www.todayszaman.com - June 29, 2008

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Economic and democratic reforms would put Turkey back on its course of development, says AK Party’s Yüksel

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Travis brings

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Grand finale today: Spain and Germany battle for the crown

refreshing breeze from the north to Ýstanbul

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EMÝNE KART, ANKARA Attending receptions hosted by diplomatic missions is part of the daily work routine for diplomacy correspondents in Ankara, as they try to get background information from foreign diplomats during those receptions. Questions are not raised only by correspondents; diplomats also try to learn backstage information or correspondents' observations on certain issues.

For a few months, the most popular question addressed to correspondents is whether the Constitutional Court will eventually decide to close down the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in line with a top prosecutor's demand introduced in March -- less than eight months after the ruling party was re-elected to power -- for closing it down on charges of becoming a "focal point for anti-secular activities."

The second most popular question addressed by those same diplomats in the last two weeks has been whether liberal Turkish daily Taraf's fate will be the same as that of Turkish newsweekly Nokta. The very same question occurred to leading UK weekly The Economist as well. CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

Turks fýnd ýt dýffýcult to navýgate the European Unýon fundýng maze ABDULL AH BOZKURT, ÝSTANBUL How do you think you can get a slice of 1.5 billion euros in funding earmarked by the European Union for over 200 ongoing projects in Turkey? Well you may be out of luck, as there is no "Idiot's Guide to EU Funding" out there yet, nor is there an "EU Funding for Dummies." While the funding process is in itself is complex and cumbersome at times, the confusion in the public over the types of funding and their differences exacerbates common misconceptions.

Many say there is a need to raise public awareness of funding opportunities and that the EU's representative in Turkey needs to do better job in its PR campaign.

"The aim of funding is to help support Turkey to achieve European standards in its path for membership," Ambassador Marc Pierini, who heads the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey, said last week to Sunday's Zaman. In a visit to the Aegean coastal town of Söke, Pierini spoke about a local EU-funded project -Kuþatak, a solid waste disposal program -- noting that "local people will benefit greatly from this project."

Like Kuþatak, many EU funded-projects in Turkey see grants go to government agencies and municipalities.

Although the EU states that the ultimate aim of preaccession funds is to improve the lives of individuals, projects eligible for funding are mainly carried out by state institutions. Most funding is directed toward health, education, infrastructure and rural development projects.

Most recently a 700 million euro loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) partly funded the extension and modernization of the Ýstanbul Metro.

Generally there are three types of funding that

JELLYFISH PHENOMENON HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ROBERTA DAVENPORT, ÝSTANBUL

PROPAGANDA

NEO-NATIONALIST BOOKS: PART OF A GREATER PLAN? E. BARIÞ ALTINTAÞ, ÝSTANBUL Intellectuals in Turkey have begun to suspect that a surge in the sales figures and popularity of books published in Turkey with neo-nationalist content in the past few years could be the fruit of a secret plan of a group in the military, after a newspaper released a document allegedly written by members of the military to "shape" society in accordance with the generals' ideology.

Two weeks ago, the Taraf daily claimed in a report that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had devised a comprehensive secret plan of action to intervene in politics and civilian life, basing its story on a leaked military document. According to the document, the plan was put into effect in September 2007 in the hope of taking a series of "measures" against the government, which the plan defines as the source of a "religious reactionary movement." Although the military denied that "such a document is part of General Staff records," it did not completely deny the existence of the mysterious document, which Taraf said was saved in the spreadsheet program Excel. CONTINUED ON PAGE 04

the EU provides to countries involved in preaccession talks. Grant programs, which do not require repayment; community programs in which the candidate country will also contribute to the pool of funds; and lastly loans, intended to finance large infrastructure projects, like those provided by the EIB. The latter must be repaid, as is the case in the partial financing of the Ýstanbul Metro.

The Ankara-based Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey says pre-accession funding is directed mainly at state or civil institutions. CONTINUED ON PAGE 06

MÜRSEL KARADENÝZ

TARAF CONFIDENT ABOUT ITS FUTURE DESPITE THORNY ROAD AHEAD

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Alarm bells ring for forests as temperatures increase

With temperatures increasing all around the country, officials have been spurred into action to raise awareness of the risks of forest fires. Professor Ertuðrul Bilgili from Karadeniz Technical University's (KTÜ) department of forestry told Sunday's Zaman that forest fires are responsible for the destruction of thousands of hectares of forested areas each year. By BETÜL AKKAYA CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

While Turkey has not yet seen any alarming rise in tourist complaints due to jellyfish blooms "invading" the Mediterranean, the number of the creatures in Turkish waters is on the rise, and Turkish marine experts are emphasizing the need for more domestic resources to assess this potentially dangerous trend.

Look over the side of a ferry in Eminönü or Kadýköy in Ýstanbul, and chances are you will see one, two or 10 of what some scientists are labeling a new water pollutant. Not the odd grocery bag or half-eaten simit, but one of the many jellyfish proliferating in the Turkish seas. Composed of 95 percent water and lacking both brains and blood, the translucent creatures, resembling pale, floating disks with tentacles streaming off of them, are nonetheless formidable marine predators.

Rising jellyfish numbers worldwide have been drawing the attention of scientists and some in the media over the past decade, but the first half of 2008 has seen a particular increase in coverage due to worries over tourism in the Mediterranean, and on Spanish beaches in particular. Sometimes floating in menacing "blooms," or schools, jellyfish -- sometimes just an eyesore, and sometimes a menace -- have raised concerns about possible beach closures and impacts on the European and Mediterranean tourism industries similar to problems faced by nations including Japan, Ireland, Australia and Peru. CONTINUED ON PAGE 08

Tacklýng hate crýmes can no longer be postponed AYÞE K ARABAT, ANK ARA While anti-racism movements are expanding globally, in Turkey both the discourse of political leaders and commentators and the malfunctioning of legal arrangements in place to prevent racism are encouraging its rise. The theme of this year's European soccer champi-

onships was "anti-racism." In Turkey's case, human rights activists underline that the problems of minorities - including those who hold differing political views, are of a different ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation -were related to how the state and its apparatuses implemented policies but have more recently increasingly involved attacks from other groups, including associa-

tions, the media and commentators. According to human rights activists, hate crimes and hate speeches are important problems Turkey needs to tackle.

Examples of hate crimes include the murder of Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist who was assassinated in January 2007; the savage murders of three Christians in Malatya last year; several lynching cam-

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paigns targeting leftist political groups and Kurds; and several publications urging readers to not establish relations with Kurds. Turkey, as part of the first reform package for harmonization with the European Union in 2002, has forbidden the denigration of a part of the population.

This regulation was enshrined in Article 216 of the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK) in 2005. CONTINUED ON PAGE 04

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Alarm bells rýng for forests as temperatures ýncrease PHOTO

"Fires threaten the sustainability of our forests and cause irreversible damage each year. Turkey has around 21.2 million hectares of forested area, but almost half of them are situated in zones susceptible to fire. A total of 1.6 million hectares of forested area has been affected by fires since 1937, and there has been a significant increase in the number of forest fires in the last couple of years," he stated.

Turkey's fire season began last Thursday in western Ýzmir province after a farmer set fire to an area to clear it of weeds and the blaze burgeoned out of control. Difficult terrain and winds helped the fire spread over a wide area in a very short time, scorching nearly 200 hectares of forested area.

Consecutive fires erupted in such varied areas of Turkey as western Ýzmir's Menemen district, southern Antalya's Göynük and Alanya districts, northwestern Burdur's Bucak district and northwestern Çanakkale's Eceabat district, incinerating hundreds of hectares so far.

Bilgili emphasized that social, economic and cultural causes underlie forest fires.

"Of all forest fires, 5 percent are caused by natural factors such as lightning while the remaining 95 percent are caused by humans. While around 12-15 percent of forest fires result from deliberate human actions, such as arson, almost half of all forest fires stem from negligence. When you examine the causes of these fires, you will find that they are related to social, economic and cultural factors. This situation is one that is very important to understand in terms of setting up plans to prevent these fires. In this sense, the planning of forest fire prevention must take place within not only areas vulnerable to forest fires, but also while keeping in mind the social, economic and cultural needs and expectations of the locals living in these areas," he remarked.

He also linked forest fires to climate change, alleging changing weather conditions are the primary reason that gives rise to forest fires.

"As a result of climate change, an increase in average temperatures and irregular precipitation increases the risk of fire even in zones that are not very susceptible to fires. Thus, we may expect destructive forest fires even in the central Black Sea and

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With temperatures increasing all around the country, officials have been spurred into action to raise awareness of the risks of forest fires. western Black Sea regions in the future," he stated.

A statement sent to Sunday's Zaman by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry said the ministry has taken sound steps and measures to prevent forest fires this summer.

"There are two essential points to be complied with while fighting against forest fires. The first one is to prevent fires and the second is to extinguish them before they turn into a national disaster through effective planning and organization," read the statement.

According to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Turkey is more successful than many European countries in its fight against fires, which has proven effective in the last

couple of years. While Turkey lost only 0.16 percent of its forested area in fires that have erupted in the last five years, France lost 0.81 percent, Spain 2.61 percent, Italy 3.06 percent, Greece 4.87 percent and Portugal lost 30.68 percent.

"Our ministry has examined forest fires that took place in 2007 to determine their cause and starting point so that they can be more efficiently combated. As part of efforts to be exerted to this end, we have decided to appear on radio and TV shows to inform the public about forest fires and their irreversible effects; pay visits to villages situated in fire-prone zones; raise the level of consciousness about fires among hunters, farmers and shepherds; and distribute to the

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public brochures bearing information on forest fires," read the statement. The ministry also plans to send a team of experts to 3,500 villages around the country to inform villagers about forest fires. Forest rangers, armed with the necessary equipment to fight fires, will be posted at 775 observation towers to spot even the smallest of fires.

Around 20,000 forest rangers, trained by the ministry, will be assisted by the military in their efforts to extinguish fires.

A total of 152 bulldozers, 128 scrapers, 143 water tankers, 366 multi-purpose vehicles and 110 trailer trucks will be put under the forest rangers' command. The ministry has also constructed more than 600 artificial lakes and ponds in fire-prone areas to date.

Bilgili, however, stated that an effective fight against fires does not totally eliminate the risk of forest fires.

"The success we have achieved in the fight against fires is a result of undaunted efforts of our firefighters and forest rangers as well as our public's love of forests. Yet if intervention in fires includes factors that may distort ecological balances, it may bring with it undesired results," he said.

He also argued the fight against forest fires should have a scientific basis.

"Though Turkey has the required equipment and human power to successfully fight fires, it still faces a serious risk of forest fires. One of the main reasons is that we are unable to benefit sufficiently from scientific research into such natural disasters.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry and universities do not pay much attention to such research. However, as forest fires are a multi-dimensional phenomenon, their social, economic and ecological aspects should be examined. Thus, we need to conduct more scientific research in these areas," he added.

The Diyarbakýr Governor's Office released a statement and called on farmers to exert special caution while clearing their fields of weeds.

"Farmers who set fire to areas to clear them of weeds should refrain from such acts. Doing otherwise will be met with fines.

Setting areas on fire damages the soil and causes environmental pollution. These fires easily spin out of control with the help of winds and spread over a wide area in a short period of time. For sustainable agriculture, weeds and brush in fields should not be set on fire; they should be buried in the soil," read the statement.

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Vicious pincer around Taraf's neck Alper Görmüþ is the former editor-in-chief of newsweekly Nokta. He now writes regular columns for Taraf, which was launched last November under the motto "To think is to take sides" (Taraf means side in Turkish), and has been publishing a string of stories exposing the army's efforts to undermine the AK Party government. "I'm hopeful for Taraf's future," Görmüþ briefly told Sunday's Zaman, with no sign of hesitance in his voice. He added that he had reasons for being hopeful despite his Nokta experience.

"Taraf has a very strong position compared to Nokta. Trying to muzzle a daily newspaper is quite different than doing the same thing to a weekly.

Because the public reaction to this pressure will certainly be different than the reaction in the Nokta incident," Görmüþ said. "Taraf will continue on its path with the same vigorousness. Plus, probably in an ironic and bitter way, having the Nokta experience already fresh in the public memory will serve as an element for not encountering the same kind of pressure -- such as a raid of the newspaper office -- in Taraf's case," he added.

The same confidence was echoed by veteran journalist Yasemin Çongar, deputy managing editor of the daily, while speaking with The Economist.

"We are changing the rules the mainstream media work by in this country," Çongar was quoted as saying by the UK weekly, which noted that Taraf's circulation, now at an average 24,000 copies every day, is growing.

Likewise as happened in the Nokta case, there is a smear campaign against Taraf on its financial sources. This was implicitly hinted by Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar Büyükanýt, who was challenged by the daily's editor-in-chief, Ahmet Altan, to prove these allegations. Altan declared that he would close down the daily if such allegations were proven. The European Union and George Soros are also mentioned in that campaign.

"It's always much easier to attack independent newspapers than the big media houses. The prob-

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In its latest edition, published on Thursday, The Economist brought to mind that on June 13, Taraf uncovered a secret meeting between a senior judge at the Constitutional Court and a top army commander at a politically critical time for Turkey. The report, which was confirmed by the parties, later exposed that Constitutional Court Deputy President Osman Paksüt met in secret with Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð on March 4, 2008, at Land Forces headquarters -- seven days after a headscarf amendment sponsored in Parliament by the ruling party was challenged at the Constitutional Court and 13 days before the suit against the AK Party was filed at the court seeking to shut it down over allegations that it had become a focal point of anti-secular activity.

"The paper, whose news coverage remains spotty, made its biggest splash so far when it recently published a document detailing alleged plans by the general staff to mobilize public opinion against the government and its sympathizers. The blueprint was drawn up after the AKP was returned to power for a second five-year term in July 2007. In a limp rebuttal, the top brass said it had 'not approved' any such document, but stopped short of denying its existence. Indeed, much of the paper's information comes straight from disgruntled 'deep throats' within the army," The Economist wrote.

"Such leaks have dented the army's image and fuelled debate over a possible rift within the high command. Internal divisions surfaced last year when Nokta, a weekly, published excerpts from the diary of a former navy commander in which he described two abortive coup attempts in 2004. Soon afterwards, the magazine was forced to close and its editor prosecuted for libel.

Might Taraf suffer a similar fate?" it added, voicing the question that has already occurred to many.

Alper Görmüþ

lem is that many of my colleagues come across interesting documents but they aren't able to -- or don't want to -- publish them. The financial pressure is enormous, and even papers with the highest circulations can struggle. Whoever wants to saddle himself with financial penalties on top of that has to be either really nuts or a zealot. At the moment, there are four lawsuits out there against me alone," Çongar told Der Spiegel this week. Ýsmet Demirdöðen, the Ankara bureau chief of the daily, agreed with both Görmüþ and Çongar, saying that Taraf was now stronger than when it first started, although admitting that the paper had recently been experiencing economic difficulties due to a lack of sufficient advertisements.

"There is already vicious pincer around the neck of Taraf due to a cascade of court cases opened against it for violating the press law, and there are also penal actions against Soner, who was earlier taken into custody," Demirdöðen told Sunday's Zaman, referring to the detention of Soner Arýkanoðlu in March. Arýkanoðlu, a Taraf correspondent, was taken into custody in Ankara and escorted to Ýstanbul under police protection following an order from a court in Ýstanbul over a news story on an ongoing Ergenekon investigation that was published in the newspaper. "We are not afraid, and our bosses, brothers Baþar and Savaþ Arslan, are not afraid, either. There is mutual confidence between the owners and the newsroom. Since our bosses will not step back, our end will not be the same as Nokta's. However, it may be the same as Özgür Gündem," Demirdöðen added bitterly. Özgür Gündem was a daily newspaper published in Ýstanbul beginning May 30, 1992, with a national circulation of a few thousand copies and a further international circulation. Until closure of the newspaper in April 1994, there was an unremitting campaign of grave violations of human rights designed to force it to cease publication. Similar attacks followed on its successor, Özgür Ülke. This campaign involved killings, disappearances, injuries and ill-treatment of journalists and distributors, threats and the use of violence, threatened and actual prosecutions, seizures and confiscation of editions of the newspaper and the imposition of heavy fines.

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Polýtýcal lessons learned from the European Champýonshýp

Taraf confident about its future despite thorny road ahead contýnued from page 1

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Euro 2008 has led me to think positively not only about the future of Turkish soccer but also regarding the political future of my country.

Soccer by its nature is a bit nationalistic and macho, but in Turkey the degrees of male chauvinism and nationalism are higher than average; however, it was truly different this time.

The team captains at the start of each Euro 2008 game read a statement in their nation's language as part of the UEFA campaign Unite Against Racism: "I and my teammates wish to make clear that we stand against all forms of discrimination. We have seen over the last three weeks how football can bring people together to enjoy our common passion whatever our religion, nationality or skin color. Please join us to Unite Against Racism."

Rüþtü, the goalkeeper of the Turkish national team who is known for his nationalistic sentiments, was the one who read the Unite Against Racism declaration. The composition of our team was multi-ethnic, too, with Mehmet Aurelio of Brazilian descent and Kazým Colins, born in England of Turkish and Antiguan parents.

In the games of just a few years ago, one of the chants frequently used by Turks, which also referred to a political stance, was "Europe, Europe, hear our voice, these are the sounds of Turkish steps." This time, we did not hear it. There were some references to being in Vienna, as a reminder that Vienna

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AYÞE KARABAT a.karabat@todayszaman.com

was twice under siege by the Ottomans, but this reference was not used much either, at least not in the political sense.

It was also great to see the Turks while they were congratulating Germans because in general Germany is the main target of anti-Europeanism in Turkey since it was the first nation that Turks became closely acquainted with in recent decades.

In Turkey, regardless of race, sex, religion, ethnic origin or language, everybody united around soccer and the successes of the national team. Positive feelings far outweighed negative ones. For example, we did not insult others, but rather emphasized the importance of not giving up.

This situation was reflected in the advertisements of the sponsors. One of these ads was very popular, but the other I really disliked from the very beginning, and it was not well received by the public.

The latter was an animation showing the members of the national team as robotic, metallic, dark characters. These muscled characters had a ruthless gaze. They moved

in a very macho manner and with each step, the ground would shake. Then a tough, male voice shouted "Tur-ko!"

This advertisement was rather unpopular, but another one which featured the mothers of the national team players was well liked. This ad displayed the words "main sponsor" in Turkish, which translates to "ana sponsor," literally translated as "mother sponsor." The commercial shows the mothers of players sitting around a table and praising their sons. Almost everyone talked about this ad with a smile on their faces.

We have taken away many lessons from this tournament. First of all, we learned how to say "We are the best, but the others are not so bad." When we are not forced to be unified by official ideology, but are left alone, we are good at making our hearts beat for the same cause.

I don't know how long it will last, but I am more hopeful now for the future of my country.

Maybe we can implement the main tactic of our national team -- not to give up despite all the difficulties -- in our European Union accession process. Since we know that our national unity is actually very strong and does not need an enemy to sustain it, maybe we can start to take steps to improve the rights of minorities.

Am I expecting too much from soccer?

Maybe. Though not a great fan of soccer, I learned something from this tournament, too -- soccer is never just soccer.

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Natýonalýst books: Part of a greater plan? contýnued from page 1 The document devises social and psychological strategies, including using books, TV series, celebrities and whatever means necessary to propagate an ideology the authors of the document defend with the ultimate aim of "bringing public opinion into line with the TSK on issues the TSK is sensitive about, preventing the development of incorrect opinions about the TSK [and] ensuring the unity and solidarity of opinions and actions within the TSK." The introductory chapter issues a caveat, stressing the need to avoid "conflict with other state agencies" and also avoid "the image of intervening in daily politics." The plan focuses on "protecting Turkey from the Islamization efforts of the [Justice and Development Party] AK Party government, and this same government's attempts against the 'unity' of the nation-state," such as drafting a new constitution that could lead to "separation" of Turkey's Kurdish minority.

Promoting nationalism

Clashes erupted last April when the DTP Sakarya provincial branch was raided by supporters of the Grand Unity Party after a fraternity night arranged by the former.

Tacklýng hate crýmes can no longer be postponed Although hate crimes and racism are on the rise, regulations addressing them are widely being used to protect the values of the majority. Additionally, the thin line between hate speech and freedom of expression is of great concern for human rights activists contýnued from page 1 Article 216 of the TCK, titled "Inciting the population to breed enmity or hatred or denigration," states the following: (1) A person who openly incites groups of the population to breed enmity or hatred towards one another based on social class, race, religion, sect or regional difference in a manner which might constitute a clear and imminent danger to public order shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of one to three years.

(2) A person who openly denigrates part of the population on grounds of social class, race, religion, sect, gender or regional differences shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of six months to one year.

(3) A person who openly denigrates the religious values of a part of the population shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of six months to one year if the act is likely to disturb public peace.

But, Feray Salman from the Human Rights Common Platform (ÝHOP); Nalan Erken, one of the lawyers in the Malatya case; Kerem Altýparmak from Ankara University's Human Rights Center; and Sezgin Tanrýkulu, the chairman of the Diyarbakýr Bar Association, underline that Article 216 has so far widely been used to protect the rights of the majority and that there are only a few example of the article serving in cases related to disadvantaged groups.

Take the Ýzmir-based Turkish Collectivist Nationalist People Association (TTBD) as an example. The association started a campaign in 2006 titled "Stop the Kurdish Population" and urged "pure Turks" to have more children "in order to teach the necessary lesson to heroin smugglers and Kurdish traitors and Roma thieves." Several lawyers filed a lawsuit against the TTBD, citing a violation of Article 216, and the case is awaiting trial.

‘Article 216 is adequate in principle’ Another case involves a public prosecutor who filed a case based on the article against several individuals that were urging the public to pressure Kurds in one town to leave. The targeted group did not want to have their names released nor the town they were forced to leave. The case is still in the courts.

Another case awaiting a verdict is against artisans and tradesmen who support the Bursa Sports Association, which urged people to lynch members of the Gökkuþaðý Association (Rainbow Association), an organization that reaches out to homosexuals, if they had demonstrated in 2006. The case, also filed on the grounds of Article 216, still continues.

Altýparmak says cases based on the article and that seek to protect minorities are few in

number, while cases based on the article but that seek to protect the majority are numerous.

Published in the anthology "Freedom of Thought," Altýparmak's article underlines that there are two types of regulations on anti-racism and hate speech: symmetrical and asymmetrical.

Article 216 does not specify groups, it only mentions "a part of people," so it is symmetrical.

According to Altýparmak, if groups are specified in regulations, they are asymmetrical. This is the case with the infamous Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), which punishes insulting "Turkishness" and "state apparatuses."

Altýparmak says not only Turkish regulations, but in general, symmetrical regulations when implemented are widely used to protect the values of the majority, whereas asymmetrical regulations usually protect those who can be subjects of discrimination due to his or her ethnic, religious, and/or sexual orientation. He further states that anti-racism regulations should be based on someone feeling under threat and hiding their identity to avert the threat. In short, Altýparmak indicates that one's freedom of speech should not become an obstacle to another's freedoms.

He also underlines that, as is the case in Article 216, the wording "clear and imminent danger" is very important wording that protects the freedom of thought and that this emphasis helps differentiate between criticism and hate speech.

"For example, if you say something against men, such as that men are cheaters, this does not force the male population to hide their identity, it does not make life difficult for men.

But if you say something against homosexuals, your words may force them to hide their identity or, as was the case in the Gökkuþaðý case, others may be inclined to lynch them just because of their identity," Altýparmak says.

"Article 216 is adequate in principle, but the problem stems from regulations in Turkey being symmetrical, while their implementation is asymmetrical and in favor of the values of the majority. And because of the implementation, they become a serious threat to freedom of thought," Altýparmak underlines.

But lawyer Nalan Erken says Article 216 and other regulations do not answer the needs of anti-racism.

"Article 216 has a narrow approach -especially when it mentions 'clear and imminent danger.' Maybe at first glance some speeches do not create any danger, but a closer look can reveal that they aim to create danger," she says.

According to Erken, the Malatya case is a

good example of this. Erken notes that before the murders in Malatya, many publications claimed that missionary work posed a serious threat to the unity of the state.

"Article 216 of the TCK does not regulate propaganda that encourages hate crimes," Erken points out.

She underlines that, as the lawyer in the Malatya case, she wanted "genocide" laws to apply.

This is "because we think the Malatya case is not only a hate crime but somewhere between a hate crime and genocide. However, no regulations cover such crimes. The case does, though, fit perfectly the definition of genocide, as defined by the penal code, more so than a hate crime. We hope the Malatya case will be an important step in regulating hate crimes and correcting shortcomings currently present in the law -- all this without harming freedom of speech, of course," she underlines.

When it comes to international obligations regarding anti-racism, ÝHOP's Salman claims that Turkey is not taking its responsibility seriously. She notes that Turkey is a signatory of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and that because of this, it has to submit regular reports to the United Nations about its efforts toward this goal.

International obligations "These reports have main principles. First, they must be made available in Turkish [in addition to English] and available to the public to ensure participation in discussions on them. Turkey, however, submits its reports very late, so they are only available in English and only on the UN Web site -- interested organizations and the public end up being completely left out of the process.

Additionally, more than 240 pages of these reports not even once mention Hrant Dink," she says.

Despite an increase in cases of hate crimes, hate speech and all forms of racial discrimination, Tanrýkulu admits that they are a little hesitant to pressure authorities to implement Article 216 out of concerns that this pressure can harm freedom of speech.

"Taking measures to prevent the occurrence of hate crimes and hate speech is very important, and it is the duty of the state," he says.

Altýparmak agrees. "The real problem is discrimination in the society, not its expression in words. Preventing the expression of discrimination can be a way to hide the discrimination, not eliminate it. It is possible to reach the goal of eliminating discrimination through other means -- education, primarily."

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Some were very happy that the document at last explained the curious growth of sales of books with strong neo-nationalist and secularist content. Taraf's story was a most welcome revelation for Today's Zaman columnist Ýhsan Daðý, who wrote in his Monday column: "Another interesting piece of information disclosed by Taraf is the activities of the military to solicit books praising not only nationalism but also militarism and anti-Westernism. This satisfies my curiosity regarding the reasons behind the recently growing numbers and popularity of anti-Western and anti-American books in Turkey. Now I ask: Who is behind those books, such as the 'Metallic Storm,' which generated a storm in Turkish-American relations a few years ago? The financial resources behind some propaganda books on sale everywhere at incredibly cheap prices should be investigated. Then we will see who is plotting against Turkish democracy as well as Turkey's Western alliance."

"Claims directed against the 'Metallic Storm' are completely baseless," Burak Turna, one of the co-authors of the book in question, responded, when asked by Sunday's Zaman about Daðý's stated suspicion.

Although it is very difficult to get book sales figures on nationalist books, according to Turkey's National Library President Tuncel Acar, 105 new books were classified under the categories of "nationalism and Atatürkism," in the National Library, while that figure was 158 new entries in the five years between 2000 and 2005. The National Library's database is limited, but it can be a useful indicator of what categories of books are gaining more popularity throughout the country.

Nevertheless, a large number of books were created as the military's project to foment public opinion against the government, insists Þamil Tayyar, the Ankara bureau chief of the Star daily, who has authored numerous books on the subject of illegitimate groups within the state and military hierarchy. "'Þu Çýlgýn Türkler' [These Crazy Turks] was just such a project," he told Sunday's Zaman, when asked for an example. "The soldiers [i.e., military] supported it," he said.

Indeed, some high-ranking generals, including Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar Büyükanýt, publicly praised the book. The students of the Land Forces Academy staged a play based on the best-selling book, which provides an epic account of the heroic moments of Turkey's War of Independence against occupying Western powers after World War I.

Books distributed free of charge Tayyar noted that the Çankaya Municipality mayor, who is a member of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) -known for its staunch secularism and making no effort to distance itself from the military -forced newlyweds to purchase the book as part of the legal wedding ceremony package. In other places, CHP municipalities distributed the book for free.

"I can only laugh at these claims," said the author, Turgut Özakman, whose "These Crazy

Turks" book sold more than a million copies. "I started compiling my notes in the '80s, everyone who knows me knows this," he said recalling that Taraf's alleged military plan had gone into effect only last year. "I've been working on that book for 50 years. I started gathering the basic notes for the TV series 'Kurtuluþ' (Liberation), which I have been writing for so many years. It is not a book that you could write in three days," he said, denying the alleged militaristic support.

Tayyar stated that a series of books recently published by nationalist journalist Hulki Cevizoðlu, Yaþar Nuri Öztürk's "Allah ile Aldatmak" (Deception Using God's Name), which criticizes the AK Party for its alleged use of religion for political interests, all books written by Ergun Poyraz -- currently under arrest pending trial for alleged membership in a gang called Ergenekon that allegedly sought to work with insiders in the military to topple the AK Party government -- claiming that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and President Abdullah Gül are a pair of instruments for the "Zionist" Greater Middle East project, and a book by journalist Behiç Gürcihan are all part of the military's plan. Tayyar noted that CHP leader Deniz Baykal has also publicly praised both Öztürk's and Özakman's books.

Bilgi Publishing is one of the oldest publishing houses in Turkey and is the publisher for Özakman's books, books by sensational nationalist journalist Emin Çölaþan and recently "The AK Party Should Have Been Shut Down Long Ago," by secularist and nationalist former top prosecutor Vural Savaþ. The company is furious over the allegations of military support.

"Army-sponsored books? How can that be?" asked Biray Üstüner, Bilgi Publishing editor. "For the past 50 years, we have always printed books that clearly reveal our line.

No government, no coup d'état has ever changed our line. Just a look at the books we have published in the past will show that such a claim is nonsense," she said.

Tip of the iceberg Mümtazer Türköne, a political scientist who also contributes regularly to the dailies Zaman and Today's Zaman, shared his opinion on the phenomenon of growing sales and popularity of nationalist books and the alleged militaristic promotion of these books.

"Psychological warfare is a concept that was implemented everywhere during the years of the Cold War against the Soviet threat.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, these units were eliminated everywhere, but this special warfare concept remained in existence. An extension of it remained, waging ideological warfare, including distributing books. Instead of concentrating on the country's protection from foreign powers, the army concentrated on 'inner' threats and fighting them with this special warfare method," he explained, saying the military-sponsored books or Taraf's document were only "natural consequences" of the dominance of that mentality.

Noting that all the world's armies had transformed structurally into more operative and region-based organizations in smaller units, Türköne said because of the TSK's displaced focus, it had fallen behind in the changes observed in most militaries, which is not only damaging for democracy but also for its external security.

Türköne said unless Turkey manages to make parliamentary inspection and democratic administration the most powerful institutions for the country, it could be a long time before this mentality changes.

Star's Tayyar noted, however, that people are more aware of illegitimate intervention into social and political life. The covert psychological tactics to shape public opinion are no longer effective, he said. "While it is true that they made good use of the increasingly chaotic state of the Middle East after the US occupation of Iraq and a potential attack on Iran to polarize the nation, psychological operations are not as influential as they were in the past. The common sense of the people has won this time," he noted.

Nationalist writers at fair attract attention Ýsmail Sönmez, a writer for daily Radikal, in his evaluation of Turkey's largest book fair, TÜYAP, last year, wrote that the presence of neo-nationalist and nationalist book and magazine stands was overwhelming. "The longest line was in front of the stand of [nationalist journalist] Hulki Cevizoðlu, who literally couldn't find the time to chat with his readers because of all the signing.

[Nationalist journalist] Emin Çölaþan's latest work is being promoted at two

separate stands in towers made out of many copies of the book. In the stand of the Remzi Publishing House, [secularist and nationalist] Emre Kongar's 'Our Democracy Struggle' is selling like hotcakes. The [neonationalist] magazine Turkish Left's stand, decorated with posters that read 'We are all Turks. We are all Mustafa Kemal' is cramped like a wedding hall." Sönmez said the book fair was literally "filled to the brim with neo-nationalists."

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SUNDAY’S ZAMAN 05

S U N D AY, J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 0 8

‘Economic, democratic reforms would heal Turkey’ PHOTO

MEHMET KAMAN

ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA

Cüneyt Yüksel says that the AK Party, during its term in power, has come closer than any other party before it to realizing the modernization goals set by Atatürk.

Economic and democratic reform would put Turkey back on its course of development and enable it to overcome its current problems, says Cüneyt Yüksel, an academic and a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy from Mardin, currently serving as the vice president of his party’s political and legal affairs commission.

Yüksel shared with Sunday’s Zaman his take on recent developments, including a case pending with the top court that threatens to close the AK Party over allegations of anti-secularism.

Noting that the AK Party was re-elected with a resounding 47 percent of the vote in July of last year, Yüksel said there were a number of reasons behind the AK Party’s success but that the major one was the people’s wish to see the continuation of stability and efforts for further democratization. “One in every two Turks voted for stability, economic development and democratization and handed the ruling AK Party a landslide election victory,” he said, pointing to the AK Party’s focus on Turkey’s eventual EU membership. Social and economic reforms were also significant reasons that led to its electoral victory.

“The AK Party is a centrist party which has received votes from all sectors, in every region and from all economic and social classes. Our party is the only party that has managed to have deputies elected from all but one of the 81 provinces in the recent general elections,” he noted, highlighting countrywide support for the party.

Yüksel said with a single-party government in place rather than a coalition, the economy under the AK Party’s term gained enormous momentum. “After the serious financial crisis of 2001, sound macroeconomic policies and structural reforms designed to ensure long-term sustainability of the economy allowed for a fast economic recovery and an improved investment climate,” he said, listing the government’s steps to achieve this such as reducing administrative barriers for businesses entering the market, reducing and simplifying personal and corporate income taxes, improving the effectiveness of the tax administration and corporate governance, privatizing many state-owned enterprises and focusing on improving corporate governance.

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“In addition to these reforms, further structural economic reforms and fiscal consolidation will be addressed by our government in the next three years in order to maintain macroeconomic stability and sustainable development,” Yüksel said, reiterating his party’s promise.

Reforms regarding the structural weaknesses and rigidities in the labor market, the quality of skills of the labor force, low employment rates especially among women, a large informal sector and reforms in the social security system and energy sector, reforms concerning fiscal discipline and social security are priority areas for the AK Party, he added.

Yüksel said that in addition to the high economic growth experienced over the last few years, Turkey has also made great progress in democratizing its society. “As Turkey continues toward full member status in the EU, it continues to make further improvements in many spheres,” he said.

Constitutional reform The AK Party government has been carrying out extensive constitutional reforms aimed in particular at fully aligning Turkey with international standards in the area of fundamental rights, Yüksel says. “Any economic and social reform cannot be successful if it is not grounded on democratization, showing respect to human rights and freedoms,” he asserted. He said constitutional changes including having the president elected by popular vote as opposed to Parliament and shortening the period of re-electing Parliament with general elections adopted by the AK Party government were approved by the people in a referendum in October.

The package introduced the election of the president by popular vote for a renewable term of five years, the shortening of the government’s term in office from five years to four and the establishment of a quorum of onethird for all sessions and decisions of Parliament.

Yüksel said: “In every democratization step that our government has taken, we have stated that in a modern democracy, the aim of the state shall be to protect the rights and freedoms of individuals by restricting the state’s authority and promoting the development of these rights. For the first time in Turkish history our

government has taken steps to establish a legal infrastructure that will enable our nation to reach the modernity of the Western world in every respect.”

He also asserted that the AK Party, during its term in power, has come closer than any other party before it to realizing the modernization goals set by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. This was something Turkey owed for the most part to the start of full membership talks between Turkey and the European Union, he noted.

AK Party works to make Turkey a member of Europe “Our government has been trying hard to make Turkey a full member of the European Union and is taking all the steps necessary to make the country part of a democratic and secular Europe,” Yüksel said.

In addition to its EU membership goal, the AK Party government has also concentrated its efforts on establishing maintaining regional and universal peace, territorial integrity, domestic security and political stability in neighboring countries through its foreign policy, he added.

“Turkey’s location opens it up to direct influence from many developments around the world. Indeed, Turkey’s close historical and cultural ties to both the East and the West act as a crucial bridge for dialogue and interaction between cultures at the heart of Eurasia,” Yüksel noted.

“Turkey believes that building global peace will be maintained solely through communication and dialogue with the international community. We believe in making friends and have always been followers of [Atatürk’s motto] ‘Peace at home, peace in the world’.”

Yüksel also offered his opinion on how Turkey can save itself from the current political quagmire, saying: “We will heal our wounds, if any, with more freedom and democracy. And the emphasis on a unitary, secular and democratic state is and will always be the basic political mission of the AK Party.”

He said his party’s priority was to improve the standards of its people and become an active player in global world politics. “Like Theodore Roosevelt said, we keep our eyes on the stars, but remember to keep our feet on the ground,” he noted.

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06 SUNDAY’S ZAMAN

SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008

BUSINESS

What prýce glory?

The national team played the game of its life in the semifinals on Wednesday night, losing, but with great heart. A class act.

The amazing run in Euro 2008 spread soccer mania everywhere this week, even into diplomatic receptions. A management consultant asked me if it was true that the “Emperor” was resigning, that Fatih Terim would quit rather than lead Turkey in the World Cup. And how would they replace such a coach?

People suppose we journalists know everything, and they don’t care what you write about; if a soccer question comes up they are happy to ask a business columnist for the answer.

How to choose a new emperor? For all I know the Turkish Soccer Federation (TFF) puts three names in a hat and pulls one out.

Then the man asked me what Terim meant when he said that the team’s success was good for the country, that Turkey had some problems, some intolerant people, and that now all Turks could unite under the Turkish flag.

“Intolerant people -- was he referring to the religious ones or to the secularists?”

How would I know? I’m Fenerbahçe, so hardly pay attention to him anyway.

That makes you sound intolerant, he said. No, I just don’t like Galatasaray people.

Maybe Terim was speaking for the military, said the consultant, that is, if it was true that the Turkish military had made a plan to influence popular opinion, had targeted university presidents, NGOs, judges and artists.

I said that the plan was not “official” -- had not been approved by top military commanders. Reminds one of Bill Clinton confessing that he had smoked marijuana as a young man but did not inhale. In any case, I said I doubted that the generals recruited Terim to make an ambiguous remark to sportswriters.

And since business leaders shape opinion, why didn’t the plan target prominent business people, he asked.

I don’t know, I said, maybe they thought that such leaders are not so easy to manipulate, or to persuade to cooperate.

Maybe the army will choose the next national team coach, he said. The army’s good at that, recognizing leadership qualities.

BY THE WATER COOLER

MICHAEL KUSER This man was annoying me, driving the talk in circles and taking meaningless detours into fantasy. I made my excuses and moved on to the next free drink at the bar, to the next idle conversationalist.

But his wandering thoughts stuck with me. In bed at home that night I opened my copy of “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” a big fat sleeping pill by Edward Gibbons.

I started a chapter in which Gibbons discusses ideal government succession. He cites examples of monarchical elec-

tion, of choosing emperors, the Caesars having swept away the republic centuries before the start of his study: “In the cool shade of retirement, we may easily devise imaginary forms of government, in which the scepter shall be constantly bestowed on the most worthy by the free and incorrupt suffrage of the whole community. Experience overturns these airy fabrics, and teaches us that in a large society the election of a monarch can never devolve to the wisest or to the most numerous part of the people. The army is the only order of men sufficiently united to concur in the same sentiments, and powerful enough to impose them on the rest of their fellow-citizens; but the temper of soldiers, habituated at once to violence and to slavery, renders them very unfit guardians of a legal or even a civil constitution. Justice, humanity, or political wisdom, are qualities they are too little acquainted with in themselves to appreciate them in others.”

Next time I go to a cocktail party on the Bosporus I am going to take my “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” with me. You just never know when a good historical quote might come in handy.

Turks fýnd ýt dýffýcult to navýgate the European Unýon fundýng maze

provide an innovative edge to the Turkish economy.”The total size of the budget in grants and loans from the EU is not that high when one compares the figure to the overall capacity of the Turkish economy, and its growing population in particular.

But the EU says it tries to disburse funds to recipients based on qualifying criteria as efficiently as possible.

A year after the 1963 Association Agreement the first financial protocol between Turkey and then-European Economic Community (EEC) came into force. Three separate financial protocols were signed between 1964 and 1981, and various other budgets were made available to Turkey up to 1999.

Following the confirmation of Turkey’s candidacy at the Helsinki summit in 1999, financial assistance to Turkey focused on membership preparation. Pre-accession funds are designed to help candidate countries prepare for EU membership in

GRAPHICS

Ministries and other governmental organizations: advice and training on how to apply EU legislation Municipalities and provinces: infrastructure investment projects, such as solid waste and wastewater treatment plants, or transport infrastructure Civil society (social partners, NGOs): gender, environment, human rights, media, culture, etc.

SMEs: support in raising competitiveness Unemployed and vulnerable groups (especially youth and women): skills development, employment-related training, active employment and social inclusion measures Schoolchildren: better classrooms and improved curricula Farmers (in deprived areas): raising agricultural productivity

AP

Examples of EU funding

accordance with the Copenhagen criteria. The ultimate objective is to bring the country closer to EU standards by taking political, economic, legislative and administrative measures.

The funds channeled towards Turkey were combined under a single instrument, the pre-accession financial assistance program, and assistance to Turkey between 2002 and 2006 totaled 1.3 billion euros. From 2007 onwards, the EU has been channeling pre-accession funding through one single instrument, the IPA. A total of 2.3 billion euros worth of EU grants have been allocated to Turkey to support the country’s harmonization process until 2010 within the framework of the IPA. IPA funds focus on the environment, transport, regional competitiveness, human resource development and rural development and are managed on the same principles as structural funds. There are other funds available to Turkey within the scope of structural funds, research and development funds, student exchange programs and community programs.

The decision-making process on who gets the money is divided between Turkey and EU institutions. The EU points out the areas where Turkey needs to harmonize with EU norms and regulations and Turkish institutions prepare and implement projects to address these needs.

Once they agree on the national programs, the projects are implemented by a process of tendering. The CFCU, an institution within the Undersecretariat of the Treasury, is responsible for the tendering and payment process.

To ensure transparency and equal treatment, tenders and calls for proposals are published on official Web sites of the EU and Turkish agencies. The European Commission and the CFCU in Turkey can only award projects if they correspond to a relevant call for proposal or tender announcement.

PHOTO

contýnued from page 1 They note that individuals are not eligible, except for specific community programs. In addition to state institutions, there are also programs open to universities, civil society groups, media organizations and business interest groups.

Some small-scale funds are available to nongovernmental organizations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), however. If one includes the small grants provided to NGOs, SMEs and trade groups, the number of projects funded by the EU has now reached 1,500. There have been a great many success stories due in part to funding provided by the EU. Take the Regional Environment Center Turkey (REC Turkey), for example, a project aimed to provide assistance to Turkish government efforts in the field of alignment with EU environmental standards. Established with a 2.3 million euro direct grant fund provided by the EU, REC Turkey officially commenced operations in 2004.

Kerem Okumuþ, project coordinator and REC Turkey vice director, told Sunday’s Zaman: “We do believe public awareness of on funding opportunities provided by the EU is insufficient. However, among environmental NGOs, awareness is quite high.” He explains that financial support provided by the EU through REC Turkey or the Central Finance and Contracts Unit (CFCU) has been completely absorbed by the environmental NGOs. He notes, “Since 2002, REC Turkey has dispersed approximately 1 million euros of grant to the projects developed by different environmental NGOs and local authorities.”

Okumuþ adds: “The European Commission will release almost 200 million euros in the 2007-2009 period for investment projects through Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) funds.” He stresses that, “a communication strategy should be integrated in each European Commission funded project, whether it is investment or capacity-building projects to increase awareness among the general public.”

A skills deficit and inadequate publicity are major obstacles for the utilization of EU funds in Turkey, experts argue. Though there are some consultant firms out there to streamline the application process and help you along the way, the cumulative knowledge is generally far from sufficient for successful grant application. You also need a great deal of patience, as the approval process -- and there for the receipt of funds -- can take over a year.

“The public does not know much about the funding opportunities,” says Suat Karabulut, head of Elit Project and Consultancy Services, to Sunday’s Zaman. He explains that responsibility lies with the universities and colleges that administer these programs, particularly those in research and development programs. However, he laments the lack of enthusiasm on the part of the business community to take on and support research and development initiatives. “After all, these programs are intended to increase the competitiveness and

SUNDAY’S ZAMAN

A skills deficit and inadequate publicity are major obstacles for the utilization of EU funds in Turkey, experts argue. Though there are some consultant firms out there to streamline the application process and help you along the way, the cumulative knowledge is generally far from sufficient for successful grant applications

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SUNDAY’S ZAMAN 07

S U N D AY, J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 0 8

Worldwide financial problems fail to halt Turkey’s growth PHOTO

The Turkish economy continues to grow despite soaring oil prices, global liquidity problems that hit even the world’s biggest economies, and turbulence in the domestic political sphere.

The fastest growing economy on the European continent, Turkey will achieve a growth rate of 4.5 percent in 2009 according to the latest report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Beside this, the Oxford Business Group -- one of the leading global research, broadcasting and counseling firms -- forecast in a recent report that Turkey will better maintain its growth than will other developing countries.

While state authorities interpret the growth rate and gross domestic product (GDP) numbers as success, some economists evaluate the growth forecasts as a normal process for the developing Turkish economy. Yet the common opinion is the growth rate is not on an anxiety-evoking level.

The global economic slowdown has hit big economies. America is among the countries suffering from the recent financial crisis, coupled with its leading role in this crisis with sub-prime mortgage problems. US stocks fell to their lowest point of the year and regulators are concerned about the health of the battered US financial sector, the prestigious Wall Street Journal said in one of its most recent analyses. The Federal Reserve has been exerting arduous efforts for some time to steer the world’s largest economy with innovative programs to sweep clean the problems and heal the economy.

The slowing US GDP growth rate is forecast as around 4.4 percent for this year by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is widely accepted as “quite low.” Asian stocks are also suffering from inflation problems, and the region’s benchmark index is at its worst level since 1992.

Japan’s inflation rose to a record level. The Chinese economy has dropped its growth expectations to 8 percent for this year, after experiencing five consecutive years of double-digit GDP growth.

Turkish economic growth was at its peak between 2002 and 2006, 7.2 percent on average, but slowed sharply in 2007 to 4.5 percent.

This year’s growth target was 5.5 percent at the beginning of the year; however, this had to shrink to 4.5 percent as external and internal factors forced it to bridle its greed.

The Oxford Business Group report suggests Turkey stands out with attractive investment opportunities and its economic potential. The year 2008 seems to be full of opportunities as well as difficulties

KÜRÞAT BAYHAN

ESRA MADEN ÝSTANBUL

Skyscrapers lining Ýstanbul’s burgeoning business center, Maslak, commonly seen as a good indicator of the country’s rapidly growing economy. in economic terms, and Turkey is expected to maintain the conditions that helped it to achieve a bigger growth percentage than other developing countries between 2002 and 2006, even as global stagnation and domestic affairs slowed the growth rate. The report also notes that between 2002 and 2006, GDP increased by 7 percent; this figure is expected to be 4 percent this year. In the key sectors such as automotives, appliances and textiles, increasing exports and industrial production have been achieved. The report also highlighted that real property construction and tourist incomes are aimed at increases.

Gül and Erdoðan optimistic In a statement referring to the Oxford Business Group’s comprehensive report, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan said they would continue dealing with the source of Turkey’s basic economic problems, emphasizing Turkey’s status as the sixthlargest European economy and 17th largest in the world. Noting that foreign investment in Turkey had reached $22 billion, Erdoðan said the focus would be reconstructing the financial sector and overcoming

in the number of educated people are among the reasons for Turkey’s growth,” added Gül. He also noted that even though decreasing the rate of inflation to single digits seemed paradoxical, it was achieved through high growth rates. Noting that the economic program maintained after 2001 resulted in the elimination of vulnerabilities from the financial system and the formation of an institutional and legal infrastructure for creating a powerful, growth-oriented financial system, Gül said: “In this way, the economy has achieved a more resilient structure against foreign shocks, and strict financial and monetary policies implemented in accordance with the system do not limit the growth rate.”

Highlighting that the global liquidity crisis in 2007 had born a limited effect on Turkey, Gül noted that Turkey had covered an important distance in retaining sound macroeconomic balances and a stable financial system, adding it was critically important for the government to continue to implement strict economic and political measures to minimize and eliminate the possibility of outflows of foreign

the obstacles to Turkey’s economic growth.

Economy Minister Mehmet Þimþek also addressed the audience of this report with an exclusive article to state his ministry would continue to struggle against unregistered economy, one of the critical problems facing the nation’s economy. Curing this ailment on the back of the economy will enrich the country with extra power to drive it further ahead, he said.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 15th World Congress of the International Economic Union at Ýstanbul’s Lütfi Kýrdar International Convention and Exhibition Center, President Abdullah Gül said Turkey had been maintaining its economic growth since the first quarter of 2002 and had reached a domestic product of $659 billion, increasing an average of 7 percent between 2002 and 2007. “This growth rate corresponds to an increase of purchasing power parity to $1 trillion. The numbers demonstrates that Turkey is the 17th biggest economy of the world and the sixth biggest in Europe.

Advancement of technological levels and the rise

capital from the country, which is vitally needed to keep up with a sustainable growth and stability.

Experts: economy’s progress ‘normal’ Associate Professor Ýbrahim Öztürk does not sound very optimistic about Turkey’s growth rate.

In a telephone interview with Sunday’s Zaman, Öztürk said that the data for first quarter had not yet been announced and that it was too early to talk precisely. But he nonetheless said estimates show a slight fall in the growth rate of the Turkish economy. “If we take the 7 percent growth rate between 2002 and 2007 into consideration, it is understood that a rate like 4.5 percent does not reflect big growth. Turkey’s economic growth has entered a period of slowdown,” he said.

Noting that the Turkish economy was already expected to slow even without a general stagnation in the world economy, Öztürk said the Turkish economy was resistant to stagnation, yet the increasing current deficit and political fragility of the country as well as global economic problems made retrogression inevitable. “Evaluating the 4 percent growth rate in 2007 as optimistic or pessimistic is relative. … If the rate falls by up to 3 percent, then we really need to worry about it. But the current situation is normal,” Öztürk said.

Indicating that the Turkish economy is inclined to shrink, independent of the attitudes of the Turkish Central Bank and government, Öztürk stated: “Entrepreneurs are anxiously waiting for the economy to stabilize, which can be achieved after a decision by the Constitutional Court over the ruling Justice and Development Party’s [AK Party] closure case, along with amelioration in the high energy and oil price situation. If oil prices maintain their high level, nobody can predict what is going to happen.

This atmosphere of uncertainty is the biggest problem working against the economy.”

Speaking to Sunday’s Zaman, Professor Sudi Apak from Trakya University also stressed that Turkey had a developing economy. “It is a widely known fact that developing countries grow more than developed countries,” he said, adding: “The economies of the developed countries have more depth than those of emerging countries.” Apak added that Turkey’s growth was not an exceptional situation. He pointed to the record levels achieved in terms of foreign trade, with exports already surpassing $120 billion annually. “But this has not been sufficient so far to fix the vulnerability of the Turkish markets and to eliminate the endemic risks,” he stated. Apak said bringing in sums to Turkey is still a risky option for foreigners but that they will continue to invest in the country as long as it keeps growing.

Provus turns credit card production into security-wise business PHOTO

Credit cards have become an indispensable part of our daily life as they fit easily in our wallets and can replace carrying large amounts of money, thus adding a layer of security, but all of this requires that credit cards themselves are as secure as can be.

This is where Provus IT comes in; Provus makes credit cards and prints out balance statements for all local and international banks operating in Turkey. Keeping the cards safe requires a secure building, so any visit requires an appointment.

The entrance to the building is gated by bulletproof steel doors. Upon entering, visitors are required to sign a confidentiality agreement and are accompanied by a security officer to their destination.

The building is also equipped with double doors that can only be opened with key cards.

There are rooms that even the company’s general manager is not allowed to enter alone. Rooms in which cards are produced are under 24-hour video surveillance, and only two employees are allowed to work in them at a time. Additionally, if one of them needs to leave the room for whatever reason, the second employee must also step out. Employee uniforms have no pockets.

Provus General Manager Alp Hepkarabelli notes that the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK), Visa and MasterCard frequently audit the building and that even the slightest extravagance in employee spending behavior is considered a cause for termination.

As the number of people using credit cards rises with each passing day, banks have begun to focus on projects that will provide them with a greater share in the credit card market. Visa and MasterCard, the world’s two largest credit card

TODAY’S ZAMAN

ZELÝÞ YILDIRAL ÝSTANBUL

Provus General Manager Alp Hepkarabelli

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companies, offer products to customers that take advantage of the latest in technology. They also place heavy emphasis on the card-making process. Hepkarabelli says Provus is audited five times a year, with two of the audits including a physical inspection of the building. “They check the locations of cameras, entrances, etc. Other inspections focus on employees. Are authorizations given correctly? How is information stored? How is the system controlled? If a thief wants to break into your house, he will find a way. Your house must be the most secure house in the neighborhood. This is what we are trying to ensure. This job requires zero tolerance,” he said.

Hepkarabelli explains that all the information they work with is stored inside the building, necessitating that no employee is ever left alone in a room for a moment. He adds that the company also monitors the spending patterns of its employees, particularly noting any unusual spending and that it is even interested in problems an employee may have with his/her family so that it can provide assistance in the event of financial troubles. “We want to make sure that all of our employees can fully concentrate on their work.

Excessive spending may be followed by gambling, for instance. We have to take necessary measures as our work entails fastidiousness,” he says.

Provus has a branch in Romania and is planning to open one in the Balkans and another in the Middle East. The company is also working with several banks in Albania and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) and aims to become a leading company in its field in the region.

Hepkarabelli says the company prints about 53 million credit card statements and send approximately 23 million envelopes to customers every month.

Banks have traditionally been responsible for

printing credit card statements and setting up ATMs, but these have now been subcontracted to Provus. “This allows banks to focus on more important operations. We have made credit card statements and ATM operations our business, thereby improving the infrastructure necessary for efficient and accurate service, supervised by a team of experts. All a bank needs to do now is provide us with a location they would like to have their ATM set up, and we will take care of all the rest in a short amount of time.”

ATMs Provus sets up can interface with the Interbank Card Center (BKM), Visa and MasterCard. This division of labor between the banks and Provus is the norm in developed nations.

Provus operates 60,000 of the 1.2 million operational POS devices and is planning to increase its share to 80,000 by the end of the year. Hepkarabelli says Provus commands 30 percent of the market share in setting up ATMs, a result of customer satisfaction and competitive installation prices.

Double-check credit card statements for duplicate transactions When paying by credit card, the POS device may print out a receipt that says “Transaction not completed.” You may need to re-swipe the card several times for a transaction to go through, but despite this notice, miscommunication between the devices may lead to your card being charged even though the device says otherwise. For this reason, credit card holders should always go over their statements and look for duplicate transactions. If you see any such transaction on your statement, contact your credit card company and inform it of the error. Hepkarabelli says, “All companies have policies in place that remove any liability from their customers for such mistakes.”

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08 SUNDAY’S ZAMAN

SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008

NATIONAL

Red tape leaves plans for soccer schools on the bench A proposal for soccer academies, first voiced by TFF President Doðan, is restricted to ‘sports high schools’ due to limitations imposed by current education legislation passed by Parliament in 1998.

Similar attempts by the Turkish Volleyball Federation gotten a “no” from the Education Ministry ALÝ ASLAN KILIÇ ANKARA

The recent European soccer championship has made soccer a part of our daily lives, even making us briefly forget the ongoing political and economic crises, and many have started to discuss the country's soccer problems and how best to solve them.

Some investors have suggested the establishment of "soccer schools" for talented youngsters, but they will be disappointed to learn that the law does not allow for the opening of such schools. A law passed by Parliament in 1998 increased the duration of compulsory education to eight years, meaning that children will be unable to attend a dedicated soccer school until they have completed their eight-year primary education, which begins at the age of 6. High-ranking officials from the Education Ministry stated that a call by Hasan Doðan, president of the Turkish Soccer Federation (TFF), for businessmen to open soccer academies, inspired by the outstanding performance of the Turkish national team in the Euro 2008 soccer championship, is destined to go unanswered.

Officials noted that would-be investors could, however, open "sports high schools" as these are allowed by the official curriculum.

The Turkish Volleyball Federation (TVF) had previously applied to the Education Ministry to establish a "volleyball school," but got the same "no." Speaking to Sunday's Zaman, Erol Ünal Karabýyýk, head of the TVF, said: "We filed our application to open a volleyball school to operate within the primary education system. But we learned that this is not possible. They told us that we can only open a sports high school and give more volleyball courses there. However, volleyball education must start at the age of 5 or 6."

Karabýyýk disclosed that they had signed a protocol with the Education Ministry for the establishment of a sports high school at which they can give intensive volleyball courses, adding that they expect a legal arrangement to be made that will allow them to give volleyball training to primary school students.

He explained: "Children should be involved in sports at the developmental ages, at the age of 5 or 6. If you start the branch training at the high school, you will lose eight or 10 years. When we demand the opening of a primary school that concentrates on volleyball training, we want to introduce children to sports at the age of 7 or 8.

Then they can start to be involved in volleyball with more professionalism at the age of 12.

"There is a wide consensus among pedagogues, psychologists and other experts about the importance of stating the branch training during the de-

The French model A successful model for soccer academies can be seen in France. Until 1980, the French national soccer team's only notable achievement was the country's third position in the world championship in 1958. However, in 1976, France took an important step by establishing soccer schools around the country. The construction of the French National Soccer Academy started in 1982. The facilities were completed in 1985, and the academy opened its doors in 1988. The academy offers two-year courses from the age of 13. The academies were so successful that young people who graduated were admitted to top league teams. The UK has already followed the French example, with a similar training system now in place.

schools are the most important source of Turkish sporting achievement, Baþesgioðlu suggested that the State Ministry for Sports is pursuing close cooperation with the Education Ministry.

"We must train gifted children and ensure they are trained in the areas they have skills for. The era of selecting random sportsmen has long past. We must use scientific methods. We must establish a scientific system of training sportsmen. This requires much labor, patience and time. But this will ensure that new generations can become champions. We are taking firm steps together with the Education Ministry toward this goal. Turkey will be a model country in terms of sports," he said.

The TFF president's call for establishing soccer academies was echoed by the businees world. TOBB President Rifat Hisarcýklýoðlu, noting that they discussed the call at a meeting of the executive board, asserted that soccer is important both for the country's promotion abroad and its economy. velopmental ages. However, the law that requires students to attend compulsory primary education for eight years prevents the introduction of sports training during primary school. Our high school will be constructed in two years. During this time, the Education Ministry and Parliament should work on the issue and introduce exceptions to the law for a successful infrastructure for Turkish sports."

Minister Çelik: 18 is too late Education Minister Hüseyin Çelik, noting that sports training should be started at an early age, asserted that they had introduced sports high schools, before which sports training was given only after the age of 18. "We want the Turkish nation to actually make sports rather than to just talk about it. For this purpose, we, as the Justice and Development Party [AK Party], designed and im-

plemented the sports high school project. In the past, students could go to sports academies at the age of 18 after graduating from high school. …

One must start early to play sports professionally.

Training sportsmen and training sports critics should not be confused with each other," he said. Çelik pointed out that the Education Ministry is dealing with a huge young population. "About 11 million young people attend schools controlled by the ministry. We must work in cooperation with other ministries and state organizations in order to raise sportsmen and a healthy generation of people.

Sports does not fall [solely] under the responsibility areas of the General Directorates of Youth and Sports or of the sports federations. We must work together toward this common goal," he noted.

The education minister also referred to the protocol signed with the TVF: "I must say that the

construction of facilities offering sports training with an emphasis on volleyball will close a big gap.

These facilities will be first class, enough to give us pride in international competitions. We will make use of the TVF's experience and human resources.

The financial issues will be dealt by the federation. … We are ready to cooperate with all federations which intend to undertake similar projects."

Minister Baþesgioðlu: We must train gifted children Murat Baþesgioðlu, state minister for sports, underlined the importance of starting sports training at an early age. "Turkey has the potential of 15 million young people of school age. It is the responsibility of everyone to raise champion sportsmen in this country and make sports culture widespread," he said. Suggesting that

On TOBB’s agenda The TFF president's call for establishing soccer academies was echoed by the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB). TOBB President Rifat Hisarcýklýoðlu, noting that they discussed the call at a meeting of the executive board, asserted that soccer is important both for the country's promotion abroad and its economy.

Hisarcýklýoðlu explained that they had studied the practices of several countries and had seen that soccer schools in France and the UK had helped create a soccer sector. TOBB will undertake joint work on soccer high schools in collaboration with TFF President Doðan, he said. The recent performance of the Turkish national soccer team has made a great contribution to the country's promotion abroad, he claimed. "This has made positive contributions. Our last-minute victories have led to people developing a bond with us. Seen from this perspective, soccer means both economic benefits and Turkey's promotion abroad."

Jellyfish phenomenon highlights need for further research contýnued from page 1 A sustained increased of jellyfish in the world's oceans and seas could have a disastrous effect on tourism, fishing and the global economy. The beginnings of a similar phenomenon can be observed in Ýstanbul and other coastal regions in Turkey, where media have picked up the story on the increasing numbers jellyfish but drawn only uncertain conclusions. Will jellyfish be responsible for wrecking Turkey's fishing industry and reverse the popularity of Turkish beaches for foreign and domestic travelers? Experts speaking to Sunday's Zaman say there is definitely an ecological problem, but that the extent of it -- and the means to solve it -- can only be evaluated after much more research into jellyfish and their place in and effect on Turkey's ecosystem.

Miner's canary of the high seas International media reports have focused on jellyfish as indicators of environmental problems with potentially serious ramifications that go far beyond disrupting beach tourism. Jellyfish, whose populations usually swell in the summer as waters warm and recede again in winter as the world's seas and oceans cool off, are displaying an alarming trend of reproducing over increasingly longer periods that are growing more and more irrespective of season. Many point fingers at global warming right off the bat. While this may seem a convincing argument -- the Earth's temperatures are going up and, along with them, the temperatures of oceans and seas, creating ideal breeding grounds for

jellyfish -- ecosystems aquatic and terrestrial are incredibly complex, making it hard to pin the blame for an irregularity on any single cause. The experts that spoke with Sunday's Zaman emphasized that jellyfish were only one part of a larger environmental puzzle.

Banu Dökmecibaþý, the head of Greenpeace Mediterranean's "Defending Our Mediterranean" campaign, is hesitant to pass judgment on the issue, citing a need for more research into the cause of the jellyfish population boom in the Mediterranean. She said a number of questions remained about the issue in Turkey and that jellyfish populations in Turkish waters had not been as extensively studied as those in Spain and other places where the problem had become more visible.

"It's all connected, and therefore difficult to determine exactly what's affecting what. There's climate change involved, jellyfish types native to the Mediterranean and jellyfish that come from other areas. If they're coming from other areas, why is this happening? This is an ecosystem with many factors involved -- these things need to be researched.

Jellyfish reproduce in cycles. If this is mostly a normal phenomenon, there's no need to intervene. But if it's abnormal, caused by man, then it needs to be taken very seriously and addressed. If it's related to global climate change, then the root action will be to address the problem of burning fossil fuels and switching to renewable energy forms with less environmental impact," Dökmecibaþý said.

"We know that the temperature of the

Mediterranean Sea's waters has risen. But beyond that, it's not clear what the root causes are behind the jellyfish population growth. At this point it could still be a seasonal, cyclic phenomenon, with some connections to over-fishing," she added.

Global warming has heated the Earth's seas, resulting in warmer, saltier waters that are ideal for jellyfish reproduction. In addition to more favorable reproductive conditions resulting in more jellyfish, jellyfish compete with fish in more ways than one: They eat what fish eat as well as eating fish.

Turkish Marine Environment Protection Association (TURMEPA) Secretary-General Levent Ballar, speaking with Sunday's Zaman last week, also noted that beyond being one of the many signals of global warming-driven climate change, the increasing jellyfish numbers were part of an ecosystem problem tied into fishing and waste management.

"This jellyfish explosion stems from a decrease in the population of species such as tuna, swordfish and sea turtles, all of which feed on jellyfish. Another crucial factor is that the fish population has shrunk due to uncontrolled fishing," Ballar said, adding: "Industrial and domestic waste, as well as organic substances carried by rivers, pose another threat to the seas. The increasing jellyfish population curbs fish populations as the former feed on fishes' food as well as larval fish."

Jellyfish not affecting Turkish tourism -- yet As Ballar put it, Turkey's unique geography -"surrounded on three sides by four different types of sea" -- makes it particularly vulnerable to jellyfish

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population growth in other areas of the world. There have so far been no reports of large numbers of tourists dissuaded by jellyfish problems along Turkey's coasts, but the potential looms as non-native species of jellyfish are swept into Turkish waters.

"As far as tourism goes, tourists in Turkey aren't used to seeing jellyfish in the water, especially not in large numbers, and so it's an aesthetic problem for now," Greenpeace's Dökmecibaþý said. But she agreed that if the problem continues tourists will be some of the first to notice. "Jellyfish are generally seen around coastlines, where tourists often flock in ferries and to beaches."

Ballar points to the danger of the introduction of new types of jellyfish to Turkish waters: "Alien species, including jellyfish, are believed to be carried through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean.

They harm the ecological balance and damage the ecosystem at sea. Some are very dangerous, with stings poisonous enough to kill humans."

The two main types of jellyfish in the Turkish Mediterranean today are Aurelia aurita, known commonly as the "moon jellyfish," and Rhizostoma pulmo. They are both native to Turkish waters and harmless. The proliferation of these will impact fishing and aquatic systems, but for tourists they will be more of an "eyesore" than a threat.

The Rhopilema nomadica, on the other hand, is a jellyfish that can sting severely and could pose quite a problem for tourists if the species, first spotted in large numbers Turkish waters in 1995, repro-

duces unchecked. Ballar warns: "Especially in the last few years, our seas have seen an increase in foreign jellyfish species. …Their migration is facilitated by the Suez Canal from the Red Sea into the Mediterranean. For example, Rhopilema nomadica jellyfish are native to the Red Sea, but they have migrated to the Mediterranean, negatively affecting fishing, tourism and human health."

More research, government support needed Phoned by Sunday's Zaman, Turkey's Nature Association (Doða Derneði) said it was also concerned with jellyfish population growth but that it did not yet have much information on the phenomenon. Professors from Ýstanbul University and the Middle East Technical University Institute of Marine Sciences expressed regret that they had no detailed research on jellyfish specific to Turkish waters. This sentiment was echoed by environmental and marine organizations across Turkey: A problem does exist, but more research, time and money are needed to assess the specifics of Turkey's jellyfish population.

"The government needs to support universities and researchers in learning more about the jellyfish increase and how this will affect the waters of the Mediterranean," Dökmecibaþý said.

Ballar agrees, adding, "No matter what the cause, this situation should be a strong example to people that our marine ecosystems are important and that everything we do has an impact."

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BEAUTY

Stylish summer essentials at Accessorize Accessorize presents all the items women need and want this summer, from wraps to fluttery summer dresses and much, much more. Some of the most striking items in the new Accessorize collection are unique top and bottom combinations featuring retro prints and a 1970s hippy look. Look for strapless dresses and embroidered beach swimsuit wraps to give you an unforgettable look on the beach this summer. Accessorize also keeps your feet in mind this summer, with flip-flops decorated with sparkling stones, as well as sandals decorated with beads and stones, leather-soled slippers plus more flip-flops, these featuring metallic materials.

A world of color at Ayakkabý Dünyasý With a wide range of shoes and sandals in all the bright and stunning colors of the summer season, Ayakkabý Dünyasý is waiting for you to come in and choose. Prices for some of the gorgeous options available right now are YTL 99.90 for the white, red and dark blue babette-style shoe with clip, YTL 79.50 for the yellow patent leather babette with zipper, YTL 39.90 for the yellow, red and black woven flip-flops and YTL 139.90 for the red patent leather, flower-patterned platform sandal.

SUNDAY’S ZAMAN 09

SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008

Beauty secrets for face and body, from gold to yeast

DÝLEK GÜRAY ÝSTANBUL

Following the popularity of facial masks made with fruits, herbs and flowers, now the cosmetic sector is experiencing a rush for masks made with gold and bread yeast. The new craze for the "gold cure," with masks made using 24 karat gold, is attracting wealthier customers who are interested in the ability of gold to firm the skin and prevent sagging as well as slow down the aging process.

Of course, there is almost nothing left that people haven't tried in the effort to look more beautiful and healthier. This is particularly true for the women's skin care sector. Skin care products containing fruits, flowers, animal products, herbs and other unique ingredients have all made their way into the lives of women. The two most recent examples of this are the use of both 24 karat gold and bread yeast in skin care regimes. The gold mask was first developed and used in Japan but recently arrived in Turkey, where it is also gaining in popularity. Currently this mask, which is applied in six to 12 sessions, is still quite expensive, and thus is generally only found at a limited number of beauty salons.

The cost for one session ranges between 250 and 300 euros.

We have always heard that in ancient Egypt, women like Cleopatra used pure gold in special masks for their faces and that they protected their beauty until death using this method of skin care. While it was the Umo company that first presented the world with the modern version of this gold cure, it was the Biyopark company which first introduced this expensive facial mask to the domestic market.

While at this point only a limited number of spas and beauty centers are offering this treatment, it is expected that its popularity will grow in a short time. But what exactly does this gold cure offer that other skin treatments don't? When we relayed this question to medical aesthetic expert Dr. Imren Kurucuk, we received an answer about the various merits of gold that we really hadn't expected. First of all, gold has the ability to tighten and firm skin and to prevent the sagging of facial skin. It also reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The gamma PGA that it contains helps keep skin moist, which gives faces a more flawless look.

Gold, which actually has long-standing roots in the medical world, is once again being used as a method to not only keep skin looking glowing and healthy, but to slow down the aging process. As far as Kurucuk is concerned, the gold cure, while expensive, is something that women of every age -- even those who are pregnant or nursing -- can take advantage of to look and feel better. In fact, during the oneand-a-half-hour gold cure sessions, this powerful treatment can be applied not only to the face, but also to the hands, neck and all over the body.

Mavi prices drop as summer heats up Discounts of up to 50 percent on Mavi's 2008 spring-summer collection, which reflects all the exoticism of North Africa, begin June 27. There are plenty of alternatives for those who believe in dressing according to how they feel at Mavi Jeans this summer, with the spirit of the Mediterranean reflected in all the tones of indigo in this collection's blue jeans, printed t-shirts, tunics, combed cotton dresses, mini-skirts, shorts and accessories. Web: www.mavi.com

Skincode uses bread yeast to bring beauty back to faces Of course, in Turkey, yeast is generally just seen as product with which to make bread. But Swiss dermatologists have developed a new product under the Skincode brand that uses bread yeast to help preserve and enhance facial beauty. Not only do Skincode products use yeast in their formulas, but they are also noteworthy for containing no dyes, perfumes or any other potentially harmful ingredients. The carboxymethyl glucan used in bread yeast has, just like gold, been known within the world of medicine for a long time for its positive attributes. This is an element which strengthens the immune system and is known to dramatically increase the healing process of wounds. Bread yeast also protects the skin from the harmful effects of the sun's rays, while

speeding up the renewal of cells. It also increases the elasticity and firmness of the skin. In addition, Skincode offers a skin stains/blotches series that comes to the rescue of pregnant women. According to Almilta Öztosun, an official from Alderma, which distributes Skincode in Turkey, products like these that use yeast in their formulas also help protect the skin from the effects of cigarette smoke and environmental pollution. These are products which research has shown to have even higher antioxidant benefits than vitamins C and E. So if you are looking for product that will help protect and enhance your skin while using an ingredient long known for its healing characteristics, try these yeast-based products from Skincode!

We’ve forgotten to drink our milk!

YEÞÝM ÇELÝK DIETICIAN

Inspired by Mevlana, designed by Þenocaklý Naci Þenocaklý has many collections of jewelry whose inspiration he gets from nature, love and history. One of these collections is inspired by Mevlana, whose poetry spoke of peace and understanding. Þenocaklý has created a jewelry collection -- complete with a necklace, pendant, earrings, and last but not least, a ring. Þenocaklý's rings are receiving the most attention. The special ring, studded with white and black diamonds, is handcrafted to perfection. The collection, which took a month to design, is available at Diamond outlets in Suadiye, Akmerkez and Niþantaþý.

The week of May 21 was marked as official Milk Week, and though this date has passed, it is interesting to consider how little milk is consumed in Turkey when compared to other countries around the world. In Finland, for example, 139 liters of milk are consumed per capita annually. In Sweden, this number is 111 liters, in Romania it is 75 liters and in Turkey a mere 24 liters. This despite the fact that milk is actually an important nutritional item that offers many health benefits to humans.

Milk is composed of water, fats, protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. In one glass of milk (200 milliliters) there are around nine grams of carbohydrates, six

grams of protein and six grams of fat. And of course, it is also important to remember that milk can be one of the most important sources of calcium, a mineral which is particularly important for growing children, as well as for pregnant and nursing women.

Calcium is crucial for the development of children's bones and teeth, as well as in the prevention of loss of bone mass later in life, which leads us to yogurt, a dairy product whose benefits most people know about. The bacteria found in yogurt are known to protect against things like cancer, infections, gastrointestinal problems and even asthma. In addition, the probiotic and prebiotic elements contained in yogurt are helpful for problems like constipation, diarrhea, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and even colon cancer.

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Benefits of yogurt Yogurt is recognized to be very rich in immunoglobin A, as well as vitamin B and folic acid. It also makes the digestion of lactose easier. In normal adults, two portions of milk or yogurt per day are enough to meet the body's needs, though this increases to three to four portions for growing children as well as pregnant or nursing women.

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10 SUNDAY’S ZAMAN

CULTURE&ARTS

MEHMET GÜLER, CÝHAN

S U N D AY, J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 0 8

CULTURAL AGENDA FESTIVALS

PHOTO

Alanis Morisette, Whitesnake and Def Leppard will be taking to the stage at the second edition of the Masstival Music Festival, slated for July 4-6 at Ýstanbul's Parkorman. Tickets at www.biletix.com Jazz legend Herbie Hancock will open the 15th Ýstanbul International Jazz Festival on July 2 with a gig at the Cemil Topuzlu Open-air Theater. The festival will run until July 16, featuring concerts by world stars such as Omara Portundo, Carla Bley and Al Jarreau.

The Borusan Ýstanbul Philharmonic Orchestra will mark the finale of the 36th Ýstanbul International Music Festival tomorrow night with a concert dedicated to the late Turkish diva Leyla Gencer. The concert starts at 8 p.m. at the Hagia Eirene Museum.

The ongoing 22nd Ýzmir International Festival runs through July 22, featuring performances by internationally acclaimed performers. For the full program, visit www.iksev.org/en/international_izmir_festival The 15th Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival in Antalya will host its final two performances next week. Italy's Francesco Cilea Theater will stage their production of Bellini's opera "Norma" on Monday night. The Turkish Armed Forces' Harmonic Band, featuring pianist Gülsin Onay as soloist, will perform the closing concert on Thursday night.

MUSEUMS The art gallery of Ýstanbul's Çýraðan Palace Kempinski is hosting a retrospective of its exhibitions from over the last year, showcasing a selection of works by artists Hikmet Barutçugil, Mehmet Güleryüz, Devrim Erbil and Sýtký Olçar, among others. The exhibition can be viewed every day until Aug. 26. Ýstanbul's Pera Museum is currently hosting two exhibitions. The first is a collection of works by 20th century Spanish artist Joan Miró and is on show until Aug. 31. The other collection, titled "CollageDécollage" and featuring the work of contemporary artists Burhan Doðançay and Jacques Villeglé, will be on display until July 13. Tel.: (212) 334 9900 The Rahmi M. Koç Museum in Ýstanbul's Hasköy is hosting the interactive exhibition "Brain: The Mysterious Journey" until June 30. Tel.: (212) 369 6601 Archaeological finds from the Temple of Artemis near the Aegean archaeological site of Ephesus are on display at an exhibition titled "Artemision: Temple of a Goddess" at the Ýstanbul Archaeology Museum.

The museum is located on Osman Hamdi Bey Road in Eminönü. Tel.: (212) 520 7742

EXHIBITIONS The Almelek Art Gallery in Ýstanbul's Bebek district is hosting a selection of works by famous Turkish painters in its annual summer exhibition, which this year runs until Sept. 30. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tel.: (212) 265 3851 The Derinlikler Art Center in Ýstanbul's Teþvikiye district hosts a selection of the works of 26 master Turkish painters, including Devrim Erbil, Komet and Nuri Ýyem, until July 12. Open every day except Sundays between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tel.: (212) 227 2664 A collection titled "Pinhole Photographs," showcasing 67 photographs taken using the 2,500-yearold "pinhole" technique, is on show at the Ýstanbul Museum of Modern Art's photography gallery until Aug. 24. Tel.: (212) 334 7300 The Kare Art Gallery in Ýstanbul's Niþantaþý district is hosting a series of mixed exhibitions that feature works by renowned Turkish artists. The first leg of the series, entitled "Summer of Art," is on display until July 11. Tel.: (212) 240 4448 Photography artist Ahmet Naim Danýþoðlu is showcasing his collection titled "Recycling" until July 12 at the Leica Gallery in the Ýstanbul Photography Center in Beyoðlu. Tel.: (212) 238 1160

‘The Gaze’ by Elýf Shafak MARION JAMES ÝSTANBUL

One of the difficulties often mentioned by foreigners, particularly women, visiting Turkey is the way the men stare. In Turkish culture it is not generally considered rude to look at people intently. But some of the population can carry this to excess. I recall sitting by the clock tower in Ýzmir in 1990, and two men on a neighboring bench just fixed their eyes on me. They didn't even try to hide it. I reacted in the way I would back home -- to stare back, a stare-down designed to embarrass them and make them turn away. But after a few minutes I realized that this was not going to work. These two characters seemed quite happy to spend an hour looking at me without batting an eyelid.

People-watching is always a popular sport in big cities. Many coffee shops that line thoroughfares such as Ýstiklal Caddesi and Baðdat Caddesi in Ýstanbul are designed with tiers of seating so that patrons can "see and be seen."

But what do we see when we watch other people? Elif Þafak (who spells her surname Shafak when published in English) explores this philosophical question in her novel "The Gaze."

Of course we all know that two people can interpret the same sight in diametrically opposing ways. The most famous example of this is whether the glass of water is half-empty or half-full. I heard a new twist of interpretation of this recently: Maybe the glass is actually bigger than it needs to be!

What we see is often deeply connected with our worldview. In her book "In Search of Human Nature," sociologist Mary Clark ex-

plains that worldview is "involved with identity and meaning -- who we see ourselves to be, and how we make and find meaning in our interactions with others, ideas, and the world."

Worldviews are those systems or structures within which our values, beliefs and assumptions lie. They influence how we see ourselves and others, and how we make meaning of our lives and relationships. In short, our worldview is how we see.

The narrator of "The Gaze" is an obese lady, who has a dwarf lover named BC. The first clue we have that this novel is really an allegory of worldview is when the narrator is called to the window to watch what is going on in the street outside: I stood well away from the window.

I saw what I saw with B-C's eyes.

Well away from the window.

What I saw with B-C's eyes was this: Staring, and observing; watching and intruding. Being stared at receives the advice, "When your privacy is gone, you should leave at once." But we are often the watcher, when we are on public transport. The narrator admits to "a habit when traveling on buses -- I begin looking for something I can stare at vacantly for the rest of the difficult trip."

The story of the lady and B-C is interwoven with the story of a 19th century circus freak-

show, run by the impresario named Keramet Mumi Keþke Memiþ Efendi. His eyes are unique in that they do not give away his thoughts and his feelings. They are emotionless and cold. Þafak's insightful comment on society is that women seek to see ugliness is other women. When looking at another female they compare her bad points with their good points. However men seek to see beauty in a woman.

The women streaming towards Memiþ Efendi's cherryred circus tent thought about appearances, so he would present to them a spectacle.

"He was aware that women were deeply pleased to see women uglier than themselves. He was going to show them what they wanted to see… not ugly women, or the ugliest woman, but ugliness itself." The star turn is the despicably plague-ridden sable girl "who watched the eye watching her."

The men streaming towards Memiþ Efendi's cherry-red circus tent thought about appearances, so he would present to them a spectacle. "The most beautiful, the only beautiful jinn of the poisonous yew forest, the shimmering elixir of life, La Belle Annabelle."

The mystery of seeing is also explored. B-C's spectacles are defined as circles of glass that enable him to see and know amazing things.

Being seen is equated to existing. One neighbor

continually causes unruly disruptions in the street at night. This is only perceived as embarrassing if she is seen: "Let's get her inside so the neighbors won't see her. It doesn't matter if they hear her as long as they don't see her." The fog is a blessing as "it pulls layers of leaden curtains between people."

B-C explores these ideas by creating a Dictionary of Gazes that intersperses the episodes in the novel. In a perplexing way he starts with the letter Z: Zahir: one of the 99 names of Allah -- He who does not move from sight Zehir: (poison) a substance that causes death without showing itself Zihr: (armor) a person is more quickly defeated and more easily killed on the battlefield if he doesn't conceal what is within from the outer gaze, etc.

In a day and age when CCTV records our every move out around the town, Þafak reminds us that "mirrors, security guards and cameras are the seeing eyes in shops." Þafak also explores the concept of disguise. Tired of people starring at her short lover when they go out, the narrator and B-C swap clothes. He dons a wig, and she a false moustache.

Changing their appearance enables them to change their personalities: she throws a punch at a man in defense of his femininity. One of the circus performers wears a mask, which they drop to reveal a face that is identical to their mask.

We read the conclusion that people's appearances are not important. Reading "The Gaze," you may not look at life the same way again.

"The Gaze" by Elif Shafak, 9.99 pounds in paperback, published by Marion Boyars, ISBN: 978-071453121-2

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A Year in the Life of Blake: Lover … fighter …. dog. Adorably illustrated throughout in Blake's own hand (or paw), this book has all the wit and addictive pace of the "Diaries of Adrian Mole" and "Bridget Jones," and will delight a whole range of readers and dog lovers.

Who would not wish to be the man in charge of Ankh-Morpork's Royal Mint and the bank next door? It's a job for life. But, as former conman Moist von Lipwig is learning, that life is not necessarily for long. This is the long-awaited brand-new Discworld novel!

CM Y K

Lebanon makes a rare appearance in British headlines when an Englishwoman dies in a land-mine accident near Nabatiyeh. The dead woman is a minor celebrity, a model with an Egyptian mother. Reporters descend on her home, linking her death with Diana.

What is the relationship between waiting and time? Is there an ethics of waiting, or even an art of waiting? Do the Internet and text messaging mean that waiting has come to an end?

On Waiting explores such simple questions in a compelling manner, from diverse angles.

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Despite just having released an album last year, the band already has another one waiting in the offing. But, after taking a rather daunting two-and-ahalf years to write "The Boy with No Name," the band has shifted gears with the new album, writing it in just one month. "It was a very nice writing process, two weeks in December and two weeks in January.

We just went into a little tiny room in West London and just kind of played." says Payne

Travis brings refreshing breeze from the north RUMEYSA KIGER ÝSTANBUL

This past Friday night saw a shooting star cross the Ýstanbul skyline, filling the searing Ýstanbul air that was heavy with humidity with a refreshing melodic breeze coming from the north, a breeze that was blowing for the first time in the Turkish skies. Travis, the folk-rock band that paved the way for the rise of a new breed of rockers, in other words, one of Scotland’s gifts to the world, was that shooting star which brought with it an invigorating air, performing for their Turkish fans at Friday night’s Binboamania Festival.

Although their ranking in the world rock music scene is extremely high, the band members displayed their usual modesty during interviews at the hotel just a day ahead of their first-ever appearance in Turkey.

Asked about this reputation for modesty, the band’s bass guitarist, Dougie Payne, says Travis cannot even take credit for its humility, which he instead attributes to their roots in Scotland. “I don’t know. To say that you are modest is not being modest, but if that is true [that the band is modest], then I think it is probably something to do with being Scottish. If you are an American, it’s all self-publicity, acting the part and becoming the part. Maybe certain countries have a certain elegance. Scotland is a very humble place. It is not a very wealthy country. Its priorities are more in the right place. It’s more about relationships, about people and about honesty and integrity, all of those good things,” Payne explains in an interview with Sunday’s Zaman. But he does say that the four having known each other for a “ridiculously long time” may have contributed to this as well. “We’ve known each other more than half our lives. … So if any of us get ideas, we keep each other fairly level headed.”

The band was one of the most eagerly anticipated acts to perform in Ýstanbul this summer, having created an enormous buzz among Turkish Travis fans of all ages when it was first made public that they would be appearing at this year’s Binboamania fest -- offering fans hope of being among the lucky few to hear one or two of the band’s would-be hits ahead of the upcoming release of their new album, “Ode to J. Smith.”

Comprising Fran Healy (lead vocals), Payne (bass guitar), Andy Dunlop (lead guitar) and Neil Primrose (drums), Travis has been awarded the band of the year award twice by the Brit Awards.

They have released five albums so far. The group is named after a character in Wim Wenders’ film “Paris, Texas.” Their debut album, “Good Feeling” (1997), reached the number 9 spot on UK charts, and following its release they began touring extensively, earning them a reputation across Europe and the entire world. With their third album, “The

Invisible Band,” they got the chance to work with Nigel Godrich, famous for his work with Radiohead. In 2005 they performed in the Live 8 benefit concert, a string of charity concerts held in several G8 countries and in South Africa. Their last album, “The Boy with No Name,” was released in 2007.

Despite just having released an album last year, the band already has another one waiting in the offing. But, after taking a rather daunting two-anda-half years to write “The Boy with No Name,” Payne explains that the band has shifted gears with the new album, writing it in just one month. “It was a very nice writing process, two weeks in December and two weeks in January. We just went into a little tiny room in West London and just kind of played. We’d bring songs and we’d jam.”

Hinting at the treat that awaited Turkish fans on Friday night, Payne explained that the band wanted to capture the energy of their live performances on their new album. “It gets problematic being in the studio, things get very smooth and produced. So with this we consciously wanted to do it quickly. But also we wanted to keep the rough edges. People would always say, ‘You guys live, it’s nothing like on your records. It’s two different things.’ So it’s time to get them to be the same. So we kept it loose, a bit rough. It was just about playing. Obviously the songwriting is important, but playing became more important,” he says.

Asked about the process of writing the songs themselves, Payne said for him and “Franny,” his affectionate name for singer Healy, the melody comes before the lyrics. “I think it is different for everybody but for me, melody comes first. I think for Franny as well. There will be little snatches, little pieces, of lyrics and you’ll say ‘That’d be good for a first line’,” he said, adding that the songwriting for “Ode to J. Smith,” which is slated for release in September, was a democratic and collaborative effort. “Generally, I would bring a song or Franny would bring a song, and we’d work with it together. Historically, it’s been Franny doing 90 percent of the writing. But with this record it’s been a little different. The basic songs are written by either me or Franny then brought to the band,” he says.

And then there is the recurrent question of where Travis fits in to the British rock scene. Some critics have credited them with leading the way for bands like Coldplay and Keane; others have suggested that with their last album Travis finally took Radiohead’s crown. Asked about their role in paving the way for other groups, Payne laughs, saying, “I don’t know if we want to take the blame for that.” As for who is taking whose crown, Payne explains: “This is what bands do. It’s that whole process. Bands get their in-

fluence from bands that came before. We went in to record our first album in 1996. Just then Oasis and Radiohead were kind of huge. It’s like you can draw a line. Starting in 1990, you could say the Stone Roses maybe brought guitars back into fashion back a little bit. Then you had a band like Suede with the guitars, kind of a rock band again. People think, ‘Well that’s exciting.’ And then Oasis took that and brought it into the mainstream and just made guitar music huge. Just four or five guys playing guitars and singing and playing drums. Then Radiohead took that and made it a little more intelligent, kind of thoughtful and intellectual. And then after that The Verve came along, and then we came along, too, and made it kind of folksy,” he says, adding that bands just open doors and push a certain kind of music into the mainstream and the record companies sign up all the bands that sound a little like that. He says bands are always opening doors for other bands. “It’s just the way it works.”

The group is also getting something of a reputation for political gestures, such as their performances at Live 8 and sticking a giant post-it note to the front door of then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair, telling him he needed to take up the issue of poverty at a coming G8 meeting. A couple of their songs, such as “The Beautiful Occupation,” have featured references to the Iraq war. Nevertheless, Payne stresses that the band does not consider itself a political group, but that they do have consciences. “If you listen to those songs, they’re fairly kind of innocent, naive responses to political situations. So they’re not really political songs, because I think if a song is going to be political it has to be more studied. These were very visceral, very personal responses,” the bass guitarist says, adding that it would simply be wrong to refuse to play in a concert like Live 8. “I think that is the right thing for everybody to do.”

PHOTO

BAHAR MANDAN

The band was one of the most eagerly anticipated acts to perform in Ýstanbul this summer, having created an enormous buzz among Turkish Travis fans of all ages when it was first made public that they would be appearing at this year's Binboamania fest -- offering fans hope of being among the lucky few to hear one or two of the band's would-be hits ahead of the upcoming release of their new album, "Ode to J. Smith."

SUNDAY’S ZAMAN 11

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Neil Primrose

Andy Dunlop

Dougie Payne

CM Y K

Fran Healy

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June 22 The Iraqi Oil Ministry added six more oil companies, including a Turkish state-owned firm, to a list of 35 permitted to bid for future oil and gas deals, the ministry spokesman said.

Assem Jihad didn't provide the company names but said they are state-owned firms from Turkey, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand, Angola and Algeria.

June 23 Ten people returning home from a wedding ceremony in a minibus were killed when a train crashed into the bus at a crossing near the Nurdaðý district of Gaziantep.

One soldier was killed and thirteen soldiers were wounded in southeastern Gaziantep province's Islahiye district in an explosion that ripped through a military vehicle carrying ammunition. The vehicle was on patrol during a change of guard at an artillery unit in Islahiye, near the Syrian border, when the blast occurred.

The president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Lluís Maria de Puig once more voiced his concern over the outcome of an ongoing closure case against Turkey's ruling party. Speaking to reporters in Strasbourg on the occasion of the opening of the summer session of PACE, he said: "It is normal for people in any democracy to have different ideas and views. The main thing is that disputes are settled by democratic means, in compliance with the Council of Europe's values. I hope that the Turkish institutions will shoulder their responsibilities in this area. But we too have a responsibility, that of providing Turkey with a clear, unequivocal European perspective."

Turkish intellectual Fethullah Gülen, one of the world's most influential Islamic scholars, came out on top of a list of "The World's Top 20 Public Intellectuals" organized by the magazines Foreign Policy and Prospect. The top 10 names on the list, closely observed by millions all over the world, were all Muslim scholars, including two Nobel laureates: Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk and Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi.

June 24 One Turkish soldier was killed in a clash with terrorist operatives of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in southeastern Turkey. The clash erupted between security forces and a group of terrorists in a rural area near Dicle in the southeastern province of Diyarbakýr.

The Supreme Court of Appeals Penal General Committee cleared Fethullah Gülen of all allegations against him by upholding an earlier decision to acquit by the Ankara 11th Criminal Court. The committee approved the acquittal 17-6.

France's Senate dropped a measure from a proposed bill that would require a referendum on Turkey's membership in the European Union. The measure has proven one of the most sensitive parts of a broader institutional reform package going through the French parliament. The measure would require a referendum before France could approve EU membership for any country whose population exceeds 5 percent of the population of the entire 27-nation union.

The Council of Europe should consider re-imposing the monitoring of Turkey's human rights and democratic practices if necessary in the face of a closure case launched against the ruling AK Party, a draft report to be discussed at an upcoming parliamentary gathering of Europe's human rights watchdog noted. The document, drafted by Belgian deputy Luc Van den Brande, expressed concern over the court case, which seeks closure of the AK Party and a ban on the president and prime

ALMANAC

Event of the week SELAHATTÝN SEVÝ

Renowned Islamic scholar Gülen cleared of all charges

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June 21 More than 20,000 people held a silent rally in Ýstanbul's historical Tünel neighborhood to protest recent coup attempts by the military through several institutions that have resorted to anti-democratic practices. Nongovernmental organizations such as the Young Civilians, Küresel Eylem Grubu (Global Action Group), the Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples (MAZLUM-DER), Irkçýlýða ve Milliyetçiliðe Dur De (Say Stop to Racism and Nationalism), Lambda -- a gay rights association -- and the Movement for Political Horizons (SUH) were among the organizers of the protest.

S U N D AY, J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 0 8

The Supreme Court of Appeals Penal General Committee cleared renowned Turkish-Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen of all allegations against him on Tuesday by upholding an earlier acquittal decision of the Ankara 11th Criminal Court. The committee approved the acquittal 17-6 in a decision received with appreciation by people and institutions connected to Gülen. The Ankara 11th Criminal Court's May 5, 2006 acquittal decision was contested at the Supreme Court of Appeals Ninth Penal Department and the court decided unanimously on March 5, 2008 to uphold the decision. Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalçýnkaya then decided to bring the case before the Supreme Court of Appeals Penal General Committee, the highest legal authority on criminal issues.

The committee decided to reject the prosecutor's suggestion to allow Gülen to benefit from the statute of limitations instead of being cleared of all allegations. The committee decision means no charges against Gülen may be filed on the same grounds unless the prosecutor claims the crimes have been repeated.

Gülen was accused of "establishing an illegal organization in order to change the secular structure of the state and found a state based on religious rules." The case was filed on Aug. 31, 2000 in accordance with Anti-Terrorism Law, No. 3713. Tuesday's decision cleared Gülen not only of these accusations but also rejected Yalçýnkaya's suggestion that the case should have initially been filed under Article 313 of the Turkish Criminal Law, which deals with accusations of establishing organizations in order to perpetrate crimes. In an exclusive interview given to the Web site Herkul.org, Gülen on Wednesday said he saw the good news as a blessing from God, adding that he had only God to thank for the good news.

minister on charges of anti-secular activities, and says the case will negatively affect political stability in Turkey.

Matt Bryza, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs said that the closure of Turkey's ruling AK Party would be "quite unfortunate". "It would be quite unfortunate if the way a political debate is resolved is through banning a party," he said adding that it was not appropriate for the United States to issue any "ultimatums or threats" regarding the issue.

Turkey and Russia reached an agreement to lift an import ban on Turkish tomatoes, lemons, grapes, eggplants and potatoes. According to a memorandum signed on Tuesday morning, the ban will be lifted beginning from July 1. It has been reported that the document is very similar to the one that Russia previously signed with the European Union.

EU hopeful Turkey ranked the third poorest country in Europe, with only 42 units of per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in terms of purchasing power parity, the EU's Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) said.

Luxembourg is by far the richest country in the EU and Ireland is second, while Bulgaria is the poorest, Eurostat noted.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and Land Forces

Commander Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð met at the prime minister's official residence, and a written statement released by the Prime Ministry Press Center said the two discussed measures to be taken against terrorist activities in the days ahead and recent developments in the country.

The Denmark-based Roj TV television station, one of the main propaganda tools of the terrorist PKK, was banned in Germany because of its support for the PKK's terrorist activity against Turkey. German officials announced that Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble had banned the station's broadcast activities in Germany as of June 19.

five-point increase, according to the survey.

Turkish players were beaten against Germany 2-3 in the Euro 2008 semifinal match in Basel, Switzerland.

June 26 The civilian driver of a minivan carrying soldiers was killed and four soldiers were injured when PKK terrorists opened fire with long-range guns on four civilian minivans carrying soldiers in Lice, Diyarbakýr.

President Abdullah Gül approved a bill that allows the state-owned Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) to broadcast programs in languages other than Turkish, paving the way for broadcasts in Kurdish, Arabic and Farsi. The law was published in the Official Gazette and went into effect on this day.

The National Security Council (MGK) gathered to discuss such varied topics as Turkey's increasing energy needs, the fight against the 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.

June 25 Trust in the European Union has risen in Turkey by six points since last autumn, with 31 percent of Turkish respondents in the latest Eurobarometer survey indicating that they "tend to trust" the EU. Almost half of Turkish respondents (49 percent) see Turkey's potential accession to the EU as a good thing, but this is low compared to the 71 percent of Turkish people who regarded EU membership positively three years ago. On the other hand, 58 percent of Turkish respondents said Turkey would benefit from being a member of the bloc, a

Turks say farewell to Euro 2008 with heads held high

Turkish national soccer team player Tümer Metin tries to comfort teammate Hakan Balta after Turkey was defeated 3-2 by Germany in the Euro 2008 semifinals last Wednesday.

The Turkish national team, which stunned all with its thrilling comeback victories in the Euro 2008 championships, failed to make it to the finals after it was defeated by Germany 3-2 on with a last minute goal Wednesday night in Basel, Switzerland. The Turks had struck decisive goals in the last five minutes of each of their previous three wins -- against co-host Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Croatia -- and looked to do so again at St. Jakob Park in Basel, when Semih Þentürk pulled them level at 2-2 with four minutes remaining.

This time, though, the opponents had the last laugh, Philipp Lahm firing in a 90th-minute goal as Germany won a thrilling semifinal 3-2. The Germans' late show may have turned the tables on Turkey, but the Turks will be long remembered for the excitement they brought to the tournament with their never-say-die attitude. Their remarkable run is over, but they have left the Euro 2008 championship with their heads held high, many football commentators said. Returning home on Thursday, the players of the national team were met with hundreds of citizens at Ýstanbul's Atatürk Airport who all thanked them for their brilliant performance and endless belief in victory in the Euro 2008.

CM Y K

PHOTO

AA

Photo of the week

June 27 Turkish security forces confiscated kilograms of heroin in the eastern province of Van. They seized the 208.6 kilograms of heroin, which was stashed in 408 packages, and detained two people in connection with the drugs.

A European lawmaker issued a stern warning that Turkey's European Union accession talks would be disrupted if the country's top court decides to shut down the AK Party. "To tell the truth, if the court disbands the AK Party, EU negotiations would stall," said Joost Lagendijk, co-chairman of the EUTurkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, 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 added.

The Constitutional Court announced 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.

Former European 1,500-meter champion Süreyya Ayhan of Turkey appealed her lifetime ban for doping offenses, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said. Ayhan filed an appeal with sport's highest court to overturn the suspension imposed by the Turkish Athletic Federation in January.

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The charm of Malatya, the apricot capital of Turkey, lies in the small settlement of Battalgazi, also known as old Malatya. As the new Malatya grew, so the older settlement shrunk. Now, it's tiny Battalgazi that boasts extensive ruins and magnificent city walls

MALATYA apricots with everything Hittite era artwork

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ÇETÝN ÇÝFTÇÝ

Excavation at Aslantepe

The Somuncu Baba Mosque The Silahtar Mustafa Paþa Kervansarai

The Battalgazi Tomb Ulu Camii

PAT YALE MALATYA

At a time when Turkish high streets are becoming almost as homogenous as those of London and New York, what with all the branches of Arçelik, Beko and L C Waikiki, it's good to know that the bus stations are still firmly attached to the idea of promoting local identity.

Arrive in Isparta, and you'll be bombarded by rose flavoring in every conceivable form. In Çorum it's chickpeas with everything, in Kayseri pastýrma a-go-go, so it should come as no great surprise to arrive in Malatya, the apricot capital of Turkey, and find yourself gazing at rack upon rack of -- well -- apricots of course.

It's not so very different when you get into the town center, where competition to persuade you to invest in a basket of dried apricots or in apricot-flavored pestil ("fruit leather"), or even apricot döner (döner kebab-shaped wedges of dried apricots) is fierce. The fruit aside, Malatya is a town that has come a long way in the last 15 years.

Like Gaziantep, it was one of those places on the fringes of the Southeast that swelled rapidly as people moved West to distance themselves from the troubles. However it was already a wellestablished settlement with a link to two political heavyweights. Ýsmet Ýnönü (1884-1973), friend, colleague and successor to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as the second president of the republic, was born in Ýzmir to a family that came originally from Malatya, while Turgut Özal (1927-93) was born here and went on to become the eighth president of Turkey.

Despite all this, there is very little that is truly old to be found in Malatya. The Yeni Cami in the town center may be very elegant, but it dates back only to 1912-13. A handful of lovely old Ottoman houses with fine wrought-iron window grilles survive in Sinema Caddesi and there's a cluster of early 20th century stone buildings around the junction of Atatürk and Kanalboyu streets, including one that was visited by Atatürk and is theoretically open to the public. Otherwise, that's about it.

To discover the reason for this paucity of historic buildings you must travel 10 kilometers north to what is now the small settlement of Battalgazi but was once Eski Malatya (Old Malatya). As the story goes, people had been living here for many centuries until 1838-39 when regiments of the Ottoman army took up residence and local families scarpered south to protect the honor of their wives and daughters. As the new Malatya grew, so the older settlement shrunk. Now, it's tiny Battalgazi that boasts all the historic structures that Malatya itself lacks, and you'll start to get a feel for what must once have been as soon as you arrive and glimpse the extensive ruins of the erstwhile magnificent city walls.

Battalgazi's two most important monuments are the Ulu Cami and the Silahtar Mustafa Paþa Kervansarayý.

The Ulu Cami dates back to 1224, when it was built for the Selçuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat. The mosque was recently restored, but across the road the Þahabiye Kubra Medresesi still lies in romantic ruins with the single minaret of the Halfetih Cami beckoning behind it. The restoration of the Ulu Cami was carried out with reasonable sensitivity. In contrast, it's hard to know what to say about the Silahtar Mustafa Paþa Kervansarayý, a wonderful caravanserai dating back to 1637 which was built for the swordbearer to Sultan Murat IV, but is currently being completely rebuilt to house a conference center. For those who relish the softening patina of age that clings to ancient structures, the building site makes for sorry viewing.

On the other hand, few tourists ever make the trip to Battalgazi, which makes it hard to justify retaining the ruin as an attraction in its own right.

It's well worth wandering around

town for an hour or so to track down all the minor monuments marked on the map in the square near the caravanserai. If time is tight, the two most intriguing structures lie just off the road back to Malatya. The first is the 14th century Kanlý Kümbet (Bloody Tomb), a curious domed structure which has recently been reroofed but whose precise purpose remains unclear. The second is less mysterious and considerably more elegant. It's a Selçuk namazgah (openair praying area), which dates back to 1243, and is, in its un-restored state, wonderfully evocative of the past.

Midway between Battalgazi/Eski Malatya and what most people think of as Malatya lies an even older settlement. Aslantepe, near Orduzu, was a Hittite town founded at the end of the second millennium B.C. when Phrygian invaders drove the Hittites out of their capital at Hattuþa. A subgroup settled here, founding a city called Milid which survived until it was sacked by the Cimmerians in the seventh century B.C. It acquired its modern name, Aslantepe (Lion Hill), after 19th century travelers reported seeing a pair of carved stone lions on top of what proved to be an artificial mound. Ongoing excavations have revealed the remains of what may be the oldest palace complex in the Middle East. Most of the finds, including a wonderful stretch of adobe wall with sketchy drawings of a man and woman, are on display in Malatya's museum, although to see the twin lions you must visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara.

It's easy to reach both Battalgazi and Aslantepe by local bus, but there's one longer excursion for which Malatya provides a great base and that is to Darende where the picturesque shrine of Somuncu Baba sits at the mouth of the lovely Tohma Gorge.

Somuncu Baba, or Seyyid Hamid-i Veli (1331-1412), was a Sufi who retreated here to lead a life of contemplation. The mosque built on the site of his tomb has a single detached minaret which juts up between the soaring rocks of the gorge and a sacred fish pond vaguely reminiscent of Þanlýurfa. An excellent new museum nestles beneath the shrine.

As recently as 2000, it was possible for Sevan Niþanyan to write: "A footpath … leads partway into the gorge. At its end a Chamber of Solitude (Çilehane) stands in utter isolation from the rest of the world."

The Çilehane may be still there, but today a path winds alongside the river, bypassing a series of waterwheels to reach a picnic area equipped with serious outdoor cooking facilities and pretty wooden kiosks hanging over the water. The approach to the gorge is dominated by the Haþbahçe Restaurant which offers lovely little stilted pergolas in a flower garden.

It's a great place to stop for a meal.

Alternatively, you can return to Malatya, where the Nostalji Restaurant is kitted out with enough floor cushions and old bric-a-brac to bring out the Orientalist in all of us. Afterwards, café society is getting into its stride on Kanalboyu Caddesi, helped along by the town's large student population. Of course Malatya is also one of the starting points for an expedition up Mount Nemrut to the great Commagene heads that are one of the icons of Turkey.

But that's a whole other article…

WHERE TO STAY

Malatya Büyük Hotel: 422 325 2828 Grand Akkoza Hotel Malatya: 422 326 2727 Hotel Altýn Kayýsý, Malatya: 422 211 4444 Tiryandafil Otel, Darende: 422 615 3095

HOW TO GET THERE There are regular flights from Ýstanbul and Ankara to Malatya and buses from Kayseri, Sivas and Elazýð.

There are also train services from Ýstanbul, Ankara and Diyarbakýr. Buses to Darende depart from Malatya's Köy Garaj; those to Orduzu and Battalgazi from the çevre yolu (ring road).

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The world after Bush

Who speaks for Islam?

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The academic interest of Westerners in Islam dates back to a distant past. Those we call "Þarkiyatçý" in Turkish and Westerners call "Orientalists" are the people produced and made famous by this interest.

In reality, Orientalism doesn't dwell only on Islam as its subject; it inspects the entire East, with its culture, history, geography and all, and Islam is the main subject of research. That's why it's not without good reason that Orientalism has been called "the patrolling unit of colonialism" on account of its areas of interest, the time when it emerged and the mission it has carried out throughout history. Now let's set aside the part we have so briefly touched on at the cost of a slight digression, to ask this question: Do we have experts who work on Christianity and Judaism as seriously as the West endeavors to inspect Islam and to raise experts? Or do we have anybody at all who has placed the entire West under scrutiny to inspect its history, culture, geography and civilization the way they should be; who has presented the real face of the West with its positive and negative aspects to his own people first and then to all humanity through written works; who has shed enough light on areas that can be considered dark; and who has ultimately achieved well-deserved fame in this field? In other words, do we have Occidentalism to counter Orientalism and Occidentalists to counter Orientalists? We can easily conclude that "we don't!" Now, let's also set aside all the wishful thinking, sighs and all these thoughts that express regret and include tens, hundreds of sentences beginning with "if only" -- and let's get back to Orientalists.

An overwhelming majority of Orientalists have so far produced works on Islam that convey their prejudices and appeared before their publics with these works that fall so far short of meeting the measures of fairness and justness.

For instance, Bernard Lewis, who is a living Orientalist in his 90s, is one of the veterans of this field. Having spent his early life in the Süleymaniye Library of Ýstanbul patiently inspecting manuscripts, this person has earned himself well-merited fame through the works he has produced so far. These works have exercised an immense influence over the current Western view of Islam. Lewis is the pioneer of the consultants of so many think tanks that create political projects that shape the world. Today in the United States and Europe, there is a tremendously large number of politicians, academics, experts and members of the media who see Islam from Lewis's perspective.

Lewis' power over image of Islam Here is what I think: I wonder if the Islam-West relations would have been settled on different grounds than today if somebody else had been in Lewis' shoes, somebody who upholds the principle of objectivity, which is the most important and indispensable part of academic work.

For instance, if John Esposito were in his place, or some other of the scholars with objective approaches, what would happen? Let me share my opinion right away: I cannot say the US-Iraq war would not have happened, as the matter's economic dimension -- the interest relations, oil, arms industry -- and the general concern for domination over the region far outstrip the issues of religion and democracy; but people, from politicians to academics to the people in the street, would hold a far different view on Islam. Why Esposito? He has published a new book, called "Who Speaks for Islam?" The subtitle of the book is "What a Billion Muslims Really Think."

The book contains an assessment of the results of a worldwide survey conducted by the world-famous surveying company Gallup. Technically speaking, it is a "data work." During the writing phase of the book, Esposito was helped by researcher Dalia Mogahed, who works in Gallup's Islamic studies department. A Muslim who reads and writes extensively about the field, I have learned a lot of things from this book. Above all, it contains answers given by Muslims all over the world, and these answers were poured onto the paper pretty much in a mathematical language. The publication of such answers is a new thing. The assessments are

Established on January 16, 2007 NO: 0078 Sunday, June 29, 2008

unprejudiced and bold to the extent that they may unleash a volley of rumors that Esposito is secretly a Muslim. What makes me say I wish it was Esposito in place of Lewis is this: The interpretations, made using information provided over solid data on issues such as holy war, democracy, women, radicalism and terrorism, controversial issues all over the world, are new.

Let me provide a few examples: The book opens the door to tens of very new yet quite striking things, such as counter-arguments that may be considered an answer to Lawrence Auster's statement that "the problem is not radical Islam, but Islam itself as a religion"; statements that point to the war industry and the oil industry that underlie the Iraq war; statements on Westernization, modernization and Americanization; unprejudiced assessments -- without "buts" -made on jihad in a detailed manner with the provision of Quranic verses, sayings of the Prophet Mohammed, Islamic laws and historical practices; Palestinian women sympathizing with the Muslim women circumcised in Egypt and Nigeria, even though they are at war with Israel; and many more such striking things. Published

by Gallup Press, the book has five chapters: "Who are Muslims?"; "Democracy or Theocracy?"; "What Makes a Radical?"; "What Do Women Want?" and "Clash or Coexistence?" The key points that sum up the chapter's message in a sentence at the end are worth paying attention to.

As the number of such objective works penned by Western researchers of Islam increases, the obstacles before the Alliance of Civilizations, which is the compulsory direction of humanity, will be removed one by one, provided that people who dominate the destiny of humanity manage to look at the people they have "otherized" from this perspective. In praise of the book Karen Armstrong, another expert on Islam, says: "The data presented in this book are not only arresting, but indispensable.

'Who Speaks for Islam?' should be required reading for policy makers, journalists, broadcasters, teachers, students and scholars."

I believe it is a must for Turkish readers to lay their hands on this book. I wonder if there is anybody who has taken action to translate it into Turkish.

*Lord Patten is a former governor of Hong Kong and European commissioner for external affairs. He is currently chancellor of Oxford University and cochair of the International Crisis Group. © Project Syndicate, 2008

dagistancetinkaya@todayszaman.com

ALÝ AKBULUT Chief Executive Officer

EKREM DUMANLI Editor-in-Chief

BÜLENT KENEÞ

Ankara Representative Diplomatic News Editor Business News Editor Culture & Arts Editor Features Editor Chief Copy Editor General Manager Chief Marketing Officer Deputy Chief Marketing Officer Brand Marketing Responsible Manager and Representative of the Owner

There is a marvelous painting by Brueghel in the Brussels art gallery. British poet W.H. Auden was sufficiently impressed to write a poem about it.

The painting shows Icarus, his wings melted, plunging to a watery grave. No one seems very interested. The world goes on; the peasants continue plowing their fields, getting on with their lives.

They show no interest in the dramatic fall of Icarus.

Real life often seems simply to tick on like that, regardless of headline news and momentous events. So President George W. Bush will go back to Crawford, Texas at the end of the year. Will anyone notice? Does anyone care anymore? His wings scorched from Iraq to Guantánamo, Bush already seems to be yesterday's story; his minders carefully steer audiences into the front rows at public events, lest the absence of interest in what he is doing and saying become too obvious. The reason we should take more notice of his departure is not what his absence will make possible, but what will remain absolutely the same. Consider four examples. First, we will still have to find better ways of managing the world's economy, reducing its inequities and coping with its environmental hazards. Most importantly, American and European leadership is required to avoid a lurch into protectionism and the consequent killing off of the Doha trade round.

At the same time, the West needs to develop together a negotiating position on carbon emissions and climate change that will engage China and India. It will have to take account of its historic responsibility for today's global warming, of size of population and of present economic strength. Second, the Palestine-Israel struggle will continue. Moreover, the American presidential campaign has shown that it is not only the absence of a responsible hands-on American policy in the last seven years that has contributed to today's bloody standoff. Even Senator Barack Obama, who has demonstrated a clear commitment to building a more open-minded, less unilateral relationship with the rest of the world, has said things about Palestine and Israel that would appear to rule out the sort of initiatives required for a peace agreement.

Indeed, far from criticizing continuing Israeli settlement of the West Bank, Obama has pledged his support -- more than some members of the Israeli Cabinet have done -- to Jerusalem as an undivided capital of Israel. This looks like a green light for all those intransigent supporters of the settlers who have campaigned for the development of East Jerusalem deep into the West Bank, a line of settlements running down to the Dead Sea. It is difficult to see how any future American diplomacy based on this approach will attract Palestinian support. So the Middle East will continue to dominate diplomatic argument and debate.

Third, nuclear proliferation will still plague us. How do we deal conclusively with North Korea, which probably already possesses a handful of nuclear weapons? How do we manage our relationship with Iran, which may -- or may not -- wish to develop a military nuclear capability as well as civil nuclear power?

These questions, with all the knock-on effects in East and West Asia, must be tackled in the run-up to discussions about the renewal of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2010.

The nuclear powers that signed the NPT believe it is solely about preventing proliferation. Other countries argue that it is about disarmament, and that the nuclear countries have clearly agreed to work towards giving up their nuclear weapons. This fudge has been the foundation for the international approach to proliferation. It now seems clear that if we want a non-proliferation treaty with more teeth -- for example, tougher monitoring and surveillance -- countries with nuclear weapons will have to honor what others believe is their side of an unfair bargain. Finally, even after Bush -- who became so unpopular in Europe (not always fairly) -- the European Union will find it hard to become the partner in tackling global problems that America needs and seeks.

The latest row about the so-called Lisbon Treaty, caused by its rejection in a referendum in Ireland, reminds everyone of Europe's main problem. Europe sometimes seem s more concerned about is own institutional arrangements and internal affairs than about its global responsibilities. But global poverty, environmental catastrophe, proliferation, Afghanistan and the Middle East are not problems that can be put on hold while Europe talks to itself.

Moreover, Europe too often gives the impression that its citizens can be taken for granted. If what Europe's leaders decide among themselves is criticized or rejected by those who elect them, it just shows -- the elite seems to suggest -- how correct it was to ignore them in the first place.

But Europe cannot be built on this democratic deficit. The EU must increase the involvement of its own voters in endorsing and supporting the decisions taken in Brussels. This lesson needs to be learned fast.

So, Bush and Cheney will go. But a lot of the same old problems will be around. Welcome to the real world.

Daðýstan Çetinkaya

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COLUMNS

SUNDAY’S ZAMAN 15

SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008

Round two for the Lýsbon Treaty There is no doubt the Lisbon Treaty, which may be considered the main dynamic of EU enlargement, has received a heavy blow with Ireland's rejection of it at the polls. The same thing happened three years ago when France and the Netherlands killed the would-be European Constitution at referendum.

The EU leadership is shaken but not yet taken down.

The president of the European Commission seemed optimistic when he said he believed the treaty was still "alive." Others want the ratification process to go on in the other member states and believe that the Irish will change their mind in a second referendum. After all, the EU cannot annul Ireland's membership in the union.

Another possibility is developing a special form of cooperation with Ireland as with others whose will or qualifications fall short of full membership. This may be the picture of Europe moving ahead in two gears. Such a development has a lot to do with the case of Turkey, whose full and equal membership to the union is still being debated.

Take Britain; British officials are trying to get the

ANDREW FINKEL

DOÐU ERGÝL d.ergil@todayszaman.com

Lisbon Treaty ratified in the Parliament while feeling the heat of anti-European sentiments among the populace. A considerable part of the population is endorsing the Irish voters as the "warning of the ordinary people across Europe over a distant and nosy political class that is out of touch with local realities." They believe the treaty derives power from the national state that cares for the welfare and equity of its citizens. Now Irish Prime Minister Mr. Brian Cowen will need to renegotiate terms and secure a "better deal," for the Irish attribute the failure of the referendum to their desire for a more democratic Europe where the president and a foreign affairs minister is elected rather than appointed. The Irish say they are not anti-

No Comment

Europe, they just find EU institutions to be shadowy and remote for their liking.

It seems the Irish will not be alone in voting against the Lisbon Treaty. A part of the people in every EU country expresses difficulty in understanding the treaty and fears the extent of change they will undergo. This fear is expressed as unwillingness to give Europe a "blank check."

Now what is going to happen is a bit misty because the Lisbon Treaty is essential for the functioning of an expanded 27-member EU. It alone can give the EU political clout consonant with its economic weight. And that political clout is necessary at this time when international relations are in flux, as China and India emerge as global powers and the United States has overstretched its economic and military powers and has almost depleted its moral superiority. Europe has to fill the void as an example of freedom, enterprise and democracy with a cooperative spirit.

The EU has brought more prosperity to its members and helped transform the former Soviet nations of Central Europe. If the EU can show the capacity to accept and

transform Turkey as well, then it can be the new leader of the world and export democracy and affluence to lands alien to basic human rights and liberal ideals.

However, the Irish "no" may mean the blocking of further expansion, hence the making of a political Europe impossible, especially if other nations follow suit.

It is at this juncture that the communist Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) of Cyprus, headed by Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias, declared it would vote against the Lisbon Treaty despite the opposition right-wing Democratic Rally (DISY) party, junior government coalition partners -- center-right Democratic Party (DIKO) and the Movement of Social Democrats (EDEK). Altogether these political parties (the "yes" camp) can ensure the ratification of the treaty in Cyprus. What about the remaining nations, less the 19 that have already ratified the technically dead Lisbon Treaty? If they all succeed in ratifying the treaty, which is expected to come into effect next January, then a way to bring Ireland into line will definitely be found.

EMRE ÖZDEMÝR

e.ozdemir@todayszaman.com

ihsan.yilmaz@todayszaman.com

a.finkel@todayszaman.com

Democratýc kýtsch I am quite proud of a plate I was once given commemorating the 50-year jubilee of Queen Elizabeth's coronation, so I use the term "kitsch" here in an affectionate way. Anyone making the pilgrimage up the Bosporus to visit the Sadberk Haným Museum can see another collection of souvenirs intended by those of another time and place to commemorate an awareness that history was being made. Exactly one century ago, on July 24, 1908, the great Ottoman autocrat Abdulhamid II surrendered to pressure and restored the constitution that he had abrogated in 1876, soon after he ascended to the throne.

The words "Liberty," "Justice," "Fraternity" and "Equality," images of the heroes of the constitution and even homages to the newly enlightened sultan were screen printed onto handkerchiefs, embossed onto glass cups, lithographed onto cigarette papers and stenciled onto porcelain plates and mugs. There were song sheets of revolutionary music and endless postcards to commemorate the event, pottery statues of the men hailed as heroes of the Constitution.

This memorabilia in all its variety is the most intriguing part of the museum's display, alongside books and photographs from the period.

All the hoopla was, of course, the celebration of a false dawn. The army feared that Abdulhamid II was merely playing at being progressive and that he was busy brewing a counter-revolution. Less than a year later, in 1909, they forced him off the throne altogether. The Committee of Union and Progress, which planned the constitutional revolution, soon abandoned the notion of accountable government. It ended up instituting a regime every bit as ruthless as the Hamidian one they conspired to replace. A series of military defeats and military adventures terminated in the Ottoman Empire's disastrous entry into World War I and the subsequent Republican revolution, which every Turkish schoolchild can recount.

If the exhibition can be faulted, it is not for the objects on display, but for the lack of explanatory panels underlining why a contemporary audience should be interested in these objects -- apart from the obvious fact that they happen to be exactly 100 years old. There is a portrait gallery of some of the key figures in the events of 1908, but even the most skilful of the canvasses, Fausto Zonaro's famous depiction of Enver, is more interesting for the subject matter it depicts than as an objet d'art. This is not a ruinous mistake; the curators clearly have confidence that their audience will use their eyes and might even resent being hectored with lots of elucidation. Yet the displays of everyday objects and of everyday hopes are all poignant when we realize that they were a final hurrah.

The richly illustrated catalogue contains many excellent essays. David Barchard paints a picture of a government both hated at the time, yet capable of great advances; of a regime that sowed the seeds of its own destruction by cultivating a new administrative class disillusioned with the authority invested in one man. Happily, both he and other authors/curators have resisted tendentious parallels with Turkey's constitutional crisis of today, but the parallels are there, waiting to be drawn. The news even this week is of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly considering whether to put Turkish democracy on its endangered species list -- not because it has no constitution, but because the one it has is not fit for its purpose. At the same time the main opposition party is considering staying away from the Socialist International congress out of fear of being pilloried for having given up all pretense of being either socialist or international.

"Was a parliamentary regime and its attendant perks, like freedom of the press, civil rights, etc., the prerequisite panacea for all the plights that plagued Turkey, or was this attempt at salvaging the anachronistic empire foredoomed to fail?" asks Sinan Kuneralp in his introductory essay. It was a question asked at the time, and variants of the same question are still being asked today.

ÝHSAN YILMAZ

St. Erdoðan

Expandýng Gazprom aýms for the top FÝKRET ERTAN f.ertan@todayszaman.com

Gazprom is not only the largest gas company, it is also the most ambitious one, as revealed recently by none other than its current CEO Alexey Miller to the Financial Times. "We have witnessed how Gazprom developed from a Russian company with limited foreign equity into a global transnational corporation with Russian roots. In the coming years Gazprom will be not just a major company in the world, but the most influential in the energy business."

Miller also spoke to the paper about Gazprom's ambitious plans of expansion in the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa. "We see North America as a region of our strategic interests. … We are creating a new configuration of gas supplies to North America."

Gazprom plans to serve the North American market from 2014 with liquefied natural gas from its giant Shtokman field on Russia's north coast. It also aims to take part in a proposed Alaska gas pipeline. In addition to these, it is considering deals with Nigeria and Vietnam and just proposed to Europe opening a chain of filling stations using natural gas as an alternative car fuel across the continent.

The ambitions and plans to expand and consolidate as they are, Gazprom might move to the number one position in the league of biggest companies in the world within seven to eight years, as suggested by Miller two weeks ago.

In fact, in terms of market capitalization Gazprom is now the world's

third largest company, as shown in a global study carried out by the respected Japanese Nomura Securities investment corporation. Its results were published in Tokyo last Monday.

The study showed that the total market cost of Gazprom floated shares had reached $341.8 billion by June 13. This is $8.3 billion more than last year, when Gazprom was only seventh-largest in the world.

The first two places in the league are also held by oil and gas corporations. The US's ExxonMobil, which had pushed to second place the Chinese PetroChina company, is now in the lead with $466.8 billion.

Here it is worth mentioning that the capitalization of both companies had decreased last year by $52.8 billion and $345.1 billion, respectively, due to the general downturn of stock markets in the US and China.

Market analysts note that, as seen against the background of growing energy indicators on the one hand, and the destabilization of the world financial system on the other, it is precisely the energy sector that holds first place in the market capitalization rating of companies, whereas some leading financial and technology giants are on the downgrade compared to it.

Particularly interesting and significant in this respect are the results, achieved by Gazprom and Petrobras Oil Corporation with its $275.1 billion. Petrobras has moved up from 12th to fifth place and is now somewhere in-between the US's General Electric with $291 billion and Microsoft's $272.5 billion. The two, as a matter of fact, had ranked first and second in the world as regards capitalization in 2002, but the growing energy concerns over the last six years changed the picture, particularly with regards to Gazprom.

Now we have an ambitious and expanding Gazprom in third place, aiming for the top. Can it achieve its aim? Why not?

Recep Tayyip Erdoðan has, of course, several characteristics and qualities that make him a good politician and statesman. But with all due respect to him, I think, he is very successful because of his opponents and enemies. With unskilled and sloppy tactics and dishonest moves, his adversaries have consistently contributed to his success. Once they excitedly claimed that he could not even be elected a village headman, and the man is now maybe the most powerful Turkish prime minister we have ever seen.

Let us look at some of his adversaries one by one and see why they will never convince the people and assume power with their myopic tactics.

CHP: The Republican People's Party's (CHP) biggest mistake is that they still think that society is immature, uneducated, unaware of real politics and even stupid. They also have serious issues with people's cultural and religious values. They cannot see that their rhetoric to claim otherwise does not convince the public. They can never win the hearts and minds of the people. For the time being, Erdoðan is the honest winner of these hearts and minds, as the CHP elite has repeatedly been caught red-handed while lying. The CHP is also very ambiguous on the EU process; no one knows what they are defending. Last but not least, it is very clear that CHP leaders support undemocratic interference in politics. They act like the political wing of the bureaucratic oligarchy.

MHP: I owe you an apology for my statements on the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and its leader, Devlet Bahçeli, as I once wrote that he seems to be a quality politician and has responded positively to the message given by the people in the July 22 elections. It seems that I was wrong. Bahçeli is also a typical, opportunist, Third World politician who eagerly wants the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) closed by the oligarchy through undemocratic and unconstitutional means so that he can be part of a coalition government. It is very obvious that like CHP leaders, Bahçeli and his team believe the people can be convinced with their myopic and undemocratic maneuvers. They must only be speaking to their die-hard voters and think that society is composed of these gray wolves.

ARMY: It is becoming obvious that with regards to dealing with politics, the army is not monolithic. When I say the army, I mean the politician-soldiers who like to conduct politics without bothering with the ballot box and who are more vocal than the democratic officers. There are many things that these undemocratic officers are doing to make Erdoðan successful, but I think only mentioning that their most vocal supporter is Michael Rubin, who clearly distorts facts and even lies, is very telling. No one takes him seriously in Washington, D.C., but our generals invite him to their conferences every year.

SOME MEDIA GROUPS: These groups are not known to be great warriors of democracy. They easily switch sides, and even other members of the oligarchy do not fully trust them. They have always interfered with politics behind closed doors and bargained with ministers about government tenders. They now side with the oligarchy because a weaker and preferably coalition government will give them what Erdoðan has so far vehemently refused to. Yet these groups do not have any credibility among the masses. They have always campaigned against Erdoðan, and he has always won landslide election victories. The media outlets of the groups consistently distort facts, lie and even fabricate stories. Whatever they say about Erdoðan, people assume that the opposite must be true.

With his opponents working at full capacity, the next stage could only be sainthood for Erdoðan. But a St. Erdoðan would listen to no one's advice and thus would definitely be unsuccessful in the long run. If this is what his opponents, enemies and the oligarchy intend to achieve, this is not just a tactic but a very good strategy.

There is only one little hurdle though: They have to be very patient as this sainthood process could take at least 10 years. Strategies take time to implement.

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16 SUNDAY’S ZAMAN

SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008

LEISURE

tv guýde

Gregorian Calendar: 29 June 2008 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 25 Jumada al-Thani 1429 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 26 Sivan 5768 calendar@todayszaman.com

WANTED ÝSTANBUL: Beyoðlu CineMajestic: 11:30 12:45 14:00 15:15 16:30 17:45 19:00 20:15 21:30 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 ANKARA: 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 ÝZMÝR: Ýzmir Cinebonus Konak Pier: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ANTALYA: Cinebonus Migros: 11:30 14:00 15:15 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat: 24:15

MADE OF HONOR ÝSTANBUL: Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11.00 11.45 14.00 16.30 19.00 21.30 Fri/Sat: 24.00 Kadýköy Cinebonus: 11.30 14.00 16.30 19.00 21.30 Fri/Sat: 24.00 ANKARA: Ata On Tower: 11.00 13.00 15.15 17.30 19.45 21.00 Fri/Sat: 24.00 ÝZMÝR: Cinebonus Konak Pier: 11.00 13.30 16.00 18.30 21.00 Fri/Sat: 23.30 ANTALYA: Cinebonus Migros: 11.45 14.15 16.45 19.15 21.45

UNTRACEABLE ÝSTANBUL: Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:15 ANKARA: Kýzýlay Büyülü Fener: 12:15 14:30 16:45 19:00 21:15 ÝZMÝR: 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

Crossword

Goldmax 06:05 Hamlet (1996) 10:05 It Takes Two 11:45 Liberty Stands Still 13:25 Someone Like You...

15:05 Made in Heaven 16:50 Love and a .45 18:30 Phone Booth 20:00 The Gods Must Be Crazy II 21:40 The Horse Whisperer 00:25 Hak Se Wui - Election 02:10 South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut 03:30 The Last Days of Disco 05:55 Delivering Milo

New games keep PSP hummýng The PlayStation Portable has been around for three years, but the machine you might buy today is far different from the one you’d get in 2005. Sony is continually tinkering with the thing in big ways (introducing a lighter, slimmer model in 2007) and small (any number of regularly issued firmware updates). You can do a lot more on a PSP than just play games and movies. You can make phone calls through the Skype service.

You can access Web pages. You can listen to music, through downloads or Internet radio. You can connect to device to a TV in order to play games on a bigger screen. A TV tuner and a GPS device are on the way. So the PSP is multitalented, but it doesn’t do any one thing quite as well as dedicated devices do. It’s still, first and foremost, a game machine. Its game library continues to grow, and while it doesn’t have as many diverse a selection as the Nintendo DS, its AAA titles look spectacular.

“Secret Agent Clank” (Sony): Here’s the second PSP spinoff of Sony’s great “Ratchet & Clank” franchise, which the High Impact Games studio has successfully shrunk to fit a 4.3-inch screen. Clank, the robot half of the duo, is the star this time, and his droll wit is as charming as ever. Ratchet has been falsely imprisoned, so the tuxedo-clad Clank’s on a solo mission to clear his pal’s name. As usual, there’s a robust assortment of clever weapons and gadgets, like exploding cufflinks and

A screenshot from the new Sony PSP game “Secret Agent Clank.” bow-tie boomerangs. Some sequences reward stealth, but it’s usually more fun to fight than sneak. There are also sections where Clank dances, pilots a speedboat or tries to get the brain-dead Gadge-Bots to do his bidding, so there’s plenty of variety. The animation is very good, about even with the PlayStation 2 “R&C” games, and the story is endearingly silly. I did miss the repartee between the two leads, but the cowardly Captain Qwark makes the most of his cameo. “Secret Agent Clank” doesn’t have the depth of its parent series, but its fast-paced levels are well suited for

portable play. Three stars out of four.

“Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2” (Sony): With the “Hot Shots” series, developer Clap Hanz has turned the usually sluggish game of golf into one of the zippiest video-game sports. The original “Open Tee” was the most addictive of the PSP’s launch titles, and the follow-up is just as satisfying. The ultra-simple swing system involves pressing the X button three times: once to start, once for power, once for accuracy. You can learn more precise techniques as the game progresses, although I did miss the advanced swing mechanism introduced in “HSG:

Out of Bounds” on the PlayStation 3. You can also improve your power, accuracy and spin by completing tasks in the game’s challenge mode. Success also lets you unlock 12 courses and 12 characters, and there are dozens of items to collect as you roam the fairways. You can finish nine holes in about 10 minutes, but you’ll always be tempted to start just one more round as you search for an elusive accessory. “Open Tee 2” is the best portable golf game on the market, and I suspect I’ll be carrying my PSP around a lot more because of it. Three stars.

“R-Type Command” (Atlus): “RType” is one of the all-time great outerspace shoot-’em-ups, but this spinoff is a much more laid-back tactical game. You start each level by placing an assortment of spaceships on a hex-filled grid; the objective, generally, is to reach a particular spot on the grid or to destroy your opponent’s flagship. Strategy lovers will eat this up, but others may find it baffling thanks to a complete lack of tutorials or any other onscreen help. The battles are well-balanced, though, challenging yet fair, and patient players will come to appreciate the versatility of the spacecraft.

But patience is the key. “R-Type Command” moves very slowly, and battles take half-an-hour or more. The levels do get repetitious, and the opponent’s artificial intelligence sometimes takes forever to complete its turn. If you’re nostalgic for the frenzy of classic “R-Type,” you’d be better off rejecting this “Command.” Two stars. Washington AP

Movýemax 07:55 The Magic Roundabout Doogal 09:25 One Last Thing...

11:10 Devil’s Diary 12:55 Boys and Girls 14:40 Neverwas 16:35 Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo 18:15 The Architect 20:00 The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause 21:45 Deal 23:20 Beerfest 01:15 Neverwas 03:00 Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo 04:25 The Architect

Cnbc-e 08:00 Danny Phantom 08:30 Jimmy Neutron 09:00 Dora The Explorer 09:30 Go, Diego! Go! 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 Prison Break 19:00 The Closer 20:00 The King Of Queens 20:30 My Name Is Earl 21:00 Smallville 22:00 Blue Streak 24:00 The King Of Queens 00:30 My Name Is Earl 01:00 Smallville 02:00 Blue Streak 04:00 Dexter

Hallmark

Cem Kýzýltuð

Mr. DýploMAT!

c.kiziltug@todayszaman.com

507

ÝSTANBUL: Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15 ANKARA: Ata On Tower: 11:45 13:45 15:45 17:45 19:45 21:45 Fri/Sat: 24:00 ÝZMÝR: Konak AFM Passtel: 12:00 14:30 17:00 19:15 21:30 ANTALYA: Cinebonus Migros: 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 Fri/Sat: 24:15

07:45 Mary and Tim 09:30 Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well 13:00 Miss Marple: Sleeping Murder 14:45 The Hound of the Baskervilles 16:30 Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well 18:15 Wild at Heart 20:30 Midsomer Murders: Vixen’s Run 22:30 Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 14 00:15 Jack 02:30 The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence 04:15 The Man Who Saved Christmas

Comedymax 08:30 American Dad 09:30 Frasier 11:00 What I Like About You 12:00 Slacker Cats 12:30 Still Standing 14:00 Third Rock From the Sun 15:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 16:30 Miss Guided 17:00 What I Like About You 18:00 Rules of Engagement 18:30 Frasier 20:00 Two Guys and A Girl 21:30 Samantha Who 22:00 What I Like About You 23:00 Entourage 00:30 American Dad 01:30 Californication 02:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos 03:30 Slacker Cats

radýo guýde TRT Tourýsm Radýo

Sudoku EASY

HARD

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4 7

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HOW TO PLAY? : The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. There are three very simple constraints to follow. In a 9 by 9 square Sudoku game:

6 8 7 9 5 4 2 1 3 1 9 2 6 7 3 8 5 4 3 5 4 1 2 8 9 7 6 4 7 1 2 9 6 5 3 8 9 6 8 4 3 5 1 2 7 5 2 3 8 1 7 6 4 9

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day is a fairly new creation. In 2005 an unofficial Veterans’ Day was observed and in 2006 the cabinet gave it official status. The event was a creation of the late Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (1911-2004) and it was thus fixed on his birthday.

On this day in 1900 the author of “Le Petit Prince” (The Little Prince), Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, was born.

A French novelist and pilot, Saint-Exupéry had an interesting lifestyle and disappeared on the night of July 31, 1944, during World War II while flying on a mission to collect data on German troop movements. By Kerim Balcý

AP

IT HAD TO BE YOU

Ghambar Maidyoshem is a joyous mid-summer festival celebrating the creation of water, the sowing of the summer crop and the harvesting of grain.

Today is Independence Day on the Seychelles islands. Seychelles is an archipelago nation of 155 islands in the Indian Ocean, some 1,500 kilometers east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar. It was granted its independence by the United Kingdom on June 29, 1976, as a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations.

Today is Veterans’ Day in the Netherlands. The

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Today is St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Feast Day in Western Christianity. The date is the anniversary of a day around 258, under the Valerian persecution, when what were believed to be the remains of the two apostles were both moved temporarily to prevent them from falling into the hands of persecutors. The two apostles didn’t die on the same day, but since they are regarded as two founders of the Christian faith, they are also seen as one in two bodies.

Today is the beginning of the Zoroastrian feast of Ghambar Maidyoshem. Observed through July 3,

travelers’ s.o.s

movýe guýde

E2 08:00 The Rachael Ray Show 10:00 The Martha Stewart Show 12:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 14:00 Desperate Housewives 18:30 Late Night With Conan O’Brien 20:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 21:00 The Sopranos 23:00 Comedy Night/Bill Maher 24:00 South Park 01:00 Dirt 02:00 World Series Poker 03:00 Poker Royale 04:00 South Park

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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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North Korea to reap benefits from South as ties thaw Palestinian security force officers from Hamas patrol a street in Gaza City on Thursday after guns went quiet as a shaky six-month truce between Israel and Gaza Strip militants took effect.

Beyond the Gaza cease-fire OPINION

By A. B. Yehoshua SUNDAY’S ZAMAN Finally, the long-sought truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has become a reality.

Reaching this uneasy state has not been easy. For months, wise and responsible people had exhorted Israel to accept the cease-fire that the Hamas leadership in Gaza had proposed. But Israel’s government, using all kinds of pretexts, stubbornly resisted.

“A truce would weaken Palestinian President Abu Mazen,” officials claimed, as if the construction of new Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the refusal to dismantle previous illegal ones had not already weakened him. Or they argued that “Hamas does not recognize the state of Israel,” as if other cease-fire agreements with the Arab states and the PLO in the last 60 years had been based on recognition of Israel, rather than on a simple ethical principle that has guided Israel for many years, namely to gain, for us and our enemies, a pause in hostilities.

In the end, however, logic prevailed over escapism and hesitation, a cease-fire was signed, and we can only regret all the time that was lost and the unnecessary suffering on both sides.

In this war, which has been going on for nearly a century, it is important to keep one principle in mind: the Palestinians are Israel’s neighbors and will live side by side with Israelis forever. Because of this simple fact, the military considerations are very different from those in a conflict between countries that are distant from each other.

Memories of spilled blood, be it Israeli or Palestinian, remain vivid in the hearts of both peoples. An immediate break in the hostilities is therefore more important than a chimerical long-term “capitulation.”

The launch of five Qassam rockets into Israel five days after the signing of the truce suggests its precariousness. So can it last and evolve into something durable? Opponents of the truce predict, - indeed, wish - that it will be short-lived.

But even skeptics nourish many hopes. To be sure, if this new truce is merely technical, if efforts are not made to stabilize and consolidate it, it could become just one another in a long string of bitter episodes. But all who had feared a “great Israeli offensive” in Gaza should make every effort to strengthen the truce and create a climate for relaxing tensions that could, with time, lead to a peace agreement with the Palestinian Authority.

So what should be done to bring this about? Above all, border crossings between Israel and the Palestinian territories should be reopened for the sick, for students, and for families whose members were separated by the blockade.

Second, a generous (and, with time, growing) quota should be set for Palestinian laborers to work in Israel -indeed, they must be allowed to work in the very agricultural centers around Gaza which were the most affected by the rocket attacks. Palestinians working in Israel are good for both sides, and better than the foreigners who come from distant lands and live an isolated life in Israel, solitary and under constant threat of expulsion.

Palestinian workers, who go back home every night, do not become alienated from their normal life.

Future workers from Gaza, having a moral right to earn their living in Israel, will become natural supporters of the maintenance of the truce.

Furthermore, past industrial projects that fell victim to the hostilities should be revived and made more legitimate in the eyes of Hamas through the participation of the Arab state. The killing by Israel of Hamas terrorists in the West Bank should also be stopped -- or at least limited as much as possible -- and the Palestinian Authority should be permitted to deal with them in their own way.

Above all, we must assure that the armistice has its own dynamic. In a state of war, people get used to the status quo and cannot imagine anything else. But when tensions relax, the idea of taking up arms again becomes painful and unsupportable inasmuch as it means a return to the familiar and terrible experience of suffering.

So this truce must be seen not as a piece of paper with some legal significance, but as a young plant that needs to be tended to, watered, nursed, and protected, so that it grows into a strong and robust tree that cannot be uprooted with an occasional Qassam rocket or a stray grenade.

North Korea’s disclosure of its nuclear activities could mark a breakthrough in potentially lucrative exchanges with the South stalled by a new government in Seoul that pledged a hard line on Pyongyang.

North Korea handed over a long-delayed nuclear inventory on Thursday under a disarmament deal, and in a symbolic follow-up on Friday, demolished the cooling tower at a nuclear complex.

“The biggest obstacle to progress in South-North ties has been the delay in the nuclear problem,” said Chun Bong-geun, an expert on the North at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security in Seoul. “Now that’s taken care of,” he added.

South Korea has been one of the North’s biggest benefactors, supplying it with food to feed its people and economic projects that bring foreign currency to its decrepit economy.

But the flow of aid was severely cut when President Lee Myung-bak took office in February and said Seoul’s largesse would be tied to action by the North to dismantle its nuclear program and open up to the international community.

That has not gone over well with the communist regime in Pyongyang, which after a disquieting silence began hurling insults at Lee, branding him “a traitor to the nation.” The breakthrough in the nuclear deal may give Lee the room to offer some incentives to the North, which in turn could cause Pyongyang to tone down its rhetoric, analysts said.

But North Korea has a history of being a prickly partner, and has often reversed itself on agreements or failed to live up to their provisions. More hitches on denuclearization may be in store despite this week’s progress. That means the South may move cautiously on warming ties, and analysts warn against too much optimism too soon. Lee has suspended all government aid for the South’s impoverished neighbor, including hundreds of thousands of tons of food each year that made up for a large part of the North’s shortfall.

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In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, the cooling tower of the Yongbyon nuclear complex is demolished in Yongbyon, N. Korea, on Friday.

“The North probably harbors the misconception that the new government in the South has a hostile policy against it,” said Lim Dong-won, a former spy chief and unification minister who is considered one of the architects of the South’s “Sunshine Policy” of engagement.

The potentially swift improvement in ties between the North and the United States that will likely follow the nuclear disclosure should trigger similar warming ties between Pyongyang and Seoul, said Kim Tae-woo, an expert on the North.

“When the United States begins food

aid to the North and takes it off the list of state sponsors of terrorism, it could help resolve the tight knot in the dialogue between the South and the North,” said Kim, of the Korea Institute of Defense Analyses. He said the North, whose chronic food shortages were exacerbated by flooding last year, has “a severely urgent, almost thirsting” short-term need for help.

Analysts said the North may be shunning the South now, but despite Lee’s hard line, knows it needs its neighbor’s help to prop up its mangled economy.

“The North needs the South,” said Lim, the former spy chief. “They have seriously pressing needs in reality, be those of a humanitarian nature or in economic cooperation.”

For North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, there may be enormous political mileage from telling his people the country was able to make Washington drop its hostile policy against it and that he won concessions from the South, Chun said. “The financial benefits of becoming a friend of the United States are pretty limited. Most of that comes from the South.” Reuters

UK Conservatives have much to prove to win power Britain’s Conservatives are riding high in opinion polls a year after Gordon Brown became prime minister, but the party and its young leader have much to prove if they are to win power. To oust Brown’s Labour Party in an election due by May 2010, the Conservatives must offer coherent policies on the economy and public services, ensure their figures stand up to scrutiny and enforce internal discipline, political analysts say. Just avoiding mishaps may not be enough if they are to end more than a decade in opposition.

Conservative leader David Cameron, 41, has moved the party of Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill to the political centre where most British voters lie -- as Labour did to win in 1997. But he must convince Britons it is worth taking a risk on an unknown entity over a tested, if unpopular, incumbent.

“The opposition will have to present a positive alternative that hangs together,” said Rick Muir, senior research fellow at the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR), a think tank.

“They have been quite astute ... they are now talking about poverty and the environment.

Now the question is ‘Is what they are saying coherent and does it add up in financial

A. B. Yehoshua is one of Israel’s most acclaimed novelists and essayists. His most recent novel, A Woman in Jerusalem, was awarded the Los Angeles Times book prize for 2006. © Project Syndicate, 2008

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terms?’” A Guardian/ICM poll this week put support for the Conservatives at 45 percent, a 20-year high, against 25 percent for Labour. That puts Cameron on course for a resounding win.

The Conservative Party’s coffers are filling up, while donors are deserting Labour. The party has momentum after making gains in local elections in May and winning a parliamentary seat in what was deemed safe Labour territory. The Conservatives on Thursday retain a parliamentary seat in Henley, southern England, after Conservative incumbent Boris Johnson resigned to be London Mayor.

Cameron is widely portrayed as more charismatic than Brown and his easy manner has brought comparisons with Tony Blair, Brown’s predecessor. “We have a quasi-presidential election contest and Brown lacks this indefinable quality called charisma which Cameron has,” said Wyn Grant, politics professor at Warwick University.

“But it’ll take more than David Cameron being a nice guy to win,” he said. Brown’s loss of popularity since he took over as prime minister on June 27 last year has coincided with economic problems and worries about a downturn in the housing market.

London Reuters

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Pressure mounts on Barca boss Laporta Barcelona President Joan Laporta's former right-hand man Sandro Rosell has said he will stand at the next presidential election, increasing the pressure on Laporta ahead of a confidence vote in his administration.

Rosell was responsible for bringing Ronaldinho and Deco to the club when he was Laporta's vice-president for sport. Madrid , Reuters

SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008

Epsom Derby rerun in store in Ireland

REUTERS

BMW-Sauber’s Kubýca says he ýs a Davýd agaýnst Golýaths PHOTO

Bookmakers have forecast a repeat dose in today's Irish Derby at the Curragh, quoting Epsom Derby hero New Approach at 4-5 favorite to land the classic double with runner-up Tartan Bearer second best at 3-1.

Unusually, five of the first six past the post three weeks ago do battle against each other again, including Irish-trained Casual Conquest who was sent off 7-2 favorite at Epsom but finished third.

Connections of Tartan Bearer believe their colt, trained by Michael Stoute at Newmarket, has the ability to make up the half length that separated him from the winner at Epsom.

Peter Reynolds, racing manager of owners the Ballymacoll Stud, told At The Races TV: "He hasn't got that much experience and is learning all the time and hopefully he will confirm that impression at the Curragh.

"I can't see any reason why we shouldn't have a wonderful opportunity. The Curragh is a flat, galloping track which will suit our horse and the ground should be perfect."

New Approach's Epsom Derby triumph prompted controversy after conflicting indications in the weeks before the classic from Irish trainer Jim Bolger on whether the horse would run, causing confusion in the pre-race betting market. But since his exciting victory, the Irish Derby has always been a firm target.

With so many foes clashing again, one bookmaker has come up with an intriguing 33-1 offer against a replica of the English finish, with New Approach to again beat Tartan Bearer by exactly half a length. As ever Ireland's Aidan O'Brien, fresh from six victories at Royal Ascot, cannot be ignored in an Irish classic. The trainer sends out five of the 12 runners, headed by 10-1 chance Alessandro Volta, the choice of stable jockey Johnny Murtagh. London Reuters

BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica of Poland celebrates his win at the Canadian GP in Montreal on June 8.

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BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica has said he felt like a lone David against a multitude of Goliaths in his Formula One title battle with Ferrari and McLaren.

The 23-year-old Pole took his and his team's first grand prix victory in Canada this month to seize the drivers' championship lead from McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

However a disappointing fifth place for Kubica in France last weekend allowed Ferrari's Brazilian winner Felipe Massa to go top and become the fourth driver in four races to lead the standings.

“We are almost halfway through the season and I don't think that my second position in the championship is just by chance,” the Pole told the official formula1.com Web site while testing at Silverstone for next week's British Grand Prix. “Nevertheless I still consider that I am the outsider and I'll only tell you if I am a 'hot' candidate (for the title) when we are in Brazil (for the final race of the season). For the time being, I feel more like a David against lots of Goliaths.”

BMW-Sauber has also led the construc-

tors championship this season and remains second overall but Kubica warned that other teams were catching up while Ferrari appeared to be pulling away.

He said he had approached the MagnyCours weekend as “damage limitation” but the team needed to raise their game for the rest of the season. “We are currently far from the pace we need in order to challenge our front-running competitors and it's no secret that we need some good updates to get back to the level of competitiveness we showed in the early part of the season,” advised the Pole.

In Magny-Cours our gap to Ferrari was the highest so far and this was emphasized by the fact that some other teams have instead closed the gap to us. “It's a signal that we need to take very seriously -- and one we must react quickly to.” Toyota's Jarno Trulli took third place in France in his team's first podium finish since 2006, a result that left Toyota fifth overall on 23 points and just one point behind Red Bull. Ferrari has 91 points after eight races with BMW on 74 and McLaren on 58. London Reuters and AP

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Did Turkey deserve defeat in semifinal?

NEWS ANALYSIS

By Okan Udo Bassey SUNDAY’S ZAMAN

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Joachim Loew

Spain ready to rain on Germany’s parade Loew’s side will head to Berlin on Monday to party with supporters after today’s showpiece in Vienna.

The three-time champion hopes the decision does not backfire and give Spain the idea that the Germans either think they have already won or see reaching the final as a satisfactory achievement in itself

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Germany risked upsetting the “soccer gods” by announcing plans to celebrate its Euro 2008 success next week whatever the result in the final against Spain.

Joachim Loew’s side will head to Berlin on Monday to party with supporters after today’s showpiece in Vienna. The three-time champion hopes the decision does not backfire and give Spain the idea that the Germans either think they have already won or see reaching the final as a satisfactory achievement in itself.

German defender Christoph Metzelder did little to placate the Spanish or believers in fate, saying Spain’s many failures in World Cups and European Championships gave the Germans a psychological edge.

The Spaniards have only won one major tournament, the European Championship of 1964. “I think they have a bit of a complex

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about these tournaments. It has taken them decades just to get beyond the quarterfinals,” Metzelder told a news conference. “I know they have respect for us and that will be in the back of their minds when we play on Sunday [today].“They are an excellent side but this is a big game and big games have their own rules.” The impressive Spain shrugged off another Viennese downpour to brush aside Russia 3-0 in Thursday’s semifinal, the latest in a string of entertaining matches at the excellent tournament.

‘Great players’ The Spaniards are confident they can rain on Germany’s parade despite an injury to tournament top scorer David Villa.

“You can cope with anything and we’ve got great players in all positions and whoever plays will do their job well and we hope it won’t affect us,” mid-

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fielder Santi Cazorla told reporters. “We have to keep faith with the same footballing philosophy we’ve shown up until now. We hope to maintain the level so that we end up as champions.”

Villa, who has bagged four goals, suffered a thigh problem against the Russians and has been all but ruled out today.

Meanwhile Uncertainty surrounding Turkey coach Fatih Terim has been cleared up, however, after the Turkish Soccer Federation said he would remain in charge for the 2010 World Cup. Terim had said he would probably step down following the undeserved 3-2 defeat by Germany in Wednesday’s semifinal.

The Turks have extra reason to bemoan their bad luck in not reaching the final after a study said the nation which wins will gain more than 90 million euros ($142 million) in economic

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benefits irrespective of prize money.

The study from Britain’s Coventry University and commissioned by MasterCard also estimated that Vienna would enjoy short and long-term gains of more than 100 million euros purely for hosting the final. The fanzone will make up part of that figure with the Vienna public viewing space hoping to see its millionth visitor for the final.

However, some stall holders selling unusual treats have shut down because of a lack of business. “People don’t want exotic food, they want soccer food, like sausages or sandwiches,” said Anja Richter, spokeswoman for the Vienna fanzone. Ýstanbul/Vienna Today’s Zaman with wires

Live on atv 21:45 Spain vs. Germany

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The Swiss city of Basel arguably witnessed the best game of Euro 2008 so far on Wednesday when comeback king Turkey came up against pre-tournament favorite Germany for a place in the final.

The result was thought to be a foregone conclusion; the Turks would never be able to repeat their heroics from the previous three games and Germany, knockout specialists, would prevail.

It proved to be the case but the “unsportsmanlike Germans,” who scored the match winner in their 3-2 victory did so while a Turkish player was lying on the pitch and reeling in pain, were outplayed for the entirety of the encounter by a completely depleted Turkish side that had never been in a Euro semifinal before. Missing four players due to suspension and several others through injury, the Turks could hardly form a team, but deservedly took the lead midway through the first half.

Turkey previously had led for an aggregate of about two minutes in their previous three games -- an astonishing statistic. But a run of late goals that stunned opponents continued into a scarcely believable fourth match Wednesday in Basel, but unluckily for the Turks, Germany seemingly learned to work from a similar script. The three-time European champion struck even later for a 90th-minute winner in a 3-2 victory.

Germany advanced to today's final in Vienna while Turkey flew home to Ýstanbul on Thursday full of pride, sweet memories and selfconfidence. Only the trophy was missing in its luggage.

Turkey had 20 shots at goal and scored only two. The Germans had three shots on target and scored them all; were they clinical or just lucky?

Does the result truly tell all, or in other words, does Turkey conceding the three goals in the manner they did mean they deserved to lose? Any winning team needs a little bit of luck on their side -- particularly in knockout tournaments -- but were the Germans really worthy of their result?

This is of course the last thing euphoric Germany fans will be thinking of at this moment, but brutally honest analysis reveals that the Germans do not look like title-winning material.

The Turks themselves must take their share of the blame.

Veteran keeper Rüþtü Reçber, standing in for the suspended Volkan Demirel, was arguably the most culpable even though he made only a single error -- it was a huge one -- allowing Miroslav Klose to head Germany into the lead at a point when only one team looked like it could win it. Perhaps coach Fatih Terim, who was exceptional all tournament, fell short in a tactical sense. His team concedes goals far too freely -- which he admitted himself -- and so it is no wonder he fell short in Serie A in his brief stint with AC Milan.

It was to end in heartbreak, but not without a little bit of controversy, as Kazým Kazým went down injured just before Phillip Lahm's winner and the Germans bluntly refused to put the ball out of play. For goodness sake, where is the fair play every Tom, Dick and Harry is talking about?

Kazým has since come out and publicly criticized them for a lack of sportsmanship, after Turkey had kicked it out for them earlier in the game. “Was it fair? After all, the Germans weren't losing -- scores were level, so it was not necessarily a matter of what had to be done there and then -- or was it? How would Germany have reacted had it happened to them?” he told goal.com.

Germany coach Joachim Loew said at a press conference that they were happy to make the final. “There is no more pressure now, we want to enjoy it. We are really looking forward to the final," he stated, adding, "We won't analyze the match, we are looking ahead at the final.”

If we may add, what’s there to analyze? The lucky Germans were aided by coward Swiss referee Massimo Busacca, who was so scared of the German players that he waved “play on” even when they committed the most vicious fouls. If there had been a courageous referee on the pitch on Wednesday night, the Germans should have finished the match with no more than eight men. Courage, that’s hyperbolic to say the least.

It is really saddening that Turkey’s brilliant run ended with an unfortunate and very controversial loss to Germany, but there’s no question that the courageous Turks have captured the hearts of just about everybody who watched them in this tournament.

Two things made the Turks so likeable at Euro 2008. First, they tried to play soccer and second, they kept fighting and fighting and fighting. Technically, there were superior sides than Turkey, such as its semifinal opponent. But the Turks truly emerged as the giantkilling team. They just kept going and going, and while there’s no question they got some luck along the way, they truly deserve all the credit in the world for what they accomplished.

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Wenders to head Venice jury at film festival Organizers say German director Wim Wenders will head the international jury awarding the coveted Golden Lion at this year's Venice Film Festival. The decision was made during a board meeting of the Venice Biennale, whose activities include the film festival. Venice, AP WWW.SUNDAYSZAMAN.COM SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008

amounts of "healthy" monounsaturated fats, particularly omega-3 fatty acids found in fish.

Either diet, when applied with equal intensity, can be an effective component of post-heart attack lifestyle changes, researchers say.

Post-heart attack patients who followed these diets for 4 years significantly reduced their risk for

subsequent cardiovascular events, Dr. Katherine R. Tuttle and colleagues found. Moreover, compared with first heart attack patients receiving usual care, the risk for subsequent death or cardiovascular events, "was about 70 percent lower in dietary intervention participants," Tuttle told Reuters Health.

The findings are published in The American

Journal of Cardiology. Tuttle, of Sacred Heart Medical Center and the University of Washington School of Medicine in Spokane, Washington, and colleagues recruited 50 patients to actively follow the American Heart Association Step II diet (low-fat) and 51 to follow a Mediterranean-style diet. New York Reuters

REUTERS

After a heart attack, adopting either a lowfat or Mediterranean-style diet similarly and significantly benefits overall and cardiovascular health, research suggests.

The diets provide similar amounts of protein, carbohydrates, cholesterol, and unhealthy saturated fats, but a Mediterranean diet has higher

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Low-fat dýet as heart-healthy as Medýterranean

A woman talks on her cell phone while driving in Burbank, California.

California to drivers: Drop the cell phone, dude Next week California will try to wrest cell phones from the hands of drivers, telling everyone from movie starlets and dot-com millionaires to surfers and soccer moms that conversations behind the wheel must be on a headset.

Several US states and some two dozen countries around the world already have restrictions on mobile phones while driving but now such a law has come to California -- where the car is king and much of life is spent on the famously snarled freeways.

Californians interviewed by Reuters mostly supported the law requiring hands-free phones in cars and outlawing cell phones entirely for drivers under 18, which takes effect on Tuesday -- though they were puzzled by a loophole that allows seemingly more dangerous text messaging.

Others cast a jaundiced eye on lawmakers, who they blame for failing to build more freeways or public transportation in the face of increasingly gridlocked roads in the nation's most populous state and say hands-free conversations are no safer.

"I can't believe that (Californians) will put up with all these nanny, nit-picking laws," KFI-AM radio talk-show host John Kobylt told Reuters.

"It's stupid because we've gone over about seven different studies and each one of them says it's the conversation that distracts you, not holding the phone," he said.

Text messaging OK? Besides, he said, many Californians are forced to use their cars as offices while stuck on the freeway.

State Sen. Joe Simitian, who authored the bill, disputes those studies and says keeping both hands on the wheel is always safer. He expects his law to save hundreds of lives.

"There are more and more people out there on the highway and the CHP (California Highway Patrol) has collected data every year showing that cell phones are the number one cause of distracted drivers," Simitian said.

Fines for a first offense are $20 plus fees and $50 plus fees for subsequent convictions.

The Democratic lawmaker is working on a follow-up bill to outlaw text messaging in the car, which he says wasn't an issue when he began working on the first one in 2001.

Connecticut, New Jersey and New York already prohibit drivers from talking on hand-held cell phones, along with some two dozen countries around the world. In New Jersey, police have issued 35,000 tickets for using a hand-held phone or texting while driving since the law went into effect March 1.

But the random sampling of Californians interviewed by Reuters expressed ambivalence.

"On the one hand I don't want people crashing into each other, but I'm not going to go get an ear thing," 38-year-old bank employee Jason Fischer said in Los Angeles. "I'll give it up and then one day I'll make a call and get a ticket. I don't want a headset.

I'm too lazy to get a headset."

Rachel Kucsulain, 36, said she rides her bike to her job as an administrative assistant in Los Angeles and wants cell phones taken out of the hands of drivers.

"I've almost been hit multiple times. I think it's totally a threat," Kucsulain said. "Two blocks from here someone (on a cell phone) turned on me as I was crossing a crosswalk. They were only inches away from me. It's just distracting." Los Angeles Reuters

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