www.todayszaman.com, May 28, 2008

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Sydney Pollack, the director of unforgettable films ‘Tootsie,’ ‘They Shoot Horses Don’t They?’ dies

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Turkish Olympic song contestants wow audience

French Foreign Minister Kouchner reveals once again disagreements with President Nicolas Sarkozy

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

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page04 Talat hopes to reunify Cyprus by end of 2008

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TURKISH PM REFERS TO GAP AS A SERIES OF ‘PROJECTS OF SALVATION’ FOR THE REGION

Erdoðan vows to remake Southeast Industry Minister Zafer Çaðlayan (L) and TÜSÝAD Chairperson Arzuhan Yalçýndað.

The resumption of a stalled major development project intended to minimize regional disparity between Turkey's western regions and its impoverished Southeast is not a mere project or a case file, but a historic turning point, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan said yesterday during his announcement of an action plan for the Southeast.

Speaking yesterday at the Ziya Gökalp sports hall in the southeastern province of Diyarbakýr, Erdoðan introduced the government's new action plan 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 which has

become mired in neglect and financial difficulties.

"What we are announcing here today is not a report or a project or a case file. It is an absolute plan of action with a certain schedule and dates and with the necessary resources for it already acquired," he said.

Erdoðan said the purpose of yesterday's meeting was to press the button for a great new leap, crucial to the welfare and stability of southeastern and eastern Anatolia and also for the rest of the country. Saying that he was very happy to be in Diyarbakýr to announce such an "enormous event," the prime minister stated in his opening remarks: "We have come to this gathering together with half of my colleagues from the Cabinet, our deputies and

deputies from the region regardless of political affiliation, our civil society groups and businessmen. We share the same excitement and happiness today."

He said projects that were begun or envisaged but never completed would come to life under the project and put an end to the disparity among regions in social and economic development in addition to solving problems such as migration and unemployment brought along by underdevelopment. "We are now pushing the button to complete at a visible speed these salvation projects that have been talked about as potential for years but could never be realized."

The prime minister pointed to separatist terrorism as the primary hardship afflicting the country. "I

ÝBRAHÝM ARIK, CÝHAN

TÜSÝAD wages another war against government over ‘populism’

Flight ticket fares take off as global oil prices skyrocket With the cost of oil and jet fuel rising across the world, several airlines have plans to raise already increasing ticket prices starting June 1 on flights from Europe to Turkey. Yýldýray Karaer, the general manager of Corendon Airlines, a charter airline that specializes in flights from the Netherlands and Belgium to Turkey, told the Anatolia news agency that rising fuel prices are going to have an even greater effect on transportation costs in the coming period. Karaer said airlines that specialize in charter flights for tourists in particular will see negative effects from the prices.

Currently, crude oil is at a record-breaking price per barrel of around $135. Experts note that this per-barrel price could go up to around $150 during the coming summer months. He noted that airlines with regularly scheduled flights immediately reflect the fluctuations in fuel prices in their ticket prices. "Fuel makes up a large part of the expenditures of an airline. CONTINUED ON PAGE 08

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Turkey's most influential business club confronted the government yesterday, accusing it of pursuing populist policies while abandoning fiscal discipline, considered the most fundamental factor behind the successful economic performance of the last six years.

Arzuhan Doðan Yalçýndað, chairwoman of the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TÜSÝAD) and the daughter of Aydýn Doðan, a media tycoon currently exhibiting fierce opposition to the government, said yesterday, "There seems to be a backtracking in the reform process, while there are some signs of returning to the populist applications in fiscal policy that have caused much trouble in the past." She was speaking yesterday at the "Industrial Policy: Sectors, Developments and Trends" seminar, organized

by TÜSÝAD and the Federation of Industrial Associations (SEDEFED) in Ýstanbul. CONTINUED ON PAGE 07

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan (L), his Slovenian counterpart, Dimitrij Rupel, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of EU, and European Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn (R) speak at a joint news conference after holding talks in Brussels over Turkey’s accession to the EU.

EU urges reform, Babacan wants membershýp commýtment The European Union pressed candidate Turkey yesterday to speed up the reform process, a call that the Turkish government responded to by urging the 27-nation bloc to preserve its commitment to Turkish membership.

"It is very essential that the goal of membership remains firmly in place. If you remove this, it will become a matter of debate in Turkey where the ongoing negotiations are leading us to,"

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan told a joint press conference with Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU, and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn. The press conference followed a meeting that brought Turkish and EU officials together in Brussels. Earlier in the day, Babacan appealed to the EU not to water down membership commitments, saying this was es-

sential to keeping the reform process alive.

"Otherwise, questions like, 'Do we need a firstclass democracy or is a second-class, or thirdclass democracy sufficient?' will begin to come up," he said at a meeting with Turkish journalists.

While not explicitly stating it, Babacan is upset by earlier French attempts to remove the word "accession" from the text of a position paper presented at the meeting by the EU. CONTINUED ON PAGE 04

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believe that with this project, the socioeconomic wounds that have been exploited by separatist terrorism, which has cost our nation its sons, will be completely healed." The prime minister also emphasized the concept of "citizenship of the Republic of Turkey," in yesterday's speech. "We love our people, with its Kurds, Turks, Laz, Circassians, Albanians, and Bosnians -- whoever you can think of," he said, stressing: "Our common denominator is our citizenship in the Republic of Turkey. Constitutional citizenship is a concept that binds us all."

In addition to completing GAP, the prime minister said the government was working on more political freedoms to heal the wounds of the past. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

New labor law may result in ‘hire & fire’ game, critics say ABDULLAH BOZKURT, ÝSTANBUL Loopholes that have become apparent in the new labor law approved by President Abdullah Gül last weekend have already drawn criticism from economists before it goes into effect at the beginning of July. Ali Tezel, a social security expert, said, "The new law will not bring any radical changes in employment figures." Speaking to Today's Zaman, Tezel talked about similar practices in the past. "This law will result in workers above the age of 30 losing their jobs." The most criticism has been leveled against a provision in the law in which a subsidy is provided to employers who hire young and female workers. According to Tezel, this will potentially create companies that shut their doors and lay off their workers before the law goes into effect and then reopen under a different name to take advantage of the subsidy. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Shake-up in DTP as parliamentary group chief resigns The Democratic Society Party (DTP) received a blow from within yesterday as the chairman of the party's parliamentary group, Ahmet Türk, resigned from his post.

The party has been in chaos for some time now after newly elected party chairman Nurettin Demirtaþ had to give up his position when he was arrested and sent to the army for evading his obligatory military service.

It has been speculated that Türk's resignation came as a response to pressure from Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The election of Mardin deputy Emine Ayna as the party's deputy chairwoman in the last party assembly was also perceived as a victory for the Öcalan faction within the party. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

27.05.2008

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F OOD FOR THOUGHT

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Q UOTE OF THE DAY

The government and parliament should become an example of unity and harmony for the world.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad

CROSS READER

FATMA DÝÞLÝ

f.disli@todayszaman.com

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W ORDS OF WISDOM

We are at the very beginning of this [Israeli-Syrian] process and it is not going to be an easy one.

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.

press roundup

PHOTOS

Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuðrul Günay recently announced his ministry’s plans to turn Yassýada, the island where the victims of the May 27, 1960 coup were tried, into a tourism center.

zaman: "May 27 was a revolution of fortune," read the daily's headline yesterday, quoting a statement by Süheyla Koraltan, daughter-in-law of former Parliament Speaker Refik Koratan, who was sentenced to death after the military coup of 1960 but was not executed due to his age. Koraltan said her family suffered a great deal from the coup; however, she noted, the perpetrators of the coup later became very wealthy. "There are still some people in Turkey who support coups. Universities and the judiciary are doing their best to provoke the military to intervene in politics. Civilians are trying to provoke [Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar] Büyükanýt to meddle in politics, but he is not deceived by such moves," Koraltan told the daily.

that intervened in politics by releasing statements against the government last week. They said members of the judiciary should be trained according to EU norms.

yeni þafak:

A possible investment of $25 billion fled Turkey after the AK Party closure case was filed, reported the daily's lead story yesterday, quoting remarks from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan. Speaking to journalists as he was returning from a visit to Beirut on Sunday, he said if the closure case hadn't been filed against his party, foreign capital amounting to $25 billion would have been invested in Turkey. He also noted that foreigners were very surprised over the fact that his party faces closure on charges of being a focal point of anti-secular activities.

star:

The daily's headline story yesterday covered a request from the EU Council of Foreign Ministers in which it asked Turkey to abide by the Venice criteria in the closure case filed against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). A document recently submitted to the EU Association Council by the EU Council of Foreign Ministers said. "We ask Turkey to comply with the Venice criteria and the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights in this closure case, which we are closely following." The EU foreign ministers also criticized some top courts in Turkey

taraf:

“Main opposition leader goes to Çankaya,” read the headline of a front-page article in the daily yesterday, referring to Supreme Court of Appeals head Hasan Gerçeker, who met with President Abdullah Gül on Sunday at Çankaya Palace, which, the daily said, was akin to him being a leader of a main opposition party. Gül invited Gerçeker to the presidential palace to discuss ways to end the rising tension between the government and the judiciary.

Myanmar junta praises UN aid Army-controlled media in Myanmar praised the United Nations on Tuesday for its help to the 2.4 million people left destitute by Cyclone Nargis, suggesting a thaw in the junta's frosty relationship with the outside world. The English-language New Light of Myanmar said UN agencies took "prompt action" to provide relief supplies after the May 2 cyclone, which left 134,000 people dead or missing. The paper, the generals' main mouthpiece,

also softened the government's line that the immediate relief phase of the disaster was over, saying instead that "rescue and rehabilitation tasks have been carried out to some extent".

However, the junta arrested 20 people trying to march to the home of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday, the day her latest year-long stretch of house arrest is due to expire, a witness and opposition sources said.

This time around, it carries the flavor of neither the right nor the left, neither the Kurds nor the Turks, neither politics nor Orientalism. This time around, it is just about humanity and cinema. A Turkish filmmaker, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, received -- using his own cinematographic language, his own world and his own film, "Üç Maymun" (Three Monkeys) -- the best director award at the Cannes Film Festival. This is a first -the first time a Turkish filmmaker has ever been declared best director at this film festival. The Cannes Film Festival is one of most prestigious events of its kind, and the one that attaches the most importance to creativity and contributions to a universal language. You can look at this from any perspective you wish -- artistic, cultural or political -- but no matter how you see it, the fact is that the award received by Ceylan at Cannes is much more important, much more meaningful and much more permanent than anything else happening right now in this country.

Reforms made in our justice system BERAT ÖZÝPEK, STAR The most recent declaration from the Supreme Court of Appeals was in fact, from the perspective that it clearly depicted the level to which our justice system has become politicized, helpful.

Actually, this is a problem that has always existed; the reason it is receiving so much attention this time is because the administration has chosen not to remain silent in the face of this announcement, instead voicing criticism. Certain factions are this time, as they always do when there is tension between the bureaucracy and politicians, blaming the administration for the "strains between institutions." After all, this is a problem that has existed for a long time in this nation, in particular following the emergence of a multi-party system.

Currently there is talk of the reforms to be made to the justice system. My advice to the administration is this: unless you are talking about reforms that will bring about democratic legitimacy to the structure and function of the justice system, don't even attempt to make these "reforms" or label any changes you make as "reforms."

AK Party and YouTube share the same fate HAKAN AYGÜN, BUGÜN How interesting it is that this wave of bans on the Internet emerging from the Turkish courts comes at the same time that the court case aimed at seeing the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) shut down is on the agenda. It appears that it is the same mindset involved in both of these arenas! Would it be possible for someone to come out and say: "It is right to force the AK Party to shut down, but it is wrong to ban YouTube and other Internet sites. The AK Party is altering the order of things in Turkey, but how can video clips watched by some people over the Internet do any harm?" Likewise, would we ever hear the following: "The AK Party cannot be forced to close down because it represents the will and volition of the people of this nation. But Internet sites like YouTube have nothing to do with the will of the people of the country!" In fact, both of these views are extremely problematic. If the AK Party does in fact reflect the will and desires of up to 47 percent of the people of Turkey, then we can also say the same for the Internet sites that have been banned.

‘Bureaucratic oligarchy' MUHARREM SARIKAYA, SABAH

news from the foreýgn press Internatýonal Herald Trýbune

The new representatives of a strong Turkey ALÝ BAYRAMOÐLU, YENÝ ÞAFAK

John Donne

Memorýes of May 27 coup stýll haunt Turkey The 48th anniversary of the May 27, 1960 military coup, the first in Turkish political history, was marked yesterday. This coup ended with three death penalties, 12 life sentences and hundreds of long prison terms after the military overthrew the government of then Prime Minister Adnan Menderes on the grounds that it had violated the Constitution. Although nearly half a century has passed since this lamentable incident, Turkey is still unable to establish a true democratic system, many commentators say, because its democracy adventure has been interrupted by external interventions in politics which sometimes came in the form of a military coup and at other times as judicial coups.

Bugün daily’s Ahmet Taþgetiren discusses the reasons that urge us to still remember the May 27 coup today.

“Events like this happen in Turkey,” he says, citing the March 12, 1971 military memorandum, the Sept. 12, 1980 military coup, the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup, the April 27, 2007 military memorandum, March 14, 2008, the date when a closure case was filed against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and May 21, 2008, when the Supreme Court of Appeals Board of Chairmen released a memorandum-like statement against the AK Party as examples of ongoing and constant interventions in politics. What makes the May 27 coup gain a very special meaning today in addition to it being an illegitimate intervention in politics, in his view, is the fact that the courts established by the perpetrators of the coup for the trial of politicians undertook a special mission at the time by making rulings in compliance with the demands of those who carried out the coup, disregarding law. “May 27 shows the judiciary does not always act as it is supposed to. Courts are established, there is a team of judges, there are defendants, there are lawyers. …

When one of those judges comes up and says those who brought you here wants us to rule this way, it is not possible to talk about an impartial judiciary from then on,” acknowledges Taþgetiren. Commenting on the current political turmoil in Turkey, sparked by the AK Party closure case, which also demands for numerous senior AK Party officials as well as President Abdullah Gül to be banned from politics, he says there is nothing missing in today’s political landscape when compared to that of 1960, when a closure case was filed against Menderes’ Democrat Party (DP) and 32 of its members faced a ban from politics.

Milliyet daily’s Taha Akyol talks about what May 27 left as a legacy to Turkey as he explains that May 27 incited a coup culture in Turkey while lowering the values of things like elections, ballot boxes and the national will. “With this coup, a terrible legitimacy crisis was sparked in Turkey that still shakes the country and has paved the way to coups, political assassinations and armed attacks,” laments Akyol.

Discussing also the economic harm the May 27 coup dealt to Turkey, he recalls that Turkey had between 1950 and 1960 for the first time achieved a growth rate above the world average; however, it lagged behind South Korea in 1980 due to the legitimacy crises it was suffering from. “May 27 is a bloody shame and a political frenzy that dragged Turkey into a legitimacy crisis,” notes Akyol.

Sabah daily’s Nazlý Ilýcak also thinks May 27 was the first step toward military guardianship in Turkey. Paying a visit to Yassýada Island recently, where the victims of the coup were tried, she suggests the government should take a step to make this island an island of democracy in memory of the coup’s victims.

PRESS REVIEW

BURAK KILIÇ,SERTAÇ DALGALIDERE-CÝHAN

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Los Angeles Týmes

UN finds no proof Iran continued nuke program A report released Monday by the UN's nuclear watchdog organization presents the clearest indication yet that Iran was working on a nuclear weapon through 2003. But there is no evidence that the weapons program continued after 2004, it says, echoing a US intelligence assessment in December. The International Atomic Energy Agency said its investigation was based on questions raised by its inspections and on allegations from intelligence reports provided by the U.S. and other countries. The IAEA recently

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presented Iran with documents that depict a clandestine program including uranium enrichment, missile development and plans for fitting missiles with nuclear warheads. Iran declared that it had answered all of the agency's questions and insisted that the documents were fabricated, but the report scolds Tehran for stonewalling investigators on key issues. The agency said it believes Iran may have additional information, in particular on high-explosives tests and missile-related activities.

Will the attempt by President Abdullah Gül to intervene in and decrease tension between the administration and the justice system bring about any results? In order to be able to answer this question, one must first understand how the different sides in this case are interpreting the current tension.

Looking at the justice system front, it has no intention of taking any steps backward in the decadesold "struggle" it has been waging. The basis for this struggle can be found in Article 6 of the Turkish Constitution, which states, "Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the people of the nation." The Turkish people wield this sovereignty, according to the Constitution, "through authorized organs of the state." Thus the Turkish justice system does not want to lose its title as one of the "authorized organs of the state." In addition to this, the members of the judiciary do not appear pleased by the tense atmosphere that emerged recently. Though it has been able to relax somewhat after having clarified its stance on this matter, the judiciary actually does not wish to see the current tense atmosphere be carried over to the next stage. 'Bureaucratic oligarchy'

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NATIONAL

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The rýse of Turkey through Turkýsh

Dalaman’s foreigners donate for mosque A group of British and German citizens living in the Dalaman district of the Aegean province of Muðla have made a donation to the construction of a mosque in the area.

Muharrem Koþar, the president of the Karaçalý Merkez Mosque Association, said his organization had begun building the mosque four years ago. "The mosque is being constructed with money donated by individuals. If we don't encounter any problems, we will finish it before the month of Ramadan," he said.

Koþar said some British and German citizens in Dalaman had called them and said they were willing to contribute to the construction of the mosque. "Their donations both surprised and moved us," he added. Among the donators are two German citizens, 68-year-old Manfred Streubel and 61-year-old Friedrich Kalthoff. Streubel said that they had been living in Dalaman for 20 years. "We live in a peaceful atmosphere and get along very well with our Turkish neighbors. Although we are believers of different religions, we are residents of the same neighborhood and we are happy to live in Dalaman," Kalthoff added.

Dalaman Mayor Beyhan Korkut said that about 3,000 people from different countries live in Dalaman, adding that the area's Turkish residents no longer saw any of them as foreigners. "We no longer see them as such, because they have become one of us to such an extent that they even make donations to the construction of mosques and schools. They help protect Dalaman as much as we do," Korkut remarked. Dalaman Today's Zaman with wires

We can state with certainty that Turkey and the Turkish language have been on an upward trajectory as a result of efforts made over the last 10-15 years. This period, which is very short when compared with the history of nations and states, and the outstanding success achieved during it point to painstaking labor and efforts.

The remarkable shortness of the period in question also reveals the immense size of the sincere support given to this global act of education by hundreds of thousands of Anatolian people who have always supported the thousands of Anatolian teachers who have exerted superhuman and selfless efforts in countries, the names of some of which they had probably never heard of before.

Although it was a completely exclusionary country until just 25 years ago, Turkey has made itself into a topic of frequent mention through educational institutions and cultural centers inaugurated one after another all over the world. Furthermore, this interest in Turkey is well founded rather than short lived. Turkish educational volunteers, as friends and brothers, give a helping hand to the people of the countries they go to and win their hearts through exemplary actions. The fact that all these actions are voluntary magnifies the size of this extraordinary success.

Turkey is currently hosting a large number of students who are the fruit of years of the selfless, tireless and silent efforts of the Anatolian volunteers who have set off to create a world of peace and serenity where there is no war, pain or hatred. Some 550 students from 110 countries whose languages, religions, colors, races and cultures are quite diverse are in our country to compete with one another in the 6th International Turkish Olympics with

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BÜLENT KENEÞ b.kenes@todayszaman.com

their songs, poems and compositions. They are in the motherland of Turkish, which they have learnt from their altruistic teachers as "the language of love." The fact that the number of participating countries has risen to 110 from 17 in just six years points to the great speed at which this voluntary spirit has been developing.

One can't help comparing this progressively growing prevalence of Turkish with English. Just as English, the language of Britain, has become a lingua franca, why can't Turkey occupy a parallel position in the world?

What's more, contrary to the rise of English, which occurred at a time when wars waged based on imperial ideals and colonization were at their peak, Turkish, the rise of which is based on fraternity, friendship and peace, is even more deserving of such a position. The children from 110 different countries singing songs of love and dancing together in Ankara prove this thesis.

The educational volunteers who have expanded the horizon of the Turks to see the world from a greater perspective have also oriented the feelings and positive thoughts of millions of people from around the globe toward Turkey. This voluntary movement, which also stands out because of its humanitarian activities in addition to its efforts in the fields of education and culture, is not limited

to making efforts for the global rise of Turkish. It greatly contributes to Turkey's rise through fostering its social growth and development and its economy in addition to promoting the Turkish language and Turkish culture.

Turkey's bilateral ties, as well as its commercial and investment ties, gain significant momentum with every country in which Turkish schools and Turkish cultural centers start operating. For instance, Turkish entrepreneurs are investing in many African countries, although probably even the thought of it had never crossed their minds previously.

They are setting up businesses and doing business with local businessmen. They are also seeking ways to realize joint projects by inviting their African colleagues to Turkey. This situation holds true also for Latin America, North America, Eurasia, the Middle East, South Asia and the Pacific islands.

Moreover, since what is aimed at by learning and teaching new languages is healthier communication, all of the volunteer teachers learn the local languages of the countries they teach in. That is, this cultural and linguistic work is never unilateral. Owing to this exchange, bilingual or "large double-lane socio-cultural highways" are being constructed between Turkey and other countries. It is not just Turkey that profits from this. The countries where the schools and centers operate, not to mention the entire world, also benefit from it.

On behalf of my own children and all future generations, I would like to extend my feelings of gratitude to each and every member of this voluntary movement, which makes incalculably valuable contributions to world peace, and to all the self-sacrificing teachers who work in the Turkish schools.

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French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner revealed once again his disagreements with President Nicolas Sarkozy over Turkey's European Union bid, saying he would not hesitate to open as many negotiation chapters with the candidate country as possible if it were up to him.

"You are talking about the opening of two chapters. If it were up to me, I would want to see six chapters being opened during the French presidency," Kouchner said in response to a question at a meeting late on Monday over whether it was possible during

the upcoming French presidency to launch accession talks with Turkey on at least two chapters. "But you know about the French president's position. He does not want Turkey's membership," he added.

Sarkozy staunchly opposes Turkey's membership, saying it does not belong to Europe and that he would block the opening of accession talks on those chapters that directly relate to accession. Officials say the president is referring to five chapters out of a total of 35.

In line with Sarkozy's opposition, French officials had worked hard to remove references to "accession" in an EU document for yesterday's Association Council meeting with Turkey, but the word eventual-

oppose talks on five chapters directly relating to accession but would not raise objections to talks on other chapters. "France will not pose obstacles to the opening of the chapters one by one. I can't give a more optimistic answer than that," Kouchner said.

Kouchner and EU's High Commissioner for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, who also attended the conference at the European Policy Center, praised Turkish mediation between Syria and Israel. In coordinated statements, Syria and Israel confirmed last week that they have been holding secret peace talks with Turkish mediation for a year.

ly remained in the text after other member countries objected to its removal. France is taking over the EU presidency from Slovenia for six months as of July 1.

Despite Sarkozy's opposition to Turkish membership in the EU, France is not expected to block the accession process during its presidency, and French diplomats say talks could begin on two more chapters before Paris hands over the EU presidency.

Kouchner, speaking at a conference at the European Policy Center, confirmed the disagreement between him and Sarkozy regarding Turkey but emphasized Sarkozy was not alone in France in opposing Turkish membership. He suggested France would

Call for judiciary reform Rehn also repeated calls for a judicial reform in Turkey, echoing the position paper presented at the Association Council meeting that it was essential Turkey had an "impartial, independent, reliable and accountable" judiciary.

The EU calls for judicial reform come after a top state prosecutor asked the Constitutional Court to close down the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on charges its having become a

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Foreign Minister Ali Babacan (L) and his Slovenian counterpart, Dimitrij Rupel, give a joint news conference after holding talks in Brussels. focal point for anti-secular activities. The Supreme Court of Appeals also issued a strong statement recently, dubbed by some as "judicial memorandum," criticizing the government for a series of actions, including a legal reform to allow female students to wear headscarves at universities.

Rupel reiterated at the meeting that the EU was "closely monitoring" the closure cases against AK Party and the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), adding that the 27-nation bloc expected court decisions to be in line with European principles, which state political parties should not be closed unless they incite violence.

He also reminded Turkey that an impartial, reliable, transparent and efficient judiciary that consolidates the rule of law is of utmost importance for the country: Relations with the military forces during the constitutional crisis in 2007

showed that priority should be given to the democratic process, according to a statement released on behalf of the EU presidency. "Rupel also pointed to the violation of freedom of speech since citizens are still being persecuted for expressing opinions, even non-violently," the statement said.

In comments earlier in the day, Babacan appeared to link the recent political tension to reform efforts undertaken to bring the candidate country closer to the EU and said Turkey was going through a process of "silent revolution" that could cause some turmoil.

Turkey has carried out sweeping political and economic reforms since it was declared a candidate to join the EU in 1999. The AK Party sped up reforms in a process that was hailed in Turkey and Europe as a "silent revolution" and eventually secured the opening of accession talks in 2005.

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A meeting of Turkish and European parliamentarians in Brussels was marred yesterday by debates over the Cyprus issue, with one member eventually walking out of the gathering in protest.

Dutch parliamentarian Joost Lagendijk, who co-chairs the EUTurkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, blocked attempts by some European parliamentarians to shift the agenda of the committee's meeting to the Cyprus issue contrary to the scheduled agenda.

One of these parliamentarians, German deputy Reneta Sommer, criticized Turkey for not recognizing EU-member Greek Cyprus, reminding Ankara that the EU consists of 27 member states, including Greek Cyprus. Refusal to recognize the Greek Cypriot state does not contribute to a solution, said the German parliamentarian.

Lagendijk, on the other hand, rejected the argument, saying this amounts to saying that the EU should freeze its relations with Turkey unless the deep-seated Cyprus problem is resolved. Greek

VEDAT DENÝZLÝ

Parliamentarians’ meeting marred by debates over Cyprus

Joost Lagendijk

Cypriot parliamentarian Marios Matsakis walked out of the meeting in protest at Lagendijk's remarks.

Turkish deputies called on their European counterparts for "sincerity" and complained that the Turkish Cypriots were still suffering from an international embargo despite EU promises to lift restrictions on them after they voted for a UN reunification plan in 2004.

The parliamentarians' meeting, which convened as Turkish and EU officials met at the Turkey-EU Association Council, also focused on discussions over EU restrictions on the export and transportation of

boron. Turkish parliamentarians attending the gathering criticized the EU norms, saying they harm the Turkish economy and calling for a revision of the bloc's policy.

The EU considers boron a hazardous material and imposes restrictions on its export and transportation. Turkey exports boron to 67 countries and earns $400 million annually from this trade, said the Turkish lawmakers, demanding trade with EU countries as well.

Turkey is one of the world's largest producers of boron, having almost 72 percent of the world's boron reserves. The largest deposits are found in central and western Anatolia, including the provinces of Eskiþehir, Kütahya and Balýkesir.

Responding to the Turkish lawmakers' comments, Jean-Christophe Filori, an EU Commission official, said he had taken note of what Turkish experts have said, but added that the EU decision to impose restrictions on export and transportation of boron was made unanimously due to public health concerns. Brussels Today's Zaman

But the reform process has lost momentum over the past two years amid domestic political troubles that pit the AK Party government against its nationalist and staunchly secular rivals. Tension peaked recently when a top state prosecutor filed an indictment requesting the party's closure.

"As a country of 70 million, we are going through a process described by those who observe it from the outside as a silent revolution," Babacan said. "This cannot be a quiet and peaceful process."

Regarding the situation in eastern and southeastern Anatolia, Rupel again condemned all terrorist attacks on Turkish territory but at the same time stressed "the need for the authorities to start tackling the economic and social problems of the population in this territory and to establish conditions for the Kurdish people to enjoy their rights and freedoms." Brussels Today's Zaman

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CM Y K

Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said Tuesday he still hopes to begin face-to-face negotiations on reunifying Cyprus with his Greek Cypriot counterpart next month and aims to get a deal by the end of the year.

Talat, who had talks with several EU foreign ministers including term president Slovenia's Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel in Brussels, said he remains optimistic that he and his Greek Cypriot counterpart, Dimitris Christofias, can work out differences that have so far blocked direct negotiations to end the more than threedecade-long division of Cyprus. "I am really optimistic because there is a change on the Greek Cypriot side," Talat told The Associated Press in an interview. "It is quite possible to reach a solution by the end of 2008," he said, adding a lot of technical work had already been done in previous attempts to reach a deal.

He said face-to-face talks would concentrate on the "thorniest" remaining issues, including property rights, power sharing and security. Despite remaining optimistic, Talat said he believes the Greek Cypriots are not ready, however, for reunification talks to start next month, despite having agreed to a June 21 start date. "We agreed already on March 21 that we will start negotiations three months after the date, this was declared," Talat said. "But ... the Greek Cypriot side argued that this was not the case. My impression is that Greek Cypriots are not ready to start on June 21, so this is a problem and we have to overcome this."

Talat and Christofias met last Friday to review preparations for starting direct talks, but disagreed on a start date. Greek Cypriot government officials have said negotiators had not made enough progress on some of the more sensitive issues to start direct talks. Past efforts to reach a solution have been stalled by disagreements over issues that include power-sharing arrangements, the return of property to Greek Cypriots and the fate of settlers from the Turkish mainland in northern Cyprus.

Talat also said he was hopeful that three years after promises were made to open up trade, Germany would force a breakthrough before its EU presidency ends in June. The Turkish Cypriot community stands to gain millions of dollars in tourism and trade if it gets access to the EU, a move that would deeply anger Greek Cyprus because it sees it as a recognition of northern Cyprus as a separate state. Unblocking the aid and lifting the trade embargo has been an arduous process within the EU due to Greek Cypriot objections. Brussels AP with Today's Zaman

ELECTION

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Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat

TALKS

Talat hopes for reunification of Cyprus by end of 2008

EU urges reform, Babacan wants membershýp commýtment These efforts failed in the face of objections from other member states and a warning from Ankara that it would boycott the meeting if the word is removed. French Europe Minister JeanPierre Jouyet told reporters yesterday that Paris had chosen to withdraw its demand, noting its forthcoming six-month spell as EU President required it to be "impartial, equitable, balanced."

Rupel said Turkey's attention should not be "deflected away from the reform process" and Rehn urged the Turkish government to "focus on reforms instead of words," in an apparent reference to Turkish complaints about French discontent with the word "accession."

"I use the word 'accession' a lot," he said and added that the pace at which the accession negotiations proceed depended on Turkey's capacity to implement reforms, urging Ankara to consider amending articles in the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) that restrict free speech after recent amendments to an infamous article penalizing "insulting Turkishness."

Babacan, on the other hand, responded to EU criticism of a slowdown in Turkey's reform efforts and said the EU also held responsibility. "It's not possible to accept the criticism that the accession process is progressing slowly because of Turkey," he said, noting that the EU Commission had yet to conclude technical reports on the conclusion of a pre-talks scanning process on 11 of the 35 negotiating chapters. "It is a good question to ask why these 11 reports have not yet been prepared," he said at the meeting with Turkish journalists.

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SELÇUK GÜLTAÞLI BRUSSELS

KÜRÞAT BAYHAN

Kouchner: I’d open six chapters if it were up to me

Turkish official to head Council of Europe body Turkish politician Yavuz Mildon was elected president of the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities for a period of two years, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced yesterday.

Mildon, a member of the provincial council in the western province of Çanakkale from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), will replace Norwegian politician Halvdan Skard. Mildon has become the highest-level elected Turkish official to serve at the 47-member Council of Europe.

In remarks following his election at the start of a three-day meeting of the congress in Strasbourg, Mildon said reforms undertaken in Turkey in the area of local administration over the past few years have played a significant role in his election to the Council of Europe post. He said in an interview with the Anatolia news agency that the development of democratic norms in local administrations of member countries will be a priority during his two-year term in office.

Mildon was the only candidate to replace Skard. Political groups represented at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities had agreed to support Mildon for the post. Six mayors and six provincial council members represent Turkey at the congress. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

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NATIONAL

Finalists in the song contest

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Azerbaijan - Hatice Alizade Turkmenistan - Abadan Halmedova Latvia - Anna Zelencava Cambodia - Maliny Chea Tajikistan - Suman Kurbanova Indonesia - Nixiie Lesmana Mongolia - Togsbayar Enkhtaivan Russian Federation Darya Shkalkova Albania - Blerta Gjolaj Yemen - Sara Mohamad

Turkish Olympics song contestants wow audience in capital Ankara ÝBRAHÝM ASALIOÐLU ANKARA

The song contest portion of the 6th International Turkish Language Olympics was held Monday, with the 19 students who qualified for the competition giving an unforgettable show at the Anatolia Show and Congress Center in Ankara. The students from a number of countries performed songs from a variety of genres, making it difficult for the jury to select the final 10 who then competed to get the highest number of votes from the viewing audience. The 10 finalists are from Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Latvia, Cambodia, Tajikistan, Indonesia, Mongolia, Russia, Albania and Yemen. The top three places in the song contest will be determined according to the number of votes contestants receive via text messages. Viewers will be able to send their texts until the day of the awards ceremony on June 1 in Ýstanbul. Ýlker Gültekin was the announcer for the song contest, which began with singing of the national anthem and an opening speech delivered by Turkish Olympics Committee

Chairman Mehmet Saðlam. The chairman indicated that the primary objective in organizing the Olympics is “to ensure that the Turkish language becomes a language of love and tolerance around the world and has a special place among other world languages as a language of culture and science.” Making a reference to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who said: “Every Turk will do his/her best to improve Turkey,” Saðlam added: “This is a hallowed mission entrusted to us. Here is the Turkish Olympics, also held in 110 countries on five continents.” Describing the teachers who work in the Turkish schools around the world and the businessmen who support them as “heroes,” Saðlam said: “Of course, there is also the mastermind of this initiative, who is far from home. This event is only possible with his support. We would like to express our thanks to him.”

The World Colors Choir’s musical number gave messages of friendship, brotherhood and love as the members of the choir held up a placard reading, “The Turkish Olympics Taste Like Aþure,” a reference to the rich, traditional dessert composed of fruit, nuts and grains. As a set-

ting for the musical, they used a ship with sails representing the countries of the world to give the message, “We are all traveling in the same boat.” The jury was chaired by Turkish Language Society President Þükrü Haluk Akalýn and included Erhan Güleryüz, Ertuðrul Erkiþi, Gürkan Vural, Mehmet Hayri Altan, Professor Murat Özbay, Nuray Hafiftaþ, Orhan Seyfi Güner, Associate Professor Salih Aydoðan, Professor Yücel Elmas, Zekai Tunca and Deniz Arcak.

Loyalty Prize awarded to Hüseyin Demirtaþ During the program, Hüseyin Demirtaþ was posthumously awarded the Loyalty Prize. Demirtaþ was a teacher who traveled to a school in Kazakhstan where he worked for 12 years, gaining popularity among the Kazakh people. He passed away last year. Ýbrahim Þahin, the general manager of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), presented the prize to Demirtaþ’s widow, Münevver, and his daughter. “The children spoke Turkish better than us. Perhaps we should keep silent,” Þahin said.

Coup supporters celebrate anniversary of May 27 coup

PHOTO

MEHMET ALÝ POYRAZ

Former members of the National Unity Committee -- a group of military officers who staged the May 27, 1960 military coup -- laid a wreath at the Atatürk Monument and observed a moment of silence in Ýstanbul’s Taksim Square yesterday on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the coup.

The former officers, who gathered under the banner of an organization named the 1961 Constitution and Modern Democracy Foundation,

Former members of the National Unity Committee laid a wreath at the Atatürk Monument in Taksim Square yesterday.

were joined by members of the Türk Solu (Turkish Left), who in a demonstration last year carried banners that invited the military to interfere in politics.

Alev Coþkun, the deputy chairman of the staunchly secular Cumhuriyet Foundation, was also among the participants in the ceremony.

A statement penned by Numan Esin, a retired captain and chairman of the 1961 Constitution and Modern Democracy Foundation, was distributed to the press during the celebration. The statement noted that there was a lack of trust in the supremacy of law behind the ongoing political fight in Turkey while also voicing support for the statements released by the Supreme Court of Appeals and Council of State last week against the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government.

“The slightest opposition to the government’s acts is regarded as opposition to the nation’s will. The power of the judicial body comes from the Constitution.

The top judicial bodies cannot be taken under the control of the executive power. The recent statements of the top courts should be considered from this perspective,” read the statement. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

AK Party youth say ‘never again!’ to May 27 MUHAMMED ÇÝMEN ÝSTANBUL

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TURGUT ENGÝN

The youth branches of the Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) Ýstanbul division yesterday commemorated Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and two of his ministers, hanged in the aftermath of the May 27 military takeover of 1960, on the 48th anniversary of the coup. The group came to-

Carrying banners reading “Never again!” the youth branches of the AK Party yesterday commemorated the victims of the May 27, 1960 military coup.

gether at Menderes’ grave, carrying banners reading “Never again!” The group appealed through a statement for the protection of democracy. The ceremony to commemorate Menderes, Hasan Polatkan and Fatin Rüþtü Zorlu started off with a prayer, followed by the recitation of a poem called “Democracy, our love” by AK Party youth group member Ramazan Tekelek.

After the initial ceremony, the youth branches’ head, Ömer Faruk Kalaycý, read out a press statement. He praised the years Menderes and his Democrat Party (DP) were in power, saying the country had developed in terms of democracy and economy during those years. Kalaycý said the 1960 coup had put a lock on the will of the nation, which he said bore a similarity to a current closure case against the AK Party. “This unfortunate era, which remains a portrait of shame for humanity, will never find a place in the hearts of our nation’s conscience. Now we, as the provincial youth branches of the governing party with our pro-freedom and pro-democracy voices, are crying out loud, never again!” he said, speaking of the 1960 period.

After the statement, the group later also visited the grave of late President Turgut Özal and recited prayers there.

CM Y K

HASAN KANBOLAT h.kanbolat@todayszaman.com

Why do young gýrls kýll theýr mothers ýn Turkey?

What is the most precious thing for a mother? Undoubtedly, her children.

And isn’t the mother the most precious and valuable asset for her children? Isn’t the relationship between a mother and her young girl special?

So, why is Turkey currently experiencing a rash of recent killings of mothers by their daughters? Why do we hear of murders almost every week? Why is this happening?

The reason for this is that Turkish society is reflecting the global culture. Global culture means the adoption and spread of the American lifestyle via international companies throughout the world. The dominance of the American economic power has transformed into a political and cultural power in the world; it is the outcome of attempts to create a social structure addicted to brands and global names; it is a system that ignores family life, promotes individualism and egoism and views people as holders of social security numbers.

Violence and sex are two major elements of the global culture of consumerism. Society has gotten used to violence and sexual obscenity, and children in particular are exposed to a perilous life of violence and sexuality.

Violence and sexual obscenity are not just part of life but have been made central elements of it. Almost all characters and protagonists in cartoons and computer games produced by this culture of consumerism are bad and violent and almost all children’s toys are based on the idea of violence and destruction. Movies, TV series and media reports regularly make references

to violence and sexual obscenity.

The global culture of consumerism undermines characteristics that make a man a real person; the idea “eat, drink, get fat, have sex, travel, fight, get violent, be powerful, do not be merciful to the poor, do not think, do not question what is going on, live in the moment, do not be concerned about the future” is being injected into the society through the media.

The impact of this global culture on developing countries like Turkey is even graver. In countries like Turkey, which have no mechanism to protect the poor, the culture of consumerism turns into excessive consumption based on wasting, destruction and ignorance. Required spending turns over time into excessive consumption with an emphasis on power and wealth.

In this global culture, youngsters are forced to adopt a lifestyle under which they have to adapt to a competition akin to a horserace. This constant competition becomes very swift and merciless. Life becomes a race between friends at school and social life and within the family between family members. People are forced to live their life paying attention to competition and success.

However, amid this competition and ambition, a new generation blind to comprehend the future and unable to make plans for it emerges.

Is there anything more natural than young girls focused on a life based on violence, sexual obscenity and competition and alienated from their families turning into girls killing their mothers?

27.05.2008

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06 TODAY’S ZAMAN

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The water reserves of Ýstanbul have fallen by 50 percent in the last three years, necessitating that Ýstanbulites use water more efficiently in order not to experience water cuts this summer, an official from the city’s water authority has said. Ýstanbul Waterworks Authority (ÝSKÝ) General Manager Mevlüt Vural on Tuesday said many Ýstanbulites still wash their rugs in the street, a practice that typically consumes a great deal of water. “This era has ended. Ýstanbul is not a water-rich city. We provide water for Ýstanbul by capturing precipitation

in our reservoirs,” he stated. Ýstanbul’s water reserves are extremely dependent on the amount of precipitation that falls, and if the city does not receive an adequate amount then it will inevitably face a water shortage in the summer, noted Vural.

Because of lower than average rainfall in the past three years, the water level of Ýstanbul’s 10 dams, which provide water for 12 million Ýstanbulites, decreased by 50 percent. Thus, Vural said, those residing in Ýstanbul need to be more careful in their use of water. The daily water consumption in Ýstanbul,

which has 4.6 million water subscribers, is 2 million cubic meters. Two-thirds of subscribers consume 330 liters or less daily; this figure is 500 liters in the US, which is considered a water-rich country.

Vural said it is difficult to anticipate how climate change will affect Ýstanbul. “It is possible that we may have more difficult times ahead. For this reason we have to use our current water reserves and resources efficiently. Our request of Ýstanbulites is that they use water more carefully and help ÝSKÝ in this tough job,” he stated. Vural also said some Ýstanbulites have not

made any effort to conserve water. “The subscribers to ÝSKÝ consumed 4 million cubic meters less water in the first five months of 2008 compared to the same period of the previous year. Some people are careful, some are not. For instance, a facility can consume four cubic meters of water to wash 30 cars; yet someone else can wash his car with only a bucket of water.” In 2007 water consumption was 15 million cubic meters less than in 2006; however, Vural noted, this number is less than Ýstanbul’s weekly water consumption. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

CÝHAN

Catholýcs hope Turkey opens church for St. Paul Year The Roman Catholic Church hopes a year dedicated to Saint Paul, born two millennia ago in Tarsus in today’s southern Turkey, will bring signs of more religious tolerance in the mostly Muslim but secularist country.

Pope Benedict proclaimed the “Pauline Year,” 12 months of events starting on June 29, to honor the great evangelizer of the early church martyred in the year 64 under Emperor Nero.

The event has taken on a contemporary twist in Turkey, where the state keeps tight control on religion, and figured in a German debate between Muslims aiming to build mosques there and bishops calling for more churches in Muslim countries.

The main issue in Turkey is a Catholic request for a former church, which was confiscated by the state in 1943 and is now a museum, to be turned back into a house of worship for pilgrims coming to Tarsus during the Pauline Year and afterwards.

“We think this could be a good sign of religious freedom in Turkey,” Bishop Luigi Padovese, apostolic administrator for Anatolia, told Reuters. “We have big hopes and our hopes have a firm foundation.”

“Local officials have cooperated in planning for the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims expected during the year and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoðan might attend an inaugural ceremony in Tarsus on June 21,” he said. A decision to turn the museum over to the Catholics, who say they would allow all Christian denominations to use it, would be a positive step in a country where cau-

PHOTO

TOM HENEGHAN ÝSTANBUL

Christians on pilgrimage to Jerusalem used to visit the Well of St. Paul in Tarsus.

tious efforts at expanding religious rights in recent years seem to have been put on hold.

Erdoðan, whose Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has its roots in political Islam, raised hopes in recent years among Turkey’s 100,000-strong Christian community by stressing greater rights for religion as part of a liberalization needed to join the European Union.

But a bid to scrap one constraint -- a ban on Islamic headscarves at universities -- has landed him in a legal clash with the secularist elite. By

late June, the Constitutional Court may have banned him from belonging to a political party.

Cross and icons The only church in Tarsus is a simple medieval building with bare walls and no cross. Confiscated in 1943, it was used by the army and later as a museum. “There’s only the building, with nothing special in it. Not much of a museum,” Padovese said.

Local officials have long allowed priests to say mass in the Tarsus church if they remove the cross

Burç College’s Florya branch organizes foreign language fair awards by the school administration.

Burç College Principal Nurettin Demirci said during the opening ceremony of the fair that foreign language education is very important in the modern world, adding that this is why the school places great importance on language education and conducts domestic and international summer camps to immerse students in the foreign languages they are studying. Demirci also noted that the students at Burç have taken the language tests of national and international universities and performed well on these exams.

Speaking to Today’s Zaman in a phone interview, Erdoðan said the language fair is a very good experience for both the students and their parents. He stated that the biggest problem of language education is the inadequate amount of practice in classrooms due

to lack of time and large class sizes. “Thus we hold this language fair to compensate for the low levels of practice in the classroom and to get the students to think on their feet using the language,” he noted.

Erdoðan also spoke during the opening ceremony of the fair. “In non-English speaking countries like Turkey, the basic problem in English language teaching is the lack of places where people can speak and practice English or be exposed to the language. In order to deal with this problem we organize English fairs in which no Turkish is spoken.

We set up stands where students can practice their English skills. Among these stalls are several games such as wheel of fortune, the spinner game, the weakest link, the miming game, matching, touch and say, taste and tell, and magic shot.” Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

PHOTO

CÝHAN

The Florya branch of Burç College on Friday held its second annual foreign languages fair with participation by students and their parents at its campus in the Istanbul district of Bakýrköy.

The event was chaired by Bünyamin Erdoðan, head of the foreign languages department at the school. The goal of the language fair is to create an environment mimicking real-life situations that provides an opportunity for students to practice their foreign language skills.

With the help of their language teachers the students set up 30 booths and performed impromptu dialogues and plays using language topics they had covered throughout the year. There was also a performance competition in which the three booths with the best performances were presented

Students and their parents participate in a foreign language fair held at Burç College’s Florya branch on Friday.

CM Y K

and all other religious items immediately afterwards. They recently stopped charging the museum entrance fee, something the worshippers resented.

“But turning it back into a church would mean it could have a cross and icons whenever pilgrims visit it,” Padovese said. “This empty building is not a church,” he added. “Imagine how it feels to pray in a museum with no cross.”

Tarsus Mayor Burhanettin Kocamaz said he had also received a request to build a church there. “We do not support one project over another, as we don’t have the authority to decide,” he said. “We will apply whichever decision the government makes.”

Erdoðan’s office did not answer requests for a comment on how the government in Ankara saw the issue in Tarsus.

Catholic bishops in Germany have taken up the Tarsus church issue as part of a larger effort by the Vatican to have Muslim countries allow more rights for Christians in parallel to the freedom Muslims have to build mosques in western states.

“A delegation of bishops will visit the city in September and many dioceses there are organizing pilgrimages,” Padovese said. Cologne Cardinal Joachim Meisner, who has criticized plans by Turks in Germany to build a large mosque there, has written to Erdoðan to ask his help with the Tarsus project. He has also mentioned the possibility of building a church in the city.

Meisner, a friend of Pope Benedict, has said a functioning church in Tarsus would be a strong sign of understanding and would help balance things out here in Cologne. He has denied this was meant as an ultimatum to Ankara. Reuters

PHOTO

Ýstanbulites must consume less water, ÝSKÝ head says Gül hosts famous singers at Çankaya Pop music singers Sezen Aksu, Mazhar Alanson, Sertab Erener and Turkish folk music singers Neþet Ertaþ and Zara as well as artists Orhan Gencebay and Ahmet Özhan were President Abdullah Gül’s guests yesterday at the Çankaya presidential palace. The singers joined the president for lunch at his invitation.

Rengim Gökmen, the general manger of the State Opera and Ballet, was also present at the gathering. Ertaþ said the luncheon took place in an informal setting as he performed a song with his saz -- a traditional Turkish musical instrument. Alanson said the president graciously welcomed his guests while Zara voiced her satisfaction over the president’s encouraging remarks. “I was very happy. The esteemed president encouraged us, and I feel elated.” The singers noted that no mention of politics was made during lunch.

Since becoming president last August, Gül has held similar gatherings at the presidential palace, meeting with novelists, philosophers and historians to exchange views over the latest developments in Turkey. Ankara Today’s Zaman

‘President Gül will help resolve tension’ Supreme Court of Appeals’ President Hasan Gerçeker, who met with President Abdullah Gül on Monday evening to discuss possible ways to relieve recently sparked tension between the government and the judiciary, said the meeting had been a positive one, in a brief statement he made to reporters on Tuesday morning. Gerçeker said he and Gül talked about what could be done to release tension between Turkey’s top courts and the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government. This tension started last Wednesday when the Supreme Court of Appeals released a statement accusing the government of attempting to influence the judiciary.

“The president said he would assist [the parties] in resolution of the issues,” Gerçeker said.

He noted that the Supreme Court of Appeals could possibly release a written statement about the meeting at a later time. “We both agreed that there is nothing good for the future of the state in the continuation of tension. I think he will continue his meetings [with the parties involved],” he told reporters. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

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BUSINESS

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2008

‘A great leap forward’ ýn the Southeastern Anatolýa Project

TÜSÝAD wages another war on government over ‘populism’ AA

more employment opportunities.

Addressing Yalçýndað, he asked if the warnings were a way of asking the government to keep fiscal discipline tight and keep the budget deficit at low levels.

Yalçýndað nodded in apparent agreement and said: "It is exactly as you said. We are not speaking about GAP." In his speech the minister also said that the number one item on the agenda of all Cabinet meetings is the progress achieved by all ministries in the EU membership process.

Elsewhere, Minister of Labor and Social Security Faruk Çelik also responded to TÜSÝAD's claims of populism, saying the government's activities stem from the needs of the population

and not from populist considerations. Responding to a question by the Anatolia news agency on the topic, the minister said unemployment is definitely one of the biggest and most urgent problems awaiting an immediate solution. The government's steps aim to fight this problem, and seeing them as populist moves is totally unacceptable, he noted.

The minister further stated that money to be transferred from the unemployment fund to several public investments will be taken only from the interest revenue of the state's share in the fund. The main part of the fund that includes money collected from workers' salaries will remain untouched, he asserted. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

ÝSA PHOTO

EPDK moves to check competition in fuel market The president of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) has asked the Competition Board to investigate whether there are any ongoing violations of competition regulations in the fuel distribution market following reports by Today's Zaman and the Zaman daily that called attention to the fact that different distribution companies are offering exactly the same prices for fuel.

EPDK President Hasan Köktaþ said yesterday that they had brought the question to the attention of the Competition Board to see if there were any oligopolistic practices among the market players manipulating the prices illegally. But he added that any intervention in the prices in the market, either by the EPDK or the companies themselves, would run contrary to the interests of customers.

Today's Zaman had written on May 24 that although the EPDK was authorized to regulate prices in the fuel and gas market, it had not intervened or investigated the fact that all of Turkey's fuel companies are selling their products at the same prices, indicating a lack of competition.

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency yesterday, Köktaþ recalled that the Oil Market Law had fully liberalized prices on fuel products starting from Jan. 1, 2005. Following this liberalization, the number of distribution companies increased dramatically to 45,

i.ozturk@todayszaman.com

PHOTO

Minister of Industry and Commerce Çaðlayan (L) and TÜSÝAD Chair Yalçýndað facing the press together after a seminar.

ÞÝMÞEK

contýnued from page 1 TÜSÝAD usually adopts a stance against the government in almost all major issues, accusing it of failure and mismanagement. This was also the case during debates on a long-standing headscarf ban and on the European Union accession process, as well as during the presidential election and other issues.

Stating that microeconomic reforms and the continuation of macroeconomic stability are vital for the economy, Yalçýndað said populism would damage stability in the long run. "Indeed, artificial populist measures have always been utilized by politicians, and the country has always lost from such moves in the long term. They may be regarded as temporary tools to help increase the overall welfare level under normal conditions. But they are simply unacceptable nowadays, when the global economic crisis is deepening and the macroeconomic balance shows signs of serious deterioration."

For Yalçýndað, the recent signs of leaning toward populism were the increase of the amount of allocations for local administrations by YTL 4 billion, the utilization of privatization revenue in public investment instead of paying down domestic debt, using the unemployment fund to cover public expenditures instead of distributing it to the unemployed through cash transfers, amnesty for social insurance premium payments in default, attempts to change the law on public tenders, and the decrease of the rate of primary surplus from 6.5 percent to 3.5 percent.

The accusations were immediately addressed

by Minister of Industry and Commerce Zafer Çaðlayan, who was also present at the meeting.

The government has never intended to exploit populism in its activities, he said.

"If you are assessing the action plan to gear up Southeastern Anatolian Project [GAP] investments as populism, there definitely is no populism there," he asserted, adding that the aim of the GAP initiative is to help the poor and underdeveloped region have a better industry and economy and

ÝBRAHÝM ÖZTÜRK

boosting the competitiveness in the market.

"However, we are definitely not happy to see the distribution companies selling their products at the same price while focusing on delivering gifts as a means of competition," he said.

Köktaþ also mentioned skyrocketing fuel prices, noting that the main drive behind the price hikes was soaring global crude prices stemming from supply concerns and the weak dollar. Oil is floating at around $135 per barrel in the global futures markets, and many worry that it is heading to $150. In January 2005 a liter of unleaded gas was being sold at YTL 2.3 in Ýstanbul, and nowadays the price is around YTL 3.5.

Köktaþ said that although the law entitled the EPDK to manipulate prices in the fuel market in "exceptional circumstances," any involvement will not be good for consumers.

Köktaþ said the share of taxes in the current price of unleaded gas is around YTL 2, or 58 percent, and that only the remaining 42 percent goes to refineries, distributors and gas stations. "Because we can't intervene in global oil prices, we have to turn our attention to the components of domestic fuel prices. Taxes are the most important device at hand in times of necessity. All in all, Turkey needs radical changes in its policies of taxing energy resources," he added. Ankara Today's Zaman with wires

CM Y K

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government is working to speed up the progress on the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), known as both Turkey and the world's largest integrated development project, from this year onward.

GAP had originally been planned by Sultan Abdülhamid II, the latest and last great strategist of the Ottoman Sultanate, by the late 19th century. However, it was initiated once again around the 1970s, consisting of projects for irrigation and hydroelectric energy production on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. However, the project was transformed into a multi-sector social and economic development program for the region in the early 1980s by Turgut Özal, Turkey's prime minister at the time.

The development program encompasses such sectors as irrigation, hydroelectric energy, agriculture, rural and urban infrastructure, forestry, education and health. The water resources development component of the program envisages the construction of 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric power plants and the irrigation of 1.82 million hectares of land.

As is known, not only Turkey but the world as well has been threatened by two important recent phenomena: global warming, which has led to dramatic climate change resulting in food shortages, and skyrocketing energy prices. Because of these important problems, Turkey's recent push in economic development and growth has been blocked by rising inflationary pressures and an unsustainable rise in the current account deficit.

A long-term solution to these problems requires energy investment based on local resources and increased food supply. Fortunately, GAP provides us with a fertile ground to carry out

these projects simultaneously.

For this reason, the government recently announced plans to complete GAP. By the end of the current year, a total of YTL 2.3 billion will have been spent in GAP-related projects. Next year, YTL 3.6 billion will be allocated for the GAP budget to unfinished parts of the project. Within five years an estimated $12 billion will be spent in order to complete the project.

The prime minister's "package" in that regard is quite important in the sense that 1.9 million hectares of agricultural land cannot be irrigated in the region.

Compared to other parts of the project, measures to improve irrigation have come quite late. Therefore the new action plan's priority is expected to be irrigation.

The project will not only increase agricultural production in the region, but also provide employment for almost 4 million people, nearly half of the region's population.

This expectation for employment may not be realistic; however, even the employment of 1.5 million people would change the social psychology to a great extent.

The government's target is to increase the income level fivefold in the project area.

Parallel to this process, incentives for local, national and foreign entrepreneurs to invest in the region would start a new momentum in attracting more fresh resources and would also increase the region's industrial potential based on agriculture, tourism based mainly upon history and culture and, ultimately, a trade network with neighboring countries.

In summary, the government has taken a step at the right time with a right perspective that will change the entire picture not only in the GAP area, but also in the greater geographical region as well as within Turkey itself.

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08 TODAY’S ZAMAN

W E D N E S D AY, M AY 2 8 , 2 0 0 8

Ziraat considering options to return to insurance business ance transactions using Baþak Groupama.

Speaking at the commission meeting, Uludað noted that there is no other bank in the world that does not administer an insurance company, adding that the board of the bank has been working to found a new insurance company or acquire or partner with an existing one since 2006. Recalling that they have the capacity and potential to found a new insurance company as soon as they are granted permission to do so, Uludað said the bank is now focused on acquisition of an existing insurance company after the Treasury rejected their proposal to establish a new one.

Uludað noted that Güven Insurance was founded years ago under the name National

out an insurance company, and an insurance company cannot be without a bank behind it," he noted, while Ziraat General Director Can Akýn Çaðlar said, "A bank having another insurance company fulfill the obligatory insurance transactions means that this bank must present the customer portfolio information to the bank of that company."

In February 2008 the 2006 accounts of Ziraat Bank were reviewed by a parliamentary commission. The commission discussed a business partnership between the bank and the French Groupama, which acquired the two Ziraat affiliates -- Baþak Insurance and Baþak Pension Fund -- in the insurance sector. During the meeting, Republican People's Party (CHP) Amasya deputy Hüseyin Ünsal asked why Ziraat Bank still carried out its insur-

Ziraat Bank is seeking to partner with or purchase an insurance company after the sale of two former affiliates, Baþak Insurance and the Baþak Pension Fund, two years ago in a privatization.

Ziraat Bank had asked for permission from the Treasury to establish a new insurance company but received a negative response.

Thereafter it contacted three insurance companies regarding the possibility of partnership or acquisition. Ziraat is now considering the acquisition of Güven Insurance after its attempt to purchase Birlik Insurance was unsuccessful.

Ziraat Bank board chairman Ýlhan Uludað emphasized the significance of administering an insurance company for a bank. "A bank cannot be with-

Trust with the partnership of Ziraat Bank, adding that acquisition of this company by Ziraat would be as if it were returning home.

The shares of Ziraat Bank in Baþak Insurance and Baþak Pension Fund were transferred to the Privatization Administration (ÖÝB) on Dec. 30, 2004. The tender for Ziraat's shares (56.67 percent) in Baþak Insurance and Baþak Pension Fund (41 percent) was held on Feb. 2, 2006, and Groupama International made the highest bid with $268 million. Meanwhile, the Agricultural Loan Cooperatives Union received many offers from international players at the tender held in March for the sale of its 99.99 percent share in Güven Insurance. The company is currently reviewing the offers. Ankara Today's Zaman with wires

As oýl costs go up, aýrlýnes prepare to raýse týcket prýces

CALENDAR

AT A GLAN

CE

Gazprom raises supply to Turkey due to Iranian halt

PHOTO

such as Russia and Israel may see a significant decline due to rising fuel prices. He said there will be an increased effort by airlines to purchase new, more cost-effective airplanes for their fleets, as the older models tend to use more fuel. Though Torosoðlu pointed to September as the month when we sill start to see airlines declare bankruptcy, he noted that problems were already clearly on the horizon. He did however add that while Russia has seen some newfound prosperity in its role as producer of 10 percent of the world's fuel, energy-wealthy Russians may start turning their attention toward Turkey with the intent of making new investments. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

As oil rises, aerospace looks to better fuels

Yearly Change (%)

YTD Change (%)

MCAP (million YTL)

1-Y Av.Volum

1,9%

-7,8%

-13,0%

-27,6%

203.551

1.291

İMKB-30

48.982

2,1%

-10,3%

-14,9%

-30,5%

146.387

987

Nikkei 225

İMKB-IND

36.243

1,0%

-0,7%

-4,6%

-10,7%

73.468

359

Cac 40

Daily Monthly Change (%) Change (%)

Country

Change (%)

H.Kong

0,64

24.282,0

Japan

1,48

13.893,3

France

Hang Seng

İMKB-BANK

73.695

3,0%

-15,0%

-19,2%

-38,6%

76.011

693

DAX

DJIMT

11,20

0,4%

-0,4%

-2,2%

-5,5%

112

0,54

FTSE 100

TurkDEX 49.550 1,263

plants this year -- in the Netherlands and Spain -- and said its algae-based kerosene will be mixed with conventional fuel. But KLM's goal is to fuel its entire fleet with kerosene from algae and other plant-based oils. The show -known formally as the Aerospace Exhibition and Conferences -- lasts until Sunday at Schoenefeld Airport. Airports are trying to streamline operations, reduce bottlenecks and improve efficiency. The show, started in 1909, is held every two years. More than 250,000 people visited in 2006. Berlin AP

Some of the biggest names in aviation showed off their latest products Tuesday at the Berlin Air Show to potential buyers as sky-high oil prices have driven the demand for more fuelefficient planes. Alternative fuels are expected to draw interest at the air show, given the cost of oil, which rose as high as $135 last week before retreating somewhat. Dutch airline KLM said Monday it had signed a contract with AlgaeLink for fuel made from algae for a pilot project whose first test flight is scheduled for the fall. AlgaeLink plans to set up a pair of

40.189

EU€/JP¥

Turkmenistan and the European Union have agreed to join efforts in developing the resource-rich Central Asian nation's energy sector, state media reported Tuesday. The nonbinding agreement advances European moves to reduce dependence on supplies from Russia. During talks with EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs on Monday, Turkmen President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov emphasized the value of ties with Europe. "The development of mutually beneficial cooperation with the European Union is a foreign policy priority for Turkmenistan," Berdymukhamedov was quoted as saying by the newspaper Neitralny Turkmenistan. Most natural gas from Turkmenistan, which produced around 73 billion cubic meters last year, goes to Russia.

A pipeline to China is to come online in 2009 and is expected to reach an annual capacity of 30 billion cubic meters. Berdymukhamedov renewed assurances that Turkmenistan will be able to fulfill all its contractual obligations for gas supply. "We have invested large sums in speeding up the exploration and development of our hydrocarbon resources," he was quoted as saying. Ashgabat AP

Russia's gas export monopoly Gazprom said on Tuesday it had increased gas supplies to Turkey after it asked for more gas following a stoppage of flows from Iran. Turkey stopped the flow of Iranian natural gas imports on Monday after Kurdish separatists launched an attack on the only gas pipeline connecting the two neighbors. The damage should be repaired in a few days' time, a source at Turkish state gas company Botaþ has said. Sabotage is common on pipelines leading into Turkey from Iran and Iraq, where Kurdish separatist terrorists are based. Gazprom has in the past regularly raised supplies to Turkey following disruptions in deliveries from Iran. On Tuesday, it said it was now pumping 30 million cubic meters instead of the regular 22 million cubic meters via the Blue Stream pipeline under the Black Sea. Moscow Reuters

Sarkozy says aircraft carrier decision in 2011

İMKB-100

US$/JP¥

EU, Turkmenistan sign agreement on energy

AVIATION

Close

28-May 1 COREPER ) any (leading CPI of Germ in USA ods order Durable go 2 COREPER 29-May p. of USA Unemp. ap r PMI Retail secto A GDP of US 1.quarter

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RAMAZAN KERPETEN

contýnued from page 1 There are currently many airline companies that are trying to reduce their fuel costs. As an airline, we are planning on raising the cost of our airline tickets starting June 1. We are sending out memos on this subject, especially to tour operators in the Netherlands and Belgium that bring tourists from those nations to Turkey. There are also many airlines with regularly scheduled flights that are trying to reduce the number of their flights," said Karaer.

Hacý Say, the assistant general manager of SunExpress, which was formed as a joint venture between Turkish Airlines (THY) and the German airline Lufthansa, also stated that the anticipated increase in costs for airlines is a result of global increases in fuel costs.

Say, who noted that SunExpress uses the "everything included" system, commented on the difference in his airline's expenditures from last year to this year. "Compared to our costs last year, this year's expenditures are much higher. This is not just the case for airlines in Turkey, but for airlines all over the globe. Airline ticket prices are going to go up. There is not a single airline that can hold out in the face of these prices," he said. Airline fuel accounts for around onethird of all expenditures made by airlines.

Antalya-based Inter Airlines CEO Ömer Torosoðlu stated that steadily rising world fuel prices were going to ultimately result in many airlines going bankrupt starting around September.

Torosoðlu said his airline has been forced to raise airline ticket prices three times since the new year due to rising fuel prices. "These increases in prices will have a negative influence on tourism, particularly in Turkey. As a company, we have had to raise our ticket prices three times since the new year. When fuel prices go up 5 percent, we immediately reflect this in our ticket prices," he noted.

Torosoðlu also remarked that the number of tourists visiting Turkey from nations

BUSINESS

-0,21

4.927,5

0,48

6.987,0

UK

0,22

6.100,8

Dow

USA

0,63

12.550,0

NASDAQ

USA

1,13

1.981,1

USA

0,47

1.382,4

Brasil

-1,12

70.827,8

S&P

1,69% -0,20%

BOVESPA

70.32 57.68

53.0 42.32 29.68

22,3 6.83

9.3

Native

Foreign

Number of Shares

Native

M.cap

Foreign

Number of Shares

TELECOM

Vodafone announces return to full-year profit Mobile phone company Vodafone PLC on Tuesday announced a return to full-year net profit from a loss the previous year, and said chief executive Arun Sarin would step down at the end of July. Sarin has held the top job for five years and will be replaced by his deputy, Vittorio Colao. The departure of Indian-born Sarin, 53, came as a surprise to many. He faced disquiet two years ago, when nearly 10 percent of Vodafone shareholders voted against his re-election. But the company has since outperformed analysts' forecasts and enjoyed revenue growth in fast-growing markets such as India and Turkey. Under his tenure, Vodafone's customer base from 120 million to 260 million around the world. Sarin said he "felt the timing was right to handover as the company is in a good position strategically." London AP

Level

Germany

President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday he had until 2011 or 2012 to decide whether to build a second aircraft carrier for France, further delaying a decision after Britain announced it would add to its carrier fleet. "For the second aircraft carrier we have a bit of time, as the decision should be taken around 2011, 2012," Sarkozy said in an interview on RTL radio. France has one aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, which requires regular maintenance. During his electoral campaign last year, Sarkozy backed a plan to build a second aircraft carrier as part of a project under which Britain and France would jointly commission vessels to keep costs down. But talks dragged on and Britain said on May 20 it would sign its own 4 billion pound contract to build two aircraft carriers for itself. French officials had previously indicated a decision could be made in the coming two months and Defence Minister Herve Morin has said the project might be too costly for France. Paris Reuters

M.cap

DURABLES Ticker

Price (YTL) Daily Change (%)

Ticker

Price

Daily Change (%)

Ticker

Volumes

Daily Close Change (%)

Price (YTL) Yearly Change (%)

Monthly Change (%)

Yearly Change (%)

US$/JP¥

104,17

PEGYO

2,00

19,05%

BANVT

4,52

-3,42%

GARAN

150,4

5,8

-45,24

YTL / €

1,957

0,0%

-2,2%

9,9%

EU/JP¥

163,76

AKGRT

5,65

8,65%

TRCAS

8,00

-3,03%

VAKBN

135,9

2,1

-49,28

YTL / $

1,242

0,0%

-3,1%

-6,3%

EU/US$

1,5717

10,60

8,25%

TUDDF

-2,75%

YKBNK

YKBNK

2,80

6,06%

YAZIC

7,20

-2,04%

ISCTR

70,5

5,1

-27,46

SKBNK

2,29

6,02%

SNGYO

3,88

-2,02%

AKBNK

60,9

5,5

-34,10

ANHYT

4,20

ÝMKB 100

74,6

2,8

-32,04

ÝMKB 30

ÝMKB IND

P.CHEM.

TUPRS

PTOFS

PETKM

AYGAZ

--

--

12.477,7

6.796,0

2.288,9

1.203,2

1.035,4

12,6x

12,6x

12,1x

8,0x

9,3x

12,5x

26,0x

3,1x

P/E 2007/06t

8,8x

11,3x

11,2x

5,7x

6,9x

9,2x

13,6x

1,6x

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

8,3x 8,1x

8,5x 8,4x

8,9x 7,8x

6,1x 6,7x

6,9x 7,3x

8,6x 5,3x

13,6x 6,9x

1,6x 5,4x

EV/EBITDA 2007/03t

7,6x

7,7x

7,0x

6,1x

6,2x

5,0x

5,1x

5,9x

EV/EBITDA 2007/06t

8,3x

7,2x

7,1x

6,3x

6,4x

5,1x

5,5x

6,3x

Mcap YTL

--

P/E 2006/12

CM Y K

Price ($) Light C. Oil Gold Copper

129,39 905,00 3,69

Way

Change (%) -2,12 -2,25 -1,24

High 133,65 930,60 3,75

Low 129,10 904,50 3,69

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

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

LG eyes GE's plans for appliance business LG Electronics CEO Nam Yong said Tuesday that General Electric's plans to sell or spin off its appliance business has the potential to shake up the industry.

"This could greatly impact the entire appliance industry," Nam told reporters. "This might reshape the digital appliance market globally so we are watching very closely." He was responding to a question about whether LG itself might be interested in acquiring the business. Asked again later, he reiterated that his company was monitoring the situation and said he could not comment further. LG Electronics Inc. is South Korea's largest home appliance manufacturer. Seoul AP

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CÝHAN

TRAVEL

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Workers on site at Çatalhöyük

TRAVEL TIPS How to get to Side Nearest airport: Konya. Regular flights from Ýstanbul. Ankara and Antalya four hours by bus. Hourly buses from Konya to Çumra take an hour, then take a taxi to the site (17 kilometers).

When to come: Late spring and early autumn are best climatewise, but in 2008 the archaeologists will be on site in June and July -- be prepared for the heat.

Site entry and admission: Free; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; donations welcomed.

Where to stay: There are plenty of decent hotels in Konya -- try the plush new Dedeman (www.dedeman.com) or the moderate Ulusan (ulusanhotel@mynet.com).

Books, Web sites: "Çatal Hüyük: A Neolithic Town in Anatolia" by James Mellaart; www.catalhuyuk.com.

CM Y K

PHOTO PHOTO

PHOTO

TERRY RICHARDSON

AHMET ARIK

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2

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KÜRÞAT BAYHAN

occupations such as guarding the site from marauding flocks of sheep or cooking and cleaning for the archaeologists. Some are tasked with sifting through soil samples and separating out and bagging bits of obsidian, pieces of bone and pottery shards for expert analysis. In season as many as 80 excavators from all over the world, plus 40 local villagers, are hard at work on this hot and exposed mound.

One section of the dig house serves as the visitor center. Small but imaginatively laid-out, it has a number of sign-boards with photographs of excavators asking themselves, through comic-strip style thought bubbles, questions about the site -- "How did they make the mud bricks?" "How many people lived in this building?" or "What did the murals mean?" It's great for kids -- as is the audio-visual display which gives lots of background information about this incredible site. There are recreations of wall paintings, copies of some of the figurines found on site -- notably that of a seated mother goddess (the actual figure, along with most of the other finds, is in the Ankara Museum). The site has become something of a draw for contemporary followers of the mother goddess and neo-feminists who see Neolithic Çatalhöyük as a place where women were at least the equals of, if not superior, to men. This has yet to be proven, but the ongoing work at the site (and in university research departments around the globe) may eventually come up with some definitive answers as to the social structure of this Neolithic "city."

Wander up onto the mound, a sea of vibrant purple larkspur in May, to look into the excavation areas themselves. The south area is covered by a large steel-framed structure with semi-translucent plastic sheeting -- essential to prevent the exposed layers of settlement being eroded. It's hard to imagine how the archaeologists have been able to distinguish the mud brick walls of the densely packed houses from the soil encasing them -- let alone reconstruct so accurately what they looked like. On the top of the mound, tiny fragments of worked obsidian, brought here from Cappadocia, glitter amongst the dirt and swaying clumps of wild barley. Obsidian was worked into tools used for a multitude of purposes such as skinning animals and threshing grain - and was a valuable trading commodity. Fragments of bone peep out from the soil, too, mostly animal but some may be human. Sometimes as many as 60 burials in one building. Carbonized grain found on site, either gathered from wild varieties or cultivated, shows that the residents of Çatalhöyük were both hunter-gatherers and settled farmers Over to the northeast of the mound the newer excavation area (known as Bach) is in the process of being encased in a protective shed but should soon be open to visitors.

Jericho has a claim to be the world's oldest city, but it is 10 times smaller than Çatalhöyük, making it more of a large village than a city. Recent finds in Jordan suggest that there were larger and earlier urban settlements than Çatalhöyük. But this unique site has nothing to prove to the world. The work that has been done here since the early 1960s, and looks set to continue well into the future, has done a great deal to help us understand the development of our species and, perhaps more importantly, made it accessible to the general public as well as to the expert.

PHOTO

most visually appealing spectacle -- even if it does contain 16 layers of Neolithic settlement (apparently after around 80 years of occupation, the mud brick houses were abandoned, filled in and new ones built on top). Fortunately, much work has been done on site to make Çatalhöyük visitor friendly.

Archaeologists and local villagers (who until very recently were still building mud-brick structures not dissimilar to the Neolithic houses) have reconstructed a typical house. Some three by five meters square, the house is flat roofed and lime-washed. The inhabitants entered their homes by a trapdoor in the roof, with a ladder leading down to floor level. Inside, areas of wall are decorated with paintings of hunting scenes (although the people of Çatalhöyük had domesticated cattle, they still hunted their wild forebears in the surrounding marshland and hills) and juniper rafters support the mud roof. The cooking was done in a dome-shaped clay oven set on the floor beneath the trapdoor and woven reed baskets used for storage. It's quite something to stand inside the gloom of a house lived in 9,500 years ago -- even if it is only a replica.

Just beyond the house lies a large, low building.

This is the dig house, which provides accommodation for the teams of archaeologists who excavate the site annually. The dig is guided and coordinated by Ian Hodder of Cambridge University, who has been working here since 1993. The aim of this phase of work is to find out as much as possible about the way of life of Çatalhöyük's inhabitants, utilizing the latest methods. Compared to Mellaart's era, progress is slow as new excavation techniques throw up more information but also take more time. Although Hodder is Cambridge-based, this is an international effort with partners from the US, Poland, Israel, Greece, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Canada, plus students from Turkish universities including the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ), Ýstanbul, Ankara, Ege, Anadolu, Çukorova and the local university, Konya Selçuk. A project like this is expensive (around $1 million per season) and sponsorship essential with Koç, Shell and Boeing amongst the corporate big boys helping to fund the excavations.

Perhaps even more exciting is the way in which the local villagers have been involved in this phase of the project -- and not just in menial (though necessary)

4 KÜRÞAT BAYHAN

If you start spouting terms like Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic over the average dinner table, chances are eyes will glaze over and someone will seek to change the direction of conversation by asking you to "Pass the salt, please." Use the more populist term for this lengthy period (in excess of half a million years) in mankind's development -- the Stone Age -- and you may well get more interest. To men of a certain age images of the voluptuous Raquel Welch, star of the 1960s "so bad it's good" movie "One Million Years B.C." may well spring to mind. Clad in nothing more than a skimpy fur bikini, the statuesque Welch fled the unwanted attentions of ugh-ughing Neanderthal men and rampaging dinosaurs with a reckless disregard to the period (Neanderthal man became extinct tens of thousands of years before 1 million B.C. and dinosaurs 65 million years ago). Hannah-Barbara's cartoon classic "The Flintstones" left many a '60s child with the firm impression that in the Stone Age (so called because in this period man used stone tools and weapons rather than metal) people called Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble commuted to work in stone-wheeled cars, drove home to watch stone TV sets and petted dinosaurs instead of dogs. But the kind of popular entertainment that peddled such patent (if entertaining) nonsense did reflect a genuine and burgeoning popular interest in how mankind developed.

In 1961 the British archaeologist James Mellaart began excavating a 20-meter-high hüyük (a mound built of man-made debris, otherwise known as a tel) in the Konya Plain, near the small town of Çumra.

Although he failed to unearth either a cave girl's fur bikini or a stone TV, what he did discover over the next four years was every bit as exciting as fiction. Çatalhöyük turned out to be one of the most important sites not only in Turkey, but in the world. Prior to Mellaart's discoveries, it had been thought that urbanization had started much later -- in the Bronze Age. But here was proof that Neolithic (the last period of the Stone Age) man had gathered together to live communally, from around 7,500 to 6,300 B.C., in a settlement up to 8,000 strong. Mellaart's excavations at Çatalhöyük electrified not only the archaeological world, but also captured the imagination of the public -- and his populist book about the site propelled both the remains and their discoverer to fame.

How could Stone Age man be thought of as primitive when he lived in an urban environment of densely packed houses and decorated the interior of his home with wall paintings, sculptures and relief carvings?

The "city's" dead were ritually buried beneath the floors of some of the houses, with beautiful objects including necklaces, marble bracelets and mirrors made from obsidian (a glass like volcanic rock found in huge quantities in nearby Cappadocia).

Mellaart and his team also found statues of a mother goddess and other female figures (and no corresponding male figures) -- leading to much speculation that Çatalhöyük was a matriarchal society.

Of course you have to approach Çatalhöyük with a spirit of adventure and curiosity. No one can claim that a 20-meter-high dirt eminence, covering some 15 hectares of the rather bleak Konya Plain is the world's

PHOTO

TERRY RICHARDSON KONYA

KÜRÞAT BAYHAN

Çatalhöyük: a Stone Age cýty

5

1. An illustration from the site 2. An 8500-year-old statue of a mother goddess 3. Another statue from the site 4. Çatalhöyük’s artifacts on display at an exhibit 5. Skeletal remains from Çatalhöyük

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REUTERS

The Philippines ordered nine members of an elite police unit to face an inquiry on Tuesday after they were accused by the human rights commission of executing three men suspected of a bloody bank robbery.

National police chief Avelino Razon also ordered the transfer of the nine police officers to the regional police headquarters in Laguna province while facing the inquiry. "We will not tolerate any wrongdoing in our organization," Razon told reporters, adding the move to temporarily remove the nine officers from their jobs was to make sure they could not influence the investigation The police team was investigating a May 16 bank robbery in Laguna province in which 10 bank employees were killed, most of them lined up and shot in the head. Last week, police said they shot and killed three of the suspects during a shootout in a raid on their hideout in nearby Batangas province. But, the head of the government's human rights commission said initial investigations showed there was no shootout at the crime scene, and no bullet marks on the walls of the house where the suspects were holed up. Manila Reuters

Key witness testifies in Israeli PM Olmert’s bribery case PHOTO

Philippine police accused of executing suspects

US businessman Morris Talansky (C) stands outside the courtroom at the Jerusalem district court on Tuesday. Talansky is at the center of a bribery case against Olmert.

A US businessman at the center of a bribery case against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert testified on Tuesday that he gave the Israeli leader cash in envelopes but without expecting any favors in return.

"I didn't expect anything from the prime minister, and I didn't receive anything," Morris Talansky was quoted

by Israeli reporters as telling the Jerusalem District Court, which limited the number of journalists allowed to attend the session. Talansky gave preliminary testimony, at the request of prosecutors, in a case that has raised questions about Olmert's political future at a time when he is talking peace with the Palestinians and pursuing indirect negotiations with Syria.

Olmert, who was twice questioned

by police in recent weeks, has said he took cash from Talansky for his two successful campaigns for mayor of Jerusalem in 1993 and 1998, a failed bid to lead the right-wing Likud party in 1999 and a further internal Likud election in 2002.

Both Olmert and Talansky, a New York-based fundraiser, have denied any wrongdoing. The prime minister has said he would resign if indicted.

Legal experts have said investigators want to examine whether the money was reported to the proper authorities and if Olmert dispensed any favors in return for the cash. Israeli election law broadly prohibits political donations of more than a few hundred dollars. A judicial source said the sums involved totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"I gave (Olmert) cash in en-

NASA Mars lander prepares for 3-month mýssýon

US court rejects appeal by ex-Illinois Gov. Ryan Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan on Tuesday lost a US Supreme Court appeal that sought to overturn his corruption conviction on the grounds his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury had been violated.

Without comment, the justices declined to hear the appeal by Ryan, 74, a Republican who began serving a 6-1/2 year sentence in November at a federal prison in Wisconsin. Lawyers for Ryan and another man convicted in the case argued their constitutional rights had been violated when the trial judge dismissed, after deliberations had already begun, two jurors who lied about their arrest records on their jury questionnaires. The judge replaced the two jurors with alternates and ordered deliberations to resume. Ryan, who in 1998 won a single four-year term as governor, had been nominated several times for a Nobel Peace Prize because of his opposition to the death penalty. In 2000, Ryan ordered a moratorium on executions in Illinois after 13 death row inmates were found to have been wrongly convicted. Before leaving office, he emptied the state's death row, commuting the sentences of 167 inmates to life in prison. Washington Reuters

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander spent its first full day in the Martian arctic plains checking its instruments in preparation for an ambitious digging mission to study whether the site could have once been habitable. The three-legged lander set down on Sunday in relatively flat terrain covered by fissures outlining polygon shapes. The geometric cracks are likely caused by the repeated freezing and thawing of buried ice.

Images beamed back late Monday showed the elbow joint of Phoenix's trench-digging robotic arm still partly covered by a protective sheath. The sheath was supposed to fully unwrap after landing.

Mission scientists downplayed the problem, saying they could still wiggle out the arm for digging. "This is a minor inconvenience," said Deborah Bass, deputy project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. "We're going to

ORDER

Nepal gov't warns king he must leave palace

pleased with Phoenix's progress so far.

"Like a union worker, it went right to work," he said. Scientists were especially interested in how the polygon patterns in the ground formed at Phoenix's landing site. The fractures look similar to those found on Earth's polar regions. Arvidson said Phoenix appeared within reach of a shallow trough that could be a potential place to dig.

"I was just afraid that it'll be so flat and homogenous and that we'd be digging in soil and we wouldn't know the context" of how it formed, Arvidson said. Launched last summer, Phoenix sailed through 422 million miles (679 million kilometers) of space over a period of about 10 months. The riskiest part of the journey came seven minutes before landing, when Phoenix, operating on autopilot, had to use the atmosphere's friction, deploy its parachute and fire its dozen thrusters to slow to a 5 mph (8 kph) thump. Pasadena, Calif. AP

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CÝHAN

The Nepali government warned on Tuesday that it could use force to throw unpopular King Gyanendra out of the royal palace if he refuses to leave voluntarily after the 239-year-old monarchy is abolished.

A special assembly elected in April is scheduled to hold its first meeting today and formally declare an end to the monarchy, a key part of a 2006 peace deal with Maoist former rebels that ended a decade-long civil war. "The king must leave the palace immediately and move to the Nirmal Niwas," Peace and Reconstruction Minister Ram Chandra Poudel said, referring to Gyanendra's private home. "If he does not leave the palace then the government might have to use force to vacate the palace," he said.

"This will not be good for him." There was no immediate comment from the palace. Many Nepalis think that the king will quietly go after the assembly vote. Gyanendra has been living in the Narayanhity royal palace in the heart of Kathmandu since ascending the throne in 2001, but he has made no public statement over his plans. Katmandu Reuters

have to do a little bit of disentangling."

Bass said the process of moving the 8foot-(2.4-meter-)long arm was still scheduled for Tuesday. It will be another week before Phoenix takes the first scoop of soil. After the initial taste test, the lander will spend the rest of the mission clawing through layers of soil to reach ice that is believed to be buried inches to a foot (30 centimeters) below the surface.

"We've only looked at one tiny little slit" of the landing site, said principal investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, Tucson. While Phoenix continued to dazzle scientists with scenes from the Martian high northern latitudes, one image that it returned of the sun came out bleeded. Instead of a point in the sky, the sun appeared like a light saber sword. Bass said engineers were working to fix the problem.

Mission co-scientist Ray Arvidson of Washington University in St. Louis is

Myanmar's junta extended the house arrest of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday, a move likely to dismay Western nations who promised millions of dollars in aid after Cyclone Nargis.

Officials drove to the Nobel laureate's lakeside Yangon home to read out a six-month extension order in person, said a government official, who asked not to be named. However, a Yangonbased diplomat said it was for a year.

The 62-year-old Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a 1990 election landslide only to be denied power by the army, has now spent nearly 13 of the last 18 years under some form of arrest.

Her latest period of detention started on May 30, 2003 for her own protection after clashes between her supporters and pro-junta thugs in the northern town of Depayin. The last of a series of year-long extensions expired on Tuesday.

Although few expected Suu Kyi to be released, the extension is a timely reminder of the ruling military's refusal to make any concessions on the domestic political front despite its grudging acceptance of foreign help after the May 2 cyclone. Hours before the extension, police arrested 20 NLD members trying to march to Suu Kyi's home.

State-controlled media on Tuesday praised the United Nations for the help it has given to the 2.4 million people left destitute in the Irrawaddy delta, suggesting a thaw in the junta's frosty relationship with the outside world. Yangon Reuters

Russian army auctions off military complex

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AP

AP

VIOLENCE

Eleven civilians and 13 policemen were killed in a series of blasts and Taliban attacks in Afghanistan on Tuesday, officials said. Nine police were killed in Taliban attacks in Shor Abak district of southern Kandahar, provincial police chief Sayed Aqa Saqib told Reuters."The Taliban killed five police in an attack on their post and the other four were killed when we sent in reinforcements later," he said. Three children were killed by a blast while playing near a police station outside Kandahar city, he said, adding the explosion occurred as a Taliban militant was planting the device under a bridge. Earlier in the day, one woman, a child and six men were killed when a blast hit a bus in Del Aram district of western Farah province, deputy provincial governor Mohammad Younus Rasuli said. The blast occurred on a road where Afghan and foreign troops have come under similar attacks and ambushes by Taliban insurgents in recent months, he told Reuters. The other four policemen were killed in an explosion in Logar province south of Kabul, a provincial official said. In another incident on Tuesday, US-led troops killed several Taliban militants in an operation in Helmand province in the south, the US military said in a statement. Kabul Reuters

velopes," Talansky testified. Talansky said he handed over sums, ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 at a time, in Israel or during visits Olmert made to New York before becoming prime minister, according to journalists filing reports from inside the courtroom.

"I asked him why I couldn't write a check and he said it's because of the way the money is channeled. So I gave him cash, out of my own money. I would cash the (contribution) checks and give cash," Talansky said.

Talansky, visiting family in Israel, had been ordered by the court to extend his stay and testify before returning to the United States. He testified that he admired Olmert and saw him as a bridge-builder between secular and religious Jews. Jerusalem Reuters

Myanmar junta unmoved, extends Suu Kyi arrest

VERDICT

Thirteen police, 11 civilians killed in Afghanistan

WORLD

The photo above shows an artist’s rendition of the Phoenix Lander on the Arctic plains of Mars digging a trench through the upper soil layer. At left and at right are the northern polar region of Mars as shown by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander on Sunday.

CM Y K

Russia's Defense Ministry on Tuesday auctioned off an unused military campus in an upmarket Moscow suburb despite opposition from the military top brass.

The selloff, in an area of designer boutiques and a Ferrari showroom, was ordered

by Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and is the first of many such auctions planned to cut the vast real estate empire owned by the armed forces. Russian news agencies reported that the complex in Rublevo, where former President Vladimir Putin often hosted foreign leaders and where many of the super-rich live, was sold to a private company for 2.6 billion rubles ($110.2 million).

Serdyukov, unlike previous defense ministers, has no military or security background, but has solid Kremlin ties. He was appointed to the post in February 2007 after eight years working in various tax authorities.

Analysts say he is under orders to keep a tight rein on the 1.2 million-strong military, which saw its financing expand during Russia's economic boom.

Under Putin, who quit earlier this month after 8 years in power, the defense budget grew by up to 30 percent a year.

Putin's successor, Dmitry Medvedev, has promised to continue his policies.

Along with the property sell-off, Serdyukov has proposed cutting the number of officers in the ministry and the general staff. Serdyukov has rejected criticism his reforms could weaken Russia's national defense, but his plans have created conflict with the top brass, which has controlled spending. Moscow Reuters

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TODAY’S ZAMAN 11

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Bosnia says to sign first EU pact on June 16 Bosnia will sign its first pact on closer ties with the European Union on June 16, Prime Minister Nikola Spiric said on Tuesday on his return from Brussels. The signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, the first step towards eventual EU membership, was delayed twice since April due to problems in translating the bulky document into the official languages of the 27-member bloc. Aside from Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in February, Bosnia is the only country in the region without the accord, the first rung on the ladder for all Balkan states in their efforts to join the EU. “I wish to express personal satisfaction that yesterday in Brussels we opened the negotiations on the liberalization of visa regime (with EU) and got confirmation that the SAA will be signed on June 16,” Spiric told a news conference.

“This is good news for all in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Until the SAA gets ratified by all EU member countries and comes fully into effect -- a process that can take months -Bosnia had the chance to get trade benefits in advance as granted by an interim agreement,” Spiric said. Sarajevo Reuters

COMPENSATION

Iranian women to get equal blood money Iranian women who suffer injury or death in a car accident will be entitled to the same insurance company compensation as men under legislation passed by parliament, the judiciary said on Tuesday. "Rights activists say women face discrimination in the Islamic state. For example, compensation for the loss of a woman's life," blood money , is half that paid for a man under Iran's Sharia law imposed since the 1979 Islamic revolution. This rule, which applies to physical injury as well, has also governed payments from insurance companies even though both sexes pay equal premiums. But judiciary spokesman Alireza Jamshidi said the legislature had recently voted in favor of a proposed change, even though it must also be approved by a powerful constitutional watchdog controlled by conservative clerics. "Henceforth the payment of blood money and damage compensation will be equal in regard to women and men," Jamshidi told a weekly news conference. Tehran Reuters

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, speaks at the New Mexico veterans memorial on Monday.

Democratic, Republican leaders begin courting Western states Four years ago, Bush defeated Democrat Kerry in three Western states by a combined 127,011 votes -- just 8,412 votes more than his margin in Ohio. Had Kerry won the three Western battlegrounds, he would be president today

ROAD DISASTER

Thirty people killed in S. African bus accident

MAVE RESTON ALBUQUERQUE

Thirty people were killed when a bus crashed over a cliff into a river in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, SAPA news agency reported on Tuesday. Emergency service spokesman Chris Botha said the bus landed upside down in the river after a 80-meter (262 feet) fall. Thirty people were killed with at least 30 other passengers trapped inside.

"There are also about 30 people still trapped inside the bus and paramedics are also treating patients at the scene," Botha was quoted as saying by SAPA. Emergency officials said the accident happened near Cedarville, near the border with Lesotho, shortly after 0800 GMT. SAPA said there were 80 people in the bus. About 10,000 die on South Africa's roads each year, making the country one of the world's most dangerous places to drive. According to road safety group Arrive Alive, an estimated 4 in 100,000 people die in road accidents across Europe, compared to 25 per 100,000 in South Africa. Johannesburg Reuters

The top Democratic and Republican presidential contenders, Barack Obama and John McCain, brought their campaigns to the deserts of the American West on Monday, kicking off what is shaping up to be a fierce contest for the region in November. The majestic vistas and suburban subdivisions of Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico were among the most tightly contested territories of 2000 and 2004, although they were often overshadowed by the struggle for electoral votes in Florida and Ohio.

Four years ago, President Bush defeated Democrat John F. Kerry in the three states by a combined 127,011 votes -- just 8,412 votes more than his margin in Ohio. Had Kerry won the three Western battlegrounds, he would be president today.

This year, with political winds blowing their direction across the region, Democrats see an opportunity to pull the states into their column. That could be especially important as Obama’s prospects dim in onetime eastern swing states such as West Virginia.

“There are a limited number of possibilities to change the electoral map for Democrats,” said Mark Mellman, a longtime Democratic strategist. “These three states figure prominently.” The Democratic presidential nominee has won Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico only once in the last 40 years, howev-

REACTION

Georgia demands Russian apology over spy plane

Man appears in court over murder of teenage actor A 21-year-old man appeared in court on Tuesday charged with the murder of teenage actor Rob Knox.

Knox was stabbed during a fight outside a pub in Sidcup, Kent, on Saturday morning that left three of his friends with serious knife wounds. The 18-year-old had a small part in the forthcoming film "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Karl Bishop, unemployed, of Sidcup, appeared at Bexleyheath Magistrates' Court charged with murder and wounding five other people.

He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance at the Old Bailey on Sept. 2. London Reuters

after they return home. “They are not being diagnosed quickly enough, they are not getting the services that they need quickly enough,” the Illinois senator said, adding that female veterans “are being most neglected in this area.” Obama called for creation of facilities specifically to serve their needs. “Often times our women service members are more prone to post-traumatic stress disorder, partly because there’s a sad but real problem of sexual harassment and sexual abuse.”

Both men are scheduled to make stops in Nevada and Colorado over the next two days.

Bush will travel to the Southwest today to raise money for McCain and other Republicans in New Mexico and Arizona. “This game is on,” said Joe Monahan, an independent political analyst in New Mexico who said Monday’s visits would likely be the first of many by the presidential candidates in the months to come.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is chasing the Democratic nomination despite Obama’s commanding lead among party delegates, campaigned in Puerto Rico on Monday. Four years ago, Kerry and Bush each saw political opportunity in the demographics of the desert.

New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada have a combined 19 electoral college votes, as compared to 20 for Ohio and 21 for Pennsylvania.

Democrats ran aggressive organizing campaigns to bring in new voters in the growing metropolitan areas of the three Western states. © Los Angeles Times, 2008

Iran’s alleged research into nuclear warheads remains a matter of serious concern and Tehran should provide more information on its missile-related activities, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Monday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also said, in its latest report on Iran, that Tehran was holding back information on highexplosives testing relating to its nuclear program.

It said Tehran had 3,500 uranium enrichment centrifuges working at its Natanz nuclear facility, slightly more than earlier this year, and a few more advanced centrifuges were also being tested.

The IAEA has been pressing Tehran for answers to Western intelligence allegations that Iran has covertly studied how to design atomic bombs. Iran has dismissed the intelligence as baseless, forged or irrelevant.

Iran’s research into “high explosives testing and the missile re-entry vehicle project remained a matter of serious concern,” said the report, which will be passed on to the United Nations Security Council. “Substantive explanations are required from Iran to support its statements on the alleged studies and on other information with a possible military dimension,” the agency said, though it added that it had not detected any actual use of nuclear material in connection with the alleged studies.

“We have not got substantive answers and we could have gotten those earlier,” a senior UN official said. The next step is up to Tehran and to the IAEA board of governors, which meets next week in Vienna, he said. They (Iran) know what we need, everything is listed here that we need, the questions are clear...we need answers.

Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran’s ambassador to the agency, said the IAEA report showed that Tehran’s nuclear program was peaceful, Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency reported. “The report shows Iran’s entire nuclear activities are peaceful,” Fars quoted him as saying. “Once more it has been explicitly underlined that there has been absolutely no evidence regarding the diversion of Iran’s nuclear activities or materials toward military purposes,” he said.

Iran ‘blocking’ IAEA Gregory Schulte, the US envoy to the IAEA, said Iran was blocking the IAEA’s efforts to investigate indications that it had engaged in studies, engineering work, and procurement relevant to building nuclear weapons.

“The report shows in great detail how much Iran needs to explain, and how little it has,” he said. “Altogether this report is a clear vote that Iran could have done more, but that it didn’t,” said a European diplomat. The report said Iran had not given the IAEA all the necessary information or access to documents and individuals. Vienna Reuters

Ali Asghar Soltanieh

China works around the clock to drain quake lake REUTERS

CASE

er, and Obama may have to overcome an image as a big-city liberal from Chicago.

In McCain, the Republicans have their first Western nominee in a quarter century. The Arizona senator, whose independent streak and strong military credentials have always played well in the region, is aggressively defending his turf. On Monday, McCain traveled to Albuquerque, where he gave a spirited defense of his commitment to veterans -- despite opposing Senate legislation that would increase college aid for those who have served in the military. And he renewed his warning about a premature exit from Iraq, although he tried to distance himself from the Bush administration with criticisms of the handling of the war and mistreatment of veterans in military hospitals. “The American people have grown sick and tired of the war in Iraq,” McCain said as he stood under white awnings at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial, the Sandia Mountains rising in the distance. “I too have been made heartsick by the many mistakes made by civilian and military commanders -and the terrible price we have paid for them.”

McCain then urged patience. “As long as there is a reasonable prospect for succeeding in this war then we must not choose to lose it,” he said. Two hours later, Obama gave his own Memorial Day speech in New Mexico’s second largest city, Las Cruces, where he criticized the administration’s failure to maintain military staffing levels or to care for veterans

PHOTO

Georgia demanded on Tuesday that Russia apologize after a UN report said a Russian air force jet had shot down a Georgian spy plane last month, but Moscow said it did not trust the report's conclusions. "Georgia protests and demands from Russia an apology and compensation for the cost of the drone," Deputy Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze told reporters after Russia's envoy was summoned to his ministry. Russia denies any involvement in shooting down the unmanned aircraft, which was brought down on April 20 over Abkhazia, a Moscowbacked separatist region of Georgia. Georgia's proWestern leaders, who have angered big neighbor Russia by seeking to join NATO, have described the incident as an act of aggression. The UN report strengthened Georgian accusations -- backed by some of its Western allies -- that Russia is stoking tension in the volatile region, scene of a separatist war in the 1990s. Tbilisi Reuters

IAEA: Iran nuke arms research a serious concern

AP

TIES

AP

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Soldiers carry an injured man to a safer place in Yingxiu town of Wenchuan county, the epicenter of the earthquake, in Sichuan province.

CM Y K

Chinese soldiers were working nonstop to dig a giant sluice to ease pressure on a swelling “quake lake,” with plans to evacuate 100,000 people to avert a new disaster, state media said.

China on Tuesday put the death toll from the earthquake that struck Sichuan province on May 12 at 67,183, with the figure certain to rise with 20,790 listed as missing. Nearly 362,000 people were injured. Soldiers and police trekked to the Tangjiashan lake carrying dynamite ready to blast the mud and rubble blocking the flow of water from a river and creating the largest of 35 quake lakes formed when landslides triggered by the massive tremor blocked rivers.

Some 30,000 people living below the lake in and around Beichuan in the

mountainous southwestern province have been evacuated as a precaution.

In Mianyang, 150,000 people were to have been evacuated by midnight on Tuesday, in line with a contingency plan should one third of the lake’s 300 million cubic meters of water burst the dam, Xinhua news agency said.

“It’s better for them to complain about the trouble that the evacuation would bring than to shed tears after the possible danger,” Liu Ning, an official with the Ministry of Water Resources, was quoted as saying.

The lake had risen to 725.3 meters (2,380 feet) on Monday, only 26 meters below the lowest part of the barrier, he said.

By Monday night, around 600 engineers and soldiers had gathered at the

landslip and were taking turns to work through the night with bulldozers dropped by helicopters into the area.

The troops were expected to finish the sluice by June 5 and would not discharge floodwater in the coming days even though the water level rose another 1.79 meters on Tuesday and authorities were preparing for the worst, Xinhua said.

Mianyang, which includes Beichuan and where more than 16,000 people have died in the quake, replaced its mayor on Monday, but it was unclear if it was related to any dereliction of duty in relief work.

The government warned on Monday that the situation remained “grim” and relief work arduous for the “most destructive” tremor recorded since before the birth of modern China in 1949. Mianxhu Reuters

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CULTURE&ARTS

Young Turkish actor in Cannes winner ‘Class' It appears Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan, named best director over the weekend for his "Üç Maymun" (Three Monkeys), was not the only Turk honored at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Teenager Burak Özyýlmaz, the 15year-old son of a family of Turkish immigrants in France, was one of the young actors playing the students in Laurent Cantet's Palme d'Or winner "Entre Les Murs" (The Class).

Paris resident Özyýlmaz was onstage Sunday night along with his co-actors, celebrating their collective success with the film's director Cantet after he received his trophy from Robert de Niro. Özyýlmaz told reporters after the festival's closing ceremony that the entire cast of the film was shocked with the win. "We did not expect to win. It was such an emotional moment, we all cried," he said. Özyýlmaz, whose family is from the Black Sea province of Samsun, plays an introverted student in the film, which recounts the events in a tough Parisian high school. Based on an autobiographical novel by François Begaudeau, the film became the first French winner at Cannes in 21 years.

"The Class" is Özyýlmaz's first acting experience, but the young actor said he might consider pursuing an acting career in the future. His father, Sezer Özyýlmaz, however, was clear: "We [as his family] want Burak primarily to focus on his education.

Then we can consider other things." Ali Ýhsan Aydýn Paris

McCartney recevies honorary doctorate Paul McCartney can now add one more honor to the numerous awards, accolades and the knighthood he has already received. The ex-Beatle on Monday was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Yale University. In granting the honorary degree to McCartney -Sir Paul McCartney since he was knighted in 1996 -- the university said no one compares with the legendary songwriter. Yale said the 65-yearold McCartney awakened a generation, giving a fresh sound to rock, roll, rhythm and blues.

A band played "Hey Jude," a Beatles hit, as McCartney walked on stage to accept the honorary degree. Yale University President Richard Levin evoked some of the songwriter's most memorable lines. "Here, there and everywhere," Levin said, quoting a line from a Beatles song, "you have pushed the boundaries of the familiar to create new classics. We admire your musical genius and your generous support of worthy causes."

New Haven was the site of a British invasion of sorts on Sunday, as McCartney and former Prime Minister Tony Blair were in town for Yale's 307th commencement. McCartney on Sunday toured a downtown art gallery and dined with Yale dignitaries. Yale also conferred honorary degrees on former US Trade Representative Carla Hills, astronomer Martin Rees, architect Cesar Pelli, poet John Lawrence Ashbery and others. New Haven AP

TODAY’S ZAMAN 13

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Oscar-winning film director Sydney Pollack dies at 73 Sydney Pollack, the Academy Awardwinning director who collaborated with a long list of elite actors on films such as "Out of Africa," "Tootsie," "The Way We Were" and "Absence of Malice," has died. He was 73.

Pollack was diagnosed with cancer about nine months ago and died Monday afternoon, surrounded by family, at his home in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles, his publicist, Leslee Dart, said.

Unlike many other top directors of his era, Pollack was also a film and television actor himself, and he used this unique position to forge a relationship with Hollywood's elite stars and create some of the most successful films of the 1970s and '80s. In 1970, "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?," about Great Depression marathon dancers, received nine Oscar nominations, including one for Pollack's direction. He was nominated again for best director for 1982's "Tootsie," starring Dustin Hoffman as a cross-dressing actor and Pollack as his exasperated agent. As director and producer, he won Academy Awards for the 1986 romantic epic "Out of Africa," starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, which captured seven Oscars in all. Last fall, Pollack played law firm boss Marty Bach opposite George Clooney in "Michael Clayton," which he also coproduced and received seven Oscar nominations.

"Sydney made the world a little better, movies a little better and even dinner a little better. A tip of the hat to a class act," Clooney said in a statement.

"He'll be missed terribly."

Other A-listers Pollack directed include Sally Field and Paul Newman in "Absence of Malice," Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn in "The Interpreter," Robert Mitchum in "The Yakuza," Tom Cruise in "The Firm," and Redford in seven films: "This Property Is Condemned," "Jeremiah Johnson," "Three Days of the Condor," "The Way We

Were" with Barbra Streisand, "The Electric Horseman," "Out of Africa" and "Havana."

"Having the opportunity to know Sydney and work with him was a great gift in my life," Field said in a statement. "He was a good friend and a phenomenal director and I will cherish every moment that I ever spent with him."

In later years, Pollack, who stood over six feet (1.8 meters) tall and had a striking presence on screen, devoted more time to acting, appearing in Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives," Robert Altman's "The Player," Robert Zemeckis' "Death Becomes Her" and Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut." On television, Pollack had an occasional recurring role on the NBC sitcom "Will & Grace" playing Will's (Eric McCormack) father, and appeared in the "The Sopranos," "Frasier" and "Mad About You." His last screen appearance was in "Made of Honor," a romantic comedy currently in theaters, where he played the oft-married father of star Patrick Dempsey's character.

"Most of the great directors that I know of were not actors, so I can't tell you it's a requirement," Pollack said at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2005. "On the other hand, it's an enormous help."

Pollack first met Redford when they acted in 1962's lowbudget "War Hunt," and would go on to play a major role

in making Redford a star. "It's easy working with Bob; I don't have to be diplomatic with him," Pollack once told The Associated Press.

"I know what he can and cannot do; I know all the colors he has. I've always felt he was a character actor in the body of a leading man."

Pollack also produced many independent films with the late Anthony Minghella and the production company Mirage Enterprises. His recent producing credits include "The Talented Mr. Ripley"; "Cold Mountain"; "Sketches of Frank Gehry," a documentary that was the final film directed by Pollack; and the new HBO film "Recount," about the 2000 presidential election.

Sidney Irwin Pollack was born in Lafayette, Ind., to first-generation RussianAmericans. In high school in South Bend, he fell in love with theater, a passion that prompted him to forego college, move to New York and enroll in the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater. Studying under the renowned Stanford Meisner, Pollack spent several years cutting his teeth in various areas of

theater, eventually becoming Meisner's assistant.

"We started together in New York and he always excelled at everything he set out to do, his friendships and his humanity as much as his talents," Martin Landau, a longtime close friend and associate in the Actors Studio, said in a statement.

After appearing in a handful of Broadway productions in the 1950s, Pollack turned to directing.

He began on TV series such as "Naked City" and "The Fugitive," then moved to film. His first fulllength feature was "The Slender Thread," about a suicide help line. The film was scored by Quincy Jones. "Sydney Pollack's immense talents as a director were only surpassed by the compassion that he carried in his soul for his fellow man," Jones said Monday. "Today we've lost not only one of our greatest filmmakers, but a great human being."

Pollack said in 2005 that for "Tootsie," Hoffman pushed him into playing the agent role, repeatedly sending him roses with a note reading, "Please be my agent. Love, Dorothy." At that point, Pollack hadn't acted in a movie in 20 years -- since "The War Hunt" with Redford. The love soon frayed as Pollack and Hoffman differed over whether the film should lean toward comedy or drama, and the tension spilled into the public arena. But the result was a hit at the box office and received 10 Oscar nominations, with Jessica Lange winning for best supporting actress.

"Stars are like thoroughbreds," Pollack once told The New York Times. "Yes, it's a little more dangerous with them. They are more temperamental. You have to be careful because you can be thrown. But when they do what they do best -- whatever it is that's made them a star -- it's really exciting."

Pollack is survived by his wife, Claire; two daughters, Rebecca and Rachel; his brother Bernie; and six grandchildren.

Los Angeles AP

‘Indiana Jones' hits $311 mln worldwide

AA

US film director and actor Sydney Pollack looks through the viewfinder while filming a scene for a recent movie he directed. Pollack died Monday afternoon in Los Angeles.

PHOTO

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" chased down $311.1 million from moviegoers around the world, as nostalgic fans brought along their children to watch Harrison Ford's latest escapades, distributor Paramount Pictures said on Monday. The tally included $151.1 million from the United States and Canada -- the second-highest US Memorial Day holiday weekend opening in history -- and $160 million from No. 1 launches in 61 other countries, the studio said.

Foreign highlights included $24 million in Britain and $14 million in France. Sales in France were boosted by the hype surrounding its glitzy world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on the French Riviera last Sunday.

Overall business was "driven by people in their 30s and 40s, and that audience was excited to see the movie and excited to bring their kids with them," said Rob Moore, Paramount's president of worldwide marketing, distribution and operations. The worldwide tally set a record for both the Viacom Inc.-owned studio and for the film's director, Steven Spielberg. For both, the old mark was held by "War of the Worlds," which opened to $202 million in a similar number of territories during the US July 4 holiday weekend in 2005. Higher ticket prices and the slide of the US dollar, which benefits exporters such as Hollywood studios, helped the new film's cause.

"Crystal Skull," which Paramount said cost $185 million to make, is the fourth movie in the lucrative "Indiana Jones" franchise, and the first to hit theaters in 19 years. Reviews were mixed, but evidently did not dissuade the franchise's aficionados. Ford, 65, reprises his role as the eponymous archaeologist. He is joined by Australian actress Cate Blanchett and Spielberg's hot new discovery, Shia LaBeouf. George Lucas, who created the franchise in 1981 with "Raiders of the Lost Ark," returned as executive producer. Los Angeles Reuters

AWARD

CONCERT

Finland honors Turkish maestro Gürer Aykal

Massive Attack to rock Ýstanbul stage in July

Renowned Turkish maestro Gürer Aykal, currently serving as the musical director and conductor of the Borusan Ýstanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, will be honored tomorrow with a Finnish state medal for his contributions to cooperation between Turkey and Finland in the field of culture. Finnish Ambassador Maria Serenius will decorate Aykal with the medal on behalf of Finnish President Tarja Halonen in a ceremony at the Finnish Embassy in Ankara.

British band Massive Attack, who introduced the trip-hop genre to the world music lexicon, will be one of the renowned acts to rock Ýstanbul this summer when they take to the stage at Parkorman in Maslak for a live performance on July 13. The band, consisting of Robert Del Naja and Grantley Marshall, is critically acclaimed for its fusion of jazz, hip hop, rock and soul elements. Tickets, priced at YTL 75, can be purchased at www.biletix.com.

FESTIVAL

Traunfellner's orchestra to open 22nd Ýzmir festival Austria's renowned Vienna Chamber Philharmonic orchestra, under the baton of its conductor and founder Claudius Traunfellner, will open the upcoming 22nd edition of the Ýzmir International Festival with a concert on June 9 at the Asklepion Theater in Bergama (Pergamon). The orchestra will accompany Romanian pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa at the concert. Tickets for the festival performances went on sale Tuesday at www.biletix.com.

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FESTIVAL

Þebnem Ferah, Hayko Cepkin headline Koçfest Rockers Þebnem Ferah and Hayko Cepkin will be onstage at the finale of the traveling youth festival Koçfest on June 1 at Ýstanbul's Parkorman. The festival kicked off its third edition on May 2 at Mersin University and traveled 8,000 kilometers to a number of university campuses across Turkey before heading for its final two stops in Ýzmir and Ýstanbul.

The Ýzmir leg takes place May 30 at the 9 Eylül University campus. The concerts begin at 8:30 p.m.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2008

Referendum farce in Burma

Diyarbakýr, a focal poýnt of change

VACLAV HAVEL, DESMOND TUTU & RICHARD VON WEIZS CKER*

A friend of mine who knows the region well believes that northern Iraq will be a center of attraction for the Kurds in the near future.

It is frequently asserted that Sulaimaniya and Arbil, in particular, will become very important for all Kurds. I constantly tell these friends who anticipate a Kurdish Renaissance in the Middle East that I am sure if there is to be a Kurdish Renaissance, it would be in Turkey and not in the Kurdish region of Iraq. The capital of this Renaissance would be Diyarbakýr instead of Arbil, Sulaimaniya, Kirmanshah or Mahabad because Diyarbakýr has everything to be the heart of the region -- and not only for the Kurds, for all interrelated ethnic communities and groups. I noticed this once more when I returned to Diyarbakýr, where I penned my last book, for a poetry recital last weekend. I can tell you this: Diyarbakýr is a center that has been a center of attraction for thousands of years. In terms of city fabric, it may be compared to Aleppo, known as a second Jerusalem. In terms of its cultural intensity and vibrancy, Diyarbakýr can only be compared to Ýstanbul.

It is not hard to witness the political dimension of this vibrancy in the city. This is a place that all curious about what direction Turkey will choose to move in in the next decades should closely follow. Once more, I had the opportunity to observe a change in politics

as reflected in the streets of the city I went to for the poetry recital. In Keçiburcu, where we went to on a rainy and dusty afternoon, it seemed that political officials rather than literature lovers gathered together this time. A lot of people from local and nationwide political units were in attendance to hear our poems. That community, which for that time span at least left the political identities of its members outside of the event hall, reminded me of how powerful and strong polarization was in the past. But the city is changing anyway. For me, the most important aspect of that moment was that I witnessed the achievement of the politicians who randomly took their seats without considering the protocol to stand together rather than the echoes of the poets recited in the historical building. Figures from the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and people from the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) were there. Moreover, the highlevel executives of the city, who would normally be reluctant to take part in such events, were also there.

For some time local representatives of central politics and Kurdish politicians have traditionally acted as if they were two separate islands. Local Kurdish politicians have paid no attention to events held by the "state." Likewise, the "state" has been reluctant to honor events, including artistic gatherings, held by local administrations and DTP circles. It is impossible to see a state official attend an event

* Bejan Matur is a writer and poet.

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field of generating policies.

By the time this goes to print, the prime minister will have visited Diyarbakýr along with a crowded delegation. No matter what, I hope this will be a first step that will ignite the political hope and underline the potential of the city to become a center of attraction. We have to hope for this. It is our right to expect a similar step from Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal after the prime minister. Baykal, who remained indifferent to the regional issues despite Turkey having to deal with a Kurdish problem, exhibits little sign of hope when he says he wants an enthusiastic organization. Do any of you remember the last time Baykal paid a visit to Diyarbakýr or any CHP politician who seeks remedies for the problems of the people in the region? Why? The CHP is one of the political actors that needs to be active in the region. Additionally, it has to carry out its political campaign without relying on tribal relations and Alevi votes because it has no other option. If central politics fail to exist in Diyarbakýr, there is no doubt that the center of attraction for the Kurds will move to the south and other regions.

But I still believe that the political atmosphere, which seems a little ambiguous in Diyarbakýr, will still be able to produce some good. Developments will hopefully remain in place to expand the sphere of legal politics in Diyarbakýr and other provinces in the region; there is no other option anyway.

Daðýstan Çetinkaya

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Executive Editor Managing Editors

sponsored by an institution which observes highly rigorous intellectual standards like the Diyarbakýr Art Center.

Actually, this alone was able to explain what was going on there. Politics generates itself just like culture is divided into islands in Diyarbakýr. But I think this barrier has been overcome; it seems doors have been opened for closer relations. I witnessed this firsthand.

The quality of the audience at the event in Keçiburcu, a miniature Keçiburcu, must have come as a surprise, leading a friend of mine to refer to the change in the profile by saying that "even [former EU Enlargement Commissioner Günter] Verheugen was unable to facilitate the meeting of such a wide variety of segments." It is promising to see this change and transformation. Kurdish politicians frequently stress that they are in need of generating a politics. You may easily notice that they are trying to exhibit an understanding of local administration based on service provision rather than reliance on ideology. They are working hard to make Diyarbakýr a livable city. Of course, approaching local elections are affecting this and accelerating the works. The politician who pays attention to infrastructural works of the city seeks to present himself as a figure that proved he is capable of providing service. In other words, DTP administrations that noticed the success of the AK Party owing to its reliance on service provision now ambitiously seek to follow the same path. Most importantly, the competition between the DTP and the AK Party seems to continue into the

MUSTAFA KÝRAZLI

*Vaclav Havel is a former president of the Czech Republic; Desmond Tutu is a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize; Richard von Weizsäcker is a former president of Germany. © Project Syndicate, 2008.

BEJAN MATUR*

PHOTO

PRAGUE - The enormous suffering of the Burmese people caused by the recent cyclone, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, deserves the sympathy of the entire world. But more than sympathy is needed, because the Burmese military junta's incompetence and brutal oppression are further aggravating the tragic consequences of this natural disaster.

In the midst of the cyclone's devastation, Burma's ruling generals went ahead and held a referendum on a new constitution. But according to Burma's Constitutional Referendum Act, members of religious organizations, those subject to criminal prosecution and members of ethnic groups that have not agreed to a ceasefire with the government were barred from voting. Thus all current and former political prisoners, about 500,000 Buddhist monks and more than twice as many members of ethnic minority groups living close to the borders were banned from the vote.

Moreover, according to the new constitution that was supposedly "approved" by the "referendum," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who has never been prosecuted and still remains under house arrest, is barred from standing in the 2010 general elections under the pretext that her deceased husband was British. Is the world really willing to accept such an absurdity?

We strongly support the Burmese opposition's campaign calling on the country's citizens to reject the constitution, which does not promote human rights but only confirms the military's political role. Many democracy activists have been arrested throughout the country. The regime's draconian "law" (5/96) prohibits participants from criticizing the draft constitution; those who dare to challenge the regime face a 20-year prison sentence.

Given the violent suppression of last September's mass demonstrations (the "Saffron Revolution") led by Burma's Buddhist monks and the constant repression in the country, it is not surprising that the military junta tries to shroud its despotic tendencies in pseudo-democratic measures such as the sham electoral process of the referendum.

Sadly, the international community did not respond to last autumn's mass arrests of human rights defenders. The 88 Generation leaders, including Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, women activists like Su Su Nway and others, bravely expressed their grievances time and again in letters, statements, and public demonstrations prior to the Saffron Revolution. Their courageous calls fell on deaf ears; they now remain imprisoned.

It is time to strongly condemn the exclusion of a considerable number of people from voting and to insist on the release of Burma's political prisoners. The United Nations and the European Union should be ready to reject conclusively the result of the referendum and strengthen sanctions against the regime. Burma's neighbors in ASEAN should stop looking the other way as Burma's rulers trample on Burma's citizens.

The UN Security Council should consider introducing a universal arms embargo, and the EU should adopt banking sanctions that target the regime and its cronies.

Moreover, the UN should not only condemn, but without further delay put a stop to today's greatest atrocity: the regime's obstruction of foreign assistance to victims of the cyclone. Their deaths are the sole responsibility of the military junta, which deliberately and with knowledge of the likely consequences has closed the door to humanitarian aid and workers from all over the world. Their actions represent an appalling crime against humanity.

The military-run referendum will not bring democracy to Burma, nor will it help the Burmese people, who now are suffering not only from the authoritarian regime and poverty, but also from a grave natural disaster and its totally inept handling by the cynical generals. Burma's rulers have failed in their duty to protect the Burmese people, but active and decisive political action by the international community towards the regime may yet do so.

OPINION

ABDULLAH BOZKURT OKAN UDO BASSEY FATMA DEMÝRELLÝ EMRAH ÜLKER KERÝM BALCI YONCA POYRAZ DOÐAN ÝBRAHÝM TÜRKMEN YASEMÝN GÜRKAN PINAR VURUCU HELEN P. BETTS FARUK KARDIÇ YAKUP ÞÝMÞEK BEYTULLAH DEMÝR HAYDAR DURUSOY ALÝ ODABAÞI

Public Relations Contact Information: Publication Type: Periodical, Daily Headquarters: Today’s Zaman, 34194 Yenibosna, ISTANBUL. Phone Number: +90 212 454 1 444 Fax: 0212 454 14 97, Web Address: http://www.todayszaman.com, Printed at: Feza Gazetecilik A.Þ. Tesisleri. Advertisement Phone: +90 212 454 82 47, Fax: +90 212 454 86 33. Today's Zaman abides by the rules of press ethics.

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16 TODAY’S ZAMAN

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2008

LEISURE

tv guýde

Gregorian Calendar: 28 May 2008 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 23 Jumada al-Awwal 1429 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 23 Iyyar 5768 calendar@todayszaman.com Today is the anniversary of the founding of Amnesty International, an international human rights advocacy group. Amnesty International was founded in July 1961 by Peter Benenson, an English lawyer, but its official founding day is accepted as the day Benenson’s article “The Forgotten Prisoners” appeared in The Observer newspaper on May 28, 1961.

Today is Republic Day in both Armenia and Azerbaijan. On this day in 1918 both countries declared independence from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, thus forming the Democratic Republic of Armenia and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. However, the holiday was not

movýe guýde

‘Wicker Park’

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

celebrated during Soviet times and it only achieved consistency after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In Armenia this day is celebrated as the Restoration of Armenia’s Statehood Day. On this day in 1908 British author and journalist Ian Fleming was born. Fleming, who served as a commander in the British Navy during World War II, is best remembered for creating the character of James Bond and chronicling his adventures in 12 novels and nine short stories. In 1953 he published his first novel, “Casino Royale,” in which he introduced the Bond character.

Fleming is also the writer of the children’s story “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” Fleming died of a heart attack on

E2

Cnbc-e

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

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

REUTERS, AP

1

07:25 A Friend of the Family 09:00 Snow Wonder 10:30 Jade Warrior 12:20 The Lost City 14:50 Ripley Under Ground 16:35 Ae Fond Kiss...

18:30 Kinky Boots 20:30 Snow Buddies 22:15 Everything is Illuminated 00:10 Jekyll + Hyde 01:40 The History Boys

3

Hallmark 2

Brandon Routh (1) stars in an episode called “Community”; Jesse Plemons (2) in “The Sacrifice” and Elisabeth Moss (3) in “Eater” in NBC’s new horror series “Fear Itself.”

the execs on the show’s more grisly cousin, the 20052007 Showtime series, “Masters of Horror,” created by Garris. They also produced “Masters of Science Fiction,” which tanked after four episodes on ABC in 2007.

“Every one of these stories addresses that paper-thin membrane between sanity and insanity, and how little it takes to be pushed over that red line into a world where you have no power or control,” Addis says of “Fear Itself.”

That line has been the stuff of summer scares since Steven Spielberg’s bloody “Jaws” kept bathers off the beaches in the summer of 1975.

But it didn’t initially seduce Brandon Routh, who stars in an upcoming episode of “Fear Itself” called “Community.” The story centers on eerie doings in an alltoo-perfect town reminiscent of “The Stepford Wives.” “It hasn’t always been my favorite genre,” says Routh, who played the title role in the big screen’s “Superman

Returns,” and who intentionally avoided scary movies as a child. “I’ve actually been a little bit afraid of doing a thriller or horror,” Routh says. “But I wanted to show another side of Brandon Routh. And when I heard Mary Harron (“American Psycho”) was directing, it was ‘OK, wow, this is cool.’ And there is something to playing the victim, and I got to do that in this episode,” Routh says.

For Elisabeth Moss of AMC’s “Mad Men,” the lure of “Fear Itself” was, well, fear itself. “I love walking around being scared,” she says. In an episode called “Eater,” Moss morphs into a tough-but-terrified cop -and horror fan -- who fights for her life inside a remote police station. Moss grew up on a diet of fright flicks.

And she kept “Halloween” star Jamie Lee Curtis in mind while filming “Eater.” “It’s a classic role, the girl and the killer,” she says. “And being scared is basic to acting. It’s fundamental and physical, but not easy.” Los Angeles AP

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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

travelers’ s.o.s

EASY

3

4

2

474

Crossword

7

Comedymax 08:00 Samantha Who 08:30 What I Like About You 09:00 For Your Love 09:30 Courting Alex 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 Samantha Who 14:30 What I Like About You 15:00 For Your Love 15:30 Courting Alex 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 Samantha Who 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 Chapelle’s Show 23:30 American Dad 00:00 Samantha Who

TRT Tourýsm Radýo

1 7

07:30 Nowhere to Land 09:15 McLeod’s Daughters 10:00 Mystery Woman: Vision of a Murder 11:45 A Child’s Cry for Help 13:30 Nowhere to Land 15:15 McLeod’s Daughters 16:15 Mystery Woman: Vision of a Murder 18:00 A Child’s Cry for Help 20:00 Rear Window 21:30 Erich Segal’s Only Love 23:15 Jasper, Teksas 01:00 They Shoot Divas, Don’t They?

radýo guýde

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9 6

08:15 Protocol 09:50 Sex and the Single Girl 11:45 Heart and Souls 13:30 Body Count 14:55 Captain Ron 16:35 Dead Heat 18:10 Romance and Cigarettes 20:00 Barbarella 21:45 Oh, God! Book II 23:25 Friday the 13th: A New Beginning 00:55 Freddy’s Nightmares: Photo Finish 01:45 Romance and Cigarettes

Movýemax

Mr. DýploMAT!

2

Goldmax

PHOTO

Hanging suspended from the ceiling all night long might not appeal to your average actor. But the feat was freaky fun for Jesse Plemons, who stars in NBC’s new horror anthology series “Fear Itself.” “I have a new respect for every actor that I’ve seen in a horror movie,” Plemons says of his strung-up situation in “The Sacrifice,” the first of the series’ 13 stand-alone episodes, premiering on the US network on June 5.

“When you’re upside down and there’s blood dripping off your head into a pan, there isn’t a whole lot of acting involved and you just kind of have to react,” Plemons says. In “The Sacrifice,” Plemons plays a vaguely criminal character named Lemmon, who falls prey to a sharp-fanged critter and a trio of axe-wielding blondes in an old fort. Best-known as Landry Clarke on the NBC drama “Friday Night Lights,” Plemons had never ventured closer to the horror genre than a guest turn on the bloodstained CBS procedural “CSI.” But in “The Sacrifice,” written by series creator Mick Garris, Plemons cozied right up to the fright. “There was this five-page scene where I had these really thick vampire contacts in and any light blinded me,” Plemons says.

“And I kept hearing all these screams and you can’t see and you’ve got blood all over you. That was when I really felt like I was in a horror film. It was a great first experience.” Which makes Plemons exactly the kind of horror aficionado NBC hopes to woo this summer with the fresh faces and creepy content of “Fear Itself.”

Part of NBC’s push toward year-round original programming, “Fear Itself” is styled as a showcase for small films from more than a dozen genre writers, including Joe Gangemi, Steve Niles and Dan Knauf, and genre directors including Brad Anderson (”The Machinist”), Darren Bousman (”Saw” II, III and IV) and Ronny Yu (”Bride of Chucky”).

“Yes, we can get people really scared in about 40 minutes,” says executive producer Keith Addis. Addis and fellow executive producer Andrew Deane were also

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

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18:10 Scrubs 18:50 Desperate Housewives 20:00 The King of Queens 21:00 How I Met Your Mother 22:00 Dexter 23:15 Tuya's Marriage 24:00 The King of Queens 00:30 How I Met Your Mother 01:00 Dexter 02:00 Tuya's Marriage

‘Fear Itself’ features ýndývýdual storýes by genre fýlmmakers

THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL

8

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 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia 23:00 Late Night with Conan O’Brien 24:00 High Stakes of Poker 01:00 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia 02:00 Footballers’ Wives

Aug. 12, 1964 at the age of 56 in Canterbury, England.

On this day in 1925 Turkish leftist politician, poet, writer and journalist Bülent Ecevit was born. Ecevit was the leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) between 1966 and 1971 and between 1972 and 1980.

Later he became the leader of the Democratic Left Party (DSP). Ecevit served four terms as Turkey’s prime minister. He died on Nov. 5, 2006 at the age of 81 due to respiratory failure at the Gülhane Military Hospital in Ankara, where he was hospitalized after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage on May 18, 2006. He was laid to rest in the Turkish State Cemetery in Ankara with a state funeral on Nov. 11, 2006. By Kerim Balcý

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

W E D N E S D AY, M AY 2 8 , 2 0 0 8

Prime Minister Erdoðan vows to remake Southeast

Highlights of the action plan Some of the highlights of the GAP action plan from the prime minister's lengthy speech, exceeding two-and-a-half hours yesterday, include setting up "development agencies" in the region which will each receive YTL 850 million annually to spend on their own region. Some cities in the region will be turned into "centers of attraction" which will absorb migration and keep the people of the region in the area.

The center of attraction program started as of yesterday for Diyarbakýr. The same program will be implemented in the northeastern city of Trabzon and the central Anatolian city of Sivas starting before the end of this year. In 2009, the southeastern cities of Gaziantep and Þanlýurfa will be transformed into centers of attraction. A total of YTL 1 billion has been allocated to GAP this year, making the project's share in the public investment budget 12 percent.

He said not a single village has been left without water in the city of Diyarbakýr. The total amount of public investment made in the region since 2002, when his government came to power, has so far reached $8.6 billion, the prime minister said.

Erdoðan said the project's completion will provide irrigation for 1.6 million hectares of land in the region and

PHOTO

"In addition to this major leap, our new initiatives, such as language [freedoms] and television and radio broadcasts [in Kurdish] will also dry up the psychological and cultural grounds of separatist terrorism," he said.

The prime minister said a new regulation currently being discussed in Parliament would allocate one of the state stations to the use of languages spoken in the region.

He said in addition to underdevelopment, terrorism has played a huge part in creating social destruction, stating that he firmly believed the region's people now wanted peace, food, employment opportunities and an extension of rights and liberties.

Erdoðan said the government had already passed a number of investment incentives for the cities of the east. "With this project, we hope that the people of the region will become investors themselves," he said.

AA

contýnued from page 1

Speaking at the Ziya Gökalp sports hall in the southeastern province of Diyarbakýr, Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdoðan yesterday introduced the government's new action plan to complete the Southeastern Anatolia Project. jobs for nearly 4 million people.

The prime minister announced that the government has restructured its investment incentive policies. As part of the new policy, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be more actively encouraged to make use of special incentives from the state in addition to agricultural loans from the state's Ziraat Bank. The prime minister also announced that the project will establish border-trade centers all along the border with neighboring countries to regulate foreign trade.

As part of GAP, 30 hectares of area with land mines will be cleared for organic farming. Part of the plan aims to bring the rate of preschool enrollment up to 50 percent of all eligible children and enrollment in secondary school to 90 percent of the total. The number of students per classroom will be reduced to 48, the prime minister announced.

To realize this, 1,865 classrooms will be built to host at least 9,000 new students.

A mechanism to monitor the course of the project will be set up in the GAP Administration Department, whose current headquarters in the capital will be moved to the region. Status reports on the stages of the project will be prepared every three months.

The communication, transportation and energy infrastructure of the region will also be completed, he said. A new terminal

building at Batman Airport is planned as part of GAP as well as building a new international airport. The entire natural gas and electric power networks of the region will be renewed, he said.

The schedule envisages completion of the project in 2012.

The mayor of Diyarbakýr During his speech, Prime Minister Erdoðan harshly criticized local municipalities of the region, a majority of whose mayors are from the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP).

Without directly referring to the DTP, the prime minister said: "There are some local administrations in the East and the Southeast.

These administrations receive their fair share from the central budget. However, when we look at their services, we see that, unfortunately, those cities and districts are not getting the services they deserve. But what do they [these mayors] do? They engage in politics of identity. I really would have liked to see the mayor of Diyarbakýr here today.

But I am sure they will be taught the necessary lesson and in the right place," he said.

GAP background Earlier 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 to revive GAP. The program, it is hoped, will also drain support for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) by improving the lives of residents in the mainly Kurdish-populated region.

GAP was introduced to develop water and agricultural resources in the 1970s but was later turned into a regional development project. Spanning an area of 75,000 square kilometers across nine cities, the GAP zone hosts roughly 10 percent of Turkey's population.

GAP, which consists of 22 dam projects, aims to irrigate 57 percent of the land.

However, the project could not be completed due to a lack of investment in irrigation networks. The government's decision to revive the project by allocating $12.5 billion to it has encouraged investment in the region.

In 2007 the per capita income in the Marmara region reached $14,500, while it was $4,500 in eastern Anatolia and $5,200 in southeastern Anatolia.

Initial reactions to the GAP plan Speaking in the General Assembly session of Parliament yesterday, DTP Muþ deputy Sýrrý Sakýk was quick to respond to the prime minister's criticism directed at DTP mayors.

He said GAP would never do any good to solve the Kurdish question. "The DTP mayor does not need to be there. You are not his boss. You are afraid of DTP deputies, and you refuse to talk to them," he said.

Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Þahin said the project would change the zone's fate, expressing his belief that everyone should support it.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said the AK Party's initiative was right and welcome, but he criticized the government for neglecting the GAP region for so long.

Also yesterday, a group of AK Party members who wanted to enter the sports hall where the prime minister was speaking had a tussle with police officers, who used batons to stop them. A group of about 50 protesters standing outside with eggs and tomatoes to be thrown at the prime minister in protest were detained by the police. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

Ýstanbul’s ticks do not transmit CCHF, says expert PHOTO

An expert in infectious diseases has said there is no reason to panic over ticks in Ýstanbul since they do not carry CrimeanCongo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), which has recently sparked fears throughout the country.

"There is no need to panic. Scientific studies have proven that the ticks in Ýstanbul do not carry Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. You should go to a hospital if ticks bite you, but there is no need to worry," said Dr. Hürrem Bodur, the head of the Infectious Diseases Clinic at Ankara's Numune Hospital. Ýstanbulites have recently begun to fear for their pastime of picnicking because of a number of reported CCHF cases in Turkey. CCHF is transmitted by tick bites and can be fatal. Over 1,200 people went to emergency rooms in hospitals throughout Ýstanbul over the weekend because of tick bites. However, none of these people were infected with CCHF. There were four CCHF incidents in Ýstanbul last year, but these people were infected by the CCHF virus during visits to other cities.

Bodur said the ticks that carry the CCHF virus are primarily found in the provinces of Sivas, Tokat, Gümüþhane, Bayburt, Amasya, Çankýrý, Çorum, Yozgat, Samsun, Karabük and

CÝHAN

HASAN BOZKURT ANKARA

Infectious diseases expert Dr. Hürrem Bodur has said people with tick bites should go to the hospital, but that there was no need for Ýstanbulites to panic.

Kastamonu. She added that people bitten by ticks should go directly to a hospital no matter which city they are living in. Bodur also added there was no need for panic as long as one does not take the tick out of his/her body themselves and added that the rumors that

ticks carrying CCHF had come to big cities like Ýstanbul and Ankara were not true.

CCHF does not spread to other cities Bodur said ticks cannot fly so they cannot spread to other cities as long as animals or human beings do not carry them. "People buying animals from cities in which there have been CCHF incidents should check these animals for ticks. In this way we can prevent the circulation of ticks carrying the CCHF virus," she explained. Answering a question about whether these ticks could spread to all of Turkey, Bodur said: "Theoretically this is possible. But practically the living spaces of [CCHF-carrying] ticks are restricted to rice planting basins and around these places.

The species transmitting CCHF cannot live out of these places. We have not seen any new CCHF incidents in cities other than those we saw them in last year."

Universities in Turkey are trying to develop a vaccine against CCHF. In Central Europe, people are vaccinated against another illness that ticks are transmitting again. Aykut Darendeli, an instructor at the veterinary school at Elazýð's Fýrat University, said they have been conducting studies to develop a vaccine against CCHF for four years with support from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK), adding: "We are developing this vaccine project to immunize people against CCHF. We have not conducted our experiments on animals yet, so I cannot claim we will definitely succeed."

Shake up in DTP as parliamentary group chief resigns contýnued from page 1 Ayna will lead the parliamentary group from now on. Asked whether he will be a candidate for the leadership of the party in the next DTP congress, Türk declined to comment and said he would prefer to discuss the issue when the time comes. The party

congress will take place on July 5.

The rivalry in the party between those loyal to Türk and those loyal to Öcalan has been growing for some time now. On Nov. 9, 2007 Türk and his cochair Aysel Tuðluk were forced to leave their posts to make way for Demirtaþ and Ayna, who are both known to hold

more radical views on the solution of the Kurdish Problem that are more in line with the PKK's ideology.

During Türk's visit to northern Iraq on May 7 and 8 the Öcalan faction of the DTP elected Emine Ayna as the new leader of the party and Türk was left with the chairmanship of the parlia-

mentary group. Türk and his group, which includes experienced Kurdish politicians such as Tuðluk, Sýrrý Sakýk, Nuri Yaman, Hasip Kaplan and Akýn Birdal, have argued that the normalization of Kurdish politics will be possible only after breaking all links between the DTP and Öcalan. Ankara Today's Zaman

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New labor law may result in ‘hire & fire’ game, critics say contýnued from page 1 If that were to happen, the burden of social security payments would be passed on to taxpayers. Moreover, companies will benefit from a reduction in payroll payments as most young workers will be paid at levels at or slightly above minimum wage.

Under the new law the government will subsidize the insurance premiums of newly hired women and young employees for five years and those of handicapped employees permanently. Under the new regulation, 100 percent of the insurance premiums of newly hired women of all ages and young men who are between the ages of 18 and 29 will be subsidized by the Treasury via the unemployment fund in their first year of employment. In the second year, 80 percent will be subsidized, and the subsidy rate will by dropped by 20 percent each year for the next three years. The new law also reduces employers' overall share in insurance premiums by 5 percent.

To prevent abuse, the new labor law requires employers to declare their workers' insurance premiums to the Social Security Authority (SSK). Companies also need to expand their workforce beyond their current number of employees in order to take advantage of the new subsidies. The law, however, doesn't say anything about the hiring and firing that occur before the new law goes into effect.

Despite acknowledging loopholes in the new law, Labor and Social Security Minister Faruk Çelik said the other day, "We will look at the six-month employment record if any firm wants to hire new workers using these advantages."

Commerce and Industry Minister Zafer Çaðlayan also dismissed claims that these

were populist policies yesterday, saying, "The new employment package was intended to clear hurdles standing before businesses." Speaking at a meeting called Industrial Policies, held in Ýstanbul, Çaðlayan stated that "the unregistered economy is a major problem for Turkey."

Tezel disagreed with Çaðlayan's explanations. "In the past, the government used the same subsidy in preferential development areas in eastern provinces.

The result was the same," he noted, adding, "Currently in 46 provinces, we have similar laws." What's more, Tezel argued, is that "we'll just see a swap of the list of names between registered and unregistered labor markets" with no substantial increase in the number of people employed. "We currently have 8 million workers in this country outside of the social security network. They will enter the social security network as the currently employed exit," he stated.

Tezel also claimed that the government is trying to hinder development of unions in Turkey. "We see a trend in Turkey in which as workers get older, they want more security and begin enrolling in unions," he said. He warned that "by encouraging young workers who tend not to join unions, the government is shrinking the unionized labor market."

In the meantime, a new survey for the January-March 2008 period compiled by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) showed that the unemployment rate had risen to 11.6 percent, in an increase of 0.2 percent, while the non-agricultural unemployment rate was 14.2 percent. The number of unemployed persons increased by 55,000 in February 2008 over the same period of the previous year, reaching 2.64 million.

Missing professor found after 7 hours Civil defense teams yesterday found a professor who went missing on Monday in a mountainous area in the northern province of Gümüþhane while engaged in botanical research.

Professor Neþet Arslan and two friends had climbed Köse Mountain to search for a rare plant, but amid their search, a heavy fog suddenly descended upon the mountain. Although his friends were able to find their way safely down from the mountain, they lost contact with Arslan for seven hours. After they informed civil defense teams about Arslan's

situation, the teams were able to reach Arslan on his mobile phone late on Monday and learn his location. Arslan was reportedly in good health.

Arslan was taken to Krýkla police station, where he gave a deposition as per procedure. He told police he had been searching for the "allýgelin" flower, recently spotted in the eastern province of Erzurum, to determine where exactly this rare plant could be found.

Gendarme officials said that Arslan had wandered three kilometers away from where he began his trip. Gümüþhane Today's Zaman

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18 TODAY’S ZAMAN

W E D N E S D AY, M AY 2 8 , 2 0 0 8

TODAY’S LEARNING TIME

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Without courage, wisdom bears no fruit.”

Baltasar Gracian

OSMAN TURHAN

elementary READING

Tonya’s toothache

ILLUSTRATIONS

Tonya: I have a bad toothache.

Mother: I'm fed up with you two. Your father has a stomachache and you've a toothache.

Don't tell me, go to the dentist and tell him about your problem.

Tonya: I can't. Our dentist, Dr. Jones, has a broken arm.

Mother: You can go to Dr. Barnes. He is a dentist, too.

Tonya: I went to see him but he has an earache. He isn't working today.

Mother: So you can see Dr. Roberts. He is good at his job.

Tonya: I called him. He has a sore throat.

Mother: Go to your father's dentist at work then.

Tonya: I can't. The office is closed today. It is Saturday!

Mother: You are right. You have a big problem. Sit down.

Tonya: I need your help.

Mother: I know. I have a string. I can pull your tooth.

Tonya: I feel good now. I don't need your help.

Activity: OREGON

PART 1: Answer the following questions.

1. What is Tonya's problem?

1. It rains a lot ___ Oregon. a. of

b. in

2. What is her mother's advice? c. under

3. Who is the family doctor?

d. on

4. Why is the office closed today?

2. ___ June you can watch the Rose Festival. a. On

b. In

c. At

5. What has her mother got to help her?

advanced READING

American presidents with health deficiencies As the Presidential election nears, many U.S. voters appear disquieted about the health of one of the candidates, Senator John McCain. If elected at the age of 72, he will be the oldest first-term President in U.S. history. It is probably the most laborious job in the world, and Americans expect their President to be in tiptop shape, both mentally and physically.

This hasn't always been the case with several former Presidents. The following leaders of the free world suffered from much more than an occasional cold: - George Washington: Washington lost all of his teeth due to infection, and sported a pair of wooden dentures for much of his life. He was also afflicted with many serious illnesses during his Presidency, including a lifethreatening case of pneumonia.

- William Henry Harrison: After only one month in Office, he died from an engorged liver and inflamed lungs.

- Chester Arthur: Mr. Arthur suffered through 4 long and painful years as President. He had Bright's Disease, which causes severe kidney problems.

- William H. Taft: 27th President Taft was a rather large man, weighing in at well over 300 pounds. Although his weight caused all kinds of problems, he also suffered from hypersomnolence that causes people to nod off at all hours of the day.

- Woodrow Wilson: Woodrow was relatively healthy for much of his term until he suffered a bad stroke in 1919. From that point on, his wife took over most of his Presidential duties.

- Franklin Roosevelt: Suffering from polio, FDR was barely able to lead the US during WWII. Unable to walk, he used a wheelchair most of the time.

- John F. Kennedy: President Kennedy suffered from a variety of maladies. He had chronic back problems, and also suffered from Addison's Disease, the same disease that took the life of writer, Jane Austin.

- Ronald Reagan: A robust figure, Reagan today remains the oldest President in U.S. history. He survived an assassination attempt, colon cancer and eventually succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease.

d. Of

PART 2: What are these people's problems?

3. ___ the weekend, many Oregonians like to go fishing. a. On

b. In

c. To

1. Mary: " I have a / an …………………….."

Sue: You should see a dentist.

2. John: " I have a / an …………………"

Father: You shouldn't drink so much coke.

3. Tom: " I have a / an …………………………"

Mother: You shouldn't listen to music very loudly.

4. Susan: "I have a / an……………………….."

Margaret: You shouldn't eat too much ice-cream.

5. Paul: " I have a / an …………………………."

Sister: You should see an orthopedist.

d. Of

4. Bush Garden is a famous Japanese restaurant ___ Irving Street. a. on

b. in

c. to

d. of

5. The capital ___ Oregon is Salem. a. on

b. to

c. from

d. of

ýntermedýate READING

PART 1: Comprehension Questions

Ghost story This is something that really happened to my parents once. They were on holiday in a hotel in a small village in Cornwall, in the southwest of England.

It was once a famous fishing village.

The weather wasn't always good and sometimes the sea was very dangerous. Their hotel was right along the beach. One night they looked out of their bedroom window. On the beach was a young girl. Her face was sad. A strange thing about her was her clothes - they were very old-fashioned.

They weren't at all the clothes of young people today. My parents were worried about her because it was cold and late at night, and she was alone.

They grabbed their coats and hurried downstairs. They walked quickly to the beach. But the girl wasn't there any more. The next day, my parents talked to people in the hotel.

Everyone said the young girl was a ghost! Her name was Marry. She had

Are these statements TRUE or FALSE? 1. This story takes place in Cornwall, in the south west of England.

2. Cornwall is a small village and famous for its ghosts.

3. Marry lives on the beach so she is considered as ghost by people.

4. Marry's husband was a fisherman and died in a fishing trip.

5. This is the story of a ghost who scares people.

lived in a nearby village a hundred years ago. Her young husband was a fisherman, and one night, his boat disappeared at sea. He never returned. After this sad event, Marry

had awaited her husband for years, but he had not returned. And then Marry's corpse was found on the beach. After this, people started to see Marry's ghost.

PART 2: Match the words with their definitions. a. prove

PART 1: Vocabulary Exercise Fill in the blanks with the correct letters.

1. disquieted _____ a. mute b. deaf c. worried 2. laborious _____ a. difficult b. hardworking c. lazy 3. tiptop _____ a. summit b. quiet c. perfect 4. to sport _____ a. to play b. to fight c. to don 5. dentures are artificial _____ a. arms b. eyes c. legs 6. to be afflicted with _____ a. to suffer from b. to be jealous c. to have a strong desire 7. engorged _____ a. satiated b. cancerous c. healthy 8. to nod off _____ a. to injure b. to agree c. to disagree 9. chronic _____ a. occasional b. constant c. painful 10. malady _____ a. laziness b. illness c. sanity

d. tired d. pregnant d. ill d. to win d. teeth d. to live a long time d. tiny d. to fall asleep d. cured d. abnormality

b. soul

Activity: Match the words with the definitions given below.

Activity: In each of the sentences, replace the underlined word or phrase with a word that is similar.

1. He got three A's on his report. a. observed

b. earned

c. listed

d. determined

2. He ate and drank all the food on the table. a. divulged

b. conversed

c. consumed

d. retracted

3. She was very happy to greet her cousin, whom she hadn't seen ten years. a. ecstatic

b. appalled

c. efficacious

d. egregious

4. It is not a good idea to show off your riches in such a showy way. a. jostle

b. plunder

c. grab

1. pistol

a. someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action

d. corpse

2. porch

b. to rely on someone

e. disappear

3. mist

c. to die

4. bribe

d. a thin fog with condensation near the ground

1. the dead body of a human being 2. lost, without warning or explanation

d. direct

b. resigned

c. fraternized

d. ostracized

VOCABULARY Specialized Vocabulary Textiles: Miniskirt (noun) is a skirt with a hemline well above the knees.

The miniskirt was the defining fashion symbol of "Swinging London" in the 1960s.

Tourism: Border (noun) is the line that separates one country, state, province, etc., from another; frontier line.

You cannot cross the border without a visa.

Agriculture: Brush (noun) commonly refers to undesirable shrubs and small trees.

The farmer cut the brush back before plowing the field.

Ecology: Photosynthesis (noun) is the conversion of light energy into chemical energy by living organisms.

The big thing that connects plants is photosynthesis. It allows plants to take energy from the Sun and create sugars.

Sports: tuck (adjective) - (sports) a bodily position used in some sports (such as diving or skiing) in which the knees are bent and the thighs are drawn close to the chest.

The professional diver performed a perfect tuck before diving into the water.

Idiom of the Day Bite the dust MEANING: to fail or to stop existing.

EXAMPLE: Three hundred more people lost their jobs in the same region when another firm bit the dust.

f. payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt his judgment

8. pass away

h. a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance

4. the immaterial part of a person

9. count on

i. end a relationship

5. be shown true or be found out

10. back up

j. a firearm that is held and fired with one hand

5. Those who fail to meet their obligations will be excluded from the group. a. articulated

e. to give support

6. break up

7. come across g. to discover by accident 3. take suddenly

c. flaunt

5. rebel (n)

Phrasal Verbs Stand up meaning: make a date but not keep it. example: "Angela was supposed to go to the dance with Fred, but she stood him up and went with Chuck instead."

Add up meaning: logically fit together. example: "His theory is hard to believe, but his research adds up."

Slang: Deck meaning: to hit example: He was decked in the fight.

Confusing Words In English Hole vs Whole Hole is a noun which means a gap or opening.

For example: The hole in the dog's tooth needs to be cleaned before it can be filled.

Whole is a noun which means the entire thing.

For example: Bob was proud of himself for running the whole race without collapsing since he had just been sick with the flu.

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YESTERDAY’S ANSWER KEY:

ELEMENTARY: (Part 1) 1.T 2.F 3.T 4.F 5.T (Part 2) 1.d 2.a 3.e 4.b 5.c (Activity) 1.c 2.c 3.b 4.b 5.c INTERMEDIATE: (Part 1) 1. satisfaction 2. pick up 3. counter 4. fatigued 5. sensitive (Part 2) 1.

F 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. F (Activity) Across: 4.Bachelor 5.Soldier 6.Employer 9.Neighbor 10.Carpenter 11.Champion 13.Author Down: 1.Guests 2.Character 3.Thief 7.Policeman 8.Surgeon 12.Member ADVANCED: (Part 1) 1.a 2.b 3.b 4.a 5.c 6.c 7.c 8.a (Activity) 1.varied 2.modest 3.distinguished 4.colorful 5.blossomed

In cooperation with English Time

T19-28-05-08.qxd

27.05.2008

19:28

Page 1

SPORTS

Valverde quits as coach of Espanyol Ernesto Valverde has quit as coach of Espanyol after two years at the helm, saying it was the best for all concerned. The 44-year-old Spaniard joined in 2006 and led the Barcelona-based side to the UEFA Cup final without losing a game in 2007, where they drew 2-2 with Sevilla, but lost in the penalty shootout. Madrid, Reuters

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2008

Eagles to prepare for new season in Austria

Antonio McDyess

Exclusýve ýntervýew wýth former Fener forward van Hooýjdonk

‘I wýll forever more have good týes wýth Turkey’ PHOTO

M. BURAK BÜRKÜK

Beþiktaþ will prepare for the 2008-2009 Turkcell Super League season in Austria. According to a statement made by the team, the Eagles will come together in Ýstanbul on June 26 and then continue their training in a two-leg camp in Austria. During the first leg of the camp, which will take place in the Leogang district between June 2 and 16, the team will play four warm-up games; the second leg will be held in the Loipersdorf district between June 23 and Aug. 5, and the Eagles will play three warm-up games there. Meanwhile, Galatasaray's 2007-08 Turkcell Super League trophy has been put on display at the Galatasaray store in Mecidiyeköy. According to a statement made by the club's press center, the team's17th league trophy will also be displayed at other Galatasaray stores. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

SOCCER

FIFA warns Iraq to stop meddling in sport FIFA president Sepp Blatter has urged the Iraqi government to stop interfering in sport to avoid being banned from international soccer and this year's Beijing Olympics. FIFA slapped a temporary suspension on the Iraqi football team and threatened to extend the ban to one year after the government announced last week they were disbanding the National Olympic Committee of Iraq. Blatter said Iraq's actions were in strict breach of FIFA's regulations outlawing political interference and the executive board was forced to take action. "This was a very sad decision.... but the executive board were left with no other alternative other than to suspend the federation," he told a news conference on Tuesday. FIFA's executive board, which completed a two-day meeting in Sydney on Tuesday, has left the door open for Iraq to earn a reprieve by giving the government until Thursday to reverse their decision or face a 12 month ban from international football. That decision will be put to the FIFA Congress, which meets in Sydney on Friday and requires a 75 percent vote to be passed. Sydney Reuters

Pierre van Hooijdonk ANNE ANDLAUER ÝSTANBUL

With 551 games, 334 goals and 18 years in the highest leagues of professional soccer, Dutch striker Pierre van Hooijdonk knows the ropes of the game. Two seasons and two championship titles on the squad of Fenerbahçe SK (20032005) have made his rather long name unforgettable among the fans and familiar to those unschooled in Turkish football.

For the second year in a row, van Hooijdonk was part of the team of former Fener players who competed in the Zamansponsored Celebrity Tournament last Sunday. Minutes after the ending of the opening game, which Fenerbahçe lost to the Beþiktaþ Black Eagles, the winners of the day, van Hooijdonk spoke with Today's Zaman.

The former star still carries the Canaries in his heart, he said, sometimes attending games in the stadium along with fans.

"We lost, so I am disappointed, but Beþiktaþ had the strongest team, and we cannot win every year," van Hooijdonk said of the Celebrity Tournament, which Fenerbahçe had topped last year. "But playing is still fun, of course, and it will always be, even though your legs are not as strong as they used to be."

Watching games on TV or from the stands can be heartbreaking, van Hooijdonk

SOCCER

England and US focus on the 2010 World Cup While most of their traditional rivals are preparing for Euro 2008, England face the United States today already focusing on the start of the World Cup qualifying campaign later this year.

England were eliminated from the European finals last November and new manager Fabio Capello is using today's friendly against the US, next Sunday's against Trinidad & Tobago and August's friendly against the Czech Republic as preparation for the start of the qualifiers in September. Today's game against Capello's side is the first of three high-profile friendlies for US coach Bob Bradley's team who are also using the match as preparation for their own bid to reach the 2010 finals in South Africa. They face Spain on June 4 in Santander and four days later take on Argentina at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. They start their World Cup qualifying campaign against Barbados in California on June 15. London Reuters

ICE HOCKEY

observed. "So when you are given the opportunity to play again, especially with or against soccer legends, you must enjoy this kind of moment, whatever the outcome. Plus, I have a very good relationship with Turkey and often come back either to play with old friends or simply on holiday with my family."

The former Fener striker, who played 52 games for the Turkish club and scored 32 goals in two seasons, wished "veteran players" like him would be allowed many more such occasions to "be together with the players and the fans just like in the good ol' days." He stressed the importance for players to "show that they still have what it takes to make the game enjoyable" even years after they throw in the towel of professional soccer.

Van Hooijdonk recalled that he was part of the tournament-winning team last year, which prompted some former players to complain that he and his Bosnian teammate Elvir Bolic were still young enough to play for their respective national squads. "A veteran is a former player, one who is done with football," he said. "I am 38 and I am done with football, so that makes me a veteran. Of course, some players on the field are 50, so I can imagine that they complain.

But the game should come first."

Van Hooijdonk has never been one to settle down, playing for eight teams in his

18-year-long career. He featured notably in the Dutch and Portuguese leagues and the English and Scottish Premier leagues and was capped 46 times for the Dutch national team. Yet he said Fenerbahçe was among the clubs he had followed the most closely to the present day.

"This year I thought Fenerbahçe would win the Turkcell Super League because the schedules of the season suggested that," van Hooijdonk said. "But they spoiled their chances at the last moment. Also, I did not expect them to go that far in Europe, and that took a lot of energy out of the players."

The former Fener player said supporters should not worry about their club, which is still a highly competitive one in Turkey and Europe. "They lost the national championship to archrival Galatasaray, but you can't win every single championship. It is the same situation for all teams competing both in Europe and in their own league, although there are always exceptions."

Van Hooijdonk cited English champion Manchester United as one of those. "But Manchester has maybe five forwards and five defenders, all top-quality players, so that all of them can afford to rest at some point," he noted. "Fenerbahçe has a good squad, but if you replace one left-back with another, the standard immediately drops. Manchester United could still replace him and win."

Wings clip Penguins to widen Stanley Cup lead

REUTERS

Linderoth goal gives Sweden win PHOTO

The Detroit Red Wings produced another outstanding defensive effort to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 on Monday and tighten their grip on the Stanley Cup. Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood recorded his second successive shutout in stopping just 22 shots as the Red Wings defense overpowered the normally explosive Penguins' offence. The best-of-seven series now shifts to Pittsburgh for Games Three and Four, scheduled today and Saturday, with Detroit holding a 2-0 lead and the sputtering Penguins in need of a win to keep their Cup dreams alive.

Pittsburgh is 8-0 at home in the playoffs and have not lost a game at home in regulation time since Feb. 13. "We're going back home to a place that we were tough to play against," dejected Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien told reporters. "I thought tonight we played hard. It's really tough to generate offence against that team. They are good on obstruction. It's going to be tough to generate any offence if the rules remain the same. Detroit Reuters

Galatasaray midfielder Tobias Linderoth returned from a long injury absence to score Sweden's only goal in a 1-0 friendly win over Slovenia in Goteborg on Monday. Linderoth, who has battled a hip injury and had not played for his country since the 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland in a Euro 2008 qualifier in October, picked up a flicked pass by Christian Wilhelmsson in the 41st minute inside the penalty box.

He dribbled past Slovenia's goalkeeper and managed to stay on his feet after tripping over the keeper and then finally forced the ball into the net. It was only the second goal in 74 national team appearances for Linderoth, who is regarded as a key player for Sweden at Euro

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2008, which begins on June 7. “I am little worn out and it hurts a little, but it felt good to score,” Linderoth, who was substituted at halftime, told TV3. Asked if his hip injury might stop him from taking part in the European championship, Linderoth said: “Of course it could. We'll have to see tomorrow how I feel.” Striker Henrik Larsson, who has come out of international retirement to play at Euro 2008, came on in the second half and went close to scoring in the 55th minute with a low cross-shot that hit the post.

Sweden, who faces Ukraine in a friendly on June 1, is grouped with Spain, Greece and Russia at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Ýstanbul/Goteborg Today’s Zaman

Pistons shut down Celtics to even series The Detroit Pistons shut down the Boston Celtics on Monday with a grinding 94-75 win to even the Eastern Conference finals at 2-2.

After a Game Three loss, the Pistons came out re-energized with a physical defense that kept Boston's Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett from finding a rhythm. Detroit shot to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and never trailed, a reversal from the first three games of the series. “We set the tone early, and I think we finished with that same kind of energy,” said Pistons coach Flip Saunders. “Tonight we took a hold of the game, and we had them playing catch-up.”

The Celtics hit just 32 percent from the field but managed to stay in the game by scoring 32 points from the free throw line. “Give them credit because I just thought they were so much more physical than us the entire game, in every way,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. Auburn Hills, Michigan Reuters

Avram Grant turns down former Chelsea position Ousted Chelsea manager Avram Grant said Tuesday he rejected an offer to return to the English club in his former position as director of soccer. “I understand the proposal, but personally it wouldn't be the right thing to do at this stage,” he said. Chelsea fired Grant on Saturday, three days after the Blues lost the Champions League final to Manchester United on penalty kicks in Moscow. Chelsea owner and Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich brought Grant to the club as director of soccer in July 2007, before promoting him to manager two months later after firing Jose Mourinho.

Grant said he is on good terms with Chelsea and denied British media reports he has hired Anthony Julius, a high-profile lawyer whose clients have included the late Princess Diana, to sue the club. He denied media reports he received a severance package worth 5 million pounds (US$9.9 million; 6.3 million euros) from Chelsea. Tel Aviv AP

Kuznetsova and Safina advance at French Open Russian players Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina advanced to the second round of the French Open on Tuesday before rain again disrupted play at Roland Garros. The start of play was delayed by 2 hours, 50 minutes, and then the fourth-seeded Kuznetsova was able to beat Aiko Nakamura of Japan 6-2, 6-3 before the rain returned. Safina, seeded 13th, defeated Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine 6-1, 6-3.

On the women's side, two-time Grand Slam champion Amelie Mauresmo was in the second set against Olga Savchuk on center court when the rain returned. On Monday, No. 8 Venus Williams joined sister Serena in the second round, completing her win just before play was suspended Monday. The eight-time Grand Slam champion overcame a second-set lapse to beat Tzipora Obziler of Israel 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. Paris AP

PHOTO

AP

SOCCER

T20-28-05-08.qxd

27.05.2008

15:07

Page 1

Mild insulin pump-related skin problems common Many children and teens using insulin pumps to control type 1 diabetes experience skin problems at the infusion catheter insertion site, but few report thinking about stopping insulin pump therapy because of these problems, Dr. Louise S. Conwell says. New York, Reuters

Many ignorant of heart attack signs, study says Many people with heart disease do not know the symptoms of a heart attack, even though their risk of suffering one is five to seven times higher than those with no such history, researchers reported.

Symptoms can include nausea and pain in the jaw, chest or left arm. But the research team said shorter hospital stays and a move to outpatient treatment have decreased the amount of patient education on the subject.

Kathleen Dracup and colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing said they looked at 3,522 patients in the United States, Australia and New Zealand who had previously suffered a heart attack or had undergone a procedure, such as angioplasty, for heart disease. They found that 44 percent of them scored poorly on a true-false test measuring how savvy they were about symptoms. Women in general along with patients who had taken part in cardiac rehabilitation, those with higher education, younger people and those who were treated by a heart specialist rather than a family doctor tended to have the best scores on the test, the report said.

"In decades past such patients were frequently hospitalized and would receive education and counseling from physicians and nurses during their hospital stay," they said in the report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. "Unfortunately structural changes in health care delivery have led to decreased lengths of hospital stay and increased use of outpatient facilities ... which in turn have had a dramatic effect on the time available for the education of patients," they added. Chicago Reuters

Injurýes common among young pole vaulters Many of the ankle and knee injuries, for example, occur when athletes land awkwardly on the padding after clearing the crossbar High schoolers who get into the sport of pole vaulting commonly suffer injuries, with rates similar to those of contact sports, researchers have found.

While pole vaulting has traditionally gotten little attention outside the Olympics, the sport has become increasingly popular in the past several years. And the number of US high school athletes in the sport is at an all-time high. Their injury rates, however, are largely unknown. In the new study, researchers followed 140 Wisconsin high school pole vaulters over two seasons to chart the rate and severity of injuries. They found that the injury rate was 26 injuries per 100 athletes each season -on par with those seen in high school wrestling and football. Most injuries were to the lower extremities, with ligament sprains and muscle tears among the most common, the researchers report in the American Journal of Sports Medicine. There were no head or neck injuries.

While pole vaulting is inherently risky, many of the injuries seen in the study were preventable, according to

the researchers, led by Dr. Gregory S. Rebella of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

Many of the ankle and knee injuries, for example, occurred when the athletes landed awkwardly on the padding after clearing the crossbar. Some of these accidents, according to Rebella's team, could potentially be prevented if coaches were to spend more time teaching proper landing technique and other skills.

In some cases -- about 18 percent -- athletes were injured when they missed the landing pad. Most of the time, this was because they failed to get over the crossbar and landed instead in the hard "plant box" in front of the bar. The fact that none of the students suffered a head injury brings up an interesting issue, according to the researchers. Wisconsin, they note, is one of six US states that requires high school vaulters to wear protective headgear -- which might help explain the lack of head trauma in all of these accidents. Future studies should look specifically at whether helmets protect high school vaulters from head injuries, the researchers write. New York Reuters

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AP

WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2008