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Ýstanbul sea transportation began with Þirket-i Hayriye Vapuru crisscrossing between Ýstanbul's shores
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Jolie and Pitt donate $1m to kids affected by Iraq war
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Zimbabwean President Mugabe rejects African calls to postpone today’s election
Yo u r Wa y o f U n d e r s t a n d ý n g T u r k e y
page10 US to take North Korea off terrorist list PACE STERNLY WARNS TURKEY OVER DEMOCRACY’S FUTURE
TURKS EXIT WITH HEADS HELD HIGH
Turkey leaves ýts mark on Euro 2008 OKAN UDO BASSEY, ÝSTANBUL
Turkey bowed out of Euro 2008 on Wednesday night with a bang and not a whimper -- and therefore won praise from foes, fiends and friends alike. The Turks went further than anyone had anticipated before the tournament started, despite a string of injuries and suspensions incurred along the way, thereby proving behind reasonable doubt that they are a team to reckon with in Europe and the world in general. Yes, Turkey finally ran out of miracles. This time it was Germany that found the last-minute winning goal in the dying moments. The Turks' dramatic, roller-coaster ride through Euro 2008 came to an end at St. Jakob Park on
ALÝ ÝHSAN AYDIN / EMRE DEMÝR, STRASBOURG Europe's human rights watchdog bluntly warned Ankara yesterday, indicating that European Union candidate Turkey might return to the class of lowdemocracy countries in the near future due to a malfunctioning of state institutions vis-à-vis democratic principles. Members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a report yesterday that says the council should consider re-imposing the monitoring of Turkey's human rights and democratic practices if necessary in the face of a closure case launched against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). CONTINUED ON PAGE 04
Wednesday night with a 3-2 defeat that covered coach Fatih Terim's team in glory -- though not giving it a place in Sunday's final in Vienna. Turkey, who had 20 shots to Germany's nine, at times had observers wondering whether they were not going to repeat Greece's unlikely triumph at Euro 2004 in Portugal. And the fact the Turks scored the opening goal in a match at the tournament for the first time on Wednesday shows how hard they worked to reach their maiden European Championship semifinal. Throughout the tournament they have fought until the very end for their fanatical fans and their reward will be a heroes' welcome when they return, just like when they reached the last four at the 2002 World Cup. Their success really is no fluke. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
TURKISH HOUSEHOLD GROCERY EXPENSES UP BY 45 PERCENT
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MESUT YILDIRIM
ABDULHAMÝT YILDIZ, ÝSTANBUL Increasing energy and food prices worldwide and drought conditions at home have started to impact the living expenses of households in Turkey. With the prices of food staples rising in local markets and grocery stores, Turkish families are being forced to foot ever-increasing food bills. What is troublesome to many, however, is that personal income has not risen in parallel to offset the high cost of living in Turkey. According to trade groups, the prices of basic food and consumer goods have shot up 45 percent compared to last year, more than the official inflation figures released by government agencies. CONTINUED ON PAGE 07
MAIN OPPOSITION CHP’S PARTICIPATION IN SI CONGRESS IN DOUBT YONCA POYRAZ DOÐAN, ÝSTANBUL
Turkish fans cheer national team players in Ýstanbul
Turkey's national soccer team arrived at Ýstanbul's Atatürk Airport yesterday afternoon to a crowd of cheering and praising citizens who waived Turkish flags. The team left the airport through the special State Hosting area used by foreign dignitaries and state officials. This was the first time a national team used that exit. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
TURKISH SOCCER FANS DISAPPOINTED, BUT GRACIOUS IN DEFEAT
TURKISH NATIONAL TEAM BEATEN AT ITS OWN GAME IN A THRILLING SEMIFINAL
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A member of the Socialist Party (PS) of France has said that the ethics committee of Socialist International (SI) may suggest a common position to all SI members regarding Turkey's SI member, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). The CHP has still not decided whether or not its leader will attend SI's upcoming congress amidst speculation about its future in the organization. Alain Chenal, Mediterranean national delegate the PS, told Today's Zaman in an e-mail that the committee is scheduled to meet on June 29, one day before SI is set to begin its congress in Greece. Several news reports have indicated that SI is preparing a motion to issue a warning against the CHP at its 23rd meeting, which will be held in Athens from June 30 to July 2. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
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02 TODAY’S ZAMAN
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F OOD FOR THOUGHT
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Q UOTE OF THE DAY
I think [the Turkey-Germany match] yesterday evening made a significant contribution to the companionship of Germans and Turks in Germany.
FATMA DÝÞLÝ
f.disli@todayszaman.com
Turkey national team coach Fatih Terim
We have the Bill of Rights. What we need is a Bill of Responsibilities.
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Trauma TAHA AKYOL, MÝLLÝYET I find Dengir Mir Mehmet Fýrat's words, which have "traumatized" large sections of society, wrong. It is not that revolutions do not have a traumatic effect on society, but Fýrat's assertions are entirely fabricated. Like all other revolutions, the Kemalist revolution was traumatic to the majority of Turkish society. And the changes that lack traumatic effects cannot be properly described as revolutions. What's wrong with Fýrat's words is that he himself has caused "trauma" and reinforced the existing polarization in society while politicians, especially those from the ruling party, are expected to refrain from doing so. In such an embedded climate of polarization, one cannot conduct discussions or negotiations based on research, learning and assessment. Such attempts would only add to the existing concerns and conflicts, urging the members of each camp to be more determined in their views.
Bill Maher
press roundup
Abusýng Atatürk and hýs revolutýons A flurry of debates sparked by remarks made by Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy leader Dengir Mir Mehmet Fýrat to The New York Times about the traumatizing effect of the revolutions of the 1920s on Turkish society continues to occupy newspaper columns, with writers critically examining Fýrat's remarks and the criticism directed against him. According to a commonly held view, these debates have demonstrated once again how some circles abuse Atatürk and his revolutions under the guise of speaking up for them. Zaman's Mümtaz'er Türköne agrees with Fýrat that Turkish society was shaken by the life-changing revolutions of the 1920s -- but he notes that in time society internalized what these revolutions had brought to it and began to express itself within the limits of democracy. "Moreover, society managed to perpetuate this despite the military coups that turn all of civilian life upside-down," says Türköne. In his view, those revolutions actually had a traumatizing effect on the bureaucratic elite, because today they represent the social segment that does not comply with the requirements of these eight revolutions, which are stated in Article 174 article of the Constitution. "History makes its own judgment. Turkey made a correct choice. It realized big miracles. Let's take a look not at the revolutions themselves but at who used them as a tool of abuse. Were they not the gravest series of traumas we encountered during the course of the republic's history, created by those who used Atatürk revolutions to hijack power and impose authoritarian rule? Nobody has any objections about the Atatürk revolutions. But isn't each and every day marked with news about military tutelage and fears about a military coup? Can there be any bigger trauma than society living with the fear of a military coup?" asks Türköne. Sabah's Nazlý Ilýcak says some circles in the country who always make a fuss over secularism being in danger use Atatürk and his revolutions as a propaganda tool. "Unfortunately, Atatürk is being abused. He is presented as a common value and a political instrument. This is as bad as the abuse of religion and carries the potential to polarize and divide society," Ilýcak asserts. In consideration of this, she thinks the reason Fýrat's remarks have caused such uneasiness in society is societal polarization making everyone suspicious about each other's intentions. "There are two kinds of love for Atatürk in Turkey. One is closed to any criticism, has reached the level of adoration and is like a divine love. The other is the love felt by those who criticize some of Atatürk's actions but never deny his services to this country. Let's give up deifying Atatürk and using him as a weapon against each other," suggests Ilýcak. Referring to the immediate reactions and harsh criticism by some circles of Fýrat's remarks, accusing him even of being an enemy of Atatürk, Bugün's Ahmet Taþgetiren associates this with the fact that some circles in Turkey are still unready to talk about the pains Turkish society went through during the revolutionary period. "More interestingly, some circles never give up on keeping the revolutions on the agenda as a tool of intimidation. Turkey should be able to talk about its traumas. The repercussions of these revolutions should be examined and the system should take measures to heal the wounds and traces of these traumas," says Taþgetiren.
columns
W ORDS OF WISDOM
It showed the world what a good team we are. We are leaving [Euro 2008] as the most colorful team.
AP
CROSS READER
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PRESS REVIEW
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German Parliament President Norbert Lammert
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Gülen ruling and Turkish schools ARDAN ZENTÜRK, STAR The Turkish judicial system gave its decision on Fethullah Gülen only two days after we attended the graduation ceremonies at the Turkish schools in Senegal and Mali. Sometimes journalists may not be aware of being witnesses to history. Events always remind us of this fact. This event, which came after a trip to West Africa at the invitation of the Journalists and Writers Foundation of Turkey, was another reminder for us. Turkish schools are seen as the top schools providing quality education in their respective countries. Turkish investors are going to these countries with a mentality that is completely different from the colonialist schooling mentality of the Europeans. They just want to share Turkey's experience with developing countries. These positive developments are characterized by the struggle of those who work with discipline and professionalism.
President Abdullah Gül and German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulate each other after the Euro 2008 semifinal match in Basel, Switzerland, which ended with Turkey's 2-3 defeat.
zaman:
Yesterday's daily in its headline story covered the Euro 2008 semifinal match between Turkey and Germany, which ended with Turkey's 2-3 defeat. The Turkish national team put its mark on the tournament with its brilliant and unyielding performance although it could not win the championship, noted the paper. President Abdullah Gül, who watched the match in person, went to the locker room after the match and thanked the Turkish players for their efforts. National team coach Fatih Terim, following the match, implied that he was planning to part ways with the national team and work with a European soccer club, the daily reported.
sabah:
Champion of hearts, read the daily's headline yesterday, again referring to the Turkish national team, which had to say farewell to Euro 2008 after it was defeated by Germany on Wednesday night. The daily noted that the Turkish players won the admiration of the
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The sole goal of the bureaucratic elite is to preserve its privileged position and to dominate macro politics. In order to do this, they make (temporary) deals with everyone. For instance, when the Gülen group establishes Turkish schools around the world in competition with Christian missionaries, this does not bother the bureaucratic elite. They may even support them secretly (if need be). However, they voice one condition: "I will draw a general framework for you, and you will not try to infiltrate our cadres." With their typical "bogeyman" approach, the ultra-secularist media organizations ask whether Hocaefendi will return to Turkey like Khomeini. Those who identify Gülen with an "Iranian type" regime do not know him or his group. In my opinion, the person who will be most upset when he returns to Turkey is Recep Tayyip Erdoðan.
Yeni Þafak also covered the Turkey-Germany match in its lead story yesterday. "You are the champion," read its headline, addressing the national team. Many soccer commentators and newspapers said Turkey performed better than Germany in the match although it did not win. The Italian Corriere della Sera daily said, "The Turks played with their hearts, but the Germans made it to the finals," while former Galatasaray coach Karl-Heinz Feldkamp said the team that played badly made it to the finals, in remarks praising the Turkish team.
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ÝSTANBUL ANKARA ÝZMÝR ANTALYA ADANA ERZURUM EDÝRNE TRABZON KAYSERÝ
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Temperatures all across the country are up to four degrees above seasonal norms, with high levels of humidity making it more difficult for people to bear the hot weather.
Mercury soars as summer starts in earnest
The State Meteorology Bureau has stated that the temperature on Wednesday was 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) in Ýstanbul, the highest temperature ever recorded in June, with similar temperatures affecting much of the country. The normal temperature for this time of year is only 27 degrees Celsius for Ýstanbul. High levels of humidity in Turkey's largest city have made it more difficult for people to bear the hot weather. Forecasted temperatures for Friday and Saturday in Ýstanbul are between 30 and 32 degrees, with no prospect of precipitation. Temperatures all across the country are up to four degrees above seasonal norms. Meteorology officials state that the reason for the unseasonable highs is a warm front affecting the central, southern and western provinces. Temperatures in the Aegean, Mediterranean and southeastern Anatolian regions have also hit record highs. The
The Euro 2008 semifinal match between Turkey and Germany was a great battle that will go down in the annals of history. Threetime world and three-time European champions, the German national team, which has participated in 10 UEFA finals, played its most difficult game in years against the Turkish national team. It was the Turkish national team that played superior ball for 90 minutes but, unfortunately, it was Germany that won. They wore the lucky hat this time, not Turkey. Yesterday the headlines of all the Turkish dailies pointed out the same thing, conveying the feelings of millions of people from different religions, cultures and ethnicities who had settled themselves in front of their televisions to witness Turkey's success on Wednesday night. Nobody felt any sort of resentment toward the young players of our team. Just the contrary, everybody was grateful toward and proud of our young men, who played so perfectly and with such strength that history will record their names. Despite the unlucky score, there was no trace of the psychological mood normally displayed by defeated players. One paper wrote "You are champions," in its headline, while another said "You did your best." Three daily newspapers headlined "Champions of the heart," which should be a well-deserved source of pride for the team. "Don't worry, we won," "Thanks boys" and "Brilliant farewell" were some of the other banners. Probably no other defeat could be this pride-inspiring despite the frustration of having
average temperature in these regions has been over 40 degrees Celsius for the last few days. Though the possibility of water shortages has yet to make the headlines this year, officials from the State Waterworks Authority (DSÝ) fear another rainless summer. Last year dams and lakes across the west and central regions of the country saw dramatic drops in water level by as much as 70 to 80 percent. Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek was reduced to imposing water cuts in the capital as its dams dried out, paralyzing even diplomatic activities. This year the municipality completed a line connecting the Kesikköprü Dam to the city's supply network, a solution claimed to meet Ankara's needs for the next 20 years. Ýstanbul's local government took steps to raise public awareness of water conservation and a supply interruptions were largely avoided. Ýstanbul's water shortage problem still persists and will be exacerbated by another rainless summer and fall. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
CÝHAN PHOTO
2006. The divorce rate was highest in the Aegean region, followed by the Marmara region and western Anatolia. According to the report, 41 percent of couples that get divorced do so in the first five years of marriage, while just 22.5 percent get divorced after 16 years of marriage. The completion of at least one year of marriage is required in Turkey before couples may divorce. This requirement gained prominence in 2006, when the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals annulled two court decisions related to the divorce cases of couples that had been married for only a few months. The chamber argued that even if couples agree to separate amicably, they need to stay married for at least one year before they are eligible for divorce. Ersan Temizel Kayseri
Teacher who documented 300 infidelities penalized A secondary school teacher who detailed in a book her memories of cheating on her husband with 300 strangers has been reprimanded for setting a bad example. Yeliz Y., who penned a book about her adulterous life under the pseudonym Þebnem Berrak A., will continue to teach English at Sarýyer Mehmet Ýpkin Primary High School, but one year of her employment will not be counted toward her total seniority experience. A
KONYA ÇANAKKALE DÝYARBAKIR SAMSUN BURSA GAZÝANTEP ESKÝÞEHÝR MALATYA KOCAELÝ
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Turkey plays, Germany wýns
Over 630,000 couples tie the knot in 2007 A total of 638,311 couples got married in Turkey last year, a recent report from the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) has revealed. According to the report, the number of couples who tied the knot in 2006 was 636,121. The average age for marriage among males was 26.1 last year while this figure as 22.8 for females. The report showed that people residing in Ýstanbul get married the latest, with the average age among males being 26.9 and among females being 23.7. People living in central Anatolia and the Western Black Sea region, on the other hand, get married the earliest, with the average age among men being 25 and among women, 21.5. The report also revealed that a total of 94,219 people got divorced last year, slightly up from 93,489 in
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local education directorate launched an investigation after Yeliz Y. spoke live on news channel Kanal D about her book. Inspectors from the Education Ministry ruled after their investigation that she had praised her book on television. The ministry stopped short of banning her from public service, instead freezing her seniority progress for a year on charges of "displaying behavior unworthy of the pride of a public servant." Melik Duvaklý Ýstanbul
CM Y K
BÜLENT KENEÞ b.kenes@todayszaman.com
been beaten, because before Turkey took on Germany, nine of its players were injured and it was faced with great difficulty in deciding the lineup. We were confronted by the world champion "German panzers." Despite the greatness of the rival, we played much better throughout the full 90 minutes. I don't think the Germans have faced such a tough game in Euro 2008, or even in the years before that. As if the overwhelming psychological pressure from the tens of thousands of German spectators who filled the stadium was not enough, that ignominy of referees Busacca literally worked for Germany with the partial decisions he made throughout the game. Despite these negative factors, it was the Turkish team that dominated the game, while Germany prevailed with three goals. This game is unfortunately called soccer, and what matters ultimately is not the soccer you play, but the score. And the score just happened to be in favor of the Germans. Except for the goals, the statistical data of the game reveal that the Turkish national team did deserve to win the game. For example, Turks played with the ball for 56 minutes, while Germans spent just 46 minutes with it. Turks
took 20 shots, while Germany took only nine. Of Turkey's 20 shots, 11 made it to the goal, while only three German shots hit the goal; all three just happened to enter it. Another piece of information that proves that the game was played mostly on the German side of the field is that Turkey had nine corner kicks, while Germany had only two. That is, all the stats show that the Turkish national team exerted tremendous pressure on the Germans. What is left behind with us as the memorable events from the game are, of course, the awesome Turkish soccer and the partial decisions from Busacca and his assistants that enraged us. We will particularly remember how Busacca's assistant Arnetti ended many offensives that could perhaps have resulted in goals. The referees' exaggeratedly partial attitudes were made very clear after Turkey's second goal; although they have to run to the middle of the field in line with the rules, they froze from sadness and stood there watching. This attitude will be included in the list of European referees' shamefully partial matches. I would like to express my gratitude to all the heroes of the national team, as well as to the directors and the coaching staff, for exciting me to such an extent that I decided to pen an article on sports for the first time in my life, and for making us, the nation, experience such an overflowing of emotions. We are proud of each and every one of them. I sincerely believe that the Turkish team, as well as Turkey, will find itself an important position in a place it deserves in the near future.
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Ankara non-committal on Club Med until last minute Ankara has once more raised the question of whether it would be involved in France's plan for a "Union for the Mediterranean" as well as the question of whether Foreign Minister Ali Babacan would participate in a major summit in Paris on July 13 when French President Nicolas Sarkozy hopes to launch the project. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Burak Özügergin, during his first weekly conference as spokesperson since being appointed in late April, responded yesterday to a salvo of questions concerning issues on the foreign policy agenda. The project has already been referred to the European Commission, Özügergin noted when asked whether Turkey has made its decision concerning the project, and added that not all aspects of the project have been clarified yet. "Accordingly, our assessment process has not been finished yet, either. Both our stance on the issue of the Union for the Mediterranean and the issue of participating in the summit are still under consideration. A decision should be made by our
side in the upcoming period," Özügergin said. The Mediterranean project aims to improve trade, transport and energy links between the European Union and nations bordering the Mediterranean, including Morocco, Syria, Israel and Turkey. Under pressure from Berlin, however, Sarkozy's initial proposal was changed radically to include all EU members instead of only those with a Mediterranean coastline. The EU has also been seeking to water down France's role in it. Britain has, meanwhile, warned that the Mediterranean union could not be seen as an alternative to Turkish membership in the EU. Sarkozy is a staunch opponent of Turkey's entry and advocates a "special partnership" instead. "… When it [the Union of the Mediterranean project] was passed to the [European] commission, even before it was passed during the EU summit, it was asked to associate the Union for the Mediterranean with the Barcelona process. Accordingly, we do not know what the mecha-
nisms of this association would be. For example, whether there will be a secretariat or a cochair," Özügergin also said, referring to the stalled Barcelona process, a EuroMediterranean partnership launched in 1995. "Our contacts on this issue continue. Consequently, there are both political and technical issues, but I surmise that this will reach maturity in one or two weeks," the spokesperson also said. Little more than two weeks remain until the time when Paris is to host the summit on the project. Earlier this month, Babacan said Ankara's assessment concerning France's plan was ongoing, adding, however, that Ankara may decide not to be involved in the project at all. Özügergin, meanwhile, expressed pleasure over the French Senate's recent decision to drop a measure from a proposed bill that would require a referendum on Turkey's membership in the EU. The measure has proven to be one of the most sensitive parts of a broader institutional reform package going through the French parliament. The
measure would require a referendum before France could approve EU membership for any country whose population exceeds 5 percent of the population of the entire 27-nation union.
Official invitation from Sarkisian Meanwhile, Özügergin also said Ankara was waiting for an official invitation from Armenia after the neighboring country’s president said he would be inviting his Turkish counterpart to watch a soccer match in Armenia. Serzh Sarkisian, the president of Armenia, said earlier this week that he planned to invite President Abdullah Gül to Yerevan to watch a soccer match together between the two countries’ national teams in early September . “No such invitation has yet reached us. In the event we receive such an invitation, it will be dealt with separately,” Özügergin said when asked whether Sarkisian’s proposal has been considered by Ankara as a sign of willingness for rapprochement between his country and Turkey. Ankara Today's Zaman
PACE sternly warns Turkey over democracy’s future contýnued from page 1 The report, drafted by Belgian PACE deputy Luc Van den Brande, was voted on during an urgent debate held yesterday on the closure case and the political situation in Turkey. Parliamentarians also approved an amendment that says the criteria of secularism cannot be applied to political parties since "political parties animated by the moral values of a religion are widely spread in most of Council of Europe member countries." AK Party faces closure on charges of anti-secular activities. "The Monitoring Committee is concerned that, regardless of their outcome, the ongoing judicial proceedings to dissolve the ruling AK Party in Turkey and to ban from politics 71 of its members, including the prime minister, the president of the republic and 39 deputies, are seriously affecting political stability in the country as well as the democratic functioning of state institutions and delay urgent economic and political reforms. They also spark a renewed debate about political party closure in Turkey, in relation to which the Strasbourg court has found several violations of the European Convention of Human Rights in the past," Van den Brande, who was also the rapporteur of the urgent debate during the spring plenary session which will end today, said in his report. "The Monitoring Committee takes note of the government's initiative to draft a new, civilian constitution and considers that this opens a window of opportunity for a broad national debate involving all actors of society. It encourages the government to finalize this process in close cooperation with the Venice Commission. The new constitution should in particular guarantee an appropriate system of checks and balances and grant a center place to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, in line with European standards, in order to fully ensure the democratic functioning of Turkey's institutions and the consolidation of its modernization and reform process," it said. "The Monitoring Committee proposes to the assembly to intensify its post-monitoring dialogue with Turkey, closely follow the development of the democratic functioning of its state institutions and, in particular, the consti-
Members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted on a report, drafted by Belgian deputy Luc Van den Brande (L), during an urgent debate on a closure case against the AK Party and other political developments in Turkey. tutional drafting process and, if need be, seriously consider the possibility of reopening the monitoring procedure for Turkey." Leaders of political groups at PACE made harsh remarks concerning the ongoing political turmoil in Turkey as they delivered speeches during the debate, with left-wing deputies who are members of the Socialist International defending the AK Party. Swiss deputy Andreas Gross, who is head of the socialist group at PACE, defined what Turkey has currently been going through as "a judicial coup d'état" and warned that this might turn into "a military coup d'état." He underlined that the Constitutional Court
could never replace Parliament. René van der Linden, head of the rightwing European People's Party group and the former president of PACE, said the closure of the AK Party would spell "a coup" and added that in such a case, it would be impossible for the EU to continue membership negotiations with Turkey. Members of the Turkish delegation to PACE who are from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), meanwhile, suggested that the report's content "went far beyond values and standards defended by the Council of Europe."
"Attempts aimed at influencing the Turkish judiciary are against international law and the principle of the independence of the judiciary," the CHP deputies and MHP deputies said in a written statement. As for his part, Van der Brande, in a speech during voting, said his report "should not be considered an intervention in the Constitutional Court's decision." By discussing this report, the Council of Europe wants to give a clear message to Turkey and other countries, the rapporteur said. "We hope that a decision in line with standards of the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission will be made," he said.
Talat: Instability in Turkey could hurt Turkish Cypriots Political instability in Turkey has the potential to hurt the Turkish Cypriots as they are preparing for direct negotiations with the Greek Cypriots for reunification of the divided island, Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat said yesterday. "Any instability that could arise in Turkey will certainly affect us, there is no doubt about it," Talat told reporters in Ýstanbul after a meeting with Süleyman Çelebi, chairman of the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers' Unions (DÝSK), one of the biggest labor unions in Turkey. Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is facing a closure case at the Constitutional Court on charges of becoming a focal point for anti-secular activities. Senior officials of the party, including Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and President Abdullah Gül, a former AK Party member, also face a political ban in connection with the closure case. Many fear a ban on the governing party and the prime minister would destabilize politics at home and deal a serious blow to Turkey's relations with the European Union. Talat said Ankara's support for the Turkish Cypriot side in the reunification process was crucial and that any destabilizing development in Turkey would have dire impacts on the Turkish Cypriots as they negotiate a just settlement with the Greek Cypriots. "Turkey is the only country that unconditionally supports us in the world. Any weakness that could emerge in this country will have the danger of leaving us alone in the middle of the
road," he said. "We appreciate Turkey's importance more and more when we see other countries that we hope will support us. Look at Britain; they signed a memorandum with the Greek Cypriots and are attempting to change parameters of a settlement," Talat stated. The British government and the Greek Cypriot administration signed a cooperation deal in early June, a move criticized by Turkey and the Turkish Cyprus as an intervention in the ongoing peace process. "Therefore, we are concerned about political instability in Turkey," Talat said. "We want the problems to be resolved as soon as possible. Turkey will solve this within its own mechanisms." Talat met with Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias in March, soon after
CM Y K
Christofias' election victory against hard-liner Tassos Papadopoulos, and the landmark meeting ended with an agreement to start preparatory talks to pave the way for direct reunification talks in the following months. The direct talks had been expected to take place in late June, but disagreements as to the timing emerged in later stages of the preparatory talks. Talat and Christofias are now expected to meet on July 1 to review progress in preparatory talks and hopefully set a date for direct talks. "We have good intentions. We really want to reach a solution," Talat said. "We have no bad intentions, no secret agenda. We are working with sincerity, but we also know it is important to safeguard the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots." Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
NATIONAL
ALÝ ASLAN a.aslan@todayszaman.com
Turkey’s soul and the US soul Nowadays, increasing numbers of observers in the United States seem to be getting interested in "Turkey's soul" in their own ways, whether we like it or not. Interestingly, the debate on Turkey's soul search also reveals many things about the soul of the US and the West -- whether they like it or not. Let me start on a positive note: The US government's soul-searching on how to deal with Turkey's severe crisis on the right balance between democracy and secularism seems to have borne some fruit. It all started with an unfortunate "we don't take sides" approach on the part of Bush administration when the Turkish military issued a veiled coup threat (the infamous e-memorandum) against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in April 2007. The spirit of the Bush administration's freedom and democracy agenda has gone into the bottle, while the soul (or soullessness) of Cold War national security pragmatism came back out of its bottle: When the Turkish military speaks, everybody in Washington listens. (And when Washington only listens, doing nothing, the Turkish military usually speaks even more.) The same scenario played out once again. Even though the military did not directly intervene, as in the good old Cold War days, the AK Party's overwhelming election victory in July 2007 -- despite, or perhaps thanks to coup threats -- only further infuriated Turkey's ruling establishment. With the military behind the scenes (because they are concerned about erosion of their "non-partisan" public image and don't want to look too anti-religious), they came up with an innovative coup under the guise of judicial independence. A ruling party that got 47 percent of the votes just a few months ago was put on trial for undermining secularism, with the end goal being a ban. No matter how shocking it was in Washington, the "we don't take sides" approach generally persisted, with some emphasis, though, on the need for listening to the "will of the voters." Perhaps we should have taken this as normal, because many in the US nation and among its representatives in Washington have lost part of their democratic souls due to Sept. 11 trauma. No matter how moderate they are, the fact that the AK Party and the wide socioeconomic sector it represents have a religious Islamic background was certainly not a truly comforting factor in a post-Sept. 11 West. However the commitment of Turkey's old establishment to win the internal power struggle -- again disguised as if it is a war for preserving Turkey's secular soul -- even if it costs Turkey's EU membership process, seems to have increasingly worried Americans. The "we don't take sides" approach is being slowly replaced by a more concerned tone over Turkey's direction. US officials increasingly and correctly contend that without EU prospects, a crucial strategic goal, Turkey may be unable to continue with its more than centurylong reformation and modernization process. They underline strategic relevance of Turkish democracy. When asked, "What can we do, or what can some other countries do to make sure that we don't lose democracy in a very important country?" at a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) meeting last week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered the following: "Secular democracy in Turkey is important, but it is also important that religious people are a part of the country. … We need to continue to speak up for reform in Turkey, for democracy in Turkey, for secular democracy in Turkey. … The prospect of European Union accession has been extremely important to reform in Turkey. And without that prospect, it is going to be hard to continue." Rice also thinks "the people who could do the most are the Europeans." However the US should not underestimate its own clout in Ankara. Apparently a result of a deliberate decision to speak up on the matter, a prominent spokesman for Turkey affairs in the administration, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matt Bryza, sent a clearer message on Tuesday at a Washington Institute event. He essentially said that if Turkey's EU process is put on hold due to a closure of AK Party, it would "harm US national interest" and "would be quite unfortunate if the way a political debate is resolved is through banning a party." He also signaled the US would stay short of issuing any ultimatums or threats to Turkey. But the new willingness to speak a little more assertively on this painful topic was a remarkable step forward for the Bush administration. The US should not be shy or worried a powerful stance for democracy would diminish secularism in Turkey in any way. True, there is a soul struggle in Turkey. But it's not mainly about Turkey's secular soul vs. its religious soul. It's more about soul-searching for how true democracy should look like in a predominantly Muslim country. There is also genuine soul-searching within Turkey's religiously motivated segments on how to deal with democracy and secularism. These processes are not new and have already reached a point where one can comfortably say that every major social and political trend now suggests Turkey will remain secular, democratic and religious. We don't need an "occasional dose of secular fascism" (as Roger Cohen of The New York Times recently argued) to keep Turkey on its path toward integration with the West. That would be totally counterproductive. What Turkey needs is a regular dose of reform (guaranteed by EU prospects), which will not be possible under secular or religious fascism.
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BUSINESS
TODAY’S ZAMAN 07
F R I D AY, J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 0 8
Turkish household grocery expenses up by 45 percent contýnued from page 1 The Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) has revealed that the consumer price index (CPI) for May returned to double-digit figures, hitting 10.74 percent for the first time since April 2007. Analysts say the higher global commodity prices are driving inflation in Turkey, which imports 95 percent of its natural gas and oil. The Central Bank of Turkey, which raised the benchmark interest rate twice in the last two months, is trying to curb inflation by increasing interest rates. In a written statement last week, the central bank said it is ready to continue raising rates in a "measured" way to counter the risk of rising inflation caused by high oil and food prices. Central Bank of Turkey Governor Durmuþ Yýlmaz explained on Wednesday that the bank would take the necessary measures if inflation rises above new inflation targets. Earlier this month the bank nearly
doubled its inflation consumer price inflation target to 7.5 percent from 4 percent. There is more bad news on the horizon stemming from the drought conditions in some parts of the country, particularly in the South. If the drought conditions persist through harvest season, families will see more price hikes on certain food items. Some of the signs are already here. For example, a lower than expected production volume has resulted in a 90 percent increase in the price of lentils. According to data released by the Turkish Union of Agricultural Chambers (TZOB), the price of carrots in May increased by 36.4 percent, pears by 27 percent and rice by 17.8 percent. The cost of tomatoes, eggplants and green beans was up 26 percent. The only decrease in May for produce came in the price of cucumbers. Food Wholesalers' Association President Günay Kotil complained about the instability
stemming from political and economic uncertainty and claimed that business has ground to a halt. Kotil said the situation will worsen during the school summer break. Ýstanbul Retailers' Association board member Erdal Tüfekçi said the price increases on certain basic items during the January-May period climbed by 100 percent. He noted, however, that they could not completely pass off the cost to consumers; rather, to remain competitive in the market, he said, they have to absorb some of the price increases themselves. Erol Ersan, chairman of the Kazançlý Ýstanbul chain of markets, emphasized that they have seen price increases in grain products of up to 70 percent and 12 percent in meat products. "We are expecting another 15 percent hike on milk and milkrelated products on top of the 15 percent increase that came at the beginning of this year," he added.
move from the worst position to the next-toworst. He indicated that Turkey saw some progress due to the IPR law enacted by Parliament in 2004, but that the country's inclusion on the WL implies there are many things that should be done as the list in question takes into consideration actual practices, not laws or regulations, in a country. He stated that YASED had repeatedly said implementation fell short of expectations after the passage of the law in 2004, adding that one of the two chapters opened for negotiations in the country's EU membership process relate to IPRs. "Therefore, Turkey should concentrate its efforts on this issue. Turkey's current status in this area is unacceptable. Turkey opened this chapter. Negotiations are not restricted to passing of laws or regulations. They want more: implementation. But we may face difficulties in convincing the parties concerned," he told Anatolia. Uysal pointed out that a bill on patents that has led to heated debates and is currently on the parliamentary agenda is an important step with respect to IPRs. "The debates surrounding the patents bill show that this issue still has not been internalized or adopted in Turkey. There are still questions in people's minds. We observe efforts to weaken the enforcement power of some articles of this bill. This does not raise our hopes. I hope the bill will be enacted without much change. I do not think Turkey can close this chapter without passing this law," he said. The IPR issue was discussed in a meeting of the Investment Consultation Council held on June 18, he said, adding that the closing statement of the meeting stressed the need to "further strengthen the implementation of the legislation on IPRs in line with international standards." Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
MÜSÝAD offers solutions to reform vocational training An integrative approach to vocational and technical education is needed, a report drafted by a business association asserts. The report, titled "Problems in Vocational and Technical Education and Solutions," drafted by the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MÜSÝAD) for submission to the Education Ministry, offered 152 solutions to problems encountered in the vocational education system, which is currently seen as requiring a considerable overhaul. The report, prepared by Professor Hüner Þencan, lists the first things to be done in updating the system as follows: changing the education law; revising the organizational structure of the Education Ministry; reshaping the enforcement framework of the Vocational Education Board (MEK); restructuring MEKs in provinces; ensuring compliance with EU programs and the European Qualifications Framework; and establishing coordination among institutions. The report suggested that a lack of qualified personnel is one of the biggest obstacles
before the development of the real economy and identified problems in vocational and technical education, offering possible solutions. The report was released at a panel discussion held by MÜSÝAD in Ýstanbul yesterday. MÜSÝAD President Ömer Cihad Vardan, one of the panel speakers, said problems experienced can be traced back to a lack of proper education. Vardan argued that there has long been a sharp distinction between general education and vocational education in Turkey. Stressing that the promotion, renewing and improvement of vocational education must be a top agenda item in the country, he said: "Vocational education is the science of transforming knowledge into practice. For this reason, MÜSÝAD has been arguing that supporting vocational and technical education means Turkey's development." Vardan pointed out that vocational education should be compatible with the EU process and that all concerned parties should carry out their responsibilities to do this. Saray Süt Ýstanbul
PHOTO
The head of the International Investors Association (YASED) has stated that Turkey's poor performance with respect to intellectual property rights (IPRs) and trademark protection is impacting foreign investment in the country. YASED President Tahir Uysal told the Anatolia news agency there is social resistance to the issue of intellectual property rights and that Turkish lawmakers and law enforcement officials have a lack of awareness on this issue that is an extension of this resistance. "For instance, when you ask in a survey, 'Do you want the people who sell counterfeited products to be punished?' you get 60 percent 'yes,' but 40 percent of the people interviewed still say that such people should not be punished," he noted. Uysal maintained that Turkey is viewed negatively by international investors in this regard. "I talked to two such investors. One of them said he canceled the investment he planned to make in Turkey because IPRs are not properly protected in Turkey, while the other explained that he would not expand his investments in Turkey for the same reason. This happened within a year. One was involved in industrial production while the other was in IT, software and similar areas. Another related point is the unregistered economy. In these areas, we only see well-intentioned remarks, but until now the government had not taken the required steps. Another impact of the unregistered economy will be seen with respect to IPRs," he told Anatolia. Uysal also mentioned the 2008 Special 301 Report, which is published annually by the US Trade Representative (USTR), announced in May. He pointed out that in the report Turkey was moved from the Priority Watch List (PWL) to the Watch List (WL), which means a
TURGUT ENGÝN
Poor record on intellectual property rights puts off foreign investors
FIGURES
Hunger line drops to YTL 711 for family of four The Confederation of Turkish Labor Unions' (Türk-Ýþ) monthly "Hunger and Poverty Line Survey" for June 2008 has shown that a family of four must earn YTL 711 to stay above the hunger line, indicating a decrease of YTL 9 over the previous month. It also said the poverty line has decreased to YTL 2,315, from YTL 2,346 in May. The hunger line is a limit beneath which people are considered malnourished. The poverty line, on the other hand, refers to the amount that a four-member family should be earning monthly to pay its rent and meet its basic needs such as food, transportation, clothing and education. The survey shows the minimum amount necessary to avoid malnourishment has increased by 12 percent on a 12-month basis. Türk-Ýþ issued a statement, saying seasonal price decreases in vegetables and fruits have contributed to the drop in the hunger and poverty lines. The statement read that a majority of households actually earn much less than the minimum required amounts "to live in a dignified manner." Ankara Today's Zaman
LABOR
Minimum wage hike of 5 percent set for July The minimum wage for single workers over age 16 will be raised by 5 percent to YTL 503.26 on July 1 from the current level of YTL 481.55. In accordance with a decision made by the Minimum Wage Determination Commission -made up of representatives from employee unions, employers and the government -- in its meeting at the end of last year, the new minimum wage will be in effect from July 1 until the end of 2008. The commission members had agreed on a 9.2 percent increase after holding three rounds of tough negotiations, with a 4 percent hike for the first half of 2008 and then another 5 percent hike for the second half. The wages for workers under 16 will see the same rate of increase to YTL 432.97 from the current level of YTL 414.92. Tax deductions from wages will be YTL 135.44 for workers over 16 and YTL 107.63 for workers under 16. The burden on employers per worker, including the wage and taxes, will be YTL 776.02 for workers over 16 and YTL 692.64 for workers under 16. Ankara Today's Zaman
ENERGY
Turkey to build second nuclear plant in Sinop
Tahir Uysal
Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources minister announced on Thursday that Turkey is planning to construct its second nuclear power plant in the Black Sea city of Sinop. Hilmi Güler told reporters the tender for the construction of the power plant would likely be held in September. "The dimensions of the second nuclear power plant have not yet been determined, but it will not be smaller than the one to be constructed in Mersin's town of Akkuyu," Güler explained. He was speaking with the press after attending a conference on energy productivity organized jointly by the General Directorate of Electrical Power Resources Survey and Development Administration (EÝE) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Ankara. The minister said the second nuclear plant would be located in Sinop's Ýnceburun district. Six firms and consortia have received specifications for the tender for the 4,000-megawatt nuclear power plant in Akkuyu. These firms are: Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (Canada), Itochu Corporation (Japan), Vinci Construction Grand Projects (France), Suez Tractebel (France-Belgium), Atostroyexport (Russia) and KEPCO (South Korea). Ankara Today's Zaman with wires
TOURISM
Luxury cruise liners to bring tourists to Sinop A luxury cruise company will bring tourists to Turkey's Black Sea port city of Sinop, a Turkish tourism agency executive said on Thursday. Tura Tourism owner Cetin Sarac told the Anatolia news agency that cruise liners from USbased Azamara Cruises will anchor at Sinop next month in what will be the first time such a large cruise company includes Sinop in their cruise and shore excursion itinerary. "The tour will begin from the Aegean port of Kuþadasý on July 9, and the cruise liners will arrive in Sinop on July 13, sailing via Ýstanbul," Saraç said. The cruise liners will also travel that route between Aug. 6 and Aug. 18, anchoring at Sinop on Aug. 10. Azamara Cruises operates two ships, the Azamara Journey and the Azamara Quest, with each able to carry 694 passengers. The ships are equipped with European linens and soft goods, flatscreen televisions, new veranda decking and furniture and wireless Internet service in all staterooms and public areas. Ninety-three percent of the ships' staterooms offer ocean views and 68 percent host a private veranda. The company organizes tours to 175 tourist resorts in 60 countries. Ankara Today's Zaman with wires
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08 TODAY’S ZAMAN
F R I D AY, J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 0 8
BUSINESS
JEWELRY
Diamond laboratory opened in Ýstanbul
A rapid increase in electricity consumption, often seen during the summer, has led to power outages in previous years, but is expected to remain under control this year, the general manager of a major electricity production company has said. Sefer Bütün, the general manager of the Electricity Production Co. (EÜAÞ), which generates more than half of Turkey's electricity said: "We are on alert. We have been working tirelessly for three to four months to make sure that there are no power outages in July and August. We knew this day would come so we took necessary measures." Bütün called on people to do their part and reduce their electricity use to a minimum. According to data provided by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, average monthly electricity consumption comes out to 14-15 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) and increases to 19 billion kWh per month over the summer. Speaking to Today's Zaman, Bütün said the main measure to be taken to address electricity shortages is increasing the usable capacity of coal power plants from 33 percent to 76 percent by replacing old parts. Once this is achieved, dams, currently seeing low water levels, can be reserved as secondary sources to meet rapid increases in demand for electricity over the summer. Teams of technicians work 24/7 to make sure that coal plants can operate non-stop. Bütün stresses that this summer is expected to be the driest so far, further noting: "Unfortunately, the amount of water coming to the dams was less than that of last year despite more snow this year. The snow melted and seeped underground. We were expecting 3.5 billion cubic meters of water in May; however, we only received 1.7 billion." Bütün spoke briefly on the current state of dams and said: "Despite water scarcity, we have the capacity and capability to generate electricity at our dams. We should keep this option ready at all times by utilizing coal plants more. When required, the dams will be used." Under an electricity market law, investments required to meet the electricity need will be taken care of by the private sector. However, the law also allows the state to take necessary measures when the private sector proves to be inadequate in addressing the problem. Private sector invest-
ments are favored in principle, Bütün says. "We do not have the luxury to waste further time and we may be asked to invest very soon. We are ready for any such situation."
Companies in tender to extend Afþin-Elbistan power station announced
PHOTO
ÝSMAÝL ALTINSOY ANKARA
TARIK ÖZTÜRK
‘No power shortages ýn Turkey thýs summer’ Meanwhile the names of the companies that have presented their offers for the construction of two new plants at the Afþin-Elbistan coal-burning power station were announced yesterday at the Turkish Electricity Distribution Company’s (TEDAÞ) conference hall. Park Teknik A.Þ. and Akfen Construction-Akfen Energy Joint Venture submitted offers for the third power plant in the area, while for the fourth plant the JV made another offer. Bütün said some companies who wanted to participate in the tender had asked for an extension of the deadline, but that this request was not honored because they did not want to lose more time in the tender process. The tender had been postponed three times previously and was finally announced on July 31 of last year. Giant energy firms from Germany, Russia, Japan and the United Kingdom had applied to compete in the tender, but none of them made offers. In accordance with bid specifications, two separate dams will be constructed for the power station. Sixty percent of the first dam’s construction, called Adatepe, will be undertaken by the public sector and the rest will be completed by the private sector. The second dam, however, will be built entirely by the private sector. They will be purchased under the auspices of the Electricity Production Corporation (EÜAÞ). The state will guarantee that the electricity produced by the power plant, which will have an installed capacity of at least 1,200 megawatts, will be purchased for 15 years. The Afþin-Elbistan region possesses around 40 percent of Turkey’s 8.3-billion-ton lignite reserves. It is planned that around 15,000 people will be employed during the power plant’s construction. Approximately 8,500 are expected to be employed at the plant after it goes into operation. Energy authorities plan to meet 18 percent of Turkey’s annual need for electricity, which amounts to 30 billion kilowatt hours (kWh), with the Afþin-Elbistan station after construction is completed on these projects.
The Dubai-based International Diamond Laboratories (IDL) opened a branch in Ýstanbul yesterday. IDL provides the diamond trade and jewelry retailers with quality reports on polished diamonds. The laboratory, which cost nearly 1.5 million euros, is located on the premises of the Ýstanbul Chamber of Jewelers. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ýstanbul Chamber of Jewelers Chairman Alaattin Kameroðlu said sales in the Turkish jewelry market exceeded $1 billion annually. "Therefore, we deemed it necessary to open such a laboratory, and we chose to cooperate with International Diamond Laboratories to this end," Kameroðlu said, stressing the significance of the sale of quality jewelry products by qualified people for the protection of consumers' rights. "The laboratory will work to achieve such a goal," he said, adding that both consumers and those dealing in the jewelry trade will be able to obtain certificates for their products from the lab. Delivering a speech at the ceremony, IDL CEO Peter Meeus said the lab was equipped with high technology and that it aimed at the improvement of diamond classification. IDL also has laboratories in Antwerp, Dubai and Mumbai. Ankara Today's Zaman with wires
POLICY
CB says it may hike rates when necessary EPDK approves increase in electricity prices terday. This increase was largely accepted as a necessary step for the transition to a new pricing mechanism for electricity in which energy producers will be able to update their prices once every three months to cover their costs. The new system is set to start on July 1. It has long been argued by electricity production companies that soaring prices of oil and natural gas, both of which are widely used in electricity production, have increased the costs of production, leading to sharp decreases in profits. An urgent increase in tariffs was vital, they claimed. Ankara Today's Zaman
Turkey's Energy Market Regulatory Agency (EPDK) on Thursday approved a request from electricity distribution companies to increase electricity prices. Following the EPDK's decision, the price of electricity used in residences will be increased by 21 percent, while the cost of electricity for industrial use will rise by 22 percent as of July 1. Previously, 20 electricity distribution companies from the Turkish Electricity Distribution Corporation (TEDAÞ) had demanded that a new electricity tariff be put in force, agreed to by EPDK officials during a meeting yes-
Ongoing uncertainties and supply-side shocks continue to pose risks of inflation and more interest rate hikes may become necessary, the Monetary Policy Committee (PPK) of the Turkish Central Bank has indicated. "The Central Bank would consider a further measured rate hike when needed to prevent the potential second-round effects of such risk factors. Accordingly, upcoming data related to inflation outlook will be monitored carefully," the minutes of the PPK's June 16 meeting, released yesterday, report. According to the statement, increases in food and energy prices continue to be the major driver of inflation, accounting for about 7 percentage points of annual inflation as of May. The statement indicated that a further correction in fresh fruit and vegetable prices is likely to be observed in June as well, while the annual inflation in processed food prices is expected to remain elevated for some time. Core inflation indicators have continued to rise due to first and secondround effects of the ongoing supply shocks, it said. The PPK further indicated that inflation is expected to decelerate starting in the final quarter of the year, although base effects are likely to keep annual inflation at elevated levels in the short term. Ankara Today's Zaman
MONETARY
Turkey integral partner in long-awaited A400M, says Tüzmen Europe unveiled the A400M military aircraft on Thursday, giving the public a first glimpse of a powerful turboprop plane which will give seven NATO customers urgently needed strategic airlift capacity. The plane was developed by a unit of aerospace firm EADS at a cost of 20 billion euros, making it Europe's biggest military cooperation project. Foreign Trade Minister Kürþat Tüzmen, who was on an official two-day visit to Spain, represented Turkey in the ceremony, held in Sevilla. Tüzmen said the A400M was an important project and that Turkey had contributed to it from its design to its engineering. Stressing that the A400M was a project that incorporates new technology, Tüzmen said: "Immediately after the first plane was rolled out of the hangar, South Korea, which is advanced in the aviation sector, bought eight A400Ms and Malaysia
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triggered by the delays. The aircraft is the first four-engine plane in which the inside and outside propellers on each wing rotate in opposite directions. That means that if one engine is shot out or fails, the plane remains stable and does not lose balance, its designers say. The A400M, which costs 100 million euros apiece, had been kept hidden from view for months despite a sneak preview given to financial analysts earlier in the year. EADS shares have been under pressure partly due to a wider series of production delays on the Airbus A380 superjumbo and the NH90 military helicopter as well as the A400M. Aircraft rollouts have become a standard feature of the publicity machine which roars into action with the production of a new plane, but have no significance in industrial terms. Hüseyin Sümer Sevilla with Reuters
The sale of 180 A400Ms to a block of seven European nations -- Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg and Turkey -- in 2003 was the continent's biggest ever single arms order. Exports to South Africa and Malaysia brought the total of aircraft sold to 192, but a sale of the plane to Chile was cancelled. "Our transport fleet is becoming obsolete and we need to increase our transport capacity in order to meet the requirements of the new missions all over the world, especially humanitarian but also troop support missions," said Maj. Fabrice Balayn from the French Air Force's logistics division. France will take delivery of the first plane in 2010, six to 12 months behind the original schedule. EADS took 1.4 billion euros in provisions last year to compensate for contract losses
bought four. Turkey has already earned 1.5 million euros from this project." He added that Turkey will engage in high-tech projects from now on with the completion of this project. "There are 20 Turkish engineers here. There are 200 engineers in total, some of whom are located in Ankara. This project will help us make inroads into other fields." The maiden flight of the first A400M has been pushed back to September this year from January as a consortium led by Rolls Royce and Snecma wrestles with engine problems. EADS Chief Executive Louis Gallois told journalists the first flight could be in September or October. The A400M was designed as Europe's answer to the ageing Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a powerful workhorse made to ship troops and equipment into the world's most rugged hotspots.
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EU seeks to reduce mobile phone call prices
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The Federal Reserve's aggressive period of cutting interest rates to keep the United States from falling into a recession is over. That point is in general agreement. The trouble starts when one tries to figure out what period the Fed has now entered. Could the US central bank keep rates unchanged for a considerable period? Yes, many analysts say, predicting that the Fed will leave rates alone until next spring. However, other economists are still worried that the Fed could start ratcheting up rates much sooner than that, especially if this year's surge in oil prices does not soon abate. The Fed didn't offer much of a road map in its latest policy statement issued Wednesday announcing that the central bank, for the first time since last August, had left the federal funds rate, the interest banks charge each other, unchanged at 2 percent. That decision followed a period from September through April in which the central bank, trying to deal with a severe credit crisis and housing slump, cut the funds rate at the most aggressive pace in more than two decades. In their statement, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues let it be known that they are now less worried about the economy slipping into a recession and more worried about inflation." Washington AP
70.39 57.32
51.6
June 27
e of nel incom and Perso Core PCE emp. Rate, Retail USA CPI, Un l production of tria sales, Indus Japan any CPI of Germ
Fed signals aggressive rate cuts are over
Price ($) Light C. Oil Gold Copper
138,46 911,70 3,86
Way
Change (%) 2,91 3,33 2,26
High 138,95 916,00 3,86
Low 133,68 886,60 3,80
P/E: Share price divided by earnings per share is a measure of the price paid for a share relative to the income or profit earned by the firm per share. EV/EBITDA: Enterprise value divided by earnings before interest, tax and amortization; “t” stands for trailer and means the data over the last four quarters. (*) Yesterday's closing (**) Updated at 6 p.m. by GMT+2 Disclaimer: The information in this report has been prepared by BMD, Bizim Securities from sources believed to be reliable. All the information, interpretations and recommendations covered herein relating to investment actions are not within the scope of investment consultancy. Therefore investment decisions based only on the information covered herein may not bring expected results.
The European Union unveiled plans Thursday to cut mobile phone charges by regulating the wholesale tariffs charged by operators for calls between different networks. Those tariffs, known as "voice call termination rates," are currently regulated by national authorities in the 27 EU nation bloc resulting in major differences in the charges passed on to consumers. According to figures from the European Commission, they range from 2 euro cents per minute in Greek Cyprus to 18 euro cents per minute in Bulgaria. On average such charges are 9 times higher than the rates paid for fixed line calls, the EU executive says. "Disparate termination rates across the EU and large gaps between fixed and mobile termination rates are serious barriers to achieving a single European telecoms market that benefits competition and consumers," said Viviane Reding, the EU's telecoms commissioner. Brussels AP
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18:34
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18:59
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10 TODAY’S ZAMAN
Russian president meets leader of Abkhazia province Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met on Thursday with the leader of Georgia's breakaway province of Abkhazia, which recently has been the focus of rising tensions in the region. Medvedev and Sergei Bagapsh, Abkhazia's separatist president, discussed issues related to settlement of the conflict, the Kremlin said in a terse statement. "Bagapsh underlined the outstanding role of Russian peacekeepers in ensuring security in the conflict zone and thanked the Russian Federation for supporting the population of Abkhazia and helping solve socio-economic and humanitarian problems," the statement said. Russia does not formally recognize Abkhazia's separatist government, but Moscow has peacekeeping forces there, maintains close contacts with Abkhazia's government and has granted Russian passports to most of the province's residents. Georgia has accused the Russian forces of supporting the separatists and secretly bringing artillery and other heavy weapons into Abkhazia. Georgia recently has flown unmanned reconnaissance drones over the breakaway region. Russia has accused Georgia of marshaling forces on the outskirts of Abkhazia with the aim of reasserting control by force. Temur Yakobashvili, a Georgia's Cabinet minister, said Medvedev may have met with Bagapsh to improve his understanding of the issue ahead of summit with the European Union leaders Friday which would touch on the Abkhazian issue. Moscow AP
DEFENSE
Azerbaijan shows off military might to Armenia Ex-Soviet Azerbaijan staged its first military parade in 16 years on Thursday in a show of strength aimed partly at Armenia, its neighbor with which it is locked in a territorial dispute. Armenian forces took control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, in a war in the 1990s. Azerbaijan says it reserves the right to restore its control by force if peace talks fail. A resumption of hostilities could disrupt oil supplies from Azerbaijan, which exports about 700,000 barrels of oil a day to world markets, most of it via a pipeline operated by a BP-led international consortium. Troops, multiple rocket launch systems, armored personnel carriers, tanks and unmanned reconnaissance planes were paraded in front of the Soviet-built government headquarters in the capital Baku, watched over by President Ilham Aliyev. Attack helicopters, bombers and fighter jets later flew in formation past the building on the shores of the Caspian Sea, in a parade that lasted over an hour. Much of the equipment on show was Soviet-designed but there was also Western gear and troops were fitted out in NATO-style uniforms -- part of a modernization of the armed forces funded with a tenfold rise in defense spending since 2003. Baku Reuters
AP PHOTO
Protesters opposing the G8 summit march through a street in Kyoto, where foreign ministers opened the two-day meeting.
as law enforcement vehicles. Fighting between Taliban-led insurgents and foreign and government forces has been surging across the south and east of the country, with nearly 2,000 people
N. Korea presents ýts nuclear report, US eases sanctýons US President Bush has cautiously welcomed Pyongyang’s action but warned North Korea, which tested a nuclear device two years ago, that it faced consequences if it did not fully disclose its operations and continue to dismantle its nuclear program North Korea handed over a longdelayed account of its nuclear activities on Thursday, prompting the United States to ease sanctions but leaving questions about the communist state’s atomic ambitions. US President George W. Bush cautiously welcomed the action but warned North Korea, which tested a nuclear device two years ago, that it faced consequences if it did not fully disclose its operations and continue to dismantle its nuclear program. “If North Korea makes the wrong choices, the United States and our partners in the six-party talks will respond accordingly,” he said at the White House in Washington shortly after the declaration was handed over to China. “If they do not fully disclose and end their plutonium, their enrichment and their proliferation efforts and activities, there will be further consequences,” said Bush, who once branded North Korea part of an “axis of evil.” He quickly took a step toward removing North Korea from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, which will take 45 days, and issued a proclamation lifting some sanctions under the US Trading with the Enemy Act. Bush’s national security adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters that easing those sanctions was “relatively minor” and that if Pyongyang failed to fulfill its obligations the United States could seek reimpose them or
push for new ones. “If they are unwilling to carry out their obligations then there will be consequences,” he said. “To the extent applicable and to the extent we can do it legally we would reimpose past sanctions. We would also have the option to get additional sanctions but it would not be just the United States.” Bush also welcomed an announcement by North Korea that it would blow up the cooling tower at Yongbyon, its main nuclear complex, but said these were all initial steps by the reclusive communist country and more work was required. In an unprecedented move, North Korea has invited Western media to record the event. North Korea had already begun dismantling its nuclear facilities
US President George Walker Bush
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
Truce in tatters as rocket from Gaza hits southern Israel
after talks among China, Japan, Russia, North and South Korea and the United States. “This isn’t the end of the process, this is the beginning of the process,” Bush said, and added Pyongyang’s current actions would not in themselves end North Korea’s international isolation. He said among other steps North Korea needed to take was a resolution of its differences over abducted Japanese citizens. North Korea at this stage has also given no details of its existing nuclear arsenal, an issue which will be addressed in another phase of the six-party talks. Experts on the long-running dispute said the declaration was a step forward, but deepened uncertainties about who will make further concessions, and how much other countries are willing to trust Pyongyang. “Since this particular declaration has not included nuclear weapons or the exact number of warheads they have, that is a key concern. The other thing is whether or not the North Koreans have stopped work on the uranium enrichment program and how far that has gone,” said Lee Chung-min, a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul. China, the closest Pyongyang has to an ally, hosted the six-country talks that last year secured a deal offering North Korea energy, aid and diplomatic concessions in return for disabling its main nuclear facility and unveiling past nuclear activities. Washington Reuters
GRAFT
Ousted Thai PM puts bribe lawyers at arms length Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra tried to distance himself on Thursday from three of his lawyers jailed for an apparent attempt to bribe court officials with $60,000 crammed into a grocery bag. "Without explicitly denying any knowledge of the alleged bribe by lawyer Pichit Chuenban and two aides," Thaksin said in a statement he stood to gain nothing from any kickbacks to low-level officials not linked to a graft trial against him. The bag containing 2 million baht came to light this month on the day Thaksin and his wife had been due to appear on charges of violating graft laws that prevent serving politicians and their spouses from striking deals with state agencies. "The action they were accused of did not in any way benefit Police Lt. Col. Thaksin and the court officials were not responsible for adjudicating in the case," the statement said. Bangkok AP
killed in insurgency-related violence so far in 2008. Several of the ministers also commented on the need for a coordinated, global effort to keep oil and food prices from rising further, but did not offer specific proposals on how to do so, the officials said. The Thursday meetings were overshadowed by expectations that North Korea would soon announce its nuclear programs to China and destroy the cooling tower at its shadowy nuclear reactor complex in Yongbyon. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in Kyoto, stressed the need to look closely at the report before reacting, or making any concessions. “We will continue to work for verifiable denuclearization,” she told reporters accompanying her on a trip that will also take her to South Korea and China over the weekend. North Korea’s failure to provide a full report of its nuclear programs at the end of last year has stalled talks on granting aid to the impoverished nation in return for its denuclearization. But the United States has said North Korea is now ready, and in exchange has offered to remove the country from a list of nations that sponsor terrorism. Kyoto AP
AP
on condition of anonymity, citing summit policy. Japan has been eager to promote discussion of Afghanistan, where it has pledged $2 billion in aid and is floating ideas for additional assistance, such
A rocket fired from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip landed in southern Israel on Thursday, the army said, as Israel and the Palestinians traded blame for violating a week-old cease-fire in the coastal enclave. The rocket landed near a kibbutz near the border with the Gaza Strip, an Israeli army spokesman said. Israeli medical officials said there were no casualties. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant group belonging to President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction, claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, which followed salvoes on Tuesday after the army killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. “The rocket attack was in response to Israeli violations. Any calm deal must end Israeli attacks on our people in the West Bank too,” said Abu Qusai, spokesman for the brigades. The cease-fire deal, brokered by Egypt, applies only to the Gaza Strip, but several militant groups had threatened to retaliate against Israeli operations in the West Bank. Sderot Reuters
REUTERS
TALKS
Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized nations agreed on Thursday on the need to step up efforts to secure Afghanistan’s borders and stabilize food and oil prices to avoid a global crisis. The foreign ministers discussed the issues in a series of bilateral meetings and a working dinner on the first of two days of talks intended to lay the groundwork for the G-8’s annual summit, to be held in northern Japan next month. Japanese officials briefing reporters said the discussions focused primarily on Afghanistan, climate change, food and oil prices and an expected announcement by North Korea on the status of its contentious nuclear program. In a meeting with his Canadian counterpart, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura stressed the need for the reconstruction of Afghanistan and expressed his support for increased security in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region as part of global fight against terrorism. David Emerson, the Canadian foreign minister, expressed his agreement with the need for greater security in Afghanistan, the officials said
PHOTO
Rival political activists clashed in Pakistan on Thursday as by-elections were held for national and provincial assembly seats and several people were hurt, police said. Voting in one National Assembly seat, where former prime minister Nawaz Sharif planned to stand, was postponed pending a Supreme Court decision on his eligibility. Violence erupted in at least three constituencies, media reported, with the worst of it in Punjab province where gunmen exchanged fire. But the Election Commission said the trouble was dealt with swiftly. "It was very minor," said ommission secretary Kanwar Dilshad. "Police immediately rushed there and the culprits were arrested, four or five people. After that the election was very smooth and there were no more incidents," he said. The polls for five National Assembly and 23 provincial assembly seats closed at 5 p.m. (1100 GMT). The by-election results will not effect the outcome of a Feb. 18 general election in which slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's party won 123 seats in the 342-seat National Assembly and Sharif's party came second with 91. The main party that backs President Pervez Musharraf came a poor third with 54 seats, undermining the standing of the unpopular former army chief and important US ally. Bhutto's widower and political successor, Asif Ali Zardari, has formed a coalition with Sharif but their alliance has been strained by differences over the fate of judges Musharraf dismissed last year and over how to handle the president. Islamabad Reuters
North Korean nukes, Afghanistan top agenda of G8 meeting
AP
Rivals clash as Pakistan holds by-elections
PHOTO
POLLS
WORLD
F R I D AY, JUNE 2 7 , 2 0 0 8
PHOTO
T10-27-06-08.qxd
A satellite image of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear complex with the reactor's cooling tower (circled) and a view of the tower.
Virginia executes 100th inmate since 1976 ruling Virginia put a convicted murderer to death by lethal injection on Wednesday, the 100th person executed by the state since the US Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976. Robert Stacy Yarbrough, 30, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1997 killing of a store owner during a robbery, was put to death shortly before 9:30 p.m. EDT (0130 GMT on Thursday) at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Virginia. With 100 executions since the 1976 ruling, Virginia ranks second in the nation behind Texas, which has 406, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a group opposed to capital punishment. Oklahoma is third, with 86 executions. The Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional in 1972, but then reinstated capital punishment laws four years later. Yarbrough’s execution occurred after Gov. Timothy Kaine, a Democrat, refused to grant him clemency and the US Supreme Court rejected his request for a stay of execution and turned down his appeal. “Tell my kids I love them and let’s get it over with. Make people happy, help celebrate the murder,” Yarbrough said in a final statement issued by Virginia Corrections Department spokesman Larry Traylor. Washington Reuters
Page 1
TODAY’S ZAMAN 11
F R I D AY, J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 0 8
HUMAN RIGHTS
East Timor president to consult leaders on UN job East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta said on Thursday he would consult with political and church leaders on whether to step down if he were offered a top UN human rights job for which he is a possible candidate. The 58-year-old Ramos-Horta, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his struggle for East Timor's independence from Indonesia, will announce his decision on the human rights commissioner's post today. "My apology that I am still not able to say that I have made up my mind to be the candidate for the post of high commissioner of human rights in Geneva," Ramos-Horta told a news conference in the East Timor capital, Dili. "I have been encouraged by many friends, international and some locally, to pursue this option," he said. "I have to consult political parties and church leaders because I have a responsibility to the people and the country. I have to consider the political consequences if I leave the country." He said Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao had given his support for the UN job. Ramos-Horta, who survived an assassination attempt in February, was elected president of Asia's youngest nation last year with a five-year term. He had a high profile as a diplomat when he won the Nobel prize and later held the posts of foreign minister and prime minister before winning the presidential election. Dili Reuters
Mugabe says vote must go ahead despite pressure Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Thursday rejected African calls to postpone a presidential election on Friday, saying there could be no interference in his country even from the African Union. Mugabe, 84, who is bound to extend his 28-year-rule in the one candidate election, said he was open to discussions with the opposition MDC. Its leader Morgan Tsvangirai has withdrawn from the election after a wave of deadly attacks on his supporters.Addressing a campaign rally in Chitungwiza, south of Harare, Mugabe said: “We have some of our brothers in Africa making that call (to postpone the vote), pushing us to violate our own law and we have refused to do so, we are sticking to our law.” Mugabe
Court: Constitution gives Americans gun rights
A US military source in Anbar province, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject, said there were no immediate plans to postpone the date of the province’s handover to Iraqis despite the bombing
The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices' first major pronouncement on gun rights in US history. The court's 5-4 ruling struck down Washington 32year-old ban on handguns as incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. The decision went further than even the Bush administration wanted but probably leaves most firearms laws intact. The court had not conclusively interpreted the Second Amendment since its ratification in 1791. The amendment reads: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." The basic issue for the justices was whether the amendment protects an individual's right to own guns no matter what, or whether that right is somehow tied to service in a state militia. Writing for the majority, Justice Antonin Scalia said that an individual right to bear arms is supported by "the historical narrative" both before and after the Second Amendment was adopted. The Constitution does not permit "the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home," Scalia said. Washington AP
A suicide bomber blew himself up at a tribal council meeting in Iraq’s Anbar province on Thursday, killing 20 people, days before US forces are due to hand the province over to Iraqi control, police said. In the northern city of Mosul, a car bomb killed 18 people and wounded 62, the governor of the surrounding province of Nineveh told Reuters. Twelve people were wounded in the attack against US-backed Sunni Arab tribal leaders in the Anbar town of Garma, 30 km (20 miles) northwest of Baghdad, said Col. Dawood al-Maraawi, police spokesman in the nearby city of Fallujah. A tribal leader, Mizher Mshawih, and the head of the district council, Kamal Abdul-Salam, were among those killed, Maraawi said. Three policemen were also killed, he said. Garma is in Anbar province, once the heartland of the Sunni Arab insurgency against US forces. In late 2006, Sunni Arab tribal leaders, sick of al-Qaeda’s indiscriminate killing of civilians and harsh interpretation of Islam, joined with the US military to expel the group. Violence in the province has fallen so sharply that Anbar is scheduled to become the first Sunni Arab province to be transferred to Iraqi security control on Saturday. A US military source in Anbar province, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject, said there were no immediate plans to postpone the handover date in response to the bombing. “We still have people planning for the event. Obviously our senior commanders are always assessing, but as of right now, there is no change. The situation is continually being looked at,” he said. The suicide bomber managed to get into a meeting between the tribal council of Garma, made up of local tribal leaders, and
SURVEILLANCE
Abdul-Salam. The meeting was held inside the building of the local council which also serves as headquarters of the tribal council. In Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, attackers fired two rockets that
landed near the office of Nineveh province Governor Duraid Kashmula, officials said. When Kashmula left the building to investigate, a parked car bomb exploded. Kashmula said 18 people were killed and
62 wounded in that attack. Nineveh, a hotbed of activity by al-Qaeda insurgents, is hit by frequent bombings, shootings and kidnappings despite a crackdown by US and Iraqi forces. Fallujah Reuters
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Jolie, Pitt donate $1 million to kids affected by Iraq war Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s love for children is by no means limited to their own: The couple has donated $1 million to help kids affected by the war in Iraq, the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict announced on Wednesday. The organization will distribute the donation, made through the couple’s Jolie-Pitt Foundation, to four organizations working on behalf of children who have lost parents, homes and schools in Iraq. Children in the US who have lost parents in the conflict will also benefit. “These educational support programs for children of conflict are the best way to help them heal,” said Jolie in a statement from Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, which she co-chairs. “We hope to encourage others to give to these great organizations,” Pitt added in the statement. The money will be divided
SHOOTING
A 25-year-old press operator shot and killed five co-workers and himself at a plastics plant in rural western Kentucky just hours after arguing with his supervisor about not wearing safety goggles and using his cell phone while on the assembly line, police say. Authorities said Wesley N. Higdon was so riled on Wednesday by the argument with his supervisor that he called his girlfriend and told her that he wanted to kill his boss. The girlfriend didn't warn anyone, police said, and just two hours later he argued with another co-worker at a gas station near the plant, then returned and shot and killed his supervisor as they walked outside. He went back inside and shot at co-workers in a break room and on the plant floor. But in an interview with a local newspaper, the girlfriend, Teresa Solano Ventura, said through an interpreter that Higdon had threatened to kill himself, not his supervisor. Henderson, Kentucky AP
Iraqi security forces secure the site of a bomb attack in Kerbala, 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Baghdad, killing several people.
AA
Spy, phone protection bill clears US Senate hurdle
Gunman who killed 5 and himself argued with boss
Tsvangirai last Sunday pulled out of the vote because of violence that he says has killed almost 90 of his Movement of Democratic Change supporters. He has taken refuge in the Dutch embassy ever since. Tsvangirai said earlier there could be no negotiations with Mugabe if he went ahead with Friday’s election. He said that if Mugabe declared himself president he would be shunned as an illegitimate leader who killed his own people. Africa’s most iconic figure, Nelson Mandela, added his voice to a storm of African and international condemnation of the violence and chaos in Zimbabwe, in a rare political statement that showed the level of con- Zimbabwean President Mugabe, center, and his wife, Grace, right, cern around the continent. Harare Reuters greet supporters on their arrival at an election rally in Harare.
Bombs kill nearly 40 in Anbar and northern city of Mosul
RULING
A White House-backed spy bill to protect telecommunication companies from billions of dollars in potential damages from privacy lawsuits passed a Senate test vote on Wednesday, and headed toward final congressional approval. On a vote of 80-15, mostly Republican supporters of the bipartisan measure, which would also implement the most sweeping overhaul of US spy laws in decades, easily mustered the 60 votes needed to clear a Democratic procedural roadblock. Overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives last week, the Senate will resume consideration of the bill on Thursday. It may provide needed concurrence on the legislation before Congress begins a holiday break at the end of this week. President George W. Bush has promised to sign the measure, which would replace a temporary surveillance law that expired in February. In addition to providing a special court review of lawsuits against telecommunication companies, the bill would increase oversight of US intelligence activities and bolster privacy protection -- but not as much as civil liberties groups and a number of lawmakers want. "This bill is not a compromise. It is a capitulation," said Sen. Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat. Washington Reuters
said he would attend an African Union summit in Egypt next weekend but no solutions could be imposed on Zimbabwe from outside. He said he was ready to answer any challenge from within the AU to the elections. “I know some people are gearing themselves for an attack on Zimbabwe. I want to see any country which will raise its finger in the AU, our elections have been free. A security committee of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Wednesday called for the vote to be postponed, saying Mugabe’s re-election as the only candidate could lack legitimacy because of chronic political violence. The committee includes AU chairman Tanzania. Opposition leader
between the Armed Services YMCA Operation Hero Program, which provides military children with counseling and educational support; Women for Women International, which will provide books, school supplies and other basic necessities to Iraqi women and children; the International Rescue Committee, which will repair three schools and offer classes for more than 2,500 students; and NineMillion.org, which will give school uniforms and learning materials to more than 2,000 displaced Iraqi kids. Last year, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation gave more than $300,000 to support the International Rescue Committee’s relief program for Darfur refugees. Jolie, who’s expecting twins, has said the babies are due in August. She and Pitt have four children: Maddox, 6; Pax, 4; Zahara, 3; and Shiloh, 2. Los Angeles AP
Angelina Jolie
Spanish Parliament overwhelmingly approves EU treaty The Spanish parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly approved the European Union’s reform treaty in document’s second test since Irish voters rejected it earlier this month. Spain’s Parliament voted 322-6, with two abstentions, to adopt the treaty meant to streamline EU decision-making and help accommodate the bloc’s further expansion.
The treaty is to be put to the Senate for final approval after the summer recess. Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said the vote could be held earlier, possibly in July. Spain’s parliament is the 20th within the EU to approve the document. All 27 EU members must ratify the treaty for it to take effect. Ireland rejected the treaty in a referendum June 12. It
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was the only country to put the document to a public vote. EU leaders have agreed that member countries should continue ratifying the treaty, and delayed any decisions on how to overcome the Irish rejection until October. Britain ratified the treaty a week after Ireland’s rejection. The treaty, replacing a pro-
posed EU constitution that Dutch and French voters rejected in 2005, seeks to reform EU powers and institutions in line with a rapid expansion of the bloc eastward in recent years. It aims to simplify how an expanded EU club is run. It includes a bill of rights, and creates the post of a full-time EU president and a more powerful EU foreign policy representative. Madrid AP
AP
WORLD
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EXPAT ZONE
Let chýldren be chýldren! Tourists in Turkey always marvel at the skill of the simit seller -young boys strolling up and down the streets with a stack of simits on their head wishing for another buyer. In many parts of the world child labor is still a grave and extensive problem. A tourist in the old part of town can wander in the maze of narrow, cobblestone lanes that form the spine of the city and stumble across some shocking sights if doors are open and you can peek inside. Usually though, the doors are closed. Behind them could be children polishing gemstones and beads or weaving carpets in a dark and dingy room. Like in any major city, in the poorest market areas you'll find rows of old buildings, some half demolished, providing space for illicit sweatshops and who knows what else! Last week, The Observer reported that children are laboring in Indian refugee camps to produce garments for huge fashion store Primark. Illicit child labor is nothing new. Wherever you have extreme poverty you'll find the exploitation of child labor. The government of India reports that there are about 20 million children laborers; NGOs estimate more than double the official number. Many visitors to Turkey comment on the children in the street working at traffic lights or in parks. Across the Middle East and Asia you will find children illegal-
{{
ly working. Many work in glass-blowing, fireworks and, most commonly, textile and carpet-making factories. It is common knowledge that factories pay children extremely low wages for which adults refuse to work. Often, the children slave under perilous and unhygienic labor conditions. Poverty drives individuals to do things that they may not usually do. For example, in the northern region of India many children are forced to become migrant workers, they are sent away by their families to earn an income sent directly home. In many cities around the world children do not get to know what it means to be a "child." Most, ill nourished, are working 12 hours a day in desperate situations with only small breaks for meals. The situation of the children at the factories is desperate. A Today's Zaman reader expressed her sadness when she saw Turkish children working on the street: "Dear Charlotte, It is my first time to travel overseas. I am not used to seeing beggars like those in Turkey. I struggled in my heart when I saw young children on the street walking up to cars to sell simits, gum, tissues or flowers. When I walked down the street I found it hard to say ‘no’ to kids who wanted to shine my shoes or tell me
CULTURAL CORNER
CHARLOTTE McPHERSON my weight. Is Turkey doing anything about child labor? How do you cope with it?" (From Sally, US) Dear Sally. Yes, Turkey is taking steps to bring about the necessary change, but new labor standards and requirements take time to have effect. As you saw during your visit, often a large proportion of the children working in urban areas are doing unregistered jobs where they sell simit, gum, flowers, etc. This is hard for officials to control. Turkish friends have advised not to give money or purchase from beggars. But these children working on the street aren't beggars, are they? It's all more complicated than it looks. The child receives only a small percent of what you pay them. It'd be good to hear what other Today's Zaman readers think. Sally, thanks for your comments! As a result of the Primark situation, campaigners are now demanding that the UK government act to force companies to be responsible for the welfare of workers all the way down their tangled
u r ba n l e g e n d s {{
Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com
KATHY HAMILTON ÝSTANBUL
amusing inversion of today's reality in which residents of former "outskirts" of Ýstanbul, such as Baðcýlar or Yenibosna, have not even once gone to the "center," or let's say the "city," of Ýstanbul. "The Golden Horn? Never heard of it!" they might say, and continue to live in their neighborhoods, mini replicas of villages in eastern Turkey that they came from. For foreigners, this may all feel like an "amusement park" in which they can go see a little Adýyaman right next to a little Van, all in the middle of Ýstanbul. At the beginning of the last century, many who lived in the "city" had never made it to the castles and lighthouses at the edges of the city. Neighborhoods such as Kadýköy and Beykoz were by then places where convicts were sent into exile. With the Tanzimat period (a time of political reform that began in 1839) the Ottoman economy became livelier and resulted in Ýstanbul enlarging to the shores of the Bosporus. Two foreign companies, one English and one Russian, saw the enlargement of Ýstanbul to the Bosporus as an opportunity. By making use of capitulations they received from the Ottoman government, they started to manage two vapurs that went back and forth on the waters of the Bosporus in 1837. Hazine-i Hassa Vapurlarý Ýdaresi was by then in charge of sea transport and started to carry passengers to the two sides of the Bosporus with a vapur named Hümapervaz. The faster vapurs cut the duration of the journey, previously covered by a caïque, in half. In the summer especially, locals preferred vapurs so that they could more easily go to picnic areas or springs. Demand for vapurs resulted in the establishment of the Þirket-i Hayriye in 1851. For the next 94 years, the company shaped the nature of vapur travel. Its first ferries were painted black and had large chimneys, then it introduced larger ships with roomier saloons and then a yellow-tinted white paint became a classic design no Ýstanbulite can erase from their conscious. Following the establishment of the Þirket-i Hayriye, six more ships were ordered from England. Already by then it had become a tradition to buy ships marked with numbers. Some of the ships became popular with the public: Number 1 Rumeli, Number 2 Tarabya, etc. Throughout its 94-year history, ships were named after important characters from naval history or after the ship's captain. Nowadays, however, nostalgia emanates from the "retired vapurs" whose names, written in brass on the outer board of the vessel, are obscured by green moss as the vapur slowly rots away. Luckily vapurs are still our favorite form of transport. They help us completely forget about the noise and traffic we leave behind as they set sail and we sip a cup of tea on their outer decks. Sometimes, when I get bored and need a cheap consolation to cheer me up, I hop on a vapur and go to the Anatolian side and back. The vapurs are like a half-hour holiday designed to cheer up Ýstanbulites who have forgotten the beauty that surrounds them.
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TURGUT ENGÝN
With the Tanzimat period -- a time of political reform that began in 1839 -- the Ottoman economy became livelier and resulted in Ýstanbul's enlargement along the shores of the Bosporus. Two foreign companies saw the opportunity and set up vapur services that crisscrossed the strait
For all of us there are some things we are attached to and take for granted, expecting them to always be there -- and only realize how attached we are when these things are taken away or disappear. Their presence is so much a part of the routine of life that life without them is unimaginable. For many Ýstanbulites -- or let's be honest and say for all Ýstanbulites -- the vapurs (ferries) that ply their trade on the Bosporus are indispensable tiles in life's mosaic. "Vapur" brings to mind the Þirket-i Hayriye Vapuru, those heavy-looking ships that crisscross between Ýstanbul's shores incessantly, in the process forming the most beautiful of clichés, no matter how much time one has spent here. Turks, supposedly "a people of the badlands," love their vapurs -- paradoxically more than anything in the badlands of Ýstanbul. This much has been made clear by somewhat of an environmental rebellion that took place in the past century: Ýstanbulites fought the municipality's decision to serve tea in plastic cups on vapur decks, a decision the municipality made on hygienic grounds. Everyone shouted "Nooo! Everything but our tulip-shaped tea glasses! We want them back. One of the simple pleasures in life is drinking tea from a tulip-shaped glass on the upper deck of a vapur while watching the Bosporus, regardless of how incredibly hot or cold the weather is." I wish people showed the same sensitive and rebellious attitude toward the last decade's gradual extinction of vapurs as more and more beautiful vapurs are "retired" and rot away at a remote dock while their new and ugly substitutes get to cover the routes more and more. However, it would be a mistake to think that Ýstanbul has always been a city whose neighborhoods were scattered along the Bosporus and therefore in need of vapurs. True, if you were asked to imagine Ýstanbul, the first image that comes to mind may well be the blue waters of the Bosporus, with vapurs coming and going all day long. Coastal neighborhoods such as Anadolu Hisarý, Küçüksu, Emirgan and Bebek are a few examples of areas virtually unchanged since the beginning of the last century, with houses built in the Ottoman architectural style, myriad tea gardens and backed by steep hills stretching up from the coast that Ahmed Hamdi Tampýnar, a Turkish novelist, so much liked to write about. Then there's Moda and Fenerbahçe on the Anatolian side and Sirkeci, Yeþilköy, Florya and Bakýrköy to the east of Eminönü. Although city neighborhoods today, only 150 years ago these same places were remote villages or picnic areas on the outskirts of the city. Ýstanbul of old was more of an inland city that overlooked the Bosporus, but never came too close to border it. The reason Ýstanbul did not enlarge beyond the historical peninsula and Golden Horn was limited transportation. Many didn't even know these places existed -- a rather
Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman ‘s readers.
Makýng those busýness connectýons work for you
The vapur: Ýstanbul's favorite and enduring urban icon FULYA ÖZLEM ÝSTANBUL
supply chains. There are no guarantees for foreign companies who subcontract out to other less developed or Third World countries. It is hard to regulate these supply chains long distance and outsiders are highly conspicuous. Dan McDougall points out in The Observer report that it is, as he says, "an impossible task to track down all of these terrible sweatshops and factories employing children, particularly in the garment industry when you need little more than a basement or an attic crammed with children to make a healthy profit." In some ways, times have not changed so much. During the Victorian years, Britain had serious child labor problems. Charles Dickens in real life as a child had to stick labels on jars of blacking (shoe polish) and the glue used to stick the labels on the jars was a health hazard and the conditions were appalling. "Wherever there is massive demand and money to be made, children will be found on the production line." -- Dan McDougall
Recently I was contacted by a woman who had visited Turkey on vacation, fallen in love with the country and is planning to relocate to Turkey next year. She wrote me asking for advice on how to begin her job search before arriving. Like many foreigners moving to Turkey, she will not be coming here on assignment with one of the many multinational corporations with regional offices in Ýstanbul. Instead, she is hoping to arrive and then quickly find a job. Based on my personal work experiences in Turkey, it often really is who you know, not what you know that will land you a job. A case in point was a meeting I had last week with a large, international company looking for editors to proofread business documents translated from Turkish into English. I met with the head of the department in charge of overseeing the final editing process. Before getting down to business, as would happen immediately in the United States, we instead first drank tea and chatted about where we live, where we both were raised, and what friends we had in common. Eventually we did talk about the business at hand, but I realized quickly that even before we had met in person it was decided that I would be offered the job simply on account of the fact that we had mutual acquaintances. Almost every job that I have taken on in Turkey has been due to the fact that someone in the company and I already had a connection through friends, or sometimes even through their own family members. It has been these associations that have landed me jobs and whether or not I had a relevant work or educational background seemed to be secondary, if not actually irrelevant in the formal interview. When a company in the US is searching for a new employee, all potential applicants' resumes are carefully scrutinized before preliminary appointments are set up for the initial round of interviews. Past work experience is weighed alongside any related degrees or course work. Personal connections rarely, if ever, figure into the equation. However, in Turkey I have been met with surprise many times when I have pulled out a copy of a current resume to present to a potential employer. One company representative actually seemed embarrassed when I offered my CV, and he told me that while he appreciated me bringing in a record of my past employment history it really was not necessary for the company files since I had been recommended for the position by a friend of his. Saying that the only personal data required was in what currency I wanted to be paid, and the corresponding bank information, it was apparent that in his mind, at least, the job was mine before I had even appeared for our meeting. So, what tips can I give my friend in terms of job hunting in Turkey? Well, it does depend on what type of job she is hoping to find. Since she is not aiming for employment with any of the multi-national firms here, her immediate option may well be teaching English. There are agencies that offer to place qualified applicants, but the majority of people I know who teach private lessons or at schools all found the jobs that they stayed with the longest through word of mouth and by referrals from others. Even to obtain a good teaching position, it is often a connection through a mutual friend, or even a passing acquaintance, that will land a position. And, I suspect that referrals from others who have been teaching here is the best way to sift through the companies and schools that have a good reputation among their employees. Another route she may pursue for a job here is to become an au pair or nanny, living with a family to take care of their children. There are many agencies that do careful screening of both potential clients and employees, but again, one of the best ways to find out who has a good history of treating their employees fairly is to talk with others who are working in the same field and try and get referrals for job openings from them. Whether or not my friend will actually make the move from Australia to Turkey remains to be seen. Before packing up and leaving she will hopefully contact employment agencies that work with foreigners here. Since she has a year before she makes the move that gives her plenty of time to make contacts and find out more about the types of positions available here before she arrives. Picking up and moving to another country can be a much more stressful situation than anticipated, and having to find a paying job soon after arrival can just add to the stress. But, she has plenty of time to start making contacts here and networking. I suspect that she, like me, will find that here it is who you know that will often land you a job.
NOTE: Today's Zaman intends to provide a lively forum for expatriates living in Turkey. We encourage you to contact us at voice@todayszaman.com and share your experiences, questions and problems in all walks of life for publication in Today's Zaman.
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TODAY’S ZAMAN 13
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Stevie Wonder’s new albums in the works
An artistic tribute to
Even as he hits the road for his North American tour, Stevie Wonder is in the midst of two and possibly three recording projects, Billboard magazine reported. Wonder, whose last album, “A Time 2 Love,” came out in 2005, told reporters on a teleconference that he’s continuing work on “The Gospel Inspired by Lula,” which he started following the death of his mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, in May 2006. “Some of it is going to be traditional gospel but some of it is going to be ... I’m trying to do some [different] stuff,” Wonder was quoted as saying by the music industry publication. “I might do something in Arabic. I might do something in Hebrew. My whole thing of the title is just saying ‘Spreading the good word, the message.’” Wonder described the other project, “Through the Eyes of Wonder,” as a performance piece that will reflect his experience as a blind man. As for a rumored duets album with Tony Bennett -- possibly a set of Marvin Gaye covers produced by Quincy Jones -- Wonder did not confirm the project but said: “I’m the last one to hear about it and the first one to agree. Definitely Tony and I talked about doing some stuff together. And Quincy and I have always wanted to work together on a project. So if this is something that Quincy is doing and Tony and everyone has decided to kind of go in that direction ... I’m excited to be a part of it.” Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman
s mosques
Ýstanbul’ RUMEYSA KIGER ÝSTANBUL
Ýstanbul’s Cemal Reþit Rey Concert Hall (CRR) is currently hosting a collection of colorful paintings of Ýstanbul mosques by American artist Avis Asiye Allman. Titled “Teþekkürler Ýstanbul” (Thank You Ýstanbul), the exhibition reflects 25 years of Allman’s artistic explorations in the metropolis. Allman, who was the first artist to be given special permission to study in the harem section of the Topkapý Palace, has held many exhibitions in Turkey. In an interview with Today’s Zaman, She explains how she found herself in Ýstanbul at the age of 27. “As a young painter I was very much influenced by the French painters. When I was a child, Picasso -- and, after that, Matisse -became more and more important. So I did a trip to southern France. Matisse was influenced very much by his trip to Morocco, where he was exposed to Islamic art, and you see that in his later work, which he is very famous for,” she says, adding that as she got to know Matisse’s work she began to develop a longing to visit Greece because he had so admired the light of the Mediterranean, which combines the whiteness of light with the blue of the sea. “It is a very different kind of light from New York or Paris. So I then knew that the next step of my journey was to Greece. The trip to Greece also took me to Ýstanbul in 1982,” she says, recalling
that those were the years immediately following the 1980 military coup. She was shocked to see soldiers and tanks all over the city. Pollution was another huge problem; she got sick as soon as she arrived in Ýstanbul and was consigned to bed rest. While she was on her hotel bed she heard the call to prayer five times a day and it had a calming effect on her. “And then, when I recovered enough, I went to the Blue Mosque and started my first painting in Turkey, which is also included in this exhibition.” The symbolism of the colors in her paintings has changed over the years, due in large part to her conversion to Islam. “Now I paint with the eye of knowing Ottoman Art, Islamic art; knowing the symbolism of the color,” she says. In her more recent pieces she uses more green, turquoise and yellow, which are common colors in Islamic Art. “I also put a lot of pink, because pink is a feminine color and brings out the softer side of the religion. After Sept. 11 everybody tended to only see the harsh side of Islam. Painting with softer colors, I am trying to find the female voice and perspective,” she says. Her current show includes 26 pieces, most of which are paintings depicting Ýstanbul’s mosques, such as the Sultanahmet mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque), the Rüstem Paþa Mosque, the Hagia Sophia Museum and the Süleymaniye, Firuz Aða, Fatih and Þehzadebaþý mosques. Some of her work utilizes a silkscreen method. One
piece of the pieces in the exhibit was begun in 1985 and only finished in 2006. Some of her pieces are photographic tapestries based on pictures she took herself and others are oil-on-canvas pieces that she painted on site while fasting for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Allman notes that this current exhibition is a collaborative effort: “I am working as a painter and collaborating with a young Turkish poet, Barýþ Özer, who is now studying in America. We both try to deal with the concept of tolerance through our works. Barýþ is also uniquely brought up on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s perspective of peace. His poems and one of my poems will be displayed in the mosque as well.” The show, which will run through June 30 at the CRR, will move to the courtyard of the Sultanahmet Mosque, where it will be on display from July 3 to July 30. Asked why she chose a mosque courtyard for her exhibition, Allman explains: “The Blue Mosque is a very unique place. Non-Muslims, Turkish people and Muslims from around the world go there. Everybody meets, particularly in that courtyard.” She adds that while many of the museums charge money even for Turkish visitors, the mosque is open to everyone. “A lot of families with many children could never afford to go [to a museum]. That was one of the reasons a courtyard is the perfect place. It is open to everybody, there is no distinction between the rich and poor, just like in Islam,” she explains.
Steven Spielberg looks to direct ‘The 39 Clues’ A multi-author narrative being planned by the US publisher of the Harry Potter books has picked up a famous patron: Steven Spielberg. DreamWorks Studios has acquired the film rights to “The 39 Clues,” a mystery series-online game that Scholastic Media will debut in September. Spielberg, director of “Jaws,” “Schindler’s List” and the “Indiana Jones” films, says he’s hoping to direct. “’The 39 Clues’ takes creative leaps to expand the story experience from the pages of the books to multiple stages of discovery and imagination,” Spielberg said Wednesday in a joint statement issued by DreamWorks and Scholastic Media. “Together with Scholastic, we have the opportunity to develop this property that says ‘film,’ ‘family,’ ‘fun’ and ‘franchise.’” “The 39 Clues,” which also features a set of 355 collectible cards, is a planned 10-book series about a powerful, mysterious family that lives in upstate New York. The first installment, “The Maze of Bones,” was written by Rick Riordan, author of the best-selling “The Lightning Thief.” Jude Watson and Gordon Korman are among those who will write future volumes. New York AP
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BAHAR MANDAN
Oasis announces release date for album
RECITAL
FESTIVAL
Hough to open upcoming Ýstanbul Recitals season
Ceylan to head jury at Sarajevo Film Festival
British-born piano virtuoso Stephen Hough, praised by the Washington Post as "a virtuoso who begins where others leave off," will be in Ýstanbul for a concert in October, kicking off the 2008-09 season of the monthly series "Ýstanbul Recitals." Hough, who has released over 40 CDs that have won many awards, will take to the Mustafa Kemal Center (MKM) stage on the night of Oct. 7 with a program of pieces by Bach, Copland and Chopin.
Turkish art house film director Nuri Bilge Ceylan will head the international feature film competition jury at this year's Sarajevo International Film Festival. The five-member jury will also include British director Hugh Hudson ("Chariots of Fire"), Croatian actress Marija Škaricic, German film sales company director Michael Weber and Taormina Film Festival Artistic Director Deborah Young. The festival's 14th edition will run from Aug. 15-23.
FESTIVAL
Violinist Zimmerman to enchant festivalgoers Celebrated as one of the greatest virtuosos of our time with his interpretations of the classic, romantic and 20th century repertoires, world-renowned violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann will tonight be onstage at the Hagia Eirene Museum as part of the Ýstanbul International Music Festival. Accompanied by Enrico Pace on piano, Zimmerman will present a program ranging from baroque to contemporary music at the concert, scheduled to start at 8 p.m.
Academy calls for foreign Oscar entries
CONCERT
Ece Demirci set for piano recital at Akbank center Pianist Ece Demirci, who started playing the piano at the age of 8 and later went on to study with wellknown virtuosos at the Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, will next week perform at Ýstanbul's Akbank Art Center. Demirci, an associate professor of piano at her alma mater, released her debut album, "Piano Sonare," featuring sonatas by Haydn, Scarlatti and Chopin, in 2006 under the label Triolila Music. Demirci will be onstage July 3 at 8 p.m.
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British rock band Oasis will release their new album “Dig Out Your Soul” on Oct. 6, Reuters reported. The band made the announcement on their Web site Wednesday. The first single from the group’s seventh studio album will be “The Shock of the Lightning,” due out on Sept. 29. “If ‘The Shock of the Lightning’ sounds instant and compelling to you, it’s because it was written dead fast. And recorded dead fast,” songwriter Noel Gallagher said on www.oasisnet.com. “‘The Shock of The Lightning’ basically is the demo. And it has retained its energy. And there’s a lot to be said for that, I think.” Dave Sardy produced the new album which was recorded at London’s Abbey Road studios and mixed in Los Angeles. Gallagher described the music as “more hypnotic, more driving” than previous records. The band, which has sold an estimated 50 million albums worldwide, will release the new record globally on its own Big Brother record label for the first time. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has sent entry forms for foreignlanguage film submissions to 96 countries for the 81st edition of the Oscars, Variety magazine has reported on its Web site. To be considered for the 2009 Academy Awards, a movie must have been released in the submitting country between Oct. 1, 2007, and Sept. 30, 2008, and publicly screened in a commercial theater for at least seven days. The film must also be predominantly in a language other than English. The academy considers one picture per country. Submissions must be received at the academy by Oct. 1. Turkey submitted Özer Kýzýltan’s 2006 feature “Takva” (A Man’s Fear of God) for this year’s foreign Oscars, but the film did not make it into the final shortlist of five nominees. Austria’s “The Counterfeiters” earned the Oscar for foreign-language film at the 2008 ceremony. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman
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An open letter to the leaders of the Socialist International
FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2008
Dear leaders of the Socialist International, When you convene the 23rd Congress of the Socialist International early next week in Athens, Turkey's Republican People's Party (CHP) will be one of the participants and its leader, Deniz Baykal, will take an honored place at the presidium as one of its vice presidents. Yet this will be, to say the least, a grotesque picture, as the CHP and its leader represent some of the most pernicious anti-democratic and anti-reformist forces working in Turkey today. They work openly and aggressively against building a democratic Turkey, and their political program stands in stark contrast to the values of social democracy. The CHP and Baykal persistently encourage and provoke the military to interfere in the nation's democratically elected political leadership. The CHP and Baykal are aggressively opposed to
all reforms that aim to expand liberties in Turkey. They oppose and voted against reforms to penal code Article 301, a law which has seriously hobbled freedom of speech. They also oppose reforms stipulating TV broadcasting in Kurdish, the native tongue of a sizable percentage of our population. It has recently been disclosed that the CHP paid, in a legally dubious move, considerable sums to a TV station which is Turkey's most aggressively militarist channel in civilian clothing. They virulently oppose drafting a new liberal democratic constitution to replace the existing one, a relic of the 1980 military coup regime. On the other hand, the CHP and Baykal do not hesitate to voice disapproval of an ongoing critical probe into an underground group pursuing political crimes (dubbed Ergenekon by the media). Beyond Turkey's borders, the CHP and
Baykal stand for adventurism and a dangerously aggressive foreign policy. The attached document gives a more detailed picture of the regrettable policies of the CHP. It is meant not only to criticize the CHP and Baykal -- as I am sure the Turkish voters will continue to give these actors what they deserve -- but is also an expression of a deep disappointment in seeing manifest adversaries of democracy and freedom occupy a place in the house of the Socialist International, to the point that they can even occupy a chair as vice president. Over many years I have been doing political work in pursuit of the ideals of social democracy. I know the Turkish public is sensitive about taking up internal issues on international platforms. I have always believed, however, that the solidarity of social democracy includes all peoples and knows no boundaries.
OPINION
I fully agree that the Socialist International must extend its reach in order to be a strong global movement and that political parties from far-flung corners of the world with varying historical heritages cannot be expected to duplicate continental or Scandinavian social democracy wholesale. However, brazen opponents of democracy and freedom ought not have a place among the ranks of the Socialist International. Outspoken provocateurs of military interventions ought not have a place as vice presidents of the Socialist International. These obligations arise from the basic moral values of democratic socialism which your very organization espouses. With my kind regards, Haluk Özdalga Member of the Turkish Parliament
ÜNAL
The CHP ýs a dýsgrace to socýal democracy (1) PHOTO
The Republican People's Party (CHP) entered the autumn 2002 elections favored as the most likely winner, but instead finished a distant second, capturing about only half the seats won by the newly formed Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The policies pursued by the CHP under its leader Deniz Baykal in the years since have aimed at bringing down the government through pressure from the military and other state institutions, such as the judiciary. In these years, whenever the commanders of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) have made statements that could be interpreted as interfering with political affairs, some CHP spokesperson -- usually deputy leader Onur Öymen -- has emerged to issue public comments openly supporting and praising these statements, and even trying to encourage and embolden the military. Öymen's commentary has run along these lines: The commanders are right, their words hit the mark -- given the situation, in fact, they are actually understating things. The CHP has continually and openly goaded the military to interfere in the nation's political leadership. It has been widely speculated in Ankara that Öymen himself has had private meetings with some top commanders. When the personal journals of retired Adm. Özden Örnek were published (Nokta, March 29, 2007), it was confirmed that these in fact had taken place and that during the meetings Öymen used strong, unambiguous language to provoke the officers into taking action. Öymen first denied that he had such secret meetings with the commanders. However, the truth of Örnek's journals was later verified in a legal case, thereby proving not only that the CHP deputy leader had such secret meetings, but also that he was lying. Last year and earlier, with the 2007 presidential election and general elections approaching, Baykal focused all his energies on forcing the ruling AK Party into a corner over the presidential poll, again pulling the military into the fray. His election run-up rhetoric was calculated, aimed largely at provoking the military into action, as early as the summer of 2006. He repeatedly called for early elections, and in so doing didn't stop at calling on the military to issue a warning memorandum, or with threatening the authority of Parliament: "Our proposal [for early general elections ahead of the presidential election] would allow the problem to be solved at the ballot box, without leaving it to a memorandum or other more finetuned [military] methods." (Zaman, June 1, 2006) In September 2006, with time short for arranging early general elections, Baykal again made a call aimed squarely at the military. "If anyone thinks that the prime minister must be stopped from becoming president, they should act now." (Hürriyet, Sept. 9, 2006) At a CHP parliamentary group meeting the next month, Baykal started by saying, "I am calling everyone to duty," and then, so as to leave no doubt who exactly this call was aimed at, added the following unfortunate explanation, referring to the president and prime minister ousted by the 1960 military coup, with the prime minister later hanged: "Celal Bayar and Adnan Menderes… they came and went. But to this very day, there has never been a group so opposed in its essence to secularism." (Zaman, Oct. 4, 2006) Despite what he would call a subtle, veiled political style -- in reality a bare-knuckle campaign of provocation aimed at rousing a military response -- Baykal's rhetoric was not having the desired effect. Thus, at what was truly the 11th hour, in March 2007, Baykal
ALÝ
HALUK ÖZDALGA*
The CHP after July 2007 and its second electoral defeat On July 22, 2007, the CHP received less than half the support (46.6 percent versus 20.9 percent) of that the AK Party won, and less than one-third of the seats (341 versus 112) of its rival, despite forming an election alliance with the Democratic Left Party (DSP), the party of late senior statesman Bülent Ecevit. This electoral repudiation was even more decisive than the CHP defeat of 2002. But for Baykal, all this counted for nothing. He simply continued his destructive opposition at full throttle, with what one could call "scorched-earth" politics, to rock the democratic regime in collusion with the civilian and military bureaucracies. The record of Baykal and his party since the most recent general elections, i.e. over a period of less than a year, constitutes yet another shameful record for social democracy, including countless acts meant to sabotage democracy and liberties in Turkey.
Constitutional reforms blocked The CHP, under the leadership of Deniz Baykal (L), continually and openly goaded the military to interfere in the nation’s political leadership.
made a last-ditch effort, his most open provocation possible aimed at the military: "I do not believe that the armed forces will remain indifferent to the possibility of [Prime Minister Recep Tayyip] Erdoðan becoming president." (Zaman, March 19, 2007) On April 27, 2007, Parliament, the body constitutionally charged with electing the president, had its first round of voting for the post. The intervention sought by Baykal through insistent provocation had not occurred. That day, Baykal issued a rebuke to the Turkish military, decrying how "despite all the calls made to them, this society's most important center of power has merely sat and watched this situation." (Milliyet, April 28, 2007) But later that day, at midnight, the military made its intervention in the workings of democracy in the form of a memorandum posted on the General Staff Web site. Immediately, and with jubilation, deputy leader Öymen gushed that the CHP "fully shared the views expressed in the military's communiqué." Baykal also expressed his support, and in a speech before the CHP parliamentary group on May 1, 2007, said the intervention had occurred because there had been a real need for it. In order to block the AK Party majority, the CHP had already applied to the Constitutional Court to obtain a ruling requiring a
two-thirds majority (367) of parliamentarians to convene to elect the president, even though the Constitution was clear that the quorum is only 184. (CHP deputies sat out the elections to deny Parliament this alleged numerical requirement.) However, based on peculiar and legally indefensible interpretations, the court delivered the ruling the CHP asked for. It was disclosed only later that Baykal was in tacit cooperation with the military to obtain that unconstitutional ruling. A top commander had called Tülay Tuðcu, then president of the court, threatening her with a coup if the required ruling was not produced. After the military's Internet memorandum and the court ruling requiring a 367 supermajority, there was little for the government to do other than to call for early elections. They were held on July 22. The CHP's major campaign tools were the so-called "republican rallies," mass demonstrations in major urban centers which also caught the attention of the international media. The rallies' ostensible aim was to protect secularism in Turkey, but their real object was to hinder a new AK Party victory in the approaching elections. The major architect of these rallies was a fanatically secular and elitist association bearing the name of Turkey's revered founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk -- the Atatürkist Thought Association (ADD) -- along with ideologically similar groups. The ADD's leader is Sener Eruygur, a general who retired in 2004, who happens to be,
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Turkey's existing Constitution was drafted by a military regime that came to power through a coup in September 1980. Although amended several times in the decades since, it is not fit for a country aspiring to be an EU member, and the country is badly in need of a new constitution in line with liberal democracy and its modern institutions. The AK Party went to the July 2007 polls promising the voters to draft such a new constitution if it won the election, and did prepare a full proposal in reasonably short order after forming the government in August. However, it has been impossible to submit this to Parliament for debate due to strong resistance from the opposition, mainly the CHP. The CHP rejects Parliament's authority to draft a new constitution, thereby calling the legitimacy of the whole effort into doubt. Baykal's argument goes like this: "A new constitution, fully renewed, by annulling the existing one, cannot be made… Article 175 of the [existing] Constitution allows not for a wholly new constitution, but only amending its articles … Can one not draft a new constitution totally from scratch? Of course one can. You drive out the [occupying] enemy [from the country], establish a new state, hoist up the flag [and then make a new constitution]… Those who made it, made it. [Or] you risk execution; stage a coup, [then] the new constitution can be made. This is what was done after the coups of 1960 and 1980." (Hürriyet, Feb. 7, 2008) CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
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as is well documented in the media, the main figure behind at least two failed coups, known as Moonlight and Blonde Maiden, when he was commanding the gendarmerie forces in 2002-2004. (One account is by Ýsmet Berkan, Radikal, April 4-11, 2008.) The main supporting political party of these rallies was the CHP. The party ranks were instructed to show up in full force, and Baykal, who personally attended these rallies organized by the coup-plotting retired general, afterwards said repeatedly that they had made him more confident than ever of winning the elections. The rallies featured, in addition to extensive AK Party bashing, the chanting of numerous anti-Western and anti-EU slogans, reminiscent of rallies in the former Yugoslavia supporting nationalist dictator Slobodan Milosevic.
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
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COLUMNS
TODAY’S ZAMAN 15
F R I D AY, J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 0 8
Democracy and modernýzatýon A test is due in order to measure the success of modernity with particular references to its alleged achievements and ideals: liberties and freedoms, welfare and wealth and security and safety. 1) In essence, modernity inherently involves inequality and injustice. It is quite obvious that the entire world is not able to become as wealthy as the Western world. The striking performance of China causes rapid exhaustion of natural resources, including oil. As long as there are two major camps -- the poor and the rich -- in the world, global peace, stability and serenity are not possible. 2) Wealth and welfare achieved through modernity pose a great danger to the planet and life on it, undermine ecological balances and make the world an unbearable place. Global warming and climate change are the initial signals of this process. 3) The modern West is based on a perception of the world without any intrinsic meaning and goal and transforms the human being into an organism focused on production, consumption and mating. To this end, the basic ideas of this modern world impose nihilism onto the entire world.
ALÝ BULAÇ a.bulac@todayszaman.com
The modern Western world is reluctant to maintain dialogue with other religions and cultures; instead, it opts to distance itself from others. The West will have to either shift to quite a different perspective to create a just and fair world by giving up part of its wealth, or it will remain the source and primary reason of growing inequalities between different regions and classes, of terrorism, violence, ethnic cleansing and repression. Western countries rely on 80 percent of the entire world's production while they represent only 15 percent of the globe's total population. Pretty soon this will drop to 10 percent. In other words, they will be a small wealthy island in a sea of poor. This is neither natural nor sustainable.
YAVUZ BAYDAR
As long as wars break out to sustain this unequal global order -- it should be noted that 95 percent of the 500 wars over the last two centuries were experienced in the Western world or they were caused by the active involvement of Western countries -- violence and terror will escalate and this will inevitably prioritize security issues over liberties. As liberties retreat, wealth will diminish and this will trigger consecutive global crises. Wars have made contributions to the Western world; the current international order guarantees domination and welfare of a part of the world population, but it simply does not care for the others. Today, three Western multinational corporations seek to acquire 75 percent of Iraqi oil for 30 years. Inequality is causing serious problems and disruption not only on the global level but also on the domestic level because modernization and development plans are inherently based on inequality. Injustice in income distribution leads to social turmoil, blocks positive politics and causes violence and terror. This is the case not only on the domestic but also on the global level. As long
No Comment
SHUANGLIU, AP
ETYEN MAHÇUPYAN e.mahcupyan@todayszaman.com
y.baydar@todayszaman.com
Coup obsessýon
Amerýcan adjustments may have come too late and help too lýttle In these hectic days, with the chief prosecutor and defenders of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) presenting their cases in the closure process, a slight change of tone can be detected in the rhetoric of Turkey's long-time ally and (as many take for granted) staunch supporter of democracy, the US. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had to come closer to facing reality -- and hopefully realized that evasive attitudes would only feed further anti-Americanism in Turkey -- when she responded to questions after her lecture at the Council on Foreign Relations. Some excerpts of what she said include the following: "…first of all, we have had excellent relations with the AK Party. Excellent. … I also believe that the agenda for democratization that the AK Party has undertaken has been good for Turkey. They have reached out to people who are different -- Kurds, for instance -- and got a large amount of the Kurdish vote in the last election. They have reached out to the poor and rural [areas] in Turkey in ways that were not done before. They have reached out to religious people. And I think the secular democracy in Turkey is important, but it is also important that religious people are a part of the country." Rice does not leave it there. She goes on, asking herself the burning question which has baffled and frustrated circles in Turkey and EU: "Now, what can we do? I think we have to continue to support the democratic institutions of Turkey. Obviously, we are not going to get involved in the current crisis or the current controversy in Turkey about the court case, that's a matter for Turkey to resolve. But 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. We cannot have a dividing line at Turkey. … Sometimes, when I am asked what might democracy look like in the Middle East, I think it might look like Turkey. And so, the Europeans -- and I understand that it's hard, but the European Union -- the prospect of European Union accession has been extremely important to reform in Turkey. And without that prospect, it is going to be hard to continue." Hard to continue, indeed. Rice's comments are commendable, without doubt. Albeit belated, they signal a wise adjustment in the developing crisis primarily targeting Turkey's democratic system, threatening not only a widespread disbelief -- and risk to radicalization -- in both Turkish and Kurdish voters but also a further escalation in an already worrisome anti-Americanism. We all know by now that the EU -- certainly encouraged by an aimless AKP from 2005 onwards -- made a mess out of its negotiation process with Turkey with the ridiculous and immoral French discourse on whether Turkey is European or not. But, democratization in Turkey is not to be accomplished solely by reformists in Turkey and the EU. Anti-democratic forces in Turkey proved far more resistant, shrewd and equipped than imagined and, therefore, unwavering US support for Turkey's civilian segments seems necessary, many observers agree, in order not to come face to face with a neo-militarist rule, which looks very likely from the outset. Matt Bryza, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said three days ago at the Washington Institute: "In the end, a democracy requires that voters determine their country's political future, and Turkey's voters made clear decisions during elections twice in 2007." I can hear many people here sighing, wishing that these words were louder and that they had come much earlier. But many people understand, too, that there are deep divisions in the American capital, increasingly turning inwards due to upcoming elections. Howard Eissenstat, a Middle East scholar from Brandeis University, summarizes the dilemma the US administration has faced with respect to Turkey for some time: "One of the striking things about American policy with regard to Turkey in the past several years is that it has sent a tremendous number of mixed messages. I think these mixed messages stem from both the range of strategic goals that the US is trying to address and also from this split in strategic thinking. My strong impression, however, is that [Michael] Rubin, and Soner Çaðaptay in particular have been particularly persuasive among American policy makers and that, when push comes to shove, the US government will continue to side with the old school Kemalists. Given the experts in the [John] McCain foreign policy team, I would expect this to continue under a McCain administration. I wouldn't even hazard a guess as to how the debates among [Barack] Obama experts would play out." Some questions: Are we to believe that even Rice now thinks the closure of the AKP is inevitable? Were her remarks uttered in some sort of desperation? Is Washington aware that the closure case will not only jeopardize Turkish-EU relations but also undermine a solution on Cyprus?
as inequality persists, poverty becomes deeper and more visible and the young and desperate masses in urban areas are alienated; this of course breeds a culture of violence. Current models are unable to control the migration of people from rural to urban areas. Wars and invasions are not the solution to overcome these crises. Unfortunately, democracies fail to prevent wars because, among others, lobbies, pressure groups and capital circles strongly influence the decisions of parliaments with their huge financial resources. Western democracies are the best among the available worst options, but they have failed to ensure pluralism and justice in the past and today there is no sign that they will achieve these goals because Western democracies are pluralist in a political sense while they are monist from a cultural and social perspective. They exclude a strong ethical value like justice in the political culture. As terror and wars put an emphasis on security, the sphere of the available and recognized liberties gets narrower. What should be done at this stage is not to blame a certain religion, what should be done now is to seek real solutions to current huge problems.
Songs of fraternýty NICOLE POPE n.pope@todayszaman.com
It is not always easy to reconcile the different facets countries present to the world. Take the United States, where a strong legal system protects individual freedoms at home yet hard-line politicians wage war and promote illegal detentions abroad. Turkey, too, often reveals aspects that appear contradictory, but despite the setbacks experienced during periods of political turmoil, the promise of change and better days is always lurking under the surface. A World Public Opinion poll released to mark the International Day for Victims of Torture revealed one of the country's darker sides, suggesting that only 36 percent of Turks unequivocally condemn torture. This is a strikingly low figure for a country where, according to the Human Rights Association (ÝHD), 1 million people have experienced torture since 1980. In France, Spain and the UK, more than 80 percent of people are against torture in all circumstances. Among the 19 countries surveyed, only 9 percent expressed broad acceptance of torture in general while 26 percent condoned it if innocent lives were at stake. Particularly disturbing in Turkey's case was the spectacular rise from 24 percent supporting torture in 2006 to 51 percent this year, seemingly fueled by strong reactions to Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) attacks. In sharp contrast, there are moments when the other Turkey, the one that is proud of its multi-cultural heritage, tolerant, open-minded and does not just see "the other" as a threat, shines through with absolute clarity. We then get a tantalizing glimpse of the richness the country has to offer
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when it overcomes its fears and approach differences from a different angle. The concert organized on Tuesday by Kardeþ Türküler to mark the band's 15th anniversary was one of these magical moments -- a midsummer night's dream on a politically cloudless night. The setting, by the Bosporus, undoubtedly contributed to the atmosphere but it was the music performed by the band, whose name translates as Songs of Fraternity, and several famous guest artists such as Aynur, Birol Topaloðlu and Neþet Ertaþ, that kept the audience enthralled long past midnight. Beautifully choreographed folk dances completed a well-balanced performance. Kardeþ Türküler initially came together in 1993 for a concert organized by the Boðazici University Folklore Club with the aim of exploring Anatolia's rich musical heritage. Fifteen years later, the group is still going strong. Over the years they have expanded their range and borrowed songs from Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Laz, Roma and Georgian cultures and put their own musical mark on them. From the start, the group stood in favor of peace, gender equality and tolerance. Throughout the show, poems and a video show underlined the group's support for dialogue, civilian rule and multiculturalism. It is perhaps a symbol of Turkey's current travails that a message as universal and simple as the promotion of fraternity and diversity should have such resonance and be perceived as intensely political. In the current circumstances, hearing a crowd of 6,000 applauding with equal enthusiasm a türkü performed in Armenian by Leman Sam, dedicated to murdered newspaper editor Hrant Dink, a Kurdish song by Aynur or a gypsy tune belted out by the colorful Esma Redzepova from Macedonia was particularly heart warming. People got up and frantically danced the halay in the aisles. The performers and the spectators displayed a side of Turkey that is not reflected much in the media headlines these days, but which offers real hope for the future.
The global political order that emerged in the aftermath of the post-Cold War era posed serious challenges for the army and the judiciary, which viewed themselves as the owners of the regime in Turkey. It was only inevitable that the newly emergent ideological environment based on the recognition of fundamental human rights would affect the practice of democracy; the basic corollary of this was the increased strength of politicians vis-à-vis bureaucratic actors. Besides, change and transformation in the characteristics of these politicians was also inevitable, because emphasis on ensuring Turkey would remain a closed community resulted in the exclusion of religious people from the central political landscape, allowing for only a small segment of society to be involved in politics. However with the normalization of democracy, the domination of pious people in politics was inescapable. This would only mean that there would be a greater need for coups. However the new perception as regards democracy made the classical coups illegitimate. The initial signal of this approaching "danger" turned into concrete action during the reign of the Welfare Party (RP) in 1997. Owing to the media-sponsored Feb. 28 coup, power was transferred and subsequently the party of the "religious people" was closed down. However this had an unexpected consequence: The young opinion leaders of the new peripheral bourgeoisie who had remained loyal to Erbakan until that time had the opportunity to go along with their initiatives. In other words, the Feb. 28 process freed the new conservatives who were trapped within the RP. The emergent Justice and Development Party (AK Party) acquired the office after a landslide election victory. Therefore it is not surprising that the coup attempts within the army were launched in 2002 when the AK Party formed its first government, because staging a coup is not a simple operation that can be devised and planned within a few months. It is essential for a successful coup operation to start preparations way before the actual operation and to rely on justifiable actions that will legitimize the intervention with politics. For this reason, preparation for a coup seems to have turned into one of the informal functions of the Turkish General Staff. Of course I am not talking about a certain style of work that operates within the formal decision-making mechanisms of the military hierarchy that forwards the final products to an upper military body for final endorsement and archives the endorsed documents. This is a strategy center controlled by the alternative "shadow" hierarchy, which operates as a planning and execution organ. Even though we have no idea who is at the top of this organization, it has decisiveness, political will and language which dictate the tasks to be performed by even the chief of staff. During the RP administration, the presence of the said center -- called the Western Working Group back then -was effectively denied and it was renamed after the existence of this illegal entity was proven and publicized. We now know from new proofs and documents that another illegal entity -- the Republican Working Group -- was created to succeed the first one. Meanwhile, it also became evident that particular projects under the auspices of the Gendarmerie Command were carried out to mobilize civil society actors and support the activities of this informal center. Finally, the recently publicized Information Support Activity Action Plan prepared by the General Staff seeks to undermine the AK Party's image, prevent the creation of a new constitution and manipulate the judiciary, media and civil society through "reliable" actors. Besides, the informative groundwork of these activities was laid out in the Intelligence Unit and the Operation Unit was assigned to supervise the implementation of this wicked plan. Apparently, there is a set of coordinated and more importantly sustained activities in both formal and informal units of the General Staff. The coup attempts devised to topple the AK Party administration in the early 2000s lacked broad agreement among military actors inside the army. Owing to the recently published documents, we are now aware that the state of disagreement still prevails. What is ironic is that it is not the civilians but the actors with different views and tendencies within the army who constitute the biggest obstacle before a military coup.
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FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2008
LEISURE
tv guýde
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Crossword
08:05 The Namesake 10:10 Glory Road 12:15 North Country 14:25 The History Boys 16:20 Pathfinder 18:20 Forbidden Secrets 20:00 A Good Year 22:10 Silk 00:10 Wrong Turn 2: Dead End 01:50 Pathfinder 03:50 The History Boys
‘Wall-E’ explores uncharted terrýtory for Dýsney-Pýxar Disney-Pixar blasts off into uncharted territory with Friday’s release of animated film “Wall-E,” a space adventure mixing an unusual love story with somber messages about the future of Earth and humankind. The film features dystopian landscapes, social commentary and a lack of conventional dialogue that are rare under the Walt Disney Co. banner, but it sticks to Pixar’s basic themes of love, loyalty and friendship. Still, the sober tone and odd love-story between robots has prompted concerns that the “Wall-E” box office may not compensate for Disney’s other big summer release, “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” whose $259 million box office take has lagged forecasts so far. The movie debuts in more than 3,900 US theaters today and rolls out around the world through December. The character Wall-E, or Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class, is the last of a cadre of robots tasked with cleaning up piles of trash discarded by humans who abandoned the planet centuries before. The human race set off on a luxury space cruise during a planned five-year clean-up that lasts much longer and results in unfortunate changes in the human physique and psyche. In the meantime, Wall-E
The animated character “Wall-E” in a scene from the new Disney-Pixar film of the same name. faithfully reports to work each day on Earth with his pet cockroach and a lunch box in which he stores the knick knacks he finds among mountains of trash. The arrival of a sleek girl robot named Eve, sent to Earth by the orbiting humans to look for plant life, sends Wall-E on an adven-
Cnbc-e 18:10 Married With Children 18:50 Smallville 20:00 Prison Break 22:00 Ghost Whisperer 23:00 Masters Of Horror 24:00 Cold Case 01:00 CSI: NY 02:00 Prison Break 04:00 Ghost Whisperer 05:00 Masters Of Horror
ture that changes his own and humanity’s destiny. Director Andrew Stanton, who won an Academy Award for Pixar’s most lucrative film, “Finding Nemo,” said he wanted to show a future in which people had lost track of what matters in life. “I thought, ‘Well that’s the question that Wall-E is trying to figure out: What is the point of living?’” Stanton said. “It’s to love one another. It’s to further a relationship.” In choreographing the non-verbal courtship of Wall-E and Eve, Stanton and his animators looked to “the hard process of a boy going over to ask a girl to dance.” “It’s all just metaphor for what it’s like for a boy to court a girl,” Stanton said. “It’s all in there.” The film’s references to current hot-button issues -- the environment, obesity and corporate greed -- were a coincidence, Stanton said, because he conceived the premise in 1994 with the idea of reviving the science-fiction films he loved as a boy. “I just was using elements of the world I knew,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to put anybody to task. I knew that, ‘Wow this is starting to make some really uncomfortable parallels’ but ... as long as I don’t have an agenda I’m not going to worry about it.” Los Angeles Reuters
Hallmark 09:15 McLeod’s Daughters 10:00 Escape from Wildcat Canyon 11:45 Though None Go with Me 13:30 Mercy Mission: The Rescue of Flight 771 15:15 McLeod’s Daughters 16:15 Escape from Wildcat Canyon 18:00 Though None Go with Me 19:45 Sea Patrol 21:00 Inspector Morse 23:00 Defending Our Kids: The Julie Posey Story 00:45 Cavedweller 02:30 Defending Our Kids: The Julie Posey Story
Comedymax
Cem Kýzýltuð
Mr. DýploMAT!
c.kiziltug@todayszaman.com 505
APARTMENT 1303
Goldmax 09:00 Sands of Iwo Jima 10:50 Waiting for Guffman 12:15 Running on Empty 14:10 Moulin Rouge 16:15 The Gods Must Be Crazy 18:05 Five Days One Summer 20:00 The Object of My Affection 21:50 I’m Losing You 23:30 Color of Night 01:50 Freddy’s Nightmares: Interior Loft 03:20 La Mortadella
Movýemax
08:00 Miss Guided 08:30 Frasier 09:00 Maggie Winters 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 Miss Guided 14:30 Frasier 15:00 Maggie Winters 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 Miss Guided 20:30 Frasier 21:00 Two Guys and A Girl 21:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 22:00 What I Like About You 23:00 Entourage 23:30 American Dad 00:00 Miss Guided
radýo guýde TRT Tourýsm Radýo
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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
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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
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 Big Shots 22:15 Comedy Night/Bill Maher 23:00 Late Night With Conan O’Brien 24:00 Family Guy 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Sarah Silverman Program 01:30 Big Shots 02:30 Comedy Night/Bill Maher
cation programs. The foundation has proven to be extremely effective in countries like Australia where the infant mortality rate has been reduced by 90 percent since 1990. Today Lithuanian-born anarchist-feminist Emma Goldman (1869 -1940) was born. Named “Red Emma,” Goldman was known for her writings and speeches. She was lionized as an iconic “rebel woman” feminist by admirers and derided by her critics as an advocate of politically motivated murder and violent revolution. Goldman played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in the United States and Europe in the first half of the 20th century. In particular she incorporated gender politics into anarchism which had only been hinted at by earlier anarchists. She migrated to the United States at the age of 17 and was later deported to Russia, where she witnessed the results of the Russian Revolution. She spent a number of years in England and southern France, where she wrote her autobiography, “Living My Life.” Goldman’s aphorismic sentences were memorized by anarchists worldwide. Her words “Ask for work. If they do not give you work, ask for bread. If they do not give you work or bread, take bread!” resulted in her first imprisonment in 1893. By Kerim Balcý
Today is UK Veterans’ Day, an annual event to commemorate the service of British men and women in the British Armed Forces. Though the day was first observed in 2006, it marks a more historic date; the first investiture of the Victoria Cross, which happened in Hyde Park, London, in 1857. The 2008 event will be held in Blackpool as part of their Annual Veterans’ Week. Today is Mixed Race Day in Brazil. The day was set on June 27 since there were 27 mixed-race representatives elected during the First Conference for the Promotion of Racial Equality, which was held in the city of Manaus, Amazon state, Brazil, on April 7-9, 2005. Mixed Race Day was initially a citywide official day which in year 2006 grew into a statewide observation. It occurs three days after the Day of the Caboclo, the first mixed-race Brazilian. Today is Red Nose Day in the Western world. This day is a fundraising day for the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Kids Foundation (SIDS and Kids). Always observed on the last Friday of June, Red Nose Day promotes public awareness with schoolchildren wearing a red nose. SIDS and Kids is an international leader in the field of health promotion, dedicated to the elimination of sudden and unexpected infant death through SIDS-related research and edu-
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‘Made of Honor’
MADE OF HONOR
Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the Roman Catholic Church. Though not a major feast, the story of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is quite remarkable. The feast honors the mother of Jesus through veneration of an icon that is housed in the St. Alphonsus Monastery in Rome. Our Lady of Perpetual Help was originally on the island of Crete at the end of the 15th century. It was stolen and brought to Rome, changing hands several times before finally reaching the St. Alphonsus Monastery, where it can be found today. During each change of hands the picture showed, according to Christians, miracles of healing and help. The image was crowned on orders from the Vatican on June 23, 1867, and the day became the feast day of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Today is Independence Day in Djibouti. The Republic of Djibouti gained its independence from France on June 27, 1977. France had colonized the area in the early 19th century and renamed it Umunga (previously Comoros). Independence was claimed once before in 1887 when a local tribe overthrew the eight permanent soldiers stationed there. Their independence only lasted three weeks before they were once again colonized.
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00:00 Identification and Programming 00:25 Music 07:25 Identification and Programming 07:30 Music 08:30 News (English, French, German) 08:40 Live Broadcast (English, German, Russian) 10:30 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 10:45 Live Broadcast (English, German, Russian) 12:30 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 12.45 Live Broadcast (English, German, Russian) 15:00 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 15:15 Live Broadcast (English, German, Russian) 18:30 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 18:45 Live Broadcast (English, French) 21:30 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 21:45 Live Broadcast (English, Greek) 23:58 Identification
Broadcast Areas: 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
movýe guýde
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
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Alanya FM 94.4 Ankara FM 100.3 Antalya FM 92.1 Ayvalýk FM 101.1 Bodrum FM 97.4 Fethiye FM 103.1 Ýstanbul FM 101.6 Ýzmir FM 101.6 Kalkan FM 105.9 Kapadokya FM 103.0 Kuþadasý FM 101.9 Marmaris FM 101.0 Pamukkale FM 101.0 Trabzon FM 101.5
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CONTINUATION
TODAY’S ZAMAN 17
F R I D AY, J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 0 8
the 23rd Congress of Socialist International early next week in Athens, the Republican People's Party of Turkey will be one of the participants, and its leader, Mr. Deniz Baykal, will take an honored place at the presidium as one of its vice presidents. "Yet this will be, to say the least, a grotesque picture, as the CHP and its leader Mr. Baykal represent some of the most pernicious anti-democratic and anti-reformist forces working in Turkey today. They work openly and aggressively against building a democratic Turkey and their political program stands in stark contrast to the values of social democracy." Özdalga went on to explain in the letter that Baykal and the CHP persistently encourage and provoke the military to interfere in the nation's democratically elected political leadership and oppose all reforms that aim to expand liberties in Turkey. Özdalga wrote that he spoke for himself, "as a person who has devoted himself to democratic principles," not for the AK Party. "Brazen opponents of democracy and freedom ought not have a place among the ranks of Socialist International. Outspoken provocateurs of military interventions ought not have
a place as vice presidents of the Socialist International," his letter said. He also attached an eight-page article explaining "how the CHP has provoked the military" since 2002. Öymen said it is against the CHP's ethics to criticize Turkish parties outside the boundaries of Turkey, condemning the AK Party. Asked about his visit to Athens to meet with Yorgos Papandreou of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), the Greek member party of SI that will host the congress, he said they had "bilateral talks" about matters in their countries. It is not only Özdalga who has directed harsh criticism against the CHP. Writer and academic Þahin Alpay, in a column for the Zaman daily last year, called on SI to remove the CHP from its membership roster. "The Baykal clique has turned the CHP increasingly away from the people and basically aligned it with the bureaucratic elite. It has increasingly turned the party away from social democracy toward a 1930s-style Kemalism that refuses to recognize the ethnic and religious diversity and cultural rights of Turkey's citizens and fully supports an authoritarian type of state secularism that does not
separate state and religion, and restricts religious rights and freedoms," Þahin stated in his column. Among some Europeans who have been severely critical of the CHP is Joost Lagendijk, cochairman of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. While in Turkey in May he said the CHP was a "disaster" and said the socialists of Europe are ashamed of it. Afterwards, the CHP criticized Lagendijk for having the attitude of a "colonial governor" and talked about issuing warnings against this "foreigner." Baykal, a 69-year-old lawyer, was re-elected in May as chairman of the CHP. He focused his last campaign on the supposed threat of theocracy and the gradual Islamization of Turkey. Social policy, equal opportunity in education and other leftist issues are almost absent from the CHP's agenda. According to SI regulations, a party can only be expelled by a two-thirds majority vote in the SI congress. In 2006 the alliance of socialists in the European Union expelled Slovakia's ruling Social Democratic Party (Smer) for forming a coalition with a far-right party, the first time that the European socialist bloc took such a step.
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contýnued from page 1 Few teams across all previous championships have been able to conjure up late goals like the Turks did at the Euro 2008 championship. Germany fullback Philipp Lamm's 90th-minute waltz through Turkey's makeshift defense -- patched together after being struck by injuries and suspensions -- ended with a shot high into the net. There was no coming back from that. Four minutes earlier, another of Terim's trademark miracles had seemed possible. Down 2-1 and desperately throwing men forward, striker Semih Þentürk had leveled the game in typical Turkish fashion. His third goal of the tournament came from a nearpost flick shot that squeezed into the net from a near-impossible angle. “I'm proud of my players and their desire,” said Terim, who seems ready to stand down from his job. Turkey midfielder Kazým Kazým said the players' locker room conversation was about looking forward to the World Cup qualifiers beginning in September. “The belief in this team is unbelievable,” Kazým said. “We can take this experience into the World Cup qualifiers.” “Impossible is nothing,” as an ad slogan goes, and so it has been for Turkey these past two glorious weeks in Switzerland and Austria. Against Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Croatia -the last two in do-or-die elimination games -Turkey found the late, late show it needed. On the brink of their first major competition final, the Turks found Germany just too tough to overcome. It will be little consolation that Turkey goes home after its most ambitious, impressive and complete display of the tournament, and this with Terim having only 16 of his original squad of 23 suited up to play. “Our aim was to play well and prevent them from playing well, and we did this,” the coach said. “It's not easy to stop Germany.” Uður Boral had given Turkey a fully deserved lead in the 22nd minute, the first time Turkey had scored in the first half of its five Euro 2008 matches. He was first to react to shoot through Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann's legs
ÝSA ÞÝMÞEK
Turkey leaves its mark on Euro 2008 championship
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contýnued from page 1 Speaking to Today's Zaman yesterday, CHP Deputy Chairman Onur Öymen denied that the CHP has been having problems with SI, adding that the CHP has not yet decided whether or not CHP leader Deniz Baykal, one of the vice presidents of SI, will attend the congress. "We don't have any problems with Socialist International. They have not even implied that they will issue a warning against us. There are a few European [socialist] deputies who have come out against us, but that's it," he said, adding, "Baykal will make a decision soon about whether he will go to the upcoming SI meeting after we have more discussions." Öymen claimed that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and some of its supporters have been plotting against the CHP in Europe, referring to a recent letter sent by an AK Party deputy to SI. Haluk Özdalga, who is now an AK Party deputy but was formerly involved in social democratic parties for 25 years, sent an open letter to SI leaders on Monday, arguing: "When you convene
AP
Main opposition CHP’s participation in SI congress in doubt
Kazým hopes displays herald bright future Turkey's Kazým Kazým said on Thursday his team's strong showing at Euro 2008 could only bode well for the 2010 World Cup and that his own performances had helped his profile in the international game. The Turks were unfortunate to lose 3-2 to Germany in Wednesday's semifinal in Basel with Philipp Lahm grabbing a 90th minute winner. Kazým, who combines attacking and midfield roles, hit the bar twice during the game to enhance his reputation having been unknown on the international stage heading into the tournament. "That's exactly what I wanted. Obviously that's what it was going to bring anyway, playing in the tournament, but I think I had quite a good few games and it has done me no harm," he told Reuters. The 21-yearold is better known outside Turkey as Colin KazýmRichards, having been born and brought up in London. He started his career at English lower league club Bury before moving to modest Brighton and Hove Albion and Sheffield United. He joined Turkish side Fenerbahce last year but is keeping an open mind about his future. "I am a Fenerbahce player but interest is interest and you can't stop interest. If the interest is worth thinking about obviously we'll think about it," he said. The Turks, who also reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2002, captured the imagination at Euro 2008 with some very late comeback wins and a dogged determination in the face of a mounting suspensions and injuries. Coach Fatih Terim, who is likely to step down, also won fans for his dignity in victory and defeat. "We thought at the start we could get to the semi-finals. We thought we could have gone on and won the tournament. Everyone has said we played better than Germany," Kazým added. The 2010 World Cup in South Africa is the next target and apart from goalkeeper Rüstü Reçber, who is retiring from internationals, Turkey's squad is relatively young. "In the team meeting afterwards we got over it pretty quickly. We weren't totally over it but immediately we started talking about taking that same spirit to the World Cup," he added. "We will have round about the same team, the same players. We have the experience of being in the semifinal of a European Championship and now we can take it into the World Cup. You never know." Ýstanbul/Basel Today's Zaman
Citizens cheer national team players in Ýstanbul contýnued from page 1
Turkish soccer fans react at the Taksim Square in Ýstanbul, last night, during the semi-final match between Germany and Turkey. when Kazým's shot came back off the crossbar. Bastian Schweinsteiger equalized four minutes later. He met Lukas Podolski's low cross from the left with a clever shot at the near post. The game was evenly poised until the 79th minute when Miroslav Klose met Lahm's cross and headed into an empty net as goalkeeper Rüþtü Reçber rushed out to try to punch clear. The banner unfurled by Turkey fans before the game said everything about the team's prior performances -- “Don't try this at home. Only Turks make miracles.” From the first whistle, Turkey set out to prove it, denying Germany space and surprising its opponent with enterprise and ambition, having nine shots on goal in the first half. Kazým tested Lehmann with a long-range shot in the seventh minute. Then, Hamit Altýntop, who had been released to play a role
much further upfield this game, intercepted Lahm's pass deep into Germany's defense and poked a shot against Lehmann's legs. This was a very different Turkey and the Germans seemed startled. Ayhan Akman retrieved a loose ball near the byline. The left side of Germany's defense was dozing again when Sabri Sarýoðlu crossed to Kazým. His looping shot from 10 meters rebounded off the crossbar and Uður followed up to score. Yet Turkey seemed determined to try to win this tournament by leading matches for a minimum amount of time. The team stayed ahead for just four minutes, making it a total of 14 in which Turkey has led in more than eight hours of action. The Turks could easily have been behind six minutes into the second half when Germany had a sure call for a penalty denied. Sabri brought down Lahm, but Swiss referee Massimo
Busacca waved “play on,” to derisive whistles from the German fans behind Rüþtü's goal. The game settled into a committed stalemate in the middle of the field with few chances created, until Rüþtü's error let in Klose. The Turks showed they can never be counted out, by striking back through Semih. Then Lahm got his revenge for the penalty non-decision, waiting for Rüþtü to commit to dive before shooting just inside the near post. “In the last couple of games teams were better than us and we won,” Kazým said. “Today we were better and we lost. They [Germany] were more experienced than some of our players.” The miracle workers had reached the end of their magnificent line. Everything that has a beginning has an end, and every end is a new beginning. The upbeat Turks can start looking forward to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Horrendous refereeing at Euro 2008
Rüþtü announces international retirement
Turks were not the roughest team. Anyone who Turkey won many fans at Euro 2008 and watched Wednesday’s Turkey-Germany semifishowed they can become a major force in nal would agree that the Germans should have world soccer thanks to their determination, skill finished the game with eight or nine men if and grace. But this did not conceal the biased refSwiss referee Massimo Busacca was fair, to say ereeing at the championship. Apart from injuries, the least. On several occasions the Turkish team was reduced to when German players commitbare bones before Wednesday’s ted vicious fouls he just waved semifinal as a result of the biased “play on,” and booked Turkey European referees, who gave out striker Semih Þentürk for a mild yellow cards like confetti to sliding tackle. Everyone, the UETurkish players. Four Turkish FA and FIFA in particular, is cryplayers, including first-choice ing out for fair play but no one is keeper Volkan Demirel, who was crying out for justice. But these sent off in the match against people should not forget that Croatia, were suspended. Turkey there cannot be fair play without had the highest number of bookMassimo Busacca justice. Okan Udo Bassey Ýstanbul ings in the tournament, but the
them because this team can achieve a lot.” Turkey goalkeeper Rüþtü Reçber has anRüþtü was the second-choice goalkeeper nounced his international retirement coming into the tournament, but Volkan following Wednesday's 3-2 defeat by Demirel's two-match ban for a red card in Germany in the Euro 2008 semifinals. The the final group win over the Czechs gave him match in Basel, which the Turks were unhis chance. The 35-year-old, lucky to lose, was his 118th fiwho shone in Turkey's run to nal cap. “I am ending my inthe 2002 World Cup semifinal, ternational career, where I served with pride, glory and was at fault for Croatia's goal in honor for 14 years,” he told the 1-1 quarterfinal draw but UEFA's official tournament saved a penalty in the shootout Web site (www.euro2008.com) to send Turkey through. He alon Thursday. “I would like to so made a mistake for Gerthank everyone who has many's second goal on Wedneshelped me. I am proud of each day when he failed to claim a of my teammates. Everyone in cross and Miroslav Klose headRüþtü Rençber Turkey should get behind ed in. Ýstanbul/Basel Reuters
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First to disembark from the plane were Turkish Soccer Federation (TFF) President Hasan Doðan and coach Fatih Terim. The latter announced his departure from the job in the wake of Wednesday night's defeat. The Turks' Euro 2008 campaign came to an end on the brink of their first major competition final after Germany scored a last-minute winning goal, securing them a 3-2 victory and place in the final. It is of come consolation that Turkey goes home after its most ambitious and impressive display of the tournament, and this with Terim having only 16 of his original squad of 23 able to play. The team is now looking forward to qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
The CHP ýs a dýsgrace to socýal democracy (1) contýnued from page 14 An underground organization said to have pursued a host of political crimes is currently under investigation by Istanbul's chief public prosecutor in a case dubbed "Ergenekon" by the media, after an old central Anatolian Turkish myth beloved by hard-core nationalists. Some 40 persons are already in detention, including a retired general and other ex-officers, journalists, lawyers, political figures and some high-level figures of the Turkish Orthodox Church, which was set up to rival and undermine the old Greek Orthodox Church. The prosecutor is expected to release his official indictment soon. The aim of Ergenekon seems to have been to sow turmoil and chaos through suicide bombings, political suicides, etc., to make things ripe for a military coup. According to numerous media reports, Ergenekon may have connections to certain groups within the state. An almost staggering number of bombs, hand grenades and sophisticated weapons have already been found in houses used by the group. It is likely that connections may be discovered between Ergenekon and recent notorious events such as the 2006 attack on the headquarters of the Council of State, leaving one top judge killed, the bombing of the Ýstanbul offices of the radical newspaper Cumhuriyet that same year and the murder of a Catholic priest in Samsun and of bible publishers in Malatya. The CHP and Baykal have yet to utter a word supporting the criminal probe, and in fact are clearly unhappy with it. Instead, Baykal has openly criticized the government over Ergenekon-connected detention operations in a bid to dismiss the whole thing as a government plan to put pressure on respectable people: "…it is in no way acceptable for the means available to governments to be used to put pressure on respectable thinkers, writers, and people who believe in democracy." (Vakit, March 23, 2008) * Haluk Özdalga is a member of Parliament for the AK Party.
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18 TODAY’S ZAMAN
F R I D AY, J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 0 8
QUOTE OF THE DAY
elementary READING
Steve Toby and Tilly Who’s the tallest person in the class? Toby: Andy is. Steve: Are you sure? I don’t think he is. Ben’s taller than Andy. Tilly: What about the girls, then? Who’s the tallest girl? Steve: Susan. And Beryl is the shortest. Toby: What about Brenda? Isn’t she shorter than Beryl?
Noun - Adjective - Adverb - Verb Auxiliary
1.Steve can play the trumpet. ............... .................................................................. 2.Do you like dogs? ............................... 3.They listen to music every day. ......... .................................................................. 4.She is an old lady. ............................... 5.The group went climbing in the mountains. .............................................. 6.This is a fast car. .................................. 7.He did well in the test. ....................... 8.I drive carefully. ................................... 9.Has your father ever been to Australia? ................................................ 10.The play was fantastic. .....................
Part 1: Comprehension Answer the questions about the dialogue. 1.What are Toby, Tilly and Steve doing? ..................................................... 2.Who is the youngest student in the class? ....................................................... 3.When is Till’s birthday? ..................... .................................................................. 4.Why doesn’t she like it? .................... .................................................................. 5.Who is the shortest girl in the class, Beryl or Brenda? .................................... ..................................................................
Part 2: Sentence Completion Complete the sentences taken from the dialogue. 1.Toby says Andy is ............................... .................................................................. 2.Steve says Ben is ................................. .................................................................. 3.Susan is ................................................ 4.Steve thinks Beryl is ........................... .................................................................. 5.Steve says Brenda is ........................... ................. and ........................................ than Beryl. 6.He thinks Brenda’s teeth ................... ............................................ rabbit teeth. 7.Toby says Brenda’s teeth ................... .................................................. like this. 8.Tilly says Brenda always .................... ......................................... and she never ..................................................................
ILLUSTRATIONS
Write the correct part of speech of the following underlined words:
Steve: No. Brenda’s taller than Beryl. She is uglier than Beryl, too. She’s got very short hair and rabbit teeth. Tilly: What do you mean, “rabbit teeth”? Toby: He means they look like a rabbit’s teeth - they stick out like this! Tilly: You boys are horrible. Brenda’s the nicest person in the class. She is clever, too. She always helps everyone and she never gets angry. Steve: She is ugly and stupid and I don’t like her. Tilly: Well. I don’t like you. You are both ugly and stupid. Go away!!!
OSMAN TURHAN
Steve, Toby and Tilly are talking about their classmates. Tilly: I’m the youngest in the class. Steve: Are you really? Tilly: Yes, my birthday is on December 31st. Toby: Oh, so your birthday’s on New Year’s eve, then? Tilly: Yes, but I don’t like it. It doesn’t feel very special.
Activity: Parts of Speech
TODAY’S LEARNING TIME
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” Anaïs NIn
advanced READING
Reaching the end of the line Fred feels like he has reached the end of the line. Why? What happened? Does Nancy want a divorce? Are all three of his daughters getting married the same year? Is his mother-in-law moving in? Fred was just canned from his job. After 26 years as a salesman for one company, Sports Plus has decided it wants to downsize. Fred was one of thirty let go. Now, he doesn’t know what to do. He has been moping around for days feeling sorry for himself. He has applied for unemployment insurance. What Fred needs to do is get the self-pity out of his system. Rediscover himself professionally. Realize that being jobless is a chance to give his career a make over. He may be better off away from his old job. The first thing he has to do is decide if he wants to continue in his profession. Maybe he’s always wanted to be a manager. If so, he should purchase a
book that deals with profession shifts. Fred may also need to do some penny-pinching. Although it may seem like an added expense, more education may be crucial in getting re-hired. Everyone is aware that Fred is a highly skilled salesman, but adding some expertise in a different field could open up a wide variety of careers for him. Fred has lots of colleagues and coworkers who will help him through the process of finding a new job. If Fred continues his education, he should add the names of instructors and students to his list of contacts. They could be valuable additions to his professional network. The most important thing that Fred should do is resist the urge to become negative. He should use his newfound freedom to attain the skills that will help him launch a new career. He must also remember that J.K. Rowling and the mayor of New York were once in his shoes!
Vocabulary Exercise
c.to spend d.to be miserly 6.crucial _______ a.expensive b.beneficial c.ineffectual d.important 7.expertise _______ a.sympathy b.knowledge c.talent d.money 8.to resist _______ a.to welcome b.to meet c.to withstand d.to surrender 9.to launch _______ a.to start b.to land c.to push away d.to pull towards 10.to be in one’s shoes _______ a.to be wearing the same thing b.to be in the same position c.to be in a different position d.to change your position
ýntermedýate READING
The Eskimo language Eskimo, the mother tongue of 100,000 natives in Greenland, Alaska and Canada, is struggling for survival. It is the language heard on hunting expeditions, in churches, and in town halls across the Atlantic. In Canada, sixty-seven percent of Eskimos speak mainly in their native tongue called Inuktitut at home among family members, but the invasion of English via television, music tapes, magazines, employers, and tourists is eroding the Eskimo’s linguistic soul. TV satellites and computers are accelerating the change. The Eskimo language fascinates linguists. They classify it as a ‘polysynthetic’ language. In other
words, the Eskimo language names things and expresses concepts by collating long strings of ideas or words into a single word. For example, gangattaqtitausmajing - satellite - is literally ‘it has been made to fly’. The language is also known for its vocabulary rich in words rooted in the environment. When an Eskimo says ‘I’m going hunting’, the verb he uses depends on whether he is hunting seal, bear, or some other animal. Those who love the language say polysynthetic could save it. “The Eskimo language is very resilient. That is to say, it can very quickly return to its previous condition,” said Mr. Ken Harper, a Canadian linguist.
“It has borrowed a lot of words from English but it isn’t necessary. It can easily form its own words.” In Danish Greenland, they are doing precisely that. Under the Eskimo-dominated local government, a special Greenland Language Commission is safeguarding the language against the powerful attack of Danish and English by collecting, recording, and, when necessary, manufacturing Eskimo words. Mr. Harper sees another sign of hope for Eskimo: “The technology that threatened the culture before is now helping.” An American company has devised a wordprocessor keyboard in the Canadian Eskimo alphabet, syllabics, allowing publication of the weekly Nunatsiaq News. In other words, the qarasaasiaq - ‘little artificial brain’ - is becoming increasingly user-friendly.
Activity: FOR & SINCE Complete the time expression by adding either for or since. 1) .................... as long as I can remember... 2) ............ three days... 3) ...... my childhood... 4) ............... ten years... 5) ......... I was young... 6) ....................... New Year’s Eve... 7) .......... Wednesday... 8) ......... five seconds... 9) ............... breakfast... 10) ................ hundreds of years...
Part 2: Vocabulary Match the words with the definitions given on the right. 1.Expedition __________ a.capable of returning to an original shape or position 2.Accelerate _____ b.made by man; not natural; not real
VOCABULARY Specialized Vocabulary POP QUIZ Fill in the correct slang, idiom or phrasal verb
Part 1 1.I sent the payment by __________________ so you should get it by next Friday. 2.Sometimes it sounds like the computer programmers are speaking in ____________. I’m sure the code stands for something though. 3.Nicolas, don’t _____________________ the computer! Other people want to use it too. 4.Man, you’ve got to do something about your __________________________________ Do you ever take a shower? 5.I took him to the party because he needed ______________________________________. 6.He would ____________________________ when the conversation turned personal.
3.Resilient __________ c.to increase the speed of 4.Manufacture __________ d.a journey undertaken by a group of people with a definite objective 5.Artificial __________ e.put together out of artificial or natural components or parts
7.They should _________ all that paperwork. 8.Don’t _______________and do something stupid every time something bad happens. 9.The government ______________________ to pressure from the industry. 10.She seems nice when you first meet her but be careful she is ____________________. Part 2 Fill in the blanks with the correct specialized vocabulary or confusing word. 1.Don’t worry it’s just an ________________. I’m not going to keep my beard. 2.The house was decorated in a very ______________________________ manner. 3.The question ‘female or ________________’ means ‘are you a woman or a man’. 4.He hasn’t ____________________________ this well for a long time. 5.Yahoo and Google are always in competition to be the most successful ______________________________________.
Part 1 Circle the correct answer. 1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text? a) Eskimos use their mother tongue only in social gatherings or religious ceremonies. b) Eskimos have abandoned their mother tongue due to the dominance of the English language. c) Among family members at home, the Eskimo language used to be the primary means of communication. d) Modern technological devices such as television are endangering the survival of the Eskimo language. 2.The Eskimo word for satellite ______________________________________. a) cannot be considered an example of ‘polysynthetic’ language b) is an indication of the corruption of the Eskimo language c) is formed by combining several short words d) is derived from a word which takes its origins from the environment 3.According to the text, the Eskimo language ________________________________________. a) has several words for each type of animal b) lacks words that describe natural features c) needs to enrich its vocabulary by borrowing English words d) contains a number of words that mean ‘hunting’ 4.In Greenland, the Language Commission _______________________________________. a) consists of a group of people from the Danish government b) struggles for the survival of the Eskimo language c) collects English and Danish words d) prevents the formation of new Eskimo words 5.The development of a word-processor keyboard in syllabics ___________________. a) may assist the preservation of the Eskimo language b) has been promoted by a Canadian organization c) has been a threat to the Eskimo culture d) has increased the sales of newspapers in Canada
Fill in the blanks with the correct letters. 1.to reach the end of the line _______ a.to be next to buy something b.to be in a hopeless situation c.to catch d.to save yourself 2.to be canned _______ a.to be contained b.to eat fruit c.to get fired d.to be preserved 3.to mope _______ a.to despair b.to walk slowly c.to talk slowly d.to cry loudly 4.make over _______ a.decoration b.purchase c.remodeling d.small change 5.to penny-pinch _______ a.to throw b.to squeeze
Activity: Vocabulary Choose a word above and match it to its definition below. acid rain - to destroy - smog - to pollute climate - emission - to recycle - global warming - forest - ozone layer
1.a mixture of smoke and fog .................. 2.gas which is sent out into the air ......... 3.water that falls from the clouds and contains harmful chemicals ..................... 4.to process used objects so that they
can be used again ..................................... 5.to damage something so badly that it no longer exists ......................................... 6.weather conditions of a particular place ........................................................... 7.it protects the earth from dangerous rays of the sun ........................................... 8.lots of trees form it ................................ 9.to make air, rivers etc. dirty .................. 10.the problem of the rise in temperature of the earth’s atmosphere ..........................
Phrasal Verbs:
Idiom of the Day Tail between one’s legs MEANING: feel beaten, ashamed(after a scolding etc.) EXAMPLE: He left the meeting with his tail between his legs after he was criticized by the president.
GO ON meaning: When you go on doing something, you continue doing it. example: He went on speaking for two hours. HOLD ON meaning: When you hold on, you wait. example: Please hold on a moment.
YESTERDAY’S ANSWER KEY:
ELEMENTARY: (Part 1) 1.c 2.d 3.b 4.c 5.c 6.c 7.b 8.c 9.a 10.d (Part 2) 1.T 2.F 3.F 4.F 5.T (Activity) 1.break 2.timetable 3.board 4.paper 5.pencilcase 6.pupil 7.classroom 8.janitor 9.exam 10.staff INTERMEDIATE: (Part 1) 1.F 2.T 3.T 4.F 5.F (Part 2) 1.d 2.b 3.a 4.e 5.c (Activity) a.3 b.10 c.7 d.2 e.5 f.9 g.4 h.6 i.1 j.8 ADVANCED: (Reading) 1.c 2.a 3.c 4.b 5.a 6.d 7.b 8.c 9.d 10.d (Activity) 1.bowl 2.spice 3.butter 4.oven 5.yoghurt 6.sink 7.whisk 8.flour 9.funnel 10.knife
Slang: B.O. meaning: Body odor, usually caused by sweating; an unpleasant smell coming from the human body. Pronounced ‘bee oh’. example: The taxi driver had such horrible B.O. that I almost passed out. Confusing Words In English: MALE VS MASCULINE Male is a noun it is the sex of a man or animal. For example: The male of the species is very lazy. Masculine is an adjective describing a quality or type of behaviour that is considered typical for a man For example: She’s a very masculine woman.
In cooperation with English Time
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SPORTS
Donadoni loses Italy job after Euro debacle Italy head coach Roberto Donadoni lost his job on Thursday following the world champion’s Euro 2008 quarterfinal defeat by Spain, the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) said. “The federation considers the contractual relationship with Roberto Donadoni to have run out at its natural expiry date,” the FIGC said in a statement on its Web site (www.figc.it). Rome, Reuters
FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2008
Ýstanbul resounded to proud chants of “Türkiye, Türkiye, Türkiye” early on Thursday as Turks waved national flags aloft despite their country's defeat against Germany in their Euro 2008 semifinal in Basel. After a raucous party atmosphere across Turkey's largest city before and during the match on Wednesday night, the thousands of fans gathered in bars and city squares were still bitterly disappointed after their team's impressive performance. “We were defeated by our own speciality,” said Erkan Teke, a 24-year-old waiter, in reference to the last-minute goal scored by Germany. The Turks had made their way to the semifinals through late goals scored against Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Croatia. The Turks looked to have repeated the feat on Wednesday when Semih Þentürk leveled for Turkey in the 86th minute but four minutes later Philipp Lahm turned the tables and scored to give Germany a 3-2 win. “It is the fate of Germany to win, “Teke said, adding the common view that if depleted Turkey had a full squad they would have beaten the Germans. Many said Turkey's performance had reinforced the country's success in the World Cup in 2002 when it reached the semifinals. “The Germans are known for their discipline and the Brazilians are known for their technique and now the Turks will be known for their fighting spirit,” said 21-year-old university student Faurk Buyukyoran. The Turkish media on Thursday was unanimous in heaping praise on the national team. “Brave hearts,” trumpeted daily Zaman on its front page, adding that despite the Euro 2008 exit, the Turks have made their mark on European soccer. “The champion of our hearts,” read the banner headlines on the front pages of both the Bugün and Sabah dailies, and “We can hold our heads up high,” was Star’s banner headline. In Germany, Berlin police reported no serious trouble after the match that was watched by hundreds of thousands of Germans and Turks around the city. A police spokeswoman said there had been 11 arrests for minor offenses at the “fan mile” in the center of the city, where an estimated 500,000 people had gathered to watch the eagerly-anticipated game on three giant screens. “I really must say I often had to catch my breath,” said Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was at the stadium in Basel. “Of course, I heartily congratulate our team.” Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman
For once it was the Turks who were left exhausted after an exhilarating finish, while Germany can look forward to Sunday's final in Vienna. There were a lot of things wrong with the way we played, said Germany’s Miroslav Klose. “We didn't do at all what we set out to do. We were always standing too far away from them. [But] we showed that we can always come back, and also that we can score a lot of goals even when we have few chances.” It is impossible not to feel sympathy for Turkey. Despite all the injuries and suspensions, coach Terim had stressed before the game that they would not be simply looking for a miracle, and his players responded with a fearless performance. “If we had made it to extra time we could have won,” Terim said. “We should never forget that we gave the Turkish people a lot. We would have loved to have given our people a final. The Germans have done just that for their fans, who were so
Turkish players in a dejected mood after losing to Germany 3-2 in a thrilling Euro 2008 semifinal match in Basel on Wednesday night.
disappointed when a team then coached by Juergen Klinsmann went out in the semifinals of their home World Cup in 2006. Going a stage further is a great achievement for his replacement Joachim Loew, a former Fenerbahçe and Adanaspor coach. But if the Germans are to land a fourth European Championship and their first major title since 1996 he will have to cut out this worrying tendency toward complacency. For most of an error-strewn match at St. Jakob Park, the Germans were too casual on the ball, too predictable in their movements and lacked the sort of patience you need to find the space and time to hurt a side defending with such concentration. They underestimated Turkey's ability in attack and made careless mistakes in defense, while creaking goalkeeper Jens Lehmann looked every one of his 38 years. And they got away with it because the one quality they did show was perseverance.
AP
Turkey coach Terim set to stand down Turkey national team coach Fatih Terim has said he will probably step down after his side was unlucky to lose 3-2 to Germany in the thrilling Euro 2008 semifinal clash. “Most probably after speaking to the federation president and the players I will choose to say, 'This is what I have done',” he told a news conference in Basel on Wednesday night. “I had declared earlier I would not be working in Turkey. I am a man who keeps my promises. So I will most probably go back to a European country.” But Turkish Soccer Federation (TFF) President Hasan Doðan has said they will do everything humanly possible to keep Terim. “We have talked to our coach and we plan talk more in detail,” Doðan said, adding, “We will not let Terim go.” Terim, who has coached Italian teams AC Milan and Fiorentina as well as Turkey's Galatasaray, however said a final decision would not be made immediately. The Turks reached their first European Championship semifinal with some thrilling displays in the tournament marked by late goals in the group and knockout stages. They dominated for much of the semifinal but Philipp Lahm snatched a 90thminute winner to send Germany to the final, where they will face Russia or Spain in Vienna on Sunday. Despite being unlucky, Terim was gracious in defeat. “I congratulate Germany for their win and wish them success for the final but I am proud of my players. We were able to show the world what a good team we are,” he said. “Sometimes when we win you could ask yourself if it was fair, too. This was the result and we have to accept it. I think we were the better side.” Turkey had four first-choice players suspended for the game and were riddled with injuries but Terim refused to make excuses. He even backed goalkeeper Rüstü Reçber, whose mistake led to Germany's second goal from Miroslav Klose. “I never used suspended or injured players as an excuse. I said I'd have 11 players out there and I had 11 players,” he said before talking about his keeper. “These things happen sometimes. They save a penalty or concede goals like that. When you concede a second goal you lose morale because we don't have experienced players; that was the impact of the goal Rüstü conceded. But we stand by him.” Ýstanbul/Basel Today’s Zaman
M. BURAK BÜRKÜK
Turkish soccer fans disappointed, but gracious in defeat
The Turks were beaten at their own game in Basel on Wednesday night. Fatih Terim's side had struck decisive goals in the last five minutes of each of their previous three wins -against co-host Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Croatia -- and looked to do so again at St. Jakob Park in Basel, Switzerland, when Semih Þentürk pulled them level at 2-2 with four minutes remaining. This time, though, the opponents had the last laugh, Philipp Lahm firing in a 90thminute goal as Germany won a thrilling semifinal 3-2. The Germans’ late show may have turned the tables on Turkey, but the Turks will be long remembered for the excitement they brought to the tournament with their never-say-die attitude. Their remarkable run is over, but they have left the Euro 2008 championship with their heads held high.
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OKAN UDO BASSEY ÝSTANBUL
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REUTERS
Turks beaten at theýr own game ýn semýfýnal
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Giants sign right guard Snee to contract extension Right guard Chris Snee has signed a six-year contract extension with the New York Giants, the Super Bowl champions said. Snee's deal, estimated by local media to be worth $43.5 million, will keep the Giants' formidable offensive line intact for the foreseeable future. New York, Reuters WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2008
Venus Wýllýams struggles agaýn agaýnst Brýtýsh opponent After a marathon first set lasting longer than many of her matches, defending champion Venus Williams overcame another erratic performance and pulled away to beat Britain's Anne Keothavong 7-5, 6-2 and reach the third round of Wimbledon on Thursday. For the second straight match, the four-time champion faced a modest British opponent in the day's opening contest on Center Court and was tested to the limit in the first set. The pattern and result were almost identical from her 7-6 (5), 6-1 win over Naomi Cavaday on Tuesday. The first set alone lasted 1 hour, 9 minutes as Williams struggled to take command against a determined 92nd-ranked player who came into the tournament with only one win at Wimbledon in seven attempts. “I lost a little bit of focus (in the first set) but got it back thankfully,” the American said. Williams jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead before lapsing into a flurry of errors that turned the set into a battle of attrition, with the fourth and fifth games taking more than a half an hour. Keothavong held for 2-2 after going to seven deuces, and then Williams saved eight break points in a game that went to 10 deuces, closing it out with a 124 mph (200 kph) service winner. They went back and forth on serve until Williams broke for the set in the 12th game, hitting a deep backhand return that forced a forehand mistake by Keothavong. Williams broke for 3-1 in
AP
Spain coach Luis Aragones has denied claims by Fenerbahçe that he has agreed to coach the Turkish club after the European Championship. Aragones said on Wednesday he was baffled by an announcement by the Istanbul team that it had entered into a “preliminary contract” with him. “I don't understand it because Luis hasn't signed anything with anyone,” Aragones told reporters in Vienna. Asked about what the news from Fenerbahçe meant for Spain before its European Championship semifinal against Russia on Thursday, he said: “I don't think its going to affect the players at all.” He called the report “just another news item,” adding that “sometimes they are true, sometimes they are not.” Aragones also denied he had been offered an extension to stay on as coach for Spain. Fenerbahçe had said earlier in the day that it will hire Aragones on a two-year contract, claiming on its Web site that it had made contact with the veteran coach and his four assistants. “Aragones will work as Fenerbahçe's new coach after the Euro 2008 finals,” the club said. The timing of the announcement was a surprise given that the 69-year-old Aragones was preparing for Thursday's Euro 2008 semifinal against Russia in Vienna, Austria. The move was reminiscent of Chelsea's announcement this month that it had hired Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. Vienna AP
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Coach Aragones denies he has agreed to join Fener
Defending champion Venus Williams
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the second set with another deep serve return and cruised the rest of the way to close it out in 1 hour, 44 minutes. Williams finished with six double faults and 26 unforced errors, 10 more than Keothavong. “I don't think she liked the way she played,” said Williams' mother and coach, Oracene Price. “Well, she wasn't doing the things she should do and knows she should do. It's good it's happening early on. She knows she's going to have to tighten it up.” The women's field lost one former champion, 1999 winner Lindsay Davenport, when she withdrew with a right knee injury before her second-round match against Argentina's Gisela Dulko. The 32-year-old Davenport had limped past Renata Voracova in three sets in her opening match on Tuesday and decided she wasn't fit to play after practicing Thursday morning. “It's just really inflamed and painful,” she said. “I rested all day yesterday and did treatment. After warming up, I felt like I was 25, maybe 30 percent. That's not good enough for a second-round match.” It was Davenport's 13th visit to Wimbledon and could be her last. Asked if she would be back next year, she paused and said: “I guess not. It did come into my mind today that it is my last chance to play here.” In other women's matches, 2004 champion Maria Sharapova was paired against fellow Russian Alla Kudryavtseva and No. 2-seeded Jelena Jankovic faced Spanish wild card Carla Suarez Navarro. Wimbledon AP