Tweet
Today's Zaman, Turkey
March 12 2009
Ambiguity surrounds participants at water summit
Days ahead of the upcoming 5th World Water Forum (WWF) in Ä°stanbul,
there is still no clarity over the level of representation that will
be seen from participant countries, with different official
organizations making conflicting statements on the issue.
The forum, accepted as the most extensive international event
concerning world water usage, will hosted by Turkey with the
cooperation of the World Water Council from March 16 to 22 in
Ä°stanbul. Foreign Ministry officials have declined to give specific
information on confirmed participants of the summit. While Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's participation was reported last week
and confirmed by the WWF Secretariat, it has emerged that he will not
participate in the summit.
Nonetheless, it has also emerged that Iraqi President Jalal Talabani
will join the summit.
While confirming Ahmadinejad's participation, the WWF Secretariat had
also announced that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would join the
summit. However, Foreign Ministry officials were not able to confirm
such participation, either.
Iranian Embassy officials in Ankara, speaking with Today's Zaman last
week, had said they were working on Ahmadinejad's Ä°stanbul visit,
noting that the president had been invited. The same officials,
however, suggested yesterday that no special invitation was received
by Ahmadinejad, saying only an invitation for the forum was received
by Tehran.
When asked about the official level and the addressee mentioned in the
invitation, the same officials responded that these kinds of facts
were not mentioned in the invitation. However, the absence of the
official level and addressee is not common in diplomatic
correspondence.
Turkish officials said the summit of heads of state and government was
limited to 15 countries, including Turkey, while, nevertheless, they
also said that the invitations were extended to 30 countries.
According to Turkish officials, the participation of the following
leaders has been confirmed: the prince of Monaco; the presidents of
Iraq, Somalia and Tajikistan; the prime ministers of Azerbaijan,
Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, South Korea and Tuvalu; the Netherlands' crown
prince; and a former prime minister of Japan.
A Greek Cypriot minister is also expected to participate in
ministerial level part of the forum. Since Ankara doesn't officially
recognize the Greek Cypriot government, the invitation to Nicosia has
been conveyed by the World Water Council. Armenia, with which Turkey
doesn't have diplomatic relations, will also be represented at the
forum, but the level of Yerevan's participation is not yet clear.
12 March 2009, Thursday
SERVET YANATMA ANKARA
March 12 2009
Ambiguity surrounds participants at water summit
Days ahead of the upcoming 5th World Water Forum (WWF) in Ä°stanbul,
there is still no clarity over the level of representation that will
be seen from participant countries, with different official
organizations making conflicting statements on the issue.
The forum, accepted as the most extensive international event
concerning world water usage, will hosted by Turkey with the
cooperation of the World Water Council from March 16 to 22 in
Ä°stanbul. Foreign Ministry officials have declined to give specific
information on confirmed participants of the summit. While Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's participation was reported last week
and confirmed by the WWF Secretariat, it has emerged that he will not
participate in the summit.
Nonetheless, it has also emerged that Iraqi President Jalal Talabani
will join the summit.
While confirming Ahmadinejad's participation, the WWF Secretariat had
also announced that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would join the
summit. However, Foreign Ministry officials were not able to confirm
such participation, either.
Iranian Embassy officials in Ankara, speaking with Today's Zaman last
week, had said they were working on Ahmadinejad's Ä°stanbul visit,
noting that the president had been invited. The same officials,
however, suggested yesterday that no special invitation was received
by Ahmadinejad, saying only an invitation for the forum was received
by Tehran.
When asked about the official level and the addressee mentioned in the
invitation, the same officials responded that these kinds of facts
were not mentioned in the invitation. However, the absence of the
official level and addressee is not common in diplomatic
correspondence.
Turkish officials said the summit of heads of state and government was
limited to 15 countries, including Turkey, while, nevertheless, they
also said that the invitations were extended to 30 countries.
According to Turkish officials, the participation of the following
leaders has been confirmed: the prince of Monaco; the presidents of
Iraq, Somalia and Tajikistan; the prime ministers of Azerbaijan,
Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, South Korea and Tuvalu; the Netherlands' crown
prince; and a former prime minister of Japan.
A Greek Cypriot minister is also expected to participate in
ministerial level part of the forum. Since Ankara doesn't officially
recognize the Greek Cypriot government, the invitation to Nicosia has
been conveyed by the World Water Council. Armenia, with which Turkey
doesn't have diplomatic relations, will also be represented at the
forum, but the level of Yerevan's participation is not yet clear.
12 March 2009, Thursday
SERVET YANATMA ANKARA