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William Forsythe questions the implementation of human rights through ‘Human Writes’ project

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Obama moves closer to nomination

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Kurdish activists demand mediation of leading international community figures, including UK’s Tony Blair

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

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MEHMET KAMAN

page08 Oil hits record above $132 a barrel EU TO DEMAND RADICAL REFORMS FROM TURKEY AT UPCOMING ASSOCIATION COUNCIL

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EU seeks radical overhaul of judiciary SELÇUK GÜLTAÞLI, BRUSSELS

Row between government and top judiciary intensifies

system, using quite strong terms after public prosecutors moved to open court cases to ban the governing AK Party and the DTP. The EU is also calling on Ankara to resolve the issue of closure cases by complying with the European Court of Human Rights verdicts and the principles of the Venice Commission.

In the 17-page document, titled "46th Meeting of the EC-Turkey Association Council: Position of the European Union," the EU takes a critical position on the judiciary, Cyprus, the Kurdish question, freedom of expression, military-civilian relations, religious freedom (for religious minorities), Iraq and the reform process. Although pointing out the limited progress achieved in political reforms in 2007, the

EU says closure case not a matter of judiciary independence

draft notes the government's declared intention to carry on reforms. The draft says the EU "follows" the closure cases and hopes for the verdict to be in line with European Court of Human Rights principles and the guidelines established by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. Brussels draws attention to the closure cases in two different sections -- freedom of association and assembly, and political criteria.

In the sections concerning religious freedom and minorities, the EU used blunter language. On the controversial usage of the title "ecumenical," Brussels clearly sides with the Patriarchate, stating, "The Ecumenical Patriarchate is free to use the ecclesiastical title 'ecumenical'." CONTINUED ON PAGE 06

The European Parliament yesterday reiterated its criticism of a closure case filed against Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), dismissing top judges and prosecutors' claims that it is a matter of the independence of the judiciary and saying instead that it raises questions about the impartiality of the institution. "Nowhere in Europe do top prosecutors enjoy such freedom," Ria Oomen-Ruijten, the European Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey, said at a press conference in Strasbourg following approval of her most recent report on Turkey in the EU assembly. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

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Cemil Çiçek

In the wake of closure cases filed against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Democratic Society Party (DTP), the European Union is preparing to ask Turkey to make radical changes to its judiciary at the upcoming Association Council next week.

The Association Council is the most prominent institution to have been established between the EU and Turkey since 1963, when the Ankara Agreement was signed, opening the way for Turkey's possible membership in the bloc. A copy of the draft seen by Today's Zaman focuses on the reform of the judicial

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ERCAN YAVUZ, ANKARA The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) fired back yesterday at the Supreme Court of Appeals and criticized the statement issued by the court's Board of Chairmen as "eroding the public trust in the judiciary." In what was considered to be a very harsh statement, government spokesman and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek said, "The public statement has no democratic or legal legitimacy." He stressed that "this is a political statement and as such it can't be accepted." He also argued that "the judiciary has interfered with legislative and executive power," overstepping its authority. Çiçek also accused the Supreme Court of Appeals of acting "like an opposition political party," intending to influence the pending closure case at the Constitutional Court.

A row between AK Party government and the Supreme Court of Appeals broke out when the chief prosecutor of the court filed a closure case against the AK Party has heated up after the court's Board of Chairmen released a statement yesterday accusing the AK Party of bringing the judiciary under its control. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Israeli, Syrian envoys holding peace talks in Ýstanbul Israel and Syria said in surprise announcements yesterday that they were conducting indirect peace talks with Turkish mediation.

Senior officials from both sides were currently in Turkey, an Israeli government official said. He would not confirm there had been direct contact between the two delegations, which have been in Turkey since Monday. Turkish sources said Israeli and Syrian representatives were not meeting directly, with Turkish officials shuttling between them instead. From the Israeli side, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's top aides Yoram Turbovitch and Shalom Turgeman were put in charge of contacts and traveled several times to Turkey to meet their Turkish counterparts, said the Israeli official. Feridun Sinirlioðlu, a former Turkish ambassador to Israel, is involved in talks taking place in Ýstanbul, Turkish officials said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 04

LEBANESE LEADERS SIGN DEAL TO AVERT WAR PAGE 11

Some 800 victims of enforced disappearance remembered AYÞE KARABAT, ANKARA

Austrian President Heinz Fischer and his wife, Margit Fischer, tour Kayseri’s Hunat Mosque, guided by Turkish President Abdullah Gül.

Fischer gets friendly welcome amid questions on EU stance

Austrian President Heinz Fischer, who is in Turkey on an official visit, was warmly welcomed yesterday in Kayseri but was faced with questions over Austria's negative stance on Turkey's EU membership. President Abdullah Gül and President Fischer presided over a business council meeting in Kayseri that brought together Austrian and Turkish businessmen when the attendees started to question Austria's objection to Turkey's accession to the EU. CONTINUED ON PAGE 07

Hasan Örhan, Selim Örhan and Cezayir Örhan were three relatives living in the Deveboyu village of Diyarbakýr. On May 24, 1994 soldiers came to their village. The Örhans were allegedly forced by the soldiers to accompany them as guides - and this was the last time the three men were seen alive.

They became three of the around 800 persons who went missing under Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) custody, according to statistics from the Human Rights Association (ÝHD).

The Örhan family has suffered every day in the uncertainty of not knowing the fate of their loved ones, a statement made by the ÝHD highlights on the occasion of the Missing Persons Week from May 17-31.

In 2004, 10 years after the Örhans' disappearance, some human bones were found near the village of Baðcýlar in Diyarbakýr. The bones belonged to eight victims who were shot and burned. DNA testing took another four years, but this past April it became clear that two bodies were those of Mehmet and Hasan Örhan. The fate of Cezayir Örhan is still unknown, as is the identity of the other six persons who were found in the same mass grave with Mehmet and Hasan Örhan. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Turkey’s sale pýtch to become raýlway freýght hub SELÝM KUVEL / ABDULLAH BOZKURT, SEOUL / ÝSTANBUL Turkey has launched an international sales pitch to attract more freight volume coming from the East through the Persian Gulf by expanding its national railway transport grid; at stake is the lion's share of the $75 billion generated by the Asia-Europe railway transportation route.

Turkish officials are lobbying at a meeting of the International Union of Railways (UIC) being held in

Seoul and are trying to convince its members that Turkey should be a major hub of railway freight coming from Asia and Central Asia. An increased volume of freight is passing through the Gulf region, and the transportation industry needs to provide better options to meet increasing demand. Turkey is competing with Iran and Russia in offering to serve as a major grid of rail transport in the region. Turkish State Railways (TCDD) Director General and board chairman Süleyman Karaman proposed two special proj-

ects at the UIC's executive board meeting the other day and later presented the case to the union's general assembly. Both projects envisage the Persian Gulf as a major freight forwarding point and suggest two major routes, one coming through Iraq and Syria and the other via Iran. The first route would connect to the TCDD's southern transit lines, while the other route would carry freight across Iran and merge with the grid north of Van, a major city in eastern Turkey.

According to Karaman, who represented

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Turkey at the UIC meeting, both Russia and Iran are suggesting alternate routes for freight forwarding that will go through the Asian steppes north of the Caspian Sea and terminate in Europe. To counter competing routes likely to push the Turkish grid to the sidelines and cause a loss of substantial amounts of revenue, Turkey has started intensive lobbying among UIC members. If Turkey's bid is successful, $3.5 billion in revenue is projected for the short term. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

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02 TODAY’S ZAMAN

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F OOD FOR THOUGHT

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Q UOTE OF THE DAY

The International Atomic Energy Agency has no evidence that Iran is seeking to develop an atomic bomb.

IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei

CROSS READER

FATMA DÝÞLÝ

f.disli@todayszaman.com

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W ORDS OF WISDOM

We want to see Turkey move on from the [AK Party closure] case by respecting EU values. Turkey cannot afford another wasted year of reforms.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn

Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.

Paul Boese

press roundup

Who ýs responsýble for the Tuzla fatalýtýes?

The tragic deaths of two more workers in industrial accidents at Ýstanbul’s notorious Tuzla shipyards over the weekend has stretched everyone’s patience to the limit, with the incidents making headlines over the past few days and prompting unions and civil society organizations to call on the government to take swift action to put an end to the never-ending stream of fatalities there. It seems that there is no single responsible party in the deaths of these workers, with the shipyard management, subcontracting firms, government, opposition parties and companies doing business with the shipyards sharing the responsibility to a certain extent.

Sabah’s Ergun Babahan laments the fact that the deaths at the Tuzla shipyards have begun to be regarded as casually as high inflation rates, which seem normal to everybody when they are announced. “Unfortunately, the fatalities at the shipyards have seen a similar fate. Newspapers have difficulty finding new headlines for the fatal accidents that take place in Tuzla almost every week. Some newspapers no longer cover the Tuzla accidents on their front pages.

Dozens of deaths and children losing their fathers no longer seem to agitate anybody,” Babahan says. He acknowledges that the Tuzla shipyards are a significant industrial zone for Turkey and global competition and that the ships constructed there are a big source of pride for Turkey. Nevertheless, there is an indifference to the deaths at the Tuzla shipyards on the part of the companies operating there, as well as on the part of the government. “The fact that the government has not taken a single concrete step toward preventing the fatalities in Tuzla, but has instead concentrated on extending the operating periods for companies there is an important sign of this,” Babahan explains. He says that it is incomprehensible for a political party that is asking for people’s votes by promising that it will stand up for the rights of the helpless to keep watching workers dying one by one. Babahan not only directs criticism at the government, but also at the opposition party leaders, who pay showy visits to the shipyards but never demand rights for the dying workers there. “What Iraq means to Americans is like what Tuzla means for us. It is like we are watching people dying in a foreign country. We are writing and people are dying,” Babahan adds.

Ahmet Altan from the Taraf daily directs harsh criticism at Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan for not ordering the immediate closure of the shipyards or demanding that strict measures be taken to provide safety for the workers there.

“The prime minister knows that people are dying there and it is only him at this point who has the power to prevent the deaths of the workers. Will he ever care about this?” asks Altan. He says the managers of the shipyards, subcontractors and those who make money on the deaths of the workers were responsible for the fatalities at the shipyards up until now. However, he says, the responsible person will be the prime minister from now on. “He is the only person who can save the lives of the poor. If he fails to take action, he will be the sole responsible for their deaths,” contends Altan.

The Radikal daily’s Uður Gürses also criticizes the widespread indifference to the increasing number of workers’ deaths at the shipyards. He says it is not only the shipyard management and the government that have been indifferent to these deaths; the companies that conduct business with these shipyards and the banks that provide credit for them also bear institutional responsibility for these incidents. “Their institutional responsibility is a social one.

Halting commercial activities with these shipyards that take the lives of dozens of workers is a part of this institutional responsibility. It is necessary to remind these institutions and their clients of this responsibility,” Gürses says.

PRESS REVIEW

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columns The way out from the whirlpool ALÝ BAYRAMOÐLU, YENÝ ÞAFAK For years and years it has been as though Turkey has been pulled into a deep whirlpool which has caused it to become embroiled in debates over the nature of its regime. In lands where the mentality of trying to reach accords has not taken root, democracy turns into a weapon that people use to solely try and secure their own interests. And thus democracy becomes just a temporary identity used to defend the gains of certain forces, but not others. Turkey is currently one of these lands. In fact democracy is, first and foremost, the act of questioning one's self before anything else in addition to the effort not to generate absolutes.

As a part of not making these absolutes, it is critical that we enter into relations with those who are different from us and listen to their ideas and demands. These are definitions which apply to everyone, from politicians to the average citizen. The question is how to change the current definitions of democracy in Turkey and how to make these changes happen. There is no other way out of the whirlpool.

Does the AK Party lack social support?

NASUHÝ GÜNGÖR, STAR

Refuting claims about cool relations between them, President Abdullah Gül's spouse, Hayrunnisa, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan's spouse, Emine, came together on Tuesday in a meeting with Austrian President Heinz Fischer's spouse, Margit.

zaman:

A front-page article in the daily yesterday covered a meeting between President Abdullah Gül and his Austrian counterpart, Heinz Fischer, at Çankaya Palace on Tuesday. During the meeting, Fischer commented about a closure case that was filed against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), saying that the case led to surprise in Europe. When he was asked to compare the case to that of the nationalist Austrian Freedom Party, whose former leader Joerg Haider was forced to step down, Fischer said there was no resemblance between the cases of the two parties, adding that no legal action had been taken against the party widely viewed as racist.

radikal:

“It seems the only ones responsible for the Tuzla deaths are workers,” read the headline of a frontpage article in the daily yesterday, referring to the fact that no individual or institution has so far taken responsibility for the many deaths of workers in work-related accidents at Ýstanbul’s Tuzla shipyards. Turkish Shipbuilders Association (GÝSBÝR) President Murat Bayrak said heavy fines should be imposed on the companies that fail to take the necessary safety measures at the shipyards. He also noted that shipbuilding is a dangerous industry in which accidents are inevitable. “The accidents cannot be prevented completely but they can at least be minimized,” he was quoted as saying by the daily. An official from a subcontracting

company operating in Tuzla was quoted by Radikal as saying: “Subcontracting is legal. We have been declared the murderer. It is easy to blame the subcontractors for these accidents. Other employers should also think about their share of responsibility in the accidents.”

yeni þafak:

“First comment from Kýlýç,” read the headline of a front-page article in the daily yesterday, referring to statements from Constitutional Court Chief Justice Haþim Kýlýç concerning the AK Party closure case.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Kýlýç said: “Regardless of what the courts decide on the AK Party closure case, our democracy, secularism and the judiciary will come out of this process stronger. Believe me, what I’m saying is not just an expectation.”

milliyet:

Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan said the Constitutional Court may find a third option in the AK Party closure case by not closing the party but allaying the concerns of the secular circles at the same time, reported the daily’s headline story yesterday. Toptan said the Constitutional Court could make its ruling by taking the future of the country into consideration. The court’s ruling regarding a quorum of 367 deputies to start presidential elections last year, which caused the cancellation of the presidential elections, could be an example that it will follow in this case, he added.

Societal support for the AK Party is increasing, and many of the party's top-ranked members point these days to the expected societal support for the AK Party as a way out of the current situation. But is that really the case? Is the growing mountain of support for the AK Party really the exit strategy for the current situation? Our recent political history in Turkey is filled with unpleasant examples; leaders who received similar levels of support in the past were not, unfortunately, able to take the necessary steps to solve some of Turkey's problems. The worst example of such a leader was Süleyman Demirel, who after a blow to his administration, became more and more a "man of the system."

There are forces at work in Turkey to effectively neutralize the power of politics and politicians.

This very distasteful project is being run with the goal of obtaining power, and Erdoðan remains the only name in politics capable of ruining this "game." His ready stance and his indications that he is not willing to submit to the sharp pincers that await him are, for me at least, hopeful.

What is the path of common sense?

HASAN CEMAL,MÝLLÝYET Let's consider the AK Party being forced to close. Who will form the new government? It will once again be formed by the AK Party group, and the prime minister will emerge from this group.

What's more, this group will make the decisions on early elections or mid-term elections and the timing for all of this. In the meantime, I very much doubt that there is anyone who does not believe Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan will still be in the background, holding the reins to this all in his hands. In regimes that are democratic only in name, the forced closure of a political party does not create much in the way of practical change. There will be no difference in the example of the AK Party's forced closure. So why close it down, then? Wouldn't it be smarter and more reasonable to leave this business to the ballot box or the vote of the nation's people?

Lagendijk's comments, a leftist and pro-EU party ENGÝN ARDIÇ, SABAH

news from the foreýgn press The Guardýan

BBC News

Ethiopian children at risk as crops fail Up to 6 million children under the age of five are at risk of malnutrition in Ethiopia because of rising cereal prices and the failure of rains, the UN's children agency, Unicef, has warned. Dry spells across much of the country since last September have led to big food shortages, humanitarian agencies say. In recent weeks the effects have become visible, with increases in cases of kwashiorkor and severe acute malnutrition, particularly in southern Ethiopia, where 126,000 children require urgent therapeutic treatment. John

Holmes, the UN's undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said he was deeply concerned by Ethiopia's food insecurity, the worst since the drought-related humanitarian crisis in 2003. With crops expected to fail following a poor March to May rainy season, which in good years allows farmers to produce a second crop, the situation is expected to worsen. "We will need a rapid scaling up of resources, especially food and nutritional supplies, to make increased life-saving aid a reality," Holmes said.

Israel, Syria confirm peace talks Israel and Syria have said they are holding indirect talks to reach a comprehensive peace agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said both sides were talking "in good faith and openly". The Syrian foreign ministry also confirmed the Turkish-mediated talks, the first since 2000. The last round of talks broke down because of disagreement over the extent of Israel's possible withdrawal from the Golan Heights. Olmert's office told the

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BBC that envoys from both sides were holding indirect talks in the Turkish capital, Ankara. "The two sides indicated they want to lead these negotiations in a serious spirit so as to achieve complete peace," said spokesman Mark Regev. In a statement, Syria's foreign ministry said: "Both sides have expressed their desire to conduct the talks in goodwill and decided to continue dialogue with seriousness to achieve comprehensive peace,"

Do you know Joost Lagendijk, the man who stirred up such hatred after being accused of "getting involved in Turkey's domestic business"? The other day, Lagendijk talked about a "leftist party" which defended the EU and secularism in Turkey. But, the truth is, there is no such "force majeur" in our society. This is because Turkish society has no class of people who have the power to shoulder such a party all the way to it becoming a ruling administration. The working classes have remained stuck somewhere between provinciality and village life, while the bourgeois classes still adore the bureaucracy.

And it really cannot be claimed that the newly developing Anatolian bourgeoisie has put much of a stress on the importance of secularity yet.

Most of the intellectuals in this nation are not only the wagging tails of the Turkish bureaucracy -- they are in fact the outright servants of the bureaucracy. The solution to this business lies either with the AK Party or with whatever party is formed in its place. This is Turkey's drama.

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TURGUT ENGÝN

AK Party: To be punýshed but not closed

Clients will be able to summon water taxis - - prototype seen above - - by calling or sending a text message.

ÝDO launches first water taxi for Ýstanbulites The first Ýstanbul water taxi, a new service provided by Teknomar Marine under the control of the Ýstanbul Ferry Lines (ÝDO), was launched Wednesday in a demonstration of the craft for Ýstanbulites at the wharf in Ortaköy. ÝDO General Director Ahmet Paksoy said at the christening ceremony for the first water taxi that ÝDO is aware of the great importance of sea transportation in Ýstanbul, which is a maritime city, and thus had implemented many new projects in this regard.

Although water taxis operate in many countries, a different type of project will be realized in Ýstanbul, he added, stating that Ýstanbulites will be able to travel on the taxis with on-demand service.

The first water taxi prototype was produced

by Turkish engineers, and five more taxis will be produced domestically. When these watercraft have been built, they will provide service to 27 points in Ýstanbul and will operate 24 hours a

It is heartbreaking to be one of Turkey's secularist elite nowadays. They have the conviction that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is the center of anti-secular activities, but they are not sure whether they want the party closed. They would love to get rid of the prime minister, but they are not sure whether they can find an alternative to him. I don't know what their alternative to praying to God is, but whatever it is, they should be doing it with the hope that both the AK Party and its seemingly unshakable leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, will be laicized overnight. Look, how happy they are with the converts to laicism in the press! Remember how their appetite was whetted when the veiled wife of former Ýstanbul Mayor Ali Müfit Gürtuna decided to "come out of the closet" -- and "what a beauty was hidden by that ugly headscarf!"

There is nothing wrong in a woman's decision to veil or unveil herself; just as there is nothing wrong with the AK Party "taking off the shirt of the National View," but neither should make them more or less acceptable to society or more or less "equal" before the law.

We have been hearing calls from the secularist-elitist circles for the AK Party to assuage their concerns about the future of Turkey's secular regime. That is a legitimate expectation. But asking for respect and security is not the same as asking for conversion. If these people will feel secure only if AK Party becomes one of them, what is the logic of democracy, elections, change of governments, ideological positions of political parties and leadership differences? If the government respects, secures and guarantees the rights of the opposition -- that should be enough for legitimacy. "Be like us, if you want to be there!" is not a democratic option.

The same is true for the AK Party's desires, hopes and plans for the future of this country. It should be all-embracing, but not all-possessing.

A recent billboard from one of the AK party youth wings reads, "We are the past, present and future of this country!" That is not the same as saying, "We work for the past, present and future of this country!" The AK Party is not the whole picture and neither is the secularist-elitist minority.

Ankara has always been rich by means of scenarios. But the reason for this was the fertile brains of politicians and journalists, not the fertile ground of politics itself. Now the system induces scenarios. The latest one is the "third way,"

day. Teknomar Marine Chairman Alphan Manas said Ýstanbulites will enjoy on-demand water taxi service beginning in September.

Manas stated that inhabitants of the Princes' Islands will also be offered the water taxi service.

Clients will be able to summon water taxis by calling or sending a text message. A text message request will receive a confirmation message with information on the exact arrival time of the water taxi as well as the price of the trip. Clients will be able to pay for the fare by credit card.

Water taxis are a common means of public transportation in New York, Sydney, Auckland, Venice and Rotterdam. Ýstanbul's water taxis will be the first in the world to operate on-demand and to provide individual service. According to the contract between ÝDO and Teknomar, the daytime rate will be YTL 10 per nautical mile and the night rate will be YTL 15 per nautical mile. The base charge will be YTL 15 and YTL 20, respectively. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

Energy and oil industry killing fishing business in Ýskenderun Gulf Fishermen working in the Gulf of Ýskenderun have said industrialization and a lack of concern for the environment are choking the fishing sector in the region.

Enver Þekerlisoy, Ýskenderun Fishery Products Cooperative co-president, said even though industrial investments have contributed to the development of the region, environmental pollution has had a detrimental effect on the fishing industry. Until 1968 the region was promoted as one of the important centers of tourism, he said, but instead of working on the tourism potential, a turn was made to develop the area into an industrial zone. "The region was supposed to be declared a tourism center but wasn't. Instead, industrialization took

off and the potential of tourism was ignored," Þekerlisoy said while speaking with the Anatolia news agency.

The Gulf of Ýskenderun is an important center in the transfer of oil and energy resources. This has led to an increase in sea temperatures and subsequently affected the fishing industry, he said. Semir Oðuz, who has worked as a fisherman in the gulf for 16 years, said the numbers of most types of fish have in the area have dropped. "Unless there is a ban on fishing for at least two years, fish will become an endangered species in this area," he said. Area fishermen also cited pollution stemming from fishing farms as another reason for the drop. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

Notorious shipyard in Tuzla shut down Following the deaths of two workers at shipyards in Tuzla, Turkish authorities have shut down the Selah shipyard, where numerous safety violations had been documented.

Questions were raised over working conditions at the shipyards in Tuzla as the number of accidents and deaths of workers climbed over the past several months.

"The activities at the Selah shipyard in Istanbul's Tuzla district have been halted completely," Istanbul Governor Muammer Güler said at a press conference at Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

The commission set up by the Ministry of Labor and

Social Security decided yesterday to close the Selah shipyard and ordered its activities ceased until the yard is brought up to safety standards. According to the Labor Law, the commission has the right to issue temporary or permanent closure orders if it finds flagrant safety violations. The government had threatened in the past to close down shipyards that fail to ensure workers' safety.

Güler also said Labor Ministry inspectors are continuing to examine other shipyards and that more closures and fines could be announced at a later date.

Twenty-one workers have been killed since July 2007 in 14 shipyards in the Tuzla area. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

CM Y K

KERÝM BALCI k.balci@todayszaman.com

as it was named by Parliamentary Speaker Köksal Toptan. Toptan does not have any idea, or does not specify his ideas, on what that third way should be. The conception comes from the fact that the current situation is unacceptable to the "old guard" and the closure of the AK Party is unacceptable for democracy, business, modernization and Europeanization; the overall project of the republic.

The naming is problematic, though. There is no second way. The engine of Turkey continues to run with the AK Party or it stops. What is called the second way is blocked; it does not lead to anything but missing some time and turning back to the first way.

"Third way" is a catchy term. Ankara journalists, diplomats and even AK Party deputies are trying to put meaning into that term. One attempt is as catchy as the word itself; the þeþ-beþ (six to five) solution. According to this formula, the eleven members of the Constitutional Court vote on the case, with six members voting for the closure of the AK Party and five voting against. The "road map" becomes tangled there. Since the Constitution requires a majority of seven to four for a closure case to be decided, the AK Party would not be closed and its accused members would not be punished. But þeþ-beþ would mean that the AK Party was indeed the center of anti-secular activities and that would amount to "punishing without closing," say the script writers of the third way.

Where does this go? This is yet another black hole of the Turkish judicial system. If the þeþ-beþ scenario materializes, the Constitutional Court's decision will block its own judicial mechanism: "We found you guilty, but we cannot punish you by closing down your party. So please accept the fact that we found you guilty as a punishment!" That is the plain meaning of þeþ-beþ.

The "third way" is a flexible vessel; fill it with whatever you want.

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Turkish mediation deserves praise, analysts say The following are comments from analysts after Israel and Syria said in surprise announcements on Wednesday they were conducting indirect peace talks with Turkish mediation, compiled by Reuters.

Ezzedin Choukri-Fishere, director of Arab-Israeli Project at the International Crisis Group: It is significant in many ways. It is significant for the Israeli-Syrian track and for other issues in the region. As we said repeatedly, an engagement with Syria is very important if you want ... the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations to continue in a smooth way. I think a deal will take time. I will be surprised if a deal comes out quickly from their meetings. The two countries have a number of issues they have to talk about and agree on before a deal becomes possible. The issues are not only the Golan but include Syrian support to Hezbollah and Hamas. These issues are not easy to resolve. I expect the talks to take some time before a breakthrough happens. You need the US administration to be on board for any deal to proceed. The current US administration is very hostile to the Syrian regime. So I would

think that probably you still need the next administration to come to office for this effort to come near completion. But it is a very positive development that they are talking to each other at this level at this time. The Turkish mediation deserves both support and praise.

Eyal Zisser, director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University: This is a major development. For years Syria refused to consider even the resumption of negotiations between Israel and Syria because there was always a very clear Syrian condition that Israel should commit itself, before the resumption of negotiations, to a full withdrawal from the Golan Heights. They probably got it.

Probably Prime Minister Olmert was ready to commit himself to give Syria what it wanted so much. This is why they moved ahead. Now there are indirect talks, and in the future resumption of formal talks will be announced.

Theoretically, they can reach a peace agreement because the main obstacle, or one of the main obstacles was the issue of the Golan Heights. And if Prime Minister

Olmert indeed commits himself to a complete Israeli withdrawal, then this obstacle has been removed and we can reach an agreement.

Moshe Maoz, Middle East Studies professor, Hebrew University in Jerusalem: This is good news but I am skeptical about the results. US President Bush is against the talks and so were other officials in the US. Olmert doesn't have the majority support of the Israeli parliament and public support for him is low at this time. Seventy percent of Israelis are against returning the Golan Heights even with a peace agreement. The question is what will happen with Syria's connections with Iran and Hezbollah. It is possible that Olmert announced the talks at this time because he wants to divert attention to larger national issues due to the current corruption investigations against him. Olmert has already said Israel is in contact with the Syrians and that both sides know what the terms are for the talks. Turkey's role is crucial here. They are in contact with both sides, especially on water and other regional issues.

Paul Salem, director of Carnegie Endowment's Middle East Program in

loglu@todayszaman.com

Beirut: My general sense is that it has been serious and has been going on for about a year. The Turks wanted to keep it quiet, but it got out, which is probably not a big problem. The Americans are not obstructing it, but they are taking a wait-and-see approach. The Bush administration doesn't want to give anything to the Syrians unless they give something first. But if Syria and Israel make progress, this could be presented to the next US administration some time in 2009, when such an agreement could become part of a wider agreement that might involve other regional issues like Lebanon, Syria and Iran. At that stage it would require the United States to be more engaged. For now they (Syrians, Israelis) want to focus on the technical issues, bilateral issues, on the Golan. The Syrians are calling it a pre-negotiation where they work out bilateral issues before they sit down for formal talks. They are not necessarily ready or the United States is not ready to launch the process publicly, so they are preparing the files, preparing an agreement in case there is movement on reviving the Syrian-Israeli process, which would definitely require US shepherding.

Is Iran holdýng Bayýk as a bargaýnýng chýp agaýnst Turkey?

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contýnued from page 1 "The two sides have begun indirect talks under Turkish auspices," Olmert's office said in a statement. "The sides have declared their intention to conduct the talks without prejudice and with openness," it added. "They have decided to conduct the dialogue in a serious and continuous manner with the aim of reaching a comprehensive peace."

Syria's Foreign Ministry confirmed the indirect talks. "Both sides have expressed their desire to conduct the talks in goodwill and decided to continue dialogue with seriousness to achieve comprehensive peace," it said in a statement that closely echoed the wording of the Israeli announcement.

A statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry also confirmed that Israeli-Syrian talks were proceeding under Turkish auspices and added that identical statements announcing these talks were made simultaneously in both Syria and Israel under an agreement between the parties. Speaking to reporters in Bulgaria, where he was attending a regional meeting, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said the beginning of Israeli-Syrian talks was a very important development but warned against expectations of a quick outcome.

"Talks will continue in an indirect manner for a while," he said, without elaborating.

Syrian officials said a month ago they were cooperating with Turkey on efforts to relaunch negotiations with Israel after an eight-year hiatus. Syrian President Bashar Assad said in April that Turkish involvement had yielded an Israeli offer to withdraw from the Golan Heights in return for a peace treaty with Syria.

Israel has not denied the Syrian announcements yet it had not made any public statement confirming the talks either until yesterday.

On Wednesday, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said that Damascus had received commitments for an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan up to the June 4, 1967 border during Turkish-brokered indirect talks. "We received commitments for a withdrawal from the Golan to the June 4, 1967 line," Muallem told the French news agency Agence France Presse during a visit to Bahrain. "This is not new. It started since [slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak] Rabin's pledge [for a total pullout] in 1993, and all subsequent Israeli

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan (R) and his Israeli counterpart, Ehud Olmert, are seen during a meeting in London in October 2007. prime ministers abided by it," he said.

The Israeli government official said discussions on reopening dialogue with Turkish mediation had begun last year. The official said: "The prime minister visited Turkey in February 2007 and in talks with the Turkish prime minister it was agreed that Turkey would start to act in a mediating role. The idea was to restart the peace process with Syria."

"We feel these contacts reached fruition about three weeks ago when a decision was made to have a gathering in Ankara. The two officials have been there since Monday, in parallel with Syrian representatives," the official said, stopping short of confirming any direct talks between the two sides.

Israel and Syria last had peace talks in the United States in 2000 but they collapsed after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on the fate of the Golan Heights, Syrian territory

that Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Olmert, who also relaunched peace talks with the Palestinians six months ago, has said he is willing to discuss handing back the Golan to Syria in return for Damascus severing ties with Iran and guerrilla movements hostile to Israel, notably the Palestinians of Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbullah.

Last September, Israeli warplanes bombed what US officials said was a suspected North Korean-built nuclear facility in Syria, an attack that drew no apparent retaliation from Damascus. Analysts, including former senior Israeli officials, believe there is little prospect of a peace between Israel and Syria without a shift in US policy toward Damascus, possibly once President George W. Bush steps down in January.

One view is that, aside from territory, Israel has little to offer Syria and that

Damascus would move its allegiances away from Tehran only on the prospect of being embraced economically and diplomatically by the United States and its allies.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said earlier this month that Washington would support Turkish-brokered talks between Israel and Syria. But she repeated US demands that Damascus should change its policies on Lebanon, where Syria's allies have been at odds with other factions backed by the United States. "The goal is to try to have renewed peace talks with the Syrians," the official said, declining to give any details on when or where such negotiations would be held.

He added that the talks would not affect the negotiations with the Palestinians. "The government remains committed to pursuing both the Syrian and Palestinian tracks," the official said. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

In my column on May 20, 2009, titled "Pasha supports the Turkish 'Fuelless Motored Machine,'" in line five of the first paragraph, the date Nov. 10, 2006 should have been written as Nov. 21, 2006.

Also, in line two of paragraph 14, Uður Ayýk should read Mustafa Naci Öztürk. I apologize for any inconvenience the error may have caused.

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AP

done that. ... Turkey has played a good role, we were kept informed and that is where it is."

In the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he hoped Israel and Syria would reach a peaceful solution. "We are hearing news about Syria and Israel, we hope that the two parties will reach a peaceful solution," Abbas said in a speech in Bethlehem.

Marc Otte, the European Union’s special representative for the Middle East peace process, welcomed the “encouraging news” about the Israeli-Syrian track. “The Turkish government has to be commended for its efforts to facilitate contacts between the two parties. The EU has always supported a comprehensive settlement of the Israeli-Arab conflict and continues to work in this direction,” he said. Washington Reuters

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so we will see how this progresses," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.

The US is mediating Palestinian statehood negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians, with the hope of getting a deal by the time President George W. Bush leaves office in January 2009. "President Bush, during his recent trip to the region, declared that negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians offer special promise and we are working to conclude an agreement by the end of the year on this," Welch said. "We think the expansion of the circle of peace would be a good thing and of course it would be very, very helpful if that included an agreement with Syria," he added.

Asked whether the United States had helped facilitate the talks, Welch said Turkey had taken the lead. "We have not

David Welch

There has been no news yet about the fate of Cemil Bayýk, a senior leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), since the Turkish military reported on May 10 that he had escaped to a neighboring country, i.e., Iran, accompanied by a large number of terrorists.

The neighboring country's security forces engaged in a clash with Bayýk's bodyguards, killing some of them, while the fate of Bayýk was unknown, a statement posted on the Turkish General Staff Web site on May 10 said. The same statement provided the public with a detailed account of Turkish military air strikes staged against PKK targets in the Kandil Mountains in northern Iran from May 1-2.

The Kandil Mountains, about 100 kilometers from the Turkish border, is a sensitive area for the US-led occupation forces in Iraq due to, among other things, their close proximity to Iran, also for serving as a home to terrorists from the PKK's Iranian wing, the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), who have intensified their fight against Iran in recent years.

A Turkish security expert estimates that the majority of PJAK militants, originally established as the female wing of the PKK, were now Iranian Kurds.

Speculation that Turkey entered Iranian airspace for the Kandil strikes with permission from Tehran appears to be true, since PJAK, instead of the PKK, issued a statement soon after the Turkish air strikes on the Kandil Mountains at the beginning of May, disputing the Turkish death count for PKK militants during the air operations.

It has also been PJAK threatening to launch suicide attacks against American interests to punish the US for sharing intelligence with Turkey after the Turkish military bombed PKK bases ("Kurdish rebels threaten suicide attacks against US," AP, May 5, 2008).

PJAK also reacted sharply against the Turkish military's destruction of the pro-PKK Fýrat news agency, as well as Roj TV facilities, probably on the Iranian side of the Kandil Mountains.

Coming back to the Bayýk case, Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar Büyükanýt told Turkish journalists during a reception for the Israeli independence day on May 7 in Ankara that he had surprise news to be shared with the public soon.

He has fallen short of giving any further details over what he termed as surprise news.

His remarks over surprise news encountered media questions at the same reception over whether they were linked to earlier press speculation, soon after the Turkish air strikes against the Kandil Mountains, that a senior PKK leader, Murat Karayýlan, whose whereabouts have been unknown in recent months, was caught during the air bombardment.

The surprise news came on May 10 in the General Staff statement, saying Bayýk and his bodyguards had escaped to a neighboring country, i.e., Iran.

But since then, there has been no news of his fate. According to Turkish security analysts, it is likely that Bayýk managed to escape Turkish special teams on the ground during the air strikes and might have been captured and detained by the Iranian authorities.

Turkey might have missed him and initially expected Iran to return him to Ankara, according to more speculation.

Iran might have had taken Bayýk captive instead of killing him and might be planning to use him as a bargaining chip against Turkey in return for Ankara adopting a tougher stance against a possible US attack on the country, asserted the same analysts.

There has been increased speculation that US President George Bush will order a strike against Iran, accused by the US of developing nuclear weapons, before the November 2008 presidential elections.

US Vice President Dick Cheney reportedly asked Turkey to open its airspace for flights through it in the event of a strike against Iran during his visit to Ankara on March 24 as part of his Middle East tour.

Independent of speculation related to Bayýk and Iran, Turkey has long been against the use of Turkish airspace or territory for attacks against Iran, primarily because it does not want to become a target of this neighboring country.

However if it turned out to be true that Bayýk has been in the hands of Iran, then Tehran is expected to increase its bargaining position over Turkey, seeking to further moderate its position in the event of a possible strike.

Perhaps soon we will know what has happened to Bayýk and the Iranian connection.

CORRECTION

Washington praises Ankara’s role in Syria-Israeli talks The United States on Wednesday praised Turkey's role in mediating indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel and said it had been informed of the discussions but was not involved.

"I think Turkey played a good and useful role in this regard," senior State Department official David Welch said of the talks. "Israel and Turkey have apprised us in the past of these discussions and kept us informed," said Welch, the chief US negotiator in talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The White House also said it did not object to the talks and confirmed the US was not participating in the discussions. "We hope that this is a forum to address various concerns we all have with Syria -- Syria's support of terrorism, repression of its own people, and

NATIONAL

Prime minister Erdoðan plans to visit Iraq soon Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan is planning to visit neighboring Iraq soon, Prime Ministry sources have said.

Officials were reluctant to specify an exact date due to security reasons. The visit is expected to take place in the coming weeks, they said, without elaborating. The prime minister is likely to pay a one-day visit to Baghdad without a prior announcement.

The visit will follow recent talks in Baghdad between Erdoðan's chief foreign policy advisor, Ahmet Davutoðlu and top Iraqi officials, including President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Davutoðlu, accompanied by Turkey's special envoy for Iraq Murat Özçelik, then told Iraqi officials about the prime minister's intention to visit the neighboring country.

Iraq's territorial integrity, the status of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk and the presence of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq are expected to be discussed during Erdoðan's talks in Iraq. Erdal Þen Ankara

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PM extends a helping hand to family with six disabled children

HÜSEYÝN SARI

Poll shows Turkish public strongly backs smoking ban in enclosed venues There is strong support for a new law that prohibits smoking in all public places and workplaces in Turkey, a recent public survey has shown.

According to the poll, conducted by Synovate’s Global Omnibus, a majority of Turks say they understand the health effects of secondhand smoke and believe all workers in Turkey should be protected against them. The results also suggest most Turks are looking forward to going out and enjoying restaurants and bars in Turkey without breathing in tobacco smoke.

More than 80 percent of Turks indicated that they were aware of the anti-smoking law, with 38 percent saying that they have heard or read a great deal about it and another 48 percent saying they heard or read something about the new law. Overall, the residents of Turkey favor the law prohibiting smoking in all workplaces and public places (85 percent support it, 75 percent do so strongly.) Support for the law is strong across the country and among all demographic groups. Even a majority of those who smoke every day (63 percent) support the law. Just 14 percent of residents indicated opposition to the anti-smoking law.

In addition to support of the law, Turks favor its specific provisions prohibiting smoking in a variety of specific workplaces and public places, including offices and other indoor workplaces (90 percent support); indoor public spaces such as the metro, airports and shops (90 percent support); restaurants (75 percent support);

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ABDULLAH BOZKURT ÝSTANBUL

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan has taken action to help a family in the southern province of Hatay with six children who walk on all fours due to a neurological disorder.

The Ulaþ family’s six adult children, who are aged between 23 and 39, all walk on all fours due to a neurological disorder that doctors said was the result of marriage between blood relatives.

After the family’s plight made it to the newspapers recently, Prime Minister Erdoðan contacted State Minister Nimet Çubukçu, who is responsible for social services, and asked her to provide assistance to the family. Immediately taking action after Erdoðan’s request, Çubukçu provided all six children with full medical exams at the Hatay State Hospital and offered YTL 435 monthly for each child, under a law that provides financial assistance to families with disabled children. Reþit Ulaþ, 69, the father said he was very happy to get such support from the prime minister, adding that he was having a great deal of difficulty in taking care of his children with his limited income. Mehmet Dener Hatay

Women's shelters to open in eight provinces With funding from the United Nations and European Union, the Interior Ministry is preparing to open shelters for women in Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Eskiþehir, Gaziantep, Ýstanbul, Ýzmir and Samsun. The Shelters for Women Project, an 11.8 million euro undertaking, was inaugurated yesterday in Ankara. The project is scheduled for completion at the end of 2009 and 20 percent will be funded by the Interior Ministry. The project also involves training the staff who will work with the abused women and supporting local administrations in establishing and managing such shelters. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

A law that bans smoking in enclosed public spaces and buildings, including sporting venues and public transport went into effect in Turkey on Monday. and bars (63 percent support).

Support of the law is not surprising given that Turks understand the health risks posed by secondhand smoke.

Nine out of 10 believe exposure to secondhand smoke is a serious (67 percent) or quite serious (24 percent) risk to health.

Nine out of 10 Turkish residents (93 percent) agree that every worker has the right to be protected from exposure to tobacco

smoke, regardless of where they work.

Residents also feel that the government did the right thing in passing the law, with 89 percent saying the government should do everything in its power to protect every worker from exposure to secondhand smoke and another 63 percent indicating that the law does not go too far in restricting the rights of individual citizens.

Finally, residents also indicate that

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they look forward to smoke-free restaurants and bars, with a majority (81 percent, including 65 percent of smokers) saying it would be nice to go out and enjoy restaurants and bars without breathing in tobacco smoke.

The poll was conducted among random sample of 1,331 Turkish residents over the age of 15 in 16 cities across the country. The margin of error is +/- 2.7 percent.

Gül to host renowned singers at Çankaya President Abdullah Gül will host three well-known Turkish singers at the Çankaya presidential palace this week. Pop music singers Sezen Aksu, Mazhar Alanson and Turkish folk music singer Neþet Ertaþ will be Gül’s guests. After becoming president last August, Gül has held such gatherings at the presidential palace, meeting with novelists, philosophers and historians to exchange views over the latest developments in Turkey. With such gatherings, Gül aims to revive the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s traditional “Çankaya table” and host people from all walks of life. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

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The closure cases filed against the ruling Justice and Development Party and the Democratic Society Party are before the Constitutional Court’s 11 members.

EU seekýng radýcal overhaul of judýcýary A copy of the draft seen by Today’s Zaman focuses on the reform of the judicial system, using quite strong terms after public prosecutors moved to open court cases to ban the governing AK Party and the DTP. The EU is also calling on Ankara to resolve the issue of closure cases by complying with the European Court of Human Rights’ verdicts and the principles of the Venice Commission contýnued from page 1 On minority rights, Brussels asks that Ankara adopt the “best practice” among member states despite the fact that there is no common stance on the issue in the union. “The EU urges Turkey to adopt appropriate measures to ensure cultural diversity and promote respect for and protection of minorities in line with best practices in member states,” notes the document.

Despite the French position on deleting the term “accession,” it does appear in the document.

Here are the basic points of the draft: Closure cases: The EU follows developments related to the closure cases against political parties. The EU trusts that the outcome of these cases will be compatible with the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and the guidelines established by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.

The EU invites all Turkish political actors to resolve divisions of opinion in a spirit of dialogue and compromise, while respecting the rule of law, the fundamental freedoms of all citizens, the constitution and democratic secularism. The EU underlines in this context the importance for Turkey not to distract attention from the necessary reforms and from their implementation, in view of ensuring respect of the Copenhagen political criteria and the fulfillment of the priorities set out in the Accession Partnership.

Judicial reform: The EU reminds Turkey that an impartial, independent, reliable, transparent and efficient judicial system is of the utmost importance and an essential condition for strengthening the rule of law and the proper implementation of the acquis. The EU notes that steps have been taken to prepare a comprehensive strategy for judicial reform. In this respect, there is a need in particular to strengthen the judiciary’s impartiality, independence and efficiency, thereby enhancing public confidence in the justice system. There is a need to continue and enhance training for judges and prosecutors in the application of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.

Civil-military relations: The outcome of the spring 2007 constitutional crisis reaffirmed the primacy of the democratic process.

However, the armed forces continued to exercise significant political influence, and in several instances the military has continued to take public positions on issues going beyond its sphere, including on foreign policy issues. Full civilian supervision of the military and parliamentary oversight of defense expenditures still need to be established.

Reform process: The EU regrets the limited progress achieved in political reform in 2007 but notes the Turkish government’s declared intention and renewed commitment to

continue the reform process and address the existing shortcomings. It looks forward to seeing these commitments soon translated into real and tangible actions and welcomes the steps already taken. The EU notes the government’s intention to revise the Constitution. This will constitute a key opportunity to fully enshrine European standards in Turkish constitutional law.

Torture: The EU welcomes the fact that the Turkish legal framework includes a comprehensive set of safeguards against torture and ill-treatment and that the downward trend in the number of reported cases has continued. However, it regrets that cases are still reported especially before detention starts. Turkey needs to vigorously pursue its efforts to ensure full implementation of existing legislation and to investigate more thoroughly allegations of human rights violations by members of the security forces. The EU recalls that the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT) is crucial to provide for the establishment of independent national mechanisms for the prevention of torture.

Cyprus: The EU recalls its conclusions of Dec. 11, 2006, and notes with regret that Turkey has not fulfilled its obligation of full non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement and has not made progress towards normalization of relations with the Republic of Cyprus. The council will continue to follow up and review progress made on the issues covered by the declaration of the European community and its member states of Sept. 21, 2005 in accordance with its conclusions of Dec. 11, 2006. Swift progress on these issues is expected.

The EU expects Turkey to actively support the ongoing process agreed on March 21, 2008, leading to a comprehensive and

viable settlement of the Cyprus problem within the UN framework and in line with the principles on which the EU is founded, as laid down in Article 6(1) of the EU Treaty and consistent with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. This support should include concrete steps to contribute to a favorable climate for such a comprehensive settlement. The EU also underlines the importance of progress in the normalization of bilateral relations between Turkey and all EU member states, including the Republic of Cyprus. In this regard, the EU calls on Turkey to stop blocking the accession of member states to international organizations and mechanisms. Furthermore, the EU recalls the sovereign rights of EU member states to enter into bilateral agreements in accordance with the EU acquis and international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The crisis of 2007: The EU welcomes the resolution of the 2007 political and constitutional crisis. The conduct of the July 2007 parliamentary and presidential elections in full respect of democratic standards and the rule of law, the high voter turnout and the broader representation in the new Parliament demonstrate the wish of the Turkish people for democracy, stability and progress.

Iraq: The EU calls on Turkey to exercise restraint, to respect the territorial integrity of Iraq and refrain from taking any military action that could undermine regional peace and stability. The EU welcomes the ongoing dialogue and cooperation between Turkey and Iraq and recalls the importance of reinforcing this dialogue and cooperation in order to ensure that Iraqi territory is not used for any terrorist actions against Turkey.

Terror: The EU condemns all terrorist attacks and violence in Turkish territory and expresses its solidarity with the people of

Freedom of expression:

Freedom of religion:

Prosecutions of citizens for the expression of non-violent opinions continue to occur. In this context, the EU welcomes that the Turkish Parliament amended Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), which has been used to open hundreds of such cases. The EU will follow up closely on the implementation. Furthermore, the EU recalls that other provisions have been used to restrict freedom of expression and urges Turkey to bring the relevant legislation and its implementation fully into line with the European Convention on Human Rights and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.

The EU welcomes the adoption of the Law on Foundations, which has a particular relevance, inter alia, as regards the right of nonMuslim foundations to acquire and manage property, and addresses a number of the relevant issues in this area. The EU will continue to follow closely the implementation of the law. Notwithstanding the potential benefits of the Law on Foundations, there is still a need to establish and enforce a legal framework in line with the European Convention on Human Rights and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights so that all religious communities, including non-Muslim religious communities and the Alevis, can function in law and in practice without undue constraints.

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Turkey as well as its support for Turkey’s efforts to protect its population and fight terrorism, while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Minorities: The union notes that restrictions continue to apply, in particular as regards the use of languages other than Turkish in broadcasting, in political life and when accessing public services. The EU urges Turkey to adopt appropriate measures to ensure cultural diversity and promote respect for and protection of minorities in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights and the principles laid down in the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and in line with best practice in member states. Action is also needed to resolve problems encountered by the Greek minority, in particular as regards education and property rights. The Roma population experiences discriminatory treatment in access to adequate housing, education, social protection, health and employment. Forced evictions remain a serious problem.

Kurdish question: As concerns the East and Southeast, the EU underlines the importance of a comprehensive approach to address the economic and social difficulties facing the region and to creating the conditions for the predominantly Kurdish population to enjoy full rights and freedoms. The EU welcomes that compensation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has continued under the Law on Compensation of Losses Resulting from Terrorist Acts. The EU stresses the need for a national strategy to address the IDP issue, including return. The system of village guards needs to be abolished.

Economic criteria: The EU notes that Turkey can be regarded as a functioning market economy as long as it firmly maintains its recent stabilization and reform achievements. Turkey should also be able to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the union in the medium term, provided that it firmly maintains its stabilization policy and takes further decisive steps towards structural reforms.

The balance sheet: In line with the council conclusions of Dec. 10, 2007, the EU notes progress made by Turkey in its preparations for accession, which allowed for the opening of six chapters and the provisional closure of one chapter. The commission has sent 32 screening reports to the council. For 22 screening reports proceedings have been completed in the council. In 12 chapters opening benchmarks have been set. The EU invites Turkey to address the opening benchmarks in all outstanding chapters and welcomes that Turkey has started preparations in this regard. Turkey has forwarded its national position on the chapters Company Law and Intellectual Property Law. The EU is preparing its position on both chapters.

NATIONAL

Cyprus reunification talks at risk, leaders to have critical talks Cyprus reunification talks expected to start this summer may be delayed by disagreements that have crept into preparatory consultations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias is to meet Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat on Friday, their first formal encounter since agreeing in March to resume talks to end Cyprus’ division -- an obstacle to Turkey’s European Union accession hopes and a past source of tension between NATO partners Greece and Turkey.

Diplomats said they would watch Friday’s meeting closely for any sign talks may not begin as planned in June. Citing “difficulties,” Greek Cypriots say they have not agreed to talks without progress in preparatory consultations, throwing that summer timeframe into doubt.

Turkish Cypriots say there has been progress and that talks should start regardless. With these opposing views, diplomats are worried the Cypriot reunification drive could lose momentum. “We would need to shift into peace talks by mid July ... or else there is a danger of this process being strangled at birth,” said a senior diplomat in Nicosia (Lefkosa), Cyprus’ divided capital.

Experts on both sides have been discussing a range of reunification issues, from power sharing to complex property disputes, preparing the ground for high-level talks. “On these issues we do not speak the same language, something we must do if we are to bridge differences and move on to the next phase of this process [to] fully-fledged negotiations,” said Stefanos Stefanou, a spokesman in Christofias’ government.

Hasan Erçakýca, a spokesman for the Turkish Cypriot presidency, said talks were not conditional. “When we agreed on March 21 to start negotiations there was no suggestion the start was conditional on progress,” he told Reuters.

Diplomats said that Greek Cypriots appeared frustrated with Turkish Cypriot tactics in the preparatory teams.

“The Greek Cypriots are heavy hitters; they have the freedom to operate in an independent environment. The Turkish Cypriots are coming with speaking notes. There isn’t a free-flowing exchange of ideas,” the diplomat said.

Erçakýca disagrees. “As far as we were concerned, the working groups were not set up to negotiate but to brainstorm, exchange ideas and gather a body of work to place before the leaders to do their work.”

Diplomats say it is imperative that an opportunity be seized on Cyprus this year before momentum garnered in the wake of Christofias’ election in February replacing hard-line Tassos Papadopoulos fizzles out. “Nobody is going to say talks must start on June 21, but if the delay is too long the whole process will lose any credibility it had,” another diplomat said. Ankara Today’s Zaman with Reuters

Kurdish activists call for international mediation of Kurdish issue One thousand Kurds living in Turkey and European countries have urged certain leading figures of the international community to get involved in the Kurdish issue by mediating a peaceful settlement.

The call to the international community was voiced through a declaration titled “Call for a Peaceful Settlement of the Kurdish Question in Turkey,” published on Tuesday in the International Herald Tribune and the French daily Le Monde.

Many intellectuals, writers and academics in Turkey have tried for many years to achieve a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue, the 1,000 signatories said in the declaration.

“We express our appreciation and gratitude even though their efforts and initiatives have, unfortunately, not produced conclusive results so far. That is why we are calling on European countries and the United States, who bear part of the historic responsibility for the tragedy experienced by the Kurds throughout the 20th century, not to support policies of negation and violence. Let them help prepare favorable ground for a peaceful settlement by empowering one of their statesmen to act as mediator -- someone like Bernard Kouchner, Tony Blair, Martti Ahtisaari or Felipe González, who have been involved in the settlement of the Irish, Basque, Catalan and Kosovar questions,” the declaration noted.

Certain demands were listed as “a basis for Kurdish people’s common minimum demands” in the declaration signed by deputies of the Democratic Society Party (DTP), former members of Parliament, intellectuals and leading Kurdish figures well-known by the European public.

“The constitution that is being drawn up must not define citizenship on the basis of belonging to Turkish stock. It must put an end to the denial of the Kurdish people’s existence.

Kurdish citizens must have a system of public education in their own language at all levels. Their rights to use their language in public, to create and to develop media in the Kurdish language, to found associations, institutions and political parties to develop their culture must be guaranteed. On this basis, in order to create a climate of peace and confidence and, once and for all, to turn the page of violence and armed confrontation, an all-inclusive political amnesty must be decreed, and the PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party ] must lay down its arms in accordance with procedures yet to be defined. In the same way, Turkey’s so-called ‘village guard’ militias must be dismantled,” the declaration stated.

“These demands do not call into question existing borders. They express fundamental minimum human rights recognized by all democratic countries and possessed by their citizens,” it noted.

Back in December 2004, a similar declaration titled “What the Kurds Want in Turkey” appeared in the International Herald Tribune, French daily Le Monde and German daily Allgemeine Zeitung. In a highly controversial demand, it said Turkey should grant the same rights to Kurds that Ankara seeks for the Turkish Cypriots. Ankara Today’s Zaman

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SPK clears way for investment partnerships in infrastructure The Capital Markets Board (SPK) is currently working on a regulation that will enable the establishment of infrastructure investment partnerships (AYOs) for the purpose of financing infrastructure investment in the public sector.

The board released a draft of the regulation yesterday for public discussion. SPK President Turan Erol told the Anatolia news agency yesterday that AYOs would provide financial resources for public investments with no additional burden on the government's budget. He added that they would also increase the diversity of instruments in the financial markets and help the markets to gain depth. Erol said with the new system Turkey could attract an important amount of capital from global infrastructure-investment funds, which have recently been on the rise.

The regulation sets the parameters for a new company structure that will operate as an investment partnership in capital markets, focusing on infrastructure investments in public institutions, especially municipalities. The new regulation aims

TODAY’S ZAMAN 07

THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2008

to accelerate public investments. Hence, collateral such as Treasury guarantees, which would distort the fiscal balances, will not be required. Also, these new partnerships will operate under fully competitive market conditions. The SPK has established a secure system that will monitor and track the establishment and operations of AYOs. It will also monitor whether the companies keep the public and their shareholders regularly informed.

Although some developed European countries have only allowed for real estate investment partnerships (GYOs) very recently, this company structure has been used successfully in Turkey for more than 10 years based on the US model. Since the initial public offering of the first GYO in Turkey in 1997, the total market value of such partnerships has exceeded $3 billion. They have contributed to the development of the real estate sector and helped it to move into the fold of the registered economy.

AYOs will be an extension of this model, and it is hoped that it will play a crucial part in the financing of infrastructure investments. Ankara Today's Zaman

Contractors seek probe into rising iron prices

BOT framework in public investments extended The scope of the build-operate-transfer (BOT) method has been expanded in a move enabling public institutions to launch BOT tenders in more fields, with amendments to the BOT investment law and the law on public waterworks investment published in yesterday's Official Gazette.

Investments requiring advanced technology and sizable financial resources by public institutions can now be put out to bid via the BOT method. With the amendment, the construction of major highways that run parallel to toll roads, stations adjacent to railways, and all ground facilities next to airports can be accomplished via BOT tenders.

Seaports and adjacent facilities, border gates, national parks, and nature parks and the facilities they contain are also included under the new BOT framework.

The government bodies that seek to make a BOT investment must apply to

the Supreme Planning Board (YPK) with feasibility studies. Upon approval, the body will be able to sign contracts with domestic and foreign firms.

The compensation criteria in the case of a failed investment will also be in the contract, in addition to the penalty charges to be imposed in the event of a delay in payment on the part of a government body.

Governmental bodies will be able to make additional payments from the national budget if the return of an investment does not meet the investment cost. The criteria for these payments from the national budget are also laid out in yesterday's amendments.

Regarding investments by the Public Waterworks Administration (DSÝ), lands owned by the state and used for investment contracted via the BOT method will be allocated to the contracted company during the contract period at no fee. Ankara Today's Zaman

Ferry route to enhance Turkey-Greece trade

MEHMET KAMAN

Austrian president receives friendly welcome amid questions on EU stance PHOTO

contýnued from page 1 Gül said in his opening address that the increasing level of commercial relations will help the two nations get to know one another better. "The businessmen will show everybody that everyone wins from unity and cooperation," he noted. Asking for their support for Turkey on its path to EU membership, the Turkish president emphasized his expectation of being subject to same criteria that every candidate country must meet. "Please honor your signatures," he said, referring to Austria's signing of a document allowing the initiation of full membership negotiations between the EU and Turkey on Oct. 3, 2005.

Fischer also put the issue at the center of his address, asking Turkey to try to understand Austria's arguments. "We are aware that Turkey is intensively working for EU membership. We supported the start of the negotiations, but there are still some points which the sides must hold long talks about," he said.

Fischer visited Kayseri yesterday after completing his talks in Ankara, with a number of Austrian businessmen accompanying him. Turkey's Kayseri-born president and his wife, Hayrünnisa Gül, hosted Fischer during his stay in the central Anatolian city.

Before participating in the business council meeting, the two presidents and their entourages first headed to the Kadir Has City Museum, where museum staff gave them a brief talk in German on the city's history, culture and geographical characteristics. They were shown relics and handmade arts and crafts embroidered by Kayseri locals.

After their tour of the museum, the presidents proceeded to the Kültepe Kaniþ/Karum excavation site, which was used as a rest stop by Assyrian merchants some 4,000 years ago. The head of the excavation team, Professor Fikri Kulakoðlu, briefed the visitors on the commercial life of the past that was illuminated by the findings at the site. Kulakoðlu informed the presidents that some ancient inscriptions found on the epitaphs in the region showed that a merchant had to be a member of a chamber of commerce to conduct business in the city. The professor said the merchants of the past were not involved in the political life of the city and that all the rules pertaining to commerce were issued by the kings. After the presentation, Fischer commented, "Considering Kayseri is still famous for its skillful tradesmen, we can say that kings are temporary whereas these merchants are permanent."

The group then headed to Hunat Hatun Külliyesi, the historical site that was utilized as a mosque, a large school and a cemetery during the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. The presidents spent some time admiring the mosque, accompanied by Þaban Ýþlek, Kayseri's mufti. He presented a German-language Quran to Fischer and a small prayer rug.

After that, Gül and Fischer continued to the historic bazaar, where the orchestra of the Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Conservatory presented a short concert of classical Turkish music. They were greeted with applause by the shopkeepers in the bazaar, most of whom rushed to take pictures with the presidents. Kayseri Today's Zaman

As the main distributor of Citroen and Subaru cars and Yokohama tires in Turkey, Bayraktar Holding has plans to further expand its presence in the domestic auto market by cutting into the shares of its competition. "We will increase our share at any cost. We aim to increase Citroen's share in the market to at least 5 percent in the short term, and this will require taking a slice out of others' cakes," Bayraktar Holding Chairman Mustafa Bayraktar stated. Citroen currently has close to a 4.7 percent share in total annual automotive sales. Bayraktar Holding sold nearly 14,000 cars last year and they aim to increase this number to 18,000.

In a recent interview with Today's Zaman, Bayraktar shared his thoughts about the holding's activities and his assessment on the industries in which the holding operates. The holding runs

A ferry route that will be launched on May 26 between Ýzmir's Çeþme Port and Greece's Chios Island, allowing for the transportation of heavy commercial vehicles, is expected to increase trade between Turkey and Greece.

At a press conference yesterday on board the Chios, the vessel to be used on the new route, Ýzmir Chamber of Commerce (ÝZTO) Chairman Ekrem Demirtaþ stated that the chamber expects the trade volume between Turkey and Greece to increase by $2 billion within the next two years, a goal, he said, to which the new ferry route will contribute. The ferry has a 190-passenger capacity and can carry six trucks and 20 passenger vehicles.

Metin Akdurak, whose company is partnered with Ege Birlik Taþýmacýlýk, the firm that will operate the ferry, said the trade between the two countries was $300 million 10 years ago and reached nearly $3 billion last year. He noted that this trade volume could be increased further by establishing trade channels to Greek islands along with the mainland. Ýzmir Today's Zaman with wires

Intellectual property rights authority under way An intellectual and industrial property rights coordination authority will be established to produce and implement short, medium and long-term strategies to protect intellectual property rights and coordinate between relevant institutions. The decision establishing the authority, signed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, was published in yesterday's Official Gazette and read that economic values were contemporarily defined by intellectual capital more than by physical assets. In other words, property rights, brands, patents and designs have become more valuable than physical goods and have risen in importance on the international level. The decision explained that there was sufficient legal grounds to call for the protection of intellectual rights and that the new authority will increase efficiency and coordinate between institutions by being in contact with top-level representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Works, the State Planning Organization (DPT), the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat, the Customs Undersecretariat, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK), the Turkish Patents Institute (TPE) and the Cinema General Directorate. Ankara Today's Zaman Turkish Presiden Abdullah Gül (L) and his Austrian counterpart, Heinz Fischer (2nd R), pose with their wives in Kayseri.

AREVA to invest $105 million in Turkey

Bayraktar Holding to gear up for investment in automotive sector GÜNSELÝ ÖZEN OCAKOÐLU ÝSTANBUL

Construction contractors in Antalya have sent a letter to the Competition Board asking for a probe into the recent record hikes in iron prices.

In a statement released yesterday, contractors in the Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATSO) said they had sent a letter to the Competition Board requesting that it launch an investigation into the significant rise in iron prices and claiming that the jump from YTL 850 to YTL 1,450 per ton in the last five months is causing unfair competition.

The contractors from ATSO noted in the statement that the sharp and irregular hikes were affecting the construction sector negatively. They stated that the cartelization in the iron industry should be ended and that price stability mechanisms should be put in place as iron is one of the three main inputs in the construction industry.

The statement said the letter informed the Competition Board that the increase in iron prices was much higher than that in electricity, fuel oil and labor prices, and had slowed down the operations in the sector, which was already in a recession.

Iron prices increased by nearly 80 percent in the last five months while the increase last month was 30 percent. The price hikes are expected to continue through August. Þaban Gündüz Antalya

numerous businesses from real estate development to automotive and construction with seven companies. It was first established in Kayseri in 1958 and now employs over 1,000 workers. The group's consolidated earnings total $600 million.

Hüseyin Bayraktar, the founder of the holding, first entered the auto industry by being one of the founding partners of Lassa, Turkey's biggest tire manufacturing company, with Sabancý Holding having majority ownership. The holding introduced shopping malls to Turkey by constructing the Galeria shopping center in Istanbul. The next step it took was the purchase of Egebank. Sabancý Holding's former Chairman Sakýp Sabancý, who passed away three years ago, urged Hüseyin Bayraktar during a business trip to the Far East to enter the banking business by purchasing Egebank.

After they returned to Turkey, Bayraktar bought shares of Egebank, and subsequently banking

and technology investments are became the holding's second main quite significant for the holding, field of business. he stated. "We never hesitate to Mustafa Bayraktar said they are spend money in these areas, currently active in many sectors but contrary to the general belief in that their main focus is to have a Turkey that money spent on such stronger footing in the automotive fields is wasted," he said. and real estate sectors. "Indeed, real estate development and shopping Mustafa Bayraktar stated centers are under my elder that the holding's commitment brother's sphere of responsibility," to innovation is illustrated in the he noted, adding that he name of their in-house Mustafa Bayraktar sometimes steps in for his brother magazine, Yenilikçi, the Turkish when the latter travels to the US for business. word for innovative. "Being innovative is "I am following the daily flow of business here important for us because it entails thinking on behalf of my family. Also, we have a professional outside of the box and grasping different manager heading all of our companies," Mustafa perspectives for the good of the company."

Bayraktar noted, adding that the human resources, Ege Endüstri, Ege Fren, Baylas law and tax counseling operations are run Automotive, Baytur and Baytravel are among collectively for all the companies. Human resources Bayraktar Holding's major companies.

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AREVA, one of the world's leading energy transmission and distribution companies, has decided to spend $105 million to expand their operations in Turkey by constructing a new factory that will create employment for an additional 600 people.

Speaking to Today's Zaman yesterday, Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey President Alpaslan Korkmaz said AREVA has steered itself toward Turkey because his agency provides them with free land for their investments. Korkmaz noted that Turkey was competing with Eastern European countries to draw AREVA's money in, but that Turkey was winning this race with the government's offers of free land and the quality of its engineers. "Behind all investments, there is stability. If the political environment were not so messy, we would definitely be able to attract more foreign capital for direct investment," he added. AREVA currently employs 1,500 workers in Turkey. AREVA Transmission and Distribution Division Executive Vice President Ghislain Lescuyer spoke to Today's Zaman about their new investment, saying, "This investment will surely meet Turkey's electricity equipment needs."

He added that this will strengthen the company's foothold in the region. Ercan Baysal, Ankara

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A new deal for poor farmers five or six living on one hectare, this means extreme poverty, and for their country, it means reliance on expensive food imports, including food aid.

The solution is to increase grain yields to at least two tons - and in some places to three or more tons - per hectare. If water can be managed through irrigation, this could be combined with multi-cropping (multiple harvests per year) to produce a crop during the dry season. Higher and more frequent yields mean less poverty in farm families, and lower food prices for cities.

The key to increasing yields is to ensure that even the poorest farmers have access to improved seed varieties (usually "hybrid" seeds created by scientific selection of seed varieties), chemical fertilizers, organic matter to replenish soil nutrients, and, where possible, small-scale irrigation methods, such as a pump to lift water from a nearby well. There is nothing magic about this combination of high-yield seeds, fertilizer, and smallscale irrigation. It is the key to the worldwide increase in food production since the 1960's.

The problem is that these improved inputs have bypassed the poorest farmers and the poorest countries. When peasants lack their own saving accounts and collateral, they are unable to borrow from banks to buy seeds, fertilizer, and irrigation. As a result, they grow food the traditional way, often earning little or nothing from their harvest, because it's not even enough to keep their families alive.

OPINION

By Jeffrey D. Sachs TODAY’S ZAMAN Many poor, food-importing countries around the world have become desperate in recent months, as global prices of rice, wheat, and maize have doubled. Hundreds of millions of poor people, who already spend a large share of their daily budget on food, are being pushed to the edge. Food riots are mounting.

But many poor countries can grow more food themselves, because their farmers are producing far below what is technologically possible. In some cases, with appropriate government action, they could double or even triple food production in just a few years.

The idea is basic and well known.

Traditional farming uses few inputs and gets poor yields. Poor peasants use their own seeds from the preceding season, lack fertilizer, depend on rain rather than irrigation, and have little if any mechanization beyond a traditional hoe. Their farms are small, perhaps one hectare (2.5 acres) or less.

Under traditional agricultural conditions, the yields of grain - rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, or millet - are usually around one ton per hectare, for one planting season per year. For a farm family of

CYBER WAR

financing. To its credit, the World Bank recognized this mistake in a scathing internal evaluation of its long-standing agricultural policies last year.

The time has come to reestablish public financing systems that enable small farmers in the poorest countries, notably those farming on two hectares or less, to gain access to needed inputs of high-yield seeds, fertilizer, and small-scale irrigation.

Malawi has done this for the past three seasons, and has doubled its food production as a result.

Other low-income countries should follow suit.

Importantly, the World Bank, under its new president, Robert Zoellick, has now stepped forward to help finance this new approach. If the Bank provides grants to poor countries to help small peasant farmers gain access to improved inputs, then it will be possible for those countries to increase their food production in a short period of time.

Donor governments, including the oil-rich countries of the Middle East, should help finance the World Bank's new efforts. The world should set as a practical goal of doubling grain yields in lowincome Africa and similar regions (such as Haiti) during the next five years. That's achievable if the World Bank, donor governments, and poor countries direct their attention to the urgent needs of the world's poorest farmers.

History has shown that government action is required to help the poorest farmers escape the lowyield poverty trap. If farmers can be helped to obtain simple technologies, income can rise, and they can accumulate bank balances and collateral. With a bit of temporary help, perhaps lasting around five years, farmers can build up enough wealth to obtain inputs on a market basis, either through direct purchases from savings or through bank loans.

Around the world, government-run agricultural banks in poor countries once not only financed inputs, but also provided agricultural advice and spread new seed technologies. Of course, there were abuses, such as the allocation of public credits to richer farmers rather than to needy ones, or the prolonged subsidization of inputs even after farmers became creditworthy. And in many cases, government agricultural banks went bankrupt. Still, the financing of inputs played a huge and positive role in helping the poorest farmers to escape poverty and dependency on food aid.

During the debt crisis of the 1980's and 1990's, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank forced dozens of poor food-importing countries to dismantle these state systems. Poor farmers were told to fend for themselves, to let "market forces" provide for inputs. This was a profound mistake: there were no such market forces.

Poor farmers lost access to fertilizers and improved seed varieties. They could not obtain bank

*Jeffrey Sachs is Professor of Economics and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. © Project Syndicate, 2008

Oýl hýts record above $132 on a drop ýn crude ýnventorýes Oil prices surged more than $3 to a record above $132 a barrel on Wednesday after US data revealed a sharp drop in fuel inventories. US crude was trading $2.82 a barrel higher at $131.80 by 1504 GMT, just off a new high of $132.08. London Brent gained $3.56 to $131.40.

Weekly data from the US government showed stocks of crude had fallen by 5.4 million barrels. Gasoline inventories slipped by 800,000 barrels and distillate stocks, which include heating oil and diesel, rose by 700,000 barrels, less than analyst expectations for a 1.3 million barrel increase. "The market is in a very bullish mood and these statistics will do nothing to change that," said Tom Bentz, analyst at BNP Paribas Commodity Futures Inc. The fall in weekly inventories is matched by concerns supply problems will continue for years, which have driven records on oil to be delivered far into the future as well as in the near term. Oil for delivery in 2016 rose above $142 a barrel on Wednesday.

Investors have also been drawn into the market by a weak US currency, which has made dollar-denominated commodities relatively cheap for holders of other currencies.

The dollar slid to a one-month low against the euro on Wednesday, which was pushed upwards by expectations of higher euro zone interest rates. Speaking to Reuters during a visit to Venezuela, OPEC Secretary General Abdullah al-Badri said the soft dollar was one of the factors that could keep pushing oil higher.

The US House of Representatives approved legislation on Tuesday allowing the Justice Department to sue OPEC members for limiting oil supplies and working to set crude prices, but the White House has threatened to veto the measure. The bill would subject OPEC oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela, to the same antitrust laws that US companies must follow. The legislation also creates a Justice Department task force to aggressively investigate gasoline price gouging and energy market manipulation. Washington Reuters

Yearly Change (%)

YTD Change (%)

MCAP (million YTL)

1-Y Av.Volum

İMKB-100

41.011

-0,7%

-4,8%

-11,2%

-26,2%

208.390

1.291

İMKB-30

50.361

-0,7%

-6,8%

-12,5%

-28,5%

150.462

985

Nikkei 225

İMKB-IND

36.875

0,0%

1,7%

-3,9%

-9,1%

74.482

362

Cac 40

Daily Monthly Change (%) Change (%)

CE

Country

Change (%)

H.Kong

1,16

25.460,3

Hang Seng

İMKB-BANK

77.142

-1,3%

-8,4%

-15,1%

-35,7%

79.816

690

DAX

DJIMT

11,35

-1,3%

1,3%

-1,7%

-4,2%

114

0,54

FTSE 100

22-May of ing indeks Manufactur Germany of Japan s ek ind All industry p. of USA Unemp. ap indeks nufacturing EURO Ma 2 COREPER

TurkDEX US$/JP¥ EU€/JP¥

Japan

-1,65

13.926,3

France

-0,46

5.031,4

-1,00

7.047,4

S&P

-1,07% 0,00%

BOVESPA

UK

0,24

6.206,4

USA

-0,37

12.803,0

USA

0,24

USA

0,12

1.415,2

Brasil

-0,28

73.314,1

70.32

29.68

22,4 6.86

9.3

Native

Foreign

2.005,5 Number of Shares

Native

M.cap

Daily Close Change (%)

Foreign

Number of Shares

Monthly Change (%)

Yearly Change (%)

M.cap

Ticker

Price

Daily Change (%)

Ticker

Volumes

US$/JP¥

103,46

172,00

4,88%

ALARK

3,08

-5,52%

GARAN

116,0

5,9

-44,29

YTL / €

1,947

1,1%

-6,2%

9,0%

EU/JP¥

162,91

12,60

4,13%

THYAO

6,30

-5,26%

VAKBN

93,8

2,3

-44,93

YTL / $

1,237

0,5%

-5,4%

-5,9%

EU/US$

1,5746

IHEVA

2,53

3,69%

AGYO

1,71

-4,47%

ISCTR

86,0

5,3

-24,62

PEGYO

1,38

2,99%

EGSER

1,51

-4,43%

TCELL

74,9

9,5

-23,83

PTOFS

5,50

2,80%

TEBNK

1,38

-4,17%

AKBNK

65,0

6,0

-28,10

ÝMKB 100

Price (YTL) Yearly Change (%)

ÝMKB 30

ÝMKB IND

P.CHEM.

TUPRS

PTOFS

PETKM

AYGAZ

--

--

12.477,7

6.796,0

2.288,9

1.203,2

1.035,4

12,9x

13,0x

12,2x

8,1x

9,7x

11,8x

24,5x

3,3x

P/E 2007/06t

9,0x

11,6x

11,4x

5,7x

7,2x

8,6x

12,8x

1,7x

P/E 2007/09t EV/EBITDA 2006/12

8,5x 8,2x

8,8x 8,5x

9,0x 7,9x

6,1x 6,7x

7,2x 7,6x

8,1x 5,0x

12,8x 6,5x

1,7x 5,6x

EV/EBITDA 2007/03t

7,6x

7,7x

7,1x

6,2x

6,4x

4,8x

4,8x

6,1x

EV/EBITDA 2007/06t

8,4x

7,3x

7,2x

6,4x

6,6x

4,8x

5,2x

6,6x

Mcap YTL

--

P/E 2006/12

CarrefourSA aims to double 15-year yields Sabancý Holding Chairwoman Güler Sabancý has said there are plans to double the economic volume of CarrefourSA -- Sabancý's retailing venture with France-based Carrefour -- within three years.

CarrefourSA celebrated its 15th anniversary in Turkey yesterday. Speaking at a press conference for the event, Sabancý said the retail sector was of crucial importance because it offered varied and healthy products to consumers. She also said organized retailing was an important tool in the fight against the unregistered economy.

She said they had achieved great successes in the last 15 years and aimed to double them in the coming three.

Sabancý Holding Retailing Group President Haluk Dinçer, also at the press conference, noted that they were active in the retail sector with CarrefourSA, DiaSA and TeknoSA. He said CarrefourSA's story began with a single "hypermarket" in Ýstanbul 15 years ago and now had 20 hypermarkets and 102 supermarkets in 38 cities, serving more than 150 million customers a year. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

Bank Asya opens office in Çanakkale

42.32

CCOLA

Price (YTL) Daily Change (%)

Güler Sabancý

RETAIL

FINANCE

57.68

53.2

BAGFS

Ticker

Microsoft Corp is not looking to bid to buy all of Yahoo Inc but is in talks about other types of deals with the US No. 2 search engine, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said on Wednesday.

"We are not bidding to buy Yahoo," Ballmer said at the launch of Microsoft's new research and development centre in Israel.

"Yet, we are trying to have discussions about deals with Yahoo that might create value, but not a whole acquisition of the company," he said without elaborating further.

Earlier this month, Microsoft walked away from a proposal to acquire Yahoo for $47.5 billion, or $33 per share, after Yahoo rebuffed the offer, saying it would only settle for $37 a share.

Microsoft has now made an alternative offer, proposing to buy Yahoo's search business and take a minority stake in the Web firm, a person familiar with the discussions told Reuters this week.

Should a deal be completed, it would forge an alliance between the two companies that would represent an alternative means of competing with rival Google Inc, which has turned into an online advertising powerhouse.

For its part, Yahoo has said it was considering a "number of value maximising strategic alternatives" and would evaluate any proposal made by Microsoft.

Yahoo on Sunday confirmed with Microsoft that it was not interested in pursuing an acquisition of all of the company but it remained open to pursuing any deal in the best interest of stockholders.

Investor Carl Icahn last week launched a proxy battle in order to pressure Yahoo to agree to be sold to Microsoft. A number of other large Yahoo shareholders have since said they would back Icahn.

Microsoft is also believed to be interested in buying social network site Facebook as a means of expanding its Internet business. Microsoft already has a small stake in Facebook.

"There's nothing particularly new on that front," Ballmer said. "We have a great relationship with Facebook and we look to continue to invest in that partnership." Herzliya Reuters

Level

Germany

NASDAQ 50.700 1,262

investment banks and influential investors.

Billionaire T. Boone Pickens said on Tuesday he expected oil to hit $150 a barrel this year after Goldman Sachs said earlier this month a barrel of crude could reach $200 by 2010. Oil has risen from below $20 in early 2002. London Reuters

had risen by 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) compared with April. The market has viewed the extra crude as insignificant compared with chronic underinvestment and refinery shortfalls.

The perception available oil will struggle to keep up with demand for the foreseeable future has led to a series of bullish price forecasts from

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has kept official policy unchanged, but its biggest producer Saudi Arabia has raised production and other members have overcome problems that had reduced supplies. Tanker tracker Petrologistics said on Wednesday OPEC's oil output in May

Dow

AT A GLAN

CEO Ballmer: Microsoft not bidding to buy Yahoo

US House passes bill to sue OPEC over oil prices

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Price ($) Light C. Oil Gold Copper

129,38 921,90 3,74

Way

Change (%) 0,31 0,18 -0,97

High 130,47 927,70 3,78

Low 128,76 916,50 3,72

P/E: Share price divided by earnings per share is a measure of the price paid for a share relative to the income or profit earned by the firm per share.

EV/EBITDA: Enterprise value divided by earnings before interest, tax and amortization; “t” stands for trailer and means the data over the last four quarters. (*) Yesterday's closing (**) Updated at 6 p.m. by GMT+2 Disclaimer: The information in this report has been prepared by BMD, Bizim Securities from sources believed to be reliable. All the information, interpretations and recommendations covered herein relating to investment actions are not within the scope of investment consultancy. Therefore investment decisions based only on the information covered herein may not bring expected results.

The Bank Asya participation bank has opened its 124th branch in Çanakkale, making it the first participation bank to open in the western coastal city.

Speaking at the branch's opening ceremony, Bank Asya Chairman Tahsin Tekeoðlu said that although Bank Asya was Turkey's newest participation bank, being just 11 years old, it had achieved an important place in the Turkish financial system.

He said Bank Asya was providing loans mainly for construction and related fields, as well as health care and the metals industry. He added that Bank Asya was extending its fields of operation in environmental protection and waste recycling projects in participation with EU development programs. Çanakkale Deputy Mayor Ýsmet Güneþhan said they were pleased that Bank Asya had opened a branch in their city. He said he believed it would contribute to the city's economic activities and create new job opportunities. Çanakkale Today's Zaman with wires

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KÜRÞAT BAYHAN

TRAVEL

PHOTO

A view of Beirut’s coast

PHOTO

AP

Lebanon

ning water over thousands of years. The Jeita Caves were not open to visitors during the Lebanese civil war. But then in 1995 they opened up again to curious tourists and local visitors.

A clock tower built during the Ottoman rule.

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Travel tips Visas: Lebanon requires visas from Turkish citizens. The price for visas is $35. US and EU citizens can get their visas at the airport.

How to get there: You can fly to Beirut directly from Ýstanbul on Turkish Airlines. The ticket price is currently 229 euros plus taxes and fees. Flights leave every night at 11:40 p.m. You can also fly to Beirut from Ýstanbul on Royal Jordanian, with flights leaving every day at 2:25 p.m., for 258 euros plus taxes and fees.

Where to stay: There is a wide range of wonderful hotels along the coast in Beirut.

Cuisine: You will have no problem finding delicious food that appeals to your taste buds in Lebanon. The one factor that might be a little difficult is the abundant use of spices and distinctive sauces.

Pay attention to these factors: There is still an ambiguous security situation in the nation and, technically, Lebanon is a risky country to visit. You should go only after paying close attention to the most recent news and developments in the country. You don't want to find yourself in the middle of potentially deadly clashes.

There are also reports of many unexploded bombs and mines still hidden in Lebanese soil. Most of the unexploded mines and bombs are located in the southern regions of Lebanon.

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streets. A great number of Lebanese people speak French.

Sixty percent of Lebanon's population is Muslim, and the country is home to nearly 20 different ethnic groups.

Beirut is a coastal city that appears to have embraced all of the magnificence of the Mediterranean. In the Arab world Lebanon is a favorite spot for vacations. Even during the winter months it is filled with tourists.

One of the first things you might notice while walking around Beirut's streets is the level of traffic in this city. Don't bother asking how it is that a nation this small could have this much traffic; spending at least a few hours in traffic each day is a part of life in Beirut. Take the time to notice some of the characteristics of this traffic, though. For example, look at the old Mercedes that are used by Lebanese taxi drivers.

Make sure you take the time to visit one of the many restaurants serving traditional Lebanese food in Beirut. There is, for example, the well-known Nehr'il Funun restaurant, where customers can eat dinner as Lebanese singers take to the stage and sing songs in Arabic. Most of the customers here are Arabs, though you might see a few European tourists, too. Don't forget to eat dishes such as tabbouleh, mensef (steaming rice piled with lamb-on-the-bone and covered in a creamy, spiced yoghurt sauce), lahme ba'jin (meat-covered thin pizza) and hummus.

You might notice that the word "lahme ba'jin" is quite close to what we say in Turkey: "lahmacun." This is no coincidence since the word derives from Arabic and only turned into "lahmacun" over time.

One site that you definitely don't want to miss in Lebanon is the Jeita Caves, which are visited by an estimated 250,000 tourists every year. To put this into perspective, the total number of tourists who come to Lebanon yearly is around 600,000. The lighting used in these caves is "cold lighting," which is less likely to harm the stalagmites and stalactites here. This series of caves is located in a river valley and is actually composed of two separate caves on top of one another. You won't be able to get enough of just looking at these beautiful natural stones whose shapes have been formed by run-

The cedar tree, which adorns the Lebanese flag, is not actually that easy to see in this nation. This is because cedar trees can generally only be found at sites that are well above the sea level, on snowy mountain tops, for example. You might wonder why on earth there would even be snow here, in the Middle East, but remember that in Lebanon there are mountain tops that rise up to 3,088 meters into the air.

One of the most remarkable characteristics of the cedar tree is its life span. Cedar trees can live for thousands of years. Some cedar trees have been found to be 4,000-5,000 years old. In the Old Testament, the majesty of the cedar tree is described this way: "In its branches were nests made by all the birds in the sky, and all nations lived in its shade."

Cedars are also known for their wonderful aroma and for the strength of their wood. In fact, this strength has made them a favored tree for shipbuilding and roof-building through the ages.

The ancient Egyptians used cedar resin in their mummification rituals and cedar sap for when they wanted to create a waterproof surface. Sadly though, the massive forests of cedars that used to grace Lebanese soil no longer exist. The British cut down large numbers of these valuable trees during World War II for the construction of the Tripoli highway. As a result of years of being cut down, cedar trees finally fell under the protection of UNESCO's World Heritage, which is attempting to protect them for future generations. In fact, the Lebanese government has even set aside a special fund from its budget to protect these trees. There are currently five separate institutions whose duty is simply to protect cedars in Lebanon.

KÜRÞAT BAYHAN

The symbolic cedar tree

QUICK FACTS Capital: Beirut Official languages: French, English Government: Republic Prime Minister: Fouad Siniora (interim) Area: 10,452 square kilometers Population: 4,196,453 * Gross domestic product (PPP): $41.96 billion** Main religions: Islam (53.6 percent), Christian (42.3 percent), other (4.1 percent) * February 2008 estimate ** 2007 estimate

EROL POLAT

The name Lebanon derives from the Arabic word "leben," which means milk.

This used to be a region filled with farms that housed generous milk cows. This is how the country came to be known as "Lebanon," which actually means "land of milk." These days there are not so many milk-producing farms here, but it is certainly still a gorgeous nation sitting on the shores of the Mediterranean.

Despite the many years that have passed since the end of its civil war, Lebanon still has not managed to shake off all the traces of its past conflicts. You cannot pass the many buildings that are still pockmarked with bullet holes without wondering what kind of hatred drove the people who shared this land with for so many years to turn against each other. This was a civil war that was waged between the Christians, Druze, Sunnis and Shiites living in Lebanon. During the heaviest period of fighting, in the 1980s, Beirut experienced dramatic destruction. Every corner of the city was in ruins. You understand, though, that life goes on -- even in these corners of destruction -- especially as you walk around and see clotheslines strung up between the partially ruined buildings still standing from that period.

When you see the present state of the Lebanese streets, you can't help but remember that for hundreds of years various ethnic groups lived in peace here during the time of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans ruled Lebanon by way of a special governor sent to the region from the center of the state, and great freedom was allowed the various ethnic groups living in Lebanon to live and act according to their individual beliefs and traditions. Immediately after the Ottomans pulled out of the region, the Middle East turned into a blood bath. The basis of the peace that had previously reigned in the region was the skill, tolerance and justice of the Ottoman rule. And so when this came to an end, everything was disrupted.

Since its civil war ended in 1991 Lebanon has been busy trying to mend its wounds. Ruined buildings are being restored, streets and boulevards have been taken under control again and the cities are, for the most part, being put back into their original order. (Yes, but I guess it's much better overall from what I hear from all my friends, too who go back every summer) Today, along the coastal road of the Lebanese capital of Beirut, there is a strip of luxurious hotels. When you look at the shop signs along this coastal road, you can see that the French were in Lebanon for a long time. It's almost as though there is more French on these signs than Arabic, and there are French words sprinkled throughout the Arabic you hear being spoken on the

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SAÝM ORHAN

A beautiful Mediterranean vacation spot

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Man nabbed with explosives at nuke plant Police said on Wednesday they were interrogating a man who had entered a nuclear plant on Sweden's southeast coast carrying highly explosive material. SvenErik Karlsson, spokesman for Kalmar County Police, said police received a call from the Oskarshamn plant at 7:58 a.m. "They told us a welder who was going to perform a job there had been stopped in a random security check. He had been carrying small amounts of the highly explosive material TATP," Karlsson said. TATP, or triacetone triperoxide, is a high explosive which is extremely unstable, especially when subjected to heat, friction and shock The compound can be prepared in a home laboratory from easily available household chemicals. It has been employed by suicide bombers in Israel and by Richard Reid, the thwarted British "shoebomber" who attempted to blow up a transatlantic airliner in 2001.

"The man has been brought to Kalmar for interrogation," the police spokesman said.The substance has been sealed off at the plant with a 300-metre perimeter.

Oskarshamn is jointly owned by Germany's E.ON and Finland's Fortum. An E.ON spokesman said traces of explosives had been found on the man. Stockholm Reuters

Obama passed a major milestone to move within reach of the US Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday, but rival Hillary Clinton refused to surrender. A split of two nominating contests -- Obama handily won Oregon and Clinton crushed the front-runner in Kentucky -- gave Obama a majority of pledged delegates won during their lengthy state-by-state nominating fight.

Obama hoped the milestone marked the beginning of the end of the grueling battle, and he turned his attention to a general election matchup with Republican John McCain in November. "We have returned to Iowa with a majority of delegates elected by the American people and you have put us within reach of the Democratic nomination for president of the United States," Obama told a rally in Iowa, site of his breakthrough victory in the first Democratic contest on January 3.

The Illinois senator, 46, returned to the theme of change that propelled him to the front of the Democratic race during the early contests. He described the battle with McCain, 71, as "more of the same versus change. It is the past versus the future." But Clinton gave no sign she was ready to quit. "I'm going to keep making our case until we have a nominee -- whoever she may be," Clinton said, promising supporters in Kentucky that she would keep fighting until the Democratic voting ends on June 3.

"We have to select a nominee who is best positioned to win in November and someone who is best prepared to address the enormous challenges in these difficult times," the New York senator and former first lady told supporters in Louisville. The New York Times reported on Wednesday Clinton has asserted in private conversations and interviews she believes sexism has cast a shadow over the primary fight -- and has disputed the notion her continued candidacy has fostered a racial divide given her strong support among white voters in some states.

Even after Tuesday's votes are counted, Obama will still be about 70 delegates short of the 2,026 needed to win the nomination at the Democratic convention in August.

FIRE

Blaze at Philharmonic orchestra hall put out The blaze under the roof of the Berlin Philharmonic's landmark home was completely extinguished, the fire department said on Wednesday, and officials were optimistic that damage to the building was minimal. The blaze broke out below the roof of the famed 1960s building near Berlin's Potsdamer Platz, sending billowing acrid smoke over the capital throughout the day on Tuesday.

Firefighters put out the last of the flames at 11:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) said Jens-Peter Wilke, spokesman for the Berlin fire department, although crews were still scanning the roof with thermal cameras for possible hot spots early Wednesday. The fire started at about 2 p.m. (1200 GMT) Tuesday, and it took crews hours to rip away the metal roof to get to the source of the flames. In all, firefighters had to tear off some 17,220 square feet (1,600 square meters) of roofing in their battle against the blaze. "It was a large portion of the roof," Wilke said. Still, it appeared that the main performance hall below sustained nothing more than minimal water damage, said Berlin culture official Andre Schmitz. Berlin Reuters

Magic number

GARBAGE

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, speaks to supporters at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday.

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Premier Silvio Berlusconi presided over a Cabinet meeting in Naples on Wednesday, vowing to rid the city's streets of garbage that has piled up for months and become a stinking symbol of government inadequacy. The meeting in the southern Mediterranean city is the first major initiative by Berlusconi since he won election last month. His campaign included a promise to return Naples to cleanliness and order.

The crisis began in December when garbage collectors stopped picking up trash because dumps were full. It's a recurring problem -- the result of years of bad government, protests against new dumps and incinerators and, officials say, mob infiltration.This time, the situation has spiraled out of control Piles of garbage have been blocking sidewalks and streets in Naples and its suburbs, forcing residents to wade through knee-high trash. The stench is prompting some residents to stay inside and others to wear masks. Some have taken to burning rubbish and knocking over refuse bins. Berlusconi, who said he wanted to heal the wound of a city he loves, wants the meeting to be more than symbolic. Naples AP

AP

PM Berlusconi holds Cabinet meeting in Naples

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But he hopes the pledged-delegate milestone will push more undecided superdelegates -- party officials who can back any candidate -- his way. Obama contends those superdelegates, who have been breaking his way heavily in recent weeks, should support him because he won the most delegates in state voting. Clinton says they should reconsider because she would be a stronger opponent for McCain, an Arizona senator. Her victories in big states like Pennsylvania and Ohio gave her a broader base of support than Obama, she said.

"Neither Senator Obama or I will have reached that magic number when the voting ends June 3," Clinton said of the number of delegates needed to win the nomination. "So our party will have a tough choice to make."

Obama aides said he could reach the magic number with a wave of superdelegate endorsements in the next two weeks.

Three more contests remain -- Puerto Rico on June 1 and Montana and South Dakota on June 3 -- with a combined 86 delegates at stake. Both candidates head on Wednesday to Florida, a major battleground in November. Clinton is still fighting for the seating of delegates from Michigan and Florida, where she won contests that were not recognized by the national party. Their seating would narrow Obama's lead in the race. "I'm going on now to campaign in Montana, South Dakota, and Puerto Rico, and I'm going to keep standing up for the voters of Florida and Michigan," she said.

Clinton also hopes her continued drubbings of Obama in states like Kentucky, where she won by 35 points, will give superdelegates pause. Exit polls showed Obama, who would be the first black US president, had difficulty with white working-class voters in Kentucky as he has in some other states.

Clinton won more than 70 percent of white voters, and three-quarters of those who did not finish college.

About 20 percent said race played a factor in their vote -- similar to the percentage last week in West Virginia, where Clinton trounced Obama. Washington Reuters

REUTERS

ARREST

Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, an elder statesman of US liberal politics and brother of slain President John F. Kennedy, was released from a Boston hospital on Wednesday morning after being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

The 76-year-old lawmaker waved to sympathizers and embraced accompanying family members as he left Massachusetts General Hospital, where has been since suffering a seizure at his family's Cape Cod vacation home on Saturday.

Kennedy, the second-longest serving member of the current US Senate whose diagnosis shocked and saddened his Democratic and Republican colleagues, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor called a glioma, his doctors said on Tuesday. It is a type of tumor that usually kills within three years. Boston Reuters

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The Illinois senator, 46, returns to the theme of change that propelled him to the front of the Democratic race during the early contests. He describes the battle with McCain, 71, as 'more of the same versus change

Edward Kennedy leaves Boston hospital

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert

Israeli PM Olmert proposes naval blockade of Iran Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert proposed in talks with a US Congressional leader that a naval blockade be imposed on Iran to try to curb its nuclear program, an Israeli newspaper said on Wednesday.

The Haaretz daily quoted Olmert as telling Nancy Pelosi that "the present economic sanctions have exhausted themselves" and the international community needed to take more drastic steps to stop Iran's efforts to obtain nuclear weapons.

A spokesman for Olmert declined to comment on the Israeli leader's talks on Monday with Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, in Jerusalem. "It was a confidential discussion," said the spokesman, Mark Regev. The prime minister's suggestions, Haaretz said, included a naval blockade of Iran using US warships to limit the movement of Iranian merchant vessels. Jerusalem Reuters

REUTERS

presýdentýal nomýnatýon

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy

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OBAMA moves closer to

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe told police on Wednesday to ignore opposition accusations they are behind political intimidation and blamed his foes for violence ahead of a presidential election runoff. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change said police had arrested two party officials elected to parliament in March when Mugabe's ZANU-PF party lost its majority for the first time since independence. Official results showed MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai also beat Mugabe in the first presidential vote on March 29 but fell short of the absolute majority required to avoid a run-off on June 27. The opposition maintains Tsvangirai won outright. Speaking at a ceremony to confer ranks on senior police officials in Harare, Mugabe said the MDC was on an "evil crusade" to divide the people of Zimbabwe. Harare Reuters

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UNREST

Mugabe accuses rivals of violence, MPs arrested

Ban Ki-moon

Ban to Myanmar: focus on saving lives UN chief Ban Ki-moon began a mission on Wednesday for Myanmar's cyclone victims, saying "our focus now is on saving lives," as the military government gave approval for the first foreign helicopters to distribute aid.

The UN Secretary-General said relief workers had so far been able to reach only a quarter of those in need among an estimated 2.4 million people made destitute by the May 2 storm and sea surge that left nearly 134,000 dead or missing.

"We must do our utmost for the people of Myanmar," Ban said when he arrived in the Thai capital, Bangkok, before traveling to Myanmar today. "Aid in Myanmar should not be politicized. Our focus now is on saving lives."

The United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member, are to convene a donors' pledging conference in Yangon on Sunday. Yangon Reuters

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S. Africa violence spreads, army mulls deployment

Twenty-one Sudanese army soldiers have been killed in fierce fighting with southern forces in the contested oilrich town of Abyei, army sources said on Wednesday.

The army accused the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), from semi-autonomous South Sudan, of attacking its positions in the town on Tuesday -- while a southern minister accused a northern officer of sparking the conflict. The assault, which followed a week of skirmishes sparked by a local dispute, has raised fears for a 2005 north-south peace deal that ended two decades of civil war. The United Nations had hoped to chair a meeting of northern and southern generals on Wednesday to negotiate a joint withdrawal from the town and a formal cease-fire, but UN spokesman Khaled Mansour said the meeting was cancelled while negotiations continued. The United Nations says up to 60,000 people fled the fighting in Abyei -- at the centre of a region claimed by both the northern Sudanese government and South Sudan. More than three years after both sides signed the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, they have not agreed on borders or a local government for the Abyei region. Khartoum Reuters

WEATHER

New Orleans ready for hurricane; holes remain The last two Atlantic hurricane seasons passed with barely a stir in south Louisiana, sparing New Orleans another disaster. But some local officials fear the respite may have contributed to a false sense of safety in parts of the city that still face great danger.

Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans and killed 1,500 people on the US Gulf of Mexico Coast in August 2005, but no other hurricanes have struck the city since. The government is shoring up levees and floodwalls, but completion of some of that work is years away and local officials say little has been done to protect the Mississippi River delta from a tidal surge like the one that devastated Myanmar this month. Post-Katrina New Orleans remains two separate communities as another hurricane season begins on June 1. One sustained heavy damage during the flood that followed Katrina and is still bears the storm's scars. The other, which includes the historic French Quarter, shows few signs of a brush with Katrina, a Category 3 storm on the five-step SaffirSimpson scale of hurricane intensity. On the city's East Bank, the US Army Corps of Engineers is raising levees and installing steel-reinforced gates on three drainage canals to block a surge in Lake Pontchartrain from pushing into the canals, as occurred in 2005. Lt. Col. Murray Starkel, the Corp's deputy commander in New Orleans, said the reinforced gates will protect the canals against a surge during a Katrina-like storm that might occur once every 100 years. New Orleans Reuters

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Parliament will convene on Sunday to elect army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman as head of state, aides to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri says in Qatar, where the feuding sides signed the accord after six days of Arab-mediated talks Rival Lebanese leaders signed a deal on Wednesday to end 18 months of political conflict, pulling their country away from the brink of civil war and paving the way for the election of a new president.

Parliament will convene on Sunday to elect army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman as head of state, aides to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Reuters in Qatar, where the feuding sides signed the accord after six days of Arab-mediated talks. The agreement between the US-backed ruling coalition and the Hezbullah-led opposition resolved a dispute over a law for holding 2009 parliamentary elections and met the opposition’s longstanding demand for veto power in cabinet.

It followed a Hezbullah military campaign this month against ruling coalition leaders which bolstered the opposition’s political strength. Hezbullah, backed by Iran and Syria, routed its rivals in the conflict that killed 81 and prompted the Qatari-led mediation. The fighting was Lebanon’s worst civil conflict since the 1975-1990 war and exacerbated tensions between Shi’ites loyal to Hezbullah and Druze and Sunni supporters of the government. “Today, we are opening a new page in

Lebanon’s history,” said Saad al-Hariri, a Sunni politician who leads the governing coalition and has close ties to Saudi Arabia. His supporters were among those defeated by Hezbullah. “I know the wounds are deep, but we have no one except each other,” said Hariri, who is regarded as a strong contender for prime minister in the new cabinet.

Hezbullah delegation leader Mohammed Raad said the deal would help “towards strengthening coexistence and building the state.” Iran and Syria welcomed the agreement, as did France. Paris, which supports the ruling alliance, last year tried but failed to resolve a power struggle complicated by the factions’ ties to competing foreign states. Saudi Arabia was “happy” about the deal, the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon was quoted as saying by the National News Agency.

Talal Salman, a commentator in the proopposition as-Safir newspaper, said the deal was a compromise that “could be transformed into a solid agreement. It redresses the balance in the no-victor, no-vanquished formula.”

The anti-Damascus ruling coalition had long refused to meet the opposition’s demand for cabinet veto power, saying the opposition

was trying to restore Syrian control of Lebanon. Syria was forced to withdraw troops from Lebanon in 2005 after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, Saad al-Hariri’s father. The United States held up the withdrawal as a foreign policy success but the Hezbullah-led opposition has steadily piled pressure on Washington’s allies in Lebanon. Opposition ministers quit Prime Minister Fouad Siniora’s cabinet in November 2006 in protest at the governing alliance’s refusal to meet the demand for veto power. The resignations stripped the cabinet of all its Shiite members and upset Lebanon’s delicate sectarian power-sharing system.

Hezbullah’s military campaign this month forced the government to rescind two measures which the Shiite group viewed as hostile enough to justify an armed response.

The opposition began to remove a protest encampment controlled by Hezbullah in central Beirut. The tent city, erected next to the government’s headquarters, has paralyzed the central commercial district since December 2006. “Siniora let the country reach the point it did. We’ve been demanding the same thing for two years. Doha Reuters

One of the highest-ranking members of the armed Basque group ETA, Javier Lopez Pena.

Head of Basque rebels ETA arrested in France French police have arrested the suspected leader of Basque separatist rebels ETA in a major blow to the guerrilla group and its bombing campaign in Spain, Spanish officials said on Wednesday. Francisco Javier Lopez Pena, also known as Thierry, and three other ETA leaders were arrested in a raid in the center of the southwestern French city of Bordeaux late on Tuesday Speaking during a visit to Senegal, Spain’s Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said the arrests were a major blow to ETA, which security forces believe has been weakened by police action and declining support in recent years. “This isn’t just another operation.

Francisco Javier Lopez Pena, in all probability, is the person with the greatest political and military weight in the ETA terrorist group at this time,” Rubalcaba said. “This is a very important operation, because it involves very important leaders, so it should have a big effect.

But I insist that ETA could still cause a lot of harm,” he said. In related moves, French police arrested a French citizen over the renting of a property to the ETA suspects. In Spain’s Basque Country, police detained the former mayor of the town of Andoain, Interior Minister Rubalcaba said. Spain was preparing requests for the immediate extradition of two of the suspects arrested in Bordeaux, but the case of Thierry was more complex, as he is also wanted on criminal charges in France, Spanish court officials said. Madrid Reuters

Georgia votes as the opposition vows major rally

NEGLECT

Seven-year-old girl starves to death Police said on Wednesday that a man and a woman have been charged with child neglect after reports that a seven-year-old girl starved to death in Birmingham.

The girl, Khyra Ishaq, was taken to hospital on Saturday where she was pronounced dead, police said.

The cause of death has not been confirmed. A report in the Birmingham Mail newspaper said the girl died from starvation and that her mother and stepfather had been charged. It said her five brothers or sisters were also taken to hospital. In a statement, West Midlands Police said only that a man aged 29 and a woman aged 33 were arrested on Saturday under child cruelty laws in Handsworth, a suburb in northwest Birmingham. They were remanded in custody during a brief hearing at the city's magistrates court on Monday and are due back in court next Wednesday. "As proceedings are active, we cannot comment further at this time," police said.

Birmingham City Council said: "We are deeply saddened by the death of this child and our sympathies go to the child's family and friends at this difficult time." London Reuters

school in Wufu, where at least 127 children were crushed to death. They hoisted a banner reading “The children did not die of a natural disaster but of an unsafe building.”

“An answer must be given to our children,” said Li Xiaoping, whose 11-year-old son was among the dead.”There is a problem with the buildings ... all the buildings here did not collapse except for this one building.” Li Rongrong, head of the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and the man in charge of overseeing China’s huge state sector, told a news conference in Beijing that generally construction companies under him were very good. But he added: “If these buildings (which collapsed) were built by major state-owned firms, we will take severe measures.” A petition has also been circulated in Juyuan town, where 500 or more pupils died in the ruins of the local middle school, demanding punishment of officials or builders responsible for shoddy schools, and compensation. Chengdu Reuters

Rival Lebanese leaders sign deal to end conflict

AP

Fighting in Sudan oil town kills 21 soldiers

Residents collect their belongings from earthquake damaged houses at Hongbai, in Shifang county, in China's southwest Sichuan province on Wednesday.

China vowed on Wednesday to deal severely with anyone found responsible for shoddy state building work, as grieving parents demanded to know why a quake destroyed so many schools, killing thousands of children.

Nine days after the massive tremor hit mountainous Sichuan province in southwestern China, rescuers were still finding survivors. A woman was pulled alive from a tunnel at a hydropower plant in the town of Hongbai, state media reported. The number of dead and missing rose to more than 74,000, with a further 247,000 hurt.

But the threat of heavy rain prompted fears of a “secondary disaster” of flooding in the southwestern province. The most lamented victims of the quake have been thousands of children who died when school buildings collapsed. The fragility of schools that crumpled into bloody piles has aroused widespread claims that corruption fatally compromised building strength. Hundreds of distraught relatives on Wednesday placed wreaths along the road leading to Fuxing primary

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CASUALTIES

China to probe builders after quake damage PHOTO

Xenophobic violence that has killed at least 24 people in South Africa spilled over to the volatile Zulu heartland on Wednesday and security officials discussed whether to use troops to quell the wave of unrest. The attacks on African immigrants, accused by many poor South Africans of taking scarce jobs and fuelling crime, have forced thousands of people from their homes, unnerved investors and hit the rand currency. Local media in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province said at least six immigrants were wounded in an overnight attack on a Nigerian-owned tavern in the port city of Durban. The Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party, the ruling ANC's main rival in KwaZulu-Natal, said the Durban attacks showed the anti-foreigner violence had spread to the province -- home to South Africa's biggest ethnic group, the Zulus. "We are ... saddened by reports that such barbaric acts have spread to our province and Durban in particular," it said in a statement. Police and provincial officials said the attack was not sparked by xenophobia, but it increased fears the violence could spread from the Johannesburg area where it erupted on May 11.

"There is a real fear that the violence will spread here," said Mary de Haas, who has been monitoring violence in KwaZulu-Natal since the 1980s. Johannesburg Reuters

Qatar Emir Sheik Hamed Al Thani, in Arab dress, congratulates Lebanon's PM Fouad Siniora, center, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

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Georgians voted for a new parliament on Wednesday but the opposition accused President Mikheil Saakashvili of trying to rig the election and vowed to hold a huge protest rally in the capital.

The West sees the election as a test of Saakashvili’s commitment to democracy as he steers his ex-Soviet Caucasus country towards the NATO military alliance, a step that has riled giant neighbor Russia. Many people say the democratic credentials of the 40-year-old US-educated lawyer were badly tarnished when he sent riot troops in to crush protests last November.

Opponents say he stole victory in a snap January presidential poll, a charge he denies.

The media-savvy Saakashvili, a fluent English speaker who has Western support in his row with Russia over its support for Georgia’s two separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, says he wants a “beautiful” vote. “In Georgia our democracy is alive and well,” he proclaimed after casting his ballot with his Dutch wife who voted for the first time as a Georgian citizen. Tbilisi Reuters

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A church on every corner A few years ago, when I was working for the Lonely Planet guide to Turkey, I had a heated argument with an anthropologist who accused us of wasting far too many pages on the Göreme Open Air Museum. This, as most people probably know, is a cluster of frescoed medieval churches and chapels on the outskirts of the village, which is listed by UNESCO as one of Turkey’s World Heritage Sites (i.e., as a place worthy of protection because of the extraordinary quality of its architecture and decoration).

According to the anthropologist, few people came here to see the museum. Instead, she insisted, they came to walk in the valleys and soak up the beauty of the unique local landscape. It wasn’t an argument either one of us was going to win. Nor did I really think that it should be seen in such an either/or way. As far as I could tell, many people actually arrived

in Cappadocia with little clear idea what it is that they were coming to see. Most who came independently went on to visit the museum and then to walk in one of the valleys. Those who came on the “if it’s Monday, it must be Göreme”-style of whirlwind tour generally made do with the museum.

The one thing that we both agreed on was that only one visitor in a hundred ever made it into any of the churches that were not part of the museum. During the Middle Ages an extraordinary number of churches, chapels and monasteries were carved out of the Cappadocian rocks. The structures were comprehensively recorded during the 20th century, although there is surprisingly little agreement as to precisely how many there are. However, most experts seem to assume that there are more than 600 “churches” scattered between Aksaray in the West, Kayseri in the East and Niðde in the South.

CAVE LIFE PAT YALE Here in Göreme Village, there are several hidden churches that can be visited without much effort and at minimal, if any, cost. The first is the Yusuf Koç church, which my old landlord once assured me was “his” church. Its curious name is derived not from that of some hitherto unknown Christian saint, but is that of the man who once owned the land on which it stood. In due course the land passed to my landlord,

hence his claim on the church.

The Yusuf Koç is a frescoed church, which was later used as a pigeon house. Older and minus the frescoes is the Durmuþ Kadir church which has an unusual rock-cut pulpit right in the centre of the nave. Both these churches are signposted and easy to find. Rather more out of the way is the Bezirhane church, a vast space cut into the hillside beneath the row of lookout points known as Esentepe. Completely sootblackened, it languishes in obscurity except on the rare occasions when visiting tour groups co-opt it as a concert hall.

Strangely enough, it belongs to a non-resident foreigner who had fancied it as a venue for a piano bar. Now there’s talk of restoring it, although the cost would probably be phenomenal.

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

Cultural wanderlust: a ‘travelýng agent’s’ výew of Turkey

Tours with cultural immersion Tours are not one-night whizzovers that decant clients from hermitically sealed buses. There is no gawking at ruins or programmed pointing and clicking at monuments. Tours embrace cultural immersion, feeling the pulse of Turkey and learning from the local people. A fundamental enthusiastic streak catalyzes her flock. They want to participate and give back to their host country, not be parasites or sun and style seekers. Smith feels that she has brought cultures closer together. Overland transport is by minibus and train from Selçuk to Denizli (Pamukkale). A gulet, or Blue Cruise, is a bonding experience.

PHOTOS

A veteran travel agent who has been bringing west coast North Americans to Turkey for two decades adheres to an original and unconventional format of a la carte travel.

As a seasoned professional, she shares sharp perspectives on tourism and her enduring love for Turkey and Turkish people with Today’s Zaman.

A group of twelve Canadian visitors is busy bundling sheets from their beds and carting towels down to the washing machine at a seaside pension on the day of their departure. On day one of their three-day stay, a seasonal helper pitched off a chair down a flight of stairs breaking her arm, putting her out of action for the rest of the summer. So they rallied to lend a hand. These are the most atypical tourists you will ever meet. No inclusive packages or backpacks synchronize them. Their objective travel philosophy quashes the stereotype of senior travelers. Some had not been abroad before but returned home with love in their hearts, new friends and over qualify as verbal ambassadors who wax lyrical about their unforgettable Turkish odyssey.

Judy Smith is an independent tour leader loosely associated with Orchard Park Travel in Kelowna, in Canada’s province of British Columbia. She calls herself a traveling agent. Since 1988, she has been bringing two or three groups annually to Turkey.

Clients range in age from 50 to 85 and all drift to her by personal recommendation or have been on another of her cultural wanderlust tours. She has roamed 68 countries and is unequivocal in saying Turkey is her favorite destination, the country she fell in love with and where her love still runs deep.

“I think I have brought over 600 people to Turkey on my tours,” she told Today’s Zaman.

Once married to a condiments tycoon, Smith taught on the British educational ship “SS Uganda,” until the program ran aground and the floating school was converted into a hospital ship to serve in the 1982 Falklands War. She then began organizing small, personal tours offering insight, compatibility and flexibility to mature travelers. The Turkey seed was planted in 1988 by an 80-something adventurous Canadian client who had never been to Turkey. Smith researched and consulted with two other agents who were the only ones doing tours from North America to Turkey in the 1980s. She set out with 10 people on her first 22-day venture. Sadly, the plucky octogenarian died two months before the trip. That was in 1989. By the next year, 27 people signed on and, eventually, Smith was shepherding three tours per year around Ýstanbul, the Aegean, the Mediterranean coast, Eðirdir and Cappadocia.

Asked what really set the seal on Turkey, she heaps credit onto her first guide, Kubilay QB Tunçer, whom she describes as a dear friend and the “most marvelous local guide I have ever met.”

Tunçer is now a conspicuous professional magician and interactive entertainer and speaker. “His remarkable personality and skills absolutely made Turkey sing in my heart,” Smith recalls.

TODAY’S ZAMAN, SUZANNE SWAN

SUZANNE SWAN ANTALYA

Judy Smith (above), a travel agent who has brought more than 600 people to Turkey over the past two decades, says she wouldn’t mind eventually settling along the Mediterranean Sea in Turkey. Smith specializes in personalized tours wherein people get a chance to experience Turkey’s culture

At village markets, cheeses are sampled, olives are digested and the group picnics on their wholesome bounty. A Turkish-style barbeque, often at a family pension, is a spontaneous evening treat.

Everybody is encouraged to try out different restaurants, not eat as a group for every meal.

Smith has guided four tours to eastern Turkey, adventures that outsparkled any others. A career highlight was a thrilling concert at a traditional Gaziantep guesthouse. She introduced a local pastry boutique in Antep to Canadian maple syrup!

She makes it sound easy and relaxed but one of the reasons she has cracked the tourism genome so successfully is due to well-honed “social trawling” skills. Who is compatible? Who is flexible, has a sense of humor, is boring or overtly political? Who will make a curious, adaptable soul mate? Who will complain about a lack of hot water and would be better off staying at home? Profiling personalities is tricky but there are no surprises on Judy Smith’s agenda. “My clients don’t expect a ‘dream’ holiday. They know warts are along the way but the memories retained are of understanding cultures. Ethnic friendships are more important than ironed sheets,” she stresses.

Locally based Turkish agents feature on Smith’s priority list and she plans to use more of these in the future because their regional knowledge is superlative and they are more tuned to seniors who want to max out on Turkish culture. Smith has redefined the been-there-done-that sobriquet of travel to

I’ve-been-to-Turkey-and-now-I-have-to comeagain. The adage is NMAT -- never miss a thing.

A few pet peeves Some negative impressions preview Turkey from outside looking in. Overcharging by traders and business people is one of Smith’s pet peeves.

Aggression rattles her and she once out-eyed an hotelier who ordered her group to vacate the dining room because they did not purchase carpets from the hotel’s carpet-dealing sidekick. On another occasion, she miraculously recovered over $2,000 from a fraudulent carpet transaction.

Summing up touts as a “pain,” she added that the grey economy shopping system that rakes off commissions across the tourism spectrum is “not smart.” She finds it irritating to be quoted in euros or other currency. “Why not Turkish lira?”

And in Ýstanbul? “Well, I wear dark glasses, pretend I am German and never make eye contact with roving touts. The Grand Bazaar has a small, wonderfully professional core of friendly (even if you don’t buy) traders and it is a pleasure to do business with reputable people.”

Selling Turkey to first-time visitors from North America is a challenge, Smith explained, mainly because skeptics are (still?) entangled in the cobwebs of the midnight memories. Asked how best to promote Turkey to the uninitiated, she thinks a traveling road show with videos, travel and information

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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guides with a good lecture about Turkey and its treasures and question and answer sessions are punchier and more effective than media promotion or mad cap tourism fairs. “The best way to sell Turkey is by word of mouth,” she stated.

Back in Kelowna, Smith teaches travel skills to energetic seniors and retirees as part of a community project. Her class of “undergraduates” were her most recent clients. She guides them through the process of picking a destination, acquiring a passport, shows them how to book flight tickets online, apply for visas and the ins and outs of airports and customs. They travel super-light because she also includes a new take on travel -- long haul packing.

They have learned well. After packing their bags and folding their sheets at the pension, the clan presented the owner with a farewell gift of photos taken there. They left a generous bequest for the accident-prone gal Friday. Like arrivals, departures inspire hugs, tears and, most of all, memories.

In perfect step with the rhythms of Turkish life, Smith once got up from a restaurant and realized the next day that she had forgotten to pay for her meal. “Well, I’ll be back again in a few weeks.

They’ll remember what I ordered, won’t they?”

Would she retire in Turkey? “Absolutely, I’d settle for the Mediterranean coast tomorrow,” she enthused.

Judy Smith is at: judyesmith@shaw.ca

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

FILM SCREENING

THEATER

Film puts ‘honor killings' under magnifying glass

Ardant to make stage appearance at festival

Ýstanbul's Osmanlý Bank Museum is screening 2006 documentary "Kadýna Aðýt" (Requiem for Women) at its movie theater tonight at an admission-free showing. The 40-minute film, directed by Berrin Balay Tuncer and Önder M. Özdem, looks into "honor killings" in Turkey with all its aspects through first-hand accounts from witnesses and interviews with officials from social bodies. For reservations, call (212) 334 2270.

French cinema actress Fanny Ardant will be in Ýstanbul later this week to perform on the theater stage in an adaptation of Marguerite Duras' short story "La Maladie de la Mort" (The Malady of Death). The one-woman play, directed by Bérangère Bonvoisin, is an exploration of love, distress and hopelessness. The will be staged on May 25 and 26 at 8:30 p.m. at Ses Theater as part of the ongoing Ýstanbul International Theater Festival.

CONCERT

CRR orchestra presents Maxim Fedotov as soloist The Cemal Reþit Rey Ýstanbul Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of maestro Rengim Gökmen, is scheduled to perform live on May 25 at the Cemal Reþit Rey (CRR) Concert Hall in Harbiye. The orchestra will feature acclaimed Russian violinist and conductor Maxim Fedotov as soloist at the concert, to present a program that comprises concertos and suites by Bernstein, Sibelius and Shostakovich. The concert starts at 8 p.m. Ticket price: YTL 24

Exhibit to bring temple of Artemis to Ýstanbul

CONCERT

DJ Arkýn Allen to play live gig at Studio Live DJ Arkýn Allen, a.k.a. Mercan Dede with his ney (reed flute) playing Sufi musician persona, will present a live performance tomorrow night at Ýstanbul's Studio Live club in Beyoðlu. Allen, who under nine different names -- including Mercan Dede, Blueman and Poundmaker -- has released over 100 singles of worldwide acclaim, will be taking stage at 10 p.m. for the performance. Tickets, priced at YTL 28.50, can be purchased at www.biletix.com.

Forsythe Company performance questions human rights onstage ALÝ PEKTAÞ ÝSTANBUL

You theatergoers, until today, reclined on your seats and attentively watched the play on the stage with joy, without imagining yourselves there, on the stage… The most you did was be a part of the play with your applause and cries of "Bravo!" Or you replied to a question of an actor from where you sat. But now, the ongoing 16th Ýstanbul International Theater Festival will raise theatergoers to their feet and involve them in an unusual performance.

The festival, organized by the Ýstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (ÝKSV), is preparing to be home to a quite interesting performance-installation by renowned American dancer-choreographer William Forsythe. Entitled "Human Writes," the performance makes a reference to the concept of "human rights," which is also the main theme of this year's festival.

"Human Writes," Forsythe's joint project with Professor Kendall Thomas from Columbia University's Faculty of Law, is a theatrical take on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. In the performance, the Forsythe Company dancers convey the problems encountered in the field of realizing the necessary reforms for the implementation of human rights using body language. The title of the performance is a pun on "human rights."

In the performance, the 45 dancers of the Forsythe Company gather around tables covered with large sheets of white paper. While each dancer makes a great effort to write letters, words and sentences from the declaration on the tables with coal pens, they keep encountering various problems that prevent them from doing so. The application of this simple idea gets more and more difficult in practice, because according to the script, the role of the dancers is to prevent one another's moves as much as possible while themselves endeavoring to write on the tables. Each letter is written on the table after painstaking efforts. Some try to write on a table turned upside down by another while some others try to write after tying themselves with a rope. Just like in real life, attaining progress in this performance is truly difficult.

The performance brings out Forsythe's political identity. Dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the play, as Forsythe puts it, underscores

Mandela, Bruce Lee coming to Broadway Bruce Lee and Nelson Mandela are coming to Broadway. Separate musicals about the late martial arts action hero and South Africa's struggle for freedom from apartheid are due to hit the stage in the coming years. "Bruce Lee: Journey to the West" will be a musical telling of the story of his success in 2010 or 2011.

Separately, due in May 2010 is a musical based in part on a forthcoming memoir by Zindzi Mandela, daughter of the former South African president.

The Bruce Lee production will track the kung fu superstar's journey using figures from Chinese mythology to follow his quest and The Monkey King, a warrior god, who becomes his heavenly ally, according to a statement from the production's publicists. Lee, who died in Hong Kong in 1973, was beloved by fans for martial arts movies like "Enter the Dragon" and "Fists of Fury." The show will include martial arts, Chinese opera, modern dance and pop music as Lee struggles to master his skills, purify his spirit and forge a link to unite East and West, the statement said. The lead actor has yet to be chosen. It will be directed by Bartlett Sher and will be produced by Elephant Eye Theatrical.

The Zindzi Mandela memoir recounts anecdotes from her youth as she grew up during South African apartheid with her father in jail, according to a statement from the publicists. It will be produced by Routh/Frankel/Baruch/Viertel Group and PSE Broadway LLC. New York Reuters

that the articles in this declaration are nothing more than words written on a piece of paper.

Another striking aspect of "Human Writes" is that audiences are also invited to take part in the play. They can sometimes participate in the performance by helping the dancers write or get rid of their hindrances.

Seven dancers from Ýstanbul and dancers from the Dance Apprentice Network Across Europe (D.A.N.C.E.), a European interdisciplinary professional insertion program for young dancers, are also joining in the Forsythe Company in their Ýstanbul performances.

The three-hour performance-installation will be staged on Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at the Antrepo No. 3 in the district of Karaköy.

Fleming and Pink Floyd share Polar Music Prize

Scarlett Johansson’s album debut panned by critics Actress Scarlett Johansson's latest film work may be getting the red carpet treatment at Cannes, but her debut album, released on Tuesday, is drawing fire from music critics. "Anywhere I Lay My Head," a collection of Tom Waits songs recorded by the star of such films as "Match Point," "Lost in Translation" and "Girl with a Pearl Earring," has been described by the actress as "an intimate experience."

But numerous reviews of the album complained that Johansson's vocals end up lost in the lush arrangements of producer David Andrew Sitek, the guitarist and keyboardist for the indie rock band TV on the Radio. For some critics, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. "Johansson's voice is unremarkable and

Archaeological finds from Artemision, the Temple of Artemis in the ancient Aegean site of Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, will be exhibited for the first time in Ýstanbul.

The exhibition, "Artemision: A Temple of a Goddess," will be inaugurated today at the Ýstanbul Archaeology Museum with a ceremony that visiting Austrian President Heinz Fischer will attend.

The exhibition will showcase 453 items on loan from the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk and 72 works from the Ýstanbul Archaeology Museum's own inventory, reported the Anatolia news agency. The artifacts to be displayed include bronze, glazed, precious metal, ivory and amber findings from the archaic period and about 100 electron coins created in the oldest known coin minting in history. Some of these artifacts were preserved in the treasury room of the Ýstanbul Archaeology Museum and have not been on display since 1970. Likewise, a majority of the artifacts brought from the Ephesus Museum will be put on public display for the first time, Anatolia said.

The Temple of Artemis, or Artemision in Greek, was designed and built by Cretan architect Chersiphron and his son Metagenes in 550 B.C. The construction of this all-marble temple was financed by Lydian King Kroisos.

The temple was unearthed by British archaeologist John Turtle Wood in 1870 after a long search that lasted for seven years. Upon application by the British Museum, David Gorge Hoghart started conducting archaeological excavations in 1905 on the temple and its surrounding area.

These excavations unearthed not only parts of the temple, but also thousands of amber, bronze, ivory and glazed objects and coins dating back to sixth and seventh centuries B.C. Since 1965, the excavations at the site have been carried out by an Austrian team of archeologists, who discovered new findings that helped shed more light on the architecture of the temple. By expanding the excavations, the team found important evidence that relates to the early period of the temple dating back to the second millennium B.C. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

her pitch sometimes unsteady; she's a faintly goth Marilyn Manson lost in a sonic fog," wrote Rolling Stone magazine, which gave her a lukewarm 2.5 stars out of five. Britain's Mojo magazine called the recordings "fussy and forgettable," adding that the decision to begin the album with an instrumental was hardly a vote of confidence in Johansson's vocal abilities.

The disc received a middling "C" grade from Entertainment Weekly magazine, which wrote that her "expressionless voice" was buried "deeply in the druggy ambiance." And the Washington Post said it was possible to listen to all 40-plus minutes of Johansson's album and "still have no earthly idea what she sounds like." "The album is ultimately too ethereal

for its own good," the Post said. "Every song is like every other song, even the ones that sound different."

The Rhino Records album consists of 11 tracks, all covers of Waits songs except for one original piece co-written by Johansson and Sitek. Two cuts feature David Bowie on backing vocals. The video for the first single, "Falling Down," was directed by Oscarnominated "Capote" filmmaker Bennett Miller.

Johansson's latest film, Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in France on Saturday. The 23-year-old actress, who did not attend the festival, plays a lovelorn American tourist in Spain.

"Anywhere I Lay My Head" is not Johansson's

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very first musical effort. She performed the George Gershwin standard "Summertime" on a 2006 charity album, "Unexpected Dreams: Songs from the Stars."

She later sang live with the band Jesus and Mary Chain at the Coachella Music Festival in California.

Johansson is the latest in a recent string of Hollywood actresses to dabble in song, including Zooey Deschanel, who released an album March 18 recorded with folk artist M. Ward as "She and Him." Other notable actresses taking a musical detour in recent years have been Lindsay Lohan, Minnie Driver, Milla Jovovich, Juliette Lewis and Tia Carrere, who earned a Grammy nomination this year for her Hawaiian album. Los Angeles Reuters

British rock group Pink Floyd and US soprano Renee Fleming on Wednesday were named the winners of the 2008 Polar Music Prize for their contributions to their respective musical genres. The band and the opera singer will each receive a cash prize of 1 million kronor ($168,000; 108,000 euros) at an award ceremony in Stockholm on Aug. 26, organizers said.

The Polar Music Prize is Sweden's biggest music award. It was founded by Stig Anderson, manager of Swedish pop group ABBA, in 1989.

The prize committee cited Fleming's "sublime, unparalleled voice and unique stylistic versatility." A two-time Grammy winner, the 49-year-old soprano has performed in opera houses worldwide after her professional debut more than 20 years ago.

The committee said Pink Floyd, founded in the 1960s, had made a "monumental contribution" in the development of popular culture. "They captured the mood and spirit of a whole generation in their reflections and attitudes," the citation said.

The prize is typically split between pop artists and classical musicians. Last year's winners were composer Steve Reich and jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins. Previous winners include Led Zeppelin, former Beatle Paul McCartney, violinist Isaac Stern and rock musician Bruce Springsteen. Stockholm AP

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14 TODAY’S ZAMAN

THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2008

Relatýonshýp between closure case and headscarf lawsuýt not fulfilled. However, the Constitutional Court did not annul the amendments or the constitutional provision despite the rapporteur's views. The reason should be sought in the discussions over legality and legitimacy following the "367" decision.

The legal process is not solely a legal process; it is also a psychological and sociological one.

Let us look at the future following this brief remainder of the past. It is already known that the Constitutional Court has limited authority vis-à-vis the annulment of the constitutional amendments lifting the headscarf ban. The court may undertake a review based on two concrete criteria as this is a clear provision of the Constitution. The rapporteur also confirmed this in his evaluation. It is impossible for any lawyer to think otherwise.

MUSTAFA ÞENTOP*

An increasing number of people hold that there is a clear connection between a lawsuit filed with the Constitutional Court asking to annul amendments made to the Constitution lifting a long-standing headscarf ban at universities and a closure case pending against the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) now that the court rapporteur has submitted his report. However, it is essential to distinguish between both cases and not be tempted by the superficial connection; otherwise, a number of political projects may be jeopardized.

One reason cited for the submission of the closure case is the introduction of the constitutional amendments to lift the headscarf ban. This is a plausible conclusion when examining the content of the indictment. However, it is not proper to oversimplify the case and maintain that it is based on the headscarf issue alone. Had this been the primary reason, a similar lawsuit should have been filed against the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), considering that this party supported the AK Party's move to lift the ban.

Those who remained "patient" with the political structure that emerged following elections in November 2002, sought to circumvent critical moves by the administration through e-memos, presidential vetoes or the Constitutional Court and hoped for the situation to change in the first elections, failed to analyze the outcome of the July 22, 2007 elections at the beginning. Those who examine the people and the developments through the lens of their worldview failed to appreciate why the people did not adopt their way of thinking. Subsequently, it became apparent that the new situation was turned into a more fertile ground in which more effective decisions could be made owing to the MHP's constructive approach.

The situation became even clearer upon the election of a new president. The prime minister's proposal for a new constitution at this time was the breaking point. For the first time, the power of politics and Parliament was felt very strongly. Intervening in the process actually stemmed from the emergence of a political and legal ground able to transform the political establishment rather than changing the Constitution. It is necessary to keep this point in mind in order to provide a better analysis.

ILLUSTRATION

MUZAFFER ERDEM

No comparison with ‘367’ decision

Relationship between cases misleading Just as it is wrong to assume that a connection exists between the lawsuit asking to annul the constitutional amendments lifting the headscarf ban and the closure case against the AK Party, it would be equally wrong to make a connection between the results of these legal actions. Considering the developments throughout the process of electing the president and a one-year period which also included the Constitutional Court, we could say that the superficial relationship between these two cases would be misleading. Let us recall that the Constitutional Court did not issue its decision over the 367 quorum very easily. Courts may make wrong decisions a times; these wrong decisions are mostly based on differing opinions of judges vis-à-vis the case before the court. In other words, in such cases, even though the decision is wrong, there is a plausible legal explanation for it.

The "367" decision is not such a decision. The decision and its explanatory notes bear no trace of a legal approach or evaluation. The judges must have had serious concerns and considerations -- as well as difficulties -- when making this decision. It is not proper to explain the making of this decision as a result of external factors or pressure. The actual problem in Turkey is in the mindset of the judges. The "367" decision was a difficult one to make and represented a serious clash between this mindset and the consciences of the judges.

Following this decision, constitutional amendments adopted in Parliament asking for the election of the president by popular vote were referred to the Constitutional Court. The court did not make a decision to annul these amendments. The authority of the Constitutional Court to review the amendments is limited; it may undertake a review limited to the formalities outlined in the Constitution. This is true; however, there was something that almost everyone missed. There was a serious problem with these formalities in the new constitutional amendments. As pointed out by the rapporteur, a qualified majority should have been sought in the voting sessions of every single provision. In some sessions, the qualified majority was

Additionally, it is wrong to compare this case and the "367" decision. Even though we may argue that the "367" decision was illegal, there was a 1 percent possibility that the court would take this interpretation. In the case on the constitutional amendments, there is no possibility of an alternate ruling. In such a strong case, where there are clear constitutional provisions, the court could not have ignored these clear provisions.

We are talking about a strong case about which even those who believe that everything is possible in Turkey would have no second thoughts. In party closure cases, the court is not limited to the legal rules. The court is authorized to determine whether a party has become a focal point of banned activities, the condition sought to justify party closure. The concrete criteria in the Political Parties Law have been annulled by the Constitutional Court, which preferred to act based on its own interpretations.

Therefore, it will not be proper to be hopeful over the result of the closure case considering the court's decision on the constitutional amendments that lifted the headscarf ban. This is the first fundamental difference.

Secondly, a grave discussion on the legitimacy and legality would start if the court trespasses its limits under clear constitutional provisions. No one would be able to hold the responsibility of such a legally flawed decision.

Furthermore, at a time when discussions over legality are still hot and popular, it will be very difficult to make a decision that affirms the closure of the AK Party.

There was only one option to overcome this problem and I though it would have been used. The constitutional court could have made its decision on the closure case first and then reviewed the case in relation to the constitutional amendments.

No such option was followed, however.

Therefore, no other option remains.

Discussions over legality that would erupt if the constitutional amendments are annulled could make a decision for closure very unlikely.

For this reason, there is a reverse connection between the annulment case of the constitutional amendments lifting the headscarf ban and the closure case. If the changes are annulled, a closure decision would be more unlikely. If not, a closure decision would be more expectable. A court that does not annul the constitutional amendments will have the power of appearing to make legal decisions.

This psychological and sociological environment will fortify the ground to make a decision that will ban the party from politics.

It is necessary not to limit one's self to a mere political framework when discussing the processes in relation to the judiciary and legal matters. Political approaches should be considered based on the ground framed by legal rules. For this reason, the most important step that would have affected the closure case could be a constitutional change; this was not chosen.

Such a step would consolidate politics and make the Constitutional Court stronger and more legitimate. *Mustafa Þentop is an associate professor at the Marmara University Faculty of Law.

EMRE USLU & ÖNDER AYTAÇ*

With his latest victory in Oregon on Tuesday, it became clear that Barack Obama will be the Democratic Party's nominee for president of the United States to run against Republican John McCain. Given the current economic conditions and the bitter frustrations of the American people over the war in Iraq, unless there is a dramatic change before November 2008, it is very likely that Obama will be the next president of the US. Obama's presidency would influence Turkey's relations with the US for a number of reasons. The first thing Turkey has to deal with is the Armenian genocide issue. Obama has already declared that he would recognize the events of 1915 as genocide if he becomes president. McCain on the other hand thinks that it is not in the best interests of the US to confront Turkey based on an event that occurred close to a hundred years ago. McCain's position on the Armenian issue naturally gained some sympathy from Turkish people, including politicians and diplomats. However, for a number of reasons, Obama's basic foreign policy position would be more beneficial to Turkey's interests than that of McCain.

Obama outlined his foreign policy initiative as a dialogue not just with the US's allies but with its foes as well. He very straight forwardly suggested that the US engage in dialogue with Iran and Syria. His position on the foreign policy of the US is clear -- change.

Obama states that he will carefully withdraw the US troops from Iraq as soon as possible.

Obama's foreign policy position would help Turkey on three fronts. First, Obama's basic premise of finding a solution to international problems through dialogue overlaps a great deal with Turkey's current foreign policy initiative of a multi-dimensional approach to find ways to solve its international problems through dialogue. Despite the Bush administration's open criticism of Turkey's efforts to maintain friendly relations with Iran and Syria, the Turkish government's new foreign policy initiative would become an opportunity to strengthen its strategic relations with the US during Obama's presidency. In fact, Turkey would play an intermediary role between the US and Iran to prepare basic necessities between the two countries. Even if Turkey did not play such an intermediary role between Iran and the US at least the US would not criticize Turkey for the initiative to develop dialogue between its neighbors.

Second, Obama's decision to withdraw the US troops from Iraq would eventually benefit Turkey in its relation with northern Iraq. Iraqi Kurds now realize that they will need Turkey after US troop withdrawal. If Turkey manages to present the similarities between its foreign policy initiative and that of the US this would lead to more cooperation between the US and Turkey on the issue of fighting terrorism and sharing similar views on the issue of the Kurdish question. Obama's foreign policy perspective would provide the basics for dialogue between Kurds in northern Iraq and Turkey. This eventually would lead to finding a permanent solution for the problem.

Obama's position on the Armenian genocide issue seems to be a problematic one for Turkey. However, if Turkey were able to demonstrate its openness to solving this issue through dialogue -- i.e., establishing a commission for independent historians to investigate the issue objectively by examining international archives, including Ottoman, Russian, British and Dashnak archives in Boston -- Obama would put pressure on the Armenian side to accept Turkey's offer as the first step of establishing dialogue between the two sides. Thus, what Turkey should do is to choose a way to demonstrate its openness to dialogue if the Armenian side accepts Turkey's offer to establish the commission of historians. On this matter, Professor Yusuf Halaçoðlu's recent statement of suggesting $20 million of financial help to open the Dashnak archive in Boston would be clear evidence of the Turkish authorities' openness to dialogue on this subject. * Emre Uslu is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Utah Middle East Center. Önder Aytaç is an associate professor at Gazi University department of communications and works with the Security Studies Institute in Ankara.

dagistancetinkaya@todayszaman.com.tr

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Accordýng to knowledgeable sources Justice and Development Party (AK Party) ministers and senior party members are being taken to task and asked to answer a crucial question according to some press reports: "Who spilled the beans to a Reuter news agency reporter?" Ministers faced with the question "Was it you?" reply quickly with a "No!" No one has assumed responsibility for being the source of the Reuters account about the party closure case.

Reuters, in a widely reprinted story in the Turkish press, claimed that a minister from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan's government is of the opinion that the AK Party will be closed down by the Constitutional Court and that almost all ministers believe this will be the final outcome. A senior party member let the Reuters reporter know that they will form a new party afterwards.

Since the news item was written in such a way that the Reuters correspondent did not disclose his sources, Turkish papers have been vehemently trying to find out who those sources are.

If I were a minister in the government or a senior party member, I would very well accept responsibility. In fact, I spent almost two hours with Paul de Bendern, Reuters' man in Turkey, during a state banquet thrown by Abdullah Gül, the president of the republic, in Queen Elizabeth's honor at Çankaya Palace. We sat next to each other at our designated table and in between courses indulged in political chitchat.

ÝBRAHÝM KALIN

FEHMÝ KORU f.koru@todayszaman.com

I am not a minister and hold no position in the party's hierarchy, so I cannot be any of his sources, but I may very well be. Since the ideas and possible scenarios attributed to party members are commonly discussed and universally accepted in AK Party circles, it is a futile effort to call for a witch-hunt to find the culprits.

Many in the AK Party and in Turkey believe that the AK Party will be closed down by the Constitutional Court and that the court will ban some party leaders from politics. Almost no one believes there grounds exist for the party's closure and many surmise that the AK Party has done nothing to jeopardize its existence as a political entity, but none expect this will save it from its final destiny of closure.

You don't need to be a minister or a senior party member to claim that the AK Party will be closed down.

Haþim Kýlýç, the president of the Constitutional Court, speaking to a journalist from Referans daily, said unequivocally that the decision taken by the court when the time comes would enhance democracy in

Turkey, reinforce the secular pillar of the republic and boost the rule of law.

I wouldn't be so masterful to depict the expected decision of the Constitutional Court as the president of the court did with a stroke of simple brushes in his interview to Referans.

Nobody expects the Constitutional Court to go against the grain. It accepted the Supreme Court of Appeals chief prosecutor's indictment unanimously and decided to open up a case for party closure, didn't it?

Whatever the final decision, it will be portrayed as good for democracy and secularism as well as suitable for the rule of law.

If Prime Minister Erdoðan is sincere when he says he believes the court will not close his party, he is alone in his judgment. Members of his council of ministers confide in their close friends and almost all of them are negative in their expectations. I haven't come across a single party member, neither senior nor junior, who predicts the survival of the AK Party. Once in a while their hope increases, only to be brought down again after hearing from more senior members.

I think there is no use going after the source of the Reuters story since the story itself reflects the common understanding of the party closure issue.

What will happen next? When the party is closed down by the Constitutional Court, will the AK Party leadership accept its fate and

MIANZHU, REUTERS

No Comment

ANDREW FINKEL a.finkel@todayszaman.com

i.kalin@todayszaman.com

A bleak pýcture of Turkýsh youth Turkey has one of the youngest populations in the world, with about 20 million people between the ages 15 and 30.

According to the 2007 census, about 60 percent of the total population of Turkey is under the age of 30. So just what is this young and extremely dynamic population doing?

Three major reports released recently present a rather bleak picture. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report titled "Youth in Turkey: National Human Development Report 2008," Turkish youth are faced with a series of economic, educational, health and social problems. The unemployment rate is about 20 percent among the youth. This is twice the national average. About 40 percent of Turkey's youth (i.e., approximately 5 million young people) seems to be doing "nothing;" they don't work, they don't go to school and they don't participate in any political or civil society organizations. They seem to have given up on their future.

Another report, prepared by the Ankara-based Association of Young Businessmen (ANGIAD), reveals even more disturbing facts. According to the report, the vast majority of Turkish youth are neither reading nor doing sports. They are not interested in any serious cultural, social or cultural issues. They follow political events but do not see politics as a safe venue for their civic participation in Turkish affairs.

The most disturbing part is where the role models are discussed. According to the report, three figures emerge the role model of the youth surveyed: Rahmi Koç, Polat Alemdar and Acun Ilicali. For those who may not know these names well, let me explain who they are and what they represent. Rahmi Koç is the CEO of Koç Holding, one of the largest corporations in Turkey. Polat Alemdar is the lead character of the famous television series "Valley of Wolves." And Acun Ilicali is the talk-show personality who became famous for his "travel programs."

Why these people? I think the answer is clear: The vast majority of the young people surveyed want to be rich like Rahmi Koç, take on the bad guys like Polat Alemdar and have fun like Acun Ilicali. So it is money, honor, adventure and fun that are important to them. When I asked a group of young people on our TV show last Monday why these characters take center stage for the youth, most of them simply smiled and were unable to give any reasons.

Apparently they are also taken by these characters.

As for the commonly held belief that the Turkish youth are apolitical and do not have any interest in politics, there is some truth to this. Only 5 percent of the youth take part in any political activity. Most see politics as a dangerous path.

Most say they would prefer to concentrate on their education, graduate with a good degree and get a solid, well-paying job. Their expectations from the universities are not reflective of what a university should be. Training a new generation for a better Turkey and a better world by bringing out their creative talents and teaching them to be and take responsibility; these are not the priorities of most of Turkey's university students. A college degree and a guaranteed job are the criteria of a university education for many.

The history of youth movements in the 1970s has left a deep mark on many Turkish families. For them, involvement in politics means being a political anarchist, a violent militant and an enemy of the state. A "good citizen" is defined as a docile, obedient worker who cares primarily about his or her own future.

Another problem is how to define youth. Many associate youth with students. While students are an important part of the youth population, there are millions of young workers, as well as those who do not work and stay at home (most of them girls).

With the ups and downs of Turkish democracy -most recently the closure case against the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) -- it is not surprising that the youth do not trust politics and stay away from political activities. The political sphere is seen as too dirty and polarized. That is why the two institutions that the youth trust the most are the army and religion. The Turkish politicians need to think about these facts.

leave the political scene without making any fuss or will it remain in politics by setting up a new party and challenging the status quo by any means possible?

If history is any guide, after each party closure we saw very few politicians leave politics. The majority remained more determined than ever and tried to make their comeback more forcefully. Erdoðan is a fighter. He overcame restrictions put before him by some courts in 2001 and became prime minister soon after. He will try to do the same if he is going to be stripped of his political rights.

History repeats itself more frequently in Turkey than in any other country.

The only reservation which would hinder the closure of the AK Party is the historical fact of the futility of party closure. When some outside forces put their foot into the political arena and force a party to be closed, they manage to extract that result, but they cannot change the public's attitude toward their own choice. When the time comes for the public to feel free to elect their representatives, they always go against the imposers' will.

So, what is the use of closing a party if that party will regain its force and make its comeback sooner than any expectation?

Can we expect to receive an answer to this simple question from Reuters?

Short-termýsm for the long term

Conflýct does not brýng solutýon HÜSEYÝN GÜLERCE h.gulerce@todayszaman.com

New York -- When I go abroad even for a short time, I always feel as if I've been freed from a misty, hazy atmosphere.

Ill-intentioned, evil people actually take advantage of the passivity of those who are supposed to have common sense. If the common wisdom that comes to the rescue of the reasonable majority in hard times steps in, this mist or smoke will diffuse at once.

You see, no one knows how the process that began with the request for closure of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on March 14 will end. Yet it is obvious that the country has lapsed into uncertainty and that political and economic stability are under serious threat. Foreign observers aware of the value our country has in the international arena are worried. This is what the voice of common sense raised in the United States and European Union tells us.

No doubt, there are national and international groups that want this process to end badly for the AK Party and the values it represents. These groups do not care if democracy is paralyzed or suspended permanently in this process. They do not have humane concerns, in the same way that those who triggered World War II did not care about the deaths of 60 million people. They do not give a damn about the problems that economic instability may bring.

Everyone who loves this country and is concerned for the nation and its future, from all across the political spectrum, want something to be done to stop this process. For how long will we be troubled with this uncertainty?

When you engage in a fight, your anger is not quenched until you injure your opponent. This is the wild side of human beings.

Those seeking to polarize society and divide us are captive to this psychology. They are in a mood for destruction. They want to achieve their goals at whatever cost. They are determined to beat their opponents to death. They are small in number, but powerful

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in qualitative terms. Sadly, those who are big in number are not prepared to acknowledge their weakness in terms of power and influence. The authors who voice the sentiments of the masses close their eyes to this reality, making this truth more bitter and tragic.

However we will always need peace, and time for democratization and the extension of freedoms to take root. What we must seek should not be conflict, but conciliation. Reasonableness, not conflict, should rule our actions, as solutions will not emerge through conflict.

I know there are some people from both camps that hate the word conciliation. They tend to regard conciliation as synonymous with concession.

However democracy is the culture of listening to one other, understanding each other and establishing conciliation with each other. It is a matter of using the correct language. It is the wisdom of feeling empathy toward the other.

In a conflict, the animal inside us will speak. In conciliation, reason takes the floor.

The driving force behind a conflict is obsession. Conciliation is the fruit of efforts for coexistence with diversity. Conflict will cause trouble for both sides. Conciliation will bring satisfaction -- though partial -- to both sides. Conflict comes from insistence on irresponsibility, while conflict originates from maturity toward settlement.

Today, we need a solution characterized by empathy and reasonableness and that will not give a sense of victory to any side.

We must lend an ear to the voice of common wisdom that invites us to peace and solution, not to that of the provocative language of militants.

We must save Turkey from the disaster into which it is being pulled. We must not allow attempts to paralyze the country's progress. Here is a famous anecdote: When people asked a camel "Which do you prefer: ascent or descent?" the camel replied: "Isn't there an option for a flat road?" This does not necessarily require the defeat of one side. We must find a reasonable way. We should not defame those seeking a solution, making their efforts harder.

Let us leave this conflict aside.

Now is just the time to take your favorite Turkish stockbroker to lunch. The markets are lounging in the doldrums, and those toiling in the financial sector are beginning to find time for those three-hour mid-day breaks. There is little talk these days of "a good Turkish story" or "commitments to sustainable growth." The language now is of "muddling through."

The fizz in the Turkish economy has definitely fuzzed.

"We are actually in a crisis," one economist friend told me. He explained that the current situation is similar to the roller-coaster dips of previous years and that no one has woken up to this fact. We are back in the days of short-term political priorities taking precedence over long-term prudence, according to another foreign banker who has lived in Turkey almost as long as myself. As with previous governments, the current bunch is trying to wave the IMF goodbye. It has given every indication that it will be relaxing fiscal targets for the second time in six months -- the newest move being an amnesty for those who have fallen behind in their social security payments. The central bank is fighting a heroic rear-guard battle, jumping on the brakes by raising interest rates when the rest of the world is trying to stimulate their economies by dropping theirs. This is keeping the lira strong.

The problem is that the government is rewarding itself with fiscal relaxation without really having earned the right. The problem, many suggest, is that the sword of Damocles is now beginning to draw blood. The governing party awaits a decision on its whole future as the Constitutional Court debates whether to shut it down A mass expulsion from Parliament of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) MPs could spark a mass by-election to coincide with nationwide local elections (scheduled for 2009, but now could be pushed forward). The AK Party in a new incarnation would regard any poll less than the 47 percent it received in the 2007 general election as a serious setback. Now is not the time to ask the nation to tighten its belt.

"Hang on," interjected an investor analyst, "The problem has less to do with Turkish politics or even the Turkish economy than the global rise in commodity prices." Turkey is a grain and petrol-importing country, and it is inevitable that the primary surplus will fall. The new figure is still a hefty 3.5 percent of GDP and, of course, that GDP is $600 billion now -- nearly three times what it was five years ago, when the primary surplus was pegged at over 6.5 percent. Add to this the shockwaves emanating from America. In so arid a terrain, any government would be having difficulties in growing the economy. Yes, the political problems are not helping, but the markets have already factored that in. That the politics has not pushed the economy into a freefall is proof that the 2001 reforms have been successful in isolating one from the excesses of the other.

What most are agreed upon, however, is that Turkish politics is slipping back into the gear that has caused the nation to stall so often in the past. Blame the chief prosecutor or blame a business-as-usual mentality, but the symptoms are that the government's management of the economy is decelerating when it requires momentum. The AK Party's second term in office should have been the signal for a second tier of structural change. Integrating the country's future with that of the European Union was just one element in the transformation. The "old" Turkey competed by making it difficult for outsiders to find their way through a network of peculation and cronyism and a cloud cover of high interest rates and high inflation. The "new" Turkey was all about rethinking where the nation could increase value added in a competitive world. This requires a degree of political consensus, a willingness to engage the country in a discussion of what happens past the next court decision and an ability see beyond the short term.

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THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2008

LEISURE

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Gregorian Calendar: 21 May 2008 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 16 Jumada al-Awwal 1429 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 16 Iyyar 5768 calendar@todayszaman.com Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity. Recognizing the importance of biological diversity for the health of the planet, the UN proclaimed this day in 1993. The world’s rich, diverse and irreplaceable biological inheritance is under attack from land clearance, over hunting, over harvesting, pollution and the spread of invasive species. This international day encourages relevant organizations around the world to organize special

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events, lectures and presentations to alert the world’s population to the dangers of losing this biological diversity.

Today is National Day in Yemen. On this day in 1990 north and south Yemen were united to create the Republic of Yemen. The unification replaced the Yemen Arab Republic in the North and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen in the South. The union was not immediately successful and disputes broke out, leading to a war in 1994 that was won by the northern forces.

E2 08:00 Rachael Ray Show 09:00 Ellen DeGeneres Show 10:00 The Martha Stewart Show 11:00 Rachael Ray Show 12:00 Ellen DeGeneres Show 13:00 Hollyoaks 13:30 Rachael Ray Show 14:30 The Martha Stewart Show 15:30 Rachael Ray Show 16:30 Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:30 Hollyoaks 18:00 The Martha Stewart Show 19:00 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 01:00 The Tudors 02:00 Dexter 03:00 Comedy Night / Richard Jeni

Today is Republic Day in Sri Lanka. On this day in 1972 Ceylon adopted a new constitution, changed its name to Sri Lanka and joined the Commonwealth of Nations. Sri Lanka means “resplendent land” in Sinhalese.

Today is National Maritime Day in the US. Designated in 2002 by President George W. Bush, National Maritime Day commemorates the establishment of the US Merchant Marines by Congress in 1933. By Kerim Balcý

‘Never Back Down’

THE THREE ROBBERS (All showings in Turkish) ÝSTANBUL: Bakýrköy Capacity: 11:45 13:45 15:45 17:45 19:45 Caddebostan AFM: 10:30 12:10 14:40 17:10 19:40 ANKARA: Ata On Tower: 11:00 12:30 14:15 16:00 17:45 ÝZMÝR: Bornova Forum: 10:45 12:45 14:45 16:45 18:45 20:45 ANTALYA: Migros: 11:45 13:45 15:45 17:45 19:45

Havel returns to orýgýnal vocatýon wýth new play

I'M NOT THERE ÝSTANBUL: Beyoðlu: 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00 Maçka G-mall: 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00 Fri/Sat: 24:00

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DECEPTION ÝSTANBUL: Beyoðlu Emek: 12:00 14:15 16:30 18:45 21:15 Caddebostan AFM: 11:10 13:40 16:10 18:40 21:10 Fri/Sat: 23:40 ANKARA: Ata On Tower: 12:00 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ÝZMÝR: Konak Pier: 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:30 ANTALYA: Laura: 11:45 14:30 17:00 19:30 21:45

O... ÇOCUKLARI ÝSTANBUL: Beyoðlu CineMajestic: 11:30 13:00 14:00 15:30 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:15 21:30 Kadýköy Nautilus: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ANKARA: Ata On Tower: 11:00 13:15 15:45 18:15 19:30 20:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 23:00 24:00 ÝZMÝR: Konak Pier: 10:30 13:15 16:00 18:45 21:30

Sudoku

which will be followed by a staging at the Slovak National Theater in November, and one in Germany in March. A US production is also in the works. Translations into a number of languages are planned, under way or have been completed, including English and Chinese. And there are plans to turn the play into a film later this year.

“Leaving” has met with its share of difficulties. Prague’s National Theater was interested in staging the play and it looked like the most suitable place for Havel’s comeback. But negotiations failed after Havel insisted his wife Dagmar and his friend Jan Triska be cast in leading roles.

Havel said he had his wife in mind when he was writing the role but the theater was not happy with the idea of accepting outsiders on its stage. Several other theaters in Prague were considered before the respected Archa Theater said it was willing and able to meet all demands by director David Radok.

Then, in the middle of rehearsals, Havel’s wife had to step down at doctors’ recommendations for unspecified health reasons.

Havel was already a well-known dissident playwright when he led the Velvet Revolution. He became president of Czechoslovakia in December 1989 and continued in that role from 1993 when the country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Since the 1960s, Havel has published dozens of plays, books and political essays that won international acclaim. He had often complained he lacked time and concentration to resume his literary career.

He finished the play at a retreat provided

by Washington’s Library of Congress in the beginning of last year. And that might not be the end. Now, he says he’s already got an idea for a new play. Prague AP

AP

It’s been an eagerly anticipated comeback. The first new work in 20 years by Vaclav Havel, the dissident playwright who led Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution and went on to become its president, is having its world premiere tonight at Prague’s Archa Theater. “Leaving” is about the leader of an unspecified country who leaves politics after many years in power and has to adjust to a new life.

Havel said in a press conference Tuesday that the play was “enriched by my personal experience” but insisted it wasn’t autobiographical. “It is built on an archetypal experience of a world that is collapsing, of collapsing values, the loss of certainty,” Havel said about the main character, Dr. Vilem Rieger. Havel said he began working on the five-act play in the late 1980s at a time he couldn’t even dream of being president and put it aside as he took a leading role in the Velvet Revolution that toppled communism in 1989. Havel has said the new work has loose associations to Shakespeare’s “King Lear” and Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard.”

“Now and then, I was interested in a more general, existential part of it,” he said Tuesday. “How come that when someone who losses power, also losses the sense of life? How come, that power is so significant for someone that its loss means the collapse of the person’s world?”

Havel has acknowledged being “nervous” ahead of the premiere. But “Leaving” has met with some success even before reaching the stage: About 14,500 copies have been sold in the Czech Republic since its release in November.

The foreign premiere is scheduled for Sept. 19 in London’s Orange Tree Theater,

ÝSTANBUL: Levent Kanyon: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Suadiye Movieplex: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ANKARA: Bilkent: 11:45 14:15 15:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15 ÝZMÝR: Çiðli Cinecity Kipa: 11:45 14:30 17:00 19:30 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:30 ANTALYA: Migros: 14:30 17:00 19:30 22:00

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Hallmark 07:30 Hard Time: Hostage Hotel 09:15 McLeod's Daughters 10:00 My Louisiana Sky 11:45 Bridesmaids 13:30 Hard Time: Hostage Hotel 15:15 McLeod's Daughters 16:15 My Louisiana Sky 18:00 Bridesmaids 20:00 Shadow of a Doubt 21:30 The Temptations 23:15 National Lampoon's Attack of the 5 Ft. 2 Women 01:00 Don't Look Down 02:30 The Temptations

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Former Czech President and author Vaclav Havel stands outside the Archa Theater after a press conference on the premiere of his new play "Leaving" in Prague.

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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

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Down 2 To behave like Chamberlain shows up English right away (7) 3 Historic church in new poem a monarch’s written (5-6) 4 Mild sarcasm from press gallery, ultimately (5) 5 Move the sink from the English garden? (7) 6 Water-clock Percy’s lad designed (9)

7 Born in France, but regularly in Yemen (3) 8 Unsophisticated character on the staff (7) 12 Craftsman police officer almost hit hard (11) 14 Control of ball securing honour at home (9) 17 Former students supply drink, keeping university man tipsy (7) 19 Viewing device you had initiated in southern 15 (7) 20 See this slide — it’s magic! (7) 22 Dog put up huge bird, a potential fighter (5) 24 Make lace, or trashy clothing (3)

C O F F I N D O D G 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

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CONTINUATION

TODAY’S ZAMAN 17

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

ABDULKERÝM KESKÝN

Turkey’s sales pitch to become railway freight hub With the completion of new railway projects, the figure is likely to double and reach $7 billion annually.

One of the major advantages for the Turkish route, officials argue, is faster transit times for railway freight in that goods will reach their destinations in Europe two days earlier compared to the Russian alternative. The Turkish proposals garnered much attention from industry representatives at the UIC meetings and were included in the agenda. The UIC will decide on the merits of the case next year.

For Turkish proposals to be credible in the eyes of decision makers, the Marmaray Project, consisting of a tunnel under the Bosporus linking the European and Asian sides of the city must be completed, experts say. "If the project is not completed, we'll lose our competitive position," warns Karaman, who heads the sole train operator in the country. Until the opening of the Marmaray tunnel, the country will continue to have two separate rail networks. Currently the two sides are only connected through the Bosporus railway ferry in Ýstanbul.

Marmaray, one of the Ministry of Transportation's largest projects, is a milestone for the national grid and will link the rail network of Turkey's Asian and European parts. As construction continues on the Marmaray Project, an uninterrupted aboveground 76.3-kilometer-long metro line will be constructed from Halkali on the European side to Gebze on the Anatolian side that will be high capacity and integrated with other transportation networks.

Additionally, Turkey is also working on what in-

GRAPHIC

contýnued from page 1

dustry experts call the "Iron Silk Road," which includes building a railway that would improve cargo transportation among Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan, linking Europe and Asia. All three governments signed an agreement last year to eventually revive the historic Silk Road trade route. It is projected to be completed by 2009 and will consist of a new 100-kilometer railway line connecting the eastern Turkish city of Kars with Georgia while another 300 kilometers of existing track will be upgraded. The Ministry of Transportation yesterday announced the completion of a tender for the Georgia-Turkey section. The bid was awarded to a joint consortium made up of Özgün Yapý Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Þ. and Çelikler Taahhüt Ýnþaat ve Sanayi A.Þ. at a value of close to $233 million.

Turkey has recently allocated sizable sums of money to railway development. Among the major

projects are the quick expansion of the Ankara-Ýstanbul and Ankara-Konya high-speed lines, the building of the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku line, the Ankara-Sivas, the Bursa-Osmaneli, the Ankara-Ýzmir and the Ýstanbul-Bulgaria high-speed train projects. Logistics villages, sites serving as logistical centers and freight hubs, are also being constructed to increase freight traffic in addition to a restructuring of the TCDD and reforms tied to Turkey's accession to the EU. The TCDD operates all passenger, freight and suburban railways, including domestic and international departures in Turkey. The country has already allocated $5 billion to the railway sector for renovation and construction through the end of 2010. By 2023 a total of $23.5 billion is estimated to be transferred to the rail industry. Turkey is also preparing to host the country's largest railway event

later this year. The TCDD, along with the UIC, will hold the Second International Railway Symposium and Trade Exhibition at Ýstanbul's Haydarpaþa Station on Oct. 15-17. The UIC Global Conference on Traffic Management & Train Control Systems will also be held at the same location.

The UIC - deriving its acronym from its French name, Union Internationale des Chemins de fer -- is an international rail transport industry body. It aims for international cooperation among railways and for the promotion of rail transport on a global level.

Founded in 1922, it currently has 191 members on five continents, among them railways, rail operators, infrastructure managers, railway service providers, public transport companies, etc. Furthermore, the UIC closely cooperates with all actors of rail transport, including industries, railway associations and public authorities.

Turkey. Describing the recent commotion as "a problem encountered in the perception of things," Ergün emphasized that Parliament and executive bodies did not have the right to act like the judicial body, adding: "Even if they had this duty, they still wouldn't be able to perform it properly. But on the other hand, the judiciary should be respectful toward the legislative body in terms of the separation of powers. The legislative body makes clear the rules by which the judicial body will do its job. Courts make rulings in accordance with these rules. Courts of law don't have the right to make their own rules, and likewise, the judiciary cannot impose on Parliament what sort of rules it should make and how it should make them. The legislative body derives its legislative power directly from the people; therefore, it is not appropriate for the judiciary to tell the legislative body what to do. Turkey still has a long distance to cover in terms of internalizing the democratic regime and realizing the principle of the separation of powers."

It was stressed in the declaration that the AK Party attempted to amend the entire Constitution by taking advantage of the generally positive atmosphere generated from an amendment originally meant to change only articles 68 and 69, which regulate the procedures of political party closures, and that this "attempt" was criticized. The declaration noted that the new constitution should be drafted with the broadest public agreement possible.

"In so doing, the gravest tension has been made part of the agenda at an unexpected time and in an unnecessary manner," it noted.

The statement also emphasized that the government passed amendments to articles 10 and 42 of the Constitution, which lifted a ban on the headscarf, at an "unstoppable" speed, and that the chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals had felt obliged to take action

PHOTO

contýnued from page 1 Terming the closure case against it a politically motivated one and a "judicial coup," the AK Party drew the ire of the Supreme Court of Appeals. In its statement yesterday, the court criticized the AK Party for a series of actions, such as drafting a new constitution as well as the judicial reform strategy presented to the EU by the government. It also accused the AK Party of making Turkey's judiciary a target in the eyes of the EU. Justice Minister Mehmet Ali ?ahin also criticized the court's statement and termed useless and political. "This statement has come out of the blue. I cannot understand why the court released such a statement when there was no need for it. There is an argument in the statement suggesting that there are efforts to bring the judiciary under the control of the government. Neither the judiciary nor the government is under the control of the other, and they should not be. There has never been such a situation to this point, and there won't be in the future," said ?ahin.

The minister noted that he had great respect for the members of the judiciary; however, he found such statements made by members of the judiciary from time to time to be politically motivated. Focusing on the court's criticism of the government's draft constitution, he said: "It is a draft. It is a roadmap. It will not be withdrawn. It will be debated over the course of time and will be refined. No one should have any concerns about it."

However, AK Party officials see the statement of the Supreme Court of Appeals as an attempt to influence the Constitutional Court's decision. Speaking to Today's Zaman, AK Party group deputy chairman Nihat Ergün said the declaration of the Supreme Court of Appeals clearly shows the level of maturity of the concepts of democracy and separation of powers in

MEHMET KAMAN

Row between government and top judiciary intensifies

Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Þahin (L) called yesterday's statement from the Supreme Court of Appeals useless and political. after the speedy passage of the amendments.

The declaration further noted that it had been forgotten that the closure case was of an institutional quality and not the personal work of the chief prosecutor. "It has not been considered that such attitudes will not in the least politically benefit the political institution that is being tried, apart from satisfying some personal interests, and will not make any changes to the result. Also, it has been observed that [this campaign] has not been ended completely although it has lost its former intensity, and maybe it has not been ended deliberately. The contradictions and errors continued to be com-

mitted during the process," said the statement.

Former deputy Turhan Güven maintained that the Constitutional Court is required to make a swift decision in the closure case against the AK Party. "Otherwise, this process will undermine both the government and the judiciary," he said, adding: "If there is not sufficient evidence, they should base their decision on the existing evidence. It would be beneficial to complete this case in a swift manner."

Commenting on the court's statement, Associate Professor Mustafa Þentop from Marmara University's faculty of law, said Supreme Court of Appeals Law no. 2747 dealt with the responsibilities and authorities of the Board of Chairmen and that it was in violation of this law for the board to make such a statement on behalf of the Supreme Court of Appeals.

"The Board of Chairmen has no authority to represent the court. And this statement harms the court's impartiality," said Þentop.

The statement, criticizing the draft judicial reform strategy submitted to the EU enlargement commissioner, said: "All these developments are sufficient to show that the independence of the judiciary has not been accepted and that there are insistent and systematic efforts, under the false pretense of ensuring judicial impartiality, to create a judiciary that supports, protects and is audited by the executive branch.

This is the aim, but it should be remembered that the history of humanity has not witnessed a nation and a state that can survive with such a controlled judiciary, bring happiness and security to its individuals and be successful in the race for civilization. The Turkish nation is always entitled to have a judiciary that has full independence and effectiveness. We hereby reiterate that we will continue to exercise judicial power on behalf of the Turkish nation and pursue the independence of the judiciary."

Victims of enforced disappearances remembered contýnued from page 1 It took 14 years for the Örhan family to learn what happened to their relatives, but the European Court of Human Rights was quicker, and in 2002 it convicted Turkey in the case of the Örhans for violation of the right to life and inadequate investigation into their disappearance.

Many similar disappearances in Turkey took place in 1994, a time at which the conflict in southeastern Anatolia was intense. One year later, the ÝHD declared May 17-31 Missing Persons Week. It chose May 17, which is the date the body of Hasan Ocak was found, another victim who was taken into custody on

March 21, 1995 after the Gazi events in Ýstanbul, in which a café in the mostly Alevi neighborhood of Gazi was attacked and one person was killed. Crowds took to the streets to protest the attack, and during the clashes with the security forces 17 people were killed, while Ocak was taken into custody and later found dead.

The relatives of the missing persons also formed a group, "Saturday Mothers," which protested the enforced disappearances every Saturday in Ýstanbul.

This week the ÝHD, Yakýnlarýný Kaybedenler Derneði (YAKAY-DER) and the International Committee against Disappearances (ICAD) are organizing two sit-

down strikes, a photo exhibition and panel discussions with the relatives of missing persons.

They are also planning to file a complaint with the public prosecutor and demand the punishment of officials responsible for the disappearance of the missing persons.

Hüsnü Öndül, chairman of the ÝHD, pointed out that during recent years such enforced disappearances have dropped to next to nothing, but it remains of the utmost importance to find out the facts and punish those responsible for past cases.

"Establishing the truth once and for all and finding out what happened will prevent future disappearances. There were many benefits of

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the European Union accession process in the field of law, but we cannot say that the enforced disappearances are no longer a problem. In order to prevent them totally and solve the problem, there needs to a confrontation with the past. The government also should sign and ratify the UN-backed International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance," he said.

The UN convention classifies enforced disappearances as a crime against humanity. It was submitted for signature almost two years ago and has been signed by 60 countries since, though many have yet to ratify it.

EU says closure case not a matter of independence of judiciary contýnued from page 1 "This case is not about the independence of the judiciary," she said, adding that the case raised concerns in Europe that the rule of law is "not in the place it should be."

Her comments were a sharp response to a harsh statement issued by the Supreme Court of Appeals earlier in the day. The court had lashed out at the government for critical comments about the closure case and the court's chief public prosecutor, who initiated the case. The statement argued that such criticism proved that the principle of the independence of the judiciary was not being respected.

Oomen-Ruijten's report, approved by a 467-62 vote in the European Parliament, expresses concern about the closure case and urges respect for the rule of law and European standards, which oppose closure of political parties unless they incite violence. The European Parliament's recommendations on foreign policy are not binding on the 27 EU member states but are nevertheless likely to be taken into consideration when the European Commission releases progress reports concerning developments in EU candidate countries.

At the press conference she also criticized the government's slow progress in pressing for a planned overhaul of the Constitution, saying the current case might not have been initiated if the ruling party had brought forward the reforms earlier. The government was planning to introduce sweeping changes to the current Constitution, which was drafted during a period of military rule in 1982, but these plans have been on hold since the closure case was initiated. Observers say the government is most likely to wait until the closure case is concluded before taking any step that would draw criticism from its staunchly secularist rivals in Parliament and the state bureaucracy.

Olli Rehn, the EU's enlargement commissioner, who addressed the parliamentary session during discussions on the report earlier in the day, also voiced concerns about the closure case. "We want to see Turkey move on from this case by respecting European values," he said, adding, "Turkey cannot afford another wasted year of reforms."

The European Parliament report calls on the government to take advantage of its strong parliamentary majority to fulfill its reform promises. Rehn said in his address that the EU Commission was concerned about the slow pace of reforms and added that renewed focus on the reforms would be the "best medicine" for many issues Turkey is grappling with at the moment.

"It is essential to re-launch the reforms in full, so that the fundamental freedoms of Turkish citizens are enhanced," he said. "The best medicine to fully revitalize the EU accession process of Turkey is to ensure that the reforms move forward, that a genuine political dialogue is started in Turkey and that both democracy and secularism are respected."

Rehn also expressed worries over what he called "excessive use of force" by Turkish police against demonstrators at this year's May Day rally in Ýstanbul.

The issue was added to Oomen-Ruijten's report after an amendment proposal to that effect, introduced by leftist parliamentarians, was endorsed yesterday. The police used force to prevent demonstrators from entering Ýstanbul's Taksim Square on May 1, sparking domestic criticism over restrictions on freedom of assembly and demonstration.

Another amendment in the report says that recent changes to Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), criticized by the EU for restricting freedom of expression, are not enough and calls for removal of similar articles imposing limitations on free speech.

Rehn welcomed the long-sought revision to Article 301 but stressed the need to uphold the law in practice and for more progress in cultural and linguistic rights and the rights of women and trade unions.

Slovenia: Talks on two new chapters possible in June Also addressing the European Parliament session, Slovenian State Secretary for European Affairs Janez Lenarcic told the European Parliament that accession talks with Turkey on two new chapters could begin during Slovenia's EU presidency, which runs until the end of June.

Negotiations could begin on company law and intellectual property rights as part of the country's membership talks, Lenarcic said. In all, there are 35 negotiation "chapters," or areas in which Turkey must enact EU rules and legislation if it is to join the bloc. Six chapters have already been opened while eight have been frozen because of Ankara's refusal to trade with the Greek Cypriot administration, an EU member. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

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Your tour guide in Ýstanbul 0532 234 61 77

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0532 281 80 41

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18 TODAY’S ZAMAN

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

TODAY’S LEARNING TIME

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“A defeated wrestler can’t have enough of wrestling ” A Turkish proverb

OSMAN TURHAN

elementary READING

Mel Gibson

ILLUSTRATIONS

Mel Gibson was born in January 1956 in the U.S.A, but when he was twelve years old his family moved to Australia. At first Mel wanted to become a reporter, but his sister sent an application form to the National Institute of Dramatic Art for him.

So, he became an actor.

He appeared in his first film in 1977 and only two years later he became famous in the sci-fi film Mad Max. He made two more Mad Max films after that.

He moved back to the U.S.A. in 1983.

He worked very hard, but his films didn't make a lot of money and so after two years, he left movies. Then in 1987 he came back and made his most famous film, Lethal Weapon. Lethal Weapon 2 followed two years later. In these films he played a policeman. The films were very good and they were funny, too.

In 1996, he won the best film award for Braveheart. This film was about the Scottish hero, William Wallace.

Activity: VOCABULARY

PART 1: Event and Date Match

VOCABULARY

Match the dates and the events in Mel Gibson's life.

Find the grammatic names of the words given below.

1. He made Lethal Weapon 2. __

a. 1956

2. He won the best film award for Braveheart. __

b. 1968

________

3. He left movies. __

c. 1977

3. She sang a sad song.

________

4. He made Lethal Weapon. __

d. 1979

4. They arrived late.

________

5. He appeared in his first film. __

e. Between 1979 and 1983

5. She is always late.

________

6. He was born. ___

f. 1983

6. This grey car is too expensive.

________

7. We went to my grandfather's farm yesterday.

________

7. He moved to the U.S.A. __

g. 1985

8. He made two more Mad Max films. __

h. 1987

(Verb, Adverb, Adjective, Noun) 1. He drives slowly.

________

2. Jeff climbed the ladder carefully.

8. She showed me the way nicely.

________

9. He can run fast.

________

9. He starred in the first Mad Max film. __

i. 1989

10. Jack has a great personality.

________

10. He moved to Australia. __

j. When he was 40

advanced READING

My favorite kebab recipe Kebab, kebab, kebab. That's all I see, hear and smell in Turkey. Adana kebab. Antep kebab. Urfa kebab. Bursa kebab. I have tried each of them, and they all taste the same to me.

Perhaps, you need to be Turkish to differentiate between the four of them. Maybe my taste buds are dead.

Does anyone here in Turkey know that we actually have kebab in America, too? It is much different than the kebab here in that it is rarely made of lamb. It is almost always marinated beef and chicken. If you want the meat to taste different, you change the marinade. It is limited only by your imagination.

The following recipe is my favorite for making kebab: - Place several pieces of chicken in ziplock plastic bags, and cover the meat with Italian dressing. Marinate the chicken overnight..

- Wash and dry onions, bell peppers and tomatoes. Cut the onions and tomatoes into wedges. Slice the bell peppers. Store them in the refrig-

erator.

- The following day, make an assembly line on your kitchen table, with the peppers being at the beginning and the end. The peppers should be the first and last thing on the skewer.

- Place the meat and vegetables randomly on the skewer according to how you and your family want them.

- Take the skewers to the grill.

Place them approximately 3 inches apart. The kebabs will need to be turned frequently. A good pair of tongs for turning is advisable - Baste the kebabs with a brush while cooking. The leftover marinade can be used for basting.

- Grilling time depends on the meat and grill. A good rule of thumb is a minimum of 6 minutes to a maximum of 15 minutes.

- Serve the kebabs over brown or wild rice. Have sauces on the table for dipping.

Weren't they great? Better than Adana kebab anyway.

ýntermedýate READING

Tom Cruise's son makes movie debut Would you like your children to follow the same career path as yours?

According to the USA's 'People' magazine, it seems Tom Cruise does.

His son Connor is following in his famous father's footsteps by appearing in a Hollywood movie. He follows a long tradition of children following their parents' example and taking up acting. Many Hollywood kids grow up to be famous stars like their mothers and fathers. Connor, aged 13, made his debut in March in a new Will Smith movie called 'Seven Pounds'. Connor plays the part of Will Smith's character when he was a child. It's a minor role but could be the beginning of a major acting career. Connor is the youngest child of

screen superstars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. The two actors adopted him in 1995 but split up and divorced five years later.

People' magazine reported that Connor had to audition for the role along with other child actors. The magazine wrote that "Tom is so proud of Connor…for really doing this on his own." In truth, Connor didn't have to do a whole lot in his debut role. He spent just two days finishing his part and is mostly shown in photographs. Reports are that he doesn't speak in the film.

Even though he auditioned for the part, it probably helped his chances a little that his Dad and Will Smith are best friends. Tom Cruise has done his best to shield his son from the limelight. He has stayed very quiet about Connor's first acting job. Hollywood is now full of gossip and rumors about who will get the first exclusive Connor Cruise interview. The movie tells the tale of a man, Will Smith, who affects the lives of seven strangers.

PART 1: TRUE (T) or FALSE (F 1. Tom Cruise's son, Connor, is going to produce his very first movie.___ 2. It is only recently that Hollywood kids have chosen careers in acting.___ 3. Connor starred in 13 movies when he was younger.___ 4. Connor's parents divorced before he was ten years old.___ 5. Tom is not happy that Connor has chosen to enter the movie business.___ 6. Connor's new film is a silent movie.___ 7. Tom Cruise has told everyone in Hollywood the news about his son.___ 8. Newspapers and TV channels want to get Connor's very first interview.__

PART 2: SYNONYM MATCH

Match the words with their definitions given below.

Match the following synonyms from the article:

a. Freezing __

1. hard drops of frozen rain

1. Path __

b. a breeze __

2. very cold

2. Tradition __

b. protect

c. chilly __

3. a very strong wind

3. taking up __

c. went their separate ways

a. starting

d. fog __

4. light raind.

4. Minor __

d. mainly

e. a shower __

5. frozen water

5. split up __

e. custom

f. hail __

6. low cloud which makes it difficult to see

6. Audition __

f. pleased

g. lightning __

7. electrical current you see during a storm

7. Proud __

g. media attention

h. a storm __

8. slightly cold

8. Mostly __

h. tryout

i. ice

9. a gentle wind

9. Shield __

i. trail

10. a period of strong wind and rain

10. Limelight _

j. Small

j. a gale __

VOCABULARY Specialized Vocabulary Textiles: Spangles (noun) are decorative pieces, usually made from metal or plastic that have a hole through which they can be sewn to a garment.

Spangles are one of the hottest items worn on dresses by party girls this season.

Tourism: Bistro (noun) is a small restaurant, featuring simple fare, sometimes with entertainment.

Whilst on holiday we ate in a family-run bistro every night.

Agriculture: Pollen (noun) is the fertilizing element of flowering plants, consisting of fine, powdery, yellowish grains or spores, sometimes in masses.

In the spring many people have hay-fever caused from the pollen in the air.

Ecology: Primate (noun) is any member of the biological order Primates, the group that contains all the species commonly related to the lemurs, monkeys, and apes, with the last category including humans.

The children saw all kinds of primates at the zoo.

Sports: Jockey (noun) is one who rides horses in horse racing, primarily as a profession.

Often jockeys eat no more than a piece of toast and a few cups of tea throughout the day to keep their weight low for racing.

Idiom of the Day Make a killing MEANING: make a large amount of money EXAMPLE: My sister made a killing when she worked overseas in the oil industry.

Fill in the blanks with the correct letters.

1. to differentiate a. to increase b. to remove c. to separate d. to improve 2. to marinate a. to cook meat in a special sauce b. to freeze meat overnight c. to eat a lot of meat d. to soak meat in a special sauce 3. recipe a. a set of rules b. a set of punishments c. a set of directions d. a book of translations 4. wedge a. a kind of shape b. a kind of fruit c. a kind of meat d. a kind of grill 5. skewer a. barbecue b. fire c. grill d. metal rod 6.randomly a. with no set pattern b. in a row c. in a set pattern d. on top of each other 7. tongs a. an instrument used to break something b. an instrument used to locate something c. an instrument used for direction d. an instrument used for holding something 8. to baste a. to cook b. to freeze c. to moisten d. to cut 9. rule of thumb a. kind of glove b. general principle c. falsehood d. obscene gesture 10. to dip a. to remove something from a sauce b. to make a sauce c. to push something into a sauce d. to clean

Activity: Idioms

Activity: VOCABULARY PRACTÝCE

__

PART 1: Vocabulary Exercise

Phrasal Verbs Keep to meaning: [keep to something] (path, subject, arrangement, routine, plan, rules, regulation, promise, minimum) When you keep to something, you do what you are supposed to do. example : I know you don't like the agreement but we have to keep to it.

Cut off meaning: disconnect example: We were cut off in the middle of our telephone conversation.

Slang: ditch meaning: leave example: I'll ditch my younger brother with my grandmother.

Confusing Words In English lose vs. loose lose is a verb which means to come to be without (something in one's possession or care), through accident, theft, etc.

For example: Be careful not to lose your wallet. loose is an adjective which means not tight - stress 'oo'.

For example: The lid on the jar was loose.

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In the following sentences idioms are in bold. Can you match the idioms with their meanings (a-j)?

1. I can't tell you the answer off-hand. __ 2. I'm sorry, I can't make it on Saturday; I'm busy. __ 3. She had been working too hard and felt exhausted, so I told her to take it easy. __ 4. The party is this evening so you had better make up your mind. We should reply to the invitation by 5 o'clock. __ 5. Can you keep an eye on my bag while I go upstairs for a second? __ 6. I think they have gone to the USA for good.__ 7. The new manager is getting on my

nerves now. __ 8. I'm not hungry yet but I feel like a drink. __ 9. I have so much to do. I'm tied-up this afternoon! __ 10. Can you hang on a second? I am leaving too and we can walk together. __ a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j.

to want to go forever to be very busy to wait to watch to make a decision to annoy to come to answer without looking it up to relax

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER KEY:

ELEMENTARY: (Part 1) 1.No, they don’t 2.In the morning 3.Three 4.No, they don’t 5.Basketball 6.Art 7.They are art teachers 8.David’s brother Jamie 9.Three 10.Because she is very young.

(Activity) 1.was 2.born 3.behind 4.anything 5.caught INTERMEDIATE: (Part 1) 1.a 2.c 3.a 4.d 5.d 6.b 7.a 8.b 9.c (Activity) 1.c 2.d 3.b 4.a 5.d ADVANCED: (Part 1) 1.a 2.c 3.d 4.c 5.a 6.b 7.b 8.c 9.b (Activity) 1.b 2.b 3.a 4.b 5.b

In cooperation with English Time

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SPORTS

Davenport pulls out of French Open Former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport has withdrawn from of the French Open, the only Grand Slam singles event that she has never won. Tournament organizers said that the 31-year-old American withdrew for “personal reasons,” without elaborating. Paris, AP

PHOTO

Detroit's All-Star pitcher Justin Verlander recorded his first win in almost a month on Tuesday, leading the Tigers to a 12-8 victory over the Seattle Mariners. The struggling Tigers were expected to challenge for the American League title this season after bolstering their payroll to $139 million, but they lost their first seven games and came into Tuesday's contest with the fewest wins in the AL (17). Manager Jim Leyland, who called a pre-game meeting to discuss the situation, said winning was the best cure for their problems. “The main point of the talk today with the team was, it's accountability with all of us,” Leyland told reporters. “It's not talking about silly stuff like clubhouse atmosphere. Out there tonight, the clubhouse looks pretty good to me. It's all about winning.” Other American League results: Boston 2, Kansas City 1; Baltimore 12, NY Yankees 2; LA Angels 3, Toronto 1; Minnesota 11, Texas 4; Chicago White Sox 4, Cleveland 1; Tampa Bay 3, Oakland 2.

National League: Atlanta 6, NY Mets 1st game; Atlanta 6, N.Y. Mets 2nd game; Milwaukee 7, Pittsburgh 2; Florida 3, Arizona 2; Philadelphia 1, Washington 0; Houston 4, Chicago Cubs 2; San Francisco 6, Colorado 5; San Diego 3, St. Louis 2; LA Dodgers 4, Cincinnati 1. Detroit Reuters

PHOTO

Verlander back on track as Detroit drubs Seattle

M. BURAK BÜRKÜK

Turkey boosts morale wýth warm-up výctory over Slovakýa

BASEBALL

AA

THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2008

Rossi eyes possible future in rallying MotoGP championship leader Valentino Rossi has no plans to leave Yamaha but said that one day he might quit the sport to take up rallying. “I don't have any intention to change bike at the end of the season. If I absolutely have to, I'll change sport,” Rossi told Italian monthly Panorama First in quotes given to the Italian media on Wednesday ahead of publication on Friday. “I hope to have a few more years in MotoGP and then I'd like to devote myself to another passion of mine, cars. Maybe in rallying, maybe in something else. I'm not yet ready to stop racing.” Rossi is back at the top of the championship after his run of five straight premier class world titles was halted by American Nicky Hayden in 2006 and Australia's Casey Stoner last season.

“This year (my rivals) are very young and very fast,” said the 29-year-old, who has already competed in a number of rallies in recent years.

“I certainly can't have the dominance I had in some seasons. But if I concentrate and commit myself, they are no faster than me.” Rome Reuters

Turkish players celebrate their goal in the Euro 2008 warm-up match against Slovakia in Bielefeld, Germany, on Tuesday night.

The Turkish national team began its Euro 2008 warm-up campaign on a winning note. Hakan Kadir Balta scored midway through the second half in Bielefeld, Germany, on Tuesday night to give Turkey a 1-0 win over Slovakia and an encouraging start to its final phase of preparation for the European Championship.

Balta sent a hard shot past Slovakia goalkeeper Stefan Senecky and into the lower corner after a cross from Kazim Kazim bounced off the head of a Slovakian player in the 64th minute. The match was the first of three in a nine-day period for Turkey, which opens its European Championship schedule against Portugal on June 7 in Basel, Switzerland. Turkey has other friendlies scheduled against Uruguay on Sunday in Bochum, and Finland four days later in Duisburg before heading to Switzerland.

Balta's goal appeared to spark the wrath of Turkey, resulting in Gokhan Gokdeniz's

SWIMMING

Top Greek swimmer tests positive for doping The lawyer for top Greek swimmer Ioannis Drymonakos says the OLympic hopeful has tested positive for a banned substance.

Drymonakos is ranked second in the world for the 200 meters butterfly, according to FINA, and holds the European record in the event. He was a strong medal hopeful for Greece at the Beijing Olympics. His lawyer, Stavros Mavromatis, said Wednesday that the results of a “B” sample test had come up positive. He insisted that the swimmer never knowingly took any banned substance. Last week, the Hellenic Swimming Federation said an initial positive result for a Greek swimmer had come from an out-of-competition test by the country's national anti-doping council. It had not named the athlete. The Hellenic Swimming Federation has not confirmed the second positive test or released the swimmer's name. Athens Reuters

foul on Slovakian forward Martin Stryker during a scuffle for a ball in the 71st minute.

Stryker then angrily pushed Gokdeniz to the ground. Moments later, both players were booked. Slovakia's best chance came in the 80th minute when Igor Zofcak's header forced Turkish goalie Rustu Recber into a save. The Turks won but there were some flaws in their defense. Hopefully coach Terim will right these wrongs when injured Galatasaray defender Servet Çetin returns to action.

Terim concurred: “We made some mistakes. We left six players at the hotel. I am sure we will become better every single day.

We played well despite the absence of injured players. We had a good game despite the fact the squad included new players. I am pleased by the performance of the team,” he said.

The coach, noting that he did not expect such a game based on technical skills, further said: “There is competition as well as

love and respect among the players on the squad. If you like what you do, you do a better job. We had a better performance in the second half. The players were in a good mood and that made us happy. I liked the first half. The Slovak team had two important chances in the first half. Some newly called caught everyone’s attention. This is pretty good for the national squad.”

In response to a question at the conference on the favorite of the tournament, Terim said: “Every squad has a chance to win; we have belief. We set high goals. Nobody expected that Greece would defeat Portugal in the Euro 2004 final.” Asked how he would pick the 23-player squad, Fatih Terim said: “We have to be careful when picking the team. We should not become emotional despite criticisms. We have to consider every single detail to become champion. Of course, performance will be a determining factor when I make the choices.” Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

China torch relay resumes today PHOTO

AP

BASKETBALL

The Chicago Bulls won the draft lottery held on Tuesday and will get the first pick of next month's NBA Draft. The Bulls, who had only a 1.7 percent chance of winning the right to pick first after posting a 33-49 regular season record, will select ahead of the Miami Heat.

The Heat, who at 15-67 owned the NBA's worst record, had a 25 percent chance among the 14 eligible teams to get the first pick but were drawn to go second. Minnesota will choose third and Seattle fourth. New York Reuters

Number one seed Dementieva sends Ungur packing Top seed Elena Dementieva of Russia ousted Romania’s Liana Ungur 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the second round of the $200,000 (130,000 euro) WTA Ýstanbul Cup on Wednesday. Second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska beat Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-0, 6-0, while third-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia also advanced by defeating Marta Domachowska of Poland 6-2, 6-2 in the clay-court tournament that is a tune-up event for the French Open. Olga Govortsova of Belarus, who is seeded fourth, beat Nathalie Vierin of Italy, 7-6 (3), 6-1 and next plays Tsvetana Pironkova.

The eighth-seeded Bulgarian defeated Veronika Chvojkova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-1.

Seventh-seeded Jill Craybas of the United States beat fellow American Vania King 6-4, 6-2.

In other Ýstanbul Cup action on Wednesday, No. 6 Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan defeated Aiko Nakamura of Japan 6-3, 6-3 and Andreja Klepac of Slovenia beat Canada’s Stephanie Dubois 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

MOTORCYCLING

Chicago Bulls get first pick in Draft

Elena Dementieva

The Beijing Olympic torch relay will resume today in the coastal city of Ningbo after three days of national mourning for the victims of the Sichuan earthquake, Xinhua news agency said.

Ningbo, on the southern tip of the Yangtze River Delta, was originally scheduled to host the flame on Monday before the relay was suspended.

There was no mention in the report of how the organizers will make up for the three days lost in the schedule, which plans for the flame to arrive in Beijing two days before the Games open on Aug. 8.

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Officials at the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) were not available for comment. The longest torch relay in Olympic history has not enjoyed a smooth passage around the world, with anti-Chinese demonstrations marring parts of the international stretch and the weather delaying the ascent of Mount Everest. In the end, however, it was not the Tibet protesters nor the snows of the Himalayas that stopped the Olympic flame, but the earthquake that is already known to have killed more than 40,000 people. Beijing Reuters

Celtics stay hot at home, beat the Pistons in game 1 The Boston Celtics continued their home court mastery in the playoffs with a 88-79 win over the Detroit Pistons in the opening game of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday. Boston is a perfect 9-0 in the post-season at home and advanced to the East finals despite being winless on the road in six playoff games in the opening two rounds. The Celtics once again took advantage of home comforts, getting 26 points and nine rebounds from Kevin Garnett and another 22 from Paul Pierce.

They took control of the game with a strong third quarter after leading by just a point at the half.

“I thought we had a lot of energy,” Garnett told reporters. “We have a goal here, you have to suck it up and be ready to play. We've been able to take advantage of teams playing at home, but we had the best record in the regular season and when you get that, you get home games in the playoffs.”

Tayshaun Prince led the Pistons with 16 points.

Detroit needed just 11 games to advance to the third round while the Celtics were forced to two Game Sevens along the way. “They haven't lost a home game, they should be confident,” Detroit's Chauncey Billups said. Boston Reuters

Fener Ülker in Beko playoff final Defending champion Fenerbahçe Ülker beat Efes Pilsen 82-75 in game two of their men’s Beko Turkish Basketball League at Ýstanbul’s Abdi Ýpekçi Sports Hall on Tuesday night to sweep the best of three series 3-0 and advance to the final.

Fenerbahçe Ülker started the series with a 1-0 advantage having beaten Efes Pilsen at home and on the road during their encounters in the regular season. Fener’s Will Solomon was the top scorer for his team with 20, while Efes Pilsen’s Ermal was the overall top scorer with 27 points. The final will be between Fener and Türk Telekom or Beþiktaþ Cola Turka, which were still playing their final playoff game on Wednesday night when this page went to press. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

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