T01-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
19:37
Page 1
05
Serena through to second round after early struggle
20
Migration from southeastern to western Anatolia is slowing down, according to recent statistics
06
The Turkish Health Ministry launches a national action plan to decrease the number of obese Turks
Yo u r Way o f U n d e r s t a n d ý n g Tu r k e y
TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2008 WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM YTL 1.50
Iraq's local polls could be delayed over Kirkuk row page04 OIL TANKER TRAFFIC DOUBLES IN A DECADE DESPITE NEW ROUTES FOR CASPIAN OIL
Risk-prone tankers threaten straits ERCAN YAVUZ, ANKARA
Black Sea region depend on them to exchange goods with the rest of the world. Traffic in the straits will likely increase in the coming years as these countries, which Turkey has found it hard to convince to use newly emerging alternative energy routes, develop economically. Recent oil treaties involving the Russian, Caspian and Kazakh regions point to an even further increase in traffic, in spite of the BTC and Blue Stream. The amount of oil passing through the straits was 164.1 million tons in 2007, up from 63.1 million in 1997. According to statistics from the Coast Guard
Command, 91.1 million tons of oil were shipped through the straits in 2000. That number was 145.1 million in 2003 and 152.7 million in 2006. The figure estimated for 2009 is more than 200 million tons. The danger this poses for the environment is enormous. The Istanbul strait is one of the narrowest points for sea transport in the world. Its winding contours, strong currents and poor visibility due to fog, snow and rain create additional risks. Approximately 10 percent of the 50,000 vessels that pass through the Istanbul strait every year are oil or liquefied natural gas tankers. This combination of
factors has multiplied the risk of a major accident that could have serious environmental consequences and endanger the residents of this city of 13 million. Russia supports construction of the SamsunCeyhan Pipeline, a planned crude oil pipeline between a Black Sea oil terminal in Samsun and a Mediterranean oil terminal in Turkey's Ceyhan to provide an alternative route for Russian and Kazakhstan's oil and to ease the traffic burden of the Bosporus and the Dardanelles, but it still opposes a complete ban on international fuel transport through the straits. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
M. BURAK BÜRKÜK
Despite the completion of alternative methods to transport oil and natural gas, such as the Blue Stream gas pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline, the intensity of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and oil tanker traffic in Turkey's straits has grown by 2.6 times in the past 10 years, posing a serious environmental threat to these bodies of water. Turkey's Bosporus and Çanakkale straits are of strategic importance as many countries in the
PHOTO
07
MEDITERRANEAN HOTELS FILLED TO CAPACITY IN ONLY JUNE Foreign visitor attraction to Turkey's tourism center of Antalya continues to grow, leading to full hotel occupancy even at the beginning of the summer season.
Turkish players in a joyous mood during a training session for Wednesday’s Euro 2008 semifinal against Germany.
Turks undaunted despýte ýnjurýes and suspensýons Injuries and suspensions may have wreaked havoc on the Turkish squad, but the Turks still have a 50-50 chance of beating Germany in Wednesday's semifinal in Basel, Bayern Munich midfielder Hamit Altintop has said. “The Germans are the favorites but we have a good team and if we continue as we started we have a lot of self-belief,” he told reporters at a training session in Vienna. “We are not worried about the injuries and suspensions. We have other good players who will give their all and, let's be frank, when you are in the semifinal of course you want to play
in the final. I think the chances are 50/50.” The Turks' never-say-die attitude has brought some thrilling finales to their matches. They beat Croatia on penalties in their quarterfinal on Friday after equalizing with the last kick in extra time following a late Croatian goal. But coach Fatih Terim faces a tense few days as he waits to hear if an appeal against goalkeeper Volkan Demirel's suspension is successful and whether Emre Belözoðlu will be fit to play. His team has been decimated by injuries and suspensions, leaving him only 13 outfield players to choose from against Germany. CONTINUED ON PAGE 19
04 REPORT: PKK IS NOT TERRORIST, SAYS BARZANI AGAIN
Iraqi Kurdish leader Barzani has suggested that the outlawed PKK is not a terrorist organization, a suggestion likely to reflame Ankara's anger against him.
Featuring news and articles from
Fethullah Gülen voted world’s top living public intellectual KERÝM BALCI, ANKARA Turkish intellectual Fethullah Gülen, one of the world's most influential Islamic scholars, has come out on top of a list of "The World's Top 20 Public Intellectuals" organized by the magazines Foreign Policy and Prospect. The top 10 names on the list, closely observed by millions all over the world, were all Muslim scholars, including two Nobel laureates: Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk and Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi. Also on the top 20 list were activist Noam Chomsky, best known for his scathing criticism of US foreign policy extending back to the Vietnam War; Former Vice President Al Gore, who championed the campaign against global warming; historian Bernard Lewis, one of the foremost historians of the Middle East; Umberto Eco, a famous Italian novelist; Amartya Sen, the premier welfare economist of the 20th century; Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International; and Gary Kasparov, the chess grandmaster and a democracy activist from Russia. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
PACE reminds Constitutional Court of European norms The president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has once more voiced his concern over the outcome of an ongoing closure case against Turkey's ruling party, while expressing hope that Turkey's top court will make a ruling in line with European principles. PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig was speaking yesterday to reporters in Strasbourg on the occasion of the opening of the summer session of PACE, during which an urgent debate on the functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey will be held on Thursday. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has also been invited to participate in the debate; however, the minister is likely to participate in a meeting of the National Security Council (MGK) in Ankara on Thursday instead of traveling to Strasbourg for the debate on the same day. CONTINUED ON PAGE 04
23.06.2008
15:12
Page 1
02 TODAY’S ZAMAN
’
F OOD FOR THOUGHT
’
Q UOTE OF THE DAY
I'm convinced... that Israeli security will never be fully assured without the birth of a second state, a Palestinian state. French President Nicolas Sarkozy
FATMA DÝÞLÝ
f.disli@todayszaman.com
PRESS REVIEW
columns
W ORDS OF WISDOM
In our team the players are flexible. I can play on the left or the right. We all speak the same language, that is the main thing. Turkey midfielder Hamit Atýntop
CROSS READER
’
T U E S D AY, J U N E 2 4 , 2 0 0 8
There are two kinds of egotists: Those who admit it, and the rest of us.
press roundup PHOTO
Mýlýtary’s plans to ‘remake socýety’ nothýng new A report published last week by the Taraf daily claimed that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had secretly devised a comprehensive plan of action to intervene in politics and civilian life. According to a leaked military document, the military's "Information Support Activity Action Plan" went into force in September 2007 and comprises a series of "measures" to be taken against the government, which the military regards as the source of a "religious reactionary movement." The military document also defines the plan's goals as "bringing public opinion into line with the TSK on issues the TSK is sensitive about, preventing the development of incorrect opinions about the TSK, ensuring the unity and solidarity of opinions and actions within the TSK." Immediately releasing a statement in response to the allegations, the General Staff denied the daily's report, claiming that there was no such official document approved by the commanding ranks in the General Staff's records. However, the military's past record of similar plans has obviously cast doubt on its credibility. Milliyet's Semih Ýdiz, who interprets the General Staff's denial as a confession of the existence of such a plan, regrets that the Turkish military does not take any lessons from its similar attempts in the past, which have always backfired. "Similar documents were uncovered in the past as well. Diaries were prepared. Special notes were compiled about journalists, labeling them as in favor of or against the TSK. E-memorandums were posted on the military's Web site against the government. All these moves backfired. They not only damaged Turkey's image, they also deepened the ambiguity surrounding the future of our democracy," Ýdiz complains. In his view, there is now an ongoing "postmodern civil war" in Turkey in which each state authority ignores its constitutional boundaries and tries to influence the political environment directly or indirectly. In this regard, he sees the TSK's plan as part of its efforts to influence politics, but he also complains about the lack of any mechanism in Turkey that could call the TSK to account for such actions. Yeni Þafak's Yasin Aktay asks how one can expect such a document -- which sees almost 80 percent of the Turkish nation as an enemy and develops strategies to counter the government to which it is answerable -- to be in the official records of the TSK. He writes: "Fortunately, the General Staff denies the existence of such a document. Although the existence and authenticity of the document can be proven, the TSK's denial at least shows that it does not stand behind the document. Now there is only one question left to be posed to the TSK: How does it distance itself from this document and its parallels with what has been happening in Turkey for the past nine months?" Another Yeni Þafak columnist, Kürþat Bumin, sees this document as an indication of the "nanny role" of educating the nation that the TSK has taken upon itself. Referring to main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) member Mustafa Özyürek, who also said the TSK's denial was far from credible, he argues that the TSK's insistence on seeing itself as the "nanny" of the nation has turned into a pedagogy that has led even the CHP to question it. In his view, the report uncovered by Taraf about the military's plan to "remake society" is not surprising at all because everybody is used to such attempts from the Turkish military.
Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar Büyükanýt is right in asking whether there is any other military in the world that is the subject of verbal attacks like those directed at the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK); however, it is essentially impossible for me to agree with him. We need to ask him the following: Is there any other military in the world (except in banana republics) which carries out coups every 10 years, which executes prime ministers and ministers, which tries to balance democracy by sending tanks to the streets when it cannot seize power, which openly curses the prime minister, which meddles in politics and the judiciary and which develops a project to remake society and keeps records on everyone? Excuse me, esteemed pasha, you have to criticize yourself first before criticizing others.
When will they shoot Obama? ENGÝN ARDIÇ, SABAH The issue of Iraq is one which transcends any American president, no matter what color he or she happens to be. And if Barack Obama really does try to pull American forces out of Iraq, they will, in one way or another, get rid of him. What I am curious about is whether or not they will try to shoot him in the next five months prior to the elections, or sometime between November and January when he holds "president elect" status, or will they wait for awhile as they did with Kennedy? The gunman will, of course, be an Arab, although this time, before he is shot by another gunman, he will have a chance to yell out some well-worn slogan such as "Long live Osama!" The person who shoots the Arab gunman will make statements afterwards such as: "I loved Obama so much. I just couldn't help myself." And a short while afterwards, this shooter too will die. In the meantime, any witnesses around will be killed in a series of stranger and stranger accidents. As Paul Henze would have said, "Their boys will have done it!"
A 3-year-old boy who squeezed his head between the balcony posts of his house in Konya's Seydiþehir district on Sunday was rescued by firefighters, who had to remove the posts.
National team like Muhammad Ali HAKAN ALBAYRAK, YENÝ ÞAFAK
zaman: US presidential hopeful Barack Obama apologized to two Muslim women who were prevented from posing for a photo with Obama because of their headscarves during an election campaign, reported the daily's main story yesterday. Calling the two Muslim women on the phone, he expressed his regret over the incident and pledged that he would continue fighting against discrimination.
akþam:
Fatih Terim, coach of the Turkish national team, which has won three stunning victories in the Euro 2008 tournament, pointed to his wife, Fulya, as the source of his never-ending motivation. "Fulya is my secret weapon," he said, speaking to the Italian La Gazzetta dello Sport. He said he looked at his wife, who was watching from the stands, before the penalties in the match against Croatia last Friday and shouted: "Relax, we will win! My wife already has the semifinal tickets in her pocket." Also talking about the semifinal match to be played against Germany on Wednesday, he stated that he is hopeful Turkey will win although many key players will be absent in the match due to injuries and suspensions.
yeni þafak:
Let's keep both religion and secularism, read the daily's lead headline yesterday,
quoting remarks from Professor Ali Bardakoðlu, head of the Religious Affairs Directorate. Speaking to the daily's Mehmet Gündem, Bardakoðlu said secularism and religiosity are not in conflict with each other in Turkey as claimed by certain people. "Turkey's religiosity is a choice that has persisted since the Ottoman Empire. Turkey will not give up its religiosity, secularism or democracy," he said. Bardakoðlu noted that Turkey has an established secular system and has the power to inspire both the Islamic world and the West if it is not presented as a model conflicting with religiosity.
taraf:
Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) leader Ufuk Uras, speaking at a forum called "LeftWing Alternative for Another Turkey" over the weekend, said Turkey was at a new crossroads and that it is crucial to do away with politics under military tutelage and to adopt democratic politics. Uras noted that Turkish society had not become more conservative under Justice and Development Party (AK Party) rule; rather, Turkish conservatism started with the 1980 military coup. "Forming a left-wing alternative against the AK Party and pro-status quo is vital to replace the military, mosque and capitalcentered politics with a system based on peace, democracy and labor," added Uras.
turkey ýn the foreýgn press The Guardýan
The New York Týmes
Islamic scholar voted world’s No. 1 thinker A hitherto largely unknown Turkish Islamic scholar, Fethullah Gülen, has been voted the world's top intellectual in a poll that sought to find the world's leading 100 thinkers. Gülen, the author of more than 60 books, won a landslide triumph after the survey -- which is organized by the British magazine Prospect and Foreign Policy, a US publication -- attracted more than 500,000 votes. The result surprised organizers, who attributed it to a sustained campaign by Gülen's followers, known as the Gülen Movement, after
Excuse me, esteemed pasha ÞAMÝL TAYYAR, STAR
Laurence J. Peter
SÝNAN GÜL
T02-24-06-08.qxd
Turkey's biggest-selling newspaper, Zaman, publicized the poll. Prospect's editor, David Goohart, admitted to not having previously heard of Gülen and said his supporters had "made a mockery" of the poll. But he said the result flagged up significant political trends in Turkey. "The victory of Gülen draws attention to the most important conflict in Europe, played out in Turkey between the secular nationalist establishment and the reforming Islamic democrats of the Justice and Development Party," he said.
In Turkey, bitter feud has roots in history As Turkey's governing party braces for a high court ruling that could close it down and bar many of its members from politics, party officials like to talk about what they did that caused so much trouble. "Watch out, you're talking to a sinner," said Sadullah Ergin, an official in the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), whose founders, some of them former Islamists, now want Turkey to be a more open society for practicing Muslims. Ergin's offense, detailed in a more than 160-
CM Y K
page indictment of the party and its officials that has paralyzed Turkish politics since it was filed in March, was saying that a ban on women wearing headscarves in universities violated human rights, adding his signature to a draft law that helped cancel it and talking about it on a television talk show. The indictment accuses the party of trying to turn Turkey, a secular democracy, into an Islamic state, a charge that Ergin contends is "political, not legal."
The Islamic world has found its new Muhammad Ali -- Turkey's national team. OK, our national team doesn't have the anti-colonialist, anti-imperialist and antifascist stance of Ali. This team does not chant the slogans that Ali chanted. It is not making a bid to fight for all the Muslims and oppressed peoples of the world, and it does not dedicate its victories to them. However, the fact that these young Turkish players utter Allah's name and deal a severe blow to the Westerners in football resonates among the Muslims of the world as a type of revenge. World Muslims watch Turkey's matches in Euro 2008 with prayers, and they enthusiastically celebrate its victories, just as they once celebrated Muhammad Ali's victories in the boxing ring.
Reading books TAHA AKYOL, MÝLLÝYET The Talking Book Festival was held Saturday afternoon in Istanbul, and President Abdullah Gül and his wife, Hayrünnisa, attended, thereby drawing more attention to the event. The festival, which is also being sponsored by Gül, will have its first stop after Istanbul in the Turkish city of Þanliurfa. I wasn't able to go to the Istanbul leg of the festival, so I hope to be able to get to the one in Þanliurfa. I think this whole affair is quite advantageous for Turkey, both in terms of helping foster a desire to read among the younger generations and in terms of introducing new reading material to various regions of the country. Directives were sent out earlier from Ankara's Çankaya Presidential Palace to various local authorities across Turkey regarding the Talking Book Festival; committees were set up, especially in schools, starting in the kindergartens, to help encourage reading habits. And so I wish to congratulate Hayrünnisa Gül, who has undertaken the responsibility for this reading campaign, which aims -- without any attention paid to differences, political or otherwise -- to bring together readers with the written word in cities from Elazýð to Sakarya.
T03-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
18:54
Page 1
! # ! % ' )! ! # )' ! )
! + % )!
" $ & ( ** & * *,
+ % - ) ' % ! .! # ! )/ ) 0)1 ! # % +2 )
" ( *& & * " 3
< $
= # \ * < = $ \ = } } \ ]< } [ \ ^ = \ $
*
#
$ % &* + < &= < # + >@ $ Q X[[ \ * # % >@ \ + < < > % < >@ Q ] ] \ ^ < _ > >@ Q ] ^ `{ _ < | = < ] $ \ $ { }} = < ~ $ ^ > $ \ $ >@ \ $ ^ >@ \ ^ X[[ \ $ ^Q \ ]* ^ Q < + >@
`_* | $ ] \ $ \ $ \ # $ [ \ ]$ ] \ \X \ # \
< $
$ Q
> # Q % \ +@ > } [[[ # ^ \ ^
! " # $ % & ' ( & %
)
# # \ $ Q \ ] \ * ] \ * Q X # $ \ \ ]
` % $ | ] \ $ \ $ X [[[ \ $ \
CM Y K
Q \ ^ < ] = `^ ] ^ ] ^ \| ^ Q \ _ Q $ ] $ ] [[ [[[ >@ \ + ~ >@ X[[ [[[ X \ X [[[ + # ~ < \ >@ Q $ \ XX[ $ $ \ ^$ \ $ ^< \ + >@ Q ~ * ^ $ ^ + <
] \] Q \
T04-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
18:53
Page 1
$ # % $ & ^ % = # = Q < <== # # \ # Q ^ ^ $ <
^ % < { $ Q < & = <&= * \ < # Q = _ < =_< \ ^ % $ ^ <== #
= ^ % <
\ ]= \ <== # <== $ Q <== \ = \ \ % ] # % \
] \ ^ = ] # % % $ <==\ ^ % $ ] # ] \ ^ % ^ % < { $ \ $ ^ % Q $ ^ %
<==\ $ $ = ^ % # $ # <== # # \ ]=
= =
\ # ^ %\ $ ] # ^ <
\
&$ *
< $
]^ \ $ Q \ ^ $ \ $ % ] < \ $ { _ < = < ] \] $ Q < } \ < = < \ $ \ _ < < Q ] ] = < \ ]$ % \ $
\ $ ] < % % \ $ < Q < < < = < ] ] $ \ $ Q < < = < > \ ] $ $ Q \ ^ ] < \
, ( / " ( + ( * - @ & / $- ) 7 " $
$ & " % " $ ' *$ %
) " + ( * $ $ , ) -
$ & (( & " ( / " ( + ( * 1/ +*3 % $ $
$ , ) # $ , " $ $ " $ 4 - 5 $
$ ( 6 7 + 1&' 3 , / +*
$ " " ( , ) " ) (
$ (
% * , ) % % ) % * 9 :: ( + ( * , ) ( (
"
$
$ & (( , # ; & % " < < ( % ( " 7 " $
( $ &'
$ " % " % ( ( , ) ( % *
% $ " ( $ & = $ " $ $ (
, ) , % $ " % * ( $ - (
$ ( , ) - % ( ( ( (
$ " )
(
( / +* $ $- $ %
5 $ " # > ? / 1 / 3 " ' !
( % - " $ ( % /
( $ &'
$ , -
% " *$ 7
$ ( " ( ( 9
!" # # ^ %Q < \ < \ X = =
^ %\ ]$ \ =
] { _ * * * \ ]^ \] $ { \ &*
\ $ =
= $ ^ %\ = = =
\ * \ $ $ $ = \ $ _ ^ % % \
=
Q $ \ = \ * $ $ = \ = \ ] =
\ ^ % ] * Q = \ = \
* $
=
\ ] =
}[[ ] \ = = * }[[ \ > * < \ < { \ _ < * = = $ \ * { }[[ \ ! 4
> * > \ @ @ Q ] ] $ + Q $*= % < Q < < \ * < # @ * > * \ $ $*= > \ # @ Q $ + $*= $ \ # @ Q Q \ < # @ Q $*= \ $ $*=Q * }[[ ]^ * < \] ^$ { _ < = < \ $ $*=Q
$*= \ = = = Q < <== \ % = $ Q ^ % $ % \ $ Q { }X }[[ \ $ = < $ _ < < @ > \ + @ @ \ = < \
$*= \ + $*= X[ }[[ $ Q \ $*= $*= } \ _ X [ = < { }} \ $ $*=Q $ \ } $*=Q Q Q \ ^ \
$ > > > \ $ }[ $
X > _ \ $ Q
> \ * _ # \ $ > % \
T05-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
19:00
Page 1
NATIONAL
TODAY’S ZAMAN 05
T U E S D AY, J U N E 2 4 , 2 0 0 8
CÝHAN
Turkey’s first ‘solar house’ built in Diyarbakýr Turkey’s first “solar house,” able to meet its energy needs for heating, lighting and cooling via solar energy alone, went online in Diyarbakýr over the weekend. Project Manager Çelik Erengezgin, a 63year-old professional architect, said he felt like a first-time father, and told Today’s Zaman that the solar house scheme was well suited to Diyarbakýr in particular and Turkey in general. He added that he hoped his design would become widespread and contribute to the prevention of future environmental and energy problems. Diyarbakýr Mayor Osman Baydemir noted the paradox of humanity being both global warming’s architect and victim. Mankind must change its perception of nature and its relation to it, he urged, adding, “We need to lead democratic and ecological lives in harmony with nature.” Baydemir expressed hope that opening the solar house would lead to the spread of such an understanding and that it “will encourage everybody to reconsider their consumption and living habits.”
PHOTOS
EMRULAH BAYRAK DÝYARBAKIR
suggests the region is well suited to solar energy projects, with its more than 3,020 hours of sunlight every year. Diyarbakýr is luckier still, with around 3,300 hours of sunlight each year. In general more than 2,000 hours of sunlight annually are required for solar energy production to be feasible. The average in Turkey is around 2,600 hours.
Inside the solar house
Solar houses built in Diyarbakýr are able to meet their energy needs for heating, lighting and cooling via solar energy alone. Elif Torcu Taþ, sector manager for environment at the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey, emphasized that she believed the solar house could play an important role against climate change and boost public awareness. Work is under way to find solutions to un-
employment, migration, public health and climate change issues under the umbrella of the European Union, she noted, and added, “This new initiative aims to increase the living standards of the coming generation, while meeting our [present] needs.” Research conducted in southeastern Anatolia
The temperature two meters below the surface of the soil in Diyarbakýr varies between 12 degrees Celsius in winter and 17 in summer. The constructors took advantage of this and set up an integrated system linking the solar water-heating panels on the roof with a network of pipes buried at three meters’ depth. Circulation between these two systems assists in temperature regulation of the house to combat extremes of over 40 degrees in summer and -20 in winter. In this way the energy required for heating and cooling the house is greatly reduced. The computer, lights and refrigerator in the solar house use solar-generated electricity, while its waste water is processed biologically on site, avoiding pollution of nearby water sources.
Westward migration of Kurds slows down, statistics show CÝHAN
Migration from southeastern to western Anatolia is slowing down, according to statistics. Experts cite difficult conditions prevalent in the west and discriminatory attitudes towards Kurdish citizens of Turkey as reasons Population statistics from pre-2000, 2000 and 2007 point out that migration from southeastern to western Anatolia has slowed down significantly and that urbanization in southeastern Anatolia is above the national average. Experts say this trend has developed not only because of difficult living conditions encountered in the west but also because of discrimination in the west toward Kurdish citizens of Turkey. According to economist Mustafa Sönmez, sociologist Mazhar Baðlý and Diyarbakýr’s Bar Association Chairman Sezgin Tanrýkulu, Kurds have serious concerns about the possible negative attitude toward them in the west. Sönmez says data collected by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) between 1990 and 2000 show an inflow of 567,000 people into 21 cities of southeastern and eastern Anatolia while approximately 993,000 people migrated from those cities to the west, meaning net migration was almost 426,000. According to Sönmez, most of those migrations were from Van, Diyarbakýr, Batman and Þanlýurfa. In those years the net migration rate was negative in these cities. But between 2000 and 2007 the net migration rate turned positive, and only 158,000 people migrated west. In an article published by the Independent Communication Network (bianet), Sönmez underlines that from 2000 to 2007 the population increased in Þýrnak by 17.8 percent, in Van by 11.6 percent, in Siirt by 10.6, in Diyarbakýr by 7.2, in Mardin by 5.8, in Þanlýurfa by 5.5, in Hakkari by 4.2 and in Batman by 3.4 percent. Sönmez indicates that apart from high birth rates, a slowdown in migration is the reason behind these increases. The average birth rate, the number of children a woman between the ages of 15-49 gives birth to, is 2.53 in all of Turkey; this is 4.92 in southeastern Anatolia and 3.92 in eastern Anatolia. Sönmez points out that despite the slowdown in migration from southeastern Anatolia to the west, eastern Anatolia -- and the northeast in particular -- continues to see a
PHOTO
AYÞE KARABAT ANKARA
In the past many families from Turkey’s poverty-stricken eastern and southeastern provinces migrated to the west of the country in search of better living conditions. population decrease. This is especially true in Erzurum, Erzincan, Ardahan and Bitlis. Urbanization in southeastern Anatolia has increased, up by 59 percent in Diyarbakýr, by 60 percent in Þanlýurfa, by 57 percent in Van 57 and by 72 percent in Batman. According to Sönmez, discrimination against Kurds also plays a role in the decrease. “Kurds, despite poor living conditions in cities where they form a majority, are giving up the idea of migrating to the west because they think the west is no longer secure for them,” Sönmez says. Baðlý, a sociologist at Diyarbakýr Dicle University, points out that although no scientific research has been done about the reasons for the slowdown, a cursory observation gives the impression that the Kurds do not feel secure in the west. “Instead of migrating to the west the people of the region prefer to migrate within the region. Gaziantep is a good example of this. Employment
opportunities about there and Kurds do not feel discriminated against,” Baðlý says. According to him, net migration in eastern and southeastern Anatolia was very high before for two main reasons. “Mechanized agriculture was introduced to the region after the west. It is a fact that if agricultural mechanization enters a region, migration is a natural outcome. Additionally, security reasons and forced evacuation of villages increased migration rates. Now this process has stopped and despite difficult living conditions, people living in the region have serious uneasiness on migrating.” Baðlý underlined that a sociological rule states that “migrated populations do not return” even if they want to do so. He pointed to research done before the 1990s which stated that 70 percent of migrants wanted to return. In the 1990s it was around 60 percent, but in the year 2004 it had already dropped to around 45 percent. Women, in particular, are reluctant to return, he said.
But Tanrýkulu said even Kurds who migrated to the west and are not planning to return are trying to buy houses in Diyarbakýr. “They are purchasing property not because they want to invest or maintain ties with their city but out of a fear that one day they might be forced to return,” he says. Sönmez, Baðlý and Tanrýkulu also note the fact that Kurds have been targeted in many recent events in the west. In several universities, including those in Antalya, Muðla and Aydýn, Kurdish students were attacked, an attempt to lynch Kurdish workers took place in Sakarya and in Bursa a store owned by a Kurdish family was vandalized. “Even if Kurds are hungry in their cities, they prefer to stay hungry than be humiliated,” Tanrýkulu says. According to him, the slowdown in migration from southeastern Anatolia to the west only shows that “divisions between hearts are becoming geographical, too.”
Common Sense Movement seeks democracy Intellectuals, academics, journalists, politicians and civil society representatives have formed a new group called the Common Sense Movement to ensure public participation in the making of a new constitution. Ayhan Ogan, the movement’s general coordinator, said they are aiming at getting citizens actively involved in the fight for democracy and freedoms in Turkey. Speaking at a press conference in Ýstanbul, Ogan said the movement was directed against a persisting elitist system in which the public was seen as no more than material for political projects. He explained that this system does not value the votes of the public or the elected representatives of the people. “Individual rights and freedoms should be the norms in the new constitution, not restrictions. The state serves the public according to the rule of law. A democratic state should not have an ideology. People should not be labeled as anything. A state should not use laws for the protection of its own ideology, and it should remain at an equal distance from all ideologies and protect its objectivity. A new constitution should be built upon these principles,” Ogan said. Necati Ceylan, president of the Association of Turkish Voluntary Enterprises (TGTV), Ahmet Gündoðdu, president of Civil Servants’ Trade Union (Memur-Sen), Yusuf Engin, vice president of the Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions (Hak-Ýþ), and Faruk Gergerlioðlu, president of the Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples (MAZLUM-DER) also spoke about the importance of a democratic constitution at the press conference. The Common Sense Movement will hold meetings in various provinces of Turkey beginning on June 28. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) had established a commission of constitutional law experts to draft a new constitution to replace the 1982 Constitution, which was installed under military rule and restricts many freedoms, but the draft never became a reality. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
Fýrat says NYT comments distorted A top official from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) defended his stance regarding comments to a US newspaper on the life-changing revolutions of the 1920s in Turkey while the opposition slammed him for his words. Dengir Mir Mehmet Fýrat, the AK Party’s deputy chairman, said his views have been distorted. “If media distort [news] and relay [it] as the product of a psychological war, we cannot talk about a true use of the freedom of thought and expression.” In a news story titled “In Turkey, bitter feud has roots in history appeared,” published by The New York Times on Sunday, Fýrat was among a number of people the newspaper’s reporter in Turkey, Sabrina Tavernise, interviewed. “Turkish society has been traumatized. … Overnight they were told to change their dress, their language. Their religious ways were dismantled,” Fýrat was quoted as saying. At a press conference in Ankara yesterday Fýrat said he had a lengthy interview with the journalist but only a few sentences of this have been used and that if the whole interview had been taken into consideration, it would have been seen how he gave a historical background to his words. “In general, I said that what has been done in Atatürk’s time was a revolution. I said changing the alphabet into Latin letters, placing mosques under state control and crushing the religious hierarchy were revolutionary. And I went on to explain that revolutions have traumas so they are different than evolutions,” Fýrat said. Most of the opposition party officials criticized Fýrat for his comments. Cihan Paçacý, the general secretary of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), was among the harshest critics. He said he will say no more because the comments came from Fýrat. Ali Arslan, a Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy, presented a motion to Parliament yesterday asking if the AK Party is trying to draw an image of Turkey that stands in contrast to the secular structure of the country. Mehmet Gülcegün, the vice chairman of the Social Democratic People’s Party (SHP), said the establishment of the republic was a revolution and that “Islamist reactionaries see it as traumatic.” Meanwhile, in response to a question from the press, Köksal Toptan, the speaker of parliament, said the country has been able to survive because of Atatürk’s revolutions. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
Schools to save 1.27 million trees with book exchange project
Police officer murdered by solvent-intoxicated man
ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA
A plainclothes police officer was stabbed to death on Sunday by a man who was under the influence of an inhalant in the western province of Manisa. H.P., after becoming intoxicated from solvents in glue, attempted to steal the purse of policewoman Zerrin Külege, 38, as she walked through the Turgutlu district of Manisa, and stabbed the officer five times. Külege shot H.P. in the legs to prevent him from fleeing the scene, but he managed to escape. Külege was rushed to the Turgutlu State Hospital, but doctors were unable to revive her. An official from the hospital stated that Külege died from excessive blood loss. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
A campaign launched by the Ministry of Education to provide free books for state schools has taken on a new dimension with the introduction of a new book exchange campaign aimed at saving millions of trees, protecting the environment and contributing to the country’s economy. Previously every year the Ministry of Education used to provide each student with brand new books, but in the 2008-2009 educational year schools in Turkey will begin a book exchange project. With the new project, books will be given to students tem-
porarily and they will be returned at the end of the educational term. The Ministry of Education expects to save more than 1.27 million trees every year with this project. Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Hatay deputy and former Environment and Forestry Ministry Undersecretary Mustafa Öztürk devised the project. It will both contribute to Turkey’s economy by saving YTL 135 million annually and help protect the environment. Speaking to Today’s Zaman, Öztürk said Germany, Austria, the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, England, France, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Japan, Korea and China were
applying the same or a similar method at their schools, adding that it was very wise for Turkey to implement this project. The project is also expected to save 307 million kilowatt hours of electricity and 29 million tons of water. Every year 155 million books are distributed to students in Turkey, and most of these books are thrown into the trash at the end of the year. The cost of these books to the public is YTL 1 billion annually. The number of students at primary and high schools was 14 million last year, and this number is estimated to exceed 15 million next year. Öztürk said 50 percent of the paper used to publish textbooks is imported, costing $750 mil-
CM Y K
lion annually, so implementing this project will also be beneficial for Turkey’s economy. The Ministry of Education will continue to provide books for students, but they will not belong to the students, so they will give the books back to the school administration at the end of the year. The project aims to reduce annual book publishing for primary and high schools by 90 percent. Öztürk emphasized that Turkey’s aim should be to produce paper from recycled paper instead of trees, adding, “We should not forget the fact that used paper is not trash, but a valuable raw material, if recycled.”
T06-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
19:20
Page 1
06 TODAY’S ZAMAN
T U E S D AY, J U N E 2 4 , 2 0 0 8
NATIONAL
DTP proposes a ‘people’s defender’ for Turkey ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA
The pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) has proposed creating an institution to represent public interest within the state in an attempt to find an answer to a recent discussion sparked by the Constitutional Court’s decision to annul constitutional amendment’s that would have ended a long-standing ban on the Muslim headscarf in Turkey’s higher education institutions. A major controversy has erupted over whether the Constitutional Court violated the principle of the separation of powers and exceeded its authority in overturning the headscarf amendment. The DTP’s Hasip Kaplan told Today’s Zaman that he would propose a new discussion on judicial reform this Friday at a symposium of the Turkish Bar Association (TBB). Kaplan proposes creating an in-
stitution charged with representing the interests of the public and addressing complaints reported by individual citizens. Institutions like this already exist in the judicial systems of many European countries under various names, most commonly ombudsman. In Spain, an ombudsman is called “defensor del pueblo” (people’s defender) the people’s defender can initiate processes in the Constitutional Court Kaplan said the domination of the legislature and the executive branch by the judiciary could be ended only by introducing a lawyer who works for the people, just like in Spain. “The principle of separation of powers has been a source of discussion in Turkey for many years. We believe that a system that has been in place in Europe for many years under different names, such as ombudsman, people’s lawyer, people’s defender or arbiter, can overcome this problem. We have pre-
pared a very serious proposal. This should be the first thing Turkey should do as part of its judicial reform. Turkey should discuss this seriously. First, members of the legal community should discuss it; this is why we will open our proposal to public discussion first at the judicial reform symposium. The system of people’s defender is in place in all democratic and advanced nations. A body made up of independently elected members will function as a power above all institutions. It will have the power to inspect any person and any institution it wants. If necessary, it will refer the data it has collected to the judiciary. This would save the system from problems like those we are experiencing now,” Kaplan said. Kaplan said his party believed the Constitutional Court had overstepped its authority. “There is currently a bill on changing the structure of the Constitutional Court pending in Parliament. This draft regulates elect-
ing members to the Constitutional Court. They want to increase the number of members. But then 80 percent of the members are appointed by the judiciary again. This is impossible. The structure of the Constitutional Court should be changed,” he said, expressing his party’s support for the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) plans to restructure the court. Meanwhile, Bekir Bozdað, a deputy leader of the AK Party’s parliamentary group, told Today’s Zaman his party would support the DTP’s proposal. “In the draft Constitution we prepared we had actually included this proposal under the name of ‘public inspector.’ In fact, an ombudsman law was accepted by Parliament in the previous term, but then President Ahmet Necdet Sezer vetoed that law, saying it was contrary to the Constitution. The ombudsman law was always on our agenda, it has been a part of every reform package we have prepared so far.”
CÝHAN
Domestýc fýrms to clear mýnes along Syrýan border A tender for mine clearance along the Turkish-Syrian border will be open only to domestic companies, upon recommendation of the Turkish General Staff. A bill concerning mine clearance along the Turkish-Syrian border was discussed at the parliamentary Planning and Budget Commission on June 11, and a memorandum from the General Staff suggested that leasing the land to a foreign company for 44 years for mine cleanup under the contract terms would be inappropriate for security reasons. The commission therefore amended the bill to only allow domestic firms to be contracted for the project. The General Staff and opposition parties the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) initially opposed the bill but support its current form. According to the revised bill, a domestic company will be able to lease the minefields for up to 44 years, clearing the mines in a maximum of five years. It many not use the land for agriculture during the de-mining period but may permit agricultural use of the fields once the process is complete, for a total maximum period of 44 years. More than 30,000 hectares of land will become available for agricultural use under the contract, providing employment opportunities for around 6,000 families once the mines along the Syrian border are cleared. Following the opening and cancellation of several tenders for the project since 2005, the Finance Ministry drafted a new bill seeking to ensure that the minefields would be cleared and made available for agricultural use. The bill had come to the Planning and Budget Commission last month, but discussions had been postponed to wait for the General Staff’s opinion, although the Ministry of Defense supported the bill. At June 11 meeting, Defense Minister Vecdi
PHOTO
ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA
World developments dominate presidential luncheon discussion President Abdullah Gül yesterday hosted Ýbrahim Kalýn, the president of the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), Güven Sak, the president of the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV) and retired Ambassador Faruk Loðoðlu, who currently heads the Eurasian Center for Strategic Research (ASAM). A statement from the office of the president reads: “At the luncheon meeting, different perspectives were discussed in relation to the strategic developments and balance of power in the world and in the region in addition to the situation that the world economy is in and international economic problems such as xenophobia, racism, religious-ethnic based radicalism and intolerance in the context of global socio-cultural conflicts.” Guests did not make any statements to the press following the two-hour luncheon, dubbed a “reflection table.” Since becoming president last August Gül has held similar gatherings at the presidential palace and has met with novelists, philosophers and historians to exchange views over the latest developments in Turkey. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
14 soldiers wounded in explosion Fourteen soldiers were wounded in southeastern Gaziantep province’s Islahiye district yesterday in an explosion that ripped through a military vehicle carrying ammunition. The vehicle was on patrol during a change of guard at an artillery unit in Islahiye, near the Syrian border, when the blast occurred. Deputy Gaziantep Governor Mehmet Okur said four soldiers were seriously injured. The soldiers were immediately taken to Islahiye State Hospital for initial treatment and were sent to Gaziantep State Hospital for further care. An investigation has been launched into the incident. The Turkish military is frequently targeted in southeastern Turkey by explosives planted by separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists, but Gaziantep is outside the usual conflict zone. Gaziantep Today’s Zaman More than 30,000 hectares of land along the Turkish-Syrian border will become available for agricultural use after they are cleared of land mines. Gönül suggested the debate over the bill be conducted in a closed meeting, so members of the press and bureaucrats had to leave the room. The General Staff sent its recommendations to the parliamentary commission through Gönül. At another meeting expected in the near future at Parliament’s National Security Commission, the General Staff will send a representative to give a detailed briefing on the issue. Of the 921,080 anti-personnel land mines (APMs) planted along the Turkish side of the Turkish-Syrian border, 615,149 (450,652 APMs and 164,497 anti-tank mines, or ATMs) mines were
placed along the Syrian side of the 820-kilometerlong border, initially between the years 1956 and 1959 to prevent illegal border-crossing. An unknown number of APMs have also been placed along Turkey’s borders with Syria and Iraq by the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Finance Minister Kemal Unakýtan reminded the commission on June 11 that in 2003 Turkey became a party to the Ottawa Convention on the destruction of APMs and has pledged to destroy 2,973,481 APMs in its stocks by this year and 921,080 APMs placed along its borders by
2012. He said this task cannot be accomplished through the Defense Ministry and that opening a tender was the best option. He also said the CHP and MHP had been concerned about foreign companies’ involvement, especially Israeli firms, in the cleanup project. The order in which the mined areas are cleared will be determined by an agreement between the General Staff, Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry and Finance Ministry. The contractors will not be able to establish claims over underground resources, such as oil and minerals.
The Health Ministry has devised a na- physical education courses. Students will be provided with free breaktional action plan for the next four years that aims to decrease the number of obese fast and lunch in regions where many families lack the means to offer healthy nutritional opand overweight Turks. The “National Action Plan for 2008- tions to their children. Employers will also be encouraged to pro2012” carries high hopes with it to effectively combat the growing obesity trend in vide healthier working conditions for their employees. Workplace menus Turkey. As part of the plan, will be prepared by dieticians the Health Ministry will deand workplaces employing liver vegetables, fruits and more than 500 workers will be milk to students for free; required to set up gyms in brief soldiers on the disadtheir buildings where employvantages of obesity; and urge ees can work out before and preachers to mention the unafter their shifts. Sports actividesired effects of being overties and competitions will be weight during sermons. organized among employees The plan envisages coopAn increasing number of to encourage regular exercise. eration across Turkey’s minyoung people in Turkey face Television stations will istries and will also involve fathe risk of obesity as a rebroadcast programs that emmous and respected figures, sult of unhealthy nutrition. phasize healthy eating, cookincluding singers, actors, actresses and politicians, to encourage Turks to ing and living. More sports and exercise be more weight-conscious. The number of equipment will be placed in public parks, and physical education classes in primary and sec- more soccer fields and basketball courts will ondary schools will be increased, and stu- be built. The state will also sponsor surgical dents’ weight will be monitored regularly. operations for Turks whose health is threatened University students will be required to take by their obesity. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
An 11-year-old girl underwent major sur- ferred her to the [Mersin University Medical] facgery yesterday to have a bullet removed ulty hospital. We couldn’t find an ambulance. We from her throat. Hüday Gündoðdu and her six took her to the hospital ourselves. Meanwhile, siblings were sleeping on the roof of their bun- the bullet moved to her throat,” he said. galow in the southern province of Mersin last Nurettin appealed to fans not to fire shots Friday night when she received a wound to her in celebrations after soccer victories, while cheek from a ricocheting bullet, fired during the Hazal Gündoðdu, the child’s mother, wept, celebration of Turkey’s win saying, “My daughter will nevover Croatia in Euro 2008. er be able to forget this.” Doctors at Mersin State 5-year-old dies Hospital stabilized her condition in shooting before sending her to the Mersin University Medical Faculty Bullets fired on Sunday by a celHospital, where physicians tried ebrating relative at a wedding in to remove the bullet without an Adana resulted in about 10 inoperation; however, the bullet juries and the death of a 5-yearhad shifted into her throat, makold boy. N.E. fired several shots Hüday Gündoðdu undering an operation unavoidable. into the air, causing the injuries. went major surgery yesterFollowing the successful opSelman Eren, 5, sustained inday to have a bullet reeration, Hüday’s father, Nurettin juries to his head and arm. He moved from her throat. Gündoðdu, said the family had died at the hospital. Hasan Tutal, faced a series of hurdles to get proper treatment for 30, one of the wounded, is still in critical condition. Hüday. “As soon as the game was over we heard The Umut Foundation, a gun control advocacy several gunshots. My daughter woke up with her group, noted that the country has one of the face covered in blood. We immediately took her to world’s highest death tolls from stray bullets at festhe hospital. She was not attended to right away; tivities, including weddings, circumcisions and she waited for a long time, and then they trans- sporting events. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires PHOTO
PHOTO
CÝHAN
Doctors operate to remove bullet from child
AP
Health Ministry declares war on obesity
CM Y K
Court cancels Efemçukuru gold mine decision The Council of State has voided a controversial Cabinet decision that called for the expropriation of land in the village of Efemçukuru, where the Tüprag Mining Company wants to mine gold. The Cabinet made the decision on Dec. 10, 2007 to expropriate 35 parcels of land from villagers in Efemçukuru, which is located in the Menderes district of western Ýzmir province, and had planned to give this land to the Tüprag Mining Company. The latter wanted to mine gold in the area despite the many protests of villagers. Some of the villagers, however, appealed to the Council of State after the decision was announced in the Official Gazette. The 6th Office of the Council of State examined the villager’s complaint and subsequently rejected it; but later the Council of State Administrational Cases Council accepted an appeal from villager Mustafa Özer and cancelled the Cabinet decision. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
Minibus collision with freight train kills 10 Ten people returning home from a wedding ceremony in a minibus were killed early Monday when a train crashed into the bus at a crossing near the Nurdaðý district of Gaziantep. The minibus was being driven by Mehmet Taþdemir and was carrying 13 relatives of Semiyet Çamlý and Abdurrahman Polat, who had married on Sunday in Islahiye. The bus collided with a freight train when Taþdemir tried to pass around the barriers at the crossing at 12:10 a.m. on Monday. After the first impact, the train, which was heading for Hatay, pushed the minibus along the tracks for another 300 meters. Nine people on the minibus died upon impact. Barýþ Rüzgar, sustaining serious injuries, died at the hospital where they were taken for emergency care. Another three, Rahime Karakuþ, Gülcan Rüzgar and Asuman Rüzgar, are still receiving treatment at Islahiye State Hospital. Taþdemir, however, survived without any injuries. Relatives received condolences at the venue in Islahiye where the wedding had taken place. The dead were buried in their hometown in Gaziantep. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
T07-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
19:21
Page 1
BUSINESS
TODAY’S ZAMAN 07
T U E S D AY, J U N E 2 4 , 2 0 0 8
Dýlemma of Turkýsh authorýtýes: managýng dývergýng growth and ýnflatýon expectatýons MURAT YÜLEK m.yulek@todayszaman.com
The US and EU economies are seeing deteriorating expectations for growth and inflation. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently cut growth expectations of both the US and EU. Simultaneously, inflation expectations are mounting mostly because of increasing oil and food prices. The case is similar for Turkey. Since the beginning of the year, growth expectations (in a central bank survey) have fallen from a median of 5.0 at the beginning of January to 3.9 in June. Most of the drop in median expectations stemmed from the more upbeat observers. The maximum growth expectation fell from 7.5 percent to 5.0 percent while the minimum fell from 3.5 percent to 2.9 percent, with the standard deviation narrowing.
More importantly expectations for the 2009 growth rate have also started falling since April, when 2008 expectations began dropping more rapidly. Inflation expectations for 2008 followed the same negative trend as 2008 growth. The deterioration started rather slowly in January but has accelerated since April. The central bank and the government now face the challenge of managing the expectations' version of stagflation -- higher inflation expectations accompanied by lower growth expectations. For its part, the central bank, in a rather unexpected move based on its earlier position, changed the 2009-2011 targets but preserved the 2008 target, although it conceded that the unchanged target is no longer meaningful. Simultaneously, it started a series of 50 basis point rate hikes. Rate hikes will clearly not have an effect on inflation as the latter is dictated by external conditions and not by domestic demand, which appears to be in decline. Moreover, hikes will have a further negative impact on the growth front by weakening domestic demand even more and by further strengthening of the lira. The government, on the other hand, may worsen the inflation outlook if it opts for increased spending following local elections, but that
could help growth. The dilemma could be solved by a propitious event such as a positive external shock. While waiting for the latter, the central bank might consider abstaining from further hikes.
Hotels filled to capacity in only June tourists from the Commonwealth of Independent States has increased between 25-30 percent so far this year.
'We need to improve year-round tourism' Despite this huge demand on the eve of the summer season, average hotel occupancy rates in the region during the rest of the year are far below acceptable levels, Çorabatýr asserted, saying that hotels should operate at full capacity all year round. "Hotels are full between June and October; however, hoteliers face serious problems between October and May in terms of the number of customers," he said. To sustain the quality of service beyond mere survival, the hotels must find permanent ways to attract visitors to accomplish 12-month high occupancy rates, he noted, adding: "We must attach more importance to alternative types of tourism, such as conference and sports tourism." Antalya has the capacity to serve conference and sports tourism, the chairman said, with its conference halls that can seat a total 118,000 and facilities for the 1,500 sports
teams it hosts each winter. Hotels can operate at full capacity during the winter as well as the summer, he said. Burhan Coþkun, manager of the Culture and Tourism Bureau in the Aegean region's town of Fethiye, also pointed to the fact that hotels rating three, four and five stars and first-class holiday campsites were operating at full occupancy levels. On the other hand, Coþkun acknowledged, small hostels are not enjoying the same prosperity since all-inclusive pricing mechanisms employed by larger accommodation facilities were usually deemed more economical by visitors. "The highest occupancy levels are experienced from July on. [Occupancy] reaches up to 95 percent in Fethiye. We are satisfied with the keen interest of both local and foreign visitors, but people prefer staying at higher-quality hotels applying the all-inclusive price system," noted Coþkun in a telephone interview with Today's Zaman. Indicating that winter is not a prosperous season for Fethiye, Coþkun said Fethiye lacked the facilities necessary for wintertime tourism. Most visitors to Fethiye come from England, Holland, Germany and Russia, in descending order, Coþkun said. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
PHOTO
LÜTFÝ AYKUTRT
Foreign visitor attraction to Turkey's tourism center of Antalya continues to grow, leading to full hotel occupancy even at the beginning of the summer season, Mediterranean Tourism Hotels Union (AKTOB) Chairman Sururi Çorabatýr has said. Tourism growth has seen a remarkable acceleration in the last five months, and this growth continued in June, Çorabatýr said, adding: "Antalya hotel occupancy rates are at the highest levels. Even finding a single room is difficult. We expect high occupancy to continue until mid-October." The chairman underlined that seasonal occupancy rate peaks had already been reached: "Antalya has entered high-occupancy season. Not only five-star hotels, but other accommodation facilities are also expected to reach 100 percent occupancy soon." The region rightly deserves the visitors it hosts from around the globe, Çorabatýr said, and the number of tourists from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in particular has increased significantly. The number of tourists from European countries has grown between 6-8 percent and the number of
Turkey invited to join in Bahrain construction boom Bahraini Minister of Industry and Commerce Hassan Abdulla Fakhro has said his country is involved in numerous construction projects to improve the country's infrastructure and superstructure and that this should be viewed as a lucrative opportunity for Turkish contractors. "We need construction materials for these projects, and we want to acquire them from our brother nation Turkey," he stated. The total value of Bahrain's projects is estimated at near $30 billion. Fakhro and a delegation of representatives from Bahrain's iron, steel and cement industries addressed the press yesterday in Ankara after paying a visit to Foreign Trade Minister Kürþad Tüzmen, who was also in attendance at the press conference. In his speech the Turkish minister noted that Bahrain has a plan to construct over 40,000 houses over the next few years in a move toward urban transformation and said that Turkish contractors would definitely want to take part. Tüzmen also emphasized the developing relations between the two nations in terms of mutual trade, noting the total trade volume had jumped by 150 percent as of the end of 2007 over the previous year, totaling $200 million. In two years' time this number will be $1 billion, he added. According to information provided by Tüzmen, Turkish contractors are currently involved in projects worth $141 million in Bahrain. Moreover, the total assets of 11 Turkish banks operating in this Middle Eastern country is $35 billion, equal to 14 percent of the entire Bahraini banking industry. The guest minister spoke highly of Turkey, saying Bahrain is extremely proud of Turkey's economic achievements. Turkey is a strong and large country with a very effective role in the global economy, he said. "With no exception, Arab nations are following Turkey's lead on their journey to development, and they are taking Turkey as their role model. In that sense, we are very happy to see our commercial relations develop with Turkey, but the level reached thus far in relations is surely not enough." Ankara Today's Zaman with wires
Sönmez Holding moving away from textiles Sönmez Holding, one of Bursa's oldest textile companies, has seen the share of textiles in its annual turnover decrease from 85 percent to 30 percent over the last eight years due to high production costs and stagnation in the sector. Now the company prefers to invest in rising sectors, such as tourism, retail technology, shopping malls, energy and cement production. Sönmez Holding CEO Celal Sönmez told the Anatolia news agency on Monday that they have been going through a process of transformation, adding that they have decreased the share of their traditional sector of choice, textiles, in their holding. Sönmez said companies could be active in the textile sector only as long as they profit from it. Sönmez Holding's most important tourism investments are the Baia Hotel in Bodrum, the Uludað Monte Hotel in Bursa and the Lara Baia Hotel in Antalya. The holding is also about to finish construction of the Bursa Baia Hotel, located along the BursaYalova highway. Sönmez also said the holding was investing in the pharmacy business, adding: "We are growing in this business, too. We have opened 50 stores. At first we had only 13 stores, but now we see a total turnover of $100 million from our 50 stores. This has happened in two years." Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
Guardian Industries to invest in Ýzmir
Tourist numbers up 20.15 percent in May
The number of tourists visiting Turkey in the first five months of 2008 increased by 15 percent over the same period last year to reach 7.381 million, according to tourism statistics announced by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The number of visitors last month increased by 20.15 percent over May 2007 to reach 2.748 million. Germany sent
the most tourists to Turkey in May -- 459,283 -- accounting for 16.71 percent of tourists last month. Russia took second spot, with 385,999 visitors and a 14.04 percent share. England followed Russia with 260,937 visitors and a 9.49 percent share. Holland, Bulgaria, Iran, Ukraine, France, the US and Georgia followed in descending order in May.
Inspections bring 60,000 into registered sphere in two years, report reveals The Social Security Control Officers' Association has issued a report that details the inspection results of current social security legislation implementation practices, the Anatolia news agency has reported. Inspections carried out by social security control officers between October 2005 and December 2007 have led to about 60,000 previously unregistered workers to register with the social security system. During the inspections, 16,000 unregistered businesses were registered, and companies were fined YTL 70 million in total for administrative misconduct and for employees whose social security premiums had previously not been paid. The report found 7,859 employers and employees in 400 front companies, most of which were based in Ýstanbul, Ankara, Mersin, Adana and Diyarbakýr, deliberately made false declarations to the state. Inspections have led to the cancellation of 1,026,361 falsely registered workdays, saving the Social Security Authority (SSK) from paying YTL 10 million in premiums to people who have never worked. The report says a sufficient number of social security control
officers have been included in the inspection mechanism in order to process petitions received since 1998 about the employment of unregistered workers before they become invalid with the passage of time and to finish the large amount of work that has been piling up in social registry directorates. The report emphasized that the most fundamental duty of social security control officers is to fight employing workers without registering them with the social security system, adding that they have been carrying out their duty effectively. The report also stresses that the average amount of loss the state sustains has reached billions of dollars and that the current number of official social security inspectors only totals 443. "According to data released by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat), 11,621,000 people have no social security, and this significant number clearly demonstrates that more frequent inspections are urgently needed. For this reason, adding to the powers of control officers the
CM Y K
ability to inspect the new restructuring of the social security system will make these inspections more effective and fruitful. Problems stemming in particular from asking normal public servants to take on inspection duties are prevalent because even though control officers have the legal power to make assessments, carry out inspections and inspect registries, they are perceived by employers as 'cash register officials,' a perception that renders the inspections less effective," the report said, noting that carrying out inspections under the title "public servant" rather than the more formidable-sounding "inspector" negatively affects the motivation of those charged with this duty. Other state institutions have made a distinction between regular public servants and those who carry out inspections in addition to their usual workload. The report also demands that social security "control officers" -- as they are currently called -- be promoted to the status of inspectors as they share the same job description. Ankara Today's Zaman with wires
The US-based Guardian Industries, one of the leading automotive glass producers in the world, plans to invest in Ýzmir in cooperation with the BTM Corporation, one of Turkey's leading companies in waterproofing and thermal insulation. BTM CEO Levent Ürkmez, speaking with the Anatolia news agency, said his company has acquired the rights to be the Guardian Industries Middle East and Turkey representative and added that BTM will be producing insulation materials in Ýzmir in three to four years as part of the agreement they signed with their American partner. Ürkmez said BTM plans to bring one of Guardian's best patented products to Turkey and added: "This system is 25 percent cheaper and 10 percent more efficient than other insulation systems. We informed Guardian officials about the Turkish and Middle Eastern market during our negotiations and emphasized the importance of investing in Turkey. As a result of these negotiations we decided to import their products in the first phase, and in three to four years we will begin to produce this product in Ýzmir in cooperation with them. This way we will both provide employment in Ýzmir and introduce Turkey to the latest in insulation technology." Ürkmez said they have already begun importing the American company's insulation products and added that they are training their staff on how to use the new product more efficiently. The BTM CEO also said they plan to invest $50 million in a factory in Ýzmir and added that the majority of the products they produce will be exported. The Guardian has six factories, and in 2008 turnover totaled $3.5 billion. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
T08-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
19:23
Page 1
08 TODAY’S ZAMAN
BUSINESS
T U E S D AY, J U N E 2 4 , 2 0 0 8
Tui Travel agrees on $526 mln sale, leaseback deal
Oýl rýses despýte Saudý pledge to raýse output; prýces up on Mýdeast concerns REUTERS
TUI Travel Plc, Europe's biggest travel firm, said on Monday it has signed an agreement with AerCap Holdings and Deucalion Aviation for the sale and leaseback of 19 of its aircraft for $526 million in cash. TUI said the transaction has no impact on its ongoing discussions with Lufthansa regarding a potential merger of Germanwings and TUIfly, on which it said it will update the market in due course. TUI Travel said it expects the transaction to be earnings neutral for the year to Sept 2008. It said the deal will allow it to "further increase the flexibility of its business model while securing access to modern and fuel-efficient aircraft." The deal proceeds will be used to pay down existing debt. The group will continue to operate all 19 aircraft on operating leases with one to seven year terms, within its TUIfly, Thomsonfly, and TUIfly Nordic fleets. The aircraft comprise eleven Boeing 737-800s, six Boeing 757-200s, and two Boeing 767-300ERs. The book value fo the assets at May 31 was $681 million and the resulting loss will be treated as a separately disclosed item in for the year to Sept 30, 2008. London Reuters
PHOTO
Oil prices rose Monday as investors shrugged off Saudi Arabia's pledge to increase its oil production if needed, focusing instead on disruptions to Nigerian supply and heightened Middle East tensions. Saudi Arabia said Sunday it would produce more crude oil this year if the market needs it. The kingdom announced a 300,000 barrel per day production increase in May and said before the start of the meeting in Jeddah that it would add another 200,000 barrels per day in July, raising total daily output to 9.7 million barrels. The announcement had already been factored into oil prices, analysts said. "The meeting was mildly positive but it wouldn't really deliver anything that would give a heavy correction in oil," said Mark Pervan, a senior commodity strategist at the ANZ Bank in Melbourne, Australia. "They pledged production increases that the market thought was base case." Light, sweet crude for August delivery traded up $1.19 at $136.55 a barrel in electronic trading on the NYMEX by noon in Europe. Saudi Arabia's pledge fell far short of US hopes for a specific increase. The United States and other nations argue that oil production has not kept up with increasing demand, especially from China, India and the Middle East. But Saudi Arabia and other OPEC countries say there is no shortage of oil and instead blame financial speculation and the falling US dollar. Analysts said the meeting helped provide some clarity as to the size of spare OPEC capacity available. Saudi Arabia said it is willing to invest to boost its spare oil production capacity above the current 12.5 million barrels per day planned for the end of 2009 -- if the market requires it. "I think where the market may be a little more comforted, which could see prices drift lower in the medium term, is more clarity and scope on OPEC capacity," Pervan said. With expectations fading that the Saudi moves would drive the market downward, analysts suggested present high levels were here to stay, at least for the short term. "Bubble or not, one thing is for sure, while the market has not gained any ground since that historic $16.10 rally back on June 05th/06th, it has not yielded any ground either," wrote trader and analyst Stephen Schork, in his Schork Report. "Thus, it is clear that the market is certainly comfortable with crude oil up around these levels." Royal Dutch Shell PLC said Friday that it cannot meet contractual obligations to export oil from a Nigerian oil field following a militant attack Thursday. Nigerian oil workers also reportedly decided to strike at a Chevron Corp. facility beginning Monday. But oil prices might find some relief from Sunday's announcement by Nigeria's main militant group that it would halt attacks starting at midnight Tuesday. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta declared a unilateral cease-fire, saying elders in the restive southern region had asked the fighters to allow peace efforts to go ahead. The group's attacks have sliced about one quarter from Nigeria's normal oil daily oil output, helping buoy crude prices in international markets. "The market will see if indeed that cease-fire holds for a bit of time," Shum said. Also supporting oil prices were worries about heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, after Pentagon officials said Friday a large-scale Israeli military exercise in the eastern Mediterranean early this month could have been a demonstration of Jerusalem's ability to attack Iranian nuclear facilities. Vienna AP
Pledged FDI in Vietnam jumps nearly fourfold Pledged foreign direct investment into Vietnam has soared nearly fourfold so far this year, a government official said Monday, indicating investors are optimistic despite surging inflation in the country. As of June 22, overseas companies have agreed to invest $31.6 billion in 478 projects compared to $8.5 billion during the same period last year, said Nguyen Thuy Huong, an official with Vietnam's ministry of planning and investment. "It shows that foreign investors' confidence in Vietnam remains very strong," Huong said. "Our economic difficulties are just short-term." Also, investment in 158 existing projects has been increased by $661 million. With its $7.9-billion steel project in central Vietnam being approved this month, Taiwan has surpassed Canada to top the list of investment by country of origin. Japan came second with $7.1 billion in pledged investment, followed by Canada, which had a $4.2-billion beach resort complex in southern Vietnam approved in May. The company spearheading that project is called Asian Coast Development Ltd. Vietnam's economy has grown rapidly since the communist government decided to open up to the outside world about a decade ago. Hanoi AP
Saudi King Abdullah (C) poses with British PM Gordon Brown (R) and Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L) at Jeddah Energy Meeting.
Global oil outlook worsens amid turbulence, speculations
TODAY’S ZAMAN
Light, but these are in short supply. Oil is a market; not, as the Prime Minister seems to assume, a game played by politicians. Behind the pomp of Opec's ministerial meetings is a souk in which hard-edged salesmen manoeuvre for commercial advantage and angle for market share. If Mr Brown came to Jedda hoping to make a deal, he appears to have forgotten that, in commercial negotiations, each party must have something to offer. He came with nothing. Instead he suggested that Opec states invest some of their wealth in nuclear power and renewable energy in Britain. In other words, Opec should invest billions in reducing demand for the cartels' only product - a proposal tantamount to asking British American Tobacco to invest in nicotine patches. Carl Mortished © The Times London
PHOTO
Even as UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown proposed a "new deal" between oil producers and consumers, the outlook worsened in the dirty market for crude - a short-term world of crises, logjams, turbulence and market speculation. In the Niger delta, an oil pipeline operated by Chevron was blown up yesterday (Sunday), and an offshore oil platform was attacked by rebels last week. Nigeria, an Opec state, has probably lost a third of production. This wipes out what gain might emerge from King Abdullah's promise of more oil from Saudi Arabia, even assuming that the market wanted his barrels. The truth is that the world doesn't need the extra Saudi crude. It's the wrong sort of oil - too sulphurous and viscous for refiners trying to produce more petrol, diesel and jet fuel. The world wants "light crudes" such as the UK's Brent or Nigeria's Bonny
Balkan economic growth will suffer as energy shortages hit, experts warn Southeast Europe will face a severe electricity shortage in coming years that could cause economic growth in the region to slow significantly, leading energy experts warned Monday. They blamed government subsidies -- which have kept electricity prices artificially low -- for the soaring growth in consumption, while little has been done to step up production or offer alternative sources of energy. "We face a growing electricity shortage in the Balkans, but there is no incentive for investment in new generating capacities," said Vuk Hamovic, a leading energy trader. Studies by KPMG, a leading financial management consultancy, and the European Stability Initiative, an independent research institute based in Berlin, found that significant investments would be needed in energy generation and infrastructure in
Yearly Change (%)
YTD Change (%)
MCAP (million YTL)
1-Y Av.Volum
İMKB-100
37.584
-0,9%
-5,9%
-17,8%
-32,3%
192.142
1.303
Hang Seng
İMKB-30
45.739
-0,6%
-6,2%
-19,3%
-35,1%
137.347
1.002
Nikkei 225
İMKB-IND
34.011
-0,5%
-6,1%
-8,4%
-16,2%
68.144
354
Cac 40
Daily Monthly Change (%) Change (%)
Close
CALENDAR
AT A GLAN
CE
of Britain June 24 dence index Cons. Confi
Analysts say annual growth of energy consumption in Southeast Europe -- comprising a dozen countries with a combined population of 73 million people -- averages nearly four percent, pushed up by strong economic growth and improving living standards. But the region has a combined installed electrical power of about 76 gigawatts, barely enough to fulfill current requirements. "The stability of electrical supply in the region is becoming dangerously overstressed," said Sijka Pistolova, the editor of the Balkan Energy Observer, a trade publication. The region has large unexploited hydropower potential and the largest lignite coal reserves in Europe. But Pistolova noted that a general lack of investment and the damage caused by the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s -- which destroyed
Southeast Europe in coming years to overcome decades of neglect. "If this shortfall is not urgently addressed, it could result in very expensive electrical energy for consumers and a fall in GDP of 1-2 percent in the region," Hamovic said in an interview. Currently, half-a-dozen power plants are being built or expanded in Bulgaria, Bosnia, Romania and Slovenia. But even if they all come on line as planned by 2015, their combined output will be less than half the anticipated growth in consumption. Hamovic pointed to the 800 million euros Stanari thermal power plant in Bosnia, the first new generating facility in western Balkans in three decades. It will have an installed capacity of 420 megawatts. "Just to put things in perspective, in China a new power plant of comparable size is brought on line every single week," Hamovic said.
İMKB-BANK
67.772
-1,3%
-6,9%
-24,8%
-43,5%
71.827
703
DAX
DJIMT
10,75
0,5%
-4,0%
-1,4%
-9,3%
108
0,55
FTSE 100
TurkDEX US$/JP¥ EU€/JP¥
45.675 1,233
Country
Change (%)
Level
H.Kong
-0,13
22.715,0
Japan
-0,61
13.857,5
France
0,36
4.525,6
Germany
0,41
6.605,3
UK
0,71
5.660,9
Dow
USA
-0,01
11.843,0
NASDAQ
USA
0,02
1.928,7
USA
0,21
1.320,7
Brasil
0,42
64.887,6
S&P
-0,38% -0,08%
BOVESPA
large parts of the transmission grids -- had disrupted investment in power generation. Within 23 years, this could result in daily, hours-long power cuts in some countries, she warned. Nations like Albania, Macedonia and Greece already barely meet their needs. "Existing capacities in Southeast Europe cannot provide the energy stability required for faster economic growth," said Prof. Milovan Studovic, an energy strategy expert. A possible remedy for future shortfalls could be to increase imports from countries which have large surpluses, such as Russia. But analysts noted that this too would require investments in transmission grids from the east. The European Union has been reluctant to help develop such infrastructure, fearing it would lead to increased energy dependence on Russia. Belgrade AP
69.85 58.79
47.5 41.21 30.15
20,5 10.4
7.3 Native
Native
Foreign
Number of Shares
M.cap
Daily Close Change (%)
Foreign
Number of Shares
Monthly Change (%)
Yearly Change (%)
M.cap
Daily Change (%)
Ticker
Volumes
US$/JP¥
107,91
EREGL
9,85
4,23%
TUDDF
5,35
-7,76%
GARAN
164,5
3,3
-46,64
YTL / €
1,896
0,0%
-2,6%
8,4%
EU/JP¥
167,12
ASYAB
2,78
2,96%
AEFES
10,80
-6,09%
ISCTR
84,2
4,6
-35,14
YTL / $
1,221
0,4%
-1,4%
-6,3%
EU/US$
1,5483
CLEBI
9,25
2,78%
IHEVA
2,90
-5,23%
AKBNK
51,7
4,8
-42,48
ALBRK
3,84
2,13%
TRCAS
5,80
-4,92%
TCELL
34,8
8,1
-35,12
ECZYT
2,96
2,07%
AKSA
1,94
-4,43%
EREGL
30,0
9,9
34,26
Ticker
Price (YTL) Daily Change (%)
ÝMKB 100
Ticker
Price
Price (YTL) Yearly Change (%)
ÝMKB 30
ÝMKB IND
P.CHEM.
TUPRS
PTOFS
PETKM
AYGAZ
--
--
10.258,4
5.486,7
2.207,4
989,5
712,6
11,9x
11,8x
11,2x
7,0x
8,1x
11,7x
20,8x
2,4x
P/E 2007/06t
8,3x
10,6x
10,4x
4,9x
6,0x
8,6x
10,9x
1,2x
P/E 2007/09t EV/EBITDA 2006/12
7,8x 7,7x
8,0x 7,8x
8,2x 7,4x
5,3x 5,8x
6,1x 6,4x
8,1x 5,0x
10,9x 5,5x
1,3x 4,5x
EV/EBITDA 2007/03t
7,2x
7,1x
6,6x
5,3x
5,4x
4,7x
4,1x
4,9x
EV/EBITDA 2007/06t
7,9x
6,7x
6,6x
5,5x
5,6x
4,8x
4,4x
5,3x
Mcap YTL
--
P/E 2006/12
CM Y K
Price ($) Light C. Oil Gold Copper
136,85 884,90 3,79
Way
Change (%) 1,10 -2,08 -1,16
High 137,50 909,70 3,79
Low 134,05 877,40 3,78
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.
Uður Terzioðlu re-elected as TABA/AmCham head Uður Terzioðlu was re-elected chairman of the Turkish-American Business Association (TABA/AmCham) at a general meeting yesterday in Ýstanbul. Speaking at the meeting, Terzioðlu said that since June 22, 2006, when he and his executive board assumed office, they had done everything needed to ensure the association's rapid growth, and that 118 new companies had become TABA/AmCham members. Under their management, he explained, the head office's infrastructure and personnel capacity was reinforced and relations with the US Embassy, Ýstanbul Consulate General, Chamber Of Commerce of the United States of America (COCUSA) and European Council of American Chambers of Commerce (ECACC), of which TABA/AmCham is a member, had been made regular and effective. The association, he added, has sincere and constructive relationships with the Turkish and US governments, COCUSA and business circles, in line with its mission. Terzioðlu indicated that the association had made a number of contacts and undertaken initiatives regarding investment and trade issues in the sectors wherein its members operate. "Our future goal is to maintain our achievements, to strengthen our membership structure and to make indispensable and permanent contributions to Turkish-US relations," he said. Terzioðlu's management list included the following names: Alican Ulusoy, Fatih Erdem, Muzaffer Arslan, Nilgün Yamaner, Atilla Yerlikaya, Burcu Akdarý, Barry Kartal, Mehmet Sever, Beþir Ustaoðlu, Sabri Yiðit, Ahmet Taçyýldýz, Tamer Bozoklar, Mehmed Evyap, Ahmet Saim Týnarlý, Cenk Cesur, Tayfun Çataltepe, Erhan Atay, Tuncay Teksöz, Selim Akbaþ, Jean Sebastian Kling, Hüseyin Azmi Tulpar, Güran Eskiþar, Cem Birdinç, Hasan Surözü, Alp Gürdil, Recep Atakaþ, Süleyman Karabucak, Ýlkem Þahin, Kaan Ünver, Nuri Erçetin and Mustafa Sözen. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
19:20
Page 1
$+ =& $
23.06.2008
< $ *
T09-24-06-08.qxd
Charmed in
() )
^ ¦ \ ^ ¦ \ % ^ $ \ ^ \ ^ Q \ \ %
[[ \ ^ % \ [
% ¦ § \ \ $ \ > # _ ¨ \ $ $ \ ¦ \ ¦ $ Q \ Q ¦ % \ \ ^ ¦ \ $ \ ^ ¦ \ \ \ ¦ % \
Q \ * \ $ ¦ $ % ¦ \ $ > \ \ ^ # \ ^ \ _ \ ^ \ > \ ¦ \ $ \ $ ¦ \ ^ % ¨ ¨# \ $ ¦ < \ ^ $ ^ © Q ^ < \ $ ^ < \ +
% \ * \ $ \ + < \
# : ) ( $ :: , % " , ) 1, 3 ( $ ( ) " - > - / $ 7 5 ( ( " !" + - (
% $ " + !, ) % ( ( " %%%
CM Y K
23.06.2008
19:11
Page 1
10 TODAY’S ZAMAN
T U E S D AY, JUNE 2 4 , 2 0 0 8
ORDEAL
The water is still well above the banks of the upper Mississippi River, but residents of flooded towns in the US Midwest and those protected by levees and sandbags can see an ending: The river is cresting. "It's quieter compared to earlier this week," said Louisiana emergency management director Mike Lesley, where sandbagging has largely ceased. This past weekend, he said, "I actually got some sleep." The river started cresting Sunday at Canton, Missouri. In Mark Twain's hometown, Hannibal emergency management director John Hark said he was confident the town's levees would hold as the river begins to recede. A reminder the threat had not passed came Sunday in Lincoln County, Missouri, where a levee overtopped and flooded about 1,000 acres (405 hectares) and fewer than half a dozen homes. "It just blew through our sandbags," said Lincoln County emergency management spokesman Andy Binder. Farther down river, the river dropped a bit on Sunday. Still, the devastation is widespread: The storms and flooding that started in early June have forced thousands from their homes across six states, killing 24 and injuring roughly 150. Rural areas such as Lincoln County suffered the worst. There, more than 300 homes were flooded after more than 90 percent of the county's levees were overtopped. Louisiana AP
SCAPEGOATS
China says 43 officials punished over quake relief Chinese authorities have punished 43 officials for misconduct over disaster relief efforts following last month's devastating Sichuan earthquake, including 12 who were sacked, a senior official said on Monday. Supervision Minister Ma Wen, also the head of the National Bureau of Corruption Prevention, said the punishments were meted out after more than 1,000 complaints from the public following the 7.9 magnitude quake in southwest China, which killed almost 70,000 people. "Most of the complaints were about misuse of tents in initial disaster relief efforts and the improper distribution of food and other goods," she told a news conference. "Others were about officials reacting slowly or issuing aid in a detrimental way," Ma added. One of the officials caught was the deputy head of the local assembly in Anyang, a city in the poor central province of Henan, for buying substandard relief goods, she said, adding he had been fired. Officials not dismissed were given administrative demerits, meaning they were either demoted or had a black mark put against their name limiting future promotions. Beijing Reuters
SECURITY
Iraq pledges to enforce law after Amara crackdown Iraq's prime minister pledged to maintain law and order in the southern city of Amara on Monday, days after a security crackdown that the movement of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said unfairly targeted them. Iraqi forces have taken control of Amara and the surrounding province of Maysan, seizing heavy weapons and arresting wanted men in an operation aimed at stamping government authority on an area where Shiite militias had been influential. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki visited Amara on Monday. "Military forces will not withdraw from (Amara) until we make sure the criminals and killers can never come back again," Maliki told local tribal leaders in a speech broadcast live on Iraqiya state television from Amara. "We will not stop using force against those who revolt against the will of the nation. Maliki was also expected to meet security leaders in Amara to get an update on the operation, which was launched last Thursday. Security forces met no resistance from Sadr's Mahdi Army militia, which was under orders from the cleric to cooperate. Baghdad Reuters
of Shiite Islam which dominates the Baathist government in neighboring Syria. Their numbers are small in Lebanon but they gained some political clout during Syria’s military presence in Lebanon. Last month Lebanon ended its 18-month political crisis with the Western-backed coalition and the Hezbullah-led opposition reaching a Qatari-mediated accord. The conflict had led to a violent showdown that threatened a new civil war. Since then there have been frequent minor security incidents. Delays in forming a national unity government as stipulated in last month’s accord have raised fears of a further deterioration in the security situation and a collapse in efforts to resolve the political standoff. Tripoli Reuters
AP
end the bloodshed. Sunni parliamentary majority leader Saad al-Hariri called on his followers in Tripoli to cooperate with the army. Security sources said at least nine people had been killed and 50 wounded in the fighting that erupted at dawn on Sunday. Several homes, shops and cars were destroyed in the clashes in the mainly Sunni port city. The warring sides had exchanged machinegun fire, grenades and mortar bombs. Scores of families fled and sought safe haven in other parts of the city and nearby villages. Tripoli is dominated by Lebanon’s anti-Syrian Sunniled majority coalition while a majority of Alawites have close ties to Syria, which is ruled by an Alawite and is allied to the opposition. Alawites are a small offshoot
Barack Husseýn Obama braces for race-based ads Obama campaign vows to fight back fiercely and fast, not repeating John Kerry's mistake of waiting to respond to the 2004 'Swift Boat' ads that Democrats saw as a smear of his military record. McCain's camp is alert for attacks on its man, too A presidential candidate who’s named Hussein and wears a turban? A building that’s called the White House but run by a black guy? Those political images and ideas already have found their way onto TV airwaves and campaign buttons, possible harbingers of racially tinged messages in a general election involving the first black candidate to head a major party’s ticket. Though the election is more than four months away, the campaigns of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain are shaping their strategies for dealing with such appeals. The Obama campaign vows to fight back fiercely and fast, not repeating John Kerry’s mistake of waiting to respond to the 2004 “Swift Boat” ads that Democrats saw as a smear of his military record. McCain’s camp is alert for attacks on its man, too. The McCain campaign promises to condemn any race-based political appeals. But it also insists it won’t stand still for false charges of racism or for allegations merely aimed at preventing criticism of Obama on legitimate issues. “Every word will be twisted to make it about race,” said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a McCain friend and adviser. When he and others confront Obama on issues such as national security and the economy, Graham said, it will have “nothing to do with him being an AfricanAmerican.” Obama adviser David Axelrod said the Democrat’s campaign will be on high alert for code words or innuendo meant to play on voters’ racial sentiments. “We’re going to be aggressive about pushing back on anything that we feel is inappropriate or misleading,” he said. It’s not enough for McCain to say he cannot control independent groups airing racially charged ads on his behalf, Axelrod said, noting that the “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” was independent of President Bush’s campaign. “We’ve seen this movie before,” he said. “And we’re not going to be passive in the face of those kinds of tactics.” Racially charged criticism of Obama already has surfaced in several states. Shortly before North Carolina’s May 6 primary, the state Republican Party aired a TV ad linking Democratic candidates to Obama, who was described as “too extreme” because of his ties to the retired Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Obama eventually ended his relationship with Wright, his longtime pastor who had been criticized for sermons in which he cursed America and accused the government of conspiring against blacks. The state party ignored McCain’s repeated calls to kill the ad. In South Dakota, a TV station briefly aired an ad that was edited to show Obama saying, “we are no longer a Christian nation, we are also a Muslim nation.” It omitted his saying, in the same speech, that the United States is not solely
a Christian nation. The ad, which included a photo of Obama wearing a turban as part of a traditional outfit given to him in Africa, concluded with a man saying: “It’s time for people of faith to stand against Barack Hussein Obama.” A group called the Coalition Against Anti-Christian Rhetoric paid for the ad, which stations quickly dropped after the Obama campaign complained. The Texas Republican Party recently cut ties with a vendor whose political buttons at a party convention included one saying: “If Obama is president ... will we
A firefighting plane drops flame retardant near a fire truck in Oroville, California.
still call it The White House?” Texas Republican Party spokesman Hans Klingler said, “we will neither tolerate nor profit from bigotry.” Political professionals differ on how much racially tinged campaigning might emerge this summer and fall. Terry Holt, a Republican strategist who worked on President Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign, said Republicans know that McCain has no tolerance for such tactics. For the McCain campaign, he said, “it’s not about what Obama looks like, it’s about what he’s going to act like.” Washington AP
California blazes rage on, residents told to evacuate
AP
‘End to Mississippi River rise is near'
Lebanese Sunni Muslim gunmen look for cover on a street in Tripoli on Monday.
Lebanese troops deployed in Lebanon’s second largest city on Monday to try to end two days of sectarian fighting that has killed at least nine people and dented a deal to end the country’s political crisis. Witnesses said soldiers and policemen in armored troop carriers entered the outskirts of the northern city of Tripoli, scene of fighting between Sunni Muslim government supporters and Alawite gunmen close to the Hezbullahled opposition. The clashes subsided as the forces deployed on the frontline between the Sunni Bab Tibbaneh area and Alawite Jabal Mohsen. The army said in a statement it would start implementing measures to restore calm and warned that it would use force if necessary to
PHOTO
DELUGE
REUTERS
Kidnappers released a prominent Greek industrialist unharmed early Monday, 13 days after his abduction. He said his family paid a ransom but would not say how much it was. A police statement said Giorgos Mylonas, 49, was freed shortly after 1:00 a.m. (2200 GMT on Sunday). Mylonas said he was freed in a deserted area outside Thessaloniki after his family paid an unspecified sum in ransom. "Only I and my wife know the precise amount, not even the police know that," he told reporters. He said he drove home in a car provided by his abductors. Mylonas' kidnappers had demanded 30 million euros (US$47 million) to release him. Mylonas is the chairman of the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece, and heads Greece's Alumil Aluminium company. He said he never saw the faces of his abductors, who treated him well. He said they spoke to him in Greek and were very professional. "It was an unfortunate experience, which is now over," Mylonas said. "There are some (details) which I will keep to myself until my dying day. ... I have not seen the light of day for 13 days, so now I am enjoying the sunshine." Three men abducted Mylonas at gunpoint as he drove up to his Thessaloniki home on June 9. Last week, his kidnappers sent his family a videotape in which the industrialist urged his family to meet their demands. Kidnappings are rare in Greece. Thessaloniki AP
Lebanese troops deploy in north to stop clashes PHOTO
Kidnappers release Greek industrialist unharmed
WORLD
PHOTO
T10-24-06-08.qxd
Cooler weather helped firefighters gain ground on hundreds of wildfires that charred bone-dry terrain across the heart of wine country and remote forests in Northern California. One fire had spread across nearly 6 square miles (15.5 square kilometers) in Napa County and quickly moved into a mostly rural area of Solano County. The fire threatened more than 100 buildings as it fed on grassy woodland about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Sacramento, said Roger Archey, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. It was 35 percent contained on Sunday evening and had destroyed one home, officials said. Evacuations were ordered for some residents, said agency spokeswoman Nancy Carniglia. Firefighters in southern New Mexico, meanwhile, were trying to stop a 43,000-acre (17,400hectare) wildfire that’s destroying grazing allotments since starting in the Lincoln National Forest, a U.S. Forest Service fire information officer said. Two other lightning-sparked wildfires also have burned nearly 30,000 acres (12,100 hectares). One was burning west of Roswell in southern New Mexico, and the other was west of Raton in the northern part of the state. Wildfires have destroyed more than 175 homes in Northern California so far this year. San Francisco AP
Militants abduct 17 Pakistani cops at Khyber Pass
Sen. Barack Obama, right, is dressed as a Somali elder by Sheikh Mahmed Hassan, during his visit to Wajir, a rural area in northeastern Kenya, near the borders with Somalia and Ethiopia in this file photo from Aug. 27, 2006. The garb was presented to Obama by elders in Wajir.
CM Y K
Suspected pro-Taliban militants have kidnapped 17 Pakistani policemen from posts on the Khyber Pass, the latest security incident on the vital supply route for Western forces in Afghanistan. Militants attacked four check posts on Sunday night on the winding road through the pass which leads to the Afghan border, kidnapping the policemen and wounding one in a brief exchange of fire, a senior government official in the region said. “Our 17 khasadar are missing,” said the official in Landikotal, the main town in the Khyber region, referring to members of special police forces recruited in ethnic Pashtun tribal agencies. “The attackers appear to be outsiders, maybe militants from Mohmand,” said the official, who declared to be identified, referring to a neighboring region where Taliban fighters operate. No militant group claimed responsibility and no ransom demand had been received, said the official. The Khyber area had been virtually free of militant violence until this year but security has deteriorated sharply in recent months. Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan was kidnapped in February while traveling through the Khyber Pass. Taliban militants holding him let him go in May. Several aid workers were also kidnapped in the region. Landikotal Reuters
T11-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
19:12
Page 1
WORLD
TODAY’S ZAMAN 11
T U E S D AY, J U N E 2 4 , 2 0 0 8
REUTERS
NUKES
PHOTOS
UN team inspects bombed ‘facilities’ in Syria UN nuclear inspectors headed on Monday to an alleged nuclear site in Syria that the United States says housed a secretly built reactor nearing completion when it was bombed by Israel nine months ago, a diplomat said. Syria denies it has any covert nuclear weapons program and says the Israelis hit an ordinary military structure being built at al-Kibar, in the northeastern desert. Neither Syria nor the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued any information about the visit of the inspectors since they arrived in Damascus on Sunday. “The visit (to the alleged nuclear site) is today,” said a senior diplomat in Europe familiar with the IAEA. The team led by Olli Heinonen, head of the UN nuclear watchdog’s global inspectorate, is also due to hold talks with Syrian officials before returning to Vienna on Wednesday. Syria’s silence on the visit, which it agreed with the IAEA on June 5, indicates how sensitive the issue is for President Bashar al-Assad, who has yet to retaliate for the Israeli raid. Vienna Reuters
SPEECH
Sarkozy offers to broker peace in Israel French President Nicolas Sarkozy positioned himself on Monday as a possible Middle East peace broker, offering in a speech to Israel's parliament to help reach agreement and mobilize French troops if necessary. "I ask you to trust us because we want to help you," said Sarkozy, the first French president to address the Knesset since Francois Mitterrand in 1982. "France is ready to provide its guarantee, ready to mobilise its diplomatic service, its resources, its soldiers. You can trust France," he said, without specifying what role French soldiers could play. Since taking office a year ago, Sarkozy has broken rank with his predecessors by repeatedly branding himself a "friend of Israel," fostering closer ties with the Jewish state and repeatedly saying there can be no compromise on its security. Sarkozy said in the speech that peace with the Palestinians was possible if Israel stopped all settlement activity and accepted Jerusalem as capital of two states. "Create the conditions for movement," Sarkozy told lawmakers, urging them to back a proposal for settlers to leave the West Bank for compensation and rehousing in Israel. Jerusalem Reuters
ANGER
UK public sector workers to strike over pay Around 600,000 British local government workers have voted to strike over pay, public sector union Unison said on Monday, adding to fears that higher living costs may spark an hard-to-control inflationary spiral. Unison said workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland voted by 55 percent to 45 percent for a program of sustained strikes after rejecting a 2.45 percent pay offer. Workers in Scotland are also considering industrial action. The strikes, disrupting services from education to garbage collection, will add to the woes of embattled Prime Minister Gordon Brown whose Labour Party faces the risk of defeat in the next election due by May 2010. The prospect of higher pay settlements being forced through will also worry Bank of England policymakers who fear that big jumps in wages will spur inflation higher at a time when it is already running at its highest in more than a decade. London Reuters
DISASTER
Floods, landslides kill 35 in southwest China Floods, landslides and hail in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan have killed 35 people, state media said on Monday. The storms have affected around 1.9 million people and caused losses of some 575 million yuan ($83.70 million) in the province, the official Xinhua news agency said, though it did not specify a timeframe. In the eastern province of Anhui, torrential rain and floods over the weekend affected about 541,000 people, it added. Rain and floods, concentrated in China's heavily industrialized south, have killed at least 176 people already this year, as authorities struggle to shelter millions made homeless by the 7.9 magnitude quake that struck the southwestern province of Sichuan on May 12. Beijing Reuters
PEACE DRIVE
Rice, Palestinians and Israelis to meet in Berlin UU Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet Palestinian and Israeli negotiators in Berlin today to try to move peace talks forward, Palestinian and Israeli officials said on Monday. Senior Palestinian negotiators said Rice proposed holding a trilateral meeting in Europe during her visit to Israel and the Palestinian areas 10 days ago to help bridge gaps between the sides and try to reach agreement by the end of this year. The talks will be held on the sidelines of a donors' conference in Berlin, where delegates from around 50 countries are to discuss funding for projects to strengthen Palestinian police and legal institutions. "The trilateral meeting will focus on reviewing the negotiations, and will be followed by a bilateral meeting with the Israelis," senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Reuters before leaving for Germany. Ramallah Reuters
The bow of the MV Princess of Stars passenger ferry sticks out of the water off the coast of the Sibuyan island in the central Philippines.
Hopes fade for victims of capsized Philippine ferry The ship is resting upside down with the tip of its bow above water and its stern resting on the bottom of the sea, easily visible from shore. The coast guard said divers would cut open the 23,824 ton vessel today Rescuers held little hope on Monday of finding some 800 people missing from a capsized ferry in the Philippines as large swells prevented divers from drilling holes into the doomed vessel. Many passengers were feared trapped inside the Princess of Stars after a handful of survivors said people were still onboard when the ship sank off the central island of Sibuyan in waves as big as houses during Saturday’s typhoon. The ship is resting upside down with the tip of its bow above water and its stern resting on the bottom of the sea, easily visible from shore. The coast guard said divers would cut open the 23,824 ton vessel today. “We feel there is no life inside,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Edgard Arevalo, a Philippine navy spokesman. There were reports 15 survivors had been spotted on Sibuyan island but so far only 33 people had been found alive. Washington was sending a military ship, the USNS Stockham, with helicopters on board, to help with rescue efforts as well as a maritime surveillance aircraft. Typhoon Fengshen, which weakened to a tropical storm over the South China Sea, pounded the Philippines at the weekend with gusts of up to 195 kph (120 mph). Aside from the ferry disaster, possibly the worst in the Philippines in over 20 years, at least 155 people were killed, largely by drowning, in a torrent of floods in the south and centre of the archipelago, according to the Red Cross. The sixth typhoon to hit the archipelago badly damaged the country’s already shoddy infrastructure, washing away thousands of homes as well as roads and bridges.
Estrella Valdez comforts her son Elwin as they await the latest information on their relatives onboard the capsized ferry. Nine male corpses believed to be passengers from the Princess of Stars washed ashore on the central island of Masbate, at least 70 km away from Sibuyan island, on Monday. “The bodies were bloated and decomposing. What we did was just to wrap them up and buried them right away,” a local mayor told radio. In the province worst hit by Fengshen, Iloilo, tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate. “At the moment, they appear dazed and confused. We need all the help we can get,” said Rolex Suplico, the vice-governor. “This is the worst flooding Iloilo
has experienced.” Damage to agriculture and infrastructure in the province was pegged at 1.7 billion pesos ($38 million). Fengshen is expected to bring heavy rain and winds to Taiwan and southern parts of China in the next few days according to storm tracker website www.tropicalstormrisk.com. Twenty eight passengers and crew from the passenger ferry survived after drifting for more than 24 hours in a rubber boat. Jessie Buot swam for his life in a life vest and made it to Sibuyan island around 2-3 km away. “I tried to be brave because I knew if I had succumbed to my fears, I would have died,” the 24-year old farm worker told Reuters. At least 15 people were reported dead. Philippine transport authorities said on Monday they had grounded the vessels of ferry company Sulpicio Lines for inspection. The company’s ships have been involved in three other major disasters over the past 21 years. In 1987, the Sulpicio-owned Dona Paz ferry collided with an oil tanker killing more than 4,000 people in the world’s worst peacetime sea tragedy. Ferry travel in the Philippines, an archipelago of over 7,000 islands, is hazardous due to lax safety standards, old vessels and bad weather, but for many poor people it is the only means of inter-island travel. Distraught relatives of the 724 passengers and 140 crew screamed at Sulpicio employees while waiting for news in the central city of Cebu, where Princess of Stars was meant to dock. “You can’t bring our loved ones back. You should be held responsible,” one woman told Sulpicio staff. Sibuyan Island Reuters
EU states back new sanctions against Iran European Union states agreed on Monday to impose new sanctions against Iran, including an asset freeze on its biggest bank, over its refusal to meet demands to curb its nuclear program. But the EU said the door remained open to possible talks over an international package of incentives delivered to Tehran earlier this month by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment. The new EU sanctions are the latest attempt by the West to put pressure on Iran over the nuclear issue and will target businesses and individuals the West alleges are linked to its nuclear and ballistic programs. “The individuals will be banned from entering the EU and the entities will be banned from operating in the EU,” said an EU official, who wanted to remain anonymous, after EU ministers rubber-stamped the measures at a meeting in Luxembourg. The EU is due to publish the names of those affected today but the official said Bank Melli would face an asset freeze under the moves, while the visa bans would target “very senior experts” inside Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs. “Its impact (will be) more expensive imports,” Iranian analyst Saeed Laylaz said of the impact on Iran of the move against Bank Melli, a key supplier of export guarantees. “ The economy of Iran will be more dependent on Chinese markets,” he added of a growing shift in Iran’s focus to Asia that has seen Europe’s share of the Islamic Republic’s trade dwindle to 25-30 percent from twice that five years ago. Bank Melli has branches in Paris and Hamburg and a unit in London called Melli Bank Plc. A source close to the subsidiary said it was seeking information from British authorities on whether and how the sanctions would affect it.
Carrot and stick The EU official stressed the sanctions were based on measures agreed by the UN Security Council and that six powers -- the five permanent members of the Council plus Germany -- still sought an answer from Iran to their incentives offer. “We are continuing with the doubletrack,” the official said of the carrot-and-stick policy that has until now not induced Iran to curb a nuclear program, suspected by the West of being a cover for making an atom bomb. The United States and the EU agreed this month they were ready to take additional steps aimed at ensuring Iranian banks could not back proliferation and terrorism. Diplomats say there are exploratory talks in the West about the possibility of targeting Iran’s energy sector with future sanctions. Iran insists its nuclear work is a peaceful program, but the dispute has sparked fears of military confrontation and helped push up oil prices to record highs. Iran’s oil minister has put its windfall crude export earnings at $6 billion per month and acting economy minister Hossein Samsami said at the weekend existing sanctions were not having a major impact on the country’s economy. Iranian weekly Shahrvand-e Emrooz reported this month that Iran had withdrawn $75 billion from Europe to prevent the assets from being blocked, but Samsami played down such reports and insisted the situation was “as yet not serious.” The new incentives offer is based on an updated version of one rejected by Iran in 2006 and includes help in developing a civilian nuclear program and trade benefits. Diplomats said on Friday major powers had offered Iran preliminary talks on its nuclear program, on condition it limit enrichment to current levels for six weeks in exchange for a freeze on moves towards harsher sanctions. Brussels Reuters
Zimbabwe’s opposition leader ready to negotiate if violence stops
Thai Prime Minister Sundaravej gets senate grilling, protesters block office
ed before the negotiations take place. One Zimbabwean opposition leader of the preconditions is that this violence Morgan Tsvangirai said on Monday he against the people must be stopped.” was ready to negotiate with President Tsvangirai on Sunday pulled out of the June Robert Mugabe’s ruling party after his 27 poll, saying supporters of his Movement withdrawal from a presidential election, for Democratic Change would but only if political violence risk their lives by voting bestopped. Amid mounting cause of brutal attacks by concern from within and outMugabe supporters. Mugabe, side Africa over the violence, 84, who has been in power in which Tsvangirai says since independence from around 90 of his supporters Britain in 1980, has vowed have died, the MDC leader never to hand over to the optold South Africa’s Radio 702: position, branding them pup“We are prepared to negotipets of the West. He denies his ate with ZANU-PF but of supporters are responsible for course it is important that Robert Mugabe the violence. Harare Reuters and AP certain principles are accept-
have lots of work to do,” he said. “Ministers Thailand’s upper house grilled Prime attend cabinet meetings every Tuesday.” Minister Samak Sundaravej in a largely Neither the Senate debate nor Tuesday’s opsymbolic censure debate on Monday as thouposition-sponsored no-confidence motion in sands of street protesters blockaded his office the lower house of parliament is likely to for a fourth day, demanding his government cause the five-month-old coaliquit. The 73-year-old Samak, tion major problems given its who was elected in overwhelming majority. Instead, December, delivered a wideSamak appears to be using them ranging defense of his govto counter the street campaign by ernment after a barrage of the People’s Alliance for criticism from Senate opposiDemocracy (PAD), the motley tion members. “I am not that group of businessmen, academics insane to quit,” the toughand royalists whose 2005 camtalking right wing firebrand paign against Thaksin Shinawatra said in a 30-minute rebuttal. led ultimately to his removal in a “In the past four months, I Samak Sundaravej 2006 coup. Bangkok Reuters have worked every day. We
CM Y K
T12-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
19:18
Page 1
12 TODAY’S ZAMAN
EXPAT ZONE
T U E S D AY, J U N E 2 4 , 2 0 0 8
Mozart by moonlýght Trust me to have been away from Göreme on the night of the year when the party to end all parties took place here! Friends assure me that everyone who is anyone was out celebrating Turkey's last-second victory in the match against Croatia until 3 a.m. last Friday. Gosh. Even the most lavish and ostentatious of weddings usually grind to a halt by midnight! But I wasn't really all that bothered, not being much of a football fan (let's be honest -- I didn't even know there was going to be a match until I arrived home and found everyone talking about it). On the other hand, I am a big fan of classical music, and, as far as I was concerned, it was more important to be back in Göreme in time for a concert that was scheduled to take place in the most romantic of our many romantic locations, the Gizli Vadisi (Secret Valley), tucked away at the back
of Mustafapaþa. This wonderful place is something of a mystery. Although I've been living in Cappadocia for almost 10 years, I had never heard as much as a whisper about it until last summer. Now suddenly it's all the rage, so popular that its owners have installed a padlockable gate so that they can keep control of the comings and goings. It was here that a group of us gathered last Saturday to celebrate the longest day of the year while listening to a TurkishAmerican quintet perform sublime Brahms and Mozart chamber music. They played to us from a remarkable stage set beneath a natural proscenium arch of rock while we gazed up at them from stools arrayed along the walls of a twisting canyon. The concert started in daylight but, as darkness descended, burning torches lit up the musicians. Above us the swifts swirled and screeched,
{{
CAVE LIFE PAT YALE oblivious to high culture. Only when the ezan rang out was there a moment of tension. Locally, most people turn their music off during the call to prayer, but to interrupt a live performance of Brahms would be unthinkable; and so the band played on. It was one of those wonderful local occasions that serve to reinforce our sense of community. Of course, classical music, even
performed in the most remarkable of outdoor settings, remains a minority taste, so it was a community within a community of Turks and expats drawn from all around Cappadocia that showed up; all the usual suspects, in fact, which meant that we could tick off on our fingers who had made it and who was still nursing a hangover from the big party two days earlier. As the gathering broke up, a friend and I hugged each other and reminded ourselves how lucky we were to be living here and to have such wonderful opportunities available right on our doorstep. The musicians have lined up four more concerts to take us through to the autumn. They'll be performing in Didim and Bodrum, too, so keep your eyes peeled for "Klasik Keyifler" (Classical Pleasure) posters. Pat Yale lives in a restored cave-house in Göreme in Cappadocia.
urban beats {{
Lýfe moves to balcony as temperatures rýse ýn Ýstanbul
Sports, freedom and loyalty to the home team PHOTO
JOHN CROFOOT
JULIA KONMAZ ÝSTANBUL
Former professional soccer player and Side resident Metin Aktaþ
JOHN CROFOOT SÝDE
Metin Aktaþ has lived in Side, a coastal village halfway between Antalya and Alanya, for 23 years. Running a small pansiyon situated between Side's ancient theater and the sea, this 56-year-old former soccer player stays fit through spear-fishing, swimming and running errands on his bicycle. Today, Aktaþ weighs all of 70 kilograms, barely a kilogram more than when he ended his athletic career. Side represents the culmination of a series of life choices through which Aktaþ has pursued sports and individual freedom. "I'm in Side," explains Aktaþ, "because I like my life here." "I'm free," he adds, "this is important to me." "Sports is a way of life," says Aktaþ. "I started playing soccer at 13, as an amateur." In 1970, after long arguments with his father, Aktaþ abandoned his studies to play soccer for the local professional team, Giresun Spor. "At that time," continues Aktaþ, "there was no money in soccer." Aktaþ explains that when he started playing there were only 60 professional teams in Turkey and an athlete faced stiff competition to make it as a professional player. Also, professional soccer was still dominated by a local, "amateur" ethos emphasizing loyalty to one's home team. Playing well enough to attract offers from other clubs, Aktaþ eventually tried to leave Giresun. "But my father," recounts Aktaþ, "was a close friend of the team manager ... [and] said, 'No, you can't go, you must play here.'" The bonds of friendship run deep in Giresun and this, for Aktaþ, is the meaning of "amateur." Aktaþ and his teammates played professionally, but not for the money. "Money," says Aktaþ, "is not important. The important thing in Giresun," he concludes, is "to be useful to one's home (memleket)." Aktaþ is anything but bitter about the "amateur" nature of professional soccer in his day. Indeed, he gradually gained his independence and went on to play for Amasya, Elazýð,
Konya and Diyarbakýr. His words now bespeak a tacit appreciation for hard lessons in loyalty: "Our education in football was very important. Because of our moral outlook, everyone [in Giresun] liked us. We were happy, and we're still happy." Having left soccer 25 years ago, Aktaþ still values his ties with his home team. "There was a good bond of friendship among the players and we still see one another." As it turns out, Aktaþ demonstrates the same loyalty to Side that earlier, at his father's insistence, he practiced in Giresun. Aktaþ moved to Side in 1985 after buying a bar there. "Side was very authentic, historic and beautiful then," reminisces Aktaþ. In the 1960s and '70s, Side, which takes its name from the Hittite word for pomegranate, had attracted a community of artists and intellectuals who appreciated the town's isolation as well as its beauty and history. Side was particularly enticing to Aktaþ because it "is good for sports; there is [good air]." But Side has changed drastically. Most of Old Side's open spaces have been filled by small shops, hotels and even a disco built among the ancient ruins. Aktaþ's biggest complaint is that shop owners, anxious to boost revenue to cover rising costs, rely on poorly skilled seasonal workers to harass tourists into buying overpriced merchandise. Aktaþ also criti-
cizes Side Municipality for poor planning and the police for not enforcing existing rules enacted to preserve Side's historic atmosphere. Aktaþ says that many of the people who made Side such an attractive place 25 years ago have now left, but he and a few others have elected to stay and to help the ancient village regain something of its past charm. "Tourism is a social business," explains Aktaþ. "Let's offer a service, not harass the tourists, because others must not be treated in a way that we ourselves would not want to be treated." He stays in Side because he loves being outdoors. "Nine months of summer," he exclaims, noting that the Sorgun Forest, to the east of Side, has hiking trails accessible from the beach. The forest also has good streams for rafting. Aktaþ and his friends recognize, however, that there is much work to do before Side can compete with places like Kaþ and Alanya. "Alanya," observes Aktaþ, "has a triathlon. Side is a beautiful place to have such an event." He and his "teammates" in Side are exploring ways to broaden Side's appeal by preserving its natural and historic features. Aktaþ has even named his bedand-breakfast, which he runs with his wife, Lale, and a relative, Halil Kalafat, the "Doða (Nature) Pansiyon." One idea arising in conversation with Aktaþ is to extend the pedestrian paths that already link Antalya with Lara Beach all the way to Side. This would enable people to walk, run, bike or go by wheelchair along the coast. As the experience of cities like Antalya and Ýstanbul shows, when municipalities develop enticing, pleasant walkways -- with green space for picnicking and open-air exercise equipment -- both tourists and local residents vote with their feet. If people find it easy to get outdoors and exercise, they may find that they enjoy physical activity almost as much as Aktaþ, however young they may be. John Crofoot is a runner and freelance writer in Ýstanbul.
Something I love about summertime in the big city, in the big city that is Ýstanbul, is balcony culture. I should extend this to patio culture, since my house technically has a patio and not a balcony, but still, I include my patio, which lies high above our street, in the vast spectrum of platform-like extensions to homes that exist all over the city. Whether we are talking big, small, fancy, plain, encircled in wrought iron, cement or boxy and modern, balconies come to life when the air starts getting warm in Turkey. They turn from being just functional to being aesthetic. Flowerpots get put out, as does furniture and of course the race to see who can keep the cleanest balcony. Sweeping, washing, wiping down the balcony -- this starts to occur many times a day when the weather gets warmer in Ýstanbul. Balconies become your view onto the world below, your way to interact with the outdoor world without having to leave the privacy of your own home and even your spot to host visitors who might happen to stop in from that outside world below. Speaking of visitors from that outside world, I should also mention how much I love the tradition of the cleanly swept, washed tiles of a city balcony as a place from which to watch street life and host people. I had never really, until I moved here, appreciated the importance of a clean balcony, as opposed to just, say, a balcony. A clean, freshly washed balcony is an invitation to tea and sugary or salty snacks on a pretty tray, a place where little kids can play on their knees and not get dirty and a place where you feel like you are sitting on a white canvas waiting to be painted or waiting to paint your own picture of the human landscape passing in front of you. You can contemplate the trees, the sky, the neighbor's cat, what might be in the shopping bags being carried by your neighbor or even the neighbor's (clearly) new outfit. Who has a new haircut, who has a new bike, who has a new boyfriend, which cat is pregnant, who is leaving for the weekend, who comes in awfully late at night during the week … this can all be discovered via the balcony. And in Turkey, where cleanliness really is next to godliness, part of the fun of getting into these balconies is making sure yours is as competitively sparkling and fresh as the next door neighbor's one, ready to host whomever might next darken your doorway looking for a cup of tea and a conversation. Whether you are talking about the striking fer forgé wound balconies of Teþvikiye and Niþantaþý or the more modern, square cement balconies of the tall apartment buildings all over the city, balconies are a critical part of a Turkish home. When I lived in Bulgaria, I got used to seeing balconies that had been glassed in, in an attempt to turn the balcony into another room in the house. I see that here in Turkey too, though perhaps not quite as much, but it is funny, even those glassed-in balconies never lose their feel as being a separate part of the home, no matter how many bags of potatoes or washing machines may be being stored on them. They are still places from which you can sit back, your feet on a cool, clean tiled floor, and watch the flow of human landscape pass before you.
NOTE: Today's Zaman intends to provide a lively forum for expatriates living in Turkey. We encourage you to contact us at voice@todayszaman.com and share your experiences, questions and problems in all walks of life for publication in Today's Zaman.
CM Y K
T13-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
19:07
Page 1
CULTURE&ARTS
TODAY’S ZAMAN 13
T U E S D AY, J U N E 2 4 , 2 0 0 8
BAHAR MANDAN
‘Summer Book' gets jury prize at Taormina
PHOTO
Vocalist Vedat Yýldýrým (L) and bass guitarist Ayhan Akkaya of the folksong ensemble Kardeþ Türküler.
TURGUT ENGÝN
Kardeþ Türküler celebrates 15th year with big concert, book Famous for their diverse repertoire consisting of folksongs in different languages spoken across Anatolia, the ensemble Kardeþ Türküler (Songs of Fraternity) has been the voice of multiculturalism and multilingualism on the Turkish music scene for the last 15 years. And tonight the ensemble celebrates its 15th anniversary with a special concert at the Turkcell Kuruçeþme Arena. The concert will reflect the group’s 15-year musical and cultural journey, featuring Birol Topaloðlu, Erdal Erzincan, Ertan Tekin, Esma Redzepova, Leman Sam, Neþet Ertaþ and Pakrat Estukyan as guest musicians. In the ’90s, while the group’s members were members of the Boðaziçi University Folklore Club, the idea of putting on a concert informed by Turkey’s cultural pluralism came to them, the vocalist of the ensemble, Vedat Yýldýrým, and bass guitarist Ayhan Akkaya explain in an interview with Today’s Zaman. “There were some changes in that period. In 1991, for example, the ban on speaking languages other than Turkish was abolished. We wanted to perform something relevant to this land and began our studies. The first thing we did was give a concert titled ‘Kardeþ Türküler.’ The concept behind it was the fact that all songs [türküler] are siblings [kardeþ],” Akkaya says, adding that their first concert consisted of Turkish, Kurdish, Azeri and Armenian songs. The group aimed to oppose the polarization and tension they saw corrupting the multicultural heartland of Anatolia with the idea of living together in peace and fraternity. In the following years, Kardeþ Türküler began expanding its repertoire, using both music and dance. They included Laz, Georgian, Circassian, Roma, Macedonian, Arabic and Alevi songs to their performances. “In 1995 we founded the Boðaziçi Performing Arts Ensemble [BGST] in order to unite the graduate students who wanted to continue their studies.
PHOTO
RUMEYSA KIGER ÝSTANBUL
Members of Kardeþ Türküler perform during a concert in June 2004 at Ýstanbul’s Cemil Topuzlu Theater. When Feryal [Öney] released her album of Azerbaijani songs in 1996 we, too, found the confidence to release an album and finally, in 1997, we released our debut album, ‘Kardeþ Türküler,’” says Akkaya, adding that the group embraced the name because everybody began referring to them as Kardeþ Türküler. Their second album, “Doðu” (East), had more local emphasis and they also shot a music video in Turkish and Kurdish, although it did not receive wide coverage by the media. “We shot another video in Kurdish in 2004, but again the self-censoring national stations did not show the video. In the end Kalan Music put an ad in various newspapers, announcing, ‘We are looking for stations that are willing to show this video,’ and some of them covered it after that,” Akkaya explains. The group also wrote and performed soundtracks for “Vizontele” and “Vizontele Tuuba,” a two-film comic take on the events that unwind when a group of Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) officials go to an eastern Anatolian village to bring the village a television for the first time. Asked whether they take the folksongs they
sing as they are or change them through a specific interpretation, Yýldýrým explains they modify the songs. “Although the roots we have may be different, we are living together. When you encounter a new song from a different culture, you try to understand it and add something to it from your own culture since you also have a conception of the world. It is very important in art to balance the relationship you have with your traditional heritage and to balance what you take from it and what you give back to it,” he says, adding that they generally alter the songs from their original versions but try to do so with an understanding of making a new arrangement. “Our aim is not to put a dress that won’t look good on it,” Yýldýrým adds. He explains that singing in a language unknown to the singer is not very easy, either. “You have to work a lot while singing a song because there are people who are going to understand that song in that particular language and be touched. The important thing is to be able to make people feel a state of belonging through these songs,” Yýldýrým says and adds that Arabic is one of the hardest languages to sing in since the stress in every let-
EXHIBITION
FESTIVAL
Master Turkish painters at Almelek all summer
Ottoman and baroque tunes to echo in Topkapý
The Almelek Art Gallery in Ýstanbul’s Bebek district currently hosts a selection of work by famous Turkish painters in its annual summer exhibition, which this year runs until Sept. 30. Among artists whose works are featured are Süleyman Saim Tekcan, Nevzat Akoral, Turgut Atalay, Cafer Bater, Þadan Bezeyiþ, Cihat Burak, Bedri Rahmi Eyüboðlu and Eren Eyüboðlu. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tel.: (212) 265 3851
One of tonight’s concerts at the ongoing Ýstanbul Music Festival will bring together 17th-century music from the Ottoman and European courts in the same performance. The French baroque music ensemble La Turchesca, featuring soprano Çimen Seymen, and the Turkish ensemble Cevher-i Musiki, featuring Tolga Meriç as vocalist, will take the stage together for the concert, which will start at 9:30 p.m. at Topkapý Palace’s Babüssaade section.
CONCERT
Indie rockers Ayyuka to perform live in Ankara Turkish indie rock band Ayyuka, known for blending an assortment of genres such as Anatolian rock, arabesque, punk, psychedelic rock and funk in their songs, will this week perform live for their fans at Ankara’s IF Performance Hall. The band, featuring Özgür Yýlmaz on vocals and guitar, Ahmet Kul on guitar, Altan Sebüktekin on bass and Alican Tezer on drums, will take to the stage at 10 p.m. on Thursday night. Ticket price: YTL 10
ter is significant and alters the meaning. In order to mark the 15th year, the ensemble published a book through BGST Press that covers the journey of Kardeþ Türküler from the beginning. “This book is a the result of two years of preparation. We wanted to publish a book that details how the ensemble emerged in the very beginning and what kind of musical means we had,” Akkaya says. The book covers many issues, including Turkey’s cultural background in the ’90s, during which Kardeþ Türküler developed; who the main cultural figures in Turkey were during those years; coverage about the band from newspaper clippings and so on. “We prepared the book in the style of a documentary while group members wrote articles on the group’s understanding of music: our approach to songs, creating a storyline, musical notes, dance and the role of dance in our performances. One article is on theater; for example, how did struggles against sexism in Turkey reflect on the society,” he says, adding that they also included reviews of how they are seen from the outside by music critics. Although we always try to stress the fact that different cultures live together in this land and we mutually affect each other, we have to look at the applications of this, Akkaya points out. “For example, we also included 27 interviews in the book from composers to lyricists, from instrumentalists to organizers, from academics to producers in order to tell the stories of the people who had struggled to maintain their [national] identities in the cultural scene of the ’90s, and we wanted to publish some of them in the languages we sing. However, it was very difficult to find a person who knows these languages in the first place. As there is no institute working to protect them, they will vanish with time,” Akkaya says, giving the example of not having keys for the Armenian question mark or Georgian letters on computers. “We are trying to do something for these languages from a musical perspective but the main question is what to do for them in real life.”
Concert pays tribute to Johann Michael Haydn Ýstanbul’s St. Esprit Cathedral in Harbiye will host five young musicians from Turkey and Germany tonight, bringing to life the musical heritage of Johann Michael Haydn, the renowned Austrian composer of the Salzburg Cathedral and the younger brother of Franz Joseph Haydn, on the 202nd anniversary of his death. Mezzo-soprano Nihan Devecioðlu and organist Christian Rott, along with composers Ahmet Altýnel, Barkýn Engin and Burak Tamer, will be onstage for the admission-free performance, which will get under way at 8 p.m. The five musicians will present a selection of classical pieces that influenced Haydn and also those he composed as a result of this influence. This performance will later be followed by an experimental re-interpretation of a Haydn piece and a brand new piece using the church’s organ and live electronic instruments. Titled “ZamanDönüþüm//Ýstanbul” (TimeTransfiguration//Ýstanbul), the concert is the first leg of an international series that will later travel to Salzburg, Bonn and Bayreuth in August. The concert is organized by the Salzburg-based Johann Michael Haydn Society with support from the Austrian Cultural Office in Ýstanbul and the Ýstanbul Technical University Center for Advanced Studies in Music (MÝAM). Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman
Russian movie takes top prize in Shanghai A Russian film about a teenager surprised by the sudden appearance of the father she thought to be dead won the top prize at the 11th Shanghai International Film Festival. Vladimir Kott’s directorial debut “Mukha” was named best feature film in the Jin Jue Awards announced late Sunday at the conclusion of the nine-day festival. The Chinese movie “Old Fish,” about a bomb dismantling expert in northeastern China, won the Jury Grand Prix prize. The Lithuanian movie “Loss,” a drama set in Ireland and Lithuania, won best the director honor for Latvian Maris Martinsons. Ma Guowei from “Old Fish” won best actor, and Emilia Vasaryova from the Czech movie “Vaclav” took best actress honors. “Vaclav,” which follows events revolving around a village outcast, also won best screenplay for Marek Epstein. Hong Kong art-house director Wong Kar-wai headed this year’s jury for the Jin Jue Awards. Hong Kong AP
Coldplay tops singles chart in UK for first time
CONCERT
Dolapdere Big Gang to rock Sortie club in July The Turkish pop band Dolapdere Big Gang is scheduled for a live gig next month at Ýstanbul’s Sortie club as part of the Dialogue, Respect, Understanding through Music (DRUM) concert series. The band, which gained a huge fan base for their unique interpretation of world-famous rock and pop hits using classical Turkish music instruments, will be onstage July 10 at 10 p.m. Tickets, priced at YTL 45, can be purchased at www.biletix.com.
CM Y K
“Tatil Kitabý” (Summer Book), the debut feature by Turkish filmmaker Seyfi Teoman, has returned home with a special jury prize from this year’s Taormina International Film Festival in Sicily. The Taormina festival, Italy’s second longestrunning film fest after the prestigious Venice Film Festival, featured Turkey as its guest of honor in its 54th edition, which ran from June 15-21. TurkishGerman filmmaker Fatih Akýn was honored with the Nielsen prize for career achievement at the festival, where the jury was headed by acclaimed Italybased Turkish filmmaker Ferzan Özpetek. Teoman’s award-winning “Summer Book,” which premiered earlier this year at the 58th Berlin Film Festival, recounts the story of a family living in the Mediterranean town of Silifke and the events that unfold around the family during a summer holiday. Other Turkish films that featured outside the competition in Taormina were Semih Kaplanoðlu’s “Yumurta” (Egg), Özer Kýzýltan’s “Takva” (A Man’s Fear of God), Çaðan Irmak’s “Babam Ve Oðlum” (My Father and My Son), Reha Erdem’s “Beþ Vakit” (Times and Winds), Zeki Demirkubuz’s “Kader” (Destiny), Hüseyin Karabey’s “Gitmek” (My Marlon and Brando) and Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “Üç Maymun” (Three Monkeys). Egyptian filmmaker Ibrahim el-Batout’s “Ein Shams” (Eye of the Sun), which had its world premiere in Taormina, took home the festival’s top prize, the Golden Bull. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman
Coldplay have secured their first UK number one single with "Viva La Vida," the title track from their new album, according to figures released on Sunday. The song topped the chart in its debut week, while the band's fourth album spent a second week at number one, the Official UK Charts Company said. Although the band, fronted by Chris Martin, have had a string of top 10 hits such as "Yellow," "Clocks" and "Fix You," they had never before taken the top spot. Retailer HMV said the single's success was based solely on downloads from the Internet becuase no hard copies are yet on sale. On Thursday, the four-piece band scored their first US number one single. They also topped the US album chart. Elsewhere on the singles chart, last week's number one "Singin' in the Rain" by Mint Royale fell seven places to number eight. American R&B artist Ne-Yo climbed one place to number two with "Closer," while Barbadian singer Rihanna slipped to third with "Take a Bow." London Reuters
T14-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
19:06
Page 1
14 TODAY’S ZAMAN
PHOTO
AP
TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2008
OPINION
If you don’t like Turkish football, you don’t like sport CHRISTOPHER VASILLOPULOS*
The union for the Meditteranean project proposal envisages the removal of the huge political and economic gap that exists between the southern and northern countries of the Mediterranean.
Unýon for the Medýterranean has potentýal to resolve regýon’s problems SAMÝR SALHA*
The Mediterranean Summit, proposed by French President Nicholas Sarkozy and scheduled to take place on July 13-14 with the participation of 40 countries, has already sparked serious discussions and debates. Actually, the Mediterranean union project is a proposal to remove the huge political and economic gap that exists between the two sides of the Mediterranean and establish a common market between the southern and northern countries. The project, which has made important compromises in the past three months due to Turkey's reservations and reactions, has taken a different shape from its original form offered in Quai d'Orsay. The Mediterranean union project is now markedly different from its original form in terms of its content and structure. In its present form, the proposal refers to the creation of a platform that will ensure the improvement and progress in the fields of trade, environment, education and science between countries on the Mediterranean and the European Union rather than dealing with political issues. Ongoing developments that have forced France to make some compromises include the following: As a consequence of Ankara's efforts and insistence, the name of the project was changed from the Mediterranean Union to the Union for the Mediterranean. France made a second compromise when it agreed to give up on its previous alternative offer in which it proposed that
Turkey join the Mediterranean institution instead of the EU. Moreover, the decision by the French National Assembly to hold a referendum in regards to Turkey's membership in the EU was found unjust and unbalanced. US President George W. Bush was briefed on the project despite a heavy agenda in his country, and he forwarded America's demands to Sarkozy, implying that the US would continue holding the initiative in the region. The budget requested by Paris from the EU for the planned summit was not approved as France was told that it could not carry the project alone and it would have to work with the EU in line with the initial suggestion made by the latter for the project in 1995. France transferred the project it led to EU institutions and lost its influence within the Mediterranean union. France's rejection of the EU constitution and recent developments in Ireland have raised concerns in Paris, which was then forced to take steps in favor of the EU. It is still uncertain whether the latest strategic cards played by Sarkozy, who has been hit with harsh criticism in the past few months, losing the support of the media, will effective and conclusive in rebuilding his undermined prestige and image. Calling Israel to the summit and establishing close relations with this country was met with skepticism in the region; Tunisia's assumption of the duty of general coordination and Egypt's leadership of the southern wing raised doubts and concerns among Arab and European countries.
To restore relations between France and Syria, which have been deteriorating since 2001, Syrian President Bashar Assad was invited the summit despite objections by Lebanon. Moreover, attempts were made to render Turkey ineffective by bringing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Assad to the negotiating table. In addition to these failed steps of French diplomacy, Israeli President Simon Peres noted that he would talk to Sarkozy over Turkey du ring the latter's visit to Israel next week where he would stress that Israel strongly supports Turkey's EU membership and that they should maintain better relations with Turkey. These remarks and other developments clearly demonstrate that France has become isolated in the international arena through its opposition to Turkey's accession to the EU. The political advantages gained by Turkey through these developments should not ease the doubts that exist but should support the Mediterranean union organization in Ankara, keeping in mind the items listed below. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) should be invited to the meeting because it is part of the Mediterranean region. The goal of the project is not to connect the southern and northern countries and that a dialogue process based on equality and fairness should be initiated. It is not right to draw up scenarios in which masses will be encouraged to migrate from Eastern European countries to the northern Mediterranean to replace Arab migrants, who will be forced to return to their
* Dr. Christopher Vasillopulos is a professor of international relations at Eastern Connecticut State University.
dagistancetinkaya@todayszaman.com.tr
Owner on Behalf of Feza Gazetecilik A.Þ
ALÝ AKBULUT Chief Executive Officer
EKREM DUMANLI Editor-in-Chief
BÜLENT KENEÞ
Ankara Representative Diplomatic News Editor Business News Editor Culture & Arts Editor Features Editor Chief Copy Editor General Manager Chief Marketing Officer Deputy Chief Marketing Officer Brand Marketing Responsible Manager and Representative of the Owner
*Professor Samir Salha is an instructor at Kocaeli University.
Daðýstan Çetinkaya
Thýnk tank cafe´ Established on January 16, 2007 NO: 0497 Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Executive Editor Managing Editors
home countries. Such a policy would mean the creation of a new wall, the kind that exists on Palestinian soil, constructed by Israel, and that this policy would not resolve anything. The approach declaring the south as responsible for ongoing troubles should be abandoned. That the Mediterranean region is situated along the path of the Crusades, which lasted for centuries, and that it is at the very heart of the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement, which sought the region's partition and division, makes the region very important. However, to erase from the region the imprints of the legacies of these bad memories, policies should be developed to create unity, solidarity and mutual respect in the Mediterranean region, where diverse social segments from different cultures and background will enjoy the opportunities offered by the region. The primary reason for the EU's decision to enlarge and expand towards North African countries is its eagerness to benefit from regional markets and alleviate the influence of the US, Russia and China in the region. However, this project cannot address real the political issues of the Mediterranean region. Instead of such a framework, an alternative project should be considered that will create concrete and effective outcomes, remove the gaps and barriers between peoples in the region and not be exploited by the relevant actors. Such a project will greatly contribute to the resolution of the problems in the region.
In the US football, or what they call soccer, is a minor sport. It is played by pre-adolescent boys, rich kids in private schools and those not good enough to play major sports. Although I played intercollegiate soccer, I was never a fan nor was I very good. To American sports fans, soccer seemed boring. Nothing happened, little contact, less scoring and only the goalkeeper could use his hands. Then football Turkish-style came blazing across millions of American televisions. Instead of long periods of futility, punctuated by a possible, but seldom achieved, goal, the first 80 minutes or so of Turkish-style football became a build up of tension, a long prelude to a dramatic explosion. In a normal international contest, the teams play not to lose, score one goal and play even more defense. In Turkish-style football, the idea is to come from behind with such an unexpected goal that the other team is deflated and demoralized. Turks win! This procedure (I cannot call it a strategy) gives coaches gray hair and heart attacks, but it turns out well. But what if the other team scores a late, improbable goal, say with a minute or two left to play? Czechs win! Turks lose! Except they didn't. The Turks scored with 30 seconds left and won. More gray hair. More heart palpitations. Nothing could top that. Not in international football, which is supposed to be dull. Good teams score first and play out the clock. If they score again, it is due entirely to the desperate risks the other team makes to score its one goal. Then came the Turkey-Croatia quarterfinal game. Not only had the Turks never beaten the Croatians, the Croatians had played as well as any team in the European Championship. The game proceeded with its usual dullness, not for 90 minutes but for nearly 120. Toward the end of the second overtime period, the Croatians scored and in a way which should have truly defeated the Turks. Their great but aging goalkeeper made a mental mistake that allowed the goal. A gallant, exhausted, outmanned band of Turks was destined to lose. Except they didn't. On a brilliant goal, they tied the score. The shocked stadium exploded. The Croatians were demoralized. The penalty kicks that decided the game were an anti-climax. There is more to football Turkish-style than late, improbable victories, exciting as they are. What makes the Turkish performance in Euro 2008 so extraordinary is that it transcends the game. Turkish-style football is what sport is supposed to be about and all too often is not. Sport allows athletically gifted young men to compete in a controlled environment. But sport is more. At its best sport is a test of character, as much a test of the athlete against himself as it is against another athlete. Sport is a test of character, what the ancient Greeks called arête, or excellence. Sport is as much about the heart and soul of the athlete as it is about his talent and training. Turkish-style football is why sport matters to so many of us. Turkishstyle football is how life should be lived.
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.
CM Y K
T15-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
19:05
Page 1
COLUMNS
TODAY’S ZAMAN 15
T U E S D AY, J U N E 2 4 , 2 0 0 8
Formalýsm and mýmýcry Turkish modernization is a movement based on copying, mimicking and translation and has taken Europe as such a big reference that it has come to regard participation in modern life as "Westernization." For this reason, the proponents of this movement tended to attach great importance to form and apparel. The reforms undertaken by Mahmut II included replacing Mehterhane with polyphonic Mýzýka-i Hümayun, Persian with French and French army uniforms with traditional apparel, and adopting the Western style in male and female clothing and allowing alcoholic drinks to be consumed at official ceremonies. Today's headscarf issue has its roots in these reforms. In a nutshell, the three parameters of Turkish modernization can be defined as "state's preference," formulation of "the secular" and "Westernization." This is one of the most important reasons why the Muslim community tends to view "modernity" and "development programs" associated with modernity with skepticism. There is also another, more profound, reason, which is the incompatibility of the fundamental philosophical assumptions of modernity as posited by the power elites with the Islamic world's conception of existence, life, humanity and its cultural codes. In
ANDREW FINKEL
ALÝ BULAÇ a.bulac@todayszaman.com
this framework, modernity, a product of the Enlightenment, is based on three basic assumptions: (a) individualism, (b) secularization and (c) nation-state. What do these three parameters that have made the modern world possible mean? It should be noted that these three parameters are problematic with respect to ancient sacred traditions, divine religions and Islamic perspective. Religions teach man how to worship God and submit to divine will. On the other hand, "individualism" rejects not only monarchs and masters as the symbols of absolutist rule, but also all forms of authority over man, including God's intervention with nature, history and life. Individualism does not mean having a "personality" in the simple and desired manner or using one's reason
against the captivating temptations of feelings or learning how to be self-responsible, which is the primary goal of every Muslim. Being an "individual" implies being autonomous, free and independent vis-à-vis God -- and Muslims have failed to find a way to find a compromise between this implication and their faith. When you tend to see "secularization" as "laicism" in the simplest manner, everyone agrees to the need to protect everyone's freedom of religion and freedom. The public sphere or state and administration should not be under the control or influence of the clergy or the church in their organization. Everyone's freedom of religion and conscience should be protected and at the same time, there should be no pressure on the religious life of individuals. In other words, democracy should be protected against absolutism, and secularism against theocracy. Muslims have no problem with respect to these points. Secularism as indoctrinated by the Enlightenment seeks to remove religion from the minds, life, social relations and institutions of individuals, isolate beings from the sacred, and reject the idea of the unseen world or life after death -- the Hereafter -- by suggesting that everything belongs to "here and now."
No Comment
MANIL A, REUTERS
a.finkel@todayszaman.com
HASAN KANBOLAT h.kanbolat@todayszaman.com
Georgýa’s role ýn Turkýsh-Russýan agrýculture crýsýs
The chaýn gang on the wýndow ledge "Turks have no friends but themselves," was the old nationalist adage, which is another way of saying that Turkey is often its own worst enemy. Being friends with Turkey these days is a considerable challenge to its traditional allies, and the old international division of labor between Europe and America in how to deal with Turkey is beginning to come unstuck. In broad terms, America's interest in Turkey has been largely strategic, and although the State Department went to the trouble of maintaining an embassy, the really important dialogue was between the Pentagon and the chiefs of general staff. It wasn't that long ago, after all, that Turkey was ruled by a series of unstable coalitions. Even if you managed to strike up a rapport with the foreign minister, chances are he (and in one case she) would be gone in a few months' time. And even then it wasn't clear that the government could deliver on its commitments. The Turkish military, on the other hand, might have been grumpy interlocutors, but at least they spoke with one voice. Europe, on the other hand, regarded Turkey as an important trading partner and increasingly as a partner with whom they might be sharing sovereignty as part of an expanded European Union. So, of necessity, Europe took a close interest in the state of Turkey's political institutions, to see if its governance was fit for purpose. The suggestion that Washington and Brussels were rivals for Ankara's affections is just silly. The United States was only too delighted to see Europe assume this role of getting Turkey to reform its institutions. They just crossed their fingers and prayed that the EU was up to the job. The situation hasn't changed entirely. The main interest of the United States in Turkey is still strategic, although after Ankara stood on the sidelines at the start of the 2003 Iraq war, that interest is not quite as great as it once was, and heaven knows what will happen if someone in Washington pushes the red button against Iran. Europe's main interest in Turkey is still commercial and political, although given the Euro-ennui over enlargement, Irish antagonism to the Lisbon Treaty and the reluctance of some member states even to countenance Turkish membership, Brussels has flushed a lot of the leverage it once held down the drain. But of course Turkey has changed as well, inasmuch as the military, the judiciary and sections of the bureaucracy have ill-concealed contempt for the elected government. Relations with the outside world are just one more element in this power struggle, each side trying to prevent the other from getting support abroad. Why else would that same establishment, including the political opposition, oppose the repeal of Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and pretty much every other reform that would bring Turkey closer to Europe. And one of the reasons the military puts such a premium on wanting to invade northern Iraq -- even in the dead of winter -- is to make the government's relationship with Washington tenser still. I exaggerate for effect. But the problem I highlight is real. How does the outside world deal with a country divided against itself? It's like trying to talk a suicidal chain gang off a ledge. Who do you persuade first? The conventional wisdom abroad is that common sense should prevail, by which they mean the courts will avoid the chaos that might ensue if they shut the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) down and that the AK Party will give ironclad assurances not to jeopardize Turkish secularism. But there is a lingering suspicion that common sense will not prevail and that the power struggle will continue. So what is to be done? Condoleezza Rice has one answer: Restore the international status quo and get Europeans more involved. "I do think that we need to continue to speak up for reform in Turkey, for democracy in Turkey, for secular democracy in Turkey. The people who could do the most are the Europeans. Because, frankly, if Turkey is not given a fair chance to accede to the European Union, we will all pay. Europe will pay, the United States will pay," the American secretary of state recently told a meeting at the Council of Foreign Relations. This may have been her way of saying that there is no point getting the Pentagon to twist the arms of the Turkish chiefs of general staff. Even so, let's hope they are having a try.
This form of secularism functions as an ideological formation that prevents the people from participating in modern life. There are groups who want to impose this formation, as they believe that participation of the people in the modernization process -- by making contributions and their getting a great share in the national income -- threatens their privileges. The principle of "statism," implemented in Turkey since 1929, provides for collecting resources from the nation and transferring them to the rich groups. As the ordinary people become richer and get more involved in modernization process, the privileges of the administrative center will be weakened and the ordinary people will get a chance to develop their own lifestyles. This is against the second function expected from "statism." According to the power elites who seek to impose an authoritarian form of modernization on society, the rich groups supported by the state will be the driving force of development and at the same time, they will be the pioneers of modern lifestyles. This is because modernization is Westernization, decided by the state, and requires secular forms. The sui generis forms of modernization developed by the nation, i.e., centripetal forces, are not acceptable.
That’s how ýt goes, my sweet NICOLE POPE n.pope@todayszaman.com
There were no men in the audience at the Tobacco Warehouse in Tophane last week as a few dozen women gathered for an evening of readings on female sexuality. The performers who delivered the short stories, based on interviews conducted in Turkey and in Germany with Turkish women, were not professional actors. Some of them had never before stood in front of a crowd, but their simple renditions of the personal experiences of others gave the stories an authentic feel and only added to their impact. "That's how it goes, my sweet" (Iþte böyle güzelim…), published in May by Sel Yayýncýlýk, is a collection of conversations on sexuality conducted by Hülya Adak, Ayþe Gül Altýnay, Esin Düzel and Nilgün Bayraktar with Turkish women from different backgrounds, education levels, ethnic origins and ages. The four academics sought to lift the veil on an aspect of women's lives that is rarely discussed in Turkey, where sexual taboos remain strong. With sensitivity and tact, they engaged their interlocutors, who knew their anonymity would be respected, in in-depth discussions about the place sexuality occupies in their lives, about their experiences, hopes and disappointments. They did not set out to carry out a scientific study with a specific list of questions. Instead, they left the field wide open and allowed the women to speak for themselves. The resulting interviews were carefully edited so they could be read in public to break the wall of silence and isolation that often surrounds female sexuality. The first perform-
CM Y K
ance took place in Diyarbakýr on March 8, and several others have since followed at various venues. The editors borrowed the title from one of the interviewees, who punctuated her account of her own ups and downs with this remark, which beautifully encapsulates life and all its bittersweet aspects. Many of the women interviewed reflected on moments in their youth when they experienced the first flutters of sexual feelings. There are tales of furtive relationships and stories of love and longing; of married women admitting ignorance of their own reproductive system; of wives explaining that sex is for them merely a duty to be performed in addition to ironing their husband's trousers and preparing the meals. Some women acknowledged that social pressure had made them fearful of their own instincts and their own bodies. But the stories in the book are not all dire tales of repressed feelings. Tense wedding nights and pain suffered at the hands of violent or indifferent husbands do figure in the narratives, which also include the traumatic story of a transsexual sex worker chained by her family -- but there is also plenty of humor and women young and old speaking openly about the fulfillment they find in their sexual life. The authors acknowledge being influenced by Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues, which were a runaway success and continue to be performed all over the world. This is a tamer version, in which human experience takes precedence over talk of sexual organs. In fact the book stands in sharp contrast to the daily bombardment of sex we are all subjected to -- the bikini-clad beauties with inflated breasts that stare with bedroom eyes from the newsstands, and the tanned male bodies with six-pack muscles. There is nothing remotely prurient or titillating about the book. Instead of showing women as sex objects, the stories place human sexuality in its proper context, in everyday life, and allow women to be active participants. That's just how it goes.
The Russian Federation on June 7 stopped importing five agricultural products -- tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, grapes and lemons -- from Turkey on grounds that they contain residues of agricultural chemicals. In May 2005, the Russian Federation banned the imports of several products from Turkey, claiming that they contained the Mediterranean fruit fly. Of the 10 million tons of tomatoes it produces annually, Turkey exports 400,000 tons, with the Russian Federation being the top importer with 300,000 tons. In 2007 Turkey exported 34 percent of its fresh fruits and vegetables to the Russian Federation. Out of Turkey's fresh fruit and vegetable export revenue of $1.5 billion in 2007, $510 million was earned from imports to the Russian Federation while $600 million came from imports to European countries. In the first five months of 2008, Turkey's fresh fruit and vegetable imports to the Russian Federation amounted to $298 million. The problem Turkey is having with the Russian Federation with respect to insecticide residue on products may rear its head in regards to the European Union starting in September 2008. Although the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture has repeatedly declared that the standards applied in Turkey with respect to using insecticides are in harmony with the EU codex, the EU countries do not currently implement a common standard. However, such a common standard will start to be implemented within the EU starting in September 2008. If the necessary measures are not taken, we may encounter problems with the EU. Turkey will start to export grapes in two months. If an expedient solution cannot be found, the grape exports may pose problems as well. According to the demands of Russian officials, Turkey should be able to submit a product monitoring schedule to them that shows the origin of products and the wholesalers or other intermediaries involved in the sale of the products. This can be done only by implementing a bar-coding system among the producers. With a view to making Turkish fresh fruit and vegetables conform to exportability standards, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs is intent on ensuring that producers keep records of where their products are produced and which agricultural chemicals are used. However, it is said this project may bear fruit only after six months. A technical perspective is being employed in assessing the Turkish-Russian agriculture crisis. Viewed from such a perspective, there are some points the Russian Federation complains about with good reason. However, the political aspects of the crisis and the Kremlin's reflexes, too, should be taken into consideration. Indeed, the Kremlin has started to use its "economic interests" when it wants to voice the problems it is having with any country. We have witnessed how it used the natural gas factor against some countries -- Ukraine, Georgia, etc. Now, it may be using this agriculture factor in order to make Turkey hear its case with respect to certain issues. Indeed, given the fact that the Russian Federation imports the fresh fruits and vegetables produced by Turkish producers from Adana, Hatay and Gaziantep via Syria with special considerations made for them at customs, there may be political reasons rather than technical ones for raising its voice about imports from Turkey. The free trade agreement signed between Turkey and Georgia on Nov. 21, 2007 during President Abdullah Gül's visit to this country may be disliked by the Kremlin, though it has yet to enter into force. This is because the Russian Federation has been trying to corner Georgia by not buying main export goods -- wine, mineral water, etc. -- from the latter. Under these circumstances, the free trade agreement will boost economic and commercial relations between Turkey and Georgia and at the same time save Georgia from being throttled by the Kremlin. Indeed, this agreement's scope is much more comprehensive than the one Turkey had concluded with Bosnia and Herzegovina. It contains some provisions that are against Turkey's interests in that it covers agricultural products and agriculture-based products such as wine and it is obvious that this will bring economic relief to Georgia. Exports of fresh fruits and vegetables from Turkey to the Russian Federation are concentrated in the January-April period. In May, agricultural products produced in the fields rather than in greenhouses enter the market, and these products have fewer chemicals. This crisis has emerged at a time when lesser amounts of chemicals are used on agricultural products; and exports tend to slow seasonally. This may hint at the Russian Federation's attempt to block the Turkish Parliament's ratification of the free trade agreement between Turkey and Georgia.
T16-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
15:14
Page 1
16 TODAY’S ZAMAN
TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2008
LEISURE
tv guýde
Gregorian Calendar: 24 June 2008 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 20 Jumada al-Thani 1429 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 21 Sivan 5768 calendar@todayszaman.com
movýe guýde
‘Untraceable’
MADE OF HONOR ÝSTANBUL: Niþantaþý Citylife: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Caddebostan AFM: 11:20 13:40 16:00 18:20 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:20 ANKARA: Ata On Tower: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 18:45 19:45 21:00 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ÝZMÝR: Cinebonus Konak Pier: 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:30 ANTALYA: Cinebonus Migros: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45
Today is the day of St. John the Baptist in Western Christianity. The day was originally observed by pagans to mark the summer solstice. King Clovis of France Christianized the event by making it a religious celebration of the birth of John the Baptist, known as the precursor of Christ and symbolizing rebirth -- hence the link to the solstice. The day is celebrated with various local names; in Puerto Rico, San Juan Day celebrates both St. John's Day and commemorates the Battle of San Juan in 1898 in which the Americans defeated the Spanish. Today is the Inti Raymi (New Year) Festival in Peru. This festival was celebrated by the Incas as the Festival of the Sun in which sun god Wiracocha is honored. Inti Raymi symbolizes the eternal consecration of marriage between the sun and his sons, human beings. Inti Raymi was the most important festival of the Tawantinsuyu Inca Empire, which based its religion on the cult of the sun. On June 24 they celebrated the winter solstice, in
other words the beginning of the sun's new year. Today the Inti Raymi Festival is the second biggest festival in Latin America, after the Rio Carnival. Today is Constitution Day in Zaire. This day celebrates the country's 1967 constitution and the anniversary of Zaire's currency. It is also known as Fishermen's Day. Today is Battle of Carabobo Day in Venezuela. This day commemorates the anniversary of Simon Bolivar's victory in the Battle of Carabobo in 1823. Being also Army Day, this day is observed as a public holiday. Today is Bannockburn Day in Scotland. This day commemorates the Battle of Bannockburn of 1314 and Robert the Bruce, the Scottish king. On this day in 1314 the Scottish army defeated the invading forces of Edward II of England and opened the way to the re-establishment of Scotland as a sovereign state 10 years later. Each year the Scottish nationalist movement, primarily the Scottish National Party (SNP), commemorates
E2 08:00 The Rachael Ray Show 09:00 The Martha Stewart Show 10:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 11:00 Desperate Housewives 12:00 The Rachael Ray Show 13:00 The Martha Stewart Show 14:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:00 The O.C. 16:00 The Rachael Ray Show 17:00 The Martha Stewart Show 18:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 19:00 The O.C. 20:00 Desperate Housewives 21:00 Footballers' Wives 22:15 The Sopranos 23:00 Late Night With Conan O'Brien 24:00 South Park 00:30 The Sopranos 01:30 Poker Royale 02:30 Footballers' Wives
the battle with a march to Bannockburn field. Today is Discovery Day in Canada, mainly Newfoundland and Labrador, celebrating the 1497 discovery by Italian navigator John Cabot (1450-1498) of North America. Not related directly to Discovery Day, today is also the National Aboriginal Day in Canada. The day recognized the diverse cultures and outstanding contributions to Canada of the First Nation, Inuit and Metis. National Aboriginal Day was proclaimed in 1996. The day is now part of a series of "Celebrate Canada" days, beginning with National Aboriginal Day and St. John the Baptist Day (the same day), the Canadian Multiculturalism Day (June 27) and the Canada Day (July 1). On this day in 1961 the first group of Turkish workers was sent to Germany. The group consisted of 46 women and 476 men. The workers were sent to Germany following a protocol signed between Turkey and Western German on June 13 of the same year. By Kerim Balcý
Goldmax 07:40 I Confess 09:15 Love and a .45 10:55 Junebug 12:40 Bad Girls 14:20 The Good Son 15:50 Stuck on You 17:50 Everybody's All-American 20:00 Autumn in New York 21:50 Picture Perfect 23:35 Hak Se Wui Yi Wo Wai Kwai Election 2 01:05 Non Ho Sonno - Sleepless 03:20 The Cincinnati Kid
SPEED RACER
ÝSTANBUL: Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:15 Caddebostan AFM: 12:00 14:15 16:30 18:45 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:15 ANKARA: Cinebonus Bilkent: 11:00 12:45 15:00 17:15 19:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15
UNTRACEABLE
ÝSTANBUL: Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15 ANKARA: Cinebonus Panora: 12:30 14:50 17:10 19:30 21:50 Fri/Sat: 24:10 ÝZMÝR: Cinebonus Konak Pier: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ANTALYA: Cinebonus Migros: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00
BUDDHA COLLAPSED OUT OF SHAME
ÝSTANBUL: Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30
MADE IN EUROPE
ÝSTANBUL: Altunizade Capitol Spectrum: 11:15 13:30 15:40 17:45 19:50 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ANKARA: Metropol: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 ÝZMÝR: AFM Bornova Park: 11:45 14:00 16:15 18:30 21:10
Crossword
Films about a British neurosurgeon in Ukraine, a US banjo player seeking the instrument’s African roots and a battle over a community garden in a poor Los Angeles neighborhood were top winners at the Silverdocs Documentary Festival on Sunday. “The Garden,” by director Scott Hamilton Kennedy, won a Sterling award for best US feature. It depicted the fight to save a 14-acre garden, which blossomed after the 1992 Los Angeles riots, from a developer who bought the land. “‘The Garden’ has raw emotion, visceral energy, and nail-biting twists and turns. It unravels a complex and layered tale of the destruction of America’s largest urban farm that must not be forgotten,” the jury citation said. The festival, now in its sixth year, has become a major showcase of documentaries. It is sponsored by the American Film Institute and Discovery Communications. The winners were chosen from among 108 films from 63 countries. Silverdocs also awarded a Sterling prize for best international feature to “The English Surgeon,” by director Geoffrey Smith. It follows South London neurosurgeon Henry Marsh, who spends several weeks each year working in Ukraine and teaching a local friend, Dr. Igor Kurilets. The two work under primitive conditions that include resorting to a cordless Bosch power drill for one surgery. The prize jury called the movie “the most poignant and inspiring film we saw, a film that profiles two human beings who dare to step outside the system to do something extraordinary.” “Throw Down Your Heart,” featuring US banjo play-
Movýemax 07:25 Tempesta - The Venice Conspiracy 09:10 Geppetto 10:40 Angel-A 12:15 Griffin and Phoenix 14:05 The Magic Roundabout Doogal 15:30 Bridge to Terabithia 17:10 Je m'appelle Elisabeth 18:55 Inside the Actors Studio: Natalie Portman 20:00 Clean 22:05 Pauly Shore Is Dead 23:45 Jekyll + Hyde 01:20 Gwoemul - The Host
Cnbc-e 18:10 Two And A Half Men 18:50 Scrubs 19:30 How I Met Your Mother 20:00 Chuck 21:00 Cold Case 22:00 Music Of The Heart 00:15 Las Vegas 01:15 Cold Case 02:00 Music Of The Heart 04:00 Scrubs 04:30 How I Met Your Mother 05:00 Chuck
Hallmark 07:30 Mystery Woman: Redemption 09:15 McLeod's Daughters 10:00 Mystery Woman: Game Time 11:45 A Storm in Summer 13:30 Mystery Woman: Redemption 15:15 McLeod's Daughters 16:15 Mystery Woman: Game Time 18:00 A Storm in Summer 20:00 Wild at Heart 21:00 The Wishing Tree 23:00 Power and Beauty 00:45 Acceptable Risk 02:30 Power and Beauty
US banjo player Bela Fleck (R) in a scene from the documentary “Throw Down Your Heart,” directed by Sascha Paladino. er Bela Fleck, won the festival’s music documentary award. It chronicles Fleck’s trip to Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia and Mali to seek to origins of his instrument. It was directed by Fleck’s younger brother, Sascha Paladino. In a year that featured several documentaries chronicling China’s rise, “The Red Race,” depicting an athletic school where young gymnastics with gold-medal visions train relentlessly, won an honorable mention in the inter-
national category. The legacy of Hurricane Katrina, which captured the interest of filmmakers including Spike Lee and Jonathan Demme, was the topic of the US feature honorable mention film, “Trouble the Water.” Other prize winners included “Pray the Devil Back to Hell,” about a Liberian women’s movement to end that country’s civil war and “Kassim the Dream,” about a former Ugandan child soldier who became a US boxer. Silver Spring Reuters
Comedymax
Cem Kýzýltuð
Mr. DýploMAT!
c.kiziltug@todayszaman.com 502
APARTMENT 1303
Documentarýes on surgeon, musýcýan wýn at Sýlverdocs
09:00 For Your Love 09:30 Everybody Hates Chris 10:00 Two Guys and A Girl 10:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:00 What I Like About You 12:00 America's Funniest Home Videos 12:30 Third Rock From the Sun 13:00 Still Standing 13:30 American Dad 14:00 30 Rock 14:30 Frasier 15:00 For Your Love 15:30 Everybody Hates Chris 16:00 Two Guys and A Girl 16:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 17:00 What I Like About You 18:00 America's Funniest Home Videos 18:30 Third Rock From the Sun 19:00 Still Standing 19:30 American Dad 20:00 30 Rock 20:30 Frasier 21:00 Two Guys and A Girl 21:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 22:00 What I Like About You 23:00 Californication 23:30 American Dad 00:00 30 Rock
radýo guýde TRT Tourýsm Radýo
Sudoku EASY
HARD
5
4
5
3
8
7
7
6
3
6
9
4
4
9
3
7
8
1
9
1
7
1
8
8
5
6
7
5
3
6
1
2
1
9
HARD 5 3 6 9 7 8 1 4 2 7 9 1 4 2 6 8 3 5 8 2 4 5 3 1 6 9 7 1 5 2 6 4 9 3 7 8 3 7 9 1 8 2 5 6 4 6 4 8 3 5 7 2 1 9 9 8 5 7 1 3 4 2 6 2 1 7 8 6 4 9 5 3 4 6 3 2 9 5 7 8 1
EASY
3
2
7
3
7
7 2
9
8
5
7
1
5
6
8
4 4
1
4
6
7
8
5 1 2 7 9 8 4 3 6 3 9 6 5 1 4 2 8 7 8 7 4 6 3 2 1 5 9
6
6 5 7 1 8 3 9 2 4 9 2 3 4 6 7 8 1 5 4 8 1 2 5 9 7 6 3
4
7 6 9 8 2 5 3 4 1 1 3 8 9 4 6 5 7 2 2 4 5 3 7 1 6 9 8
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: 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:
travelers’ s.o.s
ÝSTANBUL: Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:30 13:15 14:45 18:00 21:15 Fri/Sat: 24:30 Suadiye Movieplex: 11:00 12:30 14:00 15:30 17:00 19:00 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:30 ANKARA: Ata On Tower: 11:00 12:30 13:45 15:15 16:30 19:15 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ÝZMÝR: Cinebonus Konak Pier: 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ANTALYA: Cinebonus Migros: 12:15 15:15 18:15 21:15 Fri/Sat: 24:00
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
Ambulance: 112 Fire: 110 171 Police: 155 156 Maritime: 158 Unknown numbers: 118 Turkish Airlines: 444 0 849, U.S. Embassy: 0312 455 5555 U.S. Consulate: 0212 2513602-3-4 Russian Embassy: 0312 439 2122 Russian Consulate: 0212 244 1693-2610 British Embassy: 0312 455 3344 British Consulate: 0212 293 7540 German Embassy. 0312 455 5100 German Consulate: 0212 334 61 00 French Embassy: 0312 455 4545 French Consulate: 0212 292 4810-11 Indian Embassy: 0312 438 2195 Pakistani Embassy: 0312 427 1410 Austrian Embassy: 0312 419 0431-33 Austrian Consulate: 0212 262 9315 Belgian Embassy: 0312 446 8247 Belgian Consulate: 0212 243 3300 Egyptian Embassy: 0312 426 1026 Egyptian Consulate: 0212 263 6038 Israeli Embassy: 0312 446 3605
CM Y K
Alanya FM 94.4 Ankara FM 100.3 Antalya FM 92.1 Ayvalýk FM 101.1 Bodrum FM 97.4 Fethiye FM 103.1 Ýstanbul FM 101.6 Ýzmir FM 101.6 Kalkan FM 105.9 Kapadokya FM 103.0 Kuþadasý FM 101.9 Marmaris FM 101.0 Pamukkale FM 101.0 Trabzon FM 101.5
T17-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
19:22
Page 1
Â&#x2C6; \ $ _ Â&#x161;# _ Â&#x201E; $ \ ] $ Â&#x2022; Q \ $ Â&#x2C6; \ Â&#x201E; $ $ \ }[XÂ&#x2022; }[XÂ&#x2C6; ] _ \ Â&#x161;# < # $ $
^ \ ]$@ $ Q Â?_*Â&#x2DC; Â&#x2022;} \ ^ }[ Â&#x2022;Â&#x2022; \ $ ^ ] \ $ Â&#x2022; Â&#x2022;X° Â&#x20AC; }Â&#x201E; \ ^ Â&#x2C6;}° \ Â&#x20AC;
PIRIL HOTEL Ă&#x2021;EĂ&#x17E;ME
"Smiling Face of Ă&#x2021;eĂžme" 444 0 232 www.pirilhotel.com
CHARISMA HOTEL
Phone: +90 256 618 32 66 Akyar Mevkii / No:5 KuĂžadasĂ˝ www.charismahotel.com
< Â&#x192;$Â&#x192;
^ Â&#x201A; §{ + < # ]$ X[[ < ^ ] }[ Â&#x20AC; \ $ # Â&#x20AC; ] ] \ \ $ # ~ ]* % \ $ X[[ \] < Â&#x201C;  ^ < Q # # &* \ + < Â&#x20AC; X[[ ~ ]Â&#x201C; \ $ \] $ # }[ X[[ \ ^ \ * Â&#x201C; $Â? \ Â&#x201C; $ Â&#x201C; Â? \ Â&#x201C; Q \ + < >@ $ Q Â&#x2019;
\ + < ~ ]< \ $ Q \] + < Â&#x201C; ^ ^ ÂŻ * \ * # # Â&#x203A; Â&#x201C; Â&#x201A; ^ = \ + < + >@ ^ $ \ ]$ >@ ^ \ $ $ Q
] + < \ \ Q
*Â Â&#x2DC; $$Â&#x2039;Â&#x203A; *Â Â?Â&#x2039;
/
> ] }[[Â&#x17E; \ \] $ > >@ ] ^ \] + < X[\ + <
Â&#x203A; < # Â&#x2DC; }[[Â&#x17E; $ Â&#x192;
\ ^ ] Â&#x201A; Â&#x203A; ^ Â? * ^ ~ Â&#x201A; Â&#x201C; \] + < >@ & * XÂ&#x2021;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021; $ X[ Â&#x201A; \ $
SHERATON HOTEL ANKARA
Phone: +90 312 4576000 www.sheraton.com/ankara
L'ETOILE BEACH HOTEL
Phone: +90 252 455 35 70 Kenan Evren Bulvarý No:15 �çmeler Marmaris
Q ~ # < # Â&#x201A; Q < Â&#x160; ÂŻ ÂŻ Â \ $ # ^ \ + < + >@ Q ~ ] \ Â&#x201A; Â&#x201A; $ X[[\] * >@ Q < Â _ > >@ \ * > > ]$ >@ Â $ ^ = `{ _ | < \] + < \ Â&#x2018; + >@ \ $ { Q
LUSH HOTEL
Phone: +90 212 243 95 95 Sýraselviler No:12 Taksim/�stanbul info@lushhotel.com www.lushhotel.com
RIXOS BELDĂ?BĂ?
Phone: +90 242 824 97 00 Beldibi Kemer 07985 Antalya www.rixos.com
+ Â&#x2026;>Â&#x160;Â?Â&#x2020; >@ $ Q Â&#x2019; >@ \ ]+ # >@ $ X[[ \ $ >@ \ $ ] \ % >@ $ >@ \ ]$ Â&#x2030; >@ \ \ $ # ] \ Â&#x161;# = Â&#x152; _ * # >@ Â&#x192; }[[Â&#x153; $ Q Â&#x2019; >@ \ ]$ ^ Â \ $ $ # # ] \ Â? >@ Q ] # ] = Â&#x152; ] \] $ >@ Q \ >@ + < Q % \ >@ { Â&#x2DC;\ Â ^ ~ ]+ Â ^ \ \] $ >@ Q ~ ] \ \ $
Q \Q & \ \ $ Â&#x203A; < < # X[[ \] $ Â&#x203A; < # ] ] $ \ ]Â&#x201C; # Â&#x203A; < # Â&#x2DC; \ XÂ&#x201E;Â&#x153; \ Â&#x2018; \ * ] \
HOTEL DOĂ?A
RIXOS BODRUM
Phone: +90 252 337 11 22 Zeytinli Kahve Mevkii Bodrum/MuĂ°la www.rixos.com
RAMADA PLAZA Ă?STANBUL
Phone: +90 232 7126839-7127193 Musalla Mah. 1005 Sk. No: 17 Ă&#x2021;eĂžme Ă?zmir info@hoteldoga.com www.hoteldoga.com
RIXOS PREMIUM BELEK
Phone: +90 212 315 44 44 Fax: +90 212 315 44 45 info@ramadaplazaistanbul.com www.ramadaplazaistanbul.com
CM Y K
Phone: +90 242 710 20 00 �leribaÞý Mevkii P.K. 116 Belek/Serik/Antalya www.rixos.com
GOLDCITY TOURISM COMPLEX
Phone: +90.242.510 02 00 Kargýcak/ALANYA info@goldcity.com.tr www.goldcity.com.tr
BLACK BIRD HOTEL
Phone: +90 212 511 74 54 GençtĂźrk Cad. No: 51 / 53 Ă&#x17E;ehzadebaÞý / Ă?stanbul www.blackbirdhotel.com
< Â&#x192;$Â&#x192;
Â&#x20AC; $ Â Â&#x201A; Â Â&#x203A; Â&#x201C; \ $ Â&#x20AC; Â&#x2C6; Â&#x201E; \ ^ $ Â&#x2C6; }[XX\ $ Â&#x2C6; Â&#x201A; Â Â&#x201C; * \ $ Â&#x201E;
$ Â&#x2022; $ $ Â&#x2C6; Â&#x201E; \ $ Â&#x2022; + > { X} Â&#x201E; Â Â&#x20AC; \ $ $Â? $ $Â?
$&Â?>&$ Â Â&#x203A;>Â&#x2039;Â&#x203A;
+ #
+ # #
^ }[[Â&#x153; XÂ&#x2013;Â&#x17E; Â&#x201C; > Â&#x201C; Â&#x160;$Â&#x2DC; }Â&#x201E;X Â&#x2C6;Â&#x17E; \ ^ Â&#x201C; > Â&#x2DC;<> \ $ Â&#x201C; > # % \ * XÂ&#x2021;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021; \ $ Â&#x2039; XÂ&#x2021;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021;\ $ ÂŽÂ&#x2022;[ }[[}\ Â&#x201C; > Â&#x201C; \ $ XÂ&#x2021;Â&#x2022;Â&#x17E; Â&#x201A; Â&#x20AC; Â&#x201C; Â? Â? $ * Â&#x2C6; Â&#x201E;[[ Â&#x201E; [[[ Â&#x201E;[ [[[ }[[Â&#x153; \ ^ Â&#x153;[[ [[[ \ Â&#x192; \ $ * Â&#x201C; $ Â? $ Â&#x20AC; Â $ Q $ \ Â? \ ^ $ Â&#x2021;[ \ ^ \ # \ Â&#x201A; ^ Â&#x201A; Â&#x192; # Â&#x2026;^Â&#x201A;Â&#x192;Â&#x2020; & Â&#x203A; Â & \ Â&#x2018; Â? Â & Â? \
*
_ XÂ&#x2021;Â&#x201E;Â&#x2022; }[[} Â&#x2C6;Â&#x17E;X ^ \ Â&#x192; _ \ XÂ&#x2C6; XÂ&#x2021;Â&#x17E;[ Â&#x160; < Â&#x2019; > = Â&#x2122; < }[ XÂ&#x2013; [[[ \ Â&#x192; { Â&#x2022; XÂ&#x2021;Â&#x17E;Â&#x17E; $ Â&#x160; > $ XÂ&#x2022; \ Â Â&#x203A; \ XÂ&#x2013; XÂ&#x2021;Â&#x17E;Â&#x17E; $ Â&#x2018; Â? < \ + { X XÂ&#x2021;Â&#x153;[ ^ \ Â&#x192; _ \ }Â&#x153; XÂ&#x2021;Â&#x153;} $ \ Â }X XÂ&#x2021;Â&#x153;Â&#x2021; Â? = $ = \ Â&#x192; Â&#x203A; \ XÂ&#x201E; XÂ&#x2021;Â&#x153;Â&#x2021; Â? ^ > Â Â&#x152; < \ $ Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2021;Â&#x2C6; Â&#x17E;[[ \ Â&#x192; } XÂ&#x2021;Â&#x2013;[ > Â * Â&#x201A; \
HYATT REGENCY Ă?STANBUL
Phone: +90 212 368 1234 Fax: +90 212 368 1000 istanbul.regency.hyatt.com
HOTEL MAR-BAS
Phone: +90 252 455 30 59 Kayabal Cad. No: 67 �çmeler / Marmaris www.marbashotel.com
RIXOS TEKĂ?ROVA
Phone: +90 242 821 40 32 Tekirova Beldesi P.K 137 07995 Kemer/Antalya www.rixos.com
RIXOS KONYA
Phone: +90 332 221 50 00 �stanbul Yolu Selçuklu 42250 Konya www.rixos.com
T18-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
16:23
Page 1
18 TODAY’S ZAMAN
T U E S D AY, J U N E 2 4 , 2 0 0 8
TODAY’S LEARNING TIME
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Indifference is the essence of inhumanity.” George Bernard Shaw
elementary READING
Part 1: True (T) or False (F)
The Mary Celeste
list, case, book, juice, party, window, shoes, holidays, map, machine Choose a noun from above for numbers 1 to 10 to make compound nouns. 1.shopping 2.pencil 3.exercise 4.orange 5.birthday 6.bedroom 7.football 8.summer 9.mind 10.washing
was nothing wrong with the ship, there was no one on it. Something had happened while the sailors on the 'Mary Celeste' ate a meal. There was still food on the table. No one knows what happened to the sailors on the 'Mary Celeste'. No one ever saw any of them again.
Part 2: Read the sentences below and tick the four most important ones
ILLUSTRATIONS
Activity: Compound nouns
something wrong with the 'Mary Celeste. They tried to speak to the sailors on the ship, but no one answered. Some of the sailors from the 'Dei Gratia' climbed on to the 'Mary Celeste'. They looked everywhere on the ship, but they could not find anyone. Although there
OSMAN TURHAN
‘Mary Celeste' is the name of a ship. In 1872, sailors on another ship, the 'Dei Gratia', saw the Mary Celeste. Both ships were in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a long way from land. The 'Mary Celeste' was not moving. The sailors on the 'Dei Gratia' thought there was
1) ………......... In 1872 the sailors on the ‘Dei Gratia' found a strange ship in the middle of the ocean. 2) ……….......... The sailors on the ‘Mary Celeste' did not like their food. 3) ………............... No one ever saw the sailors on the ‘Mary Celeste' again. 4) …….........…. The sailors on the ‘Dei Gratia' found a lot of dead people.
a) The ship was still, so they called out but no one replied. b) The 'Dei Gratia' was the name of a ship. c) The ship the 'Dei Gratia' found 'Mary Celeste' in the middle of the sea. d) The sailors from' Dei Gratia' had to climb onto the ship. e) When they went on to the ship, they found no one. f) No one knows what happened to the sailors, and they were never seen again.
advanced READING
Does life exist on other planets? One of the more intriguing debates of modern times is whether or not life exists on other planets. With the billions of stars and planets out there, one would think that there must be some form of life out there as well. When people think about the feasibility of alien life, one location generally comes to mind- Mars. If the Earth's environment can support life, why not Mars'? It is the next planet down the line from the sun. Two science fiction writers, Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart, believe that the possibility of life on Mars is wide of the mark. "The chances of life being found on the red planet are slim," Cohen and Stewart agree. "It may have been possible around two billion years ago, when Mars had water and an atmosphere, but it would not have had a chance to develop beyond the most primitive of elements before dying out. Keep in mind, however, that just because they don't exist on Mars doesn't mean they don't exist elsewhere." Anywhere that physical matter exists, and there is an energy source could lead to the development of some-
thing that we would categorize as "life". If living things do dwell on other planets, what exactly do they look like? People immediately think of the creature on "E.T." It resembled a human in many ways. This probably won't be the case in real life. Cohen says, "We have to get away from those conventional ideas that aliens will be just like us, except for a few minor differences that don't challenge our imagination. Real aliens will be very alien, indeed. Only aliens that have evolved in a similar environment to earth would be interested in visiting us." Some researchers believe that alien life in very exotic forms may already be here. Stewart says, "Certainly aliens would not look like the canonical little green men…..unless they wanted to. They might look exactly like people. Or cats. Or houseflies. Or they could be invisible. They could also be concealed inside atoms." Like humans, whose ardor for space exploration petered out after the moon landings, beings from other planets and universes just might not be interested in making the trip.
Vocabulary Exercise
c.to socialize d.to classify 6.conventional ____________________ a.conservative b.traditional c.reactionary d.liberal 7.canonical _______________________ a.accepted b.unaccepted c.strange d.radical 8.to be concealed __________________ a.to be hidden b.to be put c.to be found d.to be dropped 9.ardor ___________________________ a.expense b.disinterest c.shock d.enthusiasm 10.to peter out _____________________ a.to hand out b.to pass out c.to die out d.to eat out
ýntermedýate Part 1: True (T) or False (F) 1.John and I were on our way to school. _______________________ 2.She was walking alone. ________ 3.She was playing a game. _______ 4.John never stops talking. ______ 5.There was 100$ in the wallet. _____________________________ 6.She brought the wallet home. _____________________________ 7.She gave the wallet to a policeman behind the desk. __________ 8.Someone reported the loss to the police the day before. ________ 9.The wallet belongs to Mr. Edward. ______________________ 10.Mr. Edward didn't offer a reward to the finder. _____________
I was very lucky this morning. John and I were on our way to school. I was walking along with my eyes on the pavement and playing a game. I was trying not to put my feet on the lines between the stones. If I step on a line or if I bump into a person I have to walk back ten steps. I know it's kind of a boring thing but John is a quiet boy and he rarely talks. Walking with him doesn't make a difference that's why I found a way not to make myself bored. This morning I was looking down
READING
Good luck at the ground when I bumped into a lamp-post and dropped my schoolbag. 'I'm sorry' I said to the lamp-post because I thought it was a person. My books were all over the pavement and it started to rain. I immediately began to pick them up. Suddenly I saw a leather
wallet. It had a lot of Money in it, so I decided to take it to the police-station. At the police-station, I gave the wallet to the policeman who was sitting on a chair. 'Well! ' he exclaimed. 'A wallet with 200$ in it! People are very careless nowadays.' Then he looked in a big book. 'Ah!' he said after a few minutes. 'This must be Mr.Edward's. He reported the loss to us yesterday. And you're a lucky girl. He offered a good reward to the finder.'
Part 2: Comprehension 1.When she bumped into the lamp-post: a.she had to walk back ten steps. b.she looked down at the ground. c.she thought that it was a person. d.she fell down on the pavement. 2.When she got to the policestation: a.she found a lot of money in the purse. b.the policeman told her that she was very careless. c.she went behind the desk and gave the policeman the wallet. d.she learnt that the wallet belonged to Mr. Edward. 3.She had _______________ good luck this morning. a.much b.a very c.the very d.some very 4.She ________ the lamp-post because she thought it was a person. a.was sorry for b.excused c.apologized to d.made excuses to 5.Mr.Edward offered a ______________ to the finder. a.prize b.reward c.present d.receipt
Fill in the blanks with the correct letters. 1.intriguing _______________________ a.boring b.exciting c.frustrating d.interesting 2.feasibility _______________________ a.possibility b.time c.increase d.benefit 3.wide of the mark _________________ a.far b.inaccurate c.accurate d.close 4.slim ____________________________ a.not fat b.skinny c.slight d.huge 5.to categorize _____________________ a.to summarize b.to familiarize
Activity: Synonyms
Activity: Where do animals and people live? Choose words from above to complete the sentences below. cell - palace - stable - nest - igloo - web -
hive - kennel - monastery 1.A king lives in a ..................................... 2.A bee lives in a ....................................... 3.A monk lives in a ................................... 4.A prisoner lives in a ...............................
5.A bird lives in a ...................................... 6.A dog lives in a ....................................... 7.A spider lives in a .................................. 8.A horse lives in a ................................... 9.An eskimo lives in an ............................
VOCABULARY
Phrasal Verbs:
Specialized Vocabulary
CLAM UP meaning: When you clam up, you refuse to speak. example: I've tried talking to her about it, but she just clams up and changes the subject.
Fashion: Catwalk (noun) is a narrow, usually elevated platform used by models to demonstrate clothing and accessories during a fashion show. It can be thought of as a stage for a fashion exposition. A catwalk is also known as a runway. The model fell and broke her ankle on the catwalk. Entertainment: Research (verb) is the background study process for setting, characters, and story. Although every script doesn't require a trip to the library, most stories require understanding of at least one subject the writer may not immediately know. The famous producer explained to the students that research helps bring a sense of credibility to any film. Publishing: Review (noun) is a critical evaluation of a book. The newspaper reviews for the new book were fantastic. Technology: Luddite (noun) is used to describe anyone opposed to technological progress and technological change. My grandmother is a real luddite; she hates computers. Architecture: Gentrification (noun) encompasses a number of processes of change in demographics, land uses and building conditions in an area, accompanied by rapid increase in a neighborhood's property prices and influx of investment and physical remodeling and renovation. In many cases, after gentrification the lower-income residents who originally lived in the neighborhood are pushed out because they can no longer afford to live there.
Idiom of the Day Talk until the cows come home MEANING: talk for a long time EXAMPLE: We can talk until the cows come home this weekend at the lake.
CHEW OVER meaning: When you chew something over, you think about it or discuss it very carefully. example: I can't imagine Jeffrey being the kind of guy to openly argue, but rather chew it over in silence and - eventually - decide for himself.
Choose the correct synonyms above for numbers 1 to 10. infantile - impolite - mood - choice silly - assembly - well mannered - poisonous - refrain - cultivate 1.polite ___________________________ 2.temper __________________________
3.chorus __________________________ 4.rude ____________________________ 5.selection ________________________ 6.foolish __________________________ 7.toxic ____________________________ 8.meeting ________________________ 9.childish _________________________ 10.domesticate ____________________
YESTERDAY’S ANSWER KEY:
ELEMENTARY: (Part 1) 1.home 2.first 3.thought 4.unhappy 5.university 6.parents 7.Sally's mother 8.remembered 9.liked 10.unhappy 11.did not miss 12.they 13.students 14.parents (Part 2) 1.glad 2.holiday 3.difficult 4.perhaps 5.really (Activity) 1.see 2.look 3.watch 4.watch 5.see 6.see 7.look 8.see 9.look 10.see INTERMEDIATE: (Part 1) 1.future 2.ago 3.dream 4.off 5.for 6.decided 7.surprised 8.gold (Part 2) 1.true 2.need 3.watch 4.delighted (Activity) 1.take 2.bring 3.takes 4.bring 5.bringing 6.taking 7.take 8.brings 9.take 10.take ADVANCED: (Reading) 1.a 2.c 3.a 4.d 5.b 6.c 7.a 8.b 9.d 10.d (Activity) 1.f 2.a 3.c 4.b 5.e 6.d 7.g 8.h
Slang: BUMPED OFF meaning: murdered example: The mafia had him bumped off because he was stealing part of the profits. Confusing Words In English: EXPERIENCE VS EXPERIMENT Experience is a noun it means something that a person lives through, i.e. something that someone experiences. For example: His experiences in Germany were rather depressing. Experiment is a noun meaning something that you do to see the result. Often used when speaking about scientists and their studies. For example: They did a number of experiments last week.
In cooperation with English Time
CM Y K
T19-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
19:03
Page 1
SPORTS
Zidane: Ronaldo fee won’t frighten Real Real Madrid would be ready to pay Man United a world record fee to bring winger Cristiano Ronaldo to the Bernabeu, former Real favorite Zinedine Zidane said. Ronaldo's future has become the focus of intense speculation, with Real reported by Spanish media to be prepared to offer well in excess of the world record 78 million euros ($121.1 million) they paid Juventus for Zidane in 2001. Vienna, Reuters
AA
TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2008
‘Emperor’ Fatih Terim just loves hard work Hard work and passion are bywords for Turkey coach Fatih Terim as the “Emperor” closes in on his biggest throne -- the top of European international soccer and ultimate professional recognition. Terim, a member of soccer royalty back home since his playing days for Galatasaray and the national team, of which he was also a captain, led Turkey through a tough qualification group to reach the Euro 2008. Even when his team was almost out of contention, Terim, with his trademark unbuttoned white crisp shirt and Mediterranean tan, kept faith, telling Turkish media: “We will qualify that's for sure. I know it.” Turkey beat Norway away 2-1 in the penultimate qualifier essentially sealing qualification in spectacular manner. Terim has since seen his team come back to beat Switzerland and the Czech Republic in the group stage before stunning Croatia with a last-second goal to force penalties and move through to the semifinals where the strong Germans are waiting. “When we are together and united we can beat anyone,” Terim said, testimony of his team's never-say-die attitude he himself has instilled. In his second stint as national team coach, Terim, who also led Turkey to the Euro '96 tournament, has his eyes set on a much bigger target. Twelve years ago the fact that the Turks were playing in a major international competition at all after an absence of decades was already a success, going out in the group stage with three defeats. This time Terim, known at home as “Ýmparator” -- emperor -- wants what he failed to get last time. After his Turkey spell, Terim returned to club football in 1996 and his beloved Galatasaray, winning a string of championships as well as the 2000 UEFA Cup, the first European trophy for a Turkish club, and the European Super Cup. That success landed him a job in Italy's Serie A with Fiorentina, before taking over AC Milan in 2001. But what was seen at the time as the start of a glittering international career ended abruptly less than half a year later with his sacking. Since then Terim, a players' coach who treats them as soldiers going to war with dressing room speeches that range from battle cries to psychological warfare, has won nothing. His second spell with Galatasaray ended in disappointment and mutual acrimony with club officials. Now Terim, 54, sees his team's success as a second chance for an international career that has eluded him. Terim will enjoy cult status back home as the big European clubs shower him with offers fit for an emperor. Ýstanbul/Basel Today’s Zaman
Coach Loew cherishes Turkish memories Germany coach Joachim Loew spoke warmly on Monday of his experience living and working in Turkey and said he hoped Wednesday's Euro 2008 semi-final would go peacefully on and off the pitch. Loew took charge of Fenerbahçe in the 1998-99 season, early in his coaching career, and also had a spell with Adanaspor. “The experience of living in Turkey and coaching Fenerbahçe left an incredible impression on me,” Loew said at a news conference on Monday ahead of the match between Germany and Turkey in Basel. “Turkey is a cherished experience for me and I learned what it was like for people to be truly identified with a club. Now there is an entire nation backing the Turkish national team with their whole hearts. The other thing I remember is the incredible hospitality and great human warmth of Turkish people.” Ýstanbul/Basel Today’s Zaman
AP
and was well shackled. The drift toward penalties had an inevitability about it but neither set of fans could have been looking forward to it. The Italians are world champions on the back of their shootout win over France two years ago but even that success could not completely erase the pain they had suffered previously from the seemingly simple act of trying to score from 12 meters. In three successive World Cups they were on the wrong side of a shootout, in the semis on home soil in 1990, in the final against Brazil in 1994 and the quarterfinals four years later. Ýstanbul/Basel Today’s Zaman with wires
PHOTO
ners to advance to the Euro 2008 semifinals. Like the three who failed before them, the Spaniards struggled to reproduce the form of the group phase, although they were more positive than an Italian team who looked to be playing for penalties from the kickoff. Chances were few and far between and even when Fabregas came on after 59 minutes and added a touch of zest to the midfield, the final ball was still almost always inaccurate. The Italians seemed incapable of upping their own pace and their tactic of hoisting long balls to Luca Toni rarely looked like bringing any joy as the big striker appeared heavy-legged
Turks remaýn undaunted despýte rash of ýnjurýes and suspensýons
M. BURAK BÜRKÜK
Turkey coach Fatih Terim
For two teams with such painful memories of penalties Spain and Italy showed precious little desire to avoid them on Sunday but few could argue with Cesc Fabregas when he described his side's win as "soccer justice." A deadly dull 120 minutes provided no goals and precious little entertainment but that hardly mattered to the delirious Spanish fans when substitute Fabregas scored the decisive kick in Spain's 4-2 shootout triumph. The victory ended the Spaniards’ quarterfinal penalty hoodoo, having lost three previous shootouts on June 22, and also meant they were the only one of the four group win-
PHOTO
PHOTO
Spaniards inflict more penalty misery on Italians
Turkish players train for tomorrow’s do-or-die Euro 2008 semifinal against Germany.
contýnued from page 1 Villarreal striker Nihat Kahveci became Turkey's latest casualty when he pulled out of the tournament on Sunday due to a thigh injury and returned to Spain. “In our team the players are flexible. I can play on the left or the right. We all speak the same language, that is the main thing,” Hamit said. “We would be delighted if Turkey could prove the second Greece,” he added, referring to the Greeks' shock triumph at Euro 2004. Fighting to the last second, never giving up, late comebacks, winning on penalties -- it sounds like Germany, but it's also a fitting description of Turkey at this year's Euro 2008. Fans will have a chance to compare the teams when they come face to face in Wednesday's semifinal. The Turks have staged three memorable comebacks so far in the tournament, the most improbable coming in the quarterfinals against Croatia. Turkey fell behind in the 119th minute of extra time, only to get an equalizer with the last kick of the match and then prevail in the penalty shootout. “We always take the most complicated path, but we achieve our goals,” Terim said. It's the sort of comeback Germany built its reputation on. Just ask Italy or France. Or England when it comes to penalties. “The Turks have shown throughout the tournament that you can't count them out no matter what the score in the game is,” Germany coach
Injured striker Nihat returns ‘home’ to Spain Turkey striker Nihat Kahveci will miss the rest of Euro 2008 because of a thigh injury. Nihat was hurt in the closing minutes of extra time in Friday's quarterfinal match against Croatia, which the Turks won on a penalty shootout. The Villarreal striker got treatment but was finally ruled out and has returned home to Spain, the Turkish Soccer Federation said Sunday. The 28-year-old Nihat scored twice in the last three minutes to help Turkey beat the Czech Republic in their final Group A match, which earned the Turks a quarterfinal berth. Turkey could miss as many as 10 players to injuries and suspensions when it plays Germany in Wednesday's semifinal in Basel. Defender Emre Güngör (calf) was also ruled out for the rest of the tournament, while three more injured players -- defender Servet Çetin (hip and knee) and midfielders Tumer Metin (groin) and Emre Belözoglu (groin) -- are still doubtful for the Germany game. Goalkeeper Volkan Demirel, defender Emre Aþýk and midfielders Tuncay Þanlý and Arda Turan are all suspended, but would be available if Turkey reaches the final. Turkey appealed Volkan's ban. There are only 13 players available from Turkey's 23-man squad, meaning third-choice goalkeeper Tolga Zengin will be one of only three substitutes on the bench. Turkey coach Fatih Terim said jokingly that he might even consider bringing on Tolga as an outfield player. Ýstanbul/Vienna Today’s Zaman
Joachim Loew said. “They are hard to figure out and therefore dangerous.” Many Germans have coached in Turkey, including Loew, who guided Fenerbahçe during the 1998-99 season and also had a brief stint at Adanaspor. Some of the mentality, discipline, commitment and tactical awareness surely has rubbed off. With 1.7 million Turks living in Germany and another million of Turkish descent, some of them already have played for Germany. Hamit was born in Germany and but chose to play for Turkey and is now in Bayern Munich after playing for Schalke. The German team's General Manager Oliver Bierhoff, whose goal gave Germany the last of its three European
CM Y K
titles in 1996, had the opposite experience. Terim was Bierhoff's boss briefly at AC Milan. “I did not have an easy time under him, he lived up to his nickname ‘Emperor’,” Bierhoff said. “He wants to have it his way but he can motivate and he's proven he's a successful coach. We have to play with full concentration until the final whistle. We can't let our guard down even if we are up by two goals,” Bierhoff said. Germany has won 11 and lost just three of its 17 games against Turkey. But it has lost two of the last three, with one draw. Germany, then under coach Juergen Klinsmann and with Loew as assistant, lost 2-1 in October 2005 in Istanbul in the last encounter. The only
time the two sides have met in the final phase of a major tournament was at the 1954 World Cup, when Germany won its first title, and both games were routs -- Germany won 4-1 in the group and 7-2 in a playoff to reach the quarterfinals. Germany captain Michael Ballack agreed with his coach Loew that the Turks were always good to produce something unexpected. “Nobody expected this team to get this far, they themselves the least,” Ballack said on Sunday. “They seem to have great mental strength and can use their emotion to put the opponent under pressure and to create chances in the briefest of times. But we can't really claim that the Turks are tactically and technically better than we are. It's really up to us to get into the final. But because they are so hard to predict, it will be difficult to prepare for them. It won't make our job any easier.” The Germans have said they will not underestimate Turkey even though Terim's team has huge injury and suspension worries. “After this quarterfinal against Croatia, we don't underestimate anyone, especially not in a semifinal,” defender Philipp Lahm said. “They worked hard to get there. They have 23 top-class players. It won't matter who is playing for them.” The Turks were without six players against Croatia and lost a further three -- Tuncay Þanlý, Arda Turan and Emre Aþýk -- to suspension due to accumulated cards. Ýstanbul/Basel Today’s Zaman
T20-24-06-08.qxd
23.06.2008
19:09
Page 1
Cink holds on to triumph at River Highlands American Stewart Cink held his nerve to win his first PGA Tour title in almost four years with a one-shot victory at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut. Cink stayed ahead of the chasing pack with birdies on 13 and 15 and got up and down from behind the green to save par at the last for an 18-under total of 262. NY, Reuters
Chinese authorities in the far western region of Xinjiang have demolished a mosque for refusing to put up signs in support of this August's Beijing Olympics, an exiled group said on Monday. The mosque was in Kalpin county near Aksu city in Xinjiang's rugged southwest, the World Uyghur Congress said. The spokesman's office of the Xinjiang
government said it had no immediate comment, while telephone calls to the county government went answered. “China is forcing mosques in East Turkistan to publicize the Beijing Olympics to get the Uighur people to support the Games (but) this has been resisted by the Uighurs,” World Uyghur Congress spokesman Dilxat Raxit said in an emailed statement.
Oil-rich Xinjiang is home to 8 million Turkic-speaking Uighurs, many of whom resent the growing economic and cultural influence of the Han Chinese. Dilxat Raxit added that the mosque, which had been renovated in 1998, was accused of illegally renovating the structure, carrying out illegal religious activities and illegally storing copies of the Muslim holy book the Quran. Beijing Reuters
PHOTO
Chýna demolýshes mosque for not supportýng Olympýcs
AP
WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2008
Serena Williams
Serena through to second round after early struggle
It all starts with a dream...
Twice former champion Serena Williams made a stuttering start at Wimbledon on Monday before overcoming Estonia's Kaia Kanepi 7-5, 6-3. The 26-year-old sixth seed looked flat-footed and sprayed errors all over Court One during the first set against an opponent who reached the quarterfinals at the French Open earlier this month. Williams saved a break point at 5-5 with a big forehand drive volley and sealed a scrappy opener when Kanepi lamely served a double-fault. The American broke early in the second set and played with more conviction from then on to wrap up victory. Other first round results: Samantha Stosur, Australia, def. Ioana Raluca Olaru, Romania, 6-2, 6-2; Urszula Radwanska, Poland, def. Klara Zakopalova, Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-4; Zheng Jie, China, def. Dominika Cibulkova (30), Slovakia, 6-4, 6-3; Nicole Vaidisova (18), Czech Republic, def. Zuzana Ondraskova, Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-2.; Evgeniya Rodina, Russia, def. Virginie Razzano (27), France, 0-6, 6-2, 6-4.; Elena Baltacha, Britain, def. Angelique Kerber, Germany, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.
Federer clears first hurdle
Today’s doctors, lawyers, engineers, businesspeople, executives… Weren’t we all kids at one point? Bank Asya grew and developed to serve yesterday’s children. It has financed thousands of projects by channeling your savings into production. It has become a partner in its clients’ success stories. If you want one of these success stories to be your own, come to Bank Asya, Turkey’s youngest bank operating under interest-free banking principles, and let us introduce you to solutions customized to meet your company’s needs. Make your dream of growing a reality, on your own terms.
CM Y K
In men’s action, world number one Roger Federer began his quest for a modern-era record sixth consecutive title with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty. Federer, extending his unbeaten streak on grass to 60 matches, eased into the second round with a confident performance on Center Court. The Swiss, with a morale-boosting tournament win on grass in Halle last week after a crushing French Open final defeat by Rafael Nadal earlier this month, was never extended by Hrbaty who battled hard but lacked the firepower to pressure the top seed. The pain from Federer's Roland Garros humiliation appears to have subsided. The top seed, who next faces big-serving Swede Robin Soderling, was in imperious form against an opponent who had won their only two previous encounters, the last four years ago on a hard court in Cincinnati. He is one of only three active players who boast a winning head-to head record against Federer.With a radiant sun beating down, Federer was swiftly into the groove, holding his first service game to love and racing into a 3-0 lead after winning the first 11 points against the rusty Slovak. Playing his first game on grass since last year's tournament after an injury-hit season and competing here under a protected ranking of 70, rather than his true one of 272 after undergoing elbow surgery, Hrbaty held serve at the second time of asking to sympathetic cheers. He earned one standing ovation for an audacious lob at full stretch that left Federer flailing but the champion was in no mood to let his flying start slip. Working his opponent around the court with a mix of precise groundstrokes, crisp volleys and a remorselessly-accurate serve, Federer was able to hit his stride back on a court that he has made his own. The Swiss was put under pressure for the only time in the seventh game, Hrbaty forcing three deuces but no break points, but held firm and took the opening set in 25 minutes. Fully into top gear, Federer raced away with the second set after breaking Hrbaty twice and, having barely broken sweat, had little trouble clinching the match for the loss of a further two games. Meanwhile, Frenchman Gael Monfils has withdrawn from Wimbledon with a shoulder injury, tournament organizers said on Monday. The 30th seed, who earlier this month reached the semifinals at the French Open where he lost to Federer, will be replaced by Ilia Bozoljac of Serbia. Monfils was due to play Australian Chris Guccione on Monday and would have been a likely third-round opponent for Federer. Other results: Roko Karanusic, Croatia, def. Luis Horna, Peru, 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-1; Robin Soderling, Sweden, def. Kevin Kim, United States, 7-5, 0-6, 6-3, 64; Juan Carlos Ferrero (21), Spain, def. Sam Querrey, United States, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. London Reuters