VOA常速英语2008年-Turkey Injects Billions in Kurdish Region to Bo

By Dorian Jones
Istanbul
28 March 2008

Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast has been the center of a bloody¹ 20-year conflict between the Turkish state and Kurds fighting for autonomy.  For decades, the region has remained one of the poorest in the country, despite widespread calls for greater economic development.  Earlier this month, the Turkish prime minister announced a commitment to invest in the region. For VOA, Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul on this latest program,
 
Earlier this month, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stood before cheering supporters in the predominantly Kurdish southeastern city of Batman and announced plans for $12 billion of investment in the region.

"Mr. Erdogan said the money will be used to complete dams and irrigation projects, develop organic agriculture and improve roads," he said.  "He promised that in five years the people of the region will realize the benefits of the program and when it is complete, there will be no difference between the east and west of county.
 
The economic development initiative is seen as a central pillar of government policy to bring peace to this region.  Since 1984, the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) have been fighting the Turkish state for autonomy.   And Ankara has been under international pressure from the European Union and the United States to revitalize the region.

During a recent visit to Turkey, U.S. Secretary of Defense² Robert Gates stressed the importance of economic development to undermining the insurgency³.

"It should be clear military action alone will not alone end this terrorist threat, while it is certainly part of the equation there must be simultaneous efforts with non military initiative with economic programs and political outreach," he said.

Not far from where the prime minister unveiled his plan is Diyarbakir, the largest city in the region.

In one of the city's numerous coffee houses businessmen chat about the government's economic development program.  Among them is Ahmet Ocal, head of the local branch of Musiad, one of Turkey's main business confederations. He welcomes the program, but questions whether it will end the long years of economic stagnation⁴ and decline.

In the last 4 years, since I have been in charge he says, four new companies joined our business organization and four have closed.  He says the reality in the region is stagnation and mass unemployment.  He says the latest government initiative is important and infrastructure⁵ development will help.  But, he says, our real problem is lack of private sector⁶ investment.
 
Since the start of the conflict in the early 1980s, there have been 17 economic packages aimed at the revitalizing the region. During that time, the main pillars of the local economy, animal husbandry, agriculture and textiles have collapsed⁷.  Despite billions of dollars being committed to the region.  In Diyarbakir, like other cities in the region, unemployment is estimated by local NGOs to be more than 50 percent.

"If I were the prime minister of Turkey, I would first question why were so many plans decided⁸ upon and the resources dedicated⁹, but still these plans were not implemented," said Retired¹⁰ General Haldun Solmazturk.

He says he has witnessed many of the previous projects while serving in the region during the 1990s.  And he says Prime Minister Erdogan needs to learn from the past.

"It is not a matter of decisions, but the implementation¹¹ of decisions," he added.  "There is a weakness of state, there is a poor governance, there is huge scale corruption¹² throughout turkey. I mean as long as this weakness of the state [continues], as long as this poor governance persists, no plan - however comprehensive - will achieve anything."

But it is not only the problem of implementation, politics too remain a major hindrance¹³

Truck drivers waiting at the Iraqi border. They wait on average 2 -3 weeks to cross the only border crossing into the Iraqi Kurdish controlled enclave. Tensions and suspicions between Kurdish leaders and Ankara, has seen Turkey restrict bi-lateral trade to a trickle¹⁴. The Iraqi Kurdish enclave,, which enjoys relative stability is booming  especially in the field of construction. But Turkish businessmen Ilnur Cevick says he is facing a stonewall in helping¹⁵ the turkey south east to benefit from this boom.

"I have already proposed to the Turkish government , 'Why don't do we start 2 big cement factories.  I am preparing to do that,' I said. But the European Union has to help as well it is no use preaching. it is no nothing is being done in southeastern turkey. I said let the EU give me the credits I can get the land from the government, they say this is a priority area for development, southeastern turkey.  So give me the means, I can give 40,000 families jobs. If people are sincere, the Europoean Union and the Turkish government have to help me. Because the trade is there, the business is there, [but] it needs some minds to change in Ankara."

Turkey's southeast borders Iran Iraq Syria, all seen as potential major markets, but all countries mired¹⁶ in international tensions.  U.S. Vice¹⁷ President Cheney while visiting Turkey in March, pressed Ankara to support international sanctions against Iran, that would deal the region another blow, to its already sagging¹⁸ economy.  Many observers say until economic stimuli¹⁹ for the region is matched by a change in state mentality²⁰, this latest initiative seems doomed²¹ to share the fate of the previous 17 initiatives.

1 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

4 stagnation   

n. 停滞

参考例句：

• Poor economic policies led to a long period of stagnation and decline. 糟糕的经济政策道致了长时间的经济萧条和下滑。
• Motion is absolute while stagnation is relative. 运动是绝对的，而静止是相对的。

5 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

10 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

11 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

12 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

13 hindrance   

n.妨碍，障碍

参考例句：

• Now they can construct tunnel systems without hindrance.现在他们可以顺利地建造隧道系统了。
• The heavy baggage was a great hindrance to me.那件行李成了我的大累赘。

14 trickle   

vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散

参考例句：

• The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。
• The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。

15 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

16 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

18 sagging   

下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is continuously sagging. 敌军的士气不断低落。
• We are sagging south. 我们的船正离开航线向南漂流。

19 stimuli   

n.刺激（物）

参考例句：

• It is necessary to curtail or alter normally coexisting stimuli.必需消除或改变正常时并存的刺激。
• My sweat glands also respond to emotional stimuli.我的汗腺对情绪刺激也能产生反应。

20 mentality   

n.心理，思想，脑力

参考例句：

• He has many years'experience of the criminal mentality.他研究犯罪心理有多年经验。
• Running a business requires a very different mentality from being a salaried employee.经营企业所要求具备的心态和上班族的心态截然不同。

21 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。