August 2010

Cameron ‘anger’ at slow pace of Turkish EU negotiations

David Cameron has promised to “fight” for Turkey‘s membership of the European Union, saying he is “angry” at the slow pace of negotiations.

On his first visit as prime minister, he said the country could become a “great European power”, helping build links with the Middle East.

He compared hostility to the membership bid in some parts of the EU with the way the UK’s entry was once regarded.

Mr Cameron was expected to agree a new strategic partnership with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan during his visit.

‘Frustrating progress’

In a speech at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Mr Cameron said he wanted to “pave the road” for Turkey to join the EU, saying the country was “vital for our economy, vital for our security & vital for our diplomacy”.

A European Union without Turkey at its heart was “not stronger but weaker… not more secure but less… not richer but poorer”.

Mr Cameron added: “I’m here to make the case for Turkey’s membership of the EU. & to fight for it.”

At a joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mr Cameron suggested the UK would impose provisional restrictions – as with Bulgarians & Romanians after they joined – on the right of Turkish people to live & work in the UK after it joined the EU.

But the rapid rate of Turkey‘s economic growth would make any restrictions unnecessary in decades to come, he added.

He said: “One of the effects here is that [as] economies grow & become more evolved, the pressure & flow [of people] between countries isn’t so great.”

Referring to former French President General Charles de Gaulle’s efforts to block British membership of the EU in the 1960s, Mr Cameron said in his speech: “We know what it’s like to be shut out of the club. But we also know that these things can change.

“When I think about what Turkey has done to defend Europe as a Nato ally, & what Turkey is doing today in Afghanistan, alongside our European allies, it makes me angry that your progress towards EU membership can be frustrated in the way it has been.

“My view is clear. I believe it is just wrong to say that Turkey can guard the camp but not be allowed to sit in the tent.

“So I will remain your strongest possible advocate for EU membership & greater influence at the top table of European diplomacy.”

Regional role

Mr Cameron said those who opposed EU membership were driven by protectionism, narrow nationalism or prejudice.

“Those who wilfully misunderstand Islam, they see no difference between real Islam & the distorted version of the extremists. They think the problem is Islam itself. And they think the values of Islam can just never be compatible with the values of other religions, societies or cultures.”

He said: “All of these arguments are just plain wrong. And as a new government in Britain, I want us to be at the forefront of an international effort to defeat them.”

While praising Turkey’s secular & democratic traditions, Mr Cameron stressed that Turkey must continue to push forward “aggressively” with economic & political reform to maintain momentum towards EU membership.

He said the country had a “unique influence” in helping to build a stable Afghanistan through political & economic co-operation & fostering understanding between Israel & the Arab world.

Source: BBC

The Ultimate Celebrity Destination: Bodrum The “St-Tropez of Turkey”

Home to The Mausoleum, one of seven wonders of the ancient world, Bodrum has long been recognised as a celebrity hotspot. Nowadays, jet-setting actresses including Nicole Kidman, Uma Thurman and Liz Hurley holiday in Bodrum, but more than two thousand years ago, Cleopatra, Queen of Ancient Egypt, was also known to reside in this charming Mediterranean town.
To this day, the elegant celebrity tradition thrives in Bodrum, with infamous individuals such as Beyonce Knowles selecting it as their ideal holiday destination or investing in the unique property found on the peninsula.
With an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, Bodrum is renowned for its exquisite range of wildlife and natural setting of pine trees and olive groves. However, it also offers an extensive range of leisure activities including water sports, golf and yachting. Hollywood actor Tom Hanks who sojourned in Bodrum for a few days whilst cruising the Turkish coastline on board a magnificent yacht has enjoyed the latter of these pastimes.
Gloriously tranquil fishing villages frame the peninsula, offering the serenity of an unspoiled coastline and an authentic taste of Turkey’s rich cultural history.
Nonetheless, fashionable celebrities have long appreciated the distinguished nightlife presented in Bodrum centre. Whilst living in Bodrum, singer Norah Jones worked at the animated nightclub Hadigari and Dustin Hoffman held an exclusive party at Europe’s largest open-air disco, Halikarnas. The unique nightclub was also home to the very first international beauty pageant, Miss Globe, in 1988.
Many of the celebrity figures that have delighted in visiting Bodrum have stayed at extravagant hotels or have rented or invested in luxury villas within the region. Hannah Gelbart of Cumberland Properties recommends selecting an established and guaranteed property developer who offers top-quality, high-end construction with no expense spared.
So if you can picture yourself lounging by a spectacular infinity pool, shopping in an authentic Turkish market or a luxury boutique and sipping cocktails under the stars at a magnificent bar on the main street of Bodrum, you can see why Turkey has been tipped as a top tourist destination for 2010. Do not delay in experiencing it for yourself.

Yapı Kredı Launch Ex-Pat Banking

Yapi Kredi, a subsidiary bank of Koc Holding, has announced a new “expatriate banking” service aimed at meeting the banking needs of expatriates living in Turkey, Today’s Zaman reports.

According to a statement released yesterday by the bank, the new service will cater to the investment; deposit, insurance, safe deposit box & wire transfer needs of overseas nationals living in property in Turkey.

Executive Vice President of Credit Cards & Consumer Lending Nazan Somer noted that 10 Yapi Kredi branches located in cities with a heavy concentration of expats would have bankers who can manage the portfolios of their expatriate customers.

Somer added that the bank would be focusing on Istanbul, Bursa, Izmir, Ankara, Mugla, Marmaris and Bodrum, where many expatriates live or have made property investment in Turkey.

Source: ANSAmed

Cumberland Rentals

As a gesture of goodwill Cumberland Properties are offering an exclusive 10% early booking discount to readers of this website.
Seaview Regency Prestige is a newly completed project of 13 two storey detached villas and 6 three storey semi-detached villas all of which have 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Set on a gently slopping hill, in a jewel of a bay called Küçükbük – conveniently located just outside Gündoğan town centre. This quiet bay is renowned for its crystal clear sea, traditional gulets, cafés, bars and beachfront restaurants. Gündoğan town is famous for its local fish restaurants and readily accessible amenities including: ATM’s, bakeries, pharmacies and supermarkets.
All villas are open-plan, creating a light and airy ambience, and are thoughtfully laid out in landscaped gardens with private parking. They each have uninterrupted views of the Aegean sea and cascade down to a large pool terrace below with bar, plenty of sun loungers, showers and toilet facilities. The beach is just 5 minutes away.
The villas incorporate a glass brick design feature to provide a cool and welcome retreat from the sun. There is also an interesting use of contrasting textures both in and out, with a combination of aluminium and stone materials used in their construction.
The accommodation comprises: an impressive double height entrance door with wooden doors and a floating modern portico above. From the front door there is a fitted storage area to the left and ahead you can see through the hall and out through glass doors into the garden; on the ground floor to the right there is a guest bathroom and a double bedroom, to the left you enter the spacious kitchen / dining area opening into the living area with double doors to a large private garden. The stairs to the upper floor lead to a balcony and an airy hallway leads to two bedrooms and a family bathroom. The master bedroom is en-suite and has a private balcony with superb sea and garden views. All bedrooms are fitted with wardrobes as standard.

For more information visit: www.cumberland-properties.com

Cumberland Landscaping & Design

Turkey is highly regarded for its flora and fauna and has almost as many species of wild flowers as the rest of Europe combined. With 9000 species already identified, more than one third are native to the country and many are not to be found anywhere else on earth. This gives a rich and diverse selection of natural plant life both to choose from and inspire us.

Being green and eco-friendly is now near the top of everyone’s agenda and it had not gone unnoticed at Cumberland Properties. After constructing and selling property in Turkey for many years we had already implemented measures to use during our building processes to become more environmentally friendly but here is a look at something else we have developed in an effort to build long-term green sustainability.

After the overwhelming success of our in-house nursery we decided to expand our operations and create Cumberland Landscaping & Design. This was not an easy task, as our plans for expansion had outgrown our existing nursery so consequently a search began to locate a site with the perfect growing conditions. A local couple were drawn to our attention both of which had green fingers and handily knew of an area of disused farmland close to their home. We ended up purchasing half an acre (approximately 2000 square metres) and work began, we couldn’t have been happier.

The location couldn’t have been more ideal, as you travel around Turkey the most common landscape you will see is called “Steppe” and is characterised by the diversity of life that it sustains. In the spring especially, the rolling landscape is carpeted in a multicoloured profusion of delicate featured but hardy flowers bringing the county-side to life. Here in the Mediterranean Floral Area the mild climate enables the valleys and lowlands to grow a range of tropical fruit and the Aegean region in particular is known for its olives, grapes and cotton. This is the perfect eco-system for us to cultivate the plants and flowers we need.

Cumberland Landscaping & Design is near a very small village called Sazkoy located in the beautiful green valley of the Mumcular municipality, about 10 miles inland from Bodrum. This area is where most of the peninsulas agricultural farming takes place due to a dam constructed in the late 80’s on the Kocadere River. This feeds into state water channels that run along the valley floor and adjacent to our land providing an excellent system of irrigation in an area where rainwater is scarce.

Development at Cumberland Landscaping & Design began at the end of 2008 bringing in water and electric utilities and the construction of basic facilities. Next we erected two large greenhouses and with the addition of our own small irrigation system they are now home to a variety of plants. Now this site is self-sustaining we will be using it for all our future developments.

Currently at Cumberland Landscaping & Design we have almost 20,000 flowers, shrubs, trees and herbs being grown simultaneously. Palm trees from seeds, basils, daises, cacti, roses and banana trees are the more recognisable names but the majority are local flowers and perennial plants that help us achieve a constant stream of blooms in our gardens.

Our team of gardeners are constantly on the go, maintaining the site is highly labour intensive; plant care requires constant attention, good judgment and manual dexterity. Luckily our local couple have two life times of experience to call upon and an unbounded knowledge of the native flora and fauna of Turkey and, most importantly, specifically the Bodrum peninsula.

Looking to the future, with the recent appointment of Gözde Tavaslı we are looking to her unique talents in both design and horticulture to take Cumberland Landscaping & Design to it’s next level as, in addition to overseeing the sites day to day operations, she will be implementing the extension of our range of services to a wider clientele on a consultancy basis.

So from humble beginnings, whilst exploring various methods of reducing our impact on the local eco-system, Cumberland Properties implemented the idea of establishing our own greenhouse, that in turn developed into a nursery and due – in no uncertain terms – to it’s success, not only in lowering our costs and removing the need to have foliage transported in, but in supplying other developers, today Cumberland Landscaping & Design is a profitable business in its own right, selling plants and flowers and serving the local and wider community.

So Cumberland discovered one of the most instant ways to reduce our own carbon footprint was one of the simplest – just grow some plants.

For more information contact: gozde@cumberlandproperties.net
or visit: www.cumberland-properties.com