www.todayszaman.com - Septemeber 6, 2008

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German parliamentarian of Turkish origin Özdemir is sole candidate for co-chairmanship of German Greens

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With everything to play for, Armenia hosts Turkey in 2010 World Cup qualifier

Foreign Minister Babacan to visit pro-Kurdish DTP to seek support for EU program

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Yo u r Wa y o f U n d e r s t a n d ý n g T u r k e y

page05 Gov't to start new legislative year with Cabinet revision

PRESIDENT GÜL’S DECISION TO ACCEPT ARMENIAN INVITATION PLEASES PM ERDOÐAN

‘Yerevan visit to boost Turkey's image’ MUSTAFA ÜNAL, DAMASCUS/ANKARA

in the international arena. If he had declined to go to Yerevan, everyone would have criticized Turkey for refusing to improve ties with Armenia. If Armenia had ulterior motives when inviting Gül to the soccer game, then Gül spoiled their plan by accepting the invitation," stated Erdoðan, who spoke to reporters on a plane en route to Ankara from Damascus. Erdoðan was in Syria on Thursday to attend a quadripartite summit in Damascus with French, Syrian and Qatari leaders, who convened to discuss Lebanon and the situation in the Middle East. Erdoðan stressed that Gül's

visit to Yerevan will be an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen peace plans in the Caucasus.

"If the first dimension of Gül's planned visit to Armenia is to improve ties with this country, the second dimension is the Caucasus platform [a regional stability and cooperation platform proposed by Erdoðan to resolve crises in the Caucasus]," he noted.

Erdoðan had proposed a regional alliance in the Caucasus in which the UN would also be involved soon after an armed conflict erupted between Russia and Georgia in early August. The aim of the platform is

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Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan has expressed satisfaction over President Abdullah Gül's acceptance of an invitation from his Armenian counterpart to watch a World Cup qualifying soccer match between the Turkish and Armenian national teams in Yerevan.

"President Gül's decision to accept or reject an invitation from Armenia will have a considerable impact on the improvement or deterioration of Turkey's image

TÜSÝAD head: Gov't should focus on EU accession HARUN ÇÜMEN, ÝSTANBUL Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TÜSÝAD) President Arzuhan Doðan Yalçýndað has said that Turkey should make up for the time it lost over the last two years and hold on to the European Union project. "The national plan should be implemented as soon as possible," she said during a fast-breaking dinner with newspaper economy editors on Sept. 2 at Ýstanbul's Conrad Hotel.

On Aug. 18 the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) released the Third National Program, a long-awaited EU reform package. The program calls for changes to 131 laws and 342 bylaws and regulations. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

US warship carries aid to Georgian port under Russian control The flagship of the US Navy's Mediterranean fleet anchored outside the key Georgian port of Poti on Friday, bringing in tons of humanitarian aid to a port still partially occupied by hundreds of Russian troops. Although Russia has watched the arrival of the USS Mount Whitney and other US ships in recent weeks with deep suspicion, a Foreign Ministry official said Russia does not plan any military action to the US naval presence in the Black Sea. The Whitney was the first Navy ship to travel to Poti since Georgia fought a short war with Russia last month. The ship anchored just offshore from the port, according to harbor master Vakhtang Tavberidze. CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

In another first, Gen. Baþbuð mingles with the people in Van

After paying his first visit the mostly Kurdish southeastern province of Diyarbakýr and meeting with representatives of NGOs there, Turkey's top general spent time yesterday with the people of the eastern province of Van. Chief of General Staff Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð walked among the public lining both sides of the street and chatted with them, crossing the security barriers. After he had conversations with various citizens and shook hands with them, Baþbuð and the force commanders were reportedly greatly applauded. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

to preserve peace and common security and further cooperation in the areas of economy and energy among countries in the Caucasus. The platform will also include crisis management mechanisms based on principles of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and play a key role in preventing similar clashes in the region in the future.

"I will send the foreign minister [Ali Babacan] to Armenia as well. He will discuss the Caucasus platform with his Armenian counterpart after the soccer match and see what he thinks about the platform. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Gül's visit raises hopes for symbolism paving way for thaw President Abdullah Gül will become the first Turkish president ever to set foot in Armenia today in a visit largely viewed as symbolic but that may well spur a period of rapprochement between the estranged neighbors.

Gül will meet his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarksyan, for about an hour and dine with him before proceeding to Yerevan's Hrazdan Stadium to watch a World Cup qualifying game between the two countries' national soccer teams. Officials have warned against overestimating the meeting, underlining that it will be a "framework" meeting discussing in general terms the primary bilateral disputes and a Turkish proposal to establish a Caucasus platform to resolve regional disputes.

But despite the short length of the meeting with Sarksyan and the largely symbolic nature of the visit -- Gül will stay for only five or six hours in Yerevan -- there are hopes that it could spark a period of reconciliation eventually paving the way for a restoration of relations between the two countries. Ankara severed its diplomatic relations and closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in protest of the Armenian occupation of a chunk of Azerbaijani territory in a dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. According to the official policy, ties will not be normalized unless Armenia withdraws from Azerbaijani territory, stops backing its diaspora's efforts to win international recognition for Armenian genocide claims and officially recognizes its border with Turkey. CONTINUED ON PAGE 04

‘Ergenekon has links to security and judiciary bodies’ ERKAN ACAR, ÝSTANBUL A security analyst has said Ergenekon, a political crime gang accused of preparing to topple the government, must have links to the police to be able to operate. Önder Aytaç, an instructor at the Police Academy in Ankara, said Ergenekon's links to the police should be ex-

posed in order to truly fight the illegal network.

He said such illegal structures have legs in the military, the police, the judiciary, corporations and the media. "The first basic course new police officers take in the United States shows a video about organized crime networks.

It notes that such structures need to be in touch with the police to find breathing room."

An investigation into Ergenekon, which has been accused of orchestrating various murders and attacks with the intention of creating chaos that would trigger a coup, revealed the names of a number of retired military officials who are suspected of being involved in the gang. One of them is retired Gen. Veli Küçük, the suspected leader. Aytaç said according to the Ergenekon indictment, which was made public in

Featuring news and articles from

July, Küçük spoke over the phone with a high-ranking Justice Ministry official. Aytaç also said anybody who has been involved in dirty business among the police would be known by others and that what he or she had done could not be forgotten. CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

‘MY SON MURDERED FOR THE STATE,’ SAYS MOTHER OF FORMER POLICE OFFICER PAGE 05

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02 TODAY’S ZAMAN

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F OOD FOR THOUGHT

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Q UOTE OF THE DAY

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer" except that you have actual responsibilities.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin

CROSS READER

FATMA DÝÞLÝ

PRESS REVIEW

W ORDS OF WISDOM

The terrorist organization [PKK] is approaching a breaking point. The Turkish Armed Forces aims to rid [the country] of terrorism as soon as possible.

Chief of General Staff Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð

Intervention in the path of justice by the military

Joe Houldsworth

RADÝKAL, HASAN CELAL GÜZEL

press roundup PHOTO

Gül’s výsýt to mark new era ýn relatýons wýth Armenýa After days of ambiguity and speculation, President Abdullah Gül has finally decided to go to Yerevan to watch the World Cup qualifying match between the national teams of Turkey and Armenia, to be held this evening. The prospect of Gül's visit to the Armenian capital has sparked intense debates, with the opposition objecting to the visit on the grounds that it will be harmful to Turkey and damage its relations with Azerbaijan, an ethnic and regional ally. On the other hand, supporters of Gül's Yerevan visit encouraged him to take this courageous step, which they said could be a turning point for the settlement of long-standing disputes between the two neighbors, which currently have no official relations.

Hürriyet's Ferai Týnç strongly supports Gül's decision to go to Yerevan, saying that his decision is shared by most of Turkey. Týnç believes Gül's Yerevan visit will not only usher in a new period in Turkish-Armenian relations, but will also make a positive contribution to the establishment of peace in the Caucasus. "It is the most meaningful gesture, showing Russia and Georgia how to resolve their disputes through peaceful means instead of resorting to violence," she claims. Regarding the possible effects this visit may have on Turkey's relations with Azerbaijan, she says it will bring more positive results than a policy of isolation would.

"Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan's invitation of Gül to Yerevan is a very courageous step on his part under the circumstances in Armenia. Likewise, Gül's acceptance of this invitation is a courageous step. It is a very appropriate step as he will take all of our regards to the Armenian public," says Týnç.

Sabah's Mahmut Övür contends that Gül's Yerevan visit is very likely to be a turning point in Turkey's relations with Armenia, as it has the potential to improve relations in many other fields. "Perhaps relations that are warming thanks to a football match could become warmer with the development of commercial ties between the two countries. For instance, the opening of the border gate in Kars may come to the agenda after this visit," he writes. In Övür's view, this visit not only marks a new beginning in Turkey's relations with Armenia, but also a new term for friendly relations among all of Turkey's neighbors. "In this respect, I find Gül's decision to go to Yerevan a very historic and courageous one," he adds.

As a person who frequently travels to Yerevan, Posta's Mehmet Ali Birand says he knows very well what the Armenian public thinks and feels about Turkey. "Nearly all Armenians hate Turkey to a certain extent because of the stories they have heard from their elders. However, be assured that a significant portion of the Armenians who live in Armenia -- not the diaspora -- are tired of conflict with Turkey. They believe that Armenians were exposed to genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in 1915, a claim Turkey rejects. It is very difficult to change their minds on this issue; however, while not giving up on this belief, they want to improve relations with Turkey, which will have a positive effect on their quality of life," Birand explains.

Thus, he suggests that Gül had a choice of whether or not to give relations with Armenia a chance and that he did the right thing by deciding to go to Yerevan. "I hope we will not face a train wreck and that a big taboo is broken. I hope peace is given a chance," he adds.

Just think: Two retired military generals are arrested and imprisoned on charges that they are members - leaders, in fact -- of a terrorist group that attempted to stage a coup in opposition to the constitutional order. The court does not accept the requests made that these two men be set free during the trial period.

But two months after their arrest and imprisonment, these two suspects in a case involving terrorism and coups receive a visit in prison from an active duty lieutenant general.

Not only this, but official statements note that the visit took place in the name of the TSK. If this is not a scandal, I don't know what is. I cannot be convinced that "humane" intentions lay behind the real reason for this visit.

The prison visit, the military and the gov’t STAR, NASUHÝ GÜNGÖR Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi's visit in the name of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to two incarcerated retired generals has left its imprint on the nation. Debates are raging over whether or not the visit constituted pressure on an ongoing court case. There are many points of interest in relation to this visit. First and foremost, the fact that it took place directly in the run-up to a meeting between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and new Chief of General Staff Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð and that the official announcement of the meeting included many details, both of these facts indicate that the visit itself was a maneuver that had been thought out and planned well in advance. Another point of interest is that of all the retired military officers in prison, the official visit from Mendi was only to Þener Eruygur and Hurþit Tolon; other retired military men, such as Veli Küçük, were kept off the agenda of the visit.

What does ‘in TSK's name' really mean?

BUGÜN, MEHMET METÝNER

From right, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Syrian President Bashar Assad and French President Nicolas Sarkozy stand together on Thursday upon the conclusion of a summit in Damascus examining ways to move toward a peace deal in the Middle East.

zaman:

Sarksyan to host iftar dinner for Gül at presidential palace, read the daily's top headline yesterday, reporting that Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan will first host President Abdullah Gül -- who will be in Yerevan today to watch a World Cup qualifying game between the national teams of the two countries -- at the presidential palace for an iftar dinner and then they will head to the match. According to the daily, Yerevan implemented tight security measures ahead of Gül's visit to prevent any assassination attempts, and the place where Gül will watch the match was enclosed in bulletproof glass.

star:

Quake time for Ýstanbul, read the headline of a front-page story in the daily yesterday, quoting remarks from Ahmet Mete Iþýkara, a well-known professor of geology, who said it is very likely that Ýstanbul will be hit by an earthquake between 2010 and 2014. Iþýkara said his prediction was based on a study he has been conducting over a long period of time. He also noted that the death toll in a possible Ýstanbul quake will not be very high

because new buildings are being constructed to be earthquake resistant; hence most of them would withstand a quake, reported the daily.

taraf:

A taboo is being broken, was the lead headline of the daily yesterday, noting that President Abdullah Gül's decision to go to Yerevan to watch a World Cup qualifying game between the national teams of Turkey and Armenia showed that a new era has started in relations between the two countries. The daily said one of the significant taboos in Turkish politics is being broken with the visit.

sabah:

Turkey did a good job, read the top headline of the daily yesterday, quoting remarks from French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who praised Turkey's mediation efforts between Israel and Syria. Speaking at a four-way summit in Damascus to discuss Middle East peace, attended by Turkish, French, Syrian and Qatari leaders on Thursday, Sarkozy said Ankara has done an excellent job and expressed European support for and acknowledgement of the Turkish initiative.

turkey ýn the foreýgn press The Guardýan

Arab News

Soccer lifts hopes of Turkey-Armenia thaw A soccer match in Yerevan's Hrazdan stadium on Saturday could herald a fresh start in relations between Armenians and Turks that have been marred by hostility for nearly 100 years. President Abdullah Gül will become the first Turkish leader ever to set foot in neighboring Armenia when, at the invitation of his Armenian counterpart, he flies to Yerevan to watch his national side play Armenia in a World Cup qualifying match. The visit has huge symbolic importance for two countries which

columns

The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child.

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have no diplomatic ties and whose relationship is haunted by the killings of hundreds of thousands of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey during World War One. If they can move beyond the symbolism to re-establish normal relations, that could have huge significance for Turkey's role as a regional power, for energy flows from the Caspian Sea and for Western influence in a South Caucasus region where Russia flexed its muscles last month by sending troops into Georgia.

Turkey, Armenia: Signs of thaw?

The divisions between neighbors Turkey and Armenia are deep and bitter. Their common border is closed. They have no diplomatic relations. It is, therefore, all the more significant that Turkish President Abdullah Gül has accepted an invitation from his Armenian opposite number to go to Armenia on Saturday to watch the Turkish and Armenian football teams compete in a World Cup qualifier match. While football-mad Turks will doubtless be interested in the outcome of the game -- in which Turkey has to be favorite -- its diplomats will be looking carefully at what feelers the Armenians are putting

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out and whether they are seeking to normalize relations and have Ankara lift the trade embargo, imposed as a result of Yerevan's post-independence dispute with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Nationalist opinion in Turkey has been outraged that Gül accepted the Armenian invitation. There was still the outside chance that his visit might not take place. But those who deplore the move are wrong because improved relations, even at a modest diplomatic level, could address some of the issues that most Turks find so vexing.

A visit "in the name of the TSK" to two retired generals being held in connection with the Ergenekon case has been announced. But why "in TSK's name"? Was this visit, as some are saying, simply a show of loyalty -- a completely humanitarian gesture -- on the part of the military? I very much doubt it. Were that all, the visit would have remained on a personal level. Instead, however, the importance of the institutional aspect of this visit was underscored and the details were shared with the public. There is absolutely no doubt at all that this visit was a politically motivated one. The messages it contained were political. In due time, we will all see what sort of influence this visit will actually have on the justice system. The Ergenekon case is one being taken seriously by the Turkish justice system, but it now appears that some of the armed forces commanders see the Ergenekon case in the same way main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal does: much ado about nothing.

Gül also captured the heart of Baku MÝLLÝYET, FÝKRET BÝLA Will President Abdullah Gül's visit to Yerevan anger Azerbaijan?

Will relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan be damaged as a result of this visit? Gül and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have already taken action to see to it that this does not happen. Gül, making sure the ministry was active on this question, pushed the ministry to give the message that Baku too will benefit from this visit.

The Foreign Ministry communicated to Baku that Turkey's basic policies on Azerbaijan-Armenia matters had not changed and that it would maintain its stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh question. In fact, the message also informed Azerbaijan that Gül's visit to Yerevan will actually strengthen Baku's position as well as help lay a new groundwork for Baku. The message also underlined that this would be more helpful to Azerbaijan than the perpetuation of a frozen problem. What's more, Prime Minister Erdoðan also spoke personally with Azerbaijani President Ýlham Aliyev about Gül's upcoming visit.

Following this conversation, he announced that the visit was not a problem.

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ÝSTANBUL ANKARA ÝZMÝR ANTALYA ADANA ERZURUM EDÝRNE TRABZON KAYSERÝ

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KONYA ÇANAKKALE DÝYARBAKIR SAMSUN BURSA GAZÝANTEP ESKÝÞEHÝR MALATYA KOCAELÝ

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Ýstanbul's schools are earthquake resistant, governor says

The Return Home and Family Support Project has given over 5,000 children who were staying at homes run by the Social Services and Child Protection Agency (SHÇEK) the opportunity to return to their families.

Of 21,000 children under the protection of SHÇEK, 12,000 are staying at the agency's homes due to the economic troubles faced by their families. SHÇEK officials say they are planning to ensure that all such children are returned to their families through financial support provided to them.

The difficult economic conditions of the last 10 years have forced families to leave their children with SHÇEK. About 60 percent of the children under SHÇEK's protection have parents who are not economically capable of providing shelter, food or education to their children. Although it was originally devised as an institution that would provide protection for children without parents or caregivers, it has recently turned into an institution that also takes care of the children from impoverished families.

In order to counteract the rising costs of raising a child, SHÇEK developed the Return Home and Family Support Project. The project calculates the average cost of care for one child as YTL 158.08 per month, and this sum is provided to families so that these children can remain at home.

This aid has given hope to children and families who have been separated from each other due to economic woes. In the first eight months of 2005, 551 children were returned to their families and in 2006, this figure rose to 2,500 children.

In 2007, families showed even greater interest in the project. Starting in July 2007, this aid became index-linked to the public servants' salary increase. With personal expenses, health services, stationery items, clothing and other assistance, this aid rose to a minimum of YTL 300. SHÇEK officials stated that about 38 percent of the children in their care have siblings within the SHÇEK system. They noted that a family with two children staying at SÇHEK homes would be paid about YTL 600 monthly, which is a major source of income for these families.

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ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA

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SHÇEK reunites children with families via economic support project

In order to counteract the rising costs of raising a child, SHÇEK developed the Return Home Project.

Seeing the heightened interest in the project, SHÇEK considerably increased the annual funds allocated to the project. In 2005, the agency had allocated about YTL 16 million, and it was increased to YTL 41 million in 2006,

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MEHMET ALÝ POYRAZ

Avcýlar-Zincirlikuyu commute to take 38 minutes with Metrobus

The route of the Metrobus, a new transportation line in Ýstanbul that combines the underground metro and regular city bus systems, will be extended to Zincirlikuyu, decreasing the average travel time between Ýstanbul's Avcýlar and Zincirlikuyu districts from two-and-a-half hours to 38 minutes. Ýstanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaþ stated yesterday that the Metrobus line between Avcýlar and Zincirlikuyu would begin operations on Sept. 8. "The daily capacity of the Metrobuses will be 400,000 passengers. Our citizens will spend only 38 minutes traveling to Zincirlikuyu from Avcýlar with Metrobuses, which currently takes around two-and-a-half hours," he said.

The Metrobus project was developed by the Ýstanbul Transportation Authority (ÝETT) in 2007 in an effort to relieve the city's traffic congestion and improve the quality of public transportation. Upon

completion, the Metrobus line will have 35 stops.

According to the ÝETT, 100 new buses will be purchased for the project to augment the existing 85-vehicle fleet. The buses currently operate between Avcýlar and Topkapý, and this extension is the first step of several in the line's extension, ultimately to connect the Ýstanbul's European and Asian sides.

Topbaþ noted that the next step in extending the Metrobus line is to connect it to Kozyataðý on the city's Asian side and to Beylikdüzü on the European side. In the meantime, the Ýstanbul Metropolitan Municipality is preparing to launch a project along the Metrobus line to encourage drivers to use Metrobuses for transportation instead of their vehicles. As part of this project, parking lots will be built at 12 points along the Metrobus line so that drivers can park their cars and continue their commutes using the Metrobus. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

Centuries-old Zazadin Caravanserai to open doors to cultural activities An eight-centuries-old Selçuk-era caravanserai in Konya, the Zazadin Han (or Zazadin Caravanserai), has been restored and can now host both cultural and social activities. Selçuklu Mayor Adem Esen recently announced that the Konya-based Zazadin Caravanserai, whose construction was begun in 1236 during the reign of Alaadin Keykubat and completed during the reign of Gýyaseddin Keyhusrev II, will now be used for social and cultural activities.

Located near the village of Tömek in the district of Selçuklu, the renovated Zazadin Caravanserai was reopened on April 25, 2008, in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan. "The restoration of this caravanserai, which is located on the 22nd kilometer of the road between Konya and Aksaray, was carried

out in accordance with the style and character of the site.

The restoration was carried out very carefully and in a manner which did not damage the historical fabric of this structure. After the completion of the restoration, pianist Tuluyhan Uðurlu performed for listeners from 54 nations at the caravanserai on the final night of the 11th World Historical Cities Conference in Konya," the mayor noted.

Noting that from now on both civil society organizations and various companies could be involved in supporting social and cultural activities at the historical caravanserai, Esen continued, "All sorts of activities which strengthen and develop social and cultural life in Konya can be held here. Concerts, meetings, and large dinners could all be hosted at this structure, which has 3,500 square meters in total.” Konya Today's Zaman

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YTL 48 million in 2007, about YTL 51 million in 2008 and about YTL 54 million for 2009. SHÇEK officials estimate that given the increased interest by families, 12,000 children will be able to return to their families in the next three years.

In response to recent claims that Ýstanbul's schools are not built to withstand earthquakes, Ýstanbul Governor Muammer Güler has said that there is not even one single school building in Ýstanbul that is not resistant to earthquakes.

"The school buildings in Ýstanbul are stronger than your apartments," he said.

Speaking during a fast-breaking dinner at the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MÜSÝAD) headquarters, Güler noted that the new school year begins on Monday and added that approximately 2.5 million students will begin their educations at some 2,500 schools. Güler touched on the subject of earthquake-proofing studies of Ýstanbul's school buildings, explaining: "Do not worry about the school buildings. There is not even one single school in Ýstanbul that is not resistant to earthquakes. The school buildings in Ýstanbul are stronger than your apartments. If a report comes to my table claiming that one of the school buildings is not resistant to earthquakes, we evacuate this building immediately.

We are using a very important financial resource to conduct the earthquake proofing studies at school buildings. We have 600 million euros at the moment to be spent on this issue." Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

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Opposition fuming over ‘soccer diplomacy’ with Armenia Opposition parties have stepped up criticism following an announcement by President Abdullah Gül that he would go to Armenia on Saturday to watch a soccer game between the national teams of the two countries, saying the move is "unacceptable."

"We do want relations with Armenia to improve, but it is unacceptable that we as a large country have such a submissive stance in the face of such grave hostility on the part of Armenia," Deniz Baykal, chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said in an interview with NTV yesterday. "This is not a serious policy. This is just another example of the inconsistencies we see in acts of the government."

Gül announced late on Wednesday that he would pay a one-day visit to Armenia, a neigh-

bor with which Turkey has had no formal ties since 1993, at the invitation of his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarksyan, to watch a Saturday World Cup qualifying game between the national teams of the two countries. A majority of the public, as well as the United States and the European Union, welcomes the visit, the first ever by a Turkish president to Armenia.

But opposition parties are unhappy, saying Armenia has not changed any of its policies that caused the ties to be severed in the first place and warning that Turkey's regional ally Azerbaijan will be offended. Baykal took the criticism to such a level on Thursday as to suggest that Gül visit a "genocide" monument in Yerevan while there. "This is what Baykal does all the time, building his policies on negative

elements," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan said in response to the CHP leader.

The genocide claims are at the heart of problems with Armenia. Armenians claim 1.5 million of their kin were killed in the Ottoman Empire as part of a systematic genocide campaign, while Turkey says there were deaths on both sides as Armenians took up arms against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Critics say Gül's visit to Armenia contradicts official policy, which holds that normalization of ties depends on Armenia withdrawing its support for the Armenian diaspora's efforts to win international recognition of the genocide claims, formal recognition by Armenia of the current border with Turkey and the withdrawal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijani territory. Baykal recalled a past

speech by Gül, then a member of the now-defunct Welfare Party (RP), in Parliament in which he criticized then-Armenian President Levon TerPetrosyan for coming to Turkey to attend a funeral for the late Turkish President Turgut Özal. He said not much has changed in Armenia's policies since then and criticized Gül for going to Yerevan for "publicity" purposes now.

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) also opposes the visit, saying it will be a grave mistake.

A group of supporters of the ultranationalist and secularist Workers' Party (ÝP) staged a protest outside the presidency on Friday to protest Gül's visit to Yerevan. Demonstrators said the visit was against Turkey's national interests and claimed it was taking place under pressure from the United States. Ankara Today's Zaman

Gül’s výsýt raýses hopes for symbolýsm pavýng way for thaw PHOTO

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contýnued from page 1 If Turkey and Armenia can move beyond the symbolism to re-establish normal relations, that could have huge significance for Turkey's role as a regional power, for energy flows from the Caspian Sea and for Western influence in a South Caucasus region where Russia flexed its muscles last month by sending troops into Georgia.

"Football [soccer] diplomacy will become a new term in the international community's lexicon," if after Saturday's match there is a real improvement in relations, former Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian told Reuters.

Russia's decision last month to send its forces into Georgia, an ex-Soviet state which borders both Armenia and Turkey, has convinced many that it is time for Ankara and Yerevan to put their differences aside. Western-backed pipelines shipping oil and gas from the Caspian Sea to Turkey's Mediterranean coast bypass Armenia and bend north instead to go through Georgia. With that route looking vulnerable after the Russian intervention, Armenia could be an attractive alternative route.

Russia's actions -- which have unsettled its neighbors and been widely condemned by the West -- have also encouraged NATO member Turkey to seek a bigger role as a regional power broker, a task hampered by its lack of ties with Armenia.

"The crisis in Georgia has underlined the importance of good neighborly relations in the region, including TurkishArmenian relations," said Olli Rehn, the European Union's enlargement commissioner.

Not everyone welcomes Gül's visit. Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) urged the Turkish president not to go. In Yerevan, the nationalist Dashnaktsutyun party said it activists would be at the airport where Gül is to arrive and the soccer stadium to stage protests demanding Turkey recognize genocide claims.

Observers in both countries hope substantial negotiations will follow on from Gül's visit. For Yerevan, a first step would be for Turkey to re-open the rail link with Armenia. For Ankara, it would be for Armenia to stop lobbying foreign parliaments to recognize the genocide claims, and for some movement on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. "I suppose for Turkey it wants to strengthen its position in the region and immediately wants to avoid a situation next year when the US Congress would most likely pass a resolution recognizing the killings as genocide," said William Hale, an author and expert on Turkish politics.

The key, though, is what happens after the final whistle blows on Saturday. "This is a feel-good all around," said Oskanian, who now heads the Civilitas Foundation for democracy and development issues. "The challenge is to make it a meaningful win-win and it can be that only if there's a continuation to this initial demonstrative period," he said. "If this doesn't happen ... then Turkey will have demonstrated that all this was just a show. And that means both Armenia and the region will be the losers." Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with Reuters

Turkish national soccer team players arrived in Yerevan on Friday. They play against the Armenian team today.

Azerbaijan lawmakers, media resentful of Gül's visit to Armenia Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has refrained from criticizing President Abdullah Gül for making a visit to Armenia, saying it is a decision that should be left up to Turkish authorities, but Azerbaijani lawmakers and newspapers have voiced their disapproval of the visit.

"It is not possible for Azerbaijan to get involved in this issue one way or another," Mammadyarov told reporters on Thursday. He also noted that his country supports Turkey's proposal for a Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform, a scheme that is planned to include Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

But lawmakers in the Azerbaijani parliament criti-

cized the visit. Sabir Rustemhanli, chairman of the Party of Citizens Unity, claimed that Gül's visit to Armenia was a result of pressure from the United States and the European Union. He also warned that the visit might undermine Azerbaijani trust in Turkey and said Turkey "should keep its promises" of not having formal ties with Armenia unless certain conditions are met.

Guler Ahmadova, a deputy from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, said Armenia was still supporting propaganda efforts around the world against Turkey and Azerbaijan and expressed regret that Gül had decided to visit Armenia. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

Özdemir sole candidate for German Greens leadership after rival drops bid

Babacan to visit pro-Kurdish DTP seek support for EU program

ing hours. Ratzmann also expressed confidence A rival to German parliamentarian of in Özdemir and called on his supporters to Turkish origin Cem Özdemir in the race back him for the post. "I am confident that he for co-chairmanship of the German Greens will be successful, and I am ready to help him Party has withdrawn his bid, leaving Özdemir run the party as much as I can," said the sole candidate for the post. Özdemir is exRatzmann. The new co-chairpersons of the pected to share leadership of the party with Greens Party will be elected at a convention on Claudia Roth, who is already a co-chairperson Nov. 14. The current co-chairman of the party, and who is running for a new term. Özdemir's Reinhard Buetikhofer, has anrival, Volker Ratzmann, announced he will not run again nounced in a statement puband will instead seek election to lished on his Web site that he the European Parliament. would withdraw his bid for coÖzdemir is the first Turk to chairmanship of the Greens have a seat in the German Party for personal reasons.

Parliament. He has been with Ratzmann is expecting to soon become a father, and he said in the Greens Party since 1981 and the statement that he will be has also been a member of the unable to spend time with his Greens group in the European new child if he is elected coParliament since 2001. Azamat Cem Özdemir Damir, Süleyman Bað Berlin chairman, a job with demand-

ties in Parliament and nongovernmental orForeign Minister Ali Babacan will visit ganizations to have discussions on the new the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society program. The more-than-400-page document Party (DTP) on Monday to introduce a government program outlining planned reforms contains proposed amendments to 131 laws. to bring Turkey closer to meeting European The government will finalize the draft proUnion standards for membership. The visit gram after discussions with political parties will be the first in a tour of political parties to and the nongovernmental organizations. introduce the Third National Program, a blueThe DTP is supporting EU reforms, but its print of several hundred pages relations with the governcontaining radical reform steps, ment have been tense at including legal changes to the times over its stance towards auditing procedures for all the outlawed Kurdistan Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) Workers' Party (PKK). Prime expenditures and measures to Minister Recep Tayyip bring further transparency to Erdoðan has said several the financing of political partimes that he would not have ties. Government spokesman contacts with the DTP leaderCemil Çiçek announced after a ship unless the party denounces Cabinet meeting on Monday the PKK as a terrorist organizaAli Babacan that Babacan would visit partion. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

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NATIONAL

ALÝ ASLAN a.aslan@todayszaman.com

Under the Bush shadow Republicans must be indebted to Hurricane Gustav because it saved their convention from the toxic image of close association with President George W. Bush and his dear vice president, Dick Cheney. Thanks to the storm, the twosome's preplanned in-person convention appearance on Monday in St. Paul was cancelled. It was not a coincidence that Republican speakers throughout the convention rarely or never mentioned Bush, one of their own. If his record was a positive, believe me, they would have done so recklessly.

Republicans do not have an easy sell. They would like to present themselves as fighting against the Washington political establishment, yet they are nominating a senator who has spent 26 years of his life in the highest echelons of the US capital. A Republican president has been in control of the White House for the last eight years and until 2006, they had dominated Congress for a long time. That was probably why Senator John McCain stressed that he was a "maverick" who could bring about change even if it required being at odds with his own party.

McCain's acceptance speech, as compared to that of his vice presidential pick, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and many other key speakers, was more inclusive, respectful and calm.

He wanted to portray the image of a statesman who puts the nation and people first, rather than his or his party's narrow interests. The dirty part of the job would be done by Palin. She combines a mom image with a masculine-female one (hockey mom), and hence effectively appeals to the relatively unexcited Republican conservative and nationalist base. Palin's convention speech was full of nasty swings at the Democratic ticket.

The reactions in the audience revealed a lot about the leanings of the Republican base. They looked more excited with bitter-tongued speakers like Palin and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Many of them seemed clearly bored during most of McCain's presentation.

One of the biggest rounds of applause came after following Giuliani remark: "For four days in Denver, the Democrats were afraid to use the words 'Islamic terrorism.' I imagine they believe it is politically incorrect to say it. I think they believe it will insult someone. Please tell me, who are they insulting if they say 'Islamic terrorism'? They are insulting terrorists." By this token, most Muslims in the world fall into the terrorist category in the eyes of Republicans!

Palin was cheered when she claimed Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama was "worried that someone won't read them their rights" while al-Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America. That was an implicit endorsement of grave human rights abuses (including torture) in places like Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib.

I don't know about McCain, but it looks like many prominent leaders in his party still see the world through black-and-white cultural lenses and an us-versus-them minimalism. That was the mother of all mistakes Republicans made during the Bush tenure.

And if McCain's maverick credentials do not surface in this case, the US and the world might suffer four more years due to this mentality. That's clearly what President Bush still wants: "We live in a dangerous world," Bush said in his video message to the Republican convention. "And we need a president who understands the lessons of Sept. 11, 2001: that to protect America, we must stay on the offense, stop attacks before they happen and not wait to be hit again. The man we need is John McCain."

In an increasingly globalized and diverse world and US, the formations of Republican and Democratic crowds demonstrated stark contrasts. Republicans looked wealthier, Democrats more earthy. Non-whites were perhaps overrepresented in the Democratic convention, whereas whites overwhelmingly dominated the Republican convention. That's reflected in both parties' White House picks as well. The Republican ticket includes two WASPs (White Anglo Saxon Protestant); the Democratic ticket, none (Obama is black, his running mate, Joe Biden, is a Catholic.)

McCain, a Vietnam war hero, looks like a courageous man.

His lines criticizing his own party Thursday night were indicative of his courage. Straight talk against Democratic opponents is obviously more enthusiastically endorsed by the Republican core constituency. But that was an attempt to reach out to reformers in his party, conservative-leaning Democrats and independents.

His lines regarding how he values peace and would like to refrain from wars as a former victim of war were meant to serve the same purpose. We'll see if it's going to work on Nov. 4.

No matter how hard Republicans try to divert attention from the eight Bush years, the Democrats are there to remind people of them. Unsolved problems in the economy, education and healthcare will be highlighted. The weakened US position in the world will be stressed. This election will be held under the shadow of President Bush. And it will be defined by it, perhaps even more than by McCain or Obama.

Erdoðan meets with Georgian PM, US official Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan met yesterday with his Georgian counterpart, Lado Gurgenidze, and a senior US official to discuss tensions in the Caucasus.

Erdoðan met with US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns for about 45 minutes in Ýstanbul. No statement was issued after the closed-door meeting. Officials declined to comment on the content of the talks, saying Erdoðan and Burns reviewed several issues concerning both Turkey and the United States. Reports said the Caucasus crisis and the Turkish-mediated talks between Syria and Israel as well as the dispute over Iran's nuclear program were on the agenda.

No statement was released after Erdoðan's meeting with Gurgenidze, either. Turkey proposed a Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform to help resolution of regional disputes after a brief Russian-Georgian war. Georgia is one of the countries Turkey wants to include in the proposed platform. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

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Nuran Yorulmaz: My son murdered for the state which revealed a relationship between the government, the military and organized crime 10 years ago, was involved in more than 90 murders as a member of the Ergenekon terror organization.

Yorulmaz’s mother also told Star TV’s Uður Dündar that the Ergenekon terror organization was responsible for her son’s death: “There are also politicians in Ergenekon, not just soldiers. I thought my son would be a policeman, but the state made him a gangster. They killed 93 or 94 people. They killed some Kurdish businessmen, including Ömer Lütfi Topal, Savaþ Buldan and Behçet Cantürk,

claiming that they were supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK] terrorist organization. They have done this in the name of the state.

My son was a special operations policeman; he used to go where he was ordered. The state created a gang. Gen. Veli Küçük was their leader. They were receiving orders from him. I think they are also responsible for my son’s death. This gang is not restricted to Veli Küçük; former Prime Minister Tansu Çiller, former Interior Minister Mehmet Aðar and Ýbrahim Þahin [were involved].”

Yorulmaz’s mother claimed that her son and his

friends killed the murderers of former Motherland Party (ANAP, now ANAVATAN) deputy Alparslan Pehlivanlý. She said the prime minister at the time called Abdullah Çatlý after Pehlivanlý was murdered and said revenge should be taken. After that, she said, Çatlý ordered her son to kill Pehlivanlý’s murderers.

She had said during the funeral of her son in 2005 that he wanted his son to be a policeman. “They have made my son a gangster. They did not protect my son.

Mehmet Aðar and Tansu Çiller should make an explanation for this. My son’s death is related to the Susurluk case. They have murdered my son.” Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman

Natural gas depot under Lake Tuz to be completed in three years

‘Ergenekon has links to security and judiciary bodies’

ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA

linked to Ergenekon. There may be more revelations about this. This is a “You cannot erase the securifight between good and evil,” he said. ty forces’ memory. It’s like a Aytaç also said people are more computer’s memory. For example, if a conscious and do not believe in police chief received a complaint everything they hear and see. about someone for being a homosex“When there is an explosion or ual in 1988 and if a similar report was when there is an assassination or written again 10 years later, everyone when there is a religious leader prowould know that the second report voking the public, people ask who the was written by the same person who forces behind them are,” he said. wrote it in 1988. So someone in the Referring to Grand Unity Party police, if involved in a crime gang (BBP) leader Muhsin would be spotted Yazýcýoðlu, who was easily by others.” involved in ultra-naAytaç said police tionalist gangs previhad filed some asously, Aytaç said: sassinations as “un“He says they were resolved” even trying to save the though their perpecountry but followtrators are known ing the Sept. 12, publicly. He claimed 1980 coup, the state that the police know cracked down on who is behind the them along with leftmurders of invesists. He says he tigative journalist Veli Küçük would never do what Uður Mumcu, jour-

MEHMET KAMAN

Security analyst Önder Aytaç has said Ergenekon, a political crime gang allegedly making preparations to topple the government, must have links to the police to be able to operate. Aytaç, an instructor at the Police Academy in Ankara, said Ergenekon’s links to the police should be exposed in order to truly fight the illegal network contýnued from page 1

nalist Ahmet Taner Kýþlalý and Professor Bahriye Üçok, all of them killed by bombs.

“I gave courses to 240 bomb specialists in Turkey. They say similar explosives are being used in similar assassinations. If the government can support an investigation into many of those cases, they would be solved,” Aytaç said.

‘Turkey is different today’ According to Aytaç, today’s Turkey is different from that of the 1960s, the ‘70s and the ‘80s because “more average Anatolians” have started to own the country through investing in their lives. “The children of Anatolians started to become judges, prosecutors, police chiefs, lieutenant colonels and colonels. They side with democracy.”

According to Aytaç people are more scared to be involved in illegal structures because of YouTube and small technological devices that make monitoring and recording easy. In addition, he said the media is more diverse as opposed to the period of Feb. 28 [1997, often referred to as the postmodern coup] and the coup in 1960.

“But we have people in the media

PHOTO

Önder Aytaç

he had done before.”

The investigation into Ergenekon began in the summer of 2007, when the police discovered a house in Ýstanbul being used as an arms depot.

As the investigation expanded, another house in the central Anatolian city of Eskiþehir was discovered to have held a large number of explosives, weapons and ammunition.

During a raid of the home, police found lists of people compiled by various intelligence agencies that categorized them according to their political affiliation. Many such lists were prepared by the military’s intelligence departments in 1999 and 2000 as part of the Feb. 28 process, which started in 1997 when the military overthrew the government in an unarmed intervention.

More than 40 people are currently under arrest, accused of having links to the Ergenekon gang.

Suspects will start appearing before the court as of Oct. 20 and will face accusations that include “membership in an armed terrorist group,” “attempting to destroy the government,” “inciting people to rebel against the Republic of Turkey” and other similar crimes.

Upon the heels of last month’s conclusion of a closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the government is preparing to alter the Cabinet’s composition ahead of legislators returning from summer recess on Oct. 1.

According to behind-the-scenes rumors circulating in Ankara, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan will change five to eight of the Cabinet ministers. A

female minister is expected to be added, which would bring the number of female Cabinet members to two. Another important change is said to be the appointment of a new chief EU negotiator, a post currently filled by Foreign Minister Ali Babacan. The new negotiator, who will also be a state minister, will be responsible for Turkey-European Union relations. AK Party Karaman deputy Lütfi Elvan and AK Party Ýstanbul deputy Egemen Baðýþ are reportedly under consideration by Erdoðan for the position.

As for the timing of these changes, it is specu-

Demand for natural gas peaks in the winter months, but is sometimes met with cuts from regional suppliers, a situation Turkey hopes to remedy by completing the construction of a natural gas depot under Lake Tuz in central Anatolia.

The projected timeframe for the project was five years according to the government, but the recent war between Georgia and Russia has prompted Turkey, a member of NATO, to push to complete the project in three. Independent specialists had predicted it would take 10 years.

In trying to prevent natural gas cuts during the winter, Turkey has demanded a guarantee from Russia that it would not halt gas flow. Russia supplies 65 percent of Turkey’s natural gas. Taking its high dependence on imported natural gas into consideration, Turkey hopes the natural gas depot project will alleviate Turks’ worries. Increasing the rate of gas flow from Azerbaijan and Iran is not possible and the depot project also hopes to compensate for this.

The project to build a natural gas storage facility under Lake Tuz has been on the agenda since 1990; however, no progress has been made. The recent war in the Caucasus has shown the importance of completing the project, which will be able to store up to 5 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

Even though Turkey’s annual natural gas consumption is 16 billion cubic meters, the total natural capacity of the country is only about 1 billion cubic meters, which will not be sufficient for Turkey if a natural gas crisis occurs with Russia.

Turkey cancelled a tender to construct the facility in May 2007, but the recent crisis in the Caucasus has pushed for a new tender to be held by the end of 2008. This is also important in order for Turkey to not lose the right to withdraw a loan of $325 million from the World Bank for the project.

The project envisages hollowing out salt deposits that lie 700 meters below the surface of the lake and storing natural gas there. The project is expected to cost approximately $50-60 million.

The new gas storage facility will help Turkey store gas it is not using. Turkey’s agreements with Russia and Iran necessitate that it buys 24.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually even though it does not use all of it. Even though Turkey consumes 2.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas every month in the winter, average consumption is half of this. After the project is completed Turkey will have a chance to store gas it does not need in summer for use in the winter.

Parliament speaker sends letters to party leaders

Gov’t to start new legislative year with Cabinet revision ÖMER ÞAHÝN ANKARA

PHOTO

The mother of special operations police officer Oðuz Yorulmaz, who was killed in 2005, has told the Vatan daily that her son committed numerous murders under the leadership of retired Gen. Veli Küçük.

Küçük is currently under arrest as part of an investigation into a criminal network known as Ergenekon, which is suspected of stirring social unrest in order to pave the way for the overthrow of the government.

Yorulmaz’s mother said her son, who was investigated as part of the infamous Susurluk scandal,

lated that the reorganization will be completed before the new legislative year begins on Oct. 1. The new ministers are expected to assume their posts before the Constitutional Court releases its justification on the AK Party closure case ruling.

According to AK Party sources, Erdoðan, who in the past made limited changes to the Cabinet, will make more extensive changes this time.

Ministers who have been serving for a long time in the Cabinet, such as Finance Minister Kemal Unakýtan and Energy and National Resources

CM Y K

Minister Hilmi Güler, will reportedly be changed.

The extensive Cabinet reorganization is expected to lead to changes in the AK Party’s parliamentary group as well. Erdoðan is expected to offer positions in the group to the ministers who will remain outside the Cabinet. The seat of an AK Party deputy chairman for financial affairs is currently empty following Þaban Diþli’s resignation from the position this week. A member of the AK Party Central Decision and Administration Board (MKYK) is expected to be assigned to Diþli’s former post.

Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan suggested that four commissions, with members coming from political parties in Parliament, should be set up to work jointly on the Constitution, parliamentary bylaws, EU harmonization legislation and several other important laws, in a letter he sent to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Democratic Society Party (DTP).

In his letter Toptan argued that since its establishment Parliament has always served as the primary locus of representing the nation’s will, without losing its original resolve, enthusiasm and philosophy. “Parliament, as the strongest driving force behind our democracy, modernization and development, has managed to take the country out of the most troubled and crisis-laden times for 88 years and has always acted with a strong sense of responsibility,” Toptan said in his letter. “Parliament, which was a source of pride for and was praised by our great ancestor and first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, continues to fulfill its duties with the same resolve today. I have no doubt that this determination will be maintained by future generations. As a result of this mentality, Parliament acted with exemplary cooperation and consensus in passing bills toward greater harmonization with the EU and paving the way to the start of negotiations for full EU membership,” he added. Ankara Today’s Zaman

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05.09.2008

18:50

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BUSINESS

TODAY’S ZAMAN 07

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ERCAN BAYSAL ANKARA

Extending an olive branch to Turkey’s last enemy by accepting an invitation to attend a World Cup qualifying match between the national teams in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, President Abdullah Gül’s historic visit will have tremendous economic consequences, increasing the total trade volume with Armenia sharply in a very short time, business circles predict.

The positive atmosphere created out of the mutual steps of each president towards the other will most likely bring about an improvement in relations, which may even lead to the opening of the border gate in Kars. The gate was closed in 1993 as a reaction to Armenia’s attack on Azerbaijan, an ally of Turkey.

Kaan Soyak, the co-president of the TurkishArmenian Business Development Council, believes Armenian and Turkish traders, who are now forced

to do business via third countries due to the lack of a direct connection, will find a chance to trade directly after the gate is opened. This will increase the trade volume from $100 million to $500 million in a few months’ time, he said predicting that the relations will see a tremendous increase soon after talks start.

The two countries are currently trading with each other through Georgia and Iran, primarily in textiles, cleaning materials, food, home appliances and construction materials. Armenians do business with companies in eastern and southeastern Anatolia. Soyak says the extended routes and costlier transportation have led to a 30 percent loss in revenues. Once the Kars border gate is opened, the economies of some eastern Anatolian cities such as Kars, Ardahan, Erzurum and Erzincan will see an increase in their briskness, he told Today’s Zaman yesterday.

“If everything goes well, I believe relations will return to normal and the gate will be opened,” Soyak

said. This will also render Turkey more influential in the Caucasus, which has gained a key role due to its natural resources in energy. Turkey is currently involved in several large projects, including the BakuTbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline, the Baku-TbilisiErzurum natural gas pipeline, the Nabucco pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, all of which exclude Armenia and push it into further poverty while boosting the prosperity in the nations involved. Therefore, if the enmity is removed and relations are re-established, the Armenian side will benefit significantly from this, he said.

A railway between the two nations with a capacity of carrying 10 million tons of goods a year has been idle for 15 years since relations were broken. The normalization of relations will make this route active once again, Soyak said, and added that this will be a very valuable route for trade not only with Armenia but also the wider region of Central Asia.

Armenians produce a significant amount of electricity at lower prices than produced in energythirsty Turkey, Soyak said. The country also has large natural gas storage facilities and Turkey may benefit by leasing them, he noted. Armenia was one of Russia’s most productive textile bases during the Soviet era, he recalled and stated that cooperation in the textile business would definitely make both sides better off. “This country has a qualified labor force and a marketing advantage, while Turks have the machinery and fabrics. If they act together, they can achieve much in this business,” he claimed.

Soyak says Armenians are currently using lowquality products largely coming from Iran and really hoping to get high quality Turkish goods at low prices. Additionally, opening the border gate will also boost tourism between the two countries, he added. He estimates that eastern Anatolia will enjoy at least $600 million in tourism revenues a year from visitors coming from Armenia alone.

Electricity prices heading up again, buffered by EÜAÞ PHOTO

The Energy Market Regulatory Agency (EPDK) yesterday approved a 34 percent hike in the price of electricity sold by the Turkish Electricity Trading and Contracting Company (TETAÞ) and the Turkish Electricity Distribution Company (TEDAÞ).

The hike will go into effect on Oct. 1, after which consumers will see a 10-15 percent increase in electricity prices. News of the increase perturbed both industrialists and consumers; however, the full 34 percent increase would have been passed on to them, instead of just 15 percent, if the state was not involved in the electricity generation business.

TEDAÞ purchases electricity from both TETAÞ, which buys from private electricity producers at high prices, and the Electricity Generation Inc. Directorate General (EÜAÞ), which sells its own electricity at much cheaper prices.

The electricity from EÜAÞ dramatically reduces the actual price hikes to consumers since these hikes affect only the electricity provided by TETAÞ. The state-run power plants of EÜAÞ in Turkey are largely generating electricity from coal and hydropower plants, which are not affected by the rising costs of natural gas. TETAÞ will sell electric power to 20 zones based on the new rate. TETAÞ said the price hike was due to increases in oil and natural gas prices in the global market, with oil prices rising almost 50 percent since the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, the latest price increase will make Turkey the country with the third most expensive electricity in the world. The 2007 figures of the International Energy Agency (IEA) showed that Italian industrialists were paying the highest amount at 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity for $0.2. Hungarians came second with $0.19 per kWh, and Mexico third with $0.148 per kWh. A Turkish consumer pays $0.146 per kWh of electricity but with the price hike it will rise to $0.169, bringing Turkey to the third position.

The electricity price hike has heightened the level of anxiety in the Turkish business world, which was already experiencing difficulties due to rising input costs. Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSÝAD)

CÝHAN

ÝSMAÝL ALTUNSOY ANKARA

The General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has issued an order to military units across Turkey forbidding them from working with banks that have more than 50 percent foreign ownership, a source close to the banking business has said.

The source, who asked to remain anonymous, said the order from the highranking military officials clearly meant that the military has no intention of letting foreign banks in. He noted that the position of the military has two basic causes. “The army is cautious for security reasons, in the sense that personal details about its key officials and confidential financial information could be

Antalya becomes center of attraction for Russians Antalya has become the most popular vacation destination for Russian tourists, according to the Anatolia news agency.

Russia sends more tourists to Turkey than anywhere else, according to data compiled by Anatolia. Escaping their country’s cold climate for Turkey’s sun, sand and sea, Russians prefer to take their vacations in Antalya.

In terms of numbers of tourists visiting Antalya, Russians ranked first with 1.6 million tourists in the first eight months of this year.

German tourists got the second spot with 1.5 million visitors and Ukrainians followed Germans with 335,595 tourists. A total of 6.5 million tourists, including both foreign and domestic tourists, visited Antalya in the first eight months of 2008. In the same period Antalya was also the most popular vacation spot for Iranian and Spanish tourists. The number of Iranian tourists in Antalya increased by 117 percent compared to last year, and the number of Spanish tourists increased by 267 percent.

Antalya Culture and Tourism Agency General Manager Ýbrahim Acar told Anatolia that Antalya features nearly 800 hotels and holiday villages and that these places offer high quality, operating above global tourism standards. Stressing that this was the reason Antalya is among the most popular holiday centers in Turkey and Europe, Acar said Russian tourists choose Antlaya as their first holiday destination, along with Europeans.

“I know some German tourists who have never taken vacations to anywhere but Antalya.

They are seeking a way to settle in Antalya and live here permanently,” Acar added, touching upon the German tourist volume in Antalya, which was only recently surpassed by that of the Russians. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

Contractors to be paid price difference

A major EÜAÞ electricity generation facility, the Afþin-Elbistan B thermal power plant runs on coal and produces 6.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2007.

Ankara branch President Hüdaverdi Çakýr said the electricity price increase is coming at a very bad time, considering that Turkish industrialists are losing ground to their international rivals.

He emphasized that the hike should have been implemented gradually over the next five years so that customers and enterprises would not be forced to carry such a heavy burden all at once. “For instance, a 5 percent increase for each year would have worked fine,” he stated.

Minister of Energy and Commerce Zafer Çaðlayan also said such a high increase was too much of a burden on customers. “I would

not like to be in the position of defending these price increases as a former industrialist,” he said, adding that he was quite displeased upon hearing this news.

“Still, the current price hikes in global energy markets are affecting the Turkish economy negatively, as well as those of other countries, and the new electricity tariffs must be evaluated from this perspective,” he added.

Hüseyin Üzülmez, vice president of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), said the electricity prices should be as low as possible so that Turkish

industry can compete with global powers.

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency yesterday, Üzülmez stated that the recent price hike will also have a negative effect on the government’s inflation target and on the projects of many Turkish enterprises.

The Turkish Confederation of Employers’ Unions (TÝSK) noted that the hike will negatively affect the rate of employment. In a written statement, TÝSK said such significant increases emerged from the government’s inability to develop a national energy policy and decrease Turkey’s energy dependency on other countries.

Military barracks slam door on foreign banks ERCAN BAYSAL ANKARA

PHOTO

‘Gül’s visit may increase trade with Armenia fivefold’

obtained by these banks. Also, the nationalist military’s general stance on foreign companies is negative.”

Since the Armed Forces Assistance Center (OYAK) sold its shares in Oyakbank to Dutch giant ING Group last year, military units have stopped renewing contracts with Oyakbank, which recently had its name changed to ING as the takeover process was completed.

For the post-Oyakbank era, Ýþ Bankasý, Akbank and Vakýfbank have been involved in fierce competition to obtain offices in military barracks. Military units usually make agreements with just one bank to provide banking services for its soldiers.

Turkish banks are eager to offer banking services for the army to gain access to its

significant numbers of staff not only by opening branches in military units, but also by promoting special offers to attract soldiers. Turkey’s largest public bank, Ziraat Bankasý, has also joined the race, introducing a special TSK consumer loan.

The number of officers and petty officers on active duty who had accounts with Oyakbank was 140,000 (200,000 if including retired officers).

Meanwhile, the number of Oyakbank branches in military units has dropped from 94 to 51 since the bank was sold to ING. The military transfers YTL 3 billion a year to staff as wage and pension payments and this big sum is leading banks to try to obtain the highest possible share. For example, Ýþ Bankasý has already concluded agreements with units to have a 15 percent share.

Ziraat Bankasý is trying to increase its publicity

CM Y K

and popularity among army members by offering special consumer, vehicle and housing loans for soldiers. It hopes, in this way, to be better able to strike deals with military units. Stressing they are very eager and determined on this issue, Ziraat Bankasý General Manager Can Akýn Çaðlar said the TSK loans are just the beginning, hinting at more advantages yet to come.

Under its “TSK loan” program, Ziraat offers soldiers consumer loans with a 1.6 percent monthly interest rate, whereas the normal rate for such loans is 1.85 percent. For vehicle loans the bank offers soldiers a rate of 1.55 percent, while the normal rate is 1.6. Similarly, the interest rates for home loans are 1.6 percent for ordinary customers while they are just 1.49 percent for members of the military.

Public Procurement Authority (KÝK) President Hasan Gül has announced that contractors will be paid the price difference based on changes to iron and fuel oil prices.

Gül told the Anatolia news agency yesterday that compilation of the price differential ordinance had been completed and it would be valid for projects that contractors have begun since the beginning of the year. He noted that they would also reduce the Producer Prices Index (ÜFE) from the payments to the contractors and in this way would detect any unexpected price increases in each month. “We may experience some excessive price increases, however we will not have to make extra payments since the requisite charges will already be arranged in advance,” he underlined.

Gül asserted that four different groups of contractors, as defined by the laws in accordance with the way they are paid, would be recipients to price difference payments. “To comply with the relevant laws, we have developed a formula aiming to pay the contractors from four different groups, separately,” he said. He also touched upon the payment process, saying that they would essentially pay the price difference for iron and that some contractors would not receive any such payment at all. He underlined that the payments to contractors for both iron and fuel oil would be equal. Gül noted that they would submit the ordinance to the Finance Ministry for their approval and would continue discussions of the ordinance as it was being evaluated by the ministry. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

TMSF to sell off tourist facility The Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) has put up for sale a confiscated tourist facility in Marmaris having an appraised value of YTL 35 million. In a written statement the TMSF announced that it would accept bids for the facility, with offers to be higher than the appraised price, until Sept. 15 and that the tender would take place the following day. The tourist facility in Marmaris spans three blocks on a 40,770-square-meter parcel and is surrounded by shopping centers and tourist resorts. Bidders must deposit YTL 1.7 million, one-fifth of the facility’s appraised price, or post a bond valid for at least three months. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

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08 TODAY’S ZAMAN

S AT U R D AY, S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 0 8

Do central banks have an exit strategy?

A year into the global financial crisis, several key central banks remain extraordinarily exposed to their countries' shaky private financial sectors. So far, the strategy of maintaining banking systems on feeding tubes of taxpayer-guaranteed shortterm credit has made sense. But eventually central banks must pull the plug. Otherwise they will end up in intensive care themselves as credit losses overwhelm their balance sheets.

The idea that the world's largest economies are merely facing a short-term panic looks increasingly strained. Instead, it is becoming apparent that, after a period of epic profits and growth, the financial industry now needs to undergo a period of consolidation and pruning. Weak banks must be allowed to fail or merge (with ordinary depositors being paid off by government insurance funds), so that strong banks can emerge with renewed vigor.

If this is the right diagnosis of the "financial crisis," then efforts to block a healthy and normal dynamic will ultimately only prolong and exacerbate the problem. Not allowing the necessary consolidation is weakening credit markets, not strengthening them.

The United States Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, and the Bank of England are particularly exposed. Collectively, they have extended hundreds of billions of dollars in short-term loans to both traditional banks and complex, unregulated "investment banks."

Many other central banks are nervously watch-

ly difficult due to its opaqueness and complexity, official US statistics indicate that financial firms accounted for roughly one-third of American corporate profits in 2006. Multi-million dollar bonuses on Wall Street and in the City of London have become routine, and financial firms have dominated donor lists for all the major political candidates in the 2008 US presidential election.

Why, then, should ordinary taxpayers foot the bill to bail out the financial industry? Why not the auto and steel industries, or any of the other industries that have suffered downturns in recent years?

This argument is all the more forceful if central banks turn to the "inflation tax," which falls disproportionately on the poor, who have less means to protect themselves from price increases that undermine the value of their savings.

British economist Willem Buiter has bluntly accused central banks and treasury officials of "regulatory capture" by the financial sector, particularly in the US. This is a strong charge, especially given the huge uncertainties that central banks and treasury officials have been facing.

But if officials fail to adjust as the crisis unfolds, then Buiter's charge may seem less extreme.

So how do central banks dig their way out of this deep hole? The key is to sharpen the distinction between financial firms whose distress is truly panic driven (and therefore temporary), and problems that are more fundamental.

After a period of massive expansion during

OPINION

Kenneth Rogoff * TODAY’S ZAMAN ing the situation, well aware that they may soon find themselves in the same position as the global economy continues to soften and default rates on all manner of debt continue to rise.

If central banks are faced with a massive hit to their balance sheets, it will not necessarily be the end of the world. It has happened before -for example, during the 1990's financial crises.

But history suggests that fixing a central bank's balance sheet is never pleasant. Faced with credit losses, a central bank can either dig its way out through inflation or await recapitalization by taxpayers. Both solutions are extremely traumatic.

Raging inflation causes all kinds of distortions and inefficiencies. (And don't think central banks have ruled out the inflation tax. In fact, inflation has spiked during the past year, conveniently facilitating a necessary correction in the real price of houses.) Taxpayer bailouts, on the other hand, are seldom smooth and inevitably compromise central bank independence.

There is also a fairness issue. The financial sector has produced extraordinary profits, particularly in the Anglophone countries. And, while calculating the size of the financial sector is extreme-

which the financial services sector nearly doubled in size, some retrenchment is natural and normal. The sub-prime mortgage loan problem triggered a drop in some financial institutions' key lines of business, particularly their opaque but extremely profitable derivatives businesses. Some shrinkage of the industry is inevitable. Central banks have to start fostering consolidation, rather than indiscriminately extending credit.

In principle, the financial industry can become smaller by having each institution contract proportionately, say, by 15 percent. But this is not the typical pattern in any industry. If sovereign wealth funds want to enter and keep capital-starved firms afloat in hopes of a big rebound, they should be allowed to do so. But they should realize that large foreign shareholders in financial firms may be far less effective than locals in coaxing central banks to extend massive, no-strings-attached credit lines.

It is time to take stock of the crisis and recognize that the financial industry is undergoing fundamental shifts, and is not simply the victim of speculative panic against housing loans. Certainly better regulation is part of the answer over the longer run, but it is no panacea. Today's financial firm equity and bond holders must bear the main cost, or there is little hope they will behave more responsibly in the future. * Kenneth Rogoff is professor of economics and public policy at Harvard University, and was formerly chief economist at the IMF. © Project Syndicate, 2008.

Markets plunge sharply on global concerns PHOTO

REUTERS

A rising dollar, fears that the tension between Russia and Georgia will trigger wider confrontations and involve the US, expectations that the US-oriented global credit crisis will deepen further, signals of a recession coming from the US economy and the failure of the UK and EU central banks to cut interest rates all conspired to shake up world markets yesterday.

Turkish markets were not spared from this carnage, receiving their share of the worldwide jitters. The benchmark index of the Ýstanbul Stock Exchange (ÝMKB-100) ended the day yesterday down 1.11 percent -- 440.74 points - at 39,115.63 points. Similarly, $1 bought YTL 1.15 just a week ago, but at yesterday's close $1 was being traded for YTL 1.24.

Wall Street looked to extend its sharp decline Friday after the US government disappointed investors with news that the economy shed jobs for the eighth straight month in August and at a faster-than-expected pace. The Labor Department said payrolls shrank by 84,000 last month, more than the 75,000 economists predicted, and higher than the 51,000 jobs lost in July. The unemployment rate rose to 6.1 percent from 5.7 percent.

Friday's report followed disappointing reports on US retail sales and jobless claims overnight, eroding investors' hopes for a late-year recovery in the world's biggest economy.

In Moscow, the ruble-denominated RTS benchmark was down 6.51 percent in late afternoon trading, sinking to the 1,400-point level which has not been seen since June 2006.

Russia's US dollar-denominated MICEX was down 5.54 percent. Across in Asia, no market was spared the carnage. In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index sank 2.75 percent to 12,212.23. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index tumbled 2.24 percent to 19,933.28, dropping below 20,000 for the first time in more than a year.

Markets in India, Australia and Singapore also were down sharply. China's Shanghai index slid 3.3 percent to its lowest close in 21 months.

European markets, adjusting to the falls in Asia and the 3 percent declines seen in the US markets overnight, also traded lower. "The financials are once again under pressure following comments from Bill Gross at PIMCO -- the world's largest bond fund -- that implied the market was set to experience a "financial tsunami," said Stephen Pope, chief global markets strategist for Cantor Fitzgerald. "All banks are weaker, although with gloomy euro-zone economic news in

the system, and a hawkish policy still persisting from the ECB, Irish and Spanish names are especially hard pressed," he added.

Mark Matthews, chief Asia strategist at Merrill Lynch, said emerging markets in Asia and other regions have been hit hard lately as investors withdrew funds and faith in the global economy withered. "People want to be confidant that the economy of the world can get better, and right now they don't have that confidence," Matthews said. "They think the global economy is still going to get worse."

Investors bracing for weak US jobs figures fueled selling in Japan, said Masaru Ohnishi, equity strategist at JP Morgan Securities in Tokyo. But because markets have already fallen so sharply, they are "likely to rebound if results are good," he said.

In Hong Kong, investors sent Chinese commodity producers spiraling, with Angang Steel losing 7.5 percent to HK$8.56 and Aluminum Corp. of China, or Chalco, down 3.2 percent to HK$6.19. Property stocks fell sharply after Goldman Sachs issued a pessimistic outlook for the sector. Hong Kong's leading property firm Sun Hung Kai tanked more than 6 percent, while Cheung Kong plunged 5.7 percent.

In Shanghai, selling was heavy across the board, with the key index falling 3.3 percent to 2,202.45. PetroChina, the Shanghai index's biggest traded share, sank 4.2 percent. In India, the Sensex fell 2.8 percent to 14,483.83. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with AP

BUSINESS

Turkey, Kyrgyzstan can take trade to higher level, minister says Minister of Industry and Commerce Zafer Çaðlayan has said though relations between Turkey and Kyrgyzstan have improved over the past few years, there are still several steps the two countries can take to develop ties further, particularly in trade. Çaðlayan was speaking Friday in Ankara at the Fifth Turkey-Kyrgyzstan Joint Economic Commission, which was held under the co-chairmanship of Çaðlayan and Kyrgyz Finance Minister Tazhikan Kalimbetova. "Although relations with Kyrgyzstan are improving in all areas, we do not think they have reached adequate levels," Çaðlayan said in his speech at the meeting. "We must carry economic, commercial, cultural and social relations to higher levels," the minister stated. "In the past 15 years, Turkey's relations with Kyrgyzstan have developed rapidly and concrete steps have been taken," the minister said, emphasizing the necessity to further promote relations with Kyrgyzstan. "Both countries will lose if Turkish businesses are unable to benefit from Kyrgyz tenders. I believe that Kyrgyzstan will give priority to Turkish contractors in the construction of infrastructure, dams and highways," Çaðlayan noted, adding that the trade volume between Turkey and Kyrgyzstan will reach $250 million by the end of 2008. "There is nothing stopping us from reaching an annual trade volume of $1 billion," he said. The Turkish minister also mentioned the preferential trade agreement on which the two governments are about to complete technical studies.

Meanwhile, Kalimbetova said serious measures must be taken to further develop trade between Turkey and Kyrgyzstan and that these measures have to be included in the agreement that the two sides will sign. "It is important for the businessmen of our two countries to increase contacts. I propose the establishment of a Turkey-Kyrgyzstan business forum to develop small and medium-scale businesses in Turkey and Kyrgyzstan," Kalimbetova stated, adding, "We would like to benefit from Turkey's experiences in the establishment of special industrial zones and standardization of products." Turkish entrepreneurs should explore opportunities in Kyrgyzstan, including those in the field of tourism, Kalimbetova noted. She said her country has 142 billion kilowatt-hours of annual hydroelectricity generation capacity and called on Turkish entrepreneurs to invest in the development of this capacity.

Following statements to the press by the two ministers, the delegations started technical discussions on the preferential trade agreement. Ankara Today's Zaman with wires

TAV to participate in Latvia airport tender Turkish TAV Airports Holding said yesterday that a consortium it has entered into with Latvia's Skonto Buve, Ltd., will compete in a tender to modernize the airport of Latvia's capital city of Riga.

The consortium was granted preliminary approval to participate in the tender for the development of infrastructure and management of Riga International Airport.

TAV has already won a tender for the modernization of Skopje's Alexander the Great Airport and Ohrid's St. Paul the Apostle Airport, as well as a contract to construct a new cargo terminal in Shtip, all in Macedonia. TAV won the Macedonia airport tender two days ago and thereby obtained the operating rights for Macedonia's two largest international airports for 20 years. TAV has promised to invest 200 million euros in the airports.

The modernization is projected to be finished within 20 months at the Skopje airport and in one year at Ohrid. The construction of the Shtip cargo terminal will be completed by 2011. In a written statement, TAV CEO M. Sani ?ener said he was extremely happy on behalf of his company to be running an airport in Europe. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

Income program for elderly, disabled launches Daily Monthly Change (%) Change (%)

Close

CALENDAR

AT A GLAN

8 September

CE

ex - July oduction Ind Industry Pr ) tat 2008 (TurkS ce-TCMB lan Ba Current

Yearly Change (%)

YTD Change (%)

MCAP (million YTL)

1-Y Av.Volum

Country

Change (%)

Level

İMKB-100

39.570

-0,6%

2,2%

-12,6%

-28,8%

209.705

1.239

Hang Seng

H.Kong

-2,24

19.933,3

İMKB-30

48.884

-0,6%

2,6%

-13,4%

-30,6%

155.947

969

Nikkei 225

Japan

-2,75

12.212,2

İMKB-IND

33.762

-0,2%

-0,7%

-7,7%

-16,8%

67.659

313

Cac 40

France

-1,79

4.227,1

İMKB-BANK

77.091

-0,8%

3,6%

-15,8%

-35,7%

88.242

685

DAX

Germany

-2,07

DJIMT

9,86

-1,4%

-12,0%

-13,1%

-16,8%

99

0,55

FTSE 100

TurkDEX US$/JP¥ EU€/JP¥

49.575 1,265

-1,44

5.284,7

USA

-0,62

11.125,0

NASDAQ

USA

-1,02

1.756,6

USA

-1,06

1.223,7

Brasil

-2,08

50.337,1

BOVESPA

40.91

6.149,5

UK

Dow S&P

-1,64% 0,80%

70.73 59.09

44.6 29.27

21.7 10.7

7.4 Native

Native

Foreign

Number of Shares

M.cap

Daily Close Change (%)

Foreign

Number of Shares

Monthly Change (%)

M.cap

Ticker

Price

Daily Change (%)

Ticker

Volumes

Yearly Change (%)

US$/JP¥

106,39

AKCNS

4,84

3,86%

KARSN

1,59

-4,79%

GARAN

251,0

3,7

-39,85

YTL / €

1,761

0,1%

-6,7%

-4,5%

EU/JP¥

151,65

IHLAS

0,64

3,23%

DGGYO

0,74

-3,90%

ISCTR

92,3

5,5

-22,48

YTL / $

1,236

1,9%

0,2%

-13,0%

EU/US$

1,4252

CIMSA

5,70

2,70%

PRKTE

2,00

-3,85%

AKBNK

85,9

6,0

-28,10

MNDRS

0,39

2,63%

BANVT

2,27

-3,81%

VAKBN

79,5

2,3

-42,87

PTOFS

6,20

2,48%

PEGYO

0,77

-3,75%

YKBNK

48,3

2,6

-27,49

Ticker

Price (YTL) Daily Change (%)

ÝMKB 100

Price (YTL) Yearly Change (%)

ÝMKB 30

ÝMKB IND

P.CHEM.

TUPRS

PTOFS

PETKM

AYGAZ

--

--

12.440,6

6.875,5

2.901,2

947,3

757,5

13,0x

13,4x

11,1x

8,0x

9,7x

14,6x

18,9x

2,5x

P/E 2007/06t

9,1x

12,1x

10,3x

5,6x

7,2x

10,7x

9,9x

1,3x

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

8,5x 7,8x

9,1x 8,5x

8,2x 7,3x

6,0x 6,6x

7,2x 7,6x

10,1x 6,1x

9,9x 4,9x

1,3x 4,5x

EV/EBITDA 2007/03t

7,3x

7,7x

6,5x

6,1x

6,4x

5,8x

3,7x

4,9x

EV/EBITDA 2007/06t

8,2x

7,2x

6,6x

6,3x

6,6x

5,9x

3,9x

5,3x

Mcap YTL

--

P/E 2006/12

CM Y K

Price ($) Light C. Oil Gold Copper

107,35 795,30 3,18

Way

Change (%) -0,50 -0,33 -3,17

High 108,10 797,00 3,22

Low 105,76 794,00 3,15

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

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

The Ministry of Labor and Social Security has plans to offer a program that will provide supplemental income to the 240,000 elderly over 85 years of age and those with a defined level of physical disability.

Labor and Social Security Minister Faruk Çelik yesterday paid visits to an elderly individual and a disabled person in Ankara. Speaking to the press following the visits, Çelik stated that 1.2 million elderly and disabled people are already receiving payments from the government in Turkey under other programs. He noted that those who are eligible for the new program will not have to wait in line at the banks, but rather can choose to have payments sent directly to their homes.

The program will provide payments four times a year to those older than 85 and those with a disability rating over 70 percent. Çelik said 27,000 people have applied for the new program and their number is likely to increase. "They have served society for many years and now we want to help ease the burden on them," he stated. He noted that people applying for the payments should specify that they wish to have the payments sent to their homes, while adding that they can also pick them up from the Postal and Telecommunications General Directorate (PTT) offices, as well as from Ziraat Bankasý branches around the country. Çelik also noted that they will accelerate the process of adding disabled citizens to the program. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

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CINEMA

TODAY’S ZAMAN 09

S AT U R D AY, S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 0 8

‘Broken English’: search for self disguised as love story EMÝNE YILDIRIM ÝSTANBUL

Legendary American independent filmmaker John Cassavetes’ daughter, Zoe Cassavetes, is coming out to society with her debut feature “Broken English,” an idiosyncratic and touching romantic comedy which, thankfully, has nothing to do with its formulaic Hollywood contemporaries. I would even go as far as to say that it outclasses “Sex and The City,” which has become the victim of its own recycled truisms. Most of its strength coming from lead Parker Posey’s accomplished performance, the film is so plainly genuine when it comes to the “real” disposition of working women who are single and above 30.

We meet Nora (Parker Posey) at home getting ready for a night out. She looks in the mirror, searching for the right kind of smile. Posey’s expression is enough to tell us everything about Nora: She is alone, she is aging, she is unhappy. Working in a dead-end job at a Manhattan boutique hotel, she spends her free time with her married best friend Audrey (Drea De Mateo) and mother (Cassavetes’ own mother Gena Rowlands), who doesn’t hold her tongue when it comes to Nora’s unintended bachelorhood: “All the good men have already been snatched at your age.”

Nora does in fact get two dates, one with a self-centered actor and the other with a family friend, both disappointingly unsuccessful. The problem is Nora has an inclination to trust the wrong guys -- sound familiar, ladies?

When finding the “right guy” eventually becomes desperation, more like a fantasy that could save Nora from her sad life, she finally runs into -- get ready -- a suave Frenchman called Julien (Melvil Poupad). Julien’s heart is as broken as Nora’s, but he’s vivacious, charming and full of hope. He is too good to be true. They spend a weekend together strolling the streets of New York, talking, laughing, arguing and embracing. But it isn’t all picture perfect. Nora’s distrust of men and relationships in general causes her to say the wrong things, act out unpredictably and even have an anxiety attack along the way. But you won’t believe it, Julien sticks around like a true

gentlemen and asks her to come to Paris with him. She doesn’t accept, but promises that she will find him in Paris one day. It takes some time before Nora realizes that she is this close to blowing her chances with Julien, so she takes best bud Audrey by the arm and flies to Paris only to realize that she’s lost the guy’s number. The plot thickens.

The story told in “Broken English” is not unfamiliar to moviegoers, but the beauty of it is that it avoids the pitfalls of clichés by keeping it very simple and honest. Cassavetes’ script leaves ample room to develop Nora’s character with its multilayered complexities and her camera observes Posey with respect and loving humor. It was about time we got to watch such a well-molded female character; Posey effortlessly carries the film on her shoulders with a range of emotions that can all emerge at the same time; she frequently expresses bitterness and insecurity but also radiates a certain charm, sophistication and self-deprecating honesty that is hard to resist. She creates a grounded character that amounts to something so much more appealing than Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte all put together.

It is when Nora finally reaches Paris that her adventure begins, and perhaps she thinks that she came for Julien but soon realizes that she is there for herself. Her little personal adventures of self-discovery brought about with random encounters and the kindness of strangers brings back her smile and the lightness she needs to face life without relying on someone else. Slowly but surely we observe Nora changing. She is calmer, more at ease and her strength grows -- all without the help of a man. Dare I say, could she actually be happy alone? Of course Julien does pop up at a crucial point in the Paris sequence, but his screen time is sweet and short.

“Broken English” initially makes us believe that it’s a film about a woman searching for love, but as its director knows very well, it’s about a woman who realizes that she’s searching for herself. Cassavetes leaves an assured first mark with this wonderfully intelligent and enjoyable piece of work. As they say, some things just run in the family.

This week in theaters ‘Anamorph’ When reclusive Detective Stan Aubray (Willem Dafoe) is called in to investigate a series of increasingly spectacular murders, he is thrust into a dark and unsettling underworld that threatens to reveal the secrets of his tormented past.

As elaborate as they are gruesome, the murders are a paean to the mysteries of anamorphosis, where different perspectives reveal hidden meanings, clues to the crime and, for Aubray, something more personal; the crime scenes resemble those of a previous serial killer who terrorized New York City before being tracked down and killed by Aubray and his men five years before. That case has haunted Aubray ever since and something about these eerie copycat killings -- seemingly planned and executed with him in mind -- force him to re-examine the questions he’s tried so hard to bury. Besieged on all sides -- by an ambitious young detective (Scott Speedman) with his own take on the killings, by a troubled young woman (Clea DuVall) with a dangerous link to his past and by his own paralyzing sense of guilt, Aubray must finally confront the possibility he’s been dreading, and denying, all along.

Directed by: Henry Miller Genre: Thriller Cast: Willem Dafoe, Scott Speedman, Peter Stormare, Clea DuVall

‘Fly Me to the Moon’ The year is 1969 and like everyone else in the world, Nat (Trevor Gagnon) and his pals IQ (Philip Daniel Bolden) and Scooter (David Gore) are abuzz over the upcoming launch of the first manned mission to the moon. Inspired by his Grandpa’s (Christopher Lloyd) oft-told tale of hiding aboard Amelia Earhart’s plane during her famed solo cross-Atlantic flight, Nat hatches a secret plan for the three young flies to stow away on the Apollo 11 rocket.

After a difficult landing, Nat tags along with Neil Armstrong on his legendary moon walk. Although the flies face a few more close calls, the mission appears to be a success. At least until Grandpa’s old flame Nadia (Nicolette Sheridan) arrives from Russia to warn him that her government, angry over losing the space race, has dispatched fly-spy Yegor (Tim Curry) to Cape Canaveral to sabotage the computer flight plans. With the Apollo hurtling toward Earth, it falls to Nat’s family to save the mission -- and the trio of brave flies -- from disaster.

Directed by: Ben Stassen Genre: Family Cast: Christopher Lloyd, Tim Curry, Philip Bolden, David Gore, Trevor Gagnon, Kelly Ripa

‘Dante 01’ Set in the future, where criminals are packed off to outer space, “Dante 01” recounts the mishaps of six dangerous criminals locked in a prison on Dante, a hostile planet with a toxic atmosphere. As guinea pigs of strange experiences, the six try to escape under the direction of psychopath Cesar, who battles for leadership with St. Georges, an inmate gifted with mysterious powers. All seems lost as the inhabitants begin to realize how secluded they are and “in deep space, there is no rescue.”

Directed by: Marc Caro Genre: Science fiction and thriller Cast: Lambert Wilson, Linh Dan Pham, Dominique Pinon, Yann Collette, Bruno Lochet

‘King of the Hill’ Quim and Bea get lost in the woods, desperately trying to escape the men shooting at them. If they stop running, they will die.

The film, most of its strength coming from lead Parker Posey’s accomplished performance, is so plainly genuine when it comes to the “real” disposition of working women who are single and above 30.

Directed by: Gonzalo López Gallego Genre: Thriller Cast: Leonardo Sbaraglia, Maria Valverde

MOVIE GUIDE BROKEN ENGLISH Ýstanbul: Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 12:00 14:15 15:00 16:30 18:45 19:45 21:00 Fri/Sat:23:15 Beyoðlu Alkazar: 12:00 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:15 Esentepe Cinebonus Astoria: 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 Fri/Sat:23:00 24:00 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat:24:15 Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir AVM: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Altunizade Capitol Spec um 14: 11:00 13:00 15:10 17:15 19:20 21:30 Fri/Sat:23:30 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 Fri/Sat:23:45 Þaþkýnbakkal Megaplex M&S: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Suadiye Movieplex: 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 Fri/Sat:23:45

Florya Cinebonus Flyinn: 11:00 11:30 13:00 13:30 15:00 15:30 17:00 17:30 19:00 19:30 21:00 21:30 Güngören Cinebonus Kale: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Ýstinye AFM Park: 11:15 13:35 15:55 18:15 20:35 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Fri/Sat:23:30 Maçka Cinebonus G-mall: 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 Fri/Sat:24:00 Mecidiyeköy AFM Profilo: 11:00 13:20 15:40 18:00 20:20 Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir AVM: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Þiþli Movieplex: 11:00 12:45 14:30 16:15 18:20 19:45 21:30 Zeytinburnu Olivium Cinecity: 10:30 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Altunizade Capitol Spec um 14: 11:30 13:30 15:45 17:45 19:45 21:45

Caddebostan AFM Budak: 11:30 13:40 15:50 18:10 21:00 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Fri/Sat:23:15 Kozyataðý Wings Cinecity io: 10:30 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Maltepe AFM Carrefour Park: 11:30 13:45 16:00 18:15 20:30 Suadiye Movieplex: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:15 Fri/Sat:23:15 Ümraniye Cinebonus Meydan: 11:00 13:15 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Fri/Sat:24:00 Ümraniye AFM Carrefour: 11:20 13:20 15:20 17:20 19:20 21:20 Ankara: AFM Ankamall: 11:10 13:25 15:45 18:10 20:20 Bahçelievler Büyülü Fener: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 Atakule On Tower: 11:30 12:30 13:15 14:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15

Kýzýlay Büyülü Fener: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 Cinebonus Panora: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Fri/Sat:23:30 AFM Cepa: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Cinebonus Arcadium: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 Fri/Sat:23:00

KING OF THE HILL

Ýzmir: Cinebonus Balçova Kipa: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 Fri/Sat:23:00 AFM Bornova Forum: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 AFM Bornova Park: 10:30 12:30 14:30 16:30 18:30 20:30 Çiðli Cinecity Kipa: 10:30 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:15 18:45 21:00 Cinebonus Konak Pier: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Fri/Sat:23:15

Ýstanbul: Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Fri/Sat:23:30 Beyoðlu CineMajestic: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat:24:15 Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir AVM: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Altunizade Capitol Spec um 14: 11:45 13:50 16:00 18:15 20:50 Fri/Sat:23:00

DANTE 01 Ýstanbul: Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 Fri/Sat:24:00 Beyoðlu Emek: 12:00 14:15 16:30 18:45 21:15 Ýstinye AFM Park: 11:15 13:45 16:05 18:25 21:00 Fri/Sat:23:20 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat:24:15 Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir AVM: 11:00 13:00 15:30 17:30 19:30 22:00 Altunizade Capitol Spec um 14: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:15 21:15 Fri/Sat:23:50 Caddebostan Finansbank AFM Budak: 10:50 13:00 15:10 17:20 19:30 21:40 Fri/Sat:23:50 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Fri/Sat:23:30 Kadýköy Rexx: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 Maltepe AFM Carrefour Park: 11:15 14:00 16:30 18:45 21:15 Ankara: AFM Ankamall: 11:30 14:00 16:10 18:30 21:00 Fri/Sat:23:30 Me opol: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Cinebonus Panora: 11:50 13:50 15:50 17:50 19:50 21:50 Fri/Sat:24:00 Armada: 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 Fri/Sat:24:00 AFM Cepa: 11:40 13:50 15:50 17:55 20:00 22:05

FLY ME TO THE MOON Ýstanbul: Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Fri/Sat:23:15 Bakýrköy AFM Carousel: 11:10 13:10 15:15 17:20 19:15 21:20 Beylikdüzü AFM Migros: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 Çemberlitaþ Þafak Movieplex: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:00 Esentepe Cinebonus Astoria: 11:15 13:15 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 Fri/Sat:23:15 Etiler AFM Akmerkez: 10:50 12:50 15:00 17:00 19:10 21:20

ANAMORPH Ýstanbul: Ataköy A ium: 11:15 13:15 15:30 17:30 18:30 19:30 20:30 21:30 Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 Fri/Sat:23:45 Bakýrköy Avþar: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Bakýrköy Cinebonus Capacity: 11:30 12:30 14:00 16:30 17:15 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat:22:00 Bakýrköy AFM Carousel: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:10 21:45 Beylikdüzü AFM Migros: 11:05 13:40 16:20 18:55 21:40 Beyoðlu Atlas: 12:00 14:15 16:30 19:00 21:30 Beyoðlu Sinepop: 12:00 14:15 16:30 18:45 21:00 Çemberlitaþ Þafak Movieplex: 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 Etiler AFM Akmerkez: 11:20 13:50 16:30 19:10 21:40 Güngören Cinebonus Kale: 11:45 14:00 16:15 18:45 21:15 Ýstinye AFM Park: 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 Fri/Sat:23:30 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:15 13:45 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat:24:30 Niþantaþý Citylife: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat:24:00 Niþantaþý Movieplex: 12:30 15:00 Þiþli Megaplex Cevahir AVM: 11:30 13:45 16:00 18:30 22:00 Þiþli Movieplex: 11:15 13:45 16:15 17:30 18:45 20:00 21:30 Zeytinburnu Olivium Cinecity: 12:15 14:30 16:45 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat:23:15 24:15 Altunizade Capitol Spec um 14: 11:20 13:50 16:15 18:30 20:45 Fri/Sat:23:00 Kadýköy Cinebonus Nautilus: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat:23:45 Kadýköy Rexx: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:00

Maltepe AFM Carrefour Park: 11:30 14:00 17:00 19:30 22:00 Suadiye Movieplex: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 Fri/Sat:24:15 Ümraniye Cinebonus Meydan: 11:00 12:15 13:30 14:45 16:00 17:15 18:30 20:00 21:15 Fri/Sat:23:45 Ümraniye AFM Carrefour: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 Ankara: AFM Ankamall: 11:20 13:50 16:15 18:40 21:15 Fri/Sat:23:30 Cinebonus Bilkent: 11:45 13:00 14:15 15:30 16:45 18:00 19:15 20:30 21:45 Fri/Sat:23:00 24:15 Atakule On Tower: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 21:00 22:00 Fri/Sat:24:00 Kýzýlay Büyülü Fener: 12:00 14:15 16:30 18:45 21:00 Cinebonus Panora: 11:45 13:00 14:15 15:30 16:45 18:00 19:15 20:30 21:45 Fri/Sat:24:15 Armada: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat:24:15 AFM Cepa: 12:00 14:25 16:50 19:20 21:45 Cinebonus Arcadium: 11:50 12:30 14:20 15:00 16:50 17:30 19:20 20:00 21:50 Fri/Sat:23:45 Ýzmir: Agora Balçova: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Cinebonus Balçova Kipa: 10:30 11:30 13:00 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat:24:00 AFM Bornova Forum: 11:15 13:45 16:30 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat:23:15 Çiðli Cinecity Kipa: 12:00 14:15 16:30 19:00 21:30 Fri/Sat:24:00 AFM Passtel: 11:30 13:50 16:20 18:40 21:00 Cinebonus Konak Pier: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 Fri/Sat:24:15

CM Y K

AFM Maviþehir Ege Park: 11:30 13:45 16:00 18:15 20:45 Antalya: Cinebonus Migros: 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 Fri/Sat:24:00 AFM Laura: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2008

REUTERS

US warship carries aid to Georgian port of Poti PHOTO

contýnued from page 1 Two US ships have already come and gone from Georgia carrying humanitarian aid in recent weeks, but they anchored at a smaller port, Batumi, to the south.

US military officials have said the Mount Whitney, like the other ships, was bringing humanitarian aid for Georgians, including blankets, powdered milk and sanitizing equipment. Russia had signaled to US officials that it would not impede the ship's movement. But, contrary to earlier reports, Lt. Col. John Dorrian, a spokesman for the US European Command, said Friday there were no plans to allow the Russians to inspect the cargo.

"That will not be allowed," Dorrian said. "The port of Poti is Georgian sovereign territory."

Asked why the ship traveled to Poti and not Batumi, he said "That is where they requested we deliver this humanitarian aid and that's where we're going." Russia is extremely wary about the presence of US and NATO ships in the Black Sea

The USS Mount Whitney, the flagship of the US Navy's Sixth Fleet, arrives at the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti on Friday. The USS Mount Whitney is the third US vessel to arrive on the Georgian coast. region and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin earlier this week promised an unspecified response to US and NATO actions. On Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry official Andrei Nesterenko offered a measured response. "There is no talk of military action," he said after a reporter's question about what

Russia's reaction will be. But he again questioned why the United States was using warships.

Vice President Dick Cheney met with top Ukrainian leaders Friday, calling their country's relationship with the United States "very important" as Washington sought to re-

assure its allies in former Soviet states.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko emphasized that he shared the United States' critical view of Russian military intervention in Georgia.

"We value our strategic bilateral relationship highly," Yushchenko said. "On the majority of the issues, including Georgia, we have an understanding with the United States."

Yushchenko has pushed strongly for closer ties with the European Union and NATO. He has also objected to Russia using its ships stationed in Ukraine in the war, thus dragging Ukraine into the conflict, and condemned Russia's decision to recognize Georgia's separatist areas as independent states.

Cheney also met separately with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, discussing regional security and efforts to diversify energy supplies.

Cheney's visit came during a political crisis pitting Yushchenko and Tymoshenko, coalition partners, against one another, setting Ukraine's government teetering on the verge of collapse. Poti AP

PHOTO

AP

Rýce haýls hýstorýc Lýbya výsýt, meets wýth Gaddafý

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice waves as she arrives to meet with Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates at the Sao Bento Palace in Lisbon, ahead of a trip to North Africa.

Condoleezza Rice hailed as "historic" her trip to Libya later on Friday, the first by a US secretary of state to the former pariah nation in 55 years and a visit aimed at erasing decades of enmity.

"It is an historic moment ... that has come after a lot of difficulty and the suffering of many people, that will never be forgotten or assuaged, Americans in particular for whom I am very concerned," Rice told a news conference in Lisbon before leaving for Tripoli.

The trip signals improved ties between the two countries, which began to warm after Libya gave up its weapons of mass destruction program in 2003. Rice held back from visiting Libya until a compensation package was signed last month to cover legal claims involving victims of US and Libyan bombings.

The last secretary of state to go there was John Foster Dulles in May 1953, before Rice was even born. Rice was scheduled to meet Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and share

Iftar with him -- the meal for breaking the fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Rice said she was looking forward to meeting Gaddafi -- once called "the mad dog of the Middle East" by President Ronald Reagan -- and planned to discuss, among other issues, the conflict in Sudan and Libya's "important" role there.

Gaddafi has in the past expressed admiration for Rice. "I support my darling black African woman, he said in an interview with al Jazeera last year. I admire and am very proud of the way she leans back and gives orders to the Arab leaders," he continued. "Yes, Leezza, Leezza, Leezza ... I love her very much. I admire her, and I'm proud of her, because she's a black woman of African origin."

Rice said Libya was changing. "I want to discuss how that change is taking place because a more open Libya, a Libya that is itself changing will be also good for Libya and for the international community," she said.

Rice may sign a trade and investment deal during her visit. Washington is also negotiating a "military memorandum of understanding" with Libya, which cooperates in fighting terrorism and has helped stem the flow of insurgents into Iraq, the State Department said, without giving details.

Rice is also expected to raise some human rights issues and to push Gaddafi on the compensation deal signed on Aug. 14.

Libya finalized the legal arrangements on Wednesday for setting up a fund into which money will be paid, but one senior US official said it would take "more than days" before payments could be made to both sides.

US victims covered include those who died in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people, and the 1986 attack on a Berlin disco that killed three people and wounded 229.

It also compensates Libyans killed in 1986 when US planes bombed Tripoli

and Benghazi, killing 40 people.

Rice has come under some domestic US criticism for making the trip before the money was paid out. Rights groups are critical because some cases, such as that of ailing political dissident Fathi el-Jahmi, have not been resolved.

Jahmi's brother Mohamed El-Jahmi, who lives in the United States near Boston, said Rice was wrong to see Gaddafi while his brother, a former provincial governor, was held in a "bugged," cockroach-ridden hospital room.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden has taken up Jahmi's case and Mohamed el-Jahmi said he hoped Rice would do the same. "The secretary of state is now going to provide legitimacy to a dictator. She knows fully that my brother could be killed," he told Reuters.

After going to Tripoli, Rice is set to visit Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco before returning to Washington on Sept. 7. Lisbon Reuters

WORLD

Minister has France agog over identity of her child’s father NEW ANALYSIS

By Charles Bremner TODAY'S ZAMAN France has a new game. It's called "cherchez le pere," and the object is to guess which man is responsible for the pregnancy of Rachida Dati, 42, justice minister of President Sarkozy's Cabinet.

Since Ms. Dati confirmed on Wednesday that she was expecting her first baby and refused to identify her partner, the names of millionaires, politicians and television personalities have gone forth and multiplied, with rumors swirling on the internet and around the water cooler.

Speculation has been feverish since the minister returned from holiday last month and made no attempt to hide her blooming figure. She added to the sense of mystery this week when she said: "My private life is complicated and I am keeping it off-limits to the media. I will not say anything about it."

Ms. Dati, a Sarko protegee and symbol of the Cabinet's ethnic diversity, has had a meteoric rise from the immigrant estates to the corridors of power. She has fuelled the fascination by posing for fashion shots for magazines -- although she has said that she regrets a shoot in a luxurious hotel for Paris Match last year. The pictures, in which she wore fishnet stockings and high-heeled boots, appalled judges' unions as an act of frivolity at a time when she was cutting hundreds of jobs in her ministry.

Her high-handed ways have not endeared her to the court system either.

The French media, which has built Ms. Dati up as a star, has taken its default position of considering the private lives of politicians taboo -- even condemning the blogosphere for changing the rules of the game. The main evening news on TF1, the biggest television channel, failed to mention the matter, even though it had been a favorite topic on the internet all day.

A variety of names have been put forward as the father, many enticing, if a little improbable. One -Jose Maria Aznar, the former Spanish Prime Minister and friend of Mr. Sarkozy -- even took the extraordinary step of denying he was the mystery lover, after a Moroccan news website named him.

"In relation to the rumors that have appeared in certain areas of the media linking Jose Maria Aznar with the pregnancy of Rachida Dati, we would like to state the following: the claims are totally and utterly false," said a statement from Mr. Aznar's office.

Not high on the list of suspects, but in circulation all the same, is Mr. Sarkozy himself. For several months before he married Carla Bruni in February, his presidential consort was Ms. Dati, who accompanied him on official events including a state banquet at the White House. Her devotion to him is such that it led to her estrangement from Cecilia Ciganer, the last Mrs. Sarkozy and her once close friend. According to biographers, Mr. Sarkozy's marriage reportedly left Ms Dati downcast because it distanced her from her hero and mentor.

Over the past year Ms. Dati has been linked to two millionaires: Henri Proglio, boss of Veolia Environment, and Dominique Desseigne, chief of the Barriere casino and hotel chain. Ms. Dati is said to have broken up with Mr. Proglio in the middle of last winter. Another rumored name is a popular television host and producer known as Arthur.

On the whole, Ms. Dati's pregnancy has been well received. She is seen as a remarkably strongwilled woman who had led a hard life. She said on Thursday that a child was the one big thing missing in her life and implied that she had been trying unsuccessfully for years to have one. She plans to work on and keep her job as long as possible, she told Le Point magazine.

Commentators are praising France's civilized attitude to the Dati baby, comparing it with the fuss puritanical "Anglo-Saxon" countries make over outof-wedlock births. Such tolerance, however, is relatively recent: Yvonne de Gaulle, wife of the late Charles de Gaulle, refused to allow divorced women into the Elysee Palace when she was premiere dame in the Sixties. © The Times, London

taking advantage of security gains in Iraq to bolster the military effort in Afghanistan, where violence is on the rise. Several senior military and defense officials described the recommendations on condition of anonymity because the plan has not been made public. They also acknowledged the plan is a compromise, since Gen. David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, argued to maintain the current force levels in Iraq through June. That is about 146,000 troops, including 15 combat brigades and thousands of support forces.

Bush is weighing the recommendations; in the past, he has largely accepted the military's advice. Should he adopt it, it would be left to the next commander in chief to execute

further troop reductions in Iraq and a greater buildup in Afghanistan. Bush's term ends in January.

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama has advocated pulling all US combat forces out of Iraqi within 16 months. The Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, has said he would rely on the advice of US military commanders to determine the timing and pace of troop reductions. Both candidates have said more troops are needed in Afghanistan.

Obama said Thursday the escalation of US troops in Iraq, which he had opposed, has succeeded in reducing violence "beyond our wildest dreams." Washington AP

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PHOTO

President Bush's top defense advisers have recommended he maintain 15 combat brigades in Iraq until the end of the year, contrary to expectations that the improved security in Iraq would allow for quicker cuts, The Associated Press has learned.

Military leaders told the AP that the closely held plan would send a small Marine contingent to Afghanistan in November to replace one of two Marine units expected to head home then. If Bush should follow the recommendations, he would delay any additional buildup in Afghanistan until early next year, when another brigade would be deployed there instead of to Iraq. That move would cut the number of brigades in Iraq to 14 in February. The plan is aimed at

REUTERS

Pentagon told to delay Iraq troop cuts, reports say

American soldiers patrol a street in central Baghdad on Thursday.

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WORLD

TODAY’S ZAMAN 11

S AT U R D AY, S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 0 8

Angolans vote in first election in 16 years

Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin kicked off a two-month battle for the White House on Friday with a promise that "change is coming," a theme co-opted from their Democratic rivals.

McCain touted his credentials as a reformer and portrayed himself as the real agent of change in the race against Barack Obama as he accepted his party's presidential nomination in an arena filled with supporters waving blue "Country First" signs.

"I don't work for a party. I don't work for a special interest. I don't work for myself.

I work for you," McCain said in a speech that included only passing criticisms of Obama after a four-day convention marked by scathing attacks on the Democrat.

"I've fought corruption, and it didn't matter if the culprits were Democrats or Republicans," McCain said as Palin, his surprise running mate, watched from the stands. The reception for McCain's remarks was more muted than for Palin's fiery acceptance speech on Wednesday, which directed repeated barbs at Obama and drew roars from the crowd, energizing the party's conservative base.

NUCLEAR

the other Republicans. "He admonished the 'old, do-nothing crowd' in Washington, but ignored the fact that he's been part of that crowd for 26 years, opposing solutions on health care, energy and education," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said.

"He talked about bipartisanship, but didn't mention that he's been a Bush partisan 90 percent of the time," he said. With the conventions and the selections of running mates out of the way, the next big campaign milestone is the first of three debates, on September 26 in Oxford, Mississippi. Palin, the Alaska governor, meets Obama's No. 2, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, in a debate of vice presidential candidates on Oct. 2 in St. Louis.

During his speech, McCain said he had a record of working across party lines on issues. He said Obama had not shown the same ability. "I've worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed," he said. "I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not."

Obama was campaigning in Pennsylvania on Friday. St. Paul Reuters

AP

South Korea: critical moment for North deal

McCain trails Obama slightly in most national opinion polls as they head into the Nov. 4 presidential election, but he promised the Republican faithful he would win.

"And after we've won, we're going to reach out our hand to any willing patriot, make this government start working for you again, and get this country back on the road to prosperity and peace," McCain said.

McCain and Palin joined their families on stage after the speech as balloons and confetti drifted over the arena. Outside, police arrested 250 anti-war protesters marching to the venue after using flash grenades and teargas to herd them onto a bridge.

Inside, McCain was interrupted several times by anti-war protesters. Police hauled two women out of the arena. McCain has been one of the most outspoken supporters of US military involvement in Iraq.

"Please don't be diverted by the ground noise and the static," McCain said as the protesters were forced out. "Americans want us to stop yelling at each other." The Obama campaign said McCain had offered more of the same policies of the last eight years under President George W. Bush and

PHOTO

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin gives thumbs up as she joins Republican presidential nominee John McCain on stage.

WEATHER

Hurricane Ike targets Miami, Hanna nears Fierce Hurricane Ike weakened slightly as it charged across the Atlantic on Friday and took aim at south Florida while Tropical Storm Hanna was set to crash ashore in the Carolinas after killing at least 136 people in Haiti. Hanna was not expected to be anything more than a minimal Category 1 hurricane when it reaches the US East Coast somewhere near the North Carolina and South Carolina border early on Saturday, the US National Hurricane Center said. Nevertheless, authorities declared states of emergency, North Carolina ordered up a voluntary evacuation on the fragile Outer Banks, and coastal campgrounds were shut as the eighth tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season pulled away from the 700 far-flung islands of the Bahamas. Ike was far more threatening. An extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane on the five-step Saffir Simpson scale on Thursday, it weakened a notch to a Category 3 overnight with top sustained winds of 125 miles per hour (205 km per hour), the Miami-based hurricane center said. By 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT), it was spinning around 460 miles (740 km) north of the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, still days away from reaching any land. Some further weakening was possible but the hurricane center said Ike was expected to remain a "major" storm of Category 3 or higher. Salvo, N.C. Reuters

SCRUTINY

Obama sends supporters to blunt Palin's impact Barack Obama's campaign plans to employ high-profile female supporters in an effort to blunt Republican U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's potential to persuade women to vote for her party. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius all were scheduled to campaign for Obama in the coming weeks. Republicans say they hope Palin, who made her national debut with a feisty speech on Wednesday, could put some female voters in play. "We respect her. She's a skilled politician, as she proved last night," Obama strategist David Axelrod told reporters aboard the campaign plane Thursday. "She's deft at going on the attack." But it's not clear exactly how Obama and his running

mate Joe Biden should respond. They keenly remember how women rallied around one-time Democratic front runner Clinton when they perceived she was a victim of sexism. They don't want to appear with a weak response, either, and certainly they also don't want to send independent women flocking to the Republican Party. The solution, at least in the short term, will be to have top-tier female supporters vouch for Obama to largely female audiences and keep the candidate himself away. Sebelius started on Thursday, linking Palin to the unpopular President George W. Bush. "She mastered the words written by the Bush speechwriters and delivered them well. But what we didn't hear was what people talk to me about every day," Sebelius told reporters. Harrisburg, Penn. AP

China puts squeeze on military spending abuses

A former women's rights activist was sworn in Friday as Australia's first female governor general and immediately signaled she would continue to champion human rights from the country's highest office. Quentin Bryce, 65, was installed as governor general -- a largely symbolic role that represents the nation's official ruler, the British monarch -- at a ceremony in the Senate in the capital, Canberra.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and other leading politicians, judges and diplomats attended the ceremony. Holding a Bible in her right hand, Bryce pledged an oath of allegiance to the queen before taking the oath of office as Australia's 25th governor general. Outside Parliament House, a 21-gun salute was fired. "I want you to know that I take on this role with

AP

Australia swears in first female governor general PHOTO

Chinese military officials face intensified scrutiny for abusing or mishandling the nation's fast-rising defence budget, state media reported on Friday. The audit rules approved by President and military chief Hu Jintao target senior People's Liberation Army officers disbursing funds and overseeing big projects and purchases, the People's Daily reported. The report did not specify cases of PLA corruption and waste. But the wording of the rules suggested official alarm. "Leading officials who carry out economic responsibilities poorly or who have economic problems should be relieved of their current duties and culpability should be pursued,"the rules issued by the Central Military Commission stipulate. "Vigorously investigate and punish decision-making failures, implementation missteps, inadequate control and supervision and other problems," they add.

The rules appear to reinforce PLA audit regulations announced last year. China's military brass certainly have their hands on growing amounts of money. In March, the government said the defence budget would rise to 418 billion yuan ($61 billion) for 2008, up 17.6 percent on 2007 after years of double-digit rises. Beijing Reuters

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, left, with new Governor General Quentin Bryce. solemnity, impartiality, energy and a profound love for the country we share," Bryce said in a speech. "I promise to be open, responsive and

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faithful to the contemporary thinking and working of Australian society." Bryce, the former governor of the state of Queensland, succeeds Maj. Gen. Michael Jeffery, who served in the role for five years. Australia is a constitutional monarchy and, like many former British colonies, retains close ties to the British royal family. While Bryce makes history as the first woman to hold the post in Australia, other Commonwealth nations -- including Canada and New Zealand -- have already appointed female governor generals. "It took us 107 years, but we got there in the end," Rudd said at a reception afterward. "It is not always an easy role, but it is one of the greatest honors that the nation can bestow on one of its citizens," Rudd said of Bryce's new position. Sydney AP

PHOTO

McCaýn pledges to change partýsan Washýngton

Angolans voted on Friday for the first time in 16 years in a parliamentary election expected to extend the ruling party's hold of more than three decades in the booming oil-rich African nation. Long linesformed in the capital Luanda, considered a stronghold of the governing MPLA, hours before the polls opened at 7 a.m. (0600 GMT). Angola wants the election to set an example after flawed ballots elsewhere in Africa and to demonstrate its recovery from decades of civil war that ended in 2002.

"This is a day of hope. Things will change because we have suffered a lot to live in peace," Esperanca da Gloria, a 65-year-old retired nurse, said while waiting to vote near the presidential palace in Luanda. The poll is the first in Angola since 1992 and is seen largely as a race between the MPLA and former rebel group UNITA. Official results are not expected for at least a week. UNITA says the ruling party has had an unfair advantage in the campaign and US-based Human Rights Watch has backed its complaints, but European Union observers have not reported problems. Angola's last election ended in disaster in 1992 when UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi withdrew from the second round of a presidential poll after accusing MPLA leader Jose Eduardo dos Santos of cheating his way to victory. Luanda Reuters

South Korea's chief nuclear envoy on Friday pressed North Korea to halt plans to rebuild a mothballed nuclear plant that makes arms-grade plutonium and instead return to the bargaining table. Envoys from regional powers called hastily arranged meetings in Beijing from Friday to discuss the secretive North's move earlier this week to take the initial steps of restarting its ageing Soviet-era nuclear plant. "This is a critical moment and we should try to break this deadlock as soon as possible so that North Korea can promptly restart nuclear disarmament and come back to the six-party talks," Kim Sook said before leaving for the Chinese capital. North Korea started to disable the Yongbyon facility in November, but halted the process last month, angered by Washington's failure to drop it from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. The United States said North Korea must first agree on a system to verify Pyongyang's disclosures about its nuclear programs. Seoul Reuters

REUTERS

POLL

Supporters of the Pakistan People's Party gather to celebrate the nomination of Asif Ali Zardari as presidential candidate in Hyderabad.

Zardari set to be Pakistan’s new president today The winner of Pakistan's presidential election is pretty much a foregone conclusion.

The real question is whether the new leader will be any more successful than his predecessor in tackling extremism, economic malaise and a myriad of other ills plaguing a nuclear power on the front lines of the war on terrorism.

Asif Ali Zardari, head of the ruling Pakistan People's Party and widower of two-time Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, will face off against two lightly regarded opponents when legislators meet today to choose a president to fill the gap created when former military strongman Pervez Musharraf resigned under pressure last month.

"It will be an easy victory for Asif Ali Zardari as we have the support of more than 400 lawmakers out of about 700," People's Party spokesman Farhatullah Babar told The Associated Press.

The party was part of a coalition that swept to power in February parliamentary elections on a mostly anti-Musharraf platform, so no major changes in policy are expected, even though a key partner has defected to spearhead the opposition.

Zardari, generally considered pro-West, also isn't expected to change Pakistan's commitment to be an ally in the US war on terrorism, despite a bold cross-border US-led raid Wednesday that left at least 15 people dead in the country's largely lawless tribal belt along the Afghan frontier. The raid sparked widespread condemnation of what was seen as an attack on the country's sovereignty.

In news likely to stoke more anger, intelligence officials said a missile strike was suspected in a blast on Thursday that killed at least four people in North Waziristan, part of the tribal belt where Osama bin Laden and his deputy are thought to be hiding.

Previous similar strikes have been blamed on the US. Pakistani officials also were checking the cause of an explosion on Friday in North Waziristan that reportedly killed several suspected foreign militants, with witnesses suggesting it also was a missile strike.

Zardari criticized Wednesday's raid, the first known foreign ground assault inside Pakistan against a suspected Taliban haven. But he also expressed sympathy for the US and other countries that have been hit by terrorist attacks, saying Pakistan also is suffering from extremist violence.

His reaction underscores the fine line that Pakistan leaders must walk amid dependence on US financial aid: Crack down on beds of Islamic extremism even as many Pakistanis blame the strategic alliance for fueling violence by Islamic militants in their country. The People's Party has tried to convince Pakistanis they cannot duck the fight.

Previous cross-border attacks by US-led forces in Afghanistan have sparked brief public backlashes that quickly died down. It was unclear whether the use of ground forces this time will create more furor beyond legislative resolutions and a strong letter of protest to Washington. Islamabad AP

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EXPAT ZONE

Beautýful feet CULTURAL CORNER

insult as the soles of the feet are the lowest and dirtiest part of the body. Avoid stretching legs in front of others. When you stretch your legs out the sole of your foot can be seen.

Depending on where you are in the Middle East, Islamic weddings are quite similar. It is always fun to go to the “henna party” for the bride. Some Middle Eastern cultures maintain the tradition of decorating the bride’s hands and feet with henna; however, in Turkey, among the urban middle class, usually only the hands are decorated.

Here is the letter from BE, who writes: Dear Charlotte: Last year I heard on the news about footbaths being installed at the University of Michigan. I could not understand why this was needed until the other day. I never had a clue what Muslims actually do as part of their daily prayer routine. Maybe we figured they prayed or whatever in private. But now I suddenly realize that Islamic customs are very different from mine (ours) in the West. For example, I walked right in on a person preparing for his Muslim prayers and felt awkward. It seemed quite a complex procedure (for example, each foot must be washed three times).Then the person must “clean” his ears, etc. To think of people having to do this in workplace restrooms or college dorm restrooms several times

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CHARLOTTE McPHERSON a day is simply inconvenient for everyone involved. I wonder if Muslims are doing the ritual washing in public schools, universities and businesses every day in Turkey. Do they do all the prescribed steps (which are very complicated), or just a shortened version of them? How do they dry their feet? How much water is left on the floor? It seems any bathroom where this is happening is going to be messy. And how do their non-Muslim fellow students and fellow employees respond to all this? Please enlighten me.

Dear BE, Thank you for your comments and questions. I can answer only from a biblical perspective. In the Old Testament days, roads were dusty and usually left feet filthy. Isaiah, an Old Testament prophet referred to feet as being beautiful -- not in the sense that we think of

beauty today (for example, pedicured and manicured). It was more in the sense that bearers of good news came on foot. As you can see from my comments above on customs and etiquette, there are some definite ideas about feet. I would like for other Today’s Zaman readers to respond to your letter by dropping me a note and I will share the information with you that I receive from my readers.

Since I broke a bone in my left foot this summer and was in a cast for four weeks and on crutches and wearing a therapeutic shoe for six weeks, I’ve been disappointed that I did not get to enjoy wearing sandals and slingbacks. I have also become a lot more informed about all kinds of information on foot pain, foot conditions, comfort and performance footwear, sports injuries and general foot health.

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings.”

-- Isaiah 52:7.

Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers.

Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com

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S AC R E D S I T E S

MEHMET ALÝ POYRAZ

Recently a letter was sent from a Westerner in a country in the West expressing concern about the practice of Muslim footwashing in public toilets at the office. Let’s explore the importance of feet in Muslim culture.

I don’t know about you but I always hate to see the summer end. It means time is running out to enjoy those comfortable open-toed slingbacks that let your freshly manicured toenails say, “Notice me!”

Many Westerners do not think about their own feet like Middle Easterners do. In Muslim culture, importance is placed on taking care of your feet and where you place them. Whether you are a man or a woman, your feet are important. They can be attractive or offensive, depending on the culture you live in.

Here are a few tips if you have just relocated to Turkey or the Middle East: Take off your shoes at the entrance of the home and leave them there before going in. Usually house slippers will be provided for you to put on.

Take care when sitting.

Avoid putting feet on tables or furniture. Show respect and remember that showing the sole of your foot is considered an

The Kalenderhane Mosque: BÜÞRA ÝPEKÇÝ ÝSTANBUL

and another larger church built to the south of the second one in the seventh century. Then a third church, possibly dating back to the end of the 12th century, was built using the apse and the sanctuary of the second one, the historical sources indicate. This third structure is the one that has survived to this day.

Furthermore, it is thought that the building was surrounded by other monasteries but that none of these survived the Ottoman period.

The church was consecrated by the crusaders and used as a Roman Catholic church following the sack of Constantinople in the 12th century. The church has undergone some renovations that added to its Catholic character while diminishing some of its Orthodox features. The most prominent evidence of the Catholic presence in the church is the fresco of St. Francesco (also known as St. The interior Francis of Assisi) discovered under one of the side chapels in later periods. The church was partly officiated by Franciscan clergy in the same period, as well.

Following the conquest of the city by the Ottomans, the church was converted into a zaviye -- a sort of dervish convent -- and allocated

by Mehmet II to the dervishes of the Kalenderi sect. The mosque is named after these dervishes to keep their memory alive. Kalenderhane means “the house of Kalenderi” in Turkish. The zaviye also included an imaret (public kitchen).

The mosque was then converted into a mosque

by Babüssade Aðasý (chief eunuch of the harem)

Maktul Beþir Aða during the first half of the 18th century. He built a mihrab, a minbar and a royal box.

The mosque was badly damaged by a fire and subsequently renovated in 1854, though poorly. It was abandoned after 1930 when the minaret located to the southwest corner of the mosque collapsed after a lightning strike and the demolition of a nearby madrasa. It was reopened to worship in 1968 after the minaret and the 18th century mihrab were rebuilt.

Reports of being first Mevlevihane Also, according to some accounts, this mosque was the first Ýstanbul mevlevihane -- lodge used by Mevlevi dervishes. The Masnavi of Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi was read and Sema ceremonies were held after Friday prayers. However, historical sources make no mention of this mevlevihane. Thus it is thought that the mosque either lost its features as a mevlevihane over time or that this is not a reliable historical account.

Kalenderhane still maintains some of its former character despite the changes that occurred over the centuries. Someone interested in Byzantine art would easily recognize the Byzantine aspects of its architecture.

The walls of the mosque are mainly made of layers of stone and brick. It has a Greek cross plan with a large cross dome that has 16 ribs. The entrance is at the western side of the building. The four arms of the cross are covered with barrel vaults. The inner and outer narthexes follow the western side of the build-

ing while its sanctuary is to the west. The later-closed side entrances were through the inner narthex.

Although most of its beautiful frescoes and iconographies are hidden behind the current paintings, some of them are still visible. The frescoes of St. Francis and the mosaic panel depicting the presentation of Christ were taken to the Ýstanbul Archaeological Museum after their discovery in the 1966 excavations. This mosaic panel is the only wall mosaic that has survived from the pre-iconoclastic period (717-867) while the frescoes are believed to be the oldest surviving mosaic depicting the saint’s life.

The beauty of the inner decoration is enriched with striking, colorful marble panels and moldings and inner walls adorned with beautiful ornamentations; however, the hand-painted inscriptions on the dome from the Ottoman period no longer exist.

The columns at the mosque’s entrance remained behind the walls constructed during the church’s conversion into a mosque.

There are two small rooms to the left and right of the entrance. The first goes through the aqueduct, while the second houses columns with beautiful frescoes on them. But these rooms are closed. Still, you should try your chances with the mosque’s imam, since he is known to have helped some lucky visitors in the past.

In the court of the mosque, there are some ruined walls remaining that are believed to have been part of the former church.

Despite being in a popular tourist area, Kalenderhane seems to be somehow lost and lacks popular interest. If you happen to pass by this area, make sure to visit this small, but lovely mosque.

Address: 16 Mart Þehitleri Caddesi, Vezneciler

PHOTOS

BAHAR MANDAN

Ýstanbul, the former capital of the Ottoman Empire, is home to many mosques that were formerly churches prior to the conquest of the city by Mehmet II in 1453. One such historical jewel is located in the Vezneciler area of Eminönü, though it lacks the fame of the Aya Sofya.

The Kalenderhane Mosque in Vezneciler, close to the Fatih district, is just one of many such examples. Built as a church by the Byzantines, the small mosque first served as a dervish convent after the conquest of Constantinople and then as a mosque.

We have limited information about this mosque, which stands next to the Western end of the Bozdoðan Kemeri (Valens Aqueduct). What we do know is mainly based on excavations and restoration work jointly carried out by Ýstanbul Technical University and Harvard University in the mid-1960s and the 1970s. It was during these excavations that scholars identified the mosque as a former monastery dedicated to Theotokos Kyriotissa (the mother of God who reigns in majesty, a Christian epithet for Mary, the mother of Jesus). The description of the monastery in question in the Byzantine sources is different than the Kalenderhane Mosque. The mosque was previously believed by the Patriarchate in Ýstanbul to be the Church of Christ Akataleptos, but the identification by professors Doðan Kuban and Cecil L. Striker is considered the most reliable as it is based on two frescoes featuring the inscription “Kyriotissa.”

According to the field studies conducted by these two scholars, the current mosque was built during the late Comnenian dynasty (1081-1185) on the remains of an ancient site. There were three buildings on the site prior to this: a Roman bath dating back to the fourth or fifth century, a basilica in the sixth century

PHOTO

a former church with a long history

The Kalenderhane Mosque in Vezneciler

NOTE: Today's Zaman intends to provide a lively forum for expatriates living in Turkey. We encourage you to contact us at voice@todayszaman.com and share your experiences, questions and problems in all walks of life for publication in Today's Zaman.

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Edirne dessert expert draws customers with fruit baklava KADRÝ KILIÇ EDÝRNE

Both local and foreign customers have been showing great interest in a unique fruity baklava created by an Edirne-based dessert expert, Ýbrahim Halil Özer. Özer attempted to create a new form of baklava that would be different from the traditional flavor of the Turkish dessert for his customers. The idea he came up with was fruit baklava. With customers showing great interest over the past years in Özer’s cherry, apple, orange and melon baklavas, this year the dessert expert decided to add one more flavor to his line up: chestnut baklava. The unusual variations on this traditional Turkish dessert are being bought and enjoyed not only by local customers who enjoy the taste, but also by visitors from Greece. Özer notes that his new chestnut baklava was introduced just in time for the month of Ramadan. He says his unique baklavas are lower in sugar than other varieties, pointing out that this is an added health advantage, especially for the month of fasting and large iftars in which more desserts than normal are consumed. He says he is pleased by the interest shown by customers in his chestnut baklava, which currently sells for YTL 20 per kilogram.

One fan of Özer’s unique baklavas, Gülçin Özçelik, says she prefers the fruit baklavas because they are lighter than the usual baklavas. She adds that she is a fan of the fruit baklava, as well as the new chestnut version. Another customer, Gürol Köse, notes that while he used to buy the traditional kind of baklava, he switched over to the fruit baklava immediately after he tasted it.

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Ýstanbul Recitals to kick off next month

A folk singer from the Los Angeles area: Azam Ali TALAT ALKAN ÝSTANBUL

Walking down Ýstiklâl Caddesi, you might be forgiven for mistakenly thinking that this "Beni Beni" music you hear is from one of our Turkish artists. If you have a good ear, though, you might even detect some of the Farsi in the vocals in this music. And if you were to enter into a music store and ask, "What was that you were playing?" you would find out that what you had been hearing was music from a group that comes from the Los Angeles area: Niyaz. Vocalist Azam Ali and his wife, instrumentalist Loga Ramin Torkian, formed Niyaz, a group that bases its music on the inspiration taken from mystic poetry. With its dulcimer-driven sounds, Niyaz embraces classics from the Iranian, Indian, and Turkish saz families, coming to listeners on two CDs. The soloist and spirit of the group, Ali started his musical career as a student of the santur, a kind of dulcimer. Ali learned his Iranian dulcimer skills from Üstad Sadeghi, while his vocal skills were discovered over the course of eight years of dulcimer lessons. This young singer was trained in accordance with Western, Indian and even Eastern European vocal traditions, eventually finding his true mode of expression through a tradition of vocal expression fed by classic and ancient cultures, allowing him to sing his genuine emotions.

Ali spoke about his perpetual amazement at the sheer strength and power of the human voice and noted that he is a great fan of Turkish music, which brought together "Beni Beni" with the group Niyaz. Thinking about why his group didn't include any Turkish music in its lineup, Ali turned to a friend, Ulas Özdemir, for help in identifying Turkish music his group might sing. Hearing "Beni Beni," Ali felt strongly that it was of the type of folk song he might include in his album with his other music. Interestingly, this Iranian artist also notes that he is planning an album of regional lullabies that might well include a Turkish one.

The most recent Niyaz album, "Nine Heavens," espouses a philosophy based on a poem from Iranian musician and poet Amir Khousro Dehlavi who lived in India. As an important character in the ties between Indian and Iranian culture, Dehlavi is very important.

Ali was born in Iran but grew up in India and speaks the languages of both these countries. But he is also captivated by the Turkish language, noting "my heart speaks in Turkish, and my dream is to learn Turkish."

Ali, thinking about those who are searching for different varieties in acoustics in world music, has prepared two CDs for the "Nine Heavens" album that include both acoustic and electronic versions of the same songs.

Torkian, the instrumental leg of Niyaz, thinks that the most interesting dimension to classic Iranian music is the "haal." As she describes it, listening to

haal music causes a person's very insides to quiver, almost prompting a trance-like state and a move into a special spiritual dimension in the listener. Niyaz takes its inspiration from Iranian poetry, which can read a person's soul all the way to its deepest roots.

The Niyaz group explains the success they have seen on the world music stage in terms of four principles: The first is a change in chords, the second is the use of music and lyrics from their own region, the third is the refusal to dispense with classical poetry and the fourth is the use of traditional rhythms.

The two voices from Niyaz, Torkian and Ali, are both as close to Turkish culture as they are to Turkish music. Torkian, an expert on instrumentals, finds classical Turkish musical instruments very refined and quite well suited to the music they play. She follows closely almost everything that comes from Ali, Sabahat Akkiraz, Kardeþ Türküler and Kalan Müzik as well as some of the recordings from DoubleMooon Records. In the past, Ali has also worked with Mercan Dede, Göksel and Ömer Faruk Tekbilek. He is interested in and inspired by Turkish architecture, cuisine and culture. Ali, underscoring his belief that Turkish people tend to place great emphasis on matters and thoughts of the spirit, will take his place on stage along with Niyaz for the first time in Diyarbakýr on Oct. 11 at the Women's Festival.

The Ýstanbul Recitals series will kick off on Oct. 7, heating up Ýstanbul's musical life by bringing together numerous international virtuosos, well-known instrumentalists and popular singers.

The recitals, to be held at the Mustafa Kemal Cultural Center in the district of Akatlar, will run until June 18, 2009. Artists from France, Italy, the US, Switzerland, Ireland and China will be brought to Ýstanbul for the performances.

The series will start with a recital by pianist Stephen Hough on Oct. 7. Since winning first prize in the Naumburg International Piano Competition in 1983, Hough has appeared with most of the major American and European orchestras. He gives recitals regularly in major halls and concert series around the world. He is also a guest at festivals such as Salzburg, Mostly Mozart, Aspen, Ravinia, Tanglewood, Blossom, Edinburgh, Aldeburgh and the BBC Proms, where he has made over a dozen concerto appearances. Recent engagements include performances with the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics, the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony, the London Philharmonic, the St. Louis, Atlanta, National, Cincinnati, Houston and Dallas symphonies and a US tour with the Russian National Orchestra led by Vladimir Jurowski. He has received three Grammy nominations. He will perform pieces by Bach, Faure, Copland and Chopin.

On Nov. 13 Franco-Swiss cellist Ophelie Gaillard will take to the stage and on Dec. 18 pianist Laure Favre-Kahn will make an appearance. For 2009 the recitals will feature pianist John O'Connor on Jan. 15, pianist Fredrik Ullen on Feb. 18, guitarist Xuefei Yang on March 18, pianist Tamara Stefanovich on April 16, pianist Enrico Belli on May 13 and pianist Chu Fang Huang on June 18. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

‘Zeynep's Eight Days' recognized in Egypt "Zeynep'in Sekiz Günü," (Zeynep's Eight Days) has returned to Turkey with an award from the 24th Alexandria International Film Festival, organized by the Egyptian Association of Film Writers and Critics.

The film's director, Cemal Þan, received the Artistic Success award at the festival, which started on Aug. 26 and is focused on Mediterranean movies. According to the Anatolia news agency, the award was presented to Turkish Consul General in Alexandria Bilgin Atala by Adel Labib, the governor of Alexandria, as Þan did not attend the festival. The film's production coordinator, Tekin Doðan, said they did not participate in the festival to get an award, but that they were happy about the honor nonetheless.

Doðan pointed out that that the movie was previously screened at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival and that leading actress Fadik Sevin Atasoy received the Best Actress award from the Ankara International Film Festival. Doðan also noted that they had some problems with customs regulations in sending their movie to Egypt for the festival, explaining, "We barely got the movie to Egypt at the last minute."

Doðan noted that they have received many e-mails congratulating them over the movie, adding that it was appreciated by many people as representative of a new movie style.

"We have applied to some other festivals, and we are awaiting responses from them."

Doðan also said that "Zeynep's Eight Days" was the first of a trilogy, adding that "Ali's Eight Days" and "Dilber's Eight Days" will follow, to premiere in November and December, respectively. "Zeynep's Eight Days was produced by Avþar Film and the cast included Fadik Sevin Atasoy, Mustafa Üstündað, Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan, Cengiz Sezici, Uður Çavuþoðlu, Sinan Taymin Albayrak, Ferit Kaya, Arzutan Bayraktutan, Necmettin Çobanoðlu, Iþýl Dalamanlý, Müfit Aytekin, Uður Çýnar and Cengiz Okuyucu. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

EXHIBITION

FESTIVAL

Aysel Miman's abstract paintings on exhibit

Numerous events to take place at Veliefendi

Turkish painter Aysel Miman's exhibit, titled "Sonsuzluktaki Soyut Devinimler" (Abstract Movements in Eternity), opened yesterday at Galeri Artist Çukurcuma on Altýpatlar Street in Ýstanbul's Beyoðlu district. The exhibition, which will run until Sept. 19, is the fifth solo exhibition of the painter, who has worked as an actress and taught painting. For more information, call (212) 251 91 63.

The Uluslararasý Koþu Festivali (International Racing Festival) takes place this weekend at the Veliefendi Hippodrome in Ýstanbul's Zeytinburnu district. Horses brought in from around the world will race today while the Veliefendi will tomorrow witness the jump of athlete Ueli Gegenschatz from 3,000 meters and a performance by a Shaman dance group.

Tickets can be found at www.biletix.com.

PERFORMANCE

‘Bir Adam Yaratmak' to be staged in Beykoz The play "Bir Adam Yaratmak" (To Create A Man), written in 1938 by the famous Turkish author Necip Fazýl Kýsakürek, will be staged every Sunday during Ramadan at Feridun Karakaya Theater. The play narrates the story of Hüsrev, who writes a drama and then suffers from psychological problems as his real life begins to mirror that of the lead character in the play he wrote.

The plays start at 8:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Ýstanbul to celebrate Jewish culture

CONCERT

Percussionist Muallem’s ensemble to give concert Percussionist and composer Yinon Muallem, born in Israel in 1968 to parents of Iraqi origin, and his band, the Yinon Muallem Ensemble, will give a concert at the Italian Synagogue in Ýstanbul's Galata neighborhood. The ensemble will present its new songs as well as older ones, including "Changing Moments" and "Klezmer for the Sultan." The admission-free concert takes place on Sunday and starts at 8:15 p.m.

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The European Day of Jewish Culture, which is intended to share Jewish historical and cultural heritage, will be marked on Sunday in Ýstanbul with numerous activities. The Jewish cultural activities in Turkey will occur simultaneously with events in more than 30 countries around the world.

The Jewish community in Turkey will hold a simulation of a traditional Jewish wedding at the Neve Þalom Synagogue as part of the day's activities.

Because this year the European Day of Jewish Culture coincides with Ramadan, an iftar (fastbreaking) dinner will be offered to those who come to participate in the cultural events at an iftar tent in Galata Square. Among the activities scheduled to take place are a Jewish heritage cultural tour, exhibitions of sculptures and paintings, a conference about the prophet David at the Neva Þalom Cultural Center and a concert by Tuluyhan Uðurlu titled "Dünya Baþkenti Istanbul" (World Capital Ýstanbul). Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

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14 TODAY’S ZAMAN

S AT U R D AY, S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 0 8

OPINION

BÜLENT KORUCU b.korucu@todayszaman.com

Instýtutýonal support of ýndývýdual crýme Freshly appointed Chief of General Staff Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð is not aware of the grave mistake he made. I am talking about the “prison visit” that made its impression on the debates of the last week. Such events, which have rich sentimental content and symbolic associations, tend to be discussed for a long time.

Sometimes they are used to simplify extremely complicated events. This visit is one such event.

During the term of former Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar Büyükanýt, significant developments were seen. The e-memorandum posted on the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) Web site at midnight on April 27, 2007, is one of these developments. Yet Büyükanýt is more likely to be remembered by one specific statement, which is, “I know them; they are good guys.”

When the Þemdinli case first emerged, Büyükanýt had extended his protection of the defendant soldiers by making this statement. A highly dubious prosecutorial process followed, and concerns were raised about the fairness and impartiality of the process. All the events that happened during the controversial trial process were recorded in the pages of history along with this “good guys” rhetoric. These words came to be seen as an intervention by the chief of general staff into the trial process and as his patronage of illegality.

Institutional visit The military sees a different purpose to this visit.

Kocaeli Garrison Commander Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi’s visit to two retired generals being held in Kandýra Prison is at first glance not an incident that may have profound or far-reaching meanings, even if the visit was completed on behalf of the TSK. The first thing that comes to mind about this visit is the military’s intention to show some kind of professional solidarity. Several news stories had claimed that arrest of the retired generals was being harshly debated among military circles and several complaints were raised about it. It is possible that the fact that two retired generals are being held in prison has lead several generals on active duty to question the prestige of their profession. We may assume that the new top commanders have taken this uneasiness into consideration and planned this visit in order to boost morale among commanders.

This visit, which may seem innocent for the military, is a major disaster for the rule of law. First of all, these two generals are under arrest for an ordinary offense. They are being held in prison as defendants in a court case where the Ergenekon terrorist organization is being tried for assuming offices within the state and conducting illegal acts, including murder. An indictment has not been prepared about these two generals. A supplementary indictment will be prepared for them, and thus they will be made part of the Ergenekon case. It is expected that they will be charged primarily with illegal acts centered around “attempted coups.”

For this reason, it is hard to see this visit as simply an innocent case of professional solidarity. The military should see that this visit and its implications have two aspects: one related to inner military workings and the other to external affairs.

The military should have accepted that the TSK’s institutional

MÜMTAZ’ER TÜRKÖNE m.turkone@todayszaman.com

This visit, which may seem innocent for the military, is a major disaster for the rule of law. These two generals are under arrest for an ordinary offense. They are being held in prison as defendants in a court case where the Ergenekon terrorist organization is being tried for penetrating the state and conducting illegal acts, including murder

prestige precedes professional solidarity and even the prestige of their profession. When these two generals were arrested and sent to prison, we saw that even topranking soldiers would not receive institutional protection if they were accused of some crime. Therefore the equal treatment afforded to two generals before the law, just like ordinary citizens, reinforced the TSK’s prestige in the eyes of the public. This showed that the army is not using its institutional power to grant privilege or immunity to its members. However this visit is now ruining this perception. The emphasis that “this visit was conducted on behalf of the TSK” in the statement issued by the General Staff is a dangerous one that puts the institutional support of the TSK behind these two suspects. This phrase shows that this visit was conducted within the hierarchical structure of the TSK and it was undertaken upon an institutional “order.”

Thus the army is extending its protection to cover the former generals who had plotted coups. By doing so, they are not protecting the prestige of their profession, but the army’s meddling with politics.

Intervention with trial The second aspect, the external one, is much more important as this aspect relates to judicial independence.

The sentence, “The TSK has complete respect and trust in the judiciary,” in the statement will not prevent this visit from being perceived as an intervention with the ongoing trial. Let us give two examples for the sake of comparison. First, suppose that a retired police chief was visited, upon the order of the head of the police department by a police chief of the city where he was held. The second example is from the field of health. Let us suppose that a former health director was visited upon the order of the health minister by a health director of the city where the prison is located. If these two visits were made in connection with ongoing trials, what course would the debate take?

Armed public servants have heavier responsibility in complying with the law than unarmed ones. If a bureaucratic institution gives the impression that it is using the license to bear arms given to them so that they can protect the country in order to secure for their members, how can you protect its prestige?

The indictment and supplementary evidence in the Ergenekon case clearly indicate that there is very strong illegal organization nested within the state. The primary nest of this illegal organization is the TSK. This case put on trial the gangs consisting of those who use the powers and authorities, tools, provided and skills acquired within the military for their personal interests. A soldier develops relations using his position and powers during his office as a member of the army. He undertakes several illegal activities during his office. He uses the tools and resources provided by the state in these illegal activities. He then makes a criminal organization out of his relations. Afterwards, the military extends protection to the generals who are accused of these offenses and are being held in prison.

When the Ergenekon case was launched, a big burden had been lifted from the TSK’s shoulders. The arrest of two retired generals has been perceived as the extension of the military’s support of purging gangs. What, now, should the trial’s judges make of this visit conducted as ordered by the chief of staff?

I don’t think this visit will serve as a form of pressure on the judges. The start of the Ergenekon case was the opening of Pandora’s box. The bullet has already left the barrel. The information and the documents included in the case file can no longer be considered nonexistent. No one will believe anyone attempting to portray the situation as such.

The visit by a lieutenant general to two retired generals under arrest as ordered by the chief of general staff will pose a problem not only for the military but also for the newly appointed chief of general staff.

As the former is remembered for his “good guys” statement, the new one will be remembered for this institutional visit. This will have no consequence other than increased public attention to the Ergenekon case.

Note on YARSAV: We are following the developments regarding the medical documents that excused Judges and Prosecutors Association (YARSAV) President Ömer Faruk Eminaðaoðlu, a prosecutor at the Supreme Court of Appeals, from his mandatory military service. And this discussion is happening while many young people are happily going for their military service and some others are dying in Turkey’s fight against terrorism. The military prosecution has not yet taken action. Eminaðaoðlu is alienating the public from the military, which is a crime. While defending himself, Eminaðaoðlu asked, “Was it me who made those mistakes on these health reports?” If he is right, then whoever prepared those reports should be tried. Do you think our new chief of general staff will be so careful about this issue, too?

dagistancetinkaya@todayszaman.com.tr

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The visit that was paid to retired generals Þener Eruygur and Hurþit Tolon, who are being held under arrest as part of the Ergenekon investigation, in the name of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) will be discussed a great deal. As Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan said, we have to hope that it was a “courtesy” visit. At least it has to be kept within such limits; it should not have other effects. Both the skeptical and supporters of this visit, which was the first by new Chief of General Staff Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð, draw different conclusions about it. The controversial visit makes this possible for both sides. But it will not be a promising development if it is seen as more than a courtesy visit.

The TSK and all other public institution will lose ground in Turkey. After the trial of retired Adm. Ýlhami Erdil the public began to think that the TSK does not tolerate crime and criminals and this sentiment got stronger with the stance of the General Staff during the Ergenekon operation. However, after this recent visit, this sentiment will also be weakened. Some people have written that army officers are worried that they will be abandoned by the TSK if they have any troubles even though they are ready to sacrifice their lives in the fight against terrorism. But these writers are not right in what they write.

There is no example of the TSK or the state abandoning its soldiers who fought against terrorism. Eruygur and Tolon were living in military facilities under strict security measures until they were arrested. The problems they are having now have nothing to do with their struggle against terrorism. If these writers want to empathize with army officers, they should empathize with the ones who are killed in shadowy assassinations. It seems that some of these assassinations will be revealed by Ergenekon operation, though. It was just yesterday that one chief of police was arrested for being a member of a prostitution gang.

When compared with the arrested generals, the charge being leveled against this police chief as serious, but no one expects the police department to pay a courtesy visit to this police chief.

If this visit to Kandýra Prison, where Tolon and Eruygur are being held, exceeded the limits of a courtesy visit, then it will begin to harm Gen. Baþbuð, too. The thesis that he is determining the limits of his authority after arriving in office and showing that he will not be content with the area that was restricted in recent years should not be true. It is impossible to claim that Gen. Baþbuð couldn’t think of the fact that this step gave those who didn’t like Gen Büyükanýt a big opportunity to criticize him. The critics of Büyükanýt have already started. The strict hierarchy of the TSK does not allow one to create conditions that will criticism of a general. Also, the chief of the general staff does not administer the TSK all by himself. The term “command echelon” is not a coincidental expression. Büyükanýt’s closest associate was Gen. Baþbuð. The new chief of general staff does not get a chance to question the previous one, and doing so would not be a smart move. Baþbuð will not ignore the fact that each critic targeting Büyükanýt targets him, too.

Drawing different conclusions from the visit to the retired generals at Kandýra Prison will cast a shadow over the ideas of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. Will verdicts in favor of these two generals show that the judiciary is influenced by the TSK, or the will the opposite decision show that there is tension between the TSK and the judiciary? This discussion should end immediately. In fact, it should not have started at all. Limiting this last visit to the retired generals in the boundaries of a courtesy visit is inevitable. We want to believe in this option, even though the other options are equally possible.

Daðýstan Çetinkaya

Thýnk tank cafe´ Established on January 16, 2007 NO: 0562 Saturday, September 6, 2008

Executive Editor Managing Editors

A courtesy výsýt wýth arrested generals

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

Public Relations Contact Information: Publication Type: Periodical, Daily Headquarters: Today’s Zaman, 34194 Yenibosna, ISTANBUL. Phone Number: +90 212 454 1 444 Fax: 0212 454 14 97, Web Address: http://www.todayszaman.com, Printed at: Feza Gazetecilik A.Þ. Tesisleri. Advertisement Phone: +90 212 454 82 47, Fax: +90 212 454 86 33. Today's Zaman abides by the rules of press ethics.

CM Y K

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COLUMNS

TODAY’S ZAMAN 15

S AT U R D AY, S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 0 8

What do Iraqý Kurds’ thýnk of Turkey?

For some time, I have been hearing from those who recently visited Arbil or northern Iraq that contrary to the chaos in the past, the region controlled by the Kurds is going through a rapid change. When I arrived in Arbil, this time by plane, after 13 years, I could do nothing but confirm what I have been hearing.

My first visit to the region was at a time when a big military operation was being conducted against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and two Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), were fighting against each other. These fields hosting the Arbil International Airport, where today airplanes land and take off, particularly to/from Ýstanbul, were one of the areas where the war was being waged to take control of Arbil. At the time, we had to pass through hundreds of peshmerga checkpoints as we traveled from Habur to Arbil, and we became miserable after hours-long travel on a path which could hardly be defined as a road. Although peshmergas were trying to pacify us with the word "serchevan," connoting hospitality, and sympathetic behavior, it was quite disturbing to be stopped every 15 or 20 minutes and have to answer the same questions.

On the other hand, today, everything has changed. A 90-seat plane of Atlasjet took us to Arbil in two hours. At Arbil International Airport, there was no queue, a common scene in

MEHMET KAMIÞ

ABDÜLHAMÝT BÝLÝCÝ a.bilici@todayszaman.com

Third World countries. Airport staff members were using Dell PCs and taking photos of every passenger as is customary in US airports. The terminal building was modest, but modern and clean.

More importantly, they were not demanding visas from those coming from Turkey. A police officer politely said, "If you stay more than 10 days, you must register yourself." Then, he gave my passport back with a warm "welcome."

As I knew well that the flight to Arbil had only been allowed after long disputes and that many comments had been raised against the name of Kurdistan, I immediately looked at the stamp imprinted on the passport. "Republic of Iraq -Kurdistan Region," it read. This was nothing to worry about upon my arrival in Iraq, an internationally recognized country.

What's new was the inclusion of the word Kurdistan -- though as the name of a region -- in my passport. There was no sign showing that I came to a country with serious security prob-

lems until I exited from the door of the terminal building. But the reality of Iraq was waiting for me at the door. Although I paid great attention, I was unable to see the people who were expected to receive me. Before I could say to myself, "Is this the hospitality afforded to me?" I learned that the reception hall was rather far from the terminal building. With the first rays of light in the morning, we got on an old minibus that took us to the people waiting for us behind the wire fence.

There was no trace of Arbil's former mud-covered, unmaintained roads. The asphalt roads were smooth. Wide streets had been built and some were under construction. I noticed modern apartment blocks along the roads. Many things were beautiful.

But, in the morning, we would encounter the most serious and ongoing problem of the region: power outages. Normally, electricity was available only between 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. For the remaining time, people had to use generators to produce electricity. When the temperature rises to 45 degrees Celsius at midday, you can better understand the seriousness of the electricity problem, particularly if you are fasting.

As I talked with prominent people in the city, I found out that not only the streets, but also the minds of people were significantly changing. For instance, Arbil Governor Nevzad Had Mevlud said as the Kurdish administration, their biggest dream

No Comment

HAITI, AP

m.kamis@todayszaman.com

KLAUS JURGENS klaus.jurgens@gmail.com

Abdullah Gül’s hand extended for peace!

Whether it likes it or not, Turkey, the inheritor of the Ottoman state, is the elder brother of the entire region.

The Anatolian territories have some pieces of all who have lived in this geography, which the Ottomans dominated for centuries. In this geography, it is possible to encounter Albanian, Bosnian and Georgian populations in amounts equal to populations in their respective native lands. Even though their populations have diminished significantly, it is also possible to find many Greeks, Bulgarians and Armenians who are Turkish citizens. Not only these, it is also possible to run into peoples of different ethnic backgrounds and groups in the Balkans, the Caucasus and the Middle East.

For many years, the Republic of Turkey tried to survive in this geography by remaining indifferent to developments. For instance, it ignored the Ottoman legacy in the Balkans. The people of this country became aware of the presence of Turks and Muslims in the Balkans as late as in the 1990s. Turkey has never looked back at this door, closed in the 1910s.

According to the official view of the state, all neighbors were enemies seeking to divide us. Syria was an enemy and so were Greece, Bulgaria and Iraq.

Hazelnuts were our major export item. Figs, raisins and cotton were other important export goods. Some $1-2 billion in annual exports were enough for the bureaucratic elites to protect the regime in Turkey. There was no need for more. We used to have specific days to promote the consumption of domestic goods, including hazelnuts and oranges. The most important items on the agenda of the Foreign Ministry were the Cyprus issue and the alleged Armenian genocide. Paying attention to any other issue was considered unnecessary.

Turks used to be told every time that Turkey was right on the Cyprus issue. Additionally, Armenians killed us, not the other way around. Days and years have passed and we've heard the same clichés without making any significant progress. In public surveys, the army used to enjoy the number one spot for being an institution the people supported and trusted the most. I do not know why but Süleyman Demirel was elected the prime minister in the aftermath of every coup. Our greatest goal was to protect the Lausanne Treaty. Our small world between Kapýkule and Habur was enough for us.

However, the status quo is changing, albeit slowly.

Despite strong resistance by the bureaucratic elite, Turkey is becoming an influential country in its region.

At such a time, President Abdullah Gül is extending a hand of peace to our "official" enemy. He is trying to take a look at a 100-year-old problem from a different perspective. He is making an attempt to remind Armenians, referred to by the Ottomans as a loyal nation whose relations with the Turks deteriorated because of missionary schools and extremists, of the thousand-year-long history that we share. These two nations, which didn't fight each other for centuries, have suffered from the nation-state project of the West. The big powers of the time that eliminated the Ottoman state and formed a number of nation states instead injured the longstanding friendship between Turks and Armenians. None of the parties won in this fight.

"Armenian genocide" moves have been used by big powers as a tool to blackmail Turkey for many years.

This has never been useful to Armenians. Turkey has wasted its time and energy dealing with this matter.

Today, Turkey does not fit into the official view promoted by the Republican People's Party (CHP). This official view is no longer able to contain the energy of the country. Turkey is now an influential actor in its region.

Those who want Turkey to stay restricted between Habur and Kapýkule will no longer be able to prevent this change and transformation.

Hopefully, this door opened by President Gül will be a great opportunity to eliminate mutual problems.

was to build a railway and highway extending from Basra to Baghdad, Kirkuk and Arbil, and then connecting to Turkey and Europe. "Why shouldn't this be an alternative route to the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea?" he asked. As a solution to the power problem, he suggested connecting to Turkey's power grid with new high voltage transmission lines. In connection with the cooperation between media organizations, which was the primary purpose of our visit, he said striking things: "The Turkish media is always presenting us as the people who support the PKK and who plan to divide Iraq. This is not correct.

We prefer Turkish companies and Turkish commodities. Our nation is warm to Turkey as it has a democratic regime and its nation is Sunni like us. In the future, Turkey will be an EU member and this is very important for us. The biggest job is being undertaken by the Iþýk Colleges to bring the two nations closer."

Rebwar Karim Wali, who was for a long time the only Kurdish journalist who knew Turkish, underlines the changing picture of Turkey in the minds of Kurds. "In the past, Turkey was seen only through the eyes of the PKK. It was seen as a dragon that treats them badly and persecutes Kurds. Now, everyone is aware of Turkey's mosaic and importance," he says. In sum, the mentality in the region has changed. We should not be late in understanding this change.

Reflectýons on reunýfyýng Cyprus

The EU's Damascus ýnýtýatýve BERÝL DEDEOÐLU b.dedeoglu@todayszaman.com

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met to discuss the main topics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the future of Jerusalem. Even if much progress is not made over sensitive subjects, at least the involved parties have demonstrated their will to maintain negotiations. Additionally, the decision to elaborate a concrete plan by the end of this year seems to be unaffected despite the fact that Olmert will not be able to participate in future meetings.

These kinds of developments are promising for the people in the region and in other parts of the world. In order to make sure that these efforts give concrete results, third countries also should support peace and reconstruction plans. Of course, when one says "third country," we shouldn't think only about the US because this can create an illusion, as the US administration is on the Israeli side anyway. We should remember that the peace negotiations are also supported by some regional states along with the EU. The EU has launched a new initiative to assist the peace negotiations and to avoid an impasse due to new problems. On behalf of the EU, French President Nicolas Sarkozy tried to establish a new meeting ground while in Damascus to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -and maybe even more than that, the Israeli-Syrian conflict. However the French president, who has assumed the rotating EU presidency, put forward questionable efforts in drawing up the list of participants for this gathering.

It was initially decided that the Damascus meeting should

bring together Syria, the EU and Qatar, which is one of the architects of the peace negotiations. This picture alone is enough to demonstrate that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not totally understood by the EU. Moreover, it is interesting to note that the EU didn't think to call Turkey, which has taken on a role in the Israeli-Syrian relationship, to participate in the summit.

Fortunately, Syria's advice and Israel's demands ensured that Turkey would be invited as the fourth participant.

The initial omission of Turkey does not reflect the common approach of all of the EU states. Some member-states, especially the UK, are aware that every Middle East initiative is somehow related to the US. Furthermore, Turkey is an important actor for these member-countries, which have no doubt that Turkey should become a member of the EU. On the opposite side are other member countries that perceive Turkey's EU membership as something like a nightmare, and Sarkozy is the incarnation of this attitude. Maybe Turkey was not expected at the Israeli-Syrian peace negotiation table because some people like to minimize Turkey's importance. They probably thought it would be harder to explain why Turkey should not become an EU member if Turkey's role in the Middle East and in the Caucasus became obvious. The main problem of those who thought they could arrange a Middle East summit as if Turkey did not exist is that other members of the EU are ready to remind them of Turkey's importance, noting that EU candidate country Turkey also serves as a balance in Israeli-Syrian relations.

Every step based on anti-Turkey sentiments may eventually hurt France -- and at the very least it is obvious that it will damage the EU. Taking into consideration long-term consequences while addressing every subject may contribute to the EU's future because the EU's lifetime will probably be much longer than that of some leaders' political destinies.

CM Y K

When Turkey was given the green light for finally starting its EU accession process in earnest, analysts agreed that one obstacle remained: resolving the Cyprus impasse. Cyprus reminds us that in politics, as in life in general, there is the past, the present and the future. The time has come for closing the chapter that is called Greek Cypriot-Turkish animosities and establishing a state-of-the-art platform for a future, peaceful solution. Everything is possible in politics -- just recall German reunification or the end of terror and violence in Northern Ireland. Let me elaborate on two matters; first, why the EU made a grave mistake by allowing a non-unified Cyprus to enter the bloc, and second, why Turkey should lead the way and show the world that its pro-EU leaders are capable of forgiving. Turkey in 2008 is no longer the Turkey of 1974, neither is Greece or Cyprus.

Before the EU "mini-enlargement" including Austria in the mid-1990s, it was commonly believed in Brussels that if ever another enlargement were to take place, two nations would have a guaranteed seat at the EU table: Malta and, of course, Cyprus. This was due to a number of reasons, in particular the historic ties with the United Kingdom, their small populations and the relative prosperity of both island states.

Even anti-enlargement circles bowed to the pressure as exercised by "a wider Europe first," a lobby in the EU. However, it took another 12 years or so until both Malta and Cyprus could join. The Cyprus dilemma -- the south rejecting the Annan plan, the north voting in favor of it -- should have shown Brussels that only a unified Cyprus should join.

As is more often the case than not when it comes to so-called EU foreign policies, this time no one in Brussels took account of the reality in the northern part of the island. A bold but perhaps more correct decision would have been to freeze Cypriot membership, or allowing the north in first and then the south once unified -- but certainly not the other way around. The EU has its fair share of responsibility for the ongoing conflict on the island. Pro-EU northern islanders were punished by the acceptance of anti-unification southern islanders into the bloc. What a strange form of enlargement!

But as long as the EU this time steers clear of too much involvement and accepts the renewed efforts by both Cypriot leaders as well as the UN, there is a real chance for a unified Cyprus this time around. What the EU can do is to provide much increased pre-accession budget lines and technical assistance, including reversing the commercial isolation of the north. It must, of course, keep the south happy, too; measuring the positive impacts of unification could help convince the anti-unification lobby in the south.

Turkey for its part must announce without delay that it heralds a "one Cyprus" policy and should start internal discussions over whether the number of military troops currently stationed on the island will be appropriate come unification, as fears regarding violent attacks from the south will soon be buried forever. Perhaps a reduced contingent staying for a transition period of five to seven years -- up until the time when Turkey itself will hopefully join the bloc -- makes strategic as well as political sense. Turkey will benefit greatly from having northern Cyprus in the EU. Turkish citizens will see that the EU, outside of its common foreign and security policy, works extremely well. The unified island will become the window to the world, countering "accession talk fatigue'' on the mainland. Turkey can only gain from a unified Cyprus.

Hence, a six-way win-win situation will emerge: Turkey likely will have removed the last serious obstacle in its way to restarting the engine for a fasttrack EU accession; the northern part of Cyprus will benefit from all EU acquis-related freedoms; the island as such will become a role model for democracy (and see increased levels of foreign direct investment); and Greece, well, Greece will have shown statesmanship by supporting democratic processes to the southeast. Add the EU -- heaving a sigh of relief that one of their more serious "foreign" policy mistakes has been resolved -- as well as the UN in its reassumed role as peace broker, and it becomes clear that we will be witnessing historic events.

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16 TODAY’S ZAMAN

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2008

LEISURE

tv guýde

Gregorian Calendar: 6 September 2008 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 6 Ramadan 1429 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 6 Elul 5768 calendar@todayszaman.com

Britney Spears may not sing at this weekend's MTV's Video Music Awards, but Christina Aguilera will.

Aguilera will join other top-name performers, including the Jonas Brothers, T.I., Pink, and Kid Rock, host Russell Brand announced Thursday.

Speaking to reporters on the backlot of the Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Brand bantered with Aguilera, who emerged from a limousine, and rapper T.I., who shimmied down a fire escape on a street made to look like New York.

"It's going to be, actually, bloody exciting," Brand said of the awards show, which will celebrate its 25th year on Sunday.

Brand, an English comedian largely unknown to US audiences, displayed his brand of humor that can best be described with one British word: cheeky.

During Thursday's presentation, he described the Jonas Brothers as "God's favorite virgins" and racily commented on Aguilera's physique.

Aguilera touted her upcoming appearance as her first televised performance since giving birth to son Max in January. The comedian also poked fun at himself, saying that bulldozers were working overtime to keep his wild mane of hair in check.

Brand laced his remarks with "bloody" and "'ell" and a few words that are unprintable. But he also kept the buzz going about the VMAs, an awards show known for creating infamous pop culture moments.

Almost as a footnote, he noted that Kanye West has signed on to close the show with a performance.

West has apparently mended his volatile relationship with MTV. Last year, he famously promised not to return to the VMAs during a tirade he threw after losing in all five categories he was nominated for. The year before, he crashed the stage at the MTV Europe Awards after not winning for best video.

Brand, for his part, seems willing to deliver what MTV has described as a show that will be heavy on music and mischief.

Grabbing a megaphone, Brand led reporters through the Paramount backlot, delivering them at a soundstage where Kid Rock exploded on stage -- in a pair of white slippers -- for a rehearsal.

He also praised Spears, who will open the show, but won't be performing. She could leave the backlot with more than she arrives with on Sunday.

Spears has been nominated for three VMAs, including for video of the year for "Piece of Me." And a strong performance by her could erase some of the sting from her much ballyhooed performance of "Gimme More" at last year's show.

There was no mention Thursday of Michael Jackson, who promoters have tried to lure to the show.

But the show already seems chock-full of two of the elements producers have promised: music and mayhem. Los Angeles AP

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Movýemax 07:00 Breakaway 08:35 Inside The Actors Studio: Ralph Fiennes 09:30 You and Your Stupid Mate 11:05 Flicka 12:50 The Muse 14:35 The Illusionist 16:35 Eastern Promises 18:35 Soup of the Day 20:30 Unaccompanied Minors 22:20 The Painted Veil 00:35 Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber

MGM Movýes 07:00 Dillinger 08:45 Garbo Talks 10:27 Ten Seconds to Hell 12:00 The Indian Fighter 13:25 The Devil´s Brigade 15:30 Kidnapped 17:15 Sex, Lies, and Videotape 18:55 Hickey and Boggs 20:45 Fearless Frank 22:05 The Stranger 23:45 A Midnight Clear

Comedymax

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CNBC-E 07:00 Rugrats 07:30 As Told By Ginger 08:00 Dora The Explorer 09:00 Go, Diego! Go! 09:30 The Fairly Oddparents 10:00 Jimmy Neutron 10:30 Back At The Barnyard 11:00 Avatar 12:00 Spongebob Squarepants 13:00 The King Of Queens 14:00 According To Jim 15:00 Smallville 17:00 Cold Case 18:00 CSI: NY 19:00 Battlestar Galactica 21:00 How I Met Your Mother 22:00 The Closer 23:00 Dexter 24:00 Ghost Whisperer

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06:00 America's Funniest Home Videos 06:30 America's F.Home Videos 07:00 Third Rock From The Sun 07:30 Third Rock From The Sun 08:00 Third Rock From The Sun 08:30 King of The Hill 09:00 King of The Hill 09:30 King of The Hill 10:00 Everybody Loves.Raymond 10:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:00 Til Death 11:30 Til Death 12:00 Big Day 12:30 The Game 13:00 The Game 13:30 Cavemen 14:00 Third Rock From The Sun 14:30 Third Rock From The Sun 15:00 Third Rock From The Sun 15:30 The Office 16:00 The Office 16:30 Carpoolers 17:00 Til Death 17:30 Til Death 18:00 Miss Guided 18:30 Notes From Underbelly 19:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 19:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 20:00 Will & Grace 20:30 Will & Grace 21:00 Will & Grace 21:30 Samantha Who 22:00 Til Death 22:30 Til Death 23:00 Weeds 23:30 Weeds 00:00 Chappelle's Show 00:30 Chappelle's Show

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Jimmy Wayne was down and out a few years ago. His record label had been bought out, and it looked like his shot at being a country star was over.

But Wayne got another chance with The Valory Music Co., and this week he notched his first No. 1 hit with "Do You Believe Me Now," the title track of his second CD. It's his first collection of new material in five years. "To be able to make a comeback like this ... you can't even imagine it," the 35year-old singer said Thursday.

Wayne credits the song for much of his recent success. "The first time I heard it, the melody to me was captivating, almost hypnotic," he said. "Just from listening to hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of songs, I knew this one was different from anything else." Wayne's 2003 debut album on DreamWorks Nashville produced two Top 10 hits in "Stay Gone" and "I Love You This Much." But the label was acquired by the company now called Universal Music Group. Wayne wasn't happy with Universal and asked to be released from his contract.

It's been a rough ride for the North Carolina native. He came from a broken home and spent time on the streets and in foster care. He earned an associate's degree in criminal justice and worked in the North Carolina penal system before moving to Nashville to pursue a music career.

"If someone had told me when I was living on the street that I was going to have a No. 1 song somewhere down the road, I couldn't even have filtered that information, much less believed it," he said. Tennessee AP

E2 08:00 The Rachael Ray Show 10:00 The Martha Stewart Show 12:00 The Ellen Degeneres Show 14:00 O.C. 18:30 Late Night With Conan O'Brien 20:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:00 The Sopranos 23:00 Late Night With Conan O'Brien 24:00 South Park

and remember babies that have been stillborn. The idea of an annual day to remember stillborns followed perhaps the most notable stillbirth in recent years, that of Breanna Lynn Bartlett-Stewart in September 2000. This birth aroused public awareness due to the widespread media coverage and Breanna Lynn's birthday, Sept. 6, was proclaimed the first Stillbirth Remembrance Day in Arkansas. The proclamation was followed by half the states of the US and by Canada.

Today is liberation day for the district of Söke in the province of Aydýn, the province of Balýkesir, the districts of Ýnegöl and Yeniþehir in the province of Bursa and the districts of Akhisar, Ahmetli and Gölmarmara in Manisa. On this day in 1922 all these cities and districts were liberated from Greek occupation that lasted two to four years. By Kerim Balcý

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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:

travelers’ s.o.s

Jimmy Wayne

Marquis de Lafayette. Born on this day in 1757, the French general and aristocrat came to America to assist the revolutionary cause. He was called "The Hero of Two Worlds" and was appointed as a brigadier general upon his return to France in 1782. He lived through the French Revolution and rescued Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette from the crowd that stormed Versailles on Oct. 6, 1789. He died in 1834.

On this day in 1986 the Neve Shalom Synagogue in Ýstanbul was hit by a terrorist bomb attack. Twenty-one Turkish Jews worshipping in the synagogue were killed. The two perpetrators were of foreign citizenship. The synagogue was renewed and opened again on March 20, 1987, but it was subjected to two further attacks in 1992 and 2003.

Today is the Stillbirth Remembrance Day in the United States and Canada. This is a day set aside each year to honor

Today is Defense Day in Pakistan, commemorating the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965. The conflict, also known as the Second Kashmir War, was the culmination of a series of skirmishes that occurred between April and September 1965 between India and Pakistan. Sept. 6 celebrates the successful defense of Lahore against the Indian army.

Today is Unification Day in Bulgaria. This day commemorates the anniversary of the unification of the Kingdom of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia on Sept. 6, 1885.

It has been recognized as a national holiday since 1998.

Today is Independence Day in Swaziland. This day commemorates attainment of independence from Britain in 1968. The day is also called Somhlolo Day in honor of the great 19th century Swazi leader.

Today is the 251st anniversary of the birth of the

Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9

Ambulance: 112 Fire: 110 171 Police: 155 156 Maritime: 158 Unknown numbers: 118 Turkish Airlines: 444 0 849, U.S. Embassy: 0312 455 5555 U.S. Consulate: 0212 2513602-3-4 Russian Embassy: 0312 439 2122 Russian Consulate: 0212 244 1693-2610 British Embassy: 0312 455 3344 British Consulate: 0212 293 7540 German Embassy. 0312 455 5100 German Consulate: 0212 334 61 00 French Embassy: 0312 455 4545 French Consulate: 0212 292 4810-11 Indian Embassy: 0312 438 2195 Pakistani Embassy: 0312 427 1410 Austrian Embassy: 0312 419 0431-33 Austrian Consulate: 0212 262 9315 Belgian Embassy: 0312 446 8247 Belgian Consulate: 0212 243 3300 Egyptian Embassy: 0312 426 1026 Egyptian Consulate: 0212 263 6038 Israeli Embassy: 0312 446 3605

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Alanya FM 94.4 Ankara FM 100.3 Antalya FM 92.1 Ayvalýk FM 101.1 Bodrum FM 97.4 Fethiye FM 103.1 Ýstanbul FM 101.6 Ýzmir FM 101.6 Kalkan FM 105.9 Kapadokya FM 103.0 Kuþadasý FM 101.9 Marmaris FM 101.0 Pamukkale FM 101.0 Trabzon FM 101.5

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YAHYA ÖYLEK, CÝHAN

CONTINUATION

TODAY’S ZAMAN 17

S AT U R D AY, S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 0 8

In another first, Gen. Baþbuð mingles with the people in Van contýnued from page 1 Gen. Baþbuð then paid a visit to Governor Özdemir Çakacak and mentioned there that he had "emotional moments" among the public.

"This is the first time that I've witnessed our citizens' respect and love for our armed forces at this level. These are decent citizens. That's it. I will not forget this experience for the rest of my life. We boosted morale with this show of support. With this morale, we will overcome the terrorist organization [the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)] easily and in a shorter period of time," he told journalists.

Baþbuð, who arrived in Diyarbakýr on Thursday afternoon, had talks with Diyarbakýr Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu together with the force commanders and then met with the representatives of 19 NGOs for about one-and-a-half hours.

"Diyarbakýr is very important. Diyarbakýr's problems are our problems. We see Diyarbakýr as the most important province in the region," Baþbuð said at a press conference Friday morning in the same province.

He blamed PKK terrorism for Diyarbakýr's current economic and social problems.

"Diyarbakýr is not at the level it deserves because of terrorism," he said.

Mehmet Kaya, head of the board of directors of the Diyarbakýr Chamber of Trade and Industry (DTSO), said NGOs heard from Gen. Baþbuð regarding "what measures could be taken to solve the region's socioeconomic problems" and what could be done to prevent people from joining the PKK. "Our [chief of general staff] told us that fighting against terrorism is not only the military's job and that there needs to be a struggle against terrorism in the society as a whole. We also told him our suggestions. He said he took important points [away from] that talk," Kaya was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.

Other NGO representatives, mostly from the region's business community, expressed pleasure in Baþbuð showing interest in their problems at their meeting at the Governor's Office.

Gen. Baþbuð stressed that fighting terrorism should involve the state and the public together.

"Fighting against terrorism needs to be done in coordination with the public. You can't be successful in the fight unless you do that," he said.

He also pointed out that 64 percent of Diyarbakýr's population is under 24 years of age and said the youth potential should be recognized and developed, otherwise the PKK would recruit the region's young people.

"For the terrorist organization the best age group [for recruitment] is 14-18. We should provide that age group with a vocational education. We should educate our women and children well," the general said.

Gen. Baþbuð also said that NGOs have been pleased with the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) Action Plan, a regional development project that covers nine southeastern provinces, scheduled for completion by 2012 at an expected cost of around YTL 27 billion ($20 billion).

'PKK at breaking point' Gen. Baþbuð said yesterday that the terrorist PKK was approaching a breaking point.

"We should deal the final blow to the terror organization together with our people. We should do this in cooperation," he said, adding that the Turkish military's fight would continue regardless of weather conditions. "The message has been taken from Operation Güneþ," he said.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) subjected the PKK to an ongoing series of assaults following February's eight-day-long Operation Güneþ (Sun) in the Zap area of northern Iraq, during which the TSK reported at least 240 PKK members killed.

Baþbuð said the operation was of key importance because it showed the growing competence of the TSK. "The friends of the Turkish military took pride," he said.

He also noted that as a result of PKK-perpetrated terrorism since 1984, over 35,000 people had been killed, including 6,500 security forces and 5,700 civilians.

"Nowhere in the world is there a terror organization that harms its people this much," he remarked.

After visits to Malatya and Diyarbakýr, Baþbuð continued his regional tour in the eastern province of Van. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires

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We need to prevent this," he said.

Erdoðan also said the new push in the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) project, which includes a pledge to invest $12 billion in the region over the next five years, will be a great step in weakening terrorism in the region.

"We have accelerated investments in eastern and southeastern regions to create job opportunities for people there. Our objective is to ensure reconciliation between people and the state," he stated.

"It is obvious that the Justice and Development Party [AK Party] is the strongest party of Turkey. Approaching local elections will be a good example to prove this. Our public will give the best answer to anti-democratic initiatives [referring to a closure case opened against his party] at the ballot box. Legitimacy is based on people in democracies. Neither me nor my friends believe our party became the focal point of anti-secular activities," he stated.

Erdoðan also emphasized Ankara's commitment to the proper implementation of the 1936 Montreux Convention, which governs passage through the Turkish Straits.

The government became the center of harsh criticism from the opposition after Turkey allowed NATO ships headed for routine exercises in the Black Sea and US Navy ships carrying humanitarian aid to Georgians to pass through the straits. Opposition parties claimed the tonnage of the ships was over the limit set by the Montreux Convention.

"Over country implemented the said

People don't trust leftist leaders Reminded of a recent opinion poll which revealed that people don't trust leaders of leftist parties, Erdoðan said people will give the best answer at the ballot box.

A survey conducted by the Ankara-based MetroPOLL Strategic & Social Research Center from Aug. 29-31 showed only 4.2 percent of the respondents trust CHP leader Baykal and 1.1 trust Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer. Almost 52 percent of those polled said they trusted Erdoðan the most.

convention with diligence and objectivity.

The tonnage of the ships did not exceed limits set by the convention. There are suggestions from different countries to amend certain provisions of the Montreux Convention, but we find these suggestions completely unnecessary," he said.

He also hailed Turkey's cooperation with Russia in various areas. "We purchase nearly two-thirds of our energy needs from Russia. It is our number one partner in commercial affairs. It also occupies the first rank in Turkish tourism. It is a strategic neighbor of Turkey.

Our allies should view our close relations with Russia from this perspective," he remarked.

Erdoðan also said Turkish athletes' disappointing performances at the Beijing Olympics have impelled the government to take action.

"We will do whatever is necessary to be successful at the next Olympics. We need to have good results in swimming as our country is surrounded by three seas. We also need to have higher performance in basketball," he added.

TÜSÝAD head: Gov’t should focus on EU accession contýnued from page 1 According to Yalçýndað, EU reforms take priority over creating a new constitution because the harmonization package already involves changes in many laws.

"We need constitutional reform. We need it. And we have suggested that, as well. But the national program has priority. It has 130 legal changes, so it has many changes related to the new constitution," she explained.

Regarding the time lost due to political turmoil in Turkey that reached its peak with the closure case against the AK Party, Yalçýndað said the case ended with a positive result and that everyone breathed a sigh of relief: "We have a new opportunity. The AK Party needs to use it well."

A closure case filed against the AK Party on the grounds that it was engaged in anti-secular activities triggered a negative reaction within society, with several nongovernmental organizations organizing mass rallies in which party closures and all varieties of anti-democratic intervention in politics were condemned.

The rejection of the AK Party case was interpreted by many as a victory for Turkey's democracy, which didn't bow to the pressure of anti-democratic forces.

Yalçýndað said the AK Party should follow a policy of compromise and unification.

"A compromise culture should take root in Turkey. We expect the AK Party to follow a policy of compromise and unity. This will have positive effects on the economy," she added.

Yalçýndað also said Foreign Minister Ali Babacan already has a full agenda and that carrying the responsibility of being the head of negotiations with the EU is an extra burden on him: "He can be the chief of the delegation who follows the negotiations day to day, but we need another person as chief negotiator."

She claimed that public support would increase for Turkey's membership in the EU if the AK Party "concentrates again" on the accession process.

TARIK ÖZTÜRK

Ýlker Baþbuð

contýnued from page 1 Gül will also discuss it with Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan," stated Erdoðan.

Asked what he thinks about main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal's tough stance against Gül's visit to Yerevan, Erdoðan said Gül will not organize his agenda in accordance with Baykal's reactions Baykal voiced harsh criticism of the visit on Thursday and proposed that Gül lay a wreath at the Armenian genocide memorial.

Erdoðan also spoke to reporters about his visit to Syria. Underlining that Turkey is considered a country of significant importance in the Middle East, he noted that Ankara received praise for its efforts to broker peace talks between Syria and Israel during his visit to Damascus.

"Countries in the Middle East trust us. We have long been acting as a mediator in the region. Many see Turkey as a country with a great role in the Middle East," he noted.

When asked about a visit by a member of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to two suspects in the Ergenekon terrorist organization case, Erdoðan replied that though the visit may have positive and negative impacts on the military, he considered it a courtesy visit.

Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi paid a visit on Wednesday to Kandýra Prison inmates Þener Eruygur and Hurþit Tolon, who have been under arrest since July for alleged involvement in the Ergenekon terrorist organization, which is accused of orchestrating various murders and attacks with the intention of creating chaos that would trigger a coup. The visit brought up the question of whether the military is readying to intervene in the Ergenekon case.

Another topic Erdoðan focused on was Turkey's fight against terrorist organizations and illegal formations.

"We will have a terrorism summit next week. We will discuss how we may improve our fight against terrorist organizations. We will discuss measures to prevent our youth from going to the mountains to join the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party [PKK]. Our aim is to distance our public from terrorist formations. We see that many young people are still joining the PKK.

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Yerevan visit to boost Turkey’s image, says prime minister

Arzuhan Doðan Yalçýndað "I believe that we will be accepted as a full member. We cannot accept any other choice.

We earned the membership as a member of the Customs Union with the EU," she explained.

In response to a question on whether or not President Abdullah Gül travels too much, Yalçýndað said TÜSÝAD "likes people who work."

Gül, a former foreign minister, has had an active presidency in terms of domestic and international travel, particularly compared to his predecessor, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who rarely left the country.

In relation to the local elections coming up in March, Yalçýndað said the government is already in power, so it won't be too difficult to gather support behind it again and, therefore, it should not waste much of its energy in the election campaign: "We will be worried if the government

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spends too much energy on the local elections."

She pointed out that municipalities have been given about YTL 4.5 billion in funding and that it is important that public spending does not increase.

'Economy better than in 2001' Yalçýndað said the country had recovered at an incredible pace after the crisis it underwent between 2000 and 2001, and that it had undergone great changes, such that it cannot be compared to the state it had been in during the crisis period.

However, she said it would not be a good development if Turkey decided against signing an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Whether Turkey will agree to a monitoring program, a precautionary stand-by agreement or a regular stand-by deal with the IMF will be clarified in the coming months. Business circles are still undecided as to whether the benefits of a new deal with the IMF outweigh the possible perils. While some argue that there is no need for further IMF involvement in Turkey's economic roadmap, those who believe Turkey is obligated to strike a deal are calling on the IMF to prepare a program compatible with conditions in Turkey.

"There are so many ideas about the state of the world economy. We should be prepared for the worst," Yalçýndað said.

Market analysts note that the world has entered a period of recession in which growth and inflation rates will decline at simultaneously.

This global recession will cause the Turkish economy to slow down, as well, so the central bank should encourage production by decreasing interest rates, they say. Analysts also point to the ameliorating effects of declining oil prices on the current account deficit, which will make it easier for the central bank to fight inflation.

Yalçýndað said problems related to the current account deficit could be solved with a good industrial strategy and that, to this end, direct investments should be increased.

Regarding growth rate figures, she said

they are not good in the second quarter and that TÜSÝAD expects it to be at around four percent by the end of the year.

Crisis in the Caucasus "We can turn the crisis with Russia to our advantage," Yalçýndað said, adding that Turkey can compensate for its losses through trade with oil-rich countries.

However, she stressed that Turkey should not see capital from Gulf countries as an alternative to Western capital.

"Any capital can come to a stable economy," she said.

She also said TÜSÝAD is planning to organize in Russia, as its members demand more and more.

Following the recent war with Georgia, Russia had said that lengthy inspections of trucks from NATO-member Turkey -- which coincide with tension between Moscow and the military alliance over the situation in the Caucasus -- stem from a new customs law.

Turkish businesses are concerned they could lose $3 billion in the short term if the delays at Russian border crossings continue.

'Obama is good for the world' Yalçýndað said she supports Democratic Party candidate Barack Obama in the approaching US presidential elections.

"A figure who is more on the side of compromise, who is more constructive as a US president is better for our region," she said, adding, "I am not so sure about his vice presidential choice."

She also noted that a TÜSÝAD delegation will visit the US at the end of November following the US elections. There are more TÜSÝAD visits abroad scheduled for before the year ends. She said they will be in Brussels on Sept.

8 to meet with EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn. Then there will be visits to Denmark on Sept. 16 and Paris on Oct. 3.

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SPORTS

Giants kick off NFL title defense with win The New York Giants kicked off their NFL title defense with a 16-7 win over the Washington Redskins in the season opener on Thursday. Despite being without the retired Michael Strahan and injury casualty Osi Umenyiora on their defensive line, the Giants limited a new-look Washington to just 11 first downs and 209 total yards. East Rutherford, AP

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2008

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Turks question what went wrong in Beijing

EuroBasket 2009 qualifying action continues today with the "12 Giant Men," as the men's Turkish basketball team is called, facing Belgium away in what is expected to be a tough encounter. In the opening matches on Wednesday the "12 Giant Men" beat the Ukraine 86-73 in Ýstanbul, while Belgium was bashed 82-63 on the road by France. Also in this group today the Ukraine hosts France. Elsewhere in the EuroBasket 2009 qualifiers today are Hungary vs.

Bulgaria and Serbia vs. Italy in Group A; Estonia vs. Latvia and Macedonia vs. Portugal in Group B; Great Britain vs. Czech Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Israel in Group D. (Live NTV Spor at 9 p.m.) Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

Turkey won a single gold medal in Beijing, after three in Athens, and its most heralded weightlifters failed to complete a single lift successfully

Kevin Keegan's departure as Newcastle United manager on Thursday less than eight months after taking the job will come as no great surprise to anyone who has followed his career. For a second time, the 'dream ticket' given to Keegan, of coaching the club he once played for, has ended up crumpled up on the floor like a discarded betting slip. His return to Newcastle in January after nearly three years out of the game since leaving Manchester City in 2005 was greeted by fans as the Second, or even Third, Coming. Keegan was also delighted to be back at St. James' Park, 11 years after his sudden departure as manager in Jan. 1997.

He was right not to promise the long-suffering Geordies instant success. His opening match was a turgid 0-0 draw with Bolton Wanderers and he failed to win any of his first eight league games in charge. However, Newcastle were never in serious danger of relegation and this season was supposed to herald the start of an exciting new era for a club that has not won a major domestic trophy since lifting the FA Cup in 1955. London Reuters

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SOCCER

Roger Federer

OSMAN EROL, CÝHAN

Turkey must improve sports facilities and spend less on soccer if it is to recover from a disappointing Beijing Olympics and achieve its ambition of hosting the 2020 Games, critics say. The country won a single gold medal in Beijing, after three in Athens, and its most-heralded weightlifters failed to complete a single lift successfully.

"Everybody who watched the Olympics knows that this is a disgraceful disaster...The culprit is the Turkish sports organization,” said daily Sabah columnist Hincal Uluç.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoðan has said that everyone, including himself, was responsible for the failure in Beijing and it was time for Turkey to reconsider its sports policy. The allocation of funds to soccer, which is by far the most popular sport in Turkey, has come under criticism.

"Football takes a large share of revenues at the expense of other branches," Sports Minister Murat Baþesgioðlu said.

A committee would be set up to address what went wrong with the Beijing Games and decide on measures for future Games, he told CNN Turk. Ýstanbul has repeatedly bid to host the Games and was shortlisted in 2000 and 2008, but failed to win enough votes. A new bid is planned for 2020 but critics say changes are needed in the way Turkey runs sport.

Keegan out of Magpies revolving door again

Painful moment Going into Beijing, Turks had high expectations for their weightlifters, who won all three of the country's gold medals in Athens four years ago.

Apart from Sibel Özkan, who brought home a silver medal, no Turkish lifter won a medal in Beijing last month. Two former gold medalists were eliminated early in their classes, shocking the nation.

Turkey's first female Olympic champion Nurcan Taylan failed to complete a single lift successfully in Beijing. She said after the Games that it was the most painful moment of her life.

The country's only gold medal came from a wrestler, Ramazan Þahin. Weightlifting coach Raif Özel blamed a lack of facilities for the weightlifters' failure and said past achievements had been due to individual lifters' own efforts.

"Our weightlifters are working with very limited opportunities. Some work out in corridors and cook their own meals. We do not have a fullyequipped gym even in Istanbul," said Özel.

Weightlifters had to stop training when their gym was being used for a conference or basketball match, he said. Özel also cited mismanagement, a reluctance by families to

PARALYMPICS

Beijing ready for Games reprise Less than two weeks after the Olympic flame was extinguished at the Bird's Nest, Beijing will be back on Games-time footing from today for the largest ever gathering of disabled athletes at the 13th Paralympics. China promised to stage the event under the principle of “Two Games, equal splendor” and the same stunning venues will be used for 11 days of competition involving more than 4,000 athletes from nearly 150 countries in 20 sports. Beijing's anti-pollution measures have remained in place, the security around the Chinese capital is just as tight and, as far as the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is concerned, the local organizers have been equally well prepared. “We'll have the most number of athletes, the most number of sports, the most number of countries ever. It'll be the biggest ever,” IPC President Philip Craven told Reuters in an interview.

“This is a dangerous thing to say but I've never felt so relaxed before a Games.” Beijing Reuters

SOCCER

Turkey's first female Olympic champ Nurcan Taylan failed to complete a single lift successfully in Beijing. dedicate their children to sports careers and intense rivalry between bigger teams as reasons for the disappointing results.

"This was an unusual Olympics. There was intense competition between China and America and it was an unfortunate time with many injuries," he said. "We are discussing the results, not the causes.

We are looking for heroes but this is not about finding heroes. The system should change."

Silver medalist Özkan, however, said poor facilities and a lack of sponsors were not insurmountable hurdles. "I was the only one without a sponsor in the Turkish team. You do not need doctors, dietitians or to stay in five-star hotels to be successful. It only needs hard work," she said during a break from training.

The 20-year-old Özkan said she had already started preparing for the London Olympics in

2012 and was now working out eight hours a day, six days a week, with an eye on a gold medal.

Youth and Sports General Director Mehmet Atalay said his government had plans to improve sports organization which would help Ýstanbul's Olympic bid. "We organized the Black Sea games in 2007 and we will hold the European Basketball Championship in Turkey in 2010 and the World Tennis Cup in 2011," he told Reuters.

"This will bring a serious advantage to Istanbul for winning the 2020 Olympics.

These events develop sports culture and help us train new athletes." Young athletes were getting government support, he added.

"The government is allocating serious funds from the budget for sports. We pay salaries to 1,000 children between ages 11 and 17 with potential." Ankara Reuters

Federer reaches 18th major semifinal in a row The untouchable aura has faded but the results are coming all the same for Roger Federer, who held off 130th-ranked Gilles Muller at the US Open to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for an 18th consecutive time.

Second-ranked Federer had to work harder than expect in a 7-6 (5), 64, 7-6 (5) win over Muller on Thursday.

It was his 32nd consecutive victory in a row at Flushing Meadows, where he has won the past four championships.

Bidding for a 13th Grand Slam title, which would move him one short of Pete Sampras' record, Federer will next meet No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia, who beat 2003 champion and local favorite Andy Roddick 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5).

Two points from forcing a fifth set at 5-4 in the fourth, No. 8 Roddick doublefaulted twice and was broken for the fifth time -- twice more than he lost serve in his first four matches here combined. Djokovic and Federer's meeting will be a rematch of last year's US Open final. Djokovic, who is 2-6 against Federer, called the Swiss star the “absolute favorite.”

Djokovic was thinking of Federer's record, not so much on this week's form.

No other man has played in more than 10 major semifinals in a row -- although it was Djokovic who cashed in the last time Federer lost a semifinal at a Grand Slam tournament, the young Serb upsetting him in the semis before going on to win the Australian Open in January.

Despite playing a man who never before was past the third round at a major, Federer had some trouble with Muller. He wasted six set points in the opener but closed it out on his seventh chance when Muller missed a backhand volley. Federer only went 1-for-11 on break-point chances. “Today was particularly difficult -- the sun, the wind, and he's been serving great,” Federer said of Muller, a qualifier. “I didn't get that many opportunities.”

Saturday's other men's semifinal will be top-ranked Rafael Nadal, who has beaten Federer in the last two finals at Grand Slams, against Scotland's Andy Murray. New York AP

Felipe Massa fastest in Belgian Grand Prix practice PHOTO

AP

US team in Cuba for first time since 1947 The Stars and Stripes was among a line of flags flying in front of the US soccer team's hotel on the Cuban capital's storied seaside Malecon boulevard. It's been quite awhile since that happened. But then, it's also been 61 years since an American national football team visited the communist-run island. Both sides insist tonight's USCuba World Cup qualifier is about football -- not politics. But Washington's nearly 50-year-old trade embargo ensures that American players wouldn't have the chance to visit this nation if not for the game. “Obviously, we wouldn't know what to expect seeing that this is the first time being in the country,” US defender Oguchi Onyewu said after arriving at the Melia Cohiba Hotel. “But I think we're all just taking it in, trying to enjoy the experience and taking advantage of every moment right now.” Coach Bob Bradley said he discussed the political situation between the two countries “a little bit” with his players. Havana AP

REUTERS

BASKETBALL

‘12 Giant Men' take on Belgium on the road today

Ferrari F1 driver Felipe Massa of Brazil drives his car during the second practice session of the Belgian F1 Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps race track on Friday.

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Ferrari's on-form Felipe Massa set the pace in Belgian Grand Prix free practice on Friday while teammate Kimi Raikkonen again looked out of sorts.

Brazilian Massa, six points behind McLaren's Lewis Hamilton in the championship after winning in Valencia last month, dominated a chilly and overcast morning session with a lap of one minute 47.284 seconds.

He was then second in the afternoon, just 0.050 slower than Renault's former champion Fernando Alonso's quickest lap of 1:48.454.

World champion Raikkonen, winner of the last three races in Belgium but without a victory since the end of April, was second quickest in the morning in 1:47.623 but spun off into the barriers after lunch

when a light drizzle descended.

The Finn nursed his stricken car back to the pits without the broken rear wing that had fallen off in the middle of the track.

Italian Giancarlo Fisichella also crashed his Force India and the session was then stopped for 10 minutes while marshals scrubbed fluid off the circuit.

The daunting high-speed track is Raikkonen's favorite but he needs to beat Massa this weekend to get back into the reckoning and prevent Ferrari from putting all their weight behind the Brazilian's title challenge.

Hamilton, the 23-year-old Briton who is 13 points clear of Raikkonen with six races remaining, was third in the morning ahead of Finnish team mate Heikki Kovalainen. The

two reversed their positions in the second session.

Germany's Adrian Sutil, whose Ferrari-powered Force India team have yet to score a point, was a surprising eighth fastest with a quick lap right at the end of the afternoon before the skies opened.

Honda made a nightmare start to their weekend in the Ardennes forests, with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello occupying the last two slots on the timesheets and more than three seconds off the pace.

Australian Mark Webber was a casualty of a shower midway through the second session, his Red Bull sliding off into the barriers at Rivage, while Renault's Nelson Piquet also lost his rear wing. Spa-Francorchamps Reuters

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S AT U R D AY, S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 0 8

Everything to play for, Armenia hosts Turkey There is much more to the 'beautiful game' than 22 players kicking a piece of leather around a grass field or synthetic turf. So much is at stake in the Armenia-Turkey clash today -- nationalistic fervor, rivalry, precious points, pride, prestige, history, bragging rights, you name it

PHOTO

In the buildup to the 2010 World Cup qualifying Group Five game between Armenia and Turkey in Yerevan this evening, there was plenty of talk about how sports and politics do not mix, talk about friendship, rapprochement and unthawing relations.

Reason and common sense say sports and politics are two separate entities and should remain that way. But it has not been so throughout history, especially in soccer, which at times can be a very politically sensitive issue. The reason being that the emphasis nations and fans put on winning is so enormous that losing is what they do not expect, nay accept. Every fan believes that if his team wins that victory is his as well, because each fan identifies himself with the team.

Hence the political and sports leaders of both Turkey and Armenia have been working very hard, ever since the 2010 World Cup qualifying draw was made, to ensure that friendship and common sense prevail in this evening's game.

President Abdullah Gül flew to Armenia on Friday for this match in a major diplomatic step for the two states with no diplomatic ties. Turkey broke diplomatic relations with Armenia in protest of Yerevan's control of the Azerbaijani NagornoKarabakh region, over which Armenia fought Turkish ally Azerbaijan in a war in the 1990s.

The Turkish national team, coaches and officials also flew to Armenia on Friday. Turkey coach Fatih Terim held a press conference to respond to questions on the political importance of today's game and the pressure to win due to national pride and prestige. "This is not a war; quite the contrary, it is a sport. We are going to Armenia for a soccer match, that is it," he said.

"Soccer is a fast game, politics is very heavy.

If we think about anything else, it will slow down our game. Armenia is always a very

M.BURAK BÜRKÜK

OKAN UDO BASSEY ÝSTANBUL

Turkish players train during their last practice session for today’s away match against Armenia. tough opponent at home. There will be 50,000 fans at the stadium and I think it will be hostile and intimidating atmosphere. But our players, my players, are experienced and of good quality, so we aim to garner 12 maximum points in the next four matches," Terim added.

Turkey, the 2002 World Cup semifinalist and also the Euro 2008 semifinalist in June, is more experienced than Armenia and is used to playing under pressure. Terim is very likely to capitalize on this as he is determined to start his 2010 qualifying campaign on a winning note.

With keeper Volkan Demirel (Fenerbahçe) in

A wiser Spain seeks strong start against Bosnia and Herzegovina

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A wiser more experienced Spain, under new coach Vicente del Bosque, will be keen to show it has learned from past mistakes when they host Bosnia for their opening 2010 World Cup qualifier in Murcia today.

Former coach Luis Aragones, now with the Fenerbahçe Yellow Canaries, won plaudits at home and abroad after leading Spain to victory at Euro 2008 in June, their first major title in 44 years.

But the road to Austria and Switzerland was a rocky one after they made a slow start, losing two of their first three qualifiers, which left the

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side under pressure to make up lost ground and heavily criticized in the local media.

“The last campaign will serve as a good experience for the games we have coming up,” midfielder Marcos Senna said. “This time round we will be different from the start. We want to give our all and forget all about Euro 2008 which was great, but is in the past now. We have to focus on the present.” Since replacing Aragones, Del Bosque has preached a message of continuity. He approaches his first competitive match at the helm with last month's 3-0 friendly victory over Denmark under his belt. Madrid Reuters

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goal; Gökhan Gönül (Fenerbahçe), Servet Çetin (Galatasaray), Gökhan Zan (Beþiktaþ) and Hakan Kadir Balta (Galatasaray) at the back; Kazým Kazým (Fenerbahçe) and Arda Turan (Galatasaray) on the flanks; Mehmet Aurelio (Real Betis) and Mehmet Topal (Galatasaray) in central midfield; and Semih Þentürk (Fenerbahçe) and Tuncay Þanlý (Middlesbrough) upfront, Terim's side is capable of taking Europe's best, let alone Armenia. But surprises abound in soccer and so deductive reasoning has no place in the beautiful game.

To prove the importance Terim attaches to

this evening's match, training sessions in Ýstanbul on Thursday were held behind closed doors, meaning the Turkey coach wants his game plan and tactics to remain secret.

Terim's opposite number, Jan Poulsen, also echoed the Turkish coach's plea for common sense.

But the Armenian trainer also added that Armenia has a good team and Armenian soccer has a great future -- maybe, just maybe, a euphemism for "we can give any opponent as much as we get."

In a nutshell, there is much more to the "beautiful game" than 22 players kicking a piece of leather around a grass field or synthetic turf. So much is at stake in the ArmeniaTurkey clash today -- nationalistic fervor, rivalry, precious points, pride, prestige, history, bragging rights, you name it.

But as Terim warned, this is only a soccer match, not a war. And this is not the last time Turkey and Armenia will be playing as long as they continue competing in Europe; in fact, there is still a Turkey leg to play for.

In civilized Europe, it is unthinkable for nations to go to war over soccer. For the record, though, this happened in Central America. On July 14, 1969, Honduras and El Salvador went to war. The 100-hour war claimed 6,000 lives, 12,000 were wounded and 50,000 people were rendered homeless. The cause was ostensibly the World Cup qualifying matches for Mexico '70 between Honduras and El Salvador.

On this note we urge the Armenians to show the utmost hospitality and respect to the Turks this evening and we promise they will receive a red-carpet reception when they come to Turkey. The other teams in Group Five are Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium and Estonia.

Live on TRT 1 18:55 Armenia – Turkey

Turkish U-21s entertain Czech Republic in Bursa this evening The Turkish Under-21 team hosts the Czech Republic at Bursa's Atatürk Stadium this evening in the last two UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers, which will determine whether they progress to October's playoffs for the tournament proper in Sweden next summer.

Sitting second in the group, a point behind the Czechs, the Turks will guarantee their playoff berth with two victories. Only the group winners are certain of progressing. The second game is against Armenia in Ýstanbul

three days later, with Turkey still smarting from a 2-1 defeat in Yerevan on Aug. 20.

"Our defeat in Armenia has increased the importance of the match against the Czech Republic," Turkey Under-21 coach Hami Mandýralý said, adding, "It [today's match] will decide the top spot in the group, so we have to beat the Czechs and the players are aware of this. We want to defeat the Czech Republic, be at the top of the group and then focus on the Armenia game with high spirits." Ýstanbul Today's Zaman

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Italian coach Marcello Lippi, right, is flanked by defender Fabio Cannavaro during a training session of the Italian national soccer team.

New-look Euro sides open World Cup campaigns European countries begin their campaigns to reach the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa today with newly crowned continental champions Spain and world champions Italy among those under new management.

Italy’s World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi is back in his old job following Roberto Donadoni’s departure after their disappointing European championship performance.

Other men looking to win their first competitive games in charge include Italian Fabio Capello, who leads England against Andorra and Croatia, and Bert van Marwijk, Marco Van Basten’s successor as Dutch coach whose side kicks off against Macedonia next Wednesday after a friendly against Australia today. Germany, beaten in the Euro 2008 final by Spain, and France, who failed to survive the group stages in June, have kept faith with Joachim Loew and Raymond Domenech respectively.

Europe’s 53 teams are chasing 13 of the 32 final berths in South Africa with the nine group winners qualifying directly along with four runners-up who come through a playoff round.

The Italians begin the defense of their world title with a match they should win against Greek Cyprus in Larnaca before facing Georgia.

Italy have a new man in charge of the team, although Lippi is back in a familiar routine and has recalled fit-again captain Fabio Cannavaro and striker Luca Toni to his squad which is more than capable of making a perfect start to their campaign.

Another Italian coach seeking success is Capello who has had to be content with playing friendlies since taking over England in January following his adopted country’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008 under previous coach Steve McClaren.

He should at least get a winning start against tiny Andorra in neutral Barcelona today. Another victory in Croatia next Wednesday would be a huge bonus, especially as it was a defeat by Croatia at Wembley in November that cost England a place in the finals.

France, World Cup runners-up in 2006, will field a rejuvenated team when they visit Austria today following the international retirements of Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele.

Domenech will however be without injured captain Patrick Vieira and promising forward Hatem Ben Arfa, but the new young talent includes goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, defender Bacary Sagna, centre-back Philippe Mexes, midfielder Lassana Diarra and striker Samir Nasri.

Germany, hosts in 2006 and beaten finalists in Vienna start against Liechtenstein and Finland without captain Michael Ballack (foot injury) and central midfield partner Torsten Frings (broken nose) for their first two qualifiers.

Bastian Schweinsteiger will be asked to run the midfield in Ballack’s absence, while goalkeeper Robert Enke will play his first competitive international after being chosen as Jens Lehmann’s replacement. London Reuters

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