www.todayszaman.com - September 3, 2008

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A photograph exhibition at Ýstanbul’s Haydarpaþa train station celebrates 100th year of Hijaz Railway

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Hurricane and VP disclosures distract US Republicans

AK Party Deputy Chairman Þaban Diþli announces his resignation following corruption allegations

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LAVROV NONCOMMITTAL ON TRADE DISPUTE, CAUCASUS INITIATIVE

‘No trade discrimination against Turkey’ such as the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) as a venue to discuss problems.

Relations between Turkey and Russia have improved dramatically over the last few years, and Russia has become a key trade partner and Turkey's main natural gas supplier, providing 65 percent of gas consumed in the Turkish market. But a Georgian offensive in the breakaway region of South Ossetia on Aug. 7, which resulted in Russian military action against Turkey's regional ally Georgia and eventually in Russian recognition of South Ossetia and

Abkhazia, another Georgian breakaway region, has led to concerns that the events could lead to tension between Turkey, a NATO ally, and Russia.

These concerns were heightened when Turkish Foreign Trade Minister Kürþad Tüzmen announced that Turkey had begun to impose more stringent trade restrictions on Russian goods in retaliation for Russian sanctions on Turkish goods as of Monday. But the issue turned controversial when Cemil Çiçek, the deputy prime minister and government spokesman, said later in the day that the government favored resolving the

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HÜSEYÝN SARI

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov yesterday assured Turks that his country was not discriminating against Turkish goods at customs but passed on responsibility to customs authorities for a solution, saying trade issues should not be politicized.

Lavrov, on a one-day visit to Ýstanbul, also appeared noncommittal on a Turkish proposal to resolve crises in the Caucasus through a regional cooperation platform, announcing support for Turkish efforts but pointing to existing regional organizations

Oppositon raises voice to prevent Gül's visit to Yerevan AYÞE KARABAT, ANKARA Although deputies of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) will not attend a soccer game between Armenia and Turkey in Yerevan this weekend, it is likely that President Abdullah Gül will attend the match upon an invitation from his Armenian counterpart despite harsh criticism from the opposition. While some academics say they cannot understand the attitude of the opposition, others say the visit may indeed be problematic.

Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan had previously invited Gül to watch the Sept. 6. World Cup qualifying match between the Turkish and Armenian national teams in Yerevan, with which Ankara does not have any official relations. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Cyprus launches historic talks for peace deal Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders will today launch talks to reunite the divided island in what diplomats say is the best chance in decades to end a conflict threatening Turkey's European Union aspirations. Mediators are pinning hopes on two moderates -- newly elected Greek Cypriot Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot Mehmet Ali Talat -- for a realistic prospect of ending a feud that has long defied international efforts.

"This is the best chance on Cyprus in at least a generation," a diplomat close to the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Reuters.

"Both leaders are genuinely committed for a deal, and that is what was lacking before." CONTINUED ON PAGE 04

Ramadan welcomed with excitement in Turkey

The whole of Turkey was surrounded by a spiritual atmosphere on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan this Monday, bringing all people together at feast-breaking dinners and reviving old traditions of the holy month. Ýstanbul's historical Sultanahmet Square was one of the centers of traditional Ramadan entertainment on the first day of the holy month. Various traditional Turkish drinks and food were sold at the square, which was designed as a Ramadan center by the municipality. CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

issue through dialogue, instead of reciprocal sanctions.

Lavrov said the restrictions were not exclusive to Turkish goods, noting that Russia began to impose them when it saw its customs regulations being violated by a number of countries. He said he wanted simplified procedures for Turkish goods at customs, adding that Russia was committed to maintaining trade ties with Turkey. Customs authorities of the two countries will soon discuss and resolve this issue, he said. But he underlined that the foreign ministries will not intervene in the process. CONTINUED ON PAGE 04

Russia says EU was right not to choose sanctions Russia praised the European Union on Tuesday for taking a "responsible approach" to its conflict with Georgia by declining to impose sanctions on Moscow but said the EU had failed to understand its reasons for intervening. Leaders from the 27 European Union member states met in Brussels on Monday and threatened to postpone talks with Russia on a new partnership pact if Moscow did not withdraw its troops to pre-conflict positions in Georgia by mid-September. But the leaders were unable to reach a consensus on the sanctions that some members, including the Baltic states, had been pushing for, highlighting the bloc's divisions on whether and how best to punish its largest energy supplier.

"In my view, the outcome is doubleedged," Medvedev said in an interview with the Euronews television channel, recorded at his summer residence on the Black Sea. "The EU did not understand what motivated Russia to move into Georgia and to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states," he said. "This is sad, but not fatal because things change in this world. Another situation, in my opinion, is more positive. Despite certain divisions among the EU states on the issue, a reasonable, realistic point of view prevailed because some of the states were calling for some mythical sanctions," he said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

TÜZMEN: CABINET REFUSED LONG-TERM SANCTIONS PLAN, NOT RED-CHANNEL PAGE 07

Officer detained in military probe over secret document A general staff officer who leaked a top secret document related to elements of a criminal network in the Turkish Air Forces has been detained, according to the Akþam daily.

The daily wrote yesterday in its top story that the officer has been detained in a military investigation into the leaking of a top secret document that was found during the investigation into

Ergenekon, a criminal network suspected of having plotted to topple the government. The document was prepared three years ago by the National Intelligence Organization (MÝT) for a select few top air forces officers, the daily said.

Following the release of the indictment over the Ergenekon investigation, military prosecutors went to the chief prosecutor of the investigation,

Zekeriya Öz, to inquire about the document in question. As a result, around 20 officers were questioned by the military prosecutor, Akþam had written on July 18. Recently the general staff officer was detained as part of the investigation, according to the daily's top story yesterday. He has been accused of obtaining and leaking a secret state document.

The document, which was found in a raid on the

Featuring news and articles from

main office of the Workers' Party (ÝP), reveals the existence of a criminal network within the air forces.

The daily suggested that the detention could be linked to the Ergenekon network. Akþam said the military prosecutor running the investigation was Ahmet Zeki Üçok. The paper wrote that Öz and Üçok had several telephone conversations following the military's probe into the case. CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

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F OOD FOR THOUGHT

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Q UOTE OF THE DAY

As commander in chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation.

US presidential nominee Barack Obama

CROSS READER

FATMA DÝÞLÝ

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KKTC Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer

A psychiatrist asks a lot of expensive questions your wife asks for nothing.

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Lawyer's impasse STAR, MUSTAFA KARAALÝOÐLU The reason for Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal's eagerness to act as a volunteer lawyer for Ergenekon was not to dilute the matter. Quite the contrary, it was based on two vital needs and necessities. First, all pro-Ergenekon elements were actually staging an opposition, relying on illegal means in fields where the CHP was unable to conduct its opposition while acting legally, where it failed to effectively communicate with the people and tasted a bitter defeat, as evidenced by the latest election results. The second vital need that made the CHP leader act as a defender of the Ergenekon gang was this: When Ergenekon members were arrested and their discourse was labeled "terrorist organization propaganda," there remained nothing more marginal than Baykal.

Joey Adams

press roundup MEHMET KAMAN PHOTO

Gül asked not to heed opposýtýon voýces over Yerevan výsýt

ADAKULE HOTEL

columns

W ORDS OF WISDOM

The negotiations in Cyprus would resume with the goal of finding a solution within UN parameters.

This is an indication that the matter is back on track.

f.disli@todayszaman.com

The Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have increased their rhetoric over President Abdullah Gül's possible visit to Yerevan on Sept. 6 to watch a World Cup qualifying match between the national soccer teams of the two countries. Both opposition parties are trying hard to stop this trip with harsh statements. In a statement released on Monday, MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli said Gül's visit to Yerevan would be very harmful for Turkey. Similarly, CHP leader Deniz Baykal said Turkey should avoid taking any steps that would harm its relations with Azerbaijan, which is in a dispute with Armenia over the latter's occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, and that he would rather go to Baku to watch a match. Nevertheless, there are strong calls for Gül to not heed the voices of the opposition leaders and to take this historic step, which could be a turning point in Turkish-Armenian relations.

Vatan's Okay Gönensin finds the reasons listed by opposition leaders in advising against Gül's Yerevan visit ambiguous.

However, he says many more reasons could be mentioned for the need to develop relations with Armenia. Referring to the mediator role Ankara has been assuming in disputes between various countries, the latest of which was in the Georgian crisis, Gönensin says Turkey, which gives counseling service to other countries for the normalization of their relations with countries in the region, will have a hard time explaining why it has failed to normalize its relations with Armenia. "President Gül should go to Yerevan; he should not listen to those whose raison d'être is hostility. Certainly, the Armenian side is responsible for making good use of this visit and refusing to hear the voices of the radicals who oppose Gül's visit," Gönensin writes.

Bugün's Toktamýþ Ateþ also thinks Gül should go to Yerevan, as hostile relations cannot last forever. He argues that the main problem in Turkey's relations with Armenia is Armenia's negative attitude and its failure to assuage the concerns of Azerbaijan, Turkey's ethnic and regional ally. "Nowadays Armenia changes policy out of concern about 'isolation' and 'loneliness.' The settlement of peace in the Caucasus will undoubtedly make a contribution to Azerbaijan's development," he explains, adding, "I would also like to say that it is necessary to evaluate Armenia and the Armenian diaspora differently."

Discussing the statement in which Bahçeli expressed his opposition to Gül's possible Yerevan visit, Star's Mehmet Altan recalls that it was the legendary late MHP leader Alparslan Türkeþ, who established relations with Armenia first in March 1993 when he secretly met with Armenian President Ter Petrosyan in France.

"This was not the first or the last meeting, either. The MHP's founder, Türkeþ, continued to have secret meetings with Armenian representatives," he writes. In light of these facts, he criticizes the current MHP leader for trying to hinder Gül's Yerevan visit. "I just wanted to remind him that if any distance has been covered in Turkish-Armenian relations, this was thanks to Türkeþ. If Bahçeli thinks it is in the monopoly of the MHP to improve relations with Armenia, then I have nothing to say to him," he concludes.

PRESS REVIEW

W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 0 8

Atatürkist foreign policy ÝLLÝYET, TAHA AKYOL In the bipolar world of the Cold War era, some writers and politicians promoted a foreign policy line by which they argued Turkey should leave NATO, stay away from the EU and pursue a policy of "neutrality" or "non-alliance," alleging that this was an Atatürkist approach. Their reference point for this assertion was Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's "antiimperialist" statements during the War of Independence. Is there such a thing as an "Atatürkist foreign policy" template? In fact, Atatürk's foreign policy is pragmatic. Principles like independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and peace are universal. And diplomacy inherently requires pragmatism. To this end, the fundamental factor that determines the foreign policy line of a state is its geographical location. It is impossible to cite a foreign policy that is free of errors.

Close to 1 million first graders and 700,000 kindergarten students began the new school year on Monday, a week before older students, to participate in a welcome week and orientation program.

akþam:

Yesterday's daily reported in its headline story that for the first time an officer on active duty in the Turkish Air Forces was detained as part of an ongoing operation into the Ergenekon gang, a shadowy crime network accused of attempting to overthrow the government. According to the daily, the officer leaked a confidential National Intelligence Organization (MÝT) report about illegal formations in the Turkish Air Forces. Prosecutor Zekeriya Öz, who is heading up the investigation into the Ergenekon gang, submitted the name of the officer to the General Staff, which led to the detention of the officer.

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taraf:

The Constitutional Court's justification on the closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) will create a crisis of legitimacy as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan is being accused of committing antisecular activities in 10 separate offenses, reported the daily in its top story yesterday.

The Constitutional Court, which rejected the AK Party closure but imposed financial penalties on it, is still writing its justification on the ruling, and Prime Minister Erdoðan is at the top of the list of those who caused the party to face financial sanctions due to its anti-secular activities, reported the daily.

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SABAH, MEHMET BARLAS

yeni þafak:

Nobody can be forced to fast, read the daily's lead headline yesterday, quoting remarks from Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali Bardakoðlu, who called on everyone to be respectful of one another during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. "It is a very ugly thing to force someone to fast.

Turkey is a country of freedoms.

Those who pray or fast have never imposed any pressure on others who do not observe these religious practices. There is tolerance among various believers in society. Yet, it is possible to encounter many cases of disrespect in a country with a population of 70 million," Bardakoðlu told the daily.

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I recently had a long conversation with an experienced politician from the "center" who has held vital positions. He told me these observations of his: The lack of a serious alternative to the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) does not mean that Turkish politics will remain so forever. Besides, it should be remembered that the AK Party's natural decline was stopped through the issuance of a military memorandum and the submission of the closure case. Being perceived as a victim or victorious in politics attracts support from the masses. The presence of a charismatic leader in the opposition does not suffice to become a serious alternative to the ruling party. Besides, criticizing every action of the political administration does make the opposition stronger. What matters most is stressing what the governments has failed to achieve and explaining your own alternative solutions to existing problems when it comes to power.

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ÝSTANBUL ANKARA ÝZMÝR ANTALYA ADANA ERZURUM EDÝRNE TRABZON KAYSERÝ

Third bridge to be built between Tarabya and Beykoz TODAY’S ZAMAN

The Bosporus Bridge is not capable of handling the Ýstanbul’s heavy traffic anymore. negatively to the plan, with many opposing it because of the historical value of the areas that would be linked by the bridges, so the plan was scrapped.

After officials gave up on VaniköyArnavutköy, studies for a new route for the third bridge began, eventually leading to the decision on Tarabya-Beykoz in consideration of city development tendencies, traffic density, en-

vironment and land characteristics. Another factor influential in this decision was the fact that the majority of the land on this route is already public property. Asked about the route of the third bridge, officials noted that TarabyaBeykoz was among the alternatives but that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan would choose whether to approve the decision. Selim Kuvel Ankara

KONYA ÇANAKKALE DÝYARBAKIR SAMSUN BURSA GAZÝANTEP ESKÝÞEHÝR MALATYA KOCAELÝ

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The Caucasus crýsýs and Turkey’s constructýve role

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The Transportation Ministry and General Directorate for Highways have completed preliminary studies to determine the spot for a third bridge over the Bosporus to link Ýstanbul's Asian and European sides.

The government had previously announced that a location for the third bridge had been determined but was not released so as to avoid any land speculation. According to a report that the highways directorate sent to the Prime Ministry, the third bridge will be established between Tarabya on the European side and Beykoz on the Asian side, north of the two current bridges.

A third bridge is planned to alleviate the traffic jams that are everyday occurrences as drivers commute between the Asian and European sides of the city, which has a population of at least 12 million.

There were six initial potential location pairs for the third bridge: Nakkaþtepe to Ortaköy, Vaniköy to Arnavutköy, Çubuklu to Yeniköy, Beykoz to Keçiburnu, Yuþa Tepesi to Rumeli Kavaðý and Garipçe to Poyrazköy. The Vaniköy-Arnavutköy pair was initially selected as the most appropriate from among the alternatives, which would mean the third bridge would be constructed at a point between the two existing bridges, lightening their traffic load. Ýstanbul residents, however, reacted

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The world has focused on the course of the crisis that erupted in the Caucasus. How this crisis will develop closely interests the US, NATO, the EU and all major countries as well as other global players. Obviously, Turkey is one of the parties most interested in the crisis, and for this reason, Turkey is trying to devise its foreign policy with this in mind. Given how things have developed since the crisis was first fueled in Georgia, one can easily assert that the period before us is much more critical than the last month. We can similarly suggest that the tension has the potential of escalating at any moment. This may create new dangers and threats to Turkey.

Actually, Turkish diplomatic circles have for some time had the uneasy feeling that such a crisis was in the making in Caucasus. Both the NATO Bucharest summit and a speech then-Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered at the 2007 International Security Conference in Munich were warning signals that a crisis was brewing.

However, despite these unmistakable signs, the traditional clumsiness of the Western alliance to make up its mind rendered the crisis inevitable.

Actually, the process of how the inevitability of this crisis has become obvious can, in a sense, be traced back to the 9/11 attacks. As you will remember, in the post-9/11 era, each country had adopted a unique position and saw these attacks as an opportunity for destroying its own "terrorists." Thus, Russia perceived Chechnya as such and implemented its policies based on this perception. You will also remember that under the circumstances of the time, the West did not make much noise over Russian policy.

On the other hand, in the same period, the US was so obsessed with dealing with its own "terrorists" - Afghanistan and Iraq -- that it failed to implement reasonable policies that would have prevented Russia's comeback to its near abroad after reclaiming power, made convenient by rising energy prices. Even the colorful revolutions that changed regimes in Russia's near abroad were not well planned. Thus, in this process, all post-Cold War era crises that had been held in abeyance started to emerge.

Feeling that it was being cornered by unilateral security and containment moves made hastily and aggressively by the US, Russia started to play its cards with a self-confidence boosted by its accumulation of power. The miscalculated move ventured by Georgian President Mikhail Sakaashvili, who underestimated Russia with the enthusiasm of Western encouragement and who wanted to guarantee Georgia's NATO membership, turned a local problem into an international crisis in the blink of an eye.

Turkey has long supported Ukraine and Georgia's NATO membership provided they solve their border disputes and domestic ethnic problems, and with the emerging crisis Turkey had to straddle both sides. Indeed, Turkey has no chance of foregoing its relations with Russia for the sake of the US, and vice versa. Turkey

BÜLENT KENEÞ b.kenes@todayszaman.com

has to move very carefully and pursue a very delicately balanced policy between its strategic partner the US and NATO on the one hand and its biggest trade partner and neighbor Russia on the other. Actually, it is doing this successfully. Without acting against Russia or the US, Turkey is striving to develop a different and sui generis policy. The most salient element of this policy is the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Initiative. The initiative aims to eliminate the extreme lack of confidence among countries in the region and disperse the pessimistic atmosphere caused by the war and replace it with an optimistic one.

We can suggest that by pushing the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Initiative to the fore, Turkish foreign policy views the Caucasus crisis as part of a strategic whole, assessing the crisis from four levels and developing policies based on this perception. In the early days of the crisis, Turkish diplomacy attempted to contain the issue as one between Georgia and South Ossetia, but it was too late. What Turkey is today trying to do is to keep the crisis, which entered its second phase with the military intervention by an overconfident Russia, from growing beyond a Georgian-Russian crisis. Turkish diplomacy is exerting its best efforts to prevent this crisis from developing into a US-Russian conflict, or, worse yet, a Russia-NATO conflict that would radically affect Turkey as a NATO member.

With the Caucasus initiative, Turkey is trying to keep this crisis from taking on new and more dangerous aspects and, at the same time, from it migrating to the Black Sea and triggering a new Nagorno-Karabakh problem between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Under this unwavering policy, Turkey is fulfilling all of its responsibilities stemming from the Montreux Convention on the one hand, and it is opposing efforts to make the Black Sea a NATO-controlled body of water, taking Russian concerns into account in this respect.

With the Caucasus initiative, Turkey is attempting to contain the emergent crisis within the borders of the region and to build confidence among regional countries. Turkey is acting with the awareness that all countries should win under this project. Turkey estimates that with this initiative, Russia will be happy to contain the crisis to the region where it is the dominant power; Georgia will reassert its territorial integrity; Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh problem can be discussed again in diplomatic terms; and Armenia can save itself from isolation by developing its relations with Turkey. Certainly, this is no easy project, but it is not utopian, either.

I will discuss this topic further in my next article...

Antalya university skirmish suspects remanded in custody The third hearing in the trial of suspects involved in a clash earlier this year between student groups of opposing ideologies at Akdeniz University took place yesterday under tight security in an Antalya courthouse.

The suspects -- Ömer Ulusoy, Tahir Kara, Ahmet Bekmez, Çaðrý Bulut and Ýsmail Ahmet Turgut, who had been identified by camera recordings -- appeared before the court on Tuesday on charges of participation in clashes between student groups on April 6. The prime suspect in the incident, Ulusoy, 34, said in his testimony that he came to the university on that day upon hearing that some students had set fire to the Turkish flag. Ulusoy said the fact that the individuals he attacked were students does not mean that they were innocent. "The fact that they were students does not cancel out the fact that they could be terrorists. [Leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)] Abdullah Öcalan established the PKK when he was a student at the political sciences department of Ankara University," Ulusoy testified.

Ulusoy, who was caught on film firing nine gun shots, faces from nine to 15 years in prison on charges

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of attempted murder, an additional two to five years for instigating a crime by others and another two to five years for armed aggression. The other suspects who allegedly took part in the incidents are being charged with vandalism and instigating a crime by others.

When Judge Fikri Durmaz asked why Ulusoy did not inform the police about the incident but took action himself, Ulusoy replied: "We have feelings. The police remained silent when a group of PKK sympathizers raided the student dormitory and burned the Turkish flag. Under these circumstances, how would we be able to fulfill the instructions of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in his address to Turkish youth?"

Ulusoy said he did not mean to kill anybody and demanded his release. The clashes at Akdeniz University had alarmed Turkey as they were reminiscent of scenes common at the time of the 1980 coup.

The court unanimously ruled for the continuation of the suspects' detention, pointing to the characteristics of the acts they were involved in, the sequence of the acts and the way they were carried out. Mehmet Ali Bülbül Antalya

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TIES

Cypriot sides launch historic talks for reunification deal contýnued from page 1 Both will need to steer through a legalistic and practical quagmire to reunite the island, divided in a 1974 Turkish military intervention triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. Christofias was elected president in February, pledging to end the stonewalling tactics of his predecessor, Tassos Papadopoulos, who led his community to rejecting a UN reunification blueprint in a 2004 referendum.

Cyprus has frustrated an army of mediators.

Although both sides in principle agree to reunite as a bi-zonal and bi-communal federation, they differ on how this can work. Today's meeting will see a ceremonial launch of the talks, attended by

former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, appointed UN envoy for Cyprus in July.

And next week the two sides will delve into a complex list of issues ranging from future governance to how to deal with property claims from 250,000 people uprooted in past conflict. A key area will be the status of the federated states in a settlement. The Turkish Cypriots, whose Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) is recognized only by Ankara, say it will be a merging of two sovereign states.

That view is anathema to Greek Cypriots, who run the island's internationally recognized government and would refuse to concede any kind of sovereignty to Turkish Cypriots. As of yesterday KKTC

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer reiterated this view in a statement to the Anatolia news agency. "The point which needs to be reached is a common administration which has a vision agreed upon by the two leaders on equality of the Turkish Cypriots, with the Turkish Cypriot state and Greek Cypriot state having equal status, and at the top [an administration] with a sole international identity," Soyer told Anatolia.

A spokesperson for Talat, meanwhile, said the leaders will set a procedure for comprehensive talks; however, he noted that the Turkish side was eager for an intensified negotiation process, while Greek Cypriots wanted an extended process.

Spokesperson Hasan Erçalýca said full-fledged ne-

Turkey to rebuild houses in Gori

gotiations are expected to begin on Sept. 11. To date, Talat and Christofias met with each other four times, on March 21, May 23, July 1 and July 25.

On March 21, the two leaders reached a mutual agreement according to which six working groups and seven technical committees were later established. On May 23, Talat and Christofias reviewed the performance of these working groups and technical committees. On July 1, the two leaders held a lengthy meeting that lasted four-and-a-half hours.

Following the meeting they announced that they had agreed on "single sovereignty and single citizenship." In the July 25 meeting, Talat and Christofias set the date for today's meeting. Ankara Today's Zaman with wires

Turkey will rebuild hospitals, schools and residences in the Georgian town of Gori which were destroyed or damaged during Russian bombardment in the recent crisis that erupted between Russia and Georgia.

A delegation from the Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKÝ), which departed Turkey on Friday, is still in Gori, just south of the border with the breakaway region of South Ossetia, to draw up a report that will determine the amount of the rebuilding funding to be provided.

Georgia's humanitarian request from Turkey is not medicine and food, but rather is concerned with infrastructure, the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency's (TÝKA) president, Musa Kulaklýkaya, told Today's Zaman yesterday.

"The Georgian government requested urgent humanitarian assistance from us. Turkey made certain pledges during Mr. Prime Minister's visit to Tbilisi [on Aug. 14]. Our experts have departed for Georgia following this and are conducting the necessary surveys," Kulaklýkaya said, noting that bridges in Gori that were destroyed in the bombing would also be rebuilt by TOKÝ.

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) yesterday said that it has remained concerned about the humanitarian situation in and around the Georgian town of Gori.

"The current capacity of shelters in Gori is exhausted, with some 4,200 people registered as internally displaced persons [IDPs]. All came from villages in the so-called 'buffer zone' between Gori and the South Ossetian border. Some 1,200 are in the UNHCR tent camp in Gori, which was set up for internally displaced Georgians just five days ago.

Another 1,000 are staying with host families, and some 2,000 are dispersed in 22 collective centers around the city," UNHCR said. Süleyman Kurt Ankara

No trade dýscrýmýnatýon agaýnst Turkey, says Lavrov of the Caucasus platform, he said existing mechanisms in the Black Sea region, such as the BSEC, must be effectively and actively used.

Both Babacan and Lavrov admitted differences in Turkish and Russian policies but underlined that bilateral relations would not be affected. Lavrov recalled that Babacan had paid a visit to Moscow soon after Turkey recognized Kosovo as an independent state despite Russian protests earlier this year. Babacan reiterated once again at the press conference that Turkey backed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.

Lavrov also praised Turkey for not breaching its responsibilities under international law because of its NATO membership, apparently referring to Turkish insistence that the US should comply with an international agreement regulating passage through the Turkish Straits while sending Navy ships to the Black Sea on a humanitarian mission.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan, after their talks in Ýstanbul.

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"Intervention of the foreign ministries in the process would not be appropriate. It would not be appropriate to politicize the issue," he said. Babacan said he hoped the problem will be resolved thanks to "flexibility and a cooperative approach" that Turkey expects the Russian side will show. Lavrov also ruled out cuts in Russian natural gas supplies to Turkey. "This is crazy. Why would such a thing happen?" Lavrov asked in response to a question. "Have you ever seen Russia breaching its commitments in any natural gas agreement?"

Fearing that the Georgian-Russian tension could turn into a global crisis involving Russia on the one hand and the US and NATO on the other, Turkey has proposed a Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform, a scheme that calls for new methods of crisis management and conflict resolution. The proposal calls for cooperation among Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, but Georgia has already announced it will not take part in any platform with Russia unless Russian forces withdraw from Georgia.

In Ýstanbul, Lavrov said Russia welcomed the Turkish proposal and added that further talks would take place between officials of the two countries on ways to implement it. But he underlined that for a functioning mechanism to be established, necessary conditions must be met first, urging Georgia to change its policies. "Negative impacts of aggression against South Ossetia must be removed," Lavrov said. "But we are in agreement

Platform at the level of ministers and experts."

In a sign, however, that Russia would like to see other platforms gaining importance instead

with our partners on the basis of mutual cooperation and understanding. We agreed to maintain dialogue on the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation

YOUTH CAMP

Youth and EU myths: Migration and Atatürk discussed in camp

Navy commanders meet on frigate Meanwhile, Turkey's Naval Forces Commander Vice Adm. Metin Ataç met with Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky, commander of the Russian Navy, on Monday morning, according to the Turkish General Staff. The meeting took place on the frigate TCG Kemalreis, which was navigating in international waters of the Black Sea, a statement from the General Staff said yesterday. "The parties exchanged opinions concerning issues that interest both countries' naval forces and recent developments in the region," it added. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

Ups and downs of Turkish relations with Russia Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday Moscow was not discriminating against Turkey in trade relations between the countries which have been hit by a customs dispute. Here are some details on the strains in Russian-Turkish relations: BUSINESS RELATIONS: Turkey depends on Russian energy supplies, but is also a transit route for Russian energy exports.

Turkish businesses are concerned they

could lose $3 billion in the short term if the delays at border crossings continue.

Trade with Russia has grown steadily since the collapse of the Soviet Union and is expected to top $38 billion in 2008.

DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS: Turkey is treading a fine line between its loyalty to the NATO alliance and its economic interests in its Black Sea neighbor Russia, with some fearing Ankara could find itself at the front line of a new Cold War.

ENERGY: In 2007 Russia provided more than 60 percent of Turkey's imported natural gas through two pipelines as well as 56.4 percent of Turkey's thermal coal, used in the country's power and booming construction sectors.

Ankara regularly asks Russian state-owned gas company Gazprom to increase its supplies to Turkey, most recently earlier this year when Iran -- Turkey's second biggest gas supplier -cut supplies to meet its own domestic needs.

Potential problems with Russian gas or coal supplies would create large problems for Turkish consumers and industry in the winter.

Turkey has worked hard since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 to become an energy hub delivering Caspian gas and oil to European markets. Last June Turkey said it was in talks with Russia with a view to producing and exporting natural gas from at least a medium-sized Russian natural gas field in Siberia. Reuters

A non-combatant US ship steamed through the Turkish Straits yesterday, heading toward the Black Sea, only hours after one of two US Navy ships that last month transited the Turkish Straits to carry humanitarian aid to Georgia sailed back through the straits toward the Mediterranean late on Monday.

On Aug. 22 a US Navy ship passed through Ýstanbul's Bosporus strait. The guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul was the first of three US Navy ships that will carry supplies such as blankets, hygiene kits and baby food to Georgia via the Turkish Straits to help the country following its war with Russia over the breakaway republic of South Ossetia. On Aug. 24 another US Coast Guard ship passed through the Dardanelles. The vessel, the US Coast Guard Cutter Dallas, entered the strait from the Aegean Sea. As of Aug. 25 US Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said that a third vessel, the Navy command ship USS Mount Whitney, was being loaded in Italy with humanitarian supplies for Georgia. As of late Monday, the guidedmissile destroyer USS McFaul had sailed back through the straits toward the Mediterranean.

US Embassy Press Attaché Kathryn Schalow

told Today's Zaman yesterday that the USS Mount Whitney "should pass through the straits soon," without specifying an exact date for passage of the ship. Schalow also confirmed yesterday earlier wire reports that a US naval vessel passed through the Turkish Straits to reach the Black Sea. "The ship's name is the USNS Pathfinder, and it is a non-combatant ship used for oceanographic surveys. It is in the Black Sea upon a request from the Department of Underwater Heritage of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine for a joint demonstration of this ship's survey capability," Schalow said.

The passage of the USNS Pathfinder attracted the attention of international news agencies, which reported the incident in articles on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's arrival in Ýstanbul for talks with his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan. The news wires noted that the USNS Pathfinder passed through the straits only hours before Lavrov's arrival.

"Obviously, this ship will also remain in the Black Sea in line with terms of the Montreux Convention and will leave the Black Sea within the duration of time outlined in the convention," Schalow added, in apparent awareness of the sensitivity among public opinion on the issue, which is fueled by media and the main opposition party.

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US survey vessel transits straits hours after naval destroyer returns

USNS Pathfinder, which US officials say is a non-combatant ship, passed through the Dardanelles on Tuesday.

Countering criticism from some media organs and the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan said last month that the passage of all military ships through the Turkish Straits was in compliance with terms of the 1936 Montreux Convention.

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Over the weekend, in response to insistent media criticism, the Foreign Ministry once again voiced strongly worded remarks about Ankara's commitment to the proper implementation of the 1936 Montreux Convention, which governs passage through the Turkish Straits.

"Can a country that aims to become a member of the European Union have pictures of Atatürk all around?" This question was asked by a young Polish man, one of 60 European youths who came to Turkey to discuss the EU and Turkey and their common future with their Turkish counterparts and EU experts at the end of August. EU institutions, the question of whether the European Commission is lacking in democracy, the borders of Europe and Turkish accession to the EU were all put under scrutiny by the bright young minds.

The "Camp a la Turca," running between Aug. 24 and 28, was organized by Ankara University, the Netherlands Alumni Association of Turkey and the Netherlands Institute for Higher Education (NIHAnkara). It was supported by the Ankara European Union Information Center (EUIC), which helped with a simulation of the European Parliament, and the Samsun EU Relay Office, which sponsored an information concession at the camp. The four-day event took place at Ankara University's Ilgaz campus, surrounded by the dense forest of the Central Black Sea region. The EUIC Ankara's "Environment Project Photos Exhibition" gave the students a glance at environmental projects in Turkey, from maritime safety to water management carried out with EU funding.

The young Europeans' European Parliament simulation consisted of a heated discussion on what EU policy for sports should be. According to Murat Yurtbilir, senior information officer of EUIC Ankara, the students were exposed to the EP's culture of debate and consensus in the role play. "The students were in the shoes of a German Christian Democrat coming from a small town in Bavaria," he said.

"To me, this was a great experience as the young people were eager to learn new things about Turkey and its accession," said Assistant Professor Dimitris Tsahouras, who moderated the European Parliament session.

Thomas Grunert, head of the culture unit at the European Parliament, emphasized the importance of empathy towards other cultures, given the varying historical heritage and experience of each country.

The young Europeans, from Italy to Poland, from Hungary to Austria, also expressed concern over "massive Turkish migration" to the EU if Turkey entered. Then the "picture of Atatürk" came to the agenda, as well, drawing angry responses from the Turkish students, who objected to Atatürk's picture assessed similar to a "Stalinist system." "For us, Atatürk is a symbol of our modernization and our Western perspective," said a Turkish student.

The "Atatürk picture" is an ongoing issue of sensitivity to the extent that the European Commission Turkey Delegation Question and Answer Database carries a question of whether the pictures of Atatürk would be taken down if Turkey were to become a member of the European Union. The reply is "No." Ankara Today's Zaman

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Various religious representatives get together in Þiþli.

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M. ALÝ POYRAZ

Istanbul's Bayrampaþa Prison hosts a large fast-breaking tent during Ramadan.

The historical Sultanahmet Square was one of the centers of traditional Ramadan entertainment in Ýstanbul on the first day of the holy month.

Ramadan welcomed with excitement in Turkey contýnued from page 1 Festivities at the square began with recitations from the Quran and a concert of Sufi music after the terawih prayer, an evening prayer performed during Ramadan after the regular night prayer. The Ramadan activities drew the attention of both foreign and Turkish tourists. People that gathered in Sultanahmet Square said it was very nice to welcome Ramadan in Ýstanbul.

The square is home to the German Fountain, built by German Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1903. Sherbet flowed from the German Fountain instead of water and visitors lined up. Eminönü Mayor Mahir Katýrcý said that this will continue for eight days, with every day being marked by a different syrup, totaling 500 liters of syrup for the eight days. This drink is being served for free. Ýstanbul’s Bayrampaþa Prison, which was a symbol of ill treatment of prisoners

and was recently closed for this reason, is hosting a large fast-breaking tent this Ramadan. The former prison is now witnessing the joy of people breaking their fasts. Over 1,500 people broke their fast at Bayrampaþa Prison, with former inmates among them. Adem Çimen, who stayed at Bayrampaþa Prison for four and a half years about 25 years ago, said coming to the prison revived bad memories.

“I lived through some very difficult years here. It is unbelievable but we are here today again -- though this time for a meaningful activity.” The menu of the first fast-breaking dinner at Bayrampaþa Prison was lentil soup, rice and yoghurt.

Religious representatives meet at fast-breaking tent Turkey’s Chief Rabbi Ishak Haleva, Turkish Syriac Orthodox Church Patriarchal Vicar Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin, Turkish Syriac Catholic Bishop

Yusuf Sað, Turkish-Armenian Patriarchal Archbishop Aram Atesyan and Þiþli Mufti Recep Öztürk gathered at Ýstanbul’s Þiþli municipality’s fast-breaking tent and delivered messages of peace. Haleva said it was very nice to come together as religious representatives on the first day of Ramadan, which coincided with World Peace Day, and added: “This is an important message for the whole world. The whole world should see that representatives of different religions can sit together around a fast-breaking dinner in peace.”

Fast-breaking dinners have raised religious feelings of Turkish citizens in other parts of the country also. Officials from the southeastern province of Gaziantep had their fast-breaking dinner with relatives of martyrs from Gaziantep.

Gaziantep deputies Özlem Müftüoðlu and Halil Mazýcýoðlu, Gaziantep Governor Süleyman Kamçý, Gaziantep Mayor Asým Güzelbey and mayors of other districts of

the province had their fast-breaking dinners at the municipal soup kitchen in Gaziantep with the relatives of martyrs.

Fatih Çiftçi, the mayor of the district of Erciþ of the eastern province of Van, had his first fast-breaking dinner with citizens in need in the municipality’s fast-breaking tent. Çiftçi said that they have been establishing feast breaking tents during Ramadan since he became the mayor of Erciþ and added he was very happy to have his dinner with people in need. Çiftçi said they are hosting around 5,000 people every day at the tent and serve four different kinds of food.

Civil society organizations and the municipality are in competition in Konya to serve fast-breaking dinners and send food packages to people. While civil society organizations like Kimse Yok Mu? (Is anybody there?) and Dost Eli send food packages to people in need, the municipality serves food to 5,000 people daily at a fast-breaking tent. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

Presidential palace Web site breaks hit record The official Web site of the Çankaya presidential palace was visited by millions of citizens after it began broadcasting the documentary “Turkey’s Heart: Ankara,” which was banned by the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) many years ago. The Web site, www.cankaya. gov.tr, received more visits than many popular Web sites and broke a record, hosting 7 million visitors daily after the media announced the presidential Web site was broadcasting a documentary about Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. The number of visitors to the Web site outnumbered that of the official Web site of the French presidential residence, www.elysee.fr, but remained just below the number of visitors to the Web site of the White House, www.whitehouse. gov. A total of 7 million people visited the Web site on Aug. 26; however, this number was just 248,000 on Aug. 23 and 401,000 on Aug. 22.

The new face of the official Çankaya Web site, which was revamped on July 26, drew great interest from Internet users.

Because millions of people visit the Web site every day, it uses a

70-megabit Internet connection to provide uninterrupted service to visitors. Visitors can see pictures of Atatürk and videos hosted by the Web site without connection or bandwidth problems.

News stories about the Web site have led to an ever-growing number of visitors. On average, 2,000 visitors watch videos about Atatürk simultaneously.

Following the Web site’s upgrade, 51 million Internet users visited the site, with the number peaking after the documentary about Atatürk, which was directed by famous Russian director Sergei Yutkevich in 1934, was broadcast on the Web site. Millions of people have had the chance to watch the documentary, which was prepared upon an order from Atatürk himself.

Broadcast on TRT in 1969, “Turkey’s Heart: Ankara” was banned on Nov. 10, 1969. TRT Programs General Manager Mahmut Tali Öngören and Varlýk Özmenek tried to broadcast the documentary during a special show commemorating Atatürk’s death in 1969. However, TRT Chairman Adnan Öztrak entered the studio and halted the broadcasting of the documentary. Öngören and Özmenek were subsequently fired. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

Your Way of Understanding Turkey

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Officer detained in military investigation over secret document contýnued from page 1 The daily said the two prosecutors were going to have a face-to-face meeting, but that this meeting has not materialized following Akþam’s report on July 18.

Instead, Öz sent the military prosecutor documents related to general staff officers, according to Akþam.

The daily also claims that there were six general staff officers and military school students named in the MÝT’s report, which was sent to the Turkish General Staff and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan.

The military opened the investigation into the officers on the orders of Air Forces Commander Gen. Aydoðan Babaoðlu, Akþam wrote.

Ergenekon is a criminal network with links to the bureaucracy, military, security forces and other agencies whose members stand accused of orchestrating various murders and attacks with the intention of creating chaos to trigger a coup d’état. Dozens of individuals, including retired army generals, businessmen and intellectuals, have been arrested so far on charges of membership in the group.

The investigation into Ergenekon began in 2007, when a house in Ýstanbul’s Ümraniye district that was being used as an arms depot was discovered by police.

Over the course of the investigation, the case was expanded to reveal elements of what in Turkey is called the deep state, finally proving the existence of the Ergenekon network. The indictment, made public on July 25, indicates that Ergenekon was behind a series of political assassinations over the past two decades.

Eighty-six suspects, 47 of whom are currently under arrest, are accused of having suspicious links to the gang. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

Prosecutor probes raid into Workers’ Party office A prosecutor in Ankara has started an investigation into a raid of the headquarters of the Workers’ Party (ÝP) as part of a probe into the Ergenekon crime gang, accused of orchestrating various murders and attacks with the intention of creating chaos that would trigger a coup.

Prosecutor Abbas Özden said judicial procedures, specifically Article 134 of the Code on Criminal Procedure (CMK), were ignored when computers in the ÝP office were confiscated as back ups were not made and given to ÝP officials.

The chief prosecutor of the Ergenekon investigation, Zekeriya Öz, ordered a search of the ÝP headquarters and the home of Nusret Senem, vice president of the ÝP. Security forces raided both places on March 21. They found a CD which contains a detailed assassination plan of Supreme Court of Appeals justices.

Officials from the ÝP objected to the raid and filed a complaint, alleging that the raid was against the CMK even though the raid was conducted under the supervision of a prosecutor. They claimed that information that does not belong to the ÝP could be placed on their computers. Özden has, as a result, started an investigation.

CMK Article 134 indicates that computers can be confiscated if access is not possible due to passwords, but the actual computers need to be returned after copies of documents have been made.

Legal professionals say security forces do not have to provide suspects with copies or backups of documents obtained in a raid but that these can be given if demanded.

Bedri Eryýlmaz, an instructor at the Police Academy, said evidence is still valid even though copies have not been made. “Just because copies have not been made does not mean that evidence is invalid. It is still valid.” Ahmet Dönmez Ýstanbul

AK Party official resigns following corruption charges Ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairman Þaban Diþli announced his resignation yesterday following charges that he was involved in an illegal land deal with a printing house.The AK Party Central Decision and Administration Board (MKYK) gathered on Monday evening, but no statement was made by party members on whether Diþli’s situation was addressed during the meeting.

Corruption allegations concerning Diþli were first brought forward by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Kemal Kýlýçdaroðlu last month. Kýlýçdaroðlu claimed that Diþli made an illegal deal with the Akademi Ofset printing house, demanding $1 million in exchange for helping the company buy a piece of land. He also distributed a document to the press at a news conference bearing the signatures of Diþli and an official from Akademi Ofset, claiming it was proof of the deal.

Diþli dismissed the claims as unfounded and said the document was part of a normal procedure to ensure that he did not lose his savings. While Kýlýçdaroðlu continued to insist that Diþli had made financial gains from the deal and that his property declaration to Parliament should be disclosed, a statement from Parliament noted that Diþli’s property declaration could not be released. Article 71 of the Constitution requires deputies and other public servants in high positions to declare their property but states that, unless required by an official investigation, this information cannot be released to the public.

Coming under criticism from opposition circles, who accused him of remaining silent on the Diþli case, Erdoðan, without mentioning Diþli directly, said in the Black Sea province of Rize in late August, “If there are people among us who wish to acquire undeserved gains, they should keep away from us.” Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

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Ramadan in Ottoman times KATHY HAMILTON

About Ramadan

Fast-breaking dinner (iftar)

On the 15th day of Ramadan, the sultans would pay a visit to the Mantle of the Prophet Muhammad and perform prayers there. The palace, in the meantime, would be busy preparing round trays of baklava for the janissaries.

Each tray was made with 100 layers of pastry and served 10 men. It took two men to carry one tray.

Before being sent to the janissaries, though, each tray was tested by dropping a gold coin into it from a half meter above. If the coin pierced the baklava and clinked on the bottom of the tray, it was deemed good enough to serve. If, however, a tray did not pass the test, the cook responsible for that particular tray was sent back to the kitchen, along with their tray, in disgrace.

During the time of Sultan Mahmud II, the viziers hosted dinners atop the Beyazit fire town after the 20th day of the month. An invitation to one of these dinners ranked just below an invitation to the palace. Everyone who was socially anyone wanted to be asked to participate, and competition was fierce for invitations. If for some reason an invitee was not able to attend, they made sure to send a representative in their stead, along with a gift of food by way of apology.

In a well-known story, one day Sultan Mahmud II was boating on the Bosporus as the time for iftar approached. Knowing that

anyone was welcome to any house at sunset to eat, he ordered his barge to dock at Salacak on the Asian side. He decided to show up unannounced at the door of Darüzzade Abdullah Efendi, an official known to be gourmand. The host graciously received the sultan, while in the kitchen the wife and servants rushed to prepare special dishes for their unexpected guest. The meal proceeded along splendidly, with each course better than the one before.

Everything was served on gold dishes in honor of the sultan’s visit. However, when it was time for the fruit compote that finished off the dinner, it was served in a cloudy, oddly formed bowl rather than a traditional crystal one.

Confused, the sultan asked Darüzzade Efendi why the meal had been served on the very best china of the house, but the compote was being served in such an odd bowl. Darüzzade Efendi explained that his cook did not want to dilute the compote by putting ice into it to cool it down, so he had, instead, carved a bowl out of ice to keep it cool. “Ah, my friend, you know how to live,” was the sultan’s reported reply.

Following palace meals, an infusion of herbs was prepared to aid in digestion. This infusion, made with rose water, contained over 10 different herbs, each with medicinal

qualities. It was filtered and given to the viziers and honored guests in either plain or gilded bottles, depending upon their rank.

Wealthy families followed this tradition by presenting each guest with a dýþ kýrasý, or tooth fee, at the end of the meal. The meaning behind this gift was that the guest honored the house by coming to iftar, and since the host had kept the guest’s teeth so busy with the job eating, they wanted to pay for making the guest’s teeth have to work so much. Welloff guests were given small gifts, but poor guests were usually presented with money.

Competition among the Ottoman elite to prepare the most lavish feasts reached an almost frenzied pace. So much time and money was being spent trying to out do each other that Sultan Mahmud II felt obliged to step in and issue an edict saying that there should be a limit of 60 dishes maximum served at any one iftar.

While Ramadan dinners are no longer on par with the excesses of the sultans, every iftar table will boast the very best that the house has to offer. This is the time for all cooks to trot out their specialties and show off their culinary skills. So, if you are lucky enough to be invited to someone’s home for iftar, be prepared for new taste sensations.

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The meal served at the end of the day during Ramadan to break the day’s fast. Iftar during Ramadan is often eaten as a community, with Muslims gathering to break their fast together. The Prophet Muhammad used to break his fast with dates and if he didn’t have any, he would then break it with water. Anas Ibn Maalik (a companion of the Prophet) said: “The Prophet used to break his fast with fresh dates before he prayed. If he didn’t find fresh dates then he would use dried dates. If he didn’t find that either, he drank a few sips of water.”

The Prophet said the supplications of the fasting person when breaking his fast and the supplication of the oppressed are not rejected by God. The Prophet also recommended that wealthy Muslims feed their fasting brethren during the holy month. “Whoever gives someone something to break the fast with, he would have the same blessings as the fasting person, and this would not reduce the blessings of the fasting person in any way,” he said. It is also recommended for the person invited to supplicate for his host after finishing eating his food as was the practice of the Prophet.

The Prophet used to make the following supplication: “May the righteous eat your food, may the angels send greetings unto you and may the fasting person break their fast with you.”

Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, is upon us. It is during this month that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. In addition to refraining from food, beverages and sexual intimacy during daylight hours, believers also try to refrain from greed, slander and even gossip during this period.

But come sundown, iftar, the breaking of the fast, offers a chance to partake of a wide array of dishes in the company of family and friends. The iftar dinners of today, though, pale in comparison to those of the Ottoman sultans. The sultans as well as the wealthy families of the city opened their doors to guests, invited and uninvited, and vied to create the most memorable dinners.

The Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I began the custom of stringing oil lamps between the minarets of mosques and spelling out greetings in the early 17th century. Nowadays, however, the oil lamps have been replaced by electric lights. Most mosques display the message Hoþ geldin ya þehri Ramazan (Welcome O month of Ramadan). On the first night of Ramadan, the lights were lit and they remained on throughout the month in celebration.

Kosovo has first iftar as independent state in Turkish tents ENÝS TABAK PRISTINA

THOSE OLD RAMADANS Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia on Feb. 17, hosted its first fast-breaking dinner, iftar, as an independent state on Monday at iftar tents set up in different parts of the country by Turkish donors.

An atmosphere of enthusiasm marked the independent nation’s first iftar at the tents, which were bedecked with Kosovar and Turkish flags. Hundreds of Kosovars lined up in front of the tents to eat and expressed thanks to the Turkish government and the donors for their assistance.

“We extend our thanks to the Republic of Turkey, which has always assisted Kosovo both before and after the war. I extend my gratitude to those who brought together hundreds of Kosovars, Albanians and Bosnians in such a great atmosphere. We also thank the Turkish government for having recognized the independence of Kosovo in a very short time,” said Naim Týrnava, the head of Kosovo Islam Union.

Mustafa Sarnýç, undersecretary of the Turkish Coordination Office in Pristina, said Turkey shared a common culture and history with Kosovo. “Here we have the opportunity to witness the best example of the historical and cultural common points between the two countries. Turkey will continue its assistance to its Kosovar brothers,” he said.

Many different foods from Turkish and Kosovar cuisine were served at the iftar.

A mýdnýght dream: suhoor

BY KERÝM BALCI

Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi tells the story of a cow living alone on a great island full of plants. The cow enjoys the vegetation on the island all day long, and when the night falls a fear comes to her mind: What if thousands of large cows come in the night and eat everything edible on the island? She cannot sleep all night for anxiety and fear about what she would eat tomorrow. The morning comes, and she sees the fields in the island as green as they were the day before and eats and eats all day long. But when night falls again the fear comes back… No sleep at all… And this continues on and on… The question is the same: What if?

What if my mom didn’t wake me up? What would I do the next day of Ramadan? How would I fast all day long without eating anything for the pre-dawn suhoor meal? Looking back in time, I feel very much like Mevlana’s cow. Not only because I am as fat as she is, but because of the worries I used to have then about my stomach.

What if it stays empty a few more hours than the necessary minimum? Well, my worries were a bit more reasonable. We were not living on an island and I already had four extra contenders for the same meal. Three were larger than me!

The necessary minimum of abstaining from eating and drinking (and some other legitimate and illegitimate pleasures -- chewing gum and smoking, for example) during the Muslim fast is from dawn until sunset. The corresponding time can change, of course, according to the season of the year one is fasting. As the Islamic calendar moves 11 days backward each year, Ramadan may come to the longest summer days and to the shortest winter days. One of my “if I were a rich man” dreams during my childhood Ramadan days was to have a house close to the pole where days were no more than three hours long.

I am not sure whether this is one of the reasons why Allah ordained fasting on us, but I learned with experience that fasting is a teacher of tawakkul -trust in God. Fasting is not only submission to the order of God, but it is also a resignation to the order created by God. During the first days of my fasting experience I was indeed afraid -- like Mevlana’s cow -- that mom would forget to wake me up for suhoor.

I used to take several precautions so as to be sure that I would be among my elder brother, two older sisters and younger sister at the suhoor table -- quite a large number, where one less child would easily escape the eye. I didn’t realize then that mom cared even more about my health and stomach than I did.

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If the Ramadan drummer was not able to wake me up, mom would drown me in kisses to help me dispel my sleep. Still, I had to pass through another experience to grow full faith in my parents that they wouldn’t forget me sleeping. On one night, we were again around the table eating whatever was put in front of us. I realized that mom was not eating but watching us with tears in her eyes. I was the first to realize this, and asked mom why she was crying. Her answer was a beautiful smile that is engraved in my memory, a smile that I remember today more than 20 years after she passed away. She was not eating, because watching her children enjoying the meal gave her more pleasure than the meal itself. Then I realized that Allah was taking care of me, putting this feeling in her heart. I was not left alone. I had an angel taking care of me.

My father used to ask one of us children to make the thanks supplication after the meal, and I remember that on that night, for the first time in my life, I thanked Allah for giving us a mother like ours.

Mom was so used to call upon the African children to help to convince us to eat more. At our dining table the logic of “thinking about the African children who were not able to find what we had” worked in reverse order. Mom asked us to think about the poor African children and eat

more and anything she served. The African children, in that sense, taught us not to be picky in eating. Those African children used to visit us more often on the Ramadan nights. We needed to have enough calories for the long day waiting ahead of us. Then, during the daytime, whenever we complained of being hungry or thirsty we would once again be reminded of those African children whose fate is to stay hungry forever.

Skeptics criticize the pre-dawn meal of Ramadan as an unhealthy and timeless meal lagging the body’s biological clock. This criticism may have a reason behind it if the suhoor was to be thought of only as an act of stomach-filling. But at least in our house, suhoor served as a venue of coming together as a family without the distraction of daily life: the television, the homework awaiting us, the rush of the parents’ commitments. During the day my mom was never as she was during suhoor; never during the year was my father as responsive to my questions during that late-night gathering of the family. Suhoor was a time created for us, the children. I have always wondered what childless families do when they get up for the suhoor… To whom they are giving that precious time?

Me? I am giving it to my readers. The Ramadan drummer has just left our street.

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TODAY’S ZAMAN 07

W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 0 8

Turkey as the axýs of great power polýtýcs (1) According to a Biblical verse, there is nothing new under the sun; everything is repeating itself since humanity seems unable to learn from its past mistakes and derive relevant lessons.

Having looked at recent political and economic affairs, it could be argued that there are enough reasons to expect a radical reversal from the current process of globalization, perhaps in the foreseeable future. In the event of a return to the hegemonic wars of the Cold War era, a new kind of protectionism would give an end to the free trade regime.

As a matter of fact, in my understanding, the Cold War never ended in the early 1990s, but continued with a new face. To clarify my point, at the time central planning collapsed as an alternative economic system and major countries such as China and Russia started struggling with the structural problems of transition to a market-based economic system. Having taken advantage of the emerging economic and political vacuum created by such a systemic collapse, the US has taken many steps to this point in order to contain Russia and China politically as well as economically.

The First Gulf War is the earlier example of

ÝBRAHÝM ÖZTÜRK i.ozturk@todayszaman.com

the new cold war era, when the US decided to control the whole Middle East because of the huge amount of energy resources there. At the time China and Russia were quite passive due to the aforementioned systemic reasons and political and economic weaknesses.

By looking at this kind of earlier progress in the so-called post-Cold War era, some experts declared the idea of “the end of history” or moving “toward the era of a bipolar world,” emphasizing that there is no rival to American capitalism and that the capitalist world order is the final order that humanity is seeking.

However, by the second half of the 1990s there had been a significant counter attack from China, in collaboration with Russia, in which it organized the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 1996.

This process created significant motivation in wider

Asia, including India, Iran, Pakistan and almost all Central Asian republics, with these nations declaring their interest in SCO. It was obvious that this organization would have political as well as military implications in the longer term.

In my understanding, the US used the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to destabilize SCO. As a matter of fact, SCO has been relatively silent since then due to the unexpected terrorist attacks and the resultant waves of political, military and security shocks.

In fact, the terrorist attacks brought the US a leadership role in fighting with so-called global terrorism. By taking advantage of being a victim of terror and becoming a leader to counter it, the US first invaded Afghanistan and then Iraq. By these two invasions, the US has taken serious steps toward controlling the two end points of trans-Asian energy resources.

Now the US is trying to end Iran’s resistance by using the excuse of Iran’s “probable” nuclear weapons. What I am observing is that parallel to its success in stabilizing the counter attacks to its invasions in Iraq and Afghanistan, it seems that now a new process has been started

in Georgia (Caucasus) and Pakistan with the resignation of the president.

On the European side, the Eastern European and Baltic countries (most of them being exmembers of central planning) were isolated from the Russian impact. And now the US is trying to take an active military position there, mostly via NATO. In our understanding, despite the fact that a significant part of world energy resources are controlled by Russia, the US and its allies are trying to control major energy routes. Therefore, for the Americans, if not the resources, definitely the routes must be controlled by the US so that major supplier Russia and major demander China will be cut off. It could be argued that this would be used as a powerful bargaining chip at the table to “domesticate” Russia and China in parallel to the American vision of the world.

As you may have realized, the geopolitical location of Turkey, unfortunately, makes up the axis of this great power rivalry. In my next column, I would like to cover the major problems that need to be resolved for Turkey’s economic development, as well as security.

Tüzmen: Cabinet refused long-term plan, not increased customs controls PHOTO

Foreign Trade Minister Kürþad Tüzmen has said the Cabinet’s rejection of a full-fledged plan of retaliation to counter Russia’s intensified controls at border gates against Turkish trucks had nothing to do with the heightened customs measures being imposed on Russian exporters, which came into force earlier on Monday.

The increase in customs controls is a technical procedure and doesn’t require approval from the Cabinet, the minister stressed.

Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesperson Cemil Çiçek had announced after a Cabinet meeting on Monday that the government had no intention of leveling a fullfledged economic retaliation package against Russia in response to its treatment of Turkish exporters. “Instead, we will try to find a solution through mutual talks,” Çiçek explained.

Speaking to a group of reporters on Monday in Ürümqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, where he was to participate in a series of official visits, Tüzmen said the package presented to the Cabinet for approval included a set of measures to be taken against Russia in the days ahead. “I think there is a misunderstanding here. The ‘red-channel’ policy is not included in this package,” he stressed, adding that there was no divergence between him and the rest of the Cabinet on the issue. The Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade had asked the Undersecretariat of Customs in a written statement on Friday to begin routing Russian trucks into the “red channel.”

There are three levels of customs inspections at Turkey’s borders: green, yellow and red. Vehicles with “green” passage authorization, such as trucks carrying medical supplies, face no inspections and pass without delay. In yellow-level inspections, customs officials check only documents, such as receipts for transported items and consignments showing the origin of the traded goods. The red level, however, requires physical inspections.

Trucks and all goods contained therein are checked one by one against the relevant documents to ensure they have been listed accurately.

Russia placed Turkey in the “high-risk countries” category nearly five weeks ago and

CÝHAN

OSMAN EROL ÜRÜMQI

Turkey has grown increasingly concerned that a crisis over customs procedures between itself and Russia may spread to gas and petroleum commerce. Natural gas demand in Turkey spikes in the winter and has been met by Russia every year. At the moment, 60 percent of Turkey’s natural gas and about half of its crude oil demand are supplied by Russia. Any possible disturbance in crude oil needs can be supplied from other countries and the international spot market. However, a similar solution for a natural gas crisis is not available. Experts do not think Russia would cut gas imports completely, but they worry that Russia may not provide more gas than already promised. In such a case, Turkey would likely be faced by a serious energy crisis.

Turkey has signed two deals with Russia over

Due to a new Russian policy, Turkish trucks are forming long queues at Russian borders as average customs proceedings for Turkish trucks take 20 to 40 days. Turkey is now on the verge of losing long-standing, balanced commercial relations with its top trade partner. The predicted total loss to Turkish firms as a result is about $1 billion so far and, should the problems continue, this number may exceed $3 billion by the end of the year. On the other hand, Russia claims to have lost $26 billion due to contraband passing their borders.

The Cihan news agency yesterday quoted Vladimir Zubkov, press spokesperson for the Russian Federal Customs Service, as saying that the Russia is not singling out Turkish goods, as similar customs regulations apply to other countries, too.

“We have problems mostly with Turkish goods at our customs points, but Turkey should not be held responsible for this. We just want to control our borders firmly and record the goods that pass our customs points from now on,” Zubkov said.

Harun Bolel, general manager of Colin’s, an important Turkish textile company with 80 stores operating in Russia, said Russia’s policy on Turkish goods was unfair and entirely political. “We are asked to produce papers that never existed before at Russian customs. We believe that this was all planned by the Russian state beforehand,” he said. He stressed that both countries should focus on solving this problem through diplomacy as soon as possible.

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev recently instructed that custom proceedings be tightened so that contraband from abroad, especially from China and Turkey, can be prevented from entering the country. The media in Russian misunderstood the developments and claimed that this was a result of the recent conflict in Georgia. However, Turkey does not have the luxury of imposing sanctions against Russia since it is dependant on Russian energy sources to a great extent.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has expressed optimism about the situation. In a press conference on Tuesday in Ýstanbul with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Babacan said trade problems with Russia would be solved. He stressed that he believed trade problems between Turkey and Russia would be overcome with flexibility and the cooperation of Russia. “We discussed in a sincere and constructive way the problems caused by keeping and checking Turkish products at Russian customs gates longer than usual,” Babacan explained. Lavrov said Russia was not discriminating against Turkey in trade relations between the countries. He added that Russian customs authorities were working to simplify their bilateral customs system. Faruk Akkan Moscow

‘Russia not blocking produce trucks'

Minister of State Kürþad Tüzmen sits among a group of local musicians in a restaurant in the Xijiang Uyghur region of China. He later participated in their local dance. classified it in a heightened level of customs control.

Since then Turkish trucks have formed kilometerslong queues in front of Russian border gates. Russia says lengthy inspections of trucks from NATOmember Turkey, which coincide with tensions between Moscow and the military alliance over the Caucasus, where Russia this month fought a short war with Georgia, are due to a new customs law.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday Russia was not discriminating against Turkey in trade relations. Speaking in Ýstanbul, where he was having talks with his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan, Lavrov said Russian customs authorities were working to simplify their customs system.

Claiming that this recent status change on Russia’s part is totally unfair and against the very basic premises of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Turkish officials have conveyed their demands for the elimination of what they have

called non-tariff barriers. Russia, however, has ignored these demands so far. Turkish business groups said exporters would lose $3 billion in the short term if the delays on goods were kept in place. Many Turkish companies, especially textile and food producers, have significant economic interests in Russia and have already been put into a difficult position by failing to ship goods to their customers on time due to the inspections at the Russian border, which take weeks to complete.

In his speech on Monday, Tüzmen went on to say that Russia is not applying the same treatment to imports from China and India, which are the main rivals of Turkish exporters in the Russian market.

“We will reconsider approving Russia’s accession to the WTO so long as this country is placing all these barriers solely on Turkish exporters. It is not possible to remain silent to such an unfair system,” he said.

Russia is Turkey’s number-one trade partner, and these two nations will retain relations no matter

what happens, the minister stressed, adding: “Eventually, everyone has to consider their own benefits and takes steps accordingly. What we are doing is to protect Turkey’s benefits and interests.”

Xinjiang Uyghur: where energy and logistics corridors intersect Tüzmen attended a meeting yesterday titled “Highlevel Forum for Economic Cooperation in Central, Western and Southern Asia.” In his speech at the meeting’s opening session, the minister said Xinjiang Uyghur was an indispensable part of any policy pertaining to the Asian and Pacific regions.

The area in which Xinjiang Uyghur is located has a special significance for Turkey with respect to its Central Asian policy priorities, the minister noted. Stressing that it is necessary to increase economic relations with this region, Tüzmen said, “Xinjiang Uyghur is where energy and logistics corridors intersect each other.”

Natural gas crisis looms as relations with Russia worsen ÝSMAÝL ALTUNSOY ANKARA

Both sides losing in Turkey-Russia dispute

natural gas. The first deal was signed in 1986 for a 25-year period. The deal, which will expire in 2011, let Turkey buy 6 billion square meters of natural gas per year. The second deal was the Blue Stream, again for 25 years. With this deal, Turkey buys 16 billion square meters of natural gas per year directly. Last year the Turkish Pipeline Corporation (BOTAÞ) bought 36.4 billion square meters of natural gas from Russia, 23.1 billion square meters of which were a result of the contracts.

Apart from the natural gas, crude oil imports from Russia are increasing exponentially. In the given period, 9.3 of 23.4 million tons of crude oil Turkey exports are purchased from Russia. The increase in the natural gas and crude oil trade has changed the commerce balance between the countries rapidly, to the disadvantage of Turkey. In 2007 the total amount of Turkey’s exports to Russia amounted to $4.7 billion

whereas imports came out to $23.5 billion.

Former BOTAÞ President Gökhan Yardým thinks the current customs crisis may not affect the natural gas trade. According to Yardým, the arrangements between the countries are international ones and have penal sanctions and any country that transgresses the rules set out in these arrangements has to pay indemnities.

Yardým, however, thinks there may be some problems with the natural gas flow from Azerbaijan and Iran. He said this year Turkey will import 5 billion square meters of natural gas from Azerbaijan. “In previous years, Georgia used the Azerbaijani natural gas passing through Georgia when Russian gas was insufficient. If this repeats, Turkey may face problems.

Moreover, Iran sometimes cuts natural gas flow in the winter. The deficiency was met by Russia before. Extra gas sales are out-of-contract and depend on bilateral

CM Y K

relations. But Russia needs money and so needs to sell natural gas. So I do not expect a serious crisis.”

Few alternatives to natural gas Former Treasury Undersecretary and Minister Ekrem Pakdemirli, who signed the first natural gas deal with Russia, thinks the problems between Turkey and Russia should be solved through negotiation. He said whether the cause of the latest crisis was political or economic should be noted. “It seems that the cause of the problem is political. So the solution should be through negotiations,” he said. About the payment of some of the natural gas bought as trade goods and services in the first deal, he said: “Yes, at the early stages some of the payments were paid as goods and services, and that was an important benefit for us.

Then this term was abolished. Now natural gas is widespread. Turkey does not have many alternatives.”

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Mehdi Eker has said trucks transporting produces have not had a problem getting through Russian Customs at the border.

Eker told the Anatolia news agency yesterday that there is no indication of Turkish produce trucks being delayed at Russian border crossings and that his ministry had never given confirmation of such delays. Eker noted that some Turkish trucks may have been delayed at Russian borders recently, but said this was temporary. “This seemingly problematic situation at Russian borders is not related to a political situation but rather results from some implementations such as double taxation on certain trucks at the border, which is completely due to the Russian Federation’s internal regulations,” he told Anatolia. Eker emphasized that there is no political clash between Turkey and Russia at this point.

Regarding a suggestion by Foreign Trade Minister Kürþad Tüzmen to impose sanctions on Russia, Eker underlined that such an idea would be promoted by certain groups in Turkey. Tüzmen recently recommended that Turkey develop a package of measures to retaliate against Russia for delaying Turkish trucks at its borders for weeks.

In regards to hazelnut prices, for which the government recently announced the price floor, Eker noted that his ministry had developed some new measures to help small hazelnut producers sell their goods for higher prices in the market compared to previous years. He said there are currently 250,000 hazelnut producers registered with the state in Turkey and that 66,000 of them are considered small producers. “We will pay these producers within a week to help ease their financial burden, especially in the holy month of Ramadan and with the new school year coming,” he said. Eker noted that the Soil Products Office (TMO) will take out loans of up to $1 billion from foreign sources to finance hazelnut purchases from producers. He stated that the TMO will not incur a loss selling hazelnuts for YTL 1.1 per kilogram because the TMO has enough stock from previous years, and that selling this stock for higher prices than previously will prevent a loss. Eker also mentioned a recent visit of Saudi Arabian Minister of Agriculture Fahd Balghunaim to Turkey. He noted that Saudi Arabia has not yet declared their desire to make agricultural investments in Turkey. “We just gave information on investment opportunities in Turkey to Saudi Arabian officials; however, they have not yet pledged to make any investments in Turkey,” added Eker. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

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08 TODAY’S ZAMAN

W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 0 8

Finance Ministry cracks down on tax-dodging pharmacies ERCAN BAYSAL ANKARA

the inspections are completed. "A significant amount of information on the sector is stored in our database. We are carrying out inspections on the pharmacies that filed questionable declarations; the amount of KDV they declared just didn't seem reasonable," he noted.

The same official stated that his agency had warned the pharmacies before the inspections to make the necessary corrections to their declarations. "We made the necessary warnings a long time ago. They did not make any corrections. They will soon see the consequences," he said.

The Corporate Financial Situation and

cies that are discovered to have inconsistencies between their actual revenue and the amount they declared will be given until the end of the year to amend their declarations. Those who fail to revise their declarations will be fined.

The Revenue Administration noted that a substantial number of pharmacies failed to pay KDV or declared revenues lower than what they actually earned. Officials from the administration said they will be inspecting the sector until the new year.

Pharmacies ignored earlier warnings One administration official said they will have a better idea of the real situation in the sector after

The Finance Ministry, which has been cracking down on the "informal economy," has turned its focus to pharmacies that have failed to file complete or accurate declarations of revenue.

The Revenue Administration of the Finance Ministry has initiated inspections of 10,000 pharmacies that did not declare value-added tax (KDV) or that declared a suspiciously low amount of revenue. The administration inspectors are assessing drug inventory, stock control and invoices at these pharmacies. The pharma-

Expectations Report 2008 produced by the Revenue Administration notes that the administration will intensify its inspections, which will be carried out using modern tax inspection tools and techniques. The report states that inspections will become more effective through the use of software that allows the inspectors to gain access to the legal records of taxpaying businesses. In an attempt to ensure effectiveness in tax collection, a debt-tracking system will be established in which debts will be tracked by tax category to prevent growth of existing debt stock.

PHOTO

REUTERS

Russia boosts dominance with Uzbek gas deal Prime Minister Vladimir Putinclinched an outline deal with Uzbekistan on Tuesday to build a new pipeline to boost Central Asian gas exports to Russia, part of a strategy to strengthen Moscow's regional energy dominance. Russia wants former Soviet republics to channel more of their oil and gas via its territory, while Europe would like them to bypass Russia in order to reduce its own energy dependence on an increasingly assertive Moscow. The issue was dramatically highlighted last month when Russia fought a war against Georgia, which hosts the only oil and gas pipelines bringing supplies westwards from the Caspian Sea without crossing Russia.

Uzbekistan -- located in former Soviet Central Asia, which Moscow still sees as part of its sphere of influence -- is one of the countries at the heart of this geopolitical struggle, which involves not just Russia and the West, but also China. "An agreement has been reached on the start of practical work to build a new gas pipeline system on the territory of Uzbekistan to provide for the growing export potential of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan," Putin said.

"We see that the potential for such partnership is growing. We have a mutual interest in the realisation of this project," he was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

The new pipeline will increase gas exports from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, which both use Soviet-era pipelines operated

by Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom.

Gazprom said in a statement an agreement on building a new pipeline and on the price formula for Uzbek gas had been reached. It gave no further details. Uzbek President Islam Karimov said the proposed pipeline, with a capacity of 26-30 billion cubic metres (bcm), would be built alongside the two existing Soviet-era pipelines, known as Central Asia-Centre and Central Asia-Bukhara-Ural.

A spokesman for Putin confirmed that agreement had been reached with Uzbekistan to work out the details for building the new pipeline. If built, the new pipeline could be a threat to a rival European Union project, known as the Nabucco Gas Pipeline, which plans to pump gas from Central Asia to Europe starting in 2013. Nabucco, operated by a consortium led by Austrian group OMV, was proposed by the EU partly as a means to ease its reliance on Gazprom supplies.

Central Asian states are trying to delicately balance the interests of major powers -- such as China, Russia, the EU and United States -in the scramble for gas supplies. Moscow Reuters

AT A GLAN

CE

3 September (TurkStat) June 2008 Inflation - cept manufacturing ex tat) ISM index, rkS (Tu 2008 CPI - June r PMI of Germany, cto Service se ro Eu d an Britain

AVIATION

Oýl nosedýves as global demand concerns re-emerge Orleans and surrounding areas. But they quickly turned their attention to slowing global economic growth, speculating that will dampen demand for crude oil, even in developing countries such as China and India. "The market continues to be weighed down by worries of a global economic downturn and slowing oil demand in developing markets," said Victor Shum, an energy analyst with consultancy Purvin & Gertz in Singapore.

"Action by OPEC and supply side concerns should put a backstop to any sharp price drop."

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is scheduled to meet Sept. 9 in Vienna and has indicated it may take action to defend the $100 a barrel level. Ahead of Gustav, there was some disruption to oil supplies as oil companies shut down production and evacuated facilities. Altogether, about 2.4 million barrels of refining capacity was halted, roughly 15 percent of the US total, according to figures from Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos. The Gulf Coast is home to nearly half of the nation's refining capacity.

Oil prices fell below $106 a barrel Tuesday -- $10 below Friday's close before the US Labor Day weekend -- as investors shifted their focus to slowing global demand after worries about Hurricane Gustav subsided. "If you are bullish, you should be concerned," said the Schork Report, edited by US trader and analyst Stephen Schork.

By midday in Europe, light, sweet crude for October delivery had rebounded somewhat and was trading at $108.24 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier in the session it had dropped as low as $105.46. On Monday, when US trading was closed for Labor Day, the contract had plunged $4.34 to $111.12 a barrel in late electronic trading. On Friday, the contract settled at $115.46 a barrel. In London, October Brent crude was down $2.38 to $107.03 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

Traders were relieved that Gustav weakened as it approached the offshore oil rigs and Louisiana refineries, and appeared to have caused less damage than expected in New

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Turkish tire manufacturer Petlas, the only plant in Turkey manufacturing military tires, has signed an agreement with International Finance Corporation (IFC) to take out a $250 million loan, a senior Petlaþ executive said on Tuesday.

The IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has approved an $80 million loan for Petlas. The rest is expected to be approved in stages, said Semra Güler, the finance director of the Abdülkadir Özcan Group of Companies (AKO), which owns Petlaþ. AKO is a leading automotive tire distributor and seller in the Turkish market. Güler said the financing would help Petlaþ upgrade production technology, expand its product range and manufacture eco-friendly tires.

Petlaþ produces tires for the local after-sale market as well as for export. It is the fourth-largest domestic tire manufacturer in Turkey and the leader in large tires for tractors, heavy duty vehicles and military aircraft.

Petlaþ was established by the Turkish government in 1976 and privatized in 1997. The company employs about 1,380 people. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

Central Bank of Turkey Governor Durmuþ Yýlmaz has stated that the bank expects food prices in Turkey to remain high for the rest of this year.

Speaking at a finance and banking conference in Buenos Aires, Yýlmaz stated that the growing demand for food in India and China cannot be met, even though food production has increased. He emphasized that inflation in Turkey last year was caused mainly by the increase in food prices. Other central bank heads at the conference noted that the fluctuations in the world's markets would continue since the global economic crisis stemming from the collapse of the US subprime mortgage market is persisting. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

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Petlas secures $250 mln loan from IFC

CB head predicts high food prices will continue

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It could be a day or more before oil and natural gas companies can assess the damage to their drilling and refining installations.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said as much as 20 percent of oil and gas production that was stopped because of Gustav could be restored by this weekend, stressing that it was a rough estimate. Traders are also keeping an eye on other storms brewing in the region.

Hurricane Hanna was predicted to come ashore in Georgia and South Carolina late in the week, and Tropical Storm Ike formed late Monday in the Atlantic Ocean and may become a hurricane in the next 36 hours as it approaches the Bahamas. "September is the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. After Gustav, there are two more now on the radar screen. The storms are likely to provide some upside risks to the oil futures market," Shum said.

In other Nymex trading, heating oil futures fell 20.8 cents to $3.9839 a gallon, while gasoline prices lost 21.63 cents to $2.6379 a gallon.

Natural gas for October delivery fell 68.7 cents to $7.256 per 1,000 cubic feet. Vienna AP

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GARAN

251,1

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1,755

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Iraqi cabinet approves $3 bln oil deal with China Iraq's cabinet has approved a $3 billion oil service contract with China, the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Tuesday, in a move that could signal the shape of anticipated future oil deals. The cabinet has approved a service contract to develop and produce the Adhab oilfield between the (Iraqi) Northern Oil Company and a Chinese company, according to terms initialled by both sides, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement. The Iraqi government recently announced renegotiated terms of an oil deal with the Chinese National Petroleum Company (CNPC), which was originally signed in 1997. The deal marks the first major oil contract with a foreign firm for Iraq, which boasts the world's third-largest proven reserves, since the fall of Saddam Hussein. CNPC, the parent company of PetroChina and Asia's biggest oil and gas company, has a head start as foreign firms line up to sign lucrative long-term oil deals with Iraq. The CNPC deal is sure to be watched closely by companies seeking to secure the most profitable terms they can in any contracts brokered with Iraq. Iraq toughened its terms in renegotiating the CNPC deal, changing the contract to a set-fee service deal from the oil production sharing agreement (PSA) signed under Saddam. Baghdad Reuters

M.cap

ENKAI

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AGREEMENT

Foreign

Number of Shares

TIRE

ÝMKB 100

Garanti Bankasý has won Turkish Airlines' (THY) tender for providing the airline's Shop&Miles credit card.

The bank was already the provider for THY's Miles&Miles credit cards, but the airline recently decided to develop a new credit card program, renamed Shop&Miles, as part of a "special passenger program." Garanti Bankasý offered the highest price and won yesterday's tender. Officials from THY said Garanti Bankasý would provide their customers with Shop&Miles cards for three years under the contract, which has yet to be signed. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

BUYOUT

Price (YTL) Daily Change (%)

Mcap YTL

Garanti Bankasý wins THY Shop&Miles tender

CM Y K

Price ($) Light C. Oil Gold Copper

116,30 814,50 3,47

Way

Change (%) 1,55 1,85 1,22

High 116,87 814,50 3,47

Low 114,26 789,60 3,42

P/E: Share price divided by earnings per share is a measure of the price paid for a share relative to the income or profit earned by the firm per share.

EV/EBITDA: Enterprise value divided by earnings before interest, tax and amortization; “t” stands for trailer and means the data over the last four quarters. (*) Yesterday's closing (**) Updated at 6 p.m. by GMT+2 Disclaimer: The information in this report has been prepared by BMD, Bizim Securities from sources believed to be reliable. All the information, interpretations and recommendations covered herein relating to investment actions are not within the scope of investment consultancy. Therefore investment decisions based only on the information covered herein may not bring expected results.

KBD chief says banks seeking Lehman deal The head of Korea Development Bank said Tuesday that the state-owned lender is in talks to acquire troubled US investment bank Lehman Brothers.

KDB Governor Min Euoo-sung said that discussions were under way "to form a consortium with private banks as (we) believe it is more desirable to acquire Lehman Brothers jointly rather than alone."

"It is difficult to say how the talks will progress in the future as we have not been able to narrow differences with the Lehman side over prices," he added in Korean-language comments to reporters, according to the bank's public relations office. Seoul AP

02.09.2008

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TODAY’S ZAMAN 09

W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 0 8

N O I T A Z t to I e y R d l or A w L n i y O t Pas possibili E Z I L

A B GLO

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CM Y K

T10-03-09-08.qxd

02.09.2008

18:29

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10 TODAY’S ZAMAN

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2008

McCain’s big gamble becoming more uncertain

Hurrýcane, VP dýsclosures dýstract US Republýcans

NEWS ANALYSIS

By Peter Wallsten

Palin’s husband Todd announces that their 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is pregnant, and refutes reports that the Alaska governor's four-month-old son is actually her daughter’s baby REUTERS

TODAY'S ZAMAN

PHOTO AP

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (C) waves in front of her daughter Bristol (2nd R) and son Trig (R) after being introduced as the Republican vicepresidential running mate as US Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain looks on at a campaign event in Dayton, Ohio on Aug. 29.

PHOTO

The Republican Party hopes to get back to the business of getting John McCain elected president in the remaining sessions of its national convention, having scaled down a normally boisterous opening day out of deference to Americans caught in Hurricane Gustav while struggling to put out fires that sprang up around his little-known female vice presidential pick.

Just hours before the Republican political festival opened in the Minnesota capital, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin disclosed that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. It also was revealed Monday that an attorney had been hired to represent Palin in a state ethics probe and that her husband, Todd, had been arrested for drunken driving two decades ago.

The man who led McCain's vice presidential search team said he thought everything that had come up as a possible red flag during the background check had now been made public.

"I think so," Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr. told The Associated Press. "Yes. I think so. Correct."

Hurricane Gustav, which pounded ashore 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) to the south, provided some distraction from the news surrounding Palin. Yet initial reports showed the storm was not as devastating as feared, and attention quickly returned to the 44-year-old mother of five, known as a maverick who has routinely challenged the Alaska state political machinery.

Gustav, while reminding Americans of how the administration of President George W. Bush bungled the response to Hurricane Katrina three years ago, gave McCain's Republicans a chance to show they could do better this time as they pushed hard to strengthen the relief effort.

Convention organizers stripped out pageantry normally attached to the opening day of a political convention, and Republicans scaled back attacks on Democratic candidate Barack Obama.

Instead, first lady Laura Bush and her would-be successor, Cindy McCain, provided the day's star power, appealing for delegates to open their wallets to help those caught in Gustav's path. "This is a time when we take off our Republican hats and put on our American hats," said Cindy McCain, reprising a line her husband used on Sunday. Bush and his vice president, Dick Cheney, canceled their appearances even before Republican convention organizers decided to scale back the first day's events. Bush headed to Texas to be nearer hurricane relief efforts. McCain visited a relief center in Ohio and helped pack cleaning supplies and other items into plastic buckets to be sent to storm-hit states along the Gulf of Mexico.

While the opening day convention program was shorn of political rhetoric, officials said late Monday they were planning for a resumption of normal convention activities on Tuesday, likely including a keynote address by New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Aides said McCain was likely to deliver his nomination acceptance speech as scheduled on Thursday. White House officials held out the possibility Bush would make a televised address to the convention from Washington. The decision on Bush's role, if any, appeared to rest with the McCain campaign, which has tried to distance the Arizona senator from the unpopular president.

The hurricane hit the heart of Louisiana's oil and fishing industries but appeared to spare New Orleans the catastrophic flooding of Katrina. Its political impact was unclear.

Bristol Palin, daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

For a day at least, the storm denied McCain the nonstop news coverage that Obama enjoyed during the Democrats' four-day convention last week in Denver, Colorado.

At the same time, it offered McCain an opportunity to distinguish himself from Bush by showing his leadership skills. Bush's decision to cancel the speech may not have been unwelcome given the president's low popularity. Democratic nominee Obama also scaled back his political activities and turned his attention to the Gulf Coast. After stops in Michigan and Wisconsin, he was returning to his Chicago headquarters to monitor the

storm's progress and decide his schedule for the rest of the week. He urged supporters to donate to the American Red Cross.

As Republicans assembled, outside the Xcel Center protesters smashed windows, punctured car tires and threw bottles, and there were reports that delegates from Connecticut were attacked as they stepped off their bus to attend the day's convention session. The main anti-war march was peaceful, police said, estimating about 10,000 people participated. But after the anti-war marchers had dispersed, police used pepper spray to disperse splinter groups of demonstrators near downtown. Authorities reported making at least 250 arrests, including 119 people who faced possible felony charges.

McCain added further spice to the race last week by naming a Palin, a virtual unknown, as his running mate -- the first Republican woman ever picked as a vice presidential candidate. Palin is a strong opponent of abortion and her selection was seen as boosting McCain's support among the party's base of Christian conservatives, many of whom have been reluctant to back him. For a second day Tuesday, Palin had no public events scheduled. Her only public comments Monday came in a brief statement with her husband, Todd, about their daughter's pregnancy and decision to marry the father, who was identified only as Levi.

McCain's campaign aides said the statement was issued to rebut Internet rumors that the governor's 4-month-old baby was, in fact, Bristol's. "Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family," the Palins said in the brief statement.

In Monroe, Michigan, Obama condemned rumors involving the children of candidates and echoed the McCain campaign argument. Said Obama: "I think people's families are off limits, and people's children are especially off limits."

Prominent religious conservatives issued statements of support. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, commended the Palins for "for not just talking about their prolife and pro-family values, but living them out even in the midst of trying circumstances."

The decision to hire a lawyer for Palin stems from an investigation into whether the governor fired Alaska public safety commissioner Walt Monegan after he refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palin's sister.

In July, a legislative oversight committee approved $100,000 to investigate whether Palin abused her power. The dispute over the dismissal has dogged Palin for nearly two months and is likely to do so for another two months leading to the Nov. 4 election. St. Paul, Minn. AP

PHOTO

Can a woman governor who likes to hunt and opposes abortion rights woo enough American women to her side to help win the White House for John McCain?

That is the question as first-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin prepares to accept the Republican Party's nomination today as its first woman candidate for vice president.

Attractive to the Republican Party's conservative Christian base, Palin could help bring both men and women out to vote for McCain in the Nov. 4 election. Opinion polls show a tight race with Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, who generally enjoys an advantage with women voters over McCain. The women's vote in play falls into two categories: independent or undecided white women and those who supported Hillary Clinton in her failed and bitterly contested bid for the Democratic nomination.

Ideology -- especially on the divisive issue of abortion rights, which most US women support -- would deter many Clinton supporters from voting Republican. "The vast majority of the women who supported Hillary Clinton are unlikely to find a

AP

Can Palin draw women to the Republicans’ side?

This photo provided by the Heath family shows Palin with one of her daughters posing with the caribou she shot in Alaska. strongly pro-life Republican woman to be an attractive alternative," said Scott Keeter, an analyst at the Pew Research Center.

That point was echoed by former Clinton supporters interviewed outside the Republican National Convention

in St. Paul, Minnesota, which runs through Thursday.

"They are ideological opposites," said Kim Spotts, a 52-yearold nurse, explaining why she supported Clinton but would not be swayed by Palin. She said she would vote instead for Obama.

"I would not vote for her (Palin) under any circumstance. ... I really dislike her strong, conservative religious views," said Clinton-turned-Obama supporter Barbara Patchen, a 47-year-old homemaker, as she walked her dog in a park.

But at least two women Patchen knew were taking a look at the McCain ticket because of Palin, she said. McCain's campaign hopes to win over undecided and independent women.

A Gallup daily tracking poll in August showed that among independent white registered voters, 51 percent of the men preferred McCain to 35 percent for Obama. Among women, McCain's advantage narrowed to 42 percent to 41 percent. "McCain will hope to move some of these votes in his direction with Palin on the ticket," Keeter said, but he added that many women in this group also supported abortion rights and so could be turned off by Palin. St. Paul Reuters

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WORLD

Only a few days ago, the nation's voters were asked to accept John McCain's assurances that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, known to only a tiny portion of the public and barely to McCain himself, was fully suited to be vice president.

But now the magnitude of McCain's gamble is becoming clear.

For every piece of the portrait of Palin that the McCain campaign sketches, a far more complicated picture is drawn.

The youthful mother of five whose placement on the ticket was meant to reinforce traditional values has revealed that her unmarried teenage daughter is pregnant, information that the family and the campaign said they had hoped to keep private.

The woman introduced to America as a reform-minded Washington outsider who opposed the infamous "bridge to nowhere" -- the symbol of McCain's hatred of wasteful spending -- originally supported its construction.

The governor, who in her introductory speech decried the practice of budgetary "earmarks," sought, as the state's chief executive and as mayor of Wasilla, hundreds of millions of dollars in such federal funding for local projects.

Moreover, Palin has retained a lawyer to represent her in a controversy the McCain campaign said it had fully researched -- Palin's role in dismissing a state police official who had refused to fire a trooper who divorced Palin's sister.

On Monday, the McCain campaign dispatched lawyers to Alaska in a move described as an attempt to manage a growing crowd of journalists who have traveled there to inspect Palin's background. But the move raises the impression that the McCain campaign didn't know everything about his No. 2 and is now racing to learn what it can while trying to avoid tough questions about the Arizona senator's decision-making process.

"I really hope McCain did his homework," said David Frum, a former speechwriter for President Bush. "I cannot stifle a growing sense of unease that he didn't."

A former McCain adviser, Mike Murphy, said on Monday that it remains an open question whether "the running mate in a good or bad way becomes a window into the skills of the nominee."

One Republican strategist with close ties to the campaign described the candidate's closest supporters as "keeping their fingers crossed" in hopes that additional information does not force McCain to revisit the decision.

The unease comes as Palin, 44, prepares for her next big public test: a prime-time, nationally televised speech today to the Republican National Convention.

She no doubt will receive an enthusiastic welcome from delegates and party activists who continued Monday to express unqualified excitement about Palin's presence on the ticket.

As a staunch opponent of abortion, Palin has invigorated religious conservatives and other members of the GOP base who have been cool to McCain's candidacy and reluctant to work for the campaign with the same verve that fueled Bush's 2004 re-election.

And the speech by Palin was shaping up as a dramatic moment in a convention that so far has been muted by the onslaught of Hurricane Gustav.

But while the GOP grassroots remains protective of Palin, the campaign has moved from celebratory mode into a full defensive posture.

Critics also continue to question why McCain, after months of assailing Democratic nominee Barack Obama as lacking foreign policy experience, would tap a running mate who has been governor for less than two years and before that was mayor of Wasilla, population 7,000.

The campaign has little room for error. A new CBS News poll found that 66 percent of registered voters are undecided about Palin. And while enthusiastic support from the GOP base is important, strategists know that McCain cannot win without appealing to moderate voters -- a bloc that the campaign had hoped Palin's middle-class roots would help win over.

"She remains very popular in the convention hall," said Murphy, "but it's the rest of the country that matters."

Palin could face questions on other facets of her past, such as her 1990s membership in a states' rights group that has pushed for more than 30 years to give Alaskans a vote on whether to secede from the union.

As mayor of Wasilla, Palin made regular trips to Washington seeking federal aid. The city received $26.9 million in earmarks during her tenure between 2000 and 2003, according to the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense, which tracks pork barrel spending.

As the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday, Palin has requested 31 earmarks in the 2009 federal budget worth about $197 million. On Friday, she portrayed herself as a champion of curbing the "abuses" of earmark spending.

For McCain, the Friday surprise of introducing Palin resulted in a weekend of buzz and anticipation. But if additional surprises surface about Palin and her political profile, McCain could face unthinkable choices.

Might he be forced to anger conservatives by dumping Palin? Could he risk an admission of poor judgment, tainting what he has long claimed as a key strength?

And if a new stumbling block could have been discovered by a more careful search, critics no doubt would question a well-known trait of McCain's: that he sometimes makes decisions on emotion instead of careful deliberation.

"John McCain is decisive and listens mainly to John McCain," said David Keene, head of the American Conservative Union. "That is either comforting or discomforting, depending on whether you're trying to get him to do what you want." © 2008, Los Angeles Times

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WORLD

TODAY’S ZAMAN 11

W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 0 8

CONFUSION

Taro Aso front-runner to replace PM Fukuda Taro Aso, a former foreign minister and ruling party stalwart, emerged quickly on Tuesday as the front-runner to replace Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, whose sudden resignation has thrown Japan's political scene into confusion and opened the door to early nationwide elections. Fukuda, in office less than one year, said on Monday he was stepping down because he was unable to break a deadlock with the emboldened Democratic Party of Japan over virtually all of his major policy objectives. The opposition immediately derided Fukuda for quitting, and called for elections to test the ruling party's seemingly crumbling mandate with the voters. Aso, 67, moved to dispel criticism of a power vacuum or any major shifts in Japan's foreign or economic policies. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's secretary-general said he felt he was capable of succeeding where Fukuda failed and had demonstrated that he has ideas of his own. "I must take leadership," Aso said in a strong indication that he will run when the Liberal Democrats vote for a new party president on Sept. 22. Party officials said campaigning will officially begin Sept. 10. Tokyo AP

Russian officials have dismissed the European Union threat to suspend the talks, saying the bloc needs the pact as much as Moscow contýnued from page 1 Ahead of a visit by US Vice President Dick Cheney to US allies in the region, a Kremlin aide said he expected Washington would also opt against imposing sanctions.

Cheney, due to leave later on Tuesday for visits to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine, has been an outspoken critic of Russia, saying last month its push into Georgia could not go unanswered.

"We hope that a positive agenda in relations with the United States will prevail," Sergei Prikhodko, chief foreign policy advisor to President Dmitry Medvedev, told reporters.

The statements contained none of the strident remarks made by Kremlin officials in the run-up to the EU summit and appeared designed to signal Moscow's readiness to take a conciliatory stance with Western countries if they also avoid confrontation.

Russia crushed its southern neighbor in a brief war last month after Georgia tried to recapture by force its pro-Moscow, separatist region of South Ossetia.

It has drawn Western condemnation by pushing beyond the disputed area, bombing and deploying troops deep inside Georgia proper and recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Russia said it was forced to intervene to prevent what it has called a genocide of the separatist regions by Tbilisi, and says it is honoring a French-brokered ceasefire deal.

The former Soviet republic of Georgia is strategically important to the West because it hosts oil and gas pipelines that bypass Russia. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Russia would suffer politically and economically for its military actions against Georgia even if it may have won short-term gains.

But he conceded that it did not make sense for the EU to isolate Russia,

a major supplier of European oil and gas, describing the bloc's approach as "hard-headed engagement."

"Isolating Russia would be counterproductive, because its international economic integration is the best discipline on its politics," Miliband wrote in the Irish Examiner newspaper. French President Nicolas Sarkozy plans to travel to Moscow with other EU officials on Sept. 8 to discuss its adherence to the cease-fire plan and then decide whether partnership talks set for Sept 15-16 in Brussels can go ahead.

Moscow has withdrawn most of its forces in line with a ceasefire deal but has kept soldiers in "security zones," which include Georgian territory around South Ossetia and Abkhazia. But Russia's powerful Prime Minister Vladimir Putin repeated Moscow's unhappiness at the growing presence of NATO warships in the Black Sea, where Russia's fleet has traditionally dominated. Moscow Reuters

DISPUTE

Romania-Ukraine case goes to World Court Romania called on the United Nation's highest court on Tuesday to set a maritime border between it and Ukraine that will fairly divide an estimated 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas and oil reserves under the Black Sea. Romania took the dispute to the International Court of Justice, commonly called the "World Court," after years of negotiations failed to draw a line acceptable to both Bucharest and Kiev. Speaking at the start of oral hearings, Romania's representative accused Ukraine of unfairly distorting maritime border rules.

Bogdan Aurescu, director general of Romania's Foreign Affairs Ministry, said Ukraine has exploited its ownership of Serpents Island -- a tiny rocky outcrop -- to propose a more southerly line in its favor.

Aurescu said the island was illegally annexed by the Soviet Union and handed to Ukraine at its independence and should be ignored by the court when it sets a border. The Hague AP

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, shares a word with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during the EU summit in Brussels.

US welcomes Europeans in Russia-Georgia dispute The United States welcomed Europe's involvement in the Russia-Georgia dispute as laid out on Monday in decisions

by European Union leaders in an extraordinary summit meeting at Brussels In Brussels, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, current head of the European Union, said he would lead an EU delegation to Moscow next Monday for talks on the crisis. The White House praised EU involvement in trying to reverse Russia's recognition of two breakaway Georgia regions -- Abkhazia and South Ossetia -- and promised US cooperation in reconstruction of the small Caucasus country, a former Soviet republic. The statement from President George W. Bush's press secretary also urged the EU to deploy cease-fire monitors quickly to ensure that Russia fulfills

its promises. "This extraordinary EU summit demonstrates that Europe and the United States are united in standing firm behind Georgia's territorial integrity, sovereignty and reconstruction," White House press secretary Dana Perino said in the statement. "We will work with the EU to assist Georgia with its reconstruction and will participate in the international conference on Georgia's reconstruction," the statement said. Sarkozy, speaking after an emergency EU summit in Belgium, said the EU would postpone talks previously scheduled for next week on a "partnership and cooperation" pact with Russia unless Moscow withdraws its forces in Georgia in line with the cease-fire agreement it signed to halt the fighting in early August. Moscow Reuters

MANEUVERS

Iran plans air force games in Ramadan The Iranian air force will hold wargames during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began in Iran on Tuesday, a military commander said. The exercises will be held amid ongoing speculation about a possible US or Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, which the West and Israel say are part of a clandestine bid to build nuclear weapons despite Tehran's denials. "Large wargames of the armed forces' air force will be held in the blessed month of Ramadan," said Iran's armed forces commander-in-chief, Brig.Gen. Ataollah Salehi, Fars News Agency reported. The start of Ramadan can differ from country to country because it is based on the lunar calendar. Alongside the regular army, Iran has a Revolutionary Guards force viewed as guardians of the Islamic ruling system. The Guards have a separate command and their own air, sea and land units but often work with the regular military. Salehi was speaking at a ceremony for the armed forces' new air force chief, Brig.-Gen. Hassah Shah-Safi. Tehran Reuters

PHOTO

Russia says EU was right to avoid sanctions

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi walks as she offers flowers to the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima on Tuesday.

AP

Pakistani prosecutors said on Tuesday they are pressing ahead with corruption cases against opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, a move his lawyer called politically motivated as the presidential race grew increasingly testy. Asif Ali Zardari, head of the main ruling party and widower of slain exPremier Benazir Bhutto, is expected to easily capture enough lawmakers' votes on Saturday.

Sharif's party is fielding a retired judge as its candidate. The election and surrounding political maneuvering are being watched carefully by the US, which considers Pakistan's cooperation critical in the war on terror. In mid-August, longtime US ally Pervez Musharraf was forced to quit the presidency by a ruling coalition that included Sharif's party. Sharif switched to the opposition after disputes with Zardari over who should succeed Musharraf and how to restore judges the former president sacked last year. Both Zardari and Sharif have been saddled with corruption allegations over the years, but Zardari has seen cases against him vanish in recent months, thanks in large part to a deal struck with Musharraf to pave the way for Bhutto's return to the country. Islamabad AP

PHOTO

Cases against Nawaz Sharif still pursued

AP

GRAFT

Thai army chief balks at protest crackdown Thai soldiers would not use force to evict protesters occupying the prime minister's office, army chief Anupong Paochinda said on Tuesday despite a state of emergency giving him the power to do so.

"If we thought we could use police and soldiers to get them out with a peaceful conclusion, we would do it. But we think that that would create more problems," he told reporters after a man died in clashes between pro- and anti-government protesters.

The emergency powers invoked by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej banned public meetings, declared government buildings off limits, and restricted media reports that incite unrest. But with the army reluctant to enforce the decree -- Anupong said his soldiers would be unarmed and would act only as a buffer between the protesters -- the stand-off looked set to drag on.

"Announcing a state of emergency is

Gen. Anupong Paochinda proper and timely. But if you ask me if this is the beginning of the end? No, it isn't," said Puwadol Lapudomsuk of Asia Plus Securities.

The Thai baht hit a one-year low of 34.47 per dollar and the stock market ended down 2.3 percent, while most other Asian markets climbed on weaker oil prices. The index has

CM Y K

lost around 24 percent since the protests began in May. The deployment of troops in Bangkok raised the specter of an army seizure of power less than two years after the military kicked out then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Anupong, one of the generals who ousted Thaksin only to see his allies return to power in December's general election, said another putsch would solve nothing.

"The door to use force is closed. We must find a solution through the legal and parliamentary systems," he said.

At Government House, leaders of the protest movement that has occupied Samak's official compound for the past week urged more followers to join them at their makeshift barricades of razor wire and car tires. "There are not enough jails to put us all into," Chamlong Srimuang, a leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), told thousands of cheering supporters. Bangkok Reuters

US house speaker visits Hiroshima A-bomb memorial US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday became the highest-ranking serving American official to pay respects at the memorial site of the world's first atomic bomb attack.

Democrat Pelosi is in Japan for a two-day gathering of top legislators from the Group of Eight industrialized countries.

On Tuesday morning, she and the other G-8 representatives visited Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park before heading into an all-day meeting.

No sitting US president or vice president has ever visited Hiroshima. As speaker of the House of Representatives, Pelosi is second in line to the presidency after US Vice President Dick Cheney.

Former US President Jimmy Carter stopped by the memorial in 1984, after his presidency, but he did not visit in any official capacity.

Genyu Izawa, a Buddhist priest, stood by as each of the G-8 officials laid flowers at the arch-shaped monument inside of which a stone chest holds the names of bomb victims.

"As a Japanese, I am grateful that they are thinking about this and have all gathered here, the site of the atomic bombing," said Izawa, who traveled from Tokyo to show his support to Pelosi for her longtime commitment to Tibet issues.

An estimated 140,000 people were killed instantly or died within a few months after an American B-29 bomber dropped its lethal payload on Aug. 6, 1945.

Three days later on Aug. 9, 1945, the US dropped a nuclear bomb on the city of Nagasaki, killing about 80,000 people. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, ending World War II. Japan, which adopted a pacifist constitution after the war, has since become one of the staunchest opponents of nuclear proliferation.

At a ceremony last month marking the 63rd anniversary of the bombing, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba urged the next US president to support a proposed ban on nuclear weapons. And Japan submitted a resolution in the United Nations last year calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Akiba said 170 nations supported it, with the US one of only three countries opposed.

The gathering of G-8 officials in Hiroshima will focus on peace and disarmament, but is not expected to result in any major agreements or statements.

Sadami Naganishi, 73, of Hiroshima said she hopes their visit to the city is a step forward in ridding the world of nuclear weapons.

"I hope they see what happened here, and take that back to their countries," said Naganishi, whose father died of a bomb-related illness several years after the war. Hiroshima AP

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CULTURE&ARTS

TODAY’S ZAMAN 13

W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 0 8

Haydarpaþa station celebrates 100th year of Hijaz Railway

Heroes reborn in

EMÝNE YILDIRIM ÝSTANBUL

Re-released to mark the Aug. 30 Victory Day celebrations, "120" is a tragic yet heroic story in the pages of Turkish history. Directed by long-time TV gurus Ozhan Eren and Murat Saracoglu, the film received production support from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The year is 1914. The Ottoman Empire is in its last days, right after the Balkan wars and just before the outbreak of World War I. In the eastern Anatolian town of Van, we meet a Turkish family: The father, Cemal, is a high school principal; his twenty-something daughter, Münire (TV favorite Özge Özberk), is mourning the loss of her older brother in the Balkans; and the young sons of the family, Mehmet and Mustafa, are trying to hold on to idealist values in the mentorship of the town's beloved soldier, Süleyman, who also happens to be Münire's long-time fiancée.

Münire and Süleyman plan to get married, but these are harsh times and they must wait for peace in this volatile situation. But, of course, as we all know, in the pitiless pages of history, 1914 marks only the beginning of the great war that will dissolve the borders of the Ottoman Empire and eventually lead to the formation of the Turkish Republic.

Meanwhile, the echoes of World War I reach the ears of the Van townsfolk and, even worse, the local Armenian "gangs' have begun their rebellious moves hungry to get a slice of the pie. We repeatedly hear the gang leaders bellowing "This soil will soon be ours!" but this is not to say that all Armenians are bad guys in the film. In fact, in the first scenes, we are shown the Armenian and Turkish communities living peacefully side by side. The local physician, Dr. Kirkor, is a friend of Cemal's family and other Turkish residents;

'120' but, unfortunately, he is later assassinated by his own people for treating Muslim patients.

Naturally, the exile of the Armenian people has also been addressed in the film, although it is not the focal point of the story. We witness a group of Armenian people walking, calmly and serenely, out of the borders of the province to their new "promised" land. We overhear one of the Turkish characters saying "These are 'good' Armenians, they just want to make themselves a new home." Lo and behold, the Armenian gangs forcefully try to prevent the group from leaving the town, claiming that they must fight for the land that rightfully belongs to their people. These are muddy waters and, as I'm not a historian, I cannot honestly claim whether most of the scenes pertaining to the Armenian issue are faithful to historical events, although we must assume at this point that the filmmakers have done their research. But still, the whiffs of an awry kind of reductive nationalism can be felt throughout, although the addition of the character of Dr. Kirkor was obviously based on good intentions.

Coming back to the main story, once World War I begins, the troops of the Ottoman Empire (including Münire's beloved Süleyman) are sent to the northern outpost to fight the Russians. In the dreadfully cold climate of eastern Anatolia,

RUMEYSA KIGER ÝSTANBUL

Ýstanbul's Haydarpaþa train station is currently home to a collection of photographs showcasing the history of the Hijaz Railway, which was built 100 years ago to ease the situation of Muslims making the pilgrimage to Mecca on their journey through the desert. The exhibition, organized by the Albaraka Türk participation bank, the Ýstanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the Turkish State Railways (TCDD), includes historical and contemporary photographs of the railway, which starts in Ýstanbul and ends in Mecca.

The curator of the show, Abdüsselam Ferþatoðlu, says they used Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II's Yýldýz Palace archives for the historical photographs, while most of the new ones were taken by him. "This should not be considered just as an exhibition. We are trying to create a public opinion that will enable this glorious project to live once more," he said in an interview with Today's Zaman at the exhibition's opening ceremony. Ýstanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaþ, who also supported the exhibition, says the idea of the project, which was aimed at bring the East and West closer, originated in Ýstanbul. "The Hijaz Railway is the name of the path that connects the holy land to Ýstanbul. This exhibition is also significant because it is being held in the Haydarpaþa train station, which was the starting point of the railway," he said. Albaraka Türk General Manager Adnan Büyükdeniz noted that the Hijaz railway photograph project has attracted attention in countries such as Canada, the US, Britain and Israel.

The exhibition showcases 80 photographs, numerous paintings prepared by the Prime Ministry General Directorate of State Archives, informative videos about the Hijaz Railway and the TCDD's new high-speed trains and stamps issued by the Postal and Telecommunications General Directorate (PTT) in memory of the Hijaz Railway. The admission-free exhibition will be on display until Sept. 14.

the troops are soon left deprived of adequate resources, including ammunition. The Van townsfolk, under the leadership of Cemal and the governor, decide that they must take action to help their troops. Unfortunately, most of the young and capable men are already at the outpost, and the others are too old to travel through the mountains to carry the ammunition. The authorities must make a harsh decision: They will send 120 young boys between the ages of 12 and 17 (including Cemal's own son, Mehmet) to take whatever weaponry is left in the town.

Thus the journey begins and, in the endless white slopes and cruel weather, the boys succeed in completing their mission despite being cornered by one of the Armenian gangs on the way. But can they make it back to Van? Most importantly, will the town's conscience ever be the same again after sending their sons out to certain death in the name of saving the country?

Only 40 of them make it back, and the town will be overcome by grief, although they know that all has been done for the greater cause.

On the whole, "120" is a powerful film despite its many setbacks, including the usual didactic dialogue, overdose of melodrama and overlength running time. It reminds us that the milestones forming the Turkish Republic were achieved with great personal and social sacrifice under the harshest of conditions, where disease and poverty had already overcome Anatolia.

Throughout our childhood and youth, we are always taught how painstakingly difficult and laborious it was to declare independence to create modern Turkey, and yes, sometimes we hear it to too many times for own good. However, the makers of "120" -- I want to believe with good intentions -- succinctly remind us that indeed it was never easy as a nation to get to where we are now. In our current socio-politically volatile times, let's just hope that history doesn't repeat itself.

The history of the railway The project, initiated at the order of Abdülhamid II, was built largely by Turks, with German consultation and support. A public donation campaign was opened throughout the Islamic world to fund the construction, and the sultan started the campaign by donating 50,000 lira. Eight years later, in 1908, the railway reached Medina on the anniversary of the sultan's accession to the throne. With the railway a pilgrim could travel from Ýstanbul to Medina in 120 hours.

The road was repeatedly damaged in the midst of fighting during World War I, particularly under the leadership of British spy T. E. Lawrence. The commander protecting Mecca and Medina, Fahrettin Paþa, brought the Ottoman Empire's Sacred Relics to Ýstanbul through the Hijaz Railway following the breakup of the empire. The railway, which passes through the contemporary borders of Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia is no longer used to carry pilgrims to Mecca. However, it is still in use for other purposes by Turkey, Syria and Jordan.

Venice festival hits halfway, films flounder

SCREENING

THEATER

‘Dante 01' to be shown at Enka Open-air Theater

‘Çirkin Ýnsan Yavrusu' to be staged at Talimhane

French director Marc Caro's science fiction thriller "Dante 01" tells a futuristic story in which criminals are packed off to outer space. It recounts the mishaps of six dangerous criminals locked in a prison on planet Dante, which has a toxic atmosphere. The movie will be shown on Thursday at the Enka Open-air Theater in Ýstanbul's Ýstinye district starting at 9:15 p.m. Tickets are priced at YTL 12 and can be purchased at www.biletix.com.

Theater performance group Oyun Deposu is staging the play "Çirkin Ýnsan Yavrusu" (Ugly Human Baby) on Thursday at the Talimhane Theater in Ýstanbul's Beyoðlu district. The 60-minute play tells the story of one homosexual woman, one Kurdish woman and one woman with a headscarf and their struggle against prejudice in Turkish society. Tickets to the play can be found at www.biletix.com for YTL 12.50-YTL 17.50.

THEATER

‘Komedi Dükkaný' comes to Ortaoyuncular Theater The famous Turkish TV show and theater play series "Komedi Dükkaný" (Comedy Shop), which takes place in a theater where the audience is allowed to go on stage and is broadcast live on TRT 1, will be staged on Thursday at the Ses 1885 -Ortaoyuncular Tiyatrosu on Ýstiklal Street in Ýstanbul's Beyoðlu district. Latecomers will not be allowed entrance. Tickets for the show, priced YTL 23 to YTL 56, can be purchased at www.biletix.com.

EXHIBITION

Large shoe sculptures to be exhibited in Ýstanbul An exhibition of large shoe sculptures, sponsored by famous shoe brand Hotiç, started on Monday in various spots of Ýstanbul, including Þiþli, Niþantaþý and Teþvikiye. The exhibition, titled "Shoe-Art Ýstanbul 2008," will run through the end of October. The shoes exhibited have been designed by 100 shoe designers and artists and are organized within three categories: sneakers, stilettos and motorcycle shoes.

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Blame it on the Hollywood writers' strike, the weak economy, or just plain bad luck.

Whatever the reason, the 2008 Venice film festival has been described as one of the weakest in recent years, and, as it reaches the halfway stage on Monday, needs more hits to light up the main competition. "What the festival has shown is that 2008 is simply a bad year for film," said Jay Weissberg of trade publication Variety. "The overall impression here is one of disappointment and everybody is desperate for a really good film in competition."

The annual event on the picturesque Lido waterfront attracts the world's biggest movie stars and most accomplished film makers, and has earned a reputation for kicking off the awards season that culminates in the Oscars. This year the stars have been thin on the ground and there has been little buzz about lead performances. More importantly, critics say, the movies on show have been generally poor.

Of the 21 films in the main competition that vie for the coveted Golden Lion at a prize ceremony on Saturday, two Japanese entries are in the running for the top award that has gone to an Asian director for the last three years. Animation master Hayao Miyazaki's adaptation of the "The Little Mermaid" is the favorite so far, showing the 67-year-old has lost none of his energy and imagination.

"Miyazaki's 'Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea' is a refreshing thirst-quencher in a thus far dry lineup," said Deborah Young of the Hollywood Reporter.

Also popular was cult director Takeshi Kitano's "Achilles and the Tortoise", while Italian entry "BirdWatchers" -- about a confrontation between natives and wealthy white farmers in Brazil -- was warmly applauded at a press screening on Monday.

"The Burning Plain", the directorial debut by Mexico's acclaimed screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga, divided critics, but Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger won plaudits in lead roles. Venice Reuters

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14 TODAY’S ZAMAN

W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 0 8

OPINION

Democracy wars in Mauritania

MUSTAFA GÖKÇEK*

SAMÝR SALHA*

PHOTO

It was set to be a historic speech long ago. The Democratic Party’s nomination acceptance speech was scheduled to be on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech. When it became clear that Barack Obama would be chosen as the first black presidential nominee of a major party in American history, it was in the minds of many that Obama was King’s dream coming true. However, rather than associating himself closely with King and the black rights movements, Obama rightly chose to appeal to all Americans and picked the overarching theme of his speech as “the American promise.”

The four-day Democratic National Convention was organized as a festival, much like a concert, as well as a political event.

Performances by famous singers, old and new, and speeches by established Democratic leaders, including Ted Kennedy, the Clintons, Al Gore and the Kings were accompanied by testimonies from people on the street. Each speaker made sure to emphasize Democratic unity, show strong support for and confidence in Obama and harshly attack the Bush administration and McCain.

Obama took the stage on the last day as the last speaker, and his speech was as inspiring and as powerful as any other Obama speech. Despite the live coverage on 10 commercial networks reaching over 40 million viewers, almost 85,000 people gathered in Mile High Stadium (all these numbers setting records in US political history) as proof of their eagerness to support Obama, and many among them burst into tears of joy and excitement as they witnessed this momentous event. The enthusiasm of Democratic voters and their appeal to the larger public reached its peak.

The convention aimed to accomplish several goals. One of the primary goals was to unite the Democratic Party, which was torn apart during the long nomination contest between Hillary Clinton and Obama. Just as the Clintons fought hard and long against Obama, now it was their duty to put the house in order. More influential than Hillary Clinton’s acclamation was Bill Clinton’s excellently laid out declaration that “Obama is ready to lead!” These speeches ended any remaining doubts about the Democratic Party’s unity behind Obama. The convention did end the clash between Obama and Clinton, not only officially, but in reality as well.

Attacking and discrediting McCain was another goal throughout the convention. The main and common point of criticism directed at McCain was that his presidency would be “more of the same.” He was equated with Bush in every way possible and his presidency with the third term of George W. Bush. Considering the low popularity of the Bush administration it was an effective approach in attacking McCain. The newly chosen vice presidential nominee Joseph Biden mentioned McCain’s wrong foreign policy choices, such as his support for the war in Iraq, and repeated relentlessly, “McCain was wrong, Obama was right.” Obama, giving in to the criticism that he was not harsh enough on his opponent and compromising his pledge not to lead a negative campaign, bashed McCain openly, clearly and severely. He sarcastically exposed McCain’s disconnectedness from the ordinary citizen, brought up the fact that McCain voted with Bush 90 percent of the time and successfully connected it to his motto of change: “I don’t know about you, but I am not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change.”

Another major goal that dominated the convention program was the appeal to nonDemocrats. In order to accomplish this goal the Democrats invited ordinary people to speak at

AP

The Amerýcan promýse

the convention, who brought up the difficulties they faced in their daily lives and how they believed Obama to be their hope for change toward a better future. These real life stories touched on the shortcomings of the health insurance system, jobs moving overseas and increasing unemployment, difficulty in finding scholarships and loans for education and the lack of government support for the needy. Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s daughter made a speech titled “Not as a Democrat or Republican, but as an Independent,” and stressed the unity of the American people, behind Obama, of course.

More important than the others were several converts from the Republican line to the Democratic who made a strong case of why a Republican, too, can support Obama.

From the very beginning of the campaign Obama consistently endeavored to go beyond the party lines and reach out to the independents and Republicans that are neither pleased with the current administration nor hopeful of a McCain leadership. Obama rightly learned from historical experience where crossing party lines increased the chances of winning and brought long-lasting strength to the party and the president. “Reagan Democrats” and Clinton’s concept of “new Democrat” with a Republican flavor refer to the efforts by the former nominees to find and emphasize common ground between the two party

policies and appeal to the followers of the rival party. Obama, modeling his speech on Reagan’s 1980 and especially Bill Clinton’s 1992 acceptance speeches, made sure to focus his criticism on McCain’s personal approach rather than despising long-time Republicans. This is one reason why, despite his several references to King’s speech, the central theme of Obama’s speech was not one on King’s dream coming true, but a phrase that emphasized Obama’s attempt to unite all Americans: the American promise.

Obama and Turkey The US presidential race is reflected in the Turkish media almost solely on the basis of the candidates’ views on the Armenian allegations.

Turkey’s perspective of the US and the presidential elections should not be hijacked by the Armenian issue. Regardless of whom the president of the US is or will be, the Armenian question and its influence on US-Turkey relations is an issue that Turkey has had to deal with over a long period of time and at various levels, including political, historical, social and cultural. Thus, independent of the presidential elections or the US government’s closeness to Turkey, Turkey has to develop a long-term strategy to first contain and then remove the effects of Armenian allegations involving Turkey in the international arena. Furthermore, US-Turkey relations are

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*Dr. Mustafa Gökçek is an assistant professor at Niagara University.

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania, which gained its independence from France in 1960, has a large territory and important geo-strategic location despite its small population of 3 million. It also attracts attention because it is one of the few countries in the region that have diplomatic relations with Israel; because of this, Mauritania is strongly criticized by the Islamic world. Mauritania is also interesting in that it has witnessed 15 different coup attempts in the last three decades. The tradition by which power is handed over through military coups changed for the first time in 2007, when it was replaced by a democracy test.

Ali Walad Muhammad Fal, who came to power after a military coup in August 2005, has taken some important steps to amend the constitutions and hold free elections in 19 months; he has also declared that he would not run for candidacy in the elections, a decision appreciated by the world. Fal’s efforts paid off and general elections were held on March 25, 2007. Sidi Walad Sheik Abdullah came to power after the elections.

Despite positive efforts by the Sheik Abdullah-led government -- which took office after elections free of violence and any significant disputes on the abolishment of slavery, human rights, democratization and removal of chronic problems stemming from social, economic and racial discrimination -- some argue that bribery and corruption came to a peak during Abdullah’s term in office -- during which time he also allegedly attempted to divide the army. Critics also say that he acts under his wife’s influence.

Amid these discussions, an unexpected military operation led by Muhammad Walad Abdulaziz took place, ending Sheik Abdullah’s 15-month term. In fact, the overthrown leader Sidi Walad Sheik Abdullah introduced noteworthy reforms, took significant steps in the field of social life and economy and initiated a new process to ensure cooperation with foreign countries. However a few mistakes and wrong decisions prepared the ground for his end.

Despite the military leaders and officers who staged the coup pledging that they would hand the rule over to a civilian administration within democratic rules, the current developments do not confirm this. Muhammad Walad Abdulaziz, who led the coup, assumed a greater role in ruling the country. This shows that he will be reluctant to step out of office easily.

However there are also other internal and external factors that led to the coup. These include the following: Ousted leader Sidi Walad Sheik Abdullah lost control because of internal disagreements within the ruling party, al-Ahad al-Watani. This led to division within the party, some members of which moved to the opposition bloc under leadership of Ahmad Walad Dadah, who also supported the coup attempt.

The overthrown leader sensed the presence of a coup plot, so he decided to redesign the military posts by reassigning Abdullah, commander of the presidential guards; this interference with the military balances was another factor behind the coup.

Walad Sheik Abdullah also attempted to secure his position by redesigning the judicial posts.

In particular, his attempt to reappoint the judges in the higher courts accelerated the coup process.

Sheik Abdullah has become overconfident due to the positive remarks by international circles regarding his democratic reforms; he believed that developed countries in particular would not allow a military coup in the country. So he failed to take lessons from the similar attempts in the past.

Israel’s role cannot be overlooked in the current situation of Mauritania. The coup process accelerated when the Mauritanian administration gave signals that it would cease its unconditional support of Israel; this played great role in the toppling of Walad Sheik Abdullah. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Daðýstan Çetinkaya

Thýnk tank cafe´ Established on January 16, 2007 NO: 0559 Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Executive Editor Managing Editors

based on stronger pillars of mutual interest that from both Turkish and US perspectives should reduce the centrality of the Armenian issue in the perception and evaluation of each other.

Therefore, when evaluating the US presidential elections, the Turkish perspective should be more concerned with the role of the US in international politics in an increasingly multi-polar world, the US involvement in the Middle East and the economic stability in the US rather than what each candidate says on the Armenian issue.

Republican campaigns to discredit Obama with false accusations have influenced the Turkish public as well. One question should be made clear: While Obama’s father is a Muslim from Kenya, Obama himself is not a Muslim. He was raised Christian and has expressed his faith quite explicitly on numerous occasions. However, there is no indication to support the speculation that he will discriminate against Muslims or foreigners living in the US. Quite the contrary, historically, the Republicans have been more hawkish in foreign policy, especially as a result of their intimate relations with the big arms and oil companies.

In 1961, at the end of his tenure as president, Eisenhower addressed the American nation and warned them of a possible future threat to the freedoms in the US: “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.” Eisenhower’s historic Farewell Address points out the ever increasing influence of the military-industrial complex on the American policy-making processes.

The Republican idealism to “fight evil” and expand democracy, combined with support for big corporations including the arms industry have traditionally led to aggressive foreign policy moves. During the Cold War this worked better for Turkey, which gained higher strategic significance against the Soviet Union. However, as the perception of threat moved away from communism and focused more on the Middle East, an aggressive US foreign policy has proven to create serious complexities for Turkey.

The direct implication of Obama’s stance in foreign policy is what he defended from very early on: pull out of Iraq and refocus on Afghanistan. In an attempt to avoid criticisms that a quick withdrawal might cause the collapse of the Iraqi government and embarrass the US, he added the word “responsibly” and assured his audience that he would do whatever necessary for the security of the US. However the starting point and most significant aspect of his stance is still to put diplomacy first and not hesitate to talk with the enemy, something which the Bush administration has refused to do with Iran until very recently. In his acceptance speech, too, Obama made it clear that he will “renew tough and direct diplomacy with Iran and Russia” and “build new partnerships.” This perspective is certainly more in line with the recent Turkish foreign policy initiatives, which indicate an active diplomatic involvement in regional issues.

It is true that there is a chance Obama’s actions might not follow his words. But when his alternative, McCain, promises a continued and expanded war in the Middle East, why can’t we hope for the change Obama promises?

ABDULLAH BOZKURT OKAN UDO BASSEY FATMA DEMÝRELLÝ EMRAH ÜLKER KERÝM BALCI YONCA POYRAZ DOÐAN ÝBRAHÝM TÜRKMEN YASEMÝN GÜRKAN PINAR VURUCU HELEN P. BETTS FARUK KARDIÇ YAKUP ÞÝMÞEK BEYTULLAH DEMÝR HAYDAR DURUSOY ALÝ ODABAÞI

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W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 0 8

Problem of the left and the thýrd front The void in the left of Turkish politics has been observed as a negative quality for democracy. Indeed it is. But has the left been democratic in order to build on that tradition now? This question leads us to inquire into the past of the left in recent Turkish history.

The Young Turks (organized around the Committee -- later Party -- of Union and Progress) have usually been labeled as proto-democrats with a revolutionary tint. Yet their elite status and grip on the state apparatus never allowed them to pass beyond their class affiliation and form an organic tie wikth the populace. They wanted to modernize society from the top. That is why they did not harbor or foster liberal ideals that would trickle down to the popular level.

They presented their struggle as a desperate fight of survival of the downtrodden nations against imperialism while they were leading an empire that was fighting against the West. The Young Turks' failing imperial designs to hold the empire intact were soon transformed into suspicion and contempt toward the people they ruled over when the people began to pursue nationalistic aims. The very nature of Turkish nationalism was forged by a fatal defeat of the West (conveyed as "Western imperialism") and nationalism of the people of the empire they lost. Turkish nationalism is ripe with the potential ill will of the "other" and the fear of further dissolution

DOÐU ERGÝL d.ergil@todayszaman.com

that could be the end of national unity/state.

The Young Turks took part in the Second International and adopted the Marxist stance of anti-imperialism against the West. But that was almost all that they had transferred from Marxism. Other principles of Marxism were left out as the Young Turks transformed themselves into Kemalists. The republic founded by this cadre of militarycivilian bureaucrats and middle class intellectuals was nationalist, statist, uniformist (they denied ethnic and cultural pluralism) and authoritarian (they believed in modernizing society from above and were ready to use force whenever necessary to attain their aims).

Liberalism and democracy was left out of the political canopy.

Anti-imperialism was their foremost "leftist" ideological instrument, whereas nationalism was their main political instrument to build a

YAVUZ BAYDAR

new nation. This legalist-constitutional streak came to our day through the Republican People's Party (CHP). However, the CHP failed to modernize society and to achieve the promised level of development. A more radical "left" emerged in the 1960s. This was a radical Marxist movement that created a lot of tremors but failed to organize on a mass scale. It was militant, built an underground network and was ready to use force. The military coming from the first tradition crushed this vibrant movement with the 1971 and 1980 coups.

The legalist-constitutional left has viewed the second (radical) left as a danger to the regime and as too international.

Hence it helped with the extermination of it whenever it found the opportunity. What all this tells us is that there has never really been an effective Marxist left in Turkey just as there has really been no democratic one. It is no wonder that the so-called left is accusing the liberal democrats of uniting with the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and boosting this "obscurantist" party and its government. By tradition, if not by definition, the Turkish left has been secular, ethnic Turkish, middle class and nationalist. The liberals are advocating cultural pluralism, democratic organization of the grass roots and reinterpretation of secularism as politics/state being equidistant to all

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AMANDA AKÇAKOCA a.akcakoca@todayszaman.com

Turkey must surely balance, but ýt has to make choýces I meant to devote this entire article to President Abdullah Gül's now almost-confirmed visit to Armenia, but an event definitely aimed at undermining today's talks on Cyprus came up. It has to be commented on.

Daily Taraf reported yesterday that an agreement between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaderships on "civilian" visits, dated July 25, was "broken" by the Turkish side because the Turkish Army Command on the island "unilaterally" decided not to allow Greek Cypriots to open a border gate for a single event.

The agreement initially allowed some 200 Turkish Cypriots to visit a cemetery in the Erenköy area, which was accomplished because the Greek Cypriot side kept its promise to open passage on Aug. 8. When, according to the agreement, it was the Greek Cypriots' turn to go the northern side via the same border gate some days ago, the former commander of the "Turkish Peace Force," Hayri Kývrýkoðlu, sidelining the Turkish leadership, insisted that the gate would not be opened.

Mehmet Ali Talat, reportedly deeply infuriated at what he saw as an indecent act of breaking a promise, chose to keep a low profile. Speaking to Dmitris Christofias, both leaders agreed that talks should proceed regardless of the event.

It is obvious the intervention of the military has already weakened the Turkish Cypriot side, and moreover, it signals how difficult it will be for Talat and his team of negotiators to reach a lasting solution that will reflect the "civilian will" of northern Cyprus and Ankara.

In Turkey's troubled neighborhood policies, it has always been a "walk on a tightrope" for the elected governments, more often than not operating under what appears to be the independent policy-implementing mechanism of the military. It should be noted that, also more often than not, failures due to the schizophrenic nature of "dual leadership rule" in Turkish foreign policy vis-à-vis Greece, Cyprus, Iraq and Armenia are registered in the performance of those governments themselves rather than the military headquarters whose responsibilities are not seen as accountable.

Against all odds, like a car whose gas pedal is pressed while the hand break is on, both the government and the Foreign Ministry insist in plunging into foreign policy areas long overdue to be solved. The latest example is the visit to Armenia by President Gül, which, unless a huge obstacle arises, will take place as a one-day event parallel to a soccer match in Yerevan between the Turkish and Armenian national teams.

It will be a historic event at a historic turning point for the Caucasus. It comes also at a time when Turkey's alliances and strategic partnerships will be tested to the limit. There is an awareness in Ankara, now, more than ever, that the famous saying by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, "Peace in the land, peace on earth," no longer means neutrality and passivity. Sticking to a sophisticated brinkmanship, Ankara has to make its strategic choices clear and visible. If not, it may lose its compass and be unable to find any secure accommodation in the emerging new world of bipolarity.

Therefore the choice of visiting Yerevan involves an enormous number of opportunities, despite the risks. The more Yerevan and Ankara talk to each other, the closer the vision of Georgia, Armenia and even Azerbaijan joining one day -- even if it may be through privileged partnership -- the European Union. The more Yerevan is persuaded to be involved in a solution in Nagorno-Karabakh, the more distant the risk of Russia recognizing it as an independent entity will be. The more Turks and Armenians talk to each other, the more visible the prospects for peace and democracy in the region, certainly. If the West loses Georgia and eventually Armenia to Russian expansionism, it is clear Turkey will be a loser, too -- at least in terms of its increased dependency on its northern giant neighbor.

It is difficult not to pay attention these lines written only recently by former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan: "Georgia's eagerness to get into NATO is understandable. But the security benefits to Georgia that NATO membership would bring would be offset by the creation of a dividing line in the Caucasus, and its attendant security challenges.

"Perhaps this is the Caucasus moment: a historic opportunity, in the context of a new regional security pact, for Brussels, Washington and Moscow to meet with Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku and create a nonaligned Caucasus, free of security memberships and adversarial alliances. Such positive, engaged, inclusive neutrality will be possible and beneficial all around.

"This would be in the best interest of this highly combustible region. A US-Russia confrontation at the Georgia-Russia level will make life very difficult, not just for us here in Armenia but also for Azerbaijan and Turkey.

"The proposal today, in this new tense environment, must be more serious and sustained. It must marginalize no one. Security issues are intertwined, and they ought to be addressed in a stability pact with a comprehensive, strong security component."

creeds. For the left this is just an unfortunate design for diluting national solidarity in the name of democracy.

Such an intellectual constipation does not take the left anywhere.

In view of this fact, a new group of intellectuals have set out to create a "third front" besides the existing right and left. Their shared points are deliberative democracy, cultural plurality and expansion of individual liberties and rule of law. They are focused and idealistic, however, do they have the public appeal to attract a critical body of people to make a difference? Past experiences of intellectual efforts to reshape politics despite the quality of people involved and their good intentions have not borne fruit. People are realistic rather than idealistic. They want the leadership of people who have taken on the burden of making a buck on their own by toiling in different sectors of the economy rather than drawers of salary from the state they promise to transform.

People want to see good examples of personal success rather than Ivy League scholars and media stars who talk sweetly but have done little in their part of social reality. We will see if a "third front" will help stop the tug-of-war going on between the left and the right and create a platform where differences are reconciled and common ideals are adopted by warring sides of society. Failure to do so has so far blocked the formation of both political solidarity and participatory democracy.

Azerbaýjan: The cork ýn the Caspýan bottle

The EU: Russýa’s gýft to the US? BERÝL DEDEOÐLU b.dedeoglu@todayszaman.com

EU leaders have started to take action following Russia's recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Possible sanctions against Russia are being debated, both in the economic and financial domains. The EU is insinuating that it may freeze Russia's financial assets, limit EU investments or impose commercial restrictions.

Russia is probably watching these efforts sarcastically, as it already acts within a wide area, far from being limited to European markets. Russia has enormous economic and financial advantages in regions such as Central Asia, China and India -- adding up to more than half of the world's population. There is nothing that the EU has that Russia doesn't, but Russia has many things that the EU doesn't. Russia also possesses many tools that could limit the EU's actions, such as the latter's energy dependence on Russia. Russia is obviously conscious of these facts and it is ready and determined to use its advantages and retaliate, if the EU adopts a bothersome attitude.

The very basis of the process that created today's EU was made of stable, just and unambiguous policies. The EU, which has always tried to respect these rules in its internal functioning, couldn't do the same in its foreign and security policy or its enlargement policy. Contradictory political attitudes have reached the point where they risk damaging the EU's internal mechanisms. Even if we put aside the Cyprus issue or relations with Turkey, Kosovo set a good and recent example. Did the EU, which hastily recognized Kosovo's independence, discuss its eventual attitude if one day different entities from Georgia, Azerbaijan or Iraq ask for their independence, too? Most likely

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they just thought that they would act according to US directions. But it's a known fact that the US administration adopts divergent policies for each different case; it often invokes double-standards and extremely rude policies. What the EU is actually doing by challenging Russia is nothing but following the US pattern to revive the EU-US alliance.

The EU couldn't convince Poland and the Czech Republic to refuse the agreement over the US missile defense system; the accord putting an end to the war in Georgia was prepared by the EU in conformity with Russia's demands and the bloc couldn't form a clear position on whether or not what remains of Georgia will be accepted into NATO. The EU member states take divergent positions and tense relations with Russia are not good for some of them. One of the EU's central actors, Germany, is amongst the countries that have found themselves in a difficult position.

The EU couldn't manage the escalating tension between the US and Russia and, from now on, there aren't too many choices. This atmosphere, which has disrupted the balance between enlargement and good neighborhood policies, has added many conflict-ridden subjects, such as Ukraine, to the EU's agenda, and this is as good as an open invitation for Russia to be interested in Ukraine once again. If the relationship between the US and Russia goes on like this, the EU will have to orient its enlargement policy's priority toward the south and it will have to develop a tense neighborhood policy instead of a good neighborhood policy.

To attempt imposing sanctions on Russia is much more important than actually imposing them. Russia is ready to face these sanctions' costs anyways. This attitude doesn't help the EU become the guarantor of balance; it only provides an opportunity to show to what extent the EU is on the side of the US, a fact that also drags the EU's policies on the Middle East and elsewhere toward the US line. Frankly speaking, it is a success for the Bush administration.

The tragic events in Georgia have left a number of other countries in the region fearing they may be next in Russia's line of fire. Clearly, wherever there is a Russian minority, the Kremlin will continue to argue that they have a right to protect them. Normal countries would do this through their consulates. As we have seen, the Russians do it by other means and for totally different reasons. These minorities are simply pawns in a much larger game. While there has been a lot of talk and fear about possible Russian actions against Ukraine and Moldova, where there are significant Russian minorities, there has been very little attention given to Azerbaijan. For those sitting in the Kremlin, the choices Azerbaijan makes about its future direction and to whom it will sell its natural gas are crucial. There can be no doubt that Russia will be keen to help Azerbaijan make the right choices.

Russia's stranglehold over the European gas market continues to allow Moscow to play its energy card game. Out of the 27 EU members, more than half are more than 50 percent dependent on Russia.

Six countries (Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Bulgaria) are either 100 percent dependent or nearly so. Turkey itself is 66 percent dependent. There is an urgent need to speed up plans for diversification via the EU-US backed Nabucco natural gas pipeline, which is meant to deliver 30 billion cubic meters of gas from Central Asia and the Caspian region to Europe by way of Turkey, but Europe simply does not seem to be able to get its act together to achieve this.

Azerbaijan is finding itself caught in the middle.

The geo-strategic importance of Azerbaijan cannot be underestimated. Azerbaijan is trying to play a delicate balancing act between its neighbors and partners -- Russia, Iran and the West. It has relatively good relations with Moscow and has not pursued NATO membership or rapid integration with the West. But nowadays it has the only oil and gas route that bypasses Russia's iron grip on energy exports and the growing competition between Russia and the West over Caspian energy resources puts Azerbaijan in an increasingly difficult situation. It is unlikely that Baku will be able to maintain this "neutral" situation for much longer.

Moscow will be hoping that their actions in Georgia will have demonstrated to Azerbaijan -- as well as other countries in the region -- that perhaps they should reconsider doing business with the West. They also likely hope to have shown the West -- and Western investors, in particular -- that means of getting petroleum products to the market independently of Russia may be unreliable and costly.

Russia wants all of Azerbaijan's natural gas resources: not least because it would seriously disable the West's plans to diversify away from Moscow. Just before the summer Aleksey Miller, head of Russian energy giant Gazprom, flew to Azerbaijan to present President Ýlham Aliyev with a spectacular deal that would make Baku very rich in exchange for a refusal on the part of Azerbaijan to make deliveries along planned pipelines such as Nabucco, Poseidon or the Trans-Adriatic. So far, Baku has not signed any deal with Gazprom, but it will come under increasing pressure to do so.

This leaves some open questions: How far will Russia go to get what it wants? If Baku decides not to sell out to Russia and continues to support Nabucco, can they rely on the West? After all, if the West failed Georgia, how can Azerbaijan be sure it won't fail Baku, too? Realistically, what guarantees can the West give Azerbaijan? Russia also has the ability to stir up trouble for the Azerbaijani's through the country's Russian minority and other ethnic groups (Lezgins and Talyshs). These number some 400,000, are supported by Moscow and already have difficult relations with Baku. Russia can also cause problems in the ongoing conflict Azerbaijan is embroiled in with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.

If the West is serious, it needs to beef up its relationship with Azerbaijan and this should be made clear during the visits of US Vice President Dick Cheney, who is visiting Azerbaijan today, and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who is scheduled to visit later in the year. Furthermore, the West should consider carefully their response to the forthcoming presidential elections (May 15, 2009), which are not likely to be free and fair -- although they will probably be freer than those that took place last time. The West should resist the urge to condemn President Aliyev. It should instead recognize that Azerbaijan is a young democracy still coming to terms with the leap from doing things the Soviet way to the West's way. The wrong response here could push Azerbaijan in the wrong direction. And, lastly, the West should not allow the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to head down the same road as South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The EU in particular should take steps to get far more involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including have monitors on the ground and becoming part of the peace process. The West cannot afford to let Azerbaijan slip through its fingers. It is time to take serious action now before it's too late.

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16 TODAY’S ZAMAN

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2008

LEISURE

tv guýde

Gregorian Calendar: 3 September 2008 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 3 Ramadan 1429 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 3 Elul 5768 calendar@todayszaman.com

ÝSTANBUL: Akatlar AFM Mayadrom: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 11:30 14:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:30 21:30 Fri/Sat:23:00 ANKARA: Cinebonus Bilkent: 12:00 14:30 16:50 18:05 19:20 21:50 Fri/Sat:24:15 Cinebonus Panora: 11:50 14:15 16:45 18:00 19:15 20:30 21:45 Fri/Sat:24:15 ÝZMÝR: Agora Balçova: 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 AFM Maviþehir Ege Park: 11:00 13:15 15:45 18:15 20:50 22:00 Fri/Sat:23:30

GARFIELD'S FUN FEST ÝSTANBUL: Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 11:45 13:45 15:45 17:45 19:45 21:45 Fri/Sat:23:45 Caddebostan AFM Budak: 10:30 12:40 14:50 17:00 19:15 21:25 Çengelköy Cinemaxi: 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 ANKARA: Moviecity: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 AFM Cepa: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 ÝZMÝR: Cinebonus YKM: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 ANTALYA: Manavgat Kültür Merkezi: 11:45 13:30 15:15 17:00 18:45 20:30

120 ÝSTANBUL: Beyoðlu Atlas: 12:00 14:15 16:30 19:00 21:30 Pendik Oscar: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:15 21:30 ANKARA: Moviecity: 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 ÝZMÝR: Çiðli Cinecity Kipa:11:15 13:45 16:15 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat:24:15 ANTALYA: Megapol: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30

99 FRANCS ÝSTANBUL: Maçka Cinebonus G-Mall: 12:00 14:15 16:30 18:45 21:00 23:15 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 00:15

Crossword

CNBC-E 18:10 According To Jim 18:50 The King Of Queens 19:30 Scrubs 20:00 Smallville 21:00 Dexter 22:00 Love On The Ground 00:15 The King Of Queens 00:45 Scrubs 01:15 Dexter 02:00 Love On The Ground 04:00 The King Of Queens 04:30 Scrubs

‘Potter’ publýsher looks to promote next býg thýng On Sept. 9 the US publisher of "Harry Potter" will premiere a highly ambitious series with a mystery ending for readers and a couple of puzzlers for the industry: How big is the market for a multimedia story -- and can a phenomenon be conceived by a publisher rather than created by the public?

"The 39 Clues" is a planned 10-volume set about young Amy and Dan Cahill and their worldwide search for the secret to their family's power. The first book, "The Maze of Bones," is written by Rick Riordan of "The Lightning Thief" fame and has an announced first printing of 500,000. Steven Spielberg has already acquired film rights to the series.

Designed for boys and girls ages 8 to 12, each book will have a different writer, including such best-sellers as Gordon Korman and Jude Watson. Backed by a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign, "The 39 Clues" also features game cards, a contest with a $10,000 first prize and a sophisticated Web site that includes games, blogs, videos and thousands of pages of background.

"The word we always used was 'groundbreaking,"' says Scholastic executive editorial director David Levithan. "We wanted to be the first out there to introduce this kind of multidimensional thing."

A Scholastic team, led by Levithan and including about a dozen editors, thought of the series about three years ago, working from the idea of a treasure hunt. The essential outline, including the ending, was set by the publisher.

Authors were asked to fill in the details, taking a thread,

British author J.K. Rowling holds a copy of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, for its worldwide launch in 2005. as Levithan describes it, and turning it into a blanket.

"It's a different kind of challenge," Levithan says. "To use a movie analogy, each director of the ‘Harry Potter' films brings their own voice and their own vision to what J.K. Rowling has done. You still feel there's a consistency

Goldmax 07:05 Brewster McCloud 08:50 Reds 12:00 One Crazy Summer 13:30 We Don't Live Here Anymore 15:05 The Abyss 18:00 Irreconcilable Differences 20:00 Shining Through 22:15 Dead Heat 23:55 Stuck on You 01:55 Neil Young: Heart Of Gold 03:40 Shining Through

there, and part of the fun is seeing what they add to it."

"I love the gaming aspect of ‘The 39 Clues,’" says Jenny Levine, a digital specialist for the library association. "I could also see a lot of libraries forming ‘39 Clues' clubs the way they've had Pokemon clubs."

Books for all ages often originate with publishers, and countless best-sellers are made through marketing. But a blockbuster, whether "Harry Potter" or Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" novels, virtually always happens spontaneously.

"Harry Potter" was born in the brain of Rowling and immortalized by millions worldwide. The staff at Scholastic, and the British publisher, Bloomsbury, were sure they had a hit, even a classic, but not a record breaker. Other children's franchises, including "Clifford" and "Junie B. Jones," began simply as books and expanded only in response to public demand.

"I remember when ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' first came out; nobody knew it was going to be so big. That's how it works. You need the kids to grab onto a book and tell each other about it," says Beth Puffer, manager of the Bank Street Bookstore, based in New York.

"I can't think of a phenomenon that was presented that way from the start. This is a very unique situation."

Puffer and other booksellers are enthusiastic about "39 Clues," although unsure whether it will be a sensation.

Kimberly Diehm, co-owner of the Neverending Story Children's Bookshoppe in Las Vegas, calls the first volume "a perfect tale" by Riordan, but says she has noticed little discussion about it among her fellow retailers. New York AP

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Sudoku EASY

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ÝSTANBUL: Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat:24:30 Altunizade Capitol Specum 14: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:30 22:00 Fri/Sat:23:30 Þaþkýnbakkal Megaplex M&S: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 ANKARA: Cinebonus Bilkent: 11:00 13:40 16:20 19:00 21:40 Fri/Sat:24:00 Kýzýlay Büyülü Fener: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Cinebonus Panora: 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat:23:30

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Qatar's foreign relations, thus gaining full independence.

Today is National Flag Day in Australia. Australia's National Flag was first flown on Sept. 3, 1901. In 1996, on the 95th anniversary of the Australian national flag, Sir William Deane, then governor general of Australia, declared this day as Australian National Flag Day. Today is the anniversary of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolution.

On Sept. 3, 1783, the treaty between Britain and the US ending the Revolutionary War was signed in Paris.

Today is liberation day for several districts in Turkey's Aegean region. On this day in 1922 Güney (Denizli), Ödemiþ (Ýzmir), Emet (Kütahya), Tavþanlý (Kütahya), Buharkent (Aydýn), Selendi (Manisa), Eþme (Uþak) and Bigadiç (Balýkesir) were all liberated from Greek occupation. These districts were previously under Greek occupation periods ranging from three years to several months. By Kerim Balcý

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CLOSING THE RING

but by the French colonial government. On this day in 1934 Habib Ali Bourguiba and the leaders of the newly formed Neo Destour party in Tunisia were put under house arrest.

Neo Destour was a more nationalist and independenceseeking alternative of the Destour Party, which was content with self-governance. This house arrest boosted the momentum of Neo Destour and of the independence movement.

Today is National Day in San Marino. This day honors St. Marinus, traditionally regarded as the founder of San Marino. San Marino is built on the death place of St. Marinus, who is believed to have founded the state in 301.

Though there is no clear evidence that the state's foundation day was Sept. 3, St. Marinus' feast day is also regarded as the day for celebrating the foundation of San Marino.

Today is Independence Day in Qatar. On this day in 1971 Qatar severed the treaty with Britain that had handled

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi in Hinduism. This day marks the beginning of a 10-day festival to honor Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu god of good beginnings, prosperity and success. Ganesh is the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is also revered by Jains and is important in the art, myth and ritual of Buddhist Asia. Ganesh, considered the remover of obstacles and lord of wisdom, is the first god invoked at the beginning of worship or of a new enterprise and is often positioned near thresholds and gateways. In northern India, idols of Ganesh are worshipped everywhere. On the 10th day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, amidst a procession of song, music and dance, these idols are taken to rivers, lakes or the sea, where they are immersed.

Today is Memorial Day in Tunisia. On this day the nation celebrates its move toward independence in 1934. The move actually was made not by the independence seekers,

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

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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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02.09.2008

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CONTINUATION

TODAY’S ZAMAN 17

W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 0 8

Opposition raises voice against President Gül’s likely visit to Yerevan contýnued from page 1 The necessary diplomatic back channels are in place for organizing the possible presidential visit.

Turkey's opposition parties have been extremely critical of Gül's possible visit.

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said the government is trying to reverse the country's official policy without Armenia meeting any of the conditions demanded by Turkey for the normalization of ties. He also warned against alienating Azerbaijan, saying this country is of vital importance for Turkey in many respects.

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), whose late leader, Alparslan Türkeþ, worked to improve ties between Turkey and Armenia, has also opposed Gül's possible visit. MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli has said Gül's visit would be a historic mistake that would harm Turkey's national pride.

Turkey was among the first countries to recognize Armenia's independence, but it closed its border and severed formal ties with Yerevan after Armenia occupied NagornoK a r a b a k h .

According to Turkish policy, the

normalization of ties requires an Armenian withdrawal from Azerbaijani territory, the shelving of Yerevan's support for the Armenian diaspora's efforts to win international recognition for Armenian claims of genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire and Armenia's formal recognition of the current border with Turkey.

Professor Hasan Köni, from Bahçeþehir University's international relations department, says a visit by Gül to Yerevan would be in Turkey's interests and that if the opposition is opposing it, it may be because they are not well informed about the recent situation in the Caucasus.

"The situation in the Caucasus is even more complicated now. Turkey is trying to follow a policy that serves stability. Gül's visit will serve this aim," Köni says, adding that the Foreign Ministry should inform the opposition parties about the recent situation in the Caucasus.

Baskýn Oran, another professor of international relations who supports Gül's possible visit to Yerevan, said that he finds it difficult to understand the position taken by the opposi-

tion parties. "Actually, I was not surprised by the attitude of the CHP. ... But the MHP's stance is surprising since their late chairman worked to improve relations between Turkey and Armenia," he says.

But another opposition party, the Democratic Society party (DTP), supports Gül's visit to Yerevan. DTP co-chairwoman Emine Ayna pointed out that the soccer game will not solve the problems between the two countries and Turkey will not lose anything, but that Gül's visit will nonetheless serve to develop dialogue between the two countries.

"Turkey is in denial about some things and the Armenians have some negative attitudes. These problems should be solved," Ayna told the Cihan news agency recently.

Apart from diplomatic concerns, the main practical reason for opposing Gül's visit is security.

Many AK Party deputies wanted to attend the game, but the party administration decided not to give permission due to security concerns.

Kaan Soyak, from the TurkishA r m e n i a n

PHOTO

AA

President Abdullah Gül will probably go to Yerevan upon an invitation from his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarksyan, to watch the national soccer teams of Turkey and Armenia compete.

Sports sociologist: Don’t mix sports and politics in Armenia match ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA

The national football teams of Turkey and Armenia will compete on Saturday in Yerevan in a World Cup qualifying match that has drawn more interest from politicians and diplomats than the sports world, but a professor of sports sociology has warned that politicians should avoid mixing sports with politics.

Professor Özbay Güven, the head of sports sociology at the physical education and sports department at Gazi University, cautions that people shouldn't attach too much symbolism to this match and should not mix sports with diplomacy.

A member of the International Society for the History of Physical Education and Sport (ISHPES), Güven talked to Today's Zaman about the high expectations of Saturday's Armenia-Turkey match.

Noting that Turkish and Armenian sportsmen had competed many times in sports other than football in the past, Güven said it is normal for Turkish and Armenian nations to attach some symbolism to this match. "First of all, it was inevitable that one day Turkey would play against Armenia in such a match. Therefore, this event should be viewed with reason rather than sentimentality. Actually, Turkey should be happy as it will be playing against a weak team like Armenia. It is very unlikely that Armenia will be successful in this football match.

They should regard this match against the Turkish national team as an opportunity for furthering their relations with Turkey and for the opening of borders," he says.

Güven advised that the Turkish national team should not underestimate Armenia and that the Armenian national team should not give different or historical meanings to the football match. "Although our rival, the Armenian national team, seems to be an easy target, we should not underestimate them. We saw what happened when the Maltese national team played Turkey in 2007 and the game was equated to the Ottoman siege of Malta. It is completely wrong to add symbolism to football or other sports matches," he noted.

Professor Güven also emphasized that both national teams, their players, their fans and their coaches should be ready to accept defeat or victory and behave with good sportsmanship.

However, he said, the biggest responsibility falls on the shoulders of Armenians in this respect. "Armenians should refrain from bringing their ongoing propaganda against Turkey to the match and from fueling tensions and prejudices.

This football match may serve as a first step toward the softening of relations and establishing friendship between the two countries. The media organizations from both countries should emphasize a love for sports," he says.

Güven maintained that depending on the atmosphere of the first match in Yerevan, the second match in Turkey may be played in a tension-free environment. He said the Turkish national team has learned not to mix sports with diplomacy and foreign policy after obtaining considerable success at the world and European championships.

"It seems that from the Turkish side, the match will be like a friendship match. Turkey

took this approach when it played against Greece. If Armenian fans do not behave in a sportsmanlike manner, the match's atmosphere may be tense. Serious measures should be taken against provocation.

Armenia should prevent Armenian fans from waving banners or placards with provocative messages. However, if the players or fans of one country attempt to provoke those of the other country, FIFA has serious sanctions in this regard. FIFA can easily find out who is right and who is wrong," he cautions.

He explained that Armenia is a weak rival for Turkey and that its chances of defeating the Turkish national team are low.

He suggested that neither side should view this match as a national cause.

"While we see it as a sports contest, Armenians may turn it into a national cause.

Our image in the contest will be positive or negative in the eyes of the world. This match may also serve to improve relations by giving both sides an opportunity to get to know each other and contribute to peace. It may bring us closer. Even if some unwanted things happen during the match, we should not allow this to have a negative effect on the lives of our Armenian citizens. Of course, this will boost national sentiments, but we should not forget the historical incidents in which acting out of emotion caused great harm to both societies.

This should never be forgotten," he says.

Güven added that while the Armenian national team is mediocre, it tends not to lose matches played at home, and therefore, the Turkish national team should be careful in the match.

Business Development Council, stressed that a new beginning is needed and that security will be assured in Yerevan. "I don't think that there will be protests but if there are any, the Armenian state will silence them," Soyak said.

But Center for International Relations and Strategic Analysis (TURKSAM) Chairman Sinan Ogan is doubtful about security in Armenia and warns that if there are any protests or security problems, relations between two countries could get even worse.

"It is very difficult to control a stadium. There is a huge risk there and I am not sure it is worth taking this risk," he said.

Meanwhile, Turkish national team coach Fatih Terim said yesterday at a press conference the game in Yerevan is a game, not a war: "It is true that our rivals will prepare for this game with a special motivation. For us this is just a soccer game. When I think about my friends from all over the world that I met because of soccer, it is impossible for me think in another way. You cannot prepare yourself for a game while thinking about history and political problems. We cannot carry the burden of history on our shoulders, if we do that it will slow us down."

Babacan reminds Bahçeli of Türkeþ' talks with Ter-Petrosian Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has responded to nationalist opposition leader Devlet Bahçeli -- who suggested the government acted under foreign pressure concerning rapprochement moves with Armenia -- reminding him of past contacts between late Alpaslan Türkeþ, the founder of Bahçeli's party, and Armenian officials.

The debate on the issue stemmed from Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan's invitation to President Abdullah Gül to watch the World Cup qualifying game between the two countries' national soccer teams on Sept. 6. Gül has so far remained cautious on the matter, saying he is still considering whether or not to accept the invitation from his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarksyan. However, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, speaking to reporters over the weekend, indicated that Gül would go to Yerevan for the match.

Such signs hinting that Gül would positively respond to the invitation prompted Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Bahçeli to release a written statement on the issue on Monday.

"Going to Armenia by bowing to foreign pressures and impositions and by surrendering to Armenian lobbies inside [the country] will be historical heedlessness and such a manner will wound Turkey's honor," Bahçeli said in the statement.

Babacan, in a statement to the Anatolia news agency on Monday evening, first of all noted that no decision had yet been made as to Gül's travel to Yerevan.

"We have difficulty in understanding Mr. Bahçeli's statement that this visit will harm Turkey's honor and self-esteem," Babacan said, saying that it was not possible to accept Bahçeli's accusing statement.

Turkey has recognized Armenia since the early 1990s and there have been contacts at various levels between the two countries, including those held by statesmen of the time starting from the first half of the 1990s.

"Within this framework, there are talks held in line with the responsibility of a statesman by the late Alpaslan Türkeþ with [Levon] Ter-Petrosian," Babacan said, referring to talks between former Armenian President TerPetrosian and former MHP leader Türkeþ in 1993.

At the time, Türkeþ indicated that he had informed the prime minister and foreign minister of Turkey that a meeting was planned between himself and Ter-Petrossian, noting that the Turkish ambassador and counselor were also at the meeting which was aimed at trying to see if the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan could be stopped.

"If this visit is carried out, it will not be a result of foreign pressures and impositions, but will be a reflection of Turkey's constructive efforts for making contribution to peace and stability in the international field and in its region," Babacan said. Ankara Today's Zaman

Google presents its own Web browser, posing new challenge Google Inc on Tuesday introduced a new Web browser designed to more quickly handle videorich applications, posing a challenge to browsers designed originally to handle text and graphics.

Google officials confirmed news of long-rumored plans to offer its own Web browsing software, entitled Google Chrome, in a company blog post after it mistakenly mailed details of the project to a Googlewatching blog, called Blogoscoped.com.

The company statement calls the move "a fresh take on the browser" and said it introducing a public trial of the Web browser for Microsoft Corp Windows users on Tuesday. Details can be found at http://tinyurl.com/gchrome/.

The Internet search leader is also working on versions for Apple Macintosh users and for Linux devices, Google said.

The launch of Chrome coincided with the recent introduction by arch-rival Microsoft of its Internet Explorer 8 last month. Internet Explorer has roughly three-quarters of the browser market, followed by Mozilla's Firefox and Apple's Safari.

Google said its engineers had borrowed from a variety of other open-source projects, including Apple Inc's WebKit and the Mozilla Firefox open-source browser. As a result, Google plans to make all of Chrome software code open to other developers to enhance and expand, the company said.

"We realized that the Web had evolved from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and that we needed to completely rethink the browser," Google Vice President of Product Management Sindar Pichai and Engineering Director Linus Upson said in a jointly authored blog post.

They said Google Chrome promises to load pages faster and more securely, but it also includes a new engine for loading interactive JavaScript code, dubbed V8, that is designed to run the next generation of not-yet-invented Web applications.

"What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web pages and applications, and that's what we set out to build," Pichai and Upson wrote.

A Google spokesman declined to comment beyond the blog post.

"The browser landscape is highly competitive," Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, said in a statement.

"People will choose Internet Explorer 8 for the way it puts the services they want right at their fingertips, respects their personal choices about how they want to browse and, more than any other browsing technology, (it) puts them in control of their personal data online," Hachamovitch said.

Google confirmed that it had prematurely mailed a copy of a comic book. Blogoscope's writer, Philipp Lenssen, scanned and published the 38-page comic at http://blogoscoped.com/google-chrome/.

Chrome organizes information into tabbed pages. Web programs can be launched in their own dedicated windows.

It also offers a variety of features to make the browser more stable and secure, according to the comic book guide.

Among Chrome's features is a special privacy mode that lets users create an "incognito" window where "nothing that occurs in that window is ever logged on your computer." This is a read-only feature with access to one's bookmarks of favorite sites. Once available for testing on Tuesday, the browser can be downloaded at http://www.google.com/chrome/. San Francisco Reuters

Democracy wars in Mauritania contýnued from page 1 It is interesting that new leader Abdulaziz held meetings with the American and French ambassadors shortly after the coup. This shows that the Western powers played a determinative role in the recent developments in the country. The US had previously suspended a grant in the amount of $25 million; while the EU condemned the military coup, the future developments will show the real attitude of the West.

Despite the military administration declaring that it would not announce a state of emergency, abolish parliamentary activities and ban political parties, Mauritania's future became fairly uncertain. To this end, whether the country will suffer from endless coup terms or whether it will enjoy military-civilian consensus is of great importance. The worst-case scenario, that the forces that acquired office will interrupt the democratic process, seems to be taking place.

Current discussions within Mauritania focus on the method that should be used for transition to democracy. There are disagreements over whether overthrown leader Sidi Walad Sheik Abdullah will be allowed to assume office again without facing a trial.

I think that the only thing that will end these discussions is a strong reaction by the opponents and dissidents that stand against the coup. The only thing that will save Mauritania seems to be engaged in efforts to reinstate democracy and initiate a mechanism that will prevent future military intervention. To this end, the efforts of independent media and civil society organizations should be supported. As long as the tradition of coup making remains in effect, it is obvious that the Mauritanian people and the future of the country will lose all the time. *Dr. Salha is an instructor at Kocaeli University.

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18 TODAY’S ZAMAN

W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 0 8

TODAY’S LEARNING TIME

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.” William Blake

OSMAN TURHAN

elementary READING

Finding criminals

ILLUSTRATIONS

The police find most criminals because somebody tells them who the criminals are. They find other criminals by using science and their computers. When there is a bank robbery, the police first look through their computers for the names of bank robbers they know about. Then they go and talk to any of these robbers who are not in jail. They ask them where they were at the time of the robbery. If any of these people cannot give a good answer, the police will often use science to find out if one of them is the robber.

Many criminals leave something of themselves at the place of the crime like a fingerprint or a hair. Or they take something away on their shoes or clothes, like dirt or animal hair. If they leave behind some of their blood or a hair or a piece of skin, it will have their DNA inside it.

Everyone’s DNA is different in the same way that their fingerprints are different. Therefore, if a criminal cuts himself during a robbery or leaves a hair, or even a small piece of skin, scientists can find out what his DNA is. The police can then ask the person they think is the robber to give them one of his hairs or some blood and see if it has the same DNA. Many criminals are in jail today because of this kind of evidence.

Activity: At or In ?

advanced READING

Why be nice?

PART 1: Write T for true or F for false Paragraph 1 …….Most people find criminals because they know them or because they use computers and science to help them.

Paragraph 2 ……..Most criminals are dirty and have lots of hair which they leave at the place of the crime.

Paragraph 3 ……..Many criminals cut themselves when they do crimes.

Complete the sentences with at or in.

1.

I live ….. England.

2.

I will meet you ….. the morning.

3.

I love to see the stars ….. night.

4.

I will put the letter ….. my briefcase.

5.

I have a large sofa ….. the living room.

6.

Are you ….. the bathroom?

7.

Steve is …… the Czech Republic at the moment.

8.

Paul is calling. He’s ….. the airport.

9.

My suitcase is ….. the taxi.

10.

Where’s the cat? It’s ….. the kitchen.

PART 2: Complete the sentences using these words fingerprints blood DNA evidence criminal crime dirt robbery a. Every piece of our body has our ……..in it. b. We all have red ………inside our bodies. c. The police look for all kinds of ……..to find criminals. d.Every time people touch something with their hands they leave their ……..on it. e. Have you ever met a ……..? f. What ……is John Smith in jail for? g. There is too much ……..on the floor. Clean it up, please. h. There was a bank ……..yesterday.

ýntermedýate READING

Activity: Verb Tense

Cappadocia

Circle the correct verb in each

For many people, Cappadocia is one of the wonders of the world. It is a place of underground cities, churches and homes, carved out of volcanic rock. It is like nowhere else on earth.

The area is very old, dating back at least 30 million years. At this time, the three mountains in the area were active volcanoes. During the course of time they have often covered the whole area with a kind of rock called volcanic tufa. This is quite a soft rock and easily changed by wind and water. It is also possible to cut into it to make small caves for people to live in.

Cappadocia, therefore, became a good and unusual place to live, and at the beginning of Christianity many thousands of Christians, who were trying to escape from people who wanted to kill them, came to live in the area.

Apart from the strange surface of the area, it is also famous for its underground cities. So far six of these have been discovered, though no one knows exactly how large they are or how far down they go. However, they were so large they could have had

sentence.

Michelangelo Buonarroti, usually known as only Michelangelo, 1. is/has probably the most famous artist in the world. He

PART 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct letters .

1. congenial _____ a. attractive b. unfriendly c. hostile d. friendly 2. to backfire _____ a. to boomerang b. to get rid of c. to shoot d. to become relevant 3. to go hand in hand with _____ a. to romance b. to become friends c. to come together d. to marry 4. accommodating _____ a. relentless b. angry c. open d. agreeable 5. to come up with _____ a. to enter together b. to supply c. to lie d. to meet 6. timidness _____ a. friendliness b. stupidity c. anger d. shyness 7. succinct _____ a. jealous of b. direct c. indirect d. humorous 8. excruciating _____ a. short b. boring c. intense d. horrible 9. to turn down _____ a. to lower the volume b. to fail c. to greet d. to reject 10. to stick to _____ a. to decline b. to follow c. to maintain one’s position d. to be stubborn

2. was born/borned in 1475 in Tuscany, in Italy. His father 3. want/wanted him to become a businessman. However, However, when Michelangelo 4. had been/was 13, 5. was decided/decided to be an artist. His father 6. become/became very angry be-

populations or several thousand each, and they are all joined by tunnels.

They contain what is left of churches, dining rooms, and graves and all have ‘blocking stones’ – huge stones that could be moved across the entrances to keep unwanted enemies out.

It is not known how large these cities were, who built them or even when they were built. In the Middle Ages, Christians lived in them, but

there is evidence of Roman and Hittite peoples living in them, which means the cities must be older than Christianity. Equally surprising is why they were built. The number of people living in Anatolia, which is where Cappadocia is, was never large.

However the amount of work – and workers – needed to build them must have been enormous. Where did these workers come from?

cause he 7. taught/thought that artists

PART 2: Answer the following questions.

1.

What happened to the author’s camera at the picnic?____________________________________________________ 2.

What goes hand-in-hand with being nice according to the author?__________________________________________________ 3.

In the past, why did the author never offer constructive criticism to others?______________________________________________________ 4.

How has the author’s attitude changed at meetings?___________________________________________________ 5.

What new behaviors has the author experienced?_____________________ _____________________________________________________________

8. were being/were only workers.

However, Michelangelo

Activity: Active Or Passive

9. became/become a famous

Choose the correct verb for each sentence.

artist, sculptor, and architect.

1. One idea is that TNCs should do business only according to what _________________

Now everyone

legally in other countries.

10. know/knows his name and

A. was accepted

many pieces of his art.

2. However, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” ______________ without exception.

B. been accepted

A. could not be followed

PART 1: Match the phrases in A to the phrases in B to make sentences.

B

1. The surface of an orange____

a. is the outside part we can see.

C. can not be following

a. He wears ………….clothes.

several/unusual

b. The doctors ……………that my mother is very sick.

discovered/invented

b. is a large hole in a rock that people or animals can go into.

3. If something blocks a place, ____

c. is the way you go in.

4. A cave

d. it stops anyone from going in.

____

PART 2: Choose and write the correct word.

c. The underground rooms were joined by ……………

D. cannot be followed

ter to the commander of the army.

The worst part about being a doctor was when she had to convey bad news to a family.

Parts of speech: conveyance (noun), conveyor (noun) discretely (adverb) Separately; distinctly In order to understand how the engine worked, each component needed to be studied discretely.

Parts of speech: discrete (adjective) nucleus (noun) A central or essential part around which other parts are gathered; a core The nucleus of many European cities is the town square.

Usage tips: Nucleus is often followed by of.

Parts of speech: nuclear (adjective)

tunnels/churches

sition.

A. which used

B. which was used

C. which uses

D. which is used

4. This argument is that the people ___________ have the right to decide.

A. who affect

B. who are affected

C. who were affected

D. who will affect

5. The right of a host country to determine which standard to apply _________________. d. We have no …………….that the boy was stealing.

VOCABULARY Must Have TOEFL Words combustion (noun) The process of burning When air quality is poor, combustion of materials in a fireplace is prohibited.

Usage tips: Combustion is often followed by of.

Parts of speech: combust (verb), combustible (adjective) component n. One part of a system or whole Their home theater system has a number of separate components.

Usage tips: Component is often followed or preceded by of. convey (verb) To transport from one place to another; to transmit or make known A messenger conveyed the prince’s let-

C. is accepted D. is being accepted

B. could not follow

3. First, we need to examine one important argument ____________ to support this po-

A

2. The entrance to a place ____

for me to utter that word. I was often taken advantage of by friends.

Nowadays, I have no problem saying “no” to people.

Offering constructive criticism to others was never a part of my past make-up. I couldn’t bear to hurt anyone’s feelings. I gradually realized that being critical in a positive way was beneficial, and would help the person to not repeat his/ her mistakes.

At teacher’s meetings, co-workers would sometimes present an idea that I had come up with, and not give me credit. Due to my timidness, I would say nothing. I have learned to become more visible at meetings. I try to be professional, so if others don’t accept my ideas, they will at least respect them.

I have become increasingly succinct with people. I used to feel the need to justify my thought processes by describing them in excruciating detail. I have come to realize there is no need to over explain.

Turning down people and offering criticism is completely new behavior for me. However, by sticking to this approach, I find that I can be nice while not putting myself in a position to be taken advantage of. Just don’t ask to borrow my camera.

A famous American once said, “Nice guys finish last.” Truer words have never been spoken. It seems that every time I am particularly congenial with someone, my actions always backfire. When I lend someone a CD, book or money, it is almost never returned. I actually loaned someone my camera at a company picnic, and she gave it back to me 4 hours later with dead batteries! Being nice on occasion is acceptable, but trying to be that way all of the time, and for everyone, will only get you in trouble. The trouble with being nice is it often goes hand in hand with other traits such as being too accommodating, unwilling to speak for yourself, or a hesitancy in being critical of your colleagues.

For many years, I was nice to everyone. I rarely said “no” to anyone. In fact, it was almost impossible

New Meanings for Old Words Chicken (noun) the only animal we eat before it is born and after it is dead.

Committee (noun) a body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

evidence/wonder

Pun of the Day The pun is the ultimate word play. It forms the basis of a large percentage of the jokes we hear every day.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

Popular Casual Expressions Bam Indicating "here or there" said emphatically.

Stanley quickly and delightfully placed his "A" filled report card in front of his parents and uttered the word "Bam." Bootleg Not of good quality, derived from the poor quality of movies that have been copied from originals, not original, forgery.

Frustrated at the quality of video they were watching, Phillip responded, "I told you not to buy those bootleg videos.".

Most Often Misspelled Words In English dumbbell Even smart people forget one of the [b]s in this one. (So be careful who you call one when you write.) embarrass (ment) This one won't embarrass you if you remember it is large enough for a double [r] AND a double [s].

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A. should respect

B. should respected

C. should is respected

D. should be respected

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER KEY:

ELEMENTARY: (Part 1) 1.T 2.T 3.F 4.T (Part 2) 1. a.millions b.help c.empty d.crime (Activity) 1.a 2.d 3.d 4.b 5.a INTERMEDIATE: (Reading) 1. a.broadcasting b.appeal c.innovation d.rigorous e.genre 2.a 3.d 4.b 5.a (Activity) 1.while 2.in conclusion 3.thus 4.nor 5.Although ADVANCED: (Reading) 1.a 2.d 3.d 4.b 5.c 6.c 7.d 8.a 9.d 10.c (Activity) 1.yet/but 2.or 3.for 4.nor 5.but/yet

In cooperation with English Time

T19-03-09-08.qxd

02.09.2008

18:42

Page 1

SPORTS

Schipper splits with coach who sold program Australian swimmer Jessicah Schipper has dumped her longtime coach after he sold a training program to a rival competitor who beat her at the Beijing Olympics. Schipper went into the Games as favourite to win the women's 200-meter butterfly but finished third behind China's Liu Zige, who had been receiving help from Schipper's coach Ken Wood, 78. Sydney, Reuters

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2008

OLYMPICS

Japan's Takuma Sato could be in line for a return to Formula One next year after the Toro Rosso team said on Tuesday they would give him a test later this month. Italy-based Toro Rosso need to replace Germany's Sebastian Vettel, who is moving to the main Red Bull team, and could have two vacancies if they decide not to retain French driver Sebastien Bourdais. The Ferrari-powered team said in a statement that they would also test 19-year-old Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi at the southern Spanish Jerez circuit in the last test session of the season.

Sato, who has been out of Formula One since his Super Aguri team folded in May, will test on Sept.

18 with Buemi in action the day before. Buemi is currently competing in the GP2 feeder series and is Red Bull Racing's F1 test and reserve driver. “The time has come to try and find a suitable replacement for Vettel,” team principal Franz Tost said. “The Jerez test... will give us an opportunity to evaluate Buemi and Sato at the same time, as they are both possible candidates for a 2009 seat.” Gerhard Berger, co-owner along with the Red Bull energy drink billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, said last week that the ideal situation for his team would be to pair a young driver with an experienced one. London Reuters

Ghana national team captain Stephen Appiah has stated that he is in no hurry to commit his future to West Ham. The Hammers have been strongly linked with the powerful midfielder and were reportedly ready to push through a deal before the deadline at midnight on Monday. But Appiah, who is a free agent after having parted company with Fenerbahçe, is considering his options with a number of Europe's leading clubs believed to be interested in him.

Sources close to the player told skysports.com that Appiah will not rush into putting pen to paper with any club due to his status as a free agent. As he is no longer under contract with the Turkish giants, the former Juventus player will be able to sign with a new club after the closure of the transfer window. The highly rated Appiah is bound to attract interest in the Premier League, Spain, Italy and Germany, with his combative talents in great demand. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

The Black Eagles are currently perching at the summit of the Turkish league table.

But what really matters is staying there until the season's final whistle is blown TURKCELL SUPER LEAGUE TABLE

Played two, won two, five goals for and two against -- those are the Beþiktaþ statistics after two games in the 2008-09 Turkcell Super League season and the best record so far in the league.

In their week-two league match against Konyaspor at Ýstanbul's Ýnönü Stadium on Monday night, the Beþiktaþ Black Eagles shut out the visiting central Anatolian side 2-0.

The result was quite different from that of the opening away game against newcomer Antalyaspor the weekend before last, when the Black Eagles battled back from two goals down in the first half to win 3-2.

Young Beþiktaþ coach Ertuðrul Saðlam learned a very good lesson from the Antalya game and so did his homework before the clash against Konyaspor. This time there were no gaping holes in the midfield or in the defense and the Beþiktaþ players were not lethargic at all.

Quite the contrary, the Black Eagles chased every ball right from the word go and took total control of the midfield, leaving visiting Konyaspor chasing shadows. Young Beþiktaþ winger Serdar Özkan, undoubtedly the man of the match, was

TEAMS

P

W

D

L

GF

GA PTS

Beþiktaþ 2 Bursaspor 2 Trabzonspor 2 Gaziantepspor 2 Galatasaray 2 Sivasspor 2 Konyaspor 2 Fenerbahçe 2 Denizlispor 2 Kayserispor 2 Eskiþehirspor 2 Hacettepespor2 Gençlerbirliði 2 Kocaelispor 2 Ýstanbul BþB 2 Antalyaspor 2 Ankaragücü 2 Ankaraspor 2

2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 2

5 4 4 3 4 2 3 2 4 0 0 1 1 1 0 4 3 0

2 1 1 0 1 0 4 1 6 0 0 2 3 3 2 6 5 4

6 6 6 6 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

at the center of it all. His speedy runs down the right flank and great dribbling skills not only mesmerized the Konya defense, but were also a pleasure to watch. However, despite their incessant attacks, the Eagles could not score in the first half because Konya resorted to defending en masse in a desperate bid for a scoreless draw.

"You can get it if you really want," says veteran Jamaican reggae musician Jimmy Cliff.

The Black Eagles really wanted victory, and so pushed more men forward after the break.

And they were rewarded for their efforts when Argentine captain-playmaker Matias Delgado broke the deadlock in the 50th minute with a superb strike. Slovak star striker Filip Holosko doubled the score for the Eagles 25 minutes later with his first goal of the new season.

"It was incumbent for us to win our first [league] match on home turf and we did exactly that," a visibly happy Saðlam said in his postmatch press conference, adding, "Our journey both in the league and the UEFA Cup continues."

There was really nothing poor Konya could do against the might of the Black Eagles. The small Anatolian side should, however, take heart, because it's no shame to lose to Beþiktaþ on the road, and also because it beat Ankaragücü 3-2 at home in the opening home match.

Yes, the Beþiktaþ Black Eagles are moving in the right direction -- at least for now. Ýstanbul giants Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, with 17 titles apiece, have completely monopolized the Turkcell Super League. And we have said time and time again that Beþiktaþ, with only 10 championships overall and none in the last five long years, has to break the title jinx this season to justify the "Ýstanbul soccer aristocrat" tag. Time alone will tell if the Eagles can accomplish that feat.

AP

OKAN UDO BASSEY ÝSTANBUL

PHOTO

MOTOR RACING

Sato eyes F1 comeback with Toro Rosso test

Eagles moving in right direction -- at least for now

Roberto Carlos poses with his Golden Foot Award 2008 in Monaco on Monday.

MESUT YILDIRIM

The horse of Brazilian rider Rodrigo Pessoa returned a positive doping test during the Olympic Equestrian competition last month, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) said.

Pessoa's horse Rufus tested positive for nonivamide, a banned substance known for its hypersensitising and pain relief properties, the FEI said in a statement. Pessoa and Rufus finished fifth in the individual showjumping final in Hong Kong.

The B sample was being tested on Tuesday. The FEI said this was the sixth and final positive doping case to come out of the Olympic equestrian competition in Hong Kong. “In terms of testing at the 2008 Olympic Games, all results have now been received, and there are no remaining cases to be reported,” the FEI added. Four riders, including Norwegian bronze medalist Tony Andre Hansen, were suspended from the Olympic Games after their horses returned positive tests for capsaicin, a chilli derivative banned for its hypersensitising and pain-relieving properties. The three others were Denis Lynch of Ireland, Bernardo Alves of Brazil and Germany's Christian Ahlmann. Last Thursday, the FEI said tests on the B samples for all four horses confirmed the initial findings. Hong Kong Reuters

Appiah in no hurry to be a Hammer

PHOTO

Brazilian rider's horse tests positive

SOCCER

Newcastle striker Troisi joins Gençler Newcastle United striker James Troisi has joined Turkcell Super League club Gençlerbirliði on a three-year contract. The 20-year-old Australian player said his former teammate Emre Belözoðlu, who moved to Turkey's Fenerbahçe this summer, told him that Gençlerbirliði was a good club. Troisi stated that he would do his best for his new team. Gençlerbirliði is currently 13th in the 18-team Turkcell Super League, with only a draw after two matches. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman The victorious Beþiktaþ players leave their Ýstanbul Ýnönü Stadium after beating Konyaspor 2-0 in week two of the Turkcell Super League.

SOCCER

Roberto Carlos wins Golden Foot award Fenerbahçe defender Roberto Carlos entered the ranks of legends when he was voted winner of the Golden Foot 2008, the international career award dedicated to the greatest champions of world soccer.

Fener fans gave Carlos an undisputed victory with 38,384 votes, against the 18,150 for Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and the 12,742 votes for AS Roma captain Francesco Totti.

More than 105,000 votes were submitted to the Web site www.goldenfoot.com, coming principally from Turkey, the United States, China, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, Hungary, Brazil, Greece and Germany.

Carlos succeeds Alessandro Del Piero, who won the honor last year.

The Brazilian received the Golden Foot from Prince Albert of Monaco, who is the patron of the event.

The international Golden Foot Award is presented to soccer players older than 29. Some of the previous winners of the award include Roberto Baggio, Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Pavel Nedved, Andriy Shevchenko, Dino Zoff and Ronaldo. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

Kewell and Meira listed for national teams New Galatasaray transfers Harrey Kewell and Fernando Meira have been listed for the national teams of Australia and Portugal, respectively.

In a statement released by the club, it was noted that Kewell was requested by the Australian national team's coach, Pem Verbeek, to play against Uzbekistan on Sept. 10. "Turkish football has been satisfied with Kewell because of his technical capacity and attack-based style.

He is happy to play for Galatasary and discover a new world," the statement quoted Verbeek as saying. It was also reported that the Portuguese national team's coach, Carlos Quieroz, listed Meira for the matches the team will play against Malta and Denmark on Sept. 6 and 10, respectively. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

Williams sisters set up early showdown at the US Open The Williams sisters will hold another family reunion on centre court at the US Open after registering wins on Monday that set up a tiebreaking, sibling clash in the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows.

Fourth seed Serena routed French wildcard Severine Bremond 6-2, 6-2, while seventh-seeded elder Venus crushed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 6-3 to book the rendezvous.

The sisters are 8-8 in head-to-head matches during their career, and 5-5 against each other on the grand slam stage so this one will bring bragging rights as well as a slot in the semifinals of the year's last major championship.

“It's tough to play her because she is so good,” said Venus, who won their last collision at this summer's Wimbledon final for her fifth singles title at the All England Club.

Serena rued the fact that the meeting between the two twice Open champions is coming so early in the championship.

“It sucks,” Serena said. “Even the semifinals would have been better than the quarters, but at least one of us will make it to the semifinals.

Rafael Nadal was one step away from his first semifinal in New York after taking his turn at shooting down one of the big-hitting young guns

CM Y K

at the Open to ride into the quarters.

The Spaniard, the top-seeded world number one for the first time at a major, dodged a bevy of bullets from 20-year-old American Sam Querrey, before capturing a 6-2, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 win.

In the last eight, Nadal meets unseeded American Mardy Fish, who beat 32nd seed Gael Monfils of France 7-5, 6-2, 6-2.

British sixth seed Andy Murray, 21, stormed into the quarters for the first time with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 demolition of Swiss 10th seed Stanislas Wawrinka.

Murray next goes against Argentine 19-year-old Juan Martin Del Potro, who reached his first grand

slam quarter 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 over Japan's 18-year-old Kei Nishikori in another tilt that underlined the advance of powerful young players on tour.

Arranging another women's quarterfinals date were a worn out Dinara Safina and Italy's Flavia Pennetta.

Safina, who complained of exhaustion, had enough pep to beat Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld 7-5, 6-0. Pennetta, the 16th seed, routed former world number one Amelie Mauresmo 6-3, 6-0.

The prospect of another Williams sisters showdown had the feel of a New York heavyweight clash.

Serena has dropped just 14 games from her four matches, and Venus has lost 15. New York Reuters

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02.09.2008

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Inspired Singh coasts to Labor Day victory Vijay Singh, helped by three monster birdie putts, eased to his third PGA Tour title in five weeks with a commanding five-shot victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday. Three off the pace overnight, the Fijian world number five fired a superb eight-under-par 63 in difficult, sun-drenched conditions at the TPC Boston for a 22-under total of 262. Norton, Mass., Reuters WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2008

Dimitar Berbatov

United eventually clinches a deal for Berbatov for a clubrecord $55.1 million, but it is Man City's move to pair Robinho up front with fellow Brazilian striker Jo that is one of the most audacious in English Premier League soccer history

fierce rival United a favor by stopping Robinho from joining the Blues. City's improved financial status also suggests that it will compete from now on with the likes of super-rich Chelsea, which enjoyed a huge edge in recent years because of the backing of Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich. "I am absolutely delighted to get the opportunity to work with such an incredible talent like Robinho," City manager Mark Hughes said on the club's Web site. "I have said that in order to compete with the best teams in the Premier League we have to be in the market for players of this caliber, and Robinho is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world.

"This is a real statement of intent as to the

ambitions of Manchester City Football Club."

Robinho won the Spanish league for the past two years with Madrid and has scored 11 times in 42 caps for Brazil. Robinho was in Brazil on Monday for World Cup qualifiers, but City said he had signed a four-year contract. Spanish sports daily Marca said on its Web site that City will pay Robinho 6 million euros ($8.8 million) per season -- about three times what he reportedly earned at Madrid.

Hughes denied that his club's offer for Berbatov had been a ruse to distract other teams from the move for Robinho, saying that City's surprise offer had been genuine.

Reluctant to do business with United because of its unhappiness at the manner of the

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Premier League champion's pursuit of Berbatov, Tottenham accepted City's bid but eventually sold him when the Red Devils agreed to lend promising striker Fraizer Campbell for a year. That also helped persuade Tottenham not to pursue a complaint against United to the Premier League. United manager Alex Ferguson had been desperate to bolster a strike force that has lacked a recognized center forward since Ruud van Nistelrooy was sold to Real Madrid in 2006. Cristiano Ronaldo scored 42 goals last season but was out injured until October and, like Wayne Rooney, he roams freely about the field rather than occupying dangerous central positions.

Carlos Tevez also drops deep frequently.

Berbatov, who joined Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen in 2006 in a four-year deal, will wear the No. 9 shirt that was freed earlier Monday when United sold Louis Saha to Everton. Berbatov was the only major addition to a squad that won last season's Champions League and Premier League. But Spurs had already secured a replacement for its star forward, confirming the signing of Russia international Roman Pavlyuchenko from Spartak Moscow for 17 million euros ($25 million). London AP

Brazil striker Robinho

PHOTO

Manchester United finally signed Dimitar Berbatov but was upstaged when Manchester City agreed to pay a British record transfer fee for Robinho on the final day of English soccer's summer transfer window. City started on Monday by announcing that it had agreed to an imminent takeover from a United Arab Emirates business group and for several hours looked as though it was about to spend some of its newfound wealth on Berbatov. But although City made Tottenham an offer for the Bulgaria striker, City rounded off a remarkable day for the club by paying Real Madrid 32.5 million pounds (40 million euro; $58.5 million) to hijack Chelsea's move for Robinho.

United eventually clinched a deal for Berbatov for a club-record 30.75 million pounds ($55.1 million; 37.7 million euros), but it was City's move to pair Robinho up front with fellow Brazilian striker Jo that was one of the most audacious in English Premier League history. Chelsea was so sure of signing the player that it had angered Madrid last week by briefly offering for sale shirts bearing his name.

Madrid rejected Chelsea's initial 32 million euro ($46.8 million) bid. The 24-year-old Brazil forward had long looked set to join Chelsea and his former international manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, but City seems to have done

AP

Manchester Cýty upstages rývals wýth move for Robýnho