AMBASSADOR MARS US VISIT WITH SURPRISE RESIGNATIONTurkey's ambassador in Washington has shocked observ-ers by resigning from his post, apparently after a dispute over protocol with Foreign Minister Davuto�lu during PM Erdo�an's high-profile White House talks.
'TURKEY SHOULD DROP KARABAKH CONDITION FOR ARMENIA TIES'Within days of PM Erdo�an linking the issues of normalization of ties between Ankara and Yerevan to resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, a senior US offi-cial urged Turkey to make prog-ress without setting preconditions.
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Yesterday was Human Rights Day, which marks the anniversary of the UN General Assembly's adop-
tion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Leaders released various messages to mark the day; however, Turkey is still a land of serious human rights violations, from torture at the hands of the police to unsolved murders, according to human rights groups. In 2008, according to statistics compiled by the
Human Rights Association (�HD), 1,546 people in Turkey were reported to have been subject to violence by state officials, private security companies or teachers. Of these, 448 were subject to maltreatment or torture under deten-tion, 264 by police forces outside detention or jail, while 333 were subject to such treatment in prison. More than 50 were threatened by members of the security forces, while 299 were injured as a result of police intervention in public demonstrations. One-hundred twenty-six stu-dents were subject to physical abuse in school. According
to the �HD's report, 28 people died in explosions caused by land mines buried near villages in the Southeast. The total number of such incidents reported in 2007 was 678, meaning violations of Turkey's zero-tolerance-for-tor-ture policy has more than doubled in one year. The organizations have not yet completed reports for the current year. The Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples (MAZLUM-DER), another human rights group, reported 1,103 violations of the right to life in 2008. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
ENVIRONMENTAL NGOs CRITICIZE GOV'T CLIMATE
CHANGE STRATEGY
Environmental groups have raised concerns over Turkey's recently announced Climate Change National Strategy Document, because it would not facilitate a mutual agreement in Copenhagen where nations of the world are trying to find ways to fight climate change. “The document, which was presented under the slogan ‘Turkey becomes a partner to the solution' has elements which could block a mutual agreement in Copenhagen, rather than helping it,” said a statement from Greenpeace Mediterranean, based in �stanbul. Greenpeace officials further stated that Turkey's strategy document “is weak, shies from the seriousness of the fact of climate change and undermines Turkey's capacity to combat it.” Hilal At�c�, from Greenpeace Mediterranean, said that they were disappointed that Turkey's proposed emission reduction target is just 7 percent by 2020, and said the country's energy sector targets are behind those of China and the European Union. CONTINUED ON PAGE 09
Turkey still struggles with human rights violations
Hikmet Çetin, the former NATO senior civil-ian representative in Afghanistan, said US
President Barack Obama's new strategy can be suc-cessful only if the Western powers are able to win the hearts of the Afghan people. Çetin, who served in Afghanistan between 2004 and 2006, assessed the situation in Afghanistan, the possible challenges and opportunities in the region and also the role of Turkey in an exclusive interview with Today's Zaman after his visit to Afghanistan two weeks ago when he met with many officials, including the re-elected president, Hamid Karzai. CONTINUED ON PAGE 06
The Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) revealed yesterday that Turkey's gross domestic
product (GDP) shrank by 3.3 percent in the third quarter of 2009, compared to the same period last year, though it is showing that the growth situation bettered after a significant dive in GDP growth rates after the onset of the crisis. According to the data release, which calculates the GDP both based on the current prices method and by basing it on 1998 prices, Turkey continued to shrink in the third quarter of 2009 compared to the same period last year, making it the fourth quarter in a row that its GDP growth has dipped below zero. CONTINUED ON PAGE 07
FORMER NATO ENVOY ÇET�N: TURKEY CAN DO MORE IN AFGHANISTAN
GDP SHRINKS BY 3.3 PCT, BUT SHOWING STRONG
SIGNS OF RECOVERY
All opponents of reform
package al�gned on same po�ntTurkey's three main opposition parties, the Republican People's Party (CHP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and
the Democratic Society Party (DTP), interestingly hold the same position as the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on the government's ongoing efforts for a reform package that could settle the country's decades-old Kurdish question, though they differ drastically on many other national issues. The confluence was brought up publicly by
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Ar�nç on Wednesday, as he said the opposition of the CHP and the MHP to the reform package is the same as that of the pro-Kurdish DTP and the terrorist PKK. The DTP has long been accused of siding with the PKK, as it has failed to label it a terrorist organization. “Previously, two political parties were opposed to the [democratization] initiative. They were the CHP and the MHP. Now the DTP and the PKK are also opponents of the initiative. Is such a
similarity possible? If I were an MHP politician, I would question myself about the point my party has reached. The MHP leader threatened to go to the mountains, and four months later Emine Ayna [DTP co-chairperson] said the same. What kind of similarities are these?” Ar�nç asked. The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government announced its intention to bring a stron-ger democracy to the country and settle the long-standing Kurdish question through peaceful methods
in a massive reform package. The government aims to reduce internal and external support for the PKK with its package and in this way root out the terrorist organization. Turkey's opposition parties, however, have voiced their objection to the plans since the day it was made public. AK Party Ad�yaman deputy Hüsrev Kutlu said opponents of the initiative were all working “on the same line.” “The DTP and the PKK are responsible for street demonstrations in the east and southeast of Turkey. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
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TREASURY TO PAY TL 200 BLN IN DEBT IN 2010 PAGE 07
Activists from avaaz.org dressed as aliens roam the halls of the Bella center during the UN Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen on Thursday.
09 13 10 Government regards fight against discrimination facing the Roma community a moral duty, Çelik says
New book by architect and artist Céline Condorelli delves into practice of support for artistic production
Y o u r Wa y o f U n d e r s t a n d � n g T u r k e y
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page10 Russia sees thaw on Karabakh next year
Obama accepts peace prize, defends ‘just wars’
CMYK
‘F O O D F O R T H O U G H T
We do not welcome any escalation and are ready to hold further talks [with world powers] over global issues.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo�an
‘Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
Israeli leaders should refrain from using the relationship they have with us as a card to wage aggression on a third party.
‘WORDS OF WI SDOM
The greatest enemy of any one of our truths may be the rest of our truths.
William James
columns
It really is difficult to say ‘Let no one die’RAD�KAL �SMET BERKAN
To really step forward and proclaim “Let no one else die” is truly somet-hing that demands courage, after all these years of bloody terror. I suppo-se it needs no pointing out, but the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is an
organization which has imposed violence and bloo-diness on its own arenas for years now. And I have no doubt that if the “democratic rights” for which they say they are fighting were to fall suddenly tomorrow morning from the sky, they would still find reasons to carry on their war. Just take a look at the situati-on: The whole struggle to see Kurds achieve their “democratic, social, cultural, and economic rights” has been reduced lately to seeing Abdullah Öcalan trying to once again prove his personal ego and le-adership, and within this, questions over precisely how many square centimeters his prison cell is. Yes-terday in my column I asked the question, “Is it really that difficult to say ‘Let no one die’?” And I got my answer: It really is very difficult. Because apparently there is no one better than us when it comes to mi-sunderstanding words and phrases, or finding certain “sacred” reasons to carry on the death all around.
So far with arrogance!YEN� �AFAK FEHM� KORU
America is a nation with a conce-ited stance; those events which have taken place in the White House have always been brought about by “conceited” individu-als. The greatest role played in
the back-to-back mistakes made by George W. Bush was by his very spirit, which was descri-bed as “imperial conceit.” Statements made by Bush and his aides such as “You’re either with us or against us,” or “We will remain in Iraq for 100 years if necessary” are all directly linked to that “conceited” state. Thus Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo�an’s words that didn’t relay “what they wanted to hear” but rather what he thinks is “true,” and the fact that he does not “bow and scrape” in his public speeches is not a situation to which the US is accustomed. The fact that Obama extended the amount of time he had already allotted to listen to his guest’s gentle warning of “Please wake up” is really a point in the US leader’s favor.
pr ess rou ndup
Various festivities were held in the northwestern province of Kastamonu on Thursday to mark the 90th anniversary of the first demonstration held by women in the province. The protest took place on Dec. 10, 1919, during the War of Independence.
taraf: “We will never give up on the initiative,” said the daily in the headline of a front-page article yesterday, quoting remarks from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo�an. Addres-sing the concerns of those who think the latest violent inci-dents in Turkey and the killing of seven soldiers in a terrorist attack in Tokat on Monday will bring an end to the government’s Kurdish initiative process, Erdo�an said: “Turkey should complete this process with success. My party and my govern-ment are determined to finalize this process with courage des-pite the obstacles and provocations.” Erdo�an’s remarks came in Washington before flying to Mexico for an official visit.
habertürk: In its main story yesterday, the daily repor-ted that Turkish Ambassador to the United States Nabi �ensoy announced his resignation following Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo�an’s trip to Washington early this week. According to the daily, Erdo�an wanted his meeting with US President Barack
Obama to have the participation of the top diplomats of both co-untries and asked �ensoy to convey his request to Washington, but �ensoy failed to do so. At the White House, when only Obama and Erdo�an were admitted to the Oval Office, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto�lu said: “I also wanted to participate in this mee-ting. Who is responsible for this organizational problem?” Upon hearing this, �ensoy acknowledged his mistake and asked the mi-nister to take the necessary action against him. Without waiting for Davuto�lu’s decision, �ensoy decided to resign, the daily said.
milliyet: “When, if not now,” asked the daily in the headline of a page one article yesterday, calling on Erdo�an and Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, who have not gathered for a meeting for the past three-and-a-half years, to meet in the wake of the escalating tension in the country. The daily said the leaders should come together and discuss the co-urse of events in the country without losing any time.
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Turkey’s stance on IranBUGÜN AHMET TA�GET�REN
When it comes to the question of Iran and nuclear weapons, and of nuclear weapons in the Middle East in general, Turkey is asking, “Why isn’t anyone paying attention to Israel’s nuclear weapons?” Yes,
why not? And if President Obama were to ask this question? Turkey is asking questions about other nuclear stockpiles in other places in the world and in the meantime, we are being questioned by lob-bies from other nations who have done their best to conceal their own nuclear weapons and who are pointing the finger at Turkey and saying, “Why is Turkey defending Iran?” What Obama really wan-ted to say to Erdo�an was, “If we don’t take acti-on against Iran, Israel will do it by military force, so Turkey should join in the action taken against Iran, as this is better than the latter option.” And Erdo�an is presumably ready to swallow this bait? I don’t think so. Turkey is way beyond that point.
Has the �n�t�at�ve
process ended?
Following the escalation of violence in Turkey over the past days, with sympathizers of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and pro-Kurdish Democratic Soci-ety Party (DTP) taking to the streets to protest the prison conditions of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, and the deaths of seven soldiers in a terrorist attack in Tokat on Monday, many think that the end of the road is in sight for the Justi-ce and Development Party (AK Party) government’s Kur-dish initiative. The initiative, launched this summer, seeks to find a peaceful solution to Turkey’s Kurdish problem. Hopes for the Kurdish initiative faded further when the DTP’s hawkish leader, Emine Ayna, announced that her party was withdrawing support from the initiative process, which she said aimed to eliminate her party. During the-ir parliamentary group meetings on Tuesday, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, who were against the initiative from the very beginning, asked the government to end the process. In consideration of all this, many now question whether the initiative process has come to an end and the possible risks of ending this pro-cess, which aims to solve Turkey’s most serious problem.
Sabah’s Nazl� Il�cak, looking at the feeling prevailing among opposition parties about the end of the initiative process on the grounds that cooperation between the AK Party and the DTP has been spoiled, says they miss the point of the initiative as she adds, “Certainly, views will be exchanged with the DTP, even Öcalan’s views regarding the process can be sought behind closed doors but the tar-get of this initiative is the public itself, the Kurdish citizens of this country.” Il�cak suggests that the initiative process should continue so that more soldiers are not martyred. “The government did not say, ‘Let’s try a Kurdish initiati-ve’ when everything was perfect in Turkey. Security mea-sures have not been shelved during this process and social, cultural and economic steps have been taken that will re-lieve the Kurdish public and strengthen their commitment to the nation during this process,” explains Il�cak, stressing the importance of the continuation of this process.
Describing the attack in Tokat as an obvious provo-cation which aims to block the initiative process, Star’s Mustafa Karaalio�lu thinks those who are clever enough to see this and able to make an analysis of the events should not rejoice like Bahçeli and Baykal, saying, “The initiative process has finally ended.” He says a problem whose history is packed with blood cannot be solved in a single day and that time and patience are needed for its solution. “It is useful for those who are happy at the pros-pect of the end of the initiative and side with the CHP, MHP and DTP to follow the solution process without ex-citement. The lack of a solution means a painful process, just as in the past,” remarks Karaalio�lu.
Criticizing those who hold the initiative process respon-sible for the rise of tension in the country, Sabah’s Mahmut Övür says the real cause of the chaos in Turkey is actually an opposition mentality which defends the “old Turkey.”
CROSS READER
FATMA D��L� [email protected]
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PKK-DTP-CHP-MHP
blood brotherhoodTake a look at what Ümit, the brother of the 17-year-old innocent young girl named Serap Eser who was burned by a Molotov cocktail thrown by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants while re-turning home from a university prepara-tion course in �stanbul and later died of organ failure due to her infected burns, said in response to the unbearable pain of losing a sister: “This atrocity is not something that can halt the initiative. This process is not a new process. The PKK case is nothing new.” Let’s also lend an ear to Serap’s cousin Hasan Güven: “Of course, it is wrong to hold all Kurds responsible for this incident. Only terrorists are guilty. Ten people cannot pay the penalty for one person’s crime. Just like with Alevis and Sunnis, there are good and bad people among Kurds.”
Every time Turkey gets ready to take a step towards democratization and solv-ing the Kurdish problem bloody terror at-tacks, which are undoubtedly carried out with deep state -- deep PKK cooperation, take place. Innocent people are subjected to great pain. Look at what the mourning uncle of private Cengiz Sar�ba� from Gire-sun, who was one of the sevens soldiers killed in the latest malicious attack that took place in Tokat’s Re�adiye district, has to say: “This war is meaningless. It must end. There is no other side [in this war] for all of us to go and become a martyr. Both those who are being killed and those who are pulling the trigger are this coun-try’s children. Many more Cengizs will go, but those who go don’t come back. It is for this reason that I fully support the initia-tive. Baykal and Bahçeli should assume re-sponsibility. History will write about this.”
The father of slain private Yakup Mut-lu from Mu� at the other end of the coun-try hopes the democratic initiative will conclude successfully despite the devas-tating pain he is feeling, and in tears says: “Today Yakup died, but at least let’s not have others die tomorrow. After all Baykal and Bahçeli are well situated.”
What do you think the Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, about whom the mourning father said was “well situated,” has to say? “To con-tinue the democratization initiative pro-cess after this point as if nothing has hap-pened, as if nothing wrong has happened is turning from a matter of negligence or error into a matter of betrayal. Blatantly swallowing up, acting as if it is normal and digesting the events that have transpired in a country such as Turkey is unaccept-able. The initiative process is a project that has been put into effect with the coopera-tion of the PKK and the Justice and Devel-opment Party (AK Party). The AK Party is in panic at the point it has reached today. It has not been able to conduct a feasible and acceptable evaluation and confront the inevitable results of its own policies.”
So what is the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, who has been opposing the democratic initia-tive from the beginning like the CHP, say-ing: “If the government does not return from the path it has embarked on, it will become impossible to expect our people to show more patience, and remain calm in the face of open attacks against their national values. Our desire is for our country to reach the election safe and sound. Otherwise, if the nation stirs up once there will be no government, no col-laborative lobbies and no Kandil network. The recent events have become extremely perilous and worrisome. The project of destruction which the government has
named the so-called democratic initia-tive is completely responsible for these developments. My suggestion to the gov-ernment is to return from the wrong road they have gone down at once. Abandon the so-called initiative you have started before it causes more devastation.”
Would you like to hear what the Democratic Society Party (DTP) is say-ing? Hear are pearls of wisdom from DTP Deputy Chairwoman Emina Ayna on the initiative: “If the air conditioning in �mral� is being covered with a cage, if there are breathing problems then this means ‘we are suffocating the Kurdish problem, we aren’t going to allow the Kurdish people to breath.’ This is how we perceive and criticize the situation … the initiative is over, friends. The initiative ended when the interior minister and prime minister prevented the DTP from entering �zmir.” (But, Ayna knows better than us that those who prevented the DTP in �zmir were CHP and MHP supporters.)
And what is the PKK saying? The PKK isn’t talking, it is shedding blood. It is turning streets into battle grounds and making life hell for innocent people that are trying to continue with their regular lives and chase after modest dreams for the future. It is the brutal killing of the un-fortunate children of this country that are so poor that they send 100 liras ($70) of the 120 ($85) liras they get from the army to their poverty-stricken mother. It is leav-ing young bodies lifeless and mourning mothers hopeless.
What does the CHP, MHP, PKK and DTP want? What are these parties and organizations that may appear to be very different but are identical when it comes to the things they do, in favor of saying and offering? Of course, they are in favor of the immediate ending of the democratic initiative process, upon which the major-ity of those who have a yearning for peace and democracy have pinned their hopes. Of course, they are in favor of the con-tinuation of the bloody, painful and dirty war that has been continuing for the least 25 years and that has killed more than 40,000 people, injured tens of thousands, displaced hundred of thousands and has cause hundreds of billions of dollars to be wasted in the name of counterterrorism.
You may ask, what else would you expect from a CHP that is antidemo-cratic enough to make an appeal for a coup from the platform of Parliament and from an MHP and DTP that is deprived of humanitarian sensitivity and is unable to show as much foresight as mourning mothers, fathers, brothers and relatives? Right, what else can be expected from these political parties that pledge blood instead of a solution, death instead of life, and destruction instead of construction? Yes, you are right, blood and death trade as well as the approval of coups should be expected from those of their kind. Betrayal as well as hoping to acquire political gain and prosperity from the death of innocent people can be expected from them.
Is there any other way the blood brotherhood between the CHP, MHP and DTP (you can add the PKK to this as well), which do not want to abandon their habit of conducting politics over pain, blood and death and are undoubt-edly in cooperation and harmony with terror organizations and deep state gangs, could have been clearer?
Unfortunately, there is nothing else we can do but to curse all those who embrace death and their nause-ating action and discourses.
CMYK
Samanyolu High School wins 16 medals at TÜB�TAK science olympiad
Ankara’s private Saman-yolu High School won 16 medals in the 17th Na-
tional Science Olympiad, which was organized by the Scien-ti� c and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜB�TAK) and concluded on Wednesday.
The awards were handed out during a ceremony held at the Min-istry of Education’s Assembly Hall in Ankara. The olympiad covered the subjects of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and computers.
Samanyolu students Mehmet Can �ahiner and Cihad Özge won gold medals for their school in chem-istry and computers, respectively. Os-man Akyan Kargin, a student from �zmir’s private Yamanlar College, which won 13 medals this year, re-ceived a gold medal in biology. Other winners include Yunus Emre Demirci from Erzurum’s Aziziye High School, who won a gold medal in math, and Makbule Esen from �stanbul’s private Kas�mo�lu Co�kun High School, who won a gold medal in chemistry.
Turkish students place well in international science olympiads, TÜB�TAK Chairwoman Nüket Yeti� said at the ceremony. She noted that 35 students were sent to international olympiads in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and won 18 awards on average in these years. The number of awards won has been on a gradual increase in recent years, Yeti� said. “Our students returned with 29 awards in 2007, 32 in 2008 and 34 in 2009. These are the admirable results of [Turkey’s] invest-ment in science.” �stanbul Today’s Zaman
BÜLENTKENE�
State Minister Hayati Yaz�c� presented winning students with medals in a ceremony held at the MEB Assembly Hall in Ankara.
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Turkey’s ambassador in Washington has shocked political observers by resign-
ing from his post, apparently after a dispute over protocol with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto�lu during Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo�an’s high-pro� le White House talks.
The Foreign Ministry offered no infor-mation as to why Ambassador Nabi �ensoy resigned, in a statement released late on Wednesday, but sources told Today’s Za-man that the career diplomat had asked the ministry to reassign him to Ankara after a row with Davuto�lu over the minister’s at-tendance in one-on-one talks with between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo�an and US President Barack Obama at the White House on Monday.
According to the sources’ account, during the preparations for Erdo�an’s Washington visit, US of� cials had told the Turkish government via �ensoy that the president wanted a one-on-one meeting with Erdo�an, in addition to a scheduled meeting attended by both leaders and their del-egations. The government responded favorably, but Erdo�an insisted that the meeting be attended by the Turkish and US top diplomats as well, given Davuto�lu’s deep involvement and expertise in is-sues to be discussed with the US president.
When the meeting attended by the delega-tions ended, President Obama said it was time for one-on-one talks. Davuto�lu stayed in the room, assuming that he and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were also part of the talks, but was told by US organizers that the meeting had been arranged as one between Obama and Erdo�an only and that no one else, except their interpreters, would be present.
Surprised, Davuto�lu asked �ensoy why the foreign ministers were not part of the meeting, as requested by the Turkish government. The con-tent of the conversation is not clear, but according to the sources’ account and reports in the media, �ensoy said he took responsibility, without offer-
ing the minister an explanation, and that he was ready to submit his resignation if Davuto�lu asked for it. Davuto�lu reportedly did not take the con-versation any further while the Obama-Erdo�an meeting was in progress. Following the conclusion of Erdo�an’s visit, �ensoy wrote to the Foreign Ministry and formally asked to return to Ankara.
In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Burak Özügergin said �ensoy asked to quit his post and return to Ankara on Dec. 8, a day after Erdo�an’s White House talks, and that his re-quest had been accepted. Özügergin noted that �ensoy’s term would expire in the � rst half of 2010 because the 65-year-old diplomat was to retire as there is an age limitation for diplomats. �ensoy would spend the rest of his career in Ankara.
In an interesting twist of fate, �ensoy was involved in a similar incident nearly two de-cades ago, during a visit by then President
Turgut Özal to the White House for talks with then-US President George H. W. Bush. The for-eign minister at that time, Ali Bozer, resigned after he was excluded from Özal-Bush talks in 1990 while �ensoy, then the presidential undersecretary, stayed in the room.
Political motives?�ensoy’s unexpected resignation cast a shadow on Erdo�an’s Washington visit, which has widely been hailed as successful by the Turkish media. Some reports linked the resignation to the alleged neglect of �ensoy by Erdo�an and Davuto�lu during the visit, saying the top government of-ficials had excluded him from several of-ficial meetings in Washington. But others said there could be political motives behind the ambassador’s surprise resignation just
months before his retirement.�ensoy is believed to belong to a conserva-
tive camp within the Foreign Ministry that is skeptical of the government’s proactive foreign diplomacy and its attempts to expand in� uence in the Middle East. His resignation may thus fuel an existing rift between the government and the secularist, pro-status quo diplomatic circles. The tension was most apparent when Erdo�an blamed “mon cher” diplomats of not being able to catch up with his government’s active foreign policy vision following his walk-out from a World Economic Forum in January after a heated exchange with Israeli President Shimon Peres over an Israeli offensive in Gaza.
There was even speculation that �ensoy might be looking for a political home and that he might have just found one by scoring a sensational goal against the government right before his retirement. “�ensoy wanted to steal the show from Erdo�an in the US visit, which was highly valued by Erdo�an. He had nothing to lose, anyway, since he was retiring in a few months. Instead of retiring silently, he preferred to return to Ankara as a diplomat who rebuked the prime minister and the foreign minister,” wrote Yavuz O�han on a CNN Türk Web site. “Who knows, this diplomatic and equally polit-ical move might open the way for a political ca-reer for �ensoy after his retirement,” O�han went on, suggesting that there could be an opening for him in the opposition Republi-can People’s Party (CHP), where Onur Öy-men, a former diplomat, is fast losing credi-bility because of recent controversial remarks defending the killing of tens of thousands of people in Dersim, now Tunceli, in an anti-riot operation in the late 1930s.
US: Visit a ‘great success’US of� cials in Ankara declined to comment on the resignation, telling Today’s Zaman that the prime minis-ter’s visit had been a “great success.” �stanbul Today’s Zaman
Ambassador mars US visit with surprise resignation
Despite the great geographical distance between the two countries, Mexico and Turkey could join forces against
organized crime through learning from each other’s experi-ence, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo�an has said.
Erdo�an’s remarks came in Mexico City on Wednesday at a joint press conference following a meeting with his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon. Erdo�an, who was in Washington for an official visit earlier this week, pro-ceeded to Mexico, marking the first prime ministerial-level visit from Turkey to this country in almost a decade.
While Mexico is a transit country for drug smuggling from South America to the United States, Turkey is a transit coun-try for drug smuggling from Afghanistan to Western Europe, Calderon said at the conference, noting that the two countries have agreed on bilateral cooperation on the issue.
“Our security forces have carried out very successful opera-tions. Mexico is also experiencing the same trouble. And we have agreed on launching joint exercises. We may take joint steps against organized crime,” Erdo�an was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency, in response to Calderon’s remarks. He also referred to Mexico’s successful � ght against drug violence in the 1990s.
Calderon, meanwhile, voiced support for the UN-led Al-liance of Civilizations, an initiative which has been sponsored by Spain and Turkey, underlining the need for strengthening dialogue between Muslim and Western cultures.
Erdo�an invited his Mexican counterpart to pay an of� cial visit to Turkey next year. Ankara Today’s Zaman with wires
Mexico, Turkey consider joint steps against crime
At their summit later this week, EU leaders may be incited by Cyprus to punish Turkey for not opening its harbors and air-ports to Greek Cypriot traf� c. They should resist and, instead, pledge support for negotiations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, which are now entering a crucial phase.
Nicosia’s stand is doubly ironic. It is pledging full commit-ment to the reuni� cation talks, yet is trying to penalize Turkey, a key partner in any settlement. Greek Cypriots say they want to see Turkey in the EU, yet they are pushing it away.
The timing is also wrong. Europe, Turkey and Cyprus face a new “last chance” to reunify the 1.1 million inhabitants of the island -- 80 percent Greek Cypriot, 20 percent Turkish Cypriot. Unfortunately, the downward road -- from a Greek Cypriot takeover in 1963, a Greece-backed coup in 1974 and the sub-sequent Turkish intervention -- is paved with last chances. The most recent chance was lost when the EU accepted as a member a country run only by Greek Cypriots. Its leader and 76 percent of Greek Cypriots had voted against the 2004 settlement, in-cluding a Turkish withdrawal, which had been backed by the EU, the UN, the US, Turkey and 65 percent of Turkish Cypriots. After that, Greek Cypriots blocked half of Turkey’s EU mem-bership negotiations, right-wing leaders from major EU states turned against Turkey’s European ambitions and a demoralized Turkey slowed its EU harmonization process to a crawl.
In February 2008, the Greek Cypriots elected a new, pro-compromise leader, Dimitris Christo� as. A promising new period of talks began with the equally progressive Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat. However, despite some success, these two old friends have not yet managed to rescue the situation. In the absence of a real deal, polls suggest that Talat will lose his seat to a national-ist hard-liner in elections in April.
If this happens, the underlying animosity stored up since 2004 could unravel the situation fast and the de facto partition will be-come permanent.
The EU will lose any prospect of EU-NATO cooperation and the positive impact that smooth EU-Turkey relations have had in its Middle Eastern backyard. Greece’s territorial conflicts with Turkey may unfreeze. Turkey will see the cha-risma and prosperity linked to its last decade’s EU integra-tion efforts evaporate, will face billions of euros of European lawsuits over occupied Greek Cypriot property and will fail to win recognition of a Turkish Cypriot state.
On Cyprus, Greek Cypriots will suffer inde� nitely Turkish troops in the occupied north, forfeit chances for restitution of occupied property and become a partial ghetto on the far east-ern margin of Europe. Turkish Cypriots, already squeezed by migrants from Turkey, and today barely half of the population of the north, will see living standards fall and their community scatter as full-scale integration with Turkey ensues.
Momentum in the old virtuous circle between the EU, Turkey and Cyprus can be rebuilt. The new German gov-ernment has dropped the idea of a second-class “privileged partnership” for Turkey it had been canvassing as a substi-tute for the long-promised goal of membership. In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy’s opposition to Turkey’s member-ship has brought new supporters of Turkey into the open. Greek Cypriots should send positive signals and find a way of accepting the Turkish offer of direct talks in the same room as the Turkish Cypriots, Greece and the UN. Turkey should act big and reach out to the Greek Cypri-ots to neutralize their real fears and lack of trust.
Ankara should also accelerate its recent new push on convergence with EU norms. This process is not just the proven best course for both sides. It is also the only path to the reunification of Cyprus -- and for this to happen, the next few months really are the last chance.
Hugh Pope is the International Crisis Group’s Turkey/Cyprus project di-rector and author of “Turkey Unveiled: A History of Modern Turkey. This article � rst appeared in European Voice
Don’t lose th�s last
chance on Cyprus
US urges Turkey to drop Karabakh
cond�t�on for t�es w�th Armen�a
Within days of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo�an clearly linking the issues of normaliza-tion of relations between Ankara and Yerevan to
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Baku and Yerevan, a senior US State Department of� cial urged Turkey to make progress on normalization efforts with Armenia without setting preconditions.
Following a White House meeting with US President Barack Obama on Monday, Erdo�an said progress in ongoing efforts at normalization between Armenia and Turkey was related to progress concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Obama had already “encouraged him [Erdo�an] to continue to move forward along this path,” in regards to the rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia. Obama’s remarks are considered an apparent re� ection of the US expectation of further progress on the normal-ization efforts with Armenia, probably through the swift rati� cation of the two protocols signed by the govern-ments on restoring diplomatic ties and reopening the common border between the two neighboring countries.
Philip H. Gordon, the assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs at the US State Depart-ment, who participated in White House talks between US and Turkish of� cials, touched upon the issue on Wednesday during a meeting at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
Reiterating US support for the process of normaliza-tion between Armenia and Turkey, Gordon added: “We would like to see the protocols rati� ed. We think this would bene� t Turkey and Armenia and help peace and stability throughout the region.”
On Monday Erdo�an said: “We have also discussed relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which are of great importance. This is important in the context of Turkish-Armenian relations. We have discussed the Minsk Group and what the Minsk Group -- the United States, Russia and France -- can do to add more impetus to that process. I can say that to have more impetus in the Minsk process is going to have a very positive impact on the overall process, because the normalization pro-cess between Turkey and Armenia is very much related to these issues. As the administration in Turkey, we are determined to move forward in this area.”
The Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has striven to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh con� ict, a territorial dispute be-tween Baku and Yerevan, for 17 years.
In response to a question regarding Erdo�an’s call for more impetus within the Minsk process, Gordon contin-ued: “We are actively engaged in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Not because we see it linked to the Turkey-Arme-
nia relationship, but because we think it could be also contributing to peace and stability in the region that both Armenia and Azerbaijan would bene� t from. [A] Minsk group co-chair is in the region right now because we think this is hugely important. But it has long been huge-ly important, and it’s hugely important independently of any other issue. It’s something we care [about], and we would like it to succeed. If both of these processes were to succeed, it would really be a historic development for the region.”
Underlining US expectations of seeing a “move for-ward as quickly as possible,” Gordon said the US has been asking both the Armenian and Turkish govern-ments for the rati� cation of the protocols “as soon as possible, without preconditions and independently of any other issue.”
Gordon, meanwhile, called what appeared to be the diverging approaches of the two NATO allies toward Iran’s nuclear program “a tactical difference.” Yet, he also noted that the US told Turkey about their “disap-pointment” over the fact that Turkey had abstained in a vote on a resolution in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), passed on Nov. 27, which censured Iran
for covertly constructing a second enrichment plant near the city of Qom, demanding a halt to construction.
There “could be problems” if measures such as sanc-tions are taken against Iran without seeking a diplomatic solution, Erdo�an said on PBS’s “Charlie Rose” show following his meeting with Obama.
Voicing gratitude for Turkey’s support in Afghani-stan, Gordon underlined that Richard Holbrooke, Obama’s special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, “cares deeply about the special cooperative relationship” between the US and Turkey in Afghanistan.
Ruling out arguments that Turkey has been drifting away from the West, Gordon said what he has observed is a Turkey that is aspiring to become a full European Union member, a goal supported by the US administration.
When reminded of Washington’s silence on the in-� uence of the military in Turkish politics, Gordon said: “I think we have always made clear that � rst of all we respect Turkey’s democracy and the need for appropri-ate civilian-military relations in Turkey. And when the prime minister comes here, we believe he is speaking for Turkey and the Turkish government. And we are satis-� ed with that relationship.”
AL� H. ASLAN WASHINGTON
OPINION
TODAY’S ZAMAN
Hugh Pope
�ensoy (L) together with Erdo�an (C) and then-Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül at a press conference in Washington following talks between Erdo�an and then-US President George W. Bush in 2006.
Philip H. Gordon, the US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, called what appeared to be diverging approaches by the US and Turkey toward Iran’s nuclear program “a tactical difference.”
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NATIONAL F R I DAY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9 TODAY’S ZAMAN05
Justice Minister Ergin says system to prevent judicial interference needed
Journalist Baransu demands probe into illegal gendarmerie wiretapping
Çiçek’s action plan first put into operation in Gaziantep
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) head Devlet Bahçeli has announced that the � rst of his party’s “Experience and Perpetuate the Thousand-Year-Old Brotherhood” meetings will be held on Sun-day at Ankara’s Tando�an Square. Amidst our cur-rent polarized atmosphere, such rallies are a source of concern.
Mr. Bahçeli and Mr. Baykal have unfortunately used the government’s move in launching the ini-tiative to commence a counterattack in a manner that pushes the boundaries of reason and demo-cratic consideration. Only three days ago, Repub-lican People’s Party (CHP) leader Baykal said: “It must be known that to continue with the initiative now means a diversion into blindness and error -- as Mustafa Kemal said in his Address -- and a transformation into outright treason. Just as force commanders are appearing in front of the prosecu-tor and accounting for their doings, we long for the days when hopefully prime ministers will also appear in front of the prosecution and be made to give their account.”
As Mr. Baykal is aware that Prime Minister Adnan Menderes was “made to give account” by junta members -- and was executed for his troubles -- but that this is the � rst time that junta members themselves have been taken to account, what ex-actly is the message that he’s trying to convey to Prime Minister Erdo�an? As for Bahçeli, he says, “The Justice and Development Party [AK Party] has accomplished what the PKK hasn’t been able to for 25 years.”
For months the CHP and MHP leaders have been castigating the government, calling them “di-visive, treasonous collaborators.” And meanwhile, they haven’t brought a single proposal to the table toward a solution to the problem at hand. This ap-proach, supported by certain segments of the me-dia, is raising levels of societal tension and strain. Given this atmosphere, the MHP’s rallies, which it deems acceptable given its own policies, should be evaluated given their potential to heighten danger. They cannot be disregarded.
It was also alleged in the second Ergenekon in-dictment that republican rallies were part of a plot to overthrow the legitimate government by illegal means. Today, those circles who have recognized that they can not unseat the AK Party government at the polls have begun to use tried and tested tac-tics. Their aim is to prepare an atmosphere in the country, with consecutive provocative actions, to push the government to impose emergency rule.
Let me call your attention to something: One of the prominent members of these circles is Do�u Silahç�o�lu, who is one of the powerful generals of the Feb. 28 era. In his article published in Cum-huriyet on Feb. 3, 2008, under the title “The Exit,” he said, “There is only one thing left in the struggle against political Islam: to remove the AK Party gov-ernment from ruling the country.”
Silahç�o�lu suggested two strategies to over-throw the government: “The legal way: To provide the closure of the AK Party by an application by the Supreme Court of Appeals’ Prosecutor’s Of� ce to the Constitutional Court, with the allegation of being the center of policies against the secular system of the country.” A mere 44 days after the publication of this article, the AK Party was declared the center of anti-secularist actions, on July 30, 2008, by the Constitu-tional Court, as Silahç�o�lu precisely advised. Closure was averted in lieu of a criminal penalty.
Social method: Let us not forget the statement of (�smet) �nönü, who was the leader of the CHP before the May 27, 1960, military coup: “When the conditions are right, revolution is the legal right of nations…” (Let us remind you the defense of CHP �stanbul deputy Esfender Korkmaz in Parliament’s General Assembly two days ago, that “a coup will take place if the public decides that an interven-tion is necessary…”) Or statements such as “A national front must be formed with wide participa-tion from the public, and the AK Party government must be removed from power!.. All supporters of the national front, those advocates of Atatürk’s Re-public, must hit the streets and � ll the squares,” as Silahç�o�lu said in his Feb. 3, 2008, column.
The gathering of one million was realized through republican rallies. Yet today the case into Ergenekon, a clandestine gang charged with plot-ting to overthrow the government, has opened their eyes, and nationalists have no strength left to carry out the same demonstrations. In light of this, the question, “Are the republican rallies the purview of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) this time?” becomes unavoidable. I guess the big-gest support of the MHP’s Sunday’s demonstration will be from CHP organizations and nationalists. In these troublesome days, a serious examination awaits the MHP administrators…
Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin has called for a new system to prevent any kind of internal
or external interference in the judiciary in Turkey.Stating that the issue of judicial indepen-
dence is not just an issue of the presence of the justice minister and his undersecretary, Ahmet Kahraman, on the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), Ergin said the in� u-ence of other members of the judiciary on judg-es and prosecutors should also be prevented.
Ergin attended a-two-day symposium of the European Commission’s Technical Assis-tance and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX) titled “Independence, Impartial-ity and Ef� ciency of the Judiciary” yesterday. Speaking at the symposium, held at the Turk-ish Union of Notaries (TNB), Ergin said the rule of law does not mean the rule of jurists. Stating that the rules of law are also binding for jurists, Ergin said the trust of the public in the judiciary is the basic principle of a state of law. “The principle of judicial independence is
one of the main aspects of the impartiality of the judiciary. It is only possible for members of the judiciary to make impartial decisions when there are no internal or external in� uences on them. While external in� uence means in-� uence by state institutions or other groups, internal in� uence means any kind of interfer-ence with the work of judges by those within the judiciary. A system which will protect the judiciary from internal in� uences as well as those from the outside should be established to ensure the judiciary’s impartiality and in-dependence,” he said. Ergin also stressed that from this perspective the debate on judicial independence should not only focus on the membership of the justice minister and his undersecretary in the HSYK.
Recalling that the ministry has prepared a judicial reform strategy to strengthen judicial independence and ensure its impartiality, Ergin said this plan also aims to restructure the scope of authority of HSYK. Emrullah Bayrak Ankara
Mehmet Baransu, whose phones were ille-gally wiretapped by the gendarmerie through
falsi� ed bureaucratic papers, � led a complaint with a prosecutor on Wednesday. He is also expected to sue the Ministry of the Interior.
Baransu went to a court in �stanbul with his law-yer Ergin Cinmen, who demanded an investigation into the identity of those from the Van Gendarmerie Command who applied for the wiretapping warrant.
Cinmen also stated in his petition that Baransu is a well-known journalist and he has been targeted by some political groups. Cinmen indicated that Baransu’s phones were wiretapped from Oct. 24, 2008, to Dec. 1 of this year. The act is a crime under the Turkish Penal Code 204/2, Cinmen wrote, and added that the gendarmerie of� cials’ application to the court to wiretap Baransu’s phone was illegal.
“They also committed various crimes, carrying out illegal procedures so as to keep my phone wire-tapping secret,” Baransu wrote in the Taraf daily. His lawyer further stated that Van Gendarmerie Commander Vecihi Halil �yigün’s signature is on
the documents asking for permission to wiretap Baransu’s phones but they believe there are other suspects too. Cinmen demanded from the court reveal those responsible. Baransu also claimed that the gendarmerie tricked the court into believing that they were issuing a wiretapping warrant for someone else. According to Baransu, the gendar-merie applied to the Van 3rd High Criminal Court, only submitting the 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) code -- a number as-signed to all cellular phones -- of his cell phone.
The gendarmerie told the court the IMEI num-ber was of a phone that belonged to a terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant named �ükrü Özkan, who used the code name Serdar. The court, unable to verify the origin of the IMEI num-ber and believing that it was issuing a warrant for monitoring the phone conversations of this person, issued the warrant. Baransu noted that using a fake name in court also assured that the truth about Ba-ransu’s phone lines being wiretapped would likely never be found out. �stanbul Today’s Zaman
A Turkish daily reported on Thursday that a military plot aimed at undermining the
power of the ruling Justice and Development Par-ty (AK Party) and the faith-based Gülen move-ment was � rst put into operation in the south-eastern province of Gaziantep.
According to Yeni �afak, former Gaziantep Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Col. Ali Tapan ordered that the activities of Gülen’s fol-lowers be monitored in the city. He also ordered a group of gendarmes to monitor the activities of other religious groups. The surveillance was part of a plan, named the Action Plan to Fight Reactionaryism, which was exposed by a Turkish daily in June. The plot was drafted by Col. Dursun Çiçek. According to the plot, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had a systematic plan to destroy the
image of the AK Party government and the Gülen movement in the eyes of the public and to play down the investigation into Ergenekon.
The TSK also hoped to gather support for members of the military arrested as part of the Ergenekon probe. Dozens of Ergenekon mem-bers, including businessmen, members of the military and journalists, are currently incarcer-ated while standing trial.
Tapan hoped to portray the monitored mem-bers of religious groups as members of an illegal terrorist organization. To monitor those individu-als, Tapan sent written notices to gendarmes in March. According to the notices, gendarmes were to determine whether there was any former mem-ber of the military in Gaziantep who had been expelled from the military for “reactionary activi-
ties.” The colonel also asked gendarmes to com-municate with followers of religious groups and ascertain their views on the TSK, secularism, the headscarf ban, F-type prisons, human rights viola-tions and claims of corruption against TSK staff.
Çiçek’s plot also aimed to portray followers of the Gülen movement as being engaged in illegal acts. “We will enable the discovery of weapons, ammunition and documents at the addresses of Gülen’s followers as if they were members of a terrorist organization. The movement will be named ‘Fethullah’s Armed Terrorist Organization’ [FSTÖ], and investigations into its members will be carried out by military prosecutors,” read the plot.
Col. Çiçek was arrested last month for sus-pected membership in a clandestine terrorist or-ganization but was released after being brie� y de-
tained. He was also arrested and released in July.Turkish dailies previously reported that the
same plot had been put into operation in eastern Erzincan and northwestern Bursa provinces.
Two secret witnesses, interrogated recently by a public prosecutor, claimed that they were offered a bribe by three members of the military -- one major, a lieutenant colonel and a sergeant major -- to plant weapons at the addresses of followers of Fethullah Gülen in Erzincan. The three members of the mili-tary were arrested and put in jail last month.
In Bursa, the gendarmerie wiretapped the phone conversations of around 250 individuals as part of Çiçek’s action plan. The wiretap re-cords were compiled in such a way as to show that the individuals were members of an illegal organization. �stanbul Today’s Zaman
Maj. Bekta� to testify on Cage action plan
A retired navy of� cer was taken from his prison cell to the �stanbul Court-house in Be�ikta� on Thursday to tes-
tify as part of the investigation into Ergenekon, a clandestine gang charged with attempting to overthrow the government.
Naval retired Maj. Levent Bekta� was to respond to prosecutor’s questions about a document known as the Cage plan, which outlines a plot to assassinate non-Muslim community leaders and was allegedly pre-pared by a group in the military. The docu-ment appears to be authentic, according to a report by the Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK). The same report has also established that the signature that appears on the docu-ment belongs to Lt. Col. Ercan Kireçtepe.
A list of munitions attached to the Cage plan strongly indicates that it was aimed at
creating chaos in society and sparking clashes between the country’s Muslim and non-Mus-lim citizens, which would eventually lead to a military intervention. The plan was detailed on a CD seized in Bekta�’s of� ce. Bekta� was arrested in April for suspected links to a large cache of munitions unearthed during excava-tions on land owned by the �stek Foundation in �stanbul’s Poyrazköy district. Bekta� is cur-rently being held in Silivri Prison.
Y�ld�r�m responds to lawyers in Ergenekon cross-examination
Meanwhile Osman Y�ld�r�m, one of the main suspects in the 2006 Council of State shooting, which left a senior judge dead, con-tinued to respond to questions from prosecu-tors and lawyers of his fellow defendants in the trial of Ergenekon, a clandestine gang charged with plotting to overthrow the government.
Y�ld�r�m’s cross-examination follows his
testimony before the �stanbul 13th High Crim-inal Court in the � rst of two ongoing trials into Ergenekon. The Council of State shooting case was merged with the Ergenekon trial earlier this year. Y�ld�r�m and other suspects in the Council of State shooting are also accused of throwing hand grenades at the Cumhuriyet newspaper’s headquarters a few days before the Council of State attack. The daily was at-tacked three times in 2006, on May 5, 10 and 11. The attacks were followed by the Council of State shooting on May 17.
Meanwhile, retired Chief of General Staff Gen. Hüseyin K�vr�ko�lu stated that he has connections to Ümit Say�n, an Er-genekon suspect who said on Monday that K�vr�ko�lu informed him about Encümen-i Dani�, a secret group that is composed of members of the state bureaucracy, retired military of� cers and ambassadors, while re-sponding to prosecutors’ questions.
Gov’t be�ng
pushed toward
mart�al law
HÜSEY�NGÜLERCE
Retired naval officer Levent Bekta� was taken to testify to Ergenekon prosecutors in Be�ikta� yesterday about the recently uncovered Cage plan, a plot to kill key figures of Turkey’s non-Muslim communities in an effort to undermine the image of the AK Party.
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Egypt, Turkey to hold joint conference for Darfur reconstruction
Egypt has announced that it will hold a reconstruction and
assistance conference in coopera-tion with Turkey, a senior Egyptian of� cial has announced, noting that Turkey will co-chair the conference upon Sudan’s request.
Mohammed Qassim, director of the Sudan affairs department at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, earlier this week told the Arab Af-fairs Committee at the Egyptian Parliament that the conference will be held in the � rst half of 2010, while invitations will be sent to international organizations as well as probable donor countries in the coming days.
The United Nations estimates about 300,000 people have been killed since mostly non-Arab reb-els in Sudan’s Darfur region took up arms against Khartoum more than six years ago. The govern-ment puts the death toll at about 10,000.
The International Criminal Court has demanded President Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s arrest for war crimes linked to the counter-insurgency campaign.
A peace process mediated by the United Nations and African Union began last month in Qatar with civil society groups taking part. The � ghting has driven more than 2 million people from their homes and destabilized the remote region bordering Chad and the Central African Republic, who are both � ghting uprisings fuelled by the unrest in Darfur.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Re-cep Tayyip Erdo�an recently dis-missed accusations of genocide against al-Bashir, saying in con-troversial remarks that a Muslim cannot commit genocide and that “what happened in Gaza was worse than what happened in Darfur.” Cumali Önal Cairo
CMYK
TODAY’S ZAMAN NATIONALF R I DAY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 906
9 Turkish teachers resign from posts in Russia
Let me try to give you some hints about the psychology of democrats and liberals in Turkey. I know sometimes we look alike, we support the government and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo�an whatever the circumstances maybe. I know this is how it appears but this is not true. We criticize them, of course, but maybe we prefer not to be so outspo-ken about their mistakes. I know you sense this attitude in us and I know some Western democrats sometimes have dif� culty understanding us. If you were us you would do the same thing, I assure you.
Let me give you a “fresh” example. Today I was planning to write a harsh critique of some of Erdo�an’s remarks. Like I do every morning, I started to read the newspapers. One particular piece of news coverage killed all my enthusiasm for criticizing the government. We know the chief prosecutor at the Court of Appeals (Yarg�tay) is now collecting evidence to bring the second closure case against the Justice and Devel-opment Party (AK Party). Crazy country!
Imagine, you have a neighbor in your apartment build-ing and you’re irritated by the noise they produce. Overall you have good relations, you believe they are good people, but you have a speci� c complaint. You leave your home, go downstairs, trying to formulate your criticism about them in your mind on the way. Just as you arrive on your neighbor’s doorstep, you are confronted with this devastatingly disturb-ing seen. A gun is pointed at your neighbor’s head and an-other neighbor is shouting at him and accusing him of some “crimes” he has not committed. Can you stand there and say I have such and such a complaint about you, too?
This is the very unfortunate situation we are in. It is our surreal reality. This government has never passed the point of being under the threat of being closed down or sent away with a possible coup d’état.
Look at this Ergenekon stuff. There is huge propaganda against the case and the propagandists are trying to exploit the usual and well-known prejudices about Muslims. They suggest the whole Ergenekon case is a fabrication of this government and they are just trying to undermine the sec-ular structure of Turkey. It is impossible not to revolt. We know very well exactly what is going on there. But again the appearance is that Turkey’s “modern,” “secular” people are complaining about the “Islamist government” which is creating conspiracy theories.
As you see, whenever we attempt to criticize this govern-ment we are afraid of potentially giving ammunition to the evil coalition which is trying to restore the old regime of mili-tary guardianship. All these concerns make us less critical of the government and we may face the risk of losing our critical voice completely. This is the psychological state we are in.
Anyway, I should return to the beginning of this article. Sometimes some of Erdo�an’s remarks drives me crazy. When he said there was no genocide in Darfur, I was really devastated. As a human rights activist I know what has been going on in Darfur. Therefore, I found Erdo�an’s remarks quite embarrassing. He appears to be unaware of the indict-ment prepared by the International Criminal Court (ICC). He said he was in Darfur and he could not see any traces of genocide. What was Erdo�an expecting to happen? That President Omar Hassan al-Bashir would take him to some place and show him how they butcher people there? He may not know this but our second biggest human rights NGO, the Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples (MAZLUMDER), wanted to get permission for a fact � nding visit and were immediately refused by Sudan. As if this was not enough, he said Muslims do not commit mas-sacres. What is al-Qaeda doing? What happens in Iraq ev-ery day? What happened in the past in this country? These are extremely dangerous remarks. If he had said something like, “If you commit genocide you cannot remain a Muslim,” I would understand and appreciate him, and he would have contributed to peace in the world with this kind of statement. He would have shown the whole world how a Muslim dem-ocrat reacts in the face of injustice and crimes against hu-manity. But instead, with his unfortunate comments he just strengthens the well-known prejudices against Muslims and overshadows the extremely important progress happening in Turkey that he himself has designed.
His last remarks about the Armenian massacres were equally unlucky ones. He said that his ancestors did not commit genocide. He should tell us then what happened in Turkey in 1915. I am really very sorry for hearing these kinds of remarks from him. Erdo�an and his party are an op-portunity for this country; if Erdo�an considered his stance on these kinds of matters they would be an opportunity for the world. But after criticizing Israel with such harsh words, turning a blind eye to massacres and genocides committed by other countries creates a terrible image of him, which, I believe he does not deserve. Human rights, when they are defended with sincerity, are one of the most powerful weap-ons to in� uence people and their opinion. It is, however, also an extremely dangerous tool; if you have double standards in defending them, it will almost always back� re and harm you. If Erdo�an really wants to in� uence Israel with his criticism he should put aside these kinds of double standards. If he does so, he will contribute to changing the course of history, otherwise he will be put in the museum of populist politicians who we have in abundance all over the world.
I hope some so-called “secular” Ergenekon lobbyists will not try to exploit my analysis. When it comes to double standards, Erdo�an would be deemed an innocent child compared to them. If Erdo�an changes his attitude, others will be caught in broad daylight.
Nine Turkish teachers who worked at the International Russian-Turkish Col-
lege in Moscow were forced to resign on Tues-day due to a change in the Russian education law proposed by the Federal Immigration Of-� ce in Moscow that forbids the employment of non-Russian teachers in schools as well as a ban on the use of a foreign language as the language of instruction.
Commenting on the teachers’ resignations, Genris Kuznetsov, the chairman of the execu-tive board of the school, said the teachers were courteous, talented and successful, noting: “I have never received a complaint about a Turk-ish teacher who worked at the school for the
last 14 years. Russian students and their par-ents were sad when they heard the news.”
Kuznetsov also pointed out that the Rus-sian authorities had invited the teachers to work at the Russian-Turkish College and said: “But after the change made by the Fed-eral Immigration Of� ce in Moscow, there is nothing left for us to do, and our Turkish teachers decided to leave the school. Our school has had 160 graduates over the course of 14 years with Turkish teachers.”
The resignation of the teachers will report-edly not force the school to shut down.
Parents speaking to Today’s Zaman also expressed disappointment and sadness be-cause of the Turkish teachers’ resignation and thanked their parents for sending their children
to Russia. Ali �bragimov, the father of a student at the college, underlined the dif� culties in es-tablishing friendships between different cul-tures, adding that “in contrast, it is very easy to destroy them.” He also noted that since rela-tions between Russia and Turkey have recently improved, they have dif� culty understanding the reason behind such a decision.
Vais Ha� sov, another parent, stressed that the Turkish teachers have a very special place in their hearts, adding that “losing them will negatively in� uence the students. Their friendship remains in our hearts. I believe that the Turkish teachers in this school are the best ones in Turkey. We are thankful to them. The experiences my daughter had at this school will help her for her whole life.”
Çetin: Turkey can do
more �n Afghan�stanHe said the West made some mis-takes in Afghanistan and still con-
tinues to do so and to be able to withdraw from there within 18 months, as Obama’s new strategy envisages, is not realistic. However, if the West cooperates with Pak-istan on the issue; succeeds in training the Afghan security forces and upgrades their equipment; increases economic assistance in coordination with the Afghan govern-ment; and, most importantly, wins the hearts of the Afghan people, the world can be hopeful about the future of the region. This new strategy also has to be supported by the new Afghan central government.
He recalled that every NATO member has been implementing its own caveats about where their troops can be deployed and their range of tasks, but for the suc-cess of NATO’s mission “� ve hundred sol-diers with less caveats will be preferable to 5,000 soldiers with strict restrictions,” ac-cording to Çetin.
He added that Turkey is also imposing caveats and that it has its own reasons for doing so, but there are many other ways for Turkey to contribute the peace and sta-bility in Afghanistan.
“The Obama administration is trying to carry out the mission in Afghanistan as a NATO mission and this is why they are asking for more troops from their alliances. They decided to send 30,000 more troops and they have the capacity to send even more, but they want to underline the in-ternational dimension of the operation and in my opinion it is a requirement. But I be-lieve that what the Obama administration has been seeking exactly is certain number of soldiers with more � exibility rather than huge numbers of soldiers. The commander of the mission should be able to send a sol-dier in Kabul, for example, to the south when it is necessary. When I was there, sometimes it was a very big problem too. Those restric-tions should come to an end,” he said.
Turkey can contribute with a whole packageÇetin underlined that Turkey has some restrictions as well, and he believes that it has reasons for these but thinks the con-tribution of Turkey can be increased by many ways.
“These are my personal opinions, but Turkey can contribute more to the training of the Afghan police and sol-diers. The Afghan people want it too. For the time being, Turkey is training those soldiers in Turkey and sending them back, it supports the military acad-emy in Kabul as well. But it can carry this mission further and train certain military units in Afghanistan; it can start with a battalion. Then it can enlarge this mis-sion and can take full responsibility for training them. I think Turkey is the best country to do that,” he said.
Çetin recalled that NATO is working in � ve different regions in Afghanistan: the center, east, west, north and south. Every contributor country is as-signed to a certain region. The commandership of the center is now the responsi-
bility of Turkey for one year, but accord-ing to Çetin, Turkey can extend the time period of this command and can conduct the commandership of the center as long as the NATO mission continues.
He also emphasized that there are many other � elds Turkey can make a con-tribution in, for example, it can increase its economic and social assistance to Afghan-istan, it can send public administration experts to assist with the state formation.
“For example, there is a legal reform process going on in Afghanistan now and the Italians are conducting it. But I think Turkey is the best country to combine modern law and Shariah for Afghanistan and nobody will object to that,” he said.
According to him, if Turkey gives assis-tance in these areas as a package, its con-tribution to Afghanistan and the NATO mission will be even more valuable.
He also stresses that Obama’s strategy is also based on the training of the Afghan security forces and when the Afghans are ready to take control of the country the US will withdraw. It is hoping to do this within 18 months. According to Çe-tin to setting a withdrawal date is a necessity but 18 months might not be realistic.
“When I was there, al-most 60,000 Afghan police had been trained but 60 percent of them were illit-erate. To do training alone is not enough either, their equipment is also very im-portant. In Afghanistan, it is impossible to reach certain regions by land transpor-tation and helicopters are needed,” he said.
Çetin underlines that in order to increase the number of the soldiers and their � exibility,
training Afghan security forces alone de� -nitely is not good enough.
“If you don’t start rapid economic and social development it does not mat-ter how much you increase the number of the soldiers, you cannot solve the prob-lem. You should supply essential services, such as education and health, so you can destroy the sources and the bases of ter-rorism, if the locals do not support ter-rorism, it cannot survive,” Çetin stressed.
Unless there is social and economic development, nothing will changeHe has a warning, however, about the social and economic development proj-ects, saying that in order to ensure the sustainability of these development proj-ects, the Afghan people should be in-volved in them.
“Let’s say a country decides to imple-ment a development plan [in Afghani-
stan]. It gives the tender to � rms from its own country or does the job via its own NGOs. All this assistance is categorized as aid to Afghanistan, but most of the money goes back to the original countries as high salaries or high costs. But if this aid comes from Afghanistan it will be cheaper and more effective. Another problem is that they are carrying out this assistance with-out getting the opinion of the locals and when al-Qaeda destroys them [the new infrastructure], for example a school, the locals do not defend it,” he said.
He underlined that for the success of the new strategy, the formation of the new Af-ghan government is very important. “Kar-zai should pick names which are effective and not involved in corruption,” he said.
But all these things are not enough, in or-der to win in Afghanistan, cooperating with Pakistan is also a must, according to Çetin.
“If you don’t cooperate with Pakistan, whatever you do, the Taliban will con-tinue to be strong in Afghanistan. Pakistan should be assisted in controlling its borders and the madrasas in the north,” he stressed.
Çetin added that the Taliban are a part of the Afghan nation and you can-
not get anywhere by excluding them. Their leaders might be in coopera-tion with al-Qaeda, but if you co-operate with the people, in time it will bring about the separation of
the Taliban and al-Qaeda.“The Afghan people are
unhappy about the existence of the al-Qaeda and to the ex-tent that the hearts of the Af-
ghan people are won by inter-national community, it will be possible to clear al-Qaeda from
the region. Afghan youngsters, Afghan women want peace and to be able to look into the future
with hope,” he said.
On Erdo�an,
genoc�de and
be�ng pro-AKP
ORHAN KEMALCENG�Z
FARUK AKKAN MOSCOW
Genris Kuznetsov, the chairman of the executive board of the International Russian-Turkish College
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Hikmet Çetin, a former NATO representative in Afghanistan, focused on the role of soft power and winning the hearts of local people to ensure the success of Obama’s new strategy in Afghanistan.
CMYK
CB excludes IMF option for 2010 plans, sees recovery as imminent
Turkish Central Bank Governor Dur-mu� Y�lmaz has said the bank does not take a stand-by agreement with the In-
ternational Monetary Fund (IMF) as a parame-ter while drawing up projections and devising monetary policy for the coming year.
Y�lmaz held a press conference in Ankara on Thursday to share the basics of the mo-netary policy the central bank will pursue in 2010 and to convey his remarks on numero-us actual developments in the domestic and global economy. He argued that although the Turkish government is continuing talks with the IMF over a stand-by deal, the bank is in-different to any possible outcome of the nego-tiations while determining its policies for the period in sight. The governor, however, argu-ed that interest rates may come under pres-sure if the Treasury raises borrowing without the government signing a deal with the IMF.
He was very optimistic regarding domes-tic economy recovery scenarios addressing the global economic crisis. “The possibility that light shining at the end of the tunnel is sunlight is increasing,” Y�lmaz said. He had previously noted that light was visible ahead, but that it was not certain whether it was the tunnel exit or an approaching train. He asserted that he sees growth resuming in the � nal quarter of 2009.
Data � ow from Turkey, speci� cally the country’s third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP), which showed a less-than-expected contraction of 3.3 percent, shows that economic recovery has begun, Y�lmaz said. Signals co-ming in since May 2009 have not been clear to guide the bank’s interest rate policy, he added.
No change in monetary policyIn very simple words, the governor underlined that there will be no alteration to the basic pillars of the current monetary policy, which are in� ati-on targeting and a � oating exchange rate regime. He was decisive to express that exchange rates are neither a policy instrument nor a target un-der the current regime. Although he repeated his commitment to stay away from any dramatic in-tervention in the exchange rate mechanism, the governor said the precautionary foreign exchan-ge purchase tenders will continue in 2010 as long as current liquidity conditions prevail. Y�lmaz said that the bank has purchased a net amount of $64.7 billion worth of foreign exchange from the markets since 2002 to stem the harsh conse-quences of sharp volatility in currency rates.
For him, the increases in the monetary base, the quantities of trade in the exchange rate markets and the amount of loans extended to Turkey in the event of a stand-by deal with the IMF will be the major conditions determi-ning the level of liquidity in Turkey, he noted.
Turkey’s central bank governor said the bank had planned to buy TL 8 billion ($5.3 bil-
lion) of domestic government debt in 2010, a maximum TL 5 billion of which would be bo-ught in the � rst half. Y�lmaz also commented on Fitch’s recent decision to upgrade Turkey’s rating by two notches upwards to BB+, saying this was a belated move and that the rating agencies should have done this much earlier.
He was happy to report that the Turkish Central Bank took action swiftly to stem adver-sities coming about as a result of the economic crisis. “We were among the central banks in the world that started interest rate reductions immediately at the dawn of the crisis,” he said.
Turkey slashed interest rates more than any other country, cutting them 1,025 basis points
since the eruption of the crisis in mid 2008.Y�lmaz also expressed his predictions
regarding the course of the in� ation rate for 2010. The in� ation will likely increase in a vo-latile pattern in the � rst half of 2010 but, star-ting from the second half, it will again start falling in a gradual and decisive way, he clai-med. The uncertainty interval will continue to be plus and minus 2 percent for the next three years, he said and added that the annual inf-lation target for 2012 will be 5 percent.
Y�lmaz further said the bank may redu-ce the reserve requirement ratio for banks if there are liquidity shortages along with extra measures whenever deemed necessary. The
bank’s fundamental instrument to conduct monetary policy is and will remain short-term interest rates, he added.
Thanks to the relatively stronger struc-ture of the domestic banking system and the strong position of its � nancial system, Turkey managed to bring the in� ation rate to single-digit levels at the peak of the global crisis, Y�lmaz told the press and acknowledged that this is indeed a signi� cant opportunity to render the environment of low in� ation and interest rates permanent. The commitment to discipline while conducting � scal policies in the medium term is especially important re-garding this crucial issue, the governor said.
BUSINESS F R I DAY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9 TODAY’S ZAMAN07
Treasury to pay TL 200 billion in debt throughout 2010
Merrill Lynch: Turkish economy to grow by 4.5 percent in 2010
The Treasury plans to service TL 200.3 billion of public debt and decrease its internal debt rollo-
ver ratio from 103.4 percent to 99.5 percent in 2010.According to forecasts in a report released by
the undersecretariat of the Treasury yesterday, Turkey’s debt service is predicted to improve, tho-ugh gradually. The report notes that as the global economy contracted, many countries’ budgets fell into a de� cit, including Turkey’s. Moreover, the re-port noted that although the external debt and other � nancing requirements were as expected in 2009, the deviation of internal debt from expectations ca-used an above average contribution to the servicing program budget, thereby creating a 103.4 percent total internal debt rollover ratio. This high ratio me-ant that more debt was incurred to service old debt.
According to the report, the payments on public debt to be made in 2010 will total TL 200.3 billi-on, with TL 182.6 billion paid to internal sources of the debt. TL 138.4 billion of the internal debt paid consists of principal, whereas 44.2 billion is interest payments. Of the TL 17.7 billion of external debts serviced, TL 11.2 billion is principal, and 6.5 billion is interest. TL 167 billion of the internal debt paid is TL-based, whereas TL 15.6 billion is denominated in foreign currencies.
The Treasury predicts that TL 195.3 billion of debts will materialize by the end of 2010, with TL 181.6 billion in internal debt. This will bring the in-ternal debt service ratio from 103.4 percent predic-ted for 2009, to 99.5 percent in 2010. According to the report, thus far in 2009 TL 138.9 billion in inter-nal debt has been realized, along with TL 11.2 bil-lion in external debt, for a total of TL 150.1 billion.
According to the report, the Treasury plans to issue TL 8.4 billion in bonds to international capital markets, and forecasts TL 5.3 billion of ex-ternal � nance from the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and other external � nancers for projects and programs.
The report also noted that since 2003 the Tre-asury has been working to reduce risks in its debt portfolio, and that with this strategy it has reduced risks deriving from liquidity in debt stock, high in-terest rates and exchange rate � uctuations. The re-port noted that in 2003, 58 percent of the central government’s debt was denominated in foreign currencies or indexed to them, and that in October 2009 had fallen to 30 percent. Ankara Today’s Zaman
Merrill Lynch, a leading global � nancial ma-nagement and advisory company, expects the
Turkish economy to grow by 4.5 percent in the co-ming year after an estimated 3.5 percent contracti-on this year, making a stand-by deal with the Inter-national Monetary Fund (IMF) unnecessary.
The company unveiled its forecasts for 2010 at a press conference in �stanbul yesterday which was at-tended by Portfolio Strategist of Merrill Lynch We-alth Management for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Bill O’Neill, Wealth Management EMEA Director Jean-Marie Deluermoz and Wealth Management EMEA economist Türker Hamzao�lu.
The forecasts, which show an optimistic view of the global economy, still predict that the reco-very from the recent global � nancial crisis will take a longer time compared to recoveries from previous crises. The Turkish economy is predicted to grow by 4.5 percent in 2010, which will be followed by 5 percent growth in 2011. On the other hand, the � rm expects labor market recovery to happen at a slower pace throughout the world, estimating that unemployment in Turkey will increase to some 15 percent in 2010.
Stressing the importance of long-term growth for developing countries, Merrill Lynch highligh-ted Turkey, South Africa and Saudi Arabia as three countries in the region working toward this goal. Drawing attention to the high levels of working-age population growth, which creates a big potential for further development, in Turkey compared to ot-her countries in the EMEA region like Hungary or Poland, Hamzao�lu noted that Turkey can remain among these three countries as long as real interest rates and in� ation remain at low levels. He remarked that the Turkish Central Bank should convince in-vestors across the world that low rates of in� ation do not stem from economic recession but is permanent. The � rm does not see Turkey’s signing of a stand-by deal with the IMF as a necessity, praising Turkey’s economic performance nad the strength of its ban-king sector in the face of the global � nancial crisis.
The report foresees a small risk of a double-dip global recession in 2010. The global economy, which is forecast to shrink by 0.9 percent this year, is forecast to grow by 4.3 percent in 2010. China and India are expected to lead the global econo-mic recovery with growth next year of around 10 percent and 7 percent respectively.
GDP shrinks by 3.3 pct, but shows signs of recoveryThe GDP shrunk by 3.3 percent calculated
with 1998 prices as a base year, and 0.1 percent when using current prices. In the third quarter of 2008, the GDP grew by 1 percent compared to the year before. In the � rst nine months of this year, the GDP shrank by 8.4 percent to end at TL 7.96 billion calculated using current prices.
The data also considered GDP growth on a sectoral basis, with the construction sector taking the biggest hit during the third quarter, shrinking 18.1 percent. The construction sector shrunk al-most half that amount in the third quarter of 2008, 9.8 percent. The sector shrank by 19.5 percent in the � rst nine months of the year.
The wholesale and retail trade sector, which shrank by 1.5 percent in the third quarter of 2008, continued to contract by 7.2 percent in third quarter of 2009. The share of taxes and subsidies in the GDP also shrank by 8.4 percent. Although many sectors experienced signi� cant slowdowns during the third quarter, other sec-tors enjoyed great growth. The � nancial inter-mediation services sector grew by 9.5 percent compared to the same period of last year.
Government spending during the � rst three periods of the year increased, according to the re-lease. Government spending was TL 20.9 billion in the � rst quarter, TL 23.3 billion in the second and TL 27.1 billion in the third quarter of 2009. The
share of government consumption spending in to-tal government spending increased from 9 percent to 9.7 percent in the third quarter.
Minister of Finance Mehmet �im�ek, speaking to journalists at the Gaziantep Journalists’ Associati-on (GGC), noted that Turkey would start recovering much faster in the � rst quarter of 2010. Speaking about the current economic crisis, �im�ek stated that the crisis had signi� cantly affected Turkey’s real sector, especially sectors focused on exports.
While noting that because of the crisis many investments were delayed, �im�ek said: “The
economy hit the trough in March, during the � rst quarter. After the � rst quarter, however, there was a relative improvement in conditions. There are great signs that the last quarter of the year will be great. I’m not saying that ‘everything is just as it should be; we are on the path to sustained growth’ by just looking at one or two months of data, but there will be a noticeable improvement in conditi-ons in the fourth quarter. Exports and energy con-sumption are increasing. It will take time to return to the performance of 2007, however.”
Speaking on the performance of the banking
sector, �im�ek noted that the macroeconomic fo-undation of Turkey is strong compared to the rest of the world. “The banking sector has a higher ca-pital adequacy ratio than the West, and they will support us even more in the following months.” �im�ek also pointed to the decreasing and now single digit interest rates, saying this was a “big accomplishment for Turkey. …Turkey will exit the crisis much quicker from the � rst quarter of 2010 onward.” He also noted that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) expects Turkey to grow by 6.7 percent annually from 2011 to 2017. �im�ek noted this growth rate is strong, coming close to China’s.
Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (MÜS�AD) President Ömer Cihad Vardan, speaking to journalists in Ankara, noted that the performance of Turkey’s GDP growth meant that Turkey was quickly exiting the econo-mic crisis. Noting that the shrinking of the eco-nomy had slowed down from 14.7 percent to 3.3 percent in two quarters, Vardan said: “This shows that we are quickly overcoming a sharp dive in the growth rate. Our exit speed is great, and if it con-tinues like this then in the last quarter we should see a growth rate of zero or even 1 percent.” Spe-aking on whether this meant an increase in emp-loyment in Turkey in 2010, Vardan noted that these � gures were “rays of hope” in the better-ment of employment in Turkey. Ankara Today’s Zaman
ERCAN BAYSAL ANKARA
Turkish Central Bank Governor Durmu� Y�lmaz (R) spoke about the bank’s monetary policy at a press conference in Ankara yesterday.
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ZEYNEP KALKAVAN �STANBUL
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08 TODAY’S ZAMAN F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9 BUSINESS
CMYK
US extends $700 bln bailout until Oct. 2010
UK to tax bonuses before generel election
MOU to work towards Iran-Turkey crossings
The Obama administration has extended the $700 billion � nancial bailout program until
October, setting up a struggle between Democrats who favor using some of the leftover money to help generate jobs and Republicans who say it should be used to shrink soaring budget de� cits.
The administration insists the bailout fund is still needed to prevent further turmoil in the banking sys-tem. In announcing the decision Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said extending the pro-gram also will help homeowners struggling to avoid losing homes to foreclosures and small businesses having trouble getting loans. The decision came on the same day the administration acknowledged two key bailout programs lost a total of $61 billion. The bailout of insurance giant American International Group Inc. and the lifeline thrown to struggling au-tomakers each cost more than $30 billion, according to Treasury data disclosed in a report from the Gov-ernment Accountability Of� ce. The administration is now projecting the losses to the government from the bailout program will be around $141 billion -- $200 billion less than it estimated two months ago.
President Barack Obama said the freed-up money can help reduce the record-high federal budget de� cit and “invest in job creation on Main Street rather than Wall Street.” Washington AP
The British government slapped a one-time tax of 50 percent on fat bank bonuses on Wednesday as
it tried to win over recession-weary voters ahead of a looming general election. But Treasury chief Alistair Dar-ling’s plan to exact payback for the crisis that led Britain into its worst recession since World War II faced opposi-tion criticism that it was at best political spin and would do little to raise revenue -- and, at worst, potentially damage London’s standing as a � nancial center. Dar-ling’s overall pre-budget report, in which he acknowl-edged that the economy will shrink more this year than previously predicted and increased government borrow-ing forecasts, was also criticized as likely to do little to aid Britain’s sluggish economic recovery. With Prime Minis-ter Gordon Brown’s government trailing the opposition Conservative Party in opinion polls ahead of an election that must be held by June, the tax proposal was clearly aimed at voters who funded a bailout of the banking sys-tem at the height of the crisis last year. London AP
Turkey’s policy of seeking zero problems with its neighbors is starting to bear fruit, as representa-
tives from Turkey signed a memorandum of under-standing with Iran in Van province yesterday.
The memorandum, signed by Van Governor Münir Karalo�lu and Iranian West Azerbaijan Prov-ince Governor-General Jelal Zade, included new pro-visions that would open the door to � ights between Urmia, a city in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province, and Van, along with organized industrial zones in the bor-der area between the two provinces. The memoran-dum also questions whether the single border gate currently open between the two countries will be enough and calls for the reopening of the Kap�köy bor-der gate in the Saray district of Van. If that reopening proceeds smoothly, the two countries may also reopen the Boralan border crossing in I�d�r province.
Karalo�lu, who spoke at the signing, said that Tur-key and Iran have had 400 years of peace and broth-erhood between them. He added: “The trade that has occurred between us has not satis� ed the people of the two countries. As provinces on the border of Iran and Turkey, we want to further cross-border trade.”
Zade, highlighting that the meetings between the two countries have led to important developments, noted that “there is an Iranian saying, ‘There is no need to talk, just start working.’ Both sides will work to make this agreement happen.” Ankara Today’s Zaman with wires
Capacity utilization continues to fall in NovemberThe capacity utilization rate in the manufactur-ing sector continued to fall in November by 2.2
percentage points, to 70.7 percent, with the public sector faring better than the private sector, at 88.8 percent utilization of capacity over 70.4 percent.
In the same month of 2008, the capacity utili-zation in the manufacturing sector was 75.3 per-cent. The public sector’s capacity utilization was 75.3 percent, while the private sector’s capacity utilization was 72.9 percent a year ago.
The Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) released the November capacity utilization � g-ures on Thursday as part of its monthly tenden-cy survey in the manufacturing industry, which included the survey results of 4,847 companies.
Classi� cation of economic activities indicated the lowest capacity utilization rate in the manufacture of of� ce and accounting information equipment. The production of coke and re� ned oil products fol-lowed with a capacity utilization rate of 60.5 percent.
In the manufacture of food products and beverages, the rate was 71.2 percent, while it was 73.9 percent for tobacco products. One of Turkey’s main industries, textile production, also enjoyed an above average capacity utili-zation, at 76 percent. Clothing manufacturing fared even better with 78.4 percent.
The primary reason companies were unable to work at full capacity in November was the lack of suf� cient demand, the survey showed. Some 55.4 percent of the companies that responded to TurkStat’s questionnaire complained about low domestic demand, whereas 29.7 percent men-tioned falling demand in the foreign markets. Fi-nancial hurdles were mentioned by 3.4 percent of
respondents, and 3.7 percent said the shortage of raw materials for domestic goods was the reason companies were unable to operate at full capac-ity. Approximately 1.7 percent said the lack of raw materials for imported goods caused the capac-ity utilization decline, and only 1.1 percent men-tioned problems stemming from the labor force.
Meanwhile, the same survey has shown that production quantities were down 1.9 percent in November over the same month a year ago. Com-panies say they expect this quantity to increase by 0.5 percent in December. Their sales dropped 0.6 percent in November, the companies participating in the survey noted, adding that they estimate sales to remain the same in December. Ankara Today’s Zaman
World’s f�rst float�ng
power plant dest�ned for IraqTurkey will soon provide the world’s � rst � oating electricity generating power plant, called a “powership,”
to Iraq to help the country meet its electricity needs in the Basra region.
Karkey, a subsidiary of Karadeniz Holding, is building the vessel at the Sedef dockyard in �stanbul’s Tuzla district. Iraq has also commis-sioned a barge to be constructed in Singapore for the same purpose. The vessels have the ability to move in the sea while generating electricity and run on dual fuel systems that are able to convert fuel oil into natural gas in just one day.
Iraqi Electricity Minister Kareem Waheed Hassan visited the construction site on Thurs-day to see one of the ships, named Karadeniz Powership Do�an Bey, and was briefed there by Karadeniz Holding Chairman Osman Mu-rat Karadeniz and the group’s energy depart-ment president, Nuri Do�an Karadeniz.
Hassan told the press that Iraq has ordered one of the ships from Turkey for electricity gen-
eration purposes, with a capacity of 125 mega-watts. Construction is in the � nal phase, and soon the ship will be dispatched to Iraq. “We hope the ships will start helping Iraq meet its electricity needs by the beginning of next year,” he said.
Iraq has already completed work on the in-stallation of necessary electricity transmission and fuel transportation systems, the minister noted.
“The power plant is running on heavy fuel oil, pure or nearly pure residual oil, and we hope they � nish the powership soon. The installation of the power generating equipment in the powership is almost complete, and the � rst activation is sched-uled to commence shortly,” Hassan said.
Iraq has a huge electricity program, he re-called, and added: “In the future, Iraq may start selling electricity to Turkey because Iraq is a source of energy since it has oil and natural gas. Iraq also has strategic relations with Turkey.”
The powership, 188 meters in length, will be in the Umm Qasr port in the Persian Gulf to mainly provide energy for the port. The remain-
ing electricity will be diverted to residential areas in Basra. All the personnel aboard the powership and the barge will be Turks.
The barge that is being built in Singapore is named KPS-3 and doesn’t have an engine. It will be 110 meters long with the same ca-pacity as the Do�an Bey.
The minister later headed to the “Turk-ish-German Cooperation in Iraq” meeting in �stanbul Speaking at the meeting, President of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commod-ity Exchanges (TOBB) and the Foreign Econom-ic Relations Board (DE�K) Rifat Hisarc�kl�o�lu said Turkish businessmen have never been hindered by security concerns in war-torn Iraq, which is one of the most important reasons why Turks are successful in Iraq today.
He recalled the construction of the �stanbul-Baghdad Railway by both German and Turkish engineers and workers a hundred years ago and said the same cooperation is quite likely to hap-pen in Iraq today. �stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
Greece vows action on debt as peers pile on pressure
Greece’s prime minister vowed to do whatever it takes to check the
country’s vast de� cit as European part-ners piled pressure on Athens to take action, a day after its credit rating was cut to the lowest in the euro zone.
Greek � nancial markets were ham-mered on Wednesday. The risk premium on Greek government bonds jumped and bank stocks tumbled, extending Tuesday’s losses on Fitch Ratings’ downgrade of its debt to BBB+, the � rst time it had fallen below in-vestment grade for more than 10 years.
Fitch also cut Greek lenders’ ratings because of the government’s dimin-ished ability to support banks that have a large exposure to Greek sovereign bonds. “We must close the credibility gap to survive as a sovereign and cohe-sive nation,” Papandreou told a tele-vised cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
The national debt is forecast to hit 125 percent of gross domestic product next year, which would be the highest ratio in the euro area. “We must close the cred-ibility gap to survive as a sovereign and cohesive nation,” Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou told a televised cabi-net meeting on Wednesday.
The Athens Stock Exchange bank index lost up to 4.4 percent to trade 3.5 percent down at 0944 GMT, shedding about 16 percent of their value in � ve days. “The losses are due to the rating cuts, which have heightened uncertainty amid investors,” said Joanna Telioudi, analyst at HSBC. Yield spreads between Greek and German 10-year government bonds widened to as much as 252 basis points, the widest since March, re� ect-ing risk aversion among investors.
European partners kept up a drumbeat of pressure on Athens to put its house in order. French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said she did not think Greece could go bankrupt but it must make a real effort to clean up its public � nances. The German � nance ministry said there is no reason to doubt Greece can do this alone, backing similar comments from Greek Finance Min-ister George Papaconstantinou. Athens Reuters
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Light C. Oil
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1142,25
314,70
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52.54
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33.06
53.43
66.94
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MonthlyChange (%)
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TurkDEX
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Change (%)Yearly
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(%)Level
AFYON 1.685,00 4,33%
GUSGR 2,00 4,17%
NTTUR 1,30 3,17%
CIMSA 7,00 2,94%
TAVHL 4,30 2,87%
Daily Change (%)Price (TL)Ticker
ECILC 2,32 -7,20%
GRUND 0,52 -7,14%
ECZYT 4,76 -4,80%
ZOREN 3,00 -4,46%
ISAMB 1,44 -4,00%
Daily Change (%) Yearly Change (%)Price Price (TL)Ticker
GARAN 219,0 5,8 125,80
ECILC 126,2 2,3 184,49
ISCTR 122,0 5,8 60,63
TAVHL 93,1 4,3 68,91
KOZAA 74,3 5,0 468,18
Ticker
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+2Disclaimer: 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.
Mcap TL
P/E 2006/12
P/E 2007/06t
P/E 2007/09t
EV/EBITDA 2006/12*
EV/EBITDA 2007/03t*
EV/EBITDA 2007/06t*
ÝMKB 100 ÝMKB 30 ÝMKB IND RETAILER BIMAS CARFA BOYNR KIPA
-1,44 21.741,8
-1,34 10.004,7
-0,90 3.751,3
-1,11 5.625,3
-0,66 5.188,7
-0,14 10.195,0
-0,26 1.768,1
-0,28 1.088,9
0,11 67.804,6
Hang Seng H.Kong
Nikkei 225 Japan
Cac 40 France
DAX Germany
FTSE 100 UK
Dow USA
NASDAQ USA
S&P USA
BOVESPA Brasil
İMKB-100
İMKB-30
İMKB-IND
İMKB-BANK
DJIMT
49.185 -0,8% 8,5% 97,2% 83,1% 288.652 1.587
62.398 -0,7% 8,7% 93,5% 78,3% 236.489 1.189
35.815 -0,6% 6,5% 93,1% 81,1% 76.735 510
110.021 -0,8% 10,2% 117,6% 96,5% 136.325 718
10,45 -0,5% 6,4% 53,2% 47,2% - 0,45
62,850 -0,55%
1,5125 0,03%
2,207 -0,1%
1,496 0,3%
-- -- -- 7.033,4 4.896 1.273 105 760
15,5x 14,7x 12,2x 256,1x 68,0x -94,2x 16,6x -20,4x
11,1x 10,6x 9,2x 317,2x 60,7x -536,4x 6,5x -10,5x
10,6x 10,3x 9,2x 346,4x 54,0x -204,3x 5,5x -9,1x
6,7x 5,3x 8,1x 30,8x 45,1x 15,8x 6,5x 41,5x
7,4x 6,0x 8,0x 32,4x 42,0x 19,0x 5,9x 74,7x
7,1x 5,8x 8,1x 29,5x 39,8x 19,6x 5,2x 35,7x
0,1% 76,19 75,00
-1,9% 1142,25 1142,25
0,0% 316,80 312,05
VolumesNo data expectedCALENDAR AT A GLANCE
Iraqi Electricity Minister Hassan (2nd from right) tours the Sedef shipyard in Tuzla, �stanbul, where the world’s first powership is being built for Iraq.
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According to the national strategy document, Turkey’s emission reduction target is 7 percent total by 2020 if current re-duction efforts continue. Several environmental organizations, including Greenpeace Mediterranean and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Turkey), have repeatedly called for Turkey’s emission reduction target to be at least 30 percent by 2020.
At�c� said that without a target Turkey, a G-20 country, is declaring that it is a “dwarf.” Turkey’s emissions have risen quickly, from 170 million tons in 1990 to 372 million tons in 2007 as its annual per capita income rose from $3,000 in 1990 to $10,000 in 2007. And Turkish of� cials say the country and its emissions will continue to grow.
The national strategy document also declares that Turkey will also encourage “renewable sources and nuclear energy.”
The document states that Turkey’s short-term target is to focus on “clean” sources of energy in all new buildings and prevent energy waste by using energy more ef� ciently. “The share of renewables in electrical energy production will be increased to 25 percent by 2020,” the document stated.
Greenpeace Mediterranean stated that in the � eld of electricity production renewable sources currently comprise 18-19 percent of the total produced energy, a � gure that they believe should be increased to at least 30 percent. The NGO also called for Turkey to aim for a target of 20 percent rene-wable energy usage in both heating and transportation, in parallel with EU targets. �stanbul Today’s Zaman
Environmental NGOs criticize gov’t climate change strategy
The 13th Chamber of the Council of State has ruled aga-inst a Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Agency
(TAPDK) regulation which stipulates that a warning on one side of cigarette packaging must cover at least 65 percent of the avai-lable surface space, citing contradicting TAPDK regulations.
The Council of State said Law No. 4207 requires that at le-ast 30 percent of one of the two main sides of tobacco product packaging -- where the banderole is located -- contain a war-ning about the effects of tobacco on health. The law further re-quires that other warnings must cover 40 percent of the rest of the package. The Council of State decision further stated that the TAPDK decision contradicts the law as it envisages warning la-bels on one surface and covering 65 percent of that surface.
British American Tobacco (BAT) previously � led a lawsu-it seeking to overturn the TAPDK regulation, which was is-sued on May 3, 2009.
In its decision the Council of State said regulations put in place to prevent the harmful effects, including public, social and medical, of tobacco and alcohol and making decisions concer-ning these issues are among the duties of the TAPDK.
The Council of State decision also noted that warning la-bels can include pictures and drawings.
The TAPDK has the right to appeal the Council of State de-cision. �stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
Court overrules TAPDK on tobacco labels
Operations against prostitution rings in �stanbul have revea-led that gangs choose places for their activities where neigh-
borhood relationships are weak in an attempt to avoid attracting the attention of residents in the area.
Gang members have admitted in testimony that they are able to run brothels longer when they rent apartments in buildings where people have little or no knowledge of their neighbors.
Sixty-five houses were raided and 250 women were ca-ught in recent operations against prostitution. Some 80 pe-ople suspected of forcing women into prostitution were de-tained, and 50 were arrested and imprisoned.
Stressing the importance of neighborhood relationships, psychologist Nevzat Tarhan said there are social norms such as ne-ighborhood pressure and stated that prostitution rings look for pla-ces where relations between neighbors are weak.
While noting that weak relationships with neighbors are detrimental to society, Tarhan said: “Ties between neighbors are like the relationship between organs. When ties and organs are damaged, sickness occurs, and when ties between people are broken, relationships are damaged. Families compensate for the mistakes of each other. When the family system is destro-yed, a social disease spreads. Relationships between neigh-bors are of crucial importance here.” Serkan Sa�lam �stanbul
Turkish health of� cials reported yesterday that the num-ber of people who have died from the H1N1 virus, also
known as swine � u, is now 353 nationwide. According to the Health Ministry, 121 people who died from the swine � u, or 35 percent of total deaths, were below the age of 50.
Three-hundred six people were being treated at hospitals, with 98 of them in intensive care units, and 102 patients have been put on medical ventilators, the ministry said. While stressing that the most effective way to protect against the virus is by receiving the vaccination, the ministry recalled that one can receive the shot at local public health centers and hospitals free of charge.
Noting that there is an adjuvant-free vaccine speci� cally for pregnant women, the ministry announcement said: “Vaccina-ting pregnant women, citizens between 6 months and 50 years of age and citizens who are above the age of 50 and have a chro-nic disease still continues. It is of crucial importance that child-ren under 10 years of age who have received a dose remember to get the second dose of the vaccine three weeks after they re-ceived the � rst one.” �stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
Poor neighbor relations ideal for prostitution
Swine flu death toll in Turkey up to 353
The results of a Bahçe�ehir University study suggest that some commonly held beliefs
about the gears of Turkey’s long-standing Kur-dish problem should be rethought -- but some of the study conclusions raise questions over whet-her the research itself might need re-examination.
Bahçe�ehir University International Se-curity and Strategic Studies Center (BU-SAM) President Ercan Çitlio�lu presented some of the study’s � ndings at a press con-ference held at the university yesterday. Cal-ling the product of the year-long research effort the broadest, most academic study completed on its topic to date, Çitlio�lu exp-lained that as part of the study 4,761 face-to-face interviews were conducted in 29 pro-
vinces divided into two categories: provin-ces in Turkey’s East and Southeast, and pro-vinces further west that have received large numbers of migrants from the East and So-utheast in the past 20 years.
The study results, released amidst a pe-riod in which the ruling Justice and Deve-lopment Party (AK Party) launched a histo-ric democratic initiative to address the Kur-dish problem, are intriguing to say the least. Some of the � ndings support assertions made by academics and civil society representatives during the new period of discourse ushered in by the democratic initiative, backing up messages in academia that are only now be-ginning to reverberate with the public.
For example, 47.5 percent of respon-dents from eastern and southeastern Ana-
tolia disagree with the postulation that the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) “represents all Kurds”; only 23.5 percent ag-reed. Asked about the importance of the Tur-kish Republic, being a Turkish citizen, the Turkish � ag and the Turkish national ant-hem, the same respondents overwhelmingly said these things were important to them -- with margins over 99 percent for each ques-tion. Similarly, 41.4 percent of respondents identifying themselves as ethnic Kurds or Za-zas said that the mention of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was associated with terrorism and separatism in their minds; only a marginal 9.9 percent responded that the PKK was a defender of Kurdish rights.
Other results, however, seem to contra-dict what some civil society leaders, acade-
mics and members of the public have been saying for years. For example, the study re-sults claim that the reasons driving migration West from the con� ict-torn, destitute eas-tern and southeastern provinces are mostly familial/personal reasons (61.8 percent). Fol-lowing this are economic reasons (16.2 per-cent), while reasons of safety/security acco-unt for only 9.4 percent. In addition, the study says only 75.1 percent of respondents felt they had ever been subject to discrimination.
The full title of the study is the “Study on the Socioeconomic and Sociocultural Makeup of Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia and the Soci-oeconomic and Sociocultural Makeup of the Re-gions Receiving the most Migrants from Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia: Problems, Expectati-ons and Solution Recommendations.”
ROBERTA DAVENPORT ÝSTANBUL
Study on Kurdish issue may generate more questions than answers
While preparations for �stanbul as a 2010 European Capital of Culture are coming
to an end, the annual program organized by the European Capital of Culture Agency was intro-duced at a press conference on Thursday with the participation of Hayati Yaz�c�, minister of state and the president of the �stanbul 2010 Co-ordination Board, and �ekib Avdagiç, the execu-tive board chairman of the �stanbul 2010 Euro-pean Capital of Culture Agency.
Avdagiç explained at the press conference their main goals, including various projects that will contribute to their campaign. Among the goals of the agency are reinforcing the cultural substructure of �stanbul; contributing to culture tourism; supporting diversity; encouraging crea-tivity and international cooperation; conveying the historical heritage of �stanbul; protecting the historical structure; organizing internatio-nal events and festivals such as the International
Poetry Festival, the Dance Platform and Inter-national Ballet Competition; expanding artis-tic and cultural events to peripheral regions so people who cannot afford to attend such events are able to go; and contributing to the establishment of �stanbul as a “brand name.”
In this respect, among the 2,272 project applications, the agency has decided to imp-lement 451 projects, and 132 projects have al-ready been realized up as of the present time. There are 89 projects currently going on, whi-le there are at least 230 projects that need to
be started. The projects include almost all as-pects of culture and art: contemporary art, tra-ditional art, music, literature, architecture, ci-nema, photography, dance, archeology, inno-vation and renovation. Apart from the events that have taken place of 2009, the most signi-� cant projects of 2010 are undoubtedly Sur-i Sultani Strategic Vision and Plan (of which the purpose is to develop a preservation strategy for the Sultan Walls in the old city in coopera-tion with the United Nations Educational, Sci-enti� c and Cultural Organization [UNESCO]); Religious Tourism Summit �stanbul 2010; Tra-ditional Turkish Book Arts-Modern Masters; U2 360° Tour concert; International Ballet Competition; and The Museum of Innocence.
During the press conference, journalists asked about the agency’s budget and operations, which have often been questioned in the media. Yaz�c� was disappointed with all of the critics, saying he was disheartened to see the word “looting” used when the media discusses the agency’s activities.
HAT�CE AHSEN UTKU ÝSTANBUL
European Capital of Culture agency introduces projects for 2010
F�ght�ng d�scr�m�nat�on aga�nst
Roma a moral duty, m�n�ster says
State Minister Hayati Yaz�c� (R) at the press conference held to unveil the program for �stanbul 2010.
cont�nued from page 1
The government regards the � ght aga-inst discrimination facing the country’s Roma community a moral duty, State
Minister Faruk Çelik said yesterday.Speaking at a workshop organized by
the government to address issues facing the Roma, Çelik said it is impossible for a co-untry to be powerful if it neglects its people’s problems. “It is a moral duty to � ght against centuries-old discrimination, intolerant at-titudes and prejudice against the Roma. In principle, we cannot ignore discrimination stemming from cultural, religious or ethnic differences. The right to equal citizenship is among the indispensable rights of all our citizens,” the minister said. “It is for this re-ason that this � rst meeting with the Roma is an important step for our country’s future.”
After launching the Kurdish initiative and a series of workshops with the pur-pose of recognizing and � nding solutions to problems faced by the Alevi commu-nity, the government decided to convene the � rst Roma workshop. Representatives of Turkey’s Roma community in �stanbul, Edirne, K�r�ehir, Artvin, Van and several other cities, 120 people in all, attended the event.
“This is the � rst time that the Roma of Turkey have come together with the state to voice their problems,” said Ömer Ek�i, the workshop moderator. Minister Çelik also stressed that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) prefers to pursue a strategy that does not delay re-solving the country’s problems but rather faces them head on and makes great stri-des to reach a solution.
Taking every possible risk, the govern-ment launched its Kurdish initiative, Çelik said, adding that the government’s prime motive is to ensure the happiness of the country’s 72 million citizens.
“We cannot ignore the problems of our Roma community, ranked among the most disadvantaged groups within the country.
We came together here today with the Roma to understand their problems and � nd possible solutions,” Çelik said, adding that despite the fact that the Roma have experienced great suffering in the course of history, they remain � rm.
The minister said the Roma favor pro-tecting the peaceful atmosphere in the country. “Since the day they came to Ana-
tolia, they have always stood for peace, fri-endship and fraternity instead of con� ict, � ghting and unrest. This should be taken seriously,” he said.
Touching upon on the serious dif� culties the Roma face in housing, education, health and job opportunities, the minister under-lined that these dif� culties work to perpe-tuate the disadvantaged position the Roma
face within the society. “The Roma did not by accident fall among the disadvantaged groups. [The way they are treated] has made this almost their destiny,” he said. He also praised the Roma for attaching great impor-tance to family and solidarity in addition to managing to preserve their traditions and culture despite encountering much preju-dice throughout history. �stanbul Today’s Zaman
Following government initiatives to address the issues of Turkey’s Alevi and Kurdish minority communities, a workshop was held to bring the state together with 120 representatives of the Roma community from across the nation.
It is � nally the turn of Turkey’s Roma community to bring its issues to the discussion table with the state, following similar initiatives with other minority groups like Alevis and Kurds. A meeting brought together 120 Roma representatives from across the nation with State Minister Faruk Çelik and other government of� cials
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The euro’s
Greek tragedy
AMSTERDAM -- When the euro was introduced in 1999, European countries agreed that � scal discipline was essential for its stability. While the common cur-rency has bene� ted all countries that have adopted it -- not least as an anchor in the current economic crisis -- the failure of euro-zone members to abide by their agreement risk could yet turn the euro into a disaster.
Indeed, too many members simply behave as if there were no Stability and Growth Pact (SGP). The state of Greek public � nances, for example, is “a concern for the whole euro zone,” according to European Commissioner for Monetary Affairs Joa-quin Almunia. Greece’s � scal de� cit is expected to reach 12.7 percent of GDP this year, far exceeding the SGP’s 3 percent-of-GDP cap.
Of course, every euro-zone country is breach-ing the SGP’s de� cit ceiling as a result of the cur-rent crisis. But consider the Netherlands, which will do so this year for only the second time since 1999. When the Netherlands � rst exceeded the SGP limit -- by only 0.1 percent of GDP -- the government immediately took tough measures to rein in the de� cit. Germany and Austria behaved the same way. Those countries are already working to reduce their crisis-in� ated de� cits as soon as possible.
Down in southern Europe, things look very different. Exceeding the SGP’s de� cit cap is the rule rather than the exception. Indeed, through-out the euro’s � rst decade, Greece managed to keep within the SGP limits only once, in 2006 (and by a very narrow margin).
Moreover, the Greek government turned out to be untrustworthy. In 2004, Greece admitted that it had lied about the size of its de� cit ever since 2000 -- precisely the years used to assess Greece’s application to join the euro zone. In other words, Greece quali� ed only by cheating. In November 2009, it appeared that the Greek government lied once again, this time about the de� cit in 2008 and the projected de� cit for 2009.
Italy also has a long history of neglecting Euro-pean � scal rules (as do Portugal and France). Like Greece, Italy was admitted to the euro zone despite being light-years away from meeting all the criteria. Public debt in both countries was well above 100 percent of GDP, compared to the SGP’s threshold of 60 percent of GDP. Italy did not ful� ll another criterion as well, as its national currency, the lira, did not spend the mandatory two years inside the European Exchange Rate Mechanism.
Ten years later, it seems as if time has stood still down south. Both the Greek and Italian public debt remain almost unchanged, despite the fact that both countries have bene� ted the most from the euro, as their long-term interest rates declined to German lev-els following its adoption. That alone yielded a wind-fall of tens of billions of euros per year. But it barely made a dent in their national debts, which can mean only one thing: massive squandering.
That is evident from their credit ratings. Greece boasts the lowest credit rating in the euro zone. In-deed, its A- score means that Greece is less creditwor-thy than Botswana and Malaysia, which are rated A+.
What if Greece gets into so much trouble that it cannot service its debt? That is not impossible. Accord-ing to calculations by Morgan Stanley, with relatively low long-term interest rates, Greece needs a primary surplus of at least 2.4 percent of GDP each year just to stabilize its national debt at 118 percent of GDP.
Current European rules prohibit other European countries or the EU itself from helping Greece. But re-cent history teaches us that European rules are made to be broken. Already, many (former) politicians and economists (no prizes for guessing whence they mostly hail) are proposing that the EU issue its own sovereign debt, which would alleviate the problems of countries such as Greece and Italy.
But such schemes would come at a high cost. They would punish � scally prudent governments, as inter-est rates would inevitably increase in countries like the Netherlands or Germany. Just a 0.1 percent increase in borrowing costs would mean hundreds of millions of euros in extra debt-service payments a year.
Moreover, even if the plan for EU sovereign debt never takes off, � scally prudent euro-zone countries will face higher borrowing costs. As � nancial integra-tion in Europe deepens, the lack of � scal discipline in one or more euro-zone countries will push up interest rates throughout the currency area.
A member of the euro zone cannot be ex-pelled under current rules, allowing countries like Greece to lie, manipulate, blackmail and collect more and more EU funds. In the long term, this will be disastrous for greater European coopera-tion, because public support will whither.
Europe should therefore consider bearing the high short-term costs of changing the rules of the game. If expelling even one member could estab-lish a more credible mechanism for guaranteeing � scal discipline in the euro zone than the SGP and � nancial � nes have proven to be, the price would be more than worth it.
Edin Mujagic is a monetary economist at Tilburg Univer-sity and economics editor at the Dutch weekly magazine FEM Business & Finance. © Project Syndicate, 2009
OPINION
TODAY’S ZAMAN
Edin Mujagic
Russia on Thursday said Azerbaijan and Armenia are on course to make
a landmark deal to end the Nagorno-Karabakh con� ict next year. Fifteen years of mediation have failed to produce a peace deal on the Armenian-populated mountain territory, which is at the heart of a key transit region for oil and gas to the West.
But mediators from the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Europe reported progress in talks last month between Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarksyan. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko told re-
porters that if the current pace was con-tinued a peace deal was likely.
“If the positive pace achieved in the negotiating process... is continued next year, then we can count on a rather swift � nal agreement of the basic principles for resolution [of the con� ict] and the work-ing out of the text for a peace agreement,” he told reporters.
Tensions over the mountain region are rising, with oil-producing Azerbaijan angry at a deal between ally Turkey and Armenia to open their border, 16 years after Ankara closed it in solidarity with Azerbaijan during the Nagorno-Kara-bakh war. Moscow Reuters
Russia sees breakthrough on Nagorno-Karabakh dispute next year
Obama accepts peace prize, defends ‘just wars’
The United States must uphold moral standards when waging wars that are necessary and justi� ed,
President Barack Obama said on Thursday as he accepted the Nobel Prize for Peace.
In a speech at the award ceremony in Oslo, Obama said violent con� ict would not be eradicated “in our lifetimes,” there would be times when nations would need to � ght just wars and he would not stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. “Where force is necessary, we have a moral and strategic interest in binding ourselves to certain rules of conduct. And even as we confront a vicious adversary that abides by no rules, I believe that the United States of America must remain a standard bearer in the conduct of war,” he declared.
Nine days after ordering 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan to break the momen-tum of the Taliban, Obama acknowledged the criticism of those who have said it was wrong and premature to award the Nobel accolade to a president still in his � rst year in of� ce and escalating a major war. He said America’s ad-herence to moral standards, even in war, was what made it different from its enemies.
“That is a source of our strength. That is why I prohibited torture. That is why I or-dered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed. And that is why I have reaf� rmed America’s commitment to abide by the Geneva Con-ventions,” he said. By pledging to close the Guantanamo camp for foreign terrorist sus-pects on Cuba, and moving to bring inmates
to trial on US soil, Obama has attempted to recover the moral high ground that critics of the United States accused his predecessor George W. Bush of surrendering by waging a no-holds-barred “war on terror.”
“We lose ourselves when we compro-mise the very ideals that we � ght to de-fend. And we honor those ideals by up-holding them not just when it is easy, but when it is hard,” Obama said.
Sanctions must biteAcknowledging “a re� exive suspicion of America, the world’s sole military superpow-er,” he said his country could not act alone in confronting global challenges in Afghanistan, Somalia or other troubled regions.
In seeking alternatives to force, it was nec-essary to be tough. “Those regimes that break the rules must be held accountable. Sanctions must enact a real price,” Obama said in a pas-sage that addressed North Korea’s nuclear ar-senal and US suspicions that Iran, too, seeks to acquire the bomb.
”It is...incumbent upon all of us to insist that nations like Iran and North Korea do not game the system,” Obama said. “Those who seek peace cannot stand idly by as na-tions arm themselves for nuclear war.” At a news conference earlier, Obama reaf� rmed that US troops would begin transferring responsibility for Afghan security to local forces in July 2011 but said there would be no “precipitous drawdown.”
Acknowledging the controversy sur-
rounding his prize, he said: “I have no doubt that there are others that may be more deserv-ing. My task here is to continue on the path that I believe is not only important for America but important for lasting peace in the world.”
He said that meant pursuing a world free of nuclear weapons and countering prolif-eration; addressing climate change; stabilis-ing countries like Afghanistan; “mobilising an international effort to deal with terrorism that is consistent with our values and ideals”; and addressing development issues.
Some of these initiatives were begin-ning to bear fruit, Obama said. ”If I am successful in those tasks, then hopefully some of the criticism will subside, but that is not really my concern. If I am not suc-cessful, than all the praise and awards in the world will not disguise that.”
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stol-tenberg told journalists the prize was well deserved and “can contribute in itself to strengthening the efforts of the president to work for peace.” On a rainy day with tem-peratures just above freezing, thousands lined heavily guarded Oslo streets to greet Obama.
Only handfuls of protesters were vis-ible, with one group holding a sign read-ing: “Obama you won it, now earn it.” Environmentalists in the crowd called on the US leader to sign an ambitious deal to � ght global warming when he visits nearby Copenhagen next week for the cli-max of a UN climate conference involving nearly 200 countries. Oslo Reuters
TODAY’S ZAMAN WORLDF R I DAY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 910
ELECTION
Iraq’s March vote won’t affect US drawdownDelayed national elections in Iraq will not interfere with US plans to sharply reduce troop levels by late next summer, the Pentagon said on Thursday as De-fense Secretary Robert Gates made a visit to Iraq. US President Barack Obama has pledged to end combat operations in Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010, ahead of a full pull-out by the end of 2011. The US force in Iraq is supposed to be reduced to 50,000 by end of August from around 115,000 now. “Gen. [Ray] Odierno does not anticipate any delay in getting down to 50,000 troops by the end of August 2010,” Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Mor-rell, who is accompanying Gates to Afghanistan and Iraq, said when asked if the March 7 date for Iraq’s parliamentary polls would affect that schedule. “We’ve lost about a month of time in there, but that has not created any undue pressures on the drawdown plans that General Odierno has,” he said, referring to the US commander in Iraq. Of� cials said Gates would meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other Iraqi leaders to discuss the upcoming election and would press for broader Arab-Kurd reconciliation. Intense bickering among Iraq’s rival political factions delayed the vote, Iraq’s � rst national election since 2005, from an original date planned for mid-January. US of� cials say the 60-day period after Iraq’s election will likely reveal whether the country will tip back into sectarian bloodshed or move toward stability and peace. Odi-erno wants to retain a muscular US presence in the country, capable of assisting Iraqi troops or police, until there is clarity about the security situation. A senior US defense of� cial, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the withdrawal schedule was on track and that the removal of US soldiers would accelerate in May. Under a bilateral security pact signed last year, all US troops must withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011. The date for the end of combat operations is not included in the agreement but was set by Obama as part of a pledge to US voters to end the war in Iraq. Baghdad Reuters
REPORT
Human rights violations in Iran worst for 20 yrs Human rights violations in Iran are as poor as at any time in the past 20 years, the human rights group Amnesty International said on Thursday. Its report, which followed June’s disputed presidential election, included allegations of torture, rape and unlawful killings. Amnesty called on Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to allow United Nations human rights experts to visit the country to help carry out an investigation. Of� cial inquiries to date “seemed to have been more concerned with covering up abuses than getting at the truth,” it added. Iran has dismissed previous criticism of its human rights record. “Members of militias and of� cials who have committed violations must also be promptly held to account and on no account should anyone be executed,” Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Program Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said in a statement. The report claimed patterns of abuse before, during and, particularly, after the election, when authorities deployed the the Basij militia and Revolutionary Guards to suppress mass protests against its disputed outcome. Mass demonstrations against the re-election of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad plunged the Islamic Republic into crisis, but opposition rallies no longer muster the huge crowds that � ooded the streets immediately after the June 12 ballot. Defeated candidate Mirhossein Mousavi has alleged the vote was rigged. Some of those detained during the protests have since been forced to � ee the country, the report said.One former detainee says he was held at the Kahrizak detention centre for about 58 days, kept in a shipping container throughout and only allowed to contact his family after 43 days, the report added. London Reuters
TALKS
US envoy gets North Korean assurancesThe US envoy for North Korea failed to secure a � rm commitment from the isolated state to resume nucle-ar disarmament negotiations but said on Thursday he had won assurance that it supported the languishing deal. Stephen Bosworth, speaking after a three-day trip to Pyongyang, described as “candid and busi-nesslike” his talks with First Vice Foreign Minister Kang Sok-ju, the man seen as the mastermind of the North’s nuclear policy. “[There] is common under-standing with the DPRK [North Korea] on the need to implement the 2005 joint statement and to resume the six-party process,” he said, referring to a 2005 deal where the North takes apart its nuclear arms program in exchange for massive aid and an end to its diplomatic isolation. But he added: “It remains to be seen when and how the DPRK will return to the six-party talks.” North Korea walked away from the negotiations with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States a year ago. Five months later it detonated a nuclear device, its second such test, earn-ing it tightened UN sanctions which further damaged its crippled economy. Bosworth, who was speaking in the South Korean capital, � ies to Beijing today, then to Tokyo and Moscow for talks before returning to Washington next week. The resumption of talks with the North “is something that will require further con-sultation from all six of us,” he said. Seoul ReutersAzerbaijan President �lham Aliyev
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Nobel Peace Prize laureate US President Barack Obama poses with his diploma and medal after receiving the prize at the award ceremony in Oslo City Hall on Thursday. The Nobel committee awarded the peace prize to Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy.
Nine days after ordering 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan to break the momentum of the Taliban, Obama acknowledged the criticism of those who have said it was wrong and premature to award the Nobel accolade to a president still in his � rst year in of� ce
11TODAY’S ZAMANF R I D A Y, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9WORLD
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Renew�ng
Europe’s
secur�ty
d�alogue
ATHENS – The year 2009 has been one of great change, taking place amidst even greater uncertainty. Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the resilience of the post-Cold War security system in Europe is being tested. Longstanding con� icts remain unresolved and complex new challenges are emerging. Energy security, organized crime, terrorism, absolutism and fundamentalism, climate change and cybercrime are acute concerns for every country.
The economic crisis has left many people far less prosperous, and perhaps less inclined to be ambitious in our efforts to address Europe’s security challenges. But we must also keep in mind that crisis brings with it opportunities for change.
This year has also seen a number of positive developments, including a “reset” in relations between two key players in the European security dialogue: Russia and the United States. The European Union has recently taken important steps towards greater cohesion and unity with the appointment of a president and high representative for foreign affairs.
We should celebrate these achievements even as we recognize that serious problems remain to be resolved. There are different perspectives on how Europe’s security architecture should be designed, but we all agree on the urgent need to tackle this critical challenge through constructive dialogue.
It is in this spirit of cooperation and bridge-building that 56 foreign ministers -- representing the US, Canada and European countries, including the Russian Federation and the rest of the former Soviet Union -- met in Athens on Dec. 1-2 at my invitation to discuss the future of European security. The talks marked the continuation of the “Corfu Process,” anchored in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which began with an informal ministerial meeting in Corfu in June.
An attempt to address Europe’s un� nished business, the Corfu Process is an opportunity for us to come together to assess the gaps in our common security, to craft more effective responses to existing challenges, and -- most importantly -- to generate new political will for joint action. This includes action to preserve arms-control regimes, including the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe; to accelerate the resolution of protracted con� icts; to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms; and to assess and address traditional and new threats.
We cannot afford to leave the region’s protracted con� icts such as the ones in Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria on the back burner, as last year’s war in Georgia made abundantly clear. People living in these areas need peace and stability, not a fragile status quo that could suddenly shatter and turn violent.
Security challenges in neigh-boring regions also require a joint response. Afghanistan is a case in point. And threats like terrorism, the traf� cking of arms, drugs, and people, and climate change are borderless and complex. Only a joint response can be effective.
The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the end of an era of mistrust and division and opened the way for cooperation aimed at a peaceful and stable Europe. Europe has come a long way from those years of division, but we have not yet fully reaped the bene� ts promised by the wave of change of 1989.
*George Papandreou is the prime minister and foreign minister of Greece, and the chairman-in-of� ce of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. © Project Syndicate, 2009.
OPINION
TODAY’S ZAMAN
George A. Papandreou*
Armed mountain tribesmen raided an elementary school and nearby homes in
the troubled southern Philippines on Thurs-day and were holding at least 57 people hos-tage to keep police at bay, authorities said.
The raid was carried out less than three weeks after a massacre in a near-by province in which 57 people were killed, throwing an unwelcome spot-light on the Southeast Asian nation and raising tensions ahead of presi-dential elections next year.
The hostages were being held in a mountainous area near the town of Pros-peridad in Agusan del Sur province. Police said the gunmen had seized 75 people, but later freed 18, including all 17 children. Au-thorities described the gunmen as former members of a civilian militia who had taken to banditry. Some of� cials said they could
have taken hostages because they were be-ing pursued by police after a gun battle with a rival tribal group on Wednesday.
Other of� cials said the group was demanding the dropping of cases against them, action against the rival group and media coverage. Lino Cal-ingasan, regional police chief, said all remaining hostages were adults.
“Negotiations are ongoing. We are trying to � nd out how the others can be released,” he told Reuters. “It is a good signal, that they are willing to negotiate. We are hoping this will be resolved peacefully.”
Negotiators had left the mountain site to return to town and would resume talks on Friday, of� cials said. Last month, 57 people, including 30 journalists, were killed after being stopped at a checkpoint in Ma-
guindanao province while on their way to � le a candidate’s nomination for elections.
The killings prompted a crackdown in the generally lawless southern Philip-pines and the imposition of martial law in Maguindanao last week.
Bandits, communist guerrillas and extremist rebels operate widely through-out Mindanao -- a southern island and region which contains Maguindanao. In addition, powerful local families maintain large private armies and feuding among them is common. Clan rivalry was at the root of last month’s massacre.
The government has armed many vil-lagers and formed civilian militias to coun-ter the communist and Muslim rebels. Analysts say clan wars pose a threat to a fragile four-year truce between the govern-ment and Muslim separatists. Manila Reuters
Philippine gunmen hold 57 hostages, free children
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The $10 billion a year proposed by rich nations to help the poor adapt to climate change is “not suf� cient” and the gap
between what’s offered and what’s needed could wreck the Copenhagen climate conference, American billionaire George Soros said Thursday.
The investor-philanthropist, one in a line of international notables visiting the 192-nation meeting, told reporters he had developed a partial solution. Soros suggested shifting some International Monetary Fund resources from providing liquidity to stressed global � nancial system to a new mission of � nancing projects in developing countries for clean energy and adapting to climate change. About $100 billion in a one-time infusion could be generated, said Soros, a major supporter of causes in the developing world. But he acknowledging a major roadblock in Washington.
“It is possible to substantially increase the amount available to � ght global warming in the developing world,” he said. “All that is lacking is the political will. Unfortunately the political will be dif� cult to gather because of the mere fact that it requires congressional approval in the United States.”
Soros said he had “informal discussions” with Obama administration of� cials and they recognized the dif� culty of getting congressional approval. But he said the issue was too important to sweep aside. “I think it is already becoming apparent in the negotiations that there’s a gap between the developed and developing world on this issue which could actually wreck the conference,” he added.
The international � nancier dropped in on the two-week conference on its fourth day, as rich and poor nations pressed on behind closed doors and in open forums to bridge wide differences and reach agreements on how to combat global warming. They have just a week to deliver something for President Barack Obama and more than 100 national leaders to sign in the � nale of the Copenhagen climate summit on Dec. 18.
In one key area, delegates are trying to agree on how much industrialized nations should reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gases after the 2012 expiration of the 1997
Kyoto Protocol, which covered 37 richer nations. The US had rejected Kyoto.
The second key area involves climate change � nancing. That involves money for poorer nations to build coastal protection, modify or shift crops threatened by drought, build water supplies and irrigation systems, preserve forests, improve health care to deal with diseases spread by warming, and move from fossil-fuel to low-carbon energy systems, such as solar and wind power.
The World Bank and others project that hundreds of billions of dollars a year, in public and private money, will be needed eventually for the climate change shift. Yet industrialized countries thus far are talking only about a quick package -- three years of funding at $10 billion a year. Much of that would go toward training, planning and getting a � x on needs. Copenhagen AP
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A sculpture of a globe is displayed outside the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen on Thursday.
Five young Americans detained in Pakistan, which is � ghting a violent Taliban insurgency,
wanted to join a holy war and were in contact with militants through the Internet, of� cials said on Thurs-day. The � ve men, students in their 20s from northern Virginia, were detained this week in the city of Sar-godha in Punjab province, 190 kilometers (120 miles) southeast of Islamabad, security of� cials said.
The suspects were being investigated for possible links to a Pakistan-based group suspected of carrying out high-pro� le attacks and with links to the Taliban and al-Qaeda. The case will likely again focus atten-tion on nuclear-armed Pakistan’s performance in � ghting militants as Washington presses Islamabad to root out extremist � ghters crossing the border to attack US-led troops in Afghanistan.
“We watched them for one and a half days and then arrested them,” Usman Anwar, police chief of Sargodha, told reporters.
“We seized laptops and other things from their possession. Later we came to know that they have come here with the intention of ‘jihad’.”
The case could fan fears in Western countries that the sons of immigrants from Muslim countries are being drawn to violent extremist militancy, a pro-cess made easier by the Internet.
The US FBI said in a statement released in the United States on Wednesday it was in contact with the families of the � ve as well as law-enforcement au-thorities in Pakistan. A Pakistani security of� cial said the men were detained on Monday. They had � own to Karachi on Nov. 30 and then travelled to Lahore on Dec. 5, and then on to Sargodha, he said.
“No charge has been framed against them. Investi-gations are under way as to whether they have any links with extremist groups,” said the of� cial.
The concrete house where the men were arrest-ed was deserted on Thursday, it’s white gate locked.
Neighbors con� rmed security men had raided the house three days ago but they said they had no idea about the people who had been living there.
There were no police on duty at the house next to a petrol station in a middle-class neighborhood, but plain-clothes security men were in the area. Of� cials said three Pakistanis had also been detained, one of whom was believed to have been linked to a 2007 sui-cide bomb attack on an air force bus outside an air base in Sargodha in which eight people were killed.
The Americans were in contact with militant groups in Pakistan through the Internet. Laptops, computers, CDs, mobile phones and maps of Paki-stani cities had been recovered from them, said An-war. They had links to towns in northwest Pakistan, including the al-Qaeda and Taliban stronghold of Miranshah. “They might have been on their way to Afghanistan,” Anwar told Reuters. Pakistan news reports said the suspects were being investigated for
links with the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad group. The Jaish-e-Mohammad, or Army of the Prophet Moham-mad, has links with al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
It is one of several factions with roots in Punjab province that have been battling Indian forces in dis-puted Kashmir. The group was suspected of involve-ment in attacks including the murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002 and an assassination attempt on former President Pervez Musharraf.
Rashid Rauf, a British militant suspected of being ringleader of a 2006 plot to blow up airliners over the Atlantic, was also a Jaish member. Of� cials said one of the Americans was of Egyptian origin, one of Ye-meni origin and another of Eritrean origin.
A US Muslim civil rights group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said it brought the case to the attention of US law-enforcement au-thorities this month after family members informed CAIR of the men’s disappearance. Sargodha Reuters
Five young Americans held in Pakistan ‘wanted to join holy war’
Medvedev to attend Copenhagen climate conferenceThe Kremlin announced on Friday that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will take part in the climate conference in Copenhagen next week.
This is certain to raise expectations that he and President Barack Obama will sign a new nucle-ar arms deal on the sidelines of the conference.
Obama is set to attend the meeting in Copenhagen on Dec. 18. The Kremlin an-nounced on Thursday that Medvedev will be there Dec. 17 and 18.
Meanwhile, Russian and US officials have said they expect a successor to the 1991 START I treaty to be signed soon, but no signing cere-mony has been scheduled. Negotiations were still under way when the treaty expired today.
Obama and Medvedev agreed in July to each cut nuclear warheads to between 1,500 and 1,675 within seven years as part of a new treaty.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Wednesday that negotiators con-tinue to work to replace the ex-pired treaty. But Gibbs said no ceremony has been sched-uled to sign a new treaty.
The START I obliged each country to cut nuclear war-heads by at least a quarter, to about 6,000 and in-cluded detailed verifi-cation procedures.
Philippine protesters shout slogans during a rally at the national Bureau of Inves-tigation in Manila, where the main suspect in the massacre of 57 people is held.
Warn�ng: F�nance gap could
‘wreck’ UN cl�mate talks Investor-philanthropist Soros suggested shifting some International Monetary Fund resources from providing liquidity to a stressed
global � nancial system to a new mission of � nancing projects in developing countries for clean energy and adapting to climate change. The World Bank and others project that hundreds of billions of dollars a year, in public and private money, will be needed
ace the ex-s said no sched-aty.ed each ear war-uarter, n--
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
[ EXPAT VOICE ]
TODAY’S ZAMAN EXPAT ZONEF R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 912
CMYK
NOTE: Today’s Zaman intends to provide a l ively forum for expatr iates l iv ing in Turkey. We encourage you to contact us at [email protected] and share your experiences, questions and problems in al l walks of l i fe for publ icat ion in Today’s Zaman.
Writing a book is sort of like having a plan for your life. In either case, to know where you are going you need to have done your research. As a journalist and author, I especially understand about the impor-tance of documentation.
I like how author Judith Summers, in her book, “My Life with George,” puts it: “If you did your research properly, you could sort out which facts were relevant and how many you could junk. You knew where you were going and how you were going to get there. In other words, you knew where you were.”
Of course, as some of you may know all too well, not doing your homework is something you may regret later.
I’ve noticed in Turkey that opinions about having a house pet are changing. Well, at least among some people. I’d say still the ma-jority of Turks are not comfortable around pets outdoors and even less, indoors.
I’d never been around dogs much growing up, except my broth-er’s Beagles, which were off-limits as they were hunting dogs, not pets. Like most people, I just thought a dog was a dog.
When I was offered a dog for free and learned she (Kila) was a Cocker Spaniel, I thought this was great! Don’t get me wrong, Kila is
great. I thought, “I’ll need to walk her, give her fresh food and water, keep her warm and love her.” I did not really do my research on this particular breed, so I had no idea that she needs to be brushed x times a day, and that ear and eye infections and skin allergies are quite common for this particular breed. Oh! I nearly forgot to men-tion, they are high-maintenance creatures. George, in Judith Sum-mers book is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, which she describes as no ordinary dog. He sounds in many ways like mine.
Walking along Bagdat Caddesi or in Etiler you will see dogs whose owners have dressed their dogs in � eecy tops and designer collars. However, dogs like George and my Kila have just what they stand up in. They are down-to-earth dogs.
Any dog owner, while out walking their beloved creature, ob-serves the many admirers along the path, but the moment the pave-ment is soiled or wet, it is as though the unthinkable has happened. You can see the disapproving glances.
Having a dog in your home may be even more disapproving. Be prepared for your Turkish friends to not visit as frequently if you have a dog.
Petrol attendants are great admirers. As long as the windows are rolled up, most attendants feel safe and will tease the dogs through the glass. As soon as you open the door to get out of your car or get in it, they quickly back away. You would have thought they had seen a snake as they scatter.
Around Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s, many people consider giving an animal as a gift, be it a dog, cat, guinea pig, ham-ster, rabbit, ferret or another pet. This is becoming more popular in Turkey as well.
In the vast majority of cases, this is a bad idea. Very frequently, the ordeal ends with the dog, cat, pocket pet or other animal at the humane society’s animal shelter within a few weeks.
Let me just share a few reasons why pets that are given as holi-
day gifts rarely remain in their new home.Bonding time: Usually the holiday season is full of hustle and
bustle. It is dif� cult to bond and care for a new cat, dog or other pet. Kittens and puppies require a strict schedule, lots of attention, train-ing, care and love.
Choice of selection: Picking a pet for someone is almost like you are match-making. Selecting an animal to adopt is a very personal process that should be left to the new pet owner. The initial attrac-tion is vital as the owner and animal will be sharing each other’s home and lives for hopefully many years to come.
Thinking you or someone else would love a dog? Research it and ask a few questions before you do something impetuous:
Do I have enough time for a puppy?Do I have enough money to afford the vet bills?Do I have suf� cient time to care for my pet?If the answers to these questions are negative it may be that it is
a less-than-ideal situation that’s unfair to both animal and person.
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: [email protected]
CULTURAL CORNER
McPHERSONCHARLOTTE
Naturally, there is nothing more wonderful for a married couple than to hear that they are ex-pecting a baby. “I wonder if our baby will look
like me, with brown skin and a � at nose. Perhaps he or she will look like you, with fair skin and a pointed nose,” I smiled at my husband.
We wondered about our baby’s gender, of the little steps our baby would take and all the wonderful things that would come from welcoming that precious little person who would be the gem of our lives. My husband and I were no different.
The happiness was indescribable but then, whether we liked it or not, there were bound to be con� icts. I am Malay-sian and was brought up in Malay society with the Malay way of life. My husband, on the other hand, is a Turk, brought up in a Turkish society with the Kayseri way on his mother’s side and the Rumelian way on his father’s side. We are two peo-ple who were brought up in two different cultures; there are so many differences in our cultural backgrounds. What were we as parents supposed to do? There were so many con� icts. We had to � nd a common ground. But where to start?
I, for one, have a rebellious soul. I hate rules and restric-tions. I was happy enough to discover that my gynecologist, who also happens to be my brother-in-law’s sister, was a very open type kind of person. I was not given strict “dos” or “don’ts” which I expected to get from a doctor from my own country. Just imagine, I was allowed to drink coke, which was my favorite drink then during my pregnancy, and I was allowed to eat McDonald’s two days after giving birth. In Malaysia, that is almost unheard of! But deep down, despite my rebellious soul, did I crave to have the post-birth mas-sage which we Malaysians traditionally have to make sure all the nerves in the body are corrected to their pre-birth state? Did I wish that my mother would be there to insist that I eat food cooked with lots of black pepper (to heat the body) as well as ginger (to decrease the gas in the body)? Did I dream of being forced into the traditional corset where meters of plain white cloth would be wrapped around my body to help me lose the fat around my tummy? Did I dream of being forced to drink “jamu,” the roots of various trees boiled in water and later drunk (which tastes extremely yucky) to repair and strengthen the inner parts of my body? Even though I would have rejected all these things were I to have given birth in Malaysia, being away from home made me crave them. But then, I was not living in Malaysia. I was and am living in �stanbul, and what �stanbul offered me as a new mother then was equally special in its own way.
Parental differences from the very beginningMotherhood had introduced me to the deep level of over-protectiveness of the Turks. I had to undergo a C-section type of birth at the last minutes due to fetal distress. After the birth, at least for a week, I was not allowed to do anything. It was my mother-in-law (whom I called anne) who did everything. My job then was to rest, to recover my strength and to feed my baby. This over-protectiveness is truly evident in the way they dress their children. Take, for example, my daughter, Nur Hatice, and my son, Sabahaddin. The moment I was past the � rst trimester of pregnancy, the older people (my mother-in-law and my husband’s aunties) started to knit as many wool sweaters as they possibly could. Turks are very particular about keeping children warm. My daughter was a winter baby. When she was a newborn, I can remember how she was covered in layer after layer of clothing. “Keep the baby warm,” the elders kept advising me. As someone who came from a tropical country where we only see sun and rain, I naturally followed the ways of my Turkish family. When my children were older, I used to take them to a playground nearby. The over-protectiveness of the Turkish family was al-ways evident when I saw foreign children there. The Ameri-can and British kids, who used to frequent the playground, would be clothed in shorts and simple T-shirts at 14 to 20 degrees Celsius. But when I looked at my own kids and other Turkish kids, they would be covered in thick wooly sweaters with layer upon layer of clothing! It was obvious how differ-ent the upbringing of the American and British kids was from the Turkish kids. Turks simply over-clothe their children.
What about food? Would my kids grow up eating Turk-ish food or Malaysian food? That was a question that used to play in our minds as well. My husband had no objection to me feeding our kids Malaysian food. He himself loves some of my local dishes. But we live in �stanbul. Naturally,
the ingredients available promote the preparation of Turk-ish food. Cooking Malaysian food is quite impossible here unless I can bring certain spices to Turkey, which is dif� cult. I remember feeding my daughter a very hot Tom Yam dish when she was just 5 months old. Surprisingly, she ate it with no complaint. But as she and her brother have grown up on Turkish food, the preference for Malaysian food is lost to them except for certain things like curries. Whenever we visit Malaysia, I have to cook special food for them or feed them Western fast food there. Luckily, the Indian food in Malaysia has certain similarities with Turkish food so I was feeding my kids Roti Canai for breakfast or Chapati or Nasi Kandar or Nasi Ayam for lunch or dinner most of the time. I don’t blame them. Food is an acquired taste. Your taste will always be synchronized with the food you grew up eating. Just as I will always crave Malaysian food, my husband and my half-Turkish children will always crave Turkish food.
The language dilemmaThere was also this con� ict in language in rearing our chil-dren. What language will they be speaking? I wanted them to be trilingual and speak Turkish, Malay and English as their native languages. Turkish is naturally vital as they live in Turkey and it is the medium of instruction here. Malay is my own language, which would be important for them to communicate with my family in Malaysia. As for English, it is a universal language which they can use everywhere they go. I believe that a child’s brain can comprehend all three languages in one go. Such a thought sounded logi-cal to me, though not to my husband. The possessiveness of a person, namely my husband, over their language was evident when we had to face this issue. It reminded me of how the French are overprotective of the French language. My husband is no different. He insisted that our kids be taught only Turkish for the � rst � ve years of their lives. Only later, they should learn English and Malay. He didn’t want his children’s minds to be polluted by any other language; they should only learn his mother tongue as this is where they live. After a lot of heated discussions, it was � nally agreed that they would be speaking Turkish as their mother tongue and that English and Malay would come later.
It was agreed upon. Be that as it may, there was also an-other challenge that accompanied this decision. As a bride in a new land, after our marriage, I had developed a resistance to learning Turkish. I subconsciously felt the threat of losing my own identity if I were to accept the Turkish language. I rejected the language, insisting that I would speak English forever. It was only after I got pregnant that I began to relax and somehow accepted opening up my mind and subcon-sciously learnt the language through the interactions of daily life. Just think, how was a mother who only has the most ba-sic of Turkish (who refused to learn Turkish except through acquisition) and who spent 24/7 with her kids be expected to teach them Turkish properly? I mean, I practically learned Turkish together with my children. Even now, after 10 years of marriage, I still subconsciously refuse to learn the language properly. What hope do my kids have to be excellent speak-ers of Turkish? Fortunately, the Zaim family has a close knit relationship. When my late mother-in-law and father-in-law were alive, we used to go to their home almost every day. My kids learned their early speech there as their Uncle Kerim and their Auntie Mehve� were always there as well. The rest of the siblings and their families also often get together. It is at the times when the parents spend hours chatting and the
10 cousins play with each other that my kids improve on their communicative skills. Right now, my daughter is an excellent speaker of the language, while my son is expanding his ability particularly with the help of his teachers in school. Yes, their mother tongue is Turkish. English is their second language and Malay is in the process of being learnt.
My lack of knowledge of Turkish also led us to another test; my children’s schooling. Right now, my daughter is in the third grade, while my son is in second grade. They go to one of the Co�kun private schools, which is a Turkish school. I do confess that the hardest part for me is homework time. It was when my daughter was in second grade that I real-ized that except for English lessons, I could not help them with their homework anymore. My Turkish is limited, and I am unable to explain or help them solve many of the prob-lems in their homework. How am I to answer the questions on the synonyms or antonyms of Turkish words? What would I know of mathematical terminology? Furthermore, they come from a school system different from mine. It is re-ally heartbreaking for a mother when you cannot help your child when they need help. Whether I like it or not, that is my reality. My husband helps the kids whenever he is at home. During his absence, however, I have the advantage of my kids having a year’s gap between them. My daughter, for example, can explain many things to her brother, simply because she learned the same thing a year before. On things that she cannot understand or help with, I am lucky enough to have many sisters-in-law who are more than willing to help answer any enquiries by phone that my children may have regarding their homework. Our other option is to write notes on the things my kids could not do at home, and the hardworking teachers at school will usually explain the matter to them later in class. In short, my kids are fated to depend on themselves and others to help them academi-cally because of the inef� ciency of their mother.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Only time will tell. For now, I am truly grateful for any help I can get. What I see is this; The con� icts that occur in rearing our children in the Turkish environment are no doubt hard for me as an expat mother, as we have had to make so many compromises to reach a common ground. Yet, they are what make everything exciting as well as complicated. I think my children are grow-ing up nicely mainly because my husband and I will always be there for them. And what we lack, we have in the support of our family, relatives, teachers and friends who are willing to help guide them in developing their potential.
Motherhood is a challenge as well as a blessing no matter who you marry or where you choose to live. It is how you choose to enjoy it.
G�v�ng a pet as a present
BRINGING UP MULTICULTURAL CHILDREN IN TURKEY
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S�MAH ZA�M �STANBUL My lack of knowledge of Turkish also led us to another
test; my children’s schooling. Right now, my daughter is in the third grade, while my son is in second grade. They
go to one of the Co�kun private schools, which is a Turkish school. I do confess that the hardest part for me is home-work time. It was when my daughter was in second grade that I realized
that except for English lessons, I could not help them with their
homework anymore
CULTURE&ARTS F R I DAY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9 TODAY’S ZAMAN13
CMYK
�stanbul gets new studio named after At�f Y�lmaz
Smadj to present new album in two gigs in�zmir and �stanbul
�stanbul, the heart of Turkey’s entertain-ment sector and naturally its movie in-
dustry, got a new movie studio this week when a new studio school dedicated to the late Tur-kish � lmmaker At�f Y�lmaz was inaugurated in the Küçükçekmece district on Wednesday.
The studio, a joint effort by the local Küçük-çekmece Municipality, the �stanbul 2010 Europe-an Capital of Culture Agency and the At�f Y�lmaz Studio Foundation, also incorporates a moviema-king school that will accept 20 students annually.
Y�lmaz’s widowed wife, Deniz Türkali, told re-porters during Wednesday’s inauguration, which coincided with the anniversary of Y�lmaz’s birth, that the new studio school would help Turkey gain many emerging talents in the area of cinema.
Y�lmaz, who died on May 5, 2006 at the age of 81, was one of the most proli� c producer-director-screenwriters in the history of Turkish cinema, with more than 110 titles he directed during a ca-reer that spanned more than � ve decades. One of most famous directing credits is the 1977 big-screen classic “Selvi Boylum Al Yazmal�m” (The Girl with the Red Scarf), starring Kadir �nan�r and Türkan �oray, and adapted from the well-known novel by late Kyrgyz author Chinghiz Aitmatov.
The At�f Y�lmaz Studio, spread over 500 squ-are meters, will also offer an open-air movie set when work on the area surrounding the stu-dio building is completed, Küçükçekmece Mayor Aziz Yeniay told reporters.
The studio school offers a two-year certi� cate program that has its focus mainly on � lmmaking rather than theoretical classes.
Well-known � lm directors and producers Ya-vuz Özkan, S�rr� Süreyya Önder, Ümit Ünal and Ali Akdeniz are among the instructors who will be teaching classes here.
Students will make their own short � lms and take part in several workshops throughout the co-urse. Each student will also prepare a � lm as his/her graduation project. The main objective is for each student to have a screenplay ready to be � lmed at the end of the program. The students will also be able to work and gain experience in feature � lms and documentaries by other � lmmakers at the � lm production house that is also housed on the school’s premises. The � rst term courses at the At�f Y�lmaz Studio will begin on Jan. 11, 2010. �stanbul Today’s Zaman
Tunisian-born Parisian musician Jean-Pierre Smadja, aka Smadj, famed interna-
tionally for his signature blend of acoustic and electronic sounds, will play songs from his most recent album, “Selin,” in two gigs in �zmir and �stanbul next week.
Billed by reviewers as “the most passionate album” Smadj has released to date, “Selin” was released in early December. The 10-track set is made up of Smadj’s own original compositions inspired from his times in �stanbul as well as his partner, after whom the album is named.
Joined by Swiss contemporary jazz trumpeter Erik Truffaz, best known for his improvised pla-ying style, and British DJ and tabla player Talvin Singh, famous for his fusion of classical Indian tu-nes with electronic dance music, Smadj recorded “Selin” in �stanbul, where he is currently based.
The trio, who frequently collaborate in recor-dings and live performances, will also be joined by Cem Y�ld�z on ba�lama during next week’s two performances, scheduled for Dec. 16 at the French Cultural Center in �zmir and Dec. 17 at the Babylon Club in �stanbul’s Beyo�lu.
Smadj made his international breakthrough in 2000 with the album “Equilibriste.” In 2002, Smadj joined fellow French oud player Mehdi Haddab for a special project that would transport the oud to the 21st century in their album, “Du-OuD.” The album also received second place in the Best Album category at the prestigious BBC World Music Awards. �stanbul Today’s Zaman
Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ has premiere in London
James Cameron’s sci-� extravaganza “Avatar” got its � rst airing before a mass
audience in London on Thursday.Stars Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthing-
ton and Zoe Saldana were expected to join the crowds in London’s Leicester Square for Thursday’s premiere.
The 3D epic about humans taking extrater-restrial form as they explore a distant world is re-portedly one of the most expensive movies ever made. It uses cutting-edge digital technology to create dizzying special effects. The � lm industry is watching closely to see how audiences res-pond to Cameron’s � rst narrative � lm in 12 years. The director is hoping for a hit to match his 1997 blockbuster “Titanic,” which has taken $1.8 billi-on worldwide at the box of� ce. “Avatar” opens around the world next week. London AP
Book looks into practice of support for works of artA new book by architect and artist Céline Condorelli, together with Gavin Wade and James Langdon, inspired by the objects
that make art possible and yet receive no attenti-on themselves, has been published by the Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center.
Titled “Support Structures,” the book featu-res texts of the interviews of Condorelli with Wo-uter Davidts, Andrea Phillips, Jan Verwoert, Ja-mes Langdon and Gavin Wade as well as artic-les by Condorelli, Mark Cousins, Jaime Stapleton, Bart de Baere, Eyal Weizman and Rony Brauman and Jean-Claude Lebensztejn.
In an interview with Today’s Zaman, Condo-relli elaborated on the term “Support Structure” and the content of the project and the book.
Can you explain the kind of support you are referring to in your concept of “Support Structure” and its relation to contemporary artistic production?
I am interested in all the things that are aro-und, under and behind what is traditionally conside-red art objects: framing devices, stages, what holds things up, what makes them possible in the � rst pla-ce. The kinds of things and activities that are suppor-ting surround us -- like scaffolding, for example, is everywhere in a city -- and are essential to what and how we do things in the world, and yet they are usu-ally considered not important, temporary, lacking in value in themselves. The project “Support Structure” was to focus on this as a practice, to work exactly with
these things that are usually outside artistic produc-tion, and offer support. To understand and revalue what it means to put yourself in the service of others.
How did this project start and what kind of activities has it organized so far?
The project started when Gavin Wade and I were asked to provide a system for “I am a Curator,” an ex-hibition by Per Hüttner at Chisenhale Gallery in Lon-don, in which members of the public were able to cu-rate exhibitions for one day. How could we make such a thing possible, so that every morning some-body new would walk into the gallery and produ-ce an exhibition? We made a “Support Structure” as an exhibition system, to store, hang, explain, and ge-nerally support the curating process for people who mostly had never done such a thing. After this project we realized that there was a large potential in thin-king about the idea of support, and decided to put “Support Structure” through a learning process, like
full-time education, and create what became 10 pro-jects: in support of art, in support of politics, in sup-port of community, education, institutions.
You wrote the book “Support Structures.” Can you tell us about this book and the issues it highlights?
While support seems to describe the most ordi-nary activities, its discourse appears to be missing: for example, as mentioned above, cities � lled with scaf-folding have no books about them in their libraries, and I searched in vain for a history of framing. This book was born from the resulting solitude of this practice of supporting, to � rst create and then publish the missing bibliography of support structures, and in a way, the background material I had been missing. While the work of supporting traditionally appears as subsequent, inessential and lacking value in itself, this book is actually an attempt to restore attention to one of the neglected, yet crucial modes through which
we apprehend and shape the world. I think “Sup-port Structures” addresses important questions for art, architecture and other cultural practices, on forms of display, organization, articulation, appropriation, autonomy and temporariness. The book includes dif-ferent texts about these issues, from different angles, but also many projects by artists, architects and thin-kers, some of which I met in �stanbul, like the artists Can Altay, Banu Cenneto�lu and Cevdet Erek.
Which type of model have you developed for Platform Garanti �stanbul?
Books are usually made behind closed doors, and one only sees them when they are � nished, for sale in a bookshop or on somebody’s bookshelf. At the invita-tion of Platform Garanti, I tried to make the process of book-making as public as possible. The contributors to the text were invited to �stanbul, one at a time, to come and work in my studio at Platform Garanti on �stiklal [Street], for one week. Each one was invited to speak
about a particular type of support: democratic support, architectural support, etc. We talked and read and dis-cussed, and at the end of the week would have a lec-ture at Osmanl� Bank Museum, which worked as the draft for each text, which we then edited and correc-ted. This process was followed through my residency, which meant I left �stanbul with a draft for a book.
What is your process for developing a critical model for a speci� c exhibition or public space?
I think that to look at structures of support means to focus on the interface between user and system, on forms of mediation, and in this way one is able to question and maybe re-invent the potential of a pla-ce. Each place and its surrounding situation needs to be looked at speci� cally, I believe, and never gene-rally, even if one always arrives at some similar qu-estions. This is the starting point to be able to invent and establish new infrastructures for individuals wit-hin particular sites. The purpose of this process is to generate possibilities for change through reconside-ring and adjusting what is already there, both physi-cally and conceptually. Support structures in this sense are not exhibitions as such, but can be used as tools to translate and facilitate the idea of exhibiting.
You are also a lecturer at London Metropoli-tan University. What kind of classes do you teach?
I have been teaching architecture for almost 10 years. I run studios and programs in which I work very closely with students and they develop individual projects. My main interest is to teach them to think through space, and that thinking and doing are not separate activities but that one thinks by doing and does by thinking.
RUMEYSA KIGER �STANBUL
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Actress Türkan �oray, Küçükçekmece Mayor Aziz Yeni-ay and actress Deniz Türkali (L to R) speak during the inaguration of the At�f Y�lmaz Studio in �stanbul.
Architect and artist Celine Condorelli, together with Gavin Wade and James Langdon, explores the objects that make art possible and yet receive no attention themselves, in the book “Support Structures.”
CMYK
[email protected]ðýstan Çetinkaya
´Thýnk tank cafe
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Established on January 16, 2007 NO: 0936Friday, December 11, 2009
IMPRESSIONS FROM THE GÜLEN CONFERENCE IN LOS ANGELES
It is interesting that Americans have been convinced that it is that easy to appease the Turks. I told them, “President Obama’s speech in Turkey was only as good as the others.” After all, the US’s advisors on Turkey know the terminology to flatter Turks very well. But it is time for action, not words.
A strong agenda for Americans: I asked the Americans a ques-tion and offered to answer it as well. The question was: Turkey has been a strategic ally of the US for more than 50 years, but US hos-tility toward this ally country is higher than in Iraq, which it is occupying. The gap widens every day. There is an alliance the people are not comfortable with, and it is impossible for this to be sustained. As long as these people live on these lands and if there is going to be democracy from now on, even if it’s a little blind and crippled, it is impossible for the US to receive the kind of support it wants from any government in Turkey.
Filling in the details of model partnership: Putting aside the need to � ll in the details of a “model partnership” with Turkey, the homework list the US needs to follow in order to clean its gallery of sins in the eyes of the people is provided below in short.
1. Repair its respect and pride: Turkey is a remnant of a significant part of history, and its people cannot forget, ignore or accept a sack-over-head scenario.
2. The US must stop being a junta supporter: The position the US has in the Middle East is one that supports dictatorships. In Turkey, however, the people’s awareness of democracy and hatred of an oppressive and imposing regime is forcing the US to make an absolute decision on this matter. According to the people’s per-spective, there is a strong conviction that coups in Turkey were also approved of by the US. It is believed that the Turkish army, which matured under NATO and US discipline from a young age and has every kind of ideological and military allegiance, will not, with some exceptions, conduct business in spite of the US.
3. We want democracy: The Turkish people now know the world, their income level has increased, their expecta-tions have varied and heightened and, most importantly, the generation has changed. Anatolia has started to take control of its own fate. The US must prove to the Turkish people that it truly wants democracy in Turkey.
4. Outpost period over, regional interests must be re-spected: The historical and civilization-speci� c weight of this nation, especially in the region, must be accepted and acknowl-edged. It should not be subject to “outpost” treatment. The re-gional interests of Turkey and the US may not always overlap; in fact, they may even con� ict with one another. The US should not cross the oceans and come to the region to issue orders by disre-garding our interests in the region. It must see Turkey, which is an old heir to the region, as an equal consultation and decision-mak-ing entity. The US’s preference to keep Israel under one arm and Turkey under the other against the huge Muslim world is, inter alia, irreconcilable. The US must urgently abandon the “I will be next to Israel atrocity until the very end” image and take concrete steps.
5. US friendship led to regional isolation: Turkey’s alliance with the US during the Cold War period made Turkey enemies with its neighbors. While Europe, the US and Japan developed ow-ing to commercial, production and � nancial integration in their respec-tive regions, Turkey could not even trade “matches and water.”
6. Political and economic losses should be compensated: To compensate for Turkey’s economic losses the US did not pursue anything beyond Marshall Plan aid, which is based on the procurement of archaic goods, and conditional Internation-al Monetary Fund (IMF) support. While Russia’s contribution in Turkey’s major infrastructure and heavy industrial projects such as petrochemicals, dams and railways was visible, the US was involved in almost none. There are no noteworthy technological transfers from the US to Turkey in weapons or in civil production. The goal was to intensify dependence. The US never competed to top the list of countries that make the most foreign capital investment in Turkey.
7. Must repair the image they damaged: The US was never among the countries that sent the most tourists to Turkey, for Turkey does not have an esteemed image in the eyes of Americans. It is known as a country that provides soldiers for cheap when needed in countries such as Ko-rea, Afghanistan, Sudan and Jordan, that has camels in the desert, belly dancers and rak�. The US administration has as much responsibility as us in the making of this image.
A gu�de to Turkey
for Amer�cans (II)
�BRAH�M ÖZTÜRK
The “East and West Encounters: The Gülen Movement” Conference was held on Dec. 4-6 and was organized by the Pacifica Institute, a Turkish-American institution established by the Turkish community in the Los Angeles area.
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In 2005 in my editorial in a special issue of The Muslim World journal about contributions of Fethullah Gülen and contemporary Islam in Turkey, I wrote that the Gül-
en movement can contribute to the development of positive rela-tionships between Islam and the West. I suggested that American academia be more interested in Gülen and his movement.
Four years later, I had a chance to attend a conference, titled “East and West Encounters: The Gülen Movement,” of which I was part of the editorial board. This conference has given me the impression that there is a rising interest among scholars concern-ing Gülen, his teachings and the movement named after him. The conference, which was held on Dec. 4-6, was organized by the Paci� ca Institute, a Turkish-American institution established by the Turkish community in the Los Angeles area. The confer-ence was sponsored by the University of Southern California’s Of-� ce of Religious Life, the International Education Center at Santa Monica College, the department of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University, the department of religious studies at Humboldt University and the department of religious studies at Whittier College. The conference was held on the USC campus. During the conference, various topics about Gülen and his move-ment were discussed, including the characteristics of the Gülen movement, which were described as hizmet (service), the func-tionality of the movement in contrast to the organizational struc-ture, the contribution of the movement in dialogue between Mus-lims and Christians, the personality of Gülen and his re� ections on hajj, gender issues and the Gülen movement, and hijra (migration) for the sake of God by admirers of Gülen. Some other topics that were discussed included the education of young men as practiced in Gülen-inspired schools and a comparison between educational and spiritual foundations of Gülen schools and Jesuit schools in speci� c contexts, such as Gülen schools in Australia and Kosovo.
Again, among the topics that were discussed was a com-parison between Gülen and Alasdair MacIntyre, who is a con-temporary philosopher at the University of Notre Dame, and the contribution of Gülen to public life through the promo-tion of virtues and spirituality, as well as another paper that dealt with the critiques of Gülen and his movement in politi-cal, economic and ideological contexts. Dr. Kathleen Moore of the University of California at Santa Barbara spoke of Turkey’s secularism and the Gülen movement. Dr. Juan Campo spoke on Gülen’s re� ections of hajj, which led me to think once again of the importance of studying Gülen from a religious perspec-tive and not only from a political or sociological perspective.
Thinking of all these topics and the discussions presented during this two-day conference, one can get the impression that
there is a rising interest in the Gülen movement. From the scholars present at the conference, which included Jill Carroll and Dr. Wil-liam Martin from Rice University, John Olsen of the Univer-sity of Arizona, Daniel Skubik of California Baptist University, Darryl Tippens of Pepperdine University, Dr. Marcia Herman-sen form Loyola University-Chicago and Thomas Michel, S.J., of Georgetown University, one can see the interest in Ameri-can academia that the Gülen movement is having. The above mentioned scholars contributed greatly to the conference through their presentations and discussions at the conference.
Most successful conference to dateI had previously attended several conferences on Gülen. This par-ticular conference can be considered one of the most successful, both academically and organizationally. It was very interesting to see the curiosity in Turkey and the teachings of Gülen by scholars such as Reza Aslan from the University of California, as evident from his keynote address. In his address, he criticizes critiques of the Gülen movement and the current ruling party in Turkey, the Justice and Development Party (AKP), by saying those who are criticizing Gülen and his endeavors do not introduce any alterna-tive to the Gülen movement. He also criticized Michael Rubin, who is closely associated with neo-conservativism. Aslan says this group pushed America into war and that they are failing in every aspect. Aslan said it is unbelievable to see that these people can still � nd jobs though they are failing, which made the audience laugh. I thought Aslan was good in his assessment of Turkey and what was going on between the elite ultra-secularists on the one hand and the current ruling party along with the Gülen movement on the other. After Aslan’s eloquent speech, to me the most inter-esting talk during the opening remarks was the speech of a local Armenian who came to the podium and expressed his feelings. He described how he and his group, the Organization of �stanbul Ar-menians of Los Angeles, became involved in several projects with the cooperation of the Turks who established the Paci� ca Institute. He suggested that the Turks in the Paci� ca Institute are engaged in dialogue with Armenians not super� cially but genuinely and from the depths of their hearts. It was interesting to hear that the one thing he missed the most was the trait of the Anatolian peo-ple who would help you, regardless of your religion or ethnicity, whenever they found you in need of help. This is a very important step in the dialogue between Armenians and Turks in the city of Los Angeles. Surely this achievement gives hope for a better re-lationship on a larger scale between Turkey and Armenia as well.
As for the presenters, they were prepared, and the papers were mostly above and beyond the standard. Being one of the editors, I can say that the process of the editorial assessments was very serious; therefore, from 84 papers, only 18 were chosen to
be presented. To mention all the papers and their titles would be beyond the scope of this article; therefore, I will only mention two of them that were also published in the conference proceedings. In the panel chaired by Rabbi Reuven Firestone, Russell Powell presented a paper titled “Forgiveness in Islamic Jurisprudence and Its Role in Intercommunal Relations,” which resulted in many questions from the audience and an interesting discussion. The paper also showed that people are very much interested in the Islamic understanding of law and forgiveness. Gerald Whitehouse, in his paper titled “Movement Functionality ver-sus Organizational Structure,” strongly emphasized the importance of the Gülen movement as a movement and not as an organization. He suggested that if the movement turns into an organization, it will lose its strength. Therefore, the Gülen movement should never attempt to become an or-ganization because its power lies in the movement itself.
All discussions during this conference show that in American academia there is a growing interest in the Gülen movement and its endeavors. Today in the West, unfortunately the image of Islam and Muslims is presented as barbaric, violent and even backwards. The Gülen movement is showing the world that there is an Islam which is positive, and there are Muslims that do not put forward their Muslimness, rather they put forward their service for Mus-lims and non-Muslims alike. They are contributing to the better-ment of their communities not only through their words but also through their actions. These Muslim Turks are proving that Islam has another image and that image is a positive one. Their actions speak louder. Many papers in this conference elaborated on the characteristics of the Gülen movement and the power beyond its success. When discussion turned to the secret of the success of the movement, one presenter said “Allah,” which received a positive reaction from the audience. The participants had al-most a consensus that the movement was powered by a dedi-cation for service to others, regardless of their ethnicity or religion. This is why some presenters suggested that among the admirers of Gülen, there are many non-Turks as well as non-Muslims.
This conference has shown that things related to the Gülen movement are to be discussed in the future and in more detailed ways. I think this conference gave us an opportunity to think and elaborate on the Gülen movement and its endeavors in a more focused way. If there are going to be more conferences on Gülen, I think academic institutions should carry this responsibility and elaborate on themes such as jihad, gender issues, indepen-dent reasoning and Sufism from Gülen’s perspective.
*Dr. Zeki Sar�toprak is an associate professor of Islamic Studies and the director of the Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio.
ZEK� SARITOPRAK*
CMYK
COLUMNS F R I DAY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9 TODAY’S ZAMAN 15
No Comment INDIA, REUTERS
Wh�ch
sens�t�v�ty?
Pol�t�cs of
confrontat�on
If the PKK says �t d�d �t, then…
Per�lous global�zat�on
The president, Abdullah Gül, is a cautious statesman. But he sur-prised many when he mentioned, in grief over seven dead soldiers, that the attack’s timing, location and method raise deep suspicions.
Bülent Ar�nç, the deputy prime minister, thinks the same way. “Why now?” he asks about the timing and adds: “No ter-rorist organization has claimed responsibility so far. The perpe-trators must be hiding somewhere. As deputy prime minister I stress that they will be caught soon.” Ar�nç says he believes it might be an “outsourced” terrorist act. Democratic Society Party (DTP) sources say they do not believe the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was involved.
Their suspicion added to the speculation that the “dark forces” were behind the terror act. Given the circumstances of constant test-ing of Turkey’s democratization, they might have been proven right.
Because this looked as if it could be one of those cases that should leave any experienced journalist’s stomach uneasy. In such processes, one can suspect anything and be prepared for all sorts of surprises and unsolved puzzles.
Then, late yesterday came an announcement: A group called
People’s Defense Forces (HPG), allegedly linked to the PKK, took responsibility for the attack, F�rat News Agency reported.
Emre Uslu, was right when he pointed out the “PKK option” in his analysis published yesterday by this paper:
“The PKK has neither claimed responsibility nor denied its involvement in the attack. This leads us to put the PKK at the top of our list of suspects because, from time to time, we have seen the PKK remain silent when its members have ambushed military convoys or killed civilians. For instance, the PKK did not immediately claim responsibility when its members detonated a bomb in Diyarbak�r killing � ve civilians and wounding 70 in January, 2008. Similarly, despite its self-declared cease� re, a few
hours before Gen. �lker Ba�bu�’s press conference in 2008, the PKK ambushed a military convoy in Lice, killing nine soldiers but they did not claim responsibility. A few months later, Murat Karay�lan acknowledged that it was members of the PKK who had been behind the killings of civilians in Diyarbak�r. Karay�lan also admitted that PKK militants were responsible for the Lice attack and stated that it had not been a centrally organized at-tack. This background on the PKK gives us an incentive to be-lieve that the terrorist attack in Tokat could be the work of the terrorist PKK organization, but not one centrally planned by the top PKK leaders in northern Iraq.”
If proven true, and not as an act to surf on an action conduct-ed by some other group, this declaration changes the perspec-tives of suspicion, and will have some consequences in politics.
First of all, it proves that the PKK has now burned the bridges with any hope of further negotiations, even distant and indirect, with Ankara. It means that the process, led by the government, will have to enter a new phase.
A relapse, possibly? It is apparent that the announcement is
aimed at escalation with the security forces, provoking massive military operation, but also is meant to increase the already exis-tent polarity, opening wider the gap of rage between Turks and Kurds.
It signals, too, there is now a path open for any rural or urban formation, tightly or loosely connected to the PKK, to take the issue at own hands and launch arbitrary attacks.
It is an open declaration of confrontation with security forces, which will have to push the test of patience of the government and the institutions that cooperate with it.
The primary goal of the government now should be to keep calm, and not to fall into the trap of giving up an invaluable pro-cess of reform. The Irish experience has shown, for instance, that there will be dramatic acts and setbacks to kill such democratic actions for reconciliation, and they take time. Patience, coupled with resolve and keen intelligence gathering will have to be key from now on. This is the lesson of the incident in Re�adiye, Tokat.
And a � nal question: What will be the reaction of DTP, now that the PKK says it is responsible?
A group of Kurds who came from the Kandil Mountains and the Makhmour refugee camp about a month ago were considered a meaningful step toward a solution and created many hopes. Both government of� cials and the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) spokespeople expressed that the move had consolidated demands for a peaceful solution.
However, the debates that began after the welcoming of the group showed that the two sides had different sensitivi-ties. On the face of it, the government side said the slogans and symbols used during the welcoming ceremony legitimized PKK violence and bothered the segment of the society that emphasized the Turkish identity. As for Kurdish politicians, they claimed the inability of the government to show tolerance to a simple and natural welcoming had led to disappointment among Kurds and incited the feeling that the government did not really want to � nd a solution. In other words, both sides were highlighting the sensitivities of their constituents.
But as time passed, it became evident that the real sensitivity was related to a different area. The sensitivity that would essentially inhibit the problem and the Kurdish issue from being solved was related to who would manage the process. In short, there is an im-plicit power struggle between the government and the PKK -- or put more concretely, between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo�an and PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. Erdo�an wants the issue to be solved, but he wants to solve it by stretching it out over a long pe-riod of time and keeping control in his hands without damaging his long-term ruling power in the eyes of the Turkish nationalists.
In return, Öcalan is aware that the prolonged process has ended his life, and he most likely estimates that the PKK will not be able to sustain its current power and function for much longer. Therefore, he is taking tactical steps that will invite con� ict for the sake of accelerating the process, that will show that he is the main decision maker and that will enable him to remain on the agenda. For example, when the government announced that new arrivals would be suspended after the � rst group arrived in Tur-key, Öcalan declared that additional arrivals had been completely cancelled to show that the process was in his control.
When the power struggle became visible, the government put a temporary hold on the “democratic initiative.” This decision also implied a threat for the Kurds. It implied that if there was resistance to the government’s control of the initiative process, then progress would not be made. The government did not have trouble taking this step because there is no de� nite pressure on it from inside the country or from abroad. This situation also indi-cated the freezing of Öcalan’s political activity, and it was inevita-ble that Öcalan would attempt a counter move. After all, a prison cell crisis erupted last week. According to the spokespersons of Kurdish politics, Öcalan’s new prison cell was half the size of the older one. The PKK leader told his lawyers that he was unable to breathe fresh air and that he felt as if he were living at the bottom of a pit. Acting on the belief that this situation disturbed Kurds, the government called for the respect of “social sensitivity.” Ac-cording to DTP co-chairwoman Emine Ayna, Öcalan’s inability to breathe fresh air meant “suffocating the Kurdish problem.”
After the public was occupied for a few days, it became clear that the real critical factor was not the difference between the old and new prison cell. That is because Ayna said that “the problem is not how big or small the room is. We want him to be addressed. Öcalan will play a role in a solution.” In short, the real sensitivity came out. In other words, Öcalan wanted to be part of the process, to continue his leadership role in the process and to consolidate his rule. In a message he gave by way of his lawyers, he highlighted that no additional peace groups or anyone else from the Makhmour camp would come because they also had “sensitivities.”
In this way, the essential content of the word “sensitivity” was determined. The issue was not about obtaining peace and meeting the identity-related demands of the Kurds. Of course, these issues were important and were among the goals of the PKK’s struggle, but the slightest implication of a change in ruling power in Kurdish politics could justify a halt in � nding a solution and create the threat of returning to an atmosphere of con� ict. We are at a dif� cult point today. The government does not have the intention of being more courageous than necessary in the “democratic initiative.” As for Öcalan, he seems to have no plans to allow any initiative that does not consolidate his leadership. In this way, the opportunity at hand is being wasted. The rhetoric of “social sensitivity” is turning into a cover for sacri� cing the people for the ruling power’s sensitivity.
There seems to be no grey area in Turkish politics. If you fol-low developments through the mainstream media, you get the impression of a country constantly lurching from hope to crisis in an endless dizzying roller coaster ride.
Thankfully, Turkey is, in reality, more stable than its me-dia image would suggest and the country’s painful transfor-mation is proceeding, albeit in � ts and starts.
Nonetheless, clouds are gathering again these days. The democratic initiative launched by the government to address the Kurdish issue has been overshadowed in recent days by several unfortunate events. In quick suc-cession and with impeccable timing, they have laid new obstacles in the path of further progress.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the recent attack in Tokat that killed seven soldiers. As President Abdullah Gül pointed out, the timing and the location of the ambush raise serious questions. Popular reaction has, however, not waited for answers: the outpouring of anger has largely been directed at the Kurdistan Work-ers’ Party (PKK) and at the Kurds.
The closure case against the Democratic Society Party (DTP) was launched more than two years ago, yet the rap-porteur of the Constitutional Court submitted his recom-mendations to have the party banned at a time when pros-pects for peace should render the trial meaningless.
Pouring further oil on the fire, members of the DTP themselves have opted for a short-sighted approach which gives priority to the fate of PKK leader Abdul-lah Öcalan over that of the party’s own constituents and of the country as a whole.
The attitude adopted by the DTP is undoubtedly disap-pointing. But while it is playing its cards badly at a crucial juncture, we mustn’t forget that generations of Turkish politicians have been equally myopic.
For decades, Kurds have been waiting for the Turkish state to hear their grievances and adopt more � exible poli-cies. It was perhaps wishful thinking to expect their poli-ticians to rise to the occasion and move in sync with the government’s sudden change of attitude. The DTP is, after all, also a product of the Turkish political system, which re-lies more on confrontation than on dialogue and consensus.
The angry demonstrations that have taken place across the country in the recent past carry a serious risk of esca-lation. Already, two young people have died as a result of violent protests. The outpouring of emotion that followed the deaths of the young privates has also shown once again how entrenched the “us” and “them” mentality remains.
While the media has a responsibility to cover events, it also needs to exercise restraint. The images of Anatolian mothers -- they never seem to come from Etiler or Ni�anta�i -- mourning their sons are very moving and their grief all too real. Sadly, they only seem to exist in the public eye as grieving mothers. For a few days, their overwhelming sor-row makes headlines and shapes the political agenda. Then they retreat into obscurity to face their losses alone.
In between funerals, the harshness of their daily lives, often blighted by poverty, never seems newsworthy. Nor is the pain experienced on the Kurdish side, the displace-ment of villagers, the ill-treatment and the deaths Kurd-ish parents have also suffered, ever properly acknowl-edged. Selective empathy only serves to undermine what should be a common goal: reaching peace.
Many commentators and politicians, including some DTP parliamentarians, have already rushed to declare the democratic initiative dead and buried. Experience else-where, in Northern Ireland for instance, has shown that no peace process is ever straightforward. Years of one-sided perceptions cannot be reversed overnight. Setbacks and provocations are, sadly, often to be expected.
Success depends on strong nerves, common sense and political will. So far, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) remains determined to push on in spite of the vola-tile atmosphere. The politics of confrontation and the mili-tary operations of the past 25 years have not put an end to the problem. The government knows that the best way to honor the young people who have lost their lives recently is to ensure that others don’t suffer the same fate.
One of the biggest problems of the 21st century is that the world has been divided into two main poles, rich northerners and poor southerners, and the gap between these two poles is growing. While poverty is increasing on the one hand, the world population is signi� cantly increasing on the other hand. According to 2008 � gures released by the UN, the population of the world will reach 7 billion in 2013. This should be considered the reason why the UN, which functions under the supervision of certain countries, attaches such importance to the population issue.
The situation presents a perilous picture. The majority of close to half a billion people who faced the threat of hunger in 1994 lived in countries in the southern hemisphere. Another billion people were living almost below the “poverty line.” Poverty is visible in the hearts of af� uent societies as well. The number of poor and especially homeless people is in-creasing each day in wealthy countries such as the US and France. However, a more striking � gure is the inequality in the use of resources compared to the world population. While those who live in an “af� u-ent society” comprise 17 percent of the world popu-lation, these wealthy and privileged countries use 80 percent of the world’s resources.
The lion’s share belongs to America followed by coun-tries such as Japan, France, Germany and England. In these countries and in other wealthy countries, the popu-lation growth is not “increasing” but instead declining.
Another aspect of the situation is that the popula-tion is aging in wealthy countries. Despite incentives that have been adopted, the decline in population growth hasn’t stopped. Some European countries must accept a certain number of immigrants each year to protect current balances in the population; however, increasing xenophobia and racist parties make it very dif� cult to do so. In countries where the population is regressing, not only are there problems
that are affecting the social security system, but there is also the aging problem that has yet to be solved. In the next 30 years, the population of wealthy people is expected to comprise 10 percent of the population. This means in 30 years from now, only one out of ev-ery 10 people in the world will be af� uent and will be able to live a comfortable life. In a sense, it will be like a tiny wealthy island in the middle of a sea of poverty.
Naturally this situation bothers wealthy coun-tries. The wealthy may not have been so troubled if it were possible to stop poverty at a certain point. But, poverty has a side that leads to mass deaths and emigrations. It has another important dimension that causes major social unrest, regional wars and possi-bly even mass emigration from the perspective of the West. Not too long from now when ecological factors are added to poverty, a much larger group of people will emigrate. Similar emigration incidents happened in history, and there are adequate reasons for there to be others in the future.
Some may ask if this problem would be solved if the af� uent helped the poor. Certainly there is an appropriate way to solve this problem; however, the policies wealthy countries follow make the problem worse instead of facilitating a solution.
If we can let go of our prejudices about the link be-tween population and modernization and look at the situation from a different perspective, we can see that none of these are a solution. For example, the money allocated for 216 Tomahawk missiles is enough to meet Ethiopia’s nutritional requirements for six months; the money spent on bombs released by B-5s are enough to pay for the hospital expenses of 1,000 people in Ban-gladesh; and the cost of pilot training for a Tornado plane would be enough to save 25,000 Eritrean chil-dren from hunger. Recalling what Tony Blair told the English, who reacted to the occupation of Iraq, “The af� uence in Western societies is related to these kinds of military interventions and occupations.”
The important thing is changing the basic out-look. However, Westerners are not trying to change their outlook nor do they want their interests to be harmed. Robert McNamara, who was the World Bank president until 1981, explained this the best when he said, “No power can stop us Westerners.”
YAVUZBAYDAR
AL�BULAÇ
ETYENMAHÇUPYAN
NICOLE POPE
Today is International Mountain Day. The UN Gen-eral Assembly declared Dec. 11 International Moun-
tain Day as a result of the successful observance of the UN International Year of Mountains in 2002, which increased global awareness of the importance of mountains, stimu-lated the establishment of national committees in 78 coun-tries and strengthened alliances through promoting the creation of the Mountain Partnership.
Today is the national day of Burkina Faso. On this day in 1958, Burkina Faso achieved self-government and be-came a republic and member of the Franco-African Com-munity. The Republic of Upper Volta, as the country was
then called, gained full independence two years later. The name of the country was changed to Burkina Faso in 1984.
On this day in 1962, the General Secretariat of the Na-tional Security Council (MGK) was established. The MGK is Turkey’s highest state organ that deals with domestic and international security issues. The council is formed by the prime minister, ministers of internal affairs, foreign relations, national security and justice and the chief of the General Staff and the commanders of the ground, air and naval forces.
Today is the anniversary of the death of Nihal Ats�z (1905-1975), writer, politician and theoretician of modern Turkish secularist nationalism. Ats�z was a controversial figure; to the
leftists he was a racist, to the religious a shaman, to the na-tionalists an idol. Whatever the case may be, Ats�z’s fame and importance for the Turkish nationalists grew posthumously.
On this day in 1987, stage and screen actress Adile Na�it (b. 1930) passed away. Na�it was a leading figure with countless roles in Turkish comic cinema. She was also something of a mother-teacher figure to children of the 1980s, as she was the presenter of “Uykudan Önce” (Before Sleep), the sole children’s program on the sole TV channel, TRT. Na�it’s name and voice penetrated the in-ner consciousnesses of a generation through the fables and legends she recounted in the program.
16 TODAY’S ZAMAN F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9 LEISURE
E208:00 Merlin09:35 The New Adventures Of Old Christine10:00 The Martha Stewart Show11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show12:00 Umutsuz Evkad�nlar�14:00 The Martha Stewart Show15:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show16:00 Merlin18:00 The Martha Stewart Show19:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show20:00 Family Guy21:00 Heroes22:15 Later With Jools Holland23:20 The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien00:15 Later With Jools Holland01:20 The Jay Leno Show02:05 The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien02:50 Heroes03:35 Family Guy04:20 Later With Jools Holland
CNBC-E17:55 The Simpsons18:50 The Jay Leno Show20:00 Merlin21:00 One Tree Hill22:00 Brick00:15 The Jay Leno Show01:15 Merlin02:00 One Tree Hill03:00 Brick05:00 One Tree Hill
GOLDMAX09:15 The Flight Of The Phoenix (1965)11:40 Silent Movie13:10 I Love You, I Love You Not14:50 Sleepy Hollow16:40 About Last Night...18:35 Lions For Lambs20:15 Airplane II: The Sequel21:45 October Sky23:30 The Wisdom Of Crocodiles01:10 Valley Of The Dolls03:15 Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls05:35 Airplane II: The Sequel
MOVIEMAX08:55 Scary Godmother: The Revenge of Jimmy09:50 Closing the Deal11:25 The Prince and Me 3: A Royal Honeymoon13:05 Hancock14:45 Still Waiting...16:30 Dante 0118:10 Attack Force20:00 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian22:35 The Jane Austen Book Club00:35 100 Feet02:15 Timber Falls03:55 Urban Justice05:30 Paprika
MGM MOVIES08:20 Marty09:50 Fort Defiance11:15 Dead Man's Gun Season 2/7: The Collector12:05 Dead Man's Gun Season 2/8: The Trapper12:55 O.C. And Stiggs14:50 A Family Thing16:45 Alexander The Great19:10 Young Billy Young20:45 Inside Out22:15 The Return Of A Man Called Horse00:25 Irma La Douce02:50 Young Billy Young04:25 How to Murder Your Wife
COMEDYMAX08:30 The Middle09:00 The Cosby Show10:00 According to Jim11:00 Everybody Loves Raymond12:00 The Office13:00 Everybody Hates Chris13:30 Ugly Betty14:30 The Middle15:00 The Cosby Show16:00 According to Jim17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond18:00 3rd Rock from the Sun18:30 Everybody Hates Chris19:00 The Cosby Show19:30 Ugly Betty20:30 The Middle21:00 According to Jim21:30 Everybody Loves Raymond22:00 The Office23:00 Californication23:30 Weeds00:00 The Middle
TRT Tour�sm Rad�o
00:00 Identification and Programming 00:25 Music 07:25 Identification and Programming07:30 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:
Alanya FM 94.4Ankara FM 100.3Antalya FM 92.1Ayval�k FM 101.1Bodrum FM 97.4Fethiye FM 103.1�stanbul FM 101.6�zmir FM 101.6Kalkan FM 105.9Kapadokya FM 103.0Ku�adas� FM 101.9Marmaris FM 101.0Pamukkale FM 101.0Trabzon FM 101.5
tv gu�de
rad�o gu�de
mov�e gu�de
“Abimm”
THE DUST OF TIME�STANBUL: Beyo�lu Beyo�lu 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Altunizade Capitol Spectrum 11:40 14:15 16:50 19:30 22:10
DON’T LOOK BACK�STANBUL: Esentepe Cinebonus Astoria 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 00:00 �stinye AFM Park 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:40 Levent Cinebonus Kanyon 12:00 14:30 17:00 19:30 22:00 00:30 �i�li Megaplex Cevahir 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 Caddebostan AFM 10:45 13:15 15:45 18:15 21:00 23:30 Kozyata�� Cinebonus Palladium 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 23:45 �a�k�nbakkal Megaplex M&S 11:45 14:15 16:30 18:45 21:30
ADINI SEN KOY�STANBUL: Bak�rköy Cinebonus Capacity 12:00 14:15 16:30 19:00 21:30 23:45 Beyo�lu AFM Fita� 11:50 14:10 16:30 19:10 21:30 23:55 Caddebostan AFM 10:40 13:00 15:20 18:00 21:00 23:30 ANKARA: Ata On Tower 11:30 13:30 15:45 18:00 20:00 22:00 00:00 Cinebonus Arcadium 11:00 13:00 15:10 17:20 19:30 21:45 00:10 Cinebonus Panora 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 �ZM�R: AFM Forum Bornova 11:20 13:50 16:15 18:40 21:20 23:45 AFM Passtel 11:00 13:30 15:45 18:15 20:45 23:00 ANTALYA: Cinebonus Migros 12:30 14:45 17:00 19:15 21:30 00:00
AB�MM�STANBUL: Beyo�lu AFM Fita� 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 23:45 �i�li Megaplex Cevahir 11:00 12:15 14:30 16:50 19:15 21:45 Caddebostan AFM 10:30 13:15 15:45 18:15 21:10 23:45 ANKARA: Bilkent Cinebonus 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 00:15 Cinebonus Panora 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 �ZM�R: AFM Forum Bornova 11:10 13:40 16:20 19:00 21:30 00:00 AFM Passtel 10:45 13:15 16:00 18:30 21:30 ANTALYA: AFM Laura 11:30 13:45 16:30 19:00 21:30 23:45
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON�STANBUL: Beyo�lu AFM Fita� 10:40 13:30 16:40 18:10 19:40 21:10 22:40 00:10 Caddebostan AFM 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:15 00:00 Kad�köy Cinema Moda 11:30 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 ANKARA: Cinebonus Panora 11:00 12:15 13:35 14:45 16:20 17:30 19:10 20:30 22:00 �ZM�R: Cinebonus Konak Pier 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:45 21:30 00:15 ANTALYA: Cinebonus Migros 11:00 13:30 15:00 16:15 19:00 20:30 21:45 00:15
Mr. D�ploMAT!Crossword
Sudoku
ACROSS 1 British noble
title 5 Word
meaning “hello” and “goodbye”
10 Look of wonder
14 “... deliver us from ___”
15 Bathroom fixture, for some
16 Island chain off Ireland
17 Sole deciding issue
19 Wish ___ 20 Three-faced
woman of film 21 Chestnut
coats 22 Flattened at
the poles 24 “Incoming
golf ball!” 25 More sadistic 26 Romantic
song 29 Slender and
long-limbed 30 Dummkopf 31 Flower holder 32 Course of
action 36 Ballpoint pen
inventor 37 Number of
stars on Old Glory
38 Rock climber’s equipment
39 The sun, for one
40 Learn by ___ (memorize)
41 Fast partner 42 Artist
Steinberg
and writer Bellow
44 Demonstrated dramatically
45 Adriatic Sea republic
48 It’s full of holes and traps
49 Protective headgear
50 Prefix meaning “ten”
51 “Akeelah and the ___”
54 Grating sound 55 Carte blanche 58 “American
___” 59 Eagle’s
destination 60 Undercooked,
to some 61 “Auld Lang
___” 62 Four-bagger 63 Framework
postDOWN 1 “Pull it,” in
proofreading 2 Tel ___, Israel 3 Tiny creature 4 American
___ (North Dakota’s state tree)
5 Utterly ridiculous
6 A little more than a quart, to a Brit
7 Emotional verses
8 “___ So Fine” (Chiffons oldie)
9 Suspect’s request
10 Editor’s error- detection
print 11 Common
computer typeface
12 Costume jewelry
13 Be admitted 18 Erstwhile Ger-
man marine menace
23 Annoy 24 Showroom
couch, e.g. 25 Hindu social
class 26 They’re often
covered with baby food
27 Access for a collier
28 100 centesimi, once
29 Castaway creations
31 Four-stringed orchestral instrument
33 Ill-gotten gains
34 It may have stained-glass
windows 35 More than
want 37 Large Old
World flying mammal
41 Flowery perfume scent
43 Was a consumer?
44 Curved cradle piece
45 Late comic Farley
46 “All set to go!” 47 “Call Me
Ishmael” author Charles
48 Spirit in a bottle
50 Dressmaker’s seam
51 Drummer’s assignment
52 Neutral shade 53 ___ out a living
(just got by) 56 Bucolic
setting 57 Abbr. in a
marathon time
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
© 2009 Universal Uclickwww.upuzzles.com
EASY
EASY
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:
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
tr
av
ele
rs’
s.o
.s
Ambulance: 112 Fire: 110 171 Police: 155156 Maritime: 158 Unknown numbers: 118 Turkish Airlines: 444 0 849 U.S. Embassy: 0312 455 5555 U.S. Consu-
late: 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
Gregorian Calendar: 11 December 2009 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 24 Dhul-Hijjah 1430 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 24 Kislev 5770 [email protected]
957
HARD
Cem K�z�ltu�[email protected]
HARD
Nelson Mandela received the touch of “God” -- Hollywood-style -- when Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman
prepared to play him in the new movie “Invic-tus.” Freeman said he was asked by the 91-year-old former South African president to portray him in the Clint Eastwood-directed film that de-buts on Friday and also stars Matt Damon.
“I said to him, ‘If I’m going to play you, I’m going to have to have access to you. I’m going to have to be close enough to hold your hand’,” Freeman told reporters recently.
The Academy Award winner for his role in Eastwood’s boxing drama “Million Dollar Baby” has portrayed many characters over the years, a slave-turned abolitionist leader, a fic-tional US president and even “God” in “Evan Almighty,” but rarely one who is alive and im-portant to so many people as Mandela.
The elder statesman of African politics was jailed for 27 years due to his militant work to end apartheid in South Africa before being released in 1990 and going on to become the president of his country four years later. In 1993, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
“Invictus” tells of how Mandela brought the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship to his nation, utilizing the South African team around which to rally his countrymen and ease racial tensions between black and white citizens. The word invictus is latin for “unconquered” or “unconquerable” and is
the title of a poem by Englishman William Ernest Henley, published in 1875.
Holding hands with MandelaFreeman, wearing his hat as a producer, worked for years to bring the tale to the big screen. “I didn’t have any agenda as it were
in playing the role other than to bring it as close to reality as I possibly could,” Freeman said. “The biggest challenge I had, of course, was to sound like him.”
The actor said that if he and the world leader were in the same area, he would try to meet with Mandela, share a meal, or sit
backstage with him before a speech. Most importantly, he would hold Mandela’s hand. “I find that if I hold your hand, I get your energy, it transfers, and I have a sense of how you feel,” he said. “That’s important to me trying to become another person.”
Damon portrays Francois Pienaar, the captain of the nation’s mostly-white Spring-boks rugby team that was once reviled by the black majority. Mandela taps Pienaar in his efforts to unit the races. The actor said he had six months to muscle up for the role in the rugged world of rugby, and people familiar with the hefty athlete may have to suspend their disbelief when watching “Invictus.”
Indeed, Damon got a big surprise when he first met Pienaar at the player’s home. “I just re-member I rang the doorbell and he opened the door and I looked up at him, and the first thing I ever said to Francois Pienaar in my life was, ‘I look much bigger on film’,” Damon said.
Despite the obvious differences in stat-ure and size of the actors compared to their real-life counterparts, under Eastwood’s direction “Invictus” is winning strong re-views and Oscar buzz. Todd McCarthy, film critic for showbusiness newspaper Daily Variety, sums up his review by call-ing the movie “a very good story very well told,” and on film review Web site rotten-tomatoes.com, “Invictus” scores a 76 per-cent positive rating. Los Angeles Reuters
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Actor Morgan Freeman poses at the Los Angeles premiere of director Clint Eastwood’s newest film “In-victus” in Beverly Hills. Freeman portrays former South African President Nelson Mandela in the film.
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Mandela gets c�nemat�c treatment
�n Morgan Freeman f�lm ‘Inv�ctus’
CONTINUATION F R I DAY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9 TODAY’S ZAMAN 17
CMYK
All opponents of reform package aligned on same point
Demonstrations in the west are supported by the MHP and the CHP. Funerals for slain soldiers are occasi-ons of psychological abuse. Those responsible for the po-int Turkey has reached are those who seek � nancial gains from acts of terror. The CHP, MHP and DTP are seeking ways to make such gains,” he stated.
Criticism of the CHP and the MHP reached its peak this week after the deaths of seven Turkish soldiers in a terrorist attack on Monday in the province of Tokat. The F�rat news agency announced yesterday that the PKK had claimed responsibility for the assault. The leaders of the CHP and the MHP, Deniz Baykal and Devlet Bahçeli, res-pectively, called on the AK Party government to give up the initiative process immediately.
According to Mahmut Övür, a columnist for the Sabah daily, the reactions of all three parties to the Kurdish initi-ative is thought provoking. “Did you see the expression on Ayna’s face when she announced that the initiative for the DTP was ‘over’? She uttered those remarks with joy on her face. Baykal’s expression was no different when he said that continuing to work on the initiative process as if nothing had happened was high treason,” Övür said. The Sabah columnist underlined that the joint expectation of the CHP, MHP and DTP was an end to the democratization process and the con-tinuation of the existing order in Turkey.
In the meantime, President Abdullah Gül called on the public to use common sense in the wake of recent incidents around the country, which most observers termed “provocati-on.” “Today is a day for unity and solidarity. Everyone should be watchful. We should speak and act consciously. We should express our national unity in the best manner. There may be different ideas or thoughts. It is important to consider how to put them forward peacefully,” he said on Thursday as he was about to board his plane for Albania.
Ercan Tatl�dil, a sociologist, indicated that there have been attempts to drag Turkey into an atmosphere of clashes and chaos, and pointed to recent street demonstrations across Turkey and the soldiers’ deaths in Tokat as evidence.
“These are attempts to axe the democratization process. Terror tries to reign supreme in a country through violence and show of power. Some are trying to create an atmosphe-re of fear in the country. But we can turn these attempts into hope through patience and common sense,” Tatl�dil added.
S�rr� Sak�k, a DTP deputy from Mu�, also accused the MHP and the CHP of creating heightened tension in Turkey. Accor-ding to the deputy, the two parties wish to continue the bloods-hed in the country. “All political party leaders are responsible for the point Turkey has reached, but Baykal and Bahçeli are the most responsible. Since we entered Parliament, they have dec-lined to discuss problems with us. It is not right to use the DTP as a scapegoat,” he added. �stanbul Today’s Zaman
Re�adiye attack by PKK sub-group, F�rat claims
Taraf: Yalç�nkaya prepares another closure file for AK Party
The F�rat news agency has announced that an attack in the Re�adiye district of central To-
kat on Monday that left seven soldiers dead was carried out by a unit of the People’s Defense For-ces (HPG), the armed wing of the Kurdistan Wor-kers’ Party (PKK), but without an order by the for-ces or the PKK.
The agency reported that the assault was not the result of a directive from the HPG command. “When the case is [jailed PKK leader Abdullah] Öcalan, each unit has the right to carry out acts on their own initiative,” the terrorist group reportedly announced. The HPG also said the assault was re-taliation against Turkish security forces due to recent military operations against the terrorist organization.
“Operations aimed at rooting out our forces by the [Republic of Turkey] and its military have incre-
ased since April, though we have remained inactive since then. So have the pressure on the Kurdish na-tion and attacks on the living conditions of our lea-der Apo [an acronym for Öcalan], who is a raison d’état for us, increased. ... Our forces have approac-hed all kinds of attacks by the state during the period of our inactivity with great common sense and sen-sitivity. However, this should be very well known: that HPG guerillas, who are the legitimate defense power of the Kurdish nation, are very sensitive abo-ut our leader. If the case concerns our leader, then all of our units have the right to use their own initiati-ve,” read a statement posted on the F�rat Web site.
No terrorist organization or group had claimed responsibility for the assault until yesterday, spar-king questions as to the motive and powers behind it. While some analysts claimed that it was perpetra-
ted by the PKK to hamper the efforts of the govern-ment to � nd a solution to the Kurdish question and gain momentum for the closure of the Democratic Society Party (DTP), others said it was carried out by the far-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) or the Turkish Workers’ and Pea-sants’ Liberation Army (T�KKO).
Turkey is not a stranger to terrorist attacks when serious steps are taken toward the solution of the country’s chronic problems. It has witnessed simi-lar assaults almost any time it starts to discuss peace-ful methods to settle the Kurdish question. In 2007, for example, 12 Turkish soldiers were killed in a PKK raid on the Da�l�ca border post. The killings came during a period when Turkey was discussing whet-her to carry out cross-border operations in northern Iraq to root out PKK terrorists there. Documents re-
vealed after the raid suggested that groups hoped to spark clashes between Turks and Kurds.
The Re�adiye assault is strongly reminiscent of the attack in eastern Bingöl province in 1993, when 33 soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack. The soldiers were unarmed, and were summarily executed on the Bingöl-Elaz�� highway as they were traveling to join their military units. No ter-rorist organization immediately claimed respon-sibility for the assault, but Öcalan later claimed that the Bingöl tragedy was the work of a former PKK leader who had received orders from Erge-nekon, a clandestine criminal network suspected of plotting to overthrow the government.
In the meantime, those responsible a hand gre-nade attack in the Be�iri district of Batman have not yet been captured. �stanbul Today’s Zaman
The chief prosecutor of the Supreme Co-urt of Appeals, Abdurrahman Yalç�nkaya,
who applied to the Constitutional Court in 2008 demanding that the ruling Justice and Develop-ment Party (AK Party) be disbanded, has reques-ted from the Sincan 1st High Criminal Court the wiretapping reports of the Telecommunications Directorate (T�B), the Taraf daily reported yester-day. In a recent statement, Yalç�nkaya said if the wiretappings are in violation of the Constitution and the rule of law, action can be taken, hinting that wiretapping allegedly done by the AK Party
could be a reason for another closure case being brought against the party.
“The actions of the political parties cannot vio-late Article 68 of the Constitution, which says poli-tical parties’ actions and programs must be consis-tent with the principles of the rule of law. If this ar-ticle is violated, it is our responsibility to take acti-on as suggested in Article 98 of the law regulating the closure of political parties. If the wiretappings are carried out in a way that contradicts the rule of law, the case is related to this article [Article 68 of the Constitution]. This must be done according to
the Constitution,” said Yalç�nkaya in an interview with Milliyet’s Fikret Bila on Nov. 14.
A judge and three court experts on Dec. 1 examined the wiretapping records carried out by T�B. The examination came in the wake of a recent decision by the Sincan 1st High Cri-minal Court Chief Judge Osman Kaçmaz, who ordered that the wiretapping records at T�B be examined by judges. Yalç�nkaya also demanded the compliant � le of former Judges and Prose-cutors Association (YARSAV) President Ömer Faruk Emina�ao�lu from the court.
The directorate’s wiretapping records were also examined in November, sparking a heated debate after the same court, at the order of Kaç-maz, decided to examine records of lawful wi-retaps conducted by T�B. The judge exami-ned each record to ascertain whether T�B had monitored the phone conversations of former YARSAV President Emina�ao�lu. The decision came shortly after Emina�ao�lu petitioned the Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Of� ce, demanding to � nd out whether his and YARSAV’s phone lines were being monitored. �stanbul Today’s Zaman
cont�nued from page 1
Council of State rejects YÖK’s coefficient appeal
The Council of State Administrative Trials Board has rejected a petition by the Higher Education Bo-
ard (YÖK) to appeal a recent decision by the Council of State against the abolishment of the coef� cient system for Turkey’s university admission exam.
In July, YÖK’s General Council decided to abolish the coef� cient system, a move welcomed at the time by many who interpreted it as a groundbreaking step to end long-standing discrimination imposed on vocational school gra-duates, including those from religious imam-hatip high schools. The 8th Chamber of the Council of State, howe-ver, ruled late November to retain the system after the �s-tanbul Bar Association asked it to ensure the continuation of the system in which a lower coef� cient is used to calcu-late the scores of graduates of vocational high schools on Turkey’s university admission exam, the Student Selection Examination (ÖSS).
YÖK appealed the court’s ruling last week. Discussing the appeal on Thursday, the Council of State Administra-tive Trials Board rejected the appeal. Commenting on the issue, YÖK President Yusuf Ziya Özcan said: “We were ex-pecting that the court would accept our appeal, but it was rejected. We will make a new decision on Dec. 17 and will announce it to the public.” �stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
9 PKK dead in heavy blow against terrorist group
Military operations against the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have left nine terrorist operatives
dead, with another four people deserting the group.According to the Anatolia news agency, operations by the
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the Iranian military in Mar-din, Hakkari and along the Turkey-Iraq-Iran border against the PKK have led to serious losses for the terrorist organiza-tion. The bodies of nine PKK operatives have been retrieved, among them Ömer Müslüm (40, known as “Rüstem”) and Re�at Çiçek (23, known as “Cudi”). Among the nine killed are PKK terrorists of Syrian and Iranian origin. Due to the opera-tions, terrorists were reportedly sending panicked messages back and forth on their communication networks.
The other terrorists killed have been identi� ed as Ya-kup Dellayimilan (25, codenamed “Harun”), Metin Gülaç (26), Erdal Öz (27, codenamed Andok), Halis Burak (29, codenamed Siyabend), Hac� Ahmet (31, codenamed De-rik), Celalettin Yücel (37, codenamed Zerik) and Osman Muhammed (41, codenamed �ervan). The four deserters were taken into custody by Turkish security forces and bring the total number of PKK members who surrendered to Turkey this year up to 323. �stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
Turkey still struggles with human rights violations
The group noted that a large num-ber of these incidents occurred in the
Kurdish-dominated areas of the East and Sout-heast. MAZLUM-DER also noted the number was 376 in 2007.
MAZLUM-DER also said that a large num-ber of allegations of torture were reported, des-pite the government’s “zero tolerance” policy. The report blamed a change to the law regula-ting the powers of the police force for the inc-rease in the number, saying, “The increase in the number of violations of the right to life that are occurring in direct correlation with the en-hancement of police powers is bringing about the concern that we might be going back to the Turkey of the 1990s.”
Traditions and ‘honor’ killingsMAZLUM-DER’s report also recalled the death of Engin Çeber, a torture victim who died after being beaten by the police in 2008. The report said if the law regulating police authority had not been change, this death could have been avoided. The group also said the police used disproportionate force against May 1 demons-trators in Taksim, also relating this to the chan-ges made to the law. MAZLUM-DER also ac-cused the government of being lax about moni-toring the police bureaucracy, which it said en-courages right to life violations by the police.
The report also stated that 25 people were killed in “honor” killings or blood feuds in the Southeast, despite efforts to prevent these by the media, the government and civil soci-ety organizations. It said such violations of the right to life have actually decreased in com-parison with 2007, when 53 people were kil-led in violence arising from tradition. Another improvement, the report said, that no attacks on villages or setting villages a� re occurred in 2008. However, it said there has been an inc-rease in violations of the right to life in prisons, due to overcrowding and some problems with the legislation. It said 10 people died, while 101 incidents that risked inmates’ lives occur-red in 2008, compared to � ve deaths and 80 incidents in 2007. The �HD reports that the-re were 29 murders whose assailants weren’t identi� ed in 2008, compared to 42 in the pre-vious year. The �HD’s report for 2008 also inc-ludes data on violations of freedom of expres-sion, thought, religion and the freedom of as-sembly. In 2008, a total of 11 civil society orga-nizations were shut down, compared to 13 in the previous year. However, the numbers the �HD provides for these types of closures was 169 in 1999 and 130 in 2000. That number has been consistently falling over the past nine years.
Violations of freedom of speechAccording to the �HD’s report, 450 people were charged under anti-freedom of speech articles in the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), such as Artic-le 301, which criminalizes an ambiguous type of behavior referred to as “insulting Turkishness.” In 2008, 215 other cases continued with 1,722 people standing trial as suspects in thought crimes. A total of 177 such trials were conclu-ded, with 124 acquittals and 380 individuals be-ing given a total of 432 years in jail and � ned 321,847 lira.
The total number of years defendants in thought crime cases were sentenced to was 556, according to MAZLUM-DER’s report in 2008. The group accused judges in most of those ca-ses of ignoring or not being knowledgeable in international law.
The section on human rights in the Euro-pean Union’s 2008 Turkey progress report ma-intains that in addition to Article 301, “Other legal provisions that restrict freedom of exp-ression remain a cause of concern.” The report noted: “For example, Articles 215, 216 and 217 of the Turkish Criminal Code, which criminali-
ze offences against public order, and the Anti-Terror Law have been applied to prosecute and convict those expressing non-violent opi-nions on Kurdish issues. Turkish judges and prosecutors apply a wide interpretation of the provision on ‘incitement to violence’ or ‘pub-lic interest,’ in particular as concerns Kurdish-related issues. … Press articles on ongoing ju-dicial proceedings have led to prosecutions and convictions under Article 288 [attempt to in� uence a fair trial] of the Turkish Criminal Code or under the Press Law. Similarly, public statements on the right to conscientious objec-tion are prosecuted under Article 318 [discou-raging the people from military service] of the Turkish Criminal Code.”
Politicians on human rights dayPresident Abdullah Gül on Wednesday, one day before Human Rights Day, received mem-bers of Parliament’s Human Rights Commissi-on. In his message to mark the day, he said it hurt one’s pride when one’s country is associa-ted with human rights violations.
He said it was important for every individu-
al to live in safety in a country. He said Turkey should increase controls and if necessary revi-se legislation for the full prevention of human rights violations and torture.
State Minister and chief EU negotiator Ege-men Ba��� also released a message yesterday, saying Turkey was a freer, more democratic co-untry today than in 1999 when Turkey became an of� cial EU candidate country. He said Tur-key had undertaken deep-rooted reforms as part of the EU process which helped improve the country’s human rights record.
He said thanks to changes in different laws, controls against torture had increased and freedom of expression and the press, cul-tural rights and the right to organize demons-trations have been extended and gender equ-ality has been improved. Culture and Tourism Minister Ertu�rul Günay, in his message to mark the day, said everyone had a responsi-bility to ful� ll in improving the state of human rights. He said Turkey was one of the � rst co-untries to ratify the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and has centuries of history of tolerance between different cultures.
cont�nued from page 1
Demonstrators protest the death of Engin Çeber, who was beaten to death in Metris Prison after being taken into custody during a demons-tration last year. The trial, in which eight prison guards are facing jail sentences, has yet to be concluded.
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TODAY’S LEARNING F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 918 TODAY’S ZAMAN
WRITING STRATEGIES
WRITING STRATEGIESThe introduction should be designed to attract the reader's atten-tion and give him or her an idea of your essay's focus.1. Begin with an attention grabber.The attention grabber you use is up to you, but here are someideas:
a. Startling informationThis information must be true and easy to prove, and it does-n't need to be totally new to your readers. It could simply be apertinent fact that illustrates the point you wish to make.
If you use a piece of startling information, follow it with asentence or two to explain your point.
b. AnecdoteAn anecdote is a story that illustrates a point.Be sure your anecdote is short, to the point and relevant toyour topic. This can be a very effective opener for your es-say, but use it carefully.
c. Summary informationA few sentences explaining your topic in general terms can help thereader understand your thesis, which is a sentence explaining yourpoint of view regarding the essay. Each sentence should becomegradually more specific, until you reach your thesis.
2. If the attention grabber is only a sentence or two, addone or two more sentences that will lead the reader fromyour opening to your thesis statement.
3. Your thesis statement should be the last sentence inthe introduction.
READ THE TEXT AND WRITE TRUE OR FALSE FOR EACH QUESTION.
Last week’s answers: 1-F, 2-T, 3-T, 4-F, 5-T, 6-F, 7-T, 8-F, 9-T, 10-F / 1-d, 2-h, 3-e, 4-f, 5-a, 6-g, y-c, 8-b / 1-b, 2-b, 3-a, 4-c, 5-a, 6-c, 7-b, 8-c, 9-b, 10-c / 1) for 2) from 3) matter 4) every 5) firefighters 6) responding 7) that 8) regardless 9) variety 10) effect
THE IMPORTANCE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE
The great German poet Goethe once said: "He who knows noforeign language does not know his own one.” Learning foreignlanguages is very important nowadays. Some people learn for-eign languages because they need them in their work, otherstravel abroad; and for others, studying languages is a hobby.
Every year thousands of people from Russia go to variouscountries as tourists or to work. They cannot go without knowingthe language of the country they are going to. A modern engi-neer or even a worker cannot work with an imported instrumentor a machine if he is not able to read the instructions on how todo it. Ordinary people need language to translate the instruc-tions or the manual to the washing machine or a vacuum clean-er, medicine or even food products.
Some people are as a rule polyglots. Historians and diplo-mats need some languages for their work. If you want to be aclassified specialist, you must learn English, the language of in-ternational communication. English is one of the world lan-guages. It is the language of progressive science and technolo-gy, trade and cultural relations, commerce and business. It isthe universal language of international aviation, shipping andsports. It is also the major language of diplomacy. Hundredsand hundreds of books, magazines and newspapers are pub-lished in English; most of the world's mail and telephone callsare in English. Half of the world's scientific literature is written inEnglish. English is spoken by more than 700 million people.Geographically, it is the most widespread language on earth,second after Chinese. It is the most widely spoken language inthe UK, the US, Australia and New Zealand. It is one of the offi-cial languages in Canada and South Africa. Millions of peoplestudy and use English as a foreign language. In our country,English is very popular. It is studied at schools, colleges and uni-versities. Learning English is not an easy thing. It is a longprocess and takes a lot of time and patience. But to knowEnglish today is absolutely necessary for every educated person.I want to know English because it's interesting for me to knowforeign countries, their cultures and traditions. English will be ofgreat use in my future profession connected with computers.
1. Goethe has a reputation as a great columnist ____2. Knowing the English language is crucial at this time ____3. Russians do not go abroad only to work ____4. Learning a language is not important to read the instructionof an imported machine ____5. English is not important in diplomacy ____6. Half of the world's scientific literature
is not written in English ____7. One of the official languages in Canada
is not English _____8. English is spoken by over 300 million people ____9. Chinese is not the most widespread
language on earth ____10. It is not arduous to learn English ___
1. U2 members were experienced when they formed the band. ____2. They became popular as their music addressed whole
groups with unforgettable sound. ____3. Their success in live music didn't result in selling records until a certain time. ____4. They followed their typical music form despite the revolutions of other musicians.5. The Zoo TV Tour contributed to the reintroduction of U2's music. ____6. U2 couldn't win as many Grammy awards as some other bands. ____7. They were rejected for the introduction into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame in 2005. ____8. As a group, they participated in some humanitarian organizations. ____
U2 is a rock band from Dublin,Ireland. The band consists of Bono(vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar,keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton(bass guitar) and Larry Mullen, Jr.(drums and percussion).
The band formed in 1976 when themembers were teenagers with limitedmusical proficiency. By the mid-1980s,however, the band had become a top in-ternational act, noted for their anthemicsound, Bono's impassioned vocals andThe Edge's textural guitar playing. Theirsuccess as a live act was greater thantheir success at selling records until their1987 album "The Joshua Tree," whichincreased the band's stature "from he-roes to superstars," according to RollingStone. U2 responded to the dance andalternative rock revolutions, and its ownsense of musical stagnation by reinvent-
ing itself with the 1991 album "AchtungBaby" and the accompanying Zoo TVTour. Similar experimentation continuedfor the rest of the 1990s. Since 2000, U2has pursued a more traditional soundthat retains the influence of its previousmusical explorations.
U2 has sold more than 140 millionalbums worldwide and won 22 Grammyawards, more than any other band. In2005, the band was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in its firstyear of eligibility. Rolling Stone maga-zine listed U2 at #22 in its list of the 100greatest artists of all time. Throughouttheir career, as a band and as individuals,they have campaigned for human rightsand social justice causes, includingAmnesty International, the ONECampaign, and Bono's DATA (Debt,AIDS, Trade in Africa) campaign.
10th & 11th GRADERS
How to write a great essay introduction
WEEKLY WRITING CONTEST
Why are teenagers obsessed with materialism?Discuss how young people are concerned about hav-ing famous brand shoes, clothes, bags, telephones,etc., and what is making them so obsessive.
Requirements of essaysMaximum number of words: 250Essay format and use of formal written English is
necessaryMust be submitted by Friday of each week's English
CornerMust have student's full name, school and city
Remember to send your essays to [email protected]
This week's essay topic:
Dear readers,In this week's English Corner we want to give
you some tips for writing introductions for essays.These tips will help you be more original and alsohelp you give a more striking beginning to youressays.
We expect to see lots of entries to this week's es-say topic and hope you will use the tips given belowto help you do the introduction.
Editor
THE HISTORY OF U2
Below is an example of an introduction to an essay. The sentence in bold is the thesis statement."A dog is man's best friend." That common saying may containsome truth, but dogs are not the only animal friend whose com-panionship people enjoy. For many people, a cat is their bestfriend. Despite what dog lovers may believe, cats make excel-lent house pets as they are good companions, they are civi-lized members of the household, and they are easy to care for.
Child workers, some as young as 10, have beenfound working in a textile 1) __________ in condi-tions described as close to slavery to produceclothes that appear destined for one of the majorhigh street retailers.Speaking to a British newspaper, the children de-scribed long hours of 2) __________ work andthreats and beatings. The company said it was un-aware that clothing intended for its stores hadbeen improperly 3) __________ to a sweatshopthat used child labor. It further announced it hadwithdrawn the garments involved until it had inves-tigated the alleged 4) __________ of the ethicalcode it imposed on manufacturers three yearsago. The discovery of these children working in ap-palling conditions in the Shahpur Jat area of Delhihas renewed concerns about the outsourcing bysome large retail chains of their 5) __________ pro-duction to India, recognized by the United Nationsas one of the world's hotspots for child labor.
According 6) __________ one 7) __________, over20 percent of India's economy is 8) __________ onchildren, which comes to a total of 55 millionyoungsters under 14 working. 9) __________ in theWest should not only be demanding answers fromretailers about how their 10) __________ are pro-duced but also should be looking into their con-sciences at how they spend their money andwhether cheap prices in the West are worth thesuffering caused to so many children.
1. -a. facilityb. factoryc. officed. bureau2. -a. inpaidb. unpaidc. without payd. without payment3. -a. outsourceb. outsourcingc. outsourcesd. outsourced
4. -a. breachesb. errorsc. mistakesd. wrongdoings5. -a. garmentb. raimentc. garmentsd. raiments6. -a. byb. toc. ofd. from
7. -a. estimateb. estimatingc. estimatesd. estimated8. -a. dependsb. dependentc. dependantd. dependence9. -a. Consumeb. Consumptionc. Consumerd. Consumers
10.-a. stuffb. warec. goodsd. garment
Read through the text and answer the questions that follow.
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F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9
SPORTS Auckland stuns Al Ahli in cup openerA second-half strike by Chad Coombes helped amateurs Auckland City to a surprise 2-0 victory over hosts Al Ahli in the first match of the Club World Cup. The midfielder doubled the New Zealand champions’ lead
when his blistering 30-yard strike found the back of the net at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi, Reuters
BASKETBALL
Fenerbahçe Ülker bites the dustA week after being massacred 89-55 by leader Regal FC Barcelona on the road last week, Fen-erbahçe Ülker was expected to give its basketball-loving fans something to smile about when it hosted French out� t Asvel Basket in game seven of their Euroleague Group A match at �stanbul’s Darü��afaka Ayhan �ahenk Sports Arena on Wednesday. But that was mere delusion as Bog-dan Tanjevic’s Fenerbahçe Ülker faltered again, losing 61-68 to the resurgent French side which won its third match in a row. And the saddest thing is that Asvel won by enough points to earn it an advantage if the two teams are tied at the end of the regular season. The two teams now have a 3-4 record and that could make Fenerbahçe’s job more dif� cult unless the Turkish league runner-up returns to winning ways. Asvel’s Kristjan Kangur was the overall top scorer with 16 points, followed by Rawle Marshall who added 15; Mindaugas Lukauskis and Ali Traore who scored 12 apiece. Ömer A��k and Lynn Greer topped the scoresheet of the mis� ring Fener with 11 points each while Gordan Giricek had 10. In other Euroleague matches on Wednesday it was: Lietuvos Rytas 77, Entente Orleanaise 72; Maroussi BC 74, Union Olimija 62; BC Khimki 82, Panathinaikos 87 (OT); Asseco Prokom 82, Real Madrid 76 and AJ Milano 79, EWE Baskets 51. �stanbul Today’s Zaman
BASKETBALL
Forbes: Lakers most valuable NBA teamThe Los Angeles Lakers are the NBA’s most valuable team, and 12 others lost money in the 2008-09 season, according to Forbes magazine. In its annual listing of the value of NBA teams, Forbes � nds the Lakers to be worth $607 million, up 4 percent for the league champions. Second are the New York Knicks at $586 million, but that is a 4 percent drop. The Knicks led the rankings for the four previous seasons. The Chicago Bulls ($511 million), Detroit Pistons ($479 million) and Cleveland Cavaliers ($476 million) round out the top � ve. At the bottom of the 30-team rankings are the Milwaukee Bucks at $254 million. The league average worth is $367 million, down 4 percent, according to Forbes. New York AP
GOLF
South Korean Han leads Australian PGASouth Korean Han Min-kyu upstaged the big-name locals at the Australian PGA on Thurs-day, shooting a 9-under-par 62 to take a four-stroke lead after the � rst round. Han, who teed off at 6:25 a.m. in mild conditions and with little wind at the revamped Hyatt Regency re-sort course, had 11 birdies and two bogeys -- on the � rst and 18th. Ryan Haller was second after a 66, followed by � ve other Australians at 67: Stuart Appleby, Matthew Grif� n, Scott Strange, Andrew Dodt and Henry Epstein. Adam Scott, last week’s Australian Open win-ner, was in a group at 68. Defending champi-on Geoff Ogilvy and Robert Allenby each shot 70 and John Daly had a 71. Han, who birdied his � rst four holes, is one of 15 South Koreans in the tournament, which is now part of the One Asia regional tour. Coolum AP
ASIAN GAMES
China clinches first 2 track goldsYu Wei edged his Japanese rival by just one second in the men’s 20-kilometer walk to se-cure China the � rst gold in track at the East Asian Games on Thursday. Yu � nished in 1 hour, 26 minutes and 46 seconds, just ahead of Koichiro Morioka. It was almost as close in the women’s event, with China’s Li Yanfei crossing in 1:35:33, seven seconds before Japan’s Kumi Otoshi. Eight other golds were on offer on the � rst day of track and � eld competition, with � nals in women’s shot put, men’s long jump, men’s and women’s 200 meters, men’s javelin, women’s pole vault and men’s and women’s 800 meters. In other sports, the ninth-ranked women’s tennis doubles player in the world, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei, and her partner Ch-uang Chia-jung defeated their South Korean opponents in straight sets to clinch gold. China’s Zhang Ze and Zeng Shaoxuan took out the men’s doubles. Hong Kong AP
Jennings and �lyasova lift Bucks over Hedo and Toronto Raptors
Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan �lyasova (L) from Turkey fouls Toronto Raptors center Pat-rick O’Bryant (13) in the bonus in the fourth pe-riod during NBA action in Milwaukee.
Barca, Inter and Stuttgart all sail through to last 16
Brandon Jennings said he needed to be aggressive from the start. It almost cost
him in the end. Jennings scored 22 points before hyperextending his left knee near the close of the third quarter and the Milwaukee Bucks shot 52.5 percent to beat the visiting Toronto Raptors 117-95 on Wednesday night.
This match attracted the interest of Turk-ish basketball as it pitted two Turkish NBA stars against each other: Ersan �lyasova and the Bucks versus Hedo Türko�lu and the Raptors. In the end, �lyasova’s side prevailed.
“I went to the rack, came down funny and just hyperextended it,” said Jennings, who said he was scared as soon as it happened. “I don’t like knee injuries anyway, I’ve never had any, but from seeing other people with knee injures, you can be out a long time.”
Jennings said he should be ready to play in the Bucks’ next game, on Saturday against Portland.
Milwaukee, losers of eight of 10, snapped a four-game skid by controlling this game from the start and ended Toronto’s three-game winning streak.
�lyasova and Roko Ukic had 17 points each, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 16, Luke Ridnour 15, Carlos Del� no 14 and An-drew Bogut 12 for the Bucks, who had seven players with at least 12 points.
Chris Bosh had 26 points and 10 re-bounds for Toronto to extend his strong string of performances, but he had little help because Andrea Bargnani (sore right ankle) and Jose Calderon were out and Hedo was ineffective.
Other NBA results: Detroit 90, Philadel-phia 86; Portland 102, Indiana 91; Atlanta 118, Chicago 83; Golden State 105, New Jersey 89; New Orleans 97, Minnesota 96; San Antonio 118, Sacramento 106; Houston 95, Cleveland 85; and LA Lakers 101, Utah 77. �stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
Holder Barcelona booked a Champions League last 16 berth with a 2-1 win at Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday and
as joined by Group F rival Inter Milan, which sealed their pas-sage with a 2-0 home defeat of Rubin Kazan.
VfB Stuttgart also went through after an early three-goal blitz gave it a 3-1 win over Romanians Unirea Urziceni, as did Greek champion Olympiakos Piraeus which beat already quali� ed Arsenal 1-0 at home.
Olympique Lyon thumped Hungarian rival Debrecen 4-0 but � nished second in Group E behind Fiorentina, which came from behind in a 2-1 win at Liverpool, eliminated before the � nal day of the competition’s group stage.
Barca was also in danger of making an early exit after Artem Milevskiy’s glancing header gave Dynamo a second-minute lead but Spain mid� elder Xavi dispelled its fears when he rounded off a � owing team move shortly after the half-hour.
FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi completed Bar-ca’s comeback in the 86th minute, when he gave goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy no chance with a curling free kick.
Sitting at the top of La Liga and having stayed on course to become the � rst team to retain the Champions League in its pres-ent format, Barcelona will head con� dently into the Club World Cup already underway in Abu Dhabi. Belgrade Reuters
CMYK
Galatasaray Lions have another chance to go top
The pressure this evening will be on championship-contender Galatasaray, which has to beat the Antalyaspor Scorpions to keep its fading hopes alive. Patience has run thin, to say the least, and so the Lions no longer have the luxury of dropping points
GROUP E P W D L GF GA Pts1. Fiorentina* 6 5 0 1 14 7 152. Lyon* 6 4 1 1 12 3 133. Liverpool** 6 2 1 3 5 7 74. Debrecen 6 0 0 6 5 19 0
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GROUP F P W D L GF GA Pts1. Barcelona* 6 3 2 1 7 3 112. Inter* 6 2 3 1 7 6 93. Rubin Kazan** 6 1 3 2 4 7 64. Dinamo Kiev 6 1 2 3 7 9 5
GROUP G P W D L GF GA Pts1. Sevilla* 6 4 1 1 11 4 132. Stuttgart* 6 2 3 1 9 7 93. Unirea** 6 2 2 2 8 8 84. Rangers 6 0 2 4 4 13 2
GROUP H P W D L GF GA Pts1. Arsenal* 6 4 1 1 12 5 132. Olympiakos* 6 3 1 2 4 5 103. S. Liege** 6 1 2 3 7 9 54. Az Alkmaar 6 0 4 2 4 8 4
*Qualify for Champions League **Qualify for Europa League
The Galatasaray Lions take on the Antalyaspor Scorpions away in a cru-cial Turkcell Super League week 16
match at the Atatürk Stadium with much at stake -- precious points, the league lead and, of course, vengeance.
As is known, the Lions missed a golden opportunity to go top of the league table last Sunday when they conceded a 94th-minute goal at home to draw 1-1 with struggling �stanbul Büyük�ehir Belediyespor.
Today Galatasaray has another chance to make amends, if it can beat Mehmet “�ifo” Özdilek’s Antalyaspor Scorpions. Going into this evening’s match, the Lions are � fth with 30 points; Be�ikta�, Fenerbahçe and Kay-serispor have 31 and new leader Bursaspor, awarded three points by default because of its match against relegated Ankaraspor, has 32.
The arithmetic is quite simple: The Fener-bahçe Canaries are not in action until Saturday and the Be�ikta� Eagles and Kayseri Tigers are idle until Sunday, meaning victory today over the Antalyaspor Scorpions would increase the Lions’ points to 33 -- with the reward being at least 24 hours on top of the 17-team standings.
Lions near full strengthDutch coach Frank Rijkaard and his Lions may still be without injured winger Sabri Sar�o�lu, who missed last Sunday’s match against �stanbul Büyük�ehir Belediyespor, meaning U�ur Açar may likely continue on the right � ank.
Long-term injury case Milan Baros, whose broken foot in week 10 has adversely affected the team’s fortunes, will de� nitely be absent again today. Otherwise the Lions should be near full strength, with lanky defender Hakan Balta very likely to make the starting XI after
shaking off his injury worries.The Galatasaray Lions, without the slightest
doubt, will also have revenge on their minds be-cause the Lions never beat Antalyaspor in their two Super League meetings last season. The � rst game in Antalya ended 1-1, but the Scorpions won 1-0 in �stanbul in the season’s second half to record their � rst ever victory over the Lions.
Maybe vengeance was what mid� elder Mustafa Sarp alluded to when he told GS TV on Wednesday, “We must beat that Anta-lyaspor and hope that our rivals drop points,” adding: “We [the Lions] are going through dif� cult times, but we trail the leading pack by one point. So there is no cause for alarm.”
It is worthy to note that Sarp played for Bur-saspor last season and so was not a member of the Galatasaray team that was beaten by Antalyaspor. But it is sure as death that he has been reminded over and over again about the Antalya debacle.
Proud Antalyans undauntedThe Antalya camp is talking big and has al-ready declared itself the winner even before this evening’s match is played. And with Ivory Coast striker Serge Pacome Djiehoua and Turkish defender Orhan Ak declared � t to play, Antalyaspor’s con� dence is sky high.
Add bragging rights to precious points, the league lead and vengeance -- this eve-ning’s confrontation at Antalya’s Atatürk Sta-dium promises to be a thriller.
“We respect Galatasaray,” Antalya coach Özdilek said on Wednesday.
“But our aim is to win all our home match-es and the Galatasaray game is one of them. So there is nothing else to say. We are think-ing only about winning and we shall prevail. Galatasaray is one of the important teams in the league with quality players. Hence, we are taking them seriously. In fact we take all teams in the league seriously,” he further asserted.
If we may add, things are easier said than done in the Super League; and we have seen the Scorpions -- with six wins, three draws and six losses -- � oat like bees and sting like butter� ies on several occasions.
The pressure, nonetheless, will be on championship-contender Galatasaray, which has to win to keep its fading hopes alive.
Scenes after last Sunday’s heartrend-ing home draw are still fresh in memories: a frustrated Sarp tearing his jersey in absolute despair; some of his exasperated teammates weeping openly; others trying to manhandle referee Hüseyin Gokçek, whom they blamed for the result; and disillusioned and desperate fans in the stands cursing and swearing.
Patience has run thin, to say the least. The Lions no longer have the luxury of dropping points. The referee will be Deniz Çoban.
TURKCELL SUPER LEAGUE STANDINGS
TEAMS P W D L GF GA Pts01. Bursaspor 16 10 2 4 31 15 3202. Kayserispor 15 9 4 2 25 10 3103. Fenerbahçe 15 10 1 4 27 15 3104. Be�ikta� 15 9 4 2 17 6 3105. Galatasaray 15 9 3 3 32 19 3006. Gençlerbirli�i 15 7 4 4 22 15 2507. Trabzonspor 15 7 3 5 29 20 2408. Eski�ehirspor 15 6 6 3 20 14 2409. Büyük�ehir B. 15 6 5 4 17 23 2310. Antalyaspor 15 6 3 6 20 17 2111. Gaziantepspor 15 5 5 5 19 18 2012. Ankaragücü 15 4 5 6 18 19 1713. Manisaspor 15 4 5 6 14 15 1714. Kas�mpa�a 15 4 4 7 21 25 1615. Diyarbak�r 15 4 4 7 15 23 1616. Sivasspor 15 3 2 10 16 26 1117. Denizlispor 15 1 4 10 10 25 718. Ankaraspor 15 0 0 15 0 45 0
OKAN UDO BASSEY �STANBUL
Galatasarsay midfielder Mustafa Sarp is seen tearing his jersey in despair immediately after �stanbul Büyük�ehir Belediyespor scored the 94th-minute equalizer against his team in their league match at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium last Sunday. The Galatasarsay Lions play Antalyaspor away today.
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Live on Lig TV20:00 Antalyaspor vs. Galatasaray
W W W. T O D AY S Z A M A N . C O M F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9
Jackson brothers strive to stay out of blame game
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Jackie, Marlon and Tito Jackson have said they don’t want to point � ngers about their brother
Michael’s death. Jackie Jackson cites the ongoing Los Angeles police homicide investigation, saying he wants to wait until it’s � nished before commenting. Tito Jackson also says it’s premature to say who did what because all the facts haven’t been gathered. The brothers made the comments while promoting their new reality series on A&E Network, “The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty,” which premieres Dec. 13. Au-thorities have said their homicide investigation was focusing on Michael Jackson’s personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray, but no charges have been � led. Through a spokeswoman, Murray maintains that he didn’t prescribe or administer anything to Jackson that should have killed him. Beverly Hills, Calif. AP
Brothers Tito Jackson (L-R), Jackie Jackson, and Marlon Jackson arrive at the launch party for “The Jacksons: A Fam-ily Dynasty” reality show in Hollywood, Calif., on Wednesday.
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CMYK
Palestinian files $110 million libel suit over ‘Bruno’
Woman nabbed for hitting man with steak
A Palestinian shopkeeper and father portrayed as a terrorist in the movie “Bruno” is suing � lm star Sacha
Baron Cohen, talk show host David Letterman and others for libel and slander. The lawsuit � led last week by Ayman Abu Aita in federal court seeks $110 million in damages. In the movie, Cohen plays a gay Austrian fashion journalist try-ing to make it big in the United States. To achieve worldwide fame, Bruno travels to the Middle East to make peace. He in-terviews Abu Aita, and a caption labels the Bethlehem shop-keeper as a member of the militant Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade.
Abu Aita is suing CBS and Letterman’s company Worldwide Pants over an interview before the � lm’s re-lease where the Late Show host and Cohen discussed Bruno’s encounter with a “terrorist.” In the interview, Cohen, 37, said he set up the meeting in the West Bank with the help of a CIA agent. Cohen said he feared for his safety and interviewed the “terrorist” at a secret location chosen by Abu Aita. A clip was then played on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” According to the lawsuit, however, the interview with Abu Aita took place at a ho-tel chosen by Cohen and located in a part of the West Bank that was under Israeli military control.
Film distributor NBC Universal and director Larry Charles are also named in the lawsuit. A spokeswoman for Universal Studios declined to comment. Tom Keaney, a spokesman for David Letterman, also said he would not comment. Co-hen, a British comedian, also faced multiple lawsuits after his earlier movie, “Borat,” including one for $30 million � led by residents of a remote Romanian village who said they were misled into thinking the project was a documentary about poverty. Most of the lawsuits were thrown out.
Abu Aita is a prominent businessman, a Christian and a “peace-loving person who abhors violence,” the latest lawsuit states. Before the � lm, he “enjoyed a good reputation for honesty and a peaceable nature” in his community, Abu Aita’s lawyers wrote. They go on to write that any accusations or insinuations that Abu Aita is or ever was associated with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, or any other terrorist activity is ”utterly false and untrue.” Attorney Joseph Peter Drennan said Abu Aita was never offered a release to sign to appear in the � lm. Washington AP
A 53-year-old was arrested after alledgedly hit-ting a man in the head with a raw steak. Accord-
ing to a Marion County Sheriff’s Of� ce report, the man told deputies Elsie Egan repeatedly hit him with the uncooked meat and slapped his face after he refused a piece of sliced bread. The man said he wanted a bread roll. Egan denied hitting the man with the steak but did admit to slapping him, saying she did it “so that he could learn.” The man told deputies that Egan was his partner. He declined medical assistance. Egan was charged with abuse of a disabled adult. According to online records, she has been released on $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in court in January. It’s un-clear if she has an attorney. Dunnellon, Fla. AP
US researchers have found a drug-free way to block fearful memories, opening up the pos-
sibility of new treatment approaches for problems such as post traumatic stress dis-order, they reported on Wednesday. The � ndings in people build on studies in rats that showed that reactivating a memory -- by showing people objects that stimulate the fearful memory -- opens up a speci� c
time window in which the memory can be edited before it is stored again.
“Before memories are stored, there is a period where they are susceptible to being disrupted,” said Elizabeth Phelps of New York University, whose study appears in the journal Nature. Earlier studies have shown that drugs can be used to block fearful mem-ories, but the results were not long lasting.
Phelps and colleagues based their stud-
ies on � ndings in rats that showed that old memories can be changed or reconsolidat-ed, but only during a speci� c window time after the rat is reminded of the fearful mem-ory. That window of susceptibility is typically between 10 minutes after re-exposure to the object to 6 hours later, when the memory is stored once again in the brain.
The researchers applied these � nd-ings to people in a lab setting. First, they
created a fearful memory by showing the volunteers a blue square, and then delivering a mild shock. Once they had created the fear memory, they simply showed a blue square, which remind-ed them of the fear memory. The team waited 10 minutes and then started a training period where the volunteers were repeatedly exposed to the blue square without a shock. Chicago Reuters
Supermodel Gisele Bundchen has first babyBrazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen has given birth to her first child -- a boy -- with NFL star husband Tom Brady. Brady told reporters on Wednes-day that the baby, who is yet to be named, was born on Tuesday, calling it
“the most wonderful experience in my life.” Los Angeles, Reuters
