Improving Bilateral Ties Top Priority: Gul
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SUBSCRIPTION MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014 JAMADA ALAWWAL 30, 1435 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Assembly panel Rio police Recession Hamilton leads demands tough storm vast no laughing Mercedes action against favela in dawn matter for to big win homosexuality2 operation7 clown40 industry in18 Malaysia Improving bilateral Max 26º Min 16º ties top priority: Gul High Tide 00:03 & 12:22 Turkish president meets Kuwaiti media delegation Low Tide 06:29 & 18:48 40 PAGES NO: 16121 150 FILS By Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan Kuwait Times Editor-in-Chief ANKARA: Improving bilateral relations with Kuwait is a top priority for Turkey where the Gulf state has a special place in the Turkish people’s hearts. This was stated by Turkish President Abdullah Gul during a recent meeting with edi- tors-in-chief of Kuwaiti newspapers who visited Turkey ahead of Gul’s official visit to Kuwait tomorrow. “Boosting cooperation with Gulf Cooperation Council states in gener- al and Kuwait in specific has been an issue of key impor- tance since the beginning of my political career,” Gul told the Kuwaiti delegation. “Turkey’s relationship with GCC states is important for both sides.” Gul focused during his time as foreign minister on strengthening ties with GCC states, which later resulted in signing a framework agreement of strategic cooperation between the two sides, he said. “Cooperation with Kuwait under this agreement is a top priority for Turkey,” Gul indi- cated. In the meantime, President Gul said that he looks for- ward to his scheduled visit to Kuwait, the third since he became president in 2007, saying that it is an opportunity to “discuss the future of bilateral relations between Turkey and Kuwait in light of the rapid changes in the region and the world.” The visit will also be an opportunity to discuss the latest regional developments with HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Gul said. “The region is going through a critical period which requires coordination and consultation between Turkey and Kuwait,” Gul indicat- ANKARA: (From left) Editor-in-Chief of Al-Rai Majed Al-Ali, Kuwait Journalists Association Treasurer Adnan Al-Rashed, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Anbaa Yousuf Al- ed. In this regard, he acknowledged HH the Amir as “one of Marzouq, Editor-in-Chief of Annahar Emad Bukhamseen, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Turkey Abdullah Al-Thuwaikh, Head of Arab Media the most experienced world leaders on political matters,” Forum Madhi Al-Khamees, Director of Kuwait News Agency’s office in Ankara Mohammad Al-Mutairi, Second Secretary at the Kuwaiti Embassy Tareq Al-Khashram adding that his opinions on those issues are ‘reliable’. and Editor-in-Chief of Kuwait Times Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan pose for a group photo after a meeting. — Photo by Hani Al-Shemmari Continued on Page 3 Govt: Cost of Panel OKs raising children 9 conferences allowance by only KD 15 only KD 40m MP proposes 3-year jail for fighting abroad By B Izzak Rapporteur of the panel MP Mohammad Al- Security. Jabri said the proposal was approved being The lawmaker said that by approving the KUWAIT: A senior government official KUWAIT: The National Assembly’s financial the cheapest of all proposals submitted to the proposal, the committee members have yesterday refuted reports in the press and economic affairs committee yesterday Assembly to raise the children’s allowance. shown they care to fulfill the interests of the and social media over the cost of host- approved a proposal to raise the children’s Jabri said the annual cost of the proposal is people and to safeguard public funds at the ing the March 25-26 Arab Summit and allowance by KD 15 to KD 65 monthly for a just KD 83 million without including the cost same time. other earlier meetings, saying actual maximum of seven children per family. of transfers to the Public Institution for Social Continued on Page 13 spending was around KD 40 million ($142.5 million). “All information pub- lished about this issue are inaccurate,” Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al- No expatriate Mubarak Al-Sabah, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Higher Coordination Committee of hajj pilgrims Conferences, told KUNA. Kuwait, under patronage of HH the Sheikh Mohammad from Kuwait Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber nessed three Arab League meetings. The Al-Sabah, has hosted nine conferences first was of the Economic and Social By A Saleh since November, he said. The Arab- Council, the second of the Arab foreign African Economic Forum, the Arab- ministers and then the Arab Summit, KUWAIT: During a recent meeting between the Africa Summit and the GCC ministerial which was held last week. “The costs of Kuwaiti hajj mission and the Saudi hajj ministry, meeting which featured participation of these conferences did not even reach both sides agreed that expatriates will not be Yemen, Jordan and Morocco were held the reported figures. The total spend- allowed to go for hajj from Kuwait and that they in Nov 2013. The Gulf Cooperation ing...was KD 39.7 million,” which included would have to go from their own respective coun- Council (GCC) Summit was held in Dec equipment, furniture, accommodation tries. Both sides also agreed to limit the maximum 2013, he said. Kuwait also hosted the and transportation among others, said number of expatriate workers with each convoy to 2nd international donors’ conference for Sheikh Mohammad. These expenses only four. In addition, both sides agreed that the the Syrian people on Jan 15. The GCC- were approved by the Audit Bureau, the maximum number of pilgrims to be received from Russia Strategic Dialogue was held in Central Tenders Committee, the Legal Kuwait for the next hajj season would be limited to the same month. and Legislation Department and the 6,400 and that all illegal convoys and ads for cheap Sheikh Mohammad said March wit- Ministry of Finance, he said. — KUNA services would be tracked in both countries. ISTANBUL: Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan casts his ballot Egypt presidential election May 26-27 at a polling station yesterday. — AFP CAIRO: Egypt is to hold a presiden- The commission said registration Erdogan’s party takes tial election on May 26-27, 10 of candidates would open today and months after the army ousted run until April 20, and campaigning strong lead in election Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi from from May 3-23. The announcement of the presidency, the electoral com- the dates by electoral chief Ashraf al- ANKARA: Turkish Premier Recep CNN-Turk said the AKP looked to mission announced yesterday. Asy came after Sisi resigned as Tayyip Erdogan’s party took a strong have scored around 48 percent of the Retired army chief Abdel Fattah Al- defence minister and army com- early lead in local elections yesterday, votes cast nationwide, based on more Sisi, who toppled Morsi, is widely mander last week to contest the elec- TV channels reported, despite turbu- than 10 percent of the ballots counted, expected to win the vote, riding on a tion, pledging to eradicate “terrorism”. lent months marked by mass protests, and was ahead in megacity Istanbul wave of popularity for having Egypt has been rocked by often vio- corruption scandals and Internet and the capital Ankara. Erdogan has removed the divisive president last lent protests and a spate of militant blocks. If the initial trend holds up, it been eyeing a run for the presidency in July. The election would go into a attacks which have killed almost 500 would considerably brighten the out- August - the first time voters will second round on June 16-17 if there people, mostly policemen and sol- look for Erdogan, who had gone on a directly elect the head of state - or may was no outright winner, but that out- diers, the government says. weeks-long campaign marathon ask his party to change rules and allow come seems unlikely given Sisi’s pop- Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, ahead of the vote widely seen as a ref- him to seek a fourth term as premier. ularity and the absence of serious blacklisted as a “terrorist organisa- erendum on his 11-year-rule. With Despite much criticism at home and contenders. The only other main can- tion”, has said there can be no stabili- over 18 percent of the municipal abroad over what critics have labelled didate is leftwing politician ty under Sisi as president, accusing votes nationwide counted by early his increasingly authoritarian rule, Hamdeen Sabbahi, who came third him of having staged a coup against evening, his Justice and Development Erdogan and his party, have drawn CAIRO: Egyptian judge Anwar Rashad Al-Assi (third left), head of in the 2012 election that Morsi won. Egypt’s first freely elected and civilian Party (AKP) was at almost 50 percent large crowds cheering the man some- the presidential electoral commission, announces the timetable The new president will be president. of the vote, the private NTV television times dubbed “the sultan”. for the upcoming presidential election yesterday. — AFP announced by June 26 at the latest. Continued on Page 13 reported. Continued on Page 13 MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014 LOCAL Panel demands tougher action against gays By A Saleh and agencies agreement was reached during the hous- ing committee’s meeting to allocate a par- KUWAIT: MP Hamdan Al-Azmi announced liamentary session in the current term to that the so-called negative phenomena discuss the housing issue. The meeting committee in the parliament will discuss yesterday focused on financing housing gambling and the spread of illegal games projects, which has been a source of con- in Kuwait, as well as crimes and cases of cern for the government as it struggles to violence associated with domestic helpers.