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Turkey's new communication satellite, Turksat 3A, launched from the Kourou base in French Guyana
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TOP COURT JUSTICE ADMITS MEETING WITH LAND FORCES COMMANDER BAÞBUÐ SEVERAL TIMES
Paksüt confesses to secret meeting quarters. In the afternoon, Paksüt, speaking with a group of reporters at Ankara's posh Kavaklýdere Tennis Club, confirmed Taraf's report that the two figures had met away from the public eye. Baþbuð is widely expected to be promoted to chief of the Turkish General Staff in the Supreme Military Council (YAÞ) meeting on Aug. 30, when current Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar Büyükanýt's term is due to expire. Taraf's report claimed security cameras located at the headquarters' entry and exit points were tampered with ahead of Paksüt's visit and that the floor
where the meeting took place had been completely evacuated. It further said that Paksüt arrived at the Land Forces Command at 5 p.m. in a dark Mercedes; the daily also reported the license number. The Taraf article noted that the meeting occurred seven days after a headscarf amendment sponsored in Parliament by the ruling AK Party was challenged at the Constitutional Court and 13 days before a suit against the AK Party was filed at the court seeking to shut it down over allegations that it had become a focal point of anti-secular activity. "I have met with Gen. Baþbuð two or three times after my election to the
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HAÞÝM SÖYLEMEZ
A senior judge at the Constitutional Court, which is currently hearing a crucial case against the governing party, admitted yesterday afternoon to having secret meetings with a top army commander two or three times. However he denied speculation that the two figures communicated information on lawsuits filed with the top court against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The Taraf daily reported yesterday that Constitutional Court Deputy President Osman Paksüt met in secret with Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð on March 4, 2008, at Land Forces Command head-
Turkish people favor Obama over McCain, but expectations low Turks favor presumptive US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama over his Republican rival, John McCain, but, contrary to global trends, nearly half of the population does not believe either candidate will change US foreign policy, an international poll has revealed. A survey of two dozen countries by the Pew Research Center, released on Thursday, showed that people around the globe widely expect the next American president to improve the country's policies toward the rest of the world, especially if Obama is elected. Turkey, however, is one of the five nations where the most common view is that the election of a new president will not bring much change to American foreign policy. Sixtyseven percent of respondents in Japan, 43 percent in Turkey, 42 percent in Russia, 42 percent in South Korea and 40 percent in Mexico said they did not expect much change in US foreign policy. CONTINUED ON PAGE 04
Deadly real estate theft gang uncovered by Ýstanbul police Thirty people, including two doctors and the manager of the Beykoz Land Registry Cadastre Department, were detained on Thursday for suspected involvement in the extortion of real estate from elderly residents on the Asian side of Ýstanbul. The Ýstanbul police department had launched an investigation after receiving a report that the body of Vanda Ayaþlý Esen had been found in Ýstanbul's Beykoz district. The investigation revealed that Esen had sold her home only 20 days before her death. From there, the investigation led the police to the discovery of a gang that was stealing property from elderly people, most of whom were non-Muslims. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
Students received their report cards in Van yesterday and excitedly looked forward to starting the much-anticipated three-month summer break.
Students set free for three-month summer break
The final bell of the school year rang yesterday for approximately 15 million students all across the country, signaling the start of the much-anticipated three-month summer break. Around 701,000 preschool children, 11 million primary school children and more than 3 million high school students will enjoy a summer vacation until Sept. 8, when the 2008-09 academic year begins. About 650,000 primary and secondary school teachers, on the other hand, don't begin their break until July. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
Constitutional Court. My first meeting was a courtesy visit to congratulate Baþbuð on his promotion to Land Forces commander. I have no recollection of the second meeting. Our third meeting occurred a few days after the Turkish Armed Forces [TSK] finished a military operation it had started in Iraq's north." The justice said he felt the need to make a statement to ensure that the public was correctly informed. Paksüt also gave a brief description of his career history, from starting out as a lawyer to being appointed to the Constitutional Court panel of judges by the former president. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
‘Saving Black Sea only possible with global partnership' YONCA POYRAZ DOÐAN, ÝSTANBUL An international environmental organization has decided to offer its traditionally central and eastern European-based seminar series in Turkey in order to contribute to efforts to save the Black Sea, which is vulnerable to pressure from land-based human activity. The Hungary-based Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) will begin a 10-day seminar tomorrow called "Sustainable Public Policies and Business Practices for Black Sea Countries" at SantralÝstanbul with the participation of academics, bureaucrats, local administrators and businessmen. Sibel Sezer Eralp, president of the REC Turkey office, said a Europe without the Black Sea is not possible because the EU has a direct link to this unique sea. "REC seminars have been educating people in Central and Eastern European countries since 2004. With Bulgaria and Romania's membership in the European Union, the EU now has actual borders with the Black Sea. Therefore, it has been wise to extend the seminars to Turkey," she said, speaking to Today's Zaman. A unique sea in the world, the Black Sea is semi-enclosed and has a very narrow connection to other seas; namely, the Bosporus to the Sea of Marmara, which in turn connects to the Mediterranean Sea through the Dardanelles and then via Gibraltar to the Atlantic Ocean. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
GE moves $17 bln healthcare busýness to Turkey ABDULLAH BOZKURT, ÝSTANBUL In what analysts see as a major vote of confidence for the Turkish economy, General Electric (GE) has decided to move all managing operations in the eastern and African growth markets (EAGM) to Ýstanbul. Officials from GE Healthcare and Turkey's Investment Support & Promotion Agency said at
a joint press conference on Friday that GE Healthcare, a $17 billion healthcare business, has decided to combine the EAGM region into a single "International Diagnostic Imaging" operation and conduct its activities from Ýstanbul. The company will split a major part of its operations from its London center and move it to Ýstanbul. The company's Western European operations will still handled by the London center.
With this new move, GE Healthcare will coordinate all its operations in 80 countries in four major regions -- Central Asia, the Middle East, Russia and Africa -- from its Ýstanbul center. Richard di Benedetto, president and CEO of GE Healthcare, International-EAGM will be overseeing the company's operations. The EAGM region accounted for more than $600 million in revenue in 2007 and is expected to double the figure to
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$1.2 billion by 2010 thanks to the new structuring. Addressing reporters, di Benedetto vowed "to bring other health industry leaders to Turkey," adding that "the move represents the importance of Turkey for GE Healthcare." He stressed that the US and European companies are already enthusiastic about investing in Turkey. He noted that he expects another large investment will be announced shortly after their arrival. CONTINUED ON PAGE 07
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We will not allow Iraq to become a platform for harming the security of Iran and our neighbors. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
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PRESS REVIEW
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W ORDS OF WISDOM
Turkish membership in the EU will set an example for the peaceful coexistence of different cultures in the union. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan
Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary.
AHMET KEKEÇ, STAR
Robert Louis Stevenson
AK Party closure case overshadows Alevý ýssue The resignation of an Alevi deputy from the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Reha Çamuroðlu, from his post as consultant within the party has brought Turkey's Alevi problem back to the agenda. Çamuroðlu indicated in a written statement to the press that AK Party officials, deputies and bureaucrats have attacked him and the Alevi community, hinting that the ruling party's initiative to resolve problems faced by Alevis fell short of expectations as the party officials have for the last three months been busy with dealing with a closure case filed against it. Sabah's Mahmut Övür says an Alevi fast-breaking dinner held in early January with the participation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and several Alevi organizations in efforts to reconcile long-standing animosities between the state and Turkey's Alevi community boosted hopes that the government would be engaged in radical reforms to find solutions to the problems of the Alevis. "Alevis were hopeful that the cemevis [Alevi places of worship] would be recognized by the state and that dedes [Alevi religious leaders] would be put on salary. Six months have passed since the AK Party's Alevi dinner, but no concrete steps have been taken to solve problems faced by Alevi citizens," he states. Övür notes that Çamuroðlu's resignation will not only create turmoil within the AK
rights]. But, such demands cannot be deferred," says Göktürk. Ýsmet Berkan from Radikal defines Turkey's Alevi problem as one of taboos. "The Alevis' major wish is to preserve their culture and beliefs. However, their cemevis are not recognized by the state. For me, it is not a religious problem or a political one. It is a problem of taboos," he remarks. He also says Turkey's taboos are not only limited to religious freedoms. "We have a similar problem with the headscarf and the Kurdish issue. We should demolish our taboos. We should question them," notes Berkan. Another Sabah columnist, Ergun Babahan, on the other hand, says Turkey has a serious problem with turning a blind eye to its deep-seated problems. "You cannot solve the Kurdish problem merely with economic development or the Alevi problem with fast-breaking dinners. The AK Party doesn't put forth as much effort to resolve the Alevi issue as it does to solve the headscarf problem. We should, first of all, accept the realities. There are Alevi citizens in Turkey and they demand their rights. You cannot persuade them with a few nice words. You should take concrete steps to solve their problems. Otherwise, you will lose your credibility. This is at least as important as party closure cases because this is a test of democracy," he states.
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Party but also in the Alevi community. "The scene is not pleasant. Turkey, instead of finding permanent solutions to such major problems as the economic deadlock, the Kurdish issue and the Alevi problem, is busy discussing party closures," he concludes. Bugün's Gülay Göktürk states that the Alevis cannot wait an eternity to be granted equal rights. "Unfortunately, the AK Party's Alevi initiative couldn't go beyond words. Thus, Çamuroðlu did the right thing and resigned from his post. Why should he remain in his post if he cannot fulfill his task of building a bridge between the AK Party and the Alevis?" she asks. Göktürk also emphasizes that the AK Party government should be more sensitive than previous governments to the demands of the Alevi community as an overwhelming majority of AK Party supporters complain that they are deprived of their religious freedoms. "The AK Party has prepared its excuse for not making enough effort to deal with the Alevi problem: the closure case. The ruling party expects Alevi citizens to wait a bit more [to acquire their cultural and religious
Sezer's court appointments I have no idea what sort of conversations took place at the "very wonderful dinner" that was hosted recently at retired Ambassador Faruk Loðoðlu's home, though there can be little doubt that the important names invited to this gathering did not come together just to discuss football. What I do know very well, however, is that retired Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoðlu said to former President Ahmet Necdet Sezer: "Health to your hands, you really appointed some great members to the Constitutional Court. It is now clear just how on target these appointments were. They are rescuing the future of the regime." I also think these were great appointments Sezer made, and right on target. How so? As you may recall, there was a great outcry when Sezer approved set a place on the Constitutional Court for former Turkish Bar President Özdemir Özok, who was an outspoken member of the CHP. It wouldn't have looked very good to have a CHP member sitting as a Constitutional Court judge. So Özok did the appropriate thing: He turned down this offer of membership (or, as he put it, this "honorable duty") from the president.
Systemic crisis MEHMET METÝNER, BUGÜN The period we have embarked on in Turkey is, from every perspective, a difficult and problematic one. The general image that has emerged is one of a national scene in which an extremely tense society is divided into separate camps while, from an international perspective, there are now serious doubts regarding the stability of Turkish democracy. And thus the "systemic crisis" continues to worsen. But this systemic crisis needs to be taken care of before it turns into a social crisis. The greatest allegation against the AK Party is that it displays a forbidding stance where non-religious lifestyles are concerned; that it embraces a certain kind of life style, but not other kinds; and that it does all this using its power as ruling party. Let's imagine for a moment that this is true. If so, then what exactly is it that certain bureaucratic forces are doing in trying to distance the AK Party from power and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan from politics? Are they not then heading down the same path, in upholding one lifestyle and pushing away the other, but this time all in the name of secularism?
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Court stuck in the pincers of criticism YASÝN DOÐAN, YENÝ ÞAFAK The criticism directed at the Constitutional Court over the past week is out in the open for everyone to witness and hear. Debates are raging over whether or not the court has violated Articles 6, 7, 11, 87, 148 and 153 of the Turkish Constitution with its recent decision. Some of the allegations being made include that the court used authority not granted to it by the Constitution in making this decision, that it broke the principle of separation of powers, that it examined the constitutional changes not in terms of their form, but instead from the perspective of their content and that it used the legislative authority that rightfully belonged to the Turkish Parliament. The vast majority of Turkish political leaders are now engaging in criticism of the Constitutional Court's decision. But how is it that a court can open the way to this much dissent over its actions, this much questioning of itself, this many debates over its legitimacy and whether it can be trusted? How can a legal institution allow itself to fall into the position of being intoned in the same sentences with concepts that are anathema to the law, such as "power grab," "coup" and "arbitrary"?
Cpl. Hasan Tarkan, who had escaped an attack by PKK terrorists near the Turkish-Iraqi border in October 2007 in which 12 soldiers were killed, died earlier this week in a land mine blast in the Yüksekova district of eastern Hakkari province. Tarkan was buried Thursday amid tears in his hometown in Samsun province.
zaman:
"Cheap energy for factories on weekends," ran the daily's top headline yesterday. The Energy Ministry, which has had difficulty in meeting energy demands in summer months due to the increasing use of air conditioners, is focused on two formulas to solve the country's energy problem. The first is to lower the price of energy for factories on weekends, with the aim of reducing excessive use of energy by factories during weekdays. The second idea is to charge supplementary fees if consumption exceeds 200 kilowatt hours (kWh) at residences, which aims to encourage people to conserve energy in their homes.
at the Land Forces Command headquarters to discuss an appeal by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) for the annulment of constitutional amendments made to allow headscarves on university campuses. Paksüt and Baþbuð also allegedly discussed a closure case [that would be filed 13 days after their meeting] against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Baþbuð reportedly shut down security cameras at the entry and exit of the building before Paksüt arrived and did not inform the press about the meeting.
vatan:
taraf: The daily's headline story yesterday covered a
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meeting between Constitutional Court Deputy President Osman Paksüt and Land Forces Commander Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð. According to the daily, the two met on March 4, 2008
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"I didn't step off the train, but..." read the daily's headline yesterday, referring to the resignation of an Alevi deputy Reha Çamuroðlu of the AK Party from his post as consultant within the party. After his resignation, Çamuroðlu announced that he hadn't abandoned the party.
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"It is not possible for me to step off the [AK Party] train. I discussed the party's Alevi initiative with the prime minister a few times, but then realized that my efforts wouldn't produce anything useful," he was quoted by the daily as saying.
sabah:
"The mindset that kills," said the daily's lead headline yesterday, in particular reference to the remarks of Metin Kalkavan, the president of the Marine Chamber of Commerce, who said workers at shipyards should know they may die. "Workers should know they are working with steel, not cotton. Shipyards are not textile factories. They should get rid of the mindset that they won't face anything risky when they are working. They should know that they may die. Allegations that the deaths at shipyards resulted from the carelessness of employers are absurd," Kalkavan was quoted as saying by the daily.
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ÝSTANBUL ANKARA ÝZMÝR ANTALYA ADANA ERZURUM EDÝRNE TRABZON KAYSERÝ
Ankara water meets world health standards The Refik Saydam Hýfzýsýhha Center (RSHM) -- Turkey's national research laboratory devoted to public health -- found in an inspection of the Ankara water network on Friday that the city's water supply is of the quality required by international health standards. After a meeting of the center's Scientific Committee at RSHM headquarters, RSHM Chairman Mustafa Ertek explained the results of the inspections conducted on Ankara municipal water network, saying: "Purification and disinfection analyses were conducted at the Ývedik Purification Center. It has been determined that the Ankara municipal water network abides by the water norms of international organizations such as the European Union, the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] and the World Health Organization [WHO] in physical, chemical and microbiologic terms." Ertek also said the RSHM had informed the local health authorities about the results of the inspections. The analysis results may change due to varied water transfer rates, and the Health Ministry follows such changes, Ertek also said. As for arsenic levels in Kýzýlýrmak River water, recalling that Ankara municipal reservoirs have increased by more than one-and-a-half times since the start of Kesikköprü Dam water transfer, Ertek said: "The limit provided by the European Union, WHO and the EPA is 10 micrograms. However the highest level detected in Ankara water is 4 micrograms; this is far below European Union thresholds. We will follow the rates weekly and warn the municipality if the levels increase, which is not expected." Highlighting that Ankara municipal water was inspected by the Health Ministry, as is the case in all Turkish cities, Ertek said water regulations provide for 76 control check analyses and 103 inspection check analyses annually and that the analysis results are evaluated by the ministry. "Even after water transfer from Kesikköprü Dam to the municipal water network, the numbers of chemical, microbiologic and physical units in the water are under the limits determined by regulations," he explained. Earlier this week there was debate over the arsenic levels of the Kýzýlýrmak River water transferred to Ankara, with Health Minister Recep Akdað countering all allegations, saying there was no problem with Ankara's water. In an interview with Today's Zaman earlier this week, Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek asserted that there were no claims Ýzmir water was unsafe because the Ýzmir mayor is from the Republican People's Party (CHP). Ankara Today's Zaman
Int’l firms lend 1.5 bln euros for Ýstanbul metro Officials from the Ýstanbul Metropolitan Municipality yesterday came to an agreement with the European Investment Bank and other international financing firms on loans of over 1.5 billion euros for metro system expansion. The financing will be used to construct an additional 54 kilometers of track in three locations. Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaþ said the agreement shows the high creditworthiness of Ýstanbul in the eyes of the loan providers because they did not require guarantees from the Treasury for the loans. "We will pay off this loan over the long term and at a low interest rate. The firms not requiring guarantees from the Treasury showed their recognition of the creditworthiness of Ýstanbul," Topbaþ noted. Turkish Vakýfbank and Denizbank as well as 12 international financing companies provided the loans, which will be paid back over a period of up to 20 years. The municipality will not have to make payments for the first five years. Meanwhile, another metro line is being constructed from the Esenler Otogar to Baþakþehir. The 21-kilometer line, which was started in 2005, is scheduled for completion on Oct. 29. The system will carry 105,000 passengers in an hour. The Otogar-Baðcýlar-Mahmutbey-Ýkitelli-Baþak line will cost $955 million, including its cars. Yasin Kýlýç Ýstanbul
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Turkey may stay out of Med union project entirely, says Babacan thus there is no Turkish decision at the moment on whether to join the project, Babacan first noted. Following the decision on whether to join, a decision on the level of representation for the Paris meeting will also be made, he added. The European Commission is also working on the exact definition of the project, the minister, also Turkey's chief European Union negotiator, said. "We don't yet have any concrete documents concerning the project -- we haven't even yet decided to participate in it. If we decide to participate, then our level of participation will be a second decision," Babacan was
quoted as saying by Anatolia. "We may stay out of the project for a Union for the Mediterranean entirely," he said. Late in May, the European Commission unveiled its plans for a Union for the Mediterranean, scaling down what was once an ambitious French idea to revamp the EU's 13-year-old policy of relations with its southern neighbors. In its set of proposals, the Brussels executive also reaffirmed its view that the so-called "Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean" should involve all EU member states and should not constitute an alternative to joining the EU, as France had
originally intended and membership candidate Turkey had feared. "This project is not directed against Turkey," said Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the commissioner in charge of the EU's external relations and neighborhood policies, said at the time. And in further blows to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a vocal opponent of Turkey's bid to join the EU, the commissioner overruled his proposal that the project would be run exclusively by states with a Mediterranean coastline, arguing that it would only work if "everybody feels that they are involved." Ankara Today's Zaman with wires
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Ankara's assessment concerning France's plan for a "Union for the Mediterranean," is ongoing, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has said, adding, however, that Ankara may decide not to be involved in the project at all. Babacan made his remarks to Turkish correspondents in Paris late on Thursday on the sidelines of an international donor conference for Afghanistan, upon being asked at which level Turkey would be represented during a July 13 meeting in Paris where the project will be formally launched, the Anatolia news agency reported. Details of the project are not outlined yet,
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Swedish Parliament refuses genocide claims, Turkey satisfied Turkish Ambassador to Sweden Necip Egüz has expressed satisfaction over the Swedish Parliament's rejection of a motion for official recognition of the killings of Anatolian Armenians during the early 20th century as genocide. Earlier this week, a long debate took place in the Swedish Parliament regarding a Foreign Committee report on human rights, including five motions calling upon the Swedish government and parliament to officially recognize the so-called Armenian genocide, Armenian media reported, noting that eventually the Swedish Parliament, with a vote of 245 to 37 (1 abstaining, 66 absent), rejected a call for recognition of the 1915 killings during World War I as genocide on Thursday. "The Swedish government supports the establishment of a joint history commission between Turkey and Armenia. It acknowledges that this duty belongs to the historians. This is an appropriate decision," Egüz said yesterday in a written statement, the Anatolia news agency reported. In its answer, a majority consisting of the ruling alliance parties together with the opposition Social Democrats proposed rejecting the motions, whereby the Green and the Left parties announced their reservations, forcing the parliament to have a debate in the main chamber before the proposal was voted on, online news portal PanARMENIAN.Net reported. Ankara Today's Zaman with wires
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KKTC sends protest memo to UN on broadcast disruption From L to R, German Chancellor Merkel, French leader Sarkozy, US President Bush and Iranian leader Ahmadinejad. None of them has high approval rates from the Turkish public, a survey has revealed.
Turks favor Obama over McCaýn, but expectatýons low contýnued from page 1 Twenty-nine percent of Turks said they expected a change for the better, while 13 percent said the next US president would change US policy for the worse, according to the survey. The ratings of the presidential candidates are also low in Turkey. Obama has the confidence of only 20 percent of those surveyed, and he is not trusted by 62 percent. His rival, McCain, is perceived in a much more negative light: 71 percent said they did not have confidence in the Republican senator and only 5 percent expressed trust. The ratings for the outgoing President George W. Bush were remarkably low: Only 2 percent said they had confidence in Bush. Consistent with the overall trends in much of the world, most Turks are not paying much attention to the US presidential race; only 25 percent said they were following the US election process closely, while 68 percent said they were not. In several countries, however, there is considerable interest in the US presidential race. In fact, the Japanese (83 percent) are slightly more likely than Americans (80 percent) to say they are following news about the race very or somewhat closely. While no other publics are nearly as attentive to the race as the Japanese or Americans, at least half of those surveyed in Germany (56 percent), Australia (52 percent), Jordan (50 percent) and Britain (50 percent) are following the election closely. Although it is no longer in the single digits, US favorability in Turkey remains low despite a change in US policy that resulted in cooperation
with Turkey against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq. The survey, conducted between March 17 and April 21, shows that only 12 percent of Turks have a positive opinion of the US, the lowest rating in the survey. The lack of US action against the PKK was commonly blamed as the main reason for a drastic deterioration in the US image in Turkey over the past years. Heeding Turkish concerns, US President Bush declared the PKK a "common enemy" at a meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan in November and the US began sharing intelligence to assist Turkish cross-border operations against the PKK in northern Iraq as of
last December. Last year, before the TurkishUS cooperation got under way, 9 percent of Turks said they had a positive view of the US. In characterizing Turkey's relations with the United States, only 8 percent said Washington was a "partner," while 70 percent described it as an "enemy." Turkey again tops the list in this category and is followed by Pakistan (60 percent), Argentina (45 percent), Egypt (39 percent), and Russia and China (34 percent). Majorities in most Western European countries (namely Britain, France and Germany) as well as in Australia, Japan and South Korea characterize the United States as a "partner." Overall, however, the US image remains poor
Public mood down in Turkey, survey shows Turks are concerned about slumping economic conditions and believe the US is having a negative influence on their national economy, a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, has revealed. "Good" ratings of economy plummeted in Turkey from 46 percent in 2007 to 21 percent in 2008, the survey, conducted among more than 24,000 people in 24 countries, showed. Turkish people also topped list of pessimists as to the future outlook of the economy, with 55 percent saying the economic situation will get worse. Asked about US influence, 70 percent said the US was having a negative effect on the Turkish economy. The negative trends in economic outlook are consistent with global trends: Majorities in 18 of the 24 countries describe current economic conditions in their country as bad. The Pew survey also revealed Turks were despondent about the direction of the country in general; 75 percent said they were not satisfied with the way things are going while only 21 percent expressed satisfaction. Asked to state their opinion on foreign ownership of domestic companies, 76 percent of Turks said it was a bad thing. Germany, which tops the list, is ranked above Turkey with 78 percent. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
across the globe. Majorities say they have a very or somewhat favorable opinion of the United States in only eight of the 23 countries surveyed. There have been some improvements, however, since last year: US favorability is up significantly in 10 countries, while it has declined notably in just 3.
No confidence in world leaders The Pew survey results show Turks' mistrust is not limited to the United States and its leaders. Approval rates for German Chancellor Angela Merkel dropped from 10 percent last year to 6 percent and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who firmly opposes Turkey's membership in the European Union, is favored by only 5 percent. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin did not fare any better: Only 9 percent of Turks said they had trust in the former Russian president. Some 55 percent rated Iran unfavorably and 59 percent said they lacked confidence in Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to do the right thing regarding world affairs. Asked about the country's nuclear program, 65 percent said it posed a threat, making Turks one of the most skeptical countries about Iran in the Muslim world. China's image is better, but still not so bright: 16 percent said they perceived China as a "partner," while 25 percent described it as an "enemy." Thirty-three percent said it is neither a partner nor an enemy, while 26 percent declined to comment. An overwhelming majority of 76 percent said Chinese products were less safe than products produced elsewhere in the world. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
Netherlands seeks ‘practical approach’ in judicial cooperation with Turkey EMÝNE KART ANKARA
Dutch Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin has suggested that Netherlands and Turkey can overcome problems in judicial cooperation with "a practical approach." Hirsch Ballin was in Turkey this week for an official three-day visit during which he was accompanied by Dutch Deputy Justice Minister Nebahat Albayrak. The Dutch delegation held talks with both Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Þahin and Interior Minister Beþir Atalay, as well as with heads of the parliamentary commissions for European Union harmonization and justice. Improving bilateral cooperation in dealing with organized crime and terrorism is a goal shared by both countries, Hirsch Ballin said late on Thursday during
a meeting with a group of Turkish correspondents. "There are questions concerning effective cooperation that have to do with differences in our legal systems. Sometimes we face an interesting situation because of the fact that a part of our population has dual citizenship. These cases are partly connected with practical problems, but they are also connected with the need to cooperate effectively when criminal operations take place in two or more countries. And our services, including the public prosecutors and the police, need a close and effective form of cooperation," said the Dutch minister, who had earlier presented a file to Þahin in which Amsterdam listed its proposals for more effective cooperation with Ankara. "We agreed that all of the specific problems that we've seen in the past can be dealt with in an ade-
quate manner if we, from both sides, take a practical approach. It makes no sense to stick with general rules that might not fit the situation of intrastate cooperation between Turkey and the Netherlands. Of course, the judiciary has the last word when it comes to extradition. But we are confident that we will be able to solve this problem," he added. The extradition of members of outlawed organizations, particularly the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), to Turkey was a major topic in the file given to Þahin as well as in meetings between the Dutch delegation and Turkish officials. "Guarantee for return to the home country is one of our principles; if we extradite a Dutch citizen, then there should be a guarantee for return to his home country. That can apply to situations in which people of
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Dutch nationality are required to appear in front of the Turkish court, and the other way around. Sometimes the situation appears to be a bit difficult when it concerns somebody with dual citizenship. But then there are rules and international case law based on treaties, international law-making bodies, concerning habitual country of residence and so on," Hirsch Ballin said. A leading PKK figure, Nedim Seven, who had been sought on a red notice since 1999 in connection with the murder of 15 people, was apprehended in August 2006 in the Netherlands owing to Turkish Interpol intelligence. Nevertheless, Dutch authorities returned Seven to France instead of Turkey, citing his entrance via the French border. Seven was apprehended in France in February 2007, but was later released. His whereabouts since then are unknown.
The Supreme Broadcasting Board (YYK) of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) has presented a memorandum to the United Nations to protest the disruption of broadcasts of some television stations in Turkey and the KKTC by two Greek Cypriot stations. A delegation from the YYK went to Ledra Palace yesterday morning to present the memorandum to UN officials, complaining that two Greek Cypriot television stations that had recently increased the power of their broadcast signals were causing disruption to the broadcasts of ART, ATV, NTV, which are television stations based in Turkey, and Genç TV, based in the KKTC, Bayrak Radio Television (BRT) reported. The letter was presented by YYK President Ýlkay Diren, who explained that parasite effects caused by the increased signal power of the PIK and ERT channels are disrupting the broadcasts of the four TV stations. Diren said the move is in violation of the Turkish Cypriot people's right to spread their own culture, which he said is one of the basic human rights. He called on the Greek Cypriot administration to act with common sense. He also noted that the YYK has been showing the necessary sensitivity in determining its frequencies and stations and increasing signal power to avoid disrupting the broadcasts of its neighbors in the south, calling on the Greek Cypriot side to adopt a similar approach. Ankara Today's Zaman with wires
INTELLIGENCE
Concerns hinder US Customs demands It has been two years since US authorities demanded their own Customs system at a port in the Aegean coastal city of Ýzmir, but Turkish authorities have remained reluctant to give the go-ahead due to national security concerns. US officials want to examine all goods before their shipment to the US as part of the Customs Container Security Initiative to prevent the transport of nuclear and conventional arms to America. The initiative is designed to prevent the smuggling of terrorists or terrorist weapons in ocean-going cargo containers. Ýzmir was planned to be the first such US Customs venue in Turkey, followed by ports in other cities, such as Ýstanbul. However the National Security Organization (MÝT) has objected to the US demands, over concerns of the ramifications for Turkey's sovereignty rights. In a letter sent to the Undersecretariat for Customs and Foreign Trade, MÝT enumerated its concerns, saying such a system could turn into an environment for espionage activity. The US wants to set up such systems at ports in more than 30 countries. Although the number of containers shipped from Ýstanbul to the US is three times the number of containers shipped from Ýzmir, it is not known why the US wanted Ýzmir to be the first port for such a system. In June 2006, US officials examined Customs facilities in Ýzmir. If the US demand is eventually accepted by the Turkish side, US Customs officials will establish a separate unit there and have a separate building outside the port. Agencies for containers to be sent to the US will apply to this US authority via email 24 hours before shipment time. Ahmet Dönmez Ýstanbul
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06 TODAY’S ZAMAN
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NATIONAL
Wartýme frýendshýp blossoms agaýn after 65 long years AA
A friendship that started 65 years ago during World War II has blossomed once more in Çeþme. Tino Alevrias returned to Çeþme and found the daughter of the Turkish family that helped his family during the war PHOTO
When the Germans bombed the Greek island of Chios in the Aegean Sea during World War II, Tino Alevrias, 5 years old at the time, fled the conflict with his mother for the nearby Çeþme Peninsula in Turkey. Some 65 years later, Alevrias, who lived in Turkey for three years with his mother, returned to Çeþme and found the daughter of the Turkish family that took them in so many decades ago. Alevrias, now 73, still lives on Chios. He came back to Çeþme to find his old friends and spoke with the Anatolia news agency about his memories of the bombs that rained down on his island as well as how difficult times were, noting that many of his family members died from hunger during that period. Alevrias describes how he arrived in Çeþme with his mother, Argyro Alevrias, during World War II to find Gül Ali, who was born on Chios, but later moved to Çeþme. “My father had gone to America, and we were not able to survive. Turkey and Gül Ali’s home opened their arms to us. My mother and I moved into Gül and Aunt Adile’s home. For three whole years we lived there as though it was our own home. We were never hungry. And then in 1943 we left for Ýskenderiye. When the war ended, we returned to Chios.”
The daughter with blue eyes Alevrias says his memories of Çeþme are all wonderful and that before his mother died she had said, “One day, go back to Çeþme and find that family that took care of us because it was in Gül Ali’s home that we actually spent the happiest days of our lives.” Alevrias notes that when he came to Turkey as a young boy, the first word he learned in Turkish was “ekmek,” or “bread.” He recalls how for two years before coming to Çeþme, he and his mother were so hungry that when they finally arrived in Turkey, “they ate a lot of food” and even “thought they would die of fullness.” Upon arriving in Çeþme Alevrias asked local merchants about Ali, and finally finding Ali’s daughter, Müjgan Gül, he was motivated by the belief that “love never dies.” He says: “I have never forgotten the blue eyes of Gül
Tino Alevrias (L), who lived in Turkey for three years during World War II, returned to Çeþme and found the daughter of the Turkish family that took them in long ago. Ali’s daughter, who is two years younger than me. There is no one left anymore from that family that I know. I went to the neighborhood where we lived along with Müjgan. The house had been destroyed by an earthquake, but we were still very happy, reminiscing about those happy moments from long ago.” Alevrias says he will never forget the humanity that was shown to him and his mother and that it is for this reason that he came to Turkey to find the family that took care of them. “We are all siblings. One single God created us. What separates us is politicians. My real com-
plaints are about the politicians that push us to degrade and bad mouth one another.” Gül herself recalls how she and her family lived under the shadows of darkness so that bombing campaigns carried out during World War II wouldn’t target their region. “The Greeks came to our home when I was just a child. Chios was being bombed. There were Greek guests in every home in Çeþme. I remember one Greek youth fell in love with an older girl, our neighbor Zehra, and I recall how he played love songs on his mandolin for her. Tino’s mother used to take me out for walks. Tino and
Swiss couple on world trek reaches Konya
PHOTO
AA
A Swiss couple that set out a year ago from their country on a walking tour, accompanied by two donkeys and one dog, recently arrived in Konya. Celine Overney, 31, and her fiancé, Mathias Berovalis, 32, set out on their world walking tour from Switzerland in a bid to draw attention to environmental pollution and to contribute to world peace by engaging with other cultures. The two arrived in Turkey from neighboring Greece and reached the central Anatolian city of Konya after spending two-and-a-half months walking through the cities of western Turkey. After arriving in Konya and setting up a tent outside the city, the pair secured their animals and went to watch a traditional sema (whirling dervish per-
Celine Overney (L) and her fiance, Mathias Berovalis, left Switzerland a year ago for a world walking tour.
formance) at the Mevlana Cultural Center. Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Berovalis said the pair had been on the road for one year and that while in Turkey for the past two-and-a-half months, they had usually stayed in village mosques, village centers and in homes which people were kind enough to open to them. Berovalis noted that one of the main goals of their walking tour is to get to know other cultures better. “In these past two-and-a-half months, we have learned enough Turkish to get our basic needs across to others. In every country we go to, we see that this is an important thing to pick up. We have come to Konya because of Mevlana, and after here we are going to Cappadocia, and then will head to Trabzon. Our trip will later take us to Iran, Pakistan, Nepal, through the Himalayas and on to Mongolia. It will come to an end in 2011 in China,” noted Berovalis. Marriage planned at end of journey Berovalis said wedding plans are in the offing for himself and Overney, the latter who has taken a significant break from her job in Switzerland as a nurse in order to join her fiancé on this tour. “We walk an average of 30 kilometers a day. One of the strangest problems we have faced through the course of this journey has been with our shoes, which become unusable after only a short period. But we are still happy to be wearing out our shoes for world peace on this walking tour. My fiancée is taking notes regarding this journey in a daily diary. Later, we want to turn this adventure into a book,” he noted. Konya Today’s Zaman with wires
I would play together in the garden. I remember how we saw them off when they boarded a ship to leave one night in 1943. We never saw them again. I could not believe it when I saw Tino. I am so happy that we got to meet again. You know how they say ‘Do something good, toss it into the sea and one day it will come back to you’? Well, that goodness came back and found me. I am so happy that they never forgot us.” And so Alevrias, who owns a hair salon on Chios, returned after all these years to Çeþme and met with Müjgan, the blue-eyed girl who was his wartime playmate. Ýzmir Today’s Zaman with wires
Northern Cyprus: tourism paradise on the rise Located only 64 kilometers from Turkey’s coast, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) attracts a great deal of attention from vacationers with its history and unspoiled natural beauty, including clean sands and clear waters. Turgut Muslu, director of tourism planning for the KKTC Economy and Tourism Ministry, told the Anatolia news agency recently that the KKTC was a “tourism paradise,” drawing attention to the island nation’s hotels, casinos and natural surroundings. Muslu said one of the biggest factors drawing visitors to the KKTC was the multiple vacation types available, translating into rich potential for the country: “Visitors interested in eco-tourism in northern Cyprus can enjoy everything from village stays to mountain walks, flora-fauna tours, cave exploration, bicycling and horse nature trails.” Muslu said that as village stays were expanding, six buildings in KKTC villages -Tatlýsu, Büyükkonuk, Mehmetçik, Kumyalý, and Dipkarpaz - had been renovated. He added that eight more structures were currently under construction. Muslu said the project began in 2005 and was slated for completion soon, increasing the bed capacity in this sector by 180. “There are many caves still waiting to be discovered in northern Cyprus. In the meantime, bicycle enthusiasts have been showing a lot of interest in the Beþparmak mountain range area, which offers so much in terms of its nature and history,” Muslu also said. Muslu noted that new investments were being made on the island to promote the development of golfing tourism, pointing to the 18-hole golf course at the Korineum Golf Club in the KKTC’s Esentepe region. Muslu also praised the possibilities for diving enthusiasts off the shores of northern Cyprus, noting that divers exploring the waters could come across a rich variety of sunken objects -- including sunken ships, airplanes and amphora from shipwrecks long ago -- and caves. “People who choose northern Cyprus for diving also get the chance to view some of the fish species unique to the Mediterranean, as well as sea turtles and other species of underwater life in these waters.” For yacht owners coming to northern Cyprus by water, Muslu mentioned the Girne and Delta marinas, which offer anchoring and longer term docking options for yacht owners, as well as the new marina under construction at Yenierenkoy, expected to enter service in 2009 with a 350-yacht capacity.
Numbers reveal rapid tourism growth Muslu emphasized that the number of tourism facilities and their bed capacities in the KKTC exemplified the growth in the nation’s tourism sector. He brought to mind 2003, when the KKTC had 11,550 beds available in 115 tourist facilities. “In 2006 these numbers rose to 127 facilities with a total of 13,453 beds. And by last year, the number of hotels had risen to 130, with a bed capacity of over 15,000. There are 11 five-star hotels on the island. These alone offer 6,274 beds. In addition, there are 45 more hotels currently under construction, which, when completed, will offer 10,883 more beds. The Bafra region has been designated as a tourism investment zone. While one of the 13 advised tourism facilities in this zone has already been completed and is opening for service, four others are already under construction.” Muslu also said there were 16 hotels in northern Cyprus suitable for hosting large conferences. Regarding the KKTC’s casino and gambling sector, Muslu said the casinos in 23 Turkish Cypriot hotels were an important attraction for visitors to the island: “Our casino customers contribute positively to tourism on the island and are an important factor in keeping tourism on its feet. The tax revenue from casinos makes up between 40-50 percent of the funds used for developing tourism and the promotion of northern Cyprus. So northern Cyprus really is a tourism paradise, one with casinos. When we are compared to southern [Greek] Cyprus, our casinos are just one more distinguishing feature.” Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
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BUSINESS
TODAY’S ZAMAN 07
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Bursa textile exports up Textile and ready-to-wear clothing exports from the northwestern province of Bursa amounted to $753.2 million in the first five months of 2008, the Uludað Exporters' Association (UÝB) announced on Friday. Bursa's textile exports rose 9.7 percent, and ready-to-wear clothing exports climbed 9.6 percent between January and May 2008 over the same period of 2007. Textiles were sold to eight free zones and 105 countries and autonomous regions, while ready-to-wear clothing products were exported to six free zones and 92 countries and autonomous regions in the first five months of 2008. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
Top 10 destination countries for Bursa textiles Jan.-May 2008 Country
Export volume in millions USD
Russian Federation................... Germany .............................. Romania.................................. Britain..................................... Greece.................................... Italy........................................ Bulgaria.................................. Poland.................................... Bursa Free Zone...................... Iran........................................
60.075 54.358 34.528 28.233 28.022 27.4 26.319 22.702 21.229 14.32
Percent change over 2007 37.9 -3.6 -30.1 14.6 13.1 -3.8 69.9 21.4 25.9 156
C/A reduction possible
ECONOMY
Turkish Public Works and Housing Minister Faruk Nafiz Ozak said on Friday that gross national product (GNP) growth takes place not only based on production and services in Turkey, but also through projects undertaken by Turkish businessmen abroad. In Azerbaijan for talks with Turkish businessmen, Ozak said: "Turkish businessmen operating abroad make important contributions to the Turkish economy. Decreasing the current account deficit is possible with you and Turkish contractors." "The list of world's most prominent 225 contractors includes 25 Turkish contractors. Turkish contractors operate in many countries, including Azerbaijan, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
‘Turkey to see sustained growth until 2040'
PHOTO
lates to the "early health" model. "In the world today, 2 billion people have no healthcare. Our intention as GE Healthcare is to reduce this number. As a first step, we'll employ 240 top management people and will double the number next year," di Benedetto said. GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new era in patient care. The company's expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, performance improvement, drug discovery and biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies is helping clinicians around the world develop new ways to fight diseases.
GE's 'Healthcare Re-imagined' vision GE's "Healthcare Re-imagined" vision promotes the "early health" model of care, helping clinicians re-imagine new ways to predict, diagnose, inform and treat disease, so their patients can live their lives to the fullest. "A key concern for this region is the rise in healthcare costs. Once again, this puts the spotlight on the need for an ‘early health' model of care. Shifting resources to ‘early health' and developing technologies that allow healthcare providers to diagnose disease at the earliest possible stage, when there can be many treatment options, is better medicine. It also makes simple economic sense," di Benedetto said. Developments in healthcare technology are being rapidly harnessed throughout the region to improve the general level of healthcare delivery. This is particularly relevant in addressing certain medical conditions that are more prevalent regionally. Diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions and obesity, stress and smoking-related illnesses are on the rise.
PHOTO
Domestic flights increase with small planes
COOPERATION
Turkey, Moldova sign economic agreement
Turksat 3A, new satellite, in orbit
Turkey's new generation communication satellite, the Turksat 3A, was launched shortly before 1 a.m. from the Kourou base in French Guiana on Friday. Turkey's fifth satellite, Turksat will enable satellite and cable television operator Turksat to offer telecommunication services as well as direct TV broadcasting services over a broader area than that covered by its existing satellites, covering Turkey, Europe, Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. The launch was delayed due to software problems in May. Built by Franco-Italian consortium Thales Alenia Space, the satellite cost Turkey $200 million. It was put into orbit by Ariane-5, a European expendable launch system designed to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit.
EXHIBITION
Turkey's Transportation Minister Binali Yýldýrým said on Thursday that Turkey's budding aviation sector is set to expand into new forms of air travel. Speaking at the inauguration of the AIREX International Civil Aviation and Airports Exhibition at Ýstanbul Ataturk Airport, Yýldýrým said there would be a great leap forward in aviation in the next 10-15 years. "We will initiate a new type of transportation over shorter distances with air taxis and smaller planes." "Turkey has made remarkable progress in recent years both in terms of airport operation and improvement of the quality of air transportation," Yýldýrým said. Noting that his ministry is willing to keep up with the liberalization process' pace in the aviation industry, Yýldýrým said the number of airports opened to domestic flights is increasing with each passing day. He also said that currently there are 40 airports in Turkey. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
AA
contýnued from page 1 Turkey's Investment Support & Promotion Agency President Alpaslan Korkmaz reminded the audience that Turkey ranked as the world's 15th largest economy in 2007 and had become the fastest growing economy in the European Union. He said, "Ýstanbul is a candidate for base operations for many companies because it is centrally located, with up to a four-hour flight reaching many regions, and has highly skilled labor." Korkmaz predicted Turkey will become a brand name for base operations and that many large companies will move their headquarters to Turkey. He pointed out that "rich cultural history enhances the Turks' bargaining power in the region." Korkmaz also added, "We'll be making another announcement on a large Australian company coming to Turkey." He declined to give more details. Currently, a total of 19,217 companies with international capital operate in Turkey, with half of them choosing Ýstanbul as a base. In the first three month of 2008, 754 companies and branch offices with international capital were established, while 155 international companies bought shares in domestic companies. GE Healthcare CEO di Benedetto said, "Our goal is to cooperate with local universities, engineering firms and local healthcare representatives." He stressed that his company wants to promote the "early health" model of care, helping clinicians find new ways to approach diseases, increasing their patients' quality of life. The company is hoping to address some of the key healthcare challenges facing the region, focusing on the shifting trends in healthcare delivery as it re-
REUTERS
GE moves $17 billion healthcare business to Turkey
Despite the global economic crisis and the political situation at home, our positive growth projections for the country remain unchanged, the economy minister has said. Addressing the Second Innovation Conference yesterday organized by the American Business Forum of Turkey (ABFT), Economy Minister Mehmet Þimþek stated that growth in Turkey will continue until 2040 partly because of the young working population. The conference focused on innovation within the context of Turkey's goal to create a stronger economy, with discussions on the concepts of competition, entrepreneurship and a knowledgebased economy. Emphasizing the importance of innovation for the Turkish economy, Þimþek told the audience that the US and the EU will play important roles in that regard. He also noted that his ministry is still keeping a watchful eye on macroeconomic indicators. The minister said the government will bring the current account deficit down to a more manageable level while keeping a tight fiscal policy in place, adding that it plans to put the country's privatization program on the fast track. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
Ariane-5 rocket also carried a British military satellite into orbit. As part of strategic communication plan, Turkey plans to send Turksat 4A to space in 2011 and launch a Turksat 5A in 2014. With the help of new transponders, Turksat 3A will act as a bridge between Europe and Asia. Turksat 3A's Turkey coverage has been specially designed to provide very efficient gain for broadband applications, such as VSAT services, giving customers low-cost up-link systems. After it was launched, Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yýldýrým told reporters that the satellite would contribute to information and communication technology. Yýldýrým said more than 25 engineers from Turkey took part in the project. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
The trade ministers of Turkey and Moldova have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on economic cooperation. Foreign Trade Minister Kürþad Tüzmen and Moldovan First Deputy Premier and Economy and Trade Minister Igor Dodon on Friday signed the MoU at the fifth meeting of the TurkishMoldovan Joint Economic Committee in Kishinev, reported the Anatolia news agency. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dodon stated that Moldova was pleased with the cooperation between the two countries and that they expected that Turkish businessmen would make investments, especially in the area of infrastructure in Gagauzia region. There has recently been remarkable improvement in commercial and economic relations between the two countries, Tüzmen said. Trade volume between Turkey and Moldova amounted to $200 million in 2007, and the aim is to increase this figure to $500 million in 2010, he noted. "There have been important developments in the area of construction between the two countries. Turkish companies assumed contracting projects worth $60 million in Moldova," Tüzmen was quoted as saying by Anatolia. Kishinev Today's Zaman
HELPING HAND
Ankara increases aid to Afghanistan The Turkish foreign minister has stated that Turkey will be providing $200 million in aid to Afghanistan, an increase of $100 million over its pledge in 2006. Addressing the International Conference in Support of Afghanistan in Paris on Thursday, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan noted that the Turkish government had decided to increase its aid from $100 to $200 million over the next three years for Afghanistan's economic development and infrastructure projects. Babacan noted that Turkey has contributed an additional $5 million to support democratization efforts in Afghanistan. The foreign minister said Afghanistan, which has assumed an important role in transportation, energy and trade, would take its traditional place in the region as long as the assistance continued. Delegates from nearly 80 countries and leading international organizations gathered in the French capital and pledged funds of over $13 billion for Afghanistan's reconstruction efforts. Paris Today's Zaman with wires
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08 TODAY’S ZAMAN
TRAVEL
Yahoo turns to Google after failed Microsoft bid
PHOTO
Hilmi Güler
ENERGY
Ankara looks southern neighbors for gas Turkey's energy minister said on Friday that Turkey has been talking to Syria and Iraq about extracting natural gas from Iraq's Akkas fields. "We are planning to carry Iraqi gas through a pipeline right next to the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik oil pipeline. We are holding trilateral negotiations with Syria and Iraq to extract and use gas in the Akkas fields, and we hope our talks will yield a positive result," Energy Minister Hilmi Guler told a Turkish-Arab economic forum in Istanbul. Guler said a tender to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant is still open and that Arab companies could also submit offers, reported the Anatolia news agency. "We can work together on that issue, too," Guler was quoted by Anatolia as saying at the forum. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
FINANCE
Syria, Turkey expand cooperation in banking Turkey and Syria should further their cooperation in the banking sector, a top Syrian official has suggested. Speaking at a meeting held on Thursday during the Third Turkish-Arab Economic Forum in Ýstanbul, Syrian Finance Minister Muhammad alHusayn stated that the banks in Turkey and Syria could open branches in each other's countries or could form joint ventures in the banking sector. The minister noted that the free trade agreement signed between the two countries would improve commercial relations, adding that the tax rates on certain commercial goods would soon be reduced. Istanbul Today's Zaman
Yahoo Inc. became Microsoft Corp.'s takeover prey largely because Google Inc. established such a commanding lead in the Internet's lucrative search advertising market. But after eluding Microsoft's grasp, Yahoo is now turning to Google to help squelch a rebellion among its shareholders who believe it should have accepted Microsoft's $47.5 billion buyout offer while it was still available last month. Yahoo announced its decision to let Google handle some of its advertising sales late Thursday, just a few hours after revealing it unsuccessfully tried to persuade Microsoft to renew its previous offer of $33 per share. The snub caused Yahoo to conclude that there is no hope for any kind of deal with Microsoft. Although Yahoo believes Google could help boost its annual revenue by $800 million, the advertising partnership wasn't enough to ease the disappointment of investors who had been holding out hope for a Microsoft deal.
Kohl, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy and consumer rights. “The consequences for advertisers and consumers could be far-reaching and warrant careful review, and we plan to investigate the competitive and privacy implications of this deal further,” said Kohl, a Wisconsin Democrat. Yahoo and Google have voluntarily agreed to wait until late September to begin working together to give the government adequate time to review the arrangement. If it isn't blocked, the partnership could last for the next decade. The antitrust scrutiny appears to be the least of Yahoo's worries for now. The Sunnyvale-based company also is trying to fend off a shareholder mutiny led by activist investor Carl Icahn, who has vowed to replace the company's board because of the way the directors handled the Microsoft negotiations during the past 4½ months. San Francisco AP
Yahoo shares plunged $2.63, or 10.1 percent, to finish Thursday at $23.52 and shed another seven cents after the market closed. Part of the problem for Yahoo is that antitrust concerns might prevent an alliance with Google. Google already holds about 75 percent of the $11 billion search advertising market in the United States with Yahoo a distant second at 9 percent, according to the research firm eMarketer Inc. Microsoft and a variety of consumer-interest groups already have signaled they will turn up the political heat in an attempt to prevent Google from working with Yahoo. The outcry already has drawn the attention of U.S. Sen. Herb
Inflatýon worrýes spread from Asýa to Europe REUTERS
Baggage fees are fast becoming an unavoidable part of flying in the United States -- three of the largest carriers now charge $15 for a first checked bag. No. 2 United Airlines and No. 7 US Airways announced their new fees on Thursday, three weeks after No. 1 American Airlines set the precedent for the charge. Most US carriers already have instituted a $25 charge for checking a second bag -- part of a potpourri of new fees that reflect a struggling airline industry passing along record fuel prices to passengers in the form of higher fares, fuel surcharges and service charges. As of July 1, Southwest Airlines will be the only US carrier that permits two checked bags for free, according to air travel expert Tom Parsons, who expects still more service fees to come. "The major airlines are truly a la carte now -- you don't get anything free any more," said Parsons, chief executive of the travel Web site Bestfares.com. "You get a tin can in the air, and anything else you pay as you go." He expects the legacy carriers to follow the lead of discount carrier Spirit Airlines, which now charges extra for seat reservations -- $5 for middle seats, $10 for window and aisle seats and $15 for exit-row seats. Other airlines also have begun charging for window or aisle seats. UAL Corp.'s United said its baggage fee goes into place with customers who buy tickets beginning Friday for domestic flights of Aug. 18 or later. It does not apply to customers flying in first or business class or those who have premier status with United or Star Alliance, and first and second bags will still be free for itineraries that include international flights, aside from Canada. The Chicago-based carrier also is increasing the fee to check three or more bags, overweight bags or items that require special handling to $125 from $100, or to $250 from $200, depending on the item. United estimates the potential revenue from baggage handling service fees at about $275 million a year. It expects the new $15 service fee to apply to one in every three customers.US Airways' new fee takes place for tickets booked on or after July 9. The Tempe, Arizona-based carrier also said it would cut domestic flights, shrink the size of its fleet, slash 1,700 jobs and add a fee for nonalcoholic drinks during flights. Separately, the steady rise of fuel surcharges continued with United, Continental Airlines Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., US Airways Group Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. all matching the $20 increase in fuel surcharges initiated by American on most of its domestic routes Wednesday. Chicago AP
Inflation expectations hit a record high in Britain in May and jumped to a 15-year high in Australia as the European Central Bank reiterated its state of high alert over prices, adding to the prospects of a rise in interest rates globally. However, South Korea's central bank skipped a rate rise on Thursday, leaving rates unchanged instead to monitor price pressure and growth in Asia's fourth-largest economy even with inflation at a seven-year high. The decision by the Bank of Korea underlines the challenge for central banks worldwide to balance the need to tackle inflation without posing a risk to economic growth.The Bank of Japan is widely expected to follow the Bank of Korea's lead by leaving its interest rates steady when it announces the outcome of a policy review on Friday, while China posted its first break in a year to soaring inflation. China's annual consumer inflation dropped back to 7.7 percent in May from 8.5 percent, bucking the global trend of increasing price pressures, as a year-long surge in food prices ebbed. While the drop will provide some relief to Chinese policy makers who have declared inflation their main economic challenge, economists ruled out a softening of the central bank's tight policy. They said strong money supply data for May, also published on Thursday, and producer price inflation at a fouryear high of 8.2 percent suggest more price pressures in the pipeline. Some economists trace China's inflation not to high commodity prices but to loose monetary policy as the central bank struggles to mop up cash pouring in from its huge trade surplus. Policy makers globally have raised the alarm over inflation in recent weeks as commodities prices, such as oil and corn, rose to fresh record highs. The window of opportunity is going to close in the coming quarters when growth momentum starts to slow as the second order effects of inflation kick in, said Leong Wai Jo, an economist at Barclays Capital in Singapore. But for now, the window of opportunity is still open for central banks to curb inflation. Britons' expectations of future inflation surged to a record high of 4.3 percent in May, well above the actual rate of 3.0 percent, a survey by the Bank of England showed on Thursday. The central bank's quarterly survey showed median expectations for the rate of inflation over the coming year had jumped markedly from the previous series high of 3.3 percent in February. Britons' perception of the current rate of inflation spiked
CALENDAR
AT A GLAN
CE
June 16 e Index Confidenc Consumer ent rate of Turkey Unemploym on - MAYIS June 17 city Utilizati 10:00 Capa 2008 (TÜÝK) (poss.) 1 COREPER June 18 1 (poss.) COREPER (poss.) 2 COREPER
Policy makers have recently raised the alarm over inflation globally as the price of commodities such as oil and corn rise to record highs. to a record 4.9 percent in May from 3.9 percent in February, the survey showed. The figures are likely to encourage more investors to bet on higher borrowing costs despite the prospect of weaker economic growth as central bankers around the world contend with soaring fuel and food prices. Australian consumer inflation expectations climbed in June to their highest in 15 years, posing a problem for the country's central bank, which has raised interest rates to 7.25
Yearly Change (%)
YTD Change (%)
MCAP (million YTL)
1-Y Av.Volum
-8,5%
-14,2%
-31,0%
197.444
1.300
-9,7%
-15,7%
-34,1%
140.892
997
Nikkei 225
-7,3%
-16,1%
68.799
354
Cac 40
-20,7%
-41,9%
74.535
701
DAX
-11,0%
106
0,55
FTSE 100
Daily Monthly Change (%) Change (%)
Close
PHOTO
US Airlines starts charging for bags
CÝHAN
BUSINESS
S AT U R D AY, J U N E 1 4 , 2 0 0 8
İMKB-100
38.296
-0,8%
İMKB-30
46.434
-1,0%
İMKB-IND
34.037
-0,2%
-9,1%
İMKB-BANK
69.761
-2,2%
-12,8%
DJIMT
10,55
0,0%
-8,7%
-3,2%
US$/JP¥ EU€/JP¥
46.800 1,261
Country
Change (%)
Level
H.Kong
-1,30
23.023,9
Japan
-2,08
13.888,6
France
Hang Seng
TurkDEX
-0,12
4.655,5
Germany
0,71
6.697,2
UK
0,90
5.774,8
Dow
USA
1,18
12.245,0
NASDAQ
USA
0,82
1.940,2
USA
0,89
1.347,4
Brasil
1,49
67.787,1
S&P
-0,90% -0,24%
percent to head off such an increase.The Reserve Bank of Australia, which only last week warned that it could have to tighten again should inflation expectations begin to escalate, has already raised rates twice this year. The European Central Bank, meanwhile, said in its monthly bulletin it was on high alert for inflation risks and is prepared to act in a firm and timely way to head off a wage-price spiral. Beijing Reuters
BOVESPA
70.39 57.32
50 42.68 29.61
21,0 6.9
9.3
Native
Foreign
Number of Shares
Native
M.cap
Daily Close Change (%)
Foreign
Number of Shares
Monthly Change (%)
Yearly Change (%)
M.cap
Ticker
Price
Daily Change (%)
Ticker
Volumes
US$/JP¥
108,04
TAVHL
9,00
5,26%
ASYAB
2,58
-11,03%
GARAN
287,9
3,3
-46,96
YTL / €
1,918
-0,6%
-0,8%
7,7%
EU/JP¥
165,73
BANVT
3,68
4,55%
TUDDF
6,85
-7,43%
ISCTR
91,6
4,9
-30,31
YTL / $
1,249
-0,2%
0,0%
-6,9%
EU/US$
1,5342
EREGL
8,70
3,57%
PTOFS
4,66
-4,12%
DYHOL
39,7
1,7
-64,71
TATKS
3,14
2,61%
BAGFS
160,00
-3,61%
VAKBN
39,4
1,9
-53,55
DYOBY
0,41
2,50%
IHEVA
3,20
-3,61%
YKBNK
29,0
2,8
-32,52
Ticker
Price (YTL) Daily Change (%)
ÝMKB 100
Price (YTL) Yearly Change (%)
ÝMKB 30
ÝMKB IND
P.CHEM.
TUPRS
PTOFS
PETKM
AYGAZ
--
--
10.745,1
5.931,7
2.093,8
1.019,3
760,9
12,2x
12,1x
11,3x
7,2x
8,6x
11,1x
22,4x
2,7x
8,5x
10,9x
10,5x
5,1x
6,4x
8,2x
11,7x
1,4x
EV/EBITDA 2006/12
8,0x 7,9x
8,2x 8,0x
8,3x 7,4x
5,5x 6,0x
6,4x 6,7x
7,7x 4,7x
11,7x 5,9x
1,4x 4,9x
EV/EBITDA 2007/03t
7,3x
7,3x
6,6x
5,5x
5,7x
4,5x
4,4x
5,2x
EV/EBITDA 2007/06t
8,1x
6,8x
6,7x
5,7x
5,9x
4,6x
4,7x
5,7x
Mcap YTL
--
P/E 2006/12 P/E 2007/06t P/E 2007/09t
CM Y K
Price ($) Light C. Oil Gold Copper
134,20 865,00 3,54
Way
Change (%) -1,86 -0,48 0,14
High 137,08 870,30 3,56
Low 133,46 860,50 3,54
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.
T09-14-06-08.qxd
13.06.2008
15:10
Page 1
CINEMA
TODAY’S ZAMAN 09
SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 2008
This week in theaters
What’s really ‘Happening’ in Shyamalan’s latest flick? CARINA CHOCANO HOLLYWOOD
As world-ending scenarios go, M. Night Shyamalan favors the whimper over the bang. In "The Happening," his latest elegant but failed creep-fest, some mysterious force causes people to freeze, and then resourcefully do themselves in by whatever means at hand. The action begins in New York City, where diversity and sheer population density immediately yield an impressive array of creative suicides within a three-block radius. In Central Park, a woman stabs herself in the jugular with a hair accessory. A few blocks away, leaping construction workers rain from a rooftop in an image reminiscent of the fall of the twin towers. In Philadelphia, not long afterward, the term "suicide by cop" takes on a whole new meaning. You get the sense that the film came to Shyamalan in visually arresting, philosophically charged images such as these - they are inspired, and the movie's central concept is just as intriguing. What would drive the people of New York, and later the people of the entire Eastern Seaboard, to calmly kill themselves? (It could be a force of nature, though government officials suspect terrorism.) Unfortunately, as the movie unspools, other questions come to mind, such as: What would make Mark Wahlberg give one of the worst performances of his career? What would inspire Shyamalan to miscast a limited actress like Zooey Deschanel in the underwritten role as his dissatisfied wife? The mysterious airborne substance that's making people kill themselves is believed to be some kind of neurotoxin that blocks the self-preservation instinct in humans. But would simply removing the self-preservation instinct really cause people to instantly annihilate themselves? En masse? I'd have thought it would lead to slower, more indirect forms of self-destruction, like riding a bike without a helmet or drinking and driving or unsafe sex. This, sadly, is the question Shyamalan neglects to answer, which, in the wake of films like "28 Days Later," is a letdown. Wahlberg plays Elliot, a Philadelphia science teacher going through a marital rough patch with his wife, Alma (Deschanel). Alma has been flirting with a
guy from work who calls so often and texts so insistently she likens him to "the lady from 'Fatal Attraction'." As it turns out, the marital transgression is as tame and laughable as the explanation Elliot eventually comes up with for what's happening and as unintentionally funny as all the subsequent shots of trees with scary music playing against them. Elliot and Alma's connubial troubles are meant to add tension to the situation, but even Elliot finds it hard to get worked up over a split tiramisu -- which, if you're Alma, apparently, is all it takes for a guy to hound you through doomsday. It doesn't help that Wahlberg, whose work usually ranges from solid to inspired, is bewildering off-key here, though it may have something to do with playing off Deschanel, who reduces the whole marriage story line to a parody. While Wahlberg exudes sincerity and concern (the Mr. Rogers shtick doesn't suit him at all), Deschanel can't seem to shake her protective ironic layer even in the face of horror and spends much of the movie looking like she's trapped in a "Saturday Night Live" skit. You wonder if this wasn't, for some reason, the effect Shyamalan was going for. Wahlberg's displays of emotion are alarmingly strained at times, and yet they never mesh with what's going on. It's as if everyone is too focused on personal problems to throw himself or herself into a much more situation-appropriate sweaty mass panic, too self-absorbed to grow truly hysterical. Is it fair to bring up Shyamalan's (in)famous insularity as a possible explanation for "The Happening's" many missteps? Because the lack of integration between the main characters and the wider world is at the root of the movie's problems. As Elliot discovers that the airborne substance attacks smaller and smaller human populations, he, Alma and Julian's daughter Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez) retreat further into improbability and unchecked silliness. © Los Angeles Times, 2008
‘Le Deuxieme Souffle’ (The Second Wind) The film is a remake of a 1966 film of the same title, based on a novel by Jean-Pierre Melville. Set in 1958, the story follows Gu (Daniel Auteuil), a famous gangster, who has just escaped from jail. All the French police are after him. Before leaving the country with Manouche (Monica Bellucci), the woman he loves, Gu needs a final job to make some money. He succeeds, but a policeman's scheming makes Gu appear as a traitor to his own accomplices. Gu will do whatever it takes to clear his honor. Directed by: Alain Corneau Genre: Crime / Drama Cast: Daniel Auteuil, Monica Bellucci, Michel Blanc, Jacques Dutronc, Eric Cantona, Daniel Duval, Gilbert Melki, Nicolas Duvauchelle
‘Frontier(s)’ Alone in a Paris plagued by race riots, the young and beautiful Yasmine (Karina Testa) is looking for a way out. In her desperation, she turns to her shady ex-boyfriend. Together with his two thug friends they pull off a heist and head for the border. With the police close behind, they hide out in a seemingly peaceful inn. But the mysterious innkeeper is hiding a secret more terrifying than anything they could ever imagine. Their hosts are neo-Nazis desperate for a new world order and will go to any lengths to turn their fascist fantasy into reality. Trapped in an endless maze of tunnels crawling with hungry cannibals, they must fight to survive their bloody initiation into the innkeeper's evil family cult. Directed by: Xavier Gens Genre: Horror / Thriller Cast: Karina Testa, Aurélien Wiik, Patrick Ligardes, David Saracino, Maud Forget, Samuel Le Bihan, Chems Dahmani, Amélie Daure
‘The Incredible Hulk’ Scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) desperately hunts for a cure to the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells and unleashes the unbridled force of rage within him: the Hulk. Living in the shadows -- cut off from a life he knew and the woman he loves, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) -- Banner struggles to avoid the obsessive pursuit of his nemesis, Gen. Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt) and the military machinery that seeks to capture him and brutally exploit his power. As all three grapple with the secrets that led to the Hulk's creation, they are confronted with a monstrous new adversary known as the Abomination (Tim Roth), whose destructive strength exceeds even the Hulk's own.
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan Genre: Thriller Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo, Betty Buckley, Frank Collison, Ashlyn Sanchez, Spencer Breslin, Robert Bailey, Jr. Running time: 1 hour, 31 minutes
Directed by: Louis Leterrier Genre: Action Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell, William Hurt, Hilary Swank, Robert Downey Jr.
MOVIE GUIDE
THE INCREDIBLE HULK Ýstanbul: Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 11:30 12:30 14:00 15:30 16:30 17:30 19:00 20:30 21:30 Fri/Sat: 22:30 24:00 Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 11:30 14:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Beyoðlu CineMajestic: 11:30 12:30 14:00 15:00 16:30 17:30 19:00 20:15 21:30 Etiler AFM Akmerkez: 11:00 13:30 16:10 19:00 21:40 Florya Cinebonus Flyinn: 11:30 14:00 16:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 23:30 Ýstinye AFM Park: 10:50 13:30 16:10 18:50 21:30 Fri/Sat: 23:35 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:30 Maçka Cinebonus G-mall: 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat: 23:00 24:00 Niþantaþý Citylife: 11:45 14:15 15:30 16:45 18:00 19:15 20:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 23:00 24:15 Altunizade Capitol Spectrum: 12:00 14:30 17:00 19:30 22:00 Fri/Sat: 23:30 Caddebostan AFM: 10:30 12:00 13:30 15:00 16:30 18:00 19:30 21:00 22:20 Fri/Sat: 23:45 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Kadýköy Rexx: 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 Kozyataðý Bonus Premium Cinecity Trio: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Ümraniye Cinebonus Meydan: 11:00 13:30 14:45 16:15 17:30 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat: 23:45 Ankara: Bahçelievler Büyülü Fener: 11:15 12:30 13:45 15:00 16:15 17:30 18:45 20:00 21:15
Cinebonus Bilkent: 11:30 14:05 16:40 17:55 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Ata On Tower: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Kýzýlay Büyülü Fener: 11:15 12:30 13:45 15:00 16:15 17:30 18:45 20:00 21:15 Cinebonus Panora: (Tr) 11:00 12:00 13:15 14:15 15:45 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Armada: 11:00 12:15 13:30 14:45 16:00 17:15 18:30 19:45 21:00 Fri/Sat: 22:15 23:30 AFM Cepa: 11:05 13:40 16:15 18:55 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:10 Cinebonus Arcadium: (Tr) 11:00 13:40 16:20 19:00 21:40 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Ýzmir: Cinebonus Balçova Kipa: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 AFM Bornova Forum: (Tr) 11:00 13:30 16:10 18:45 21:30 Çiðli Cinecity Kipa: (Tr) 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Gaziemir Kipa Hollywood: (Tr) 11:15 12:30 13:45 15:00 16:15 17:30 18:45 19:45 20:45 Cinebonus Konak Pier: 10:30 13:15 16:00 18:45 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:15 AFM Maviþehir Ege Park: (Tr) 11:00 13:20 15:50 18:30 21:00 Cinebonus YKM: (Tr) 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 Antalya: Antalya Deepo: 11:15 12:30 13:45 15:00 16:15 17:30 18:45 20:00 21:15 Lara Prestige: (Tr) 11:45 13:00 14:15 15:30 16:45 18:00 19:15 20:30 21:45 Cinebonus Migros: 11:15 13:45 16:30 19:15 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Antalya Plaza: (Tr) 11:00 12:15 13:30 14:45 16:00 17:15 18:30 19:45 21:00
THE HAPPENING Ýstanbul: Akatlar AFM Mayadrom: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:20 21:30
Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 11:30 12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:30 19:30 20:30 21:30 Fri/Sat: 22:30 23:30 Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:15 Bakýrköy AFM Carousel: 11:00 13:10 15:20 17:30 19:40 21:50 Beyoðlu Atlas: 12:00 14:15 16:30 19:00 21:30 Beyoðlu Sinepop: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Etiler AFM Akmerkez: 10:45 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Ýstinye AFM Park: 11:00 12:15 13:30 14:45 16:00 17:15 18:30 19:45 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:30 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 12:00 14:30 17:00 19:30 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:30 Mecidiyeköy AFM Profilo: 11:30 13:50 16:10 18:30 21:10 Niþantaþý Citylife: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir: 11:00 12:50 13:50 15:00 17:00 18:15 19:30 21:30 Þiþli Movieplex: 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 Altunizade Capitol Spectrum: 11:15 13:15 15:30 17:45 20:00 22:00 Fri/Sat: 23:30 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:15 19:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Kadýköy Rexx: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Kozyataðý Bonus Premium Cinecity Trio: 11:45 13:45 15:45 17:45 19:45 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Suadiye Movieplex: 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:15 16:15 17:30 18:30 19:45 20:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 23:00 24:15 Ümraniye Cinebonus Meydan: 11:00 12:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Ankara: AFM Ankamall: 11:00 13:10 15:25 17:40 19:50 22:00 Ata On Tower: 11:30 13:00 15:30 17:45 20:00 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Kýzýlay Büyülü Fener: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Cinebonus Panora: 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:05 17:20 18:30 19:35 20:45 21:50 Fri/Sat: 23:00 24:15 Armada: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Fri/Sat: 23:30 AFM Cepa: 11:00 12:05 13:10 14:15 15:20 16:25 17:30 18:35 19:45 20:55 Fri/Sat: 22:00 23:10 Cinebonus Arcadium: 11:00 12:45 15:00 17:15 19:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Ýzmir: Agora Balçova: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Cinebonus Balçova Kipa: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Fri/Sat: 23:30 AFM Bornova Forum: 10:45 12:45 15:00 17:15 19:30 21:45 Çiðli Cinecity Kipa: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:30 21:30 Fri/Sat: 23:45 Cinebonus Konak Pier: 10:30 12:45 15:00 17:15 19:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 AFM Maviþehir Ege Park: 10:45 12:45 15:00 17:10 19:20 21:30 Antalya: Lara Prestige: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Meltem Megapol: 13:00 15:30 18:00 20:30
CM Y K
Cinebonus Migros: 11:45 13:45 15:45 17:45 19:45 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15
FRONTIER(S) Ýstanbul: Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Beyoðlu Alkazar: 12:15 14:30 16:45 19:15 21:30 Florya Cinebonus Flyinn: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 23:30 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Maçka Cinebonus G-mall: 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:30 Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir: 11:00 13:10 15:20 17:30 18:30 19:40 22:00 Altunizade Capitol Spectrum: 11:30 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Kadýköy Kadýköy: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 Suadiye Movieplex: 12:00 14:30 17:00 19:30 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Ankara: AFM On: 11:20 13:50 16:20 19:00 21:30 Kýzýlay Büyülü Fener: 12:00 14:15 16:30 18:45 21:00 Cinebonus Panora: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15 AFM Cepa: 11:00 13:50 16:20 18:50 21:20 Fri/Sat: 23:50 Cinebonus Arcadium: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Ýzmir: Cinebonus Balçova Kipa: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:45 Çiðli Cinecity Kipa: 12:15 14:30 16:45 19:00 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:45 Konak AFM Passtel: 11:30 13:45 16:00 18:30 21:00
THE SECOND WIND Ýstanbul: Beyoðlu Alkazar: 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 15:15 18:30 22:00 Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir: 11:45 18:00 18:15 21:45 Altunizade Capitol Spectrum: 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:30 Caddebostan AFM: 10:40 13:50 17:00 20:10 Fri/Sat: 23:20
21 Ýstanbul: Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 11:00 13:45 16:30 19:15 22:00 Fri/Sat: 23:30 Etiler AFM Akmerkez: 11:00 13:40 16:20 19:10 22:00 Florya Cinebonus Flyinn: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:45 Ýstinye AFM Park: 11:00 13:30 16:20 19:10 22:00 Fri/Sat: 23:40 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:30 Maçka Cinebonus G-mall: 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Mecidiyeköy AFM Profilo: 10:40 13:15 16:15 19:05 21:50 Niþantaþý Citylife: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir: 11:15 14:00 16:40 19:15 22:00 Altunizade Capitol Spectrum: 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:30 Caddebostan AFM: 10:40 13:30 16:20 19:10 22:00
Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Kadýköy Rexx: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 Þaþkýnbakkal Megaplex M&S: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Kozyataðý Bonus Premium Cinecity Trio: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:45 Ümraniye Cinebonus Meydan: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:45 Ümraniye AFM Carrefour: 11:00 13:40 16:20 19:00 21:40 Ankara: AFM Ankamall: 10:45 13:35 16:25 19:15 22:10 Cinebonus Bilkent: 11:00 12:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Ata On Tower: 11:15 13:45 16:30 19:15 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Kýzýlay Büyülü Fener: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 Cinebonus Panora: 11:50 14:20 16:50 19:20 21:50 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Armada: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:45 AFM Cepa: 11:05 13:45 16:30 19:20 22:10 Ýzmir: Agora Balçova: 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Cinebonus Balçova Kipa: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:45 AFM Bornova Forum: 11:00 13:40 16:20 19:00 21:40 Çiðli Cinecity Kipa: 11:00 13:45 16:30 19:15 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:30 Konak AFM Passtel: 10:45 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 AFM Maviþehir Ege Park: 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Cinebonus YKM: 10:30 13:15 16:00 18:45 21:30 Antalya: Lara Prestige: 12:15 14:30 16:45 19:00 21:15 Cinebonus Migros: 11:15 13:45 16:30 19:15 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:00 AFM Laura: 11:00 13:30 16:15 18:45 21:30
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WORLD
FAA orders immediate inspection of Eclipse jets
REUTERS
US aviation regulators have ordered immediate inspections of Eclipse 500 small private jets because of an engine thrust problem that surfaced during a harrowing landing in Chicago this month. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directive followed a recommendation earlier in the day by aviation safety investigators who analyzed the June 5 incident at Midway airport and concluded emergency measures were necessary. This is thought to be the first notable safety problem with the new class of aircraft that some industry experts believe could revolutionize private air travel. Most small planes are propeller-driven. Some industry insiders have predicted thousands of the lightest jets on the market would fill the skies in coming years, with several manufacturers, including auto companies, seeking government certification to build them. Output and projections have slowed due to the softening economy. The FAA ordered immediate inspections of throttle systems on the Eclipse 500s, equipped with engines made by Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC), a unit of United Technologies Corp. So far, 200 planes have been delivered to customers. Any planes that fail inspection must be fixed before further flight. Alana McCarraher, spokeswoman for privately held Eclipse, had no comment except to say the New Mexico company was cooperating with the government. Washington Reuters
PHOTO
SAFETY
TODAY’S ZAMAN
Five Iraqi gunmen killed, 2 detained by US forces
WARNING
Mugabe says war vets are ready for battle Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe says liberation war veterans are ready to take up arms to prevent the opposition winning a June 27 presidential runoff. The stateowned Herald newspaper quoted Mugabe as telling supporters at a rally on Thursday that the veterans had asked him if they should be ready to fight. "They came to my office after the (disputed March 29) elections and asked me: ‘Can we take up arms?'" Mugabe said. The Herald said Mugabe told the war veterans that he did not want the country to go back to war but said Zimbabwe would never be ruled by the opposition MDC, which won the first round. "It will never happen that this land which we fought for should be taken by the MDC so that they can give it back to our former oppressors, the whites," the paper quoted him as saying. Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai, human rights groups and Western powers accuse Mugabe of unleashing a brutal campaign to win the runoff. Tsvangirai says 66 of his followers have been murdered but former guerrilla leader Mugabe, who has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980, blames the MDC for violence that has caused widespread international concern. Harare Reuters
NEWS ANALYSIS
By Carol J. Williams*
RAID
US troops killed five suspected Shiite gunmen and detained two others on Friday during a raid south of Baghdad, the military said. Iraqi police said two civilians also were killed after they were caught in the crossfire. The troops responded after coming under attack from small-arms fire and grenades as they approached the residence of a "special groups" leader suspected of "running a criminal enterprise" near Hillah, the military said. A statement said the main suspect and an associate were detained, five gunmen were killed and several automatic weapons were seized in the raid. The troops were acting on tips from detainees who said the militia leader moved around to avoid capture, it added. The US military uses the term "special groups" to refer to Shiite militia fighters who are refusing to follow a cease-fire order by anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Capt. Muthanna Khalid, a spokesman for the Babil provincial police, said two civilians, including a woman, were killed and three others wounded during the gunbattle that broke out about 4 a.m. Hillah is about 95 kilometers (60 miles) south of Baghdad. The US military said it had no reports of civilian casualties. US and Iraqi forces have been cracking down on militias in the oil-rich south. But commanders say most of the senior leadership has fled to Iran. Baghdad AP
What does court ruling on Guantanamo mean?
Detainees sit in a holding area watched by military police at Camp X-Ray inside Naval Base Guantanamo Bay in this Jan. 11, 2002 file photo.
Supreme Court rulýng throws start of Gýtmo trýals ýnto questýon The imminent start of warcrimes trials at Guantanamo Bay was thrown into doubt when the Supreme Court ruled that detainees have constitutional rights and can appeal to civilian courts. Attorneys for an alleged Sept. 11 plotter and for Osama bin Laden’s former driver told The Associated Press on Thursday they would use the ruling to argue that charges against their clients should be dismissed. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brian Mizer said he would try to stop the first scheduled warcrimes trial, to start July 14, by arguing his client was denied his constitutional right to a speedy trial. He is defending bin Laden’s former driver, Salim Hamdan, a Yemeni held at Guantanamo Bay for six years. “The entire legal framework under which Mr. Hamdan was to be tried has been turned on its head,” Mizer said. The ruling also could have far-reaching consequences for the five alleged Sept. 11 conspirators, who were arraigned at Guantanamo last week. Navy Cmdr. Suzanne Lachelier, the attorney for suspect Ramzi Binalshibh, said she will use the ruling to seek the dismissal of charges. “The whole purpose of the administration was to evade application of the Constitution. Apparently that doesn’t work anymore,” she said. The Pentagon had no immediate comment on the Supreme Court ruling, but President Bush said he would determine
whether new legislation “might be appropriate” in response. The trials operate under a law passed by a Republican-controlled Congress in 2006, but Congress is now controlled by the Democrats. Attorney General Michael Mukasey said the ruling would not affect the Guantanamo trials against enemy combatants. “I’m disappointed with the decision, in so far as I understand that it will result in hundreds of actions challenging the detention of enemy combatants to be moved to federal district court,” Mukasey said at a Group of Eight meeting of justice and home affairs ministers Friday in Tokyo. “I think it bears emphasis that the court’s decision does not concern military commission trials, which will continue to proceed. Instead it addresses the procedures that the Congress and the president put in place to permit enemy combatants to challenge their detention.” “Obviously we’re going to comply with the decision, we’re going to study both the decision itself and whether any legislation or any other action may be appropriate.” US officials have said the military can hold enemy fighters without charge for the duration of the conflict to protect the United States and its allies. In this case the conflict is the war on terror which could last generations. “I believe the drafters of the Constitution would be turning over in their graves to find out that people intent on destroying our society have constitutional rights,” said Air Force Col. Morris Davis, the
former chief military prosecutor at Guantanamo who resigned in October amid disagreements with his Pentagon superiors. Bush authorized war-crimes trials in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but more than six years later not a single one has been held. One Guantanamo detainee, David Hicks, accepted a plea bargain in 2007, served nine months and is now free in his native Australia. The process has been mired in confusion over procedures and temporarily halted by two previous Supreme Court rulings. This third ruling threatens further delays because it allows defendants to turn to civilian courts to challenge whether the military tribunals have the authority to try them. “The Bush administration has had three strikes in the US courts -- and they’re out,” said Clive Stafford Smith, an attorney for Guantanamo detainees. “But the prisoners still have a long way to go.” Some 270 men are at Guantanamo, from committed jihadists such as confessed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to Taliban foot soldiers to men who were sold to US forces for bounties and who proclaim their innocence. While the new ruling threatens to delay the military trials, it does not necessarily deal them a fatal blow, said David Glazier, an associate professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. “I think it makes it more likely than not that no trials will be complete by the time of the November election,” Glazier said. San Juan, Puerto Rico AP
Question: What does the Supreme Court decision recognizing habeas corpus rights for prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in southern Cuba mean for them? Answer: Currently, about 270 men are at Guantanamo -- 19 already charged with war crimes, and 250 or so being held without charges, many for more than six years. Habeas corpus is a constitutionally guaranteed right to challenge detention for anyone in US custody, but the Pentagon has denied it to the suspects held at Guantanamo. These prisoners now get a day in court before a federal judge who will determine whether the government has sufficient evidence that they committed crimes to keep them in custody. If the district court judges find the government lacks legal grounds for detaining them, the government must release them. Q: How does the decision affect those already charged with war crimes, including confessed Sept. 11, 2001, mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed? A: The 19 detainees identified for trial by military commissions will not be immediately affected by the ruling. The government has demonstrated the grounds for holding those men in the charges sworn out against them. Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr said the military trials “continue to go forward,” and that any legal issues emanating from the Supreme Court ruling would be litigated before the military commissions themselves. Legal analysts point out that federal district court hearings for the 250 or so not yet charged could define more clearly what constitutes an “enemy combatant” or disqualify evidence derived from torture or coercion. That would provide the charged prisoners’ lawyers with opportunities to challenge the legality or jurisdiction of the tribunal. Q: How did lawyers for the detainees react to the court’s decision? A: Lawyers representing the Guantanamo prisoners in the habeas corpus petitions predicted that the government will be unable to prove to civilian judges in many of the cases that it has sufficient or reliable evidence that they committed crimes. Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which represents many of the detainees in their habeas challenges, said he expected “a high number” of the 250 will be released after the district court reviews. Q: What does the court ruling signal for the future of the detention and interrogation facilities at Guantanamo? A: There could be a sharp reduction in the number of prisoners held there. The Pentagon justifies indefinite detention for the men it has not charged on the grounds that the men could pose a danger if released. If, after a habeas corpus hearing, a judge decides that those suspicions are not enough to continue holding them, the population could drop to the 60 to 80 men whom Pentagon officials have said they plan to prosecute. Some legal analysts say they doubt the government has sufficient evidence to bring more than about two dozen to trial. Q: How soon will the district court hearings occur, and where are they likely to be held? A: The Supreme Court ruling ordered rapid review of the habeas petitions and suggested consolidation of the cases to speed resolution, which lawyers interpreted to mean hearings could begin by autumn. Most of the evidentiary hearings will be reviewed in district court in Washington, D.C., where they were filed years ago and where previous federal court rulings have assigned their review. Q: How have the Guantanamo prisoners reacted to the news of the Supreme Court ruling? A: Lawyers who represent the prisoners note that they are unable to communicate directly with their clients. It may take two weeks for their letters explaining the ruling’s implications to reach the men in their cells. One habeas lawyer, Wells Dixon, was at Guantanamo to visit a client and was likely to convey the news to him, but it was unclear whether or how fast that information would be circulated. © Los Angeles Times 2008
ROW
Serbia rejects UN proposal on Kosovo EU mission Serbia on Friday rejected a proposed European Union police mission for Kosovo and accused UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of overreaching his powers in its former province. Days before Kosovo's constitution comes into effect, Ban put forward a proposal to reconfigure the activities of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and allow the EU to pursue a police mission there. "Ban Ki-moon overstepped his powers. The Security Council is the only relevant authority to decide whether the UNMIK mission should be reconfigured," Slobodan Samardzic, Serbia's minister for Kosovo, told reporters. The United Nations has administered Kosovo since a 1999 NATO bombing campaign to drive out Serb forces from the majority ethnic Albanian territory, but the EU wants to take on more tasks after Kosovo's disputed Feb. 17 claim of independence. Ban proposed the 2,200-strong EU police mission, known as EULEX and months delayed because of Russian objections in the United Nations, be deployed under a UN legal "umbrella." Belgrade Reuters
Protesters gather in Pakistani capital to support judges ousted by Musharraf
French Foreign Minister Kouchner ‘not amused’ by upcoming Assad visit
Officials and protest leaders have forecast that Thousands of protesters were driving tothe demonstration will pass off peacefully. ward the Pakistani capital on Friday to Still, authorities have cordoned off the presipress its new government to restore judges dency, Parliament, the Supreme Court and a ousted under President Pervez Musharraf. compound for foreign embassies as part of an The planned rally in Islamabad adds to the elaborate security plan. On problems facing the already Friday morning, thousands of shaky government, which is people lined the streets of grappling with threats to the Jhelum to cheer the passing economy and Western presconvoy. Some showered the vesure to tackle Islamic militancy. hicles in rose petals, while othA column of several hundred ers waved party flags. “Lawyers vehicles carrying lawyers and are going after an ideology, afpolitical activists left the eastter a dream” of an independent ern city of Lahore after a rally judiciary, protest leader Aitzaz there on Thursday evening and Ahsan said at a roadside rally in was expected to reach Pervez Musharraf the city. Jhelum, Pakistan AP Islamabad later on Friday.
said. Assad has been invited to France in July France’s foreign minister said on Friday along with other leaders of Europe, North he is uncomfortable the president of Africa and the Middle East, including Israel, Syria has been invited to Paris’s Bastille Day to discuss President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan parade, even though such visits are necessary for a union of Mediterranean countries. While to keep dialogue open. “I’m not especially they are in France, they have amused” by Syrian President also been invited to attend the Bashar Assad’s visit, Foreign July 14 Bastille Day parade. Minister Bernard Kouchner French-Syrian relations soured said on Europe-1 radio. But he after the 2005 assassination of said Syria has made progress former Lebanese Prime by resuming peace talks with Minister Rafik Hariri, a longIsrael. The visit “doesn’t leave time friend of former French me totally at ease, but this is President Jacques Chirac. what we have to do or else Many in Lebanon and the we’ll maintain a state of tenWest accuse Syria of involvesions, difficulties and probably Bernard Kouchner ment in Hariri’s death. Paris AP confrontations,” Kouchner
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WORLD
TODAY’S ZAMAN 11
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China, Taiwan agree on regular flights at first talks in years
Hamas's military wing said on Friday an explosion that killed eight Palestinians in the Gaza Strip was an accident that occurred as militants prepared to carry out a bomb attack. Hamas initially blamed Thursday's explosion on an Israeli air strike, but the Israeli military denied involvement. The blast flattened the two-story house of Hamas bomb-maker Ahmed Hamouda in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, killing six Hamas fighters, a four-month-old girl and a civilian. One of the six men died of his wounds on Friday. Hamas said Hamouda was not killed in the explosion. "An error occurred and led to the explosion and they were martyred," said Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for the Izz El-Deen alQassam Brigade, Hamas's armed wing, saying the exact cause was unclear because all those involved were killed. The brigade said in a statement the militants were putting the final touches to what they called a "special jihadi mission." Hamas fired about 20 rockets at Israel shortly after the explosion in Beit Lahiya, an area frequently used by militants to launch rockets into the Jewish state. Gaza Reuters
PHOTO
Hamas says deadly Gaza blast was accident
REUTERS
EXPLOSION
Chiang Pin-kun, chairman of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation, and Chinese counterpart Chen Yunlin (R) exchange the pens they used for the historic deal at a ceremony in Beijing.
China and Taiwan signed a landmark deal on Friday to launch regular flights between the long-time rivals as politics was put aside in favor of practicalities in the first such talks in almost a decade. Apart from special holidays, there have been no regular direct flights since 1949, when China’s defeated Nationalists fled to the island amid civil war with the Communists. China has claimed sovereignty over self-ruled and democratic Taiwan ever since and has pledged to bring the island under its control, by force if necessary. But the election of Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, who won by a landslide in March on pledges to boost the local economy by improving trade with China, has suddenly warmed relations. Though political issues such as letting Taiwan join international bodies like the World Health Organization were not officially on the agenda, Taiwan’s chief negotiator P.K. Chiang said he did bring up such questions. “The question of international space does not take second
Ireland rejects treaty in blow for the EU
BLACKOUT
Pepco: Power restored in Washington after outage
Irish voters have rejected the European Union’s Lisbon treaty, putting plans to overhaul the bloc’s institutions in peril and humiliating Ireland’s political leaders. Justice Minister Dermot Ahern conceded the vote shortly after midday on Friday as tallies from around the country showed the treaty had been defeated in an overwhelming number of constituencies. “It looks like this will be a ‘No’ vote,” Ahern told RTE television. “At the end of the day for a myriad of reasons the people have spoken.” The Lisbon treaty was itself an effort to resurrect EU reforms that were torpedoed by French and Dutch voters in 2005. This time Ireland was only country to entrust its voters with a referendum. The ‘No’ vote means a country with fewer than 1 percent of the EU’s 490 million population could doom a treaty painstakingly negotiated by all 27 member states. The Lisbon treaty envisages a long-term president of the European Council of EU leaders, a stronger foreign policy chief and a mutual defense pact. Fourteen countries have already ratified the treaty in their national parliaments. But while Ireland ranks in surveys as one of the EU’s most pro-European states, opponents say the treaty reduces small countries’ influence and gives Brussels new foreign and defense policy powers that undermine Ireland’s historic neutrality. With more than 864,000 votes counted, official returns from Thursday’s vote showed ‘No’ leading 53.85 percent to 46.15 percent. The euro fell to its lowest level in over a month against the dollar after the first reports suggesting a “No” victory. EU leaders meeting in Brussels next week will have awkward questions for Ireland’s Prime Minister Brian Cowen. Some expressed hope that Ireland would still find a way to sign on to the pact. “Ireland will for sure find a way to ratify this treaty,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters. French officials have said work on the treaty could continue. France assumes the rotating EU presidency in a matter of weeks and was supposed to be in charge of setting up the new system which would take effect at the start of the year. The British government, which faces a strong Euro-skeptic political opposition that has demanded its own referendum, has said plans to ratify the treaty would go on regardless. But Mary Lou McDonald, a member of the EU parliament from Ireland’s nationalist Sinn Fein party, which helped lead the victorious ‘No’ campaign, said it would be impossible for
Electrical power in Washington has been fully restored after an outage that darkened downtown and snarled the morning commute on Friday, a Pepco spokesman said. "Basically, we've got everybody restored," Pepco spokesman Robert Dobkin said. The Department of Homeland Security said there appeared to be no link to terrorism. Pepco officials were investigating why a power substation failed at 10th St. around 7:30 a.m., leaving about 11,000 downtown customers in the dark. The transit authority said it had extinguished a fire at the downtown Metro Center stop. Several other stops were darkened as they ran on backup power. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority warned commuters to expect delays of up to an hour. Pepco and WMATA said they did not know if the power outage and the fire were related. The power outage darkened traffic lights downtown. Buses and cars initially battled to get through major intersections, until police arrived to direct traffic. At one intersection, pedestrians screamed at cars to stop and let the elderly cross the streets. A police spokeswoman said there had been no reports of injuries or accidents related to the outage. Washington Reuters
RESIGNATION
Brown revels in Tory discomfort over Davis Gordon Brown was quick to capitalize on Conservative discomfort over the resignation of David Davis, saying on Friday the security issue had exposed Tory divisions. Seizing on what commentators called the first bit of good news he has had for months, the prime minister said Davis' decision to fight a by-election on the 42-days issue was a "stunt that has become a farce." He was speaking as former Sun editor Kelvin Mackenzie revealed he may challenge Davis in the July 10 by-election in East Yorkshire. "It has simply revealed the deep divisions in the Conservative Party," Brown said. Davis, whose unprecedented decision perplexed fellow Conservatives, said: I feel duty bound to make a personal stand against this assault on fundamental freedoms. The Conservatives' spokesman on home affairs resigned his parliamentary seat on Thursday to stand again, promising to argue against what he called "the slow strangulation of fundamental British freedoms by this government." The move, a personal decision not sanctioned by the Conservative leadership, effectively makes the vote in his east Yorkshire constituency a referendum on Brown's plans to toughen terrorism laws. London Reuters
NUKES
Watched over by officials, former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern casts his ballot in a pollling center in Dublin city center on Thursday. Ireland's voters rejected the EU Reform Treaty. Irish leaders to wriggle out of the referendum result. “This is a moment of democratic truth here. Do you listen to the people or don’t you?” The treaty had the backing of the three main political parties in Ireland, which has prospered under EU membership. Farmers groups, businesses and many labor unions also backed it. On polling day bookmakers were still taking
bets giving it overwhelming odds to pass. It wasn’t the first time Irish voters have shocked the EU. They almost wrecked the bloc’s plans for eastward expansion in 2001 by rejecting the Nice treaty, but the government staged a second referendum in which that pact passed. The government has said it is not considering a re-run this time around. Dublin Reuters
Big powers reach out to Iran, but no miracles seen
Iraq: Talks with US on security pact deadlocked Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Friday talks with the United States on a new long-term security pact were deadlocked because of US demands that infringed Iraq’s sovereignty. “We have reached a deadlock, because when we started the talks, we found that the US demands hugely infringe on the sovereignty of Iraq, and this we can never accept,” Maliki said, speaking in Arabic to journalists during a visit to Jordan. The United States and Iraq are negotiating a new agreement to provide a legal basis for US troops to stay in Iraq after Dec. 31, when their United Nations mandate expires, as well as a separate long-term agreement on political, economic and security ties between the two countries. The talks have been taking place behind closed doors. US officials have refused to be drawn on their content other than to say the agreement will have no secret annexes and that it will be open to scrutiny by the Iraqi parliament. In his first detailed comments on the talks, Maliki said Iraq objected to Washington’s insistence on giving its troops immunity from prosecution in Iraq and freedom to conduct operations independent of Iraqi control. “We can’t extend the US forces permission to arrest Iraqis or to undertake the responsibility of fighting terrorism in an independent way, or to keep Iraqi skies and waters open for themselves whenever they want,” he said. “One of the important issues that the US is asking for is immunity for its soldiers and those contracting with it. We reject this totally.” The United States has similar “status of forces” agreements with 80 other countries, many or all of which have provisions to protect US soldiers from prosecution by a foreign judiciary. Responding to Maliki’s comments, a US Embassy spokesman in Baghdad said: “Talks are ongoing. We respect Iraq’s sovereignty and that’s the basis of the negotiations. We are still in dialogue with the Iraqis on this.” Amman Reuters
US President Bush meets with Pope Benedict XVI at Vatican REUTERS
Pope Benedict XVI took US President George W. Bush on a rare stroll through the lush grounds of the Vatican Gardens on Friday, stopping at a grotto where the pontiff prays daily. “Your eminence, you’re looking good,” Bush told the pope as the two shared a warm greeting. Normally, VIPS are received in the pope’s library in the Apostolic Palace. That’s where Bush had his first meeting with Benedict in June 2007. But in an apparent gesture of appreciation for the warm welcome Bush gave him in Washington in April, Benedict welcomed the president and first lady Laura Bush near St. John’s Tower in the lush Vatican Gardens. On a brief tour, Benedict and Bush peered out from a tower balcony, and the president seemed awed by what he saw. The pope pointed out the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica as he showed Bush the view. “This is fantastic up here,” said Bush. “Thank you so much for showing me this.” White House press secretary Dana Perino said the two leaders have the kind of relationship that al-
PHOTO
World powers are expected today to promise Iran economic benefits if it halts sensitive nuclear work, but there is little sign of any breakthrough soon in a dispute that has helped send oil prices to record highs. European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana travels to Tehran on Friday to hand over the incentives offer, a revised version of a package rejected by Tehran two years ago. Solana says he hopes it will start a new process for resolving the long-running standoff diplomatically. But with the Islamic Republic showing no sign of backing down over a nuclear program the West suspects is aimed at making bombs, the Spaniard admitted: "I don't expect miracles." Seeking to step up the pressure as part of carrot-and-stick diplomacy, the United States and the 27-nation EU have warned of more sanctions if Tehran does not stop uranium enrichment. Iran has ruled this out, saying its atomic drive is solely aimed at generating electricity so that the world's fourth-largest crude producer can export more oil and gas. Iran argues it is its right under international treaties to master the complete nuclear fuel cycle for civilian purposes -- from mining uranium to enriching it. Tehran Reuters
priority to the normalization of trade ties,” Chiang told a news conference in Beijing. Chiang also told Chinese President Hu Jintao that Taiwan and China should work together internationally. “We believe that both sides have a lot of opportunities to cooperate in the international sphere, both sides can help each other to raise their international influence,” Chiang said. Chiang later told reporters that Hu had responded: “We understand Taiwan compatriots’ feelings on this issue.” Still, both Beijing and Taipei will be pleased to have signed the flights agreement. “This is good for Ma Ying-jeou because he wants to deliver in his first 100 days,” said Joseph Cheng, political science professor at City University of Hong Kong. “Beijing is eager to win the hearts of the Taiwan people.” Goldman Sachs forecast Taiwan GDP growth to slow to 4.5 percent this year from 5.7 percent in 2007, but to rise to 4.8 percent next year “as the economic impact from the progress on cross-Strait policies comes to fruition.” Beijing Reuters
AP
13.06.2008
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T11-14-06-08.qxd
US President Bush (R) and Pope Benedict walk to the Lourdes Grotto.
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lows them to speak frankly. They were to discuss such issues as human rights, HIV and AIDS in Africa, and poverty around the world, she said. After their private meeting, they posed for official photographs and exchanged gifts. The president gave the pontiff a photograph of the two walking along the White House colonnade on their way to the Oval Office in April. The picture was presented in a sterling silver frame with an engraved presidential seal. Benedict gave Bush a framed photograph and four volumes on St. Peter’s Basilica. “Perhaps you’ll have some time to read it,” he told Bush, whose presidency ends in January. Bush and the pope then strolled through the gardens to see the Lourdes Grotto, which was donated to Pope Leo XIII at the turn of the century by French Catholics. Bush and Benedict sat in wooden patio-style chairs admiring the grotto as Mrs. Bush rejoined them. Security was tight throughout Bush’s two-day stay in Rome. As the president left the Vatican, two helicopters tracked his motorcade as it sped along a freeway to the airport. Rome AP
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12 TODAY’S ZAMAN
S AT U R D AY, J U N E 1 4 , 2 0 0 8
EXPAT ZONE
Are you a father or a dad? Most dads love to tinker by nature. The hobby of tinkering is popular world wide. Have you noticed that men always congregate in the electronics, home improvement and automotive sections? That should give you a clue as to what kind of Father's Day gift you should buy! Many of you have been busy this week trying to decide what to buy dad for his special day. I remember at a very young age being told that I was a Father's Day gift to my dad because I was born on that day. This made it easy for me to never forget the holiday. Sadly all the special men in my life have died -- I don't buy any gifts or send any cards now. Turkey, like most countries, celebrates Father's Day on the third Sunday of June. Father's Day is just the right opportunity to thank your dad for all the love and support he has showered on you over the years. You may have been surprised when you first came to Turkey to see that Father's Day was celebrated here. Father's Day tends to be considered another Western celebration. It doesn't matter what nationality you are, if you are a father, you deserve to be honored one day a year. Whether you are a father or a mother, parenting is chal-
lenging. It is the ultimate learn-as-you-go endeavor. My mom and dad confessed they were learning in the process. Few parents have more than a vague notion of how they'll do it until they are doing it. The other day I was talking with a Turkish student about Father's Day and her plan and she told to me the following: "Dad and I have a great relationship. I can come to him with anything. I love talking to him about the things that are going on in my life, like my friends, sports and what's going on at school in my classes and stuff." A 16-year-old foreign girl who visits the bookstore weekly shared with me how glad she is to have the parents she has. She said: "My dad is always willing to listen and give the best advice he knows. He is always there when I need him, and he never gives up on me. He understands what motivates me and uses it to help me achieve everything I want out of life. We even pray together. My father means the world to me." Being a dad -- wherever you are -- is not easy. The two dads mentioned above seem to be doing something right. Turkish society still expects the man to be the head of the household. The father is usually responsible for making the
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S P I R I T UA L S I T E S
CULTURAL CORNER
CHARLOTTE McPHERSON
basic income. A good dad knows that it is about more than bringing a paycheck home. Studies show children who grow up with an involved father tend to have better social adjustment, are more likely to stay in school and graduate and are less likely to become involved in drugs or alcohol. It isn't always easy for dads to stay involved in their children's lives. Some men travel or work late. Divorced fathers who don't have primary custody may only see their children once a week. You have probably noticed that Turkish children who are school age spend a lot of time at school. Dads, especially, spend hours out of the home. School is not the only arena in which children's minds need to be nurtured and expanded. It's just as vital that children have quality time with parents, providing opportunities to learn and for brain building
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EXPAT PARENT
KATHY HAMILTON
BÜÞRA ÝPEKÇÝ ÝSTANBUL
Ancýent Osvank Monastery a popular destýnatýon for Georgýan výsýtors AA
Travelýng wýth chýldren
PHOTO
Ancient religious structures -whether mosques or churches -are not a rare sight in Turkey. Unfortunately, their long life spans have provided ample opportunity for passers-by to steal from or damage such buildings. In this week's "Sacred Sites" we visit an ancient monastery in eastern Erzurum province's Uzundere district, a monastery that made news after its massive marble pillar was stolen and replaced by a wooden trunk and after the Georgian government announced plans to renovate it, as reported by Today's Zaman. The Osvank (Oshki) Monastery (known as Oski and Öþvak in Turkish) is located in Erzurum's Çamlýyamaç village, four kilometers from the Artvin highway and between the famous Tortum Lake and waterfall. The monastery, which already draws thousands of visitors from Georgia each year, is expected to attract even more after restoration is complete and faith tourism picks up in the region. The Osvank Monastery, however, also draws looters. Despite surviving for more than 1,000 years, the monastery was badly damaged during unauthorized excavations over the past years. Some of the stones of the monastery are even said to have been removed by the locals, unaware of the significance of the church, and reused in the construction of their houses. Today, only one of the monastery complex's three chapel buildings, the refectory and the library -- where manuscripts were copied and preserved -- survive, albeit in a deteriorated condition. An inscription on the monuments dates the monastery as having been built between 963 and 973. The monastery, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, was built by King David III and Prince Bagrat, the sons of Georgian King Adarnase II. After the Byzantines seized control of the region in 1022, the monastery's collapsed dome was rebuilt by Byzantine Emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII, according to historical sources. The Osvank Monastery was famous for its manuscripts and served as one of the most significant bishoprics in the region. The complex remained an important cultural and religious center until the 15th century. Furthermore, it was given protected status by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and placed on the national heritage list in 1985.
Largest cruciform church in the region The church remains today the largest cruciformshaped Georgian church in the region. The only remaining chapel, located approximately 200 meters south of the main building, has a rectangular shape. The other two chapels located to the south of the main church are largely in ruins. The church can be entered through doors on the western, southern and northern walls. The longer part of the cruciform church is totally uncovered and the walls include have vaulted niches. The western section of the cruciform structure is longer than any other section and includes two relatively newer buildings, added during the 11th and 12th centuries. One of these additional parts was believed to have been used as a storage room for materials used during mass. The church does have a second floor, but no staircases lead to it, leading scholars to believe that they were rooms in which monks secluded themselves. According to historical sources, the building adjacent to the northern wall of the church is the library and can be entered from all four sides. The entrance to the south opens to a section that was used as a kitchen. The basement of the refectory is filled with
soil and its southern wall has collapsed. The church is also famous for its two-color stone adornments and reliefs. St. Simeon is depicted on one of them, praying with hands open at both sides on a square column at the western part of the main church. On the southern wall, there are reliefs depicting archangels Michael and Gabriel in a combat pose while the eastern part of the wall includes five relief figures depicting Jesus, the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist praying as well as King David and Prince Bagrat standing on their sides. The column
bases are decorated with arabesque, floral figures and pinecone motifs. The Osvank Church was made of stones while the piers upon which the covering of the building rests and arches are built of clean-cut ashlar stones. The central dome of the church with 12 windows rests upon piers and the outer side of the windows is framed with reliefs. These long and narrow windows resemble the Gothic style. Their inner sides are decorated with colorful frescoes of various saints; however, they are in a deteriorated
condition. The church was adorned with frescoes in 1036 according to an inscription there and not all of them have survived until today. The window and doorframes on the outer facade of the church are decorated with geometric, floral and animal figures such as lions, bulls and eagles. Although the Osvank Monastery has lost a significant part of its former glory, as evidenced by the reliefs in particular, there is still a lot to see and if you ever happen to pass by Erzurum, it is definitely worth a visit.
NOTE: Today's Zaman intends to provide a lively forum for expatriates living in Turkey. We encourage you to contact us at voice@todayszaman.com and share your experiences, questions and problems in all walks of life for publication in Today's Zaman.
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at home. Moms and dads can do a lot to establish a domestic milieu that helps every child develop his or her very special and unique personality and gifts. The role of fathers has changed dramatically over the last few generations. In the past, fathers often took little responsibility for care giving or interaction with their children. But many of today's dads are eagerly interested in their children's lives. The term, "dad" is less formal. "Any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad." -- Proverb The involvement goes beyond coaching sports. Dads play with and read to their sons and daughters, help with homework, transport the children to the doctor and dentist, watch sports competitions and participate in a child's social activities. This year Americans alone will purchase nearly 95 million Father's Day cards. The most popular gifts for dad have proven to be apparel (neckties are the number-one gift), dinner, sporting goods, tools and home improvement equipment, electronic items and gardening tools. Happy Father's Day to all the dads; or, as Turks say, Mutlu Babalar Günü!
With the start of the summer holiday just a week away, Ali Adem is already planning what he will need to pack for our trips during the school break. He took his first international journey when he was 7 months old, and fortunately for us, he finds travel an exciting adventure full of new places to explore and new friends to meet. He also learned to pack his own carry-on bag and he knows that if he wants to take something along on a vacation, it must fit in his bag and he has to be able to pull his own bag through airports, bus terminals and train stations by himself. This year we will be traveling around Turkey for the holidays by bus and train. Ali Adem, like most boys his age, is fascinated by trains and loves to take the sleeper trains. For us this is a wonderful way to travel as there is room to stretch our legs, a relatively clean toilet at the end of the sleeping car and a restaurant for meals and snacks. But, even with all of these amenities at hand, there are times when he gets bored. This is where what he has packed in his personal bag comes in handy. He makes sure to pack books, preferably about where we are going, and of course, about trains. Reading while we're traveling is a great way to learn about our vacation destination and it keeps him practicing his reading skills even while not in school. He also enjoys puzzle books with page after page of word games. The bonus with word games is that I can generally add a few more words to my limited Turkish by playing along with him. We both enjoy music and take along our own CD players and headsets so we can listen whenever we want. In addition to our current favorite group, the Dixie Chicks, we like to listen together to the CD Rock Sýnýfý. This recent release is entertaining and educational at the same time. With lessons packed into a rock rhythm it is an easy way to learn while singing away. My favorite song is Yedi Bölge, all about the different regions of Turkey. Ali Adem loves singing along with Vitaminler as he learns why it is important to eat a balanced diet. Available from the larger music stores, the CD is also available online from www.rocksinifi.com. For me it is also a good way to learn and remember more Turkish words and it motivates Ali Adem to make up his own songs about the world around him. Drawing pads and crayons are always tucked into his bag and these provide amusement for us both. As we travel we both like to draw where we have been. When we visited Cappodocia two years ago Ali Adem was so entranced by the landscape there that he quickly filled two large pads with his renderings. Drawing is a good activity because it encourages close observation and at the same time helps to develop fine motor skills. An added plus is that after you return home you have mementos of your holiday together. We try to bring along games that pack easily and that do not have too many tiny pieces that can get lost or left behind. Travel versions of familiar games are easy to find and often have magnetic pieces so that they are handier to use while on the road or in a hotel room. We've begun playing scrabble together in English, which for once gives me an edge in the language over Ali Adem, but it is helping him to learn to spell better in English as he sounds out the words he makes. One of the most important items he packs in his bag is a small pillow that he has had since he was born. It accompanies us on every trip and is a comfort item for him as well as being his own place to put his head wherever we are. On a bus, train, plane or car, he knows that if he is tired he can pull out this connection to home and rest comfortably. Children often need items close at hand that are important to them and that remind them of their own homes. It helps to ease the transition while traveling to have a familiar bedtime item nearby. I have learned through our many years of travels that it is also important to pack a nightlight. Dark, unfamiliar rooms can be intimidating for children, especially young ones. A nightlight provides just enough light so that if a child awakes during the night they can see their surroundings and also easily find their way to the bathroom by themselves, if needed. For our family it is an essential part of the packing process. Travel with children can be stressful for all involved, but with a little advance planning it can be easier. Ali Adem loves knowing that he has a say in what he takes along on any trip. And it makes my pre-trip preparations a little quicker to have him in charge of his own bag of entertainment. Send comments and questions to k.hamilton@todayszaman.com
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14 TODAY’S ZAMAN
PHOTO
ALÝ ÜNAL
SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 2008
OPINION
Re-embeddýng Turkey’s secularýst ýnstýtutýons EVREN TOK*
The Constitutional Court's decision to annul changes to a headscarf ban in universities has fostered discussions focused not only on issues regarding the endangered Turkish democracy, but also, albeit indirectly, on the dilemma and paradox of the secular nation-state and its institutions, with both the military and the judicial mechanism this time aiming to revitalize the contradictions of Turkish modernity. As some scholars point to a judicial revolution, the historical articulation and embeddedness of the institutions as the agents of this revolution need to be explored to imagine and envision a possibility of "change." Today the root of the problem in the Turkish democracy and modernity project is the inertia and resistance of the institutional structure to change and transform, despite the political will. Even more paradoxically, the relationship between politics and public policies is no longer defined by the society; instead, state institutions define this relation with a strong secular tone. In a well-functioning democracy, the politics-public policy interaction is mediated by a variety of societal actors such as civil society organizations, NGOs, trade unions, etc., who are sensitive to the concerns of the public. While it is correctly pointed out by many scholars in the Turkish media that "bringing the public back in" type of solutions are the only viable ones and that the Constitution as we know it is no longer able to respond to societal impulses, a re-evaluation and a reappraisal of the ways in which state institutions curtail the relationship between the politics and the public are urgently needed.
Mýlýtant secularýsm Professor Sami Selçuk is a renowned lawyer who served in eminent posts in the Turkish judicial system. He gave a long speech in 1999 as president of the Supreme Court of Appeals. The speech was later published as a 147-page booklet. A sentence from this speech by an intellectual lawyer remains a major reference point. Selçuk had described the statereligion relationship as based on a three-branched classification. This important sentence reads as follows: "The Turkish Republic is secular in terms of the source of sovereignty; theocratic in terms of state organization and laicist in terms of controlling religion." It is necessary to take a look at the discussions and tension in regards to laicism in Turkey through this illuminative statement. There isn't a truly secular legal system in Turkey. The source of sovereignty, as noted in Article 7 of the 1789 French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens, lies with the people. On the other hand, the orthodox Islam adopted by the vast majority of the population is being represented by a central state institution. Religious services are provided as a public service for orthodox Muslims. The clerics who perform the religious duties are also civil servants. Meanwhile, an Auguste Comte-style positivism is protected within the state apparatus and imposed upon the people as a philosophical belief and ideology. As defined by Selçuk, the source of sovereignty is secular; the state organization is theocratic and the state is imposing positivist belief on the people.
Laicism as the stronghold of bureaucratic resistance It is impossible to see the secularism discussions and the political rivalry based on these discussions as a real discussion about secularism for the reason stated above. Those who promote secularism as a political stance do not consider separation of religion and state and equality of all before the law regardless of their religious beliefs. The closure lawsuit filed against the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) accuses the party of undermining secularism; however, in so doing, the case does not protect secularism. The recent decision by the Constitutional Court that annulled constitutional amendments to lift the headscarf ban has nothing to do with secularism. Bureaucracy resists democratic power in Turkey. In this case, laicism is relied upon as a means of defense. The bureaucracy that was shaped during the first years of the republic still preserves its influence in three areas. The first one is the judiciary, which enjoys greater privileges in our country. The judiciary relies on its independence from the legislative and executive branches to preserve and sustain its power. There is a strong supreme
MÜMTAZ’ER TÜRKÖNE m.turkone@todayszaman.com
judicial oligarchy that fully controls the entire judiciary via bureaucratic means and guards the other spheres of the state. The second area is higher education, which is still governed by a law promulgated by the 1982 dictatorship regime. This law created a hierarchic structure and excluded the democratically elected governments from the universities by highlighting the autonomy of the universities. A strong oligarchy in the university system resists demands for change and reforms. Lastly, the army also enjoys de facto autonomy, which becomes visible in practices of frequent military interventions carried out by the military bureaucracy. The army, which still runs based on an outdated model, needs extensive reform. Laicism is used as an ideological means of this coalition, which acts to preserve its bureaucratic interests. Democratic secularismThose who supported the recent decision by the Constitutional Court have difficulty in justifying it. It is difficult to justify the decision because the Constitution has been violated. It is impossible to legalize or justify the breach. The court chose a suicidal action and destroyed the Constitution that defines its existence. Ideologies are available to promote and defend a particular option when the law has been exhausted. Nobody is able to defend the Constitutional Court decision in legal terms; instead, they rely on laicism, which is turned into an ideology to justify the court's judgment. The decision is justified in this way -- it is possible to return to democracy, but if laicism is destroyed, there will remain no other option. This implies that democracy may be suspended and laws may be violated. And for what? To protect laicism. But is it really possible to protect laicism by suspending democracy and destroying the law? This dilemma shows that what is preserved is totally different from laicism because it is impossible to design and define a laicism that does not exist within a democracy and such a design would be contrary to the content and logic of laicism. The explanatory statement for Article 2 of the Constitution, which cannot be amended, defines secularism as follows: "Laicism … entails that each individual may hold a belief or a religious attachment, freely observe his or her religious duties and enjoy equal treatment before the law." This explanation, which is consistent with the universal approach to secularism,
may be included only within the context of democracy. The fundamental principle that makes democracy and secularism inseparable is the principle of equality as enshrined in the above definition. The principle of equality in democracy does not become functional without secularism. There is one conclusion that can be drawn from this: any attempt that undermines secularism also undermines democracy. This means that when you protect and defend democracy, you will also protect secularism. Democracy is based on three principles that exist with secularism. The first is the political equality principle that makes secularism indispensable. It is impossible to talk about democracy in a society where people are treated differently because of their beliefs. The second is the right to govern by the majority, which is actually derived from the first. The third is to guarantee that the minority will be treated equally under the same constitutional assurances. Secularism is one of the major foundations of this third principle because without secularism, it is impossible to protect the minorities. Imagining secularism outside of democracy is only possible under minority rule. This is a mathematical rule: the alternative to democracy is rule by either a minority or a single man. If you choose the secularism model in minority rule rather than a democratic regime, you will violate the principle of political equality and promote an ideology to justify illegal rule by a minority. This is the primary reason for those who invented a dilemma between democracy and secularism to defend a philosophical belief and a lifestyle based on this belief. That the Constitutional Court made reference to laicism as a positivist philosophical belief and ideology in its recent decision is proof of that. Secularism is the sine qua non of a democracy. It is impossible to imagine a democracy without secularism. Considering that we cannot defend democracy without secularism, attempting to make a choice between secularism and democracy would mean that we are actually making a choice between democracy and minority rule. A civilian-military guardianship over the state is a type of minority rule. The rule by judges is also minority rule. Therefore, there remains only one conclusion -- the militant laicism that the Constitutional Court seeks to protect appears as a minority ideology that supports minority rule rather than as a constitutional principle. This militant secularism approach which serves for the bureaucratic guardianship over democracy lies at the very center of the debates on secularism in Turkey. In short, the ongoing debates and tension are not related to secularism; it is more about the guardianship order that a minority ruler seeks to maintain over democracy.
Path-dependent or path-altering change? There is no doubt that "bringing the public back in" is a precondition to re-embed the institutions into the social configuration; however, this is a necessary but not a sufficient condition. A "bringing the public back in" approach would acquire meaning and impact only if a transparent and neutral venue to amalgamate different voices, concerns and interests is established. As scholars of institutionalism would predict, without recognizing the concerns of both governmental and nongovernmental actors, without providing a ground for accountability and a means to communicate, without dialogue, it is almost impossible to go beyond a "path-dependent" alternative. In the case of Turkey, a pathdependent alternative unfortunately involves minor, adaptive change, reproducing and preserving the revanchist attitudes and interests of certain actors and institutions at the expense of democracy. Path-altering change, however, is still possible and vital for the sake of attaining systemic cohesion, which would include transparent and sustainable interaction between institutions and politics. The embeddedness of institutions would thus mean that politics and institutions mutually constitute each other within a social configuration and none of them could be subsumed under the other. Hence, sustaining, recognizing and benefiting from the complementarity and connectivity of social, legal, cultural and economic institutions is extremely vital along with efforts to "bring the public back in" through elections. In other words, social concerns and voices should bridge the relationship between public policies and politics rather than the state institutions who have de-linked themselves from the social fabric. * Evren Tok is a Ph.D. candidate at Carleton University's School of Public Policy.
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Paradoxically, the institutions of modern Turkey have been continuing to harness democracy and political stability, not to mention the possible medium and long-term impacts on the economic and financial realms because institutions are integrated and embedded into the social and political configurations of a country, as scholars of historical institutionalism indicate. This situation might have adverse effects as well. As in the case of Turkey, the institutions might misuse their relative autonomy and disengage themselves from the very social and political structure. As Kathleen Thelen and Wolfgang Streeck indicate, "an institutional logic in each society leads each institution to coalesce into a complex social configuration" because they are embedded in a culture in which its logic is symbolically grounded, materially constrained and politically defended. While the institutional sphere retains a degree of autonomy from the society's idiosyncratic customs, traditions, corporate structures, it is the complementarity and connectivity of the social, legal, cultural and economic institutions that secures systemic cohesion. Therefore, what is at stake today in Turkey is not only limited to lifting the headscarf ban in universities; instead, the current institutional deadlock is a manifestation of a broader social and political trauma. Moreover, this trauma is a symptom of the ongoing detachment and disengagement of certain state institutions from the social, political and cultural fabric, which would sooner or later result in the loss of legitimacy from the public's point of view and lead to increasing social tensions and paralysis, as experienced recently.
Daðýstan Çetinkaya
Thýnk tank cafe´ Established on January 16, 2007 NO: 0490 Saturday, June 14, 2008
Executive Editor Managing Editors
Turkey's embedded institutions
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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Mýscalculatýon ýn Washýngton There is widespread agreement that the US has been lagging considerably behind the EU in terms of criticizing the closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Although it is well aware of the plots made against the Turkish democracy for some four or five years, Washington has voiced very weak protest against anti-democratic practices in Turkey; and this fact is noticed not only in Turkey, but also by many diplomats, academics and journalists outside of the country who are bothered by the US government's attitude. In its editorial, The Washington Post, one of the most influential papers in the US capital, clearly criticized the Bush administration for failing to assume a clear position on the matter. As you might know, in an article they wrote jointly, former US Ambassador to Turkey Morton Abramowitz and leading expert on Turkey Henri Barkey, too, were critical of the Bush administration for not demonstrating a clear position on democracy. Furthermore, they emphasized that this position should be taken not because of being a romantic advocate of democracy, but because the US interests require this. However, in a speech she delivered at the AmericanTurkish Council (ATC), US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had not openly touched on the issue, only making
KLAUS JURGENS
ABDÜLHAMÝT BÝLÝCÝ a.bilici@todayszaman.com
oblique references to it upon questions by reporters, and it turned out that some strong wording had been removed from the text of her speech. All this has added to concerns. It is known that from the start, there have been groups in Washington who were irritated by the democratic tendencies of the AK Party and that they have been trying, in cooperation with their conspirators in Turkey, to undermine the ground on which the AK Party stands. For this reason, the authors acting as spokespersons of these groups, such as Michael Rubin, who recently raised his voice on the issue, should not be taken serious in their writings. This is because these groups tend to market again and again the slanderous arguments about Turkey, which are neither supported by academic studies on Turkish society nor taken seriously by the broader Western public, particularly the EU.
What we should discuss instead is whether the influence of this sworn enemy of Turkey has expanded in Washington. The impression I got during the five days I spent in the US capital is that the disinformation effort supported by the false headlines in Turkish dailies has been increasing its influence. Although headlines designed to give the impression that the AK Party has an Islamic agenda are refuted, none of these refutations can eliminate the first impact of these headlines. Indeed, this is what these headlines are designed for, isn't it? Taking advantage of the lack of proper attention by the US administration, which is currently focused on the elections and difficult issues such as Iraq and Iran, they try to sell anti-democratic efforts as guarantees of secularism and Turkey's alignment with Western values, and to weaken the resistance against anti-democratic initiatives by creating confusion in people's minds. If you have read the diaries of abortive military coups nicknamed Ayýþýðý and Sarýkýz, published by the Nokta newsweekly, you will remember why the anti-democratic efforts could not go further --they were unable to secure external support and approval for the coup, particularly from the US. What came as most surprising to me was that even the representatives of the most assiduous think tanks specialized in democracy are confused about the situation in Turkey. It
No Comment
was obvious that the arguments made by hard-liners such as Daniel Pipes and Bassam Tibi had their poisoning effects. Some even argued that Turkey is rapidly shifting toward Islam, alienating itself from Western values, and that what happened with respect to Iran in 1979 can be seen now with respect to Turkey. However, the proponents of these ideas were not closely monitoring the developments. Some of them were even unaware of the reports in their own newspapers about what was going on behind the scenes of events in Turkey. Moreover, one could see that the anti-democratic camp was much more successful in promoting their ideas about what is happening in Turkey to the US government. Brussels was well aware of the true essence of the events in Turkey and who is who in the democracy struggle, while Washington was covered with the mist of uncertainty. It seemed that the Atlantic Ocean between Turkey and the US was hindering a true perception of Turkey in Washington. This could be seen in the government's weird formula of "keeping equal distance to both camps." Who are these camps? On one side are the majority of society, demanding more democracy, and on the other side are those plotting against democracy. In this case, isn't it clear what this equal distance policy means? We will continue to discuss this important issue in the future.
IOWA, REUTERS
b.dedeoglu@todayszaman.com
k.jurgens@todayszaman.com
Small enterprýse means býg busýness thýs summer Please bear with me but I have to draw your attention one more time to the importance of financing Turkish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Why? An event in Ýstanbul made it more than newsworthy. Here are the facts: The European Union has launched the second phase of its Small Enterprise Loan Program (SELP), which provides loans to support the smallest of SMEs. Enterprises with fewer than 50 employees and less than 1 million euros in assets may directly apply to bank branches located in 49 Turkish provinces. The new project will provide 75.8 million euros in funding over the next five years and started with a conference at the Marmara Hotel in Ýstanbul on May 28, to which I had been invited. Its theme was "Small Enterprise -- Big Business; Small Enterprise Financing Goes to Scale in Turkey." According to a pre-conference statement published by the Delegation of the European Commission in Ankara, lending activities in poorer regions of Turkey are very limited in scope, with the 49 lesser-developed provinces receiving not even 10 percent of total banking sector loans in 2006 despite representing 34 percent of the population. These provinces are Adýyaman, Afyon, Aðrý, Aksaray, Amasya, Ardahan, Artvin, Bartýn, Batman, Bayburt, Bingöl, Bitlis, Çankýrý, Çorum, Diyarbakýr, Düzce, Elazýð, Erzincan, Erzurum, Giresun, Gümüþhane, Hakkari, Iðdýr, Kahramanmaraþ, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kilis, Kýrþehir, Kütahya, Malatya, Mardin, Muþ, Nevþehir, Niðde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Siirt, Sinop, Sivas, Þanlýurfa, Þýrnak, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Uþak, Van and Yozgat. To address this challenge, the EU initiated a new project to improve access to bank finance in these 49 provinces. Turkish private banks participating in the project include Akbank, Garanti Bankasý, Ýþ Bankasý and Þekerbank. The EU is contributing 30 million euros, the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) and German Development Bank KfW another 40 million euros, with a total project budget of 75.8 million euros. The beneficiary institution of the program is the Undersecretariat of the Treasury. Throughout the project, participating banks and the Development Bank of Turkey (TKB) will receive technical assistance from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. How much funding is available and what can be financed? Dr. Wolfram Erhardt, KfW Turkey director, and Melih Çadýrcý, KfW senior project manager, while addressing one of my SME and Entrepreneurship classes on May 16 of this year, introduced the project. Here are their observations: Initially, only 8 percent of Turkish SMEs benefited from bank loans. Hence, SELP I was set up. SELP I allowed for 30,000 euros in loan facilities to be extended to SMEs. Creating one new job had a "price-tag" of 10,654 euros. In other words, 1 million euros of investment created 93.90 new jobs. The benchmark for evaluating SELP I was accordingly the effectiveness with regard to job creation in Turkey. Average loans granted came to 15,876 euros, benefiting 2,383 SMEs. Under SELP II, SMEs can obtain loans of up to 50,000 euros, out of which a maximum of 30,000 euros can be used as working capital. I mentioned in my previous columns how important a functioning middle class based on economic activity is. I argued the case for better financing mechanism to be put in place. Now a joint effort between the Turkish, German and European side has made it possible for a large number of the smallest of SMEs to obtain serious bank financing. Together with other SME loans and private capital in line with the BASEL II Criteria, and an enormous awareness creating campaign by Turkish high-street banks (KOBÝPackages), things are finally moving. How does this fit into the wider picture of the Turkish economy in 2008 and beyond? Innovation is the key for existing SMEs. Learning about the value adding chain and making better products that achieve higher retail prices is one key to becoming a sustainable SME. Start-ups have it somewhat easier as they will have learned from mistakes made by the competition. Small enterprises in Turkey are big business indeed!
BERÝL DEDEOÐLU
Keepýng ýn touch wýth Cyprus
The art of approachýng decýsýon makers ýn Turkey HASAN KANBOLAT h.kanbolat@todayszaman.com
It is important to approach decision makers in Turkey in order to make things to go smoothly. For the businessman, politician or bureaucrat, it may be vital to get through to the decision maker. For this reason, it's a good idea to evaluate methods to reach decision makers as if they were artistic activities. Attending an event the decision maker also attends (wedding, exhibition, reception, meeting, conference, etc.): If you are not a high-level person, this option isn't recommended because the decision maker arrives at the venue to give his speech and then leaves the hall immediately to handle important business. After the decision maker leaves, at least half of the audience generally leaves as well. For this reason, it's usually amateurs who prefer this method. Going to a sporting event the decision maker also attends: Talks or meetings may be attempted at the venue entrance and exit points. However if the team the decision maker is rooting for loses the game, insistence is not recommended. Holding a conference or dinner in honor of the decision maker in an effort to reach out to him, or presenting him with a plaque for his achievements: Amateurs now frequently use this approach. The decision makers generally assign assistants or deputies to accept the award or plaque on their behalf if the host isn't that important a person. Despite the fact that it is an old, clichéd method, having the decision maker as a guest of honor at an opening -- if you can actually get them to the event -- is still influential, because our people tend to hold the honoring of achievements in high regard. In this way, you may get to the decision maker and make yourself and your point known. Traveling internationally along with the decision maker: This is an effective method only recently discovered. Recently, trips abroad are
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being made not for the purpose of travel to another country, but to make contact with decision makers. For this reason, the passenger capacities of planes for international flights is growing. Staying at the hotel where the decision maker is staying in a foreign country: This is being used as an effective method. If you fail to get aboard their flight, you might stay at their hotel and wait for the decision maker. Due to the high costs of luxury hotel stays, this method has not yet been exhausted. Sending reports to the decision maker: Decision makers read three pages at most. In general, they read only one paragraph. Because decision makers are generally elderly, the font size used in the reports is large. This method isn't effective, because we are not used to reading a lot. Finding a close relative or friend of the decision maker: This is an outdated method. The decision maker doesn't even have time to speak with his children and family. Besides, because his relatives and friends are generally takers -- and not givers -- the decision maker prefers to keep his distance from them. Attracting the decision maker's attention: For this, you may stage a radical opposition. The decision maker may give you what you want just to silence you. This is an effective and conclusive method when done right. However it is also very risky. The decision maker may take action against you. In that case, you might not achieve any of your goals. If you are a deputy, you may get to the decision maker as the chairman of a commission or through a circle of mutual friends. You will get the opportunity to sit next to the decision maker at a dinner when a delegation from the country of your group of friends arrives in the country for an official visit. This is a very effective method. You acquire a television station, newspaper or magazine to get to the decision maker. You may also become the chairman of a renowned sports club. You may also run a private university or think tank. These are the most effective and contemporary methods. Strategy making becomes very effective in these options. For those who make long-term strategic calculations and consider the factors regarded by the decision makers, this is a recommended method.
Last week, the United Kingdom and the Greek Cypriot government signed a memorandum of understanding. This document says nothing new at all, merely repeating what has already been said in the Annan plan. However, the very existence of this memorandum is severely criticized by the Turkish side. Turkish Cypriots have declared that they perceive this initiative as a way of establishing cooperation between British and Greek Cypriot governments in order to put pressure on the Turkish side. This perception could negatively influence the negotiations for a final resolution. It's obvious that because of experiences in the past, Britain's every move regarding the island triggers anxious reflexes. The Greek side welcomes all the support it can get; nevertheless, we should keep in mind that sometimes states receive more pressure from counterparts with which they cooperate. The initiative to publish a memorandum came from the British government, proving that the UK is still involved in the Cyprus issue. As it is impossible for the UK to conclude an official treaty with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), it has chosen to do it with the authority officially accepted by the EU and the UN, i.e., the Greek part of the island. The UK is aware that Cyprus is about to be redesigned, and thus it wants to preserve its privileged status on the island. Maybe the Greek authorities have given some promises about that. The UK has many economic and financial interests there, but most important of all, it has security concerns as part of its global foreign policy. Cyprus has always been of crucial importance for the UK, and London has no intention of sharing its privileges with anyone else simply because Cyprus is now an EU member. The island's importance will diminish for the UK only when Turkey joins the EU. That's one of the many reasons for British support of Turkey's EU bid. However, it seems that Turkey's membership is not that close, as we can guess from France's recent actions on the matter. As we know, France's interest in the island grows stronger every passing day. Paris has tried to mark its presence on the island and therefore proposed to develop a security relationship and to undertake joint military exercises. This is not just about Cyprus, but rather about France's overall Middle East policy. France is doing its best to reinforce its presence in the region and Lebanon appears to be the main base for this effort. A simple glance at the eastern Mediterranean map is sufficient to understand why French actions in Cyprus and Lebanon are synchronized. France is interested in Palestinians, too, and Gaza is not very far from Cyprus, either. From the UK's perspective, the presence of new rival powers in the Middle East has always been viewed suspiciously, which includes Russia's recent activities in the region. However, more than anything else, the UK wants to prove to its European partners that nothing can be done in Cyprus without London's approval. In other words, the British government has probably asked the Greek Cypriot authorities to emphasize the UK's guarantor power status in order to show everyone that France cannot act alone on the island. France has frequently accused the UK of acting beyond the EU's boundaries, but now it is doing exactly the same thing. Consequently, the UK has reacted to this by pointing out that France, which is the champion of a more unified EU idea, tries to do things by itself and for itself. Cyprus is a very problematic island exactly because of these kinds of foreign interventions. In fact, if it were up to only the island's inhabitants, the problem would have been history by now.
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16 TODAY’S ZAMAN
SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 2008
Wii Fit finding its way into rehab
LEISURE
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Gregorian Calendar: 14 June 2008 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 10 Jumada al-Thani 1429 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 11 Sivan 5768 calendar@todayszaman.com
E2 Today is the queen’s birthday in the UK. This date celebrates the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II of England. The queen’s birthday is celebrated on a Saturday in the middle of June, with the exact date being set by annual proclamation. This day is observed as a national holiday in the UK. Today is World Blood Donor Day. This day is an annual event officially designated by the World Health Organization to recognize and thank the millions of people around the world who donate their blood on a voluntary, altruistic and unpaid basis to help save lives and improve the health of others. The day encourages more people to volunteer as blood donors and underlines the importance of regular donation to prevent blood shortages. It also demonstrates a commitment by policymakers and health professionals to work toward making safe blood transfusion available for all patients who require it as part of their treatment. Today is the national day of the Falkland Islands. June 14 is Liberation Day, commemorating the deliverance by British forces of the Falkland Islands from Argentine occupation in 1982. The Falklands War was the result of years of disputed ownership of the islands. Argentina claims to have inherited
Injured athletes may find themselves playing Nintendo’s Wii Fit as part of their rehabilitation. This and other fitnessoriented video games have “great potential” for core strengthening and rehabilitation and may boost compliance with rehabilitation exercises, Sue Stanley-Green, a professor of athletic training at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, told Reuters Health. “We are looking to incorporate Wii Fit into the athletic training room as far as rehabilitation, for example, on post-operative knees and ankles,” she noted in a telephone interview. Fitness video games that have the user perform lower-body balance and weight-shifting activities could help patients with weight-bearing rehabilitation after an injury or surgery. Fitness video games that focus on upper body movement patterns could be helpful in the rehab center as well. Tennis video games, for example, can be used to safely exercise the rotator cuff after injury or repair. “Fitness-oriented video games are also being used more and more in nursing homes for rehabilitation,” Stanley-Green said, providing a fun way to help elderly people expand their range of motion. One of the most difficult aspects of rehabilitation is getting patients to perform tedious, repetitive exercises. The entertainment value inherent in video games may help boost compliance with rehabilitation and perhaps improve outcomes. “Fitness video games have some really good potential to improve fitness in everyone,” Stanley-Green said. “My daughter is 12 and she has a friend who is very inactive and overweight and has some body control issues and the Wii Fit has really been a good thing for her,” she explained. “This is a child who would rather eat than anything and it’s the first time I have ever seen her say, ‘I’m not coming to dinner, I’m playing the Wii’.” “And anyone can play these games,” according to Stanley-Green. “I am illiterate as far as video games but these are games that anyone can have success with. My daughter absolutely hates the fact that I am better at this one balance game than she is,” she said. As with any physical activity, too much repetition of one type of movement may not be healthy. “There are some documented cases of ‘video-game shoulder’ and ‘video-game elbow,’ so using the proper form and technique should be stressed,” Stanley-Green noted. “Of course, ideally use of the gaming consoles should be alternated with other physical activities.” New York Reuters
the Islas Malvinas, as they call them, from the Spanish crown in the early 19th century. The country also bases its claim on the islands’ proximity to the South American mainland. The UK argues that most of the islanders of British descent want to remain British, exercising their right to self-determination. Today is National Flag Day in the US. It commemorates the adoption of the US flag by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777. In 1916 Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; in August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress. Flag Day is not an official federal holiday, though on June 14, 1937, Pennsylvania became the first (and only) US state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday. An official statute exists on Flag Day, though it is at the president’s discretion to officially proclaim its observance. The largest Flag Day parade is held annually in Troy, NY, while Framingham, MA, also holds a yearly Flag Day parade, as do many other towns and cities, although in recent years a shrinking turnout has prompted several to consider eliminating the event. Today is the Lithuanian Day of Mourning and Hope, marking the date of the first mass deportations of Lithuanians to Siberia in 1941. On this day the flag is lowered in mourn-
ing. In June of 1941 the Soviet Union deported approximately 35,000 Lithuanians to Siberia and other parts of Russia. Several thousand were killed in more than 40 massacres that occurred in various places around Lithuania. One example is the Rainiai massacre which, although it is far from the largest, is quite well known. Additionally the positions of two ethnic groups that had collaborated in the creation of a Lithuanian state, Lithuanians and Jews, became separated. Lithuanians were frightened and astonished by the inhumane deportations and massacres and watched for any possibility of liberation, while the Jewish population preferred Russian occupation to Nazi rule. This situation was used for Nazi propaganda a week later and may have influenced the behavior of some Lithuanians during Nazi occupation. The Russian occupation was brief but it was responsible for much damage. Today is the anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Gendarmerie. Though there were several similar security institutions established after the Tanzimat Verdict of 1839, on June 14, 1869 the first by-law of the National Gendarmerie went into effect. The gendarmerie combined the two days and decided that June, 14 1839 should be accepted as its official establishment date. By Kerim Balcý
LOS ANGELES TIMES
‘Battlestar’ actresses rev up theýr motorcycles Some of this summer’s biggest movies feature motorcycles in supporting roles. There’s a HarleyDavidson in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” an MV Agusta in “The Dark Knight,” and multiple customs in the late-summer biker flick “Hell Ride,” presented by Quentin Tarantino. While the two-wheel vehicles are all different, the riders are mostly the same. They’re men. One in 10 motorcyclists is a woman, but that statistic is rarely reflected on screens big or small. If an actress does “ride,” it tends to be only for the camera, and it’s usually rigged, as it was for Renee Zellweger in “Leatherheads,” whose Indian was operated by remote. Enter Tricia Helfer and Katee Sackhoff - stars of SciFi Channel’s “Battlestar Galactica.” Helfer, who plays the part of sexy cylon Number Six, and Sackhoff, a.k.a. combat pilot Starbuck, are both avid motorcyclists who will be taking their off-screen passion to guest roles on other TV shows when Season 4 of the space-age series ends. Helfer, 34, is game for doing her own riding on an upcoming episode of the USA
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SUSAN CARPENTER HOLLYWOOD
Actresses rev up their motorcycles
Tricia Helfer (L) and Katee Sackhoff, stars of SciFi Channel’s “Battlestar Galactica,” are both avid motorcyclists who will be taking their off-screen passion to guest roles on other TV shows when Season 4 of the space-age series ends.
show “Burn Notice,” playing Carla, a slinky spy who may have figured into the “burning” of ex-CIA operative Michael Westen. According to show creator Matt Nix, he’s “trying to find an episode where we can incorporate Tricia’s skills.” Sackhoff, 28, will do her own stunts when she plays an anesthesiologist with
a fondness for body ink and bikes on four episodes of the FX show “Nip/Tuck.” The love interest of Dr. McNamara, “My character rides a motorcycle to work every day,” said Sackhoff. “It’s really interesting when writers and producers find out that you ride,” said Sackhoff, a self-described tomboy. “They’re so excit-
ed ... like, wow. We need to use that.” Sackhoff, who’s from Portland, Ore., and Helfer, who grew up on a farm in Canada, both rode all-terrain vehicles when they were young. They took up motorcycling last year because they were each “tired of being on the back of a guy’s bike,” said Sackhoff. “Then Tricia and I started working together, and we both started going, ‘We should do this’.” Helfer bought a Harley-Davidson; Sackhoff, a Honda Shadow. They signed up for a safety course and vroom, were off. On “Battlestar,” Number Six and Starbuck rarely appear in the same scenes, so they were rarely in Vancouver at the same time for filming. But a girl fight between the two characters helped form a fast friendship. The two actresses now ride their motorcycles together any weekend they’re in Los Angeles at the same time. “I kind of feel like I need to take on a role of getting it out there in public knowledge that women can ride,” said Helfer, a lanky Canuck whose everyday hair color isn’t Mansfield blond but a tawny brown. “People assume,” she said, before Sackhoff finished her sentence, “that we’re on the back of the bike making sandwiches.” © Los Angeles Times, 2008
Cem Kýzýltuð
Mr. DýploMAT!
HARD
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c.kiziltug@todayszaman.com
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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
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Cnbc-e 07:30 As Told By Ginger 08:00 Dora the Explorer 08:30 Go, Diego! Go! 09:00 The Fairly OddParents 09:30 Jimmy Neutron 10:00 Avatar 11:00 SpongeBob SquarePants 12:00 Back at the Barnyard 12:30 The Simpsons 13:00 My Name is Earl 13:30 The King of Queens 14:00 Without a Trace 15:00 24 17:00 Cold Case 18:00 CSI: NY 19:00 How I Met Your Mother 19:30 Scrubs 20:00 ER 21:00 Desperate Housewives 22:00 The Closer 23:00 Dexter 24:00 Ghost Whisperer 01:00 Family Guy 01:30 Masters of Horror 02:30 Desperate Housewives
Hallmark 09:30 Noah’s Ark 11:15 The Hollywood Mom’s Mystery 13:00 Mystery Woman: Game Time 14:45 Noah’s Ark 16:30 The Hollywood Mom’s Mystery 18:00 Though None Go with Me 19:45 Miss Marple: The Sittaford Mystery 21:30 Mystery Woman: Redemption 23:30 Cavedweller 01:15 Sea Patrol 02:30 Cavedweller
Comedymax 07:00 The Game 08:30 American Dad 10:00 Frasier 11:00 What I Like About You 12:00 Slacker Cats 12:30 Still Standing 13:30 Miss Guided 14:00 The Game 15:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 16:30 30 Rock 17:00 What I Like About You 18:00 Til Death 18:30 Samantha Who 19:00 Frasier 20:00 Two Guys and a Girl 21:00 Rules of Engagement 21:30 30 Rock 22:00 What I Like About You 23:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm 23:30 Californication 00:00 Til Death
TRT Tourýsm Radýo
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08:15 The Magic Roundabout Doogal 09:45 Snow Wonder 11:25 North Country 13:40 Little Miss Sunshine 15:35 Arsène Lupin 17:55 Stranger Than Fiction 20:00 Silk 22:05 Blood and Chocolate 23:50 Bloody Mary 01:35 Little Miss Sunshine 03:20 Wild Hogs
radýo guýde
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Goldmax 07:45 Jane Austen’s Mafia! 09:15 The Stars Fell on Henrietta 11:05 Shining Through 13:20 Bye Bye Love 15:05 Protocol 16:45 Code 46 18:25 The Hunted 20:00 Moulin Rouge! 22:05 Steal This Movie 23:50 Mulholland Drive 02:15 Freddy’s Nightmares: Memory Overload
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08:00 Cheers 09:00 How I Met Your Mother 09:30 My Name is Earl 10:00 Rachael Ray Show 12:00 The Martha Stewart Show 14:00 Ellen DeGeneres Show 16:00 Hollyoaks 18:00 Late Night with Conan O’Brien 20:00 Two and a Half Men 20:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 21:00 Comedy Night / Jim Norton 22:00 Big Shots 23:00 Late Night with Conan O’Brien 24:00 South Park 01:00 CSI: NY 02:00 The Tudors
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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Black Sea ecosystem is a consequence of these actions as well as efforts of those countries along the big rivers flowing to this sea. But there is much more to do," Kideys told Today's Zaman. Kideys said the Black Sea faces even newer problems with the effects of the climate change. Now the ecological situation in the Black Sea is better than in the 1970s and 1980s but far from the ecological norm of the 1950s, scientists say. Kideys noted that fishing is one of the main economic activities of the Black Sea and that better fishery management is needed in all coastal countries of the Black Sea. Carrying Caspian oil through the Black Sea and the Bosporus puts additional pressure on the ecosystem. "Fish stocks of commercially valuable
species, such as sturgeon and turbot, suffer from illegal fishing, pollution and destruction of their habitats," Kideys added. He also said sustainable development of societies and the well-being of the coastal population will become priorities not only for the governments of the Black Sea coastal states but all others, as well benefiting from sustainable development. "Clearly, unless development is secured in a sustainable way, the goods and services provided by the environment for many economic activities would be jeopardized, impacting the social and economic welfare of the inhabitants of this strategic region," Eralp said. As the rapid increase in economic activity
and the growth rate of Black Sea countries have brought many challenges to the region, a lot of Western countries started to develop their national development strategies. However, Eralp said Turkey has not completed its own strategy although it has started working on it under the coordination of the State Planning Organization (DPT). "In this area, there are many funding opportunities which Turkey can take advantage of. And such seminars increase awareness and ownership of the issue," she added. The seminar was developed by REC in cooperation with Venice International University, Agroinnova and Ýstanbul Bilgi University. The seminar series will be offered at two locations and dates, one starting in Ýstanbul on June 1524, and the second in Venice from Sept. 29 to Oct. 7. The welcoming address and opening remarks will be delivered on June 15 by Marta Szigeti Bonifert, executive director of REC; Professor Aydýn Uður of Ýstanbul Bilgi University; Professor Ignazio Musu, dean of Venice International University; Professor Ludovica Gullino, director of Agroinnova; and Stefania Romano from the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea. The keynote speech will be delivered on June 16 by Nuri Çolakoðlu, chairman of the executive board of the TV Broadcasters' Association of Turkey and chairman of Ýstanbul 2010 -- European Capital of Culture. Ambassador Murat Sungar, first deputy secretary-general of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), will chair a high-level panel, titled "Financing Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities for the Black Sea Region," on the last day of the seminar, June 24. Representatives from the private sector, the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank are expected to be on the panel.
Paksüt confesses to secret meeting contýnued from page 1 He noted that he had worked with NATO between 1993 and 1997, during which time he established close friendships with a number of politicians and military officers. Paksüt said he had come to know Baþbuð while serving from 1995-1997 as the head of the delegation representing the Turkish military. Paksüt said his last visit to Ba?buð was to offer his condolences for the loss of 27 soldiers during operations in northern Iraq. "I remember it was in the afternoon, but I don't remember the exact time. The people who make sure this all gets published in a newspaper three months after that meeting are monitoring all my moves." Paksüt said this proved that earlier allegations he made that his phone conversations were being monitored were not paranoia. "Although it might have occurred at the time of the headscarf case, this was not what we talked about. Nothing could be farther from being a topic we discussed," he told reporters. Late last month Paksüt and his wife claimed they were being chased on a particular day after meeting with a former AK Party deputy and even called the Ankara police chief to the scene. He said he and Baþbuð also spoke about private and family matters. "That was my last meeting with Gen. Baþbuð," he said. He also accused Taraf of "making up" such details as the floor where the meeting was held
said the only topic of conversation was the military's ground operation in northern Iraq. In a related development, a written statement yesterday from Abdurrahman Yalçýnkaya, the Supreme Court of Appeals chief prosecutor who filed the closure charges against the AK Party, denied similar claims that he had had a secret meeting with Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal.
Commenting on closure case is a crime, says top court
Osman Paksüt
Ýlker Baþbuð
being cleared out and security cameras being tampered with to add "mystery" to the report. Paksüt also claimed attempts were being made to associate the TSK with the Constitutional Court. "Claims that the TSK and the Constitutional Court communicate about cases on the court's agenda or that the TSK has
pressured the court are not the first of their kind. These accusations were made before. I can sense the purpose in these stories," he said. He said there had been conscious, malicious efforts to falsely accuse the Constitutional Court ever since the court made its headscarf ruling. In a statement late in the evening, Baþbuð
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Constitutional Court yesterday stated that under the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), commenting and sharing opinions on ongoing judicial processes is defined a crime. "It is curious that people who have been authorized with responsibility regarding this issue remain silent," the statement also said, calling on prosecutors to act against news reports and commentaries on cases the court is currently dealing with. The top court is currently hearing a suit launched by a state prosecutor to shut down the ruling AK Party over allegations of anti-secularist activities. The statement condemned "criticism and statements recklessly uttered with no regard to human or moral values" against decisions the Constitutional Court has made while "exercising its duty." Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
Deadly real estate theft gang uncovered by police contýnued from page 1 Esenli's step-son Ibrahim Ayaþlý Esen was reportedly kidnapped by the gang to force his mother to hand over her residence on the Bosporus. After the police learned that Vanda Esen had been forced to sell her home, they notified the Beykoz Land Registry Cadastre Department, but the department failed to take any action. Further investigation showed that the gang's method was to infiltrate the households of their victims with someone posing as a domestic worker. The gang would then kidnap their victims and force them to sign contracts handing over their property to the members of the gang. After getting the necessary signatures to appropriate the properties, the gang killed their victims and buried their bodies. The total value of the properties extorted by the gang is reportedly $30 million. The two doctors who were detained in the
operation on Thursday are suspected of preparing reports that would show that the gang's victims had died of natural causes. Beykoz Land Registry Cadastre Department Manager Gülten Doðan Temur is suspected of helping the gang sell the real estate they stole from their victims. Temur was appointed to the Beykoz Land Registry Cadastre Department in April 2007, and it is suspected that he had been helping the gang since then. The police found three bodies buried in the garden of a villa in Beykoz during the operations. The detainees were sent to the Ýstanbul Police Department for interrogation. The police operation revealed that the gang had been forcing or blackmailing their victims to hand over their real estate. If the victims refused, they were hogtied, killed and buried in a forest in Beykoz. The Geçgil family was also among the victims of the gang. Neighbors of Fikriye Geçgil
and Þemsettin Geçgil filed a report with the police after they disappeared in December 2007. The police launched an investigation found that the property of these two people had been purchased just before they disappeared. This investigation, too, led to the real estate theft gang. These clues helped the police see that the same gang was targeting many people. Saadettin Kaynak, the apartment superintendent of the Cihangir Palas Apartment, where Þemsettin and Fikriye Geçgil were living, said, "The housekeeper realized that Þemsettin Geçgil did not receive his letters and newspapers and reported this to the apartment superintendent at the time. After that they reported this to the police and the police searched the apartment. There was nobody in the apartment, and it seemed he had rushed out of the building, because he did not take his glasses or his watch."
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New details are emerging as the interrogation at the Ýstanbul Police Department proceeds. One of the gang members confessed that they committed horrible crimes. A.S., the driver of the gang leader, Çetin A., said Çetin A. and his brothers suffocated Þemsettin Gelgiç at a villa in Ýstanbul's Kumburgaz district and buried the body in the city of Tekirdað. During the investigation it was revealed that the gang starved Fikriye Gelgiç to death by locking her in a room without food or water. The police also detained Þiþli district land registry cadastre department manager on Friday in the frame of the real-estate gang investigation. Some news channel claimed that Ümraniye's land registry cadastre department manager was also detained but later this claim proved to be false. The police department continues its investigation about the case. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
TUNCER ÇETÝNKAYA
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contýnued from page 1 Owing to natural factors, the diversity of species found in the fauna of the Black Sea is approximately three times lower than that of the Mediterranean. Specific features of the Black Sea make it very vulnerable to disturbances in the environment. About 350 cubic kilometers of river water pour each year into the Black Sea from an area covering almost a third of continental Europe, including significant parts of 17 countries. Most of this water drains to the northwestern Black Sea. The intensification of agriculture in the drainage basin and the use of fertilizers, overall pollution and irresponsible fishing have resulted in reducing biological resources, the diversity of its species and the aesthetic and recreational values of the Black Sea, bringing its ecosystem to the edge of collapse. Scientists note that the Black Sea's water was clear and transparent in the past but after the late '60s, due to an increased use of fertilizers, the coastal waters turned green, yellow, brown and sometimes red depending on the blooming species. The main feeding ground for mackerel is in the northwestern Black Sea shelf and after the pollution of water in the breeding area by local sources in the 1970s, the stocks of this species noticeably declined. Professor Ahmet Kideys, executive director of the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution, said the Black Sea ecosystem was in terrible condition in late 1980s and 1990s, when the fisheries were badly hit due to pollution and alien species; however, situation improved later. "Following the main international agreement in Bucharest in 1992 among the six Black Sea countries came the 'Strategic Action Plan for the Rehabilitation and Protection of the Black Sea,' signed in Ýstanbul on Oct. 31, 1996 by the environmental ministers of all riparian countries. Recent improvement of the
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CÝHAN
‘Saving Black Sea only possible with global partnership’
Students set free for threemonth summer break contýnued from page 1 Students who just completed the 11th grade will take the Student Selection Examination (ÖSS) this Sunday. Among them, those who wish to major in a foreign language will take the Foreign Language Examination (YDS) on June 22. University placements based on the ÖSS and YDS results are scheduled to be announced by the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) between July 15 and 20. High school placements, on the other hand, will be announced on July 11. The High School Entrance Examination (OKS), required for admission to science, social science, police, Anatolian and private high schools, was administered to Turkish eighth graders on June 8 for the last time. The OKS will be replaced by the Level Determination Examination (SBS). Students also received their report cards yesterday, but some students were more excited than others when getting them. Eight students from Somalia, Iran and Sudan who attend a primary school in the central Anatolian city of Eskiþehir received their report cards along with their Turkish friends. Having left their home countries for various reasons, these students were enrolled in the Murat Atýlgan Primary School in Eskiþehir by their parents at the beginning of the 2007-08 academic year. "Our teachers and friends have helped us a lot. My report card is full of good grades," said 11-year-old Somali Cebrail. Twelve-year-old Emine of Iran stated that she loves her school. "My family will be very happy to see my report card," she added. Meanwhile, four female primary school students in southeastern Diyarbakýr province who had been forced to leave their schools by their parents after they graduated from the fifth grade and who were able to return to school after their teachers persuaded their parents passed their classes with high marks. The four girls -- Ýlkay, Sohbet, Songül and Amine -- received the top marks in their classes. "After I had to leave school, I kept reading books. That reading helped me a lot in achieving success in my lessons. My family now supports me continuing my education," stated Sohbet. Songül, on the other hand, said she was forced to leave school by her elder brother. "My teachers persuaded him and my father to send me back to school. After he learned about my success, he told me that he would do his best to help me continue my education. I want to become a doctor in the future," she noted. Another primary school student, Ezgi Yalçýntepe, who was attending a school established within the Behçet Uz Children's Hospital in western Ýzmir province where she was receiving cancer treatment, was presented her report card by her teachers and doctors. "I thank my doctors and teachers. I want to become a doctor when I grow up," said Yalçýntepe. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
Treating tick-borne disease proves costly for two doctors Medical tests have confirmed that two physicians are infected with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a disease carried by certain tick species. Chief physician of Ankara Numune Hospital, where the two doctors had treated a patient with complaints of a tick bite, verified yesterday that the doctors have the disease after results came in from blood samples. The disease is also known to be transmitted through direct contact with the blood or secretions of an infected person. The doctors were most likely infected by direct contact with the patient's blood when it splashed into the doctors' eyes as they tried to stop the bleeding of the patient's nose. Blood samples have also been taken from a nurse and other health personnel at the hospital and sent to the Refik Saydam Health Center for analysis. The results will show whether or not the nurse and the other personnel have CCHF, which has recently sparked fears throughout the country. Doctors O.U. and A.K. are already displaying symptoms of CCHF. Health staff said currently about 20 people suspected of having CCHF are under observation at Ankara Numune Hospital. Meanwhile, another person in the central Anatolian province of Yozgat died of CCHF. After being bitten by a tick, A.Y., from the village of Karakaya, had first been seen at the city hospital and then was transferred to Erciyes University Medical Faculty Hospital. The death toll from CCHF in Yozgat is now three following A.Y.'s death. This year 500 people in the province have gone to area hospitals with complaints of tick bites. More than 20 people from throughout central Anatolia have died this year from CCHF. In addition, a woman from Bursa reportedly has CCHF. The 45-year-old woman was working in the field when she was bitten by a tick. She did not seek treatment for the bite because the tick was not stuck to her skin. After being hospitalized with vaginal bleeding twice following the bite, she was placed in intensive care and diagnosed with CCHF. Another woman, a resident of Manisa, sought treatment for a tick bite at a hospital. The tick was removed by doctors from Kýrkaðaç State Hospital. Experts say people who have come into contact with a tick should be monitored for 10 days following contact and seek professional medical care if symptoms of fever, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea present themselves. Treatment for CCHF is primarily symptomatic and supportive, as there is no established course of treatment. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
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SPORTS
Nadal wins tiebreak shootout against Karlovic Rafael Nadal survived a barrage of aces from Ivo Karlovic on Friday to reach the semifinals of the Queen's Club ATP tournament for the first time with a 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 victory. The top seed saw 35 aces fly past his racket but showed plenty of grasscourt skills of his own to sneak through to face defending champion Andy Roddick in the semifinals. London, Reuters
REUTERS
SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 2008
ICE HOCKEY
Beating the team he grew up idolizing, Paul Pierce celebrated leading Boston back from a 24-point deficit to a 97-91 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the NBA finals on Thursday night. “It's a dream if I can come out here and win on Sunday,” said Pierce, who scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half, when the Celtics erased most of the deficit. “It's definitely a great win, one that you're going to put up there in the library and break back out one day for your kids to watch. But I want nothing more than that ring
right now and I'm not going to get overexcited.” The longest-tenured member of the Celtics, Pierce lived through two failed rebuilding efforts before last season's overhaul teamed him with fellow All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in a modernday Big Three. Now they're one game away Game 5 is on Sunday in Los Angeles -- from the Celtics' 17th NBA title and their first since the original Big Three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. “We're obviously one win away from our goal, and that's the focus. Nothing more, nothing less than that,” said Garnett, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Eddie
Grosjean makes Renault F1 test debut
SOCCER
FIFA reaches decision on claims against Mutu FIFA has taken a decision in respect to Chelsea's claims for damages against Romanian striker Adrian Mutu but has yet to release it to the sides involved, soccer's world governing body said on Friday. Media reported that FIFA decided the Fiorentina's striker must pay 12 million euros ($18.40 million) in damages to Chelsea after his contract was terminated by the London club in October 2004 as a result of the player's positive test for cocaine. “The decision on the dispute at stake has been reached by the Dispute Resolution Chamber and is currently being processed. The decision will be notified to the parties concerned in due course,” FIFA told Reuters in an email. In Zurich, Mutu's Swiss lawyer Gianpaolo Monteneri told Reuters by telephone: “We will take a decision on how to act (to defend our client) as soon as a final decision by FIFA is available.” Local media reported Monteneri visited Romania's EURO 2008 training base in St. Gallen to discuss the decision with Mutu. Bucharest Reuters
SOCCER
Wayne Rooney weds in Italian Riviera town Striker Wayne Rooney married his childhood sweetheart Coleen McLoughlin before family and close friends on Thursday at a 17th century villa on the Italian Riviera. The deputy mayor of the Ligurian coast town of Santa Margherita Ligure presided over the ceremony on a rainy morning within the frescoed walls of Villa Durazzo, officials said. The couple, both aged 22, then headed to a medieval abbey perched on a hill for their reception. The bride wore a short, low-cut, cream-white dress while the groom donned a more sportive look in a beige suit without a tie, Ansa news agency reported. The ceremony, accompanied by a violin orchestra, lasted just 20 minutes. "She was wearing a marvelous white dress," Gianni Costa, the deputy mayor who married the two, told Reuters. "He was dressed more casually. It was a very special and intense ceremony." The couple and guests arrived in cars with tinted windows, preventing a gaggle of reporters and photographers waiting outside the villa gates from getting a peek at the attendees. Anta Margherita Reuters
Cuban Dayron Robles in action at Ostrava on Thursday night.
Robles new wýll spur coach Dayron Robles's 110 metres hurdles world record will provide added motivation for Liu Xiang ahead of the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese world champion's coach Sun Haiping said. Cuban Robles shaved a hundredth of a second off the record Liu had held for two years with his run of 12.87 seconds in Ostrava, Czech Republic on Thursday night, confirming his status as Olympic champion Liu's main rival for gold in Beijing. Robles was well clear of the field, beating Terrence Trammell of the United States into second place at 13.21 and Ukraine's Sergey Demiduk into third in 13.42. “Certainly it's a kind of motivation for Liu and me,” Sun told the official Web site of the Beijing Olympics (www.beijing2008.cn). “Sport is competition. For this event, Liu led in the past but now Robles has the advantage. Therefore, we must improve ourselves again.” Liu, 24, tied Colin Jackson's world mark of 12.91 seconds when he won gold in Athens and claimed the record for himself in Lausanne two years later. The 21-year-old Robles has been in sparkling form this year, particularly in the indoor season when he set six of the seven fastest times over 60m. Liu's preparations for Beijing have been disrupted by a hamstring problem and a disqualification, which kept him out of the last two major races he planned to run before the Games. Sun said the new mark would not affect the way Liu planned to prepare for his Olympic title defense. “I will not make any big changes to our training schedule. There is not much time left,” he said. “We haven't lost
House scored nine of his 11 points in the second half, including a baseline jumper with 4:07 left to give Boston its first lead of the game, 84-83. Allen, who had 19 points and nine rebounds, followed with a drive along the baseline for a reverse layup under the flailing arms of the defenders. Pierce then grabbed a rebound after Jordan Farmar missed a 3-pointer, and he hit three of four free throws down the stretch to help ice it. For the Celtics, who trailed by an NBA-record 21 points after the first quarter, it was the end of a remarkable comeback. Los Angeles AP
Paul Pierce
Hicks, Streelman take the spotlight from Tiger Woods
Robles, born in Cuba's eastern province of Guantanamo, just missed the podium by finishing fourth at the world championships last year and does not have a major international medal
MOTOR RACING
French driver Romain Grosjean made his Formula One test debut for former champions Renault at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya. The Swiss-born 22-year-old, currently racing in the GP2 feeder series, has been tipped by France's former world champion Alain Prost among others as a future Formula One driver. “It was interesting to see the difference between a GP2 car and an F1 car which is quite incredible, especially the acceleration and the lateral grip,” said Grosjean after completing 60 laps of the Circuit de Catalunya. “The team made me feel very welcome and everyone was helpful as they knew it was my first time in the car. It was a great experience for me.” Prost said last month that Grosjean, the same age as Renault's struggling Brazilian race driver Nelson Piquet, had a bright future. London Reuters
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Celtics down Lakers, move to brink of NBA title
our confidence. Lots of aspects affect a race and Liu Xiang will never lose his confidence because of a new record.” The 21-year-old Robles, born in Cuba's eastern province of Guantanamo, just missed the podium by finishing fourth at the world championships last year and does not have a major international medal. But now he appears to be one of Cuba's best hopes for the Beijing Olympics. “It is such a good time, I did not expect that. Wow!” Robles said. “Thanks Ostrava! I am very happy and satisfied. I do not know if I can beat Liu Xiang in Beijing now. But we will see.” Robles won seven of eight races over 60 meters during the indoor season until a disappointing seventh at the World Indoor Championships in March, when he was late out of the blocks because he thought there had been a false start. He was 2-2 in head-to-heads with Liu in the 110 hurdles in 2007, when he set his previous personal best of 12.92 in finishing fifth at the World Athletics Finals at Stuttgart. Now his record puts extra pressure on Liu, who is China's biggest hope for gold on the track at the Beijing Games and has been hampered by a sore hamstring. Usain Bolt won the 200 meters in 19.83 seconds, a world leading time for the season in what was his first appearance in his favorite event this year. But he was a half second outside what
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Little-known American qualifiers Justin Hicks and Kevin Streelman upstaged tournament favorites Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson by taking charge in Thursday's first round at the US Open. Nationwide Tour player Hicks, helped by a run of six birdies in eight holes, fired a three-under-par 68 to set the early pace before being joined by PGA Tour rookie Streelman late in the day. World number one Woods, who had not previously walked 18 holes since having knee surgery two months ago, carded a topsy-turvy 72 while playing partner Mickelson returned a 71. Australia's Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 champion at Winged Foot, opened with a 69 to share third place with compatriot Stuart Appleby and Americans Rocco Mediate and Eric Axley. Hicks, a journeyman from the minor tours competing in only his second US Open, piled up seven birdies and four bogeys on the ultra-long South Course at Torrey Pines. "For me, it's a great round," the 33-year-old told reporters. "It's a US Open and I've never been able to say that I've been under par at a US Open before."I know that it's a marathon, not a sprint, and our goal is to keep playing good, steady golf and try to be standing here Sunday night." Streelman, 18 days after getting married, joined Hicks atop the leaderboard with a mix of six birdies and three bogeys. "It probably hasn't quite sunk in yet but it's pretty cool," said the world No. 608, who tied for 29th at the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines in January. "I do enjoy this golf course. The lines off the tee kind of suit my eye well." Woods, who had arthroscopic surgery on his knee two days after finishing second at the Masters in mid-April, was satisfied to end the first round just four strokes off the pace despite feeling pain in his knee late in the round. "You couldn't ask for a worse start than I got, six on the very first hole," the 13-times major champion said after a round featuring three birdies and two double-bogeys. "I figured you're going to make bogeys out here, I just happened to make two on the very first hole. "I wanted to get to even par as fast as I could and then try and get to under par for the day," added Woods, who was grouped in a dream trio with world number two Mickelson and third-ranked Adam Scott of Australia. "I got to under par at the turn and just didn't keep it there. To make two double-bogeys and a three-putt and only be four back, that's a great position to be in. "I hit the ball pretty good all day, had a couple of misses left, but just need to clean up the round just a little bit." Los Angeles AP
record Lýu on, says he needed to set world records in consecutive meets. Bolt, who set the 100 meters world record at 9.72 last month in New York, is yet to decide whether to run 100 or 200 meters in Beijing. Croatia's world champion Blanka Vlasic produced her season's best high jump performance at 2.05 meters. She set the bar at 2.10, one centimeter over the world record, but missed three times. Jeremy Wariner, the Olympic and world champion over 400 meters, tackled the 300 meters world record but at 31.72 was well outside the mark of 30.85 set by his mentor Michael Johnson in 2000. Dire Tune of Ethiopia has set a world best in the women's one-hour race by running 18.517 kilometers, improving the previous mark of 18.340 kilometers set in 1998 by Tegla Loroupe of Kenya. The Boston Marathon champion completed the rarely run race Thursday in warm weather at the Ostrava stadium, using four-pace setters. Tirunesh Dibaba, who set the women's world record in the 5,000 last week, won the 10,000 here in 31 minutes, 03.37 seconds, well off record pace.In other results, Derek Atkins of the Bahamas won the 100 meters at 10.08 from Brian Dzingai of Zimbabwe and Paul Capel of the United States. In 100 meters hurdles Lolo Jones of the United States won at 12.69 seconds, beating compatriot Candice Davies who stayed 0.11 seconds behind. Christine Obergofoll of Germany won the javelin at 67.72 meters, upsetting local favorite Barbora Spotakova who finished second at 66.91. Beijing/Ostrava Reuters and AP
REUTERS
Washington Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin had a season to remember, signing a 13-year $124 million contract, winning a world championship gold medal and claiming four of the NHL's most coveted awards. However, the gap-toothed, 22-year-old did not sound particularly satisfied as he accepted the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player on Thursday -- the Russian was disappointed his haul did not include a Stanley Cup. “I want to win, I want to win everything,” shrugged Ovechkin. “If I have a chance to win, why not? If I play for Capitals, I play for the Stanley Cup, if I play for Russia it is the Olympics. I am happy we won the world championship, so next step is the Stanley Cup or Olympic gold medal. Toronto Reuters
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Trophy haul not enough to satisfy Ovechkin
Justin Hicks
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AP
SPORTS
Defending champ Greece to attack as win is only option Greece coach Rehhagel is expected to scrap the tactic of a five-man defense, which was eventually prised open by the Swedes in Salzburg, and opt for a more attacking 4-3-3 lineup Rehhagel could opt for the experienced Nikos Liberopoulos, who has often scored from long range and is good at set pieces, to replace either of them. He might also deploy attack-minded defender Christos Patsatzoglou to close the gap between the back four and a midfield that looked shaky on Tuesday. "We promise you that we will be a different team. We can't tell you if we will win or lose but we won't be the same team as against Sweden," captain Angelos Basinas said.
Less naive Hiddink has said he is unlikely to make any big changes to the team, although he may be forced to if striker Roman Pavlyuchenko does not recover from a thigh problem that forced
AT A GLANCE Kickoff today: 21:45 (live on atv and Lig TV) Venue: Wals-Siezenheim, Salzburg Capacity: 30,000 Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy)
him to miss some training on Thursday. His absence would be a blow to Russia, already without suspended forward Andrei Arshavin and injured striker Pavel Pogrebnyak. Pavlyuchenko scored their only goal against Spain. Asked by Russian television channel Sport if he planned many changes, Hiddink said: "No, not really. Mainly because we have a young team and we're not one of those na-
tional sides where one of the 23 players can replace another and play just as well." The Dutchman has told his players to put their error-strewn performance against Spain out of their minds. "Guus told us that we need to forget the Spain result as soon as possible," captain Sergei Semak said. Hiddink added that his young team had paid the price for their inexperience against Spain, when they were repeatedly caught out on the break. After the match, he told his players they had just days to become less naive and more mature. Midfielder Konstantin Zyryanov summed up the mood, saying: "It's going to be a tough match between the two group outsiders. Our chances were good before the Spain game and remain good." Klagenfurt Reuters
Valiant Croats bring Germans down to earth
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AP
Holders Greece and Russia are expected to ring the changes today in their bid to avoid a dreaded second defeat in a row in Group D at Euro 2008. Tactical changes are mooted for Greece, whose cautious approach failed to pay off in Tuesday's 2-0 loss to Sweden, while coach Guus Hiddink has called for a different mentality among his Russia side after a 4-1 drubbing by Spain. Greece coach Otto Rehhagel is expected to scrap the tactic of a five-man defense, which was eventually prised open by the Swedes in Salzburg, and opt for a more attacking 4-3-3 lineup. Fanis Gekas should start as his pace will trouble Russia's defence but there is a question mark over whether Angelos Haristeas and Yannis Amanatidis will make the starting XI.
The Croats underlined their growing reputation as Euro 2008's most dangerous dark horses by stunning tournament favorite Germany 2-1 and earning a quarterfinal berth in a day of enthralling Group B action on Thursday. The Germans next face co-host Austria who rescued a 1-1 draw against Poland with a hotly disputed penalty deep into injury time to the shrill delight of their fans packed into Ernst Happel Stadium in the capital Vienna. Defeat by Austria on Monday -- still a long shot -- would mean a previously unthinkable first-stage exit for the Germans who are ranked 87 places above their next opponents. Ivica Vastic's penalty in the 93rd minute for Austria after Sebastian Proedl was hauled down in the Polish area, also ensured that the fast-improving Croatians joined Portugal in the last eight with a group game still to contest.
Blind eye Poland coach Leo Beenhakker told a news conference he thought referees had been turning a blind eye to such challenges and could not understand why his team had been punished. "I've been in this business 43 years. I always accept the referee's decision but this is something I really can't understand in relation to the other situations," he said. "So many instructions (to referees) yet in all the matches until now nothing happens. It's impossible to accept -- but I'm working on it." For neutrals, though, the June 7-29 tournament was simply continuing its run of open, exciting and relatively clean encounters, although Germany substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger somewhat tarnished that record of good behaviour with the first red card on the sixth day of matches for a retaliatory shove. Fortunately for organiers UEFA, the majority of fans in Klagenfurt and Vienna for two matches offering potential flashpoints did not follow the blond midfielder's petulant example and no serious trouble was reported by police.
Outbattled, outwitted
Greek players sign autographs as German coach Otto Rehhagel, far left, looks on, after a training session of the national soccer team of Greece in the Austrian village of Seekirchen.
PHOTO
REUTERS
Familiarity breeds respect for Spain, Sweden
David Villa
Familiar foes Sweden and Spain meet at Euro 2008 today with nothing but mutual respect after locking horns in qualifying. "The Swedes are a very difficult side to play against," Spain coach Luis Aragones told reporters this week. "They play at great pace on the counter-attack and have some excellent forwards. They are definitely a team to worry about." Opposite number Lars Lagerback expressed similar sentiments about the Spanish before the Group D game in Innsbruck. "We know all about Spain having played them in qualifying," he said. "They like to keep the ball and are very dangerous in attack. We will have to be patient and play our own game, like we did against Greece." "Spain are a quality team. If some of the players that are sitting on their bench had Swedish passports, I would certainly have them in my team." Spain finished two points ahead Sweden in qualification although honors were even in head-to-head meetings, the Scandinavians winning 2-0 in Solna in October 2006, but then go-
ing down 3-0 in Madrid in November last year. The two sides notched up convincing wins in their opening matches on Tuesday, Spain crushing Russia 4-1 and Sweden beating defending champions Greece 2-0.
Quarterfinals It means a victory for either side today would move them to within touching distance of
GROUP D STANDINGS
Spain
P
W D
L GF GA Pts
1
1
0
0
4
1
3
Sweden
1
1
0
0
2
0
3
Greece
1
0
0
1
0
2
0
Russia
1
0
0
1
1
4
0
AT A GLANCE Kickoff today: 21:45 (Live on atv and Lig TV) Venue:Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck Capacity: 30,000 Referee: Pieter Vink (Netherlands)
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the quarterfinals; with a place in the last eight guaranteed for the victors should Greece's late kickoff against Russia end in a draw. Spain have no significant injury problems and Aragones is likely to stick with the same side that beat Russia. Striker David Villa, who notched a hat-trick on Tuesday, suffered a hairline fracture to his right index finger after getting it caught in Fernando Torres's shirt during the celebrations for his opening goal but will be available. Sweden, however, will have to reconstruct their right flank following injuries to Christian Wilhelmsson and defender Niclas Alexandersson. Alexandersson's place is set to go to Fredrik Stoor, who replaced him as substitute against the Greeks, while it is a toss up between Sebastian Larsson and Johan Elmander for Wilhelmsson's berth on the right wing. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who opened the scoring against Greece, has a swollen knee but should be fit enough to start again alongside Henrik Larsson up front. Innsbruck Reuters
Croatia, as candid Germany coach Joachim Loew was among the first to concede, deserved their upset win. They outbattled but more importantly, outwitted the three times winners. "I don't think the Croats are a better team than us but they were cleverer, had more spirit, had good tactics and closed us down in the midfield. We didn't find a solution I think they deserved to win," he said in a perfect summing-up. The Croats were good value for their 2-0 lead just past the hour courtesy of goals from Darijo Srna and Ivica Olic and they even took Lukas Podolski's 79th minute strike in their stride, comfortably surviving the final few minutes. Poland would have given much for similar composure as their later match reached boiling point with Austria desperately seeking to wipe out a goal from the apparently offside Brazilianborn Roger Guerreiro after 30 minutes. With three minutes of injury time left on British referee Howard Webb's watch, an Austria free-kick was pumped hopefully into the box and Mariusz Lewandowski manhandled Proedl to the floor. Webb immediately pointed to the penalty spot. Vastic, at 38 the oldest man in the tournament, used all his experience to smash the ball home and send tens of thousands of fans in the stadium wild. He also broke a 24-year-old record to become the oldest scorer at a European Championship finals. Ýstanbul/Vienna Today’s Zaman with wires
GROUP B STANDINGS
Croatia
P
W D
L GF GA Pts
2
2
0
0
3
1
6
Germany
2
1
0
1
3
2
3
Austria
2
0
1
1
1
2
1
Poland
2
0
1
1
1
3
1
FINAL GROUP MATCHES ON MONDAY 21:45 Poland vs. Croatia; Woerthersee, Klagenfurt 21: 45 Austria vs. Germany; Ernst Happel, Vienna Note: All times Turkish.
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