	CIRAGAN PALACE RECEPTION BY THE TURKISH MINISTRY OF DEFENSE The Ciragan Palace was built for Sultan Abdul Aziz in 1874.  After his death, the Turkish Parliament met here briefly until the palace was partially destroyed by fire.  It has recently been restored by the adjacent Kempinski hotel.		MEHTER OTTOMAN ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCE AT THE CIRAGAN PALACE