Turkey to build up assistance to Gagauzia

Interview with Mr. Necdet Ertugrul, Chairman of the Society for Gagauz-Turkish Friendship

– What is the sphere of the activities of the Society you head?

– The Society was established in 1995, and all these years we have worked on a widest spectrum of questions, perhaps with the exception of political issues, which are the prerogative of the official authorities of Gagauz Yeri and Turkey. As for us, we focus on social, economic and cultural spheres. One of the earliest projects organized by the Society jointly with the Gagauzia Executive Committee [government] was the program of education of the Gagauzia youth at Turkish higher educational institutions. By now, several hundred young people from Gagauzia have already received education in Turkey.

We make much effort to find investors for Gagauzia. For example, the largest sewing enterprise working in the autonomous region, Asena Textile, is an entity with 100% Turkish capital. It employs nearly 2 thousand people. The coming of the investor became possible largely thank to the Society.

About a month ago we organized a visit to Comrat [Gagauzia’s administrative center] for a group of Turkish people of business to let them see on site the economic possibilities and investment climate of the autonomous region.

We have organized many trips of Gagauzian folklore companies to various music festivals held in Turkey. In August 2007, we will hold Days of the Gagauzia Culture in Turkey. The event will gather music companies from Turkic countries and Gagauz Yeri.

– Turkey has rendered much assistance to Gagauzia, but that assistance was not always used honestly and scrupulously. May this circumstance influence your country’s participation in various projects under the new government in the autonomous region?

– I know that the recently elected new Bashkan [governor] of Gagauz Yeri, Mikhail Formuzal, has set up an ad hoc commission to investigate into certain sensitive circumstances related to utilization of the humanitarian assistance provided by Turkey. However, for our Society, like for the Government of Turkey as well, a permanent interest is in rendering help to the people of Gagauzia. Therefore, the Turkish assistance to realization of various projects in Gagauzia shall be continued. Besides, the Turkish political elite is of a high opinion about the autonomy’s new administration. Mr. Formuzal’s desire to create a transparent mechanism of Turkish assistance distribution is indicative of Bashkan’s being a reliable partner for cooperation, with whom we can conduct an open and efficient dialog.

– Do you maintain contacts with the residents of Gagauzia working in Turkey?

– Yes. According to data available with us, up to 50 thousand gastarbeiters from Moldova stay constantly in the territory of Turkey, and most of them are from Gagauzia. I should say, we maintain contacts with all nationals of Moldova, making no difference between Gagauzes and ethnic Moldovans. We try to do what we can to help them stay in Turkey in a position comfortable from the legal viewpoint. In particular, we tackle questions of paying various fines imposed due to the absence of registration, at deportation, and so forth. We would like Moldovans to have jobs at home, not in Turkey. That’s why one of the objectives of our rendering assistance to Gagauzia is to help create jobs there, so that Gagauzes need not go abroad.

– Bashkan Mikhail Formuzal has announced the creation of a Grain Reserve. But this is going to be a hardly realizable task without a backing by the international community, in particular by Turkey. Can Gagauzia count on Turkey’s help in this question?

– After the parliamentary elections in the second half of July, a new Government will be formed in Turkey. I guess we need to wait a little bit until the new Cabinet starts working. I am sure we will begin tackling this question, too, closer to this upcoming autumn.

– Do you work directly with the Turkish Government?

– We collaborate closely with the Turkish International Cooperation Administration (TICA) – a structural subdivision of the Turkish Prime Minister’s Office. A majority of the projects implemented by our Society received TICA’s support and promotion.

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