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BERLIN Germany will deny permission for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to address Turks at a rally when he visits for the upcoming Group of 20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany's foreign minister said Thursday.

Turkey officially requested permission Wednesday for Erdogan to make the appearance while in Germany for the July 7-8 summit, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said during a trip to Russia. Gabriel said he told his Turkish counterpart weeks ago that "we don't think this is a good idea."

"We are telling Turkey that we are convinced such an appearance in Germany is not possible," Gabriel said.

Germany has "no obligation" to allow a campaign appearance and "it is not a violation of the precepts of democracy," he added. "This is an assessment of Germany's foreign policy interests, and they are very clear."

Relations between the two countries have been frayed by a widening range of issues, including Turkey's jailing of two German journalists.

Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, decried what he said was the "provocative and malevolent" stance of "some German politicians."

Kalin accused German officials of applying double standards by lecturing Turkey on human rights but preventing the country's president from meeting his citizens. Kalin also renewed Turkish accusations of German support to groups considered terrorists by Turkey, which Germany rejects.

Earlier Thursday, Gabriel said that "Mr. Erdogan is an important guest at the G-20 and will be received with all honors by us there. But we believe everything that goes beyond that is inappropriate at this point in time."

He pointed to stretched police resources around the G-20 summit as well as Germany's current tensions with Turkey. However, Gabriel noted that the German government could not prevent Erdogan from speaking at a Turkish consulate, if he decides to do so.

Erdogan last addressed supporters in Germany in May 2015. Germany has a large ethnic Turkish minority.

Earlier this year, Erdogan accused Germany, and Chancellor Angela Merkel, of "committing Nazi practices" after some local authorities blocked appearances by Turkish ministers hoping to campaign in Germany ahead of Turkey's referendum on expanding the president's powers.

"We hope that Germany will not repeat the grave mistakes that were made during the (Turkish) referendum process and remind (Berlin) that Turkish-German relations that go back centuries cannot be sacrificed to short-term electoral calculations," Kalin said in a statement.

Germany holds a national election on Sept. 24.

___

Suzan Fraser in Ankara contributed to this report.

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Germany denies permission for Erdogan rally on G-20 visit ...

There are five main reasons to be worried about the future of Turkeys military, which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has fatally undermined with his ambition, ideology, transformative agenda, and paranoia.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar and Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, attends a ceremony marking the 102nd anniversary of Battle of Canakkale, also known as the Gallipoli Campaign, at Turkish memorial in Canakkale, Turkey, March 18, 2017. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

First, the aftermath of last years abortive coup attempt has decimated the ranks of the military. Whether the coup was sponsored by followers of Erdogan friend-turned-foe Fethullah Glen, was an inside job precipitated by Erdogan himself, or was the brainchild of other interests and ideological strains upset with the direction Erdogan is taking Turkey, one thing is clear: the extent of the subsequent purge is massive and corrosive to Turkeys military morale and readiness. Turkey now has two F-16s for every pilot not in prison, and perhaps one-in-four flag officers are in prison.

Second, Erdogan has squandered decades of hard-won experience in counter-terrorism and technical fields by firing any officer who does not subscribe to his increasingly extremist vision. Turkey has no shortage of enemies and has always faced myriad threats. Usually, the security forces have shut down terrorist plots before they could succeed. Today, however, terrorists smuggle bombs into Istanbul and Ankara as easily as in Sivas or Van, and insurgents can strike in northwestern Turkey almost as easily as 1,100 miles away in southeastern Turkey.

Today, however, terrorists smuggle bombs into Istanbul and Ankara as easily as in Sivas or Van.

Third is the factional battle taking place within the Turkish Armed Forces. While former Maoist-turned politician and businessmen Dogu Perincek has had very little electoral success and arguably little influence in the civilian sphere, he has created a significant power base for himself in the Turkish military, where many senior officers embrace his brand of militant nationalism and pan-Turkism, infused with a conspiratorial view of both the United States and NATO. If the coup was an inside job, Perincek may very well have been in on it. By blaming the Glenists on one hand and both the United States and NATO on the other, Perincek saw the opportunity to deal a fatal blow to all of those he opposes so virulently. Erdogans religiosity chafes at Perinceks vision, however. They are not natural allies. Erdogans hiring of Adnan Tanriverdia brigadier-general forcibly retired because of Islamist links in 1997 to be his military adviser, may presage an effort to purge Perinceks followers. This shouldnt surprise: After all, Erdogan worked with and used Glens network while it was convenient before turning on them. Why shouldnt he do the same thing with Perinceks followers if he believes they are no longer of use? Perincek is already weakened by Russias willingness to accommodate Erdogans Islamism in exchange for his anti-Americanism. Tanriverdi has moved to bring members of SADAT, a private paramilitary group staffed largely with Islamists, into the Turkish military to supplant both Perinceks followers and traditional secularists. SADAT may very well be the vanguard of a new Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps geared for Turkey.

Fourth is the Kurdish insurgency. Erdogan may label the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorists, but he legitimized them with his outreach to imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah calan. Turks and Kurds can argue about who broke the ceasefire but it is clearthat the Turkish military has been unable to put down the insurgency which promises to drain the Turkish military and resources for years if not decades to come. If Turkey were truly to enter Syria in any significant numbers, they may find themselves embroiled in a conflict from which they cannot easily extract themselves.

If Turkey were truly to enter Syria in any significant numbers, they may find themselves embroiled in a conflict from which they cannot easily extract themselves.

Finally, Erdogan seems ready to turn the Turkish military in on itself. Earlier this month, Turkish General Staff personal director LTG Selcuk Bayraktaroglu sent an order to attaches worldwide demanding that they send information about former military officers who resigned and refused recall notices for fear of torture or political vendetta. Specifically, Turkish military officers are to provide information about (1) working situations; (2) asylum processes; (3) relations with other NATO officials, local authorities, and other people; (4) their use of military housing; and (5) relations with the media. None of the Turkish military representatives or attach officers working in NATO offices have authority to spy, however. It will be hard for any NATO country including the United States to partner with Turkish attaches and officers given the overt spying which the Turkish General Staff now encourages. That the military order comes against the backdrop of Turkish espionage scandals in Europe involving Turkish religious figures underscores the credibility of the threat.

Too often, both the Pentagon and NATO seek to calibrate their policy to the way things were rather than how they are now. That would be a mistake. Erdogan has broken the Turkish army. Rather than rely on it paper strength, its time to recognize the Turkish military that appears in ledger books and its actual capabilities are now two very different things.

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Five ways Erdogan has destroyed Turkey's military - American Enterprise Institute

Turkey on Saturday said it remained hopeful of a solution to the Gulf crisis that has seen its ally Qatar diplomatically isolated, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks with the country's defence minister.

In Ankara's latest show of support for Qatar, Erdogan hosted Defence Minister Khaled bin Mohammed al-Attiyah for talks at the headquarters of the ruling party in Ankara.

The meeting came as Ankara, which has stood by Doha throughout the crisis, resists pressure to shutter a Turkish military base on Qatar that Qatar's neighbours want to see closed.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain announced on June 5 the suspension of political, economic and diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremist groups.

Doha denies the claims, a stance backed by Turkey which has sent hundreds of aid flights and even a cargo ship to bring food for its embattled ally.

Ankara's attempts to mediate between the sides have so far come to nothing but after the talks in the Turkish capital presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said he was hopeful of a resolution.

There are some indications that a solution is possible. This is our general impression. We need to continue efforts to take measures that go in the right direction, he said.

Crucially, Ankara is also setting up a military base on Qatar that is set to give Turkey a new foothold in the Gulf, sending in a first deployment of two dozen troops.

Kalin defended the base, saying its aim was ensuring defence and security in the region.

Riyadh and its allies issued 13 demands to Qatar for resolving the crisis, including the closure of the Turkish military base and the Doha-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera.

Turkey criticised the ultimatum but has also taken care not to directly target Saudi Arabia, the key protagonist in the crisis.

More here:
Turkey hopeful as Erdogan meets Qatar defence minister - Gulf Times

LOS ANGELES Valentina Shevchenko was not pleased in May when Amanda Nunes got physical with her during a staredown.

At the UFC Summer Kickoff press conference in May, Nunes, the UFC womens bantamweight champion, put her fist on Shevchenkos cheek and pushed her with it. Nunes said Shevchenko, out of sight of the camera, touched her first. Shevchenko denies that.

The whole incident, Shevchenko said, shows her something about Nunes emotions going into their big main event clash at UFC 213 on July 8.

I think she was out of control and she could not control all this nervousness, Shevchenko said Thursday at a media day in Downtown LA. Its a big event, media, all this stuff. You have to be very strong to control it. A person who cannot control it, shes acting like she acts.

The two women have met in the Octagon before. Nunes defeated Shevchenko at UFC 196 in March 2016. It was a relatively close decision victory, with Nunes winning the first and second round and Shevchenko taking the third.

With that victory, Nunes earned a title shot against then-champion Miesha Tate, who Nunes beat by rear-naked choke submission at UFC 200 last July. Nunes went on to defend the title against Ronda Rousey via knockout in just 48 seconds at UFC 207 back in December.

Shevchenko (14-2) is confident this time around she will get the better of Nunes and walk away with the title. This fight will be a five-round affair, unlike the three-round bout last time. The Kyrgyzstan native believes that will be an advantage for her.

Its very sad that I could not finish that time because of time, Shevchenko said. Maybe one minute more, it would be different. But Im pretty sure this time I will finish her as soon as I can.

Shevchenko, 29, defeated Holly Holm by unanimous decision last July at UFC on FOX 20 and submitted Julianna Pea at UFC on FOX 23 in January. The latter, she said, helped her prepare for Nunes pre-fight antics. Pea also did some trash talk.

If I dont say nothing bad about my opponent, it doesn't mean that my opponents never say it, Shevchenko said. Because I had that experience when Julianna Pea was talking some kinds of the same things.

It doesnt matter. It doesnt matter for me nothing. Because really the one thing that matters is fight. And when the door is closed, no one will help her.

Shevchenko, something of a nomad who calls Peru home and trains a great deal in Thailand, stormed onto the scene with a win over division stalwart Sarah Kaufman on short notice in Dec. 2015. She had the one hiccup against Nunes, but has looked like an elite bantamweight in her 18 months in the UFC.

That is not a surprise to her. Shevchenko is a decorated former Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion. She also has a black belt in Taekwondo. This is nothing new to her, she said.

Im in martial arts more than 20 years, Shevchenko said. Its not like I started yesterday, like, Wow Im here, whats happened? No, its not like this. I was prepared all my life to be where I am now.

Nunes (14-4), meanwhile, shrugged off the suggestion that she was nervous or scared in Dallas when the physical altercation with Shevchenko occurred. After all, she has become accustomed to the spotlight over the last year.

How am I gonna be nervous? Nunes said. Ive been here so many times in the big show, bigger than this. Like [UFC] 200 was huge. My fight against Ronda was amazing. Its not nervous no time for that. Im ready for her. And nothing is gonna change the result. I will walk out of the cage with the belt.

Shevchenko, of course, disagrees. She believes Nunes emotional behavior will give her an advantage in the fight.

I know how to control and I know how to react in the right moments in the right place, Shevchenko said. Its like a key for the victory. Im never starting first, but I will not be quiet when somebody offends me. Last time, I said with that push I will respond with 10 times more punches.

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Valentina Shevchenko vows to finish 'out of control' Amanda Nunes 'as soon as I can' - MMA Fighting

June 30, 2017 17:12 ET | Source: PcVue, Inc.

WOBURN, Mass., June 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ARC Informatique, the publisher of PcVue Solutions for Building Management Systems (BMS), and its worldwide affiliates in the ARC Group, are involved in a collaborative project known as Facility Using smart Secured Energy & Information Technology (Fuse-IT). Fuse-IT is addressing the need of sustainable, reliable, user-friendly, efficient and secure BMS in the context of critical intelligent facilities. The primary focus of this project is to provide a Smart Building and Security Management System that addresses the often incompatible objectives of the Facilities Manager and the Security Manager for critical sites. Such a system will improve the energy-efficiency of the building while strengthening its security.

WHAT: The FUSE-IT project will be presented as part of the Trusted monitoring and intelligent consumption data management for smart buildings panel at the IEEE Power and Energy General meeting. http://www.pes-gm.org/2017

The IEEE PES GM attracts professionals from every segment of the electric power industry. It features a comprehensive technical program with paper presentations, poster and panel sessions, a number of technical tours, a student program and companion activities. This years theme is energizing a more secure, resilient, and adaptable grid.

Ed Nugent, COO of PcVue Inc., will participate on the panel. He will present the research and development performed by ARC Group in support of the FUSE-IT project. The complete abstract is shown below.

Intelligent buildings have to tackle the challenges of smarter energy management, enhanced automation and connectivity. Facing environmental policies and cost-reduction objectives, building managers are asking for adequate solutions to predict, monitor, control, command, and optimize energy consumption, in the context of all the energy transactions and service provision opportunities. The trend toward smart building is enabled by the growing integration of Information Technology and Operational Technology. An unwanted consequence of this is the growing exposure to cyber-attacks. Legacy automation systems have been traditionally thought secured by isolation and physical protection. Now, they are exposed to fast-expanding cyber-threats, targeting their availability, integrity and confidentiality. A joint initiative, gathering engineers and researchers from energy, automation, information and communication technology, and security backgrounds, is working to deliver the innovative intelligent building system architecture and a set of advanced technological capabilities to solve the dilemma of efficiency and security in intelligent buildings.

WHEN: IEEE PES GM: JULY 16-20, 2017; PANEL SESSION: JULY 19, 1:00PM-5:00PM

WHERE: SHERATON GRAND CHICAGO HOTEL CHICAGO, IL

Register here: https://pesgm.ieeepesreg.com

About PcVue

PcVue is a provider of advanced HMI/SCADA software solutions in North America. For more than 30 years, PcVue and its affiliate ARC Informatique have been developing, marketing and supporting innovative component-based solutions used by VAR's, OEM's and System Integrators for BMS and SCADA applications in energy, manufacturing, infrastructure and utilities. Headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts and backed by ARC Informatique's global reach, PcVue automation solutions are used by Fortune 500 and multinational corporations around the world. http://www.pcvuesolutions.com.

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