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The air route between Ýstanbul and Ýzmir is the third busiest flight travel path of European continent
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2008 WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM YTL 1.50
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Palin mocks Obama and other Democrats in debut
Kimi Raikkonen can revive his flagging F1 title hopes this weekend with a good showing at Belgian GP
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Yo u r Way o f U n d e r s t a n d ý n g Tu r k e y
page11 Pakistanis furious over US-led border raid MIDEAST TALKS
Syrýa, France shower praýses on Turkey as peacemaker Syria hands to Turkish mediators an outline of general proposals for peace with Israel and says it is waiting for Israel's response before holding any face-to-face negotiations. A fifth round of indirect talks has been postponed because of political turmoil in Israel that had encouraged the two sides to start indirect talks. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a staunch opponent of Turkey's membership in the European Union, also praised Turkish efforts for peace between Israel and Syria. He said Ankara has done an excellent job and expressed European backing and acknowledgement for the Turkish initiative. Syria and Israel announced they were holding indirect talks mediated by Turkey in May. Since then, four rounds of Turkish-mediated talks have been held and Assad, speaking at the opening of the
four-way summit, announced yesterday that the fifth round, expected to be held in Turkey in the coming days, had been postponed due to domestic political turmoil in Israel. Assad said he was waiting for the Israeli political dust to settle, a reference to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's resignation. Erdoðan later said the fifth round was to take place on Sept. 18-19 in Ýstanbul. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the target of several corruption investigations, has announced he will step down after his party chooses a new leader this month. CONTINUED ON PAGE 04
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Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan received praise for Ankara's efforts to broker peace talks between Syria and Israel at a four-way summit in Damascus to discuss the Middle East peace, attended by Turkish, French, Syrian and Qatari leaders. Syrian President Bashar Assad, host of the summit, said Turkey was the only country taking an initiative to initiate indirect talks between Syria and Israel after an eight-year freeze. He also said Erdoðan's honesty and sincerity were a great asset
Gül extends olive branch to Turkey's last ‘enemy' SÜLEYMAN KURT, ANKARA
Demonstrating Washington's support for war-ravaged Georgia, US Vice President Dick Cheney condemned Russia for what he called an "illegitimate, unilateral attempt" to redraw this US ally's borders by force. Speaking during a closely watched trip to this strategic South Caucasus nation, Cheney also said the United States was "fully committed" to Georgian efforts to join NATO. "Georgia will be in our alliance," Cheney told reporters while standing alongside Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. One of the US administration's most hawkish figures and a longtime critic of Russia, Cheney was visiting Georgia and two other ex-Soviet republics -- Azerbaijan and Ukraine -- that are nervous about Moscow's intentions. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
BETÜL AKKAYA / ERCAN YAVUZ, ÝSTANBUL / ANKARA Analysts have said the gradually shrinking public support for opposition parties is a serious threat to Turkish democracy, which recently received a serious blow from a closure case against the country's ruling party. Pointing to a recent opinion poll on the current political situation in Turkey showing that the opposition parties continue to suffer from declining popularity with the public, analysts stressed that Turkish democracy is heading in a dangerous direction as a democracy without a strong opposition is no different than totalitarianism. The common belief is that unless opposition parties in Turkey reinvent themselves and assume their genuine role of fighting the flawed policies of the ruling party through democratic means, Turkish democracy will not see any progress and may even regress. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
ECONOMY
POSITIVE INFLATION FIGURES BOOST EXPECTATIONS OF INTEREST RATE CUT
President Abdullah Gül has finally ended a guessing game on whether he will accept an invitation from his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarksyan, and announced that he will watch a World Cup qualifying game between the Turkish and Armenian national teams in Yerevan on Saturday. Given the current status of relations with Armenia -- there have been no formal ties between the two neighbors since 1993 -- it was no surprise that it took some time for Gül to decide whether to go to Armenia. Though officials are trying to play down impact the visit will have on relations that have been on ice for more than a decade, expectations are high that it will be a huge leap in restoring dialogue with Armenia, the last "enemy neighbor." CONTINUED ON PAGE 04
Cheney offers support for Georgia, slams Russia
ANALYSTS: SHARP DECLINE IN SUPPORT FOR OPPOSITION ENDANGERS DEMOCRACY
(From L-R) Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan leave a press conference in Damascus after a summit to examine ways to move toward a peace deal in the Middle East on Thursday.
August inflation figures, which were lower than expected due to large drops in energy and produce prices, have been welcomed by business circles and are largely seen as a golden opportunity for the central bank to lower interest rates. Market analysts note that the world has entered a period of recession in which growth and inflation rates will decline at the same time. 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. Turkey's consumer price index (CPI) and producer price index (PPI) decreased by 0.24 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively, in August over the same month last year as a result of drops in gasoline and clothing prices. CONTINUED ON PAGE 07
Visit reminds of dark files army was allegedly involved in AYÞE KARABAT, ANKARA A visit by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to two suspects in the Ergenekon terrorist organization case, retired Gen. Þener Eruygur and retired Gen. Hurþit Tolon, was reminiscent of some former cases -- one of them being an assassination of a prominent journalist in Cyprus, the other the disputed Þemdinli case as well as a letter from Tolon asking about "the ones outside [of prison]."
Commander Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi paid a visit on Wednesday to Kandýra Prison inmates Eruygur and 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 Web site of the General Staff declared yesterday that the visit was made on behalf of the TSK. "As is known, today, as in the past, the TSK fully respects
and trusts the judiciary," the statement claimed. The Ergenekon case will start in October and its indictment was presented to the court, although Tolon and Eruygur were not mentioned in it since they were arrested months after the first arrests. It is expected that an additional indictment will be presented for Tolon and Eruygur as well as other suspects. While the country discussed the visit, several old cases were cited, including the assassination of prominent journal-
Featuring news and articles from
ist Kutlu Adalý in Northern Cyprus in July 1996. Mendi, the TSK envoy to the terror suspects, was allegedly involved with this assassination. He was questioned by the European Court of Human Rights during the Adalý vs. Turkey case, in which Turkey was found guilty. Ýlkay Adalý, the wife of journalist Adalý, told Today's Zaman that her husband was killed because of his articles about the Civil Defense Organization, whose top commander at the time was Mendi. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
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02 TODAY’S ZAMAN
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F OOD FOR THOUGHT
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Q UOTE OF THE DAY
The free world cannot allow the destiny of a small independent country [Georgia] to be determined by the aggression of a larger neighbor [Russia]. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
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F R I D AY, S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 0 8
PRESS REVIEW
columns
W ORDS OF WISDOM
It is very important that the time for Syria and Israel to talk directly comes soon, to build the peace that everyone needs. French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Moderation is a fatal thing; nothing succeeds like excess.
Ergenekon and the last straw YENÝ ÞAFAK, ALÝ BAYRAMOÐLU
Oscar Wilde
The Turkish military headquarters on Wednesday signed off on one more incomprehensible move. Kocaeli Garrison Commander Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi paid a visit to Þener Eruygur and Hurþit Tolon, both of whom are currently in prison in connection with the Ergenekon case. Here's how the announcement was worded on the official Internet site of the Turkish General Staff: "The visit to these two retired commanders, both of whom served in the Turkish Armed Forces [TSK] over a long period of time, took place in the name of the Turkish Armed Forces." And so the General Staff, which has remained quiet for a long time on this matter and which has perhaps felt required to remain quiet, has once again re-entered the circuit. The entrance of the TSK into this matter is, however, "an unacceptable and inexplicable" situation.
TSK výsýt to Ergenekon suspects ýn prýson ýn the headlýnes
BUGÜN: Strange visit, read the daily's lead headline yesterday, referring to Kocaeli Garrison Commander Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi visiting two suspects in the Ergenekon terrorist organization case, retired Gen. Þener Eruygur and retired Gen. Hurþit Tolon, in the Kandýra F-type prison.
TARAF: Loyalty to Ergenekon, was the daily's main headline yesterday, which said new Chief of General Staff Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð's first important act was to send Kocaeli Garrison Commander Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi to the Kandýra prison to visit two suspects in the Ergenekon case.
YENÝ ÞAFAK: Three-star visit to good pashas, was the front-page headline yesterday, referring to a TSK member dropping in on generals Hurþit Tolon and Þener Eruygur in prison. The daily said the visit was interpreted as an attempt by the TSK to influence the judiciary.
AKÞAM: Baþbuð supported Kandýra visit, read the daily's lead headline yesterday, which said Ergenekon suspects Þener Eruygur and Hurþit Tolon were visited in prison by Kocaeli Garrison Commander Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi upon an order by new Chief of General Staff Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð.
SABAH: Kandýra visit, was the top headline of the daily yesterday, which said a visit paid by a member of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to two suspects in the Ergenekon terrorist organization case was backed by the TSK. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, who was asked about the visit, termed it a humanitarian visit, said the daily.
RADÝKAL: F-type memorandum, read the daily's headline yesterday, referring to a TSK member, Kocaeli Garrison Commander Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi, who went to the Kandýra F-type prison to see retired generals who are suspects in the Ergenekon case.
VATAN: Did Ýlker Pasha make a wrong or right decision, asked the daily's lead headline yesterday, which questioned whether visiting Ergenekon suspects Eruygur and Tolon in prison upon an order from Chief of General Staff Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð was right or wrong. The visit, which was said to be an institutional one, set off a debate, reported the daily.
VAKÝT: Gang visit by the military, said the daily in its headline yesterday, also covering the visit to Hurþit Tolon and Þener Eruygur paid by Kocaeli Garrison Commander Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi. The daily reported that this visit proved the TSK was involved in the Ergenekon case.
‘In the name of the Turkish Armed Forces' BUGÜN, AHMET TAÞGETÝREN Yes, and this, too, has actually happened. Kocaeli Garrison Commander Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi paid a visit to retired military generals Þener Eruygur and Hurþit Tolon, both of whom are currently imprisoned in Kandýra Prison. And so we have the Ergenekon case; it seems that every day incredible allegations emerge in this case, allegations which reach all the way to the ranks of the TSK. How could such a visit that takes place in any nation governed by the rule of law in the world be defined as showing "respect for and trust in the judicial system"? No, such a visit cannot be defined as showing respect for the judicial system; in fact, it can only be interpreted as declaring "Here is what we are doing, here is what we are calling it, see it as you wish!"
The military's constitution STAR, MUSTAFA ERDOÐAN
TSK výsýt to Ergenekon suspects raýses eyebrows
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A visit paid on Wednesday by a member of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), Kocaeli Garrison Commander Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi, to two suspects in the Ergenekon terrorist organization case, retired Gen. Þener Eruygur and retired Gen. Hurþit Tolon, who have been under arrest since July for alleged involvement in the Ergenekon gang, has been met with much amazement and skepticism in the Turkish media over the message the TSK meant to give. The retired generals are accused of being members of the Ergenekon gang which is suspected of orchestrating various murders and attacks with the intention of creating chaos that would trigger a coup. A statement issued later by the TSK about the visit, saying that the visit to two retired generals who had served in the TSK for a long time was made on behalf of the TSK, raised further eyebrows on whether the TSK was standing up for the Ergenekon suspects, a step that is feared to influence the course of the judicial process in the Ergenekon case. Zaman's Mümtaz'er Türköne says that although the TSK had stressed in its statement that it has full confidence in the Turkish judiciary in an attempt to avert criticism that the TSK wants to influence the
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judicial process in the Ergenekon case with this visit, this cannot prevent the interpretation of this visit as an intervention into an ongoing legal case. He contends that public officials who have weapons in their hands have a bigger responsibility vis-à-vis their loyalty to the law than other state officials who do not have weapons. "How can the prestige of a bureaucratic institution be preserved when it uses the power it has to bear arms -- granted to it to protect the country - to bestow privileges on its members in the face of the law?" asks Türköne. Milliyet's Fikret Bila thinks the visit to the Ergenekon suspects was encouraged by new Chief of General Staff Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð as an attempt to erase the widespread belief held by the public that the TSK has
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abandoned the generals [Ergenekon suspects] who had spent years in fighting terrorism. In light of this, he interprets this visit as an indication of professional and institutional solidarity among TSK members. Radikal's Ýsmet Berkan casts the visit as a "delayed attempt to intervene in the judiciary." He believes this because this visit was not made on behalf of a person but in the name of the TSK. Sabah's Nazlý Ilýcak says that if Turkey were a country where the principles of democracy are operating smoothly, this visit and the TSK's attitude would not have much significance; however, this is not the case. Ilýcak wonders how new Chief of General Staff Gen. Baþbuð has allowed his name to be remembered as that of a general who backed retired generals involved in coup plans. "Turkey has changed. It is no longer that easy to stage a coup or to support it. I advise Gen. Baþbuð to take as an example retired Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Özkök, who prevented coup attempts by generals within the TSK during his term, and not former Chief of General Staff Gen. Kenan Evren, the perpetrator of a military coup in 1980, and to not occupy Turkey's agenda with superficial issues," Ilýcak says.
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During their handover ceremonies last week, the military once again did some things to which we have become accustomed: Just as occurs every August, they acted upon their own definition of the Turkish constitutional order, issuing notifications to the Turkish president, parliament speaker and prime minister in a dictatorial tone. Actually, we were all included in this circular of sorts. And in fact, these ceremonies and the way in which they are reflected in our media are not befitting of a nation which proclaims itself to be free and civilized. This also goes for the news coverage that we see at the start of every August on the new military promotions. For this reason, politicians should no longer be involved in these kinds of ceremonies, and the president, as the "top commander," should either be limited to sending a message or should send a representative to the ceremonies.
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NATIONAL
TODAY’S ZAMAN 03
F R I D AY, S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 0 8
ÝSTANBUL ANKARA ÝZMÝR ANTALYA ADANA ERZURUM EDÝRNE TRABZON KAYSERÝ
Migratory birds start their long journey from Turkey to Africa TODAY’S ZAMAN
With its large wetlands the Anatolia is a big bridge for migratory birds on their way to Africa. are 10 billion migratory birds in the world and 1 billion of them pass through Turkey during their migration, he said, adding, "The importance of Turkey's wetlands can be seen very clearly from this example, so we need to protect these areas." Tece noted that even though large birds
such as storks and falcons prefer daytime flight in order to take advantage of thermal airflows, the majority of the migratory birds, especially the smaller ones, prefer flying at night, as they expend more effort using their wings and need cooler weather to fly. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
KONYA ÇANAKKALE DÝYARBAKIR SAMSUN BURSA GAZÝANTEP ESKÝÞEHÝR MALATYA KOCAELÝ
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Key to Caucasus ýnýtýatýve: Armenýa
PHOTO
Migratory birds in Turkey have begun their journey to Africa, headed toward warmer winter climes. Foresters Chamber Eastern Mediterranean Branch Chairman Selami Tece told the Anatolia news agency that the migratory birds, which come to Turkey in the springtime in order to reproduce and spend the summer in a cooler climate, have begun migrating back to Africa. The birds' migration traffic increases in the early fall, and approximately 500,000 migratory birds travel to Africa from Turkey every year via Hatay's Belen passage, Tece said. Tece noted that falcons, storks, eagles and other bird species migrate first to the Middle East and after that to Africa. "The big birds, like storks and falcons, can fly by just spreading their wings, without flapping them, with the help of thermal air flows in the region," he noted. Tece said that Anatolia was a kind of big bridge for migratory birds and added that storks are the leading migratory birds observed in Turkey. Tece noted that migratory birds do not head toward Africa alone: Some types of ducks, geese and cranes visit Adana's Çukurova Delta on their way to Africa to meet their nutritional needs. The wetlands in the Akvatan, Tuzla, Aðyatan and Yumurtalýk areas in the delta are like pit stops for migratory birds, he said. There
30° 31° 35° 35° 36° 29° 34° 29° 34°
Turkish President Abdullah Gül's visit to Yerevan for the match between the two countries' national soccer teams has the potential to emerge as an important turning point for relations between Turkey and Armenia. Also, this visit will definitely have a confidence-building effect on the Caucasus, which is currently host to a very dangerous crisis. The importance of this visit does not stem, as claimed by those who oppose it, from its being the first contact between Turkish and Armenian authorities. Indeed, Turkish authorities, including ministers and diplomats, have met with their Armenian counterparts many times in the past. We know that Gül, acting as the Turkish foreign minister and deputy prime minister, had talks with his Armenian counterparts on several occasions. For this reason, the approach taken by opposition parties such as the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Republican People's Party (CHP) -- which not only criticize Gül's visit, but also accuses him of treason out of some internal political considerations -- is not fair. Moreover, unless a very exceptional situation had arisen attributable to the Armenian side, Gül had no other choice than to go to Yerevan. This is because Armenian President Sarksyan invited Gül to the match in a considerably successful move, giving the international community the very clear message that Armenians cannot be held responsible for the tension between two countries, and without bringing any liability to his country. The experienced Turkish diplomacy is well aware of the fact any failure by Gül to accept this invitation would be interpreted by the international community as clear proof that it is the Turkish side that resists conciliation and dialogue for settlement of the problems between the two countries, and that it could not respond even to a simple gesture. Thus from the moment this invitation was made, Gül has known that this visit was inevitable. The crisis fueled in Georgia after this invitation was extended further added to the visit's inevitability, adding significance to it as well. Why? I will try to elaborate. First of all, in the post-Georgian crisis era Turkey has built its Caucasus policy entirely upon the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Initiative, intending with this initiative to build confidence among the problematic countries in the region and create a positive atmosphere that will aid a peaceful settlement of the Caucasus crisis. One of the five possible participants in the Caucasus initiative is Armenia. It is impossible to construct an environment of security and stability in the Caucasus and exclude Armenia. If Turkey intends to reinforce mutual security and confidence among countries for the success of the initiative, there is nothing more meaningful than Turkey starting with Armenia, with which it has several unresolved problems. Also, no player other than Turkey has the resources and capabilities to halt
BÜLENT KENEÞ b.kenes@todayszaman.com
the dangerous course of events in the Caucasus, where Russia is officially at war with Georgia, and Azerbaijan with Armenia. This becomes clearer as we remember that the Minsk group acting under the roof of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has failed. As noted by diplomatic sources, Gül's visit does not contain any new proposal concerning the existing problems between the two countries. Turkey has not waived any prerequisite it has set up for dialogue with Yerevan: namely, an Armenia withdrawal of genocide claims, its halting the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin corridor, withdrawal of its territorial claims, its cessation of using the Armenian diaspora against Turkey, etc. However, the talks conducted by the foreign undersecretary, Ambassador Ünal Çeviköz, in Yerevan ahead of Gül's visit imply that Turkey, too, expects a new initiative to emerge in the bilateral relations. This initiative will largely depend upon how the Armenian side welcomes Gül. It is obvious that the Armenians also need to establish a fair dialogue with Turkey in order to get rid of the country's isolation. They may either help two societies to overcome an important psychological threshold by adopting a constructive attitude during the visit, or they may frustrate this initiative, never to be repeated. Turkish diplomatic sources estimate that the signals of good intentions are to be given to the Turkish side during this visit -- progress cannot be made with prerequisites, but through parallel processes. Turkey does not want to see another crisis caused by crazed steps similar to those taken by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, and is ready to take initiative to this end. The traditional attitude adopted by Armenia and Azerbaijan in the face of common problems consists of just buying time. Armenia thinks that its claims on the lands it has occupied will in time turn into status quo while Azerbaijan still needs more time in order to build a military force using the economic revenues from its energy resources. If no progress is made though a peaceful initiative about the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, a conflict similar to the one among Georgia, South Ossetia and Russia might also emerge in this part of the region. Even if no such conflict erupts, Turkey is still worried about the possibility of polarization caused by a confrontation between the Georgian and Azerbaijani alliance and the Armenian and Russian alliance in the Caucasus, and about this polarization's irreparably damaging regional peace.
SHÇEK project aims to train skilled athletes for next Olympics Statements made by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan in the wake of Turkey's disappointing results at the Beijing Olympics have spurred Turkey's social services agency into action. Officials from the Ýstanbul branch of the Social Services and Child Protection Agency (SHÇEK) say they are beginning a project to direct children toward developing their abilities in the sports in which they show talent. There are currently 40 sports trainers working on the SHÇEK project to turn out Olympic-level athletes for various sports. As the first part of the two-step project, the various skills of the children under SHÇEK's authority will be identified. The second leg of the project will involve special training programs to enhance the skills of the children involved. The goal will ultimately be to produce 450 professionally trained athletes from the 1,500 children in the various dormitories and orphanages throughout Ýstanbul under SHÇEK authority. Authorities involved in the project hope to see champions coming from Ýstanbul in the next two years, and from Turkey as a whole in the next four years. The project, which has passed the preliminary planning state, will see children directed toward greater success in sports such as table tennis, judo, wrestling, gymnastics, basketball, football, volleyball, badminton and
CM Y K
tennis. SHÇEK Regional Director Seyfi Bozçelik has said his organization places great importance on the influence that sports have on children. Noting that it was with this in mind that the Ýstanbul Social Services Youth and Sports Club was formed in 2007, he said: "We want to turn this club into a lower level of one of the major teams. We are currently working with the large teams and we are open to any offers that come in." The minister of state responsible for women and children's services, Nimet Çubukçu, also commented on the project, saying, "Children will also gain greater self-confidence through this program." Noting that SHÇEK already offered various sports and fine arts activities for children, she explained: "These have become more professionalized now. We do not believe that our responsibilities toward these children end with just filling their stomachs and seeing that they get an education. We also want to help them in terms of their socialization and their self development. We believe that this project will help these children develop skills they already have and give a new dimension to their lives." She added, "In the end, we have before us wonderful examples, like Sibel Özkan," referring to the Turkish weightlifting silver medalist who was raised in SHÇEK dormitories. Ayþegül Aybar Ýstanbul
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04 TODAY’S ZAMAN
F R I D AY, S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 0 8
Syria, France shower praise on Turkey as peacemaker contýnued from page 1 That has left peace prospects with both Syria and the Palestinians uncertain. Israeli negotiator in the Syria talks, Yoram Turbowicz, announced his resignation as Olmert's chief of staff in July. The Syrian leader announced yesterday that his country has handed to Turkish mediators an outline of general proposals for peace with Israel and is waiting for Israel's response before holding any face-to-face negotiations. He said the document was intended to serve as the basis for direct talks and that he was waiting for a similar document laying out Israel's starting position. Assad did not disclose details of the Syrian proposals, and little information has emerged from four rounds of indirect talks with Israel over the past year.
"We want the support of all states, basically France, Qatar and Turkey in order to be assured that the next [Israeli] prime minister will follow the same direction Olmert had followed through his readiness for complete withdrawal from the occupied territories in order for peace to be achieved," Assad said. Erdoðan, speaking at a news conference that brought together the four leaders after the summit, said Syria's positions during the indirect talks were "constructive and effective" but would not disclose any specifics. He also said he was "fully confident" that the next Israeli prime minister "will continue the process" of negotiations. Turkey, which has close ties with both Israel and the Arab world, is uniquely positioned to mediate such talks. "We are very happy with the results we
have achieved," Erdoðan said. "We are fully confident that we will reap the fruits of these rounds." Assad has previously said American sponsorship of future negotiations was necessary but only after November's US elections bring a new administration to office. Meanwhile, officials with Sarkozy's office said the French leader passed a letter from the father of a captured Israeli soldier to Syria's Assad on the sidelines of Thursday's talks so it could be delivered to the soldier. Gilad Shalit has been held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip for two years. The officials, who were speaking anonymously in accordance with presidential policy, said the letter, from Noam Shalit, is to be handed over to the emir of Qatar, who is to pass it to Khaled Mashaal, the Damascus-based leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Iran was another highlight of the meeting. Sarkozy warned Iran that it was taking a dangerous gamble in seeking to develop nuclear weapons because one day its arch-foe Israel could strike. The discussions in Syria's capital followed a one-on-one meeting between Sarkozy and Assad on Wednesday that also focused on prospects for direct IsraeliSyrian peace talks. Sarkozy offered France's help to sponsor such negotiations when the time comes. Sarkozy's visit to Damascus, the first by a Western leader in at least three years, boosted Assad's government and helped ease its isolation. The US and other Western powers have shunned Syria, in part because of its support of Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Ýstanbul /Damascus Today's Zaman with wires
Gül extends olýve branch to Turkey’s last ‘enemy’
Yerevan excited, preparing for match with Turkey
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contýnued from page 1 Over the past decade, Turkey has turned long-standing rivalries with Greece, Iran and Syria into cooperation. Gül, the first Turkish president ever to visit Armenia since it declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, will meet with Sarksyan for about an hour at the Armenian presidential palace ahead of the match in Yerevan's Hrazdan Stadium. Minutes before the two leaders head for the stadium, Gül will break his Ramadan fast at a dinner hosted by Sarksyan. He will return after watching the game. "We believe this match will be instrumental in removing the barriers blocking rapprochement between the two peoples with a common history and prepare new ground," a statement on the president's official Web site said on Wednesday. "We hope this will be an opportunity for the two peoples to understand each other better," it said. Turkish officials say three issues will be raised by the Turkish side during the meeting: a Turkish proposal to create a Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform, a mechanism that will also include Armenia; the problematic issue of Armenian occupation in the Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh; and a Turkish call for establishing a joint team of Turkish and Armenian scholars to investigate events of World War I in eastern Anatolia, which Armenians claim amounted to genocide but Ankara says were losses on both sides as Armenians took up arms to revolt against the Ottoman Empire while seeking an independent state of their own. Yerevan has already said it welcomed Turkey's Caucasus platform proposal, introduced after a brief war between Georgia and Russia in August following a Georgian offensive in the breakaway region of South Ossetia. The scheme is planned to include Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. Despite widespread domestic and international approval for Gül's visit, there are concerns that contacts between Turkey and Armenia could spoil ties with Azerbaijan, a regional ally. In an apparent attempt to assure Azerbaijan that its interests will not be com-
CAUCASUS
Ankara sends military observers to S. Ossetia Turkey announced yesterday that it has sent two military observers to South Ossetia to participate in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) mission there. Last month, two weeks after Russia crushed Georgian forces in a brief war and pushed deep into the former Soviet state's territory, the OSCE Permanent Council decided to increase for a minimum period of six months the number of military monitoring officers (MMO) in the OSCE mission to Georgia by up to 100. The council also said 20 MMOs would be deployed immediately in areas adjacent to South Ossetia and that the rest of the additional MMOs would be deployed subject to a new decision of the Permanent Council on the modalities of the MMOs, to be proposed by the chairmanship without delay. This decision will apply to the abovementioned 20 MMOs as well, the council noted at the time. The Turkish Foreign Ministry, in a written statement released yesterday, first referred to the decision by the OSCE Permanent Council, noting: "Turkey has decided to contribute with two military observers to this first group made up of 20 individuals; within this framework, our observers had arrived in Tbilisi as of Sept. 2, 2008." "Turkey -- which attaches great importance to building peace and stability and which has been exerting efforts in this direction -- will continue lending active support to efforts by the international community which aim for the same goal," the ministry added. The Turkish observers arrived in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on Tuesday, the ministry also said. It did not say when they will be deployed in areas adjacent to South Ossetia. Ankara Today's Zaman
DIPLOMACY
Council of Europe welcomes Cyprus talks
President Abdullah Gül was welcomed warmly in the central Anatolian province of Sivas during a visit on Thursday. promised, Gül is preparing to visit Azerbaijan in the coming weeks, officials told Today's Zaman. No exact date was given, but the visit to Azerbaijan is expected to take place before Gül flies to the United States in September. Speaking on the sidelines of a four-way summit on the Middle East in Syria, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan said he had spoken with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and that Baku had no problem with Gül going to Yerevan for the soccer game. Azerbaijanis are divided on whether Gül's visit should be condemned or encouraged. Opponents see the rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia at a time when Azerbaijani territory is still under Armenian occupation as a betrayal of the al-
Officials from the Armenian Football Federation (FFA) were yesterday finishing up with preparations for an upcoming match between the national football teams of Armenia and Turkey, an event that will see the first-ever visit by a Turkish president to Yerevan.Ruben Hayrapetian, the chairman of the FFA, yesterday told the Anatolia news agency that the FFA had completed all preparations for the match and that everybody was ready for it.
liance and brotherhood between Turkey and Azerbaijan. Others say it may help resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute if Turkey starts talking to Armenia about this deep-seated conflict. Warning against high expectations for any breakthrough, officials say Gül will "encourage" Armenia to pursue a settlement on the NagornoKarabakh dispute on the basis of a set of principles proposed by a group of international mediators. Armenia says it is ready for diplomatic relations with Turkey without any conditions, referring to the dispute on the genocide claims, and wants the border, closed since 1993, to reopen. But Gül is expected to dismiss any piecemeal approach in the restoration of relations and call for a discussion of all issues pertaining to relations as a whole.
Executives from the FFA have stated that they expect the 52,000-seat Hrazdan Stadium to be completely full during the match, saying 12,000 tickets have been sold to date and that 2,700 seats were allocated to Turkish fans. More than 100 foreign correspondents, in addition to 60 domestic correspondents, have been accredited to watch the match, the same executives said. Armenian officials also noted that all necessary pre-
Gül will be greeted by Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian at the airport and will proceed to the Armenian presidential palace along a high-security route. The section of the stadium where Gül will be watching the game will be protected by bulletproof glass as a measure against a possible assassination attempt. A Turkish delegation, headed by Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Ünal Çeviköz, had talks in Yerevan on Wednesday to discuss arrangements for Gül's visit and reportedly told Gül that security measures taken by the Armenian side were satisfactory. Representatives from international news agencies as well as French newspapers Le Monde and Le Figaro will be on Gül's plane to Yerevan.
cautions have been taken both for the period of time before and after the match, the Anatolia news agency reported. The Turkish national team will stay in the Golden Palace Hotel, which is a little outside of the Yerevan city center, Anatolia said. Meanwhile, players of the Armenian national team, speaking to Anatolia, expressed pleasure over Gül's visit, while noting that they were interested in sports, not in politics. Ankara Today's Zaman with wires
Brussels, Washington welcome Gül’s decision to go to Yerevan Both the European Union, which Ankara aspires to join, and Turkey's NATO ally the United States have welcomed President Abdullah Gül's decision to respond favorably to Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan's invitation to visit Yerevan to watch a match between the national football teams of the two estranged neighboring countries. Both Brussels and Washington also expressed expectations of a complete normalization of bilateral relations between Armenia and Turkey, which have not had diplomatic relations since the early 1990s. Turkey severed ties with Armenia in protest of Yerevan's occupation of Azerbaijan's NagornoKarabakh region, over which Armenia fought Turkey's ally Azerbaijan in a war in the 1990s.
NATIONAL
Gül's office announced on Wednesday evening that the president will visit Armenia over the weekend for the soccer match. Armenia and Turkey will play against each other in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Sept. 6 in a qualifying match for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. EU term president France, in a written statement released yesterday on behalf of the EU Council, expressed "pleasure" over Sarksyan's invitation, while voicing "joy" over Gül's decision to respond favorably to his invitation. "This [historic] visit constitutes a strong and encouraging gesture for relations between Armenia and Turkey. The EU Council Presidency hopes and wishes that this extremely symbolic visit will create the normalization of relations be-
tween the two countries," the EU statement said. In Washington, Mark Toner, a spokesperson for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the US State Department, told the Anatolia news agency that Washington has welcomed Gül's decision. "We congratulate both of the presidents' courage to take steps toward strengthening peace and welfare in the region," Toner was quoted as saying by Anatolia. "We hope that this historical meeting will help accelerate the complete normalization of TurkishArmenian relations," Toner added. Both the US administration and the now 27-member EU have called on Turkey to normalize bilateral relations with Yerevan. The issue has constantly found a place in regular progress reports annually released by the
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European Commission on EU candidate Turkey. In Damascus, EU term president France's Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday expressed pleasure over Gül's decision to go to Yerevan, calling the move "very positive." Sarkozy's comments on the issue came at a joint press conference following a summit that brought him together with Syrian President Bashar Assad, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoðan and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani for talks on Mideast stability and peace. The EU statement, meanwhile, also lent support to Turkey's initiative for establishing a Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform, calling the initiative "a meaningful contribution to stability, security and development in the region." Ankara Today's Zaman with wires
Strasbourg has lent strong support to the launch of talks on Wednesday between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders for reunification of the divided island of Cyprus, with separate statements released by the secretary-general of the Council of Europe and the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's (PACE) rapporteur for the Cyprus issue. "This is a chance for both leaders to leave their mark in the history books. It is also a chance for Cyprus to send a much-needed message to the world. The message is that long-standing conflicts can be settled peacefully through good will and perseverance," Terry Davis, the secretary-general of the Council of Europe, said in a statement yesterday. Joachim Hoerster of Germany, the PACE rapporteur for the Cyprus question, described the launch of the talks in a statement released Wednesday as "the best opportunity in many years to end the division of Cyprus." Ankara Today's Zaman
REACTION
Turkey's Armenians thrilled with visit The Armenian Patriarchate of Ýstanbul as well as individual Armenian citizens of Turkey have lauded President Abdullah Gül's decision to travel to Yerevan over the weekend to watch a match between the Turkish and Armenian national football teams along with his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarksyan, who issued the invitation. The patriarchate, in a written statement released yesterday, first of all said that sports was by its very nature an activity that directs people towards peace and fraternity. "… In this regard, we hope the Armenia-Turkey national football match to be played in Armenia's city of Yerevan on Sept, 6, 2008 will be an occasion for the improvement of mutual friendship and neighborhood relations for the peoples of both countries, which share a common geography," the patriarchate said. In the Kumkapý district of Ýstanbul, Hanefi Demirci, a Turkish-born Armenian, said Gül's visit could help build bridges of friendship between Armenia and Turkey. Reacting against opposition leaders who suggested that Gül's visit would help nothing but would instead damage Turkey's honor, Demirci said they were "confusing sports and politics with each other." Cesur Yýldýz, another Armenian citizen of Turkey, said friendship between Armenia and Turkey would bring advantages to both countries. Murat Ekmekçioðlu, a jeweler at the Grand Bazaar, said he believed the visit was very important for building a friendship between the two countries. He added that this friendship would be beneficial for both Armenia and Turkey. In the central Anatolian province of Kayseri, Karnik Teke, an 83-year-old Armenian citizen of Turkey, also applauded Gül's decision to go to Yerevan. "The fact that Abdullah Gül is from Kayseri, that he is from our city, pleases us. Gül's attitude is a step toward friendship, for peace. This should be followed [by other steps]," Teke told the Anatolia news agency yesterday. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
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NATIONAL
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ÖMER ORUÇ
Free textbooks ready for 14 million students The 2008-09 academic year begins next Monday for Turkey’s 14 million primary and high school students and their 662,000 teachers. Students’ textbooks will be waiting on their desks inside nylon packaging on the first day of school and there will be messages from both Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and Education Minister Hüseyin Çelik inside the packaging as well. Free textbooks for students and teachers will number 165,854,333 this year. The first half of the 2008-09 school year ends Jan. 23, 2009, and students will take their midterm break on Jan. 26-Feb. 6, 2009. The second semester will begin
Feb. 9, 2009, and the school year ends June 12, 2009. Turkey educates 700,000 pre-school students annually at both public and private schools and 42,000 teachers teach these students. There are also 22 mobile pre-schools in Turkey, in provinces such as Aydýn, Antalya, Balýkesir, Bayburt, Bursa, Gümüþhane, Konya, Malatya, Sakarya, Van, Denizli, Gaziantep, Ýstanbul and Ankara, and these schools particularly serve the children on the outskirts of these provinces. The Education Ministry aims to increase the rate of students receiving preschool education from 28.5 percent to 34.5 percent by the end of the upcoming school year. Primary schools in
Turkey educate 10.9 million students annually, taught by 445,452 teachers. Eight years of primary education is compulsory in Turkey. The attendance rate for primary school-age children in Turkey is 98.5 percent for boys and 96.1 percent for girls. The Education Ministry is working to bring these figures to 100 percent for both genders and has initiated campaigns to this end. The ministry will also conduct a “cram school” program this year for children who were unable to go to school or left school before graduating. About 2 million students attend high school in Turkey, taught by 106,000 teachers. The attendance rate of high school-age Turks is 58.5 percent. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
HÜSEYÝN GÜLERCE h.gulerce@todayszaman.com
Gývýng the mýlýtary týme Politics is the art of getting things done. It requires patience, cautious action, timing, talent and experience. It also requires empathy. Most importantly, the primary goal is to get fruitful results. It is impossible to consider a mindset in which there is no winner and a mentality that makes the country suffer as politics. I issue this reminder because of the most important issue facing Turkey. This issue concerns relations between the military and the civilian authority. This is the most fundamental issue that has remained unresolved since the foundation of the republic. We deal with this issue in all critical periods, including military coups and the latest developments during the presidential elections. Let me say what I am going to say at the end right now: The resolution of this issue does not rest with a discussion over who is right and who is wrong. Does it matter if even both sides are right? Both the army and civilian politics suffer from the injuries associated with this issue. Mutual confrontations and standoffs have not helped resolve this problem, and now we are standing before a dead end. Currently two important events require a resolution to this issue: Turkey’s accession to the European Union and the Ergenekon case. These two are connected and interrelated. Now we have to make our final decision at this crossroad. Either civilian-military relations will be cut loose, or “a smart power” will take charge. Turkey is no longer able to waste its energy. Let us take a look at the recent prison visit. Kocaeli Garrison Commander Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi paid a visit to retired generals Þener Eruygur and Hurþit Tolon, who are being held in prison in connection with the Ergenekon investigation. The meeting lasted about two hours. Simultaneously, a statement was posted on the official Web site of the General Staff about the visit. “This visit, paid to retired commanders who served in the Turkish Armed Forces [TSK] for a long time, has been held on behalf of the TSK,” the statement said, adding, “The TSK has full respect for and confidence in the judiciary.” You can view the visit through two different prisms: “loyalty to Ergenekon” or “interference in the judiciary.” You may ask “Should this be the first action of the newly appointed chief of general staff?” or “Is Ergenekon becoming like Þemdinli now?” Or you may say, “We have to try to understand the army, which allowed the arrests of the retired generals and ensured the smooth operation of the judicial process,” and “The utmost care should be taken to ensure that this case does not damage the institutional image of the TSK.” Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarcýklýoðlu also paid a visit to Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Chairman Sinan Aygün. This was a show of professional solidarity. Hisarcýklýoðlu even said, “If I had not made this visit, the members of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce would have rioted.” So, can’t someone empathize with people who served in the army for 45 years? Can’t the military’s sensitivities as an institution be taken into consideration? Can’t the humane dimension, as expressed by the prime minister, be stressed? Of course, these questions are open to discussion. But I mostly care about the TSK’s statement’s last sentence: “The TSK has full respect for and confidence in the judiciary.” I care about this statement more than I do about the visit. Let us consider this as an assurance given by the TSK that it will remain committed to the healthy proceedings of the Ergenekon case. Why do I hold this view? Speaking at the recent change of command ceremony in which he took over his post, newly appointed Chief of General Staff Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð said, “For the Turkish Armed Forces, full membership in the European Union serves as an important tool to exceed the level of contemporary civilization, a goal voiced by Atatürk.” This is a very precise statement. This is also a commitment that the armed forces will do its part for Turkey’s EU bid. Turkey cannot become a full member in the EU without eliminating the illegal entities within the state apparatus. Turkey cannot become a full member unless it gets rid of bureaucratic guardianship. So only an agreement and consensus over EU membership can end the civilian-military discussion. In the new term the military will do its part. I believe that. But it should not be subjected to harsh criticism or erosion. It should be allowed time to do its job.
No railway for new bridge The transportation minister has said a project to construct a third bridge over the Bosporus will not include a railway, which had previously been under consideration. Minister of Transportation Binali Yýldýrým was quoted by the Anatolia news agency as saying: “We have completed our studies on the project for a new bridge over the Bosporus. The number of lanes was reduced from six to four. Detailed studies were conducted on the number of lanes. In the end, we decided not to include a railway in the plan. The advantages and disadvantages of various aspects were assessed, and a report was sent to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan for the final decision.” Ankara Today’s Zaman with wires
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06 TODAY’S ZAMAN
RAMADAN
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Manavgat expats to host iftar for Muslim neighbors
Restaurants and Suppliers Association (TÜRES) President Ramazan Bingöl has said restaurant owners in Ýstanbul will feed the poor and needy throughout Turkey during the holy month of Ramadan, which begins today. Bayraktar, speaking to the Cihan news agency, said restaurant owners in Ýstanbul that are members of TÜRES filled a tractor-trailer with foodstuff which will travel around Turkey during Ramadan and offer fast-breaking dinners to more than 10,000 people. “Poverty is a reality in the world. As we cannot turn a blind eye to this reality, we should devise permanent projects to help reduce poverty levels. We will offer fast-breaking dinners to thousands of people during Ramadan with our trailer. We will not offer simple meals such as beans and rice, but a rich menu, including prominent meals from Turkish cuisine. Our objective is to share the joy of Ramadan with the poor,” he said. He also noted that the TÜRES project to offer free meals to the poor will continue after Ramadan. Arif Bayraktar Ýstanbul
LINDA PAULL ÝSTANBUL
I arrived in Turkey in September 2004, so one of the first cultural experiences I had when I arrived here was Ramadan. Never having experienced a Ramadan before, I was naturally curious to see what it was all about. Do people actually go without food for that long and if so how do they handle it? I was also curious to see what percentage of the population actually did the fast itself and for those who smoked (which in Turkey is quite a lot of people), how long did it take before a regular pack-a-day smoker caved in and succumbed to the sweet nicotine? I was even asked by several people whether or not I would partake of the ancient spiritual ritual of going without food all day so you can stuff yourself in the evening, to which I submitted a negative answer. I suppose my main reason for declining to take part in Ramadan was because it just didn’t sound like much fun. There’s to be no drinking, smoking or eating between 5:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. After comparing it with Christmas and the orgiastic feasts of roast duck, lamb, pudding, other assorted nibbles and alcohol we consume for practically the week leading up to it, I was beginning to be grateful that the prophet who was overseeing my transition into the afterlife was one who was quite partial to fish and didn’t mind a bit of a tipple. In fact, Jesus’ ability to turn water into wine and share it around with all his friends is one of the reasons we love him so much.
A few days into Ramadan I began to notice the signs of strain on people around me. At the school where I worked our receptionist looked like she was about to pass out at every available opportunity, and the pack-a-day-smoking general assistant had turned into the incredible hulk; thus I was thankful of my decision not to be apart of it. However, I was full of admiration for those who stuck it out for the whole month. Actually, as the month passed I learned about the tradition of donating part of your salary to the poor and began to appreciate the point of Ramadan and the fact that it actually retains some of the true message of religion. It hasn’t been over commercialized in the way that Christmas has with ridiculous songs about rein-
deer, massive amounts of credit card debt and consumption, consumption, consumption. Even Santa, the guy who represents Christmas, was an invention by the Coca-Cola Company, whose outfit was designed to match their colors. It actually didn’t surprise me that when I came to live in a non-Christian country, most people use the word Christmas but don’t actually know what it is. Even the Turkish translation for Christmas, commonly accepted as “yýlbaþý” has got nothing to do with Jesus. And since when did it fall on Dec. 31? But you can’t really blame nonChristians for making that mistake. We’re the ones who took the dignity of Christmas away and turned it into a free-for-all of drunk office Christmas parties, shopping frenzies and overeatÝSA ÞÝMÞEK
Restaurant owners to feed the poor during Ramadan
Christmas and Ramadan
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A Belgian couple residing in the Manavgat district of southern Antalya province has said they will continue a tradition they started a few years ago of hosting a fast-breaking dinner for their Muslim neighbors. The Barbosa family, which has been living in Manavgat for seven years, said they will invite their Muslim neighbors to an iftar (fastbreaking evening meal during Ramadan) at their home in the days ahead. “We have hosted our Muslim friends at fast-breaking dinners for the last two years. This will be our third year. My wife, Lily, has learned to cook most Turkish dishes. It is an honor for us to offer fast-breaking dinners to our Muslim neighbors during Ramadan,” stated David Barbosa. He noted that they were impressed when they witnessed their neighbors providing fastbreaking dinners for others fasters during Ramadan. “That’s how we decided to host our neighbors for a dinner during this month. We have almost completed our preparations. We plan to invite five families to our fast-breaking dinner. Among these are our friends who were Christian and then converted to Islam. We will offer bulgur pilav, peas, mushroom soup, salad, stewed fruit and vegetable dishes. We plan to add Belgian dishes and desserts to our menu as well. We have also purchased dates for our guests,” he stated. Abdurrahman Büyükkeskin Antalya
ing. Despite there being the odd Migros special, I don’t get the feeling that Ramadan has shared the same fate as Christmas. People do overindulge at iftar, but they have to earn the right to do it. Anyway, I managed to get down to Sultanahmet for the final iftar feast last year between the mosques to help a South African friend who converted to Islam a few years ago celebrate the end of Ramadan. Naturally, we brought a large picnic with us and were having a really good evening when a family of quite religious-looking people turned around and asked us what we were doing there. When we told them we just wanted to come and see everyone doing Ramadan and hear the final call to prayer, they seemed to think it was really cute. Then one of them came over and gave us a plate of food. “Welcome to Ramadan,” she said. And it was a nice feeling to receive a simple gift from a group of strangers, rather than something wrapped in colored paper that my parents/brother/best friend paid an arm and a leg for. So this year I will be here for Ramadan again and I probably won’t fast, but I will give something to a charity. And as for Christmas, I will celebrate it, but this time in a more simple and dignified way. I may even take advantage of one of the many beautiful churches that Ýstanbul has to offer and hang out for a while in the peace and quiet and think. Then I’ll probably go home and have some wine at home with some friends. I think Jesus would approve of that.
THOSE OLD RAMADANS
My last prayer
Charitable giving, or the money given in charity. There is also a particular type of sadaqa peculiar to this month called al-Fitr, which is an amount given in charity to the poor at the end of the month to ensure that everyone has enough to eat during Eid alFitr, the religious festivity celebrated at the end of the month, and to ensure that all Muslims share the joy of the festivity. This amount is traditionally paid in foodstuffs (rice, barley, flour, dates and so forth), but it is possible to make this donation in cash. Sadaqa is for the sake of God alone. The injunction upon Muslims to give charitably is mentioned many times in the Quran: “Believe in God and His Messenger, and spend [in charity] out of the [substance] whereof He has made you heirs. For those of you who believe and spend [in charity], for them is a great reward.” (Al-Hadeed 57:7)
I don’t remember when I first performed the namaz. If I was as impatient as I am now, I should have started to imitate my parents as early as my second year in this world. Namaz is the Turkish and Persian name for the Muslim daily prayer. Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day turning their faces to qiblah, towards Mecca. The times of prayers are fixed according to the sun’s position in the sky. This makes namaz a function of several actors: man, Mecca, the sun and the creator of all, God. One may add to this list the mosque, the prayer rug, the Quran, the supplications and the other members of the congregation. Namaz is the moment the individual Muslim completes the chain between all of these. A true Muslim should keep in mind that each time he misses a prayer, a link in this transcendental chain will be lacking. More often than not actual life situations are quite remote from the ideal. Many Muslims perform their prayers in a rush and do not realize that namaz is not something God wants from us, but it is something God wants us to have. I was one of these Muslims actually. I have been performing the namaz for more than 20 years, but it was only three years ago that I realized why I was praying. That was during my last namaz. I was settled in London then and it was during Ramadan that I went to a late evening prayer (terawih) at a mosque close to the Turnpike Lane tube station. This was a small but well-designed, clean
mosque frequented by Pakistani, Afghan and Indian Muslims. After the ablution we took our place within the congregation. In my line, to the right there were black and dark brown faces with beautiful white turbans and to the left I saw people of different colors, ages, shapes and attires. Even during the congregational namaz certain parts are performed individually and only certain parts under the lead of the imam. We all performed the individual parts and only after that did I see a young, beardless, apparently Pakistani boy with a yellowish cloak step forward as the imam. He must have been no more than 20 and there were much older and seemingly more educated people in the congregation. It came to me as a surprise that this young lad was chosen to lead the namaz. He turned to the congregation and with a self-conscious, penetrating voice gave us some advice: “Brothers and sisters! Pray this namaz as if this is your last namaz, as if you will die soon after this namaz and you won’t have any other chance to perform another one.” There started my last prayer. The immediacy of death opens a window to the hereafter and makes the unseen seen. It breaks our captivity in time and space and all times become the current moment, and all spaces become the current space. This is not a theoretical elaboration; this is what I experienced in my last prayer. The imam started the namaz with the Allahuakbar (God is great) statement. There I found myself a link in that chain that completed the man-creation-creator circle; I found myself the
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speaker of a conversation where the addressee is all of creation. “All thanks belong to God alone!” declared the imam with the first verse of the opening chapter of the Quran. All of creation, my entire body, billions of cells and atoms within my body confirmed: “Amen! Yes, it is so.” Then I became the speaker of a conversation where the addressee is God. “He is the Lord of all worlds!” declared the imam. All of creation, the people of the past, of the future, the planets, the black holes, the microcosmos and the macrocosmos all joined me: “Amen! Yes, he is our Lord!” Realizing that I was address-
CEM KIZILTUÐ
Sadaqa
BY KERÝM BALCI
ILLUSTRATION
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CÝHAN
About Ramadan
ing the Lord of the guests and hosts, Lord of the masters and slaves, Lord of the Alpha and Omega, Lord of the seen and the unseen, I felt crushed into nothingness; all my past sins and intentions of sinning came upon me, all the injustices I had closed my eyes to, all the poor and impoverished I neglected, all the prayers I missed started to taunt me: Who are you to address our Lord? Who are you to speak about him? Then I found myself the addressee of a conversation in which the speaker is the Quran. “He is most merciful and most compassionate!” the imam gave the good news. “Amen! Indeed he is,” said all my sins and neglects. I was let free and felt as if all my sins were gone. I felt the relief and tried to recall my good deeds. Why didn’t they come to help me when my sins attacked? “They will come indeed,” said two angels this time. “Our names are Munkar and Nakir. You will meet us once more in your grave and we will remind you of both your sins and good deeds,” they said. “He is the Lord of the day of judgment!” added the imam. “Amen! Indeed he is, and Kerim, we will see you there. Get ready for the day where fathers do not recognize their sons,” they said while leaving. My body started to shudder and my eyes to pour their hot tears. My cheeks were burning. They were hot, as hot as the flames of hell. “Hell and paradise are in your heart,” said a voice coming from deep inside and from far away. That was the sound of the beloved; I was lost in the mi’raj. There started, within my last prayer, my first ascension to the heavens.
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Positive inflation figures spark expectations of interest rate reduction PHOTO
contýnued from page 1 Markets were expecting both numbers to increase by more than 1 percent. According to figures released by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) on Wednesday evening, the annual inflation rate as of August was 11.7 percent for the CPI and 14.6 percent for the PPI. Anatolian Tigers Businessmen’s Association (ASKON) Chairman Mustafa Koca said the Turkish Central Bank has received a big opportunity to go for a cut in key interest rates. Recalling a recent comment by Economy Minister Mehmet Þimþek, who said each interest rate percentage point costs the Treasury nearly $4 billion a year, Koca stressed the necessity of stepping up against high interest rates. He pointed out that Turkey has one of the highest interest rates in the world. Despite its CPI being 11.7 percent, its real interest rates are hovering even above this rate, with some reaching 12 percent. These issues were the top item in a speech by Turkish Central Bank Governor Durmuþ Yýlmaz yesterday. Speaking at a conference on monetary policy in Trabzon organized by the Trabzon Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Yýlmaz said the monetary tightening policies adopted since May have created room for interest rates to help create a drop in inflation rates. “The increasingly pessimistic expectations that emerged recently seem to have stopped thanks to these monetary tightening policies,” he said. The governor said the central bank will consider a variety of policy options, including a “measured rate cut,” beginning this month. Also, in a note yesterday evaluating August’s inflation rates, the central bank said they expected the inflation to drop even more in the coming months if positive developments in food and energy prices continue. Halk Bankasý General Manager Hüseyin Aydýn said the lower-than-expected inflation rates in August were very positive; however, he stressed that it was very unlikely that inflation rates would drop below 10 percent prior to the end of the year. Speaking at a press conference to announce a protocol for easy loans that was recently signed between Halk Bankasý
Central Bank Governor Durmuþ Yýlmaz (R) receives a silver plate as gift from Trabzon acting Governor Orhan Eyövge. and the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) yesterday, he estimated that the 2008 gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate would be somewhere between 4.5 percent and 5 percent. ASO Chairman Nurettin Özdebir said the figures for August were low due to decreasing energy, commodity and food prices. He mentioned Yýlmaz’s signal of a rate cut for the rest of the year, saying he was “extremely happy to have heard this good news.”
Demand contraction may be harbinger of slowdown A rate cut is seen by many as an urgent remedy for a slowing economy and contracting demand, which have been clearly demonstrated in recent statistics. The domestic demand indicators released by the State Planning Organization (DPT) for the second
quarter of the year, including April, May and June, point to a contracting tendency in the economy, which is seen by many analysts as an omen of a slowdown in the overall economy. The GDP growth rate is expected to be announced in a few weeks. The figures in the DPT’s “Economic Developments Report” for August 2008 have shown that contraction in domestic demand has accelerated since June. Starting in 2007, declines in the production and consumption of durable goods, which must be taken seriously due to the significant share these goods hold in the GDP, have continued this year. The manufacturing rate of durable goods had decreased by 9.9 percent in 2007 over 2006 and this tendency is continuing this year, too. In January, the demand for durable goods was down
CM Y K
6.6 percent over the same month last year and this continued in the following months. This rate of decrease peaked in June when it fell 13.2 percent compared to the same month in 2007. The picture was no different in the sales of durable goods, either, despite developments in the currency market rendering these products more attractive for consumers. In 2007 the sales of these goods were dropped by 8.7 percent. In each month of the first half of 2008, sales always saw drops and in June the rate of decline reached 14.2 percent. The automobile market is also sending out alarm signals. In 2007 auto sales were down 4.2 percent over 2006. They rallied in January 2008 with a 37.7 percent jump over the same month last year. In the following months automobile sales increased by 23.1 percent, 40.3 percent, 20.3 percent and 8.3 percent. But in June the change turned to a negative decline of 4.7 percent. The same pattern was observed in auto production and imported auto sales, as well. This was contrary the traditional pattern of the auto business. It is conventional knowledge that the demand for automobiles increases in the summer and that their prices start climbing. But this year June saw a sharp decline in auto sales. The reason for this sudden change in June was manifold, many experts believe. Soaring gasoline prices stemming from record-breaking crude prices have deterred households from buying cars. Increased interest rates for consumer loans due to rising risk factors from the political arena were another factor that stopped people from making car purchases. The production and sale of home appliances, also known as white goods, also saw a slowdown in domestic demand. White goods sales were down 5.5 percent in 2007 over 2006 and they started 2008 down 18.9 percent record in January from the same month last year. February sales also dropped by 5.8 percent but, thanks to campaigns, commercials and the traditional season for marriages, the sales of these goods started to rise in March. All in all, in the January-May period this year, the production of home appliances decreased by 3.7 percent, while imports dropped by 9.1 percent. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
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08 TODAY’S ZAMAN
F R I D AY, S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 0 8
Turkey to build natural gas plant in Turkmenistan, says minister
Agreement signed to boost trade between Turkey, Czech Republic
MEETING
transportation and visa procedures between Turkey and the Czech Republic be solved, while noting that they also agreed to cooperate in the areas of agriculture and defense. Riman emphasized that good relations between the two countries will have a positive effect on Turkey's European Union accession process. He stated that the Czech Republic has considered participating in power plant tenders in Turkey. Riman noted that the Czech prime minister, along with 35 businessmen, will pay a visit to Turkey next month and that the meeting with Ekren had laid the groundwork for that visit. Elaborating on the energy issue, Riman said the Czech company CEZ and Turkish Akenerji were participating in an energy distribution project in Sakarya. Riman also noted that Czech companies had already established some energy plants in Turkey in the past and that now they will be involved in the renovation process of these plants. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
Turkish State Minister Nazým Ekren and Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Martin Riman met in Ankara yesterday and signed an agreement on developing trade relations. Turkey and the Czech Republic are planning to increase their trade volume from 1.3 billion euros to 3 billion euros within the next three years as part of the new agreement. In an announcement to the press Ekren said Turkey and the Czech Republic will focus on cooperating in the energy, construction and automotive sectors in the next three years to reach their trade volume goal. He also noted that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan had already signed a memorandum of understanding to develop trade relations with the Czech Republic last year. Ekren said the government will encourage the Turkish private sector to sign trade contracts and coordinate with Czech businessmen. Ekren also urged that the current problems in
in the quantity of electricity purchased from Turkmenistan. Turkey has been purchasing 600 million kilowatt-hours (Kwh) of electricity annually from this country since 2003. "My visit to Turkmenistan has nothing to do with recent developments in the Caucasus. It was a scheduled visit," he said, referring to the brief war fought between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. In an interview with a Turkmen daily on Wednesday, Berdimuhammedov praised the talks with the Turkish minister, noting that these efforts would increase the chances of effecting delivery of Turkmen energy resources to the world. After concluding his visits in Turkmenistan, the minister headed to another Central Asian energy-rich country, Kazakhstan, to seek further opportunities for collaboration on energy. He will return to Turkey on Friday and then will leave for a visit to Azerbaijan at the beginning of next week. Cemil Yýldýz Ashgabat
Turkey will build a natural gas power plant and explore for oil and natural gas in Turkmenistan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Güler has said. Speaking to the press on Wednesday to share details of his meetings with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov and four ministers of the Turkmen Cabinet, Güler said one item on the agenda was the farming out of exploration and production activities in Caspian oil and gas fields. He also noted that they discussed opportunities to establish alternative energy generating facilities in Turkmenistan such as wind and solar power plants, in which Turkey has know-how and experience. "We will also construct a natural gas power plant," he noted, adding, "The Turkish Petroleum Corporation [TPAO] will initiate oil and natural gas exploration in the Caspian region together with Turkmen authorities." Another item discussed in the meetings was the increase
BAHAR MANDAN
EU's Piebalgs seeks political push for Nabucco
PHOTO
The European Union must reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies by accelerating the planned Nabucco pipeline to bring gas from central Asia, the EU's energy chief said on Thursday. The EU is heavily reliant on Russian gas, but it has been pushing for the $12 billion Nabucco pipeline since disputes between Russia and transit states like Ukraine highlighted the frailty of its energy supply routes. "Our objective of diversifying our sources and routes is even more important after the events in Georgia," EU Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs told reporters on Thursday. The pipeline is due to bring 30 billion cubic metres of Caspian or Middle Eastern gas annually to an Austrian gas hub via Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. But analysts say hopes of construction are quickly fading, especially after the conflict in Georgia increased doubts about the security of investing in the turbulent region. "We need more political engagement to remove all the obstacles to Nabucco to bring gas from the Caspian basin to the EU," said Piebalgs. The EU has signed agreements with Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Ukraine to help develop their energy supplies with a view to future imports. It is also eyeing Egypt and Iraq as possible future suppliers. But Azerbaijan is now in talks with Russian energy giant Gazprom OAO to sell gas to Russia, throwing Azeri supplies to Nabucco into doubt. Russia's invasion of Georgia highlighted the vulnerability of Azerbaijan's gas link to Nabucco, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) pipeline across Georgia to Turkey. Brussels Reuters
Rýfat Hisarcýklýoðlu
Haris Silajdzic
Sýlajdzýc: ýnvestors must hurry to ýnvest ýn Bosnýa YONCA POYRAZ DOÐAN ÝSTANBUL
October to see steep hike in electricity prices
Bosnian President Haris Silajdzic said yesterday that Bosnia and Herzegovina's investment potential is significant but that resources will begin to diminish and rise in price in the coming years if investors do not hurry. "In two or three years, investing in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be very expensive so we invite Turkish investors to act quickly," Silajdzic said in Ýstanbul at a joint meeting of the Turkish-Bosnian Business Council (TBBC) organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEÝK) at the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Plaza. Silajdzic also said Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina have very good relations but that this is not apparent in the economic area
The Turkish 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 increase will go into effect on Oct.1, after which consumers will see a 10-15 percent increase in electricity prices. TETAÞ will sell electric power to 20 zones based on the new rate. TETAÞ said the price increase was due to jumps in oil and natural gas prices in the global market, with oil prices rising almost 50 percent since the beginning of the year. Electricity distributors can submit revised requests for price increases to the EPDK within two weeks before the new rates take effect. This will be the third price hike to hit consumers since the beginning of the year. The first increase was in January and the second was in July. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
Yearly Change (%)
YTD Change (%)
MCAP (million YTL)
1-Y Av.Volum
2,2%
-12,6%
-28,8%
209.705
1.239
-0,6%
2,6%
-13,4%
-30,6%
155.947
969
-0,2%
-0,7%
-7,7%
-16,8%
67.659
313
77.091
-0,8%
3,6%
-15,8%
-35,7%
88.242
685
DAX
10,00
-1,0%
-13,0%
-12,3%
-15,6%
100
0,55
FTSE 100
Daily Monthly Change (%) Change (%)
Close
CALENDAR
AT A GLAN
5 September
CE
rt - August yment Repo US Emplo
İMKB-100
39.570
-0,6%
İMKB-30
48.884
İMKB-IND
33.762
İMKB-BANK DJIMT
EU€/JP¥
50.400 1,256
Country
Change (%)
Level
H.Kong
-0,95
20.389,5
Nikkei 225
Japan
-1,04
12.557,7
Cac 40
France
-1,37
4.386,1
Germany
-1,67
6.359,3
Hang Seng
TurkDEX US$/JP¥
as there is a wide gap in trade between the two countries. "We have had talks on the political dimension in Ankara and we mutually think that economic relations should be improved," he said, adding that this could be achieved by more investment in his country. Having invested 64 million euros, Turkey ranks among the top 10 countries that invested in Bosnia and Herzegovina from May 1994 through the end of last year. In comparison, Austria topped the list of investors in Bosnia and Herzegovina with 1.294 billion euros, followed by Serbia's 773 million euros, Croatia's 546 million euros, Slovenia's 427 million euros, Switzerland's 337 million euros and Germany's 270 million euros. Milan Lovric, co-president of the TBBC, said the amount of foreign direct investments in Bosnia and Herzegovina has in-
UK
-0,74
5.458,9
Dow
USA
-0,88
11.435,0
NASDAQ
USA
-0,74
1.819,5
USA
-0,86
1.264,0
Brasil
-1,85
52.536,6
S&P
-2,42% 1,70%
BOVESPA
creased dramatically, to 1.6 billion euros last year from 564 million euros in 2006. "Our country is small but has big potential," he said regarding the country, which covers approximately 51,209 square kilometers of land and has a population of 3.8 million. "In 2006, nominal gross domestic product [GDP] reached 9.78 billion euros. Real GDP growth was 6.2 percent, continuing the underlying trend of growth of around 5.5-6.0 percent," he said. Lovric said the most attractive investment areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina are energy, timber, tourism and chain stores that sell electronics targeting the youth, whose buying power has grown. Silajdzic added that an agreement with Turkey signed in 2005 to eliminate double taxation was approved in Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 28 of this year.
40.91
10.9
Native
Native
Foreign
Number of Shares
M.cap
Daily Close Change (%)
Foreign
Number of Shares
Monthly Change (%)
M.cap
Daily Change (%)
Ticker
Volumes
Yearly Change (%)
US$/JP¥
108,2
PRKTE
2,08
6,67%
TUDDF
4,95
-4,81%
GARAN
213,1
3,7
-39,52
YTL / €
1,759
1,4%
-6,7%
-4,5%
EU/JP¥
156,01
ASYAB
2,55
6,25%
ISCTR
5,65
-4,24%
ISCTR
102,9
5,7
-19,64
YTL / $
1,213
0,8%
0,2%
-13,0%
EU/US$
1,442
Ticker
Price (YTL) Daily Change (%)
Ticker
Price
Price (YTL) Yearly Change (%)
DYOBY
0,46
2,22%
IHEVA
2,94
-3,92%
AKBNK
66,4
6,2
-26,31
OTKAR
14,50
2,11%
CIMSA
5,55
-3,48%
VAKBN
62,4
2,3
-42,12
RYSAS
4,68
1,74%
TAVHL
7,55
-3,21%
ASYAB
50,4
2,6
-37,98
ÝMKB 100
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
109,49 809,10 3,36
Way
Change (%) 0,13 0,80 0,87
Economy Minister Mehmet Þimþek is attending the Global Economic Symposium, a prestigious international gathering in Germany that brings together highlevel decision makers and academics from all around the world to discuss the world's most important economic problems and brainstorm solutions, on Sept. 4-5. Speaking to the press at Plön Castle in Germany's state of Schleswig-Holstein, where the meeting is being held, Þimþek said he was to address the audience on the Turkish economy and a number of global economic issues. He also noted that he was among the members of a consultation committee which included Nobel Prize for Economy winner George Akerlof, academic James Heckman and former Germany Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. He said many politicians, managers of the world's important companies and Nobel Prize-winning economists are attending the symposium. "Prestigious people from all over the world will discuss issues such as globalization, climate change and energy, which concerns humankind," he said. Underlining that the symposium will focus on bringing permanent solutions to the world's problems, Þimþek said this is what sets it apart from other symposiums. "The Turkish economy has gone through a serious transition period. We have enough income, and the Turkish banking sector has improved far more than many [other sectors]," he underlined. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
MONETARY
Turkish banks take steps to get ready for TL Turkish banks are preparing to transition from the new Turkish lira (YTL) to the Turkish lira (TL), a move due to start by the end of this year. Officials from the Turkish Banks Association (TBB), speaking with the Anatolia news agency, noted that the banks will need to make all necessary changes to their systems and technical infrastructure to switch to the TL by the end of the year. The TBB assembled a group to work with bank managers and share ideas on the transition period. Should any problems emerge, they can be addressed early. Banks will be held responsible for supplying their customers with further information prior to the transition from the YTL to the TL. The TBB also noted that Dec. 31 may experience gridlock as transactions to be done in TL may put an extra burden on online banking services and ATMs. "We expect a shorter interruption than during the transition to the YTL in 2005 because this will be a less comprehensive transition," TBB officials said. Underlining that the value of the currency will not change, they said the transition period will not affect accounting systems. "The society, however, will need time to get accustomed to the changes in the size and color of the bills," the officials said. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
AVIATION
Ýzmir-Ýstanbul Europe's third-busiest air route The flight path between Ýstanbul and Ýzmir is the thirdbusiest air route in Europe, the latest figures provided by the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) have shown. The number of flights per month between these two cities was 855 on average, the Civilian Aviation General Directorate (SHGM) said, citing Eurocontrol data. In a written statement released yesterday, the SHGM said the route between Barcelona and Madrid topped the list of the 20 busiest flight paths, with 1,712 flights monthly on average. The Milan-Rome path came next, with 1,288 flights. The Ankara-Ýstanbul line made it to the list for the first time, ranking 20th with 624 flights per month. Eurocontrol figures have also shown that Ýstanbul's Atatürk Airport is the 13th-busiest airport with respect to the number of planes arriving and departing in a month. Paris' Charles De Gaulle, Frankfurt, Madrid's Barajas and London's Heathrow were listed as the five busiest airports in Europe. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
TAV wins Macedonia airport tender
29.27
22.1 7.5
Þimþek attends prestigious symposium
AUCTION
70.73 59.09
45.5
BUSINESS
High 110,60 809,10 3,36
Low 108,91 801,40 3,31
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.
Turkish TAV Airports Holding has won a tender for the modernization of Skopje's Alexander the Great Airport and Ohrid's St. Paul the Apostle Airport, as well as the contract to construct a new cargo terminal in Shtip, the Macedonian government announced yesterday. With the tender, TAV obtained the right to operate Macedonia's two largest international airports for 20 years. The company has promised to invest 200 million euros in the airports. It is estimated that the modernization work will be finished in 20 months at the Skopje airport and in 12 months at the Ohrid airport. The construction of the Shtip cargo terminal will be completed in three years. TAV CEO M. Sani Þener said in a written statement that he was extremely happy on behalf of his company to be running an airport in Europe. "We have been following this project for quite a long time and have succeeded," he said. TAV was the sole bidder for the tender. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman with wires
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SHOPPING
TODAYS ZAMAN 09
F R I DAY, S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 0 8
This season ATALAR redefines feminine lines
Accessorize new fall/winter trends for women
The Atalar 2008-2009 fall/winter collection reflects vintage impressions from past decades this season in its pieces.The collection presents narrowed lines in its dresses, which sit snugly on the body from the waist downwards. This is collection takes a bold stance in contrast to some of the trends that have dominated in recent years. The new Atalar collection brings shoppers on a literal journey through time.
Accessorize, Turkey’s most popular accessory store, presents a new collection for the fall/winter season, taking its inspiration from the Art Deco style. With pieces from Accessorize, the Art Deco look is harmonized with a modern flair, bringing together a new interpretation for shoppers looking for striking accessories. This is a rich collection for both day and nighttime accessories. The new collection names included in the fall/winter line from Accessorize include Pigments, Babushka and Masquerade.
From AWE: a solution for damaged hair AWE-CEMRE hair care oil contains herbal oils that have been specially developed to provide valuable nutrients for your hair. AWE hair care oil is perfect for every hair type and is particularly effective in repairing damaged and dry hair, working from the roots all the way to the ends of hair strands. This hair care oil brings back life, elasticity and shine to hair while helping protect it from harmful environmental effects. It also helps protect and strengthen hair that has been dyed, blow-dried or chemically treated and leaves the user with a healthy, full head of hair. The miraculous strength of the herbal formulas in AWE-CEMRE’s hair care oil treatment is combined with the quality of the brand to offer a remedy for people who want to treat their hair.
T ES are
Must a tie accompany a man’s suit?
really a serious matter?
REYHAN YAZICI*
When Osman Yüksel Serdengeçti was elected to serve in Parliament, he reacted to the fact that deputies were not allowed in Parliament without a tie by wearing one around his waist and declaring, “Here, take a look at the tie you requested!” These days, more and more deputies resist wearing ties -- and not only in Turkey, but in other parliaments around the world. This is because the tie is no longer the important accessory it once was. For men who pay close attention to what they wear, the tie has often been an indispensable accessory, becoming a permanent part of life despite the absence of any strict rule of “you must wear a tie.” It is often as though some invisible hand is preventing men from taking off their ties. Likewise, over time it has become an important element of the general rules of clothing. Men who choose not to wear ties are often criticized. Thus the subconscious drive to “not be caught without a tie” seems to take control of men at important meetings, in political arenas, at weddings and at other forms of entertainment. At work it is not necessarily fashion that drives men to wear ties, but elitism, good manners and the sway of European values. The way many Westerners see it, there can be no such thing as a suit worn without a tie. This is a perspective that derives from custom and clothing habits built up over time. In fact, wearing a tie has in itself become one of the greatest indicators of being a Westerner. Looking at the East, we see the same sort of perspective, but in reverse. The tie, since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, has turned into a symbol of all that is Western, a sign of all the worst aspects of the West. And thus it is not only Iranian politicians, but many other Eastern men who reject the tie as an accessory that symbolizes everything that runs counter to their traditions and basic values. So is the tie simply a clothing accessory or the symbolic expression of a certain way of thinking? This once-indispensable accessory which came down from royal families has turned over time into quite an ordinary accessory and a disposable one at that. In fact, one interesting aspect of the tie is that it gives off the impression of absolute seriousness and officialdom. Another completely different subject for debate is the fact that a piece of clothing so steeped in seriousness can be worn at every hour of the day by every strata of society. And so it appears that the tie, which men want to take off as soon as they put it on and which is perceived as an absolutely indispensable piece by so many who have been made to think this way, is in fact the product of a certain way of thinking.
Refresh yourself after the holidays with BABOR Get rid of the negative effects left behind by exposure to the summer sun and salty seawater by using BABOR’s series of mango and caipirinha scrub treatments and masks. From BABOR, the Mango Flip Mask and the Mango Flip Scrub bring together an exotic mix of fruits, such as coconut and kiwi, which will revitalize and nourish skin while providing a range of necessary vitamins and minerals. The BABOR Caipirinha Mask and Caipirinha Scrub offer the essence of lime and brown sugarcane to help increase the skin’s elasticity and produce a flawless look. BABOR offers solutions for every skin type to bring about a refreshed skin after vacation. Retail price: YTL 55.
The Body Shop presents fall makeup Capture natural beauty with a new, striking fall makeup collection from The Body Shop. With its seductive colors, silky feel, striking designs and visual appearance reminiscent of valuable jewelry, this collection does not escape notice. With special attention paid to all the finest details of this incredible makeup collection, it becomes easy to achieve a fantastic look. The Body Shop, known for presenting customers with products that contain special formulas which allow options for natural beauty, now offers its limited production 2008 Fall Makeup Collection.
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It is seen as a symbol of modernity and officialdom, but what exactly is a tie anyway? It’s simply an accessory, and not just any accessory, but one which men are expected to wear even if they don’t know why. Yes, ties do look quite wonderful with suits sometimes, but most fashion designers, when asked whether men must absolutely wear ties with their suits, are able to comfortably reply “no.” As it is, even in the political world, where devotion to the wearing of ties can be the most slavish, ties are becoming more and more of a decorative accessory that just hangs in the wardrobe. And thus men, who are beginning to see they can be quite chic without their ties both during the week and over the weekend, are beginning to embrace a more and more tie-less kind of style. Politicians these days, who used to hate going anywhere without their ties, are now taking advantage of the bounties of today’s fashion by sporting extremely chic suits with no ties. Not very long ago, when former Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari arrived in Ankara sporting a bright red tie, it was perceived by many as an indicator of the direction his nation would be taking in the future. The power and symbolism of the tie as an accessory in the political arena is notable. Some members of Hamas in Palestine wore ties following their victory in the Jan. 25, 2006 elections there, prompting many to see it as a sign of important chasms within party ranks. As for Europe, the tie has always held a different sort of place, working more as the expression of a certain stance rather than an accessory. The West has always seen the tie as an accessory which men absolutely must wear with their suits. It has been perceived almost as an unwritten code that men don’t give up on their ties.
Rejection of the tie in the political arena It has perhaps mostly been younger men who have been at the forefront of showing that you don’t need a tie to be successful and serious when wearing a suit. With the younger generations, ties first began to come off at non-business meetings, and later these same ranks began to show people that it could be quite natural not to wear a tie even in the business world. Still later, these incredibly chic and quite modern suits, seen without ties, began to be complimented by stylish shirts. In the wake of these tie-less young businessmen, young politicians were able to get even closer to their electorates through this new style. Because, as it turned out, what voters really wanted was not a politician who would look down upon them from above, but politicians who both knew what they were doing and who were not estranged from the masses. Later still, older politicians began to follow the lead of these younger politicians. Ties began to stay at home, hanging amidst shirts, rather than being tied around necks. As for the style in which ties are in fact tied, almost no one pays attention to the details on this anymore. Western politicians, not unlike Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, began to reject the tie too -- not for any philosophical reasons, but because they saw it as unnecessary and meaningless. If only former deputy Serdengeçti, who caused such a stir with his reaction to the call for a tie in Parliament, could have seen the trend with ties these days, I am sure he would have smiled at it all. Some of the well-known Western politicians who frequently appear in public and before the voters without ties around their necks include names like British politicians Tony Blair, David Miliband, John Prescott, Boris Johnson, George Galloway and Gordon Brown. As for inside Turkey, political figures like Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, President Abdullah Gül, Foreign Trade Minister Kürþad Tüzmen, Cem Uzan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan are just a sampling of the young, successful politicians who have proven that a man can be stylish and chic without being “tied” to a tie at all. *Reyhan Yazýcý is a fashion designer.
Abdullah Gül
Tayyip Erdoðan
Kürþat Tüzmen
Ali Babacan
Cem Uzan
Tony Blair
George Galloway
John Prescott
Gordon Brown
David Miliband
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2008
Blurring of media lines hurts public
Palýn mocks Obama and other Democrats ýn debut
NEW ANALYSIS
By James Rainey
Palin also found Obama's lofty style of rhetoric wanting and devoid of details of where he would take the country if elected although she offered few policy specifics of her own
‘Palin power’ "I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening," she said. The crowd loved it, roaring with approval and waving signs that said "Palin Power." They were most enthusiastic when Palin dismissed the "Washington elite" -- pundits and commentators she said had questioned whether she should be on the ticket. Experts said Palin, only the second woman to be a vice presidential nominee of a major political party, was a plus for the Republican ticket, especially in attracting the conservative base that has sometimes been at odds with McCain. They say she could be a huge advantage in helping Republicans hold Western states like Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico that are
AP
TODAY'S ZAMAN
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US Republican presidential nominee John McCain has a new attack dog. Her name is Sarah Palin, and she bites hard. The Alaska governor's mocking critique of Democrat Barack Obama and the Washington elite charged up Republicans looking for signs of hope that she and McCain can win the White House on Nov. 4. Then it was McCain's turn. The Arizona senator, who was nominated for president after Palin spoke, was delivering a televised address later on Thursday night accepting that nomination. Palin, 44, McCain's vice presidential running mate, drew shouts of "Sarah, Sarah" on Wednesday in her national political debut, unleashing red-meat rhetoric against Obama that had been largely lacking from this four-day event. She cheerfully shot down criticism from Democrats that her experience as governor and ex-mayor of tiny Wasilla, Alaska, did not match Obama's as leader of a large presidential campaign. "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities," she said in a swipe at Obama's own early career in Chicago. Democrats argue that McCain, by picking the relatively untested and unknown Palin, had ceded his argument that Obama was too inexperienced to be president. But McCain said he was satisfied she had the right experience and over time people will compare her accomplishments with that of Senator Obama and his are very meager. "She is experienced, she's talented and she knows how to lead," McCain told ABC's Good Morning America. "This is what Americans want. They don't want somebody who is, frankly, necessarily gone to Harvard or an Ivy League school." Palin also found Obama's lofty style of rhetoric wanting and devoid of details of where he would take the country if elected although she offered few policy specifics of her own. "Listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform -- not even in the (Illinois) state senate ... What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?" she asked. She resurrected Obama's comment from his primary battle with Democrat Hillary Clinton that people in small towns are bitter and cling to guns and religion.
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, left, is joined by Republican presidential candidate John McCain, right, and daughter Piper at the end of her speech at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota on Wednesday.
Republican Sarah Palin: Iraq war ‘a task that is from God' Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told ministry students at her former church that the United States sent troops to fight in the Iraq war on a "task that is from God." In an address last June, the Republican vice presidential candidate also urged ministry students to pray for a plan to build a $30 billion natural gas pipeline in the state, calling it "God's will." Palin asked the students to pray for the troops in Iraq, and noted that her eldest son, Track, was expected to be deployed there. "Our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God," she said. "That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that plan is God's plan." A video of the speech was posted at the Wasilla Assembly of God's Web site before finding its way on to other sites on the Internet. Palin told graduating students of the church's School of Ministry, "What I need to do is strike a deal with you guys." As they preached the love of Jesus throughout Alaska, she said, she'd work to implement God's will from the governor's of-
flirting with voting for Obama this year. "She is immediately going to be a huge attraction," said Merle Black, a political science professor at Emory University in Atlanta. "She will draw huge crowds wherever she goes. She really has excited the base of the Republican Party in a way that probably nobody has done since Ronald Reagan." Her Democratic vice presidential counterpart, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, took what was likely to be his party's line -- praise her speaking but not her message. "I was impressed by that," Biden said of the speech on ABC's Good Morning America. "I also was impressed with what I didn't hear. I
fice, including creating jobs by building a pipeline to bring North Slope natural gas to North American markets. "God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that," she said. "I can do my job there in developing our natural resources and doing things like getting the roads paved and making sure our troopers have their cop cars and their uniforms and their guns, and making sure our public schools are funded," she added. " But really all of that stuff doesn't do any good if the people of Alaska's heart isn't right with God." Palin attended the evangelical church from the time she was a teenager until 2002, the church said in a statement posted on its Web site. She has continued to attend special conferences and meetings there. Religious conservatives have welcomed her selection as John McCain's running mate. Rob Boston, a spokesman for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, lamented Palin's comments. Anchorage AP
didn't hear a word mentioned about the middle class or health care or how people are going to fill up their tanks. I didn't hear a single word about how you're going to get a kid through college. So I was impressed by the speech but also about what I didn't hear spoken." Palin came into her big week having to make an uncomfortable disclosure, that her unmarried daughter Bristol, 17, was pregnant and planned to marry the high-school classmate who is the father, Levi Johnston, 18. The Palins took the issue head on with no big fuss. Both Bristol and Johnston appeared on stage with the rest of the family
after her speech. Johnston had the word "Bristol" tattooed on his ring finger. "From the inside, no family ever seems typical. That's how it is with us. Our family has the same ups and downs as any other ... the same challenges and the same joys," Palin said. Republican strategist Vin Weber said following her big introduction, Palin would have to submit to interviews and news conferences to demonstrate substantive knowledge of the issues. "All the attention paid to her these last few days means the vice presidential selection means more than it normally does," Weber said. St. Paul, Minn. Reuters
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AP
Hanna takes aim at Bahamas, Hurricane Ike next in line
People wade through flooded streets after Tropical Storm Hanna hit the area in Gonaives, Haiti, on Wednesday. Three storms have killed at least 126.
Tropical Storm Hanna roared along the edge of the Bahamas on Thursday ahead of a possible hurricane hit on the Carolinas, leaving behind at least 61 dead in Haiti. Hurricane Ike, a still-more dangerous Category 4 storm, was advancing from the east. Hanna was forecast to pass east of the Atlantic archipelago before striking along the coast of North or South Carolina by today night, but the US National Hurricane Center in Miami said Hanna's sprawling bands of outer winds are likely to hit far sooner. Tropical storm force winds extended outward as far as 290 miles (465 kilometers) from the center. Haitian authorities on Thursday blamed Hanna for 61 deaths, most due to flooding. Civil Protection Department spokesman Abel Nazaire said 21 of the deaths were in the northern city of Gonaives, which has been almost entirely cut off by floodwaters. The storm also was blamed for one death in Puerto Rico.
Hanna's heart was about 280 miles (455 kilometers) eastsoutheast of Nassau -- and about 760 miles (1,220 kilometers) south-southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, around dawn Thursday. It was moving toward the northwest near 12 mph (19 kph). Its maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) were just a little short of hurricane force, and forecasters said it could strengthen. A hurricane watch was posted from Surf City, North Carolina to Edisto Beach, South Carolina, with a tropical storm force watch south to Altamaha Sound, Georgia. Forecasters said it could curve northeastward after hitting US coast and run up the seaboard past New York with tropical-storm-force winds. No major damage or injuries have yet been reported in the Bahamas. "Most certainly I am relieved. We are tranquil," said Stephen Russell, interim director of the Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency. Nassau, Bahamas AP
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WORLD
The mystery woman of the great white north, Sarah Palin, introduced herself to the nation Wednesday night as a regular "gal." And now Americans craving more information about the would-be vice president of the United States will turn to ... Yes, their supermarket checkout counters. There, a cornucopia of no fewer than four celebrity publications -People, Us Weekly, OK! and the National Enquirer -- will shout with headlines about the young governor of Alaska. Is she the plucky and competent everywoman, ready to fight the pointy-headed elites of Washington? Or is she a perilously unprepared naif, cynically offered as confirmation of John McCain's "maverick" brand? In a more perfect nation, we wouldn't rely on mags that live for Brangelina and "They're just like us" features to set the course for democracy. But that's just me, an irritable old-media throwback. These glossies have readership that newspapers could only pray for. (People is a juggernaut with a circulation of 3.8 million and as many as 43 million readers, counting all the eyes that pass over a single copy.) And they're highly influential, particularly in the lives of some young women who otherwise don't pay a lot of attention to politics. "People love to vote in `American Idol,' but they often can't be bothered to vote in anything else," OK! editor in chief Sarah Ivens told my colleague James Hohmann on Wednesday. "Hopefully this interest in the personality will push them out to make decisions." Like the rest of the media, the tabloids are far from a monolith. This week, People fulfills a now-familiar role in our politics, treating Palin to flattering family portraits and a chance to tell her story, complicated by the birth of her Down syndrome child and her teenage daughter's pregnancy. "That's what we do, tell our readers who these people are, what's the fabric of their lives," said Larry Hackett, People's managing editor. Palin's story of raising a special-needs child and four other children while serving as governor was so much in the magazine's "sweet spot" that it already had a profile ready when news of the VP pick broke. "We already thought she was a terrific story," Hackett said. "Now, she has become the most compelling public figure out there." Should you reach to the other side of the chewing gum display for US, you'll get a decidedly different take, as evidenced by the headline "Babies, Lies & Scandal." It might be no surprise to regular readers that US isn't taking the high road here. But one has to wonder if the extra punch isn't somehow linked to the magazine's overlord, confirmed Barack Obama worshiper Jann Wenner. Editor-in-chief Janice Min assured me that Jann, he of "Rolling Stone" fame, was vacationing and played no role in the story. "Reporting on the people who are going to lead the country in an aggressive way is what the press should be doing," Min told me. There's aggressive, and then there's nasty. And US clearly tilts toward the latter. The magazine opens with a scene in which Palin "giggled along" as a radio shock jock trashed one of her political opponents, seeming to make sport of the woman's bout with cancer -- an episode the governor apologized for earlier this year. While real questions have been raised about Palin, such as whether she meddled in the discipline of a state trooper once married to her sister, US already has satisfied itself that these are full-blown "scandals." And the magazine assures us the troubles are spreading "as fast as flies at a Labor Day picnic." Other weaknesses in the snark-heavy, precision-light US account don't merit a retelling here. But you get an idea of how the story tilted when you find that the magazine scanned a target-rich environment for experts to confirm McCain's VP dilemma and came up with two giants -- a "commentator on Yahoo" and a Democratic party strategist. Oh brother. When I suggested the magazine had put too much spin on its story, Min offered as proof that I was wrong this non sequitur: "The writer on the piece is a McCain supporter." OK, I didn't expect the frothzine to bowl me over with Wall Street Journal or New York Times quality stuff. But here's why slipshod accounts like this aren't so trivial: In an ever-more diverse and distracted world, some readers don't have time to seek out other accounts. And there are a gang of partisans waiting out there who will blur the lines, lumping US Weekly and the Enquirer and others in with serious news organizations that still try to get it right. We heard it for the second day running on Wednesday. The Republicans devoted much of their energy to knocking down the mythical, monolithic "media." A group of Republican women led by Carly Fiorina faced down a room full of reporters at the convention center here and demanded that the Palin "smears" stop. Former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift, in particular, railed about the unfairness of it all. I thought maybe I had missed something, so I followed Swift into the hallway. I asked her to name the legitimate news outlet that had smeared McCain's running mate. Swift looked crestfallen. "Well, the Daily Kos," she finally offered, citing the blog where political lefties go to post their rants. "How about one big mainstream news organization?" I prodded. "There must be one that has smeared Governor Palin." Swift seemed confused. She looked toward an aide. Surrounded by a scrum of reporters, she lowered her head and moved away. That's because partisans don't feel one iota of guilt about damaging the press, one of our most important institutions, if it helps them rouse their core supporters. Why not slam all the media for smearing Sarah Palin, rather than single out the tabloids or blogs that have earned the derision? Jay Rosen, who teaches journalism at New York University and writes extensively about the media, has an explanation. He sees the Republicans launching nothing less than a "culture war." The partisans go to war with the dangerous, liberal and, by implication, unpatriotic mainstream media. That throws them into alliance with real Americans. Real Americans like Sarah Palin. Palin proved herself no weakling Wednesday night, offering up "those reporters and commentators" who doubt her as unworthy of her attention. That set off a raucous demonstration in the hall, as delegates faced reporters and chanted, "Tell the truth!" This cynical approach says it's just fine to ignore the question if your answer won't cut it. Just demonize the questioner and move on. But most real reporters -- and their audiences, filled with real people -- deserve better. © 2008, Los Angeles Times
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TODAY’S ZAMAN 11
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AIR CRASH
UK police chief dismisses reports he faces axe
Helicopter strikes oil rig off Dubai; 7 dead
Britain's most senior police officer Sir Ian Blair dismissed reports on Thursday that he would be ousted as London's commissioner by the end of the year saying "the report of my death is an exaggeration." The Times newspaper said ministers and other police chiefs were secretly preparing plans to remove Blair, who has been dogged by controversy since taking over as head of London's Metropolitan Police force in February 2005. The paper said the first action would be to tell Blair in writing this week that his contract, which has 18 months still to run, would not be renewed when it expires in 2010. "The story in today's Times has no basis in fact. Newspapers do not always get everything right," Blair said in a statement outside Scotland Yard's headquarters, adding that the Home Office had also rejected the suggestions. "As Mark Twain said after reading an account of his own death in the New York Journal, the report of my death is an exaggeration. Same here, I have a job to do, I'm getting on with it, and will continue to do so." He said there had been no discussions at all about his contract or future, and that it was unlikely there would be any until his last year in office. Blair has regularly been criticized in the media since taking
A helicopter carrying foreign contractors crashed into an oil platform off the coast of Dubai, killing all seven people on board and halting production in one of the emirate's four offshore oil fields, officials said on Thursday. The Bell 212 helicopter crashed at 8:23 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Emirates' Civil Aviation Authority. It was carrying workers to a recently installed jackup rig owned by A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S but operated by oilfield service provider Petrofac Ltd. on behalf of Dubai Petroleum Co., the companies said. A fire broke out shortly after the crash on the main deck of the rig, which is located in the Rashid field about 40 miles (70 kilometers) off shore. Petrofac and Dubai Petroleum said the blaze was quickly extinguished but that all operations in the Rashid field have been halted. Olly Scott, a spokesman representing Petrofac, said it was unclear when the rig would be back in service. The victims included a citizen each from the United States, United Kingdom, Pakistan, the Philippines and Venezuela, as well as two Indians, the Emirati aviation authorities said. A Dubai Petroleum spokesman, who declined to be named because he wasn't yet authorized to give details of the crash to the media, said five of the victims were passengers and two were crew members. Dubai, United Arab Emirates AP
over Britain's top policing job. The Oxford University graduate has also been unpopular with some members of his own rank and file who feel he is too politically correct. Most recently, Blair has become embroiled in an embarrassing high profile row with Britain's highest ranking Muslim officer, Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, who has accused him of racial discrimination. Last November he survived a no-confidence vote from his force's presiding body, the Metropolitan Police Authority, over the fatal shooting of Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes who was mistaken by officers for a suicide bomber. That came after the Met Police was found guilty in a criminal court case of breaking health and safety laws over the July 2005 killing of de Menezes. The Times said senior officials were planning to act against Blair after he acts as a "lightning conductor" for criticism expected when the inquest into the Brazilian's death is held later this month. "Ian has already been asked to consider whether his staying in the job is damaging the Met," a senior source told the paper. "The infighting at the top of the Yard is sapping the morale of the men and women doing the job on the street." London Reuters
Pakýstanýs furýous over US-led border raýd
ROBBERY
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AP
Greek ‘Robin Hoods' raid stores to fight high prices Greek anarchists stormed a supermarket on Thursday and handed out food for free in the latest of a wave of raids provoked by soaring consumer prices. About 20 unarmed people, mostly wearing black hoods, carried out the midday robbery in the northern city of Thesaaloniki, police said. Local media have labeled the raiders "Robin Hoods" following previous raids. They take only packets of pasta, rice and cartons of milk which they drop in the middle of the street for people to collect, a police official said. "They have never stolen money or hurt anyone. They ask people to remain calm but use ambush tactics, jumping over cash desks," he said. When they attack without hoods, people are surprised to see that they are mostly women. The rising cost of living has replaced unemployment as Greeks' main concern. Inflation is officially running at a 10-year high of 4.9 percent although many items have risen in price more sharply. Athens Reuters
TOUGH TALK
Karzai promises swift punishment for ‘killers' Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday visited grieving relatives of civilians said to have died in a USled coalition strike last month, promising swift punishment for those responsible. Anger has mounted over the Aug. 22 raid in western Herat's Shindand district in which the Afghan government says more than 90 people, mostly women and children, were killed, an allegation backed by the United Nations. The US military disputes the figure, saying its investigation found five to seven civilians were killed in the operation carried out with the Afghan National Army. "I have been working day and night in the past five years to prevent such incidents, but I haven't been successful in my efforts," Karzai told a 1,000 strong crowd that gathered near the bombed village demanding action against those guilty. "If I had succeeded, the people of Azizabad wouldn't be bathed in blood," Karzai, who later flew over the bombed village, said. He told the elders that he would ensure that those responsible would be brought to justice. Villagers said that false information about the presence of the Taliban in the area had been fed to the coalition forces which led to the raid. "We want those people to be punished," Gul Ahmad said. Azizabad Reuters
Pakistani tribal people stand near a car of tribal police which was ambushed by militants Wednesday night, in Khyber tribal area, 15 kilometers north of Peshawar, on Thursday. A senior US military official acknowledged on Thursday that American forces conducted a raid inside Pakistan. Pakistan is determined to defend its territorial integrity, the country's foreign minister said on Thursday, as anger mounted over a raid by US-led troops on a remote border village. The pre-dawn helicopter-borne ground assault on the village of Angor Adda on the Afghan border on Wednesday was the first known incursion into Pakistan by US-led troops since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Twenty people, including women and children were killed, officials said, and a new civilian government, more sensitive to public anger than the previous government, summoned the US ambassador to lodge an angry protest. On Thursday, four militants were killed and five wounded in a missile attack by a suspected US drone in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region, security officials
RIVALRY
and witnesses said. The attack targetted the house of a tribesman, Rehman Wali, in the Mohammad Khel area, near the border with Afghanistan, where the militants were hiding. "Apparently three missiles were fired by the drone," a witness in the area told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Foreign Minister Shah Memood Qureshi said the Wednesday's raid was a shameful violation of rules of engagement agreed with US-led forces in Afghanistan. "We will not compromise on any violation of our sovereignty," Qureshi told the National Assembly. "We will defend and ... we have a resolve and we have national consensus in Pakistan to defend our territorial integrity," he said. Both houses of parliament later adopted resolutions condemning the attack. The United States, a major source of aid to nuclear-armed Pakistan, has not officially
commented on the raid but there is little, if any, doubt it was carried out by US troops. The United States says al-Qaeda and Taliban militants lurk in sanctuaries in northwest Pakistan's ethnic Pashtun tribal areas on the Afghan border, where they orchestrate attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan and plot violence in the West. Pakistan has been a close US ally in the unpopular campaign against terrorism and has tens of thousands of troops battling militants but it rules out incursions by foreign troops. There have, however, been numerous missile strikes on militants in Pakistan, most believed launched by US-operated pilotless drone aircraft. NATO's Afghan peacekeeping force, led by a US general, denied involvement. The United States leads a separate, counter-insurgency force in Afghanistan. Islamabad Reuters
Report: Police to advise Israel’s Olmert be indicted
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REUTERS
Japanese reformers to challenge Aso for PM Japanese economics minister Kaoru Yosano and former defense minister Yuriko Koike lined up on Thursday to challenge frontrunner Taro Aso in the race to become prime minister, setting up a clash over economic policy as Japan teeters on the edge of recession. The winner likely will face an early general election -- possibly as soon as November -- Kyodo news agency said, as the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) tries to capitalize on an anticipated wave of support for the new leader. Yosano has pushed for the Japanese government to curb its high public debt, while Aso has said that increasing state spending to stimulate growth is more important in difficult economic times. Koike's candidacy is backed by ruling party heavyweight Hidenao Nakagawa, who argues that Japan should cut wasteful spending and boost economic growth through structural reforms before raising taxes to tackle its tattered finances. Outspoken Aso, a 67-year-old former Olympic sharpshooter and a fan of comic books, is the top pick in voter polls to replace Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who quit suddenly this week, but some in the ruling LDP worry he could derail fiscal reform. Tokyo Reuters
REUTERS
04.09.2008
Ehud Olmert
Police are likely to recommend on Sunday indicting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on corruption charges, Israeli media reported on Thursday. With Olmert committed to resigning after his Kadima Party holds a leadership election on Sept. 17, a police recommendation to bring charges against him will have no immediate impact on his tenure and does not guarantee an indictment will be filed. Newspaper and radio reports said police had completed three of five corruption probes against Olmert and would on Sunday issue their findings to the state prosecution and likely recommend he be put on trial. Olmert has denied any wrongdoing. Police believe they have evidence showing that Olmert illegally received money from a US businessman, made duplicate claims for travel expenses and used a for-
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mer cabinet post to promote a friend's business interests, the media reports said. A police spokesman had no immediate comment. Amir Dan, Olmert's media adviser, appeared to be resigned to a police recommendation that charges be brought. "I don't understand why police have to hold discussions on the case when their conclusions were determined well in advance," Dan told Israeli Army Radio. Under Israeli law, police must submit their recommendations to the prosecution which then files its own legal opinion to AttorneyGeneral Menachem Mazuz, who is the only one authorized to indict a prime minister. In 2004, Mazuz, citing insufficient evidence, decided not to indict then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a corruption case despite police and prosecution recommendations to bring charges. Jerusalem Reuters
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Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej arrives at the Thai national radio station in Bangkok on Thursday.
Thailand agrees to hold referendum on current crisis Thailand's Cabinet agreed on Thursday to hold a referendum on a civic group's street campaign to oust the prime minister, which has paralyzed the government for the last 10 days and raised fears of violence and economic chaos. The decision -- immediately derided by protesters occupying a government compound -- came hours after a defiant Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej went on national radio and vowed he would not step down. His combative speech intensified the deadlock with the People's Alliance for Democracy, whose supporters in their thousands have taken over the sprawling lawns of Samak's office compound since storming through the gates on Aug. 26. Describing the alliance as an antidemocratic group and their actions as a shameful embarrassment for the country, Samak said he will not bow to its demands. "I will not abandon the ship, and I will take responsibility for the crew on board," Samak said, peppering his speech with folksy language. "I am not resigning. I have to protect the democracy of this country." Samak said in a radio interview later that the referendum will ask the public if they agree with the alliance's campaign and if they believe the government should resign. But first, a law would have to be passed by the Senate, as there is no provision for holding a referendum under the present statutes. Once the law is passed, it would take about a month to hold the vote, he said. "While waiting for the result of referendum, the protesters can demonstrate. I can wait," he said. The announcement was met with skepticism from the anti-government protesters camped in the compound of Samak's office, Government House. "This is just a political game the government is trying to play," said Pichet Pattanachote, a former vice president of the Senate who has joined the protesters' alliance. Analysts also cast doubt, saying a referendum would be expensive and unlikely to have credibility. "A referendum is normally used to test public approval on whether to go to war or pass an important law. It would not be effective as a tool to solve a complicated political crisis with many conditions and layers," said Panithan Wattanayagorn, a political science professor at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. Bloody rioting between supporters of Samak and the alliance left one person dead and dozens injured early Tuesday, the only violence since the deadlock began. Samak imposed a state of emergency in Bangkok following the violence, but the military has not removed the demonstrators from Government House. The protesters are living under makeshift tents, and organizers have set up a high stage from which leaders deliver regular speeches between music concerts that keep the protesters entertained. The alliance has already helped force one prime minister from power -- staging demonstrations in 2006 that paved the way for the bloodless military coup that removed Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin, a telecommunications tycoon, recently fled to Britain to escape corruption charges. The protesters say Samak is Thaksin's stooge and is running the government for him by proxy. They accuse Samak's government of corruption and making unconstitutional decisions. Bangkok AP
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Thýnk before clýckýng! Both in the States and in Turkey I’ve had times when I have certainly been unhappy with a purchase and, with some rational calmness, I’ve usually been able to get my money back. Other times I just chalked it up as a life lesson learned. But if we shop and use any form of payment other than cash, we are vulnerable. On second thought, I had a problem using cash once. A Turkish shop owner contacted me later in the day and said the $100 bill I had used to pay for the merchandise was counterfeit. After that I started keeping track of serial numbers of bills so if it ever happened again I could prove it was the bill I’d passed on. Turkey does not have a service like what we have in America called the Better Business Bureau. Other Western nations usually have something similar. The Better Business Bureau that serves only the Washington, D.C., and eastern Pennsylvania area reports that it handled 60,000 complaints in 2007, up 50 percent from the last couple of years. It does not matter where you are in the world these days, scams are a part of life. We just need to learn to live with the facts -- the world has changed -- but not allow ourselves to be victims of scams.
Here are some practical tips for avoiding a scam and what to do if one crosses your path: Tip #1: Before you do serious business with any company, do your homework. Ask for references, check out the company. Some countries do not have a better business bureau but if they do, check with them and ask friends and family if they’ve ever done business with them. With Internet access it is easy to Google their name and the search may provide you some clues. If you find complaints, think twice about giving the company your business. Tip #2: When conducting a transaction online, be careful to check that the online business has a privacy policy posted on their site, along with contact information and where the company is located. Also look for an independent third party seal of approval such as those from VeriSign. Tip #3: Watch out for counterfeits overseas! Don’t do business with a company whose name can be easily confused with a well-known company. Tip #4: Do not be pressured to act quickly. Instant decisions are often unwise. Step back and give yourself time to think.
CULTURAL CORNER
CHARLOTTE McPHERSON Tip #5: It is usually best to pay with a credit card rather than a debit card, check or wire transfer. Most credit card companies will help you recover your money if you haven’t received what you paid for. Tip #6: It is common in the Middle East and Asia for people to not want to give a written quote. No matter how honest they look, beware of the person who says that their word is enough. If they get offended because you want the agreement in writing, then they are not professional enough and you may live to regret it. You need to insist in an appropriate way and get everything you can in writing, whether it’s to document a communications trail or to get an estimate for future work. All the paperwork will
be needed as proof if you have to take legal action later. Tip #7: If you’re not getting what you want from a business, take action. In the Middle East if you tolerate it, you will be taken advantage of. Tolerance on your part, if you are a foreigner, will be seen as a weakness. So the first step is to contact the company to alert them of the problem. If you don’t hear back in one week, write to the general manager or owner of the company. The letter should cordially state your concerns and what you would like them to do. In the letter, tell the company they have by a specific date to respond or you will seek formal dispute resolution assistance. If the company fails to reply to the letter, it’s time to seek help from another resource; if you are in Turkey, a lawyer can contact and follow up on your behalf. Tip #8: Finally, use your gut instinct. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Your instinct is often a safe guide. Use your mouse and research! 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
{{ L I F E A L O N G T H E H A L Ý Ç {
{{EXPAT VOICE{{
The sounds of
Ramadan The first year I heard the distinct sound in the early hours of the morning, I assumed it was just some local lout out to disturb the peace. As I woke fully, I realized that there was a purpose to this drumming
ILUSTRATION
CEM KIZILTUÐ
SHARON CRAXFORD ÝSTANBUL
With Ramadan upon us, everyone will be a little more tired, especially in our neighborhood if things go as they did last year. I lived in Arnavutköy before moving to Fener and the early morning call to prayer had settled so deeply into my daily life that it rarely woke me. The closest mosque was a little way away, not like here, where the muezzin’s speaker sits approximately 10 meters from my bedroom window. After moving in, along with getting used to being in a new home, I had my new surroundings to get used to -- new neighbors, the daily noises of life in a very crowded inner city village, new routines for the garbage collectors and the “new” mosque. The first few months were a real struggle. I woke up every morning with the call and rarely went back to sleep. Thankfully it was winter, so that first call was relatively late. Now, almost four years later, it is an unusual day if the muezzin wakes me. I seem to be able to blissfully sleep through. The shutters that roll down and cover the windows certainly do help and although they do not cut out his call completely, the noise has finally become part of life. Ramadan is something different. Every morning for the month of Ramadan, a drummer strolls the streets of Fatih, beating a repetitive beat, waking those who want to prepare a meal before the sun rises. The first year I heard the distinct sound in the early hours of the morning, I assumed it was just some local lout out to disturb the peace. As I woke fully, I realized that there was a purpose to this drumming; I could hear the sounds coming closer and moving further away, then coming closer as the drummer passed by both streets that my house sits on. Never was the sound so clear and close to me when I lived in Arnavutköy. Both my daughter and I suffered that year. She would wake startled, crying and I would spend time putting her back to sleep, as I lay awake waiting for the first rays of light to creep in through the windows. When the drummer came around the streets during the day, beating his drum this time to alert people to his presence so that they could pay him something for his services, I opted not to offer him anything. Again Elena would sob, relating the noise to the thing that disturbed her in the night. The following year, with Ramadan and the first call to prayer coming earlier, I cringed at the thought of the drummer making his rounds an hour and a half beforehand. It seemed that there were so few hours between going to bed and being woken again. I am unfortunately not one who functions well on little sleep, so I mentally prepared myself for an exhausting month. The month began and I woke to every beat, I seemed so sensitized to the drummer that I could hear his approach from miles away. I visualized his path, walking down this street and that, turning this corner
and that. The whole thing took about 20 or 30 minutes before his sounds disappeared into the distance. I desperately tried to go back to sleep but the harder I tried, the less successful I was. As the days wore on I got wearier and wearier, but I also noticed that our drummer seemed to be coming earlier and earlier. At one point he seemed to make his way to our neighborhood at about 2 a.m. The next morning it was about 1:45 a.m. and then finally he hit his earliest mark at about 1:30 a.m. for several mornings in a row. Now even I knew that was a bit odd. It was unlikely that people needed or wanted three or so hours to prepare their morning meal, even if it was substantial. On that morning when he came around a mere two hours after I had gone to bed, I got angry. The next morning when he did the same, I just about exploded. I got out of bed, opened the balcony doors, just as my neighbor across the street did the same. “What do you think you are doing?” he shouted, beating me to the punch. “It’s 2 o’clock in the morning!” He followed up with several sentences that I could not quite make out, but the anger in his voice was clear and rang louder than the drum’s rhythmic sounds. My neighbor seemed to threaten several things, but the drummer nonchalantly went on his way. I went back inside wanting instead to go across the road and thank my neighbor. I was just so pleased that someone had decided to do something about the increasingly earlier wake up call. Everyone has been complaining about him, but there seems to be a bit of culture within our neighborhood of putting up with things, not causing a stir: a complacent attitude that fuels quiet frustrations and anger bubbling under the surface, but only occasionally erupting into arguments or even discussions that might resolve issues. I went to bed that night sure that I would get a large chunk of sleep in before the drums and then call to prayer would force me to confront the new day. I was convinced that the drummer would come by at an entirely more appropriate hour. He had been told, quite harshly that his timing was just not acceptable. And he did come later -- about half an hour later. I sighed and gave up, letting the frustration and anger leave my mind with each beat. I knew it was pointless to maintain my irritation as it would just rob any remaining energy I had to get through the day. So it was with slight trepidation that I went to bed this past Saturday night, expecting a disrupted sleep. It was disturbed alright, but not for the expected reasons. My daughter had a restless night, which meant that I was awake waiting for the drummer to pass through the streets. Surprisingly but thankfully the first break in the silence was the muezzin’s first call. I got up thinking we would get through this year without feeling completely exhausted. At the breakfast table I looked over at the times for each of the five calls to prayer during Ramadan stuck to the fridge and realized I had my days and dates wrong. Sunday night at precisely 3:22 a.m. the man with the drums woke me from my sleep and it was not until 3:47 a.m. that he disappeared from earshot of our neighborhood. My upper eyelids are lying heavy over my eyes as I write this at 5:30 p.m. It is time for a nap before iftar, for breaking our neighbors’ fast with them.
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.
CM Y K
Didim becoming a garbage dump My wife and I live in Didim in the province of Aydýn. We have done so for the last three years, and I have to say we are extremely disappointed. Prior to coming to Turkey, we tried to do some research. The one thing that kept coming up, again and again, was how Turkey is a proud nation. Earlier this year in the European Football Championship, I remember this was said on several occasions. Pride = Self esteem. Caring about your appearance. Caring about your country. In Didim, we have found many things that are abhorrent to any society. I could talk about several issues, but one of the biggest is the disposal of rubbish. Didim is filthy and disgusting. The builders dump rubble, rocks, bricks, toilets, pipes, cement bags, etc., etc., not only in the town, on any piece of wasteland, but also in the countryside. The local Turkish community dumps household waste wherever there is a piece of land, whether it is next to a residence of any kind or not. I have even seen soiled nappies and women’s sanitary towels (some in bags, others loose) thrown down next to some apartments. There must have been two dozen, at least! (There are many rubbish bins around Didim and a very good collection service). Recently, I witnessed a Turkish man offloading a truckload of garbage in the countryside. This is not a new phenomenon by any means. Often in the local press, someone writes about the rubbish everywhere (usually English, very rarely Turkish). However, nothing much gets done by anyone. The council has recently started a recycling scheme, but at most it is very half hearted. It has probably come about because of elections next year. Whatever the reason, the council here merely plays at local politics. As many council members are involved in building and associated industries, they do not care where the rubbish ends up, as long as they have a nice block of apartments to sell. It should also be noted that there are so many apartments in Didim, there are not enough buyers for them. Consequently, Didim is becoming a “ghost town.” There are laws governing the disposal of waste, but here in Didim they are very rarely enforced. Friends of ours, Turkish and English, often describe Didim as it used to be 10 years ago. They all say how beautiful it was! Now, they all hate it. Therefore, I offer a challenge to readers, of any nationality, to help my wife and me. Is Didim Turkey? Is this typical of Turkey? If we go north, south, east or west, are we going to find a repeat of Didim? When I hear of Turkish pride, does this relate to the amount of rubbish each town accumulates? Or is Didim a one off? Footnote -- in the 1990s I visited Marmaris as a tourist, and I couldn’t get over how clean it was, or has Marmaris changed? We are not disclosing the writer’s identity as per their request.
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CULTURE&ARTS
TODAY’S ZAMAN 13
F R I D AY, S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 0 8
American group ‘Debu’ in Ýstanbul for Ramadan festivities The American Muslim music group "Debu" performed last night at the Topkapý Culture Park as a part of the "While the Minarets Are Lighted" international Ramadan festivities organized by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Debu, which has already released an album of Turkish songs, will be performing on the night of Sept. 6 at Feshane and on the evening of Sept. 13 at the Baðlarbaþý Cultural Center. Debu, composed of Muslim youth from the US, was formed in America in 2001, and the majority of its members are from one family that converted to Islam and then later moved from Texas to Indonesia. Three of its members, Mustafa, Selim, and Nesim Daood, answered reporters' questions yesterday
at the Pierre Loti Café in Ýstanbul's Eyüp district. Vocalist Mustafa Daood noted that the group's name Debu means "dust particles," explaining that "Allah created all that exists from the light of our Prophet. Inside this light were particles of dust. This is why our group is called 'Debu'." He commented that the group performs its music to lyrics written by his father, who speaks 13 languages, and that his mother also plays the "zither" in the group. He said after his family moved to Indonesia they were asked by friends and neighbors there to sing songs before they actually started to make music professionally. He added, "Today in Indonesia, everyone between the ages of 7 to 70 knows us. We have many fans."
Daood explained that while his group does not sing "ilahis" or religious chants and prayers set to music, they do sing songs that describe the love of God. He noted: "We do not call this Islamic music. Because when you call it that, it means, 'Oh, we are not singing this music for anyone else.' Also, we have fans from every religion. Our songs actually contain just one message: love for everyone in the world. We produce world music. There are influences from Turkish music, from Indonesian music, from flamenco and even jazz in what we do." Responding to a question from a reporter, he said he neither smokes cigarettes nor drinks alcohol, but added: "Some people view Islam as a strict religion with no room
for entertainment. What we try to do is show these people a dimension of Islam that they do not see." Daood spoke about his love for Ýstanbul, noting that this is his fourth visit to city and describing it as serene and possessed of a "striking beauty." In response to a question about what country the members of the group consider home, he said: "We have been living in Indonesia now for nine years. But there is no one particular place in the world where we can say, 'This is our nation.' As you know, we will all return to Allah in the end. So our citizenship is really right now, here in this place, where you are." Debu also has many fans in China and Egypt. Concerts by Debu in Egypt can draw audiences of around 20,000 people. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
İstanbul to get jazzed up in October After delighting audiences in Ýzmir, Ankara and Ýstanbul last year, the Akbank Jazz Festival is back and will host some of the most famous names in jazz, starting Oct. 9 and concluding on Oct. 19. Among famous musicians at the 18th Akbank Jazz Festival, organized by Pozitif and sponsored by Akbank, are Ron Carter, James Carter, Stephan Micus, Rhoda Scott and Tomasz Stanko. The festival will take place at venues including the Aya Ýrini Museum, the Cemal Reþit Rey (CRR) Concert Hall, the Akbank Art Center, the Babylon Performance Center, the Talimhane Theater and the Ghetto Music Lounge. The festival program was introduced at a press conference held at the Q Jazz Club of the Les Ottomans Hotel on Tuesday. Akbank Art Director Derya Bigalý said the festival is one of Europe and Turkey's most important cultural events. Stating that the most important goals of the festival are to gather musicians and music lovers and to contribute to the development of jazz in Turkey, Bigalý emphasized that these efforts also aim to nurture new musicians. The festival program was announced by Mehmet Uluð, and the briefing ended with a performance by pianist Genco Arý and his band. The festival aims to introduce jazz masters to their audiences. While Bonga Kuenda, Azymuth, the Charlie Hunter Trio, the Steve Reid Ensemble, Sayag Jazz Machine, the Sarp Maden Quartet, 123 and Þenol Küçükyýldýrým are among the musicians and groups that will perform. DJs will present city beats to the festival audience. Jazz
lovers will also witness numerous special appearances, among them the Jonas Knutsson Quartet, the Far East Revisited, Oðuz Büyükberber, Tobias Klein's Electro Acoustic Duo, Smadj feat. Ibrahim Malouf and Talvin Singh, Erdem Helvacýoðlu and Elliot Sharp.
For young and old The Akbank 18th Jazz Festival, in addition to concerts, will also feature workshops and panel discussions. Hülya Tunçað, a music producer famous for the jazz programs she has produced, will guide children through a jazz workshop titled "Çocuklarla Müzikal Kaynaþma" (Musical Mingling with Children) on Oct. 18 at Akbank Sanat. Also, panel discussions titled "Caz Yapýyoruz/Dinliyoruz" (We Produce/Listen to Jazz) on Oct. 9 and "Caz Nedir? Ne Deðildir?" (What Is Jazz? What Is It Not?) on Oct. 11, take place at Akbank Sanat. A workshop titled "Etiketler Dýþýnda Duyma Biçimleri" (Hearing Forms out of Labels) will be put on by famous Turkish musician Küçükyýldýrým on Oct. 11.
Selimoðlu’s works to be displayed in NY An exhibition of works by Turkish painter Pýnar Selimoðlu is set to go on display at the Agora Gallery in New York City from Oct. 1 to Oct. 21. The opening of the exhibition, titled "The Persistence of Form," will be held at the gallery on the night of Oct. 2, according to a statement issued yesterday by the Agora Gallery's public relations department. The exhibition will be open every day from Tuesday to Saturday between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The fiery mixed-media works of Selimoðlu, who lives and works in Ýstanbul, record the reverberations of events and emotions in life. Graceful, fluid motions are recorded in sweeping brushstrokes that are then layered upon by convulsive marks and spatters. Selimoðlu's work is about freedom of expression, summoning the subconscious to pour itself out without being impeded by forethought or planning. "I'm tuning myself into my unlimited subtle emotions through meditation and prayer and then I let it go," she says. The result is an ephemeral vision brought to life, where brooding colors inflect repose, while flitting strokes of crimson and ochre highlight energy in the composition. Her process creates a stunning variety of textures and variations of color, appearing smeared, scraped and splattered onto the surface of paper, canvas or collage. Steering clear of overt representation, the stylized application of color becomes the mouthpiece of the work, speaking to audiences directly with raw intensity. Currently preparing for several group and solo exhibitions, Selimoðlu's career in the arts is gaining momentum. The Agora Gallery is located at 530 West 25th Street in the Chelsea district of New York City. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
Court painter Zonaro's works to be exhibited James Carter Stephan Micus
Festival program overview
Rhoda Scott
The festival will kick off on Oct. 9 with a concert by Micus at Aya Ýrini. James Carter will entertain jazz lovers on Oct. 17 at CRR. On Oct. 18 the festival will host one of the best jazz musicians in the world, Ron Carter at CRR. Master organist of soul jazz Scott will be on stage on Oct. 10 at Aya Ýrini. The concert of famous composer Stanko is set to take place on Oct. 17 at CRR. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
Works by Ottoman court painter Fausto Zonaro will be exhibited and his memoirs published in Turkey at the Yapý Kredi Culture Center's Sermet Çifter Room. The exhibition runs Sept. 24-Nov. 1. Also on display will be the images in Adolphe Thalasso's "Deri Se'adet ou Stamboul, Potre du Bonheur," a book published in Paris in 1908 for which Zonaro did the illustrations. The exhibit, organized in cooperation with the Yapý Kredi Culture Center and the Italian Culture Center, is curated by Erol Makzume and Veysel Uðurlu. According to a written statement issued on Tuesday by the Yapý Kredi Cultural Center, Zonaro's memoirs, which he penned along with illustrations in 1924 in anticipation of publication, will soon be published in Turkey. The book, "Abdülhamid'in Hükümdarlýðýnda Yirmi Yýl/Fausto Zonaro'nun Hatýralarý ve Eserleri" (20 Years in the Reign of Abdülhamid/Memoirs and Works of Fausto Zonaro), covers Zonaro's arrival in Ýstanbul and his memories from the time he lived in the city. Fausto Zonaro came to Ýstanbul from Italy in 1891 and was appointed court painter by Sultan Abdülhamid II in 1896. After Abdülhamid was toppled, the painter lost his title and returned home in 1909. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
Theater maverick Ken Campbell dead at 66
Ron Carter
CONCERT
FESTIVAL
Jazz trio at the Nardis Jazz Club in Beyoðlu
Ramadan festivities in Eyüp, Topkapý, Üsküdar
A jazz trio featuring Turkey’s prominent jazz musician Önder Focan on guitar, Erdal Akyol on bass and Ediz Hafýzoðlu on drums will be performing at the Nardis Jazz Club in the Galata Kulesi Street in the Beyoðlu district of Ýstanbul on Saturday. The band, which performs improvised music displaying all its members' musical skills, will release an album soon. The concert is set to run from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. The entrance fee is YTL 25.
The yearly International Feshane Ramadan Festivals organized by the Ýstanbul Metropolitan Municipality are being held in three of the city's historical spots: Eyüp, Topkapý and Üsküdar. The events, which began on Aug. 31 and will run until Oct. 2, aim to embrace everyone, and the activities for young participants are particularly popular. The festivals feature concerts, plays and artistic exhibitions.
EXHIBITION
Last chance to attend second Sinop Biennial The second Sinop Biennial, which began on Aug. 16, is coming to an end. The exhibition runs until Friday in the Black Sea province under the theme of "The New Order of Things." The artistic director of the biennial is T. Melih Görgün, graphic design and new media art professor. The biennial, which was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, features displays in such spots as the Sinop Prison, the former Tekel warehouse and the Balatlar church.
CONCERT
Swingle Singers to perform at Aya Ýrini London based a cappella group the Swingle Singers, made up of eight young singers attempting to continue a singing tradition that started over 40 years ago, will take to the stage in Ýstanbul on Sunday. The band was first established in 1963 by Ward Swingle and has maintained its popularity since then with new singers. The concert begins at 9:30 p.m. Tickets, priced at between YTL 7.50 and YTL 30, can be purchased at www.biletix.com.
CM Y K
Ken Campbell, a maverick actor, writer and director whose career ranged from sitcom roles to a 22-hour stage extravaganza, has died, his agent said Wednesday. He was 66. Campbell was found dead Sunday at his home in Epping Forest, east of London, said Nicki Stoddart of United Agents. The cause of death has not been determined. Born in Ilford, east London, in 1941, Campbell attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the training ground of Britain's thespian elite. His work soon drifted from the mainstream, fueled by a love of improvisation and inspirations that ranged from ventriloquism to action hero Jackie Chan. In the 1970s he toured British pubs with his ensemble, The Ken Campbell Roadshow, whose members included Bob Hoskins. In 1976 he formed the Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool, mounting shows including eighthour sci-fi play cycle "Illuminatus," 22-hour epic "The Warp" and a stage version of Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Later Campbell created a series of inventive one-man shows including "Recollections of a Furtive Nudist," "Jamais Vu" and "Mystery Bruises," which he performed around the world. More mainstream ventures included an appearance on "Fawlty Towers," a role in the 1980s sitcom "In Sickness and in Health" and work presenting science television programs. In 1980 he pulled off a famous theatrical hoax by sending out letters, allegedly from Royal Shakespeare Company director Trevor Nunn, announcing that following a successful production of "Nicholas Nickleby" the troupe was to be renamed the Royal Dickens Company. Campbell is survived by his ex-wife Prunella Gee and their daughter Daisy. Funeral details were not immediately available. London AP
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14 TODAY’S ZAMAN
F R I D AY, S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 0 8
OPINION
EKREM DUMANLI e.dumanli@todayszaman.com
Thýs shýrt does not fýt socýety
What does the mýlýtary’s surprýse výsýt mean? The Ergenekon case is still shaking Turkey. Most recently, the visit paid on behalf of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) by Kocaeli Garrison Commander Lt. Gen. Galip Mendi to retired generals Þener Eruygur and Hurþit Tolon, who are being held in Kandýra Prison in connection with the case, has added a new dimension to the issue. The visit, paid shortly after the change of command at the TSK on Aug. 30, raised questions as to whether a new era would start in relations between the military and the civilian authorities and whether the army had broken the consensus in regard to the Ergenekon case. Worth noting are recent remarks by Air Forces Commander Gen. Aydoðan Babaoðlu, who, in response to news reports alleging that the military initiated its own operation against Ergenekon’s branches within the military and to a question about an arrested military officer, said, “What Ergenekon is, is not clear,” adding that the arrest was not related to Ergenekon. The recent visit should be taken into account together with this statement and the change in the army’s command line. The military has been influential over Turkish politics for a long time. The form of its interference in the political process is changing; but the core reality remains. The army’s interference with politics injures not only the political process, but also the institutional identity of the military. For this reason, the army is looking for a formula that will restrain this interference and not erode its image. Lessons are taken from each intervention, whereas every new intervention and freshly invented formula causes additional injuries. One primary goal of the army in all these interventions is to protect its autonomous position vis-à-vis politics. Secondly, it seeks to prevent divisions within the army. The fundamental goal has been the preservation of army’s integrity since the promulgation of the second constitutional monarchy. Divisions within the army lead to the emergence of pro-junta
groups, further creating disruptive effects over the army’s hierarchy and traditions. The junta that emerged separately from the army’s chain of command during the May 27, 1960 coup created a certain tendency toward junta formation that lasted through the 1980s. It could even be said that the primary goal of the military intervention on March 12, 1971 was to reinstitute the hierarchy within the army.
Sept. 12 coup In an attempt to ensure that there would be no need for military coups in the future, the Sept. 12, 1980 coup, staged within the chain of command, found a formula by which it could legalize the move through the mechanism of the National Security Council (MGK). However, as observed in the Feb. 28, 1997 process, this formula was still disruptive to the army’s hierarchy. Besides, the MGK, which was subjected to an institutional reformation in connection with Turkey’s EU bid, was no longer a tool for the military’s intervention. As such, those who seek military interference in politics are looking for new methods and means. To this end, references were made to the inconsistencies between the army’s priorities in regard to laicism, the nation-state and state unity and democratization, globalization and EU reforms. During Gen. Hilmi Özkök’s term as chief of general staff, coup attempts involving such prominent names as Aytaç Yalman and Þener Eruygur failed because the junta within the army and its collaborators were unable to provoke the army, which wanted to restore its image after its erosion during the Feb. 28 process. Combined with the assignment of military officers who were able to integrate with globalization and democratization to military posts during Özkök’s term, the sphere of military intervention was significantly narrowed. However, the presidential election revived the concerns over a possible division led by pro-intervention actors. This revival led to the issuance of a memorandum on April 27. However, supporters of a strong reaction and harsh measures lost impact and strength after the July 22 elections and the refer-
Hurþit Tolon
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endum held on Oct. 21. Relations between the army and the civilian authority further improved and normalized when the activities of pro-junta groups in the Ergenekon organization became apparent. However, the new command that assumed duty on Aug. 30 set a strong block before the parties asking for harsh measures. It was subsequently held that this might disrupt the hierarchy of the army and that the army should demonstrate its eagerness to preserve its autonomy vis-à-vis politics. This is the reason the recent visit was held on behalf of the TSK. Through the speeches made at the handover ceremonies and the recent visit, the army stressed that civilian authorities would not be allowed to interfere with the army’s internal disputes. At the same time, the military underlined that the Ergenekon case should be limited to “Ergenekon minor” and not involve the “Grand Ergenekon,” which may extend to the army. But, of course, this visit does not necessarily mean that those who disrupted the army hierarchy will not be punished. While it is a large and clumsy institution unable to transform rapidly, the army should rely on these recent moves to save time and slow retreat. Otherwise, the harm associated with these latest two moves will be beyond imagination.
TODAY’S ZAMAN, CÝHAN
ÝRFAN YILDIRIM*
PHOTOS
The military has long been influential over Turkish politics. The form of its interference in the political process is changing but the core reality remains. This interference with politics damages not only the political process but also the institutional identity of the military
You can never develop accurate analyses or resolutions if you fail to take a look at Turkey’s reality as a whole. For this reason, you cannot simply ask, “How should this country look?” and go on answering the question all by yourself. Furthermore, you cannot impose your answer on anyone -- this would be called social engineering. When you resort to such an action of engineering -- and if you rely on state power -- you will run up against social realities. At the end of such a communication failure, bridges between the state and the people are destroyed. I do not know whether it is a behavioral code enshrined in our genes, but almost everybody has an ideal type or template for individuals and society. However, diversity in the community makes homogeneity impossible. Our idealism is mostly prone to changing the existing social reality. That is, a culture of imposition that says “You should be like this, not like that” becomes more than a romantic idealism and turns into a fascist didacticism. The actual reason for the significantly eroded image of certain political parties is their tendency to exclude those who do not fit into the model in their mind as “illiterate traitors.” Unfortunately, this twisted stance is sometimes adopted on behalf of the state and its institutions. For instance, Turkey has wasted time discussing whether or not there is a Kurdish question in this country. There was no point in telling the people who considered themselves Kurds “You are not a Kurd,” or banning these people from speaking their native language. These policies did not pay off; they only exacerbated the situation. Ultimately, politicians like Turgut Özal, Süleyman Demirel and Recep Tayyip Erdoðan had to speak about a Kurdish reality. Some high-level military officers also had to make some confessions. For instance, Gen. Aytaç Yalman said: “We were told in our training that there was no such thing as Kurd. We used to see Kurds as part of the Turkish race. We were told the term Kurd emerged because the footsteps of people traveling in the snowy mountainous terrain sounded like that. Back then we used to see social activities as part of a separatist movement.” But it was too late to make these remarks; the damage had already been done. If there is a social reality, the best the state can do is reconcile with it. This is the most appropriate and democratic approach vis-à-vis this reality. Only an integrated approach can detach the Kurdish people from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terror organization. The same also applies to the Alevi issue. For a long time some people have refrained from making reference to the Alevi reality. Ignoring the democratic rights of the Alevis does not make them go away. As long as you repress this social entity and remain indifferent to these demands, some marginal circles fill the void. Ultimately, the desired unity between the state and the people is delayed. It is impossible to improve our democracy and lift up our state if certain groups of people are ignored or regarded with suspicion. Alevi beliefs, Sunni beliefs, leftist politics, rightist politics; all have a social base. The people are able to discern this. Attempting to make all these groups or some of them look guilty through a bossy style adopted on behalf of the state has eroded the state’s image; such a style will also victimize groups and actors working sincerely to fix this problem. The recent “community controversy” should be reviewed from this perspective, as well, because it is impossible to prepare a single style of dress for the people of this country who have been integrated with the republic and democracy and force them to fit in this tight costume. There are different ethnicities, sects, religions and political movements in this country. If people create a cluster of sharing relying on their democratic rights and act in compliance with the laws in effect, nobody should have any right to object this. The erosion of the notion of civil society through impositions and prejudices injures the fabric of society and the idea of a democratic state. The idea of disciplining the people was an important piece of jargon for states during the Cold War era. However, today states simply cannot impose such things. Besides, individuals are more resistant to such impositions. I am afraid if this reality is not understood, someday we will have to listen to more confessions and regrets.
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.
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COLUMNS
TODAY’S ZAMAN 15
F R I D AY, S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 0 8
Voýd of opposýtýon The view suggesting that the election system is the backbone of democracy and that the replacement of administrations through this mechanism makes the regime more legitimate and justifiable has gained broad acceptance. It could also be said that the complex social and economic structure of democratic countries made coup attempts meaningless because it is almost impossible that these societies will be ruled by an authoritarian order. Currently, this complexity creates some sort of "richness" in cultural terms. What we have here is a political style that becomes more influential regarding identity rights in the public sphere and includes the nucleus of a new type of socialization. This situation comprises the democracy practice that liberal theory has built with reference to the "individual." Today we need an opposition style that will be able to address social complexity and promote the demands that encounter obstacles in becoming visible in the public sphere. It could be said that the strength and legitimacy of the Western democracies is commensurate with the capacity of their organized opposition actors to have "contact" with the people. This also applies to Turkey. With the official start of the European Union membership process and the introduction of administrative and legal reforms, Turkish society now holds pretty different expecta-
YAVUZ BAYDAR
ETYEN MAHÇUPYAN e.mahcupyan@todayszaman.com
tions for equality, freedom and justice. Meanwhile, the same society, including the Alevis, Kurds non-Muslims and even Sunni Muslims, is seeking to rid itself of a tradition of state repression. This means that a number of communal freedom demands, most of which will probably conflict with each other, will occupy the political agenda at the same time. In other words, from a theoretical perspective, Turkey appears as a country where being in power is pretty difficult, whereas staging opposition is unbelievably easy. What such an opposition needs is to place a greater emphasis on liberties than the ruling party does; and it is hard to imagine an easier style of opposition in a country that has failed to resolve its historical problems. However, the situation in Turkey is ironic. The Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which came to power with over-
whelming popular support despite its conservative agenda, is a reformist party, whereas the main opposition, which acts as representative of the modern circles of the country, takes action against almost all demands for rights and freedoms. It is relatively easier to understand the ruling party. The AK Party represents the rising peripheral bourgeoisie, which seeks to bring the daily standards and opportunities of freedom and liberty to the level of EU norms. As opposed to this, it is not that easy to evaluate the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). That this party, which praises its Kemalist tradition, an important promoter of modernization and westernization, pursues a conservative policy and encourages coup attempts may be surprising. But a brief history lesson clarifies the matter. The understanding of modernity in this country has never promoted individualism and relativism and internalized liberalism. The founding ideology justified a regime that made the people suffer from repression, as it saw modernity as decline of religion because the society's piety was allegedly making the state and the society less civilized, and this required change and transformation through the state's coercive measures. This approach later became the official view of not only the state but also the nascent laicist community. The CHP acted as the ma-
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jor holder and sustainer of this historical process. It created a laicist community as a privileged elite during the single-party era; in later stages, it also transformed the fears of this section into a political discourse. These fears now include concerns over the pious as well as material losses in connection with the possibility of losing its minority rule. Therefore, the CHP tradition was able to generate a discourse that looked like it promoted liberties during periods where it was gaining -in other words, it was rising. During the periods where it was losing, it acted as representative of a statist and authoritarian nationalism that recalled fascism. The reason for this almost irreversible conservative stance of this party should be sought in this. The CHP's anti-reform position also demonstrates its despair. Interestingly, Turkey has an administration that had managed to combine a cultural conservatism and political reformism as well as an opposition that transformed cultural modernity into a political conservatism. Today, political reformism modernizes the religious people whereas political conservatism takes the laicist circles to a pre-modern positivism. For this reason, Turkey is suffering not only from a "void of opposition" but also from the emptiness of the founding ideology, which perfectly reflects the CHP's decline.
WUHAN, AP
a.bulac@todayszaman.com
y.baydar@todayszaman.com
Sýgns of a dangerous býpolarýty ýn polýtýcs As I hopefully will have reached Yerevan early this morning, not only to watch football, but to witness an unprecedented visit -- the first in history -- by a Turkish president, my initial intention was to write about glimpses of my earlier personal encounters with this mysterious, sad city and its sorrowful and deeply proud people, to comment about the true meaning of rapprochement between those who are truly Anatolians -- Armenians and Turks -- in that order. I meant to express a wish, however unrealistic it may be, that President Abdullah Gül might pass beyond the threshold of denial and pray at the "Genocide Monument," mourning the tragic fate of Ottoman Armenians, who perished in the folly of war some 90 years ago. Alas, the shaky agenda of Turkey never leaves you alone. Wherever you go, part of your mind is always kept occupied with the notion of "what's next?" And the puzzle of politics never leads to closure but only becomes more intriguing. The main questions before me and my readers, as I understand it, is what to expect in the coming months of politics and where we stand in the ongoing, seemingly endless battle for power in "deep Ankara." In a way, we have seen cards being reshuffled recently and that redistribution has begun. I am referring to some major turning points and minor events. With the Justice and Development Party (AKP) "having received a severe warning" -- to use an expression by a top court judge -- Turkey is to continue with a new top command, which made its stand clear in recent days on how much more deeply involved in politics the military will be. The picture is reminiscent of an older one depicting an arduous, uphill battle between the elected and the appointed. The annual ceremony of the top command handovers told us the same story: filled with lengthy robot talk, it was, as some promilitary columnists already wrote, made "obvious even for those with differing levels of understanding" (referring to domestic and foreign observers who question the current military-civilian relations in Turkey) that issues linked with "sine qua non" of the republic will be kept under strict scrutiny by the military and that most of the matters related to the EU reform process were seen as unacceptable by those who are keen on the "unitary" nature of Turkey. In short, the top command says between the lines that the AKP should "forget" a new, liberal constitution. There are symptoms of trouble already. I mentioned in an earlier article an apparent clash at the decision making level in Cyprus, where Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) President Mehmet Ali Talat was sidelined by the Turkish military over a temporary opening of the border gate for Greek Cypriot worshipers, a minor scandal that could not have happened without the knowledge of Ýlker Baþbuð. The other incident was a "political statement" by the top command: As reported extensively, two generals under arrest in the Ergenekon case were visited in prison by a three-star general two days ago in Kandýra. The fact that the visit was done under the orders of the top command and in the name of the chief of general staff is undoubtedly an intervention in the judicial process and likely to have significant consequences in the process of the criminal case. Add to this a fresh survey on the "state of politics" in Turkey. Today's Zaman reported yesterday on the findings of a Metropoll survey, which somehow seems to confirm what I have been hearing from other "pulse-takers." Let's look at part of yesterday's story: "Asked who they would vote for if there was an election today, 50.9 percent of respondents said they would vote for the AK Party. The figure demonstrated the ruling party's considerable increase in popularity in less than a month, as around 42 percent of those polled had said in early August they would vote for the AK Party if parliamentary elections were to be held the day of the poll. The survey revealed that the CHP and the MHP would remain below the election threshold should general elections be held on the poll date. Only 9.5 percent of respondents said they would vote for the CHP; 6.6 percent said they would favor the MHP and 2.6 percent said they would vote for the Democratic Society Party (DTP)." Metropoll is a serious opinion investigator. And what it tells us in this crucial segment is of serious concern. It tells us that a) regardless of the "vacuum" of political pledges, the AKP is simply rising; b) after distributing the undecided, the AKP now has around 60 percent of the vote; and c) the opposition is sliding severely, although two parties may pass the 10 percent threshold. The result, therefore, in the upcoming national elections would have to be the AKP dominating more than 90 percent of the municipalities. With the lack of opposition, the center of antagonism may shift even more to the already tense area between the military and the AKP. Considering the apparent "change of route" of top command, together with the picture above taken by Metropoll, this all comes inevitably as a message for extreme "caution" -- if not alarm -- for Turkey.
ALÝ BULAÇ
Relýgýon factor
Roundýng the cýrcle NICOLE POPE n.pope@todayszaman.com
President Abdullah Gül is traveling to Armenia for a historic visit; Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan is off to Syria for Middle East talks; direct negotiations are taking place between leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, and the foreign minister of Turkey's neighbor and former rival Greece declares herself hopeful that the two sides will eventually reach a settlement; and Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently visited Turkey. Set your mind back to the previous decade and remember the state of Turkey's diplomatic relations in the neighborhood. In 1994, it nearly went to war with Greece over the rocky outcrop of Kardak. Tension with Syria reached boiling point in 1998 over Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan, and the border with Armenia has remained closed since 1994. Over the past 10 years, progress has been recorded on most of these fronts. In some cases, circumstances helped: The 1999 earthquakes that devastated both sides of the Aegean generated popular sympathy that allowed politicians to move forward. The prospect of European Union membership also incited the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) to depart from the traditional approach on Cyprus and support the Annan plan. Prime Minister Erdoðan's bold gamble at the time was unfortunately not adequately rewarded by the EU, but it was still an important step, which may yet bear fruit if the talks that have just begun yield a settlement. Ankara's relations with Iran and Syria are at times frowned upon by some of Turkey's more hawkish Western allies, but they are boosting stability in the neighborhood to some degree and promoting Ankara's role as a regional
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power. Erdoðan's mediation efforts between Syria and Israel have been noted in the West as well as in the Arab world. Armenia was so far the missing link in the AK Party's deliberate attempts to improve relations with the country's immediate neighbors. The recent events in Georgia have shown that it cannot be neglected for much longer, and there is growing recognition on both sides of the Turkey-Armenia border that developing trade and political dialogue would benefit both sides, even if historical issues like the 1915 massacres and the occupation by Armenia of Azerbaijani territory continue to be contentious. Nationalists in Turkey condemn President Gül's decision to travel to Yerevan, but this first step, if it is followed by others, could eventually have a positive impact in Baku as well. The more positive regional environment created in recent years does not protect Turkey entirely from the tremors caused by colliding political tectonic plates in the neighborhood. The regions north, east and south of Turkey remain volatile and prone to intractable conflicts. Ankara will still face uncomfortable situations, as is the case now when it trying to find a delicate balance between its loyalty to its NATO and EU allies on the one hand, which back Georgia, and the strong commercial ties it has forged with Russia on the other. There are also limits to what Turkey can realistically achieve with initiatives such as the ýÜüCaucasus Stability and Cooperation Project or its peacemaking efforts in the Middle East. But Ankara's more active foreign policy and its willingness to engage former foes leave the country better equipped to find peaceful solutions to regional challenges and show a more flexible aspect of Turkey abroad. With significant movement now under way on the Cyprus and Armenian fronts, let's hope that the government will also apply its "real politik" approach to the Kurdish problem, which is usually seen mainly as a domestic issue, but also has important implications for Turkey's regional policy and its integration with the EU.
Although it has been trying to make some progress toward membership for about half a century, Turkey has not been able to become an EU member. Why? Does the "religion factor" have a decisive role in this, though this is not openly acknowledged? This question is one worth discussing. Let's take a short journey. Former French President and Convention on the Future of Europe President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, former European Parliament President and French Industry Minister Nicole Fontaine, former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and many others continue to highlight the importance of the religion factor. However, former Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio says religion will not be an obstacle before Turkey's EU membership as religion and politics are separate from each other in the political systems in Europe. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso goes further to say, "Any response to Turkey will be a response to Islam." Former EU Enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen has said, "Muslim Turkey can be an advantage for the EU." As the debates over whether Turkey will be given a date for the start of negotiations grew heated, this also gave rise to inflamed discussions centered around religion. The most notable statement was one made by Vatican spokesperson Navarro Vals, who said with a never-seen-before straightforwardness: "The EU member countries share the Christian religion and its values. In this respect, Moldova and Ukraine, as Orthodox countries, may be more suitable for EU membership." Previously Pope John Paul II had indicated that all important documents including the EU constitution should contain significant references to Christianity. This was because all of the 15 members and 13 candidate members of the EU were Christian countries. Turkey was the single exception to this. This debate started primarily during the drafting process of the EU Constitution. The Vatican wanted to insert the sentence, "The religion of the EU is Christianity." Although d'Estaing, as the head of the group working on the draft text, rejected the Vatican's request, Article 51 urged the EU "to establish dialogue with the institutions which represent religious communities and churches and their social contributions." No major objections were raised to this request, and even the French intellectuals, who are known for being secular and irreligious, saw the "failure to include the Europe's Christian legacy in the Constitution as a denial of history and reason." Naturally, Turkey objected to this request. Then-Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül said the EU Constitution must be secular. However, Gül also stressed another important point: "Those who seek more emphasis on Christianity should have a look at Europe's history. In the history of Europe, there are not only Christians, but also Muslims and Jews. If reference to Christianity is to be made, these two religions should be mentioned as well. Nevertheless, we prefer a secular constitution." Formerly, Istvan Ertl, the spokesperson for the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) in France, had said: "No one can deny the serious contribution made by Christianity to the European identity, but Judaism and Islam, too, had played great roles in the formation of this identity. Andalusia's tolerant interpretation of Islam and their translation of antique Greek works to European languages cannot be overlooked." Former European Commission President Jacques Delors had elucidated on this issue in an interview with Italian La Repubblica newspaper. "I believe that we have a past and that peace is the product of this past full of internal wars among us, expansions and retreats. In order to state that Europe is the product of democracy and Greek philosophy, Roman law, Jewish-Christian legacy, illumination, and partially Islam, whose presence could be felt intensely until 1492, many things should be stressed, though in a single sentence. Referring to Jewish-Christian values in the Constitution may imply exclusion of Muslim Turkey. For this reason, Islam, too, should be mentioned," he had said.
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LEISURE
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2008
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Gregorian Calendar: 5 September 2008 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 5 Ramadan 1429 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 5 Elul 5768 calendar@todayszaman.com
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‘Closing The Ring’
CLOSING THE RING ÝSTANBUL: Levent Cinebonus Kanyon: 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat:24:30 Altunizade Capitol Specum 14: 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:30 22:00 Fri/Sat:23:30 Þaþkýnbakkal Megaplex M&S: 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 ANKARA: Cinebonus Bilkent: 11:00 13:40 16:20 19:00 21:40 Fri/Sat:24:00 Kýzýlay Büyülü Fener: 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Cinebonus Panora: 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:45 Fri/Sat:23:30
since it is the birth date of Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975), one of the foremost scholars of comparative religion and philosophy. Sir Radhakrishnan introduced Western idealism into Indian philosophy and was the first scholar of importance to provide a comprehensive exegesis of India's religious and philosophical literature to English speaking people. Today is the liberation day of the Kuyucak, Nazilli and Sultanhisar districts of Aydýn province, of Kýnýk in Ýzmir province, of the Sýndýrgý and Susurluk districts of Balýkesir province, of Pazaryeri in Bilecik province, of Domaniç in Kütahya province and of the Alaþehir, Gördes and Salihli districts of Manisa province. All these districts and towns were under Greek occupation for no less than two years' time before they were liberated on this day in 1922. Today is the anniversary of the Munich Olympics Massacre that occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage by Black September, a group with ties to Yasser Arafat's Fatah organization. Eleven
Today is Independence Day in Burkina Faso. Until the end of the 19th century the history of Burkina Faso was dominated by the empire-building Mossi. The French arrived and claimed the area in 1896, but Mossi resistance ended only with the capture of their capital, Ouagadougou, in 1901. The colony of Upper Volta was established in 1919 but was partitioned and reconstituted several times until the present borders were recognized in 1947. The French administered the area indirectly through Mossi authorities until independence was achieved on Aug. 5, 1960. Today is also Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day, or "Dan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti" in Croatia. It is a public holiday held as a memorial to the country's war of independence. On Aug. 5, 1995, the Croatian army liberated the occupied city of Knin as part of Operation Storm. The observance of this holiday is, however, controversial, as Operation Storm was accompanied by the displacement of at least 200,000 Croatian Serbs, officially citizens of Croatia, and their flight from Croatian territory. Today is Teachers' Day in India. The day is fixed
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Israeli athletes and coaches, a German police officer and five members of Black September were killed during the hostage taking and rescue attempts of the terrorists. Israel responded to the massacre with Operation Spring of Youth and Operation Wrath of God, a series of Israeli air strikes and assassinations of those suspected of planning the killings. On this day in 1930 Neil Alden Armstrong, a former American astronaut, test pilot, university professor and naval aviator, was born. He is the first person to have set foot on an extraterrestrial place (the moon). His first spaceflight was Gemini 8 in 1966, for which he was the command pilot. On this mission he performed the first manned docking of two spacecraft together with pilot David Scott. Armstrong's second and last spaceflight was as mission commander of the Apollo 11 moon landing mission on July 20, 1969. On this famous "giant leap for mankind," Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended to the lunar surface ("The Eagle has landed") and spent two-and-a-half hours exploring while Michael Collins orbited above. By Kerim Balcý
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Spears to open MTV Výdeo Musýc Awards
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working on a new album, has appeared to have cleaned up her act -- although a judge on Wednesday refused to dismiss a misdemeanor driving withouta-valid-license case against her. Her father James has been in control of her personal and professional matters as her legal conservator, and she drew high ratings and positive reviews when she made guest appearances on CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" earlier this year. So far, the confirmed performers for Sunday's show include the Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, T.I. and Kid Rock. Toffler also raised the possibility of another troubled pop icon appearing: Michael Jackson. "We've been talking to him as well, I don't know if that's going to happen," he said. "People fall in and fall out up until the day of the show." New York AP
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be there to kick off their 25th VMAs? I'm excited to open the entire show, to say hi to my fans and to be nominated," Spears said in a statement. "I think for Britney, people are rooting for her, and she's really on the road to recovery," Toffler said, noting that MTV had nominated her for three VMAs, including video of the year, for her clip "Piece of Me." "It feels like it's her year," he added. "It's our 25th anniversary of the VMAs, and she's been such a critical piece of MTV's history." While she bombed in 2007, Spears has given the VMAs many highlights over the years, from her kiss with Madonna to her performance with a writhing snake. Spears also equals ratings gold: Last year's VMAs were up 23 percent over the 2006 show. In recent months, Spears, who's
Despite her train-wreck performance at the MTV Video Music Awards last year, the network confirms Britney Spears will kick off the show once again. But it won't be a performance. Instead, MTV Networks Music Group President Van Toffler said Wednesday, it'll be something "fun and unexpected" on Sunday night's show. Unexpected is probably the kindest way to describe Spears' performance at last year's VMAs. In what was heavily promoted as the troubled singer's comeback, she instead gave an unfocused, almost unwatchable performance of "Gimme More," one of the many low points in her year of debacles. So what made Spears and MTV reunite one more time? "MTV has long played an important role in my career. How can I not
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00:00 Identification and Programming 00:25 Music 07:25 Identification and Programming 07:30 Music 08:30 News (English, French, German) 08:40 Live Broadcast (English, German, Russian) 10:30 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 10:45 Live Broadcast (English, German, Russian) 12:30 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 12.45 Live Broadcast (English, German, Russian) 15:00 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 15:15 Live Broadcast (English, German, Russian) 18:30 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 18:45 Live Broadcast (English, French) 21:30 News (English, French, German, Greek, Russian) 21:45 Live Broadcast (English, Greek) 23:58 Identification
Broadcast Areas: HOW TO PLAY? : The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. There are three very simple constraints to follow. In a 9 by 9 square Sudoku game:
travelers’ s.o.s
ÝSTANBUL: Ataköy Galleria Prestige: 11:45 13:45 15:45 17:45 19:45 21:45 Fri/Sat:23:45 Caddebostan AFM Budak: 10:30 12:40 14:50 17:00 19:15 21:25 Çengelköy Cinemaxi: 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 ANKARA: Moviecity: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 AFM Cepa: 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 ÝZMÝR: Cinebonus YKM: 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 ANTALYA: Manavgat Kültür Merkezi: 11:45 13:30 15:15 17:00 18:45 20:30
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
04.09.2008
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CONTINUATION
TODAY’S ZAMAN 17
F R I D AY, S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 0 8
REUTERS
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Sharp decline in support for opposition endangers democracy, analysts say Sencar stated that one factor resulting in an increase in the AK Party's popularity and the opposition parties' loss thereof with the people is the public's dislike of party closures. A closure case filed against the AK Party on 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 sorts of antidemocratic intervention in politics were condemned. The rejection of the AK Party case was interpreted by many as a victory for democracy, which didn't bow to the pressure of anti-democratic practices. "Our people don't want to witness any more military interventions. They demonstrated a strong reaction against anti-democratic initiatives. Indeed, this is what the survey revealed. People want opposition and ruling parties to settle accounts at the ballot box. They favor the AK Party at the ballot box due to the political and economic stability it has brought to the country. Unless the CHP and the MHP stop trying to gain popularity by preying on the weaknesses of another party, their public support will continue to decrease," said Sencar. Altan stated that a new opposition party will soon emerge in the Turkish political scene. "I believe this will be a strong and reformist one. It will
The survey also revealed that Turkey's opposition has suffered from a loss of popularity with the public, as 13.9 percent of respondents had said in the previous poll that they would vote for the CHP and 8.4 percent for the MHP. "This survey is an indicator of disaster for Turkish democracy," said Professor Özer Sencar, one of the administrators of the poll. Sencar, who spoke to Today's Zaman on the phone, stressed that opposition parties are a sine qua non for democracies. "There is someone in power in all regimes. But opposition parties exist solely in democracies. Constant shrinking of public support for opposition parties hint that Turkish democracy has entered a dangerous process. However, both the CHP and the MHP turn a blind eye to this process," he noted. Mehmet Altan, a well-respected intellectual and columnist for the Star daily, agreed and said people supporting a single political party would mean a threat to democracy. "Opposition parties in Turkey advocate an oldfashioned and nonfunctioning system in the country. They oppose any change and try to protect the status quo. This is a dangerous approach. An opposition which advocates the status quo has no chance of surviving in our country," he remarked.
contribute to the country embracing a brighter and more stable future," he added.
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contýnued from page 1 The Social and Political Situation in Turkey survey, conducted in late August by the Ankarabased Metropoll Strategic & Social Research Center, revealed that there was a sharp decline in less than a month in the public support for the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). According to the survey, a clear majority of Turkish society supports Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan's governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Asked who they would vote for if there was an election today, 50.9 percent of respondents said they would vote for the AK Party. The figure demonstrated the ruling party's considerable increase in popularity in less than a month, as around 42 percent of those polled had said in early August they would vote for the AK Party if parliamentary elections were to be held the day of the poll. The survey showed the CHP and the MHP would remain below the election threshold should general elections be held on the poll date. Only 9.5 percent of respondents said they would vote for the CHP, while 6.6 percent said they would favor the MHP and 2.6 percent said they would vote for the Democratic Society Party (DTP).
Opposition distances itself from society Analysts' concern for the direction Turkish democracy appears to be taking is shared by AK Party officials as well, who say one of the main problems is that opposition parties have been distancing themselves from society. Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek emphasized that there is an opposition crisis in Turkey. "There is no party in our country for which people can vote except the AK Party. However, this is not a good situation for democracy. Democracies which lack a strong opposition cannot function in a healthy manner. If the opposition parties in Turkey had not distanced themselves from society, this wouldn't be the case now," he said. AK Party parliamentary group deputy chairman Nihat Ergün said Turkish opposition parties have a different view of democracy that is not compatible with that of society. "We have witnessed many times that the opposition tries to deny people of their right to elect those who will govern them. You cannot conduct politics by looking down on the people. Political parties are the representatives of the people. They should realize this fact," he remarked.
US Vice President Dick Cheney (2nd R) and Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili (C) listen to explanations as they check the delivery of humanitarian aid at the Tbilisi airport on Thursday.
Cheney offers support for Georgia, slams Russia contýnued from page 1
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contýnued from page 1 The Civil Defense Organization of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) is listed as a "humanitarian organization" under KKTC laws. It was established to help people in cases of disaster, including wars, and its head can be a civil or a military person, but the leader is traditionally sent from Turkey and comes from the ranks of the TSK, as was also the case with Mendi. According to Ýlkay Adalý, her husband in one of his articles claimed that on March 15, 1996 armed men raided the St. Barnabas monastery museum in Famagusta and robbed it. Adalý claimed that one of the cars used in the raid belonged to the Civil Defense Organization and that arms used in the raid were very modern. He wrote that there were rumors of a Turkish colonel who was in Cyprus during the 1974 intervention and that this colonel had buried large amounts of loot in St. Barnabas' grave. The robbers were allegedly friends of this former colonel and were looking for the loot. According to Ýlkay Adalý, her husband received threatening calls after this article was published. Mendi, in his testimony to the European court, accepted that he had called the newspaper for which Adalý was working but denied threatening him. According to the European court, Mendi told the court that his organization was not involved in Adalý's murder. "The witness [Mendi] claimed that the St. Barnabas incident had in no way been connected to the Civil Defense Organization. It was an antiterrorist operation carried out by the peace forces command at the time. Thus, allegations that the Civil Defense Organization was involved in the
CÝHAN
Visit reminiscent of former dark files with alleged army involvement leader with an international police warrant who died in the Susurluk accident, which took place on Nov. 4, 1996 and revealed suspicious links between politicians, the mafia and security forces. Many names involved with Susurluk are currently suspects in the Ergenekon case, including retired Gen. Veli Küçük. According to claims put forth by police officers employed in Susurluk in 1996, Küçük sent Sami Hoþtan, a drug trafficker also detained on alleged ties to Ergenekon, to pick up Çatlý's dead body.
Will Þemdinli repeat itself?
Galip Mendi St. Barnabas incident were untrue. The witness pointed out that these allegations stemmed from the fact that his organization had allocated a civilian car to the peace forces, who wore official uniforms, for an operation conducted against the [terrorist] Kurdistan Workers' Party [PKK]. Apart from the allocation of a car, the Civil Defense Organization had not intervened in any activity connected with the St. Barnabas incident," the documents of the European court note. When Adalý was murdered, according to the documents of the European court, there were some claims about the presence of Abdullah Çatlý on the island and his involved in the murder. Çatlý was an ultranationalist and a mafia
The Susurluk case for the first time very openly revealed that some people who use the "power of the state" and the pretext of "fighting against terrorism" or "love for the country" are involved in illegal activity, including murder and drug trafficking. Another case in which the "deep state" was involved was the Þemdinli case. Þemdinli is a city in the province of Hakkari where two non-commissioned officers and a PKK informant were caught bombing a bookstore owned by a former member of the PKK. Gen. Yaþar Büyükanýt, the then-land forces commander who had since been promoted to chief of general staff and recently retired, told the court hearing the trial of the suspects in the bombing: "I know them [the two non-commissioned officers]. They are good boys." A prosecutor from Van province who was investigating the Þemdinli case, Ferhat Sarýkaya, started a number of investigations into top army commanders, including Büyükanýt, but was subsequently disbarred by the Supreme Board of Prosecutors and Judges (HSYK). The perpetrators were never punished. Many analysts say that the TSK's visit to the
Ergenekon suspects is similar to the Þemdinli case and that the army is giving the message of "we know them, they are good boys." Yeni Þafak daily's Ali Bayramoðlu pointed out the similarities between the two cases and said that this time military policies which harmed democracy are at the point where they need to be judged, unlike what happened in the Þemdinli case. Ümit Kardaþ, a retired military judge, also compared this situation to that of the Þemdinli case and said that after this visit there is a risk of "repeating the Þemdinli case." "This visit can affect the judiciary. Büyükanýt's statement in the Þemdinli case changed the direction of the case at that time and the same risk exists for Ergenekon now. After this visit I am less hopeful that links to Ergenekon will be found out," Kardaþ pointed out.
Tolon's letter Kardaþ also added that one of the reasons of this visit might be to convey messages from prison to the outside. "During the Susurluk case, suspects sent messages indicating that they might reveal everything that they know about some important persons if they were not protected. Actually, these kinds of things frequently happens in such cases," Kardaþ said. Tolon recently wrote a letter to a journalist in which he claimed that they were fine and honorable in prison but "what about some others outside, what is their situation?" In the same letter he said that he was wondering who will protect their honor, which was tarnished by campaigns against them, adding that "if they want, we can support 'the poor ones.'"
PHOTO
Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) head Zahid Akman has denied allegations that he was involved in the transfer of money collected by a charity in Germany to private companies in Turkey. The German branch of the Deniz Feneri (Lighthouse) aid organization is facing charges of misusing more than 41 million euros it collected to help the needy. It is accused of using the money for the establishment of a company in Germany and transferring some of it to private companies, including the Beyaz Holding and the managers of the Kanal 7 TV station in Turkey, for private use. The third hearing in the Deniz Feneri trial started on Wednesday in the 26th Criminal Court in Frankfurt. A report prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a prestigious company that provides tax and advisory services for public and private clients, and submitted to the court regarding Deniz Feneri's financial transactions said the organization transferred most of the money it collected from its donors to Beyaz Holding and managers of Kanal 7 and that it used mixed-money transfers to avoid being noticed. Some Turkish media outlets have accused Akman of being a partner in companies to which illegal money transfers were made by Deniz Feneri
AA
RTÜK head denies involvement in aid organization’s illegal acts
Zahid Akman and of helping the organization carry out its money transfers to companies in Turkey. In a news conference on Wednesday, Akman said the allegations against him were baseless. He complained that some media outlets were presenting accusations against him as if they were from German authorities. "These allegations are baseless slander brought forward by a defendant-informant who is being tried in the
case. There has been no investigation or legal case launched against me by German or Turkish authorities over these allegations," he said. Akman stressed that if there had been the slightest evidence that he helped the organization to carry out illegal money transfers, his name would have been among the suspects in the indictment. On the allegations that he has commercial activities abroad, Akman said he has not engaged in any
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commercial activities either in Turkey or abroad for the past three-and-a-half years. Akman also said he would file charges against the media outlets who published the allegations about him in an attempt to defame him. An RTÜK official who declined to be named said there may be a link between the allegations against Akman and a recent RTÜK decision to refrain from giving the Doðan media group permission to buy the TV5 TV station. "The sale of TV5 to Doðan would result in Doðan acquiring its fourth land broadcasting right. Such a right is not given to any broadcasting company in any part of the world. It is notable that the allegations against Akman found more coverage in Doðan's newspapers after this event," the RTÜK official said. In the meantime, the Kanal 7 board of directors released a written statement about their involvement in the Deniz Feneri case. "Allegations about us in an ongoing judicial case were, unfortunately, presented as facts. Above all, we harshly condemn this approach. The Doðan media group has been printing baseless and unfounded allegations about us and our companies for a while about an ongoing legal case in Germany. The unfounded nature of these allegations, which are based on the lies of a defendant-informant, will come to light at the end of the judicial process." Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
The trip signaled to Moscow that the United States will continue cultivating close ties with Georgia and its neighbors even after Russia showed it was willing to use military force against countries along its border. "America will do its duty to work with the governments of Georgia and our other friends and allies to protect our common interests and to uphold our values," Cheney said in the joint appearance with Saakashvili. "Russia's actions have cast grave doubts on Russia's intentions and on its reliability as an international partner," he added. Since the war in Georgia last month, Russia has boldly asserted it has what President Dmitry Medvedev called "privileged interests" in its sphere of influence, which includes the former Soviet states in the South Caucasus. The United States is at Georgia's side, Cheney said, "as you work to overcome an invasion of your sovereign territory and an illegitimate, unilateral attempt to change your country's borders by force, that has been universally condemned by the free world." On the eve of his arrival, the White House announced a US$1 billion commitment to help the small but strategically located nation recover from its war with Russia. Cheney also thanked Georgia for sending troops to Iraq. Georgia has been the third largest contributor of troops to the US-led operation there. "Now it is the responsibility of the free world to rally to the side of Georgia," the American vice president added. Saakashvili said Georgia was committed to a peaceful resolution of its disputes with the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia, which has given military, political and financial support to the two areas, has recognized both as independent nations. Saakashvili also said Georgia was grateful for the aid, which matched his government's estimate of war damages. "Together with our other partners, in Europe, America and elsewhere, we will rebuild Georgia," Saakashvili said. "We feel that we are not alone." Medvedev has called Saakashvili a "political corpse" and Moscow has urged an arms ban while he is still in power. Cheney, however, signaled Washington's continuing strong support. "You have been fearless in response to the occupation of your country and steadfast in your principles. We respect you," Cheney told the Georgian president. A day earlier, Cheney visited Azerbaijan, where a million-barrel-a-day pipeline runs from the Caspian Sea shores into Georgia and on into Turkey. The pipeline is the only direct route for Europe-bound Caspian oil to bypass Russia. Caspian oil also goes to Georgian ports by another pipeline and by rail. Because of Cheney's itinerary, "we see this as a very clear sign that alternative energy routes and sources will be secured," Georgian national security council head Alexander Lomaia told The Associated Press. The massive US aid package was to be a major highlight of Cheney's meetings in Tbilisi, but he will likely leave unanswered the question of potential US aid to rebuild Georgia's military. Military aid from the United States and some Western European countries was key to transforming the Georgian army and navy from their ragged post-Soviet condition into a credible fighting force. Yet routed by Russian forces, the Georgian military will need more Western aid to rebuild if the country is to join NATO. Angry Russian officials have repeatedly said US military aid was instrumental in emboldening Georgia to try to retake South Ossetia by force on Aug. 7. The attack sparked five days of fighting and resulted in Russian forces driving into South Ossetia and on into Georgia. New US military aid to Georgia would further aggravate relations between Washington and Moscow, which are already at a post-Cold War low. Russia has also condemned the US use of warships to deliver aid as a form of gunboat diplomacy. The flagship of the US 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, the USS Mount Whitney, arrived in the Black Sea on Wednesday with a cargo of aid. After spending several hours in Georgia, Cheney arrived in Ukraine, where he was expected to express support for its efforts to join NATO and integrate with the West. His visit comes amid concerns the Kremlin might next target Ukraine as it tries to reclaim its dominance in former Soviet republics.
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18 TODAY’S ZAMAN
F R I D AY, S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 0 8
TODAY’S LEARNING TIME
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The aim of education is the knowledge not of fact, but of values.” Dean William R. Inge
OSMAN TURHAN
elementary READING
Basketball
advanced
ILLUSTRATIONS
Basketball is one of the most popular games in the world. People play it in most countries. It is a good game for rich or poor and some basketball players have become rich from playing the game. Some people think it is a very old game but the basketball people play today is quite new. Dr. James A. Naismith invented basketball in America in 1891.He invented it because he wanted a game people could play inside or outside, in the daytime or at night. He wanted it to be a team game and one that both men and women would like could learn easily. He wanted it to be exciting to watch and to play. He wanted the players to use a ball but not a bat. The ball had to be large and light. He wanted it to be easy to catch and throw but not easy to hide. The winning team would be the team that could throw the ball the most times through a high basket. It is from the word ‘basket’ that the game got its name. In Naismith’s game there were only 13 rules, but these changed many times until 1934. In that year people stopped changing the rules. Although Naismith’s basketball is a new game, the Mayan people pf Mexico played a game like it many thousands of years ago. However, this was not a very nice game. The captain of the winning team cut off the head of the captain of the losing team and people watching the game had to give their clothes and jewels to the winning team. The most famous basketball team is, American and is called the Harlem Globetrotters.
Activity: At - In - On
PART 1: Write T for true or F for false
Complete the sentences with at, in or on.
Paragraph 1 ……..Basketball is popular game for all kinds of people.
1.
The bedroom is …... the first floor.
Paragraph 2 ……..Basketball gets its name from high basket on the field.
2.
Hello, Kirsti. Are you .….. in France?
Paragraph 3 ……..Many people do not like watching basketball because
3.
Yes, I’m …… the airport.
they have to give up their clothes and jewels to the winning team.
4.
The party’s ….. Hugo’s apartment.
Paragraph 4 ……..Basketball is played only in America.
5.
Come ….. Gerry! It’s time to go to the party.
6.
Where’s Roger? He’s …… the bathroom.
7.
My parents live …… the south of France.
a. The ……..asked the sailors to work at night.
8.
The company is …… New York.
b. I like playing with other people in a ……………
9.
Is Kelly here? No she’s ……. New York.
c. She is very …..person. She is good, and kind, and friendly.
10.
Put your coat …… it’s cold out today.
d. A ship is a ………boat.
captain/player basketball/team light/nice small/large
ýntermedýate Foreign travel At one time people used to travel to foreign countries because they thought they would be different from home – the buildings, the food, the national dress. Nowadays, however, one large city is very like another. They all have their Hilton or Sheraton Hotels which look like Hilton or Sheraton Hotels everywhere. They all have their McDonalds, their KFCs, and their Pizza Huts. Office buildings look the same everywhere, and most city centers are full of office buildings. And, of course, people are driving the same brands of Japanese or European cars, usually wearing the same kinds of clothing and watching – except for a few programs – the same American movies and TV shows. Airports are the same everywhere and the world’s airlines are all flying the same aircraft, Boeing or Airbus. What, therefore, is the purpose of foreign travel for people who are not
on business? What do tourists hope to experience in a foreign country that they cannot experience at home? Why travel to foreign countries at all? The answer could be that people are very interested in the past. It is a nation’s history, as often as not, that is its main attraction. Most of today’s tourists travel overseas to find out what foreign countries and cultures used to be like, not what they are like today. The words ‘cultural tourism’ are now part of the language of
tourism, and it is the museums and works of art in many countries that are their main attractions. If they are lucky – and have had sensible, strong governments – many countries will also usually have at least a few beautiful places for tourists to visit. Finally there is perhaps a nation’s greatest attraction – its people. Nowadays for a nation to attract tourists it has to have something very big and unusual, so visitors are not going to say, ‘Well, I suppose it was interesting to visit, but I didn’t like the people’. A nation is not just its historical buildings, its works of art or beautiful places; it is the people who live in it. This is why a country such as Thailand attracts millions of people every year. They come mainly because of the friendliness of the Thai people. It is why the Pacific Islands are also so popular. There may not be much to see or do in Fiji, but there are lots of friendly, smiling people to make visitors feel welcome.
A 1. A foreigner 2. A show is
B ___ ___
Activity: Conditional with “if” Match the parts of the sentences. Write the letter of the correct part beside the first part. Example: ___X___ If you fall in love x. you might be happy. 1. ___You might be in love 2. ___If the person is in love with you 3. ___If you are in love 4. ___You want to talk about the person 5. ___If you really love someone 6. ___If you don’t love someone 7. ___Your darling will always be in your thoughts 8. ___You can relax 9. ___You might get married 10. ___You might get divorced A. you should not marry him or her! B. if you really love someone. C. if you are not in love anymore. D. if you want to talk to that person a lot E. if you are in love. F. you will be happy. G. if you love him or her. H. if you are with someone you love. I. your body feels different. J. you will accept him or her.
PART 2: Choose and write the correct word.
PART 1: Match the words in A to the words in B to make sentences.
a. Which ……….are you flying with?
plane/airline
b. I like them because they make me feel ………….
welcome/attraction
a. a program on TV. b. you have a reason for doing something.
3. If you have a purpose, ___
c. comes from a different country.
4. Things that have happened in the past___
d. have already taken place.
Odd facts After a brief discussion with one of my co-workers, I was told I was strange. While most people would take this as an affront, I consider it to be a compliment. I’m not sure I am strange; freespirited would be a better choice of words. As the great Albert Einstein once said, “Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities.” For me, being normal is boring. This doesn’t mean that I don’t find many things in life to be a bit aberrant. During my journey through life, and especially through my more recent travels through the internet, these are some of the odder items I have encountered: - How can a person have a favorite color? - If your stomach doesn’t produce a new layer of mucus every 2 weeks, it will digest itself!
- If you drop a raisin into a glass of champagne, it will bounce continuously from top to bottom. - I have read every Sherlock Holmes book, and never once did he say, “Elementary, My Dear Watson.” - Butterflies were originally called flutterbys. - Roses are red, but violets are most certainly violet. - When leaving a cave, bats always veer left. - The only food that cannot spoil is honey. - The fact that women can cry so easily and frequently. - If you see a statue in a park with a man on a horse: If it has both front legs above the ground, the rider died in battle. If it has one front leg in the air, the rider died of wounds suffered during battle. If it has both legs on the ground, the rider perished from natural causes. - It’s impossible to lick your elbow. - One half of all Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace. - There are absolutely no clocks in Las Vegas casinos. Perhaps you don’t find these items to be strange. I guess it takes a strange person to know.
PART 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct letters.
PART 2: Choose and write the correct word
READING
READING
c. The ……of Turkey wants to attract more tourists.
national/nation
d. Which ……..do you want to watch tonight?
museum/program
1. affront _____ a. compliment b. insult c. suggestion d. preference 2. free-spirited _____ a. happy-go-lucky b. unhappy c. severely depressed d. hopeless 3. mediocre ____ a. fair b. excellent c. horrible d. satisfactory 4. aberrant _____ a. useless b. dangerous c. misleading d. strange 5. mucus _____ A kind of: a. secretion b. excretion c. waste d. blood 6. to digest _____ a. to fathom b. to understand c. to enlarge d. to dissolve 7. to veer _____ a. to soar b. to turn c. to descend d. to rise 8. to spoil _____ a. to pamper b. to grow c. to decompose d. to mix 9. wound _____ a. broken bone b. concussion c. bloody injury d. decapitation 10. to perish _____ a. to survive b. to succeed c. to benefit from d. to die
PART 2: Answer the questions. 1. Does the author consider being told he is strange an insult or a compliment? _________________________________________________________ 2. What did Einstein once say? _________________________________________________________ 3. What were butterflies once called? _________________________________________________________ 4. What part of the body is impossible to lick? __________________________________________________________ 5. How many clocks are there in Las Vegas casinos? __________________________________________________________
Activity: Sentence Structure Choose the best answer for each one. 1. Urban areas are growing _______ quickly ________ for the first time in history, most of the world will be living in cities by 2007. A. so….. and B. both…. and C. so….that D. either…or 2. The changes are _______ rapid _________ by 2015, the list of the world’s largest cities will be dramatically different. A. so….. and b. both…. and C. so….that D. either…or 3. ___________ for the foreseeable future, Tokyo will remain the largest city in the world. A. Therefore, B. However, C. In addition D. Although 4. The study by the UN population division estimated __________ 48% of the world’s population was living in urban areas in 2003. A. that B. why C. when D. which 5. It is projected to exceed the 50% mark by 2007, thus A. marked this amount for the first time in history. B. marking this amount for the first time in history. C. mark this amount for the first time in history. D. is marked this amount for the first time in history.
YESTERDAY’S ANSWER KEY:
VOCABULARY Must Have TOEFL Words Part 1 Circle the most likely meaning of the word part that is shared within each set of words. 1. circulate, circumnavigate, circuit The root circ / circum probably means a. around b. broken c. fair d. straight 2. innovative, novel, renovate The root nov probably means a. clear b. old c. new d. sweet 3. installation, implement, imprison The prefix in-/im- probably means a. aside b. behind c. in d. out Part 2 Pop Quiz Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word only once. combustion convey permeate source trigger 1. It is often difficult to _______ the meaning of a poem to a large audience. 2. The __________ of the gossip was someone inside this office. 3. Her bad mood that day __________ the atmosphere in the laboratory. 4. The internal __________ engine revolutionized the way automobiles run. 5. A cigarette __________ the explosion.
New Meanings for Old Words Handkerchief (noun) cold storage. Inflation (noun) cutting money in half without damaging the paper.
Pun of the Day The pun is the ultimate word play. It forms the basis of a large percentage of the jokes we hear every day. What did the grape say when it got stepped on? Nothing - but it let out a little whine. Popular Casual Expressions Hit Dog Will Holler If a stone is thrown into a pack of dogs, the one hit by the stone will usually holler. The guilty party is usually the most vocal. The teacher said, "Hit dog will holler" to her noisy students who claimed they did not throw any paper in class. Chicken Head Not smart. That chicken head tried to hijack a bus to Cuba. Most Often Misspelled Words In English exceed Remember that this one is -ceed, not -cede. (To exceed all expectations, master the spellings of this word, "precede" and "supersede" below.) existence No word like this one spelled with an [a] is in existence. This word is a menage a quatre of one [i] with three [e]s.
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ELEMENTARY: (Part 1) 1.c 2.a 3.b 4.d (Part 2) a.cold b.freeze c.popular d.keep (Activity) 1.It’s twenty five past twelve. 2.It’s ten to ten. 3.It’s twenty five to two. 4.It’s twenty past five. 5.It’s six o clock. 6.It’s twenty five past three. 7.It’s five to six. 8. It’s ten past eight. 9.It’s twenty past six. 10.It’s five past ten. INTERMEDIATE: (Part 1) 1.d 2.b 3.a 4.c (Part 2) a.discuss b.advertisements c.spelling d.politicians (Activity) 1.a 2.the 3.the 4.the 5.the 6.the 7.a 8.a 9.X/the 10.x/the 11.the 12.the 13.the 14.X/the 15.X/the 16.X 17.an 18.X 19.X 20.the ADVANCED: (Part 1) 1.d 2.a 3.a 4.d 5.b 6.c 7.b 8.b 9.c 10.a (Part 2) 1.He hadn’t slept well the night before. 2.It showed that we usually get 8 hours of sleep a night. 3.We restore important biological processes and cement memories. 4.Extended periods of sleep are better. 5.You shouldn’t watch TV in bed, and you shouldn’t got to bed at different times. (Activity) 1.b 2.d 3.b 4.d 5.b
In cooperation with English Time
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SPORTS
Robinho blames Blues for failed deal Chelsea's mistake of putting Robinho's jersey on sale before he was signed was largely responsible for Real Madrid stopping the deal from going through, the Brazil striker said. Robinho, who ended up moving to Manchester City for a Britishrecord fee of 40 million euros ($58 million) said Chelsea's offering of shirts bearing his name angered Real and made the deal all but impossible. Sao Paulo, AP
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2008
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SOCCER
TFF decides to sue previous administration The Turkish Soccer Federation (TFF) Board of Directors has decided to file a criminal complaint about the TFF's former administration and former TFF President Haluk Ulusoy over a match between Trabzonspor and Beþiktaþ which was played on Oct. 20, 2007. The TFF board decided at a recent meeting that the former administration was guilty of negligence and that it had taken action very late. The TFF issued a written statement that read, "After concluding its investigation, the TFF Board of Directors decided that the TFF had filed charges against the former TFF administration too late." Previously Sivasspor had turned to the TFF, claiming that Beþiktaþ should have lost its match against Trabzonspor because the Black Eagles had violated the condition of having at least one player under the age of 18 in the first 18 players of the team. Had Sivasspor's complaint been accepted, it believes that it would have ranked third and Beþiktaþ fourth, allowing it to play in the UEFA Cup. However, the federation rejected its claim, arguing that it was too late to object to the result of Beþiktaþ's match, which was played in the first half of the league. However, the TFF launched an investigation into the event which resulted in a case against the former administration. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
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clear first Eurobasket 2009 qualifying hurdle The "12 Giant Men," as the Turkish men's national basketball team is called, cruised past Ukraine 86-73 in their opening Group Cup Eurobasket 2009 qualifying game at Ýstanbul's Abdi Ýpekçi Sports Arena on Wednesday night. Fenerbahçe Ülker big man Oðuz Savaþ scored half his team's points in a 12-2 run to close out the second period and give Turkey a 51-37 halftime lead, which it never relinquished. Savaþ, Efes Pilsen's Kerem Gönlüm and NBA All-Star Hedo Türkoðlu scored 15 apiece to lead Turkey. Türkoðlu also recorded seven rebounds and five assists, while BC Triumph's Kerem Tunçeri hit three threepointers en route to 13 points and Ersan Ýlyasova of Barcelona posted 10 points and 12 boards. Artem Butskyy and Andriy Agafonov led Ukraine with 15 points each. The French also started strong in this group, pulling away in the second half after leading just 34-33 at the break to bash Belgium 82-63. Cholet Basket guard Nando De Colo shined with 18 points in 27 minutes and Tony Parker contributed 19 to lead the French. Sam Van Rossom scored 17 and Christophe Beghin added 12 for Belgium. Turkey travels to Belgium on Saturday, while Ukraine entertains France in their second qualifying group matches for the Eurobasket 2009 proper that will be hosted by Poland. Elsewhere Meir Tapiro of Bnei Hasharon hit a pair of free-throws with less than a second left in regulation to force overtime and then Maccabi Tel Aviv big man Yaniv Green stepped up in overtime as Israel beat Great Britain 102-92 in a Group D thriller in Tel Aviv. In Group A, which has been playing for two weeks, Partizan Igokea forward Novica Velickovic scored 20 to lead Serbia past Bulgaria 74-64, knotting the teams atop that group's standings at 3-1. Qualifying action continues on Saturday with tough battles involving Italy and Serbia, Great Britain and the Czech Republic. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
BASEBALL
Red Sox tie MLB sellout streak at 455
Hedo Türkoðlu, one of the stars of the night.
Kimi Raikkonen
REUTERS
Serena subdues sister Venus in US Open quarterfinal thriller PHOTO
The Boston Red Sox sold out 96-year-old Fenway Park for the 455th consecutive regular season game on Wednesday, tying the Cleveland Indians' Major League Baseball record. "I have not seen anything but sellouts since I've been here," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "Think about it: That's unbelievable. That's the norm. I hope we don't ever get in a situation where we take it for granted. I know our organization doesn't." Francona's first season as Red Sox manager was in 2004, when the team won its first World Series in 86 years. The consecutive sellout streak started on May 15, 2003, when Pedro Martinez faced Alex Rodriguez and the Texas Rangers. The defending World Series champions will break it against American League East-leading Tampa Bay in their next home game next week. Cleveland set the mark at Jacobs Field from June 12, 1995 to April 2, 2001, winning two AL pennants during that span. American League baseball results: Chicago White Sox 4, Cleveland 2; Boston 5, Baltimore 4; Texas 1, Seattle 0; Detroit 9, LA Angels 6; Toronto 5, Minnesota 4, 11 innings; NY Yankees 8, Tampa Bay 4; Oakland at Kansas City, ppd., rain. In the National League it was: Florida 5, Atlanta 3; NY Mets 9, Milwaukee 2; San Francisco 9, Colorado 2 Arizona 4, St. Louis 3; Washington 9, Philadelphia 7; Pittsburgh 6, Cincinnati 5; Houston 4, Chicago Cubs 0; LA Dodgers 6, San Diego 4. Boston AP
Giant Men
Kimi Raikkonen can revive his flagging Formula One title hopes this weekend with a flat-out "pedal to the metal" performance at his favorite Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The fast and flowing Belgian Grand Prix circuit has favored the Finn more than any driver in recent years and Ferrari's world champion desperately needs to conjure up some of his old magic on Sunday. Raikkonen has won the last three grands prix at the 7-kilometer Ardennes track, a run dating back to 2004 with McLaren, and another victory would show he is still very much a contender. "This is the one that I've been waiting for," Raikkonen said on his website (www.kimiraikkonen.com). "The weekend of Spa is always a certain highlight of the season for me. You cannot get the same kind of 'pedal to the metal' feeling anywhere else.'" Without a win since the end of April, and with teammate Felipe Massa seven points clear of him with six races remaining, Raikkonen knows that it is otherwise a matter of time before Ferrari declare his title defense over and order him to help the Brazilian. Raikkonen scored 29 points from his first four races of the season but has taken just 28 from his last eight starts amid increasing speculation about his motivation. Massa, who drew a blank in his first two races, has come on strongly and is now just six points behind McLaren's championship leader Lewis Hamilton. He won the last race in Valencia while Raikkonen retired with a blown engine. Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali made clear last week that there would come a point when a decision had to be made. "Kimi will help Felipe if necessary," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "We talked about it at the start of the year. But before that happens, let's see how things develop." Spa, with its capricious climate, should give the Finn every opportunity to make his point before Ferrari's home race at Monza a week later closes out the European part of the season. London Reuters AP
MESUT YILDIRIM PHOTO AA PHOTO
The Çýraðan Masters Golf Tournament, which the Golf fans have been waiting for six years, finally begins on September 13th at Kemer Golf&Country Club, Ýstanbul's best golf club. Çýraðan Palace Kempinsky administrators want the tournament, which brings distinguished members of business world, to become traditional. The tournament will have three categories and 80 opeople will participate in it. The players will run in Men 1st category (0-12 Handicaps), Men 2nd category (13-28 Handicaps) and Women category (0 28 Handicaps). The reward of the winners will be a one week vacation at Kempinsky Hotel The Dome Belek. The ones who rank second will be awarded with a vacation at Kempinsky Hotel Barbaros Bay Bodrum and the ones who rank third will have their one week vacation at Çýraðan Palace Kempinsky. The tournament will begin at 10:00 in the morning and will finish at 15:00 in the afternoon. The award ceremony will be held at Çýraðan Palace Kempinsky at 20:00 on the same day. Ýstanbul Today's Zaman
Spa can revive Raikkonen's title challenge
PHOTO
GOLF
Çýraðan tournament begins on Sept. 13
Serena Williams (L) and her sister, Venus
Serena Williams fought off 10 set points to prevail in the greatest duel yet with sister Venus, a heart-stopping 76, 7-6 victory that put her in the US Open semifinals on Wednesday night. Played with uncommon ferocity and passion from both combatants, Serena emerged triumphant in the grueling two hour 25 minute battle to reach the final four at Flushing Meadows for the first time since her 2002 win. The eight-times grand slam winner turned away two set points in the first 8-6 tiebreaker and eight more in the second set, including four in the final 9-7 tiebreak, which ended with a Venus forehand drive landing beyond the baseline. "I can't believe
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I won," Serena said courtside. "Wow." With the victory Serena edged to a 9-8 advantage in her head-to-head sibling rivalry with Venus. "I think we played a great match today, Serena said. It just boiled down to one point here and there." Serena put on an amazing display of athleticism, racing from corner to corner to retrieve rocket forehands from Venus, stretching, straining and even sliding into a full split along the baseline trying to run down a blast. The win sent Serena to the semifinals against sixth seed Dinara Safina, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Italy's Flavia Pennetta. Friday's other women's semifinal will have
second seed Jelena Jankovic against Olympic champion Elena Dementieva. One of the semifinalists will supplant Ana Ivanovic as world number one at the end of the tournament. Top seed Rafael Nadal, looking for his first US Open title to underline his new status as world number one, booked a date with Briton Andy Murray in the men's semifinals. The Spaniard closed Wednesday's marathon night session with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 62 victory over unseeded American Mardy Fish. Murray gave a roar of relief after ending the 23-match winning streak of Argentine teenager Juan Martin Del Potro 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 to reach his first grand slam semifinal. New York Reuters
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