www.todayszaman.com - June 28, 2008

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Russia and the European Union launch long-delayed talks on a new cooperation pact at Russia summit

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Gülen attorney dismisses deportation claims as baseless

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James McAvoy plays a loser who transforms into an unparalleled assassin in the movie ‘Wanted’

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

EMRE DEMÝR

page08 Oil jumps to new record above $142 COURT DETECTS IRREGULARITIES IN CHP ACCOUNTS, PARTY OFFICIALS TO FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES

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Top court accuses CHP of fraud The Constitutional Court has completed an investigation into the accounts of the main opposition party, launched in the wake of illegal money transfer allegations, but although the court detected irregularities amounting to nearly YTL 1 million the party has escaped closure.

The top court announced yesterday that irregularities in Republican People's Party (CHP) accounts in 1998, 2004, 2005 and 2006 totaled YTL 930,000 and criminal complaints would be filed against those responsible for the party's records. An investigation was launched into the CHP's accounts after a scandal broke out over an illegal money transfer from the party to television station Kanaltürk.

Kanaltürk had been unable to account for the transfer of money amounting to $3.5 million from the CHP to the station, which led the Finance Ministry to send a dossier to the Constitutional Court and the office of the Supreme Court of Appeals chief prosecutor requesting an investigation into the CHP's accounts.

Just a few weeks later, the party was shaken by yet another alleged illegal money transfer scandal. Daily Yeni Þafak reported earlier this week that the CHP had transferred money to Halk TV, known for its pro-CHP broadcasts.

According to Yeni Þafak, the CHP transferred sums of $700,000 and YTL 500,000 to Halk TV in the last three-and-a-half years to pay the station's bills

for a satellite system and Digitürk, one of the two main cable TV providers in Turkey. The party also paid for devices and equipment used by the station.

According to Article 69 of the Constitution and Article 67 of the Law on Political Parties, political parties cannot engage in commercial activities.

Irregular expenses of around YTL 35,000 were detected in the CHP's accounts for 1998, YTL 268,000 for 2004, YTL 162,000 for 2005 and YTL 466,000 for 2006 during the investigation.

The Constitutional Court ruled that the CHP must pay the whole of these sums, nearly YTL 1 million, to the Turkish Treasury, but did not specify a date. The court also ruled that YTL

M. BURAK BÜRKÜK

PACE rains down rights criticism after thunderous warning

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The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) yesterday leveled fresh criticism against Turkey over its human rights practices, approving a report that criticizes practices of Turkish authorities which it says caused a massive migration of the ethnic Greek population of two Aegean islands.

The report, approved by a 32-11 vote, regrets that the “original” ethnic Greek population of the Gökçeada and Bozcaada islands had to migrate to Greece as a consequence of several measures by the Turkish authorities, such as the “closure of all Greek community schools, large-scale expropriations, various forms of harassment” as well as economic reasons.

Lamenting that large-scale migration left only a tiny population of 250 mostly elderly members of the Greek community on Gökçeada and 25 on Bozcaada, the report calls on Turkey to permit the reopening of at least one Greek community school on Gökçeada as soon as a sufficient number of ethnic Greek families with school-age children have committed themselves to resettling on the island. CONTINUED ON PAGE 04

Customs duty cut on lentils to combat speculation ERCAN BAYSAL, ANKARA Reduced lentil production due to drought has seen prices soar and sparked immediate action from the government to fight speculation and price increases in the forthcoming Ramadan. Lentils are among foods that see price rises during the month, which begins in September this year, and the Soil Products Office (TMO) and the government are preparing the market against speculation.

The government has decided to adjust customs tariffs following an increase in lentil prices by more than 100 percent and a decrease in production to one-fifth of the average. According to the Undersecretariat for Foreign Trade action plan, customs duty on legumes will be reduced from 19.3 percent to 5 percent. The plan also envisages the private sector importing lentils. CONTINUED ON PAGE 07

Turkey faces storm in economy over politics

North Korea blows up reactor cooling tower North Korea toppled the cooling tower at its plutonium-producing reactor on Friday in a symbolic move to show its commitment to a disarmament deal that comes a day after it submitted an inventory of its nuclear program. Responding to the unusual opening by Pyongyang, the United States has moved towards taking the North off its list of state sponsors of terrorism and issued a proclamation lifting some sanctions under the Trading with the Enemy Act. But experts say key questions remain about nuclear weapons and proliferation, and global powers still need to verify the claims in the declaration which details the amount of plutonium it had produced.

Video footage showed the some 20-meter (65-ft)high tower being brought down with a blast at its base that sent plumes of smoke into the air and left a crater of rubble and twisted steel. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

35,000 of property belonging to the CHP would be confiscated and handed over to the Treasury. Criminal complaints will be filed at the Ankara Public Prosecutor's Office against party officials responsible for the account fraud.

When the CHP's illegal money transfer to Kanaltürk was first revealed, analysts and legal experts said the deal between the party and the TV station contravened the Constitution and the Political Parties Law and that the CHP might therefore face legal action that could end in the party's closure. However Constitutional Court President Haþim Kýlýç stated yesterday that the irregularities would not lead to the party's closure. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Comeback kýng Turkey sets sýghts on 2010 World Cup Three times coming back to seal stunning victories, Turkey's taste for drama caught the eye at the UEFA Euro 2008 championship before their luck finally ran out against Germany on Wednesday night. No one can deny that Fatih Terim's team was among the greatest entertainers at the tournament.

With late goals helping to secure victories in their games against Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Croatia, the Turks tested the nerves of their fans at

the finals and were involved in some of the tournament's most dramatic matches, not least the 3-2 defeat against Germany that denied them a place in the final in Vienna on Sunday. Given that they went into that match with five players injured and four more suspended, even that result seemed incredible.

Terim's future may be in the balance as he considers a return to club soccer but the team he has helped to create is likely to form the nucleus of the

sides that will challenge for final places at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012, and fans can only hope that their never-say-die spirit will endure.

Terim expressed that ethos when he said: "There are two ways to live -- one is to believe everything is a miracle, the second is to believe nothing is a miracle. I belong to the second group." CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

EURO 2008 READIES FOR SUNDAY’S FINALE PAGE 19

Featuring news and articles from

Turkey's economy will be the first victim of political instability if a top court closes the ruling AK Party for Islamist activities and analysts say there is little the government can do to limit the damage. The Constitutional Court will hold hearings next week in a case brought by a prosecutor seeking to outlaw the party for anti-secular activities. The court is expected to announce its verdict in early August.

Banning a ruling party which won a sweeping re-election the previous year and has a majority of seats is unprecedented in Turkey, and would leave the country in uncharted political territory, with unforeseeable legal consequences. Analysts said the financial and economic impact of banning the party would be extremely bad, even if it did not result in a crisis like the one which hit Turkey in 2001, wiping 10 percent off the economy and destroying thousands of jobs. CONTINUED ON PAGE 08

27.06.2008

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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'm going to need Hillary by my side campaigning during this election, and I'm going to need all of you.

US presidential hopeful Barack Obama

CROSS READER

FATMA DÝÞLÝ

f.disli@todayszaman.com

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columns

W ORDS OF WISDOM

That's what we wanted, to be in the final. But there's an adversary called Germany that is going to be interesting.

Spain national team coach Luis Aragonés

Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.

Social democrats will warn the Kemalists MEHMET ALTAN, STAR

James Stephens

The social democracy we see across the world these days has been developed in a conflict between "bread and capital." In Turkey though, those still in pursuit of the old Republican People's Party (CHP) phobias find themselves circulating in the arena of the struggle between "secularism and Shariah." When the struggle between secularism and Shariah took the place of that between bread and capital, leftism in Turkey became its own sect of sorts. This alone is enough to explain why they are unable to help find solutions to the problems in our society. Why am I writing about this once again? Because it has emerged that the Socialist International (SI), which recently made the announcement that "the policies followed by the CHP are in keeping with socialist policies," has in fact prepared an official proposal to give a warning to the CHP. This is why the general leader of the CHP, Deniz Baykal, is not going to the SI meeting in Athens on Monday.

press roundup

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Týme wýll tell content of ErdoðanBaþbuð meetýng A surprise meeting between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and Land Forces Commander Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð earlier this week has led to speculation over what brought the two together at such a politically sensitive time for Turkey. Baþbuð is widely expected to succeed current Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar Büyükanýt when he retires in August. Some said this expectation even grew stronger after this meeting, while others suggested that this meeting demonstrated once again harmony between the government and military in fighting terrorism. No matter how this meeting is interpreted, the general idea is that the course Turkey takes in the coming days will make clear what was really discussed during the meeting.

Zaman's Mustafa Ünal thinks Erdoðan's meeting with Baþbuð at a time when some allegations have been made about the general show that the prime minister is not paying them heed and supports Baþbuð's nomination as the new chief of general staff. A secret meeting between Baþbuð and Osman Paksüt, a senior judge at the Constitutional Court, several days before a closure case was filed against Erdoðan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) had led to theories of military-judiciary cooperation to close the party. In Ünal's view, such allegations about Baþbuð are not strong enough to put his nomination at risk, because Erdoðan's government has never meddled in the promotions of military officers, though it has the authority to do so. "Are there any reasons that may lead the government to act differently this year? Not necessarily. It is true that the government faces the risk of closure and the banning of its senior members from politics. It is true that the results of the closure case will influence all. Thus all the developments in Ankara are related to each other. We can understand from the course of upcoming events what was said at the Erdoðan-Baþbuð meeting. Let's wait and see," Ünal says.

Star's Nasuhi Güngör terms the Erdoðan-Baþbuð meeting as the most significant meeting of the past few months, says the meeting will likely bear a direct influence on the new picture of the ambiguous political environment. He argues that even the current debates and political moves are influenced by this meeting. Referring to a statement released by the Prime Ministry Press Center saying the two discussed measures to be taken against terrorist activities in the days ahead and recent developments in the country, and also Baþbuð's confirmation this in his own statement, Güngör says this is indicative of consensus between the government and the military on fighting terrorism. "The concept of the fight against terrorism as emphasized by both sides highlights a new and longterm period of struggle against terrorism, and Erdoðan and Baþbuð are in consensus over this," says Güngör. About the effect of this meeting on politics and whether it signals a new step in the period when the ruling AK Party is facing closure, he says: "There is no doubt that a balance between the prime minister and a future chief of general staff will influence politics and change some circles' calculations. Let's see what this meeting will bring for the hot summer days," adds Güngör.

PRESS REVIEW

MESUT YILDIRIM

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A lot to learn about life...

ALÝ BAYRAMOÐLU, YENÝ ÞAFAK Yes, Turkey is currently passing through one of its most critical eras. We are besieged on all sides by an enormous struggle for power. The political arguments and fights are intensifying, the press is leading the front for societal polarization and people are now talking about formulas for "interim regimes," "interim periods" and "interim administrations." Yes, the Constitutional Court is expected to, at the least, render a decision in the case to close down the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The speculation is that this final decision will push Turkey even closer to the edge of political chaos. Interestingly, these kinds of problems are neither eliminated by distractions like soccer nor or the "small pleasures of life" (like wonderful matches) made meaningless by these problems. Life embraces all of this. You rise up, you fall down, you laugh, you cry, you are angered and then you relax.

Fans enthusiastically greeted the Turkish national team as the players returned to Turkey on Thursday after a riveting performance in Euro 2008. The players toured Ýstanbul by bus.

zaman:

"Stern warning from Europe: Closing down parties will be a blow to democracy," read the daily's lead headline yesterday, referring to a report adopted by the members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Thursday. The report said the council should consider reintroducing the monitoring of Turkey's human rights and democratic practices in light of a closure case filed against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). "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," said the report.

akþam:

"Where were we?" read the daily's top headline yesterday, saying the two dream-like weeks that saw victories by the Turkish national team in Euro 2008 are

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CM Y K

While they constantly repeat "let's not be divided," what they actually love is to divide. They have in fact divided the Turkish press into two. On one side, there are the "pro-government" newspapers, while on the other side there are the "papers against the government"-- or even the "newspapers in blind opposition to the government." This second group is working hard to have us included in the first camp, trying everything possible, even slander, but they have not been able to make the readers believe this yet. Of course, this is all really based on the underlying element of "trade" or "commerce." At the very least, it is shameful to try and dress "trade competition" in the costume of politics. I don't even want to say what this is at the very most. It is not only wrong, it is going astray onto a very ugly path. You might not love this particular government (I am not a huge fan myself), but you cannot distort the facts and topics at hand.

"We are at the heart of the world," read the daily's main headline yesterday, referring to the Turkish national team's return to Turkey on Thursday.

The squad flew in to Ýstanbul, where they received a hero's welcome, boarding a bus and touring the city.

Joyful citizens, waving Turkish flags, greeted the players and congratulated them for their success. Although the national team did not make the finals, its performance has drawn much admiration from both Turkey and the international community, Milliyet reported.

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over and that Turkey has to return to its normal agenda.

Turkey's victories made everyone forget all the political and economic problems, as well as the debates that had polarized the country, but busy days now await the country, reported the daily. The closure case filed against the ruling AK Party will be concluded this summer, and the identity of the new chief of general staff will be confirmed, noted the Akþam report. Just some of the developments that will put their mark on the upcoming months.

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TODAY’S ZAMAN 03

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KONYA ÇANAKKALE DÝYARBAKIR SAMSUN BURSA GAZÝANTEP ESKÝÞEHÝR MALATYA KOCAELÝ

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TODAY’S ZAMAN

ÝTÜ solar boat ranks 2nd at Solar Splash 2008

Ýstanbul Technical University's (ÝTÜ) solar boat team was recognized in 10 categories and ranked second overall at Solar Splash 2008, a collegiate solar boating competition. The ÝTÜ solar boat team, established by students of the School of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, participated in Solar Splash 2008, held this year June 18-22 in the US state of Arkansas, with their solar boat, Muavenet. The team ranked third in 2007 with the Nusrat, which takes its name

from a legendary minelayer that was used in Gallipoli during World War I. This year ÝTÜ improved its design even further and received 10 awards, including the Most Improved Team award, up from six awards last year.

The Muavenet -- ranked second overall, second in the 300-meter sprint, third in solar endurance, first in solar slalom -- was chosen as having an outstanding system design and as the most improved team of the competition. Ohio's Cedarville University team ranked first, and the

University of Arkansas came in third in the Solar Splash Competition, which has been held since 1994 and is hosted by the University of Arkansas.

The members of the ÝTÜ solar boat team are Münir Cansýn Özden, Ersin Demir, Berkin Kýlýç, Tuðrul Yýldýrým, Metin Aksu, Ýrfan Kaya, Enishan Özcan, Hüseyin Turhan, Emrah Adamey, Efe Koçtürk and Ýbrahim Albayrak. The ÝTÜ solar boat team was supervised by ÝTÜ School of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering professors Ömer

Doctor highlights early diagnosis in overcoming CCHF tracted the disease when they were splashed with blood from a CCHF patient as they were applying cardiac massage. "When the symptoms of the disease begin to appear, we started treatment and recovered. Now I do not have any complaints other than a slight tiredness.

My other three friends also overcame the disease."

Regarding the measures people should take to avoid the disease, Irmak said those who work in rural areas, in particular, should be tested if symptoms of CCHF emerge. "Each person bitten by a tick should not run to the hospital. The important thing is to go to hospital as early as the symptoms, such as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, present themselves," he said. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

PHOTOS

MEHMET KURU, CÝHAN

A doctor who contracted Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a disease carried by certain species of tick, while treating a patient, has stressed the importance of early diagnosis for overcoming the disease. CCHF has claimed the lives of 144 people in Turkey since it was first observed in the country in 2002.

Dr. Tarýk Irmak, from the infectious diseases department at Ankara's Numune Education and Research Hospital, spoke yesterday at a conference on recent developments in viral hemorrhagic fevers in Ýstanbul.

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Irmak explained how he contracted the disease and what measures should be taken against it.

He said he and three of his fellow doctors had con-

Hidden cameras have been found in Eskiþehir hospital exam rooms.

Hidden cameras in patient exam rooms under investigation MEHMET KURU ESKÝÞEHÝR

Three hidden remote sound and video transfer systems found in the patient examination rooms of a state hospital in the city of Eskiþehir have led to a police probe into the matter. Hospital personnel noticed unusual wires behind a radiator in an examination room while cleaning in the neurosurgery department of Eskiþehir Yunus Emre State Hospital and informed technical services. The hospital's technical personnel discovered the system and notified the hospital administration, which had no knowledge of such a system being in place.

A search revealed two similar systems in other patient examination rooms in the same department.

Officials said pictures obtained from the camera could have been transmitted to a computer near the hospital due to the transmitters' 200-meter range.

Eskiþehir Health Manager Hüseyin Fidan said they condemn the idea of placing cameras in patient examination rooms and will follow up on the investigation of the issue. "The hospital administration filed a complaint with the city's top security department for an investigation to reveal the responsible people behind this plot, which violates patient and physician privacy," Fidan said.

Muharrem Þenel, president of the Eskiþehir Physicians Association, said the situation is unacceptable from the point of human, patient and physicians' rights. He added that a complaint would be filed with the prosecutor's office over the incident.

CM Y K

Gören, Osman Kaan Erol, Ali Can Tekinacý and Vedat Temiz. The Yonca-Onuk shipyard, the Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM), the RMK Marine shipyard, the Dearsan shipyard, the Marintek Deniz ve Yat, Turkon Holding, Turkish Lloyd, Turkish Airlines (THY), Calibre CNC Propellers and Arma Diþ ve Gümüþel Rulman sponsored the Muavenet, named after a Turkish military boat that was hit by US ships during a joint military exercise in 1992. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

Lake Van glaciers melting, expert says Professor Ali Fuat Doðu, the head of Yüzüncü Yýl University's department of geography, has warned that the glaciers feeding water to Lake Van are rapidly disappearing.

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Professor Doðu said because the highest altitudes in Turkey are found in eastern Anatolia, most of the glaciers in the region are situated in close proximity to one another. Doðu said that apart from the area's leading glacial mountains, Cilo and Sat, and Mt. Ararat, they had also found glacial masses around the districts of Gevaþ and Bahçesaray in Van. "These glaciers are the main water sources for the region and the rivers feeding Lake Van, and they now display a considerable amount of melting," Doðu said, adding: "Our observations differ from previous reports on these areas from 30-40 years ago. These glaciers cannot survive another three years. We can clearly say that these glaciers are disappearing quickly."

Professor Doðu said once the glaciers are gone, Lake Van will be fed only by seasonal precipitation. "These glaciers used to balance the resources of Lake Van with the water they stored during arid periods. The water imbalance is likely to lead to a decrease in the water level of the lake, which will cause a change in the biological balance," he added. Professor Doðu also warned that every drop of water should be used carefully and that measures should be taken to prevent water shortages. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

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NATIONAL

Praising Turkey's ongoing efforts to resolve regional disputes, Alon Ben-Meir, journalist, author and professor of international relations, suggests that Turkey has "a golden opportunity" for the settlement of the Israeli-Palestine dispute.

Ben-Meir serves as senior fellow at the Center for Global Studies at New York University (NYU) and is the Middle East project director at the World Policy Institute in New York. He was in Ankara at the invitation of the Center for Strategic Research (SAM), a division of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, for a week of meetings with Turkish officials, as well as to promote the Arab Peace Initiative.

"Its good relations with everybody in the Middle East today is what I think that unique to Turkey," Ben-Meir said yesterday at a roundtable

meeting hosted by the International Strategic Research Organization (ISRO/USAK), when asked what made him believe that Turkey can play some role in the Middle East peace initiative.

"In last five or six years, it mended its relations with Syria, that's why it's able today to talk to Israel and Syria," he said, referring to Turkey-mediated indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria.

Earlier this month, Israel and Syria concluded a second round of indirect peace talks and agreed to continue the negotiations over the fate of the Golan Heights in July. Syria is demanding that Israel return the water-rich plateau, which Israel captured from it in 1967 in the Six-Day War. Israeli officials have repeatedly said a peace deal depends on Damascus distancing itself from Iran and severing ties with groups such as Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbullah.

"Turkey has good relations with Iran, it's very important. Turkey has good relations with Palestinians, both with the moderate as well as with the extremists, including Hamas. Turkey has excellent relations with state of Israel and has very good relations with Egypt and every single Arab country," he elaborated.

"That's a unique position; how many countries in the Middle East enjoy the same relationship with everybody else? None, not even the United States, not a single European country enjoys the same leverage that you have. Not the French, not the Germans, not the British and certainly not the even United States today, until the new president. ... Proximity, geography, relationship, everything matters, so that's why you have a golden opportunity to do it and that's why you are doing it," Ben-Meir said.

The senior fellow has asserted that the most momentous declaration to come out of the Arab world since Israel's inception in 1948 was the Arab Peace Initiative, launched in March 2002 in Beirut and readopted by the Arab League in Riyadh in March 2007.

"The Annapolis Middle East peace conference, held in November 2007, might have provided the impetus for continued negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and opened the door for negotiations between Israel and Syria. Considering, however, the volatility of the region and the existence of extremist groups who are bent on scuttling the peace process, these negotiations will ultimately collapse unless the Arab [Peace] Initiative, which represents the collective will of the Arab states, is fully behind them," Ben-Meir warns.

PACE raýns down rýghts crýtýcýsm after thunderous warnýng PHOTO

It also urges the Turkish authorities to "return expropriated land and buildings to their previous owners, whenever the land is not, or no longer, used for the public purposes for which it was expropriated."

The criticism came just one day after deputies voted on a report that issued a stern warning to Turkey on the future of its democracy. The report warned that a closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) could result in the re-imposition of monitoring of the European Union candidate country for its democratic and human rights practices. That, analysts agree, would mean the return of Turkey to the league of low-democracy countries on the European continent, where it was prior to 2004.

Even the talk of monitoring could mean serious risks for the fate of Turkey's accession talks as it gives opponents of Turkish membership perhaps the strongest ammunition to date to argue that Ankara's democracy is not mature enough for the EU. "This will be a weapon for opponents of Turkey such as [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel and [French President Nicolas] Sarkozy," Can Baydarol, an expert on EU affairs, told Today's Zaman.

The EU opened accession talks with Turkey in 2005 only after the Council of Europe, Europe's human rights watchdog, lifted monitoring on Ankara.

Given the already widespread public opposition in Europe against Turkish membership and objections from powerful politicians like Sarkozy and Merkel, monitoring by the Council of Europe of Turkey's compliance with European values of democracy is certain to deal a serious blow to Ankara's membership prospects and expand European criticism of its democratic practices.

In addition to harsh criticism of the AK Party closure case and a call for more action to improve conditions for the ethnic Greek population of the Aegean islands, PACE members also signed a motion for a resolution that criticizes Turkey for convicting a publisher under the infamous Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), the article that penalizes insulting "Turkishness." The document, introduced on Wednesday and signed by 21 PACE members, expresses regret that Turkish publisher Ragýp Zarakolu was sentenced to a term in prison in June under Article 301 following the publication of a book by an English intellectual on the Armenian question.

"The assembly considers that the continuing use of Article 301 to attack freedom of expression in Turkey is in violation of Council of Europe and other international conventions and norms sup-

EMRE DEMÝR

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EMÝNE KART ANKARA

AA

‘Turkey has golden opportunity to build Mideast peace’

Parliament Speaker Toptan met Ukrainian Prime Minister Tymoshenko on the last day of his visit.

Ukraine eager to host Erdoðan in 2008 Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko has voiced willingness to host her Turkish counterpart, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, in Kiev before the year ends.

Her remarks came yesterday in Kiev while meeting with Turkey's Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan, on an official visit to Ukraine. "We await Turkey's prime minister in Ukraine within the year," Tymoshenko was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.

Characterizing bilateral relations between Turkey and Ukraine as excellent, Toptan said that Ankara and Kiev's stances concerning regional and international affairs were similar.

"It is possible for us to improve our relations by taking encouragement from this," Toptan added. Noting that direct Turkish investment in the Ukraine totals $1 billion, while contract services by Turkish firms there amount to $2 billion, the speaker expressed pleasure that major companies from Turkey have been making significant deals with Ukraine.

"During a meeting with businessmen here, I saw that they are happy to invest in Ukraine. For this reason, I thank Mrs. Prime Minister. … Our relations will take on new momentum this year via visits by our prime minister and president," Toptan said.

While in Ukraine, Toptan also met with President Viktor Yushchenko and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Toptan, who was accompanied by a parliamentary delegation and his spouse, Saime, arrived back in Ankara later the same day. Ankara Today's Zaman

German-Turkish institute head fired after Jewish comparison porting freedom of expression," the document says and calls on the relevant committees of the assembly to "consider whether Turkey is in breach of the European Convention of Human Rights by maintaining Article 301 in its penal code."

Article 301 has been the most serious source of European complaints on issues of human rights in Turkey. But the tone of criticism changed dramatically after the closure case against the AK Party on charges of anti-secular activities. PACE made clear its differences with the state prosecutor who filed the closure case, saying the criteria of secularism cannot be applied to political parties and that there are several parties in Europe inspired by religion.

The PACE report has put AK Party lawmakers into a difficult situation; though unhappy about the closure case against their party, only three of the eight PACE members from the AK Party voted for the report, while the remaining five were absent in the voting. PACE members from Turkish opposition parties slammed the report before the vote, charging that it was dictated by the AK Party. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan was also absent, although he was invited by PACE to the session. Strasbourg/Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

‘No business as usual if AK Party closed down’ A senior European politician has reiterated that a possible closure of Turkey's ruling party will have consequences for Ankara's European Union membership process, rejecting Turkish criticism that Europe is interfering in the country's internal affairs by speaking out on the issue.

"To tell the truth, if the court disbands the Justice and Development Party [AK Party], EU negotiations would stall," said Joost Lagendijk, a member of the European Parliament who also co-chairs the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, the Anatolia news agency reported. Lagendijk was speaking yesterday during a visit to the southern province of Hatay. "We cannot sympathize with the closure of the AK Party, which

came to power with 47 percent of the popular vote," he said.

He said everyone should know that the EU would not remain silent to the closure of a political party in Turkey.

"The European Parliament has made its position clear on this issue. Our goal is not to intervene in the court's ruling or interfere with Turkey's internal affairs. But we cannot act as if nothing had happened," Lagendijk said.

He also said the European Parliament has reacted against a closure case against the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), but that the differences between the DTP and the AK Party, which was reelected with a strong popular mandate last July, should also be acknowledged. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

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Ruling Pakistan People's Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has stated that he will discuss Turkish democracy at a meeting of the Socialist International (SI), an international organization of socialist, social democratic and labor political parties, at the end of this month.

Zardari, on a six-day foreign tour, met with President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan yesterday on cooperation between the two traditionally friendly countries.

He also announced that he would talk about Turkish democracy when he attends an upcoming congress of the SI in Athens. "I will provide some information about the Turkish democracy at the Socialist International congress," Zardari told reporters after a oneand-a-half-hour meeting with Erdoðan. "I will discuss advancement of the Turkish democracy with officials there," he added.

It was not clear what Zardari had in mind regarding the state of Turkish democracy, which is going through a troubled period over a closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK

MEHMET KAMAN

Pakistan’s Zardari to brief Socialist International on Turkish democracy

Pakistan’s Zardari (L) meets with PM Erdoðan for one and a half hours.

Party). The leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), which is a member of the SI, has not confirmed whether he will be attending the congress in Athens amid reports that the glob-

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al organization is preparing to warn his party about its undemocratic conduct and noncompliance with the principles of the SI. Several news reports have indicated that the SI is preparing a motion to issue a warning to the CHP at its 23rd meeting, which will be held in Athens from June 30 to July 2. CHP leader Deniz Baykal, one of the vice presidents of the SI, is not planning to attend the meeting in order to avoid criticism, news reports suggest.

Zardari, husband of slain Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, said there was a democratic government in power in Pakistan, but added that the country still has a long way to go to achieve its goals for development and democracy. Zardari also met with Baykal, but no statement was issued afterwards.

The Pakistani people and the government are committed to improving ties with Turkey, said Zardari. Turkish newspaper reports said with his visit, Zardari seeks to improve business ties with Turkey and wants to attract Turkish investments in his country, particularly in areas of construction and energy. Ankara Today's Zaman

A German institute of Turkish studies sacked its Turkish-born director after he compared the lot of the Turks in Europe today with Jews under the Nazis.

The Essen-based Center for Turkish Studies (TAM, ZfT in German), funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, said on Thursday that it had decided to dismiss Faruk Þen for his comment and previous remarks that presented a distorted picture of relations between Turks and Germans in Germany. Þen had contributed to polarization rather than integration, the institute's central aim, it said. For his part, Þen, who has led the well-known institute since its founding in 1985, said he would launch a legal appeal. Þen, in the Turkish newspaper Referans more than a month ago, referred to the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany and said that since World War II, Turkish immigrants to Europe had become the "new Jews."

"Although our people, who have lived in central and western Europe for 47 years, have produced 125,000 entrepreneurs with a total turnover of 45 billion euros, they are discriminated against and marginalized like the Jews, albeit to differing degrees and in different ways," Þen wrote.

The article, first published last month, aimed to highlight anti-Semitism in Turkey, Þen said. It was reproduced in part by Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Tuesday.

In a statement on the TAM Web site on Tuesday Þen said he had written the article to draw attention to media attacks against Turkish-Jewish businessman Ýshak Alaton but that he had been wrong to make a comparison with the Nazi era.

"In the article I made a comparison between the persecution of the Jews during the Nazi period and the situation of people of Turkish origin in Europe today, which in its lack of differentiation ... is unacceptable," Þen said.

"Although in my view people of Turkish origin in Europe do suffer considerable marginalization in society, no comparison with the persecution of the Jews can be made," he added.

Some 2.7 million people of Turkish origin live in Germany, more than in any other country in Western Europe. TAM's stated goal is to promote German-Turkish relations and raise awareness about Turkish migrants in Europe. It also helps advise the German government on immigration policy. Ankara Today's Zaman with wires

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Women exposed to violence tend to return home Women who seek refuge at women’s shelters from spousal abuse tend to return to their abusive home environments, Interior Ministry research has shown.

“Women who come to shelters have usually been exposed to extreme violence. They each have a different story but share a common feature, which is that they don’t have economic independence. When they reach the shelter, they are usually in a traumatic state. They receive help at the shelters to deal with their problems,” said Nazik Iþýk, coordinator for a ministry project to open shelters for women in eight more Turkish cities.

After recovering from the shock of their ex-

perience, women decide what the next step in their lives will be, Iþýk explained. “They either go to live with their relatives, decide on a new beginning by themselves or go back to their homes. However we’ve found that 70 percent of those women who have been exposed to violence go back homes to the spouses who treated them badly, mostly because they can’t take many chances with their children and without income.”

Iþýk said shelters played roles of crucial importance in many women’s lives because they give women the courage and support to stand up against violence. Already, 38 women’s shelters exist in 29 provinces, but even with the ad-

dition of eight more, this is not enough, Iþýk says. According to the rules, women can stay at the shelters for a maximum three months and only in special circumstances can their stay be extended. Women usually go to the shelters with their children.

Women exposed to violence are usually also economically exploited and therefore are forced to take refuge in shelters. Iþýk said that when poverty increases, so, too, does violence against women. She notes that violence in relationships usually presents itself after the initial stages of the relationship, but once it occurs, it usually continues. “A woman exposed to violence once can never say it won’t happen

again, because research shows it happens over and over again. Once it happens it is usually repeated,” she said.

The situation can be reversed if spouses receive family therapy, Iþýk said, but women usually are unable to convince their husbands to do so and Turkey lacks a sufficient number of family therapists.

Iþýk said women who have been exposed to violence should call 183 to get guidance and seek a solution to the problem early on.

To combat violence against women, Iþýk emphasized a need for education, reduction of poverty and women’s empowerment and economic independence. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

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Oran to SI: CHP disgrace for democratic left, end ties with them

Professor Baskýn Oran

Professor Baskýn Oran, a political scientist who ran as an independent social democrat candidate in last year’s general election, has called for the Socialist International (SI) to “end all formal ties” with the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Amidst reports suggesting that the SI is preparing a motion to issue a warning to the CHP at its 23rd congress, which will be held in Athens from June 30 to July 2, Oran is the second person from Turkey to write an open letter to the SI asking that the CHP be expelled from the group.

In his letter, Oran said: “My university years as a student were much thrilled by the ‘Left of Center’ policy that CHP espoused in [the] late ‘60s and I strongly supported it like many university youth. Now I understand this was only a temporary tactical move by the leaders of this party in order to get the votes of the Left which was on the rise all over the world then. But one must concede that political parties may from time to time use tactical moves like this. The problem is not with this past but with the present stance of this party, which is not tactical but very much strategic and fundamental: [the] CHP is, since many years, the fortress of the staunchest sort of Kemalist nationalism which pretends that the principles of the 1930s are ‘unchangeable.’ Defending Jacobinism in the ‘30s was surely a progressive stand but is a very reactionary one in the 21st century.”

Oran indicates in his letter that he has never been a member of any political party and that his work under the Prime Ministry, writing its “Minority and Cultural Rights Report” in 2004, was persecuted under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). He goes on to explain that his father, a lawyer born in 1890, was a CHP member and a deputy from Ýzmir and that his childhood and early youth were imbued with the

principles of the CHP, and secularism in particular.

However, he states that the CHP has become an extension of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), “which strives, under the pretext of ‘national security’ to continue to deny the infra-identity of the citizens, thereby denying democracy itself which it considers to be nothing but the ‘erratic consciousness of shapeless and ignorant masses that Kemalism should correct when necessary.’” Oran also stated that the CHP is now the most conservative and reactionary of all political parties in the Turkish Parliament and a stumbling block to Turkey’s EU candidacy.

Haluk Özdalga, now a deputy from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) but formerly involved in social democratic parties for 25 years, sent a letter to SI leaders on Monday, arguing that the CHP and its leader, Deniz Baykal, “represent some of the most pernicious anti-democratic and anti-reformist forces working in Turkey today.” Özdalga went on to claim that Baykal and the CHP persistently encourage and provoke the military to interfere with the work of 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,” and not for the AK Party.

CHP Deputy Chairman Onur Öymen has denied that the CHP has been having problems with the SI, adding that the CHP has not yet decided whether or not Baykal, one of the vice presidents of the SI, will attend the congress. Öymen also claimed that the AK Party and some of its supporters have been plotting against the CHP in Europe.

According to SI regulations, a party can be expelled only by a two-thirds majority vote at the SI congress. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

By-election an opportunity for former politicians to return to office ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA

Turkey, whose ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is facing likely closure by the country’s Constitutional Court over charges of anti-secularist activities, is preparing for by-elections that could prove to be a one-time opportunity for former politicians wiped off the political scene at ballot boxes years ago.

The AK Party is facing charges of being a “focal point” of Islamist activity, filed in March by Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalçýnkaya. Yalçýnkaya also seeks to introduce bans from party politics on 71 former and current members of the AK Party, 38 of whom are currently parliamentary deputies.

If the Constitutional Court rules to shut down the party, Turkey will have a by-election.

Unlike regular elections, a parliamentary threshold of 10 percent is not required in by-elections in Turkey, which could mean that former Prime Minister Tansu Çiller, former Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Þener, Workers’ Party (ÝP) leader Doðu Perinçek, Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) leader Erkan Mumcu and Young Party

(GP) leader Cem Uzun, whose parties gathered too few votes to get over the barrier in the last election, could return to Parliament. Þener, also a former AK Party member, currently teaches at the Economy University opened by the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) and is seen as likely to run in any by election as an independent candidate from the province of Sivas. The fact that the prosecutor has placed current AK Party Sivas deputy Selami Uzun on the indictment list increases Þener’s chances of election.

According to sources close to Çiller, the former prime minister was extended an offer to return to politics from Democrat Party (DP) leader Süleyman Soylu in May. Observers say the fact that Çiller’s fiercest rival in the past, Mesut Yýlmaz, is currently an independent deputy from Rize is incentive enough for her to accept the challenge. Çiller did not refuse the DP offer but said it would be worthwhile to wait a little longer. Sources say the chances of her making a comeback when the AK Party is shut down are very high. She might consider running as an Ýstanbul independent candidate, observers suggest.

Perinçek of the ÝP, currently under arrest pending trial as part of the investigation into Ergenekon -- a gang that allegedly used its illegitimate but established ties to individuals in the military and other state agencies to organize a coup against the AK Party -- is also making plans to run as an independent. If elected, he will not only get out of jail but also gain parliamentary immunity from legal processes for the next four years. Perinçek also hopes to run as an independent from Ýstanbul, with support from other neo-nationalist political formations.

Uzan, whose GP won 7 percent of the vote in the 2002 general elections, causing both the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the True Path Party (DYP) to fall below the election threshold, is planning to run as an Ýzmir independent, sources say. His GP has a strong standing in Ýzmir, where he is most likely to get elected to Parliament, analysts note.

Mumcu, the leader of ANAVATAN, which recently postponed a party congress planned for July 6 to October, this year is seeking to run as an independent from Isparta. However many say it is unlikely for him to be elected from that region and that he may change his plans.

Babacan to invite African leaders to Turkey Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has said he will invite African leaders to a summit in Turkey in August. Babacan, who attended a meeting yesterday of foreign ministers of the African Union in Sharm elSheikh, Egypt, met with his counterparts from a number of countries, including Ghana, Mozambique, Egypt and Palestine.

“This is the first time Turkey has attended a meeting of the African Union on the ministerial level,” he told reporters. “Turkey became a strategic partner of the African Union in January. We will periodically hold African Union summits in Turkey, with the first taking place in August. My visit to Sharm el-Sheikh aims at inviting African leaders to Turkey for that meeting. We are also

targeting further improvement in our bilateral relations with African nations,” Babacan was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.

The African Union is an intergovernmental organization comprising 53 African nations.

Turkey, Japan, India and the People’s Republic of China are the union’s strategic partners. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

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National Security Council takes up energy issues The National Security Council (MGK) gathered on Thursday to discuss such varied topics as Turkey’s increasing energy needs, the fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and recent developments in Iraq.

Turkey’s growing energy demand and energy policies made their mark on the group, as indicated in a statement released after the meeting.

“We have tackled the general outlook of the energy sector in Turkey and Turkey’s policies related to energy security,” the statement said.

The gathering, which lasted over five hours, was held at the Çankaya Presidential Palace. It was attended by President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar Büyükanýt and other MGK members. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Güler also participated in the meeting, briefing the participants on his ministry’s projects related to the construction of thermal power plants.

“As part of efforts to meet our country’s increasing energy needs, decrease our dependence on imports and fight climate change, we discussed ways of benefiting from national and renewable energy resources to a greater extent, increasing cooperation with neighboring countries in the field of energy and allowing Turkey to assume a significant role in the energy sector,” the statement said. The MGK meeting came on the same day Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Agency (EPDK) 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 consumption will rise by 22 percent as of July 1. The 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 council also discussed measures to be taken in the days to come against terrorism and terrorist organizations. The MGK vowed to continue its successful operations against terrorist and separatist organizations with the same determination. It also evaluated cross-border operations against the outlawed PKK in northern Iraq, where terrorists find a safe haven from which they can launch attacks against Turkish soldiers and civilians. Prime Minister Erdoðan’s planned visit to Iraq was among the topics discussed during the gathering as well.

Though Turkish officials have declined to announce a date for Erdoðan’s visit to Iraq due to security considerations, news reports have said the visit will most likely take place next week. The visit will be the latest high-level contact between Turkey and Iraq after a landmark visit by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to Ankara in March.

“Turkey’s cooperation with Iraq aims to contribute to the meeting of fundamental needs of the Iraqi people and the restoration of stability in Iraq and the region,” read the statement.

The council also evaluated a report adopted on Thursday by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Europe’s human rights watchdog, which warned Ankara that Turkey might return to the ranks of under-performing democracies in the near future due to a malfunctioning of state institutions vis-àvis democratic principles.

The report had said the council should consider re-imposing monitoring of Turkey in relation to its protection of human rights and democratic practices if necessary in the face of a closure case launched against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

The MGK statement, however, did not include any comment on the PACE report. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

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Dink’s first and only book published

Turkey has trouble facing legacy of 1980 military coup AP

Haným Tosun, believes her husband, Fehmi, disappeared under police custody. The last time she saw him was in 1995 and his disappearance is still a mystery.

push for transparency and an entrenched tendency to override the rights of individuals who are seen as threats to the state.

Elements of this conflict are evident in Turkey’s current political divide, in which the top court, a bastion of the secular elite, is considering whether to ban the Islamist-rooted ruling party, which has a strong majority in Parliament. Both sides in the dispute claim to be champions of the democratic ideals enshrined in the Constitution, itself the byproduct of a 1980 military coup.

The US State Department said in March that there were no reports of “politically motivated disappearances” in Turkey last year, but cited other problems including torture and some instances of unlawful killings by security forces. The European Commission has said “legislative safeguards” were improving Turkey’s human rights situation, citing a “downward trend” in torture cases.

Turkey has said state-sponsored abuses were not systematic at the height of the battle with militants in the 1990s, despite evidence of atrocities by both sides. Officials suggested that some who disappeared did so by choice as members of underground

groups and that others perished in internal conflicts between rival separatist factions.

In some cases, the government has agreed to pay settlements and acknowledged inadequate inquiries. Families that took these deals had mixed feelings, pleased with winning a concession but aware that the government considered the cases closed to deeper inquiry.

The family of Fehmi Tosun went to the European Court of Human Rights, whose decisions are binding on Turkey. The court withdrew from the case after Turkey agreed to pay 40,000 euros in a so-called friendly settlement.

Fehmi Tosun was grabbed around 7 p.m. on Oct. 19, 1995, and his wife provided the license plate of the car to police. She was alerted to the abduction by one of her children, and cited witnesses as saying the kidnappers had walkie-talkies. “I went out to the balcony and saw their shadows,” Haným Tosun said. “Then I saw a white car. My husband was being dragged into it. He raised his head and called for help, saying that they were kidnapping him and going to kill him. ... He was trying not to get in the car. One of the men had a gun. My son ran downstairs. I

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Haným Tosun last saw her husband Fehmi in 1995 as he was being dragged into a car outside their home by men in civilian clothes who she is convinced were government agents.

His disappearance is among hundreds of old allegations of state-linked abductions and murders in a country that -- even as it seeks entry into Europe’s club of democracies -- seems unable or unwilling to fully confront its history of authoritarianism.

The culprits in these cases will probably never be identified. Back then, investigations were few and convictions fewer, and now there is little appetite to delve into the ugly past.

Turkey has curbed the worst excesses of its security forces, with the help of Western-style reforms and a drop in combat with Kurdish separatists and other militants. But authorities still deny official involvement in 1990s-era “disappearances” or summary executions of Kurds and leftists allegedly taken into government custody -- who are estimated to number 800 by one Turkish rights group.

Some families of the disappeared still are pursuing the cases, but they are a minority since challenging the Turkish state can lead to prosecution and jail time. “This cause will never end for me,” said Tosun, whose husband had spent three years in prison for links to the Kurdish separatist group Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) before his abduction. “If this is a state run by the rule of law, then they should return the body.”

Last month, she attended a forum on the missing held by the Human Rights Association (ÝHD), a Turkish NGO. Tosun belonged to the Saturday Mothers, a group that gathered weekly holding up photos of the missing in protests similar to those held by relatives of those who vanished in the so-called Dirty War in Argentina in the 1970s and ‘80s.

The Turkish group ended rallies in 1999 after a police crackdown. The demonstrators, who were sometimes arrested, claimed the publicity contributed to a virtual end to such disappearances. The European Union says Turkey, which has a history of military coups, must improve its human rights record if it wants to be a member. Progress has been notable if uneven. Turkey is torn between the reformist

did the same too, but I was slower.”

The family of Hasan Ocak, a leftist with alleged links to illegal groups, last spoke to him on March 21, 1995, when he telephoned to say he would bring fish home for dinner. His body, with signs of torture, was found in a cemetery two months later. Ocak disappeared during a period of deadly clashes between police and protesters in Ýstanbul. Detainees later said they had seen him at the anti-terrorist branch of the security forces in the city. Ocak had previously been detained and tortured, according to his family.

In 2004, Europe’s human rights court said Ocak’s family should be paid 25,000 euros because Turkey had failed to adequately investigate his death, but added it could not conclude that the state had killed him. Like Tosun’s family, Ocak’s family took the money, but still argued that justice still had not been achieved.

“What we wanted was prosecution of those who were really responsible,” said Ocak’s sister, Maside. She said the ruling amounted to a political “gesture” to a candidate for EU membership. “It is fortunate that we have a grave to visit because other people don’t even have that,” Maside said. AP

An international foundation that was founded to promote Turkish-Armenian relations following the 2007 murder of famous Turkish-Armenian writer and journalist Hrant Dink, has published Dink’s first and only book.

The International Hrant Dink Foundation’s publicity cocktail for the book “Two Close Nations, Two Distant Neighbors” was held on Thursday at the Tütün Deposu in the Tophane quarter of Ýstanbul, with the attendance of the murdered journalist’s wife, Rakel, his daughter, Sera, Etyen Mahçupyan, who took over the post of editor-in-chief of the Armenian daily Agos after Dink’s demise, and a number of other journalists, academics and intellectuals, such as Ali Bayramoðlu, Prof. Ahmet Ýnsel, Eþber Yaðmurdereli and Hakan Tahmaz.

The guests at the cocktail had their copies autographed by Rakel Dink.

The 104-page book was readied for publication

by Mahçupyan, who said it was Mensur Akgün, the director of the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation’s (TESEV) Foreign Policy Program, who had requested that Dink write such a book. He said that the book ended up having a tone that was in line with Dink’s approach, rather than what Akgün had requested. “So Akgün wanted some changes to be made to the book, as it was, to him, ‘a little far’ from the reserved stance he had initially intended it to have. However, he later said that publishing the book had now become an issue of paying homage to Dink and that it would be better if it was published by the International Hrant Dink Foundation,” Mahçupyan explained.

In a short speech, Rakel Dink said: “We live on for the continuity of that courageous voice. He used to speak out for justice without asking questions or questioning things. We should follow in his footsteps for the sake of justice. Let my husband’s ears ring.”

“Hrant Dink never wrote a book. He used to make fun of this situation, saying, ‘I’m a writer without a book.’ This humorous approach also points to the fact that Hrant was a man of action. As the founder and editor-in-chief of Agos, he developed a style and a way of action, primarily on Turkish-Armenian relations, one of the main problems in Turkey. He also contributed to the democratization process in Turkey,” according to the poster that invited people to the publicity cocktail. In the book, Dink talks about the importance of Turkish-Armenian relations.

He writes that he dedicated the book to the Armenians, Turks and Kurds killed during the forced migrations of 1915. “Are we going to act like the perpetrators of the great disasters of the past or are we going to write new pages in a way befitting a civilized person by extracting lessons from those errors? This is the biggest responsibility incumbent on us. It’s my most important duty to make efforts for the improvement of Turkish-Armenian relations,” he writes.

The book also notes that the biggest step in Turkish-Armenian relations was taken by the late founder and leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Alpaslan Türkeþ. “The unobtrusive meeting of Alpaslan Türkeþ, the most hawkish man in Turkey, and Armenian President Petrosyan in France was an important step in that sense. This meeting was, of course, not official. However, it is a fact that it was more important than the official ones.

It turned out to be an important balancing factor.”

Ministry launches conservation campaign

Alaaddin Varol (L) meets with Elena Manzoi in Ankara.

ÝBRAHÝM ASALIOÐLU ANKARA

Pippa Bacca’s mother thanks Turks for support The mother of an Italian artist who was murdered in April in Turkey paid a visit yesterday to the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) Çankaya district branch in Ankara, which sent her a plaque on the occasion of Mother’s Day. Elena Manzoi, mother of Giuseppina Pasqualino di Marineo, also known as Pippa Bacca, met with AK Party Çankaya district branch head Alaaddin Varol and thanked him for the plaque and the close interest the Turkish public showed in the aftermath of her daughter’s murder.

The young woman was found dead on April 12 in a forested area of Gebze. She was hitchhiking to the Palestinian territories dressed in a wedding gown as part of a project, “Brides on Tour,” aimed at advocating peace in conflict areas.

Her death drew strong condemnation from both Turkey and the international community.

Manzoi presented Varol with a booklet bearing a photo of her daughter taken only three days be-

FATÝH VURAL ÝSTANBUL

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Diminishing natural resources and an increasingly volatile energy market have led the Education Ministry to develop a project for primary schools to promote sustainable living.

In the Leave Energy for the Future project, planned by the General Directorate of Primary Education and to be implemented in the 2008-09 school year, participating schools will be rated in 29 areas on a 100-point scale based on efficiency and awareness of water, electricity and heating usage for two years.

The schools, which will take steps to prevent unnecessary consumption, are expected to take measures such as installing motion-sensitive lighting systems, regularly checking for leaking taps and toilets, and installing insulation. Schools that achieve over 90 points will be awarded a Leave Energy for the Future flag and certificate.

The Education Ministry is targeting full participation of primary schools in the project and has sent notices out regarding energy-saving measures. Schools will be informed about the project and then those that have completed the water and energy conservation measures will send in their project application forms between Feb. 1 and 28, 2010. The participating schools will then be visited and graded according to which measures they have successfully implemented.

As a part of the project, participating schools will also put in rain-catchment systems and install roof and window insulation. Students will be informed about water and energy conservation in seminars, panels and conferences, while environmentally linked painting, writing and poetry contests will be held and energy efficiency clubs will be established.

fore her death and including the lyrics of songs sung at the artist’s funeral. “We are working to spread Pippa’s message to the entire world, to achieve her goal,” Manzoi told reporters after meeting with Varol. She added that she wanted her daughter’s message of friendship and brotherhood to become immortal.

Manzoi said her child had wanted to achieve peace from little things that form the life of a woman. “Big ideologies always create divisions and polarizations among people. Caring for each other and aiming for peace will be in favor of humanity. Cooperation with this goal in mind is very crucial for humanity.”

She emphasized that she was sure the Turkish public was good and ill-intentioned people exist all around the world, also voicing her confidence in the Turkish judiciary to punish her daughter’s murderer. “We hope such an incident will not take place again,” added Manzoi. Ankara Today’s Zaman

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BUSINESS

TODAY’S ZAMAN 07

S AT U R D AY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 0 8

Contractors consider suing TOKÝ for unfair competition FATÝH KARAKILIÇ BURSA

Representatives of the Turkish construction sector are considering filing suit against the Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKÝ) for what they have characterized as unfair competition.

While TOKÝ's projects and efforts previously had been focused on building affordable housing for those in lower income brackets, TOKÝ is now also becoming involved in the construction of luxury housing as well as roads, schools and bridges, a move that has not been well received by the construction sector.

A drop in demand as well as an extreme rise in the price of construction materials has pushed the construction sector into competition with TOKI. Recently, a group of Bursa construction sector representatives gathered to discuss this matter and other significant problems facing them.

Among those in attendance was Contractors Association President Sabit Çakmak, who pointed out that since Turkey is a state of law, there needs to be an organized move to bring TOKÝ to court for the harm it is inflicting on the construction sector. Tuncer Dikensak, the president of the Union of

Building Inspection Organizations, also noted that it is necessary to take TOKÝ to court and that his group would support all the other suggestions made at the meeting.

Architects' Chamber President Þenol Þimþek said what is needed is a broadly inclusive civil city council for Bursa, and that outside of this, there is no way to solve the problems facing the city in the construction sector.

In the meantime, also present at the Bursa meeting was Kamil Dalgýç, the president of Emir-Koop, who said while the problems facing the construction sector were already well known, the solution should involve holding a press conference attended by all available sector representatives, and that in this way the public and local authorities could be properly warned about the true dimensions of the problem.

A proposal for a meeting that would involve all available deputies was put forward by Construction Overseers and Qualified Workers Association President Ömer Geçici. He noted that the problems facing the construction sector in Bursa should be presented to the politicians in attendance at this meeting, with sector representatives then requesting that the politicians follow up on these issues.

Legislation to assist construction sector insufficient, say contractors Turkish Union of Contractors President Erdal Eren has voiced the complaint that Turkish contractors were not satisfied with the legislation that aims to make up for the higher prices in the construction sector as a result of the higher prices of iron and fuel by implementing price differentiation principles in certain projects. Eren said the scope of the legislation was too narrow. In a statement made to the Anatolia news agency yesterday, Eren noted that the decree did in fact cover contractors working in certain sectors.

Eren said he believed that both Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan

and the administration had strong determination on the issue, but that this determination hadn't been reflected in the legislation aimed at helping the construction sector. "The hopes of some of our contractors who are facing serious problems, to the point that some of them are about to go out of business, were placed in this legislation. Our contractors, during a period when the construction sector should actually be incredibly active, are now at the point of not being able to work. What we want is for this unfairness and unjust treatment to be eliminated," he stated.

Customs duty cut on lentils to combat speculation Canada to purchase 15,000 tons of lentils, a low amount, but ministry officials say Canada's lentil harvest season has not yet begun.

Turkey's annual consumption of red lentil is 340,000 tons.

Having produced 580,000 tons of red lentil last year, exports were possible, but drought has decreased production to an estimated 100,000 tons this year and led to price increases.

Authorities say the drought alone has caused red lentil production to fall nearly 300,000 tons this year. Lentil exports have been restricted: yesterday's Official Gazette states that lentil exports are only allowed with prior permission from the Undersecretariat for Foreign Trade.

Thai rice shipment on the way In order to maintain the price of rice, recently the subject of a manifold price spike caused by speculation, the TMO held a tender for the import of 20,000 tons of rice from Thailand. The shipment is expected to arrive in Turkey in late July or early August. With the additional supplies, the TMO will keep rice prices at YTL 1.8 per kilogram until the end of this year. The TMO will provide rice to markets and at 177 points of sale in a move aimed to combat speculation.

PHOTO

CÝHAN

contýnued from page 1 These measures are expected to lower the price by 15 percent.

Sold for YTL 1 per kilogram last year, the price of lentils has increased to YTL 2.3-3 this year and hit YTL 4.5-5 within the last month.

The average price of lentil fluctuates from $1.4 to $1.6 (YTL 1.7 to YTL 1.9) per kilogram and after coming to Turkey, it climbs up to YTL 2.3. The world's leader in red lentil production is Canada, but Turkey and Syria also produce it, though they have in recent years been unable to export it due to severe drought experienced by both countries.

The TMO has been appointed to handle red lentil imports (shelled or unshelled) by the Cabinet. The TMO will turn to

YTL 440 million in Ýstanbul social security debt restructured In the first month following the May 26 Social Security Institution (SGK) decision to restructure premium debts, YTL 300 million in default premium debt to the Social Security Authority (SSK) were restructured in Ýstanbul alone. Ýstanbul's default premium debt constitutes 40 percent of the SGK's total receivables. Including the restructured YTL 140 million from the Social Insurance for the Self-Employed (Bað-Kur) debt, the total amount restructured has reached YTL 440 million. SGK Ýstanbul Manager Mustafa Kurucan told Today's Zaman yesterday that they aimed to have 90 percent of the total debt in Ýstanbul restructured at the end of the process, a figure that stands at about YTL 2.5 billion. Social security system members will be able to apply to SGK offices asking to restructure their debts with better conditions until July 28. Kurucan warned that there will be no postponement in the deadline, unlike what had happened with previous restructuring periods. "So be quick to take advantage of this," he recommended. Kurucan suggested social security system members take advantage of the restructuring, saying: "We handle our responsibilities.

We conduct informative campaigns as part of this [responsibility]. We talk to the owners of small and medium-sized enterprises [SMEs] and tell them about this process. Our aim is to help the people who are under this debt." Kurucan said that the soon-to-be-former social security institutions in Turkey -- SSK, BaðKur and the Pension Fund (Emekli Sandýðý) -- were gathered under the same roof in 2007 and offered premium debt payment options to SME owners including installments and cash payments. If they wish to repay their debt in cash as a lump sum, 85 percent of the default interest will be deducted from the debt. The deduction for 12-month installment plans is 55 percent and for 24-month installment plans, 30 percent. Debt owed to SSK in Turkey amounts to YTL 10.8 billion; YTL 25.9 billion for Bað-Kur and YTL 6.7 billion for Agricultural Bað-Kur. Çaðlar Avcý Ýstanbul

New tax amnesty out of the question, warns finance minister Finance Minister Kemal Unakýtan has said that people with tax debts in Turkey should immediately contact their local tax administrations, stressing that further tax amnesties are not a possibility.

In a written statement issued on Thursday, Unakýtan noted that recent news reports had suggested the existence of future incentives for people with tax debts, adding that these news pieces had caused people to start anticipating another tax amnesty. Emphasizing that the government has no such project in mind, Unakýtan said paying public debts on time was an obligation and that such debts would be collected through legal measures from those unwilling to pay. The minister also recalled that a recently passed law had made it possible to collect debts more efficiently.

The new law also includes assistance for tax payers. For example, those whose tax debts are below YTL 50,000 are now able to pay their debt in installments without having to pay any sum as a security deposit. If the owed amount is above the sum in question, half is demanded as a security deposit. Tax payers who have difficulty paying their debts used to be allowed to pay their debts in 24 installments, but the recent law has raised the number of installments to 36. Ankara Today's Zaman

Tüzmen pledges increase in trade with Catalonia

Women farmers are harvesting lentils by hand in southeastern city of Þanlýurfa. Owing to the drought, Turkey’s lentil production is severely declining, forcing it to consider importing from Canada.

Tourism sector seeks to surpass 2007 figures in August KENAN BAÞ / ÞABAN GÜNDÜZ ANTALYA

Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuðrul Günay has stated that Turkey hosted 23.3 million tourists in 2007 and will this year aim to reach this figure by the end of August.

Participating in the Antalya Heading for 10 Millionth Tourist gala, which was organized by the Mediterranean Tourist Hoteliers Association (AKTOB) in Antalya on Thursday, Günay said: "Today one of our cities, Antalya, has made hosting 10 million tourists annually an easy target to achieve. This shows what a bright, successful and beautiful future Turkey will have."

Günay noted that while Turkey is becoming a world brand in terms of tourism, it has to carry the sector beyond the typical sea, sand and sun tourism.

"We need to combine our cultural heritage with

tourism," said the minister, adding: "Anatolia is a region that hosted many ancient civilizations. Our archeological assets, summer campgrounds and museums are very important in this sense."

Günay stated that his ministry estimates the total number of tourists visiting Turkey will exceed 27 million by the end of 2008, while passing last year's annual figure of 23.3 million at the end of August.

Günay said tourism will grow further after it is integrated with culture, adding that Turkey will benefit from tourism as long as it preserves its history and nature. To this end the Culture and Tourism Ministry launched a project called Museumcard this year that allows Turkish citizens to buy a card for YTL 20 which provides unlimited access to all of the museums in Turkey for a one-year period.

He also touched on a new law governing tourism investors' use of beachfront, noting that

deputies had opposed the law without understanding its content, criticizing it for allowing tourism investors to damage the environment by cutting down trees to build facilities along the coastline. Günay said previous laws on tourism had drawn similar reactions. "We have placed new restrictions on using forested areas. We have never considered harming or damaging forests. We have never thought of polluting the environment," he stated. The law requires a company to plant twice as many as trees those chopped down to open up land for investment.

Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED) Chairman Ahmet Barut emphasized that if the Culture and Tourism ministry doesn't issue regulations clarifying the situation pertaining to investment at tourism sites, the owners of hotels situated on the coast could go to prison. "Environment is definitely one of the most important premises we

tourism operators consider, and none of us has a different stance on this issue. What we want is to just provide tourists with normal needs like lounges and umbrellas on the beach."

AKTOB Chairman Sururi Çorabatýr stated that 7.3 million tourists visited Antalya in 2007 and that this number is expected to exceed 9 million in 2008, adding that his association's target for 2009 is to surpass 10 million. Çorabatýr said AKTOB's aim is to make Antalya a world brand of tourism, adding that Antalya has already become a popular brand in Germany and Russia, which are Antalya's biggest markets. Çorabatýr noted that Turkey is closing in on the top countries in terms of tourism. "Now we need to hit the top in this league with our experience and quality of service. Our current level in the world league is awesome, but we will not settle for this," he said.

Foreign Trade Minister Kürþad Tüzmen has said Turkey is fully committed to improving its commercial relations, including trade volume and investments, with Catalonia.

On a three-day trip to Spain for a series of official visits, Tüzmen on Friday met with JosepLluís Carod-Rovira, vice president of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia. Tüzmen spoke to journalists during this meeting when he emphasized that today's Turkey has similarities to the Spain of 2002 in terms of economy.

Tüzmen said the rate of increase of Spain's exports had doubled between 2002 and 2007, while Turkey increased its export figures threefold in the same period. Spanish exports amounted to $115 billion in 2002, when this country was importing $149 billion worth of goods from abroad.

Turkey, on the other hand, recorded figures close to that as of the end of 2007, when its exports totaled $107 billion and imports $169 billion.

Spain's gross national product (GNP) was $635 billion in 2002 and that Turkey nearly attained this number last year when its GNP reached $630 billion.

"Thus, I can say that we are following five years behind Spain," he noted. He also touched on the recent hikes in electricity prices, defending the increase on the grounds that energy prices had multiplied six times between 2002 and 2007. "It is definitely not something we enjoy," the minister said. The government had bowed to the demands of electricity companies to increase the prices, setting 22 percent as the rate of increase, effective July 1. Hüseyin Sümer, Barcelona

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08 TODAY’S ZAMAN

S AT U R D AY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 0 8

BUSINESS

FDI

London invites Turkish investors for Olympics

Oýl jumps to new hýgh above $142 as equýtýes wýlt modities," said Olivier Jakob at Petromatrix.

The MSCI main world equity index fell more than 0.6 percent to its lowest since March, with the index on track for the worst monthly performance in percentage terms since September 2002, according to Reuters data. By contrast, commodities were strong, with gold near a one-month record high while US corn futures jumped to a fresh record high.

Gold rallied to its highest level in a month as oil's rise, a weak dollar and tumbling world stock markets boosted the metal's safe haven appeal.

A 40 percent surge in oil prices this year has prompted US politicians to take steps to try to curb speculation in the oil market, that some blame for pushing up prices.

The US House of Representatives on

Thursday approved legislation which directs the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the futures market regulator, to use all its authority including emergency powers to curb immediately the role of excessive speculation in energy futures markets.

There is a series of draft laws in Congress to attempt to address this issue, but energy market analysts say it has yet to be proved that funds have driven up the price.

"We believe the factors driving oil prices higher are fundamental and not speculative," Deutsche Bank said in a research note. "Oil needs to rise to $150 a barrel for oil as a share of global GDP to reach the levels that occurred in the early 1980s," the bank said. "At that point we will start to see more signs of demand destruction and an eventual tipping point in oil markets."

Oil prices have doubled from $70 a year ago in response to supply disruptions and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Rising flows of cash into commodities from investors seeking to hedge against inflation and the weak dollar have added to gains.

Oil, which had been trading in a range for most of this week, broke out after Libya said it was studying possible options to cut output in response to potential US actions against OPEC countries. "We are studying all the options," Libya's most senior oil official, Shokri Ghanem, told Reuters, adding oil producers needed protection from what he viewed as US attempts to extend its jurisdiction beyond its territory. Traders said any hint of bullish news was being used as an excuse for funds to buy. London Reuters

MURAT GEZER

Oil leapt to a new record high above $142 a barrel on Friday, extending gains after surging nearly 4 percent in the previous session, as tumbling global stock markets helped to trigger a wider commodities rally. US light crude for August delivery was $1.70 up at $141.34 a barrel by 1212 GMT, off a record high of $142.26. London Brent crude was $1.39 up at $141.22, off a record high of $142.13.

World stocks fell to a three-month low as a fast deteriorating global inflation picture intensified concerns over the outlook for corporate profits, hastening the rush of investors' funds into commodities. "It has a lot to do with asset allocations. The equity markets are under serious pressure, breaking support levels. When equities are going nowhere, the money is parked into com-

Oil rally looks set to run and run

MONETARY

PHOTO

Oil prices will rise for the foreseeable future, a Reuters poll found on Friday, marking the first time average forecasts have envisaged the extended rally has years to run.

Previous Reuters polls showed analysts overall predicted US crude oil, viewed as the global price marker, would stop rising this year and fall in 2009-2010.

The June poll showed US crude in 2008 would average $113.24 a barrel, up by about $6 from the last poll in late May. The average price would be $113.25 in 2009 and $115.59 in 2010. The average price for oil last year was $72.30. North Sea Brent, another major price marker, is expected to average $112.02 this year, compared with $106.12 in the last poll. It will dip slightly next year and rise again in 2010.

Although high prices have made some consumers use less fuel, the oil market has carried on rising because of robust demand from emerging markets such as China and India and concerns over future supply. A complex mix of inflation, interest rates and a weak dollar has also attracted a large inflow of investors' money to oil.

China's foreign reserves rise to $1.8 trillion

Turkey faces storm in economy over politics

Limiting damage Analysts said a precautionary standby deal with the IMF would be helpful in containing damage from political turbulence as it would

Yearly Change (%)

YTD Change (%)

MCAP (million YTL)

1-Y Av.Volum

İMKB-100

35.829

-2,0%

-10,8%

-20,7%

-35,5%

181.839

1.301

Hang Seng

İMKB-30

43.343

-2,3%

-11,5%

-22,0%

-38,5%

128.750

1.002

Nikkei 225

İMKB-IND

33.730

-0,2%

-6,9%

-9,3%

-16,9%

66.815

352

Cac 40

Daily Monthly Change (%) Change (%)

Close

CALENDAR

AT A GLAN

CE

be supportive of Turkish assets and help overcome current policy credibility problems to some extent. "The IMF anchor would help only partly to eradicate Turkey-specific risks, although it would clearly be a welcome development," Goldman Sachs said in a research note.

The government is yet to decide whether it would sign a precautionary standby deal with the IMF or adopt instead a less stringent postprogramme monitoring deal. But others say the government's hands are tied and signing a deal with the IMF will not stop a fall in Turkish financial markets. "There is nothing the government can do to limit the damage and a deal with the IMF will only have a marginal effect in such a chaotic environment," said Atabay.

The financial markets' reaction might be stronger if the court bans Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoðan, creating a vacuum in the leadership of Turkey's most powerful political movement. A scenario discussed in Ankara is an early election, which

"It can be expected that bond yields will jump to 23 percent in the immediate term," said Ekspres Investment chief economist Güldem Atabay. The benchmark lira bond yielded 22.09 percent on Thursday. The economists point out that investor perception of the Turkish economy has already suffered a serious blow. "When the government cut its primary surplus target just a week before the IMF standby deal ended in May, then the outlook for Turkey became ambiguous in the eyes of investors," Credit Suisse economist Berna Bayazýtoðlu said.

The government last month cut its 2008 primary surplus goal to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product from 4.2 percent, creating fears that it is abandoning austere fiscal policies backed by the International Monetary Fund under a $10 billion loan deal.

contýnued from page 1 The lira currency and bonds are more vulnerable to a shock as stocks have already lost one third of their value this year. "I think the biggest risks are in the foreign exchange and fixed-income markets. The lira remains quite overvalued given the large current account deficit and increased political risk will increase the funding cost of the deficit significantly," said Danske Bank's senior analyst Lars Christensen.

The current account deficit, seen as the main weak spot of Turkey's economy, is expected to hit $49 billion this year due to soaring oil prices, versus $38 billion last year. The lira traded at 1.2315 against the dollar on Friday, only 5.5 percent weaker than its closing level last year.

If the AK Party is outlawed, its deputies who are not banned are expected to re-gather under a new party label and form a new government since they would still retain a majority in parliament. The AK Party has 340 seats in 550-seat parliament and the prosecutor seeks to ban 39 of its deputies.

İMKB-BANK

61.175

-4,1%

-17,0%

-30,7%

-49,0%

64.775

704

DAX

DJIMT

10,55

-1,9%

-5,8%

-3,7%

-11,0%

106

0,55

FTSE 100

TurkDEX US$/JP¥ EU€/JP¥

43.675 1,226

Country

Change (%)

Level

H.Kong

-1,84

22.042,4

Japan

-2,01

13.544,4

France

-0,18

4.418,4

Germany

-0,24

6.444,2

UK

0,42

5.541,5

Dow

USA

-0,24

11.435,0

NASDAQ

USA

-0,02

1.855,0

USA

0,22

1.286,0

Brasil

0,73

64.415,2

S&P

-2,35% 0,53%

BOVESPA

might bring Erdoðan back to parliament as an independent deputy. But the High Election Council would have to approve his candidacy for Erdoðan to compete in early elections.

"The Turkish Central Bank will have to tighten significantly to avoid a serious drop in the lira," Christensen said. The bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points last week to 16.25 percent to rein in rising inflation.

Political instability will also hit key economic indicators like growth and inflation, which is hovering above 10 percent. Global turbulence may cut cash flow into Turkey further later in the year and this together with deteriorating consumer confidence and political instability may exacerbate an economic slowdown and trim growth to less than 4 percent.

"We cannot see the government giving support to the Central Bank in fighting inflation because they are busy with their own problems more than the economy," said Atabay. Reuters Ankara

70.39 57.32

51 42.68 29.61

21,4 7.1

9.5

Native

Foreign

Number of Shares

M.cap

Daily Close Change (%)

Monthly Change (%)

Yearly Change (%)

Daily Change (%)

Ticker

Volumes

US$/JP¥

106,28

8,80

8,64%

ASELS

5,00

-9,91%

GARAN

286,1

2,9

-52,78

YTL / €

1,927

1,5%

-1,5%

8,2%

EU/JP¥

167,36

TAVHL

8,30

6,41%

TOASO

3,50

-7,41%

ISCTR

153,5

4,0

-42,54

YTL / $

1,224

1,2%

-1,5%

-7,6%

EU/US$

1,5745

Price (YTL) Daily Change (%)

Ticker

Price

4,38

6,31%

VAKBN

1,60

-6,98%

VAKBN

AYGAZ

2,86

5,15%

TRCAS

4,96

-6,42%

YKBNK

72,2

2,4

-42,72

EREGL

10,50

4,48%

THYAO

5,25

-6,25%

AKBNK

41,9

4,3

-48,00

KOZAD

ÝMKB 100

99,3

Price (YTL) Yearly Change (%)

1,6

-60,26

ÝMKB 30

ÝMKB IND

P.CHEM.

TUPRS

PTOFS

PETKM

AYGAZ

--

--

10.204,0

5.627,6

2.229,3

886,8

701,2

11,3x

11,1x

11,0x

6,9x

8,4x

11,9x

18,7x

2,4x

P/E 2007/06t

7,9x

10,0x

10,2x

4,9x

6,2x

8,7x

9,8x

1,2x

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

7,4x 7,5x

7,5x 7,6x

8,1x 7,3x

5,2x 5,8x

6,3x 6,5x

8,2x 5,0x

9,8x 4,9x

1,2x 4,5x

EV/EBITDA 2007/03t

7,0x

6,9x

6,5x

5,3x

5,5x

4,8x

3,6x

4,8x

EV/EBITDA 2007/06t

7,8x

6,5x

6,5x

5,5x

5,7x

4,8x

3,9x

5,2x

Mcap YTL

--

P/E 2006/12

CM Y K

Price ($) Light C. Oil Gold Copper

140,87 924,10 3,85

TECHNOLOGY

Bill Gates steps down, but stays public Bill Gates today ends his tenure as ultimate boss of Microsoft to devote full time to his huge charitable foundation. Instead of working to solve problems in the information technology business, he'll be working to solve the world's health problems.

Gates is retiring from Microsoft on Friday, although he will remain the company's non- executive chairman. Since Microsoft's start in 1975, Gates has piled nearly all its hats on his head: genius programmer, technology guru, primary decision maker and ruthless leader. Analysts and scholars credit him with changing software into a money-making enterprise, rather than a pastime for hobbyists. For Microsoft, the challenge come Monday morning will be how to deal with problems even Gates couldn't solve, including competition with Google. Recent remarks indicate the company won't even try to find a replacement for Gates but will divide his functions among whole groups of employees. In an interview with NBC's Tom Brokaw on the eve of his departure, Gates spoke about his new role and the outlook for Microsoft, and said he does not think a deal with Yahoo Inc is likely. Microsoft had sought a tie-up with Yahoo for more than a year and by early May had offered up to $47.5 billion, or $33 per share, to buy the Internet company. Seattle AP, Reuters

Foreign

Number of Shares

TIRE

Ticker

China's foreign reserves, already the world's largest, rose to $1.8 trillion at the end of May but growth slowed, a government newspaper reported Friday. The reserves grew by $40.3 billion in May, well below the April increase of $75 billion, the China Securities Journal said, citing data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. The agency publicly announces its reserves only four times a year, and the next report is due out in July.

The reserves have grown sharply as Beijing drains money from the fast-growing economy through bond sales to reduce pressure for prices to rise.

China's bulging trade surplus has sent a flood of cash coursing through the economy, increasing the urgency of controlling the growth of the money supply. The trade surplus eased slightly in May to $20.2 billion, down 10 percent from the same month last year. That reduced pressure for the government to shift money to the reserves. Japan has the world's second-largest reserves at $970 billion as of the end of May. China keeps most of its reserves in US Treasury securities and other safe but low-yielding instruments. The government created a $200 billion investment fund last year to pursue more profitable investments. Beijing AP

ENERGY Native

M.cap

June 30 arter) rkey (1. qu GDP of Tu CPI of Euro nce index of Euro de Con. confi

London is inviting Turkish businessmen to take part in investment aimed at preparing the city for the 2012 Olympic Games, which are expected to bring the city $8 billion.

In an interview with the Anatolia news agency Brendan Dineen, the director of the 2012 Games for Think London -- the official foreign direct investment agency -- said he had recently visited Turkey to inform Turkish businessmen about the 2012 Olympics and other investment opportunities in London. Many attached great interest to tenders opened for the occasion, Dineen said.

Companies can apply for tenders in the areas of construction, marketing and information technology through the Internet, he said. "Turkish companies can also participate in tenders. I think the Turkish construction sector is very lucky with these tenders because it is very competitive," Dineen stated. Turkish entrepreneurs would be greatly assisted if they applied the 2012 Olympic Games tenders, he added.

In the summer of 2012 Britain will come alive with the Olympics and the Paralympics. "Our fouryear Cultural Olympiad will reach a crescendo with the Olympic Games opening ceremony on July 27.

It starts a 60-day festival of sport and culture across Britain -- the Olympics and the Paralympics," Dineen noted. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

Way

Change (%) 0,88 0,98 0,47

High 142,26 927,80 3,86

Low 138,61 912,20 3,82

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.

Russia's Gazprom elects new chairman The head of Russia's state-owned gas monopoly OAO Gazprom said Friday that its ties to the government give it a huge growth potential and pledged to become the world's energy leader. Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller told the shareholders meeting that the company was in a better position to compete on the international energy markets as its links to the government help it secure the rights to develop new, strategic oil and gas reserves.

Gazprom's general shareholders meeting also accepted the formal resignation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as the company's chairman and as expected named former Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov to succeed him. “I will be consistently defending the state interests,” Zubkov told reporters after his appointment. Moscow AP

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CINEMA

TODAY’S ZAMAN 09

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008

This week in theaters ‘Rogue’

James McAvoy plays Wesley Gibson, a loser who transforms into an unparalleled assassin, in the action flick “Wanted.” The film, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, opened this week in theaters across Turkey.

Wanted: an assassin of distinguished character ELÝF NESÝBE ÖZBUDAK ÝSTANBUL

"Wanted," adapted from the comic strip of the same name by Mark Miller, is about a young man's "search for identity." The lead character, Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) or Wes, is the most disaffected, cube-dwelling, time-punching drone this planet has ever known. He is chewed out by his boss continually and his girlfriend cheats on him with his closest friend -- even though he knows, he says nothing. In addition to his indistinct character, this unsocial slacker's heart starts beating wildly in the face of even a mildly stressful event and he takes sedative pills for his panic attacks. The last thing he needs is to get involved in an armed conflict in a supermarket, speeding away in a sports car from would-be killers or slaying somebody.

But this disengaged and frail personality is put through far greater ordeals than he could ever have imagined. One day he finds out that his longlost father, a member of a secret society called the Fraternity, was killed -- he had been told his father had been a pilot and had abandoned him as a baby. Furthermore, he has no clue about what this society of assassins does. The Fraternity trains him to avenge his father's death by bringing out his latent wicked powers. It lives by an ancient and unbreakable code: to carry out the death orders given by emotionless fate. The assassins in this society believe that the wrongly woven loops in what they call "the loom of destiny" have a special meaning. Each having a particular meaning in line with its shape, these wrongly woven loops provide them the names of the people to be killed.

According to their philosophy, they prefer killing one person rather than the deaths of thousands, thereby justifying their cause as a noble one. This feeble Wes undertakes intricate training and is

James McAvoy, actor-rapper Common and Angelina Jolie (L to R) in a scene from the action movie “Wanted.” forged into a fearless killer in his father's mold.

Wes' character development is as inwardly radical as the outward mutation of Hulk in "The Incredible Hulk." He finally pours out the hatred he has harbored for his boss, smashes in his closest friend's face and, most importantly, now enjoys his new mission in life: killing the person whose name is given by the loom, whatever the circumstances may be. He bears another resemblance to Hulk.

Just like Edward Norton -- or Hulk -- who unexpectedly mutates into a giant green man, McAvoy, with his innocent looking face, blue eyes and unpretentious looks, mutates into an assassin with lightning-quick reflexes, even though he is the last person one could imagine in such a position. His

partner and foxy tutor, Fox (Angelina Jolie), holds her gun in such an artistic fashion that she wants the audience to believe that manslaughter is an art in its own right. The assassins enjoy the perverse pleasure of seeing themselves as God while slaying people. Moreover, they kill in utter submission, believing that it is a holy mission launched for humanity's good. What they submit to is the "loom of destiny." Later in the movie, the course of things undergoes a major change and mortal human interpretations meddle in the loops of the looms; that is, personal ambition and vengeance come into the play, spoiling the holy cause.

"Wanted," which opened this week in theaters across Turkey, has been adapted into a motion pic-

ture by Russian director Timur Bekmambetov from a comic strip in which evil people are the heroes. It's not a one-on-one copy of the original work. In this $65 million film, you will see lots of fancy cars being written off one after another, bullets hitting their targets under all conditions and a large number of action scenes as in previous films by Bekmambetov.

Even though the setting is Chicago, the film was shot in Russia. The notion of destiny is explained in a symbolic manner through a loom, in addition to a message given by Sloan (Morgan Freeman), the leader of the assassins, who suggests that whenever human will intervenes, the loom of destiny cannot be read correctly and will be read arbitrarily according to personal bias.

The nature of a simple loom's circumscribing destiny itself, and the characters' submitting to this loom as if messages coming from it were divine decrees is a quandary this film leaves us in. Watching many people killed so that the target may be killed makes one question by what standard these people are deemed good or evil or whether thousands are really saved with the death of the target. From this angle, the presentation of names given by the loom as defective lives that need to be disposed of for others to continue living is an indicator that man, who tries to forge a notion of justice despite his utterly limited understanding and insight, thinks he can perceive everything that exists in the world of creation.

Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov Genre: Action Cast: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Thomas Kretschmann, Terence Stamp, Common Running time: 110 min.

While working on his latest piece, cynical American travel writer Pete McKell (Michael Vartan) joins a group of tourists on a river cruise in the Australian outback. He is immediately drawn to the female tour captain Kate Ryan (Radha Mitchell), though she seems to regard him as a bit of a yuppie. After a run-in with two of the locals, Neil (Sam Worthington) and Colin, the cruise winds to a close, and Kate prepares to take the group back to shore. When one of the passengers suddenly sees a flare shoot up into the sky, Kate believes it came from another tour boat up river and persuades the group that they must go and offer assistance. A few miles up river, they come across the sinking remains of a dinghy, but no survivors. When something crashes into the bottom of the boat, causing water to gush in through a leak, Kate has no choice but to head for the nearest land -- a small island in the middle of the river. As the group bickers about how they're going to get home, one of the tourists is suddenly pulled into the water by an unseen predator.

With darkness approaching, everyone soon comes to the realization that so is the tide.

In a matter of hours, they'll be completely submerged. Help seemingly comes in the form of Neil and Colin, who pass by again in their dinghy. But everyone's hopes are quickly dashed when their boat is almost hit and sunk by whatever it is lurking in the murky waters. Now they are stranded on an island, stalked by a killer crocodile.

Directed by: Greg McLean Genre: Horror Cast: Michael Vartan, Radha Mitchell, Stephen Curry, John Jarratt, Heather Mitchell, Robert Taylor, Sam Worthington

‘Ma Vie N’est Pas Une Comedie Romantique’ (It Had To Be You) If his life was more like a romantic comedy, Thomas (Gilles Lellouche) would get ditched a little less often. He would get to go out with a wonderful girl, like Meg Ryan for example. They would love each other for ever. As a result, he would not need to return to live with his parents at 35 years of age. As for Florence (Marie Gillain), she once believed her life was a romantic comedy. In fact, that's how she ended up being a single mother at 17. But since then, Florence has taken her life into her own hands. She married an estate agent and now lives in a beautiful house near a shopping center.

After all, what more could one ask for? The problem is that one day Thomas meets Florence and from that ill-fated day onwards, their lives start to bear a striking resemblance to a romantic comedy.

Directed by: Marc Gibaja Genre: Comedy Cast: Marie Gillain, Gilles Lellouche, Stephanie Sokolinski, Philippe Lefebvre, Frederique Bel, Raphaeline Goupilleau

MOVIE GUIDE

ROGUE Ýstanbul: Ataköy Atrium: 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:15 21:30 Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 11:45 13:45 15:45 17:45 19:45 21:45 Fri/Sat: 23:45 Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Beyoðlu Atlas: 12:00 14:15 16:30 19:00 21:30 Ýstinye AFM Park: 11:00 12:20 13:40 15:00 16:20 17:40 19:00 20:20 21:45 Fri/Sat: 23:00 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 13:15 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Maçka Cinebonus G-mall: 12:30 14:45 16:00 17:00 18:15 19:15 21:30 Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Kadýköy Rexx: 11:20 13:20 15:20 17:20 19:20 21:20 Ümraniye Cinebonus Meydan: 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Ankara: AFM Ankamall: 12:00 14:20 16:45 19:00 21:20 Fri/Sat: 24:00 AFM On: 11:00 12:20 13:40 15:00 16:20 17:40 19:00 20:20 21:40 Cinebonus Bilkent: 11:00 12:45 15:00 17:15 19:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Ata On Tower: 11:45 13:45 15:45 17:45 19:45 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Kýzýlay Büyülü Fener: 11:20 13:20 15:20 17:20 19:20 21:20 Metropol: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Cinebonus Panora: 12:45 13:50 15:00 16:05 17:15 19:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 AFM Cepa: 11:10 12:30 14:00 15:15 16:30 17:45 19:00 20:20 21:35 Ýzmir: Cinebonus Balçova Kipa: 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:00 Konak AFM Passtel: 12:00 14:30 17:00 19:15 21:30 Antalya: Altýnova Deepo: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Lara Prestige: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Antalya Megapol: 13:00 15:30 18:00 20:30 Cinebonus Migros: 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 AFM Laura: 11:30 13:45 16:30 18:45 21:30

WANTED Ýstanbul: Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 11:30 11:30 12:30 14:00 14:00 15:30 16:30 16:30 17:30 19:00 19:00 20:30 21:30 21:30 Fri/Sat: 22:30 24:00 24:00 Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 11:00 11:45 13:30 14:15 16:00 16:45 18:30 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 23:00 Beyoðlu CineMajestic: 12:45 14:00 15:15 16:30 17:45 19:00 20:15 21:30 Etiler AFM Akmerkez: 11:40 14:00 16:40 19:20 22:00 Ýstinye AFM Park: 12:30 14:00 15:30 17:00 18:30 20:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 23:00 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:00 13:30 14:45 16:15 17:30 19:00 20:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 23:00 24:30 Maçka Cinebonus G-mall: 12:00 13:15 14:15 16:45 19:15 20:30 21:45 Niþantaþý Citylife: 11:30 12:45 14:00 15:15 16:30 17:45 19:00 20:15 21:30 Fri/Sat: 22:45 24:00

Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir: 11:00 12:00 13:10 14:15 15:20 16:20 17:30 18:30 19:40 20:45 22:00 Altunizade Capitol Spectrum: 11:00 12:15 13:45 15:00 16:30 17:45 19:00 20:30 22:00 Fri/Sat: 23:15 Caddebostan AFM: 11:00 12:10 13:20 14:30 15:40 16:50 18:00 19:10 20:20 21:30 Fri/Sat: 23:00 Kadýköy Atlantis: 11:00 12:15 13:30 14:45 16:00 17:15 18:30 20:00 21:30 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:30 12:45 14:00 15:15 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Þaþkýnbakkal Megaplex M&S: 11:15 12:30 13:45 15:00 16:15 17:30 18:45 20:15 21:30 Kozyataðý Bonus Premium Cinecity Trio: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Suadiye Movieplex: 11:00 12:00 13:15 14:30 15:45 17:00 18:15 19:30 20:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 23:15 24:15

Ankara: AFM Ankamall: 10:45 12:55 15:10 17:25 19:40 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Bahçelievler Büyülü Fener: 12:30 13:45 15:00 16:15 17:30 18:45 20:00 21:15 Cinebonus Bilkent: 11:45 13:00 14:15 16:45 18:00 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Ata On Tower: 11:00 13:00 14:15 15:15 16:30 17:30 18:45 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Kýzýlay Büyülü Fener: 11:15 12:30 13:45 15:00 16:15 17:30 18:45 20:00 21:15 Metropol: 11:15 12:30 13:45 15:00 16:15 17:30 18:45 20:00 21:15 Cinebonus Panora: 11:00 12:00 13:05 14:20 15:35 16:50 18:05 19:20 20:35 21:50 Fri/Sat: 23:05 24:15 Armada: 11:15 12:30 13:45 15:00 16:15 17:30 18:45 20:00 21:15 Fri/Sat: 22:30 23:45 AFM Cepa: 10:55 12:10 13:25 14:50 16:10 17:30 18:50 20:10 21:30 Cinebonus Arcadium: 11:45 13:00 14:15 15:30 16:45 18:00 19:15 20:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15

IT HAD TO BE YOU

Ýzmir: Agora Balçova: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Cinebonus Balçova Kipa: 10:30 11:30 13:00 14:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:30 21:30 Fri/Sat: 23:00 24:00 AFM Bornova Forum: 11:00 12:10 13:30 14:50 16:10 17:30 18:50 20:10 21:30 Fri/Sat: 23:00 Çiðli Cinecity Kipa: 11:15 12:00 13:45 14:30 16:15 17:00 18:45 19:30 21:15 22:00 Fri/Sat: 23:45 24:30 Gaziemir Kipa Hollywood: 11:00 12:15 13:30 14:45 16:00 17:15 18:30 19:45 20:45 Konak AFM Passtel: 11:00 12:15 14:00 15:15 17:00 18:15 20:00 21:15 Ýzmir Cinebonus Konak Pier: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 AFM Maviþehir Ege Park: 10:45 13:15 16:00 18:45 21:30 Cinebonus YKM: 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 Antalya: Altýnova Deepo: 11:00 12:15 13:30 14:45 16:00 17:15 18:30 19:45 21:00 Lara Prestige: 11:45 13:00 14:15 15:30 16:45 18:00 19:15 20:30 21:45 Megapol: 11:30 14:00 16:30 17:45 19:00 20:15 21:30 Cinebonus Migros: 11:30 14:00 15:15 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Antalya Plaza: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30

MADE OF HONOR

Ýstanbul: Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:15 Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 11:15 15:15 19:15 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:15 Beyoðlu Alkazar: 12:15 14:00 16:15 18:45 21:00 Ýstinye AFM Park: 11:45 14:00 16:10 18:20 20:30 Fri/Sat: 23:00 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Maçka Cinebonus G-mall: 12:15 14:30 16:45 19:00 21:15 Mecidiyeköy AFM Profilo: 11:40 14:10 16:30 19:00 21:30 Teþvikiye AFM: 11:30 14:00 16:00 19:00 21:30 Altunizade Capitol Spectrum: 12:00 14:10 16:15 18:30 21:00 Fri/Sat: 23:00 Caddebostan AFM: 11:40 13:50 16:30 19:00 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:30 Ümraniye Cinebonus Meydan: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15

Ýstanbul: Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 14.15 16.30 18.45 21.00 Fri/Sat: 23.15 Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 11.30 14.00 16.30 19.00 21.30 Fri/Sat: 24.00 Etiler AFM Akmerkez: 11.10 13.40 16.20 18.50 21.20 Ýstinye AFM Park: 11.15 14.00 17.00 19.50 Fri/Sat: 23.00 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11.45 14.00 16.30 19.00 21.30 Fri/Sat: 24.00 Maçka Cinebonus: 11.30 14.00 16.30 19.00 21.30 Mecidiyeköy AFM Profilo: 11.10 13.30 16.00 18.40 21.10 Niþantaþý Citylife: 11.45 14.15 16.45 19.15 21.45 Fri/Sat: 24.15 Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir: 11.00 13.00 15.15 17.15 19.45 22.00 Altunizade Capitol Spectrum: 12.00 14.15 16.30 18.45 21.30 Fri/Sat: 23.45 Caddebostan AFM: 11.20 13.40 16.00 18.20 21.00 Fri/Sat: 23.20 Kadýköy Cinebonus: 11.30 14.00 16.30 19.00 21.30 Fri/Sat: 24.00 Kadýköy Rexx: 11.00 13.30 16.15 18.45 21.00 Kozyataðý Cinecity Trio: 12.00 14.15 16.45 19.15 21.30 Fri/Sat: 24.00 Suadiye Movieplex: 11.00 13.00 15.15 17.30 19.45 22.00 Fri/Sat: 24.15 Þaþkýnbakkal Megaplex: 11.00 13.15 15.30 17.45 20.00 22.00 Ümraniye Cinebonus Meydan: 11.00 13.30 16.00 18.30 20.00 21.00 22.00 Fri/Sat: 24.00

Ankara: AFM Ankamall: 12:10 14:30 16:50 19:10 21:30 Cinebonus Panora: 11:00 12:50 15:05 17:20 19:35 21:50 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Armada: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Fri/Sat: 23:30 AFM Cepa: 11:20 13:45 16:00 18:30 21:10

Ankara: AFM CEPA: 11.15 13.35 16.00 18.40 21.20 Fri/Sat: 23.50 AFM Ankamall: 11.20 13.45 16.25 18.50 21.25 Armada: 11.15 13.15 15.15 17.15 19.15 21.15 Fri/Sat: 23.15 Ata On Tower: 11.00 13.00 15.15 17.30 19.45 21.00 Fri/Sat: 24.00 Cinebonus Bilkent: 11.45 14.15 16.45 19.15 21.45 Fri/Sat: 24.15 Cinebonus Arcadium: 11.30 14.00 16.30 19.00 21.30 Fri/Sat: 24.10

CM Y K

Cinebonus Panora: 11.45 14.15 16.45 19.15 21.45 Fri/Sat: 24.15 Kýzýlay Büyülüfener: 12.00 14.15 16.30 18.45 21.00 Metropol: 12.00 14.15 16.30 18.45 21.00 Ýzmir: Afm Bornova Forum: 11.15 13.45 16.15 18.45 21.15 Agora: 12.15 14.30 16.45 19.00 21.15 Balçova Cinebonus Kipa: 11.30 14.00 16.30 19.00 21.30 Fri/Sat: 24.00 Cinecity Kipa Çiðli: 12.15 14.00 14.30 17.00 18.45 19.30 21.45 Fri/Sat: 24.15 AFM Passtel: 11.30 14.00 16.15 19.00 21.15 Cinebonus Konak Pier: 11.00 13.30 16.00 18.30 21.00 Fri/Sat: 23.30 Maviþehir AFM Ege Park: 11.30 13.45 16.10 18.40 21.15 Antalya: AFM Laura: 11.15 13.30 16.00 18.30 21.30 Cinebonus Migros: 11.45 14.15 16.45 19.15 21.45

UNTRACEABLE Ýstanbul: Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:45 Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 11:45 14:00 16:15 18:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Esentepe Cinebonus Astoria: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 23:45 Etiler AFM Akmerkez: 11:20 13:50 16:30 19:10 21:50 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Altunizade Capitol Spectrum: 11:30 13:30 15:45 18:00 21:00 Caddebostan AFM: 10:40 13:10 16:00 18:30 21:00 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Kozyataðý Bonus Premium Cinecity Trio: 11:15 13:45 16:00 18:45 21:15 Fri/Sat: 23:45 Kozyataðý Cinepol: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Ümraniye Cinebonus Meydan: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Ankara: AFM Ankamall: 11:30 14:10 16:40 19:05 21:40 AFM On: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:10 21:30 Kýzýlay Büyülü Fener: 12:15 14:30 16:45 19:00 21:15 Metropol: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Cinebonus Panora: 12:20 14:40 17:00 19:20 21:40 Armada: 11:45 13:45 15:45 17:45 19:45 21:45 Fri/Sat: 23:45 AFM Cepa: 11:25 13:55 16:25 18:55 21:25 Cinebonus Arcadium: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Ýzmir: Cinebonus Balçova Kipa: 12:00 14:15 16:30 18:45 21:00 AFM Bornova Forum: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 AFM Bornova Park: 11:15 13:30 15:45 18:15 21:00 Çiðli Cinecity Kipa: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Konak AFM Passtel: 11:00 13:30 15:45 18:30 21:00 Cinebonus Konak Pier: 10:30 12:45 15:00 17:15 19:30 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 Antalya: Cinebonus Migros: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 AFM Laura: 12:00 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45

T10-28-06-08.qxd

27.06.2008

19:13

Page 1

10 TODAY’S ZAMAN

WORLD

AP

S AT U R D AY, JUNE 2 8 , 2 0 0 8

LAWSUITS

Berlusconi cabinet backs law giving him immunity Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's cabinet approved a bill on Friday to give him immunity from prosecution by Italian courts, which the media billionaire says have persecuted him ever since he entered politics 14 years ago. If approved by parliament, where the conservative leader has a solid majority, the bill would grant immunity to the top four elected officials -- the president, prime minister and the two speakers of parliament -- during their term in office. Berlusconi's previous attempt to pass such an immunity law in his last term, in 2004, was rejected as unconstitutional. But Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa, leaving the cabinet meeting, said the new version "takes into account all such objections. The 71-year-old premier, waging war on biased state prosecutors whom he called a cancerous growth this week, wants to avoid possible convictions, especially in a graft case in Milan against himself and his British lawyer David Mills.

Another bill dubbed the "save-the-premier" law would suspend for a year all non-urgent cases in Italian courts -including the Mills case -- and his lawyers are also seeking the removal of the judge in the case. He also faces prosecution in a Naples court for alleged collusion between his Mediaset empire -- Italy's largest private television broadcaster -- and state TV network RAI. Rome Reuters

The centerpiece of the meeting was the formal launch of negotiations on a new strategic agreement governing the sometimes strained relations between the EU and Russia, its third biggest trading partner Russia and the European Union launched on Friday long-delayed talks on a new cooperation pact at a summit which both sides said turned a new page in their sometimes testy relationship.

A relaxed and smiling Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, making his debut with EU chiefs, hailed the “sincere, neighborly” mood -- in contrast to the bad-tempered last EU summit hosted by Russia under his predecessor Vladimir Putin.

EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he “really enjoyed this...very open, relaxed, constructive atmosphere” at the three-hour meeting in the Siberian oil town Khanty-Mansiysk, though he studiously avoided comparisons with Putin. Now prime minister, Putin did not attend the summit. The centerpiece of the three-hour meeting was the formal launch of negotiations on a new strategic agreement governing the sometimes strained relations between the EU and Russia, its third biggest trading partner.

A first round of negotiations on the new pact will be held in Brussels on July 4.

“I believe this new agreement should open a new chapter in our relations,” Barroso told a news conference. “I particularly welcome President Medvedev’s recent comments about strengthening the rule of law and working together as responsible members of the international community.”

Medvedev said Russia was concerned at a tendency by some EU nations to use the bloc to settle bilateral disputes -- a reference to former Soviet allies who delayed the launch of the partnership talks by 18 months because of rows with Moscow.

The talks offered EU chiefs their first opportunity to assess Medvedev, who took office last month after previously serving as deputy prime minister and chairman of Russia’s state- controlled gas giant Gazprom.

Barroso described the new Kremlin chief, a former corporate lawyer and longtime Putin ally, as “a very open person who really wants to engage.”

Some analysts believe Putin deliberately chose Medvedev to set a more conciliatory tone at the Kremlin as Russia seeks billions of

dollars in foreign investment to rebuild its crumbling infrastructure and develop its industry. But contentious issues remain. The EU has clashed with Moscow over human rights, democracy and the separatist Georgian region of Abkhazia -- all issues raised at Friday’s formal session.

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said the bloc had also expressed to Russia its concern over the fate of one of the country’s biggest foreign investments, BP’s half share of local oil firm TNKBP. As Russian partners and BP argue about control and future ownership, the firm has been hit by nine separate actions ranging from court cases to tax inspections and visa problems for foreign staff. A fresh eve-ofsummit trade row broke out between Russia and EU member Finland over timber duties, though in the event both sides played it down at the meeting. Helsinki said it was considering taxing Russian goods transiting the country after Moscow raised duties on the export of Russian timber, but Brussels officials played down the issue. Khanty-Mansiysk Reuters

CONFLICT

Mortars, closures disrupt shaky Gaza truce Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired two mortar shells into southern Israel on Friday in the latest challenge to a ceasefire deal and the enclave's Hamas rulers, who appealed to all factions to abide by the deal. The shells landed in a farming community near the border with the Gaza Strip, causing no casualties, an Israeli police spokesman said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the cross-border fire, the fourth such incident since the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire began on June 19. Israel has kept border crossings used to bring humanitarian and commercial supplies into the Gaza Strip closed since Wednesday, after a cross-border rocket attack by the Islamic Jihad militant group. Israel allowed fuel to reach the territory's sole power station on Friday. Speaking in Gaza City hours after the two mortars were fired, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh urged "all parties to respect the national consensus" behind the cease-fire. Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri lashed out at militants who are defying the truce. "It has become clear that some Palestinian parties do not want this calm deal to succeed and they do not want the siege to be lifted," Masri said. "Those who fired the rockets did not aim them at the Zionist enemy but fired them to settle internal scores," he added, in an apparent reference to President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction. A militant arm of Fatah, al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, said it fired a rocket into Israel on Thursday. Gaza Reuters

DESPERATION

Unemployed German sets car ablaze in protest An unemployed German man set his car ablaze in the center of Frankfurt on Friday to protest against the steep rise in fuel prices, police said. In a rare demonstration in Germany against soaring oil costs, the 30-year-old man from Bavaria drove his black BMW onto a patch of grass near the city's exhibition centre, poured petrol over it and set it alight. "The Bavarian...said he carried out the act because he was unemployed and could no longer afford a car due to the high cost of fuel," police said in a statement. Officers briefly detained the man before releasing him. He may still have to face charges for breaching Germany's pollution laws, a police spokesman said. Fishermen and truck drivers in several European countries have staged protests over the rising price of oil, which hit a new record above $142 a barrel on Friday. Frankfurt Reuters

Democrats Barack Obama, right, and Hillary Clinton.

Obama, Clinton campaign together in New Hampshire

REUTERS

Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said in an interview published on Friday he was not interested in the post of European Commission president, which becomes vacant next year. He also dismissed speculation that he might want to run the European Central Bank.

Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, a center-right former Portuguese prime minister, is favorite to win reappointment by EU leaders for a second five-year term. But his Commission has upset Germany with proposals to break up big energy companies, curb car carbon dioxide emissions and end de facto state control of car giant Volkswagen. Juncker told the Luxembourg daily Tageblatt he was aware of international media speculation that he was well placed to be either president of the European Union executive or head of the European Central Bank. "I am not interested either in the Commission or in the central bank," he said, adding he could have become head of the Commission before Barroso was picked, but had declined because he had promised Luxembourg voters he would serve a full term. Asked if he was formally saying he was not interested in the Commission job, Juncker said: "If that reassures you: [the answer is] no. That will reassure Mr. Barroso as well." Juncker's name was also widely mentioned for the planned new role of president of the European Council of EU leaders under the Lisbon treaty reforming the bloc's institutions. Luxenbourg Reuters

Russýa and EU haýl fresh start ýn relatýons

PHOTO

Juncker won't seek EU Commission top job

PHOTO

REJECTION

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R), European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso (C) and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana attend a Russia-EU summit in the Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiysk on Frýday. Russia and the European Union tried to mend strained relations at the meeting.

Russia and Georgia deny Abkhazia carve-up report Russia and Georgia on Friday denied a newspaper report that they were discussing a plan to resolve their conflict over the breakaway Abkhazia region by splitting it into two spheres of influence. Abkhazia is recognized as part of Georgia but it is run by separatists with support from Moscow. Friction between the ex-Soviet neighbors over the region has alarmed Western states worried about a conflagration near a vital oil export route.

Russia’s Kommersant newspaper said on Friday Georgia was offering to accept the separatists’ de facto control and the presence of Russian peacekeepers in the northern part of Abkhazia, including the capital, Sukhumi. In exchange, Tbilisi

wanted Russian peacekeepers to withdraw from the Gali and Ochamchira districts in the south of Abkhazia and for ethnic Georgians -- who used to be in a majority in the two districts -- to be allowed to return, the newspaper said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later said it was “absolutely untrue” that discussions on such a proposal were underway, Russian news agencies reported. In Tbilisi, Deputy Foreign Minister Giga Bokeria said the newspaper report was “groundless speculation.” “Our vision for the settlement of this conflict is the peace plan which has been presented by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili,” Bokeria told Reuters. Moscow Reuters

Democrat Barack Obama met dozens of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s top financial backers, as Clinton urged them to support her ex-rival in the presidential race against Republican John McCain, the first step in a two-day push to unify their party.

Later on Friday, Obama and Clinton planned to campaign in Unity, New Hampshire, in what was to be their first public appearance together since Clinton bowed out of the race three weeks ago.

Obama on Thursday night met with more than 200 of Clinton’s biggest fundraisers at a Washington hotel. Behind the scenes, the two sides were negotiating her future involvement with the campaign. The former first lady told her donors they must make electing Obama a priority, as she acknowledged that hard feelings remain on both sides after their hard-fought primary battle. “But we are a family, and we have an opportunity now to really demonstrate clearly we do know what’s at stake, and we will do whatever it takes to try to win back this White House,” Clinton said.

Obama announced that he will help pay off Clinton’s more than $20 million campaign debt, personally writing a check for $4,600 -- the maximum allowed. His announcement that he will urge his donors to help pay Clinton’s debts brought a standing ovation. Some Clinton donors had been frustrated that the Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting had not done more to help her pay the bills even as they are expected to help fund his campaign.

“I’m going to need Hillary by my side campaigning during his election, and I’m going to need all of you,” Obama said, according to a report written by the only reporter allowed into the event and shared with other reporters afterward. He recounted how Obama had told his top fundraisers this week “to get out their checkbooks and start working to make sure Senator Clinton -- the debt that’s out there needs to be taken care of.” Clinton’s debt includes $12 million of her own money. She has said she is not asking for help paying that back.

Three Clinton confidants -- Cheryl Mills, Minyon Moore and Robert Barnett -- are in talks with Obama’s campaign to work out details of her future involvement, including travel, her role at the national convention and resolution of her debt. Part of their argument has been that Clinton can spend more time helping Obama if she isn’t raising money to pay her bills. Obama appears to be making headway with Clinton’s supporters. The latest Associated Press-Yahoo News poll, released Thursday, found 53 percent of the Democrats who favored Clinton for the nomination two months ago now back Obama for president.

That is an improvement from April, when only 40 percent of Clinton supporters said they would back Obama over McCain. Still, more than one in five who had backed Clinton now plan to support McCain. Since locking up the Democratic nomination, Obama has focused on enticing Clinton supporters with his message of change while trying to burnish his credentials for coping with the challenges McCain claims he is too inexperienced to handle. Washington AP

Brown faces fight for his political future after a single year as leader

East Timor President Ramos-Horta says he won’t take UN human rights job

him to usher in an era of competence and Honest, straight-talking government. integrity, and turn the page on the Iraq War Out with sound bites, in with intellect. debacle -- in which Blair was a key player.

A serious man, for troubled times. After an But today Brown is in turmoil -- his credioften restive 10-year wait to wrest Britain’s bility demolished by bad economic luck, a highest office from his charismatic predecascade of government bluncessor Tony Blair, British ders and a seemingly chronic Prime Minister Gordon inability to make decisions.

Brown vowed to offer an anThe once-admired Treasury tidote to the former leader’s chief has been routed in musometimes synthetic charms. nicipal elections and has “Not flash, just Gordon,” a seen his governing Labour billboard poster for Brown Party slump to its lowest proclaimed, seeking to define opinion poll rating in him as serious and statesdecades. As he has for much manlike. As Brown became of the last year, Brown woke British leader, a year ago Gordon Brown Friday to bad news. London AP Friday, his supporters trusted

country," said Ramos-Horta, who narrowly escaped East Timor's president said Friday he would an assassination attempt by rival troops in February. not take a new job as the UN human rights Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao's motorcade was commissioner, citing possible political instability in ambushed the same day, but he escaped unharmed. his fledgling democracy. Jose Ramos-Horta told poTwo years earlier, dozens of people were killed in litical leaders last week he had already accepted the gunbattles between government job, but explained in the capital Dili troops and mutinous soldiers and that he had changed his mind. His more than 150,000 forced to flee five-year term ends in 2012, and his their homes in Dili. Tens of thouearly resignation would have resands still live in squalid tent camps. quired East Timor to hold elections East Timor broke free from within 90 days. That could fuel politIndonesia following 24 years of ofical instability and violence, which ten-brutal rule. Ramos-Horta shared has plagued Asia's youngest nation the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize with felsince it won independence from low countryman Bishop Carlos Belo Indonesia six years ago. "Inevitably, for leading a nonviolent struggle tensions would resurface with unJose Ramos-Horta against the occupation. Dili AP predictable consequences for the

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CORRUPTION

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said he wants a rerun of the 2006 presidential election in which he won a second term, after the Supreme Court ruled late on Thursday that the vote was tainted by corruption. The judges found that a former lawmaker was bribed to support a constitutional amendment that allowed the popular president to seek an unprecedented second consecutive term. Uribe's response stood Colombian politics on its head. With about 80 percent popularity, according to opinion polls, analysts agree he could win another election and extend his time in office. "This is his way of taking the momentum back from the court. It's a brilliant counter-punch," said Mauricio Romero, political science professor at Bogota's Javeriana University. "He is saying that institutions do not matter as much as his popularity does," the analyst said. Uribe said Congress should approve a referendum to allow voters to decide if a repeat election will be held. That would take the matter out of the hands of the courts, with which Uribe has feuded over his hard-line policies. "The right path has to be democratic rule," Uribe said on television following the court decision. The judges sentenced ex-Congress member Yidis Medina to nearly four years of house arrest for accepting illegal favors from government officials in exchange for supporting the re-election bill. Bogta Reuters

AP

North Korea blows up reactor cooling tower PHOTO

Colombia's Uribe calls for repeat of '06 polls

This video frame grab image taken from AP Television News shows the demolition of a 60-foot-tall cooling tower at the main reactor complex in Yongbyon North Korea on Friday.

contýnued from page 1 “In its first reaction since making the declaration, North Korea’s official media welcomed the US moves to drop it from the terrorism blacklist and called on Washington to halt its hostile policy toward it. Steam coming from the tower in spy satellite photographs has been the most visible sign of operations at the facility, designed to produce arms-grade plutonium.

“This was an active reactor. This was a reactor that was making plutonium, that made enough plutonium for several devices including one that was tested in 2006 so it was important to put North Korea out of the plutonium business,” said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Another local broadcaster cited an unnamed, senior South Korean source as saying that six-country talks on ending North Korea’s nuclear ambitions could resume as early as next week.

“The key issue here is of course verification and what type of an inspection regime the North Koreans agree to,” said Lee

Chung-min, professor of international relations at Yonsei University in Seoul. “Once we come down to the nitty-gritty of inspections, they will basically try to prolong the process as long as possible, without giving up nuclear weapons.”

US President George W. Bush on Thursday cautiously welcomed the declaration but warned North Korea, which tested a nuclear device in October 2006, that it faced consequences if it did not fully disclose its operations and continue to dismantle its nuclear programs. Once it is removed from the terrorism list, North Korea will be able to better tap into international finance.

“Due to the small size of North Korea’s rickety economy, any increases in investment and trade could have major effects,” experts said, adding that increased revenue would likely make its way to Pyongyang’s leaders and further solidify their rule. “It will basically secure their legitimacy and their survivability,” said Carl Baker, director of programs at the Pacific Forum CSIS think tank in Hawaii. Seoul Reuters

WOES

Fear of chemicals in ferry halts retrieval of bodies Philippine officials suspended retrieval Friday of hundreds of bodies believed trapped inside a sunken ferry due to fears divers might be exposed to toxic chemicals in the cargo hold. Initial tests showed no contamination, but officials said the search would not resume until the toxic cargo is removed. Vice President Noli de Castro told reporters that 22,000 pounds (10,000 kilograms) of the pesticide endosulfan intended for pineapple plantations of Del Monte Philippines went down with the ferry when it capsized at the height of a typhoon last Saturday in the central Philippines.

"Because this pesticide is dangerous, we have temporarily aborted the retrieval operations at the ship," he said. More than 100 divers, including eight U.S. servicemen, have joined the search. Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the pesticide does not easily dissolve in water but could be lethal to humans. He warned against eating fish caught in the area until tests show they have not been contaminated. Norlito Gicana, executive director of the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, said four water samples have been taken from the ship and test results late Friday indicated no contamination in any of the samples. Manila AP

Mugabe, in power for 28 years, went ahead with the vote despite a wave of condemnation after opposition leader Tsvangirai withdrew because of state-backed violence against his supporters Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai accused President Robert Mugabe of forcing Zimbabweans to vote on Friday in an election in which the 84year-old leader is the only candidate.

Mugabe, in power for 28 years, went ahead with the vote despite a wave of international condemnation after Tsvangirai withdrew because of state-backed violence against his supporters.

Tsvangirai, who has taken refuge in the Dutch Embassy for the last six days, told a news conference millions of people were staying away from the polls despite intimidation. He returned to the embassy after speaking. “What is happening today is not an election. It is an exercise in mass intimidation with people all over the country being forced to vote,” Tsvangirai said.

The opposition says almost 90 of its supporters were killed. Turnout was low in urban areas where Tsvangirai’s Movement

for Democratic Change is traditionally strong. But it was not clear how many voters went to the polls in rural districts.

Tsvangirai, calling the poll a farce, earlier urged people to abstain but said they should vote if they were in danger.

“Whatever might happen, the results...will not be recognized by the world. No matter what you are forced to do, we know what is in your heart. Don’t risk your life. The people’s victory may be delayed but it won’t be denied,” he said in a statement.

Voting began shortly after 1 a.m. EDT and turnout was much lower in urban areas than in parliamentary and presidential elections in March, when people queued from the early hours. Tsvangirai won the March 29 poll but fell short of the majority needed for outright victory.

The G8 group of rich nations lambasted Zimbabwe for going ahead with the run-off and the United States said the UN Security

Council may consider fresh sanctions next week. Tsvangirai said he understood South African President Thabo Mbeki planned to recognize Mugabe’s re-election. But he said it would be a “dream” to expect his MDC to join a national unity government with Mugabe’s ZANU-PF. Mbeki, the designated regional mediator in Zimbabwe, has been widely criticized for a soft approach towardsMugabe despite an economic crisis that has flooded South Africa and other countries with millions of refugees.

Tsvangirai said voters were being ordered to record the serial numbers of their ballot papers to identify how they cast their ballots. Pro-Mugabe militias had threatened to kill anybody abstaining or voting for the opposition, he said. Voters had their little finger dyed with purple ink. “There is no doubt turnout will be very low,” said Marwick Khumalo, head of monitors from the Pan African Parliament. Harare Reuters

PLEA

Pakistan urges progress in talks with the Indians Pakistan’s foreign minister said Friday his government was eager to find a solution at next month’s peace talks to the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which has been at the heart of the bitter rivalry between his country and India. Negotiating teams from India and Pakistan will meet July 21 for a new round of peace talks, Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced after meeting with visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. It was their second meeting since a civilian government took power in Pakistan in February.

The July talks, part of a peace process between the nuclear armed South Asian rivals that began in 2004, will include discussions on the future of Kashmir, their largest stumbling block, Qureshi said. “They will be discussing a number of issues, and Jammu and Kashmir and peace and security are issues that will be focussed on during the talks,” added Qureshi. Expectations of progress on Kashmir have been dampened by the sidelining of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who was instrumental in pushing for a solution to the Kashmir dispute. New Delhi AP

PHOTO

Tsvangirai: Zimbabweans forced to vote in election Chris Luzader, an instructor for Tactical Advantage Concepts, fires a gun in Orange, California.

US gun owners applaud Supreme Court ruling

REUTERS

The handover of security control in Iraq's Anbar province to Iraqi forces has been put on hold, the US military said on Friday, blaming a sandstorm forecast to hit the region.

The sandstorm could have prevented officials flying to Anbar for today's handover ceremony, the US military said, explaining the delay. Anbar, a vast region to the west of Baghdad, was once the heartland of the Sunni Arab insurgency against US forces and Shiite-led governments in Baghdad. It is set to be the first Sunni Arab region handed back to Iraqi control, a sign of the remarkable turnaround in security in the province since tribes there turned against al-Qaeda. Lt-Col. Chris Hughes, spokesman for the Marines in western Iraq, said the delay was not linked to a bomb attack in Anbar on Thursday. That attack killed 20 people, including three US Marines and two interpreters, police and the US military said. "Later this evening, we're expecting a brown-out. It's going to be difficult to travel ...

It's going to be: you can't see 15-20 feet ahead of you," Hughes said. "We've lost so much out here, we don't want this (handover) to go un-noticed," he said, referring to the hundreds of US Marines killed in the province since the 2003 US-led invasion. Baghdad Reuters

PHOTO

Today's US handover of Iraqi province delayed

AP

SANDSTORM

Protestors demonstrate against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe outside the country's embassy in London on Friday.

G8 lambasts Zimbabwe, talks of fresh sanctions G8 nations lambasted Zimbabwe on Friday as it voted in a one-man runoff for the presidency, and the United States said the UN Security Council may consider fresh sanctions on the African country next week.

“We deplore the actions of the Zimbabwean authorities -- systematic violence, obstruction and intimidation -- which have made a free and fair presidential run-off election impossible,” the Group of Eight rich countries’ foreign ministers said in a statement after a two-day meeting in Kyoto, Japan. Defying world condemnation, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe pressed on with the vote on Friday even though opposition contender Morgan Tsvangirai, accusing the authorities of violence and intimidation, had withdrawn. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, speaking to reporters after the G8 meeting, branded Friday’s vote “a sham.” “There was a strong sentiment in that room

today that what is going on in Zimbabwe is simply unacceptable in the 21st century and it can’t be ignored by the international community,” she said. She said the UN Security Council would discuss next week tightening the West’s array of sanctions on Zimbabwe, whose economy is already in a state of collapse. The G8 said Zimbabwe’s first round of voting, in March, when Tsvangirai beat Mugabe but did not secure an outright majority, must be respected, and it would not accept the legitimacy of a government that did not reflect the will of the people.

Officials said the ministers' decision to release a separate statement on Zimbabwe underlined their determination to send a strong message to Harare. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told reporters that he wanted discussions within the European Union on withdrawing national ambassadors from Zimbabwe. Kyoto Reuters

Gun-loving Americans applauded their Supreme Court on Thursday after it ruled for the first time in US history that they had a right to own firearms. “I think it’s great because Americans should have the freedom to own guns and rifles, because America is a so-called free country and that is one of our freedoms,” said 16-year-old high school student and avid raccoon hunter Stella Richardson. She and her mother were buying a new pistol holster for her father at a Cabela’s shop in Fort Worth, part of a chain catering to US hunters and gun enthusiasts.

The reaction to the decision was universally favorable among those browsing in the firearms section of the store, where hundreds of handguns gleam in glass display cases in front of long rows of rifles and shotguns. Individual Americans have a right to own guns, the Supreme Court ruled for the first time in the country’s history, striking down a strict gun control law in Washington D.C. The landmark 5-4 ruling marked the first time in nearly 70 years that the high court had addressed the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. “I think the decision should have been nine to zero,” said Don Polk, 60, as he browsed for a handgun. “I think people up there in Washington should be able to protect themselves the way that the rest of us have been allowed to,” he said. Buying a firearm is not a big problem in Texas where it is even possible and fairly easy to obtain a permit to carry a concealed handgun. A “castle law” enables homeowners here to shoot intruders if they feel threatened.

Bob Schultz, a Vietnam veteran and gun owner in a Dallas suburb, spoke to Reuters in his home as he opened his .38 special to show that it was loaded -- as always. “I wholeheartedly agree with this Supreme Court decision. But I don’t think it will deter the anti-gun lobby, they will continue to crusade against weapons,” he said.Besides two handguns, his main “home defense” system is a 12-gauge pistol grip shotgun with a short barrel. At close range that will put a big hole in an unwanted intruder.

At Cabela’s, 71-year-old Bonnie Deberry browsed with her husband for new handguns to add to their collection. “I think you ought to be able to have one and carry them openly. This country was built on guns,” she said. Forth Worth Texas Reuters

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EXPAT ZONE

Mappýng my journey I shared with you once how my refrigerator is my bulletin board, or what some may call my "home altar" -- important family photos, encouraging verses, telephone numbers and information ranging from my urgent shopping list to plane ticket can be found on the fridge.

The other day I thought to myself that life has been so busy that I have not taken time to linger over the family photos. I guess it doesn't really matter now, because I will soon visit them in the States. It's revealing how the photos on our fridge can portray a personal journey of our life, special events and places and people in our lives.

Summer is a time to slow down a little and enjoy relationships more. For those of you who travel to your home country to vacation this summer, you know what I mean -- you'll be shown hundreds of photos, big moments and small ones, of your nieces and nephews, etc., all displayed in a kaleidoscope of changing scenes. Smiling and laughing with those you love.

Before you can enjoy your time with your family and friends back home you may have thousand of miles to fly, gifts to buy and pack!

I do for my journey.

When you go home you'll be continually asked by every person you meet, "What's Turkey like?" Have you thought about what you will answer? I need to give this some thought.

What is the image of Turkey that I want to describe to

folks back home?

Turkey is a country of such contrasts! The nation faces challenges that Westerners can't really fully understand, unless you have lived here a while. Things are just not so black and white.

Last summer I explored with you in my column what Turks want to communicate to tourists. The type of souvenir gifts you offer in souvenir shops to your guests to buy speaks volumes. Why do souvenir shops carry all shapes and sizes of stuffed felt camels and postcards of donkeys?

I have seen many more Jeeps and Volvos than camels and donkeys! I would love to know when camels were common in Ýstanbul.

May be down South you see the odd camel at seaside resorts, but how many centuries ago has it been since camels crossed Turkey? Yet these stuffed camels and donkey postcards are available in every shop.

In America tourist buy postcards of skyscrapers like the Marina Towers or the empire State Building or Statue of Liberty or Mount Rushmore. Why not take home some postcards of the skyscrapers at Maslak or Levent and the statues on Mount Nemrut near Adýyaman?

Another suggestion I may consider is taking back some sport baseball caps of Turkish soccer teams instead of the fez hat. Turkish youth wear these and probably youth back home would, too. I am sure they would enjoy the sport cap more than the souvenir cap

CULTURAL CORNER

CHARLOTTE McPHERSON known as the fez. The fez collection on display at the souvenir shop is far from the real thing. The souvenir version not a beautifully crafted, crimson felt masterpiece, but nine times out of 10, gaudy, mockarabesque stripy material stuck on to a cardboard base.

Turkey needs to be promoted in a positive light and this item of headgear that is illegal for a Turk to wear is taken home as an item to poke fun at.

This reminds me of a hotel that I stayed at recently while attending a conference. The interior décor was modernistic but for the evening meal all staff -- male and female -- had to wear a fez as part of their uniform. It was quite confusing with the Buddha candles on the dinner tables and staff wearing the fez caps, especially the women!

I've expressed before my disgust of the list of countless more examples -- those slippers with the curled up toes. An Aladdin or

{{ S P I R I T UA L S I T E S {{ BÜÞRA ÝPEKÇÝ

The interior of Crimean Church

Crýmean Memorýal: ýn memory of fallen Brýtýsh soldýers BÜÞRA ÝPEKÇÝ ÝSTANBUL

On the slopes of Galata rolling down to Tophane stands a church among the rows of residences.

Although only a few minutes from the famous Ýstiklal Street, it's not easy to notice it. Walk down the street next to the Swedish Consulate and when you get to the foot of the hill, turn left, then right and look for a bell tower among the trees.

Officially the Christ Church, it is familiarly known as the Crimean Memorial Church. My first encounter with the church was during an excursion my art history professor took the class on to show an example of 19th century religious buildings in Ýstanbul.

"What a lovely church!" I thought when I first saw the building. I am not sure if "lovely" is an appropriate term for a religious building, but the church was very welcoming with its garden full of trees and blossoms in the newly arrived spring. During my second visit, again in spring, the garden and the church were under a shower of beautiful sunlight, giving me the same impression once more.

A large, iron door leads into the church, whose garden is surrounded by walls. Right past this door is the church's main door, at the end of the staircase. Also, a contemporary-looking building is to the right of the stairs and is also a part of the church.

The story of the construction of the Crimean Memorial Church is very unique for two reasons. It was built to commemorate solders who died during the Crimean War, a war between the French, the British and the Ottomans on one side and Russia on the other (1853-1856). The second reason for its uniqueness is that a competition was held for its design.

Today, it is a part of the Ýstanbul Anglican Chaplaincy.

The British presence around the Galata region was already consolidated before the Crimean War, and a consular complex was established in Galata while the British Embassy was rebuilt in Beyoðlu, historians say. Moreover, plans to construct an Anglican church in Ýstanbul coincided with a period when the rights of minorities had already been expanded and discussions about an alliance between the

British and Ottoman empires were taking place.

In the 1850s, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG) decided to build a British church in Ýstanbul. According to historical sources, the SPG, which also sent chaplains to British soldiers in Crimea, had two chaplains in Beyoðlu even before the construction of the Christ Church. Discussion on the church's construction continued from 1856 to 1868.

As debates on the architecture of the Crimean Memorial Church continued, an international competition was held by a committee of five judges in 1856. Among the four architects who were qualified to compete were William Burges and George Edmund Street, known for his work on the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Some of the proposed designs were rejected due to their unsuitability to the city's climatic conditions and concerns over the amount of funds and size of the site allocated for the church.

Street's design envisaged a larger chapel while Burges opted for a smaller one. The latter's design was debated heavily even though the judges thought it fit best to the architectural rules imposed by the competition committee. Scholars also argue that in addition to architectural concerns, debates on design had a political impetus and that the then Ottoman-British relations were crucial in understanding this church project.

The site on which the church was built was given to the British by Sultan Abdülmecit so that the British community living around the neighborhood would have a place to worship.

Victorian neo-Gothic style introduced by Christ Church The stone-laying ceremony of the church took place in October 1858. Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, who served as ambassador to Ýstanbul for many years, was also present at the ceremony and delivered a speech there. However, debates and problems such as finding suitable builders and the high cost of materials continued for years.

By 1864 Burges had modified his designs several times, and Street was then assigned to the project that year. Street also modified the design he first proposed to the competition.

Construction finally began in 1864 and ended in 1868

despite the fact that the final building lacked some of the competition's objectives. The church aimed to highlight tolerance of a religious minority, the Ottoman-British alliance and the British presence in Ýstanbul, but 11 years of frustrations over its design and construction overshadowed the ideas behind its erection.

The church is rectangular and has two small steeples above the door. The bell tower is to the northwestern side of the church. Stones used in its construction were mainly brought from Malta.

The baptismal font inside the church is made of one piece of marble. The church's huge organ, made in England in 1911, is housed on the wooden mezzanine level, reached via a cast iron staircase brought from England. The Crimean Memorial Church introduced the Victorian neo-Gothic style to Ýstanbul, but this architectural style failed to find a following in the city.

The church was closed in the 1970s due to the lack of a congregation. Some of the church property, such as pictures, are said to have been stolen during this period, but I did not get a chance to ask the church's chaplain about this. The church offers free classes and other social services.

In 1991 the church was reopened after the arrival of Sri Lankan refugees who came to the city that year. During my first visit I saw a few Sri Lankans; the doorman was one of them. But this time around, they were nowhere to be seen.

Although the Crimean Memorial remains isolated from rest of the churches in Beyoðlu (or Pera), British tourists visit the church, and those who set out to explore the narrow streets around Galata neighborhood come across it and ring the bell.

Sunday liturgy: Holy Eucharist 10 a.m.

Weekday liturgy: Daily matins at 9 a.m. and daily evensong at 6 p.m.; worship offered twice a day.

Tel.: (212) 251 56 16 Address: Serdar Ekrem Sok. No: 82 Kumbaracý Yokuþu, Galata Web site: www.anglicanistanbul.com

Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman ‘s readers.

Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.”

Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com

EXPAT PARENT

PHOTOS

The exterior of Crimean Memorial Church

Princess Yasemin costume for children ... or a belly-dancer's scanty get-up. Dolls of mustachioed men with baggy pants.

Westerners have already been influenced by certain films that have conjured up certain images of an arabesque illusion of the "Arabian Nights." They imagine Turkey as a place where women can't drive or be out in public, where the landscape is palm trees and desert. All of these are images that Turkey is trying to shed.

I don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill. After all, it's all just a bit of fun, I hear you say. But often the sad thing is that these items are being taken abroad as an item of parody -- an old-fashioned camel or a funny hat to laugh at when back at the office or with your relatives.

Before I try to answer any questions about Turkey, the gifts I give project a certain image about Turkey. Maybe I'll just pick up some Turkish delight to give as gifts and encourage people to read C.S. Lewis' Narnia chronicles…

KATHY HAMILTON

Homework during the holidays My son suspects that he is suffering a great injustice. In his eyes, the summer holiday is a time to loll away the hours watching all the television shows he missed out on throughout the school year and then spend what is left of the day playing with friends at the local parks. Imagine his chagrin when he discovered that he still has to do homework, in one way or another, every day while school is out.

In order that students not forget all that had been learned over the course of the school year, his teacher sent home a summer workbook filled with math problems, word games and Turkish and English grammar questions to puzzle through. By no means as exhaustive as the homework assignments brought home during the school term, the homework has caused Ali Adem great consternation. Even though he is allowed to have fun and relax while on his summer break, he knows that the dreaded homework awaits him.

His days, and mine too for that matter, are now filled with trips to the park, the swimming pool, gymnastics and nearby art classes. When we are out and about, be it on our way to or from an activity or just running errands, I try to get him to continue to use the skills he learned at school. Together we see who can add up costs for food in our heads fastest. I have him explain parts of Turkish grammar to me as we are walking along. This is something he actually enjoys because he realizes that when it comes to the Turkish language he has the definite edge over me. By me asking him questions, he is given the chance to turn the tables on me and become my personal tutor.

Reading, both in Turkish and English, is another of his skills that I try to keep sharpened. Since his one desire at the moment is to be free of schoolwork during the summer, I have to come up with creative ways to get him to read while not making it seem like it is homework. To him, his textbooks reek of the injustice of homework over the holidays, so I have been finding other ways to have him read that do not seem like work. I ask him about signs we pass on the street, making obvious mistakes in my reading of them so that he has the chance to correct me. It gives him a sense of accomplishment to be able to be able to point out and explain my errors in Turkish. We try to work together each day on his homework book, with me struggling along behind him to check his answers. Even though he considers it to be a bit of an ordeal to have to cope with schoolwork when he would rather be playing, by working on it alongside each other it gives us a little more time to spend together before he runs off to yet another summer activity. It is important to find fun ways to keep children occupied during the school breaks.

By finding ways to bring what they have learned at school into their everyday lives they can discover on their own how what they have been taught in school relates to their own personal lives. By bringing learning into the personal realm they can better understand why the lessons they go through in school are so important.

Even though he is not too pleased with the homework notebook sent home by his school, I think it is a great addition to his summer holidays. Before the book arrived, tucked away in his backpack on the last day of school, I was already thinking of ways to keep him occupied and enthusiastic about learning while away from the set schedules of his school. This notebook has made my job much easier.

For all children, keeping up with their lessons is essential.

Moreover, when there is a second or third language involved in the child's life, it is critical that the practice of the languages continues even when away from school. Since we almost always speak English at home, I have to make sure that his Turkish skills do not suffer while he is out of school. Reading, even if just signs on the street and comic books, is a key part of keeping language skills honed. When out at the parks he usually plays with children who only speak Turkish, so the speaking skills stay at a high level, but if not encouraged at home, reading skills can have a tendency to slip when away from school.

So, in spite of the fact that Ali Adem feels that homework during the summer break is a grave injustice, we work together to keep him current in terms of his progress in school. When the next school term begins I am hoping that because we have continued his studies throughout the summer he will be ready to face the next grade a little easier and not find that he has forgotten too much of what he had learned over the holiday break. As he is finding, learning never stops.

Send comments and questions to k.hamilton@todayszaman.com

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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CULTURE&ARTS

TODAY’S ZAMAN 13

S AT U R D AY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 0 8

Kýrýka:

PHOTO

TURGUT

ENGÝN

t i r i p s e h t k g l n i o c u f d n reintro a b r u o t n i s u s of Diony

define their ctly how Kýrýka sic." This is exa songs "urban folk mu sic wherein all mu " folk ban "ur des own music: an kish music mo M ÝST AN BU L re (classical Tur FU LY A ÖZ LE ctu stru qam are intern, have a ma hicaz -- which genuine concer at nt, saba, rast and of wh ave out But nih ). de as iko h ma bet - suc in rem Genuine music revive and tran y popular modes intiress oneself and estingly also ver in that they are such as to exp hard to come are more folksy is ut s , ne' abo form l ryo talk eve sica cs lyri n mu ries in perform- the scend a forgotte ut everyday sto ýka, apart from and talking abo work remained . The band Kýr d up mate a poet whose stan k, to s Gö il ner of by in this country k Kam liste es . Mustafa lished a little boo tic music that urg of what life daughters pub on ing lively, energe understanding nown until his of all the lyrics is reforming the and the unk th, is the author and hum along the "sea breeze ms after his dea ost forgotten g poe gin his brin by is to music is an alm music. ms kish poe Tur to Turkish music ting to ol" k Set "co bac m. it, uinely us," as they put and the albu lately, so it is gen spirit of Dionys Peker on vocals ong musicians aspects of s Salih Nazým a habit am most important lam the bað of a, The band feature cur , one g classical revival of ng cümbüþ ngside revivin hat do a ruments includi riterdom" alo traditional inst only bass; Murat Fer "singer-songw çiftetellis. It is Devrim Kýnlý on and san os als; Ha sirt ; voc s, g uki kin zeybek and buz ires of such flute) and bac forms such as bone, ney (reed enrich the reperto and e als. pos voc of k com Yegül on trom bac ead and en people "continue" inst türk on percussion g to wh can be said to and Orçun Baþ ba Saz," referrin 's heritage, s when people m is named "Ka n reflecting one of form itio ed trad l pris sica com Their debut albu mu ensembles "break with" a to Turkish music doors due the name given "Yýllar to be played out Peker states. a song called ents that need and as album there is "loud" instrum zurna, clarinet the m, dru y nice On the as ba me, such , which is a ver "Ka By) volu h um sed hig alb ir Pas ir the ing the Geçti" (Years ays been a nts. So by nam genre has alw ir instrubrass instrume kish tango. The erline that all the gin al wanted to und very Tur ct fro m the ori Saz," they both same time, the of tan go dis tin the m at for and d" y "lou e" to Kýrýka, Turkish ctiv nks stru tha con and "de ments are literall an rather Argentine fro m " reflects their . bee n rec ove red song "Kaba Saz lves as musicians tan go has now at life and themse itions. dition way of looking n in new compos except from a ren ivio -m obl as albu h suc the bek" -of strings All the songs on While the use il Bey's "Rast Zey bur player) Cem inbuzuki in the of tamburi (tam By looking at the s, baðlama and ura ns. tso itio pos de " inal com inet's Va r Gü lüþ ün are Peker's orig ening to the clar son g "B ir Sýr ile) er plays and list their music ret in Your Sm Sec call a to struments Pek is d ten ere (Th touch, I would ens abl e roiod in beautiful Aegean ain s an ind isp rembetiko per int the ma of l iva mu o, a rev in the band's ber the orineo-rembetik should remem mantic element dru ms , However one during the late sic , the int ens ive use of Turkish music. era an om Ott ss in-- the late scene in lively Balkan bra gins of rembetiko when the music bass and the funky that a 20th centuries s such as kanto struments make them so 19th and early rlooking h Western form n balcony ove wit gea ded Ae enan floo for at g Turkey was "popular music Kýrýka songs. summer evenin operetta. Since plete without om times, inc se be tho at uld (canto), tango and sic mu the sea wo the spirit of the Kýrýka was haptertainment" was "Kaba Saz" by entertainment within which this 2008 in certain and the music Baykuþ Music, songs formed h oug thr d ieve re to be called pening was ach s definitely a gen wa it , res ctu mode stru

ALBUM

FESTIVAL

New compilation brings stars of jazz fest together

Doðuþ Symphony combines animated film with music

Hits by Herbie Hancock, Omara Portuondo, Al Jarreau and Marcus Miller, all of whom will be taking the stage at the upcoming Ýstanbul International Jazz Festival, are featured in a brand new compilation album issued by the Ýstanbul Jazz Festival and EMI Turkey. The 15th Ýstanbul Jazz Festival CD features 14 tracks, each by a renowned performer on the lineup of the festival, scheduled to run from July 2-16. The album can be purchased at music stores.

The Doðuþ Children's Symphony Orchestra, the first of its kind in Turkey, will be one of the last acts to take stage at the ongoing Ýstanbul International Music Festival with a concert this evening at the Türker Ýnanoðlu Maslak (TÝM) Show Center. The orchestra, under the baton of maestro Rengim Gökmen, will combine the joy of animated movies with the delight of classical music in their performance, slated to start at 6 p.m. Ticket price: YTL 20

EXHIBITION

Photography artist brings Isfahan to Hagia Sophia Iranian photography artist Saber Anvari's photo collection depicting historical Seljuk and Safavid structures in the Iranian city of Isfahan went on display this week at the exhibit hall of Ýstanbul's Hagia Sophia Museum. The 38-piece show, titled "Isfahan -- the Seljuk Capital," was selected from a vast collection of around 7,000 photographs by Anvari, whose career as a photographer spans over 30 years. The exhibition wraps up on Sunday.

Hollywood loves a good sequel, but here's one it could do without: Another union strike just months after the town got up and running again from a devastating walkout by writers. The contract between the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expires Monday, and negotiations have dragged on for weeks with no apparent headway.

SAG leaders have said they are willing to continue talking beyond the contract deadline. Yet their hard-line rhetoric and a squabble with another actors union could put performers on the sidelines, taking electricians, set-builders, caterers and other Hollywood working stiffs along with them. A strike in July -- or a potential actors' lockout if producers decided to play tough -- could delay the return of many fall TV shows, which normally would be going back into production then.

With a longer lead time, big-screen movies generally are in good shape through the early part of summer 2009, with studios rushing to finish production on most films before the actors' contract expired. A few films such as "The Hannah Montana Movie" and Tom Hanks' "Angels & Demons" could be forced to shut down if a strike occurred. A long walkout could postpone movies scheduled to start shooting late this summer and fall, including Russell Crowe's "Nottingham."

Big action films could ride out a short strike by turning to other work while actors were off. Lorenzo di Bonaventura, producer of next summer's sequel "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," said the filmmakers factored in a hiatus where they can get by without actors, working on visual effects instead. But it would be another blow to an industry that remains in a stall after the writers strike.

While the Writers Guild of America went on strike in general solidarity among members, SAG is a house divided. Its 120,000 members include 44,000 who also belong to the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and leaders of the two unions are at each other's throats.

AFTRA, with 70,000 total members, negotiated a contract similar to ones writers and directors accepted this year. SAG is holding out for a better deal that many in Hollywood say it cannot realistically achieve in a business stung first by losses from the 100-day writers strike and now by studio stinginess amid the weak economy.

While the unions traditionally have negotiated side by side, they split this time, and SAG leaders are actively campaigning to defeat AFTRA's contract, whose results are due July 8.

SAG is pushing for more money on DVD residuals, a raise producers have refused to give other Hollywood unions. Leaders of SAG also say the AFTRA contract shortchanges actors on potential revenue from Internet programming.

"When unions compete with different contract terms, actors lose. It starts a race to the bottom that SAG doesn't want to win," SAG chief negotiator Doug Allen said in a June 23 message asking actors who belong to both unions to vote against AFTRA's deal.

Actors such as Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey and Morgan Fairchild are among hundreds who have signed an agreement encouraging AFTRA members to approve the deal.

SAG, which accounts for about 90 percent of TV production and all of the film industry, insists it can strike a better bargain. But if the AFTRA deal goes through by a wide margin, it could undermine SAG's leaders, who might not be able to drum up the votes should they decide to ask members to authorize a strike. It also could ruin some TV series.

Audiences did without new episodes on many shows for months while writers were on strike.

If actors walk and new episodes vanish again, fans could lose interest for good. Los Angeles AP

Prado Museum doubts Goya painted ‘Giant'

FESTIVAL

David Guetta to headline July's Electronica Festival The Electronica Festival Ýstanbul marks its fifth edition next month with a glittering list of performers headlined by French DJ David Guetta, who will be taking to the DJ set on the first day of the festival in what will be his first ever outing in Turkey. The festival, slated for July 11-12, will feature live electronic music performances by over 20 acts and DJs from both Turkey and abroad on two giant stages to be erected in Parkorman. Tickets at www.biletix.com

CM Y K

Hollywood braces for actor walkout

Experts at Spain's leading museum El Prado said on Thursday they suspected one of their prize exhibits -- long attributed to Goya -- was in fact painted by one of the Spanish master's assistants. Manuela Mena, curator of 18th-century conservation and Goya's works at the Madrid museum, said new evidence had been uncovered by x-rays and other tests on "The Giant," considered an allegory of Spain at war.

"It is not a work which in our opinion fits in with Goya's technique, brushwork, symbology, his metaphors or poetry," Mena told a news conference. Mena added that the discovery of the initials A.J. in the lower left of the painting led the museum to believe Asensio Julia, Goya's contemporary and assistant, was the real painter. Research is still under way and conclusions are not expected for several months. But Mena said it would not undermine the painting's artistic merit. "It's an attractive, captivating work, not an odd job," she said. Madrid Reuters

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14 TODAY’S ZAMAN

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008

OPINION

The CHP ýs a dýsgrace to socýal democracy (2) ALÝ ÜNAL

HALUK ÖZDALGA*

PHOTO

Embarrassment resulted this year when the media disclosed that General Staff headquarters had circulated several internal reports on issues outside the military's areas of responsibility and these came under criticism. One such report concerned nongovernmental organizations that received financial support from the EU or the US, alleging that with such financing, anti-Turkish activities were being carried out. Another such report was about journalists, newspapers and other media institutions, classifying them according to their level of purported loyalty to the state.

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal was certainly one of the first to come forth in defense of these documents, claiming that the first report was "merely a position paper" of the military, while the second one was "only an internal assessment report of the military meant to harmonize its relations with the press and the media." (Taraf, April 11, 2008)

Kanaltürk: money for favorable media treatment Another humiliating situation for the CHP ensued when it was disclosed that the party had entered into a formal contract with a small private TV station, Kanaltürk, in a blatant attempt to bribe and create partisan media. A sum of $3.5 million was paid to the station in return for giving extensive air coverage to the views and figures of the party. The case is under legal investigation and constitutes a clear violation of the law; however, given the cordial relations between the party and the judiciary, it is unlikely this will yield any concrete results.

Nor should the political aspects of the case be neglected.

Kanaltürk was founded and managed by Tuncay Özkan, one of the country's most blatant and aggressive militarists in civilian clothing. When he decided to start a TV enterprise, he was known to have visited the military headquarters trying to drum up financial support, because the military wields considerable financial clout through several large holdings they own and control. On Kanaltürk, films depicting military coups and regimes in other countries are given ample air time. Özkan is such an ardent booster of military interventions in politics that when, in the midst of the northern Iraq crisis, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar Büyükanýt mildly told a press conference that the military's role is to take orders from political leaders, this was just too much for Özkan to stomach. He exploded in protest on his own vanity station, suggesting that now we should consider setting up a new army: "Now I say, the Turkish nation can set up not one, but thousands of armies… How can a chief of General Staff say we are to take orders from the politicians?" (Zaman, April 14, 2007) This is the station Baykal and his party chose as its ally in the media, and in support funneled $3.5 million to its coffers.

Opposing reformed Foundations Law This February the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government submitted a bill to Parliament to finally complete work to reform the Foundations Law. Foundations played a significant role in Ottoman society, but this old institution badly needed revisions in line with modern times. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan closely followed the push for reform, even though it was clear the issue would be exploited politically. The government took the issue seriously and organized several study groups to produce a proposal based on democratic principles, granting equality to all foundations, including minority ones (Greek, Armenian, Jewish, etc.), along with the right to own property and the right to engage in international activities and economic enterprises.

To no one's surprise, the CHP opposed these reforms. Their opposition contained much exploitation, little substance and groundless claims that the reforms amounted to kowtowing to EU dictates. "Very ridiculous… Why? We should adapt to the EU… this is very ridiculous." (parliamentary proceedings, Feb. 20, 2008, CHP deputy Ýsa Gök) At one point, one CHP spokesperson even alleged that the issue was connected to the international Orthodox Church and its gaining property rights in Turkey. (parliamentary proceedings, Jan. 30, 2008, CHP deputy Rahmi Güner)

Backwards stances on Article 301 and broadcasting in Kurdish Before it was amended earlier this year, Turkish Penal Code (TCK) Article 301 prescribed imprisonment for "insulting the state and Turkishness." The problem concerned not only the law's wording, but also its overzealous use by prosecutors. Between 2003 and

CHP leader Deniz Baykal vehemently opposed a bill that would amend Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, which prominent Turkish intelllectuals have been tried under.

2007, 1,481 legal cases were initiated under the infamous law, with 745 ending in a guilty verdict against the accused. Among those charged under 301 were a number of writers and journalists, including Orhan Pamuk, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and Hrant Dink, a prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist who was later assassinated. It was a clear-cut matter of freedom of speech. When a bill was introduced in Parliament this April changing the law's wording and requiring that the justice minister green light any prosecutions under it, the CHP and Baykal opposed it vehemently, voted against it and spread slander alleging that the government was making people free to insult the Turkish nation.

In previous debates, Baykal charged that reforms to Article 301 amounted to nothing less than "a betrayal," (Star, Dec. 1, 2006) The majority of the population living in Turkey's East and Southeast are ethnic Kurds. When the government introduced a reform bill this May allowing state-run TV to broadcast in languages other than Turkish, thereby opening the way for broadcasting in Kurdish one day a week, the CHP again opposed and voted against this measure.

CHP champions adventurism and aggression abroad The major political opposition in Turkey against a just and peaceful settlement of the Cyprus issue comes from the CHP. Back in 2004, when the AK Party government supported the UN plan and a referendum for a united Cyprus, it paved the way for a diplomatic breakthrough. But Baykal strongly opposed the plan, simply because he prefers that the problem remain unresolved, caring little if that puts him at odds with the Turkish social democrats on the island.

On the northern Iraq issue, the CHP has been proposing military deployment there even if that would mean an open confrontation with the US and the local Kurdish forces. Though the turmoil

such a step would reap is clear to all, Baykal escalated his demands on this issue during the first half of 2007, as elections approached.

In October 2007 the government decided to deploy troops in northern Iraq to neutralize the bases used by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) for aggression into neighboring Turkish territory. The absolute condition for the political and military success of this initiative was the strict limitation of these cross-border operations to the PKK and its bases. But when the issue was debated in Parliament, the CHP spokesperson saw no reason to depart from his party's aggressive line. "The prime minister says that … the sole target of the probable cross-border operations will be the terrorist organization [PKK] … That is not enough … The main objective of the operation … [must be] to prove to the political authority in northern Iraq protecting the PKK that this protection will carry a heavy price." (parliamentary proceedings, Oct. 17, 2007, CHP deputy Þükrü Elekdað)

Banning the AK Party One major tactic of the CHP is to incessantly paint a picture of Turkey as facing a threat of being transformed into a state based on Islamic law, something Turks did not have even during the Dark Ages, and of the AK Party's advocating this. The major "proof" the CHP has for its claim is the AK Party's bid to lift the ban on wearing headscarves on university campuses.

This February, when 411 members of Parliament passed constitutional changes giving university women the opportunity to exercise their freedom of choice, the CHP petitioned the Constitutional Court to overturn these changes. Defying the Constitution's clear stipulation that it has no jurisdiction to rule on constitutional amendments, the court ruled as the CHP had asked. In March the chief public prosecutor issued an indictment seeking to close down the AK Party and bar Erdoðan from engaging in politics for five years.

For his part, Baykal hailed these developments as a major victory.

dagistancetinkaya@todayszaman.com.tr

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ALÝ AKBULUT Chief Executive Officer

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Shortly after the release of the indictment, criticized by many for ideological tendentiousness, Baykal expressed his opinion on it as follows: "This is a very objective, very good indictment, prepared with responsibility." (Zaman, March 18, 2008) Baykal was also clear on how the court should rule. "If the judiciary is prevented from doing its job, then the abuse of religion cannot be prevented and there will be chaos." (Hürriyet, April 4, 2008) On what awaits Erdoðan, he had this to say, "The truth will prevail at some point, and you will get your punishment." (Taraf, June 15, 2008) When numerous EU leaders cried foul over the indictment, saying that banning a governing party which recently won 47 percent of the popular vote and barring a prime minister from politics would be unacceptable, Baykal's response went like this: "The biggest problem between Turkey and the EU is the politicians who come here on behalf of the EU, and under the influence of this or that person make irrelevant comments. These politicians talking thoughtlessly and recklessly deal the harshest blow to relations with the EU. EU leaders must tell these politicians about Turkey, as they don't know what they're talking about." (Milliyet, May 7, 2008) The politicians who need instruction by EU leaders about what to talk about, at Baykal's behest, include figures no less distinguished than European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.

In another reply to the various EU leaders criticizing from a democratic point of view the drive to ban the AK Party, Baykal simply stated that "those who speak on behalf of the EU are democracy smart-alecks." (Radikal, May 12, 2008) And when Rehn suggested an understanding of "democratic secularism" that was also objectionable to Baykal, he responded, "The discourse on democratic secularism is a reflection of the desire to abandon secularism." (Hürriyet, May 19, 2008)

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COLUMNS

TODAY’S ZAMAN 15

S AT U R D AY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 0 8

Turkey’s democracy test A recently endorsed decision by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) was humiliating for Turkey, which should have never been subjected to such a decision and threat of being monitored, as implied by PACE's move.

Turkey was included on the list of countries that have recently adopted democracy. This is a very serious decision and situation for a country with extensive experience and a tradition of statehood. However, it is impossible to argue that PACE made a decision Turkey did not deserve. Turkish democracy came under threat by a recent lawsuit filed against the Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Even the submission of this case alone shows that the Turkish constitutional system is far from universal standards. Therefore, it should be acknowledged that PACE is teaching the Turkish judiciary a lesson. There is no question or problem with regard to other elements of a minimal democratic system. The judiciary wields its power to dominate the political administration. By doing so, it causes deadlock in the operation of the democratic system.

Will the supreme judicial bureaucracy review its situation after this PACE decision? Will this decision have any influence in Turkey? I am not sure about the answers to these questions. PACE's decision on Turkey coincided with the Turkish national soccer team's matches in the European championship. The Turkish squad

KLAUS JURGENS

MÜMTAZ’ER TÜRKÖNE m.turkone@todayszaman.com

achieved impressive results at the tournament. Turks pay utmost attention and importance to such achievements. For this reason, it should be noted that the honor associated with victories at the tournament attracts greater attention than the humiliation in connection with the PACE decision. But the media paid little attention to this decision for reasons other than the limelight being on soccer nowadays. Turkey is not open to external impacts.

Turkish democracy's logic It is already known that the Turkish military inherently assumes the right to intervene in politics when it considers such a move necessary.

It is pretty obvious that such heavy military influence over the political system will undermine the rule of law, erode democracy and restrict human rights. However, the military, which still relies on its influence over the political system, should now consider a number of factors.

The game for power is far more difficult than the complicated balanc-

ing acts seen at circuses. Turkey was ruled by coalition governments between 1991 and 2002. The coalition governments, as observed in many other parts in the world, are a cause of serious weakness. Weak governments, in turn, take action pretty suitable for the involvement of the civilian and military bureaucracy. Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorism, prevalent during the said period, contributed to the expansion of the army within the state because of the military characteristic of the issue. For this reason, it was no coincidence that the latest military intervention, experienced on Feb. 28, 1997, was staged against a coalition government struggling with internal problems.

The AK Party government ended the era of coalition governments when it took office in 2002. Single party rule resumed the operation of democratic checks which were absent in previous terms.

The government's successful results in declaring a zero tolerance policy vis-à-vis torture -- relied on as a means of interrogation in the past -- is actually attributable to the single party rule. The role of the military over politics was restricted by changes made to the composition of the National Security Council (MGK). The power of the democratic administration was increased. Only the office of the presidency, the most important actor in the operation of the military guardianship regime in Turkey, was left behind. The AK Party's interest in that office dramatically changed the traditional balances. The concerns over the collapse of the military guardianship order were behind the politi-

No Comment

cal crises in 2007 in which the military and the Constitutional Court played the leading roles. A memo posted on the Web site of the General Staff on April 27, 2007 and the Constitutional Court's decision on the presidential election served the goal of ensuring the domination of the military guardianship regime in Turkey. But these efforts failed, and Turkey became a truly civilian country.

Competition for power is the issue, not secularism As rightly outlined in the recent PACE decision, concern over secularism is not the reason for the ongoing political crisis in Turkey. Secularism is being exploited by a bureaucratic minority to justify its rule and influence.

It is true that the principle of secularism was used at the inception of the republic as a reference to modernization. Secularism was used as leverage to change the traditional social structure.

However, it is not correct to assert that at the current stage Turkey has a problem with secularism. There has never been a religious reaction to the state in Turkey. For this reason, the Turkish society has never experienced radicalization of religious beliefs as a means of political opposition and massive support for such radical tendencies. Turks, overwhelmingly pious and conservative, have no problem with secularism. But the power elites do. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

CINCINNATI, AP

BERÝL DEDEOÐLU b.dedeoglu@todayszaman.com

k.jurgens@todayszaman.com

Turkey-GermanyZýmbabwe: wýnners and losers

Tough days for EU under French presýdency

Empty streets, quiet everywhere, except for the familiar voices of our television commentators -- it was football night in Turkey. Depending on your cable or satellite connection you could watch the drama unfold in either the Turkish, English or German language. This semi-final between Turkey and Germany was remarkable in many ways. As the team I normally support did not even make it to Austria or Switzerland (you may recall that England lost against Croatia in the qualifying stages), siding with the Turkish team was my obvious choice and pleasure. Before the first semifinal I had this idea that Turkey would be playing Russia for the coveted title of European champion. Well, that's soccer history by now.

I do associate sport with a certain degree of development -- development with regards to having a workable national football or any other sporting association, enough clubs to compete against each other, homegrown players and athletes and public interest. I am not saying that every state must become a nation of football enthusiasts; rather I am talking about sport in general. Where and at what age does interest in sporting activity start? At school! I argue we can draw a line from a nation's success in the sporting world via a modern education system to the state's general level of success elsewhere.

Football can indeed put a country on the map. In the case of Turkey, it helped to showcase a modern state and for sure drew a lot of attention from the outside world. Take the level of economic development, the reduction in inflation; think democracy, then watch their football team compete and nearly reach the finals -congratulations. Actually, Turkey played better!

In some countries, politicians highjack sport for their own PR purposes. In the case of Turkey, it was the reverse scenario: Sport successfully "borrowed" politicians' attention. What a wonderful sight having Turkish and German leaders sitting next to each other demonstrating normality, watching their teams playing against each other in harmony. As far as I am concerned, although Germany won the match, Turkey gained much more: a lot of additional European, if not global, reputation.

Speaking about gaining a reputation, you may of course lose it, too. The anti-type of a modern state and democracy is present-day Zimbabwe. Heartbreaking scenes of violence underline one more time that our planet is not as peaceful and developed as it seems. The time of dictators must end, once and for all. But can a single state do it alone? Where is the role of the international community? Unfortunately, only sanctions, including those in the sporting world, seem to work. The British prime minister announced Thursday that a series of events involving the UK and Zimbabwe will be postponed or cancelled. Sport can indeed help to showcase democracy, but sport should never be misused by portraying dictators in a fake, positive light. Yes, local young people, spectators and the athletes will initially suffer due to a lack of international competitions, but one day they will enjoy a free and democratic state. The price of canceling international sporting events is high, but right.

The international community closely watches its members. Breaking news and the Internet have made life for dictators nearly untenable -- so how come the terror in Zimbabwe eclipsed our attention for so long? We must be much more outspoken and less tolerant regarding breaches of democratic standards. In the case of Zimbabwe financial, travel and sporting sanctions are some of the options available.

Turkey as an emerging European and geo-political actor will reach a stage where global issues come much more to the forefront and will require enormous diplomatic skills shown by its leaders. As I wrote before, Turkey can become the engine of a new Europe and perhaps more. I will write about the non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council as an example in one of my future columns.

As far as football is concerned, let's hope Turkey will continue to reach semifinals and one day lift the trophy. Whether they will play against England, unfortunately, remains to be seen.

The Lisbon Treaty's rejection in the Irish referendum has proven that harmony amongst the EU members and peoples does not really exist. Europe is no longer under post-World War II conditions. The generation who learned that Europeans must work together was long been replaced by the new generation which sees no war on the horizon, no Soviet threat and no need for GIs. The youth looks at the EU flag, EU history and common European efforts as if they were political myths from a distant past. In the globalizing world, history moves forward very quickly and the European identity, common future and intense relations only interest intellectuals, bureaucrats or politicians. There are people who sincerely believe that the EU's future is related to the European people's commitment to this gigantic project. But there are also others who want to benefit from the actual unpleasant situation, especially those against Turkey.

The Irish referendum's result opens a new period for an EU that has to decide what to do with the Lisbon Treaty. But first of all, one should find out about the real character of the problem, because the cure will not be pertinent if the diagnosis is not.

There is an idea that enlargement constitutes the basis of the problem. Some people claim the EU is damaged because it let too many countries in too quickly. This explanation may seem reasonable, but maybe things are not that simple. Let's admit that the EU's main concern was Eastern Europe's risk of Balkanization and enlargement is used to avoid that.

But the EU has failed to transform this objective into sufficient reason for developing a partnership ambiance. Besides, European leaders were probably aware of the consequences of a non-enlargement, but they have failed to explain it to their peoples.

That's where French President Nicolas Sarkozy enters the scene: He has proposed another explanation. For him, Europe's fault is not being enough like the US, and according to him it would be easier to resolve the crisis if the EU's economy and common values looked more like American ones. Every partnership necessitates a common "other." About that, Sarkozy adopted Turkey as his main target, as this country reunites Turkish and Muslim identities.

France thought it would be appropriate for Europe to be anti-Turkey while the US was fighting against Muslim countries. The problem is that the US really fights against Muslim countries, but at the same time tries to win Muslim hearts.

France wants the Lisbon Treaty to work and it is convinced that further enlargement will complicate already existing problems. This approach is not too compatible with the EU's rules or law. Maybe the EU's problem is looking too much at domestic issues rather than watching what is going on in the foreign world. That's why Sarkozy's pro-American stance doesn't produce coherent results.

France seeks to exploit the Irish crisis as an excuse for rejecting Turkey's accession. It's true that Turkey's accession is about the EU's future. Nevertheless, it's not easy to understand Sarkozy's policies. France wants to return to NATO's integrated military structure but at the same time, it wants to reduce its military spending; it wants to use the EU to resolve its economic problems and wants everyone else to open their markets to France without giving anything to anyone.

And everyone is supposed to allow that.

Sarkozy doesn't care about Turkey's judicial problems, gangs, minority issues, freedom of expression problems, etc. It's not certain he will be more interested during his European Council presidency. But his approach towards Turkey reveals his EU conception, too. And it looks exactly like what's on some people's mind in Turkey.

Presýdentýal crýsýs ABDÜLHAMÝT BÝLÝCÝ a.bilici@todayszaman.com

Presidential crises have become very fashionable all around the world, to such an extent that when such a crisis is resolved in one country, a new crisis is immediately sparked in another. In the effort to elect a president, countries come to the verge of a civil war. In so doing, the people's energy, which should be utilized for more meaningful causes, is wasted.

In the face of this current scene, political scientists should place these increasingly repetitious presidential crises under scrutiny. They will either come up with a lasting solution to the problem or decide that it is impossible to run the system in a healthy fashion, determining that countries had better go back to their heirloom regimes of monarchism.

As is well known, Turkey saw much debate in 2007 on how a new president would be elected and a large-scale crisis resulted. Following the fiery debates, which went on for over a year, the country went through a number of difficult ordeals, from the utterly political ruling of the Constitutional Court that made the parliamentary quorum of 367 necessary to hold a session for presidential elections to the military's "midnight memorandum." Ultimately, the new resident of the presidential palace was elected after early general elections were held, yet the problem still persists, because what underlies the current crises we are suffering is the resounding impact of last year's presidential election. While the president's legal unaccountability is undisputed, how else can we explain demand that Abdullah Gül be banned from politics as part of the closure case brought against the Justice and Development Party (AK Party)?

Moreover, this crisis did not stem from the negative opinions about the AK Party of a certain part of the state. In the past, too, presidential election processes have always been afflicted with crises. Memories of ice-cold barrels held against the heads of candidates and of the futile canvassing tours made by Parliament in search of a way to hold elections are still fresh on our minds.

During the days Turkey when was just overcoming its crisis, its brother Pakistan was suffering its own presidential crisis. As in Turkey, the matter was taken to the courts. Some judges were relived of duty. The country went through a wild political furor. In the midst of this turmoil, I accompanied President Gül to Pakistan

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and had a chance to see the real magnitude of the crisis for myself.

In this process, one of the most popular figures on the Pakistani political scene, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated.

Shortly after that, we saw Lebanon going through a presidential crisis. It went for months without being able to elect a president. The entire world's attempt to mediate, including Turkish efforts, were of no use. Eventually, as a result of a conciliatory ground developed by Qatar to appease all parties, Gen. Michel Suleiman ascended to the presidential post that had been left unoccupied for so long. The crisis took on such an international dimension that the presidential election session held in the Lebanese Parliament in Beirut was attended by many countries' prime ministers and foreign ministers.

After grappling with a presidential crisis for a long time, Zimbabwe finally held the first round of elections last week. It was to hold the second round yesterday through the mediation of South Africa after a resurgence of aggression between President Robert Mugabe and the opposition. However, the opposition candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai, withdrew, claiming that his supporters were being pressured. Thus, the election ceased to have any meaning at all, and the road has been paved to greater crises.

As a matter of fact, the number of presidential crises in the world may soon rise. However, many countries with impaired democracies seem to have found an automatic solution to this problem. In these countries, the same people maintain their positions for many long years. These people manage to garner 99 percent of the votes when elections are held. Some are able to choose their successors even through they must inevitably leave their post. And some resort to legal regulations to remain in the same post until they die.

Looking at this picture, one may begin to think that a monarch, which has always been portrayed as a very negative thing in Turkey (for understandable reasons), is more appropriate for political stability and more honest in terms of ethics. The situation on the European continent supports this conclusion.

Seven of the eight European countries that have not deviated from the parliamentary regime for the last 150 years are kingdoms. In addition to the UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, and Belgium are kingdoms. Luxembourg is a grand duchy. The only exception that has managed to maintain its parliamentary regime during this long time is the Swiss Republic.

Following a long monarchical experience, most of the countries that switched to the republican system were either ruled by the same people for decades or faced with single-party regimes.

I wonder what political scientists would have to say about this.

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Gregorian Calendar: 28 June 2008 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 24 Jumada al-Thani 1429 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 25 Sivan 5768 calendar@todayszaman.com military struggle of the Bolsheviks for the re-establishment of the Soviet regime in Ukraine, the Ukrainian constitution was adapted to the communist line of thought. The current constitution is the work of a five-year-long discussion that took place between Ukraine’s declaration of independence on Aug. 24, 1991, and its adoption in 1996. The last amendments to the Constitution were adopted on Jan. 1, 2006.

According to the amendments, a reduction of presidential powers in favor of the prime minister and parliament was implemented. As a result, Ukraine became a republic with a parliamentary-presidential form of government.

Today is Memorial Day in Cambodia. This is a holiday in honor of the 1951 founding of the People’s Revolutionary Party. The holiday is celebrated with parades in Phnom Penh. Later called the Cambodian People’s Party, the People’s Revolutionary Party was the sole legal party in the country between 1981 and 1991.

The party considers June 28, 1951 to be its founding date. The organization was a secret party for 30 years and only in May 1981 did it finally appear in public.

Today is the Feast of Mnarja in Malta. This feast recreates the customs of the Middle Ages with the core of the celebrations taking place in Nadur, complete with dances and day-long events. A horserace and a procession with

Today is Land Forces Day in Turkey. Though the Turkish Land Forces are believed to have been established by Mete Han of the Hun Empire in 209 B.C. -thus the Land Forces will be 2,217 years old this year -the day is fixed on June 28 since on that day in 1363 the first regular ground troops of the Ottoman state, the Janissaries, were founded by Sultan Murad I. The sultan was the first commander-in-chief of the army. Since then important armed forces events were intentionally scheduled for June 28. For example, the first Turkish Air Forces entrance exam was held on the day in 1911 and the opening of the Iþýklar Military High School in 1974.

Applications to the Land Forces Academy are still accepted from June 28 and continue for a week.

Today is Constitution Day in Ukraine. Ukraine’s constitution was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) on July 28, 1996. The first Ukrainian constitution was actually written in 1710. On Nov. 20, 1917, the Central Rada, the first elected parliamentary organ in the country’s history, adopted the Third Universal, which would be the first constitutional act of the new Ukrainian state, guaranteeing its people personal immunity and freedom of speech, press, assembly and faith. However, the coup of April 1918 annulled the constitutional process and, after the

E2 08:00 The Rachael Ray Show 10:00 The Martha Stewart Show 12:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 14:00 The O.C. 18:30 Late Night With Conan O’Brien 20:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:00 The Sopranos 23:00 Late Night With Conan O’Brien 24:00 South Park 01:00 Big Shots 02:00 Celebrity Poker 03:00 High Stakes Poker 04:00 South Park 05:00 Big Shots

the statues of two patron saints (St. Peter and St. Paul) are peculiarities of the Mnarja feast. Several Catholic countries also celebrate today as St. Peter and St. Paul Day. Today is Vidovdan (St. Vitus Day) in Serbia, Montenegro and other Orthodox Christian Balkan countries. Vidovdan is celebrated twice this month -on June 15 according to the Julian calendar and on June 28 according to the Gregorian.

On this day in 1938 the Turkish parliament passed a law that established the Turkish Media Association.

This law was the work of the dictatorial single party rule that wanted to control journalists. Hence journalists were asked to be members of a chamber and nonmembers were barred from the profession.

On this day in 1919 the Versailles Peace Treaty ending World War I was signed in Versailles, Paris. The treaty contained very heavy preconditions for the Germans and was received as “treason” in Germany.

Many historians believe that these conditions led to political and economic instability in Germany and prepared for the ascension of the Nazis to power.

Today is Liberation Day in Turkey’s Kocaeli province.

Kocaeli was occupied by Greek military forces between April 28, 1921, and June 28 of the same year. By Kerim Balcý

Goldmax 08:35 I’m Losing You 10:15 Three Wishes 12:10 S.O.B. 14:10 Cocoon 16:05 Round Midnight 18:15 Bad Girls 20:00 Antwone Fisher 22:00 American Psycho 23:45 Freddy’s Nightmares: Lucky Stiff 01:15 Kantoku Banzai! Glory to the Filmmaker!

03:45 Sands of Iwo Jima

Movýemax 07:15 Je m’appelle Elisabeth 09:00 The Staircase Murders 10:40 Strings 12:20 Angel-A 14:00 Secuestro Express 15:30 The Departed 18:15 Havoc 20:00 One Last Thing...

21:50 The Walker 23:45 The Butterfly Effect 2 01:15 Solstice 02:45 The Departed 05:15 Havoc

Emmy organýzers unveýl top 10 comedýes, dramas Emmy organizers for the first time ever on Thursday unveiled a list of the top 10 comedies and 10 dramas competing to be nominated for US television’s highest honors, which are presented in September. Traditionally, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences does not reveal its shortlist of the 20 shows under consideration for best drama and best comedy series nominations, which this year will be announced on July 17.

The list of 10 drama finalists includes one previous Emmy winner for best drama series, ABC’s castaway thriller “Lost,” and three other past nominees -- ABC’s courtroom saga “Boston Legal” and two medical shows, the Fox hit “House” and ABC favorite “Grey’s Anatomy.” The critically acclaimed but low-rated NBC series “Friday Night Lights” also made the cut, as did the serial killer drama “Dexter,” which appeared on both CBS and the cable network Showtime. Rounding out the roster of drama finalists were four more cable shows -- AMC’s new period piece “Mad Men,” the FX legal drama

“Damages,” Showtime’s historical romp “The Tudors” and the final season of HBO’s “The Wire.”

The top 10 comedies feature six programs from the broadcast networks led by Emmy winners for the last two years, “30 Rock” and “The Office,” both on NBC, as well as CBS’s bawdy sitcom “Two and a Half Men,” Fox’s animated series “Family Guy” and ABC newcomer “Pushing Daisies.” HBO dominated the four cable TV comedies on the shortlist with veteran programs “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Entourage,” as well as recent arrival “Flight of the Conchords.” They are joined by Showtime’s “Weeds,” about a pot-dealing mom.

The top 10 shortlists were determined by votes from the entire television academy, and now go to “blue ribbon” panels of academy members who will judge the contenders. Results from the academy voting and the panel voting are then averaged to determine the five nominees for each category. The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place Sept. 21, and will also include awards for TV actors, actresses, mini-series, made-forTV movies and a host of other honors. Los Angeles Reuters

Cnbc-e 08:00 Dora The Explorer 08:30 Go, Diego! Go! 09:00 The Fairly Oddparents 09:30 Jimmy Neutron 10:00 Avatar 11:00 Spongebob Squarepants 12:00 Back At The Barnyard 12:30 Two And A Half Men 13:00 Scrubs 14:00 How I Met Your Mother 15:00 Chuck 17:00 Cold Case 18:00 CSI: NY 19:00 Battlestar Galactica 21:00 The King Of Queens 21:30 My Name Is Earl 22:00 The Closer 23:00 Dexter 24:00 Ghost Whisperer 01:00 Masters Of Horror 02:00 Battlestar Galactica 04:00 CSI: NY

AP

Seeking new ways to entertain audiences, music television network MTV has recently begun allowing fans of new and upcoming shows to discuss and post their own versions of music videos on the Web. This month the network launched “FNMTV,” which airs new videos every Friday night and invites viewers to go online to comment on them and upload their reinterpretations at MTV.com.

MTV has used a similar strategy in limited ways on past programs such as “America’s Best Dance Crew” and “The Real World: Hollywood.” But “FNMTV” is the first show to employ user-generated video as part of its format, and MTV plans to broaden the strategy to other programs as well. The network plans to pair viewer-generated content with upcoming programs such as “G’s to Gents,” “America’s Best Dance Crew Season 2,” and “Paris Hilton’s My New BFF.” “There was a time when the music video itself is what happened in culture, but now it’s the music video and what everyone has to say about it that is what’s happening,” said Brian Graden, president of MTV programming.

When it launched in 1981, MTV revolutionized the music industry. Artists were suddenly expected not only to record albums and perform, but also dance and sing on video. Over the years MTV evolved away from showing only videos and put greater emphasis on reality TV, game shows and other programming. As Web use has grown, young people have been watching more amateur video on YouTube and MySpace, and MTV found itself having to compete.

Early on, the network said its strategy of letting fans produce their own video was enjoying some success. The Web site accompanying “America’s Best Dance Crew,” for instance, allowed viewers to post their own dance videos and rate them. Those with the most views aired on MTV, and the show became so popular, MTV is returning it for a second season.

Graden said MTV would, like other TV networks, continue reinventing itself, but noted its younger audience was particularly predisposed to technological innovations.

“MTV is not above serving many fads, but in this case it’s a generational and fundamental shift to technology,” he said. Los Angeles Reuters

LEISURE

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MTV broadens use of Web with slate of new shows

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008

Hallmark 07:45 Frankie and Hazel 09:30 Ruby’s Bucket of Blood 11:15 A Child’s Cry for Help 13:00 Frankie and Hazel 14:45 Ruby’s Bucket of Blood 16:30 A Child’s Cry for Help 19:45 Miss Marple: Sleeping Murder 21:30 The Hound of the Baskervilles 23:30 The Murders in the Rue Morgue 01:15 Sea Patrol 02:30 The Inspectors 04:15 Just a Dream

Actor Jon Hamm in a scene from the AMC series “Mad Men.”

Comedymax

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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

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08:30 American Dad 10:00 Frasier 11:00 What I Like About You 12:00 Slacker Cats 12:30 Still Standing 13:30 Miss Guided 14:00 Third Rock From The Sun 15:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 16:30 30 Rock 17:00 What I Like About You 18:00 Til Death 18:30 Samantha Who 19:00 Frasier 20:00 Two Guys and A Girl 21:00 Rules Of Engagement 21:30 30 Rock 22:00 What I Like About You 23:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm 23:30 Californication 00:00 Til Death 00:30 American Dad 02:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos

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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Former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik has said the ideas of Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish-Muslim scholar, and the activities of his movement are in complete harmony with the approach of The Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, which Bondevik currently heads.

Bondevik yesterday paid a visit to the En Verden i Dialog (EVID, A World in Dialogue), an institute established jointly by Norwegians and Turkish immigrants in Norway, where he was briefed about the institute's activities.

"I was impressed with all activities in all fields in the Gülen network. And I think many of his ideas are in full line with my own thinking and also with the strategies of The Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, where I am president. We both believe in dialogue, in respecting and trying to understand each other, in building bridges between main cultures and

religions. Currently there is high tension between the Islamic world and Western world.

And increase of this tension could be dangerous and catastrophic. We must avoid that. And we must do this by bringing people together using dialogue instead of the rhetoric of war," he said.

Voicing his appreciation for the dialogue activities of EVID, he said: "It is very impressive that you have achieved so many things in such a short time in the name of peace and dialogue. Seeing your activities in Norway and all around the world, I look to the future with greater hope."

Providing some information about the activities of The Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, he said the center treats three things as priorities -engaging in different intercultural and inter-religious dialogues with the participation of politicians, helping to maintain democracy and coalitionbuilding in countries with new democracies such as Morocco and Kenya and organizing events to raise awareness about human rights in countries

such as North Korea and Myanmar.Bondevik, a former priest, also focused on the current political developments in Turkey and commented on the charges against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan of engaging in anti-secular activities.

When asked whether the principle of secularism was under threat in Norway during his term as prime minister because he was a religious man, Bondevik replied: "No, I think that we must build on tolerance, and that means that people, of course, can have their faiths and can express their faiths. One can be an open believer and at the same time be a politician. Of course, there are differences between state and church and faith communities. Political bodies should be run by politicians, and faith communities should be run by religious leaders."

Bondevik served as prime minister of Norway from 1997 to 2000 and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway's longest serving non-socialist prime minister since World War II.

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KADÝR UYSALOÐLU OSLO

REUTERS

Former Norwegian PM: Our center takes same approach as Gülen

Former Norwegian PM Kjell Magne Bondevik

Fethullah Gülen

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News reports in certain Turkish media outlets claiming that Fethullah Gülen is to be deported from the US were dismissed by his attorney yesterday.

In a written statement issued on Friday, Gülen's attorney, Orhan Erdemli, said some circles in Turkey had started a smear campaign after his client's acquittal on charges of establishing an illegal organization to undermine the state's secular order was confirmed

by Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals.

Following the final acquittal, a few reports appeared in some newspapers on Friday claiming that Gülen was to be deported from the US, where he has lived for the last nine years.

Erdemli dismissed the claims as baseless, saying "there is neither an indictment nor a prosecution case" against his client in the US. He stressed that Gülen, who has applied for permanent residency in the US, is not out of status and that his application is still pending and, as such, he has not been ordered to be leave the country, as the reports had claimed.

Gülen's attorney said similar smear campaigns had been started against his client in the past during court proceedings. He noted that all these reports and allegations were investigated by Turkish courts in detail for nine years and that the courts had found no evidence of wrongdoing. He said the prosecutor in Turkey failed to prove his case in a court of law and that the judges did not pay any attention to baseless claims and acquitted his client.

Erdemli expressed his disappointment that some media organizations were showing no respect to the court's acquittal deci-

SELAHATTÝN SEVÝ

Gülen attorney dismisses deportation claims as baseless

Süreyya Ayhan appeals lifetime ban for doping Former European 1,500-meter champion Süreyya Ayhan of Turkey is appealing her lifetime ban for doping offenses, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Friday. Ayhan has filed an appeal with sport's highest court to overturn the suspension imposed by the Turkish Athletic Federation in January. Her husband and coach, Yücel Kop, is also appealing a two-year ban from athletics.

The sanctions came after 29-year-old Ayhan tested positive for an unidentified banned substance in the United States last September. She had been training for the Beijing Olympics and denied any wrongdoing. A lifetime ban is mandatory for a second offense. Ayhan previously served a two-year suspension for refusing to take a doping control test before the 2004 Athens Olympics.

No date has been set for the hearing at CAS. A ruling will not be made before the Beijing Games begin in August. Ayhan won the European title in 2002 and finished second at the 2003 world championships. Lausanne AP

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sion. He said they were attacking his client's character with no regard to journalistic ethics. He added that the Turkish public knows where this smear campaign is emanating from and what the intention behind it is.

Erdemli also explained the pending case for

permanent residency filed by his client in the US: "My client has applied for permanent residency through his attorney in the US and, after a denial of his application on one case by the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, (USCIS), he took the USCIS to the court. The

Immigration Court invited both parties to hear the case." Erdemli also said the names mentioned in the Turkish news reports, Patrick L. Meehan and Mary Catherine Fry, were not state prosecutors, but rather government attorneys representing USCIS. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

RP and banned its leader, Necmettin Erbakan, from politics for five years, on the grounds that about 1 trillion Turkish lira (then worth about $3.6 million) the party had collected for Muslim victims of the Bosnian War was missing. The party argued that it had transferred the money to its provincial branches, but the court said the party had forged 139 documents to misuse the funds and that the money never reached provincial offices.

Law expert Professor Mustafa Kamalak, a former member of Parliament, said the RP did not receive a fair trial, given the Constitutional Court's decision on the irregularities in the CHP accounts.

"The RP trial should begin from scratch. The documents deemed fraudulent by the top court bore signatures of the party's then-budget accountant, CÝHAN

from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Nihat Ergün, the deputy chairman of the AK Party's parliamentary group, said the Constitutional Court's decision proved clear corruption within the CHP, but implied the court decision was dissatisfactory.

"It is thought-provoking that the main opposition party committed such a crime. They hastily made up invoices for party expenses and submitted them to the court. This will not be accepted by the public. We should consider it well what such a party [which engages in intra-party fraudulence] would do to the country. We know how the Welfare Party's (RP) 'missing trillion' case was concluded in the past," he said.

In 1998, the Constitutional Court outlawed the

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"Our Constitution is very clear on reasons that may result in the disbandment of political parties, and so are the laws. There is nothing in the CHP affair that may lead to this party's closure," he stated.

The CHP's parliamentary group deputy chairman, Kemal Kýlýçdaroðlu, stressed that everyone should comply with the top court's decision. "If the Constitutional Court has made a decision, we have to respect it. We will comply with the decision and do what the laws instruct. We are a political party that respects court decisions. If criminal complaints are filed against our party officials, they will appear before the prosecutor and defend themselves. The accounts of all political parties in our country are investigated by the top court. We will do what is necessary to make up for our deficiencies. I don't know the entire content of the Constitutional Court's decision at the moment, but I would like to underline that we, as the CHP, always respect court decisions. The top court inspected our accounts in accordance with laws, and we will do what falls upon us," he remarked.

Mustafa Özyürek, general auditor of the CHP, on the other hand, argued the top court's decision revealed that the allegations related to the CHP's money transfer to Kanaltürk were "groundless."He stated, "The Constitutional Court directed no criticism at our party as to Kanaltürk allegations, which proved that [those] accusations against our party were groundless."

However, the top court's decisions drew fire

Buckingham Palace accountants claimed Friday that Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family are a relative bargain for British taxpayers -- even though the government spent 40 million pounds (US$80 million; 51 million euros) last year to help them live and travel in style. It cost each British subject "less than the cost of two pints of milk or a download to an iPod" to fund the monarchy for the year that ended March 31, according to a statement posted Friday on the queen's Web site.

The public cost of maintaining the monarchy -- including the money needed by the queen to perform her official duties as head of state -- amounted to just 66 pence (US$1.30; 0.83 51 million euro) per taxpayer for the year, officials said. This reflected a slight increase from the previous year, mostly due to higher travel costs stemming from an extended trip to the United States, and an increase in the cost of the Queen's Civil List, which reflects the cost of carrying out her official role. Those tasks include the opening of Parliament, receiving foreign dignitaries and hosting a series of garden parties each summer. Overall, accountants said the public cost of keeping the monarchy going increased by 2 million pounds (US$4 million; 2.5 million 51 million euros) from the year before.

It seems the same factors driving inflation in many parts of the world -- higher prices for fuel and food -- are affecting the queen as well. But officials said the queen is watching expenditures closely to keep costs in line and also deferring maintenance work at some royal residences because of budgetary concerns. Sir Alan Reid, Keeper of the Privy Purse, said the queen's financial advisers pay "continuous attention to obtaining value for money." London AP

Turkey’s democracy test

Constitutional Court accuses main opposition CHP of fraud contýnued from page 1

Palace says queen, royal family cost taxpayers small amount last year

The Constitutional Court has examined financial dealings between Kanaltürk and the CHP. Former Kanaltürk owner Tuncay Özkan (L) and CHP leader Deniz Baykal used to be good friends.

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yet the Constitutional Court ruled that a party official cannot approve expenditures without the knowledge of the party leader, and convicted Erbakan. Though a similar case exists for the CHP, the court made a different ruling," he said.

Former Supreme Court of Appeals prosecutor Ahmet Gündel, on the other hand, stressed the CHP's illegal money transfer case was not yet closed. "There is a problem here. The deal between the CHP and Kanaltürk violates [the mandate of] the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), which regulates the broadcasts of political party campaigns during election periods. The Ankara Public Prosecutor's Office should take this fact into consideration while evaluating the criminal complaints to be filed against party officials," he said.

In accordance with its deal with the CHP, Kanaltürk agreed to host pro-CHP experts and analysts in its news programming and other coverage, ranging from music to sports. The channel also promised to allocate no less than seven hours every week in news programs to CHP officials and agreed to give broad coverage to campaign tours by party leaders across the nation. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) parliamentary group's chairman, Oktay Vural, noted political parties should be extra cautious regarding their expenses.

"Parties should dispel doubts as to whether they use public resources in an efficient manner. If the top court detected irregularity in the CHP's accounts, this issue should be investigated in every aspect," he remarked. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

A militant understanding of secularism as defended in the indictment of the chief prosecutor, who filed a closure case against the AK Party, is an ongoing problem created by the conventional ruling elites in Turkey.

It is possible to find answers to question as to why the military and the judiciary insist on such a restricted and militant version of secularism in competition for power -- and not in the discussions over the Constitution. As known, the principle of democratic secularism exists to protect the holders of minority beliefs against the majority. The military-civilian bureaucratic minority, which holds that it has some privileges within the state, uses militant secularism as the justification of its rule against majority rule. There is no other reason for the strong opposition by the coalition of the military, the judiciary and academia against democratic liberties and their strong emphasis on militant secularism.

Democracy evolves in Turkey in parallel with the worldwide trends. The military guardianship is resisting this improvement. To justify this resistance, it relies on a militant version of secularism.

We have to note that there is no reason for PACE to worry about Turkey. The closure case against the AK Party was a crazy move by this bureaucratic elite, which seeks to sustain its rule and privileges. The political system was deadlocked and political rule was seriously harmed. It is obvious that this craziness is some sort of show of strength. What is good in this is that the show was staged by the judiciary and not the military. The judiciary tried to preserve the privileges of the bureaucratic minority, and even this move meant an erosion of its image and prestige. The military is avoiding a direct intervention.

With the closure case, the judiciary realized it has a limited impact vis-à-vis the democratic administration. If it is able to close the AK Party, it will create a crisis that it will not overcome. For this reason, the AK Party will not be closed.

As indicated in the PACE decision, Turkey should consider the creation of a new constitution to get rid of this crisis. Of course, this new constitution should include provisions that will keep the judiciary out of the power struggle and ensure that it will perform its tasks fairly and impartially. It is obvious that the current system will continue to generate serious crises.

The ongoing constitutional crisis in Turkey will trigger the process for the creation of a new constitution.

The Constitutional Court will not close the AK Party. In this way, what PACE is concerned about will be avoided.

The PACE decision will only remain as a signal that shows how serious the current situation in the country was.

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SPORTS

Nine an ugly number for Wie at US Open Michelle Wie suffered a bruising experience on one of Interlachen's severely sloping greens en route to an eight-over-par 81 at the US Women's Open. Playing her fourth LPGA Tour event of the year, Wie ran up an ugly nine at the par-four ninth after taking six shots to find the hole from tangly rough behind the green. Edina, Minn. Reuters and AP

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008

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Fourth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova recovered from a brief lapse after a rain delay to win her third-round match at Wimbledon 6-2, 6-4 over Czech qualifier Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. The 2004 US Open champion led by a set and break on Friday when the first rain delay of the championship forced the players off for 1 hour and 41 minutes. After losing three straight games upon resumption, Kuznetsova rallied to level at 3-3 and clinched the match when the Czech player, facing two match points, had a double fault.

On Thursday, Maria Sharapova was floored at Wimbledon by the daughter of a GrecoRoman wrestler. Ranked 154th in the world, Alla Kudryavtseva had barely registered on the tennis radar but that did not stop her humiliating 2004 champion Sharapova 6-2, 6-4 in the second round. Twenty four hours after third seed Novak Djokovic was ejected from the tournament, Janko Tipsarevic kept alive Serbian interest in the men's draw by squeezing past twice former runner-up and sixth seed Andy Roddick 6-7, 7-5, 6-4, 7-6.

Roddick's exit completed a bad day for the Americans after Lindsay Davenport bowed out

REUTERS

Kuznetsova advances to 4th round at Wýmbledon

Svetlana Kuznetsova

without hitting a ball and ninth seed James Blake emerged second best in a 6-3, 6-7, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 defeat by Germany's Rainer Schuettler.

Davenport pulled out of her match against Argentina's Gisela Dulko with a right knee injury. The 1999 champion then

hinted she might have played her last match at the All England Club. Tipsarevic also went for his shots, withstanding a barrage of aces to subdue the big-serving Roddick.

The American had been hoping to challenge Nadal and five-time champion Roger Federer for

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the title this year but instead suffered his earliest defeat in eight visits to the All England Club.

Roddick's exit left the men's draw without three of the top six seeds since Nikolay Davydenko flopped in the first round.

After the demise of Roddick and Djokovic, few would now bet against Federer and Nadal contesting a third successive men's final come July 6th. Champion Venus Williams and Rafael Nadal also suffered a few anxious moments but lived to fight another day.

Williams, seeking a fifth singles title at Wimbledon, had to draw on all her big-match experience to repel world number 92 Anne Keothavong 7-5, 6-2. Nadal also endured first-set jitters before he toppled rising Latvian Ernests Gulbis 5-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-3.

Andy Murray, the 12th seed, avoided any drama and kept the British faithfuls happy with a ruthless 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over former semifinalist Xavier Malisse. French Open finalist Dinara Safina found her comfort zone on grass to coast past Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei 6-3, 6-2, while second seed Jelena Jankovic darted to a 6-1, 6-3 win over Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro. London Reuters and AP

Semih and Ömer drafted to NBA for 2008-09 season Two Turkish basketball players have been drafted

by NBA clubs for the 2008-2009 season. The Boston Celtics, champions in the 2007-2008 season, selected Semih Erden of Fenerbahçe Ülker, who also plays in the Turkish national team. Semih became the first international draft pick of Danny Ainge's tenure as the Celtics' personnel chief. The Portland Trail Blazers another national team and Fener Ülker player, Ömer Aþýk.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls selected Derrick Rose, who grew up on the city's South Side, with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft , choosing the Memphis guard over Kansas State forward Michael Beasley. With Beasley going second to Miami and Minnesota picking O.J. Mayo at No. 3, college freshmen made up the first three picks for the first time in draft history. "We actually talked about this earlier," Beasley said. "We all grew up together and we all grew up playing against each other and we all made a pact together that we would all be here. Just to see it all fall into place and see it all happen is kind of crazy."

The Timberwolves dealt Mayo's rights to Memphis for the rights to Kevin Love, the No. 5 pick, in an eight-player deal after the draft ended. Minnesota also gets Mike Miller, Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal, and sent Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric and Greg Buckner to Memphis. A person with knowledge of the deal confirmed it to The Associated Press, speaking on the condition on anonymity because the trade had yet to be officially announced.

"We talked so much about it. We really did," Bulls general manager John Paxson said. "Very honestly, at the end when we made our decision, it was unanimous with my scouts and coaches and myself." Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

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Spain wore us out, says Russia's Hiddink Coach Guus Hiddink said Russia were simply worn out by Spain and could only keep up with them for an hour in Thursday's 3-0 semifinal defeat at Euro 2008. Russia's exciting run came to an end with a drubbing by the same team that had hammered them 4-1 in the group stage.

Having attracted attention with their passing and attack-minded style in previous matches, Hiddink's men had few shots on target after being stifled in midfield. “We could play with Spain the first half, and part of the second half we were still in the game,” Hiddink told a news conference. “But their plan to tire us by their possession game made our marking a little bit loose in midfield so we had to run a lot. For an hour we could move and after that it was ... very difficult to play them. When you play Spain you know they have experience and play one-touch football and they know how to neutralize players as well. They know if they keep on touching the ball at the end the opponent is getting fatigued and then they know they can score.

Playmaker Andrei Arshavin, who had caused a stir in the previous two matches with his clever runs and great vision, seemed to be trying too hard and created very little. Hiddink said it was good for him to learn he was not always going to get things his own way. Vienna Reuters

Swiss organizers hail peaceful tournament Swiss Euro 2008 organizers said that their half of the tournament had passed off with even less crowd trouble than Germany's successful World Cup tournament in 2006. The 2006 World Cup was widely praised for its friendly atmosphere but the Swiss authorities said the 15 matches held in Switzerland had improved further on the German benchmark. “We achieved our aim of organizing 15 soccer matches perfectly and having them played in a joyful, peaceful and multinational public festival,” Swiss government tournament coordinator Benedikt Weibel told a media conference in Berne. Swiss police said they had made just 550 arrests and temporary detentions during the tournament prior to Wednesday's semifinal between Germany and Turkey -- the last of the matches to be played in Switzerland. Across the country as a whole, they said the arrests represented one detention for every 4,200 visitors -- compared to one in 2,330 at the World Cup. Switzerland is co-hosting Euro 2008 with neighboring Austria which is still due to host Sunday's tournament final. Bern Reuters

Barcelona bids for Russian star Arshavin Barcelona have made an offer to sign Russia playmaker Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg, the Russian Premier League side said. “We have received an official offer from Barcelona to buy Andrei but we will discuss it only after he returns from Euro 2008,” Konstantin Sarsania, an adviser to Zenit's president, was quoted as saying by Russian media. Russia was beaten 3-0 by Spain in the Euro 2008 semifinal later on Thursday.

Sarsania declined to give any details but media reports put the Spanish club's bid at 15 million euros ($23.51 million). Barcelona did not confirm the offer but have said before they regarded him as a top quality player. A self-confessed Barcelona fan, Arshavin has become a real revelation at Euro 2008, winning widespread acclaim for his creative play and cunning moves. He helped transform a drab and defensive Russian side into an attractive attacking outfit, earning him strong interest from several leading European clubs, including Arsenal and Chelsea, according to local and international media. Moscow Reuters

TODAY’S ZAMAN 19

S AT U R D AY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 0 8

Excellent Euro 2008 set for Sunday’s grand finale Spain vs. Germany: An outstanding tournament has produced two finalists who should cap three glorious weeks of soccer with a fitting finale at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna on Sunday The Spaniards can end a 44-year wait to be crowned a European champion if they reproduce the same form in Sunday's final against Germany that they showed to beat Russia 3-0 in the semifinal on Thursday.

The Spaniards overcame a torrential downpour, their own record of under-achievement and a feared Russian team to reach the final with an inspirational victory. The raging storm in the Austrian capital engulfed the helpless Russians who were slipping and sliding while the Spaniards were showing the full range of their silky skills as lightning flashed overhead. At the end of the semifinal at the Ernst Happel Stadium it was the Spaniards who were singing in the rain. Three second half goals from Xavi, Daniel Guiza and David Silva carried Spain into the final. “We're in the final, it's what we all wanted but, of course, now we've got ... Germany and that's a very big challenge,” said Spain coach Luis Aragones. “Our second half performance was extraordinary.”

But the win over Russia came at a cost. Striker David Villa, top scorer at Euro 2008 with four goals, limped off the pitch in the first half and will almost certainly miss the final with a strained leg muscle.

Spain had beaten Russia 4-1 in the tournament's group stage but few expected anything like a repeat.

The lethargic Germans, in contrast, will have to play far better than they did in their 3-2 semifinal win over Turkey in Basel on Wednesday if they are to win the title for the fourth time.

Despite that dip in form against the Turks, the Germans were outstanding in their quarterfinal victory over Portugal and a double over the Iberian countries would give them the European crown for the first time since 1996. An outstanding tournament has produced two finalists at the Ernst Happel Stadium who should cap three glorious weeks of soccer with a fitting finale.

Enjoy it Germany coach Joachim Loew said his team would be able to enjoy the final after playing through the pressure of two knockout rounds in Basel.

“The pressure we've been under is now off to a certain extent,” Loew said at a news conference on Thursday. “We're in the final now and we have a lot to win on Sunday.” He said, though, that the six-day gap without a match between their quarter and semifinals deprived them of their momentum.

“I think it's better when you play every three or four days. The long break before the Turkey game

AP

SPORTS

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Spanish players celebrate after the semifinal match against Russia in Vienna on Thursday night at the Euro 2008 European Soccer Championships. didn't do us any good,” he admitted. Loew is likely to stick with the 4-5-1 formation that served them so well against Portugal and, in the end, saw them sneak home against Turkey.

The one difference in the side is likely to be the return of Torsten Frings, who missed the Portugal game after cracking a rib in the team's final Group B game against Austria and had to be content with a substitute's role against Turkey.

Frings did well when coming on for the second half against the Turks when he replaced the injured Simon Rolfes. There will be key battles all over the

field, but the most fascinating will be in midfield between Germany captain Michael Ballack and Spain's Cesc Fabregas, who is expected to start because David Villa is likely to miss out with a foot injury. “We've made it and now everybody is expecting us to do something big,” Fabregas said after Spain beat Russia.

Spanish coach Luis Aragones, who turns 70 next month and was the oldest of the 16 coaches that began the tournament, will be taking charge of Spain for the last time on Sunday.

It will be Spain's first final since losing to France in Paris in the 1984 European Championship. Despite

Villa injury opens door for Cesc Fabregas After playing as a substitute for Spain throughout the European Championship, Cesc Fabregas may have earned himself a spot in the starting lineup just in time for the final. The Arsenal midfielder set up two of Spain's three goals in Thursday's 30 semifinal win over Russia after coming on for injured striker David Villa in the first half. All the goals came after Fabregas' 34th-minute introduction. “We played well. We dominated and when we saw openings we took advantage of them,” Fabregas said. After Xavi Hernandez had put Spain ahead, Fabregas flicked the ball to Dani Guiza in the 73rd to double the lead. Nine minutes later, he broke free on the left flank and set up David Silva with a perfect pass for Spain's third goal.“We came here to return with the cup.

There are 90 minutes left but we want to return with the cup,” Fabregas said, adding that Germany would present a difficult challenge in the final. “Germany is Germany. Vienna AP

decades of producing great players, Spain's only major tournament victory came at the 1964 European Championship when it beat Russia's predecessors, the Soviet Union, in the final in Madrid. The Germans will also be hoping to end an odd sequence that has seen them win and lose finals alternately.

After winning in 1972, they lost in 1976, before winning again in 1980, losing in 1992 and winning again in 1996. Despite those defeats, their impressive overall major tournament history is a powerful motivating factor for them, as is Spain's for Aragones's men -for very different reasons. Ýstanbul/Vienna Today’s Zaman

Turkey readies for 2010 World Cup M. BURAK BÜRKÜK

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contýnued from page 1 Striker Nihat Kahveci, and attacking midfielders Arda Turan and Tuncay Þanlý also subscribed to that view during the tournament and had they been available for the Germany game, who knows what might have happened.

Defender Servet Çetin was no less heroic, defying serious injury problems to play throughout the group stage before finally being confined to the bench in the knockout stages. As central defender Emre Aþýk said, referring to a popular book of the same name, "Now I can understand why they called us ‘Crazy Turks'," according to a report by Yakir Mizrahi on uefa.com.

The Turks’ campaign certainly had a touch of madness about it, and should they have learned to start games as well as they finished

them, Terim's men might have had a more comfortable ride -- though they did hit the ground running against Germany only to go on and lose. The coach always maintained that it was more important to end a game happy than to start it well, and perhaps that spirit inspired what has been the biggest Turkish soccer achievement since finishing third at the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan.

Following Galatasaray’s success in the 2000 UEFA Cup European Super Cup and that thrilling World Cup campaign, Turkish soccer seemed to have hit something of a plateau, but Fenerbahçe’s progress to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals this season and now the Euro 2008 success look like evidence of another surge in national morale.

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Headline writers back in Turkey have tapped into that mood during the tournament, with plenty of celebrations of the team's character. Now the challenge is to see what the crescent and stars can do next.

The 2002 World Cup achievement had seemed for many like the all-time pinnacle of Turkish soccer, but Euro 2008 has seen them match that and even hint that better might lie ahead. Losing against Germany in Basel was undoubtedly a massive disappointment, and a defeat their performance did not merit, but the campaign as a whole was an unqualified success. The Turks can now line up for 2010 World Cup qualifying without needing to believe in miracles to imagine that they might get their hands on a different trophy in two years’ time. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

Federation says coach Terim to stay Turkey coach Fatih Terim will remain in his post and lead the country to the 2010 World Cup, the Turkish Soccer Federation said on Friday. After Turkey lost 3-2 to Germany in Wednesday's Euro 2008 semifinal, Terim said he would probably step down and media reports linked him with a return to Italy.

The federation said Turkey was not seeking a new coach. “National team technical director Fatih Terim is in his post and he will be at the head of our national team in the 2010 World Cup finals,” the federation said in a statement in Turkish on its website (www.tff.org). Turkey had reached their first European Championship semi-final with some thrilling displays in the tournament marked by late goals in the group and knockout stages. At the news conference following the semifinal, Terim had apparently signaled his departure. “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,” Terim had said. But Terim, who has coached Italian teams AC Milan and Fiorentina as well as Turkey's Galatasaray, had said a final decision would not be made immediately. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

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Ben Affleck trades acting for TV reporting Oscar winner and actor Ben Affleck has taken on a new job, if only for one assignment, traveling to the war-torn eastern Congo to do a report for Thursday's edition of ABC television news program "Nightline." Affleck has gone to the Democratic Republic of Congo three times this past year, and in an essay posted on ABC's Web site, he said he wanted to draw attention to the violence, starvation and disease in the region. LA, Reuters WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008

Madonna týckets sellýng fast: Lýve Natýon

Madonna fans have turned out in record numbers for her world tour, concert promoter Live Nation Inc said, seeking to knock down reports the Material Girl is losing her appeal. The Los Angeles company said Madonna had sold more than one million tickets -- over 90 percent of those available -- for Madonna's 42-date global "Sticky & Sweet" tour, which kicks off in Cardiff,

Wales on Aug. 23. Live Nation is trying to transform itself into a comprehensive music company, offering artists recording contracts and merchandising deals, as well as touring and access to its live venues.

Madonna was one of the biggest names the company has signed for a reported $120 million contract. The New York Post reported this week that Madonna was failing to sell out certain venues, including a

November date at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles that sold just 27,000 of 43,000 seats. Live Nation spokesman John Vlautin confirmed the Los Angeles numbers, but said the global tour's ticket sales are on target to gross more than $250 million, which would shatter Madonna's own previous record for a female artist of $195 million from "Confessions On A Dancefloor" tour two years ago. New York Reuters

Dentist's staff saddles up to beat gas costs When gas prices hit $4 a gallon, the staff at Dr. Keith Leonard's dental office figured it was time to pony up. Since more than half of the dental assistants and office staff own horses, the crew saddled up and rode in to work. "We decided that when gas got to $4 a gallon, we would all ride in," Leonard said. Ten riders and two bicyclists met up at Leonard's home about four miles north of his office for the commute.

City officials in Arlington, located about 50 miles north of Seattle, granted them a special permit to ride as a group. "We can't dictate how much oil companies charge, but today we're not buying," Leonard said.

"We're using one-horse power." Leonard said the ride was a way to encourage his patients to use alternative forms of transportation. Arlington, Wash. AP

Wanted man crashes into police garage A 36-year-old man being sought by police for questioning in a series of motor vehicle accidents was arrested after crashing his truck into a state police garage in Bridgeport. Michael Ignatowski of Milford faces numerous charges including criminal trespass, reckless endangerment and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police say Ignatowski broke through the access arm at the front gate of State Police Troop G headquarters just before 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon and then drove his pickup into an open bay door of the troop's garage and crashed into a vehicle lift. Police say he was arrested when he attempted to flee. Troopers say they subsequently learned that Bridgeport police were searching for the vehicle, which had been involved in several accidents earlier in the day. Bridgeport, Conn. AP

Inmate leaves toilet paper rose after escape Crawford County authorities say an inmate escaped the county jail and left behind a rose fashioned out of toilet paper because he felt sorry for breaking out. Luis Camacho-Mendoza was recaptured a day later on Wednesday in a Van Buren home after police received a tip. Investigator Ken Howard said Camacho-Mendoza was found hiding in a closet in a pile of clothes with a pillowcase over his head. "But he wasn't hiding too good because you could see the outline of his head in the pillow case," Howard said.

"We all grabbed him pretty quick and he didn't seem to be resisting." Authorities said Camacho-Mendoza was in jail on drug charges and was expected to be deported to Mexico by immigrations officials. In his escape, Camacho-Mendoza broke open a lock on a kitchen door using a tool made from two screwdrivers, authorities said. Camacho-Mendoza worked in the kitchen. When the inmate was discovered missing, authorities also found the flower, Howard said.

"When we asked him about that, he said he felt sorry for the captain for escaping," Howard said. "(The flower) looked pretty nice." Van Buren, Ark. AP

Driver speeds 22 times in 45 days A Nevada woman has been arrested after photo enforcement cameras on a Phoenix freeway captured her behind the wheel of a car speeding 22 times in a 45-day span, authorities said. The woman, 24, was arrested by Arizona Department of Public Safety officers on suspicion of criminal speeding, reckless driving and endangerment. During a 45-day period starting in May, DPS officials said the woman was captured by photo enforcement cameras on Loop 101 in Scottsdale 22 times, with her top speed at 92 mph. The woman was living in Arizona temporarily when officers arrested her at her parent's north Scottsdale home last Friday, officials said. Phoenix AP

Woman jumps out of car on Interstate It's not uncommon for someone to make a dramatic exit in the middle of an argument, but the gesture should probably be avoided while traveling on the Interstate. Marquita Cherrell Armstrong was a passenger in a car driven by Jeffery Dawayne Watson when the two got into an argument on I-10 near Tallahassee. State troopers said Armstrong told Watson that she wanted to get out, but Watson refused to pull over in a construction zone. That's when Armstrong opened the car door and jumped out. Armstrong was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Tallahassee, Fla. AP

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