businessnetworkmag.com | #24 | Jan- Feb 2016
By Mark Entwistle
BN Magazine bringing the most important perspectives on international Business and Politics to its readers in the Canada & U.S Awareness is Everything businessnetworkmag.com | #24 | Jan- Feb 2016
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Publisher's Note
Is Canada really back? This issue Business Network focuses on Canada’s new government. The Conservatives under Harper were becoming notorious. Since winning the majority government in the 2011 election, Canada’s government increasingly began to change its stance on many issues. On many issues, the Canadian public and the Canadian government were on opposite ends. Harper and the Conservatives were becoming an increasingly divisive force in the country, especially with their stance on the Niqab issue. Overwhelmingly, the public wanted change. While initially the NDP under Mulcair were in the lead, the Liberals took everyone by surprise and swept into majority power. It’s true—Canada needed change. The Conservatives and their stance on many social issues were simple out-of-touch with most Canadians. People longed for the Canada they had known all their lives. What is now left behind from the elections are Trudeau’s appealing promises, still ringing in the ears of the Canadian voter. Many things were promised, and some have, surprisingly, been implemented. Love him or hate him, the energetic and young Trudeau has had a strong start. Yes, his selfies with young admirers around the world made more news than his stance on many global issues—which is a shame. But hey, there is no such thing as bad publicity. Canada is relevant again. Clearly, gone are the days where Canada was a random, obscure participant in global events, whose leader was barely recognizable. Trudeau’s stance on the Syrian refugee issue, and climate change are a breath of fresh air to the arrogant, short-sighted and downright ignorant stance of the Harper government we have come to abhor so much. The breathtaking beginning is impressive, no doubt about it. Let’s hope that Trudeau and his team can keep it up. We need Canada back. The Canada
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we all love and cherish. Let’s remember our true self and get back to what we ought to be—the Canada with open arms to those of all backgrounds; the Canada of a beautiful mosaic. Press freedom issues in Turkey increasing exponentially A press freedom report has shown that doing journalism in Turkey has become more difficult over the past year as more and more journalists face legal action, are losing their jobs and are even being sent to jail due to their writings or views. Turkey is fifth on the list of the world's leading jailers of journalists in a new annual report published by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), ranked after China, Egypt, Iran and Eritrea.' We hope that the Government of Turkey to lift restrictions on freedom of expression, including expression online or in social media. Wishing you a joyful, bright, healthy, prosperous and happiest new year ahead!
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The New Trudeau’s New Canada By Mark Entwistle Last year marks Canada’s first change of government in nearly a decade, following the unexpectedly large victory of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party in mid-October’s general election. To understand what the change will mean for Canada’s relations with the world requires taking stock of the country’s international posture under Trudeau’s Conservative predecessor, Stephen Harper.
Broadly speaking, the election of Trudeau (whose father, Pierre, was Prime Minister when he was born in 1971 and served from 1968 to 1979, and again from 1980 to 1984) constitutes a rejection of Harper’s polarizing political agenda and antagonistic leadership style. Under Harper, Canada drifted away from multilateral engagement, shirking institutions such as the United Nations in favor of a more aggressive, value-driven foreign and security policy that divided the world into friends and foes. Harper’s tough talk on Russia’s annexation of Crimea and intervention in eastern Ukraine, and on China’s disturbing human-rights record won him wide public support. But his stance on climate change proved to be more controversial. By withdrawing Canada from the Kyoto Protocol and largely rejecting the issue’s significance (before finally offering limited concessions to reduce the country’s carbon footprint), he diminished Canada’s standing on one of the premier global issues of our time. In the Middle East, Canadian foreign policy was essentially restricted to unflinching support for Israel’s government. Such policy positions, and others, explain why in 2010 Canada suffered a major diplomatic defeat, when its bid for a seat on the UN Security Council failed, shocking the country’s foreign-policy establishment. Harper leaves a better legacy on the trade front, where he provided committed leadership in pursuing ambitious accords with both the European Union (the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA) and Asia (the Trans-Pacific Partnership, TPP). For his part, Trudeau has already signaled that he will press ahead on ratification of both CETA and TPP – thus helping to lessen Canada’s over-reliance on trade with the United States. In particular, the new Liberal government is committed to assisting small and medium-size Canadian businesses gain a foothold in the EU. European governments and businesses can expect to see very engaged Canadian diplomacy on trade and investment issues.
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Politics
Canada’s transatlantic partners, for their part, have similarly high hopes for Trudeau and his administration, particularly owing to his commitment to pursue more ambitious emission-reduction targets at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. And closer integration with Canada’s vast energy resources could provide Europe with an attractive alternative to its heavy reliance on imports from Russia and the Middle East. Many in the Canadian energy sector will follow Trudeau’s climate agenda with trepidation; but his push for environmental reform may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the country’s energy companies. Canada has an opportunity not only to repair its international reputation, but also to highlight the significant technological and ecological advances made by innovative oil producers in recent years. In terms of security and defense policy, the Trudeau administration’s positions are more opaque. The day after his election, Trudeau told US President Barack Obama that he would withdraw Canada from the anti-Islamic State bombing campaign in Syria and Iraq. On the other hand, the Liberal Party’s stated commitment to maintaining defense spending and continuing Canada’s NATO operations in Central and Eastern Europe should reassure the country’s strategic allies. Moreover, Trudeau is making good on his campaign promise to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees as soon as possible. This should be viewed as a welcome, if largely symbolic, show of solidarity by Canada to help the EU cope with its most severe crisis in decades.
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In particular, the new Liberal government is committed to assisting small and medium-size Canadian businesses gain a foothold in the EU. European governments and businesses can expect to see very engaged Canadian diplomacy on trade and investment issues.
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Canada PM to attend G-20 in Turkey in first visit abroad
Perhaps most important, whatever direction Canadian foreign (and domestic) policy takes, it is abundantly clear that the policymaking process will change dramatically under Trudeau. Over the course of nearly ten years in office, Harper crafted a powerful, highly centralized executive to “get things done” and control the political narrative, famously seeking a high level of personal engagement in every aspect of his government. Trudeau, by contrast, has vowed to be a very different type of leader, promising to pursue an inclusive approach to policymaking and to allow his ministers to take much greater responsibility for their portfolios. In many ways, his campaign’s message of change – together with enormous charisma and personal confidence – recalled Obama’s first run for the White House in 2008. As Trudeau embarks on a hectic schedule of foreign visits, including four back-to-back international summits, he will introduce himself to the world with a familiar message of hope and cooperation. However the challenges of governing change him over the next four years, it is already apparent today that Canada will not be the same. Mark Entwistle, a former Canadian diplomat, is a partner at Atlantic Advisory Partners in Toronto. Ulf Gartzke teaches at Georgetown University and is a partner at Atlantic Advisory Partners in New York. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2015. www.project-syndicate.org
Canada has an opportunity not only to repair its international reputation, but also to highlight the significant technological and ecological advances made by innovative oil producers in recent years.
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Business
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Young Entrepreneurs By Alexandra de Cramer*
From publishing magazines to ecommerce businesses, the digital market has paved the way for more and more young entrepreneurs to flourish. What is the motivation fuelling the Generation Y crowd to quit their cushy jobs and move to the swampy backwaters of the start-up life? Is the era of conglomerates and corporations over? I argue that it is.
Millennials, known to many as Generation Y, have often been associated with the terms; “not driven”, “lazy” and “entitled”. What are the stressors that cause this attitude default? Let us entertain the notion that instead of being spoiled and faulty adults, Generation Y members simply believe that the system they are born into is out-dated. Perhaps they believe that a job is entitled to have more virtue Once upon a time, there was a kingdom with many, than the instant gratification of a month-by-month many workers, each of whom were responsible for salary? Something that cannot be quantified, a the maintenance of a single stone in the wall of the virtue within itself. grand palace. Each day the workers would perform the same duty, only to repeat it the day after. The One might argue that pursuing a virtue instead of a cycle went on and on until one day, it gave birth livelihood is a luxury, which would not be possible to a different kind breed, and nothing would be for many individuals in less fortunate situations. the same again. Due to the characteristics of the information age we live in, I would have to agree to disagree on that This story in its essence represents the arguments statement. Of course, not everyone is destined, nor marketing guru Seth Godin discusses in his book would necessarily desire, to become entrepreneurs Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? He asserts that and forge their own path. However, when one the era of the industrial market fueled by cheap compares this current time to the previous decades, and fast labour with do-as-you-are-told workers is the potential of accessing the means to create your over. There is a revolution occurring that cannot own business is much enhanced. be seen but that makes its presence felt. One that is replacing the “sell, sell, sell” mentality and is En te r, t he In t e rn e t . making way for occupations that offer more than a job – rather a lifestyle, and a contribution to the Since the end of 2011, 2.3 out of 7 billion inhabitants positive enhancement of community life. on this planet are regular users of the Internet, with an estimated 1 billion of them actively using social Gene r a t i on Y media tools such as Facebook. Another 2 billion are expected to possess their own smartphone by As Godin remarks, the initial push that motivates the end of 2014. In a nutshell, this exemplifies entrepreneurs to take a leap of faith to launch their the connectedness of our times, with the Internet own projects is the urge to do something meaningful. providing a market reach that has never before existed
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in the timeline of human history. I have to concur with Godin on the fact that we are experiencing a computer-dominated, digital revolution that leaves behind the industrial age. The Internet has created a platform that yields empowerment to any individual. However, this new world is not free from its perils. More connectivity means more uncertainty. The zeitgeist of the world has changed dramatically— now incredibly fast paced, ever-changing, with unparalleled competition and series of unpredictable events lurching around its every corner. Inescapably, technology fuels this even more. “A n t if rag ile” Man is often forgetful of the fact that he lives in an ecosystem built by him, which is therefore prone to chaos and fragile by nature. Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder, analyses this truth and concludes that to survive, one must form the necessity of becoming “antifragile”. In this context, Taleb praises the entrepreneur, who is fuelled by uncertainty, and criticizes the phenomenon “too big to fail”. He claims that anything “too big” is “too fragile”, and therefore bound to fail at some point. Individuals working for big companies are likely to be fragile since they are shielded by the day-to-day realities, whereas the small business entrepreneur builds his venture on his growing capacity to adapt. “The progress of modern society”, Taleb explains, is due to the “ruined risk-takers”, who like “soldiers have dedicated themselves to this cause”.
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By definition, an entrepreneur is “antifragile”. An individual, who takes personal responsibility, challenges the status quo and by doing so, endeavours to change people. He or she does not shy away from taking risks or going against the current. Bringing a vision alive and to a functional state necessitates a high regard of oneself, something Objectivism theorist Ayn Rand would be proud of. Many scholars have translated Ayn Rand’s teachings of selfishness wrongly and have labelled her as the greatest salesman of capitalism. High Sel f Es t e e m
In her novel, The Fountainhead, Rand personifies her work ethics in the protagonist Howard Roak. As an architect, Roak does not believe in being cooped up in a room drawing endless sketches. Instead he chooses to expand beyond the handcraft of his work involving himself in each process of the construction of a building from blending cement to installing electricity sockets. Becoming an entrepreneur parallels this work ethic. One cannot simply be stuck doing a singular job tending to a set of subscribed daily tasks. Not only must one be involved in every step of the way, but one must have the endless high perception of oneself to succeed.
Rand’s emphasis on individualism might parallel the virtues glorified by capitalism, but her definition of work ethics does not comply with that outlook. Analyzed within the context of working life, capitalism pioneers individualism requiring the individual to be the best in a certain craft by specializing in one act. Rand, who fully supports the power of selfishness, believes that for an individual to be the best at his job, he needs to take part in every process. The capitalist system requires the woodcutter only to cut wood. By cutting the most wood in the most proficient way he will become the best at what he does. However, Rand instigates that in order for the woodcutter to be the best in the country, not only does he need to cut the wood precisely, but he needs to know how to nurture a tree and make a blade. This act within itself yields the individual the ultimate power of selfishness - belief in yourself.
The young entrepreneurs of our time are individuals, who seek beyond the study-work-retire cycle to become successful. Inevitably, there are as many recipes for success as there are definitions of it. In Outliers New Yorker staff writer Malcolm Gladwell explains success in terms of his “10,000 Hour-Rule”. Put plainly, Gladwell’s theory suggests that if you do something over and over again, for more than 10,000 hours to be specific, then you are bound to get good at it. The Beatles did it, so did Bill Gates. I am not ignoring the evidence here, but I believe that it is not limited to it. In order for any individual to engage in the same act over and over again, he or she needs to love their work and the special ingredient for that is passion. So regardless of any hardship and failure, you fill find the will in yourself to move on. It is what gave Steve Jobs his unbreakable and unbendable will to power.
The story of the making of Intern magazine and the personal journey of its creator and editor-in-chief Alec Dudson, represent the perfect blend between the circumstances of the age we live in and the characteristics it imposed on young entrepreneurs. For a year Alec Dudson worked as an unpaid intern at a range of magazines in London’s publishing industry, only to find out that none of them were hiring him. Bothered by the culture that supported the longevity of unpaid young creatives, but humbled by the experience and in acknowledgement of it’s worth, Dudson set out to create his own magazine. Raising money through the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, Intern magazine’s first issue went on sale in October 2013. As a publication that aims to empower interns, not only did Dudson draw upon his own personal experience, but has also given a voice to a fragment of society that was unheard of. He matched his will power and vision with the internet’s abundance. The future is built and described by young entrepreneurs. How have you contributed to society today?
* Alexandra is the editor-in-chief of NeitherNor Magazine. An online weekly digest of Turkish current affairs and culture.
Email: adc@neithernormag.com. Web: www.neithernormag.com
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Turkish Canadian Chamber of Commerce Group Home & Auto Insurance Program By Giorgio Buttironi
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Canadian Company Buying Anthony Forest Products for $93.5M Anthony Forest Products ranked No. 67 on Arkansas Business’ most recent list of the state’s largest private companies. By Gwen Moritz Anthony Forest Products Co. of El Dorado, one of the largest private companies in Arkansas, is being sold to publicly traded Canfor Corp. of Vancouver for $93.5 million.The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter.
Canfor is buying five manufacturing facilities — two in El Dorado and one each in Georgia, Texas and Louisiana — and Anthony’s half-interest in an I-joist plant in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Anthony will retain its management, sales and manufacturing employees, but will become part of Canfor’s Southern forest products business. Canfor has been a supplier for Anthony’s glued laminated timber plants for more than 10 years, according to the news release.
Anthony Forest Products ranked No. 67 on Arkansas Business’ most recent list of the state’s largest private companies with self-reported revenue of $123.25 million in the fiscal year that ended in April 2014. The company has 277 employees, 208 of which are in Arkansas. “We are proud to add Anthony Forest Products Company to our family of Canfor Operations In a news release announcing the deal, the companies in the U.S. South,” Canfor President and CEO put Anthony Forest Products’s trailing 12-month Don Kayne said in the release. “Anthony Forest EBITDA through August at about $16 million; Products has a reputation for high quality products EBITDA for its most recent fiscal year ended April and excellent customer service, and with facilities located in abundant and high quality fiber supply 30 was about $19 million. areas in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Georgia, this “We are truly excited about this partnership with partnership adds exceptional value to our growing Canfor, a progressive leader in our industry. It US South presence.” is a good and comfortable fit,” Aubra Anthony, president and CEO of Anthony Forest Products, Raymond James acted Anthony Forest Products’ said in the news release. financial adviser in the deal.
Aubra Anthony, president and CEO of Anthony Forest Products
Anthony Forest Products is not affiliated with Anthony Timberlands of Bearden, also one of the state’s largest private companies.
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Politics
The Unity of Water By Mikhail S. Gorbachev / Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1985-1991)
in the twentieth century it grew at twice the rate. As a result, several UN agencies forecast that, by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in regions stricken with absolute water scarcity, implying a lack of access to adequate quantities for human and environmental uses. Moreover, two-thirds of the The fact that it took almost 50 years to draft and world’s population will face water-stress conditions, finally achieve the necessary ratification threshold meaning a scarcity of renewable freshwater. demonstrates that something is very wrong with the modern system of multilateralism. Regardless of Without resolute counter-measures, demand for water longstanding disagreements over how cross-border will overstretch many societies’ adaptive capacities. freshwater resources should be allocated and managed, This could result in massive migration, economic and understandable preferences by governments stagnation, destabilization, and violence, posing a and water professionals to rely on basin agreements new threat to national and international security. rather than on international legal instruments, that half-century wait can be explained only by a lack The UN Watercourses Convention must not become of political leadership. So, though the world may just another ignored international agreement, filed celebrate the convention’s long-awaited adoption, away in a drawer. The stakes are too high. In today’s we cannot rest on our laurels. context of climate change, rising demand, population growth, increasing pollution, and overexploited Roughly 60% of all freshwater runs within cross- resources, everything must be done to consolidate the border basins; only an estimated 40% of those legal framework for managing the world’s watersheds. basins, however, are governed by some sort of basin Our environmental security, economic development, agreement. In an increasingly water-stressed world, and political stability directly depend on it. shared water resources are becoming an instrument of power, fostering competition within and between The convention will soon apply to all of the crosscountries. The struggle for water is heightening border rivers of its signatories’ territories, not just political tensions and exacerbating impacts on the biggest basins. It will complement the gaps and ecosystems. shortcomings of existing agreements and provide legal coverage to the numerous cross-border rivers But the really bad news is that water consump- that are under increasing pressure. tion is growing faster than population – indeed, Worldwide, there are 276 cross-border freshwater In May, Vietnam became the 35th and decisive signatory of the 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses. As a result, 90 days later, on August 17, the convention will enter into force.
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basins and about as many cross-border aquifers. Backed by adequate financing, political will, and the engagement of stakeholders, the convention can help address the water challenges that we are all facing. But will it? An ambitious agenda should be adopted now, at a time when the international community is negotiating the contents of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the successor to the UN Millennium Development Goals, which will expire in 2015. We at Green Cross hope that the new goals, which are to be achieved by 2030, will include a stand-alone target that addresses water-resources management. Moreover, the international community will soon have to agree on a climate-change framework to replace the Kyoto Protocol. Climate change directly affects the hydrological cycle, which means that all of the efforts that are undertaken to contain greenhouse-gas emissions will help to stabilize rainfall patterns and mitigate the extreme water events that so many regions are already experiencing. But the UN Watercourses Convention’s entry into force raises as many new questions as existed in the period before its ratification. What will its implementation mean in practice? How will countries apply its mandates within their borders and in relation to riparian neighbors? How will the American and Asian countries that have largely ignored ratification respond?
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Furthermore, how will the convention relate to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, which is already in force in most European and Central Asian countries and, since February 2013, has aimed to open its membership to the rest of the world? Similarly, how will the convention’s implementation affect existing regional and local cross-border freshwater agreements? The countries that ratified the UN Watercourses Convention are expected to engage in its implementation and to go further in their efforts to protect and sustainably use their cross-border waters. What instruments, including financial, will the convention provide to them? Several legal instruments can be implemented jointly and synergistically: the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to name just a few. The UN Watercourses Convention’s long-delayed enactment should be viewed as an opportunity for signatory states to encourage those that are not yet party to cooperative agreements to work seriously on these issues. Clearly, politicians and diplomats alone cannot respond effectively to the challenges that the world faces. What the world needs is the engagement of political, business, and civil-society leaders; effective implementation of the UN Watercourses Convention is impossible without it. This is too often overlooked, but it constitutes the key to the long-term success of cooperation that generates benefits for all. Inclusive participation by stakeholders (including the affected communities), and the development of the capacity to identify, value, and share the benefits of cross-border water resources, should be an integral part of any strategy to achieve effective multilateral collaboration. Formerly published on project-syndicate.org
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Second Road Map: “Graduation and Beyond” The event aimed strengthen the social, educational and business ties between young graduates, leading professionals, and experts to create meaningful networks. Turkish Canadian Chamber of Commerce in partnership with ABC Association held its second Road Map: “Graduation and Beyond”, a program, meant to bring together young professionals and industry leaders for a special opportunity to learn, engage and communicate on issues of professional and personal development. This event aimed strengthen the social, educational and business ties between young graduates, leading professionals, and experts to create meaningful networks. Professionals spoke about pursuing professional development and success, in an effort to empower our participants, and also taught them important leadership and networking skills necessary for building a successful career. Theme for Road Map 2015 was “Graduation and Beyond” and it designed to target the business and educational needs of young aspiring graduates and young professionals, including firms and businesses looking for diverse skills and talents to join their workforce. This event provided opportunities to learn more about career transition and to participate in educational and social activities locally and internationally. In the previous years, the Road Map Leadership Conference has been held in U.S. Guest speakers have attended from both Europe and the United States. This group of individuals included diplomats, parliamentarians, legislators, businesspersons, and influential global leaders. Canada hosted the “Road Map” for the second year and approximately 250 guests attended, including 30 businessmen from Turkey.
Canada hosted the “Road Map” for the second year.
Enes Kula & Alyson Soko
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Press freedom issues in Turkey increasing exponentially Hours before the leaders of the world's major economies gathered for the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in the Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya on Sunday, Turkey saw the screens of 14 TV channels go black, as well as the silencing of several radio channels that operate under the Samanyolu Broadcasting Group, the latest in a string of government-backed measures to crack down on critical media in the country, drawing widespread anger and condemnation as an explicit act of censorship and yet another blow to the deteriorating freedom of the press in Turkey. Politically motivated crackdown also came two days after the completion of the G-20 summit hosted by Turkey. Trustees were appointed to run Kaynak Holding, a group that consists of 23 companies, including the country's largest publishing house. The decision comes less than a month after the seizure of Koza Holding, one of the country's largest publicly listed conglomerates. Politically motivated crackdown also came two days after the completion of the G-20 summit hosted by Turkey. Kaynak's offices were raided by police in September as part of a government-led media crackdown. Kaynak Holding owns the largest publishing house in Turkey, Kaynak Publishing House, and the NT Mağazaları nationwide bookstore chain among a total of 100 publishing brands and employs more than 8,000 people. A significant share of Kaynak Publishing House's publications is on interfaith and intercultural studies and it is also the publisher of a popular series of exam preparation books. Kaynak Holding's bimonthly Hira Arabic magazine is published in Turkey, Egypt and Morocco and has a circulation of over 90,000. Kaynak's textbook publisher subsidiary Zambak earlier partnered with Cambridge University Press for marketing English textbooks abroad. The İstanbul 10th Criminal Court of Peace ordered the appointment of trustees to take over the management of the holding in a controversial move. The court has been criticized for abusing its privileged power to engineer a botched legal pretext to confiscate one of Turkey's most successful conglomerates. The courts of peace were designed and established in 2014 by then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
A press freedom report has shown that doing journalism in Turkey has become more difficult over the past year as more and more journalists face legal action, are losing their jobs and are even being sent to jail due to their writings or views.
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Politics
Riot police deployed outside a Kaynak Holding subsidiary after a decision to appoint a board of trustees to take over the management of Kaynak Holding on Nov. 18
Erdoğan's government to pursue its critics and opponents by orchestrating what many have said are sham trials in politically motivated cases. Seventeen more employees were fired recently by the trustees at Kaynak Holding, signaling the start of a possible purging policy resembling that pursued at İpek Koza Holding. Turkish media have reported that pro-government individuals from AK Party youth branches have been hired by the trustees. The reports also state that the security guards working at the Kaynak Holding headquarters were replaced by new ones who are closely affiliated with the AK Party. The trustees fired nine people from the Bugün daily on Wednesday, adding to the dozens of others who have already been dismissed after the seizure. The fired journalists received a document sent by the panel of trustees saying that they had been fired because of their disrespectful behavior toward the trustees. Twenty-two companies under Koza İpek Holding have been under administrative receivership since late last month, when an Ankara court ruled that Koza was suspected of financing terrorism.
Police forcibly cut broadcast of Bugün TV and Kanaltürk after seizure of Koza İpek. All trustees appointed to Koza İpek Holding are pro-AK Party
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A controversial court that has been accused of links to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) decided to place the country's largest publisher along with a number of its subsidiaries in receivership, a ruling that comes as part of a series of crackdowns on government critics.
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Cumhuriyet Editor-in-Chief Can Dündar (R) and Ankara representative Erdem Gül (L) speak to reporters in front of İstanbul Courthouse before being arrested. (Photo: AP)
Turkey is fifth on the list of the world's leading jailers of journalists in a new annual report published by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), ranked after China, Egypt, Iran and Eritrea.' The decision has been widely criticized as the latest example of public pressure imposed by the government on dissident voices and business owners. The broadcast of the TV stations, which are known for their critical stance toward the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, were halted by Türksat because of a “legal obligation” to an order from a prosecutor's office, based on the suspicion that the channels support a terrorist organization. Media have reported that the prosecutor's demand came as part of an investigation into media outlets inspired by the faith-based Gülen movement also known as Hizmet. The TV and radio stations removed are: Samanyolu TV Europe, Mehtap TV, Samanyolu Haber, Yumurcak TV, MC TV, Dünya TV, Tuna Shopping TV, Irmak TV, Samanyolu TV Turkey, MC EU, Ebru TV, Samanyolu Africa, Samanyolu Haber Radio, Burç FM, Radyo Mehtap, Dünya Radyo, Radyo Berfin, Radyo Cihan. Türksat dropped these media outlets despite having signed an agreement with Samanyolu Broadcasting Group that necessitated service being provided until 2024. (Todays’ Zaman )
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Turkey Journalism and political crises in the global Media
The End of the Turkish Model Erdogan’s moderate Islamist AKP party promised reform and growth but has turned instead to consolidating power.
Turkey criticised over media freedoms and judicial independence in EU report Verdict on country’s candidacy to join bloc highlights fears over ‘rule of law and fundamental rights’ under newly re-elected Erdoğan.
Turkish Journalists Report Police Raid on Their Own Offices Reporters in Istanbul covered a police raid on their own offices on Wednesday, as the Turkish government seized control of two television stations and a newspaper group critical of the governing party just four days before national elections.
CPJ condemns Turkish raids, takeover of critical Koza İpek news outlets Istanbul, October 28, 2015--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns this week's raids on several pro-opposition media outlets belonging to the Koza İpek Group. Police broke into the company's building in Istanbul today and shut down live television broadcasts, two days after a Turkish court ordered the trustees of the privately owned company to be replaced, according to reports. 23
Business
Social policy challenges of Asia's aging populations By John West / Executive Director Asian Century Institute
It's not so long ago that the social policy challenges of aging populations were a non-issue in much of Asia. For one thing, life expectancy was much lower than it is today, and senior citizens made up a very much smaller share of the population. And only back in 1990, some two-thirds of Asians lived in rural communities, where extended families typically supported their elders. Today, only one-half of Asians live in rural areas, and this figure is rapidly declining as people move to cities in search of more opportunities. As urbanization proceeds, traditional families and communities are breaking down, and being replaced by the nuclear family. While urban migrants send financial remittances to their families in rural areas, over time the Confucian sense of family responsibility is fading, as lifestyles become more individualistic and westernized. And as fertility rates decline, and family sizes become smaller, supporting one's family can be an enormous burden, especially if you come from a one-child family. The Chinese government has responded with a law which requires adult children to visit and care for their aging parents. All Asian governments are now faced with the responsibility of providing at least some social security, in the form of pensions and health care, to their senior citizens. As poverty declines and prosperity grows, senior citizens have growing expectations. As education and access to information improves, governments must also take into account public opinion, and govern on the basis of a social contract, even in the case of authoritarian regimes which are scared of social instability. All this means responding to the expectations of senior citizens for a better slice of the rapidly growing economic pie. So all Asian countries are in the midst of establishing systems of social security which can provide government-financed pensions and health care. This is a challenging enterprise, as it involves a much greater role of the state than in the past. Revenues must be raised to finance such social security. Systems must be designed which are fiscally sustainable, and which are fair and equitable.
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Despite the very rapid progress made, social security systems are still very underdeveloped in Asia, and play a much a smaller role than in advanced Western countries.
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Despite the very rapid progress made, social security systems are still very underdeveloped in Asia, and play a much a smaller role than in advanced Western countries. For example, China has been quick to develop public pension systems, but these mainly apply to urban rather than rural residents. And in the hyper-wealthy Hong Kong and Singapore, public pensions are virtually non-existent. Asian countries have many lessons to draw on from the experience of other countries, especially in Europe and the US. But closer to home the examples of Korea and Japan, two of Asia's most advanced countries, highlight some of the potential pitfalls. Despite its very rapid economic development, Korea has been very slow to develop adequate social security systems for its senior citizens, with the result that one-half of Korea's senior citizens now live in poverty, and most tragically, suicide is on the rise for this cohort who played a key role in the construction of the Korean economic miracle. And while the benefits offered by Japan's social security system are not particularly generous, their very strong growth, together with stagnant public revenue growth, has driven Japan's national government debt to world record levels. But the political power of Japan's senior citizens make reform very difficult to achieve. Each Asian country will need to develop their own social security systems for their senior citizens in their own historical, political and social contexts. But it will be critical for all to develop systems that are fiscally sustainable, well-targeted, and fair and equitable. The experience of Europe, the US, and the Asian cases of Korea and Japan show that this is a very great challenge indeed.
Each Asian country will need to develop their own social security systems for their senior citizens in their own historical, political and social contexts.
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Country Profile
Azerbaijan: Vibrant Country of the Caucasus Bilateral business ties between Azerbaijan and Canada have intensified considerably over recent years, but a large potential still remains to be realized. If a transition period is one of the most painful time-spans for a developing economy, Azerbaijani policymakers and people know it much better than other societies. The collapse of the Soviet Union was not only a huge fortune for this nation, but also it was a tremendous gain in terms of economic welfare. The latter has two directions. Firstly, the Soviet Union possessed outdated technology which was not sophisticated enough to allow the Big Brother to take all the oil from the relatively unfavorable geographical environment, which mainly exists on the Caspian Sea. The primary extraction plants of the Union were on the onshore fields. The demise of the seventy-year-old regime allowed Azerbaijan to extract its own natural resources. Secondly, even though there was a strong petro-chemical industry in Azerbaijan, while it was the member of the communist club, in terms of a settled manufacturing base, Azerbaijan almost inherited nothing from the Union. Furthermore, highways, heating systems, water supply facilities, and many other public utilities were required to be renewed. Extremely underdeveloped technology and low capacity utilization rates made all the plants non-viable in the new world, in which Azerbaijan was to exist as an independent state. In an exclusive interview with BN magazine, Charge d' Affaires of the Embassy of Azerbaijan to Canada, Ramil Huseynli has called on Canada to develop bilateral relations on both an economic and political
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level with Azerbaijan, saying that the two countries have common interests and mutual respect in line with their strategic partnership. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Canada how is this relationship developing today? After regaining its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan started to pursue a multifaceted foreign policy aimed at establishing relations of friendship and cooperation with all countries based on principles of mutual respect and equality. Given Canada’s middle-power status and its key position in international organizations, it was only logical that Azerbaijan had a special interest in building up relations with this country. The current relations between Azerbaijan and Canada can be described as friendly and gradually evolving. However, it is worth mentioning that Canada is not actively involved in the geopolitical processes going on in the South Caucasus. Rare bilateral visits could be explained by this factor. The CanadaAzerbaijan Inter-Parliamentary group has been was established in Canada’s Parliament in 2006. Since then, a number of bilateral visits have taken place. The most recent one took place in April 2013 when a Canadian parliamentary delegation led by Mr.
Charge d' Affaires of the Embassy of Azerbaijan to Canada, Ramil Huseynli
businessnetworkmag.com Barry Devolin, Chair of the Canada-Azerbaijan Inter-Parliamentary friendship group visited Baku. The delegation was received by President Ilham Aliyev and held meetings with a number of other high-level officials. According to official statistics, bilateral trade between Azerbaijan and Canada increased from $20 million in 2004 to around $1 billion in 2008. Last year trade reached $500 million, whereas Canadian imports were $473 million and exports $35 million. Our primary trade consists of Azerbaijani crude oil exports to Canada. From Canada, Azerbaijan is importing machinery and mechanical appliances, electrical equipment and miscellaneous manufactured articles. In this connection, our primary task is to promote bilateral cooperation in the non-oil sector and to diversify the structure of trade turnover. What was the highlight of your partnership with Canada? The following economic developments are highlights which deserve special attention: 1) In 2013 Bombardier Transport, a company in the vanguard of the Canadian economy, won a major signalling order from Azerbaijan Railways. In line with the contract worth more than $200 million Bombardier would deliver its signalling solutions on the international Baku-Kars transport corridor connecting Asia and Europe. 2) On October 20, 2015, Space Systems/Loral (SSL), a subsidiary of MDA Corporation of Canada, was selected to provide a communications satellite to Azercosmos, the national satellite operator of Azerbaijan. 3) On October 28, 2015, Zenith Energy, Calgary base Canadian energy company, received approval for on-shore oil production in Azerbaijan. What is the significance of the concluded agreements with Canada? Unfortunately, bilateral legal framework between Canada and Azerbaijan is scarce. I could only cite the agreement on abrogation of double taxation signed back in 2004 as an ingredient part of this framework. This scarcity in fact reflects the non-
intensive character of relations between the two Azerbaijan to utilize Canada’s rich expertise in the countries. agricultural field. It is worth mentioning that the expansion of the legal framework follows the pattern of development of bilateral relations. As such, seeing more and more Canadian companies’ business undertakings in Azerbaijan, and vice versa, we are confident that the legal framework will soon receive a boost by one or two intergovernmental agreements. In this light, ongoing negotiations between Canada and Azerbaijan aimed at concluding Investments Protection and Promotion Agreement deserves special mentioning.
In the meantime, Azerbaijan has an interest in Canada’s bank sphere and other areas related to this sector (crediting etc.). For example, a delegation of the Azerbaijan Mortgage Fund visited Canada in 2010 with a view of getting acquainted with Canada’s expertise in mortgage crediting.
Our Embassy pays special attention to the development of cooperation with Canada in the non-oil sector. Our observations show that promising fields in bilateral economic relations are agriculture, information and communication technologies, alternative energy resources, construction, biotechnology and tourism. It would be particularly beneficial for
Moreover, according to our observations, great opportunities exist for exporting Azerbaijani products, especially food industry products (fruit juices, olive oil etc) to Canada.
Furthermore, there is a great potential for cooperation in the construction and tourism fields and Canadian companies are interested in cooperation in these areas. Currently, Canadian experts take part in the construction of several tourism and sport facilities Are you optimistic about future business partner- in Azerbaijan. Fairmont Baku is an example of a completed project in this regard. ship between Azerbaijan and Canada?
In general, I am optimistic about the future of economic relations between Azerbaijan and Canada.
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Politics
Canadian PM welcomes 1st batch of Syria refugees After months of promises and weeks of preparation, the first Canadian government planeload of Syrian refugees landed in Toronto, aboard a military aircraft met by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The plane carrying 163 Syrian refugees touched down in Toronto just before midnight on Thursday and will be followed by a second military airlift to Montreal on Saturday. Trudeau has said 10,000 will be resettled by the end of the year and a further 15,000 by the end of February. A video posted on YouTube shows a choir of dozens of Canadian students singing a song in Arabic that was sung to Prophet Muhammad when he sought refugee from Mecca to in Medina. The day after the refugees’ arrival, a video of a choir singing one of the oldest songs in the Islamic culture, Tala’ al Badru ‘Alayna, for Syrian refugees surfaced on YouTube, promoting warm messages from social media and YouTube users. “Best thing i saw in YouTube today. To see a country, a government, a children who are human than all the other countries combined… The idea to sing a classic Islamic Song to say welcome is genuinely amazing,” one YouTube user said. “I am an Arab, this video made me cry. I haven't cried like that in really long. Thank you Canada. Beautiful people,” posted another user. I hate our Arab governments even more now. But Thank you.
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Syrian refugees are greeted by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) on their arrival from Beirut at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, on Thursday night. (Photo: Reuters)
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TCCC Network
TCCC connects Turkey and Canada The Turkish Canadian Chamber Of Commerce (TCCC) is organizing a group trip to Turkey to help Canadian businessmen and bureaucrats discuss joint investment opportunities and to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information between the two countries. The 8 day trip, which will take place in June promises to be a success once again. Apart from business, the trip includes sight seeing tours of Istanbul and neighboring regions.
TCCC Businesswomen Platform The TCCC Businesswomen Platform is celebrating its first year and promises to be even more active this year. The celebration to commemorate the first year of the TCCC Businesswomen Platform took place at the TCCC offices in downtown Toronto. The program included discussants on issues that are important to women in the business world and served as an organizational platform for next year's seminars and business trips.
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Philippine-Turkish Business Reception Brainstorming was the focus in the 2nd Philippine Chamber of Commerce. Joint business and networking reception of the Turkish and Philippine Chambers of Commerce was held at the Turkish Chamber's office in Toronto. Steve Pagao, President of the Philippine Chamber and the leaders of the Philippine business community took part in the event. The next of these receptions will be hosted by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce.
TCCC-Business Networking Event in Edmonton TCCC organized its first business-networking event in Edmonton. The events theme was Connecting Businesses with the World. The attendees included Member of Parliament Brent Rathgeber, Member of Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and academics from University of Alberta, business owners and entrepreneurs from various backgrounds. The event started with a welcoming speech by Mr. Burak Koban, President of TCCC in Edmonton. Following his speech MP Brent Rathgeber gave his remark on opportunities that are available for entrepreneurs both local and international in Alberta. Steve Young, Board Member of TCCC Edmonton was also in attendance at this event. He shared his study tour experience in Turkiye and encouraged people to explore what is available in Turkiye.
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Art The & Title Lifestyle
Indeed the Egoista, as the vehicle has been christened, is a car forged from a passion for innovation and alternative solutions, the same passion that has always set the Lamborghini brand apart. “This is a car made for one person only, to allow them to have fun and express their personality to the maximum. It is designed purely for hyper-sophisticated people who want only the most extreme and special things in the world. It represents hedonism taken to the extreme, it is a car without compromises, in a word: egoista (selfish),� Volkswagen CEO De Silva explained. Concept and technology
Powered by a 5.2-liter V10 engine supplying it with 600 horsepower, the Lamborghini Egoista is an
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intentionally extreme and unusual vehicle with absolutely unique characteristics, created by the Volkswagen Group design team – Alessandro Dambrosio responsible for the exterior and Stefan Sielaff for the interior, in particular. De Silva's team chose to create a single-seater, pushing all the characteristics in Lamborghini's make-up meaning pure driving pleasure, performance and style beyond their limits. The cockpit, designed like a tailor-made suit for the driver, is a removable section, which once combined with the rest of the vehicle, creates a perfect technical, mechanical and aerodynamic unit. Inspiration, as per Lamborghini tradition, once again comes from the world of aviation,
and in particular the Apache helicopter, where the cockpit can be ejected in an emergency. “The cockpit, made completely of carbon fiber and aluminum, represents a sort of survival cell, allowing the driver to isolate and protect themselves from external elements,” De Silva explained. “We kept an eye on the future when designing the integrated into a road vehicle, to provide a different travel option.” Egoista, with the idea that its cockpit could have been taken from a jet aircraft and the upper part of the vehicle does not have aerodynamic appendages, but rather flaps integrated in the bodywork profile,
which act automatically depending on the driving conditions. Two rear flaps activate automatically at high speeds to increase stability, while a series of air intakes on the back of the engine hood provides the cooling air flow to the powerful V10 power plant. While the front of the vehicle has a profile intended to increase down-force, the rear is fully open with the mechanics in view, reducing weight but also with the result of creating a more aggressive look. The parallels with the world of aeronautics do not end here, however, as the body is made from a special antiradar material, and the glass is anti-glare with an orange gradation. The rims are also made from antiradar material, flat and rough, embellished with carbonfiber plates to improve their aerodynamics.
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The & Title Art Lifestyle
“Noah’s Pudding”, Symbol of Multi-Culturalism Celebrating Diversity & Neighborliness in our community.
One of Turkey's famous deserts, Asure or Noah's Pudding, is a symbol of multi-culturalism. Turkish NGOs are organizing 'Noah's Pudding Days' with representatives of other religions and cultures and consequently introducing Noah's Pudding to Canadians and giving the message of tolerance and multi-culturalism. "The unique desert, which is made up of such opposing tastes, is not only delicious, but also a historical tradition and a perfect recipe for a harmonious society," according to a brochure advertising Noah's Pudding at the Intercultural Dialogue Institute in Canada. Noah's Puddings were served in the meeting and speeches were given in favor of tolerance and peace were given. Ahmet Tamirci, National Director of Intercultural Dialogue Institute pointed out that an almost impossible synthesis was born out of Noah's Pudding, which is a very heterogeneous mixture and said that North America , a multi-cultural continent, will love this desert that reconciles differences. Tamirci noted that this feature of Noah's Pudding should be counted as example in social politics as well.
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In Hamilton Turkish Community celebrated Noah’s Pudding at the Police Division.
Serhat’s Recipe of Noah’s Pudding Ingredients (makes 30 servings): - 1 cup wheat 1 cup white beans - 1 cup garbanzo beans - 1 cup raisins - 1 cup almonds - 3/4 cup peanuts - 12 dried apricots - 5 1/2 cups sugar - Water (enough to cover) - Topping: walnuts, cinnamon Preparation: 1. Soak wheat, white beans, garbanzo beans and almonds in water overnight. 2. Boil the above ingredients, remove the outer shell or skin. 3. Soak the raisins in boiling water until they soften. 4. Put all the ingredients above (steps 1-3) in a large pot and boil. Add peanuts and almonds (peeled and cut in half ) at this point. 5. Chop the apricot into small pieces, add to mixture along with sugar. 6. Boil for 10-15 minutes. 7. Enjoy your pudding!
Serhat GUL
*These are the ingredients we chose. Feel free to experiment with other grain, fruits and nuts. Pomegranate, sesame seeds and orange peel are recommended
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