Today's Zaman - Your gateway to Turkish news

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Curfew imposed on Indian city after blasts kill 80 page10

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Yo u r Wa y o f U n d e r s t a n d ý n g T u r k e y

China warns of burst dams as quake death toll rises

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US President Bush arrives in the Mideast to energize peace efforts complicated by a corruption scandal

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Filipino-Spanish artist Valeria Cavestany hopes to touch Turkish hearts with 'Fragments, Flowers'

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Urban obstacles paralyze lýfe for the dýsabled E. BARIÞ ALTINTAÞ / ALÝ ASLAN KILIÇ, ÝSTANBUL / ANKARA Turkey is currently observing Persons with Disabilities Week, but the disabled in Turkey continue to face serious challenges in managing their daily lives, despite the existence of legislation meant to make their lives easier, politicians and civil society groups noted in statements yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference held as part of the week's celebrations, Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan on Wednesday said Turkey should be proud of the long way it has come in dealing with the problems of people with disabilities. He stated that a law on people with disabilities passed in 2005 was more modern and superior to those in most countries of the world. Several regulations and pieces of legislation were enacted following the implementation of the Law on People with Disabilities in 2005, covering areas such as workplaces and educational services for the disabled.

However, the Turkish Handicap Association (TSD), in a statement it released last Saturday to mark the week, said: "Unfortunately, as in many other places in the world, the disabled in our country

are unknown, invisible and unheard. The disabled lead lives detached from society. They can never meet with other segments of society in the public sphere except for in hospitals. They can only make limited use of educational opportunities. They can barely find jobs, despite the law making it an obligation to hire people with disabilities."

The statement agreed that Turkey's rules and regulations on the rights of the disabled are thorough, but noted that the infrastructure for the disabled in Turkish cities is practically nonexistent.

Indeed, most of Turkey's towns, which are tricky to get around even for the able-bodied, offer extremely limited access to people with restricted mobility.

The consequences of limited accessibility for the disabled in terms of equal rights in education and employment are enormous. The literacy rate among the disabled was 4 percent compared to the overall literacy rate at 87.4 percent as of 2004. According to a survey carried out by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) and the State Planning Organization (DPT), disabled people in Turkey numbered nearly 8.5 million in 2003 -- equal to 12.29 percent of the population. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

ABDULLAH BOZKURT, ÝSTANBUL

MEMBERSHIP

France, once again forces EU to delete ‘accession' SELÇUK GÜLTAÞLI, BRUSSELS

Queen Elizabeth II trying her hand at the Turkish traditional art of ebru, water marbling.

The queen visits Bursa on second day of trip

The queen of the United Kingdom, currently on a four-day visit to Turkey with her husband, Prince Philip, yesterday visited the historic northwestern city of Bursa, once an Ottoman capital and now home to Turkey's automotive and textile industries. Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Bursa at 11:40 a.m. on a British Airways private jet, accompanied by First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan's wife, Zeynep Babacan. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Reuters analysýs of Fethullah Gülen:

Turkish Islamic preacher: threat or benefactor?

ALEXANDRA HUDSON, ÝSTANBUL

10 05 07 ‘MALE VIEWPOINT MINISTER OF SOUTH DOMINATES EMPLOY- AFRICA COMMITTED MENT PACKAGE’ TO COOPERATION

Lesson from Africa trade bridge: It's your time to fly, baby Witnessing the sight of 3,500 business professionals from Turkey and 45 African countries networking to strike a deal is like watching the National Geographic channel featuring bumblebees that pollinate plants and flowers as they forage for food. One might sense such a resemblance while observing the third TurkeyAfrica Trade Bridge, a gigantic business expo taking place May 13-15 at the Ýstanbul WOW Convention Center and organized by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON). Just as it is a welcome sight for gardeners to see bees in flight carrying large loads of pollen into and around their flowerbeds and gardens, TUSKON organizers seem to have been very pleased with the activity on the exhibition floor yesterday. CONTINUED ON PAGE 07

Turkey marks Persons with Disabilities Week between May 10 and 16 of every year. This year's activities point to the inadequacy of improvements to legislation on disabled rights, rendering them ineffective. Restricted physical access remains an obstacle to full enjoyment of rights for Turks with disabilities

HILLARY CLINTON VOWS TO KEEP HER UPHILL BID ALIVE

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THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2008 WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM YTL 1.50

Nine-year-old Burak says his favorite subject is math, he loves studying and writing in English and when he grows up he wants to be a policeman.

Smiling 11-year olds Serra and Liyna, fellow students at the $10,000-a-year Fatih College primary school in Ýstanbul, chime in similarly confident English that their favorite subject is science and that they want to be doctors. This is the 640-student school run by followers of Fethullah Gülen -- a Turkish

Muslim preacher who advocates a moderate Islam rooted in modern life and whose teachings have inspired millions of Turks to forge a powerful socio-religious community active in publishing, charity and above all education. But if the Gülen movement is seen by outsiders as a moderating force in an increasingly fundamentalist Muslim world, it rings alarm bells for some Turks because it encapsulates the tensions between secular state and religious power. CONTINUED ON PAGE 06

Featuring news and articles from

M. Fethullah Gülen

France, slated to take the helm of the European Union in less than two months, has once again managed to erase the word "accession" from EU documents; diplomats have told Today's Zaman that the French have made it very clear to their EU counterparts they did not want to see the words "Turkey" and "accession" in the same document.

This comes at an awkward point as France tries to convey the message to Ankara that the French presidency will not be hostile to Turkey's accession process.

The "A" word has recently been a sensitive topic as French President Sarkozy is adamantly against Turkey's possible membership. In EU summit conclusions last December, the EU deleted the word "accession" for the first time since talks started in Oct. 2005 with the insistence and tough stance French diplomats embraced at the order of Sarkozy. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

TIES

Argentina losing us over ‘genocide' row, warns Ankara EMÝNE KART, ANKARA The Turkish capital's patience seems to have been stretched to the limit by Buenos Aires' indifference to its strong uneasiness over a cascade of laws, official decisions and statements in support of claims of a systematic genocide campaign against Anatolian Armenians in the beginning of the last century.

"Endorsing laws, decisions and statements concerning the so-called Armenian genocide both at its federal and regional parliaments since the 1970s, Argentina hasn't given a thought at all to the reaction it created in Turkey," a senior Turkish diplomat told Today's Zaman on Tuesday. CONTINUED ON PAGE 04

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02 TODAY’S ZAMAN

F OOD FOR THOUGHT

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Q UOTE OF THE DAY

The risk of over-extending the Army is real. But I believe the risk is far greater to that institution if we were to fail in Iraq.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates

PRESS REVIEW

W ORDS OF WISDOM

Turkey is uniquely positioned as a bridge between East and West at a crucial time for the European Union and the world in general.

Queen Elizabeth II

columns

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.

Les Brown

Real target of the AK Party closure case It seems that the closure case filed against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) will continue to be the most significant agenda item in Turkey until the case is concluded by the top court.

Among the debates on this issue, the commonly held view is that the target of the closure case is to urge the AK Party to abandon its reformist line, hence shifting Turkey away from its EU goal. Yet it is vital for the AK Party to persist in challenging the status quo and to continue reforms; otherwise, it will lose public support.

Star ‘s Eser Karakaþ, pointing to the speculation over when the AK Party will be closed, says we will see which of the scenarios circulating will become reality before the end of the year and that we will experience its consequences collectively. What Karakaþ wants to draw attention to in the AK Party closure case is something different. By launching this case, he states, the establishment in Turkey actually wants the AK Party to abandon its reformist approach, which brought the country closer to its EU bid between the years 2002 and 2005. During this period, he says, the AK Party demonstrated a strong will to defuse the deadlock over the Cyprus issue, created a stable economic environment in the country that has drawn more than $20 billion in foreign investment, lowered the budget deficit under the Maastricht criteria, took important steps in military-civilian relations for modernization, made efforts to grant university students the right to dress in the way of their choosing and launched the

’

T H U R S D AY, M AY 1 5 , 2 0 0 8

table, having come under the threat of this judicial coup. The AK Party has already given up its plans of lifting the ban on Muslim headscarves at universities; it is ready to sacrifice some of the ministers and bureaucrats. Even more important than this, it will give up on its crackdown on the Ergenekon gang, an illegal crime network that has alleged links within the state. In Çakýr’s view, there is no dialogue or bargaining option that could make this scenario a reality. In addition, even if the AK Party wanted to do such a thing, it does not know with whom it should engage in bargaining. “And the AK Party knows very well that if it takes a backward step from its reformist actions, it will lose its sprit and naturally the public support behind it,” notes Çakýr.

Ergun Babahan of Sabah also supports the view that the goal of the closure case is to urge the AK Party to abandon its reformist line and diverge from Turkey’s EU membership goal. “At the point reached today, big capital and some media outlets are making efforts to cool off relations between Turkey and the EU [by supporting the AK Party’s closure]. The democratic process in Turkey is not among their priorities. They do not mind sacrificing democracy for their concerns and fears. Yet they do not think about what Turkey’s situation would become if it leaves the path to the EU. It is all up to us, we will either accept European values and make an effort to this effect, or we will continue to be a third-class country,” says Babahan.

CROSS READER

FATMA DÝÞLÝ

f.disli@todayszaman.com

accession talks with the EU. In consideration of this, he argues that the goal of the closure case is to turn the AK Party into a political party that puts on the brakes on the EU goal and one that sees itself as limited to the domestic economy. “It is certain that this party will not be the same AK Party which realized great transformation in the country between 2003 and 2005; even though its name remains the same, it will be a different party in terms of both its function and mission,” says Karakaþ, emphasizing that it will be when the party sees such changes that it will be closed symbolically, regardless of what the Constitutional Court or the European Court of Human Rights rules on its closure.

Vatan’s Ruþen Çakýr dwells on various scenarios in the AK Party closure case, which are being heatedly debated behind the scenes in the capital. In one of these scenarios the AK Party will not be closed down but will be faced with a situation worse than closure -- losing public support. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan will sit at the bargaining

PHOTO

ALÝ ÜNAL

press roundup

The ‘dissolved PKK' ALÝ BAYRAMOÐLU, YENÝ ÞAFAK The main outline of what needs to be done to bring an end to terror is clear: bringing about a certain "closeness" with Barzani and the Iraqi Kurds, handing over some of their rights while at the same time forcing the door open that would pave the way before the Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) dissolution in the Middle East, taking steps that would allow the PKK to lay down its weapons and, in particular, putting an "amnesty and confrontation" policy into fast effect. To put it another way, this would all mean breaking down "psychological blockage" while paying attention to the problem's political and social dimensions, thus enabling the emergence of a climate of peace and compromise aimed at debating and then solving the Kurdish problem in Turkey. These are the two paths available these days to the "normalization" of the Kurdish problem. It is clear that to interpret the Kurdish problem as just one of public order or to try and solve it through economic solutions will do nothing to reduce the out-of-control terror, the armed clashes and the funerals we hold for our martyrs. This is as true today as it was yesterday.

Hürriyet and its false news EMRE AKÖZ, SABAH The difference between news based on lies and news that is wrong can be found in the intent and information held by those reporting the news. Here is an example of news based on lies.

Yesterday, printed in large letters in Hürriyet's headline were these words: "From now on, one glass of raký is forbidden." According to a new law -- Hürriyet says -- that goes into effect today, ordering even one glass of alcohol in bars and drinking halls will be banned from today.

Drinking cocktails will become a fantasy. Yes, this is a sensational piece of news. I read it with great curiosity. The law in question, Article 5752, was printed as follows in the article: "In situations where there are no authorized people present, the sale or presentation of open alcohol, as well as the sale or presentation of all tobacco products, as well as the opening up or division of bottled and wrapped ethyl alcohol, methanol and other alcoholic drinks will be punished by monetary fines ranging between YTL 1,000 and YTL 10,000." So how is it that this piece of news, which was practically screaming from its headlines "I am a lie!" was even published?

Secularism's red line ÝSMET BERKAN, RADÝKAL

President Abdullah Gül hosted a banquet at Çankaya Palace on Tuesday night in honor of Queen Elizabeth, who is on a four-day official visit to Turkey for the first time in 37 years.

zaman

“Merkel waged a war against alcohol,” Zaman’s headline read yesterday, referring to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who called on all responsible institutions in Germany to take steps to discourage young people from using alcohol. After the European Commission signed a strategy document against alcoholism, Merkel issued a statement in which she said she was deeply concerned about the increasing use of alcohol and drugs among young people in Germany. In the statement she said it was not sufficient to enact laws to prevent the abuse of alcohol and drugs, adding that the government would try to help people quit such habits through informative programs and other measures. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), a total of 600,000 people lose their lives annually in Europe due to diseases linked to alcohol use, the daily said.

star

The Star daily said yesterday that suspected members of the Ergenekon gang, an ultranationalist criminal

network that is alleged to have links to the state, became very disappointed when they learned that the neo-nationalist TV station Kanaltürk, previously owned by Tuncay Özkan, has been sold to Koza Davetiye, the owner of which is known for his democratic attitude. Ergenekon suspects Veli Küçük, Muzaffer Tekin and Doðu Perinçek, who are being held in jail in Tekirdað, had received special permission from the prison administration to watch Kanaltürk. The station’s sale caused frustration among the suspects, and it is not known whether they will still watch it, the daily reported.

yeni þafak

A Turkish youth, Gökhan Mutlu, was confined to the bathroom of a plane as he flew from San Diego to New York after he had a quarrel with the pilot, reported a front-page story in the Yeni Þafak newspaper yesterday. JetBlue Airlines had sold Mutlu a seat that was only for the plane staff. Upon a complaint from a hostess,

the pilot told Mutlu that he could not use the seat and that he should stay in the toilet until the plane landed. Mutlu filed a lawsuit against the airline demanding $2 million in compensation, the daily reported.

milliyet

“After 37 years,” read the headline of Milliyet yesterday, referring to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, who began an official four-day visit to Turkey on Tuesday, the first such visit in 37 years. The queen, upon arriving in Ankara, visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the nation’s founder. She was then welcomed with an official ceremony at the Çankaya presidential palace. In the evening President Abdullah Gül hosted a reception in honor of the queen which was also attended by Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan. The queen is accompanied by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband during her visit to Turkey, wrote the daily.

The fact that a court case aimed at closing down the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has even been opened despite the considerable support this party has received from the people of the nation inevitably brings this question to mind: I wonder if our chief prosecutor from the Supreme Court of Appeals has drawn the proverbial "red line" that determines whether or not secularism is actually threatened in the wrong place? In the first place, when looking at the law, it is clear that the Supreme Court of Appeals chief prosecutor decides completely on his own authority and according to his own analysis just where this red line is to be drawn. In other words, the current laws give him quite a generous arena in which to operate. There is no doubt that in the end, it will be the Constitutional Court that decides the answer to the question of whether or not the prosecutor has drawn the red line in the right place.

Will the queen be aware?

AHMET TAÞGETÝREN, BUGÜN

turkey ýn the foreýgn press Fýnancýal Týmes

The Týmes

Markets fear rift between bank and Erdoðan Signs of a rift between the government and the central bank in Turkey emerged on Tuesday, raising concerns about the coherence of economic policy ahead of an expected sharp rise in interest rates this week. Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, the prime minister, was forced to deny market and media speculation about deteriorating relations between the government and the bank. His comments came after reports that Durmuþ Yýlmaz, the central bank governor, was kept waiting for five hours on Monday before being allowed to brief the cabinet

on monetary policy. The bank's monetary policy committee is to meet on Thursday and there is widespread speculation that it will raise the benchmark overnight interest rate by up to 50 basis points to 15.75 percent to try to curb persistently high inflation, which is just below 10 percent.

Some ministers publicly blame the bank for the high cost of borrowing, which they believe is hurting economic growth. There are signs that the government is more concerned about the slowing economy than about inflation.

A sober affair as Turkey welcomes the Queen When the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh made their first state visit to Turkey 37 years ago, the local reception was nothing short of ecstatic. Thousands broke through police cordons, swamping the open-top cars of the royal cavalcade with Union Jacks. The schedule was staunchly old school, with trips to the racetrack and a performance of Turkish love songs. Their second state visit, which began on Tuesday, promises to be a distinctly more sober affair, as the modern Turkish republic presents

CM Y K

old Europe with the grown-up face of a country worthy of EU membership. Ankara hopes the Queen's visit will give its EU application a discreet and timely boost. There were no crowds to welcome the royal couple as they arrived in Ankara to begin three days of formal engagements. Instead of being greeted by jubilant crowds, they were whisked from the airport to a wreath-laying ceremony at the shrine of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern secular Turkey.

I wonder whether the visiting queen of England will even be aware that as a result of the wife of Turkey's president wearing the headscarf, certain high-ranking members of the state did not accept invitations to the dinner in her honor. I wonder if the queen, who is also the head of the Church of England, will be aware that Turkey, which takes its secularism from Europe, has a political party that defends secularism just as it is known in Europe, giving particular voice to the British brand of "democratic secularism," and that because of this it is the target of a movement to force it to be shut down based on allegations that it is "a focal point of anti-secular activities." Of course she will be aware of all this. Because she arrives in Turkey having read books about this nation and there is no doubt that her assistants will inform her in the most thorough manner possible. So she will be aware and she will be amazed at the same time.

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TODAY’S ZAMAN 05

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Turkey’s headscarf issue to be appealed to UN for first time ÞEMSÝNUR ÖZDEMÝR KONYA

Discrimination in Turkey’s public institutions and universities against women who wear the Muslim headscarf will be appealed to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) committee.

Civil society organizations have drawn up a preliminary assessment report regarding the Turkish government’s sixth report that envisages the implementation of CEDAW. The shadow report was discussed at the 9th Women’s Meeting held in Konya between May 10 and 12 and received the support of all the women’s or-

ganizations in attendance. In the report, the historical course of the headscarf ban in Turkey is recounted with a great deal of emphasis placed on the hardships women who wear the headscarf are put through. The headscarf ban is associated with low female participation in politics, early marriage and childbearing, negative impacts on family relations and the prevention from equal rights in education and work life.

Zeynep Göknil Piyade, an executive board member of CEDAW Civil Society, briefed attendees on the shadow report and stressed the importance of submitting the report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, since it was an authori-

ty that they could appeal to regarding women’s rights.

“Turkey has problems in women’s working conditions and violence against women. We have drawn up a shadow report after having held meetings in every region in the country. However, since reports that focus on specific topics are likely to get more attention from the CEDAW committee, we have prepared a separate report on the headscarf ban,” she said.

Lawyer Fatma Benli remarked that Turkey had not fulfilled its responsibilities stemming from the CEDAW agreement. “They don’t include the problems related to the headscarf in state reports, while about 17 million women wear the scarf in Turkey. It

Male viewpoint dominates employment package, says KEÝG YONCA POYRAZ DOÐAN ÝSTANBUL

Women’s groups have said a new employment package under discussion in Parliament needs to be backed up by social measures such as the provision of better child and elderly care facilities as well as campaigns to encourage men to take their share of responsibility for household chores in order for Turkey to reduce unemployment and narrow its gender gap. Ýpek Ýlkkaracan, from the Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR) -- New Ways, a founding member of the Initiative for Women’s Labor and Employment (KEÝG), comprising 29 women’s organizations, said the new employment package does not offer much to increase the female labor participation rate in Turkey, where participation in the labor force by women is one of the lowest among all the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, at 22.3 percent.

“The most important problem is the social division of labor. A traditional division of labor exists in society. Women are responsible to care for children, the elderly, the sick and the disabled members of the household as well as the family in general. In other words, women are given the task of reproducing the current and the future labor force through their unpaid labor,” she said, speaking to Today’s Zaman.

The new employment package eases employers’ responsibility to pay insurance premiums for new employees between the ages of 18 and 29, with the Treasury subsidizing the cost for five years. The Treasury’s Unemployment Insurance Fund will completely subsidize the premiums for the first year, but it will gradually reduce the incentive, paying 80 percent in the second year and dropping its coverage by 20 percent annually for the remaining three years.

The age limit on this incentive does not apply to female employees, as lawmakers are hoping to increase female participation in the workforce, received as a positive development by KEÝG. However, Ýlkkaracan said even though this is helpful, subsidizing funds should be diversified to prevent a future crisis because if the Unemployment Insurance Fund is to be spent this way, the fund will go to waste.

“There are changes to ease the burden on employers, but the changes do not really ease burdens on women,” Ýlkkaracan said, adding that the Labor Law still considers childcare to be solely a woman’s responsibility.

Legislation dictates that nursing room and daycare centers shall be established if more than 150 female workers are employed by the company. Additionally, establishing daycare centers has been left to subcontractors without specifying whether the facilities should be on company grounds or built separately at a third location nor has it been specified what quality standards these facilities need to meet.

“While such regulations are being decided on, the obligations of the employer must be determined according to the total number of workers employed, not only according to the number of female workers,” she said.

According to KEÝG’s Ýlkkaracan, the scope of the Labor Law needs improvements not only to increase rates of female employment but also to improve women’s working conditions and salaries. In Turkey, women earn approximately 46 percent of salaries paid to men.

KEÝG suggests that women who work in domestic services as temporary wage earners must be included within the scope of the law.

Additionally, the Agricultural Labor Law must be passed vis-à-vis the agricultural sector, which primarily employs women.

To prevent gender-based discrimination occurring during the recruitment process, the definition of a work relationship in the Labor Law must be expanded to include the recruitment process as well, KEÝG also suggests.

CM Y K

is so difficult to determine how many women are deprived of their right to an education and work. We demand that the committee object to the ban altogether,” she said, adding that the report would be submitted to the committee in July. If the committee acts on the information in this report, it will question the state on its handling of the situation. Though the committee has no sanctioning power, it does have the right to make suggestions to states and caution them against failing to fulfill their commitments.

About 225 women from 35 civil society organizations attended the 9th Women’s Meeting, which was organized by the Compassion Association (Þefkat-Der).

Apart from the shadow report to be submitted to the committee, papers on various issues, such as violence against women, Turkish modernization and policies toward women and the history of female movements were presented at the meeting.

“The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly and signed by Turkey in 1980, is often described as an international bill of rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination.

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TODAY’S ZAMAN 07

THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2008

M.ALÝ POYRAZ

BUSINESS

PHOTO

‘Syria ready to make the most of Turkey's construction experience'

TUSKON’s Foreign Trade Bridge hosts a number officials and business professionals from various African nations at the opening ceremony for bilateral meetings.

Lesson from Turkey-Afrýca meetýng: It’s your týme to fly, baby contýnued from page 1 "It is a very impressive event," says Kennedy Karori of Kenya, "They have done a great job here." Karori, a managing director for Nairobi-based Logisys Trading Ltd., is a newcomer to this meeting. TUSKON has set up close to 1,000 tables to facilitate business meetings among Turkish entrepreneurs and their African counterparts. The square footage was doubled to accommodate the record number of participants from the African continent this year. Forty-five African countries are represented here: 20 of them at the ministerial level, one at the vice presidential level and most by high-level officials. The goal of this expo, according to TUSKON officials, is to reach $3 billion in trade volume through deals.

Karori is looking for business opportunities in agricultural machinery and power generators.

"The quality of goods is very good here," he says, adding, "I didn't expect this level of progress in Turkey." Another Kenyan, J. N. Nene, agrees. "We can certainly benefit from this highly advanced technology," he says. Nene, the director of Asami Ltd., a company that deals with packaging materials and equipment, finds prices a little steep,

though. He says, "We'll look for the competition and take a balanced approach."

Government officials paved the way the other day by laying the groundwork for private businesses to conduct their meetings easily and without much bureaucratic hindrance. TUSKON signed cooperative agreements with close to 30 African countries at the opening ceremony, led by Foreign Trade Minister Kürþad Tüzmen, on Tuesday. African trade bridges have started to bear their fruit already, with many newcomers coming this year. Michael Wamai, a Ugandan counselor based in Tehran, heads a 20-strong Ugandan delegation to the fair. "We don't have an office in Turkey yet, but we'll be thinking about opening one up soon," he adds. The Uganda business group is mainly interested in textiles, food processing, machinery and electronics.

TUSKON has gone out its way to make everything go as smoothly as possible. TUSKON representatives have been assigned to each country to help visitors with the event, accommodation, transportation and more, with most of the costs being borne by TUSKON. There is no entrance or application fee for international

participants; the only expenses that visitors need to cover are airfare and accommodation in Ýstanbul.

All other expenses, including food, city transportation, domestic flights, factory site visits, lunch and dinner, are covered by TUSKON. Guests are not confined to the exhibit hall.

There are regular trips from their hotel to the convention center. They will also be taken to onsite visits of factories and technology centers to familiarize them with Turkey's industrial base.

Other cities are also on the itinerary, with the aim of showing visitors what Turkey has to offer them in terms of trade opportunities. Muhammed Deann from Mali came for such a purpose. He would like to see paper and cardboard factories so he can transfer technology to his country.

Organizers made business transactions easier for everyone by setting up a computerized system that automatically matches African businessmen with their Turkish counterparts. Prospective clients need only enter their detailed information into a database when registering for the event, and they get to choose the time and place of a meeting from options presented to them by a centralized information system. After that, all they need to do

is wait at their table for the next meeting client to show up. In addition to scheduled meetings, visitors may also promote their business and company information by appearing on plasma screens inside the hall. This allows for great exposure of purchase and sale offers on the floor.

Not everyone here is in a professional or official capacity. Mbumila Lukanga from Mozambique is a young college girl. She has been in Turkey for only six months and is on a scholarship from the Turkish government.

Although still learning Turkish, she understands it quite well. "It was a terrible shock at first when I came here," she said. "But then I learned my way around and met with new friends. Now I like it very much." She is looking for her countrymen at the business expo and hopes to contribute one day when she graduates from university. "I'd like to pursue a degree in economics," says Lukanga, remembering her mother's advice: "It is your time to fly, baby." She may be right as many here have come for the first time and learned to fly away from the nest to the Turkish hospitality provided by TUSKON.

Mandisi Bongani Mabuto Mpahlwa

PHOTO

Mandisi Bongani Mabuto Mpahlwa has been minister of trade and industry in the South African government since 2004. The 48year-old veteran politician was in exile between 1985 and 1993 and worked for the African National Congress before the democratic turnaround in South Africa. He was in Turkey yesterday to give a boost to bilateral relations between his country and Turkey. Along with his colleagues, Mpahlwa came to open the third edition of the Foreign Trade Bridge between Turkey and Africa organized by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON).

"We need to focus on establishing new venues of opportunity we can seize together," he said, in an exclusive interview with Today's Zaman, sitting on a sofa in the lobby of the Polat Renaissance Ýstanbul Hotel.

He stated that Turkey and South Africa have many similarities. "Both countries function in their region as a gateway to wider markets," he said. "As a foreign investor it's important to understand South Africa as a country that occupies a very special place on the African continent," he noted, adding, "It provides an important opportunity as a gateway to the continent for people that really want access to large markets."

Mphalwa commented on the lack of knowledge that the people of Turkey and South Africa have concerning each other's countries.

"We are discovering Turkey as they are getting to know a lot about our country," he said. "We should participate in more meetings like TUSKON and expose our business sectors to more interaction," he added. He also invited Turkish businessmen to come and see with their own eyes the investment opportunities in South Africa.

"Perception and reality are sometimes completely different," he noted. He emphasized that "if you are in the field, you are in a better position to understand and judge the conditions."

Asked what lessons he took from his years in exile and whether he had used any of these lessons as a cabinet minister, Mphalwa responded, "This is a very difficult question to answer, but I can definitely say the lesson of avoiding extremism and intolerance and being inclusive."

He mentioned the "delicate nation building" process in South Africa and described the painstaking process of encouraging the long-oppressed

MUSTAFA KÝRAZLI

South African minister committed to cooperation for success ABDULLAH BOZKURT ÝSTANBUL

majority to participate in the democratic system while trying to ensure that the minority is comfortable with the changes. "This precarious balance needs to be observed in our policy making, too," he said.

When you speak with Mphalwa, you get the feeling he is the man in charge. His friends call him "Sipho," meaning gift. "I was given this nickname after I went into exile," he noted. His posture and the way he talks still reflect the events of his past, but he is a forward-looking man.

He uses the slogan "South Africa, Alive with Possibilities" to promote the country. "When you talk to people about South Africa, the first thing that comes to their mind is apartheid and Nelson Mandela," he stated. He laments the fact that "they do not realize there is more to South Africa than that; there is a dynamic economy, vibrant social life,

great educational opportunities." "The slogan means breaking out of this cliché and the stereotyping of my country," he added.

He is proud to describe his country as "a melting pot" where different nationalities and ethnic groups can live peacefully together. As part of this perspective, he welcomes Turkish schools that have been established in South Africa. Currently there are four schools in the country set up by Turkish businessmen, two in Johannesburg, one in Cape Town and one in Durban. Mphalwa noted that there is a strong international presence in his country and that people who have adopted the country as their own are enjoying their lives and contributing to the South African economy and social life.

Regarding Turkey's interest in signing a free trade agreement with South Africa, Mphalwa said, "We are aware of this interest," adding that the details of such an agreement would first have to be determined between South Africa and its trading partners. "As you know, we are in the Southern African Customs Union and need to talk to our partners before we can sign a free trade agreement," noted the minister, adding, "If it were only up to us, we would have signed it overnight." He is hopeful that the agreement will eventually become reality and has already raised the issue with other ministers at the TUSKON meeting.

Turkey had previously signed a trade and economic cooperation agreement with South Africa in March 2005, resulting in the establishment of the Joint Economic Council to promote bilateral trade.

The relationship between Turkey and South Africa is growing tremendously thanks to the frequent high-level official contacts in recent years and the intensified work being done by trade groups like TUSKON. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan visited South Africa in 2005 soon after a policy was implemented by the government of making relations with the African continent a priority. The policy aimed at developing relations and enhancing cooperation with African countries in all areas including comprehensive political dialogue and establishment of bilateral consultative mechanisms.

Last year, South Africa was Turkey's largest trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa. The direct flights launched in September 2007 by Turkish Airlines (THY) between Istanbul and Johannesburg and Cape Town are expected to increase business and leisure travel between the two countries. Meanwhile THY officials said they are overbooked for the direct flights and warned travelers to make reservations as early as possible.

CM Y K

Public Works and Settlement Minister Faruk Nafiz Özak has stated that Syria wants to make use of the experience of Turkish contractors in a $1 billion housing project. Özak made the comments while on an official visit to Iran at the invitation of Iranian Settlement and Urban Planning Minister Muhammed Saidikia, where he attended the second meeting of Settlement Ministers of Asia and Pacific Countries, which began two days ago.

The session titled "Housing and Urban Transformation" was opened with an address by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and drew participation of 19 ministers from 39 countries.

After the meeting, Özak, speaking to the Anatolia news agency, indicated that in addition to attending the conference, he had conducted bilateral talks with his Iranian and Syrian counterparts.

He explained that he discussed with the Iranian minister what could be done about the problems common to Turkey and Iran. "We have similar problems. We discussed what we can do about social housing, urban planning and infrastructure," he said. Özak noted that he also met with Syrian Settlement Minister Hamid Al Hussein and that the relations between the two countries were at a good level.

"Turkey has the upper hand in terms of its experience and the projects developed. We had invited the Syrian minister to Turkey. He visited Ankara and Istanbul, where he saw the housing units and social facilities built by the Housing Development Administration of Turkey [TOKÝ]. They say they need to build about 1 million housing units, and they have such a project. Our negotiations over this project will continue. They want to make use of our experience in the construction sector. We can produce cheap housing rapidly and reliably. We have a lot of experience and state-of-the-art technology. We want to transfer our technology and experience to them," he said.

He further noted that Turkey imports energy from Iran and that the foreign trade between the two countries exceeds $8 billion; however, he said, the relations between two countries in regards to contracting services are not at the level that might be expected.

Turkey has considerable experience in the construction of tourist facilities while Iran has great potential for tourism, Özak stated, adding that they told the Iranian officials that Turkish construction companies are eager to get involved in this sector. Tehran Today's Zaman with wires

World SMEs gather in Antalya The Mediterranean Business Partneria, a business matchmaking event, will take place on May 15-18 at the Antalya Expo Center.

The State Planning Organization (DPT), the Treasury, the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat and the Small and Medium Industry Development Organization (KOSGEB) are expected to participate. The private sector will also have a heavy presence at the meeting, which will host 300 international and 1,000 Turkish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The main objective of the Mediterranean Business Partneria is to create new business opportunities between Turkish SMEs and their international equivalents to establish long-term cooperation. The event hopes to foster developing business contacts, partnerships and technology transfers on the SME, entrepreneurial, sector, institution and country level.

The Mediterranean Business Partneria will not only give an opportunity to Turkish SMEs to take part in international markets but will also increase Turkey's export volume as Turkish SMEs expand their customer portfolio.

The event will also provide the opportunity for executive managers, importers, exporters and suppliers of raw materials to meet without any intermediary, to exchange opinions, acquire information on the latest innovations in the business world and to expand their business volume and market share. Direct business matchmaking meetings help entrepreneurs, investors, exporters and importers enter the global market and expand their present market share.

Along with direct business meetings, the Mediterranean Business Partneria will offer further networking opportunities via sector visits and tourist trips. Antalya Today's Zaman with wires

Furnished rooms for rent from female owner please contact: 0532 234 61 77

Your tour guide in Ýstanbul 0532 234 61 77

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TRAVEL

TODAY’S ZAMAN 09

THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2008

Tame crocodiles Throughout history, humans have always feared crocodiles. Images of vicious crocodiles from films have become standard fare, especially if the film recounts a scene taking place along a river or in a swamp. In fact, we were not particularly excited about coming face to face with these animals when we came to this West African nation despite the fact that everyone told us these tame crocodiles live in this special region of Bakau Kochikally.

In fact, the only tame crocodiles found in The Gambia live in this particular region. After a long and nervous ride, we came to the place where these interesting creatures live. As it is, the condition of roads in Gambia is already bad enough that any trip is difficult, but when you add to that the nervousness of going to meet up with crocodiles, it’s even more so. The first thing we did at the end of our trip was to find someone who can give us some information on these crocodiles. We walked down the path towards a lake and saw crocodiles to our right and left. At one point we passed by a particularly large one whose mouth was wide open; it was sunbathing. Surrounded by about 80 large and small

Saim Orhan (second right) with Kunte Kinte’s relatives

TRAVEL TIPS Visas: The Gambia does not require visas from citizens of Turkey, the UK, New Zealand and Australia. It does, however, require visas from US and Canadian citizens.

Where to stay: You can find reasonable hotels in the capital and other large cities. The comfort levels may not be very high, but you should be able to find something suitable for around $50-75.

Cuisine: You might have trouble on this front. Try to avoid open-air food stands and stalls by all means. There are plenty of international buffets available at luxury hotels.

Pay attention to these factors: Do not drink tap water; stick solely to bottled water. Also, avoid the bagged water, popular in many African nations. Before leaving, make sure you get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B as well as yellow fever. Also, avoid contact with mosquitoes, as they carry malaria.

The best time to go: Visit The Gambia between November and February because these months have less rainfall and the temperature is cooler. The Gambia sees heavy rainfall between June and October. If you would like to avoid the tourism season and don’t mind getting a bit wet, then you may want to consider visiting during these months.

guide, actually shook hands with one of these crocodiles! What’s more, we actually gathered up our courage and felt the underbelly of a sunbathing crocodile, noting how cool it was compared to the top of the crocodile’s body. We saw that in fact the crocodiles didn’t move even a bit when we did all this, and so our confidence rose and we even held onto the tail of one, squeezing it slightly, again with the encouragement of the guide. The crocodile was uncomfortable with this squeezing and started to move slowly toward the lake’s shoreline, finally entering the water. Of course, while doing all this, visitors need to make sure that any crocodiles that they are making contact with are not pregnant because even these tame crocodiles might get aggressive if approached while pregnant.

It’s incredible to learn that in fact the crocodiles here are so harmless that when local villagers come to clean up the pond after a heavy rain, they fearlessly wade through the waters among the crocodiles. They use their hands to push waste that might have gathered near the shoreline to the shore and, according to their reports, no one has ever been bitten or hurt by a crocodile.

Slave trade history The Gambia was one of the most critical African nations in the slave trade. Its history, therefore, is filled with pain. Tragically, the crocodiles that live here are part of that history since many of the people who tried to escape from the slave trade wound up being eaten by or attacked by crocodiles in the wild. So be careful if you do visit The Gambia and remember that the tame Nile crocodiles which live around the sacred waters in the pond in Bakau Kochikally are very unusual and only number around 80 or so; the rest of the crocodiles in this country are not so gentle and should not be approached.

Next, we left The Gambia for neighboring Senegal, another nation affected greatly by the slave trade. While there, we set out from Dakar, Senegal’s capital city, for what used to be an island on which slaves were imprisoned. There were many tourists from the West here, as well. The island is three kilometers from Dakar and held millions of slaves, many of whom died before being placed on ships and sent away. Now, generations later, people visit this place to see some of traces of the atrocities carried out here. Our ferryboat set out for Gore Island, which for years served as a profit center for the slave trade but is now a site washed in the tears of local Africans.

Senegal was one of the first countries in Africa to become a favored point in the slave trade, and of the 60 million people that were enslaved in Africa, only an estimated 12 million were able to reach the countries they had been sent to alive and well.

We arrived at this point of no return, an island prison which marked the start of a horrible journey into slavery, a prison whose back door opens to the sea and where people were chained and treated inhumanely before being loaded onto slave ships headed for America, Europe and the Caribbean islands.

CM Y K

1 1. Tame crocodiles 2. Manual gas pump 3. Gambian children 4. Kunte Kinte’s familial home

2 REUTERS

crocodiles, we were understandably nervous. Our guide reassured us, though. “Be calm. I have been amongst these creatures for years now and have never seen them harm any humans,” he said. So we took a deep breath and continued on our way. Many tourists from Europe were also in the area, touching the crocodiles that looked as if they might bite at any moment, but remaining motionless after all.

These crocodiles are technically “Nile” crocodiles, a species that can really harm people with its jaws and is capable of ripping up a body in only moments. But local Gambian belief has it that the Nile crocodiles living around the waters of this little lake do not harm people. The locals here connect the calmness and non-aggressiveness of these crocodiles to the waters of the pond, which are considered sacred. They say, “The crocodiles that live in and around this water definitely do not bite because the water itself is sacred.” We were not sure whether or not this water was really sacred, but we were convinced by the talk of the people here and approached the crocodiles. It was certainly a very unique experience when we, encouraged by the

PHOTO

A world map shows The Gambia cutting into Senegal like a sword. In fact, the people of Senegal and The Gambia are one and the same, but as Senegal was a French colony while The Gambia a British one, many aspects of life have been affected, including notably the fact that many in Senegal speak French while those in The Gambia speak English. The two did try to form a union in 1982, but it fell apart in 1989.

The Gambia’s 2 million people rely on agriculture, tourism and fishing as their main source of income. Infrastructural development levels leave a lot to be desired, and there are many regions of the country that lack electricity. The roads that crisscross this country are poor, leading to very few vehicles.

In fact, there were so few cars that at times we began to think ours was the only one on the road.

Passing over hills and through valleys, we asked people for directions to our real goal: the village where the famous Kunte Kinte lived. The Gambia is where Kunte Kinte came from. He was a Muslim who was taken as a slave in 1517 when he was 18 years old and sold like so many other millions of slaves to American slave owners. No one in The Gambia ever heard from him again. His story was made famous through Alex Haley’s novel “Roots,” which was adapted into a TV series.

We came upon a home belonging to the relatives of Kunte Kinte. As it turns out, they are quite famous and there is no one who does not know about them here. Groups of tourists curious about the history of Kunte Kinte fill their house all the time. Around 400,000 tourists a year come to The Gambia, and almost every single one of them visits his relatives.

The oldest member of the family is 89-yearold Binta Kinte, a seventh generation relative and one of the great great granddaughters of Kunte Kinte’s sister. Her name honors the memory of Kunte Kinte’s own mother, who was also Binta Kinte. The elderly, headscarved Muslim woman does not actually know what sorts of things happened to Kunte Kinte. All she knows is that Kunte Kinte was captured and made into a slave and, after being sold into slavery in America, that her family had experienced much pain and sadness. The story of this drama has been passed on from generation to generation within her family.

Slaves captured in The Gambia were first imprisoned in San Domingo, a trading post built at the end of the 15th century by the Portuguese. It was here that Kunte Kinte was incarcerated before being carried off to James Island, from where he was forced into slavery for the rest of his life in the US states of Virginia and Maryland. James Island, where so many of the slaves from Africa were taken and held, is at some distance from the shoreline, and slaves who did try to escape were eaten by crocodiles or sharks.

Joining Binta Kinte was her sister, Karaba Kinte, and other relatives. None of them speak English; they speak Mandinka, and our translator Musa helped us speak with them. Binta Kinte told us: “Our family was very saddened when he was taken away. There were many tears that were shed after him, and our family’s hearts were filled with pain. But thanks to Kunte Kinte, the entire world knows about our family. And thanks to him, The Gambia is now known by the entire world.”

PHOTOS

SAÝM ORHAN

The Gambia: the home of Kunte Kinte and tame crocodiles

3

QUICK FACTS

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Capital: Banjul Official language: English Government: Republic President: Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh Area: 10,380 square kilometers Population: 1,700,000 * Gross domestic product (PPP): $3.094 billion** Main religion: Islam (90 percent) * 2007 UN estimate ** 2005 estimate

14.05.2008

19:51

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WORLD

TODAY’S ZAMAN 11

T H U R S D AY, M AY 1 5 , 2 0 0 8

OSMAN EROL,CÝHAN

MELLOWING

Lebanon to cancel anti-Hezbullah measures

PHOTO

Lebanon's cabinet was expected late on Wednesday to cancel measures it took against Hezbullah that triggered fighting during which the Iranian-backed movement briefly took over parts of Beirut, political sources said. "You can say it's a done deal, but we're waiting for the cabinet meeting," one political source said. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who is supported by the United States, was due to hold a cabinet meeting.

Rescinding a ban on Hezbullah's communications network and the sacking of Beirut airport's security chief, who is close to the group, is one of Hezbullah's demands to lift its blockade of the airport and its campaign of civil disobedience. It would also be a first step toward easing a broader 18-month-long standoff between the anti-Syrian cabinet and opposition forces backed by Damascus that has left Lebanon without a president since November. At least 81 people have been killed since violence broke out on May 7 following the cabinet decisions against Hezbullah. The clashes were the worst spate of violence among Lebanese since the country's 1975-90 civil war. US President George W. Bush accused Iran on Wednesday of using Hezbullah to destabilize Lebanon. Beirut Reuters

ACCORD

NATO allies sign deal on cyber defense center Seven NATO allies signed a deal on Wednesday to create a research center to boost the alliance's defenses against cyber attacks, which are seen as a growing threat to military and civilian computer networks. The center is based in Estonia, which was exposed to an unprecedented wave of cyber attacks last year that crippled government and corporate computer networks following a dispute with Russia over the relocation of a Soviet war memorial. Many Estonians suspect the Kremlin was behind the virtual strikes but Moscow has denied involvement. Defense chiefs from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Italy, Spain and Slovakia all signed the agreement to provide staff and funding for the center in the Estonian capital, Tallinn. "It is a cooperative effort to bring all the best minds together in cyber defense," said U.S. Gen. James Mattis, NATO's top commander in charge of the modernization of the alliance's armed forces. "We cannot say that we are not going to defend the Web that everybody needs." The United States will join the project as an observer and other NATO nations may join later. The agreement was signed during a regular meeting of chiefs of defense staff from the 26 allies, which is expected to focus on NATO missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo. The generals will also discuss cooperation with Balkan and former Soviet nations, including Russia and Ukraine. Brussels AP

CEASE-FIRE

Palestinians to meet in Egypt on Gaza truce Palestinian militant groups will meet in Egypt next week to consider Israel's response to a Hamas cease-fire offer in the Gaza Strip, Egyptian and Palestinian officials said on Wednesday. Hamas has offered a six-month halt to hostilities in Gaza if Israel were to lift a crippling embargo on the coastal strip, an offer Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman presented to Israeli officials this week. Hamas official Ayman Taha said Egypt has invited leaders of the group to Cairo to meet Suleiman, Egypt's negotiator with the Palestinians, who would inform them of the final Israeli position regarding the truce offer. "The fate of the issue of calm would depend on that meeting," Taha said.

"We will listen and, depending on that, a decision will be made." The Hamas delegation will include leaders from Gaza and in exile. Taha said that if Israel responded positively to the offer "there could be an agreement reached on the zero hours "to start a truce." The meeting will be held next week, Egypt's state news agency MENA said, quoting an unnamed Egyptian security source. Cairo Reuters

FIGHTING

13 Taliban, 2 police killed in Afghanistan clashes A police chief says clashes in southern Afghanistan have killed 13 Taliban militants and two policemen.

Helmand provincial police Chief Mohammad Hussein Andiwal says six other officers were wounded in the clashes. Andiwal says 10 militants were killed in Helmand's Marja district after they attacked a police checkpoint late on Tuesday and killed two officers. Five other officers were wounded in the attack. Andiwal says three militants died in another attack on police in the same region on Tuesday that left one police officer wounded. Southern Afghanistan is the center of the Taliban-led insurgency. At least 1,200 people -- mostly militants -have died in insurgency-related violence in 2008 according to a tally by The Associated Press. Kandahar AP

This photo by the Cihan new agency, the sister publication of Today's Zaman, on Wednesday shows rescuers searching for victims at the site of a collapsed building that was flattened by a killer-earthquake in China's Chengdu province. Cihan is the only Turkish media organization that has so far reached the quake-devastated regions in China.

China warns of burst dams as quake death toll rises

Death toll nearly 15,000 and is expected to rise; more than 25,000 people buried across a wide swathe of southwest Sichuan province under collapsed schools, factories and hospitals The death toll from China’s deadliest earthquake in decades climbed to nearly 15,000 on Wednesday, as officials warned of calamities downstream from broken rivers and dams strained to bursting point. Tens of thousands of troops, firefighters and civilians raced to save more than 25,000 people buried across a wide swathe of southwest Sichuan province under collapsed schools, factories and hospitals after Monday’s 7.9 magnitude quake. Many schoolchildren were buried as they were taking an afternoon nap. One body of a boy was found still clutching a pen.

The official death toll climbed to 14,866, as rescuers pulled at tangled chunks of buildings for signs of life. The government sent 50,000 troops to dig for victims. A paramilitary officer who arrived at Wenchuan, at the epicenter, told Sichuan TV a third of houses there had been destroyed and more than 90 percent damaged.

Amid the overwhelming gloom, there were also moments of joy. In Mianzhu, where thousands have already been confirmed dead, about 500 people were pulled out alive from crushed buildings. Rescuers in Hanwang, a village in Mianzhu, sustained a girl with food and water as they struggled to free her from the ruins of a school. A woman eight-months pregnant and her mother, trapped under an apartment building in Dujiangyan, were freed by

firefighters.

“We are very happy. We have been standing here shouting for two days,” said Pan Jianjun, a relative. “But there are still three more people in there making sounds.”

But television showed whole villages wiped out across the poor, mountainous region suggesting searchers would find many more bodies than survivors among the toppled buildings. Officials have also warned of dangers from increased strain on local dams as well as mudslides on brittle hillsides where rain has been forecast over the next few days. Two hydropower stations in Maoxian county, where 7,000 residents and tourists remain stranded near the epicenter, were “seriously damaged.”

Authorities warned that dams could burst.

Landslides had blocked the flow of two rivers in northern Qingchuan county, forming a huge lake in a region where 1,000 have already died and 700 are buried, Xinhua said.

“The rising water could cause the mountains to collapse. We desperately need geological experts to carry out tests and fix a rescue plan,” Xinhua quoted Li Hao, the county’s Communist Party chief, as saying. The quake had also stopped a river in the stricken Mianzhu region, prompting officials to evacuate residents and drain dams, downstream, the agency said. Dujiangyan Reuters

Earthquake worries the Chinese community in Ankara More than 300 Chinese employees in Beypazarý are worried about their relatives in Sichan province of China, where the 7.8 magnitude quake killed thousands. The employees of Eti Soda Maden Corporation are trying to reach their relatives in China and learn about their health after the recent quake in China. The Chinese workers spend hours in front of the TV set in their residences and follow the list of the people killed in the earthquake in anxiety. The supervisor of the Chinese employees Chinese Feng Yan said the disaster in his country was very serious and added all of his friends were worried. “There is a great disaster going on in our country. Whole country mobilized for research and rescue activities. There are 350 Chinese employees working here. Ankara Today’s Zaman with wires

Cyclone-hit Myanmar braces for new killer storm Another powerful storm headed toward Myanmar’s cyclone-devastated delta, where so little aid has reached that the UN warned on Wednesday of a “second wave of deaths” among an estimated 2 million survivors. The US military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said there is a good chance that “a significant tropical cyclone” will form within the next 24 hours and head across the Irrawaddy delta area.

The area was pulverized by Cyclone Nargis on May 3, leaving at least 34,273 dead and 27,838 missing, according to the government.

The UN says the death toll could exceed 100,000. An estimated 1.5 to 2 million survivors of the storm are still in need of emergency aid.

But UN agencies and other groups have been able to reach only 270,000 people so far.

In a sign that Myanmar may allow outside help, Dr. Thawat Sutharacha of Thailand’s Public Health Ministry said Wednesday that the junta has given permission to a Thai medical team to go to the cyclone-hit delta.

If the team is able to go as scheduled on Friday, it will be the first foreign aid group to work in the ravaged Irrawaddy delta.

Bottlenecks, poor logistics, limited infrastructure and the military government’s refusal to allow foreign aid workers have left most of the survivors living in miserable conditions without food or clean water. The government’s efforts have been criticized as woefully slow.

“The government has a responsibility to assist their people in the event of a natural disaster,” said Amanda Pitt, a spokeswoman for the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs.

“We are here to do what we can and facilitate their efforts and scale up their response. It is clearly inadequate and we do not want to see a second wave of death as a result of that not being scaled up,” she said. The news of a second cyclone was not broadcast by Myanmar’s statecontrolled media. But Yangon residents picked up the news on foreign broadcasts and on the Internet. “I prayed to the Lord Buddha, ‘please save us from another cyclone. Not just me but all of Myanmar,”’ said Min Min, a rickshaw driver, whose house was destroyed in Cyclone Nargis.

Min Min, his wife and three children now live on their wrecked premises under plastic sheets.

Prof. Johnny Chan, a tropical cyclone expert with City University of Hong Kong, said the new cyclone would likely not be as severe as Nargis because it is already close to land, and cyclones need to be over sea to gain full strength. “There will be a lot of rain but the winds will not be as strong,” he told The Associated Press. Soldiers have barred foreign aid workers from reaching cyclone survivors in the hardest-hit areas, but gave access to an International Red Cross representative who returned to Yangon on Tuesday. Bridget Gardner, the agency’s country head, described tremendous devastation but also selflessness, as survivors joined in the rescue efforts. Yangon AP AP

14.05.2008

PHOTO

T11-15-05-08.qxd

People in Myanmar cross a road during heavy rains in downtown Yangon on Wednesday.

Russia says ‘six powers’ could offer Tehran nuclear security guarantees

Italian judge rules Berlusconi will be called to testify in CIA kidnap case

solve the row over Iran’s nuclear program The six powers negotiating with Iran to and wider Middle East problems. “I am consuspend its uranium enrichment provinced that this is an effective way of relievgram could offer Tehran security guarantees, ing tensions in the region and regulating the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told situation surrounding Iran’s nuclear probreporters on Wednesday. “I think the ‘Six’ lem,” Lavrov said. The six nacould make the following step: tions negotiating with Iran to directly put concrete offers on suspend its nuclear program the negotiating table, give Iran are the five permanent memsecurity guarantees and ensure bers of the United Nations a more distinguished place in Security Council -- Russia, the negotiations on the situation United States, China, Britain, in the Middle East,” Lavrov France -- and Germany. Lavrov said. Lavrov did not specify met German Foreign Minister what security guarantees Frank-Walter Steinmeier in might be offered but said a this Urals city on Wednesday. combination of negotiations Sergei Lavrov Yekaterinburg Reuters and incentives could help

peared in February 2003. Italian prosecutors say An Italian judge ruled Wednesday that Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, was abducted Premier Silvio Berlusconi will be called to on a Milan street as part of the CIA’s program of testify in the trial of 26 Americans and several extraordinary rendition, in which terror suspects Italians charged with kidnapping a terror susare moved from country to country without pect during a CIA operation. Judge Oscar Magi public legal proceedings. The CIA approved the defense request as has declined comment on the the case resumed. Magi also case. It was not clear when ruled that former Premier Berlusconi and the others would Romano Prodi and senior offitestify. Still pending is a Constitutional cials from both Berlusconi’s and Court ruling. The Constitutional Prodi’s past governments will Court must rule on the governbe called to testify. Berlusconi, ment’s request to throw out the who has just been elected to a indictments against the Americans. new term, is considered a key The government claims the case witness because he was premier when Egyptian cleric Osama was improperly based on clasSilvio Berlusconi Moustafa Hassan Nasr disapsified evidence. Milan AP

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EXPAT ZONE

Sýlence was golden…

It’s 5 a.m. and there’s a curious whooshing sound in the distance. It takes a while to pin it down, but then I remember -- it’s summer again and the hot-air balloons are back in business.

The curious whooshing is the sound of the burners that must be fired from time to time to keep the balloons afloat. When there were only a couple of them we could live with the disturbance, but now that 20 or more of them will be taking off every morning, regulations have had to be imposed to ensure that we’re not all driven mad by their early-morning wake-up call. The balloons are no longer allowed to fly directly over the village, which doesn’t mean that we can avoid the noise of the take-off.

It’s 8 a.m. and there’s a curious tap-tap-tapping sound. It’s May now and the building season is getting into its stride, which means that every day we can set our watches by the

comings and goings of the stone masons. At eight in the morning they clock on, at five in the afternoon they clock off.

In between they keep up a routine chip, chip, chipping, with just a brief break around midday for lunch.

It’s 6 p.m., that blissful time of day when the setting sun playing on the surrounding rocks tends to be at its most beautiful. It’s also the time of day when the swifts start swooping and screeching overhead, although that’s a natural sound that only the most churlish could object to. Then there comes a buzzing noise. It gets louder and louder until it’s about the volume of a small plane flying immediately overhead. But, no, it’s just a microlight taking to the skies with its payload of a single tourist. They are getting the chance of a lifetime to gaze down on Göreme from a true bird’s eye perspective. The price of their pleasure is expensively bought,

{{

CAVE LIFE PAT YALE though, at the cost of everybody else’s disturbance.

When I first came to live in Göreme I relished the peace and quiet more than anything else. I came from an inner-city environment where every day the noise of malfunctioning car and house alarms grew ever more invasive. When the local police started flying over our houses in a helicopter at one in the

EXPAT PROFILE

morning it was the last straw. If ever I was going to remember what it was like to live without constant aural irritation, I knew that I was going to have to abandon the UK. But noise, it seems, is the inevitable price to be paid for development, and even in Cappadocia it’s becoming more and more intrusive. It can be only days now until a neighbor who winters in Ankara returns and parks his car with its defective alarm system just across the road from me.

It was singer Joni Mitchell who warned us that we didn’t know what we’d got ‘til it was gone. Here in Göreme, it’s not so much the parking lots we should be fretting about as the fast-vanishing and almost priceless sound of silence.

Pat Yale lives in a restored cave-house in Göreme in Cappadocia.

{{

From San Francýsco to Ýstanbul

busýness owner Shellýe Corman PHOTOS

Formerly a 25-year resident of San Francisco, California, Shellie Corman has made a new home in Ýstanbul.

Prior to moving to Turkey she had lived in Florence, Italy, for a year and Athens, Greece, for two years. She was drawn to Ýstanbul in part since it is, like San Francisco, a very multicultural city with a great deal of creative energy. Both cities are spread out on hills, divided by water and linked by bridges, and while they have many similarities, they also have very big differences. Corman feels that San Francisco has more in the way of nature within the city limits, but she found that it lacks the history and amazing pulse of Ýstanbul.

On her first visit to Turkey, in 1983, she went to Marmaris. It was there that she fell in love with the breathtaking Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines. Reminiscing about her first impressions she said: “It was so lovely then. I had traveled and lived in this part of the world over the years, but I continued to visit Turkey and found Ýstanbul intriguing. I used to imagine that one day I would come and live here.”

Even though she loves both Kaþ and Bozcaada, she chose to make Ýstanbul her home. From her home in Cihangir she is constantly reminded of San Francisco by all the cafes and small shops just outside her door. She is happily ensconced in the area and admits that sometimes weeks will pass when she has no need to venture outside of her immediate neighborhood. She explains: “Interestingly enough, I feel I fit in well here in so many ways. I felt comfortable right away when I moved here. Maybe it was due to having been married to a Greek man for many years and having spent two years living in Athens. The two cultures have many similarities. I think the main difference for me is that strong, independent women are sometimes looked at as an anomaly in Turkey. I also feel some resistance when trying to implement new ideas or introduce new ways of doing things.”

To ease her transition into life in Ýstanbul, Corman has attended classes and studied with private teachers to better learn Turkish.

Even though she admits her language skills are poor at the moment, she intends to continue her studies since it is a big advantage to be able to communicate effectively in Turkish, and expanding her language skills will help to better understand the culture and people.

As many other foreigners have discovered, Corman finds that life in Turkey can be frustrating at times. She says the biggest dif-

TURGUT ENGÝN

KATHY HAMILTON ÝSTANBUL

Shellie Corman

The owner of the Kahvedan Cafe in Cihangir Ýstanbul, Shellie Corman of San Francisco now calls Ýstanbul home.

While admitting that life in Turkey can be frustrating at times, she says that Turkey is a great place for foreigners as locals love working with them

The interior of Kahvedan Cafe ficulties she has had to adjust to are the constant traffic tie-ups in Ýstanbul and the often inefficient way things get done. She adds: “I sometimes find it hard to rely on people to do their work and do it well here. The wellknown phrase ‘burasý Türkiye’ [this is Turkey] is not really the answer I like to hear when I am trying to understand why something was done a certain way.”

Corman is the owner of Kahvedan Café in Cihangir, a restaurant that has become a neighborhood favorite for locals and expats alike. They have a varied menu that includes Turkish, American and Asian dishes prepared by their Filipina chef. Open every day at 9 a.m., Kahvedan is open weekdays until 2 a.m. and stays open until 3 a.m. or later on weekends depending upon the crowd. Upstairs is a quiet

area available for private parties and meetings.

This space is also utilized for the open buffet Sunday brunch that is quickly becoming a big draw in the neighborhood as well as attracting loyal clients from across town. Decorated to bring out the flavors of her California roots, the atmosphere is similar to that of many North Beach cafes in San Francisco.

Reflecting on her experiences running a restaurant in Ýstanbul, Corman says: “The employees aren’t used to a boss like me who can be hard and angry at times and then like a mother to them at other times. Trying to communicate in each other’s languages often leads to some great laughs as we try to understand one another. I bought into an existing business, so for me it was not too hard to get the business up and running. The difficulty for

me was in learning all about the accounting, taxes and bureaucracy. I think that foreigners can have great success with opening businesses here because most Turkish people are very open to working with foreigners. The main advice I have for anyone contemplating a business is to use a lawyer and to make sure to get everything in writing and signed.”

From the streets of San Francisco to the hills of Ýstanbul, Corman has managed to nicely merge her California background with her new Turkish home in creating a café where everyone feels at home.

Kavhedan Café Akarsu Cad. No. 1/1A Cihangir Phone: (212) 292 4030 Web site: www.kahvedancafe.com

PHOTO

AA

French national charmed by Turkey says citizenship next step

Carole Fascione

A French resident of Turkey’s western Aydýn province, Carole Fascione says she wants to become a Turkish citizen as a way of certifying her love for the country.

Fascione first came to Turkey on a vacation to Bodrum in 1996, but for the four summers following, worked in this famous coastal town. She quickly acclimated to Turkish customs and the Turkish people, she says, and adds she even be-

gan to feel like a Turk. Speaking to the Anatolian news agency, Fascione said the name she chose for her real estate agency was also Turkish (the Hane Group, providing real estate and after-sale services in Didim, a coastal town of Aydýn).

Fascione said her 1996 visit to Turkey totally changed her life, explaining: “I received a job offer from a French tourist agency in Bodrum, as I had an education in tourism. I accepted the offer as I was

already charmed by Turkey. I worked in Bodrum for four summer seasons.”

The French national is also learning Turkish; she began learning the language after deciding to spend the rest of her life in the country. Fascione told Anatolia: “After I decided to live in Turkey, I felt I had to learn Turkish because I had to learn about Turkish culture. Yes, I am a French citizen, but I like Turkey and Turkish people a lot.

After living in Ýstanbul for two years I returned to the tourism business and came to Didim. I have been living in Didim for seven years.”

Fascione also commented about shopping in Turkey, saying: “I always shop at the same market because [the shopkeeper] is so warm to me. He calls me by name and what’s more, if I do not have cash on me he keeps a tab for me.

This is a very good business understand-

ing. People trust each other. This kind of shopping is impossible in Europe.”

Fascione’s next step is to apply for Turkish citizenship, a process that she is currently preparing. “But I saw that there are very difficult conditions you have to meet to become a Turkish citizen. After so many years, I feel I belong to this country. If Turkey accepts me as a citizen, I want to spend rest of my life in Turkey,” she adds. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

NOTE: Today's Zaman intends to provide a lively forum for expatriates living in Turkey. We encourage you to contact us at voice@todayszaman.com and share your experiences, questions and problems in all walks of life for publication in Today's Zaman.

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BAHAR MANDAN

CULTURE&ARTS

PHOTO

Brazilian movie opens Cannes film festival

Valeria Cavestany: Beauty makes us better artists and better humans After dozens of exhibitions from Manila to Tokyo, Filipino-Spanish artist Valeria Cavestany hopes to touch Turkish hearts with an exhibition titled ‘Fragments and Flowers.’ Thirty pieces painted for the event harmoniously mix Chinese, Filipino, Turkish and Ottoman motifs ANNE ANDLAUER ÝSTANBUL

Valeria Cavestany is one of those painters who took the artistic path while searching for their roots. The daughter of a Filipino model and a Spanish lawyer, Cavestany spent her first 18 years in Barcelona. The day she turned 18, the high school graduate boarded a plane to Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The city felt like home and would soon become such.

"Here is how the story begins: I settled in the land of my maternal grandparents and soon discovered Chinese painting," Cavestany recalls. The young university student decided to major in history and took up painting classes with one of the many Filipino-Chinese professors in Manila. "For several years, I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to go to classes. Yet Chinese painting can take a lifetime to learn," she says.

Since these days, Cavestany has been focusing on watercolor -- although she does use other techniques at times. Some of her most recent canvases are currently on display in Niþantaþý’s Ýlayda Art Gallery, which is exhibiting 30 of those pieces, watercolor paintings and "mixed media" alike.

"Fragments and Flowers," which runs through May 18, is far from being Cavestany’s first exhibition. The young woman was still in her early 20s when a gallery offered to exhibit her work.

"An exhibition had been planned for several Manila artists and one of them had to turn down the invitation," she explains. "I replaced him, which felt strange because I had never thought that I could become a professional painter, let alone have my work exhibited and judged."

That first exhibit was only the introductory chapter to Cavestany’s impressive record of other

such events around the world. "Galleries started to call me as I was pursuing my training with workshops in Seattle, New York or Mexico," she says. "Manila is a mixture of 400 years of Spanish rule followed by 50 years of Hollywood -- the Americans -- and by independence in 1975.

There are many talented artists in Manila, but they do not all get the chance to exhibit abroad."

A story of luck and work Cavestany, who now alternates six months in Manila with six months in Barcelona ("I follow the monsoons"), says her story is one of luck and work, of talent and encounters. "I was once walking on the beach on the tropical island of Boracay, when I met a French woman who was an art merchant in Tokyo," Cavestany cites as an example. The artist showed some prints of her work and the merchant promised to arrange an exhibition in Tokyo. Since then, London has been followed by Japan, Mexico, Madrid, Barcelona, Singapore, Stuttgart, Ýstanbul and soon Hong Kong -- in addition to Cavestany’s two annual exhibits in Manila, where she sells most of her work.

"Until recently, I had never had an agent.

I was calling galleries, showing my portfolio around or just being lucky," says Cavestany.

"I think people feel a kind a proximity to my paintings. They feel that they don’t need a book to understand and like them. It goes straight to the heart and it is original, but not too much, so that everyone can relate to it."

Above all, Cavestany likes to paint beauty.

And, to her light-green eyes, flowers are the personification of beauty. Little wonder then that the Ýstanbul exhibit features 30 exclusive pieces filled with colorful flowers, all com-

bined with elements of Turkish and Ottoman culture. "I like to mix motifs and patterns," she adds. "Ýznik tiles, Ottoman motifs, 19th century Manilan figures. … After all, we are not pure but a mixture of here’s and there’s."

Among the 30 paintings on display -most of them already sold -- visitors might notice dervishes whirling on a vase of fresh flowers, painted on a background of Ýznik motifs.

"I always do my homework beforehand," Cavestany notes. "I have a history background and I am used to reading a lot. On my first trip to Turkey, I bought a pile of books about Ýznik pottery and tiles. I also went several times to Ýstanbul’s Rustem Pasha Mosque."

Another piece shows a Chinese-like teapot covered with Ýznik motifs on a floral background.

Colors and flowers are the recurring features of Cavestany’s paintings and she describes her home as naturally full of colors and flowers. "I cultivate flowers, especially orchids, though I don’t have a favorite flower. Flowers make you feel better. When we surround ourselves with beauty, we become better artists and better humans." On a side note, Cavestany advises Today’s Zaman readers to put a few ice cubes into their flower vase for their flowers to stay beautiful.

"I paint flowers and other figures as they come out. The element of surprise is the key, although there are some recurring patterns, such as the use of color and the use of space," she notes, admitting a fondness for bright, tropical colors. "Also, my compositions are always full, as if I were afraid of blank spaces, which I think is not the case."

The chaotic harmony of ‘mestizaje’ Cavestany says artists such as Francisco Goya, Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Rembrandt,

EXHIBITION

CONCERT

‘Stonerollers’ explore the quality of public space

Rock band Shellac set for first-ever Turkey concert

Ýstanbul’s Pg Art Gallery presents in its latest show, which runs until May 31, artwork by three international sculptors Kemal Tufan (Turkey), Martin Zet (Czech Republic) and Jerome Symons (Netherlands) and Titled "Stonerollers," the exhibit showcases the three sculptors’ works in various fields such as video and photography, each featuring a sculptor’s concern for the social, ecological and political quality of the public space. Tel.: (212) 263 3390

The Chicago-based rock band Shellac, which describes itself as a "minimalist rock trio," is scheduled for a rare gig this week at the Garajistanbul performing arts platform. The band, consisting of Steve Albini on guitar and vocals, Bob Weston on bass guitar and Todd Trainer on drums, will take to the stage on May 16 at 11 p.m. for their first-ever Turkey gig. German band Allroh will be the opening act of the night, with a performance at 10 p.m.

CONCERT

Mike Stern, Dave Weckl to join forces at Babylon gig Two legends of the contemporary jazz scene, jazz guitarist Mike Stern and jazz fusion drummer Dave Weckl, will share the stage for two live performances next week at Ýstanbul’s Babylon club. Stern and Weckl will be accompanied by the members of Weckl’s trio -- Tom Kennedy on bass and Bob Franceschini on saxophone -- in the concerts, which will take place May 20 and 21 at 9:30 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at the Babylon box office.

Botticelli, Joaquin Sorolla or contemporary Spanish artists like Perico Pastor have been, more or less consciously, a source of inspiration to her.

"Plus, my work seems to transcend borders and nationalities, although I must say that the reactions of the Japanese audiences were incredible.

I was surprised and flattered to hear them say that they ‘could never do this’," she smiles.

Cavestany is a prolific artist, averaging 70 paintings a year. "I paint several pieces simultaneously," she explains. "I can paint 10 hours or more in a row, day and night, locked in my studio with no contact to the outside world."

Cavestany notes that the most difficult part is not to start but to finish a painting. "I tend to put too many things so I often have to get away from my work in order not to spoil it," she notes, adding that she is never fully satisfied with a piece. "Now I am strolling around the exhibition hall, hoping that I could remove some brush strokes from this or that painting."

As she pronounces those words, Cavestany heads to the side hall that hosts the "mixed media" she realized for the exhibition. "Those are called ‘mestizaje,’ the Spanish for ‘mixture’ or ‘crossbreeding’," she says. "Those pieces are both chaotic and harmonious. They combine decoupages of Filipino, 19th century art with motifs from Turkish carpets and traditional artifacts, a portrait of Suleiman I with flowers popping up from his turban. ... It is like painting several pieces in one."

Cavestany, who traveled extensively to Turkey ahead of the exhibit, says she is not done yet with the country. "For example, I would love to be part of the Ýstanbul Biennial," she says, adding that she hopes this first exhibit will help foster some further contacts.

CONCERT

‘The Breath of The Earth’ blows through music Kanun virtuoso Göksel Baktagir and vocalist Sumru Aðýryürüyen will this week present an international project at Ýstanbul’s Cemal Reþit Rey Concert Hall, featuring an ensemble of well-known virtuosos including Nedim Nalbantoðlu on violin, Ukraine’s Yuri Ryadchenko on bass, Ýzzet Kýzýl on percussions and New Zealand’s Natalia Mann on harp. Titled "Yeryüzünün Nefesi" (The Breath of The Earth), the concert will take place May 16 at 8 p.m.

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Hard-hitting Brazilian film "Blindness" got the Cannes film festival under way on Wednesday, kicking off 12 hectic days of movies, publicity and late-night revelry in the Riviera resort. Directed by Brazil’s Fernando Meirelles, of "City of God" fame, the movie is an adaptation of Nobel Prize-winning writer Jose Saramago’s novel of the same name, and tells the apocalyptic story of a plague of blindness sweeping the world.

Joining Meirelles in the main competition is another Brazilian entry, "Line of Passage," by Walter Salles, and two Argentine productions -- Pablo Trapero’s prison drama "Leonera" and thriller "The Headless Woman" by Lucrecia Martel. They are up against Clint Eastwood’s "Changeling," starring Angelina Jolie, and Steven Soderbergh’s "Che," a two-part epic on Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara, with Benicio del Toro in the title role.

The other two US entries are James Gray’s "Two Lovers" and Charlie Kaufman’s "Synecdoche, New York" with Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Turkey is being represented in the main competition by Cannes frequenter Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s latest feature, "Üç Maymun" (The Three Monkeys). The film, starring Yavuz Bingöl and Hatice Aslan in its title roles, depicts a family’s struggle to stay together despite being torn to pieces when small weaknesses turn into huge lies.

The biggest show in town this year is likely to be the latest installment of the Indiana Jones series, again starring Harrison Ford as the whip-wielding archaeologist in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" by Steven Spielberg. Also out of competition, Woody Allen presents "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," starring Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson and Javier Bardem. Pop star Madonna, Argentine soccer hero Diego Maradona and US boxer Mike Tyson are also expected in Cannes, making it a star-heavy year for the world’s biggest film festival. The event winds up on May 25 with an awards ceremony, where the coveted Palme d’Or is handed out. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with Reuters

Concert series brings East and West together The New York-based New Paths, New Music (NPNM) ensemble will perform a concert tonight at Ýstanbul’s Cevahir Shopping Center Megaplex Hall, kicking off the five-concert Turkey leg of a series that will run until Aug. 23.

Titled "East Meets West," the concert series is the effort of the Turkish Cultural Center New York, a non-profit cultural institution devoted to the promotion of Turkish culture and language in New York and the US. The admission-free concert series kicked off on May 12 with a concert at the center.

The NPNM ensemble, a collaborative effort between the players, composers and faculty of Columbia University, the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music, will perform a repertoire consisting of pieces by young American composers Eugene Birman and Spencer Topel as well as classical Turkish songs under the baton of Julian Pellicano.

On May 17 the international ensemble, which brings together instrumentalists from the US, Germany, Italy and Turkey, will travel to the central Anatolian province of Nevþehir, where they will perform at the Hacý Bektaþ Culture Center. Later the ensemble will travel south, to the Mediterranean coast, for a concert on May 20 at the Antalya Culture Center. The next day the ensemble will head toward the west for a concert on May 21 at Ýzmir’s Tepe Kule Congress Center. The last performance of the series will take place on May 23 at Ýstanbul Technical University’s Center for Advanced Studies in Music. The series will wrap up with another concert in New York on Aug. 23. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

Michael Moore readies ‘Fahrenheit’ follow-up Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore has begun work on a follow-up to his 2004 political documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11," with plans to release it next year, producers said on Tuesday.

The as-yet untitled movie is being co-financed and distributed by two small studios -- Overture Films, a subsidiary of John Malone’s Liberty Media Corp, and Paramount Vantage, an arthouse label of Viacom Inc’s Paramount Pictures.

Moore, the writer and director, began work on the project in recent months and agreed to a spring 2009 commercial release, deliberately choosing to launch the movie after this fall’s US presidential election, said Overture’s chief operating officer, Danny Rosett. In keeping with Moore’s penchant for secrecy surrounding his projects, the studios divulged few details of his latest work except to describe it as "a searing and provocative follow-up" to "Fahrenheit 9/11." Rosett said Moore’s focus in his new film is a broader look at the United States’ position as an industrialized nation and world power since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "He intends to examine how America’s role in the world has changed over the last eight years," Rosett said, adding that Moore did not want the film to be seen as a "politically motivated piece." Los Angeles Reuters

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OPINION

Turkey’s turning point

Prýorýty ýn Armenýan foreýgn polýcy: The US or Iran?

HATEM CABBARLI*

Former Armenian President Robert Kocharian (R) with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Oct 2007. be noted. Is it because of the impact of lobbying activities by the Armenian diaspora in the US? If so, this means that US national interests are subject to the initiative of the Armenian lobbies -- which is irreconcilable with state dignity and seriousness. Is it possible to speak of Christian/American solidarity in favor of Armenia, which seeks to expand its territories in predominantly Muslim regions?

Even though Armenia has declared a strategic alliance with Russia, the amount of aid granted it by the US is far greater than the aid forwarded by Russia. Armenia receives the most American financial aid after Israel; the US still grants large amounts of aid to this country. In addition, the US views NagornoKarabakh as a separate unit; based on this decision, the American administration transmitted financial aid for the Karabakh Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh directly instead of the Azeri administration.

The US does not act based on ethical considerations when it requests permission to set up military bases in Azerbaijan, while it remains silent vis-à-vis the improving bilateral relations between Armenia and Iran. The US is not uneasy with the cooperation between Christian Armenia and Muslim/Shiite Iran, while it is disgruntled by attempts to maintain relations between Muslim countries, including Azerbaijan,

Iran and Turkey. It goes even further, requesting to set up bases in Azerbaijan and relying on its military units stationed in Turkey in its operations against Iran.

The US has intensified its pressure on Azerbaijan to secure approval for a military base while it never considers making a similar request of Armenia, which receives large sums of financial aids from the American institutions every year and maintains good relations with Russia and Iran. Armenia sometimes returns American requests despite the large amount of financial aid. During the discussions as to whether it was possible to station NATO troops in Armenia when a crisis had erupted between the US and Iran in relation to the uranium enrichment, Armenian Defense Minister Serj Sarkisyan underlined such a possibility was out of question even in theoretical basis.

A new visa control procedure Beginning Dec. 16, 2002, the US decided to apply the visa regime envisaged for the citizens of states supporting and sponsoring international terrorism to Armenian citizens as well. Armenia became the 21st state (and the first Christian state) subjected to this regime. The visa controls under this regime were made in relation to all

REUTERS,AP

Due to the irredentist policy it has maintained since independence, Armenia has had serious disagreements and problems with all its neighbors except Iran; these problems are for the most part still prevalent. Armenia is currently unable to use the northern border for transportation because it invaded part of Azerbaijan, and unable to use the western border because it still insists upon refusing to recognize Turkey's territorial integrity, relying on the so-called Armenian genocide discourse. Even though it seeks to resolve the problem in relation to the northern border via transportation through Georgia, at this point it is still unable to use the route effectively because of current problems in the region. In this regard, its relations with Iran become very important. Even if Armenia's geopolitical weakness determines the relations between the parties, there are also important political factors at play. Iran has remained ignorant vis-à-vis Armenia's invasion of Azeri territories, despite the latter's predominantly Shiite population; it also extended support to Armenia in relation to the southern Azerbaijan question. In the event of an Azeri victory in this war, 30 million Azeri Turks in the region would have been eager to become independent or seek integration with northern Azerbaijan.

Moreover, Iran has also sought to circumvent Turkey's influence in the region and undermine bilateral relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan by maintaining good relations with Armenia. The same goal was shared by Armenia in its policy vis-à-vis Turkey.

Rapprochement between Iran and Armenian has also been criticized by the US because of its escalating tensions with Iran.

Actually, the US has never been so clear and determined in its opposition to the good relations between Armenia and Iran. Even though the US currently asks Turkey to limit its relations with Iran, its silence in response to rapprochement between Iran and Armenia should

Armenian citizens over age 16 that live in or will later arrive in the US. This decision, made after Sept. 11, has in general included Muslim countries, including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria and Pakistan. During the discussions over the introduction of this regime and inclusion of Armenian citizens in its scope, David Shahnazaryan, who served as the Armenian intelligence chief in the administration of the first head of state, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, made a sensational statement wherein he noted that Afghan terrorists entered the US holding Armenian passports. Undoubtedly, this was the major reason for the US to include Armenian citizens in the visa regime.

According to new reports by Armenian news agency Panarmenian and others, the US administration lifted this tough via regime for Armenian citizens following pressure from the Armenian government and the Armenian diaspora effective, effective Dec. 18, 2002. The US administration ceasing to apply this visa regime vis-à-vis Armenian citizens only two days after its introduction reveals how important and influential the Armenian diaspora is.

Parallel to these developments, the US has never pressured Armenia, despite some Armenian corporations selling nuclear technology to Iran. In response to improvements in bilateral economic relations, Iran seeks to construct an oil refinery plant in Armenia. The US, which expressed its displeasure and uneasiness with a natural gas agreement between Iran and Turkey, has made no statement in relation this project, which will obviously make Iran very influential in the region.

Finally, the US noticed Armenia's true face.

The US State Department expressed its concerns over the frequent official visits held between Armenia and Iran. Furthermore, the US described Armenia as a terrorism-sponsoring state, adding that the country had a corrupt banking system that contributed to money-laundering activities to finance terrorist acts. Following this statement, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan unexpectedly pledged to improve relations with Iran, further noting that the national security council secretary would hold official visits to Iran to meet with the Iranian president and other official figures. It is likely the US will not remain silent this time as well vis-à-vis this development, and act reasonably to pick its supporters and enemies. The US may at least suspend financial aid for Armenia and extend the aid to Nagorno-Karabakh through Azerbaijan. It may even consider repealing section 907 supplemental to the Bill on Supporting Independence, which prohibits financial aid to Azerbaijan.

The actions of the Armenian administration should demonstrate that the country's foreign policy priorities don't rely on the US, which supplies it with financial aid; its priorities instead include Russia, which has almost colonized this country, and Iran, which uses Armenia against Azerbaijan, instead of the US. The US should consider this Armenian stance in its relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey and consider also the strategic alliance between Russia and Armenia when devising a policy visà-vis this country. At the very least, it should base its policy vis-à-vis Turkey and Armenia on a more ethical ground.

PHOTOS

* Hatem Cabbarlý is the deputy director at the Azerbaijani National Assembly's Analytical Information Department.

* Christina Bache Fidan is the program coordinator for the TurkeyUS Public Policy Initiative and the Germany Meets Turkey Program at the Ýstanbul Policy Center.

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Ýstanbul -- Turkey's emerging generation of leaders finds itself tasked with a complicated and challenging set of both domestic and foreign policy issues to address in the coming years. Facing this imminent responsibility, many young people remain cynical about the events unfolding around them.

The court case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the recent police reactions to the May 1 Labor Day protests have further undermined the environment for various interest groups to find common ground.

Turkish society finds itself at a crossroads, with the vision of a homogenous nation challenged by various social elements, particularly among minority communities that are calling for greater cultural freedom and economic development.

An atmosphere of distrust and despair remains among the economically poor, who feel isolated from the protection of the nation-state. Rural regions in Turkey are highly underdeveloped compared with urban areas, with poverty rates twice as high.

The slow pace of sustainable development reinforces the social and economic exclusion of a significant portion of Turkish citizens -- namely ethnic Kurds who live in the Southeast.

Over the last few decades, Turkey has experienced a significant internal migration from rural to urban areas, which has offset Turkey's progress, posed challenges for integration and put pressure on the four largest metropolitan areas of Ýstanbul, Ankara, Ýzmir and Bursa.

At present, Turkey possesses a limited number of avenues that allow a broad spectrum of young people to participate in foreign and domestic policy discussions. Institutes of higher learning and civil society organizations can help to fill this gap by supporting already established initiatives such as the Ari Movement, Youth for Habitat and the Youth Services Center. In the United States there is a longstanding tradition to invest in programs and centers to inform, train and further educate students beyond the classroom.

As a starting point, institutions of higher education should establish a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the sense of citizenry, governance, leadership and social responsibility among youth by offering: Training on conflict resolution and social responsibility; Leadership, cooperative advocacy and cross-cultural communication workshops; and Simulations focusing on group decision making and problem-solving skills.

To broaden understanding of the principles and institutions of a participatory democracy, civil society organizations and educational institutions should organize the following activities: Arrange meetings with representatives from various branches and levels of government; Promote the role of young people in a democratic society with representatives from political parties and youth-oriented NGOs; Promote interactions with civic and community organizations; and Join in an exchange of views on the role of faith, identity and culture in society.

To foster better communication and understanding among Turkish youth as well as between Turkish and foreign counterparts, it is dire to assist in: Putting forth significant funds to support youth designed programs; Design and conduct team-building exercises to increase intra-group trust and mutual understanding; Recruit and train emerging leaders in dialogue; and Support already-established networks.

Policy debates remain polarized and unproductive, leaving the emerging generation of leaders little room to witness the constructive process of debate and compromise. Although the European Commission's 2006 progress report highlighted positive developments growing out of the recent reform environment, saying that "civil society organizations have become relatively more vocal and better organized, especially since the adoption of the new Law on Associations," more still needs to be done to promote a strong sense of citizenry, governance, leadership and social responsibility in Turkey.

As Ian Lesser, a German Marshall Fund of the US scholar on transatlantic relations noted, "a reinvigorated strategic relationship is possible, but it is likely to have quite different contours, with new forms of engagement -- and more realistic expectations." People-to-people interactions -- particularly among civil society -- can reinvigorate Turkey-US relations, which were largely damaged after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

In order to build a more healthy relationship between Turkey and the US, strides need to be made to equip emerging Turkish leaders with the skills and knowledge required to engage in constructive dialogue with diverse domestic and international stakeholders.

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Parallel hýstorýes The head table at the banquet at Çankaya Palace was in the middle of the large hall, for everyone to see. When I looked at Abdullah Gül, the president of the republic, before he stood to deliver his speech, I saw in his eyes a glimmer of light, as if he was traveling back in time in his mind. I was proven right when I found out Gül had confided in some close friends afterward about what he was telling his guest of honor when they sat next to each other: "I was a university student when you visited Turkey in 1971, Your Excellency; I remember waving at you while your procession was coming out of a historical building in Ýstanbul."

Gül's guest of honor at the state banquet was the queen of England, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her visit to Turkey comes at an opportune time, if we consider that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is under the threat of closure.

The host, Gül, was a member of the AK Party and was elected president of the republic mainly by AK Party voters. If the Constitutional Court decides to go ahead with the chief prosecutor's demand to close the party, Gül will lose his position along with some members of the AK Party.

Strange coincidences play a significant role in the queen's life in terms of Turkey. Her last visit coincided with an extraordinary time in Turkey's political history; a previous visit occurred when Turkey

ÝBRAHÝM KALIN

FEHMÝ KORU f.koru@todayszaman.com

was going through another extraordinary phase in our political history. The year of her visit, 1971, was the year when the army stepped in to dismiss the existing government of the time and was ruling the country behind the scenes.

If I am not mistaken, rumor had it during the time, when the Special Court issued a series of harsh decisions on the Democrat Party (DP) leadership in 1961, a year after Turkey was shaken politically by a military takeover, Queen Elizabeth endured a trip to Turkey to ask for clemency for those politicians who were convicted and sentenced to execution. According to some accounts she was turned down by the military rulers and returned to her country without even seeing any place outside the airport. The military rulers went ahead with hanging three prominent politicians.

If that account is true, all the queen's visits to Turkey, three in total, happened during times of hardship for Turkish democracy.

Gül, for his part, has lived through his personal history parallel to the queen's... When the queen paid an official visit to Turkey in 1971, Gül was at university and involved in student activities. The queen's country, Britain, wasn't regarded a "friend" by conservative students like Gül at the time, because of its part in dissolving the Ottoman Empire. Many intellectuals in Turkey blamed the queen's ancestors for shrinking the huge empire that spanned four continents at its peak into a small territory in Anatolia.

When Gül went to further his studies -- first in London then in Exeter -- during the late 1970s, he was impressed by what he saw in Britain. I know that he was impressed from firsthand experience, since I shared a flat with him in London during his stay there. When we visited the British Museum or walked through the historical sites, we always found many things to like.

The year 1977, when Abdullah Gül spent a whole year in London, was also the time for the queen's silver jubilee. There were various activities to celebrate her 25 years on the throne, one of which concerned us closely. A new line in the London underground was put into service, named the "Jubilee Line." Since we lived in Kilburn then, we used the line excessively. I remember myself coming eye-to-eye with the queen in one of her public outings that year.

When the queen became a recluse by cutting all ties with her

CHINA, REUTERS

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ANDREW FINKEL a.finkel@todayszaman.com

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Turkey’s smart power (II) To continue our discussion from last week, Turkey's smart power is a strategic combination of soft and hard power, but the result is more than a plate of carrots and sticks. Rather, it is the confluence and synthesis of strategic, historical and civilizational dynamics that distinguish Turkey from other regional and international powers. Joseph Nye's power analysis focuses on a crude cost-benefit framework and thus lacks in the strategic analysis of historical and civilizational dimensions. As it extends into various parts of the world, US power is bound to be constrained by the rough elements of international relations. The United States has never had strong historical and cultural ties with any major civilizational basin, and this is true even for Europe, from which it had originally sprung. The reason is that the US structure of power developed successfully to the extent to which it defined itself as distinct and separate from the historical rationality of Europe.

As far as US engagement in the Middle East, Asia and Latin America is concerned, a similar set of conditions have limited the US from nurturing deep historical, cultural and even religious ties with these areas. As a technological and military superpower, the US has remained aloof from all the major civilizational axes of world history and instead concentrated on amassing its power through a different kind of development: a highly creative culture of innovation, political sophistication and strategic expansion.

Rather than dealing with deep-seated historical and cultural issues, the US power has made use of existing conflicts to open up a space for itself to maneuver geo-cultural and geo-political dynamics to its benefit. This policy more or less worked during the Cold War because the world needed a superpower that could claim to be above and beyond the "old conflicts" of the classical cultural and civilizational forces. But this very fact has also alienated the US from the rest of the world. Its expansionist policies are no longer seen as the justified acts of a benevolent imperial power. Even the fact that the US is one of the most dynamic and pluralistic societies in the world does not change this reality.

Countries like Turkey cannot afford to have a concept (or exercise) of power similar to that of the US. While in some ways the US power is an exception in the history of world powers, it also has some essential limitations that cannot be envied. In a speedily shrinking world, Turkey must develop its concept of power by carefully analyzing the context of its geo-cultural position and strategic alternatives. As in all cases of the smart use of power, Turkey must develop win-win scenarios for its regional partners and global actors.

Turning Turkey's historical depth and civilizational position into a strategic strength is not easy. In its troubled history of modernization, Turkey did many things right but also committed itself to some unsolvable and eventually futile dilemmas. The current tensions around Turkey's claims to be a secular state with a large Muslim population and what these two identity claims imply for domestic and regional policy limit Turkey's strategic choices and weaken its ability to mature a concept of smart power. Turkey must be strong and unified domestically to be effective regionally and internationally.

In this regard, we can speak about three concentric circles that would make up a workable notion of smart power for Turkey. Turkey must have a functioning democracy, a strong economy and a pluralistic concept of unity and solidarity. A rigid and dogmatic secularism that would land Turkey in the oldfashioned and discredited concepts of 19th century rationalism and positivism will only deepen the ideological divides and kill off all energy and enthusiasm for creativity and innovation.

On the regional scene, Turkey must prove useless and dysfunctional the old polarities of East and West or Islam and the West. Turkey's active engagement in its east and south (from Iran and Iraq to Syria, Lebanon and Palestine) is in perfect agreement with its goal of becoming a full member of the EU. Contrary to some claims, such engagements do not turn Turkey away from its membership process. Rather, they make Turkey all the more indispensable for the EU and other global actors, including Russia and the US. Both the EU and individual European countries are actively present in all of the major problems of the Middle East.

Paradoxical as it may seem, Turkey moves closer to the EU as it gets closer to its east and south. Furthermore, the current stalemate in Turkey's EU membership is also a result of the EU's inability to produce a workable solution for the Cyprus problem.

Finally, on the global scene, many opportunities await Turkey as a rising regional power. Unlike the Cold War era, which was based on the classical modernist model of either/or power balances, we live in a postmodern world of global power structures. The butterfly effect is felt much more strongly in world affairs today. Postmodern global affairs are centered on the idea of constantly shifting power balances. Top-down distributions of power are challenged on a daily basis by bottom-up approaches and regional realities of power sharing. Let's hope the Turkish policy makers do not miss this historic opportunity.

subjects, I don't know. I don't even know if this is a correct portrayal of her, or misjudgment influenced by Stephen Frears' 2006 movie, "The Queen." In the movie Queen Elizabeth is portrayed as an uncaring ruler living behind high walls, never sharing the sensitivities of her people. Even the charm of lovely Helen Mirren, who played the queen in the movie, didn't save her image.

To tell you the truth, when I went to the presidential palace for the state banquet, expecting the tedious royal etiquette would hold us captive for a couple of hours, I encountered a different tableau. No chaperon asked me to bow in front of the queen. I wasn't warned to refrain from coming eye-to eye with her, and I shook her hand, too. She even smiled at me.

I saw her smiling at President Gül at the banquet when he said the following before the toast: "Today, the Turkish and British nations have several similarities: We take pride in our past, our core values and national identities. What binds us, today, however, is not only the glorious past or the common values that we cherish, but a future defined with our vigor and commitment as partners in acting as forces for good in pursuit of peace, greater global stability and a better democratic and libertarian practice in the world."

I hope the queen wasn't rewinding the reels of recent Turkish political history through her own eyes when she smiled at these words.

EU frýends ýn need

Transýton to democracy wýll not be swýft HÜSEYÝN GÜLERCE h.gulerce@todayszaman.com

As Turkey is at a historical crossroads, the Constitutional Court has been tasked with resolving the conundrum; and it should be noted that the court assumes great responsibility in this case.

That only 11 people are authorized to give the final word for the future of the country is sufficient to explain the immensity of this responsibility. We are all hopeful that the decision to be made will make us believe in the rule of law. Justice is a final word confirmed and attested to by conscience and accepted by all relevant parties. All reasonable men should be able to say "justice has now been served" when the decision has been declared. For this reason, the balance of justice is fairly sensitive, and it should be.

If actors of the judiciary act responsibly and don't do any favors for certain people, if they ignore the unfair actions and repressions, if they avoid bribery and nepotism and if they remain committed to the universal values and standards in the fields of human rights and fundamental freedoms, nobody will object to the outcome of such an understanding of justice.

However, there are serious doubts and ongoing discussions about the practices of the judiciary in our country. The protectors of the status quo frequently state that the regime holds priority and precedent and that democracy may be overlooked for the sake of the survival of the system. Certain power centers, leading Republican People's Party (CHP) figures, media figures and influential columnists -- by relying on threats and other similar means -- seek to silence those who try to stage opposition to this approach. In which country have you encountered someone saying: "We are the natives; nothing can be said or done without our prior authorization, even if you receive 97 percent of the vote?" Have you ever heard in another country of an opposition party threatening dire consequences if a Constitutional Court

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decision does not serve their demands and interests? In what democratic country have you observed the military issuing a warning on its Web site in an attempt to influence the presidential elections? Some assert that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) administration will be toppled through a judicial coup and that the party's leader will be removed from the political sphere. They further underline that a new extraordinary era similar to the Feb. 28 process will be introduced; but as opposed to the past, this time, the transition to democracy will not be swift. The replacement actors will remain in power for two or so decades to train a brand new generation.

But, will they do all these things in a large "prison" with an area of 800,000 square kilometers? Will they take Turkey into the single party era? Will they stop the world? Will they ban TV, the Internet or international travel? Will they tell fairytales to the people when they take to the streets after deterioration in the economic situation? Is Turkey an isolated island that has no connection to the world? How will they be able to do this in a country that takes direct steps toward democratization? Is Turkey Myanmar? The military junta held the previously scheduled referendum amid the catastrophic and devastating impacts of the recent cyclone in which tens of thousands perished. They ask the people to vote for the constitution they had prepared. Subsequently, they will base all their actions on this "endorsed" constitution. And the world will accept this; they will recognize your particular position; isn't it so? Many people died and many others face serious problems amid the catastrophe, and you mind your business alone; this cannot be accepted.

Considering that the free world will not remain ignorant vis-à-vis what happened in Myanmar, how will Turkey shelve the democratization process while it still seeks full membership in the EU? Those who believe this is something doable fail to understand Turkey and the world. They will realize that they are wrong. What matters is that they realize this as soon as possible. Otherwise, Turkey, the rising star of the 21st century, will have to suffer from this.

"Shut that political party!" Those cheering Turkey's public prosecutor from the sidelines are hoping that the Constitutional Court will kill two birds with one verdict.

Victim number one is the one advertised on the label -the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

Victim number two is Turkey's whole future in Europe.

This is the way it works. If seven of the 11 judges rule that the AK Party really has become an unconstitutional "focus of anti-secular activity," then the party will be closed and those politicians deemed responsible for leading it astray forced to step down from political party life; the AK Party will then break, Humpty-Dumpty like, into factions which not even Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan will be able to put back together again, or so his detractors reckon. Their proof is that the prime minister already appears to have abandoned the idea of amending the Constitution to make party closure more difficult. He knows that his majority does not stretch to the two-thirds vote (367 deputies) to pass changes without a public referendum but now fears that that a dozen or so of his deputies will come under pressure to desert, depriving him of the three-fifths majority (330) needed to go to a referendum in the first place.

The AK Party counters hopes that it will simply vanish in the triumph of wishful thinking over common sense. Its supporters, come what may, will still have a parliamentary majority. They will do well in local or even early general elections. Their new strategy is to meet the court challenge head on, calculating that in a headbutting contest they have the thicker skulls.

Yet for many, the move to shut the AK Party is either wittingly or psychologically an attempt to reverse the European Union-oriented reform process of the last few years. The potential AK Party closure has already prompted a warning from the essentially pro-Turkish European Commission that the business of accession cannot continue as usual if the courts decide to emasculate the democratically elected government. Their intention is not to side with the AK Party but to warn of the trauma to the negotiating process that would necessarily ensue from a verdict of "guilty as charged." Those in Europe who oppose Turkish membership are happy to say nothing. They would prefer Ankara shoot itself in the foot and for the wound to turn gangrene.

Of course it is the well-intentioned criticism of European friends that excites the wrath of Turkey's Euroskeptics. "What a gross interference in Turkey's internal affairs," protests the pro-closure faction with all the pious indignation of Orwell's Ministry of Truth.

They accuse those who have fought hard and wisely for Turkish membership of being knaves or fools, of either wanting to turn the country into a colony of AK Party "soft" Islamic values or not realizing that this would be the inevitable outcome if reforms that weaken the power of the unelected guardians of the state proceed.

An extreme example of the nationalist, or in this case ultranationalist, strategy was the high-profile trials of Turkish intellectuals for insulting Turkishness. Another court in Turkey, this time a criminal court, is even now considering evidence that this war of attrition against the foes of nationalism went to the wicked extreme of conniving the assassination of Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink. The motive for this attack was less to punish Mr. Dink than to provoke European disgust. The nationalist prediction that Europe will never accept Turkey would be turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy. The ultranationalist program is to leave Turkey isolated.

However Turkey's friends in Europe -- or at least those who get the point why it is necessary to include Turkey in the European project -- are not so easily manipulated. Their own strategy has been to respond to provocation by exposing the motives of the perpetrators.

They see rear guard actions like the state prosecutor's case as strengthening their own argument for Turkey to accelerate a reform process that would bolster democracy and protect the citizen from the tyranny of having to conform to religious beliefs they cannot share. These friends have a hard task ahead. Even if the court does not shut the AK Party down, the action is likely to dull its appetite to challenge a stultifying status quo.

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THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2008

LEISURE

tv guýde

Gregorian Calendar: 15 May 2008 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 10 Jumada al-Awwal 1429 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 10 Iyyar 5768 calendar@todayszaman.com Austrian State Treaty in 1955, which took place in Vienna between the occupying Allied powers (France, the UK, the US and the Soviet Union) and the Austrian government. This treaty re-established Austria as an independent and democratic state.

Today is Teacher's Day in South Korea and Mexico.

On this day teachers are usually presented with carnations by their students and both enjoy a shorter school day.

Today is Peace Officers' Memorial Day in the US. May 15 has been National Peace Officers' Memorial Day and the week containing May 15 has been National Police Week since President John F. Kennedy signed a law on their commemoration in 1962. But it was not until May 15, 1982 that the first National Peace Officers' Memorial Day Service was held.

Today is the Independence Day of Paraguay, commemorating its independence from Spain attained in 1811. We mistakenly reported that Paraguay celebrated its Independence Day yesterday; we apologize for the error.

Today is Aoi Matsuri, or the Hollyhock Festival, in Japan. This festival features a pageant reproducing imperial processions of ancient times that paid homage to the shrine of Shimogamo and Kamigamo, two shrines

Today is the Feast of San Isidro in Spain and in Spanish-speaking Latin America. Otherwise known as St. Isidore the Laborer (d. May 15, 1130), San Isidro was a Spanish day laborer known for his kindness toward animals and the poor. He is the Catholic patron saint of farmers and Madrid. Several miracles are attributed to this saint, who was married to another canonized saint, Santa Maria de la Cabeza. The Feast of San Isidro is one of the most colorful of all Catholic feasts observed in Spain and Latin American countries. In Spain the greatest celebrations take place in Orotava with the Dance of Magos (the magician) and the blessing of the cattle. In Chile, Peru and the Philippines several processions and festivities are organized on this day.

Today is the International Day of Families, as declared in 1993 by the UN General Assembly and celebrated annually since 1994. The purpose of this day is to increase awareness of family issues and to improve the institutional capability of nations to tackle serious family-related problems with comprehensive policies.

Today is National Day in Austria. On this day Austrians celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the

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‘The Wave’

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS ÝSTANBUL: Maçka G-mall: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 18:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 23:15 24:15 Kadýköy Nautilus: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 ANKARA: Ata On Tower: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:15 18:30 19:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ÝZMÝR: Cinebonus Konak Pier: 10:30 12:45 15:00 17:15 19:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ANTALYA: Migros: 12:15 14:30 16:45 19:00 21:15 Fri/Sat: 24:00

E2 08:00 The Rachael Ray Show 09:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 10:00 The Martha Stewart Show 11:00 The Rachael Ray Show 12:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 13:00 Hollyoaks 13:30 The Rachael Ray Show 14:30 The Martha Stewart Show 15:30 The Rachael Ray Show 16:30 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:30 Hollyoaks 18:00 The Martha Stewart Show 19:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 20:00 Cheers 20:30 Hollyoaks 21:00 Dexter 22:15 The Tudors 23:00 Late Night With Conan O'Brien 24:00 Poker Royale

in the north of Tokyo. Aoi Matsuri is one of the three main festivals held in Kyoto.

On this day in 1919 Turkish journalist Hasan Tahsin was martyred at Ýzmir's Konak Square as he fired the first shots against the invading Greek army.

On May 15, 1974, the First Bullet Monument was erected in the square commemorating Tahsin.

Today is International Conscientious Objectors' Day. This day is closely linked to the International Conscientious Objectors' Meeting (ICOM). In 1985 ICOM decided to use May 15, as a focal point for action on conscientious objection. Although ICOM hasn't met for years now, May 15 is still established as a joint day of action. A conscientious objector is an individual who, on religious, moral or ethical grounds, refuses to participate as a combatant in war or, in some cases, to take any role that would support a combatant organization or armed force.

Today is the Commemoration Day for Air Force Martyrs in Turkey. This day was originally observed on January 27, the anniversary of the martyrdom of Turkish pilot and founder of Turkish Aviation Fazýl Bey (d. 1923). Since January is a cold month the day was moved to May 15 in 1935. By Kerim Balcý

Cnbc-e 18:10 The King Of Queens 18:50 Chuck 20:00 The Simpsons 20:30 My Name Is Earl 21:00 The Closer 22:00 Metropolis 24:00 The Simpsons 00:30 My Name Is Earl 01:00 The Closer 02:00 Metropolis 04:00 The Simpsons

Goldmax 07:30 Reflections in a Golden Eye 09:20 Lost in America 10:50 Hide and Seek 12:30 Purple Rain 14:15 Dead Heat 15:55 The Day After Tomorrow 18:05 Bulworth 20:00 Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco 21:35 Feds 23:05 Body Count 00:30 Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM ÝSTANBUL: Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir: 11:00 12:00 13:10 15:20 16:30 17:40 19:50 20:50 22:00 Caddebostan AFM: 10:50 13:20 15:50 18:20 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:30 ANKARA: Ata On Tower: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 21:00 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ÝZMÝR: Cinebonus Konak Pier: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ANTALYA: Migros: 14:30 17:00

ASIMO conducts Detroýt Symphony ýn lýve concert

TAKEN ÝSTANBUL: Levent Kanyon: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Caddebostan AFM: 12:00 14:45 17:00 19:30 21:50 ANKARA: Armada: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:00 ÝZMÝR: Konak Passtel: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:30 ANTALYA: AFM Laura: 11:00 13:15 15:15 17:30 19:30 21:45

CARAMEL ÝSTANBUL: Maçka G-mall: 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Kadýköy Nautilus: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:15 19:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 23:45 ANKARA: Arcadium: 11:05 13:00 15:10 17:20 19:30 21:40

THE WAVE ÝSTANBUL: Niþantaþý Citylife: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:15 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Caddebostan AFM: 11:10 13:40 16:10 18:40 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:45 ANKARA: Bilkent: 11:50 14:20 16:50 19:20 21:50 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ÝZMÝR: AFM Bornova Forum: 13:40 16:20 19:00 21:40

Sudoku

AP PHOTO

The lights dimmed, the sold-out hall grew hushed and out walked the conductor: shiny, white and 4 feet, 3 inches tall. ASIMO, a robot designed by Honda Motor Co., met its latest challenge Tuesday evening: Conducting the Detroit Symphony in a performance of "The Impossible Dream" from "Man of La Mancha."

"Hello, everyone," ASIMO said to the audience in a childlike voice, then waved to the orchestra. As it conducted, it perfectly mimicked the actions of a conductor, nodding its head at various sections and gesturing with one or both hands. ASIMO took a final bow to enthusiastic shouts from the audience. "It is absolutely thrilling to perform with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. This is a magnificent concert hall," ASIMO said. Later, cellist Yo-Yo Ma joined ASIMO onstage to receive an award for his efforts in music education. Ma bent to ASIMO's height and shook the robot's hand. Ma performed later on the program but did not take questions from the media about ASIMO. Honda spokeswoman Alicia Jones said it was the first time ASIMO has conducted an orchestra, and it may be the first time any robot has conducted a live performance.

ASIMO stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility.

ASIMO's engineers programmed the robot to mimic Charles Burke, the Detroit Symphony's education director, as he conducted the piece in front of a pianist about six months ago. During the first rehearsal, the orchestra lost its place when ASIMO began to slow the tempo, something a human conductor would have sensed and corrected, said bassist Larry Hutchinson.

"It's not a communicative device. It simply is

19:30 21:00 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15

Hallmark 07:30 Crime in Connecticut: The Story of Alex Kelly 09:15 McLeod's Daughters 10:00 Just a Dream 11:45 A Storm in Summer 13:30 Crime in Connecticut: The Story of Alex Kelly 15:15 McLeod's Daughters 16:15 Just a Dream 18:00 A Storm in Summer 20:00 Family of Strangers 21:30 Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All 23:15 3 A.M. 01:00 Family of Strangers 02:30 Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma (R) greets Honda's ASIMO after it conducted the Detroit Symphony Orchestra during a concert in Detroit. programmed to do a sense of gestures," said Leonard Slatkin, the orchestra's musical director. "If the orchestra decides to go faster, there's nothing the robot can do about it." But several musicians also said ASIMO was more realistic than they expected. "The movements are still a little stiff, but very humanlike, much more fluid than I thought," Hutchinson said.

Honda has been developing walking robots since 1986.

The latest version of ASIMO debuted last year. Honda eventually intends its robots to be companions for the elderly and others in need, such as schoolchildren navigating crosswalks. ASIMO can run, walk on uneven slopes and respond to simple voice commands. It can also recognize faces with its camera eyes. Honda brought the robot to Detroit to highlight its recent $1 million gift to the orchestra for a music education fund. Detroit AP

Cem Kýzýltuð

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HOW TO PLAY? : The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. There are three very simple constraints to follow. In a 9 by 9 square Sudoku game: Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9

Comedymax 08:00 Rules of Engagement 08:30 What I Like About You 09:00 For Your Love 09:30 Out of Practice 10:00 Two Guys and A Girl 10:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:00 Ugly Betty 12:00 America's Funniest Home Videos 12:30 Reba 13:00 Still Standing 13:30 American Dad 14:00 Rules of Engagement 14:30 What I Like About You 15:00 For Your Love 15:30 Out of Practice 16:00 Two Guys and A Girl 16:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 17:00 Ugly Betty 18:00 America's Funniest Home Videos 18:30 Reba 19:00 Still Standing 19:30 American Dad 20:00 Rules of Engagement 20:30 What I Like About You 21:00 Two Guys and A Girl 21:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 22:00 Ugly Betty

radýo guýde

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1 Proclaimed to screw up, as God (5) 4 Bound to go topless gatecrashing provocative though genteel gathering (3,5) 8 Items for sale are higgledy-piggledy (3,4,3,4) 10 Tail of animal on farm extending quite a distance (4-5) 11 Trouble follows manipulation of image in gallery (5) 12 About to get couple in fix (6) 14 Bailiff offering gratuity to workers (8) 17 Face having to cut payment, making living (8) 18 God slowing down, hampered by weight (6) 20 From concealed position, shoot

Yesterday’s Solution

4

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travelers’ s.o.s

HARD

461

c.kiziltug@todayszaman.com

HARD

7

Movýemax 08:50 Where the Truth Lies 10:35 Read It and Weep 12:10 We Own the Night 14:15 The Ten 15:55 Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World 17:40 A Friend of the Family 19:25 Inside The Actors Studio: Matt Damon 20:30 The Number 23 22:20 Emotional Arithmetic 00:15 Trainwreck: My Life as an Idiot 01:50 Mummy an´ the Armadillo The Scare Hole

26

V I C A O H C U R A A I B A S I T R E I G O N C H A R K P I S T L O A F F A N A T E R S

R A G E S M E O T E C A O A N T U F R A S F U S I L A T A N H A NG I C E D L Y B D I S L E T I O L E E R B G P I E I R E P Y R V N E A E D I S P L

22 24 25 26

bird (5) Dairy product skimmed quickly, as if by magic (3,6) Military action carrying US general’s seal of approval (10,4) Confident and loud, though unaware of it? (8) Pronounced perpendicular cut (5)

Down 1 US mobile home owners scent arrest moving home, initially (7,5) 2 Look in shade for hunting hook (5) 3 Bitten by swine? Vermin? Dogs?

Don’t worry (5,4) 4 Seat of power from which one’s unseated, say (6)

5 Powerful name turns up to support central Irish town one abandoned (8) 6 Ancient author writing up main work (5) 7 Was severely critical, though carried role (4,5) 9 Elderly man’s retaining of discovery — for himself, rudely? (6-6) 13 Spray which with nitrogen replacing phosphorus could make insect die (9) 15 Shocks draining energy from certain forces (9) 16 Basic English opening up (3-5) 19 Skirt next to go (6) 21 George’s daughter takes in the sky (5) 23 Take seconds to clean off (5)

O P U P I L I QU E U A I E R S A NGON O C A RG E B E L OW I I AM I D E E A Y E R

Ambulance: 112 Fire: 110 171 Police: 155 156 Maritime: 158 Unknown numbers: 118 Turkish Airlines: 444 0 849, U.S. Embassy: 0312 455 5555 U.S. Consulate: 0212 2513602-3-4 Russian Embassy: 0312 439 2122 Russian Consulate: 0212 244 1693-2610 British Embassy: 0312 455 3344 British Consulate: 0212 293 7540 German Embassy. 0312 455 5100 German Consulate: 0212 334 61 00 French Embassy: 0312 455 4545 French Consulate: 0212 292 4810-11 Indian Embassy: 0312 438 2195 Pakistani Embassy: 0312 427 1410 Austrian Embassy: 0312 419 0431-33 Austrian Consulate: 0212 262 9315 Belgian Embassy: 0312 446 8247 Belgian Consulate: 0212 243 3300 Egyptian Embassy: 0312 426 1026 Egyptian Consulate: 0212 263 6038 Israeli Embassy: 0312 446 3605

CM Y K

00:00 Identification and Programming 00:25 Music 07:25 Identification and Programming 07:30 Music 08:30 News (English, French, German) 08:40 Live Broadcast (English, German, Russian) 10:30 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 10:45 Live Broadcast (English, German, Russian) 12:30 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 12.45 Live Broadcast (English, German, Russian) 15:00 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 15:15 Live Broadcast (English, German, Russian) 18:30 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 18:45 Live Broadcast (English, French) 21:30 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 21:45 Live Broadcast (English, Greek) 23:58 Identification

Broadcast Areas: Alanya FM 94.4 Ankara FM 100.3 Antalya FM 92.1 Ayvalýk FM 101.1 Bodrum FM 97.4 Fethiye FM 103.1 Ýstanbul FM 101.6 Ýzmir FM 101.6 Kalkan FM 105.9 Kapadokya FM 103.0 Kuþadasý FM 101.9 Marmaris FM 101.0 Pamukkale FM 101.0 Trabzon FM 101.5

T17-15-05-08.qxd

14.05.2008

19:39

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14.05.2008

15:30

Page 1

18 TODAY’S ZAMAN

T H U R S D AY, M AY 1 5 , 2 0 0 8

TODAY’S LEARNING TIME QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.” Bertrand Russell

elementary OSMAN TURHAN

READING

From Spain with love

ILLUSTRATIONS

Dear Jack, How are you? I am writing this letter from Spain. I am staying with a Spanish family in Valencia. Spain is wonderful and I am learning a lot of Spanish very quickly because Senor and Senora Gonzalez don't speak any English.

Their son Pablo is my age. He speaks English well, because he is learning it at school, but I want to improve my Spanish so I always speak Spanish to him. Mercedes, his younger sister, is only six years old and doesn't speak English, so I learn a lot of Spanish from her, too.

Life here is very different from England.

They eat at all the wrong times! Lunchtime is a problem for me. They have lunch at 3 o'clock and I get so hungry at 12:30 p.m. because that's our lunchtime in England. In the afternoon it gets really hot so we have a siesta (a rest) but I can't sleep then. I read or play with the computer. In the evening, I'm tired and I want to go to bed at 10 o'clock, but that's when the family eats dinner!

Before dinner Pablo and I take Mercedes for a lemonade in a cafe. Pablo's parents meet their friends and play cards.

Now Pablo is looking for me, so I must say good-bye. We're going to the cinema -- at 11:30 at night! Everyone in England is fast asleep now…

Love to you all.

Benjamin

Activity: Nationalities

PART 1: True (T) or False (F)

Choose the correct nationality.

1. Pablo is older than Benjamin. _____

1. He's from Shanghai. He's ______ . a. Belgian

c. Irish c. Canadian

5. The family have a rest in the afternoon. _____

3. He's from Sidney. He's ______ . b. German

6. Benjamin usually eats lunch before 3 o'clock in England. _____

c. French

7. Benjamin finds it difficult to sleep in the afternoon. _____

4. He's from Brussels. He's ______ . b. Belgian

8. He can't go to bed at 10 o'clock at night. _____

c. Spanish

9. Pablo and Benjamin usually go to the cafe after dinner. _____

5. He's from Dublin. He's ______ . a. English

- Select a fabric color and pattern.

If you buy a patterned fabric jacket, make sure that the patterns line up at the shoulder and lapel seams.

- A good suit is made of fabric which doesn't wrinkle easily. Crumple the fabric to see if it bounces back.

- Select a pants style. Pleated pants are dressy looking, and give the wearer room for movement. Cuffed legs are formal, and may make the legs look shorter.

- Check the jacket for a proper fit.

Make sure the collar lies flat against the back of your neck. Shoulders should be lightly padded. Sleeves should reveal ¼ to ½ inch of shirt cuff.

- Button up your jacket, sit down, and make sure it feels comfortable.

- Make sure the pants drape over and slightly break at the tops of your shoes. Make sure your socks aren't visible when you walk.

So there you have it. Now that I've dressed you, good luck with your new job!

You've just landed your first job with a big company. Like most college graduates, you are woefully unprepared when it comes to filling your closet with appropriate dress clothes for your new career. One suit jacket, a couple of ties and three or four pairs of Dockers just isn't going to cut it.

For a highly visible job, a man should look his best at all times. Of course, the suit jacket is the most important part of a man's attire. If you don't know what to buy, the following hints may prove useful.

- Choose a jacket style. Two, three or four-button jackets are all available. Always remember that fashion trends change for men as well as women. Only thin men should buy double-breasted jackets as they add bulk to the figure.

- Choose a suitable suit fabric.

Wool is probably the most versatile.

Summer suits should be made of cotton and linen. Suits made with a lot of polyester can look cheap.

4. Benjamin doesn't like lunch at 3 o'clock. _____

b. Greek

a. Italian

Dress for success!

3. Mercedes speaks English. _____

2. He's from Athens. He's _______.

a. Australian

READING

2. Pablo is older than Mercedes. _____

b. Chinese

a. Turkish

advanced

b. Irish

10. He likes going to bed at 11:30 p.m.

c. French

ýntermedýate READING

Everyone yawns Everyone yawns. Newborns yawn. Old people yawn. Animals yawn, also. So why is everyone yawning? Is everybody bored? Actually, no one knows for sure why people yawn, but there are several theories that make sense.

One popular theory is that when we are bored, we don't breathe as deeply as we usually do; thus, our bodies take in less oxygen than normal. So, by yawning, we take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide from our blood. If you agree with this, then yawning would be an involuntary reflex to help us maintain our oxygen and carbon monoxide levels. This makes sense, however, there are other

studies which have ascertained that breathing more oxygen does not decrease one's rate of yawning.

Activity: Odd Word Out

Breathing more carbon dioxide also doesn't increase yawning.

Some scientists subscribe to the

idea that yawning stretches the lungs and surrounding lung tissue. Yawning may be a way to flex muscles, increase heart rate, and feel more awake. Some doctors feel that yawning is a protective reflex to redistribute an oil-like substance called surfactant. Surfactant protects the lungs from collapsing, and keeps them lubricated. According to this train of thought, if we didn't yawn then taking a deep breath would become increasingly difficult.

One thing about yawning that everyone will agree is the fact that it's contagious. If you yawn at a meeting, you may notice that other people have started to yawn, too. Even thinking about yawning can make you yawn.

How many times have you yawned while perusing this article?

Fill in the blanks with the correct letters.

1. to land

c. to dig

d. to uncover

2. woefully

a. to hit the ground b. to get a. sadly

b. handsomely

c. carefully

d. completely

3. to cut it

a. to slice

b. to saw

c. to view

d. to be appropriate

4. attire

a. wheel

b. accessory

c. clothes

d. coat

5. trend

a. style

b. magazine

c. tendency

d. cost

6. bulk

a. weight

b. height

c. color

d. fabric

7. versatile

a. limited

b. many-sided

c. naughty

d. insane

8. to crumple

a. to lose

b. to wrinkle

c. to bend

d. to collapse

9. to reveal

a. to give in

b. to lie

c. to show

d. to cover up

b. to indicate

c. to color

d. to cover

10. to drape over a. to shelter

PART 1: Vocabulary Exercise

Circle the odd word about appearance.

PART 1: Vocabulary Exercise

Find the synonyms

Activity: Vocabulary Practice

1. well-dressed

elegant

smart

curly

1. theory

a. belief

b. understanding c. equation

d. answer

Select the word or phrase which is closest in meaning

2. wavy

straight

curly

plump

2. involuntary

a. controlled

b. automatic

c. reflexive

d. active

1. isolate

3. handsome

attractive

pretty

bald

3. to maintain

a. to hold

b. to save

c. to say is true

d. to keep

4. plump

slim

fat

chubby

4. to ascertain

a. to be sure

b. to be unsure

c. to determine

d. to average

5. long-haired

bald

slight

short-haired

5. to subscribe to a. to order

b. to prescribe

c. to believe

d. to disbelieve

6. fair

dark

red

wavy

6. to flex

a. to extend

b. to bend

c. to show

d. to strengthen

7. muscular

ugly

fit

athletic

7. to collapse

a. to cave in

b. to build

c. to grow

d. to destroy

8. scruffy

young

elderly

middle-aged

8. to lubricate

a. to make dirty

b. to energize

c. to oil

d. to excite

a. local

9. ugly

pretty

unattractive

plain

9. contagious

a. deadly

b. unhealthy

c. funny

d. easily spread

5. fortify

10. slim

slight

overweight

thin

10. to peruse

a. to write

b. to read

c. to make

d. to erase

a. to prove

a. to be very early

b. to notice

c. to separate

d. to make smooth

b. careful

c. hilarious

d. honest

b. extreme

c. unimportant

d. descriptive

b. country

c. city

d. international

b. to convey

c. to rain a lot

d. to strengthen

2. candid a. careless 3. drastic

VOCABULARY Specialized Vocabulary Textiles: Embroidery (noun) means the ornamentation of a fabric by using any of a wide variety of decorative hand or machine stitches in the same or a contrasting color.

The women of Turkey are highly skilled in hand crafts such as embroidery.

Tourism: Pension (noun) is a small hotel or boarding house.

Anne found a lovely little pension for her holiday, right next to the beach.

Agriculture: Perennial (noun) is a plant that lives for more than two years.

Daffodils and tulips are perennials I have planted in my garden.

Ecology: Indigenous (adjective) is a species that occurs naturally in an area.

The professor wrote a book on the plants indigenous to Canada.

Sports: Goalpost (noun) on the sporting field, goalposts are posts between which players must carry, kick or pass a ball or similar object in order to score points.

The ball hit the goalposts and bounced back into the net.

Idiom of the Day Tight-fisted MEANING: very frugal; unwilling to spend money unnecessarily.

EXAMPLE: Charlie won’t donate any money to the charity fund, he's too tight-fisted!

Phrasal Verbs Knock out meaning: make unconscious. example 1: "That medicine really knocked me out. I slept for 14 hours straight!" example 2: "The boxing match ended when one boxer knocked the other one out."

Pull over meaning: (no object): drive a vehicle to the side of the rode. example: "When the policeman indicated that I should pull over, I knew he was going to give me a ticket."

Slang: break meaning: opportunity example: A lucky break helped him get the job.

Confusing Words In English desert vs dessert desert is a noun which means any region so arid because of little rainfall that it supports only sparse and widely spaced vegetation or no vegetation at all For example: " We can cross a desert on a camel." dessert is a noun which means any cake, pie, fruit, pudding, ice cream, etc., served as the final course of a meal.

For example: " We ate a strawberry dessert after our main meal."

CM Y K

a. humorous 4. urban

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER KEY:

ELEMENTARY: (Part 1) 1. ADJ 2.ADV 3.ADJ 4.ADV 5.ADJ 6.ADV 7.ADJ 8.ADV 9.ADJ 10.ADJ (Part 2) 1. Longleat Safari Park 2. In summer 3. Sunny 4. Greg and Claire 5. They got stuck in a car surrounded by lions 6. Lions and gorillas 7. The Park Ranger 8. It started on fire 9. Shocked but happy 10. Yes, they did (Activity) 1. a 2.a 3.d 4.b 5.b INTERMEDIATE: (Part 1) 1.a 2.b 3.b 4.a 5.c 6.c 7.b 8.b 9.b 10.c (Activity) 1.c 2.c 3.b 4.a 5.a ADVANCED: (Part 1) 1.a 2.d 3.b 4.d 5.c 6.a 7.c 8.c 9.d 10.c (Activity) 1.j 2.i 3.b 4.c 5.f 6.g 7.d 8.e 9.h 10.a

In cooperation with English Time

T19-15-05-08.qxd

14.05.2008

19:37

Page 1

SPORTS

New charges: Bonds lied about steroids A federal grand jury has brought a longer array of perjury charges against baseball home run king Barry Bonds after a judge tossed out earlier allegations of lies about past steroid use. The latest indictment charges the US career home run record holder with 14 counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. San Francisco Reuters

THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2008

SOCCER

Gençlerbirliði to keep Mesut Bakkal as coach

ICE HOCKEY

Penguins down Flyers to close on Stanley Cup final

Turkish U-17 players (below) in a dejected mood after losing to France on a penalty shootout in their semifinal clash in Antalya on Tuesday night.

France advanced to Friday's UEFA European Under-17 Championship final against Spain after ending the hopes of host Turkey, winning their semifinal clash 4-3 on a penalty shootout at the Mardan Sport Complex in Antalya on Tuesday night.

The home crowd, including Turkey senior squad member Arda Turan and coach Fatih Terim, was delighted by Abdülkadir Kayalý's long-range strike just after the half-hour, but Thimothee Kolodziecziak equalized for the French in the 69th. The score remained unchanged at the end of extra-time and a penalty shootout was to decide the winner.

French keeper Anthony Mfa Mezui saved spot-kicks from Abdülkadir, Batuhan Karadeniz and substitute Alexandre Lacazette

BASKETBALL

Pistons sink Hedo’s Magic to advance

Top-ranked Justine Henin retired from tennis Wednesday at the age of 25, ending a career in which she won seven Grand Slam titles. “This is the end of a child's dream,” Henin said in announcing her immediate departure from a sport she has dominated for the past two years. “This is a definitive decision. Those who know me know it is serious.” Henin's surprise decision came less than two weeks before the start of the French Open, a tournament she has won four times, including the last three years. Henin won 10 tournaments last year, but has been in one of the worst slumps of her career this season. She was upset last week in the third round of the German Open and pulled out of this week's Italian Open citing fatigue. Limelette AP

for a 4-3 victory over Turkey to give France hope of a second U-17 title to add to its 2004 crown, when it beat Spain 2-1 in the final.

Turkey restored its first-choice lineup after resting key men for the 0-0 Group Aclinching draw with Serbia on Saturday, and there was a debut final start for Eren Albayrak, the winger who only returned from a six-month groin injury absence with his three substitute appearances in Antalya.

Within a minute his powerful shot had forced France goalkeeper Anthony Mfa Mezui to make a daring save. France was unchanged from the 2-0 win against Switzerland, according to a report on uefa.com.

Turkey’s Eren Albayrak, so integral to Turkey's wing play, was withdrawn on the hour, limping. Turkey still threatened but its

lead vanished, against the run of play, with 21 minutes left in normal time. Substitute Öztürk Karataþ made Mfa Mezui save early in added time, while France's William Remy, whose earlier booking meant he will be suspended for the final, shot over the bar. In the dying minutes Batuhan had another late chance, but headed the ball over the bar. Penalties were needed, and after Abdülkadir and Tafer had each team's initial effort saved, Batuhan shot Turkey's fourth straight at Mezui and Lacazette was the hero again for the French.

Elsewhere, Spain needed extra-time to defeat the Netherlands at the Antalya Atatürk Stadium, substitute Angel Martinez scoring a magnificent winner 2-1 at 12 minutes in after Pulido had canceled out a headed opener from Rodney Sneijder. Antalya Today’s Zaman

Naturalized Cem dreams of success at Beijing Games

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ICE HOCKEY

Henin retires with immediate effect

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The Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 91-86 on Tuesday to clinch their best-of-seven series 4-1 and advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth successive season. Detroit will play the winner of the Boston-Cleveland series for the Eastern Conference championship and a place in the NBA finals. In Tuesday's other playoff game, the New Orleans Hornets took a 3-2 lead over defending champions San Antonio Spurs with David West claiming 38 points in a 101-79 triumph. In Detroit, Richard Hamilton scored 31 points for the Pistons while Hedo Türkoðlu contributed 18 points and nine rebounds for Orlando. Detroit Reuters

Coach Terim during a press conference in Antalya.

Terim: Deserving players called up HACI HASDEMÝR ANTALYA

Gençlerbirliði has concluded a deal with coach Mesut Bakkal. The coach first met with club Chairman Ýlhan Cavcav and subsequently with General Manager Cem Onuk. Reports note that there remained only a relatively insignificant disagreement over money. Both parties said that would not be a problem, implying that a two-year contract will be signed shortly. Meanwhile, Onuk stated that they would not hold any meetings or negotiations with Erhan, whose contract has expired, further noting that they would not work with him next season. Ankara Today’s Zaman

The Pittsburgh Penguins scored a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday to move to the brink of the Stanley Cup finals. The victory gave the Penguins a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-ofseven Eastern Conference final. The Detroit Red Wings lead the Dallas Stars 3-0 in the Western final. Ryan Whitney and Marian Hossa put the Penguins 2-0 up in the first period before R.J Umberger pulled one back for Philadelphia. After a scoreless second period, Ryan Malone and Hossa again made sure of a victory that leaves Pittsburgh just one win away from a place in the Stanley Cup final. Philadelphia Reuters

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French oust U-17 host Turkey, face Dutch ýn Frýday’s fýnal

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M. BURAK BÜRKÜK

The Kayserispor administration has decided not to extend the contract of keeper Ivankov Dimitar, who has been on the squad for three consecutive years.

Kayserispor spokesperson Yücel Þahin underlined that the amount the goalie asked to extend his contract with the team was unacceptable to the club and that they had started looking for another goalie for this reason. Þahin further said: “Ivankov asked for $1 million for a one-year contract. We did not make any alternate offer simply because we found this figure too high. For this reason, there remained no prospects for a deal. We are currently looking for another goalkeeper. We are considering acquiring a foreign goalie to replace Ivankov.” Ivankov (33) scored nine goals in the last three seasons -- all penalty kicks -- increasing the total number of goals in his career to 35. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

M.BURAK BÜRKÜK

SOCCER

Kayseri set to part ways with goalkeeper Ivankov

Cem Zeng

Cem Zeng (Cheng Gong), a naturalized Chinese player who greatly contributed to Turkey’s performance in table tennis tournaments, has said he wants to earn further successes for his adopted country at the Olympic Games. The national athlete, who ranked fifth in the World Olympic Qualifiers held in Budapest, noted that he would definitely want to be on the stage at the Beijing Olympics.

The table tennis player joined Fenerbahçe in 2006 at age 22 and was later naturalized in September 2007 to ensure his inclusion in the Turkish national team.

Zeng underlined that he became very ambitious after the failure to make it to the Chinese national team. “I love Turkey and the Turkish people. I am now used to everything about Turkey. I feel pretty

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close to Turkish people. They did not call me for the national team in China. Therefore, I wanted to prove myself. This is why I came to Turkey and wanted to be a part of the national team.” Zeng has become the first Turkish player to qualify to compete in the Olympic Games in the men’s category. He dreams of ranking in the first three at the games. Recalling that it would be the first time he takes part in the Olympics, Zeng stated: “I will participate in the Beijing Olympics following a period of preparation. This makes me pretty happy. I am excited because it will be my first time attending such a big event. That the games are held in China is a great advantage for me. I will not feel strange there. We are considering holding practices in China.” Bülent Karadaþ Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

Turkey’s national team soccer coach Fatih Terim held a press conference yesterday to give details on the squad he named for Euro 2008.

Noting that the players and their wives have been at a holiday camp in Belek, Antalya, since Sunday, he said: "Here, we have tested our players.

Dietitians and psychologists are here to help.

Everything has gone fine. We have managed to ensure that our players got over the stress and exhaustion of the league. Some of our players are suffering from injuries, and some could not come to the camp, but they will be with us in Germany."

Terim defended his decision on the composition of the squad. "This is our decision. Everyone wants to play for the national team in a European championship. But I listed those players who I think deserve to go," he said.

Concerning the non-inclusion of Hakan Tükür and the assigned forward, he stated: "Semih, Nihat, Halil and Mevlüt are in better shape than everyone else. I chose them for this reason. There is no need to explain them one by one. Not just Nihat, Halil, Mevlüt and Semih, I would even assign Yýldýray for that position. Semih is the best scorer in Turkey.

Nihat is the best in Spain. Halil makes significant contributions to Schalke. Mevlut is a different choice for us." Terim stressed that Servet Çetin and Gökhan Gönül's injuries did not surprise him.

"Since the group matches, we have been experiencing difficulties due to injuries. In some matches, all of our 11 players had injuries. Injuries Gönül and Çetin suffered here surprised us. I hope we see no more injuries during the preparations in Germany. I have no doubt that Servet will play in the championship," he noted.

The coach of the Turkish national team also commented about his enthusiasm in attending a European championship after 12 years. "I always feel the same enthusiasm. I feel it in my bones. In 12 years, many players left the squad, but one thing remained the same. You will go there and be successful. You have to be successful. My enthusiasm and ambition are not at the highest level. If not for these, I would not be here," he said. Terim added that they decided to play against Slovakia, Uruguay and Sweden since their styles are closer to their rivals.

Sorenstam to quit at end of the year Sweden's Annika Sorenstam, who has dominated women's golf for a decade, said on Tuesday she would quit competition at the end of this year. Sorenstam, who has 72 LPGA Tour victories and 10 major titles, made her announcement at a news conference before this week's Sybase Classic in Clifton, New Jersey.

“I am very proud of what I have accomplished as a professional golfer and while I will no longer be playing competitively, I will continue to be very involved and engaged in the game of golf,” Sorenstam said. The 37-year-old Swede earned a record eight Player of the Year awards on the LPGA Tour after starting on the circuit in 1994 and won six Vare trophies for lowest scoring average.

Sorenstam was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003. Her announcement comes after a seven-shot victory on Sunday in the Michelob Ultra Open in which she beat world number one Lorena Ochoa among other rivals to ease some of the frustration of a winless 2007 season marred by back and neck injuries.

“The reason for this decision is that I have other priorities in my life,” she said. I have a lot of dreams that I want to follow, I want to live and I'm getting married in January.” New York Reuters and AP

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James Garner undergoes surgery after stroke Actor James Garner, best known for starring in the classic television series "Maverick" and "The Rockford Files," underwent surgery this week after suffering a minor stroke, his spokeswoman said on Tuesday. Los Angeles, Reuters

A weeping Remy Ma was sentenced to eight years in prison Tuesday for shooting a woman outside a Manhattan nightclub.

"I feel so bad for all the physical and mental pain you've gone through," the Grammy-nominated rapper told the victim. "This has taken a toll on us and both our families. I would never wish you harm and I pray the best for all of us." The entertainer, whose real name is Remy Smith, had faced up to 25 years in prison for assault, weapon possession and attempted coercion for shooting Makeda Barnes Joseph last July in a dispute over money.

The native New Yorker begged the judge for leniency for the sake of "my little boy," saying she grew up "surrounded by failure, violence and poverty," but "made something out of nothing" from her life.

State Supreme Court Justice Rena Uviller said she recognized that Smith had had a difficult childhood but noted that the victim had nearly died and will never be the same physically. Uviller called the rapper "a young woman whose anger is out of control." After the sentencing, the singer's fiance, fellow rapper Papoose, began screaming in a hallway outside the courtroom.

"All you want is money!" he said, apparently referring to the victim. "Lock me up! Lock me up!" he then shouted to court officers, who instead escorted him out of the courthouse. The two rappers had been scheduled to get married over the weekend at the Rikers Island jail where Smith has been incarcerated.

Correction officials said they called off the wedding after Papoose showed up with a handcuff key.

Smith's lawyer, Ivan Fisher, acknowledged that Papoose had a key but denied that it could be used to open handcuffs. Papoose, whose real is Shamele Mackie, has not been charged. New York AP

Madonna too busy to attend Malawý adoptýon rulýng

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Rapper Remy Ma gets 8 years for shooting her friend

AP

WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2008

One of Malawi's fiercest critics of Madonna's adoption bid, the Human Rights Consultative Committee, said on Monday it was no longer interested in pursuing the case, removing another obstacle

Pop star Madonna carries David Banda in her arms in this April 19, 2007 file photo.

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US pop star Madonna will not attend the final court ruling on her request to adopt a Malawian child because she is busy with other engagements, her lawyer said late on Tuesday.

The High Court is expected to approve Madonna's bid to formally adopt 2-year-old David Banda at a final session today. Malawi's government and David's father -his only surviving parent -- have endorsed the adoption.

"We are going to court on Thursday [today], but Madonna will not be there because she is not coming," Madonna's lawyer, Alan Chinula told Reuters. "The judge has indicated that he cannot object to her being absent

when making the ruling."

Chinula said Madonna had "other engagements," which he declined to disclose.

A court clerk said Madonna's lawyer has asked for a later court date -- the singer's third request for a postponement -- because their client "had other business matters to deal with." He confirmed the judge could go ahead without her.

The adoption has been controversial, with critics accusing the government of skirting laws that ban non-residents from adopting children in Malawi, a southern African nation ravaged by an AIDS epidemic that has left more than 1 million orphans.

But one of Malawi's fiercest

critics of Madonna's adoption bid, the Human Rights Consultative Committee, said on Monday it was no longer interested in pursuing the case, removing another obstacle.

Madonna began adoption proceedings in 2006, and David has been living with the singer and her husband, film director Guy Ritchie, in their London home since then. She took custody of David when he was 13 months old after his father had placed him in an orphanage following the death of his wife.

David's father, Yohane Banda, told Reuters Television this week, "This is what I wanted, that Madonna should keep the child." Lilongwe Reuters