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Turkey takes seventh place in 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, Russia wins first-ever Eurosong title

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Eagles break jinx, clinch Celebrity Tournament

Obama empathizes with Clinton for the firestorm she has ignited by referring to Kennedy assassination

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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page04 Lebanon elects army chief as president PRIME MINISTER TO ANNOUNCE DETAILS OF NEW GAP INVESTMENT PLAN

Southeast eagerly awaits GAP plan E. BARIÞ ALTINTAÞ, ÝSTANBUL

majority southeast Anatolia. Head of the Southeastern Industrialists and Businessmen's Association Þahismail Bedirhanoðlu told Today's Zaman that this was a belated investment, but agreed that completion of irrigation systems under GAP would drastically change the face of the Southeast and absolutely constitute a major step toward the solution of the region's problems, including the Kurdish question. "I'm not saying it is the essential solution," he said, but maintained that it was nonetheless an important part. The project is expected to create jobs for 4 million people, he noted, adding

that completion of GAP would not only contribute to the region's economy but also that of the country.

Bedirhanoðlu asserted that if, in addition to GAP, investment incentive policies specifically targeting the region -- including tax relief for businesses and discounts on costs -- were instituted then most of the region's problems would be solved.

Maintaining neighborly relations and fostering cross-border trade with northern Iraq would also contribute tremendously to the region's improvement, Bedirhanoðlu noted. CONTINUED ON PAGE 08

Silence in judiciary row is betrayal of voters, says PM If the government had not responded to a memo from a top court accusing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) of trying to form a proexecutive branch judiciary, it would have betrayed its 16 million voters, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan said on Sunday. Speaking yesterday to a convention of his party's women's branches held in Ankara, Erdoðan responded to criticism that his government had contributed to increasing tension between his party and the judiciary for responding to a memo released by the Supreme Court of Appeals Board of Chairmen last Wednesday that accused the AK Party of trying to manipulate legislation to form a pro-executive branch judiciary. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

ICG expert: Kirkuk deal could serve both Turks, Kurds YONCA POYRAZ DOÐAN, ÝSTANBUL Joost R. Hiltermann, deputy Middle East and North Africa program director of the International Crisis Group (ICG), a nongovernmental organization dedicated to conflict prevention, said the Iraqi Kurdish administration would be of more help in Turkey's fight against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorism if only they could get concessions on Kirkuk; however, this is a "zero-sum game" which could be turned into a "win-win situation."

"Iraqi Kurds want to regain Kirkuk, and they know that the main obstacle to that ambition is Turkey. So why would they help Turkey by presenting them the PKK on a platter?" Hiltermann asked in an interview with Monday Talk. CONTINUED ON PAGE 06

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MEHMET KAMAN

A stalled major development project intended to get Turkey's impoverished southeast back on its feet is being resumed, with businessmen from the region among the first to voice their excitement. The government recently announced plans to complete the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), a major sustainable development project formulated decades ago to resolve agricultural and economic challenges facing the region but that had become

mired in neglect and financial difficulties. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan is set to visit Diyarbakýr on Tuesday to publicly announce details of the new scheme.

In March the prime minister said a broad series of investments, from the construction of irrigation systems to improving health and education services, worth as much as $12 billion were planned for the impoverished Southeast. The program is intended to drain support for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) by improving the lives of residents in the Kurdish-

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MINISTER ÞÝMÞEK INSISTS ARMENIA GATE WON'T BE OPENED

Turkey will not open its border with Armenia unless Yerevan resolves its problems with Ankara and regional ally Azerbaijan, Economy Minister Þimþek said.

04 MEETING OF CYPRUS LEADERS DRAWS IRE FROM PAPADOPOULOS

Former Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos has lashed out at his pro-reunification successor Christofias for a deal between the latter and Turkish Cypriot leader Talat.

Turkish Olympics exhibition offers taste of world culture

Hundreds of foreign students in Turkey for the 6th International Turkish Language Olympics have participated in a cultural festival to promote their countries. "Of course there are many fairs that promote world countries. But here, there is a difference. The young foreign students speaking in Turkish are informing people about their countries. This definitely makes for a vibrant and interesting atmosphere," said Özlem Oðuz, a visitor to the fair, which took place in Ankara's Altýnpark over the weekend as the opening event of the Turkish Language Olympics. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Turkish judiciary is sui generis, study finds ERCAN YAVUZ, ANKARA The Research Center of the Turkish Parliament has conducted a study on the structure and operation of top-level judicial organs in various countries, concluding that the principle of separation of powers is not properly implemented in Turkey and that the judicial system needs a complete overhaul.

According to the study, in EU member countries, the majority of members in the constitutional court are ap-

pointed by parliament, and Turkey is the only country that does not allow Parliament to appoint any members of the Constitutional Court. In addition, Turkey is also the only country that allocates a quota to the military judiciary for membership in the Constitutional Court. In Turkey, all of the 11 members and four substitute members of the Constitutional Court are appointed by the president. Furthermore, they are appointed not for a limited tenure, but until retirement (the age of 65).

The study highlights Turkey's need for a com-

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plete overhaul of the judicial system, which has up to this point only seen partial remedies. Despite this dire need for renovation, the members of the higher judicial organs have produced only one proposal for the restructuring of the supreme judiciary, which was put forward by Mustafa Bumin, the former head of the Constitutional Court. Bumin had suggested that Parliament appoint some of the members of the Constitutional Court, but his suggestion drew considerable criticism. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

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Q UOTE OF THE DAY

Golan belongs to Syria and has to be returned to it. We support Syria in retaining the occupied lands of Golan.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki

CROSS READER

FATMA DÝÞLÝ

PRESS REVIEW

columns

W ORDS OF WISDOM

We have no plans to hold negotiations [with Syria] through the media … but rather by using the required caution and responsibility.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert

Beauty comes as much from the mind as from the eye.

Grey Livingston

press roundup PHOTO

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f.disli@todayszaman.com

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Impartýalýty of Turkýsh judýcýary ýn questýon A statement released last week by the Supreme Court of Appeals Board of Chairmen against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government is still dominating the national agenda in Turkey, with some circles still amazed about how a judicial organ can challenge the elected government in a state where there is separation of powers. Not surprisingly, this statement has once again brought the problematic understanding among the members of the Turkish judiciary to the spotlight as well as their commitment to judicial impartiality in light of their bid to protect secularism.

Zaman’s Mümtaz’er Türköne discusses the Turkish judiciary’s bid to protect the secular republic in the wake of the top court’s statement and thinks that the judiciary assuming such a mission harms its impartiality. In his view, the judiciary is responsible for implementing law that protects the secular republic in an impartial way, even at times when there are threats against the secular republic. “As a matter of fact, the Constitution expects the judges to rule according to the law, not to undertake any ‘duty’ of protecting something. We have a Constitution and laws that protect the secular republic. The secular republic will perpetuate its power and legitimacy when everyone complies with the law -- most notably the judges,” explains Türköne.

Asserting that the Turkish military’s bid to protect the secular republic eliminates democracy, Türköne says this same bid also means elimination of law. “Because, this ‘protection mission’ makes the judiciary undertake an ideological mission,” he claims. Referring to the first sentence of the top court’s statement, which read that the fundamental characteristics of the republic were being made a subject of debate, Türköne asserts that what a confident judiciary should do in such a case is to improve law by benefiting from these debates. “Impartiality is a sine qua non in law. When this principle is breached, no law remains in question. Today there is a party [AK Party] closure case at the Constitutional Court, which is accused of being a focal point of anti-secular activities, and there are judges with claims of protecting secularism.

How will the law function? Without being impartial, is it possible for the law to function and thus make a country survive under the auspices of law,” questions Türköne.

Star’s Eser Karakaþ explains the essence of modern democracies, saying that in a perfect democracy, parliaments derive their legitimacy from democracy, the majority gets it from their choices and the judiciary derives its legitimacy from universal law, leading to the emergence of a magnificent balance. Nevertheless, he says, one leg of this balance is always paralyzed in Turkey as the judiciary unfortunately does not take its legitimacy from universal law but from other things.

“In such a case, while the Parliament enjoys its legitimacy, the democracy-law balance receives a severe blow. The judiciary, which undergoes a crisis of legitimacy since it has broken links with universal law, starts to look for its legitimacy in different places,” says Karakaþ implying that this urges the judiciary to try to win its legitimacy by interfering in politics.

Sabah’s Emre Aköz interprets the Supreme Court of Appeals’ statement as an effort to influence the Constitutional Court, which is about hear a case on a law that removes a ban on Muslim headscarves from university campuses because this case is very closely related to the closure case against the AK Party. Aköz says if the Constitutional Court annuls the headscarf amendments, the prospects of an AK Party closure will increase as the government’s headscarf move is one of the important bases in the prosecutor’s indictment. “By signing this statement, the court’s Board of Chairmen revealed that they are behind the prosecutor who filed the closure case and obviously want the AK Party’s closure,” contends Aköz, once again raising questions about their impartiality.

Is Fethullah Gülen a political figure?

MEHMET GÜNDEM, YENÝ ÞAFAK Fethullah Gülen is neither the Calvin of Islam nor a political figure. He is an alternative neither to politics nor the state, but he is the hundreds-of-years-old interpretation of Islam that originated in Anatolia. Getting his inspiration not only from the practice of the Era of Happiness, the time when Prophet Mohammed was alive, but also from the deep-rooted Islamic life of Anatolia, Gülen has become a Muslim pioneer who has always remained loyal to both the essence and form of Islam while at the same time managing to address contemporary issues on a global scale. Gülen's power essentially comes from his comprehensive faith and his scholarship, characterized by practicing what he preaches. The main reason for the appeal of Gülen's ideas to large groups inside and outside the country is his heroic effort to become a true Muslim. As this aspect of his is not well known, Gülen cannot be sufficiently understood.

When our world of knowledge and feeling is shallow and alien to man and Islam, we lose the potential to understand the Gülen movement.

What is a judge to do at Çankaya?

MUSTAFA KARAALÝOÐLU, STAR

The 7th Bosporus Cup was held in Ýstanbul on Saturday. Held against a backdrop of the city’s unique skyline, the day’s sailing under sunny skies left sailors and spectators alike in high spirits.

sabah:

“Big interference in private life,” read the daily’s lead headline yesterday, referring to certain institutions, such as the National Intelligence Organization (MÝT), gendarmerie and police, all of which demanded to have access to information about persons in all public and private institutions in the wake of a bill that foresees the opposite. These institutions demanded to be an exception to the legislation so they could continue to have access to private information on individuals. The parliamentary subjustice committee decided to postpone work on the bill due to the emerging controversy. The head of the committee, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Hakký Köylü, said: “We have some concerns. The draft is ambiguous. Its limits are not clearly defined. We could not decide whether these institutions are right or not in demanding to remain an exception.”

Rights earlier ruled against a ban for Ilýcak; hence, the AK Party deputies will also try to avoid being banned by going to the European court, reported the daily.

yeni þafak:

“CHP’s Sav missing for seven days,” read the daily’s headline yesterday, referring to the absence from the public arena of main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Önder Sav after he insulted a party member who wished to go to Mecca on hajj. “Do not give your money to Arabs. If you go to Mecca, perhaps Mohammed will not let you come back,” Sav had told an older CHP member in remarks that drew ire from various circles. The daily said CHP leader Deniz Baykal asked Sav to keep a low profile for awhile until reactions to his statements died down.

vatan:

akþam: The daily’s headline story yesterday reported that the AK Party deputies who would be banned from politics for five years if the Constitutional Court rules against the party in a closure case will go to the European Court of Human Rights one by one just as former deputy Nazlý Ilýcak did. These deputies cannot defend themselves in Turkey’s Constitutional Court from the charges filed against them because individuals cannot appear at the top court. The European Court of Human

Pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) parliamentary group leader Ahmet Türk gave some warnings to the Kurdish administration in northern Iraq over what would happen if they do not lend support to the DTP, reported the daily’s lead story yesterday. During a recent visit to northern Iraq Türk told the autonomous Kurdish administration in northern Iraq: “If the struggle for peace, democracy and freedom is silenced in Turkey, Turkey will turn to you as the next target. We will be their breakfast and you will be their lunch.”

A recently issued statement by the Supreme Court of Appeals has cast a shadow on the legal system that will not disperse for many years to come. High-ranking judges prefer the safest way of politics. Indeed, the head of the Supreme Court of Appeals has, as it seems, grabbed this political role with much enthusiasm and said, without yet being invited [by the president to Çankaya to work on diffusing political tension present in the country], "We will not run away from the table if we are invited by the president." In a country ruled by law, one of the heads of the top courts will sit side-byside with the prime minister and opposition party leaders around a table set by the president and give his suggestions about what should be done to defuse the tension he himself has created. Will this not be considered an intervention in the judiciary?

Or does the judiciary serve as a means to exert pressure on the political will and as a bargaining item used to make that pressure effective?

Early elections for a new constitution MAHMUT ÖVÜR, SABAH With this pressure, the AK Party will be closed down and some of its members will be banned from politics. What remains of the AK Party will lose electoral support in the next elections. This seems obvious, but is there anything that can be done to prevent this? The impression is that the AK Party will pursue a wait-and-see strategy during the process and will not bring any constitutional amendments to the agenda. There remains only one remedy: early elections. Although it is considerably difficult to persuade deputies not entitled to retirement because they have not completed the two-year term of service required to make an early election decision, this is not far from being achieved if party management acts with determination. If a decision is made to hold early elections, then the project to amend the Constitution should be given priority. This will ease the burden on civilian politics and at the same time ensure that the nation confronts institutions that interfere constantly in politics.

Why is the military silent?

NUH GÖNÜLTAÞ, BUGÜN

news from the foreýgn press The Guardýan

Deutsche Welle

Millions pledged for Burma The UN chief, Ban Ki-moon, said on Sunday he hoped Burma had reached "a turning point" in getting help to its cyclone survivors after an international aid conference pledged million of pounds in assistance.

The meeting came as supporters of the democratically elected leader of Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi, have been speculating that the ruling junta is planning an easing of her house arrest conditions or even a release, as part of its concessions to huge international pressure. Three weeks after Cyclone Nargis swept through Burma killing an estimated 134,000 people

and leaving millions homeless, Ban struck a hopeful note at the start of the one-day meeting in the Burmese capital, Rangoon, attended by representatives from more than 50 nations. "I hope this marks a turning point in tackling the challenges facing this country," he told the delegates after a minute of silence for the dead. The junta has said foreign aid workers can enter the most devastated areas of the country from which they have been banned since the cyclone. However, Ban stressed that the aid teams must have "unhindered access".

EU looks East as council convenes The EU will look to the east Monday, May 26, when ministers will discuss a strategic deal with Russia, their countries' role in the western Balkans and closer ties with Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

At the so-called "Jumbo Council" in Brussels, the foreign ministers will be flanked by their colleagues from the defense and development ministries. While plans for an EU common defense policy are still at the embryonic stage, the bloc has already deployed

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peacekeepers to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Chad and is training policemen in Afghanistan and the Western Balkans.

Georgia on Friday joined the list of countries seeking help from Brussels in training its security forces. Much of the discussions, however, are likely to focus on the EU-Lex law mission in Kosovo, which was originally meant to take over the administration of the newly-independent country from the United Nations on June 15.

The military tried to do it on April 27, 2007, but the nation reacted against it. Although interventionist, Turkey's military has never entertained the idea "Let us destroy it now and later think about what will happen next." In other words, it is currently keeping silent since it sees no alternative.

Any military intervention will considerably damage the country's image in the international arena and contribute to a pitiful situation for Turkey.

We all live in the same vessel. In all the military coups of the past we observed that banned political parties or politicians ended up assuming power after some time. The nation tends to regard banned people as victims. As for the more important reasons: A military intervention would deal a great blow to the country's counterterrorism efforts and the Kurdish problem will be complicated in the most unwanted manner.

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ÝSTANBUL ANKARA ÝZMÝR ANTALYA ADANA ERZURUM EDÝRNE TRABZON KAYSERÝ

Turkey welcomes last spring rains after a scorching week HÜSEYÝN SARI

The showers will continue in northern and central Anatolia over the next week.

KONYA ÇANAKKALE DÝYARBAKIR SAMSUN BURSA GAZÝANTEP ESKÝÞEHÝR MALATYA KOCAELÝ

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A fýctýonal meetýng for compromýse ýn a surrealýst country

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Turkey will see showers throughout the week beginning from Monday, a relief after a hot week with temperatures rising seven to eight degrees above the seasonal average.

According to a State Meteorology Bureau forecast, rain showers and thunderstorms will begin today in north and central Anatolia, with the rainy weather system moving to the northeast part of central Anatolia (Sivas, Yozgat, Kýrþehir, Nevþehir, Kýrýkkale, Çankýrý and east of Ankara) and to the central parts of the Black Sea region (Amasya, Tokat and Çorum).

The showers will continue in northern and central Anatolia on Tuesday and will also affect central Anatolia and inland parts of the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions. The bureau has urged that precautions be taken against possible flash floods and lightning strikes.

Temperatures will drop with the arrival of a northeasterly wind today but are expected to remain high at midday, falling eight to 10 degrees Celsius in the evening and night. The rain is expected to move to the eastern Black Sea and eastern Anatolia regions on Tuesday while the Saharan winds, bringing dust from Africa's deserts, will begin to affect Turkey starting on May 28, increasing temperatures to above 30 degrees on Thursday and Friday.

This rainy weather system is especially important to farmers, whose fields have received insufficient rainfall this year. Once it passes, meteorologists do not expect rain until the end of the first week of June. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

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The venue is the Presidential Palace. The date is the very near future. The representatives of the high judiciary, the prime minister, some related government officials and high-ranking bureaucrats from the state are sitting at the same table through the initiative of the president. The purpose is to seek grounds for compromise to ease the tension between the government and the high judiciary. As you know, the memorandum issued by the Board of Chairmen of the Supreme Court of Appeals about an ongoing closure case and the governmental counter-statement issued as a response to this memorandum have further heightened the tension.

At this point, it is impossible to not agree with the editor-in-chief of the Star newspaper, who said: "The high judiciary is now sitting on a side opposite the law. It is demanding to share the powers of the legislative and executive bodies, and it is threatening to close down the party if its wishes are not fulfilled. We should know that the factor that issues the statement is not a unit of the judicial body but a political initiative in practice. It has no concerns about having to derive one's power from the people; and actually it doesn't care about the type of legitimacy based on public support. That is, the justices of the high judiciary prefer the most guaranteed way of politics. As a matter of fact, the chairman of the Supreme Court of Appeals must have adopted this political role so strongly that before any invitation is made by the palace he may say, 'If the president invites us, we can't refuse him'."

The oddness and the futility of seeking to talk and compromise with the Supreme Court of Appeals as if it is a political party although its powers are limited to rules of law are so obvious. In fact, what would the prime minister give to the Supreme Court of Appeals and take from it in such a case?

Does a high judicial institution have the right to haggle over rules of law? I wonder if the justices are aware of the contradiction between their rhetoric of "the independence and impartiality of law" and their statement, "We are open to compromise."

Now, if you like, let's go to that day when this surrealist compromise meeting, which is impossible to find in a normal legal system and a real democracy, will be held, and amuse ourselves by writing a fictional dialogue to try to foresee in what sort of atmosphere the meeting will take place: President: First of all, I'd like to thank you all for accepting this invitation and attending this critical compromise meeting, which envisages the nation's well-being and peace. Now I want to directly bring up the subject. I hope that this meeting will provide a ground for compromise and I officially begin the session. Mr. Prime Minister…

Prime Minister: Thank you Mr. President.

First of all, I should note that the declaration of the Board of Chairmen of the Supreme Court of Appeals was an extremely unbecoming attitude.

Neither our government nor Parliament deserves the accusation and insults in this declaration.

However, let's put all this aside. We are here to eradicate the present tension and to reach an agreement and compromise. Without losing any time, I'd like to ask Mr. Chairman of the Supreme Court of Appeals what their demands from us are.

Chairman of the Supreme Court of Appeals: Mr. Prime Minister, we will not hide that we are against your government and the political movement under your leadership that has the majority of the seats in Parliament. However, we have had enough polemics with your government and Parliament because of the memoranda we have issued. We don't want to continue the polemics here and are moving on to our demands from you.

Prime Minister: Ah, please Mr. Chairman, go on. I'd like to hear your demands.

Chairman of the Supreme Court of Appeals: First of all, renounce all your efforts and desire to

BÜLENT KENEÞ b.kenes@todayszaman.com

provide Turkey with the means to compete in the global markets under the current conditions. Both its internal resources and domestic market would suffice Turkey. You pay too much attention to the demands for civil freedom in the name of EU criteria. Just disregard them all. You should protect us, namely the state, which is the guardian of the established system, from people's demands of unrestricted freedom as much as you coddle individual rights and freedoms. For instance, don't pay any attention to those who demand freedom to an education and freedom of belief at the same time. Adopt the classic state approach which forces them to prefer either one of them. Stop trying to resolve problems such as the Kurdish issue or the Alevi issue and problems encountered in the field of income distribution as these are problems that can easily be manipulated by those segments with extensions in the state for their ultimate interests. Also, renounce your desire to make public services available for those other than the traditional beneficiaries of these services; namely those from the periphery.

While we are ill at ease even in regard to your efforts to improve ties with the EU, you can probably guess to what degree we are disturbed by your efforts to step up the cooperation with Islamic countries and draw Gulf capital to Turkey.

In the meantime, we are disconcerted by the headscarved wives of the president, of you and of the ministers who brazenly appear in public places. Please take measures to stop that. We cannot stand seeing things other than that which we have grown so used to seeing for decades. Please don't force us to watch these unbearable scenes.

On the other hand, stop listening to the people's will, political preferences and expectations on issues related to freedom. Every state has its rules. As you know, the rules of our state are not determined according to people's expectations, but in line with our decisions on what is good for people. Please understand this now.

Prime Minister: I thank Mr. Chairman for speaking so bluntly. Suppose we have started to comply with all these demands of yours, what do you promise to give us in return?

Chairman of the Supreme Court of Appeals: Because of the peculiar conditions our country is in, the principles of the judiciary's impartiality and independence, the supremacy of law and people's equality before law have no importance at all. Well, you are already aware that I'm not speaking to you at the moment as a lawyer and judge. If you fulfill our demands, you see how quickly all the frictions between us will suddenly disappear. We are here to compromise, aren't we?

You will backtrack on your efforts for resolution of problems with rights, freedoms, universal law and socio-political issues and retract your statements that assert that people are equal before the law and the regime regardless of belief, language, religion, lifestyle or social class. And in turn, by abusing the principles of law, we will freeze all our current actions and statements against you. We will start closely watching you to see to what extent you will be fulfilling the responsibilities incumbent on you as an outcome of our compromise and will leave you free to act within the limits we will determine for you in the event we are satisfied by your performance. When we say 'you,' it's not only you, but also all the legislative actions of Parliament.

Well, only a compromise between pears and apples could be this perfect. Couldn't it, dear readers?

Turkish students rank fourth at 59th Intel-ISEF Two Turkish students have placed fourth in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2008 (Intel-ISEF). The 59th Intel ISEF, held May 11-16, saw 1,117 projects and 1,512 competitors from 51 countries compete against one another. The results were announced in Atlanta, Georgia. Fadime Erdoðan and Esra Çýkýkçý, students from the private Ýzmir Yamanlar Science High School, located in

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western Turkey, ranked fourth in the competition with their project titled "Filtration Following an Oil Spill at Sea." The students found a very simple but effective way to collect oil from the surface of the water in the wake of oil tanker accidents, one of the largest threats to the environment. The students said they will obtain a patent for their project and further develop their ideas. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

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Minister: Armenia gate won’t be opened unless conditions met Turkey will not open its border with neighboring Armenia, closed for more than a decade, unless Yerevan resolves its problems with Ankara and regional ally Azerbaijan, a government minister has said.

Economy Minister Mehmet Þimþek, while attending a meeting on regional development in the far eastern province of Iðdýr, located near the border with Armenia, said Turkey, with its large purchasing capacity of $950 billion, does not need economic ties with Armenia, emphasizing that Armenia should be the one to take steps to normalize its ties with Turkey. "We don't need them, they need us.

Turkey wants good economic ties with its neighbors. If they see this fact and take a step toward us, we will take a step toward them," Þimþek said.

"We have no commercial or political dialogue

with the Armenians due to the problems caused by them. Opening of the border gate is unfortunately not possible for the time being without Armenia resolving its problems with Azerbaijan and changing its stance toward Turkey," Þimþek, who was accompanied by Rýza Nur Meral, chairman of the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON), and a 200-strong delegation of investors and businessmen, said late Saturday.

Turkey severed its diplomatic ties and closed the border gate with landlocked Armenia in the last decade, following Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan. The Armenian occupation of the Azerbaijani territory has been maintained. Ankara also refuses to normalize its relations with Yerevan

because Armenia seeks a worldwide recognition for claims that 1.5 million Armenians were subject to genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire during World War I in eastern Anatolia and fails to declare that it has no territorial claims on eastern Anatolia despite Turkish demands to that effect.

Hopes for reconciliation between the two countries resurfaced when President Abdullah Gül sent a congratulatory message to Serzh Sarkisian following his election to power in February. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan had also sent similar messages to their Armenian counterparts following the establishment of the new government in the neighboring country, expressing hopes for a new era that will contribute to regional peace, stability and welfare.

But no visible progress has been achieved on the contentious issues. Armenia rejected a 2005 call from Turkey to jointly examine archives to find out what happened during World War I and Sarkisian vowed in April to step up efforts for international recognition of the genocide claims. Þimþek said trade with neighboring countries was vital for the economy of the border provinces and lamented that Iðdýr and neighboring Kars lagged behind compared to provinces located on borders with other neighbors. He noted that the government would continue to channel funds to regional development projects, supporting particularly the agriculture and livestock sectors, and also emphasized that Mount Aðrý (Ararat) could become a tourist attraction. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

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crisis and conflicts permanently," Erdoðan also said, adding that Turkey's efforts for a resolution of "problems in our region through dialogue and conciliation will continue."

The vote was attended by Qatar's emir and his prime minister -- the driving force behind the Doha agreement -- and the foreign ministers of a number of countries including Syria, Saudi Arabia, France, Egypt and Iran. The Turkish head of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Ekmeleddin Ýhsanoðlu, was also among the dignitaries present. No representative from the US administration attended the session, though a congressional delegation was in the country.

The election of Suleiman, who won the vote of 118 of the 127 MPs in the chamber, came after a Qatari-brokered deal between rival Lebanese leaders last week, which defused 18 months of political stalemate that erupted into street fighting this month. Iranian-backed Hezbullah fighters briefly seized parts of Beirut, routing government loyalists. So far, the election of the president has been postponed 19 times because of the crisis.

The deal achieved most of the opposition's demands and secured the election of a president who has good ties with Syria and Hezbullah. The agreement was widely seen as a setback to Washington and its allies,

REUTERS

The Lebanese Parliament has elected army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman as the country's 11th president, filling a post left vacant for six months by a crisis that threatened a new civil war.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, who joined efforts to resolve the several-monthlong crisis in the Middle Eastern country, attended the historic session at the Lebanese Parliament yesterday along with other dignitaries from the Middle East and Europe.

Turkey was among a group of countries that worked hard behind the scenes to reconcile Lebanon's rival factions. Erdoðan talked to Syrian and Lebanese leaders several times throughout the political crisis.

Earlier this month, he spoke to the Westernbacked government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri as well as Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Speaking before heading to Lebanon yesterday, Erdoðan said he believed the Turkish efforts helped to reconcile differences in Lebanon. "We hope that the vote will end the sufferings of the Lebanese people and help establish an atmosphere of peace that they well deserve. We hope it will be a first step in ending the

AP

Lebanon elects presýdent, Erdoðan wýtnesses hýstorýc vote

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan is received by Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh (R) as he arrives at the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut on Sunday.

Success overshadowed by domestic turmoil

who had pressed for the disarming of Hezbullah and the isolation of Damascus.

The deal calls for the formation of a national unity government where the opposition has veto power and a new law for the 2009 general election. It aims to defuse a conflict that has stoked sectarian tensions, paralyzed government and the country's constitutional institutions, and battered the economy. Parliament has not met for more than a year and a half, during which time the government of Prime Minister Siniora has barely functioned. Bouts of violence claimed scores of lives and revived memories of the 1975-90 civil war.

Lebanon's complex power-sharing system stipulates that the country's president should always be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of parliament a Shiite. Suleiman, who relinquishes his post as army commander, fills a chair vacated in November by Emile Lahoud, an ally of Syria. Appointed army chief in 1998 when Damascus controlled Lebanon, Suleiman is inescapably linked to the Syrian-dominated era. He coordinated closely with Syrian troops before they were forced to withdraw from Lebanon in 2005 by Lebanese and international pressure triggered by the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Ýstanbul Today's

In addition to the Lebanese crisis, the Turkish government has also been working for peace between Israel and Syria. Last week, Turkey, Syria and Israel announced in coordinated statements that peace talks were under way with Turkish mediation. Officials from Syria and Israel met indirectly for three days in Ýstanbul and are likely to meet again in the coming days.

But amid heightened political tension at home, the government has received little credit inside Turkey for its foreign policy achievements. The announcement of the Turkish-mediated talks coincided with a bitter war of words between the Supreme Court of Appeals and the government. The top court criticized the government for alleged attempts to try to control the functioning of the judiciary, and the government responded with an equally strong statement saying the judges had crossed into the realm of politics and that their statement was aimed at putting pressure on the Constitutional Court to close down the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

The political tension at home both distracts attention from the foreign policy and risks undermining its ability to press for peace in the Middle East, daily Milliyet columnist Hasan Cemal wrote yesterday.

"An active role in the Middle East is, in many respects, in Turkey's interests. Having leverage in the region expands Turkey's room for maneuver in foreign policy and affects its relations with the EU, the US, Israel and the Arab world positively," Cemal said.

"But the ability and credibility of a government that faces a risk of closure is limited."

Michel Suleiman

Zaman with Reuters

Meeting of Cyprus leaders draws ire from Papadopoulos Former Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos has lashed out at his pro-reunification successor Dimitris Christofias for a deal the latter and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat announced on Friday, claiming that the agreement was a blow to Greek Cypriot interests.

"This is a bad, very unpleasant development, and it represents a step back for the Greek Cypriot side," Papadopoulos was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency over the weekend. He complained that the Greek Cypriot side, for the first time in an official statement, agreed to discuss military confidence-building measures with the

Turkish Cypriot authorities, reversing a long-held position that security issues must be discussed with Turkey, which maintains more than 30,000 troops in Turkish Cyprus. Greek Cypriot media said this was the first time Papadopoulos has publicly criticized Christofias since he lost the race for presidency to the Communist politician in elections in February and suggested that the former leader was declaring a war on Christofias.

The statement released after Friday's meeting said Talat and Christofias were committed to setting up a "bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality." It added that the "representatives will

consider civilian and military confidence-building measures," including opening new crossing points between the two sides of the divided island.

Papadopoulos said Christofias' decision to allow discussion of military confidence-building measures with the Turkish Cypriot officials was a concession. He also criticized Christofias' position endorsing a "partnership" of the Turkish and Greek Cypriots and said such terms imply existence of two governments or states, not one federated state.

Responding to Papadopoulos' criticism, Christofias said a partnership has existed for decades, adding that the long-held reluctance on

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the part of many Greek Cypriot politicians to acknowledge this harms the interests of the country.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Ministry welcomed Friday's meeting. In a statement released on Saturday the Foreign Ministry said Turkey supported the new reunification process that began with the March 21 meeting of Talat and Christofias, adding that Turkey expected direct reunification talks to begin as soon as possible so that a just and comprehensive settlement is reached on the island on the basis of the principles of "bi-zonality and a new partnership state based on political equality and equal status of two founding states." Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

NATIONAL

FEHMÝ KORU f.koru@todayszaman.com

A verdýct wýthout a trýal I now know that not only the chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals but all 32 chief judges of the same judicial body are in favor of closing down the Justice and Development Party (AK Party). They made this known by issuing a harsh declaration blaming, among other things, AK Party politicians for criticizing the chief prosecutor who opened a court case against their party.

I am flabbergasted.

The declaration is quite clear: If the case were within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Appeals rather than that of the Constitutional Court, the AK Party would have been closed down right away and many of its leaders banned from politics immediately.

The declaration's text is harsher and more damning than the indictment prepared by the chief prosecutor.

With a declaration at hand, what should the government -- or the public, for that matter -- do? It isn't a list of demands so that we as the public can fulfill them or the government can carry them out. The chief judges are not asking anything of us but are declaring what they believe. They believe secularism in Turkey is under threat, the AK Party government is the focus of anti-secular activities and whoever criticizes the chief prosecutor for his indictment is a traitor.

The judges of the Constitutional Court are also human. They are influenced by what they read and hear. When the time comes for them to hand down a verdict on the party closure issue, they will be under the influence of the Supreme Court of Appeals declaration. In the declaration, the chief judges criticize those who write and say things which could influence the decision of the Constitutional Court judges, but the same chief judges who have signed the declaration do exactly what they condemn. The mere existence of the declaration is an attempt to influence the decision of the Constitutional Court.

It is almost a universal convention for judges to not speak with tongues but through verdicts. They never utter any prejudices which could compromise their decisions. When a judge let his/her opinion on an issue at hand known outside the courtroom, s/he loses his/her right to preside over the case.

There are many cases in the Supreme Court of Appeals concerning the very same issues that would come within the boundaries of the opinions taken up by the chief judges in their public declaration. I am not sure if the decision of a court headed by a chief judge who has put his signature on the joint declaration would be accepted as without prejudice if the case somehow concerns the AK Party or secularism in Turkey.

What has prompted the chief judges to issue such a declaration -- without precedent not only in Turkey but also in the history of the modern judicial system?

Two answers come to mind: First, some spokespersons of the European Union have criticized the party closure case and have extended their criticisms to our judicial system. Second, the president of the Constitutional Court gave his opinion of the party closure case to a journalist in a matter of fact fashion, saying that the decision will improve the standard of democracy in our country, reinforce the secular pillar of the republic and boost the respect for the rule of law.

The chief judges of the Supreme Court of Appeals may have interpreted these two developments as against their expectations in the party closure case. By issuing a declaration, the chief judges may have aimed to change the situation to their favor.

As far as I gather from what happened afterwards, they were successful in their attempt. No new counter-argument from either the European Union or the United States and no clarification or rebuttal from the Constitutional Court.

The US has kept mum all along; on rare occasions when their spokesmen did utter a word on the matter, they do so in such a fashion that one felt they were afraid of tilting the balance to the side of civilian rulers.

The European Union, on the contrary, was vocal in its criticism, but has also remained silent following the declaration.

The Constitutional Court may have raised its institutional voice against intervention in its judicial scope by the declaration, but none of its members have done anything to let us know that they are ill at ease.

No, none whatsoever.

The Republican People's Party (CHP), on its part, shares the sensitivities of the chief judges.

The usual suspects in the Turkish media who have little respect for democracy and democratic institutions have also supported the declaration.

The judiciary must certainly be independent.

The Turkish judiciary is as independent as any in the world. It is too independent, in fact, to my liking. But the judiciary must also be unbiased. Is the Turkish judiciary unbiased? If you read the declaration carefully, the answer stares you in the face.

The declaration itself claims that the judiciary must be biased if a case concerns secularism or other pillars of the republic and calls for the Constitutional Court to make its decision accordingly.

Placing yourself in the shoes of the Constitutional Court judges, what would be your take when the time comes to declare your verdict?

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Prophet Abraham inspiration for charity-focused meetings ÝSMAÝL KOCABIYIK ÝSTANBUL

Parliament hard at work on draft legislation Sometimes even deputies can become critical of the high tempo in parliament as it rapidly processes and adopts new legislation. In response to criticism from Democratic Left Party (DSP) deputy Tayfun Ýçli, who complained of attempts to turn Parliament into a “law machine,” a leading Justice and Development Party (AK Party) figure said: “I wish there was no such time constraint. I wish an urbanization process than normally requires 100 years did not require completion in 20-30 years; I wish the legal groundwork for modernization could be fulfilled at a normal pace. I wish our democracy had not been interrupted and our parliament not closed down. Today we do not want our parliament to work like a machine. But we are experiencing such a process.”

The recent declaration by the Board of Chairmen of the Supreme Court of Appeals made reference to parliament’s swift action.

Adoption of a bill lifting the headscarf ban was cited as the number one reason for the board issuing such a strong statement.

This time, Parliament’s tempo was criticized by the judiciary, which used the expression “unpreventable pace” in reference to the assembly’s eagerness to work uninterruptedly. I asked a leading AK Party figure, a lawyer by training, about this unpreventable pace notion.

“Everybody makes mistakes. But here we are talking about a collective error committed by a board. It is not normal that the boards, supposed to include wise men, make such grave mistakes,” he answered. He also stressed that the scriptwriters of the “367 crisis,” generated during the presidential election in Parliament in spring 2007, were also major players in the “judicial coup.”

The phrase “unpreventable pace” suggests that the declaration was penned by Sabih Kanadoðlu.

The AK Party figure who noted the mistake added: “It should be the lawyers who are first to oppose attempts that would hamper the parliament’s lawmaking function. They noticed their mistake pretty late. They are now undergoing a process of self-criticism. I think they will have to deal with internal turmoil and conflict because of their eroded image. For this reason, I think our secularism and democracy will be consolidated through this process.”

As mentioned last week in this corner, judicial reform was another factor behind the judicial memo. The Supreme Court of Appeals strongly criticized the referral of the reform text to EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn for initial review. A leading AK Party figure, who criticized Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Þahin for the same reason because he thought it would “cause problems for the reform effort,” added: “The strong reaction by the Board of Chairmen was unnecessary and disproportionate, proving that such a reform was indeed necessary. This was pretty important in terms of showing that the judiciary has become strongly politicized, even if our party is closed down. The priorities of Turkey became pretty clear in the wake of this recent action by the board.”

The judicial memo criticizing Parliament’s legislative efforts reinforced the notion that the judiciary has become politicized. Democratic Society Party (DTP) Diyarbakýr deputy Akýn Birdal stressed: “Those who were aware of the politicized judiciary already knew this. Those who closely follow their affiliation following their retirement made comments on their lack of impartiality. But this little known or shared information became public following this declaration.”

The opening ceremony of the second international Abraham Meetings was held Friday evening at Ýstanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace, bringing together deputies, intellectuals, singers and representatives of civil society organizations.

Deputy Prime Minister Hayati Yazýcý delivered the opening address, saying that Þanlýurfa, where the Prophet Abraham lived, is the place where the ancestors of all monotheistic religions lived. Yazýcý said the Prophet Abraham would not eat his dinner without inviting a guest to dine with him, adding that the people living in Anatolia are known for

their hospitality, which comes from the Prophet Abraham’s philosophy. Yazýcý also said making the Prophet Abraham, who brought peace, brotherhood, love and understanding to the world, the title of this event demonstrates how Abraham’s richness of spirit embraced all of humanity. Yazýcý also noted that Turkey has rich cultural values. “The most evident characteristic of Anatolian civilizations is the brotherhood between different religions and cultures. This is very important. Our rich cultural values and different lifestyles and beliefs are proof of what a rich culture of peaceful coexistence we have.

You can find this all around Turkey,” he stated. Þanlýurfa Governor Yusuf Yavaþcan also spoke at

Önder Sav upset at CHP Remarks by Republican People’s Party (CHP) Secretary-General Önder Sav, who made offensive comments about hajj activities, were the subject of intensive discussion last week. Even the heated debate following the release of the judicial memo did not divert attention from this issue.

Sav, who recommended a party member who expressed eagerness to make the pilgrimage not spend his money on Arabs, realized the seriousness of the party member and added, “If you go Saudi Arabia, perhaps the Prophet Mohammed may not allow you to come back here; for this reason, don’t do anything like that, anyway.”

A leading CHP figure, who underlined that the remarks had led to strong reactions likely to shake the CHP, said: “The remarks are not defendable; both CHP leader [Deniz] Baykal and Sav should openly apologize. Otherwise the remarks will leave indelible marks on our party, which will be seen as a player that disrespects religious people and [religious] sentiments. These remarks will be brought to the agenda during election campaigns. At that time, even asking Sav to give up his party membership would not solve the problem. I think Baykal will make an apology at the upcoming party group meeting.”

CM Y K

the opening ceremony and saying that the aim of the Abraham Meetings was to gather around Abraham’s dining table with his love of people and benevolence. “Þanlýurfa has launched a benevolence and humanity-focused event in order to encourage charitable activities internationally. While it was a nationwide event in 2007, the Abraham meetings have taken on an international identity this year. In this way, many people all around the world will come and see Þanlýurfa, which is an open air-museum,” he said.

The actual Abraham Meetings will take place from May 30 to June 2 in Þanlýurfa with conferences, panels and cultural activities with the aim of encouraging humanity toward enduring peace and helping

each other in the light of Prophet Abraham’s philosophies. This year the event brings together more than 50 aid organizations from across the world, including the Deniz Feneri, Kimse Yok Mu?, the Turkish Red Crescent, the International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation, UNICEF, the World Bank, the Catholic Relief Service, the Euro Mediterranean Partnership of Local and Regional Authorities (COPPEM) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The Abraham Meetings project has assumed the responsibility of creating a new bridge on behalf of solidarity. The project will expand brotherhood, friendship and charity as well as serving as an important bridge in the field of social aid and solidarity.

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BUSINESS

Search for secrets of sustaýned economýc success (1) ASIM ERDÝLEK a.erdilek@todayszaman.com

Why have the economies of some countries grown faster and for longer periods than those of others? Only 13 economies in the world have achieved at least a rate of 7 percent annual average real growth for at least 25 years since 1950. An economy that experiences sustained high growth at 7 percent annually will almost double in size each decade. The extraordinary achievement of these 13 countries (Botswana, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Malta, Oman, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand), shown in the table below, had never been witnessed prior to the second half of the 20th century. So, what are the causes of such sustained growth? What are its consequences? Can we explain its causes and consequences well enough so that we can duplicate it in other countries? These are questions that have kept economists busy for many decades.

During the last two years an international group of policy makers and economists called the Commission on Growth and Development has grappled with those questions. Last week this independent commission released its findings in an important 180-page study titled "The Growth Report: Strategies for Sustained Growth and Inclusive Development (www.growthcommission.org). The report released last week as a work-in-progress ("conference edition") is not the final version that will be released in July. In this column, I will discuss the commission's background as well as its mission and summarize the major findings of its report. In my next column, I will review the report's specific findings and consider their implications for Turkey.

The commission has 21 members, most of who are from developing countries, and it began its work in April 2006. One of the members is Kemal Derviþ, Turkish administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Two members of the commission, Michael Spence (chairman of the commission) and Robert Solow, are academic economists and have both won the Nobel Prize for economics. The commission has held six meetings since April 2006 in New York, Singapore, Suzhou, London and Washington. In carrying out its mission, the commission solicited the views of academics, business leaders, policy makers and NGOs. The commission's mission is "to gather the best understanding there is about the policies and strategies that underlie rapid and sustained economic growth and poverty reduction" by taking "stock of the state of theoretical and empirical knowledge on economic growth with a view to drawing implications for policy for the current and next generation of policymakers." This mission is for the benefit of the leaders of developing countries.

According to Chairman Spence, the commission's "approach has been to try to assimilate and digest the cumulative experience of growth and development."

The commission was financially supported by the governments of Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom as well as the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the World Bank. The poverty reduction and economic management unit of the World Bank in Washington was the commission's secretariat, managing the day-to-day activities.

Although the World Bank, which covered all the staff costs, was only one of the several sponsors of the commission, it seems to have been the driving force behind the commission's work.

The working group of the commission, composed of seven economists, including the wellknown growth theorist Paul Romer, was the intellectual force behind the commission's work. The working group, besides organizing and overseeing all the technical analyses based on 25 country case studies and 40 commissioned thematic papers on 21 themes, helped in writing the report. In the 12

TODAY’S ZAMAN 07

MONDAY, MAY 26, 2008

workshops on growth and development held by the working group, more than 300 economists participated as paper presenters or debaters. Many of the commissioned papers or their abstracts can be accessed on the commission's Web site.

The report is presented as "the most complete analysis to date of the ingredients that, if used in the right country-specific recipe, can deliver growth and help lift populations out of poverty." Although it does not claim to have found all the secrets of sustainable economic success, it claims to have identified "some of the key insights and policy levers to help countries achieve high, sustainable and inclusive growth." The report emphasizes that there is no magic formula for sustained high growth that would work for every country since every country is different. Nevertheless, the report groups developing countries with stalled growth into four categories in terms of the common challenges they face -- African countries, small states, countries rich in natural resources and middle-income countries.

Since I will critically review the specific findings of the report in my next column, allow me to simply summarize those findings here: (1) Globalization through international trade and investment is essential to sustained high growth.

However, globalization might need to be directed by the government. (2) The so-called Washington consensus, "stabilize, privatize and liberalize," often associated with the advice that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) dispenses to developing countries has over-relied on markets, neglecting or denying the active and constructive role that governments can and should play in fostering economic development. (3) Although the multi-party democratic form of government is compatible with sustained rapid growth, it is not essential. In fact, it could be an obstacle in some cases to a patient leadership with a long-term planning strategy. (4) Public investment -- as the essential complement to private investment and requiring an active government role -- in infrastructure, energy, education and health is indispensable for sustained rapid growth. (5) Equity, as well as efficiency, is essential. Equality of opportunity is crucial. Both require an active government. The fruits of economic growth have to be fairly distributed to assure that forces of globalization will not be resisted and rejected by those who come out more as losers than winners from globalization, suffering from economic insecurity. However, equality of opportunity is not the same as equality of outcome. In fact, a widening income inequality is natural in the initial stages of sustained rapid growth. (6) Governments should not be free-market purists. Through national industrial policies, although risky if pushed too far and too long, governments can promote economic growth and development. (7) The neglect of the environment, causing air and water pollution, in the early stages of economic development is a costly mistake. Energy and fuel subsidies are also a mistake. They not only become a fiscal burden on the public budget but also contribute to global warming through emission of greenhouse gases.

Germans prefer Turkey for all-inclusive holiday rates A recent survey sponsored by tourism agent Öger Tur to evaluate the preferences of German tourists has shown that the latter largely favor Turkey as a holiday destination because of the all-inclusive rates at hotels. Öger Tur General Manager Recep Yavuz noted that his agency attempted to determine the reasons behind German's vacation picks in the survey.

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Yavuz said 44 percent of the respondents also cited the wealth of options for children as one of the most important feature of Turkish hotels, a factor that cannot be found at many hotels in other countries.

Noting that the survey results would make great contributions to the development of tourism strategies, Yavuz stated that 55,000 of the 90,000 participants said they had chosen Turkey as their vacation destination more than once. He said the survey revealed that the average age of foreign guests staying at Turkish resorts had decreased, which, he noted, confirms that a younger generation of Germans view Turkey as a vacation destination. "This will ensure that Turkey becomes an important tourism destination for Germany in the long run. The growing interest in cultural assets and satisfaction with services also demonstrates that Turkey occupies a central place in world tourism," he stated. Yavuz recalled that 90 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with the services offered at Turkey's hotels.

Noting that 20 percent of the respondents stated that they felt at home while vacationing in Turkey, Yavuz also stated that all-inclusive prices were cited as the numberone reason for their preference of Turkey as a vacation destination, adding that this shows the importance of this system. "It is illogical to call for the removal of this system unless a proper replacement is offered. Instead of suggesting that the tourists should not leave their hotels and that the natural beauties and vacation resorts are presented to the tourists at very inexpensive prices, Turkey should discuss how to implement a more consistent and sustainable system," he stated. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

President approves bill aimed at boosting employment President Abdullah Gül has approved a bill that amends certain articles in the current employment law and other laws related to employment, marking a new era in the labor market.

Law no. 5763, which is known among the public as the employment package, was sent to the Prime Ministry to be published in the Official Gazette.

Under the new law, ýÜüthe government will subsidize the insurance premiums of newly employed women and employees between 18 and 29 years of age for five years in declining installments. In their first year of employment, 100 percent of the insurance premiums for this group will be paid by the Treasury via the unemployment fund. The subsidy rate will drop by 20 percent each year for the next four years. Furthermore the premiums for handicapped employees will be paid for the full term of their employment by the

Treasury. The new law also reduces employers' overall share in insurance premiums by 5 percent.

The law raises the ceiling for unemployment benefits from YTL 435 to YTL 487. It also allocates YTL 300 million of the unemployment fund to vocational training. Local employment offices will take a more active role and will offer vocational training in addition to recruitment services.

The law also states that part of the unemployment fund will be used for the completion of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) for five years. This share will be YTL 1.3 billion in 2008. Of the revenue obtained from privatizations, YTL 2.5 billion will be moved to GAP between 2009 and 2012. This figure will be YTL 1 billion for 2008. The new law also provides for a general forgiveness of interest on insurance premium defaults, amounting to YTL 23 billion in total. Ankara Today's Zaman with wires

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TODAY’S ZAMAN

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Turkish tourists interested in culture tourism Hey Travel Trends Manager Necati Çalýþkan has said Turkish citizens have developed an interest in visiting museums and historic places and alternative destinations like the plateus of the Black Sea region instead of heading to places of sea, sand and sun.

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Çalýþkan said individuals interested in new places prefer cultural and historical destinations of Europe such as Paris and Florence.

"There is a growing interest in this sort of vacation. Even though some complain that they must walk around a lot on such tours, the participation is increasing.

Some are travelling far distances within Turkey to see the Hagia Sophia or Ephesus while some are flying to Sarajevo

to see the Mostar Bridge," he noted.

He stated that his agency organizes cultural tours to promote the country's cultural assets and to contribute to Turkey's economic development. "We have declared 2008 the Year of the Black Sea. We simply seek to ensure that there isn't a single person who has not seen the Black Sea region. Trips to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Adriatic shores attract the greatest attention among our international tours. On these tours, our guests go shopping and go to museums as well. We want to make sure that those on these tours, whose price range varies between 695 and 2,295 euros, will see places that are off the beaten path." Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

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Political uncertainty hits investments in Denizli RESUL CENGÝZ DENÝZLÝ

Counted among provinces known as the "Anatolian tigers," such as Kayseri and Gaziantep, with almost 150,000 insured workers, Denizli, a growing industrial city in the mountains of southwestern Turkey, has recently suffered from a radical decline in investment and employment. Industrialists in the province attribute political uncertainty as a reason for Denizli's industrial stagnation.

Firms operating in Denizli were not affected by internal fluctuations within the country due to a large extent to export-oriented strategies targeting growth; however, the recent situation has started to shake up the firms' well-being.

Speaking to Today's Zaman last week, the industrialists said a narrowing of external markets due to global economic turbulence and cheap Chinese products in the market have driven customers away from

Denizli, a leader in the textile market.

Ministry of Labor and Social Security data indicate that there has been an increase in the number of firms and workers in Denizli, particularly after 2002. Yet the reason for the slowdown in investment is believed to be industrialists taking cautious steps as a result of the general elections and political discussions that took place in 2007.

In 2007 and 2008, when discussions concerning the general elections began, industrialists decreased the number of investments which had gained momentum in 2002. Therefore, year 2006's employment figure of 151,926 decreased to 148,109 in 2007 and stood at 144,967 as of March 2008.

Denizli Chamber of Commerce (DTO) head Necdet Özer emphasized that Denizli's industrialists are at a disadvantage in internal competition due to an incentive law and in external competition due to the abolishment

Number of firms and workers in Denizli Years

Number of firms

Number of workers

2001

10,564

88,404

2002

11,655

108,382

2003

12,837

121,094

2004

13,837

128,627

2005

15,279

135,755

2006

17,015

151,926

2007

17,265

148,109

2008*

17,129

144,967

(*) As of March

of quotas in the textile sector. Indicating that textile businessmen's concern for political and economic stability rose because of the

presidential and general elections in 2006 and 2007, Özer said: "2007 was the year of political discussions and general elections. We wanted 2008 to be the year of the economy and to concentrate on this; however, political uncertainty caused by a closure case against the Justice and Development Party [AK Party] appears to not be going away. Employers are not investing and the economy is not growing, so workers end up losing out."

According to data provided by Raþit Güntaþ, head of the Denizli Textile and Apparel Exporters' Union (DETKÝB), Denizli's exports increased by 15 percent in 2007 over 2006, totaling $2.2 billion. Thanks to this speedy growth, Denizli ranked ninth among all provinces in terms of exports. The share of the textile and apparel sector in all exports of the province had decreased to 53.32 percent as of April 2008; however, the number was as high as 60 percent for the same month in 2007.

Southeast eagerly awaýts GAP ýnvestment plan

Brazil puts final touches on bill creating SWF Plans for Brazil to invest state assets in a new sovereign wealth fund will likely head to the nation's congress in the next few weeks, Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said Friday. The fund will likely hold the equivalent of $10 billion to $20 billion, Mantega said when he announced its creation about 10 days ago. Much of the cash would be lent to Brazilian companies looking to boost trade and investments abroad, he said. On Friday, Mantega revealed a few details on the source of the cash, saying it would come from the federal government's primary budget surplus of more than 4 percent of gross domestic product. He did not say how much of the surplus would be earmarked. The fund also will be fed by dollars purchased by the government to keep the dollar from falling even more, Mantega said. The bill, which still requires a few "adjustments," will be sent next week for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's approval before being forwarded to Congress, he said.

Brazil is awash in cash thanks to a 5 percent growth in the economy in 2007 due to increased credit and commodity export demands. Foreign investment and increased tax revenue have led to a substantial strengthening of Brazil's currency. Sao Paulo AP

OIL

KÜRÞAT BAYHAN

Russian motorists protested in several major cities on Saturday at high prices for petrol in the world's second largest oil exporter. They demanded the government cut tax on car fuel to 40 percent from 70 percent, to bring down the retail price of petrol to 15 roubles ($0.636) per litre from 22 roubles now. State television showed car owners banging on empty fuel canisters and driving through city streets with their emergency lights on and posters displayed in their windscreens -- a form of protest which does not require a permit from the authorities. Public protests have become relatively rare in Russia after an eight-year-long, oil-fuelled economic boom and a drive by authorities to stamp out opposition and establish control over national media.

Vladimir Putin, who took over as prime minister after anointing his ally Dmitry Medvedev to succeed him as Russia's president, enjoys high popularity ratings despite galloping inflation, which threatens to exceed 15 percent this month. Moscow Reuters

TELECOM

Vodafone cool on new deal in Africa

A farmer in the southeastern Anatolian city of Þanlýurfa pours a bucket of water on his land to symbolize the scarcity of irrigation that causes a smaller harvest. priority areas. Currently, 1.9 million hectares of arable land in GAP region cannot be irrigated; consequently irrigation projects will be given priority. Other projects focus on increasing the competitiveness of the region in the sectors of renewable energy, agriculture, organic clothing and tourism.

Money to start flowing in By the end of the current year, a total of YTL 2.3 billion will have been used in GAP-related projects. Next year, YTL 3.6 billion will be allocated for the GAP budget to unfinished parts of the project, hoped to create jobs for 4 million people once completed. The population of the region is forecast to reach 8.6 million people within the next five years. It is estimated the regional income level will increase fivefold once GAP, considered the most daring project in the history of the Republic of Turkey, is brought to completion.

Transition to modern irrigation systems in the region will also enable GAP farmers to

plant products that yield a high surplus value.

In the parts of GAP region that have so far been opened for irrigation, cotton is widely planted. Once complete, GAP is expected to increase the competitive power of Turkey both in the medium term and the long run.

The fundamental aim of the project is to increase the region's domestic income levels and life standards and minimize disparity between this region and other parts of the country by increasing productivity in agriculture and providing more jobs, ensuring social stability and attaining economic growth. GAP is described as a multi-sector, integrated and sustainable development project.

The foremost targets of the development plan are to bring up the figures and indicators of health and education levels in the region to the country average, increase the population absorption capacity of urban areas in the region and create jobs for people in the area.

In addition to dams, electric power plants

and irrigation systems, the project simultaneously focuses on investments that would ensure agricultural, industrial development, building better infrastructure for both urban and rural parts of the region, and improving sectors such as communications, education, health, culture, tourism and other social services.

How far is Turkey into GAP? The project encompasses nine cities: Adýyaman, Batman, Diyarbakýr, Gaziantep, Kilis, Mardin, Siirt, Þanlýurfa and Þýrnak. So far, 56.4 percent of the total planned investment in terms of cash has been made in the region and 83 percent of the planned energy projects have been completed, but the completion rate in farming projects so far is only 24.5 percent. Approximately 74 percent of all power plants completed in the region have already come on line. Through the support they receive, GAP region cities will also become important centers for faith and cultural tourism.

Fed abandons Fedspeak to hint interest unlikely to decrease Sounding a gong couldn't have made it clearer. US Federal Reserve officials are putting out the word that further interest rate cuts are unlikely. Fed Governor Kevin Warsh ditched the central bank's cryptic word tangles and actually waxed poetic. "Even if the economy were to weaken somewhat further, we should be inclined to resist expected, reflexive calls to trot out the hammer again," Warsh said, referring to the Fed's key interest rate.

CAPITAL

Russian motorists protest over petrol prices

PHOTO

contýnued from page 1 Sezgin Tanrýkulu, head of the Diyarbakýr Bar Association, meanwhile said, "We and other civil society organizations here have been saying for years that the employment creating parts of the project such as irrigation and farming should be given priority." He said $12 billion was a significant amount of money, but criticized the delay of the completion of irrigation projects to the end of the project. He said the dams built under GAP were finished first, and worked to the benefit of all of the country, but stated that money spent on energy could have better been invested in job-creating sectors.

Tanrýkulu also commented that although completion of GAP was a very important part of solving the Kurdish question it was not the only element.

Diyarbakýr Chamber of Agriculture Chairman Bahri Erdem, in a January statement, said that the government's plans to resume GAP's incomplete projects gave great hope to the region's businessmen. "With the solution of the irrigation issue, the drought in the region will be cleared away," he said. Once completed, for example, the Silvan Dam will be used to irrigate an area of over 2,000 square kilometers. In Diyarbakýr, the total arable land covers 5,500 square kilometers, but currently only 12 percent of that can be irrigated. Þýrnak Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Halil Balkan welcomes the government's determination but warns that these intentions must have a base and be supported by huge financial allocations from the budget. "If GAP is completed, the fate of both the region and the entire country will see a tremendous change. Turkey needs it," he said. Balkan added that once GAP is complete, the region's biggest problem, unemployment, will also be solved permanently.

Prime Minister Erdoðan is to announce further details in the southeastern city of Diyarbakýr on May 27, but the government has already made clear that it seeks to complete the project in no longer than five years. The region has great agricultural potential, crucial in the face of increasing food prices, as State Minister Mehmet Þimþek noted during a visit to the eastern city of Iðdýr yesterday. "There is a great food crisis in the world.

The most important strategy Turkey has against this food crisis is accelerating regional development projects such as GAP," Þimþek observed.

The government recently finished situation assessment work in nine provinces that fall under the scope of GAP, coordinated by Deputy Prime Minister Nazým Ekren. The assessment over six months enabled the project leaders to determine

BUSINESS

Speaking more central-bankerly, the Fed's No. 2 official, Vice Chairman Donald Kohn, said the current stance of interest-rate policy "appears to be appropriately calibrated for now." Janet Yellen, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, called the current level of rates "appropriate."

They are amplifying a signal sent by Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues last month that the Fed's most aggressive rate-cutting

campaign in two decades may be winding down - finally. The cuts started in September and take months to work their way through the economy.

That does not mean the economy, badly bruised by housing, credit and financial woes, is out of the woods. The Fed, though, is hoping its powerful doses of cuts, along with the government's relief plan of tax rebates and breaks will help lift the economy in the second half of this year.

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Zooming prices for energy and food and other commodity prices are raising some concerns that inflation could take off. Further reductions in interest rates would aggravate the situation. In fact, the Fed's last rate reduction in late April was "a close call," according to recently released documents.

Many economists believe the Fed will hold its key rate steady at 2 percent, a four-year-low, at its next meeting on June 24-25 and probably through much, if not all, of 2008. Washington AP

Arun Sarin, the chief executive of Vodafone, will tell shareholders this week he will not be drawn into bidding for MTN after the African mobile-phone operator abandoned plans to merge with Bharti Airtel of India this weekend. Vodafone had considered a 20 billion-pound bid for MTN, which has 68 million customers in 21 African and Middle Eastern markets, before publicly declaring two weeks ago that it would not proceed. Instead, it is still keen to buy out its partner Telkom from their joint venture Vodacom in South Africa, a deal that crumbled late last year.

MTN and Bharti fell out over the structure of a combined company. The Africans were pushing for Bharti to become a unit of MTN, whereas Bharti wanted a 51 percent stake. Sarin will flag further emergingmarkets opportunities when he presents full-year results on Tuesday. Analysts expect Vodafone to post underlying earnings of 13.1 billion pounds on revenues of 35.4 billion pounds, including 2 billion pounds of sales from data such as internet access on the move. Sales have been boosted by the strength against the pound of the euro, in which Vodafone earns half its money. © The Sunday Times, London

STRATEGY

Microsoft cedes book search to Google Microsoft Corp. is abandoning its effort to scan whole libraries and make their contents searchable, a sign it may be getting choosier about the fights it will pick with Google Inc. The world's largest software maker is under pressure to show it has a coherent strategy for turning around its unprofitable online business after its bid for Yahoo Inc., last valued at $47.5 billion, collapsed this month. Digitizing books and archiving academic journals no longer fits with the company's plan for its search operation, wrote Satya Nadella, senior vice president of Microsoft's search and advertising group, in a blog post Friday. Microsoft will take down two separate sites for searching the contents of books and academic journals next week, and Live Search will direct Web surfers looking for books to non-Microsoft sites, the company said. Nadella said Microsoft will focus on "verticals with high commercial intent."

"We believe the next generation of search is about the development of an underlying, sustainable business model for the search engine, consumer and content partner," Nadella wrote. Seattle AP

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TODAY’S ZAMAN 09

MONDAY, MAY 26, 2008

PHOTO

MUSTAFA KÝRAZLI

Bursa is the hometown of the famous Ýskender kebap

Modern lamb kebab with tomato, yoghurt and butter sauces Ingredients (Serves 4 ) For lamb 750g (27oz) lamb fillet juice of 400g (2 large) grated onion salt freshly cracked black pepper

For tomato sauce 15ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil 2 medium cloves garlic, minced 600g (3 large) tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped 40g (2 tablespoons) tomato paste ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper one large pinch of red pepper flakes 15ml (1 tablespoon) pomegranate syrup

For bread 300g (10oz) fresh pide bread, cut in half lengthways if thick, cubed For yoghurt sauce 500g (18oz) yoghurt 4 medium cloves garlic, minced For butter 200g (7oz) butter

Method

Ýznik, Gemlik and Bursa specialize in different products.

Artichokes, the buds of the large, prickly thistle are both cultivated and found wild around Ýznik. Gemlik boasts the production of a wide variety of olives and offers up dishes in olive oil. Bursa is the hometown of the famous Ýskender kebap as well as candied chestnut

1. Marinate lamb in onion juice for several hours.

2. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. 3. Drain lamb and place on a baking tray, season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper and cook until medium rare. When cooked, allow to rest for 10 minutes then carve into thin strips, keeping warm until ready to assemble dish.

4. Meanwhile place olive oil in a small pan, turn heat to low and gently saut garlic.

5. Add tomato, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and pomegranate syrup and cook over medium heat until reduced.

6. In a large bowl, mix yoghurt and remaining garlic together.

7. In a separate pan, melt butter.

8. Lay bread pieces in base of warmed serving dish, lay meat across bread, pour over tomato sauce, followed by yoghurt sauce and finally butter.

9. Serve immediately.

SHARON CROXFORD

A gourmet’s tour, an olive stone’s throw from Ýstanbul:

SHARON CROXFORD ÝZNÝK

Forty five minutes on the fast ferry from Yenikapý, a short drive out of Yalova to Orhangazi then a left turn towards Ýznik and a whole new world opens up. Despite the fact that it has taken just about and an hour and a half, it suddenly seems like hours from the hustle and bustle of Ýstanbul. Until summer, the first boat heads out at 9:30 a.m., so by 11 a.m. keen gourmets can be driving through groves of olive trees with occasional glimpses of Ýznik Lake. The land on both sides of the road for more than half the 40 kilometers from Orhangazi to the ancient Nicaea are packed with ether budding baby olives or quickly ripening cherries at this time of year.

Wednesdays see Ýznik hosting the regional food market and whilst the produce is very similar to Ýstanbul, there are few things that add a local flavor. Artichokes, the buds of the large, prickly thistle are both cultivated and found wild around the region. Seen as natural hedges for small vegetable plots or springing up along the shore of the lake, they are cut down when small and sold intact. In this fashion, baby artichoke hearts can be cooked and eaten or preserved for later use. Left to mature, the larger heads are still sold whole, giving the cook the option of scraping back the choke and eating just the heart or stuffing then with the leaves trimmed rather than completely removed.

As far as significant regional foods, Ýznik offers up dishes in olive oil along with many other dishes known throughout the western areas of Turkey.

Along the lakeside specialist offerings include

soups, stews and grills made from carp and catfish, otherwise called sheath fish. Çamlýk Restaurant along the lakeside offers a simple but tasty selection of meze followed by grills of lamb, chicken or lake fish. It is also a perfect place to watch the sun slipping over the mountains in the distance beyond the end of the lake.

Leaving Ýznik and heading toward Bursa, one road travels along the south side of the lake, past the outskirts of Orhangazi and on to Gemlik. The other goes up and over the mountain via Yeniþehir with the journey times being roughly equal. Before hitting Gemlik proper, several olive and olive oil producers are open to the public. It is worth spending a bit of time going back and forth on the road, visiting both the simple and more developed brands. Most of the producers will have at least one and at most two different types of oils to taste and anywhere from two to a dozen or so plain or flavored and or stuffed olives to try. After stocking up on oils and olives for eating and cooking as well as the odd and interesting pekmez, or syrup made from local berries or fruit, it is time to head on to Bursa.

The stretch of road from Gemlik to Bursa is quite industrial, but every now and then a roadside vendor will be set up with honey and seasonal selections of cherries and artichokes to buy if the Ýznik market was missed. The entry to Bursa is much the same as any other busy city, largely filled with manufacturers and commercial outlets. No longer is the way from the port to the first Ottoman capital an avenue of mulberry trees, valuable both for the

WHERE TO EAT ÝZNÝK: Çamlýk Restaurant, Sahil Yolu, (224) 757 1362, www.iznik-camlikmotel.com/erestaurant.htm Bursa: Ümür Köftecisi (For Ýnegol köfte, grills and great yoghurt,) Ulucami Caddesi No. 7, (224) 221 4524 Kebapçý Ýskender: For the original Ýskender kebab in the original location, Zafer Plaza, near the State Theater, (224) 221 1533, www.kebapciiskender.com.tr WHERE TO SHOP Öner Zeytincilik: (Olives and olive products, On the way in to Gemlik, Yalova Yolu) (224) 513 1100 or Körfezim, (224) 512 2016, www.korfezimzeytinyagi.com AND ON THE ROAD OUT Solive: This store has branches in Osmangazi, Bursa and Göztepe, Ýstanbul, (224) 514 9242, www.solive.com.tr, Candied chestnuts, pekmez and syrups Ulus, Atatürk Caddesi, Öztat Apt. No. 92 (224) 221 1437 Kafkas: Stores are found throughout Bursa (and Turkey), Zafer Plaza Meydaný, Cemal Nadir Caddesi, (224) 221 4147

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fruit and for the leaves that fed the silk worms so important to early industry in the area.

Bursa is, of course, the hometown of the famous Ýskender kebap. An invention of Ýskender Efendi in 1867, the kebap is a trademark of Ýskenderoðlu, the family of the original creator.

Regardless, the mixture of thinly sliced strips of lamb, bread (pide), tomato sauce, yoghurt and butter can be found in many restaurants in Bursa, throughout Turkey and the world. Like many successful food houses, Kebapçý Ýskender now has a number of other branches in Bursa as well as Balýkesir, Gemlik and Ýstanbul. Ýnegöl köfte is also a regional specialty found in and around Bursa and, as the name suggests, originates in Ýnegol. A key difference between this köfte and, according to a survey completed by a food company, the more than 200 other varieties, is the addition of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to the mixture.

Aside from the specialist meat dishes to be tried, Bursa is also famous for candied chestnuts (kestane þekeri). The most famous brand is Kafkas, yet smaller and boutique makers are worth checking out. Ulus, a sweets and cake maker, has been making a range of exotic treats since 1928. Along with a range of hard and soft sweets as well as chocolates, they produce fine mulberry syrup, perfect for ice creams, drinks and serving alongside meringues or cheesecake.

The most enjoyable way to finish the day's shopping and eating is to drive in the direction of Yeniþehir and enjoy the late afternoon sun saturating the agricultural plains of Bursa set dramatically at the base of surrounding mountains.

PHOTO

Ýznik, Gemlik and Bursa

Ýnegöl köfte Ingredients (serves 4) 500g (17oz) minced lamb 75ml (5 tablespoons) vegetable oil 300g (2 medium) onion, grated 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 egg yolk Method 1. Mix minced lamb with oil thoroughly then add grated onion, baking soda and egg yolk.

2. Mix thoroughly again, kneading until a uniform and consistent product forms.

3. Cover and leave to rest overnight.

4. Preheat grill and shape köfte into small finger shapes and flatten very slightly.

5. Grill for several minutes on each side and serve immediately.

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10 TODAY’S ZAMAN

M O N D AY, M AY 2 6 , 2 0 0 8

WORLD

SECURITY

US lifts travel warning for Indonesia

Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama empathized with rival Hillary Clinton on Saturday for the firestorm she ignited by referring to the 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy.

"I have learned that when you are campaigning for as many months as Senator Clinton and I have been campaigning, sometimes you get careless in terms of the statements that you make and I think that is what happened here," Obama said in an interview with Radio Isla Puerto Rico during a campaign visit to the Caribbean Island and US territory.

On Friday, Clinton cited the June 1968 assassination of Kennedy during his Democratic presidential campaign to help explain why she was still in the race for the party's nomination. "My husband (Bill Clinton) did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California," she told a South Dakota newspaper's editorial board.

Clinton's reference to the Kennedy assassination drew a quick rebuke on Friday from Obama's campaign and she apologized.

Kennedy, brother of slain US President John F. Kennedy and Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, was assassinated in Los Angeles just after winning the California

WARNING

Barack Obama Democratic primary. Obama has a nearly insurmountable lead in delegates to the party's nominating convention after months of contests that began in January, but Clinton has refused to give up until the last votes are cast and counted. The Democratic nominee will face Republican John McCain in the November election.

With Puerto Rico set to hold its Democratic nominating contest next Sunday, Obama and Clinton both campaigned on the island on Saturday. Fiftyfive delegates will be up for grabs in the

PHOTO

Pakistan's deposed chief justice said on Sunday that officials who bowed to President Pervez Musharraf's declaration of emergency rule and ouster of judges last year would be "punished." Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry made the comments in the city of Faisalabad, where thousands of lawyers and other activists gathered to whip up support for a new round of protests aimed at pressuring the country's new coalition government to restore the jurists. Musharraf, a retired army chief who seized power in a 1999 military coup, declared emergency rule in November and ousted several dozen judges to avoid legal challenges to his rule. AntiMusharraf parties came to power after winning February elections, forming a coalition that promised to restore the judges. But disputes over exactly how to bring the judges back have pushed the coalition to the verge of collapse. Chaudhry told the lawyers in Faisalabad that the Supreme Court had passed an order aimed at countering the president's actions on Nov. 3, the same day the emergency was declared. Islamabad AP

June 1 vote, with Clinton favored to win the bulk of them. The territory cannot vote in the presidential election.

Clinton made no reference to the Kennedy remark in addressing a rally of several hundred people in the coastal town of Aguadilla after Obama went on a parade-style walk through San Juan.

Instead, she sought to rally the crowd, saying, "If you stand for me, I will fight for you every day in the White House." They responded with chants of "Hillary, Hillary."

Taboo topic

REUTERS

Deposed Pakistan chief justice vows punishment

PHOTO

The US State Department has lifted its travel warning for Indonesia, the US ambassador in Jakarta said on Sunday, reflecting improved security and paving the way for closer ties between the two countries. The Islamic militant group Jemaah Islamiah, which wanted to create an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia, carried out a series of deadly bomb attacks in Indonesia between 2002 and 2005, dealing a severe blow to the country's tourism and trade. Following the bombings, the Indonesian authorities worked closely with foreign allies to arrest militants and step up security. "The US has lifted the warning due to objective improvements made by Indonesia in its current security situation," the US Embassy said in a statement. "Indonesia has not experienced a major terrorist attack since October 2005, and the government of Indonesia has disrupted, arrested, and prosecuted numerous terrorist elements, "it said. The embassy added that the warning had been in effect since November 2000 and that it was canceled with effect from May 23. Members of Jemaah Islamiah bombed bars in the Indonesian resort island of Bali in 2002, killing more than 200 foreigners and Indonesians. Jakarta Reuters

AP

Obama empathýzes wýth Clýnton over Kennedy comment

ROW

Kinshasa pulls its envoy from Belgium Congo ordered its ambassador in Brussels to return home to protest Belgian demands that its former colony do more to tackle corruption, Belgian officials said Sunday. Congo also closed a consulate in the port city of Antwerp in Saturday's diplomatic protest, the office of Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme said in a statement.

Congo's government was infuriated by comments from Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht who said last week that Belgium had a "moral duty" to be critical of reform efforts in Congo, which declared its independence from Belgium in 1960. "We are spending between 150 to 200 million euros (US$236 to US$315 million) in Congo every year, so I find that you can ask the elite in Congo to do more to help them move in the right direction," De Gucht said Sunday on VRT television.

Relations were already strained after meetings between Congolese President Joseph Kabila and De Gucht in Kinshasa last month. After those talks, De Gucht told reporters that Congo needed to do more to fight corruption and improve human rights. Kabila said he considered the comments arrogant and provocative and urged Belgium stay out of its internal affairs. Brussels AP

TENSION

While Clinton's remarks drew headlines and became a hot topic of debate on talk shows, her campaign made it clear it believed the flap had been overblown and would subside.

"Senator Clinton was very clear yesterday when she explained she was simply raising historical references," noting some Democratic primary campaigns had stretched into June, Clinton campaign spokesman Mo Elleithee said on Saturday.

There have long been concerns about the safety of Obama, who would be the first black US president. The Illinois senator was given Secret Service protection 18 months before the November election -- earlier than any other candidate has received increased security. Aguadilla, Puerto Rico Reuters

Hillary Clinton raises specter of the unspeakable OPINION

By Libby Copeland TODAY’S ZAMAN Smart candidates don't invoke the possibility of their opponents being killed. This seems so obvious it shouldn't need to be said, but apparently, it needs to be said.

"We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California," Hillary Clinton said Friday, referencing the fact that past nomination contests have stretched into June to explain why she hasn't heeded calls to exit the Democratic race. She was in an editorial board meeting with a South Dakota newspaper, and she didn't even seem to notice she'd just uttered the unutterable.

The nation's political science students, our future strategists and campaign managers, would do well to pay attention to this moment. There are taboos in presidential politics, and this is one of the biggest. To raise the specter of a rival's assassination, even unintentionally, is to make a truly terrible thing real. It sounds like one might be waiting for a terrible thing to happen, even if one isn't. It sounds almost like wishful thinking.

If there were any doubt about the taboo nature of discussing such a thing, witness the reaction Barack Obama's campaign put out, which carefully avoided any repetition of what Clinton had actually said. To repeat it would be to repeat the possibility of the terrible thing.

"Senator Clinton's statement before the Argus Leader editorial board was unfortunate and has no place in this campaign," spokesman Bill Burton e-mailed. (A reporter checking his BlackBerry after an overlong smoke break would have no inkling of what was so unfortunate.)

Clinton issued a statement apologizing "if" she'd been in "any way offensive," and a spokesman tried to clarify what she meant.

"She was talking about the length of the race and using the '68 election as an example of how long the races in the past have gone," Howard Wolfson said, missing the point. What she meant was: We can wait a little longer to know who the Democratic nominee is. What she said was: assassinated.

In fact, she had used similar, more carefully phrased language back in March, in a Time magazine interview: "Primary contests used to last a lot longer. We all remember the great tragedy of Bobby Kennedy being assassinated in June in L.A. My husband didn't wrap up the nomination in 1992 until June. Having a primary contest go through June is nothing particularly unusual."

The fear of a president or a presidential candidate being shot or assassinated is horrifying precisely because recent history teaches us that it can happen.

We don't need anybody to remind us, and we certainly don't need anybody to remind whatever suggestible wackos might be lurking in the shadows.

In the context of Obama, Clinton's words broke a double taboo, because since the beginning of his candidacy, some of Obama's supporters have feared that his race made him more of a target than other presidential hopefuls. Obama was placed under Secret Service protection early, a full year ago. To be unaware that one's words tap into a monumental fear that exists in a portion of the electorate -- a fear that Obama's race could get him killed -- is an unusual mistake for a serious and highly disciplined presidential candidate.

It's surprising, too, because something very similar just happened last week, when Mike Huckabee made a joke at an NRA convention about somebody aiming a gun at Obama. He later apologized and called his remarks "offensive." He also could have called them "instructive" for any politician paying attention. If they didn't already know. © 2008, The Washington Post

Conservatives warn SPD move could end coalition Some conservative leaders warned German Chancellor Angela Merkel's grand coalition government could be in jeopardy if the Social Democrats nominate today their own candidate for the ceremonial office of president.

SPD chairman Kurt Beck and party leaders will meet on Monday to decide whether to support incumbent Horst Koehler, the CDU's candidate, in next May's election in the federal assembly -- or nominate their own candidate, presumably Gesine Schwan. Koehler narrowly defeated Schwan in 2004 when the CDU and the Free Democrats had a majority in the federal assembly, which meets every five years and is made up of members of parliament and an equal number of delegates from the 16 federal states. But that CDU-FDP majority will likely disappear in September after a Bavarian state election because the ruling Christian Social Union is struggling there. The CSU, the CDU's more conservative sister party, is most vocal in criticising the SPD. The SPD, in a tense grand coalition with Merkel's CDU since 2005, had first signalled it would support Koehler but, amid a steep erosion of support in opinion polls, it is now under pressure to put forth its own candidate again. Berlin Reuters

G8 ministers face mounting pressure to push forward climate change deal by 2020

Palestinian President Abbas fears Olmert probe may hold up peace talks

attempt to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and European and developing countries urged other gases responsible for global warming by 50 the United States and Japan on Sunday to percent by 2050. But a major focus of the meeting commit to deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions in Kobe is midterm targets for 2020, which scienby 2020 -- a step they say is needed to defuse a tists say are needed to avoid a potentially disastrous coming ecological disaster caused by global warmrise in world temperatures of more ing. The calls at a meeting of envithan 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees ronment ministers from the Group Fahrenheit) over levels prior to the of Eight industrialized nations in industrial age. "A long-term goal is Japan coincided with rising connot a substitute for midterm, cern that momentum is draining mandatory targets," said Matthias from UN-led efforts to force a new Machnig, Germany's environment climate change agreement by a minister. Without deep cuts soon, December 2009 deadline. The G8 he said, "we are not going to make nations -- the United States, the 2 Centigrade target that we Britain, Japan, Germany, Italy, have to reach to stabilize the cliCanada, Russia and France -- are Matthias Machnig mate." Kobe, Japan AP largely on board with a proposal to

not obstruct the peace process desired by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Palestinians." Israeli police questioned said has said he fears a criminal investiOlmert on Friday for a second time. Israel's gation of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert chief prosecutor said on Monday investigaand looming US elections could hold up tors suspected Olmert had taken cash-filled Middle East peace talks. Senior Abbas aide envelopes from New York Tayeb Abdel-Rahim reported fundraiser Morris Talansky. the Palestinian president's Olmert, who was first quesbriefing comments to his ruling tioned three weeks ago, has Fatah faction in the West Bank denied any wrongdoing but city of Ramallah on the latest said he would resign if indictdevelopments in US-brokered ed. On Thursday, Abbas said peace talks with Israel. AbdelRahim said Abbas "hopes that negotiatons with Israel on recent events, such as the obsensitive final status issues stacles facing the Israeli prime were continuing, but that gaps minister, and American preocwere still wide between the Mahmoud Abbas cupation with elections would sides. Ramallah, West Bank Reuters

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Colombia says top guerrilla dead, offers deal to defectors

A suicide car bomber struck a NATO convoy near an alliance base in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on Sunday, killing one local civilian, witnesses and a police officer said. Three NATO soldiers were wounded in the blast, a spokesman for the force said. NATO soldiers cordoned off the site of the attack which happened near the house of the ousted Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar. It was being used as a base for the alliance. Minutes after the attack, explosives attached to a bicycle went off in another part of the city, but caused no casualties. Violence has surged in Afghanistan since 2006, the bloodiest period since the Taliban's removal from power in 2001. More than 12,000 people have been killed during this period. The al-Qaeda-backed Taliban, which leads an insurgency against the government and foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan, largely rely on suicide attacks and roadside bomb blasts. Separately on Sunday, a soldier from the US-led force was killed in an operation in the western province of Farah, the US military said in a statement. The operation which involved Afghan forces, was aimed at a Taliban hideout in a district of the province, a police offical in the region said. He said two Afghan police and several Taliban militants were also killed. Kandahar Reuters

RECORD

76-year-old man is oldest person to climb Everest A 76-year-old Nepalese man reached the summit of Mount Everest on Sunday to become the oldest person to climb the world's highest mountain, mountaineering officials said. Min Bahadur Sherchan reached the 29,035-foot (8,850-meter) summit early in the morning with his climbing guides, said Nepal's Tourism Ministry official Ramesh Chetri. Sherchan is just 25 days from his 77th birthday, Chetri said. He beat the record set last year by Japanese climber Katsusuke Yanagisawa, who scaled the peak at age 71. Sherchan was in good health and was descending from the summit, Chetri said. The former soldier has climbed smaller mountains before his Everest feat and has been an active sportsman, Chetri said. He said about a dozen climbers were reported to have scaled Everest on Sunday following one of the busiest weeks in the mountain's climbing season. A veteran Sherpa guide scaled Everest on Thursday for a record 18th time.

Appa, who like most Sherpas goes by only one name, reached the summit along with several colleagues. He was among more than 80 climbers to reach the summit that day -- the largest number ever on a single day from the Nepalese side of the peak. Katmandu AP

FUEL

Johnson: Deal struck with Venezuela will be scrapped The British capital's new mayor, Boris Johnson, said Sunday he was ending a controversial deal that has provided cheap Venezuelan fuel for London's transport network. The agreement, signed last year by the Conservative Johnson's predecessor and Labour Party rival, Ken Livingstone, provided discounted oil for London's iconic red buses in exchange for advice on urban planning in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. Money saved on oil was put into a program providing half-rate bus fares for lowincome Londoners. Livingstone said the anti-poverty initiative was the idea of Venezuela's left-wing leader, Hugo Chavez, whom Livingstone said he has long admired.

Conservative critics said the deal allowed one of the world's richest cities to exploit a lesser developed country and handed a propaganda coup to a man they called "a third-rate South American dictator." Johnson echoed those criticisms in a statement announcing he would not renew the agreement when it expires in August. London AP

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Suicide blast hits NATO convoy in Afghan south

REUTERS

ATTACK

Top commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Manuel Marulanda (R), is seen with FARC commander Ivan Rios (L).

Colombia said it believes the legendary leader of Latin America’s largest guerrilla army is dead, and the country’s president announced he is willing to offer rebels who free hostages “conditional liberty” and passage abroad.

Manuel “Sureshot” Marulanda, commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, died on March 26, the Defense Ministry said in a statement, citing “different military intelligence means.”

“We know that inside the FARC, the version is that he died of natural causes, specifically from a heart attack,” the ministry said. “Whether the death of Marulanda came in a bombardment or from natural causes, this would be the most serious blow this terrorist group has

suffered.” Marulanda, whose real name is Pedro Antonio Marin, was believed to be about 80, and had led the peasant-based FARC since its founding in 1964.

Colombia’s government has announced his death various times over the past 15 years, but each time proof that he was alive cropped up months later.

“If (the FARC) are going to say that the information we have is not true, they should show him,” said the statement, which was read by the military’s chief of staff, Adm. David Moreno.

The FARC did not immediately respond on the Web sites that publish rebel communiques. Colombia has tried for years to bring down the FARC, which the government says is currently holding 700 hostages, including three US military con-

Strong aftershock causes more misery in China More than 70,000 houses were toppled during Sunday’s tremor in Sichuan province. A local official in Guangyuan county said one person was killed and 24 hurt in collapsed houses or landslides A strong aftershock jolted southwest China on Sunday killing at least one person and injuring 400 others, state media said, nearly a fortnight after an earthquake killed tens of thousands in the same area.

More than 70,000 houses toppled during Sunday’s tremor in Sichuan province, state television reported. The 5.8 magnitude aftershock was epicentred 40 km (25 miles) west-northwest of Guangyuan, the US Geological Survey said.

A local official in Guangyuan county said one person was killed and 24 hurt in collapsed houses or landslides, Xinhua state news agency reported.

As the aftershock occurred, hundreds of troops carrying explosives were trekking through the area, attempting to reach a “quake lake” that threatened a secondary disaster. Concerned by a steep rise in the water level of a giant lake at Tangjiashan, authorities want to blast a hole in the barrier before it bursts and causes a flash flood.

Thousands have been evacuated from below the lake as a precaution.

“I can assure (that) the people who need to be moved have already been safely relocated,” said a general, who gave his name only as Zhou, watching over hundreds of troops outside the wrecked town of Beichuan as they readied to march to the lake. Premier Wen

Jiabao, who believes the overall death toll from quake earlier this month could exceed 80,000, has said the main concerns are secondary disasters like flooding and landslides, epidemics, and providing shelter for the 5 million displaced.

Hundreds of aftershocks have rattled the area since the 7.9 magnitude quake on May 12. State television earlier reported that an 80-year-old partially paralysed man was pulled alive from the rubble on Friday, 266 hours after the main quake hit.

The man was rescued in Mianzhu city, where he had been trapped under a collapsed pillar of his house. He had survived after being fed by his wife, the television report said.

The Tangjiashan quake lake, one of dozens, rose 1.93 meters on Saturday to 723 meters, Xinhua said. “The relief work for Tangjiashan quake lake is now at critical stage,” Vice Minister of Water Resource E Jingpin told a news conference in Beijing. “The daunting difficulty in treating a quake lake is its unpredictability -- its formation and when it could burst.”

Gen. Zhou said the Tangjiashan lake was formed by a mudslide. Heavy rain and high winds were forecast for the area on Sunday and Monday. State media reported that fog had prevented the airlift of personnel and equipment to the lake, and that more than 1,500 soldiers were now

going by foot. Each soldier was carrying 10 kg of explosives, Xinhua said.

The lake is just 3.2 km upstream from Beichuan, a town so badly hit that it will be rebuilt in a new location and the ruins of collapsed buildings left as a quake memorial. Jingping said China had a window of about one month before the rainy season begins in Sichuan and must use the precious time to shore up as many dams as possible.

The mountainous region along the faultline is also densely packed with dams, raising concerns that if either the quake lakes or the weakened dams burst, water could cascade down the river and cause other dams to fail.

Jingpin said 20,000 people had been evacuated from areas threatened by 19 quake lakes. Despite assurances from authorities that any controlled water release would be safe, farmers said they were worried. “At night-time you can hear the rumbling from the landslides around here and sometimes the earth shakes,” said Yang Daifu, 70, a farmer from Nongwan village, which was nearly completely wiped out in the earthquake.

“We see the water is rising as well, so we still feel threatened here,” said Yang, who lives in one of tens of thousands of state-issued blue tents a few kilometers from his old home. Beichuan Reuters

Thousands march in Johannesburg to protest the recent wave of attacks against foreigners.

ANC leaders hold rallies to try to end xenophobic attacks Leaders of South Africa’s ruling ANC held rallies and public meetings on Sunday to try to end xenophobic violence that has killed at least 50 African migrants and displaced tens of thousands. “This program will involve all levels of the organization in a decisive and concerted campaign to mobilize across society to address this crisis,” the African National Congress said in a statement.

ANC leader Jacob Zuma will speak in Springs, east of Johannesburg, one of the flashpoints for a wave of anti-migrant riots that began two weeks ago. Winnie MadikizelaMandela, who is the former wife of Nelson Mandela, will speak at a separate meeting. Cyril Ramaphosa and Toyko Sexwale, who are prominent businessmen as well as ANC members, were scheduled to appear at other events.

The campaign was expected to draw community activists and members of the public.

President Thabo Mbeki, who lost the ANC leadership to Zuma last year, was scheduled to address the nation later on Sunday -- for the first time since the attacks began. The ANC government has been criticized for its slow reaction to the unrest, the worst since apartheid ended 14 years ago, and for not adequately addressing the poverty widely blamed for sparking the bloodshed. Johannesburgh Reuters

Conference offers aid to Myanmar, but access crucial

ORDEAL

Niger Tuareg rebels free abducted rights official Tuareg-led rebels in Niger have freed a local human rights official they abducted after accusing him of being involved in purchasing arms for the government and its army, the rebels and rights officials said on Sunday. El Hadj Ahamadou Ahalawey, a member of parliament and vice president of Niger’s state-funded national human rights commission, was kidnapped by gunmen on May 14 at Tanout in the northeastern Zinder region. The Tuareg-led rebel Niger Justice Movement (MNJ), which since last year has waged an armed insurgency in the country’s uranium-producing north, claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. It said Ahalawey had acted as an intermediary in arms purchases for the government.

In a posting on its website, www.m-n-j.blogspot.com, the MNJ said Ahalawey was released on Saturday to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at a location 25 km (15 miles) east of the northern town of Agadez. Garba Lompo, president of the Niger National Human Rights Commission, also confirmed the release of his deputy. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, had called on Friday for the immediate and unconditional release of the kidnapped man. Niamey Reuters

tractors and French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt, who was running for president when the rebels kidnapped her in 2002.

President Alvaro Uribe has made defeating the FARC his chief objective, and on Saturday he said in a speech in a conflict-torn section of western Colombia that rebels “have called to tell the government they are disposed to desert and free hostages, beginning with Dr. Ingrid Betancourt” -- but want guarantees they won’t be jailed.

Uribe said the government would ask the judiciary to grant such people “conditional liberty.” He said rebels who desert and turn over hostages could benefit from a fund of up to US$100 million (63.52 million euros) and “be dispatched immediately to a country such as France.” Bogota AP

AP

WORLD

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Rescuers inspect a crack at the Chinese Fengshou reservoir dam, caused by Monday's 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Anxian County.

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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he is hopeful “a turning point” has been reached in tackling Myanmar’s cyclone crisis as an international conference Sunday pledged tens of millions of dollars (euros) for some 2.4 million survivors who need aid.

The one-day, 52-nation conference began on an optimistic note after the ruling junta promised that foreign aid workers could enter the most devastated areas, from which they have been banned since the cyclone struck three weeks ago. While some nations opened their pocketbooks, others gave notice that aid would be conditional on the generals keeping their promises of full access.

“I hope this marks a turning point in tackling the challenges facing this country,” Ban told some 500 delegates as the conference convened in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, with a minute of silence for the dead. But he said international relief workers and medical teams from neighboring countries must have “unhindered access to the areas hardest hit by the disaster.” Yangon AP

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EXPAT ZONE

Change happens to all of us Aeroflot, a Russian government monopoly, was the first airline on which I ever experienced bad customer service. They seemed to regard all passengers as a nuisance. Since then I’ve learned that most government monopolies operate this way. Little did I know when I set out on my first international trip that I was about to begin my journey of change.

Change comes about through situations we face. For example, when I tried to obtain a visa for the Soviet Union, I called the consulate to make inquiries. I was so pleased to learn all the information I needed. To my surprise, when I turned up at the embassy, I discovered that I did not have everything they wanted and the embassy hours were different from what I’d been told on the phone. In fact the embassy was closed that day! I wondered why the person on the phone could not just give me the correct information.

Trying to understand another country’s logic can seem almost impossible. I was told by one consulate when applying for a visa that in order to apply for a visa I needed a valid plane ticket -- but I could not get a plane ticket without a visa! If I recall correctly, I ended up traveling by train that time.

You can read all the books you want about a place before you go, but you’ll still encounter some culture shock and change. Anthropologist Nigel Barley set up home in a mud hut in order to study the customs and beliefs of the Dowayo people. He experienced many types of change by

choice.

Of course, you don’t have to travel to experience change. Each of us experiences change in some way -- it may be a change at work, a relationship change, a change in your health or some other form of change you’ve initiated that suddenly seems daunting.

Summertime often means big change for many of us: our children changing schools, spouses beginning new jobs and financial changes and moves. Do you find change difficult? You’re not alone.

It’s possible for the change you’re going through to be easier, smoother and less stressful. A Today’s Zaman reader wrote to me about a major change in his family’s life.

“Dear Charlotte, For the past few months we have not known where our next meal would come from. Since I was laid off, we have had to search our home for anything that could be sold to get some cash. The family is experiencing change in many areas -- economically, etc.” (Anonymous) Dear Anonymous: I’m sorry for the hardship your family is experiencing. A crisis situation like yours brings about major change. It happens every day, to everyone.

Whether life has thrown a curveball at you or, like Barley, you’ve sought one out yourself, it’s natural to find it difficult. It’s all a matter of

CULTURAL CORNER

CHARLOTTE McPHERSON how you perceive the change in you life.

Here are a few tips to help you with the change you may be facing: Perspective: Try to not let the threatening situation become distorted and magnified.

Attitude: Focus on the positive that will come from a given situation.

Feelings: Avoid fearing moving forward and making progress.

Direction: Understand where you are now and where you want to go to reach your final destination.

Through coping with your change and handling a major crisis, you probably know that the good that comes from change may not be related to what you’re currently going through. For example, you’ll meet new people and have new opportunities, possibly develop a stronger faith and grow in belief in yourself.

Are you having financial trouble and think you are incapable of

managing money? Do you hope to lose weight but instead keep gaining some and think of yourself as obese? Have you just gone through a relationship breakup or divorce and think you are unlovable? If you’ve answered yes to any of these, trade this negativity for positive thoughts of strength and hope.

Last but not least, I’ve found in dealing with life changes and cultural differences that it helps to keep a sense of humor.

Have you heard about the businessman who called and had a question about the documents he needed in order to fly to China. After a lengthy discussion about passports, he was reminded that he needed a visa. “Oh no I don’t, I’ve been to China many times and never had to have one of those.” The tour agent double-checked and sure enough, his stay required a visa. When he was told this, he said, “Look, I’ve been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express.”

“Life’s transitions are ultimately positive, even if they don’t always feel it.” --Ariane de Bonvoisin Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com

LEGAL CORNER

BERK ÇEKTiR

KATHY HAMILTON ÝSTANBUL

John Gatwell from Rochdale to Ýstanbul Dýscoverýng Turkey through cuýsýne

BAHAR MANDAN

John Gatwell, who is a restaurant critic and food writer, moved to Ýstanbul in 2007. “Turkish food is good, but I wish that more of the regional stuff was on offer in Ýstanbul,” he says.

California and Sydney; he loves all cuisines and is able to cook just about anything from scratch. With a gleam in his eye from talking about one of his passions, he explains: “Knowing what is in your food is important, as you can then understand how certain ingredients react with or compliment others. My philosophy on food is simple -- try it because you just might like it. Turkish food is good, but I wish that more of the regional stuff was on offer in Istanbul. I understand that Anatolian chefs will be coming to Istanbul in June for an international food festival and I can’t wait to try some of the 10,000 plus dishes with some forgotten flavors, I’m told. I’ve made quite a few of the mezes at home and I am

Real estate: property tax announcement

PHOTO

The sleepy, provincial mill town of Rochdale, Lancashire, lies in the northwest of England. Only a few miles from Manchester, the Pennine Hills are just a short drive away, offering a retreat from city life. Historically Rochdale was an important center for the wool trade and was noted for its number of wealthy residents in the early 1700s. In addition to the wool trade, it was the home of the cooperative movement, and in 1844 the first modern cooperative was founded there. Rochdale is also the home of English expat John Gatwell, who moved to Istanbul in 2007.

A self-described spouse trailing under duress (or S.T.U.D. as he prefers), Gatwell and his wife relocated to Istanbul for her work as a fabric technologist. Originally planned as a short-term stay, he explains: “We were only supposed to be here on a short assignment, but it seems that at the moment her role is indispensable as her company asked her to stay on for the foreseeable future. I’m rather glad about that actually, as I think this is one of the best places I’ve lived. I do like Istanbul because of the easy access to the Black Sea coastal towns like Kilyos and also to the Belgrade Forest.”

Prior to moving to Turkey, the couple had lived in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Manila, the Philippines, and Rabat, Morocco.

Currently residing in Istanbul’s first Levent neighborhood, Gatwell enjoys the area’s amenities and easy access to other parts of the city he likes to explore. Since this was, at first, a temporary assignment, Gatwell did not arrive with Turkish language skills, but he has since been trying to learn the language. He says: “In our area everyone gets to know you as the yabanci, or foreigner, on the block and they want to try out their English on you, which I don’t mind as they are then patient with me trying to learn Turkish. I have some Turkish PDQ language CDs that are helping, but speaking with Turks is much more preferable. I want to learn as I don’t want to feel left out.”

Maneuvering his way through a new culture has given him the chance to learn more about Turks and Turkish society, particularly with regards to one of his favorite subjects, food. “If everybody went out of their way to find out about different people’s cultures then I’m sure that would reduce conflicts around the world. I don’t really fit into Turkish culture, but I certainly go out of my way to embrace it. If you are a guest in a country then I think it’s important to get a feel for it. I try to embrace the culture because I live here and want my life to be as comfortable as possible. Knowing what people think and do and the reasons they do it is all part of that. Misunderstanding people because of their culture causes far too much trouble in the world. I go to the markets and local shops and restaurants, I talk futbol, the easiest international language in the world, and I always go out of my way to find out what Turks do with a particular ingredient. I find that food is a great way to learn about different cultures.”

Gatwell knows what he is talking about in terms of food because he has been a restaurant critic and food writer and has studied cuisine independently for many years. He has also been consulted with for hotel and restaurant menus. Always traveling with his copy of “Larousse Gastronomique” in hand, he refers to it almost daily. Among some of the expats he is considered to be the ultimate source for recipes. He particularly enjoys AngloFrench cooking and has much respect for the development of this style in places like

on the lookout for the ultimate guide to Turkish cuisine. At the end of my street is a little guveç place that we love to go for a mid-week treat. Guvecci Abdullah in first Levent is brilliant.”

In his seemingly never-ending search for ingredients for his home cooking, he laughingly recounted his experience with a pork butcher. “The owner of the shop took great pleasure in showing me around the sausage production area. It was as if I was a health inspector. It’s funny to me because something like that would never happen at home in England.”

Keeping busy while being a trailing spouse has posed no challenge to Gatwell.

Along with a few business partners he just started a new online forum for expats living

in Turkey, called the Sublime Portal. This has proved a good way to generate social activities and expat gatherings. Apart from attending concerts, he enjoys playing the occasional frame of snooker and watching football matches in a pub with friends.

Summing up his other activities he says: “Eating out with friends in Ortakoy is often on our weekly schedule, particularly in the summer. My wife and I often host dinner parties, too. Above all, I like to have a drink with one of two select people and put the world to rights often well into the night.”

As a self-proclaimed S.T.U.D., Gatwell has adapted to life in Istanbul well and is taking the chance to enjoy the time they will be living here.

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.

CM Y K

It is good to own property and it is also good for the government that you pay some taxes on this property. It is the time of year for real estate tax payments, and if you own property in Turkey you might be interested in reading the following announcement.

Real estate tax (or as some call it, property tax) is one of the biggest sources of income for local authorities in many countries. Annual real estate tax is charged at rates varying between 0.1 percent and 0.3 percent (depending on the nature of the property) on the officially assessed value of Turkish real estate made on Jan. 1 each year. You may run into some trouble if you do not pay these taxes in a timely manner. Records for properties are now kept on a database, and no transactions can be concluded until all pending and overdue tax is paid with interest. Furthermore, the authorities may start a collections process if the tax is not paid for a certain period of time.

The amount of tax is calculated using the records of the local administration, municipality and the tax office. The tax calculated on the value of the property is supposed to be the fair value.

You should go to the tax department of the local administration to provide the details of the property you own. Please do not forget to keep the receipts of payment for at least five years following the payment date.

Last days for paying the real estate tax, deadline May 31 There are now only a few more days to pay the real estate tax. The real estate tax is paid annually and it can be paid in two parts. The real estate tax for the year 2007 came due on March 1 and the first portion of the tax must be paid by the end of May; the second portion of the real estate tax must be paid by the end of November. Certainly, the government will not refuse if you want to pay the whole amount at once.

I purchased a house in 2008, what should I do?

Those who purchased property in 2008 do not need to pay the real estate tax this year. The tax paid in the year 2008 is intended only for those who owned property during the year 2007.

Those who acquired property in 2008 should make a declaration to the tax office about the ownership of the property. The real estate tax for such property will be due in 2009.

Property tax tips The tax officers are quite willing to assist tax payers. It might be a good idea to visit the tax department before the deadline and ask for their assistance in order to find out if you need to pay tax this year and if so, how much tax you need to pay.

If I may give you a useful tip, I strongly recommend that you not wait until the very last day to ask for assistance from the tax officers as the office will be extremely crowded. Please plan your visit at least a couple of days before the deadline.

Also check with your bank as some banks are authorized to accept tax payments.

NOTE: Berk Çektir is a licensed attorney at law and available to answer questions on the legal aspects of living in Turkey. Send enquiries to b.cektir@todayszaman.com. The names of the readers are disclosed only upon written approval of the sender.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided here is intended to give basic legal information. You should get legal assistance from a licensed attorney at law while conducting legal transactions and not just rely on the information in this corner.

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Ýstanbul 2010 a vital chance to better publicize Turkey attach great importance to all the projects to be realized to this end," Cihan quoted Toptan as saying.

In addition to the parliament speaker, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Hayati Yazýcý, Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuðrul Günay, Ýstanbul Governor Muammer Güler and Ýstanbul AKB 2010 Executive Board Chairman Nuri Çolakoðlu as well as representatives of civil society organizations were present at the meeting.

Yazýcý, who is also the head of the coordination committee for the AKB 2010 project, stated that the project is a good example of cooperation between the state and civil society. He asked everybody to support the project. Günay stated that Ýstanbul is a very important city not only in the sense that it

served three empires as a capital, but also because it has a unique beauty with its art, culture and geographical location. The minister emphasized that Ýstanbul had been "roughly used" for decades with people not caring about its historic value or cultural heritage and that it is now time to "draw up a balance sheet of all the mistakes committed so far."

"The project will take on a real meaning when the ongoing restoration work sees completion," he said.

Among the goals of the project are to improve the current conditions of structures of cultural and historical value, improving and increasing the diversity of the existing historical tourism destinations in the city and promoting Turkey's cultural assets across Europe.

The European Capital of Culture is a city desig-

nated by the European Union for a period of one year during which it is given a chance to showcase its cultural life and cultural development. The initiative was launched under the title "European City of Culture" on June 13, 1985 by the Council of Ministers. The European Cities of Culture were designated on an intergovernmental basis until 2004; member states unanimously selected the cities most likely to welcome the event and the European Commission granted a subsidy to the selected city each year. As of 2005, the EU's institutions take part in the selection procedure of the cities that will host the event. Athens was the first city to host the event in 1985. Ýstanbul will be assuming the title in 2010 together with Germany's Essen and Hungary's Pécs. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

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AP

The "Ýstanbul: The European Capital of Culture for 2010" (AKB 2010) project was presented to the public at a meeting on Saturday attended by Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan.

Toptan delivered a speech at the meeting held at Dolmabahçe Palace, noting that many civilizations flourished in Ýstanbul and that people from many different backgrounds lived in peace. He said Ýstanbul, being a capital of civilizations, is one of the most important world cities and thus deserves to be the European Capital of Culture, the Cihan news agency reported. Toptan emphasized that the AKB 2010 project is a vital chance to better publicize Turkey to the entire world and show its real and modern face to everyone. "We therefore

Chinese painting fetches record price A modern Chinese painting featuring eight masked characters wearing the red scarves of China's communist youth organization has fetched a record $9.7 million (6.2 million euros), an auction house said Sunday.

Zeng Fanzhi's "Mask Series 1996 No. 6" sold at a Hong Kong auction Saturday evening, Christie's said in a statement. Christie's spokeswoman Kate Malin said the buyer was anonymous.

Zeng's painting shows eight men and women wearing smiling white masks and red scarves -- part of the uniform of the Young Pioneers, China's communist youth organization. The group is apparently posing for a picture, with its members putting their arms around each other's shoulders. "Zeng presents the notion that the role and the character one presents to the world is constantly changing to fit the social decorum of the ephemeral environment -- never constant and never true to the personality that lies beneath," Christie's said on its Web site.

The sale broke Christie's previous world record for modern Chinese art for Cai Guoqiang's "Set of Fourteen Drawings for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation," which fetched $9.5 million (6 million euros) in November, the auction house said. Cai's 14 screens were done in gunpowder and ink. While the record prices have drawn attention to modern Chinese art, critics say they have also spawned the proliferation of imitation pieces that abuse Chinese motifs like Tiananmen Square and Mao Zedong without genuine artistic purpose to attract Western buyers. Hong Kong AP

Faberge to create first egg since 1917

Russian singer Dima Bilan (third left) celebrates with the members of his band after winning the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest with his song “Believe” in the Serbian capital of Belgrade.

Russia wins first Eurovision title, Turkey’s Mor ve Ötesi comes in seventh Dima Bilan has brought Russia its first Eurovision song title with a glitzy performance that included a famous ice skater. Bilan beat Ukraine's Ani Lorak and Greece's Kalomira with an R&B ballad called "Believe" before thousands of flag-waving fans of Europe's most glamorous pop song festival.

The Russian singer was joined on the stage by Hungarian violinist Edvin Marton and famous Russian Olympic skater Yevgeny Plyushchenko, who pirouetted on artificial ice to the tune.

Turkish alternative rock band Mor ve Ötesi, which has a huge fan base in Turkey, managed to make the top 10 and came in seventh with their song "Deli" (Crazy) in the contest in a year when Russia and Ukraine were tipped as favorites well ahead of the finals.

Bilan has won the first-ever title for Russia in the competition, which has recently been dominated by eastern European countries because of

so-called bloc-voting among ex-Soviet republics and former Yugoslav states. "Russia believed in our victory," Bilan said at a press conference after the show. "Dreams can come true." While he sang in English during the contest, Bilan spoke in Russian at the press conference "so I can express in the best way all the intense feelings that I have tonight." "I am so happy," he said.

This year's competition was held in Belgrade, Serbia. Serbia's songstress Marija Serifovic won last year's title with her ballad "Molitva" or "Prayer."

Bilan, ahead of Saturday's finals, told the Cihan news agency that he wrote the chorus lines of his song "Believe" himself. Noting that he believed the song can hold significance to everyone, Bilan said: "We encounter tough times throughout our lives. There have been such times in my life as well. These tough times will always occur.

However, we have to get over them and music helps us in our tough times." Recalling his recent

visit to Turkey ahead of the Eurovision finals in Belgrade, Bilan said he found Turks to be "wonderful people because they love music."

Bilan's appearance at the finals, which opened late Saturday at the Belgrade Arena hall, was his second in just two years. In 2006, he won second place. The Russian won 272 points from viewers from 43 countries who picked the winner by phone calls and text messages. Ukraine's Lorak was second with 230 points, followed by Greece's Kalomira with 218. The glitzy event was launched

by Serifovic. Other guest stars included Bosnian ethno musician Goran Bregovic and Serbia's and Los Angeles Lakers' former NBA star, Vlade Divac.

Though criticized by many as a show of kitsch and an extravaganza, the Eurovision Song Contest, or Eurosong, is revered by its many followers. They often travel across the continent to support their favorite singers. About 15,000 guests are believed to have arrived in Belgrade

CONCERT

CONCERT

CSO and Passarella close academic year at ODTÜ

Fulya Özlem's ‘Ice Queen' live at Ghetto club

The Ankara-based Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO), featuring famous bandoneon player Hector Ulises Passarella as soloist, will mark the end of the academic year at Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) with a concert this weekend.

The orchestra and Passarella, considered to be one of the most interesting composers and interpreters of modern tango, will take to the stage on May 31 at 8 p.m. at the ODTÜ Stadium. Ticket price: YTL 10

Singer-songwriter and short film maker Fulya Özlem, who last year released her debut solo album "Buz Kraliçesi" (Ice Queen), is scheduled to take to the stage for a live performance this week at Ýstanbul's Ghetto club in Beyoðlu. Özlem will be presenting a selection of her own compositions that carry influences of Irish and English folksongs as well as her educational background in Turkish classical music at her concert, set for May 29 at 10 p.m.

THEATER

Denmark's ‘Operation: Orfeo' at theater festival The Danish theater company Hotel Pro Forma will present its musical work "Operation: Orfeo" in two performances at Ýstanbul's Atatürk Culture Center as part of the Ýstanbul International Theater Festival.

The play, directed by Kirsten Delholm and featuring music composed by Bo Holten, John Cage and Christoph Willibald Gluck, is a contemporary interpretation of the opera genre. The play will be staged on May 30 and 31 at 8:30 p.m. at the Grand Hall.

for the event, crowding the Serbian capital for the first time in years. Serbia is taking advantage of the opportunity to present itself as part of Europe after years of pariah status in the 1990s under the late strongman Slobodan Milosevic.

Authorities have gone out of their way to throw a perfectly organized party. During the finals, a huge screen was put up in front of the Belgrade City Hall as thousands flocked to watch the show. After the winner was announced, fireworks lit the Belgrade skies.

The finale included 20 contestants who made it through the two semifinals earlier this week. In addition, performers from Britain, France, Germany and Spain, who are the biggest sponsors of the event, and Serbia, the host country, went straight into the final without having competed in preliminary rounds.

Serbia was represented by Jelena Tomasevic, who finished sixth. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with AP

CONCERT

Silver-Garburg Duo set for Ýstanbul concert in June The internationally acclaimed Silver-Garburg Piano Duo, formed in 1997 by Israeli pianists Gil Garburg and Sivan Silver, will next month be in Ýstanbul for a concert at the Akbank Art Center. Praised for their "lyric sensitivity, extraordinary inner perception and overwhelming technical mastering" by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily, the duo will be on stage June 25 at 8 p.m. Tickets, priced at YTL 12, can be purchased at www.biletix.com.

CM Y K

A revived Faberge luxury goods group plans to resurrect its founder's work next year with the launch of the first jewel-encrusted egg since 1917, when the Faberge family was scattered by the Russian revolution. A group of investors bought rights to Faberge last year -- which had been used to market cosmetics like Brut men's fragrance -- and have been working to restore the firm to its origins with the support of the Russian founder's relatives. "Faberge will announce their first new collection, the first authentic, familyblessed collection since 1917, in the course of next year," Sean Gilbertson, a partner in the Pallinghurst fund that owns Faberge, told Reuters.

The original Faberge company was founded in 1842 by Russian jeweler Gustav Faberge, who gained fame for designing elaborate jewel-encrusted eggs for Russian Tsars. The last Faberge egg completed before the Russian revolution was military egg made of steel since gems and precious metals were not available, Gilbertson said.

Tatiana and Sarah Faberge, among the descendants of Gustav Faberge, agreed to sit on a council to restore the exclusive nature of the company. The new Faberge will at least initially stick to the founders' products -- objects of art, fine jewellery and items such as ashtrays and pillboxes.

The original Faberge family was scattered by the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, but Gustav's grandsons who established a new Faberge firm in Paris discovered after World War II that a US businessman was selling perfume under their family name. They launched a lawsuit, but ran out of money and ceded rights to their family name to a US firm in 1951. The Faberge brand was sold to consumer goods group Unilever in 1989. London Reuters

‘Idol' David Cook promises rock album Newly crowned "American Idol" David Cook, already topping the iTunes music download charts, said on Friday he hopes to put out a rock album that will "make the hair on your neck stand up." Cook, 25, is a Missouri guitarist who was tending bar before auditioning for the most watched show on US television.

Cook won the seventh season of the singing competition and a recording contract on Wednesday, beating 17-year-old crooner David Archuleta by a 12 million-vote margin. Cook's first single "The Time of My Life" and the three songs he sang in last week's "American Idol" finale were the top four downloads on the iTunes music store on Friday.

Cook said he would not be putting out an album of standards even though he won fans on the show, which is broadcast on the Fox network, with alternative versions of pop classics such as "Billie Jean" and Lionel Richie's "Hello." "I think it's going to be a mixture of my writing and hopefully writing with other people. I just want to come out of the gate with a solid record," he told reporters in a telephone conference call. "It'll probably be a rock record. I just want to make a record that's going to make the hair on your neck stand up. ... Even if it doesn't do well commercially, as long as I can put out a record I am proud of -- that's the goal right now. And hopefully the success will follow."

Cook is not likely to start work on the first album until the Top 10 Idols finish a threemonth US tour starting in July. Los Angeles Reuters

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MONDAY, MAY 26, 2008

Does CHP leftýsm have any socýologýcal equývalents

?

LÜTFÜ ÖZÞAHÝN*

Unfortunately, the stubborn, Jacobean, elitist political stance that is fed by a "coup ideology" and likewise the "strategy of tension" continues to be demonstrated, though contrary to the views of at least 80 percent of the people of Turkey, by the Republican People's Party (CHP) under the leadership of Deniz Baykal.

In addition, the CHP's ongoing opposition to the historical and social values of Turkey is shown in a stance that could be termed opposition to the sacred. Recent insults and mocking of statements by one of the top-ranked officials in the CHP, Önder Sav, regarding the Prophet Mohammed and the tradition of making the hajj have only strengthened our convictions on this matter.

The more leftward leaning political streams in Turkey have at this point arrived at the brink of total collapse as a result of the fact that their politics are carried out with a dogmatism reminiscent of the Christian church in the Middle Ages and within the framework of anachronistic Marxist concepts and 19th century style spiritless, positivist thinking. As it is, the Marxist left is in itself a kind of religion in that Marxism has named its own guiding ideology "scientific socialism," and by implying that Marxism itself is a kind of science it has managed to develop one of the most dogmatic strains of thought in human history.

Leftism and social values

tion. So now let's take a look at the reasons behind the collapse of the left in Turkey.

The CHP's failure to create general policies based on local and national dynamics means that many Turks do not even understand what they are trying to say. There can be little expectation that leftist thought which does not speak the same language as the people of the nation will actually turn out to be a social unifier.

Rather than creating policies aimed at preventing the exploitation of large factions of society, the CHP has instead taken its place next to an authoritarian state stance and positivist, modernist policies. In other words, rather than acting as a spokesperson for ranks of people made up of wide swaths of society, the CHP has shouldered the role of becoming the spokesperson for the elitist, Jacobean classes that profit from the state and have made a nest for themselves at the center. In fact, they have brought this business to such an extreme point that administrations from parties such as the Democrat Party (DP), Welfare Party (RP), Virtue Party (FP) and AK Party -- in other words parties which have come to power as a result of the free will of the people of the nation -- have been portrayed as "enemies of the regime," while the potential of the people of the nation has been portrayed as some sort of crime. With this approach, the CHP has revealed that it is in fact not democratic.

By reducing leftism to some sort of struggle against the historical and social values of the people of the nation, the CHP has tried to even push the headscarf not only outside the parameters of the public domain, but even outside of private life. To put it another way, they have perceived secularity as meaning that society needs to kick religion off the face of the earth; or to express it yet another way, they have reduced secularity to some sort of atheist concept. They have shown support not for the kind of secular-

ILLUSTRATION

MUZAFFER ERDEM

Of course, how much even the leaders of the left in Turkey know about either Marxism or even European-style social democracy is in itself a matter for serious debate. As Çetin Altan has

noted, even most of our most knowledgeable leftists have no idea on which subject Marx wrote his doctoral thesis. In other words, their leftism never goes anywhere beyond empty dialogue. To wit, the kind of leftism espoused by the CHP has no sociological equivalent. It is a sort of leftism that is opposed to mosques in Turkey and which is thus identified as being identical to being at war with all of the social values espoused by Islam.

The judgment made by orthodox Marxism belief was that all religions, first and foremost Christianity, acted as opiates for the people of the nations, which meant they needed to be eliminated. As such, this project was implemented in the USSR and the Warsaw Pact nations, where atheism was made official. But what happened after this? For a while, Marxism was able to cover over deep-rooted Christian culture with a thin layer. But later, as a sociological and societal reality, religion pierced through this layer to emerge again on the historical stage. And now churches are opening in waves throughout all the former Warsaw Pact nations, while Orthodox Christianity once again begins to shoulder its historical role. Marx, as it turns out, had not understood that religion was actually the founding dynamic in civilizations. And these days in Europe, leftism that stands in opposition to religion or struggles against Christian value judgments has become completely marginalized. In other words, the scholastic, dogmatic left has gone bankrupt in Europe. The CHP and its supporters, however, are still at work creating an atmosphere of tension-based ideologies that are not fed by any local dynamics and that oppose both the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the free will and volition of the people of the na-

ism found in democratic nations, but instead for the kind of Bolshevik secularism based on a Soviet-style interpretation, and this is no doubt the greatest handicap for the Turkish left, in that the people of this nation are largely Muslim.

Because they are cut off from the central culture of the people of Turkey, they have naturally become alienated. After all, this is what can be expected when a political movement and its members are not aware of the history, beliefs, arts, literature, music, insights, sciences and general dialectic of the culture and people amongst whom they are living.

The CHP has not yet grasped that globally there is no place left for 19th century Marxist style totalitarian and authoritarian political stances and that new leftist movements need to be in harmony with religion, express respect toward religion and in fact even benefit from the strength of religious belief. (I believe that Istanbul's Sisli Mayor Mustafa Sarýgül has in fact grasped this, in that he alone managed to pick up votes across the board in Sisli while the left was losing votes all across Turkey.)

There are also deep chasms that exist between the lifestyles of the spokespersons who lead the leftist movement in Turkey and the more poverty-stricken classes in the nation. The very fact that more votes for the CHP emerge out of the Jacobean, bourgeoisie classes than out of the poorer ranks of the nation is the greatest proof there is of this. The CHP has in fact turned into the party of the bourgeoisie elite these days.

As a result, we can say the left in Turkey is not at peace with the historical and social values of the nation and that for as long as it continues not to represent "political wisdom," which is based on "social imagination," it will never get the chance to come to political power in Ankara. * Dr. Lütfü Özþahin is a political philosopher.

OPINION

Union for the Mediterranean: from aims to results BENITA FERRORE-WALDNER*

As the birthplace of the three monotheistic religions and melting pot of civilizations, cultures, migrations and exchanges, the history of the Mediterranean is inextricably linked to that of Europe. The Mediterranean region is a crossroads between north, south, east and west. At the meeting point of three continents, it is more than a mere border for the European Union. The stability of the region is crucial not just for our own security and prosperity but also for that of our Mediterranean neighbors and friends.

The European Union has decided to become more closely involved with the Mediterranean. Since it was launched in 1995, the Barcelona process has brought together the member states of the European Union and 13 southern partner states in the context of multilateral cooperation; this, together with the European neighborhood policy, which has been strengthening bilateral cooperation with these countries since 2002, are signs of our efforts towards achieving peace, prosperity and dialogue in the region.

It was France that put forward the proposal for a new dimension to cooperation in the Mediterranean. On the basis of this proposal, the European Council called on the commission to fine tune the Barcelona process for a union for the Mediterranean. The commission has been working on this, and its proposal was presented on May 20.

The Barcelona process has enabled us to tackle many regional issues of a strategic nature. Much has been achieved, but a large number of common challenges remain, such as security, environmental protection, the continuity of energy supply, the fight against organized crime, managing migration flows and intercultural dialogue. Beyond this cooperation with our Mediterranean neighbors, it is also necessary to promote the understanding of others and their interests and to foster respect and mutual trust -- this is one of my tasks as the member of the European Commission responsible for external relations.

The Barcelona process has unfortunately suffered from the effects of continued conflicts south of the Mediterranean and from an occasional lack of cooperation between the partner states. But things are changing for the better, as I have been able to see during my recent visits to the area. The time is ripe to take advantage of this renewed political resolve to impart fresh impetus to our cooperation and to make it more balanced and more relevant to our fellow citizens.

The Union for the Mediterranean is a renewed political ambition which will be based on specific projects. It is not an alternative to enlargement, nor does it hold out the prospect of accession. It will, however, give a triple boost to the Barcelona process.

Firstly, it will enhance the political dimension of relations between the European Union and its Mediterranean partners. Europe should speak as one and at the highest level on such strategic issues.

Secondly, it will rebalance and more effectively share out responsibility for our multilateral relations. Europe must manage relations with its Mediterranean partners. A joint presidency held by a southern country and an EU country will be the guarantee of balanced cooperation and will make it easier for the various players to pursue these objectives.

Finally, to quote Robert Schuman, it will be based on "concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity." The initiative will succeed if these common projects are of high quality. It is this that will enable citizens to feel the strength of the ties between the two shores of the Mediterranean. As the member of the commission responsible for of this region, I would therefore like to promote the "Motorways of the Sea" initiative, the linking-up of the transMaghreb African motorway, solar energy and the fight against pollution of the Mediterranean Sea. These projects will help structure the region and enable non-state players, civil society and business to become involved. Europe should provide leverage, and private capital the wherewithal. The European Commission intends to present these projects at the summit to launch the Union for the Mediterranean in Paris on July 13.

The Mediterranean, or, for the ancient Romans, the "middle of the Earth," was the birthplace of Europe, and is now its future. It is thus with hope and determination that the European Commission is pursuing the Union for the Mediterranean initiative. *Benita Ferrero-Waldner is a member of the European Commission responsible for external relations and the European neighborhood policy.

Daðýstan Çetinkaya

Thýnk tank cafe´

dagistancetinkaya@todayszaman.com.tr

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CM Y K

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COLUMNS

TODAY’S ZAMAN 15

M O N D AY, M AY 2 6 , 2 0 0 8

Does the West care?

Does the West care about democracy in Turkey? The answer is, surely, yes. Both the EU and the US would certainly like to see democracy consolidated in Turkey. It can be assumed that in the wake of Sept. 11, Washington, like Brussels, better understands that an increasingly democratic and prosperous Turkey, a source of inspiration for liberals and democrats in the rest of the Muslim world, is in the interests of the West and the world at large.

The case before the Constitutional Court asking for the closure of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has garnered nearly half of the vote in parliamentary elections last July, is a "judicial coup" attempt that seriously threatens democracy in Turkey. The crisis created by the case may be said to provide an opportunity to test the assumption that the West does care about democracy in Turkey.

Let's begin with the EU. The EU Commission (EC), the European Parliament (EP) and governments of various EU member states, mainly Britain, Sweden and Germany, have all strongly reacted to the closure case and stated their support for continued democratic reforms in Turkey. This is surely most welcome and may indeed at least partially make up for the EU's loss of "soft power"

ÝHSAN DAÐI

ÞAHÝN ALPAY s.alpay@todayszaman.com

over Turkey and perhaps eventually boost reforms. Certain other EU members have, however, either (like France) kept ominously silent or (like Austria) declared total disinterest. Austria's foreign minister, on visit in Ankara in late April, was content to say: "Turks will have to find a way out of this problem themselves. We cannot become some sort of an arbiter…" while not missing the opportunity to reiterate the offer to Turkey to consider a "privileged partnership" with rather than full membership in the EU. It seems possible that some EU members will try to seize on the closure of the AKP as an opportunity to suspend (never to resume) accession negotiations.

How about the US? It was clear during the Cold War years that Washington was more interested in seeing pro-US governments in

charge in Ankara, whatever their nature, as witnessed by its active support or silent approval of the various military interventions the country has experienced since the 1960s. Turkish democrats will never forget when in 2003 the Turkish Parliament rejected a resolution to allow US troops to invade Iraq from Turkish territory and US Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz blamed the Turkish military for not playing "a leadership role." The rift between Washington and Ankara ensuing from Turkish non-cooperation in the invasion of Iraq has only recently and partially been mended.

Today Turkish public opinion does not have a clear picture of the position of the Bush administration on the current crisis in Turkey.

The broadly shared impression is that the Bush administration cares less for democracy in Turkey than maintaining good relations with the Turkish military for continued access to its facilities.

The US stance perhaps best finds its expression in the words of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who said the AKP closure case is "a matter … for Turks to decide" (April 16) or in the words of the head of the State Department's European Bureau: "We are not taking sides." This stance has angered American supporters of Turkish democracy. Former Ambassador to Turkey Morton Abramowitz and

No Comment

XIAOYUTONG, AP

Henri J. Barkey wrote: "The US cannot stand on the sidelines … [and] must make clear privately and, if necessary, publicly that attempting to remove the AKP in this manner endangers bilateral cooperation." (Newsweek, April 14, 2008) A Washington Post editorial called on the Bush administration "to make it plain that banning the AKP would cause serious damage to US-Turkish relations." (May 2, 2008) Another former ambassador to Ankara, Mark R. Parris, was most explicit: "To suggest, as the Bush administration has come close to doing, that the US is indifferent to the AKP's fate would be myopic." (WSJ, May 17, 2008) The Bush administration may not be receptive to advice. But the next (and hopefully Democratic) administration should seriously consider the following: The split in Turkey is between democrats and authoritarian Kemalists. The increasingly paranoid and xenophobic Kemalist establishment is no longer in favor of Turkey's continued Westernization and modernization. Democratically elected governments -- and not the Kemalist establishment -- stand for the country's integration with the EU and for close (but not dependent) relations with the US. Note: This weekly column will not appear for two weeks.

ÖMER TAÞPINAR o.taspinar@todayszaman.com

i.dagi@todayszaman.com

The new ‘reactýonarýes’ of modern Turkey

Turkey’s peaceful return to the Mýddle East

It has become clear that some representatives of state institutions are the new reactionaries of modern Turkey.

They resist change at the expense of not only democracy and rule of law but also of their own legitimacy. A judiciary that loses its impartiality is suicidal. But as reflected in the statement of the Supreme Court of Appeals, they do not mind. Setting themselves in a particular political camp involves significant risks. At the end of the day a radical judicial reform supported by the public at large becomes inevitable and justifiable. Those who try to preserve their privileged status now may then lose all they have along with their political allies.

But it is unfair to expect the judiciary to remain impartial on the historical struggle in Turkey between those who are appointed and those who are elected, in other words the struggle between the state elite and political elite. The bottom line is that while the former uses their built-in power in the system, the latter still has the "future" so long as the country remains some sort of democracy. The political elite who talk about democracy, the rule of law and EU integration have "discursive supremacy" over their opponents. What the state elite demand is reminiscent of an old-fashioned authoritarian government. Domestic social and economic forces with their international partners would not allow a return to such a model. The authoritarian elements may enjoy power they had inserted into the system in Turkey but lack a social and economic support base. They are the loonies of Turkish politics who are bound to lose their social and economic edge at the end of the day. This is what makes them furious in their statements and actions, which in turn adds to their isolation and frustration.

The judiciary along with the universities makes up the anti-reform camp. How strange this is -- it used to be Islamic conservative institutions and scholars who resisted change a century ago. Their slogan was "reforms will destroy Islam." Now it is the same with the reactionary institutions that fight against change on the grounds that "reforms will destroy secularism." What both really meant was that "reforms will change the established order" they benefited from. So a century ago it was not Islam that the reactionaries were defending, and now it is not secularism that the new reactionaries are upholding, but their vested interests in the status quo.

Can you imagine how deeply anti-Western those elite institutions of the state are? They cannot imagine how the EU could suggest judicial reform. That means that they have no idea whatsoever about the EU accession process. Well, I guess they do not care. The EU is viewed as an unnecessary institution that threatens their privileged status in Turkey.

It appears that the judiciary is one of the most conservative institutions in Turkey. It is a community that isn't in contact with the outside world. Not equipped with skills to survive in a Turkey that has integrated with the world they get scared and resist. At every opportunity the high judges oppose Turkey's integration with the world, be it economic or political. They have unfavorable views not only of the EU but of the European Court of Human Rights, as well.

Years ago they had also opposed the legislation enabling international arbitration for companies investing in Turkey.

Many privatization schemes were turned down by the courts. Most recently the Constitutional Court abolished a law enabling the purchase of properties in Turkey by foreign entities. Now the government is trying to find another way to overcome bureaucratic barriers. Without expertise the high courts pass judgments on "public interest."

The time has come to question how fit they are to make a decision on what is in the "public interest" and what is not.

This will be just a beginning of pushing back against the attempts of the judiciary to expand its realm at the expense of the legislative and executive branches of the state.

Regardless of how unaccountable they are and how untouchable they assume themselves to be, the judiciary alone is not the state itself. A contemporary state needs representative institutions.

It finally happened. The whole world now knows that the current Israeli-Syrian peace effort taking place in Ýstanbul was born in Ankara in February of last year during a meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan. In fact Turkey has been offering to act as a mediator between the two hostile neighbors since 2004.

What is now taking place in Ýstanbul under the guidance of Ahmet Davutoðlu is therefore a major success story for Turkish diplomacy. As Washington Post columnist David Ignatius acknowledged last week, this situation heralds Turkey's return to the Middle East for the first time since 1918.

What about the American reaction to all this? Now that Israel in on board and indirectly talking to the Syrian regime through the Turks, you no longer hear Washington complain about Turkey's close relations with Syria. Now that Turkey is successfully mediating between Tel Aviv and Damascus, you also no longer hear the Israel lobby in Washington complain about Turkey's contact with Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal in Ankara two years ago. It is time for Washington to realize that Turkey's long-term effort to de-isolate Syria and work for peace in the Middle East deserves serious support. The US currently shuns all dialogue with Damascus. This at least seems to be the policy advocated by the vice president's office.

Yet, all bad policies eventually need to come to an end. It already took too long for Washington to realize that not talking to Damascus pushes the Syrian regime further towards Iran. Instead of pushing Syria and Iran together, Washington should give the Syrian-Israeli peace talks a much more encouraging push. The long-term interests of the US will be better served if Israel eventually secures a peace accord that decouples the unnatural alliance between Syria and Iran.

Of course, seasoned Middle East analysts are cautious. No one is betting that the new round of negotiations between Israel and Syria -- the first serious peace talks in eight years - will lead to a settlement any time soon. Some Arab commentators are also worried that Israel's decision to talk to Syria may become an excuse to give up on discussions with the Palestinians on a two-state solution. They also ask a legitimate question: Is Tel Aviv serious about peace? The Israeli prime minister himself is the target of a potentially careerending police inquiry into whether he took illegal cash from a businessman. Olmert's government is also in the midst of peace talks with the Palestinians that have made little progress and face strong domestic opposition.

Given Olmert's poor standing in the polls and his fractious government, it is tempting to divert some attention away from his domestic troubles. Moreover, Olmert would face huge opposition to a major peace treaty with Damascus, especially if such a deal would include giving up the Golan Heights. The Golan has no religious significance for Jews and is home only to 20,000 settlers compared with the 450,000 in the West Bank. But many in Israel still believe in the strategic value of this land. According to the latest polls, two-thirds of Israelis continue to see secession of the Golan as a major risk to national security. A strong Israeli leader might be in a position to convince his own people of the case to give up the Golan, but Olmert is politically weak and looks unable to deliver on a meaningful peace deal.

Syria, for its part, has two goals. First, it wants the return of the Golan Heights, captured by Israel in the 1967 war.

Second, the regime of Bashar Assad wants a normalization of relations with the United States. Damascus is increasingly unhappy about its isolation from the international community. Particularly worrisome for Assad is the UN tribunal commissioned to investigate Rafik Hariri's assassination in 2005. Finally, last week's power-sharing agreement in Lebanon -- granting Hezbullah a potential veto over the Lebanese government's strategic decisions -- gives Syria a stronger hand in negotiations with Israel. Tel Aviv now has all the more reason to woo Syria away from its current network of allies. All this may appear very complex to Turkish diplomats used to dealing with the West. The politics of the Middle East is like a multidimensional chess game.

Chess, of course, is a Persian game. And since the invasion of Iraq by the United States, Iran has been a masterful player. Now that Turkey is making a peaceful come back to the region, Ankara will have to get better at this game.

Recent Georgýan electýons brýng no change HASAN KANBOLAT h.kanbolat@todayszaman.com

The United National Movement (UNM), the party led by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, won a victory in the recent elections held on May 21. The opposition, which seemed to lack a charismatic leader and willingness to act together, claimed that the elections were fraudulent; however, these elections are being viewed as an indicator of democratic advancement in the country.

These historical elections were of great importance because they showed that Georgia had become the rare country among the former Soviet satellites to make the transition to institutionalized democracy. However, its image as a country that has promoted a shift to democratic governance following the dissolution of the Soviet Union was seriously undermined following the administration's reliance on coercive measures to deal with the opposition demonstrations in 2007.

According to the unofficial results, the UNM received 59.31 percent of the votes cast. The nine-party opposition bloc running under the name United Opposition -National Council, New Rightists received 17.61 percent, whereas the Christian Democratic Party and Labor Party received 8.87 and 7.59 percent, respectively, exceeding the 5 percent election threshold. The capital city of the country, which hosts one-third of the whole population, was the only election district where the UNM's votes decreased. While Saakashvili's votes decreased in Tbilisi, his opponents doubled their support bases.

In Vake, a relatively prosperous and intellectual part of Tbilisi, the UNM received 33.93 percent of the vote, while the nine-party opposition increased its votes to 42.34 percent. In the Gidani district of Tbilisi, the ruling party received 39.48 percent, whereas the largest opposition

bloc was supported by 27.75 percent of the voters.

Likewise, in Didube, the UNM received 37.21 percent, while the opposition received 36.41 percent of the vote.

Police reliance on violent measures in the capital against the opposition, repressive actions vis-à-vis intellectuals during the term of Saakashvili, financial restrictions imposed on artistic activities, seizure of properties by the state and other actions that offended the wealthy segment of society arguably caused the drop in support for the ruling UNM. In other election districts, however, the ruling party secured landslide victories. For instance, the party received 90.21 percent of the vote in Ahalkalaki with a predominantly Armenian-Georgian population; similarly, the party also received 83.87 percent of the vote in Marneuli with an Azeri-Georgian population.

The Georgian model can be best summarized as the removal of Soviet supporters from the political stage via a civilian coup, seizure of official power by young leaders who have a Western-style education and training, the initiation of democratization in the country, acceleration of integration with the Western world and construction of Western-style democracies in a former Soviet republic.

However, whether this model will prove to be successful depends to a great extent on whether the Saakashvili administration makes the transition to a Western-style democracy or a single-man regime, and in the event of the latter, whether Turkey, the EU and US would accept a single-man rule in the country. Moreover, it should also be noted that while the Georgian people overwhelmingly endorsed Saakashvili's attempts to maintain good ties with the Euro-Atlantic world, his steps are not entirely satisfactory or sufficient. The measures taken to make the country more prosperous and secure integration with the West are not viewed as adequate. The Georgian people are tired of uncertainty in regards to Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia; for these reasons, the Saakashvili administration needs to resolve the ongoing problems in these two problematic areas and take effective actions to integrate with the EU and NATO by relying on his recent election victory.

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16 TODAY’S ZAMAN

MONDAY, MAY 26, 2008

LEISURE

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Gregorian Calendar: 26 May 2008 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 21 Jumada al-Awwal 1429 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 21 Iyyar 5768 calendar@todayszaman.com Today is the National Day of Healing (formerly the National Sorry Day) in Australia. The first National Sorry Day was held on May 26, 1998, one year after the tabling in Federal Parliament of a report that highlighted the stolen generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were removed from their families and brought up by non-indigenous foster parents, the government and

movýe guýde

other charitable organizations of the day. These children suffered from loss of family, culture and language.

This day is also known as the Journey of Healing Day. Today is a national holiday in Georgia. On this day in 1918 the Democratic Republic of Georgia was established. Facing permanent internal and external problems, the young state was unable to withstand the invasion by the Russian Red Armies,

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and collapsed in 1921 to become a Soviet republic.

May 26, the day of the establishment of the DRG, is still celebrated as a national holiday.

Today is also the Independence Day of Guyana.

Guyana received its independence from Britain on this day in 1966. On the same day its first constitution took effect and reaffirmed the principle that Guyana was a democratic state founded on the rule of law. By Kerim Balcý

‘The Other Boleyn Girl’

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

Memorabýlýa sýte lowers velvet rope, fýghts fraud

ÝSTANBUL: Niþantaþý Citylife: 11:00 12:15 13:30 14:45 16:15 17:30 19:00 20:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 23:00 24:30 Caddebostan AFM: 10:30 11:55 13:20 14:45 16:10 17:35 19:05 20:30 21:50 Fri/Sat: 23:15 ANKARA: Ata On Tower: 12:00 13:15 14:30 15:45 17:00 18:15 19:30 20:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 23:15 ÝZMÝR: Cinebonus Konak Pier: 10:30 11:45 13:15 14:30 16:00 17:15 18:45 20:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 23:00 24:15 ANTALYA: Cinebonus Migros: 11:15 12:30 13:45 15:15 16:30 18:00 19:15 20:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 23:45

THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL

ÝSTANBUL: Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat: 23:30 24:30 Caddebostan AFM: 10:30 13:10 15:45 18:20 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:30 ANKARA: Ata On Tower: 12:30 14:45 17:15 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ÝZMÝR: Cinebonus Konak Pier: 10:45 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:30

WICKER PARK

ÝSTANBUL: Þiþli Movieplex: 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: Cinebonus Bilkent: 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15 ÝZMÝR: Cinebonus Balçova Kipa: 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ANTALYA: Cinebonus Migros: 12:00 16:45 21:30

NEVER BACK DOWN

ÝSTANBUL: Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:30 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:30 ANKARA: Cinebonus Arcadium: 11:50 14:20 16:50 19:20 21:50 Fri/Sat: 24:10 ÝZMÝR: Konak AFM Passtel: 12:00 14:30 17:00 19:30 21:50 ANTALYA: Lara Prestige: 12:00 14:15 16:30 18:45 21:00

DECEPTION

ÝSTANBUL: Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:15 13:30 16:15 18:45 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:45 ANKARA: Ata On Tower: 12:00 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 ÝZMÝR: Cinebonus Konak Pier: 10:30 12:45 15:00 17:15 19:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ANTALYA: AFM Laura: 11:00 13:00 15:45 18:30 21:15

Sudoku

PHOTO

Trekkies can boldly go online to get a personalized message from Captain Kirk himself via a Web site that puts a new twist on the global $4 billion memorabilia market often beset by fraud. Actor William Shatner, beloved by legions as Captain James T. Kirk in the cult “Star Trek” series and a member of the “Boston Legal” cast, joins celebrity wrestlers, rockers, sports stars and an astronaut on www.liveautographs.com, which claims to lower the velvet rope between fans and their heroes.

For Rob Dwek, LiveAutographs chief executive, it’s all good. “Having spent 17 years in the entertainment business, I was aware of just how much distance there is between the fan base and celebrities. We’re creating a winwin situation for both,” said Dwek, a former television executive. He noted that, in addition to providing convenience to autograph seekers and luminaries, the site offers better fraud safeguards than other online memorabilia sites.

About $400 million is spent yearly on signed memorabilia via the Web, but much of the merchandise turns out to be counterfeit, Dwek said, citing an investigation conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service. The three-year probe found that more than 50 percent, and perhaps as much as 90 percent, of items comprising the overall $1 billion US memorabilia market in 2000 were fake.

“When you’re dealing with an autograph, it’s hard to tell if it’s real or not. At the end of the day, you’re putting your trust in the company. We’re removing the middle person so the fan can see the star sign the item,” Dwek said. Customers of LiveAutographs see stars sign their items and can ask them questions. In addition to signing the memorabilia on camera, the celebrity answers in a personalized video, which LiveAutographs sends via download, or a DVD that’s mailed with the merchandise.

Dwek said LiveAutographs authenticates items in three ways: by letting customers witness the signing via video, providing matching bar codes on the DVD and merchandise and issuing a PIN on each purchase cre-

REUTERS

About $400 million is spent yearly on signed memorabilia via the Web, but much of the merchandise turns out to be counterfeit, says LiveAutographs Chief Executive Rob Dwek

Professional wrestler and actor Hulk Hogan's fans can get his autograph via the Web site www.liveautographs.com. ating a chain of title for each item.

At Ironclad Authentics LLC, a memorabilia firm owned by former Baltimore Orioles baseball star Cal Ripken Jr., product manager Ryan Foley said vendors are always trying new ways to prove authenticity, which sometimes creates customer confusion. “Some companies have tried gimmicks like putting a camera on a pen to show proof that a baseball was signed, but it’s not exactly proof that the baseball you purchased was the one that was signed,” Foley said. “Holograms with unique tracking numbers is the main way most memorabilia companies are practicing

Cem Kýzýltuð c.kiziltug@todayszaman.com 472

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Movýemax 07:35 Read It and Weep 09:10 Nearing Grace 11:00 Déjà Vu 13:10 Emile 14:50 The Thief Lord 16:35 Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World 18:30 Emotional Arithmetic 20:30 Ira and Abby 22:30 Syriana 00:45 Pauly Shore Is Dead 02:15 The Eye: Infinity

Hallmark 07:30 The Sign of Four 09:15 McLeod’s Daughters 10:00 Hard Time: Hostage Hotel 11:45 Spies, Lies and Naked Thighs 13:30 The Sign of Four 15:15 McLeod’s Daughters 16:15 Hard Time: Hostage Hotel 18:00 Spies, Lies and Naked Thighs 20:00 Wild at Heart 21:00 Don’t Look Down 23:00 Inspector Morse 01:00 April One - Stand Off

Comedymax 08:00 Til Death 08:30 What I Like About You 09:00 For Your Love 09:30 Out of Practice 10:00 Two Guys and a Girl 10:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:00 Ugly Betty 12:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos 12:30 The Game 13:00 Still Standing 13:30 American Dad 14:00 Til Death 14:30 What I Like About You 15:00 For Your Love 15:30 Out of Practice 16:00 Two Guys and a Girl 16:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 17:00 Ugly Betty 18:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos 18:30 The Game 19:00 Still Standing 19:30 American Dad 20:00 Til Death 20:30 What I Like About You 21:00 Two Guys and a Girl 21:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 22:00 Ugly Betty 23:00 Entourage 23:30 American Dad 00:00 Til Death

TRT Tourýsm Radýo

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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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08:15 The Good Son 09:40 Countdown 11:20 Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco 12:50 Young Einstein 14:25 When Time Ran Out...

16:15 Kissing Jessica Stein 18:15 Oh, God! 20:00 Le Divorce 22:00 Club Paradise 23:40 Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man 01:25 Freddy’s Nightmares: Welcome to Springwood 02:15 Le Divorce

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Cnbc-e 18:10 How I Met Your Mother 18:50 Without a Trace 20:00 Cold Case 21:00 CSI: NY 22:00 Cannes Film Festival Awards Ceremony 24:00 Cold Case 01:00 CSI: NY 02:00 Cannes Film Festival Awards Ceremony

Goldmax

these days,” he said, adding that certificates of authenticity from third-party companies are also commonly used.

Dwek said he expects that LiveAutographs will sign between 50 and 70 celebrities in its first year of operation. In addition to Shatner, wrestlers Hulk Hogan and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, tennis star Serena Williams, actress Carmen Electra, and Raven Symone of Disney’s “That’s So Raven,” rocker Dave Navarro, Slash of Guns ‘N’ Roses and astronaut Buzz Aldrin have signed on.

Dwek said each celebrity commits to a minimum 90 minutes of their time to answer fans’ questions, but can stay longer if necessary. “Celebrities will appear about three or four times a year and we begin selling their items about six weeks prior to their appearances,” he said.

Frank Garo, a forensic handwriting expert said LiveAutographs offers a solid concept and its formidable backing gives the company legitimacy, but noted the site is clearly aimed at high-end buyers in the memorabilia market. “If they market this thing properly, it should make some waves, but it’s not for everybody. They may get high rollers who want a Hulk item to impress their friends, but in the long run, it’s the meat and potatoes people that really carry the memorabilia market,” he said.

Garo said most autograph seekers are looking to spend far less than the pricetags posted on LiveAutographs, where items start around $129 for a celebrity autograph and go as high as $2,500 for a replica of a Buzz Aldrin spacesuit.

Among other wares to be found on LiveAutographs.com are a Star Trek lithograph for $425, a Star Trek TOS Communicator prop for $749, Hogan-signed replicas of his Size 15 yellow wrestling boots or Austin-signed replicas of the Smoking Skulls Belt he designed himself.

Dwek said many celebrities are in talks, hoping to join the site and use it as a charity fund-raising vehicle.

“We’re trying to cause a major disruption in this business when it comes to fraud. I hope to raise the bar for those players who are legitimate, and to put those who commit fraud out of business,” Dwek said. Los Angeles Reuters

Mr. DýploMAT!

08:00 Rachael Ray Show 09:00 The O.C. 10:00 The Martha Stewart Show 11:00 The O.C. 12:00 Ellen DeGeneres Show 13:00 Hollyoaks 13:30 Rachael Ray Show 14:30 The Martha Stewart Show 15:30 The O.C. 16:30 Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:30 Hollyoaks 18:00 The Martha Stewart Show 19:00 The O.C. 20:00 Cheers 20:30 Hollyoaks 21:00 Footballers' Wives 22:15 Dexter 23:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 23:30 The Sarah Silverman Program 24:00 High Stakes Poker 01:00 Dexter 02:00 Footballers' Wives

Across 1 Complained vehicle went too fast, cutting dangerous bend (6) 5 Island’s main road dividing two preserves (8) 9 Heart of Exmoor, endless bother for drivers (8) 10 Prison’s no good, the reverse of secure for this fellow (6) 11 Pretentious daughter getting into “opera on line” (2-2-2) 12 They’re oddly lacking a boundary (8) 14 Appealing to no-one for such a loan? (8-4) 17 Fashion designer’s clothing cleric in formal attire (7,5) 20 Dry quality of canned sardines (8) 22 Nobleman heading for this island (6) 23 Sack of newspapers for collection (6) 25 Writer produces article on

Pied Piper’s mission, putting name at the end (8) 26 Clever, closing window a little bit (8) 27 Commissioned officer, one giving order (6)

Down

15 I attend sporting event weekly (9) 16 Repair finished on country house, say (8) 18 Criminal sort captured by commander and put to death (7) 19 Family in which the females stay young, presumably (6) 21 Boat crew worried, according to radio (5) 24 Entomologist’s enthusiasm (3)

2 A letter read out in confession (6) 3 After short walk, imagined being given sustenance (11) 4 Mime, perhaps, being performed in Scottish town (9) 5 Caretaker picked up rubYesterday's solution Yesterday’s Solution23,638 bish after bank holiday (7) A E RO B I C H UME R U S 6 Officer course for S A A O E A E T S AMA R I T A N N I C E R American students (5) U B B O N L I 7 A bit of tonsillitis could MA L T A N Y A S A L A N D E E R E S I E you make this (3) OR D I N A R Y S E AMA N 8 Count on these charges to A A S O C T C A B I N E T P U D D I NG trap clever man, caught A A E L Y O F only once (8) P O T P OU R R I S I S A L U H M K I T A 13 Trouble with vermin in L I T H E T H E S A U R U S empty farmhouse, creaC U G E I S I H ture’s natural habitat (11) ON B O A R D T O T A L L Y

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

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

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CONTINUATION

TODAY’S ZAMAN 17

M O N D AY, M AY 2 6 , 2 0 0 8

Study: Turkey needs separation of powers, judicial overhaul The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), too, had intended to restructure the judiciary and had drafted amendments to laws pertaining to the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Accounts, which were approved by former head of the Supreme Court of Appeals Osman Arslan and head of the Supreme Court of Accounts Mehmet Damar. However, the bill amending the Supreme Court of Appeals was withdrawn in early 2008 due to the election of the new head to the court. The bill would decrease the number of members of the Supreme Court of Accounts and transfer some powers and authorities to regional administrative courts. It is doubtful whether this bill will be introduced to Parliament in the future, particularly given the recently heightened tensions between the government and the high judiciary.

Similarly, enactment of the new law relating to the Supreme Court of Accounts was aborted.

How do constitutional courts work?

According to the center's study, in none of the EU member countries is the parliament denied involvement in the appointment of members of the constitutional court. In Germany, Belgium, and Hungary, all members of the high judiciary are appointed by the parliament, while in the US, Russia, France and Romania, the power to appoint judicial members is shared by the legislative and executive organs.

Moreover, many EU member countries do have institutions that are similar to the Turkish Constitutional Court. This is the case for Denmark, Belgium and the UK. In Italy and Spain, the legislative, executive and judiciary jointly appoint members.

In Italy, one-third of the members are appointed by the president, one-third by the parliament and one-third by the top judicial organs, while in Spain, parliament appoints 12 members while the government and the judiciary each appoint two.

In Russia, 19 members of the constitutional court are appointed by the Federation Council upon nomination by the president. In France, nine members are appointed by the president, the parliament speaker and the senate speaker for a period of nine years. In Italy, out of 15 members, the president, the parliament and the judiciary each appointment five for a period of nine years.

Worldwide status of high judiciary In many developed countries, the powers for removing judges or prosecutors from office are distributed among the legislative and executive bodies. There are exceptions to this rule in France and Italy as well as in Turkey, which imported the definition of secularism in its Constitution from France and its penal laws from Italy in the 1940s. In Turkey, the president has the right to appoint the Supreme Board of Prosecutors and Judges (HSYK), the chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court of

Appeals and university rectors, but is denied the right to remove them from office.

France: The supreme court of appeals and the council of state are not defined in the constitution. Rectors, members of the supreme court of appeals and the council of state are appointed by the Cabinet. The counterpart of the Turkish Constitutional Court is the Constitution Council, consisting of nine members serving for a single term of nine years. Every three years, one-third of its members are renewed. The president, parliament speaker and the senate speaker appoint three members each.

Austria: The chairman, deputy chairman and members of the administrative court are appointed by the president of the federation and nominated by the federal government.

Italy: The decisions of the council of state and the supreme court of accounts can be reviewed by the supreme court of appeals. The constitutional court consists of 13 judges, three of whom are appointed by the president, three by parliament (through secret vote) and three by the judiciary.

Netherlands: The monarch is the head of the council of state. The members of the royal family are appointed as members under the law.

The members are appointed with a royal decree and can be removed from office under the law.

The chief prosecutor of the supreme court of appeals can be appointed for life with a royal de-

cree. They can resign from officially of their own accord or when they attain a certain age. The members of the supreme court of appeals are appointed by the lower house of parliament.

Belgium: There is no constitutional court.

The supreme court of appeals acts as a supreme tribunal. Judges and prosecutors are appointed by the monarch.

Portugal: There are the constitutional court, the council of state and the supreme court of appeals. Among them, the supreme court of appeals is regarded as the highest court. Judges are appointed by the chairman of these courts. The judges who are members of the council of state elect a chairman among themselves.

Germany: There is a Federal Supreme Court. The judges of this court are appointed by the justice minister, an appointment committee and the Federal Parliament. Its legislation related duties are governed by the federal law.

Spain: The supreme court of appeals is regarded as the highest court. There is a Supreme Court that is the counterpart of the Turkish Constitutional Court. It may conduct investigations into criminal activities of the president, the government and other members. It consists of 12 members appointed by the monarch.

Four members are appointed by the congress, four by the senate, two by the government and two by the General Justice Council.

contýnued from page 1 The students brought traditional costumes, photos, food, handcrafts and music from their countries to display at the fair. The food offered by the foreign students was at first accepted with hesitation by Turkish visitors, but when they looked up to see smiling faces and hear kind offers in Turkish they quickly overcame their reserve.

"I made a world tastes tour in 80 minutes," said Mustafa Ýlhan, while eating dried fruit from Thailand. Ahmet Küpeli, working at the Dutch exhibit said within only a couple of hours they had served guests 20 kilograms of cheese.

There was a very long queue in front of the Indian exhibit as well as those of Mongolia and Japan. At the Indian booth, two sari-clad students drew beautiful patterns with Indian henna on the hands of visitors, while at the Mongolian and Japanese booths, students decorated visitors' arms with their name written in beautiful calligraphy.

Not only the food and drawings, but the different musical instruments, handcrafts and costumes also drew the attention of visitors. A young student standing in front of the South African exhibit shouted excitedly to his friend several meters away, "Look, look Uður, a real ostrich egg!"

In one corner of the fair, students from Mozambique to Argentina and from

Vietnam to Denmark were performing pieces in Turkish. Visiting couple Sefa and Hatice, accompanied by their, Alp, said everything was interesting and educational, but that the best part of the fair was listening to all the foreign students speaking, singing and reciting poetry in Turkish.

Students in traditional dress were happy to have their photo taken with

Turkish visitors. The most popular were the students from African countries, although the Vietnamese students were blinded by camera flashes, too. They posed in their pink dresses and woven headgear around a tea table, even providing traditional hats to guests who wanted pictures taken with them. The Kazakh students were dressed in armor,

while Turkmen students with fleece hats posed for pictures and then sang traditional songs for visitors.

The Turkmen students also left a notebook for visitors, encouraging them to record their thoughts and opinions about the Turkish Language Olympics and the fair. One wrote there, "Thank you for coming, and don't forget about us." Ankara Today's Zaman

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Silence in judiciary row is betrayel to voter, says PM PHOTO

contýnued from page 1 Members of the government have pointed out that the judges had commented about a closure case against the AK Party currently being heard by the Constitutional Court over allegations of anti-secularism. Some have criticized the responses for contributing to tension.

"We should understand very well that my sphere of duty is very specific. I should never exceed it. It is out of the question for the executive branch to step outside the boundaries set by the law," he said, emphasizing the importance of separation of powers; however, he said, he had to respond to the judicial memo. "I don't mean to offend anyone, but if a declaration is released about a party closure process, letting that slide without an answer would be betraying our 16 million voters. I cannot let such a thing go without a response," he said.

He stated that everybody must respect the principle of separation of powers. Noting that the legislative, executive and judicial branches existed for the entire country, he said: "I would like to emphasize yet again that there is no place for hostility between us. I have to say this based on my belief in the principle of the supremacy of law, which applies to everyone."

Erdoðan also criticized the closure case against his party, saying the prosecutor was acting on a double standard. He said although main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz

Baykal had many times read full verses from the Quran or made references to the hadith, his own single reference to a Quranic expression was being used against him and his party in the closure case.

He noted that he was certain Turkey would find the right path at the end of today's discussions.

"There may be citizens who are worried about how all this will end, those who feel that their way of life is in danger. Do not forget, we are all here for each other. My way of living, my freedom of choice is entrusted in your hands. Your freedom of choice is entrusted in your hands. None of us have to

impose our own choices on the other," he said.

"The republic as a democratic, secular and social state of law is the guarantee for all of us."

Judiciary-government row In addition to accusing the government of trying to create a pro-executive branch judiciary, the court's statement released last week had accused the government of undermining the Turkish Republic's founding values. The judges in their harshly worded statement also claimed that the AK Party was trying to influence the course of the closure case against it

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Israel points to Iranian Consulate in Ýstanbul in spying accusations An Iranian-born Israeli was charged Sunday with passing defense information to Tehran in meetings with Iranian officials at the country's consulate in Ýstanbul, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld has said.

Rosenfeld said the man, who lives abroad, was arrested by police and agents of the Shin Bet security agency on May 8 after arriving in Israel for a visit. He was questioned on suspicion of having contacts with an Iranian intelligence agent, Rosenfeld said. He told interrogators he had repeatedly visited the Iranian consulate in Ýstanbul and gave the Iranians names of acquaintances he said served in the Israeli security forces.

In April 2007 Israeli security officials said they had broken up an Iranian plot to recruit Israelis as spies, centered largely on the Ýstanbul consulate. Documents released at the time by the Shin Bet said at least two people there were intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover. Turkey is a short flight from Tel Aviv and a convenient point for Israelis of Iranian origin seeking to obtain an Iranian passport in order to visit their relatives.

Iran does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and does not allow entry on an Israeli passport.

About 135,000 Israeli Jews trace their roots to Iran, according to Israeli government figures, and many have relatives there. An estimated 25,000 Jews live in overwhelmingly Shiite Muslim Iran. The Shin Bet has said passport applicants at the Ýstanbul consulate had been quizzed in the past about their Israeli military service and about the general economic and security climate in Israel. Jerusalem AP

Nobel Peace Center opens controversial Fallaci exhibition

PHOTO

Turkish Language Olympics exhibition offers taste of world culture

ALÝ ÜNAL

contýnued from page 1

filed at the Constitutional Court. In an equally harsh tone, various members of the government accused the judiciary of violating the principle of judicial impartiality. Government spokesperson Cemil Çiçek on Thursday criticized the statement issued by the court's Board of Chairmen as "eroding the public trust in the judiciary." Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Þahin said the statement was politically motivated. However, the Board of Chairmen of the Council of State stepped into the row in support of the Supreme Court of Appeals.

President Abdullah Gül said he would invite leaders of political parties to the presidential palace to talk about what can be done to resolve the conflict after Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli appealed to him to do so on Thursday.

Bahçeli also sided with the court, accusing the AK Party of having caused the issuing of the statement through "increased attacks on the judiciary."

At the heart of the conflict lies an indictment against the AK Party that was filed with the Constitutional Court on March 14 by the chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals on the grounds that the party had become a "focal point of anti-secular activity." The prosecutor's indictment also calls for a five-year political ban on 71 politicians, including 33 AK Party deputies, President Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

An exhibition dedicated to the late Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci, known in her later years for a fiercely antiIslamic stance, has gone on display at Nobel Peace Center exhibition hall in Norway's capital city of Oslo.

The exhibition includes an article by Fallaci titled "Islam as an Enemy," while movies screened within the exhibition hall portray Islam as a dangerous religion. The exhibition, in which the Quran is defined by Fallaci as "the most dangerous book ever written," drew immediate reaction from Muslim visitors.

Nobel Peace Center Director Bente Erichsen spoke to the Cihan news agency and explained that the exhibition had been held within the scope of freedom of expression.

Erichsen said they welcome everybody's ideas and added: "We have hosted the ideas of many people, whether we liked their ideas or not, in our exhibition hall. This is the realization of our perception of freedom of expression."

Fallaci generated great controversy in the Islamic world when she wrote an article about Islam in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. Erichsen noted freedom of expression was letting people say whatever they want to say and added, "We need to give this opportunity to Italian journalist Fallaci, too, even if we do not like her ideas."

Fallaci died on Sept. 15, 2006 at the age of 77. The Italian journalist was famed for her interviews and war reports but became notorious in later life for her Islamophobia. At the time of her death she faced trial in her native Italy on charges of vilifying Islam. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

Author of Ergenekon books taken into custody Journalist Zihni Çakýr, who recently rose to prominence after publishing several books on the Ergenekon organization, has been taken into custody upon the order of Prosecutor Zekeriya Öz.

Teams from the Ankara Counterterrorism Unit raided the house Çakýr was staying at as a guest at 9 p.m. on Saturday evening. Çakýr recently spoke to Today's Zaman and stated that he could be taken into custody at any time, that he was being followed wherever he went and that he was concerned for his life.

His book, "The Collapse of Ergenekon," published before the investigation into the organization was launched, exposed many pieces of information on ultranationalist groups. In his second book, titled, "The Collapse of Ergenekon 2," he mentioned an assassination attempt against former Chief of General Staff Gen. Hüseyin Kývrýkoðlu. His latest book, "Its Codename: Coup," also includes striking claims.

Ergenekon is a shadowy crime network and an illegal, neo-nationalist deep-state organization which has been linked with many murders committed in the last two decades and many other acts of crime. Ahmet Dönmez Ýstanbul

Furnished rooms for rent from female owner.

Please contact: 0532 234 61 77

Your Ýstanbul tour guide 0532 234 61 77

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SPORTS

Lyon completes first French double with cup A Sidney Govou goal in extra time gave Olympique Lyon a 1-0 win over Paris St. Germain in the French Cup final to complete their first domestic double. Lyon had to wait for the 102nd minute to see winger Govou collect a Karim Benzema cross and score with a powerful shot from inside the box to give them further cause for celebration a week after they sealed their seventh title. Paris, Reuters

The Boston Celtics struck early and cruised to a dominant 94-80 road victory over the Detroit Pistons and a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday. Kevin Garnett had 22 points, 13 rebounds and six assists to lead Boston to its first road win of the post-season. Five other Celtics were in double figures. Richard Hamilton led the Pistons with 26 points. Paul Pierce said the Celtics, who scored the game's first 11 points, wanted to set the tone early. “Before the game, I told the guys, hey, during the regular season we were the best team in the league on the road, so let's go out here and try to show them,” Pierce told reporters after scoring 11 points. The Celtics did. Along with their 11-0 start, they used a 10-0 run late in the first period to take command. “We wanted to come out real aggressive, kind of take the crowd out of the game,” Pierce said. Detroit Reuters

ICE HOCKEY

Champions at a glance 2002 Trabzonspor 2003 Galatasaray 2004 Trabzonspor 2005 Trabzonspor 2006 Galatasaray 2007 Fenerbahçe 2008 Beþiktaþ

Red Wings' experience pays off in final opener The Detroit Red Wings took advantage of their greater experience to seal a 4-0 victory over the youthful Pittsburgh Penguins in Game One of the Stanley Cup final on Saturday. Since the seven-game finals format was introduced in 1939, the winner of the first has gone on to lift the Cup 77.9 percent of the time. Only seven percent of teams that have trailed 2-0 have claimed the trophy. Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien described his team's performance as its worst of the playoffs. “It's a good lesson,” Therrien told reporters. “They played a really good game.

They deserve a lot of credit. But in the meantime, we didn't play our game. I'm expecting a better effort from our team.” Detroit Reuters

SOCCER

Ireland held to a draw on Trapattoni debut Ireland snatched a 1-1 draw with Serbia on Saturday in what new coach Giovanni Trapattoni hailed as a good start to rebuild the team which failed to qualify for Euro 2008. Substitute Andy Keogh equalized in the last minute after Serbia substitute Marko Pantelic had put the visiting side ahead 15 minutes from time in the friendly at Croke Park. Trapattoni, appointed in February, said the team had improved compared to their performance against Brazil in a 1-0 defeat in Dublin in February and it was a good first step ahead of the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup. “I am happy because we didn't deserve to lose this match,” Trapattoni told a news conference. We certainly made a step ahead this evening.” Dublin Reuters

Beþiktaþ players celebrate with the trophy after crushing Galatasaray in the final.

ABDULLAH BOZKURT ÝSTANBUL

SOCCER

Roma beats Inter Milan to retain Italian Cup Philippe Mexes and Simone Perrotta scored as AS Roma beat Serie A champions Inter Milan 2-1 at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on Saturday to retain the Italian Cup. French defender Mexes glided unmarked into the area to smack a David Pizarro corner past the near post and open the score in the 35th minute. Italy midfielder Perrotta poked in after a one-two with Montenegro forward Mirko Vucinic to double Roma's lead in the 53rd. Inter's Portuguese midfielder Pele, on as a substitute, pulled a goal back just before the hour with a remarkable shot from 25 meters. Rome Reuters

SOCCER

Nothing normal for Grant as manager of Chelsea Avram Grant described himself as “The Normal One” when he succeeded “The Special One” Jose Mourinho as Chelsea's manager last September. His eight months in charge at Stamford Bridge were far from normal, however, despite him leading Chelsea close to a treble of Champions League, Premier League and League Cup triumphs. In the end, he ended up winning nothing, and it is debatable whether even a victory in the Champions League final against Manchester United in Moscow last Wednesday would have helped him save his job. London Reuters

Sports Minister Murat Baþesgioðlu in action.

For six years, the Beþiktaþ Black Eagles have not won the Celebrity Tournament, an annual event organized by the Zaman daily. But all that ended on Sunday when Beþiktaþ bashed the Galatasaray Lions 7-2 in the final of the 7th Celebrity Tournament at Ýstanbul’s Ýnönü Stadium to clinch the coveted crown for the first time ever.

The tournament started with Fenerbahçe playing against Beþiktaþ as decided in Friday's draw at the Zaman daily headquarters in Yenibosna, Ýstanbul. In the opening game, the Beþiktaþ Eagles kept the upper hand throughout the game even though it had to wait until the second half for them to score two goals against Fenerbahçe. The first goal came from a strike by Ziya Unsal in the 33rd minute and the second goal was scored by Beþiktaþ's legendary player Pascal Nouman in the 37th.

The Lions eliminated the Trabzon Black Sea Storm on a penalty shootout after the score was tied 2-2 at the end of fulltime. A student from the Ataturk Primary School in Þiþli, Safa Aydin, came with high hopes that his favorite team would triumph in the tournament and that he would get to enjoy the celebra-

tion afterwards. He shouted, “I believe Trabzonspor will sweep the games!” His hopes were dashed when Galatasaray's Hakan Unsal scored a goal in the first half against Trabzonspor. The score was leveled by Trabzonspor in the last minutes of the second half, taking the game to a penalty shootout. Halil Aydin, a year older than his brother Safa, sighed with relief, seeing a second chance for winning. His hopes also faded away when the shootout resulted in favor of Galatasaray 5-4.

The Beþiktaþ took home the trophy after resounding victory, but it was actually the spirit of friendship that prevailed.

Unlike the games between the “Big Four,” which are always characterized by tension and sometimes by violence, Sunday’s games were played in a very cordial atmosphere. There was no swearing from the stands and on the pitch the players concentrated only on soccer, nothing else.

Beþiktaþ “Scifo” Mehmet was stretchered off during the dying minutes of the final but his injury was a result of an accident and there was nothing malicious about. In a nutshell the 7th Celebrity Tournament started in peace and ended in peace. Fans will be delighted to attend the eighth edition of the event at the same venue next year. Hope to see you then.

Blue and Orange teams share spoils The high point of the tournament was the match by the Blue team, representing pro players, and the Orange team, representing high profile names like Sports Minister Murat Baþesgioðlu, Acun Ilicali, Ibrahim Kutluay, Harun Erdenay and others. At times the challenging game brought avid fans to their feet, drawing cheers and applause. The sports minister scored the first goal for his team in the first half of the game, bringing the score to 2-1 for the Blue team. The game eventually ended 3-3.

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Lewis Hamilton triumphant amid Monaco mayhem McLaren's Lewis Hamilton battled to a masterful Monaco Grand Prix victory on Sunday despite hitting the barriers on an afternoon of mayhem on the principality's slippery streets. "This has got to be the highlight of my career, and it will be the highlight for the rest of my life," declared the ecstatic Briton, the first English winner of the showcase race since Graham Hill in 1969. "Even if I win here again, which I plan on doing, this is the best one...It was the most fun I've ever had in a race," he added. The Briton's sixth win in 23 starts, and second of the season, catapulted the 23-year-old to the top of the standings -- three points clear of Ferrari's world champion Kimi Raikkonen who took ninth place after a wet and crash-strewn race.

Poland's Robert Kubica was second for BMW Sauber, 3.0 seconds behind, with Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa in third after starting on pole position. The race, glamour highlight of the Formula One season, was ended after the two hour mark was reached with 76 of the 78 scheduled laps completed. "Great guys, fantastic job as always," the jubilant Hamilton told his pit crew over the radio as he took the checkered flag. "I apologize for hitting the barriers but we made up for it. Now let's go and party tonight."

Hamilton made a great start, taking Raikkonen for second place into the first corner, but had to pit on lap seven with a deflated right rear tire after a brush with the barriers at the harbor-side Tabac corner. Hamilton rejoined in fifth but still with everything to play for on a circuit where the slightest mistake carries a heavy penalty.

Ironically, the early pit stop played into Hamilton's hands as others literally slipped up, with Massa sliding off at the Ste Devote corner and handing the lead to Kubica for a long stretch before the pitstops. Hamilton's victory made up for the disappointment of finishing runner-up in a McLaren one-two last year and allowed him to emulate his late boyhood hero and champion Ayrton Senna as a Monaco winner. Monaco Reuters

Radwanska crowned new Ýstanbul champ Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska beat defending champion and top seed Elena Dementieva 6-3, 6-2 to win the Istanbul Cup on Saturday.

Russian Dementieva started strongly, forcing a nervous-looking Radwanska to commit several errors, but the 19-year-old Polish second seed soon hit her stride after several wide shots from Dementieva. Dementieva, who is seeded seventh in the French Open, which started on Sunday, looked frustrated as the second set drew to an end, hitting the ball into the net on the final point.

“I was nervous in the beginning and even in my warm up, but I was trying to play my game and I had a good match today,” said Radwanska, who reached the Australian Open quarterfinals in January after beating second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova en route.

The winner's check of $30,500 allowed Radwanska, the world number 15, to become the first Polish player on the WTA Tour to pass $1 million in career earnings. Seventh-seeded Dementieva led 2-0 and 40-15 in the first set before Radwanska rallied to win 11 of the next 13 games. “In the warm-up I couldn't put the ball in the court because I was so nervous, so the first few games were more like my warm-up,” Radwanska said. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

PHOTO

Beþiktaþ Eagles break jýnx, clýnch Celebrýty Tournament

Lewis Hamilton

ONUR ÇOBAN

Boston Celtics power to road victory over Pistons

PHOTO

BASKETBALL

AP

MONDAY, MAY 26, 2008

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Pascal Nouma thrills fans on ‘Ýncisu’ Former Beþiktaþ French striker Pascal Nouma was one of the famous faces on the “Ýncisu” boat cruise organized by businessman Tuncay Bender across the Bosporus on Saturday evening. The likeable Nouma mingled with the crowd and took photos with fans. Ýstanbul, Today’s Zaman

SELMAN ESTURKLER

WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM MONDAY, MAY 26, 2008

A boat tour of the Bosporus that wýll not easýly be forgotten

PHOTOS

OKAN UDO BASSEY ÝSTANBUL

Zaman Editor-in Chief and Today’s Zaman CEO Ekrem Dumanlý (2nd left) chats with legendary goal-king Tanju Çolak (left) as Sports Editor Serkan Akcan (1st right) looks on

Businessman Tuncay Bender organized a magnificent boat tour of the Bosporus on Saturday evening as part of the activities leading up to the Celebrity Tournament that took place on Sunday.

The tour brought together former famous stars who have contributed immensely to Turkish soccer. Retired Turkish players like Tanju Çolak, Cüneyt Yaman, Riza Çalýmbay and dozens of others along with their spouses also participated in the tour. The former foreign players who were present included former Beþiktaþ French striker Pascal Nouma, former Beþiktaþ and South Africa player Fani Madida, former Fenerbahçe and Netherlands forward Pierre Van Hooidjdonk, former Fenerbahçe and Denmark left-midfielder Brian Steen Nielsen and his compatriot defender Frank Pingel, who played for both Fenerbahçe and Bursaspor.

"There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face," wrote Shakespeare. And those who think all soccer players are arrogant are dead wrong. Nouma, for example, mingled with the crowd and took photos with fans. This even drew the attention of the passengers in the other boats around and they chanted "Pascal, Pascal, Pascal" as they scrambled to take pictures of this jovial player. Pascal at times may have been temperamental on the field during his playing days but off the pitch, he is a very likeable person.

Former Fenerbahçe striker Pierre Van Hooidjdonk has similar qualities. He posed for photographs with fans, introduced himself and greeted everyone around him.

Madida, Nielsen and Pingel did likewise. And needless to

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The boat tour for soccer celebrities on Saturday took place in a very cordial atmosphere. mention the Turkish stars were as humble as ever.

Million of thanks to the crew of the boat "Ýncisu," who showed everyone what Turkish hospitality is all about. There was plenty to eat and the service rendered by the young bilingual waiters was superb.

The Zaman family was also well represented. Zaman Editor-in Chief and Today's Zaman CEO Ekrem Dumanlý was present along with his daughter, a diehard Beþiktaþ supporter. As usual Dumanlý greeted the former soccer

stars one by one and had a chat with each one. So did Zaman Deputy Editor-in Chief Mehmet Kamis, who came with his son -- also a genuine Beþiktaþ fan. Zaman Sports Editor Serkan Akcan and his team as well as the sports editors of Cihan news agency, Aksiyon and Today's Zaman also brightened up the night.

Everyone, both Turkish and foreign, was quite satisfied with the tour. And the general consensus was that it was a night that will not easily be forgotten.