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06 10 09

Staying warm
while looking
pretty: Is it
possible?

Environment Minister Erolu says CNN host Dobbs says he is leaving


Turkey is in a region that is quite the network because he wants a
vulnerable to climate change freer platform to state his opinion

Yo u r Wa y o f U n d e r s t a n d  n g T u r k e y
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009 WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM TL 1.50

page04 Study: Turkey fails big in freedom of thought, religion


CHAN, ORHAN YILDIRIM

Wretappng of top judcary


members sparks heated debate
PHOTO

BETÜL AKKAYA DEMRBA, STANBUL judiciary could be wiretapped, even under a court deci- Court of Appeals have been wiretapped since 2008. being leaked to third parties. Engin told reporters that
sion to that end. Jurists, however, have said all citizens The order for the wiretap on Engin's telephones he would seek legal redress against the wiretaps after
The high judiciary was rattled yesterday after are equal before the law and that no individual would came from the stanbul 11th High Criminal Court, receiving an explanation from the ministry. “I contacted
reports that the telephones of some members be exempt from legal principles, even a chief public upon a request by inspectors affiliated with the Justice the deputy prosecutors at Beikta [courthouse]. I
of the Supreme Court of Appeals and a chief prosecutor or his deputy. Late Wednesday claims Ministry. The court also ruled that the activities of the received information from them. I will request informa-
Musa Kang
public prosecutor have been wiretapped for a long emerged that the telephones of stanbul Chief Public prosecutor open to the public be monitored with neces- tion from the Justice Ministry in light of the info I
while as part of an ongoing probe into a clandestine Prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin had been wiretapped sary technical equipment for one week. Justice Ministry received from deputy prosecutors. I will exercise

TEEN’S KILLING RAISES


organization. The wiretaps sparked questions over as part of the Ergenekon probe. Then came reports inspectors asked for the wiretaps due to suspicions that my legal rights if there is a contravention of the
whether the telephones of the members of the high that the telephones of some members of the Supreme details related to the Ergenekon investigation were law with these wiretaps,” Engin stated. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

QUESTION OF WEB’S

AA, BURAK AKBULUT


DANGERS TO MINORS
The discovery of the body of 13-year-old Musa
Kang in Erzurum last week marked an unhappy
end to the search for the kidnapped teen and raises

04
questions about the increased danger that unmoni-
tored Internet usage presents to youth. The details of

PHOTO
the murder of the young online gaming enthusiast in
Erzurum last week are still unfolding, with his teen-
age cousin arrested by police yesterday in connection
with the killing. What remains unknown is the
motive behind the killing -- but many observers are
looking in the direction of Musa's affinity and ability
in an international online role-playing game.
Musa Kang's 17-year-old cousin S.K. was taken
into custody by Erzurum police on Wednesday night
after he was identified as the person walking along- IAEA OFFICIALLY
side Musa in security camera footage on the day of
the boy's disappearance. After his arrest he appeared
INFORMS ANKARA OF
in court as per procedure and was sent to jail as a
murder suspect. It remains to be seen whether
ITS PROPOSAL ON IRAN
Kang's kidnapping and murder are connected to his
Days after publicly suggesting
gaming habits, and media reports claiming this
Turkey as a third-country des-
remain largely speculative, but no matter what
tination for transport of Iran's
the specifics of his case are, experts agree that the
enriched uranium, the head of
rise of unmonitored Internet usage presents spe-
the United Nations' nuclear
cific dangers that require attention. CONTINUED ON PAGE 06
watchdog revealed the details
of the proposal to Ankara.

EIGHT MORE PKK


TERRORISTS SILENTLY
SURRENDER IN TURKEY

07
Eight Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists
PLOT DEBATE The arrest of Col. Dursun Çiçek, whose signature appears on a military plot aimed at discrediting Turkey's ruling party, will
not put an end to debates over the plot controversy until all figures who have a hand in the notorious plan are called to account,
based in Iraq have surrendered, becoming the NOT OVER WITH analysts have said. The colonel was arrested and sent to Hasdal Prison in stanbul on Wednesday on suspicion of “member-
ship in a terrorist group.” Çiçek is believed to have prepared a document that details a Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) plan to
second such group to turn themselves in since the
government pledged in July to boost political rights to
COLONEL'S ARREST, destroy the image of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the faith-based Gülen movement. “I think Col. Çiçek will
provide details about the plan if he is punished [with a prison sentence]. I mean, if he is put in a position where he is the sole
end Turkey's decades-old Kurdish problem. The PKK OBSERVERS SAY individual being accused of putting together the action plan, he will most likely reveal who is also to be blamed. If this is not
operatives were being questioned by a prosecutor in the case, those who gave the order for the preparation of such a plan will be exposed in some way. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
the city of Diyarbakr after surrendering on
Wednesday in the town of Silopi on the Turkish side
of the border with Iraq, court officials said. The group
escaped from camps in northern Iraq, where most of
the outlawed PKK's 3,000 or so fighters are based, ’RELIANCE ON STATE Öymen's Dersim remarks draw ire of Alevis
defying terrorist leaders' orders. They told authorities
that "a large number" of other terrorists want to
BANKS WILL THREATEN
TURKEY'S FUTURE’ HABB GÜLER / E. BARI ALTINTA, ANKARA / ÝSTANBUL government's Kurdish initiative, which seeks to extend The rebellion took place in 1937 in Dersim, which had
return to Turkey, security sources said. When eight
the rights of Kurds in Turkey to alleviate and ulti- historically been a semi-autonomous region. Dersim was
PKK members returned to Turkey with the PKK's
Economy Minister Ali Babacan Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy mately end the separatist terrorism of the Kurdistan renamed Tunceli after the rebellion. The rebellion was led
permission on Oct. 19, tens of thousands of support-
spoke yesterday of the danger Chairman Onur Öymen has angered Turkey's Workers' Party (PKK), Öymen said: “Didn't mothers by Seyyid Riza, the chief of a Zaza tribe in the region. The
ers streamed to the border to welcome them, waving
of relying on state banks to Alevi community by referring to the Turkish govern- also cry at the time of the Sheikh Said Rebellion? Turkish government of the time, led by smet nönü,
flags and chanting pro-PKK slogans. CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
relieve current-day economic ment's response to a 1937 rebellion in the predomi- Didn't mothers also cry at the time of the Dersim responded with air strikes against the rebels.

KURDISH INITIATIVE TO BE DISCUSSED problems, at the 7th


International Finance Summit,
nantly Alevi city of Tunceli, then known as Dersim, as
an example of fighting terrorism. During a speech he
Rebellion?” in response to the phrase “Let no more
mothers cry,” frequently used by the government as
Öymen's reference to the Dersim rebels as an
example of terrorism drew anger and resentment from
IN PARLIAMENT TODAY PAGE 17 which wraps up today. delivered on Tuesday in Parliament in criticism of the part of its efforts to end the PKK's campaign of terrorism. the country's Alevis and Zazas. CONTINUED ON PAGE 06

Featuring news and articles from


‘ 02 TODAY’S ZAMAN

FOOD FOR THOUGHT


‘ Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
‘ FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009

WORDS OF WISDOM
PRESS REVIEW

colu m ns
One must learn to rise above one’s You can’t build the peace necessary A statesman is any Commemoration of
history. … There is a force that can in the Middle East if you don’t talk to all politician it’s considered Atatürk with ‘yearning’
help us: the force of reconciliation. of political and religious forces. safe to name a school after. SABAH EMRE AKÖZ
For my part, I swear I absolutely
German Chancellor Angela Merkel Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Bill Vaughan do not miss Atatürk at all. Shall
I explain why? From primary
school onwards, we were always
taught just how fantastic the era
of Atatürk was. The newspa-
pers, radio and television would all say the same
thing. But in the midst of all this, I learned that
CROSS READER actually, during the era of Atatürk, nearly half
of Turkey was embroiled in war! It was unbeli-
FATMA DL ZIBAK
f.zibak@todayszaman.com
pr ess rou n du p evable! And thus, I began to grasp what the 16
uprisings during the era of Atatürk really meant:

AA, BRAHM YAKUT


bad leadership! It was clear: until 1938, Turkey
was badly run. So after learning all of this, how
could I miss Atatürk? How could I refer to the
Parlamentary brawl period of his leadership as the “Golden Era”?

leads to pessmsm If I were the leader of


Angry exchanges and confrontations by deputies in Par-
a Kurdish movement...

PHOTO
liament on Tuesday, the day when the government’s Kur-
dish initiative, which aims to solve Turkey’s decades-long BUGÜN AHMET TAGETREN
Kurdish problem, was rst discussed, have led to cynicism
If I were the leader of an eth-
among many, who harshly criticized the deputies for failing
nic Kurdish movement, the rst
to act with common sense over such a serious issue.
thing I would do would be to cre-
Milliyet’s Asl Aydntaba is very disappointed about
ate a societal foundation for my
the incidents that emerged in Parliament on Tuesday and
movement. I would try to amass
notes that such scenes cause many to lose hope about the fu-
a faction of people who would
ture of Turkey. Looking at the general pessimism in Ankara
embrace my message. So my rst target would be
regarding the Kurdish initiative after what happened in Par- to oversee the development of people’s personal
liament on Tuesday, she says she hoped politicians would try ethnic awareness. Without the support of a fac-
to nd a solution to this critical problem, but her expectati- tion of society which is aware of its own ethnic
ons have turned out to be unfullled. Aydntaba says she background, you can neither develop a Kurdish-
does not expect everyone to think in the same way, as de- based movement, nor construct any political pro-
mocracy is the regime of differences and Parliament is the jects aimed at autonomy, separatism or federa-
battleground of opposing views. However, there was no re- lism. But in order to see that a group of people
markable proposal regarding Turkey’s most fundamental is- develop their own ethnic awareness, there ne-
sue in Parliament on Tuesday. There was only noise. “If the eds to be some sort suppression placed on peop-
deputies debate this issue in such a way, what should the le simply because of their ethnic difference from
public do? During that turbulent session in Parliament, there
was not a single serious debate regarding the solution of the
A girl wearing traditional clothing handed flowers to others. It has been by talking about this supp-
ression, sometimes exaggerating it and placing it
Kurdish problem,” states Aydntaba. “Until this ght ends, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arnç upon his arrival smack in the middle of the public agenda, that the
we are like children neglected by their parents,” she says.
Sabah’s Engin Ardç criticizes the Republican People’s
in Diyarbakr on Wednesday. Diyarbakr Mayor Os- Kurdish movement has turned into a societal one.

Party (CHP) deputies who waved signs during Tuesday’s man Baydemir was also present to welcome Arnç.
session that read “Atatürk, we will not forget you or allow How are Alevi problems
you to be forgotten. Atatürk, we will stand up for your le-
gacy.” Ardç explains that if signs like this had been held by
zaman: “Col. Çiçek back in prison after 4.5 months,” and asked them to produce the vaccine in Turkey. In the me- connected to me?
the daily said in the headline of its main story yesterday, repor- antime, after the deaths of healthy people from the virus in
an ordinary citizen in Parliament, s/he would face serious YEN AFAK FEHM KORU
ting that Col. Dursun Çiçek, who undersigned a military plot Turkey, the age range of those who will be vaccinated against
charges for “blocking the operation of Parliament,” but the to topple the government, was arrested late on Wednesday on the H1N1 virus has been expanded, the daily reported. There is an initiative that is hea-
CHP deputies receive praise from certain media outlets. “In charges of membership in a terrorist organization. He was sent ding silently onward toward its
the past, when deputies wanted to protest something, they to Hasdal Prison in stanbul four-and-a-half months after he taraf: “If you don’t listen, you can’t learn anything,” goal: the “Alevi initiative.” Pursu-
would bang on the tables in front of them, but they no lon- was rst put in jail. Çiçek was interrogated by prosecutors the daily said in the headline of its lead story yesterday, ap- ing the problems experienced by
ger do this. If deputies demonstrate their reaction in a che- carrying out the investigation into Ergenekon, a shadowy cri- pealing to Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Turkey’s Alevi citizens would not
ap way, they will be called ‘politically poor’ and get their res- me network which has alleged links within the state and is Baykal, who complained that his party knows nothing about only result in political normaliza-
ponse from the public at the ballot box,” says Ardç. suspected of plotting to overthrow the government. the content of the government’s Kurdish initiative, which tion for the nation, it would also mean a reduction
“Will we solve Turkey’s most critical problem with such aims to resolve Turkey’s long-standing Kurdish problem. in -- and perhaps even an elimination of -- comp-
outbursts of anger?” asks Milliyet’s Taha Akyol, who was akam: “We will produce our own vaccine,” read the Baykal, who refused to meet with both Interior Minister Beir laints from non-Alevi citizens about unhealthy re-
also disappointed by deputies’ reactions during the Parlia- headline of the daily’s top story yesterday, quoting remarks Atalay and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan regarding lations between the state and religion. And have
ment session. In his view, to prevent such scenes in Parlia- made by Health Minister Recep Akda, who said Turkey wo- the initiative, said he does not understand why the govern- no doubt that eliminating feelings of suppression
ment, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of Prime Mi- uld produce its own vaccine to combat the H1N1 virus. He ment is bringing this initiative to Parliament when nobody or discrimination among those who are counted
nister Recep Tayyip Erdoan to calm everyone down be- said the ministry had contacted pharmaceutical companies has any information about its content. as minorities would also have the benet of re-
cause the ugly clashes and provocative speeches in Parlia- lieving others who may appear to be part of the
ment have the potential to exacerbate Turkish-Kurdish po- majority, but who still complain about the discri-
larization in the country. mination and various pressures applied to them.

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CMYK
NATIONAL F R I D A Y, N O V E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 0 9 TODAY’S ZAMAN 03

STANBUL 14° KONYA 9°


ANKARA 9° ÇANAKKALE 14°
ZMR 15° DYARBAKIR 21°
ANTALYA 23° SAMSUN 15°
ADANA 21° BURSA 12°
ERZURUM 11° GAZANTEP 14°
EDRNE 14° ESKEHR 7°
TRABZON 17° MALATYA 15°
KAYSER 9° KOCAEL 10°

Schools see BÜLENT

TODAY’S ZAMAN,TURGUT ENGN


significant drop KENE
in attendance b.kenes@todayszaman.com

due to swine flu


BURAK KILIÇ STANBUL Dd you know
There has been a rampant increase
in absenteeism in schools across the
nation in the past few weeks due to the
Atatürk s dead?
outbreak of swine flu. As school adminis- Turkey is one of the few coun- she cried nonstop.

PHOTO
trators now freely grant permission for stu- tries where a cult of personality Little girl: Atatürk is dead?
dents to leave, the number of students in is still prevalent. On Nov. 10, it Did you know Atatürk is dead?
some classes has reduced by half, adversely marked the 71st anniversary of Mother: Who said that?
affecting their education. the demise of its founder, Mus- Little girl: My teacher.
In spite of the pre-emptive measures tafa Kemal Atatürk, with coun- Mother: Are you very upset,
taken by the government to prevent the trywide mourning programs. In honey?
spread of swine flu in schools, including particular, sirens blared at 9:05 Little girl: Yes! He is dead.
swine flu vaccination and disinfection of a.m. -- the time Atatürk died. Mother: Even so, honey, he
buildings, the outbreak continues to affect This was reminiscent of enemy left this country for us. Should we
education and school attendance. Using attacks and signaled that life in not thank him for this?
swine flu as a pretext, students have started the country had stopped. Little girl: But he is dead.
to skip classes for very minor problems or Whether they liked it or Mother: What difference does
because they suspect they are sick. A total not, everyone had to conform to it make, honey?
of 650 students from the 2,500-student this ritual of paying homage to Little girl: Atatürk died.
Baclar Atatürk Primary School were ab- Atatürk, which has nowadays Mother: Who said that?
sent on Wednesday. Despite the decision become utterly dogmatic. The Little girl: My teacher.
by the Ministry of Education that schools current archaic mentality that has Mother: What else did your
will not be closed, an informal swine flu created taboos out of Atatürk’s teacher say?
holiday is already under way in some ideas, and his physical existence Little girl: He did not say any-
schools. Teachers are being forced to delay as well as his death is still able thing else. I cried, and I was very
lessons and wait for students to return to to conduct these Atatürk com- sad. Very sad... So sad... We can-
implement the curriculum effectively. memoration programs with the not bring him back, yet...
School administrators have been in- Comorian President Sambi (2nd from left) came to stanbul for a meeting and visited the Zaman Media Group’s headquarters yesterday. air of a totalitarian worship ritual Mother: We can still love him.
formed that they should be very “help- despite democratic progress the Little girl: No, he died! We
ful” if students ask for permission to miss country has made. I don’t know to cannot love him.
classes, and in many schools in stanbul,
attendance has decreased significantly.
Teachers have had to constantly re-
peat lessons when students return, and
Comorian president what extent we are aware of it, but
our country -- already rife with
Atatürk statues which can hardly
be regarded as having much aes-
honey?
Father: How did you cry,

Little girl: I was so sad. And I


cried a lot. My friends cried, too.

wants Turkish schools


this has created additional problems. thetic value -- is reduced to being I think this video of a poor
Teachers have to wait for students to one of the few despotic countries little girl crying incessantly while
come back before they can start new sub- dominated by a leader fetishism talking to her parents -- posted on
jects, and school directors are complain- such as North Korea, China and YouTube exactly one year ago, but
ing that teachers and students are having Cuba with these unusual ceremo- which I only noticed on Nov. 10 of
difficulty staying motivated in class since
the outbreak of swine flu.
“In a very minor case of flu or a fever,
students ask permission to leave, and we
have to give them permission,” said the
in his country
Comorian President Ahmed you don’t come, others will,” Sambi Africa and has a huge potential to attract
nies. No doubt there is a lot to be
said on this subject, but in this ar-
ticle I would like to point you to a
video that bothers me very much
as the father of a 2.5-year-old girl.
this year -- needs no comment.
I would really like to know
whether the Turkish education
system, which burdens little chil-
dren with emotions so as to cre-
principal of Avclar Industrial Vocational I’d like you to sit down at ate psychological traumas in their
Abdallah Mohamed Sambi said, asking Turkey to provide simple tourists, Sambi called on Turkish busi-
High School. He said there had been a 100 your computer and go directly small worlds, or her teacher, who
has appealed to Turkey to construction equipment that can be nessmen to invest in his country.
percent increase in absenteeism in com- to YouTube. Search for “Atatürk caused this little student to enter
open schools in his country. used to make bricks. Noting that the The visiting president said people
parison to the same month last year. In the öldü biliyor musun?” (Did you into emotional shock, have any
Sambi, who attended the Orga- Turkish Cooperation and Development should consider the idea of launching
1,800-student school approximately 330 know Atatürk is dead?) in Turk- knowledge about pedagogy and
nization of the Islamic Conference’s Agency (TKA) has promised to sup- a “dollar from every Muslim” cam-
students miss classes daily. The principal ish. Please attentively watch the child psychology.
(OIC) Standing Committee for Eco- ply his country 200 manually operated paign, which he mentioned during
noted a particular increase in absenteeism heartrending video that lasts I also wonder how our min-
nomic and Commercial Cooperation brick-making machines, the Comorian the COMCEC meeting. “Muslims like
since Monday. “The students see that it is one minute and 36 seconds and ister of education, a mother her-
(COMCEC) meeting in stanbul, com- president said he believes the homes charity, and they like to help when
easy to get permission, and they ask for which froze my blood. If you ask, self, and ministry ofcials reacted
municated his request for the open- that will be built with the bricks will lead there is a good deed. Poorer ones tend
it. Previously, we didn’t give permission “Why is this girl crying so griev- to this terrifying video. Were
ing of Turkish schools in Comoros to to a major transformation in his country. to be more gracious. An aid fund that
without informing the parents, but after ously?” read on for the answer. they only touched by this poor
President Abdullah Gül, noting that According to Sambi, living in cage-like will be created by receiving $1 from
[the outbreak of] swine flu, we were told to As a service to our readers who little girl’s reaction, as her parents
Turkey needs to promote its language homes made from bamboo have caused every Muslim once a year could solve
grant permission to students as necessary.” do not speak Turkish, I would were? Or did they launch an in-
and culture across Africa. Comorians to develop a “cage mental- most of the problems in Muslim coun-
Meanwhile, primary and secondary like to show you how the love for vestigation into the teacher and
Sambi, who visited the Zaman Me- ity,” and the only way to help them es- tries,” Sambi said, noting that with its
schools in Kayseri were closed down for a Atatürk -- which amounts to a the school where he worked for
dia Group’s headquarters in stanbul, cape this inferiority complex is by build- established civil society and solidar-
week on Thursday to prevent the spread of cult of personality -- can be made distorting the psychology of small
said he would like Turkey to increase ing simple but modern homes. Noting ity organizations Turkey could set an
swine flu. The schools will re-open on Nov. into a great danger at the hands of children for the sake of the cult of
the number of scholarships it gives to that while Comoros is a poor country, it example in this eld for the Muslim
19. Fifty-two people have been reported to Kemalist teachers who are igno- personality?
Comorian students from six to 50. “If hosts one of the most beautiful coasts in world. stanbul Today’s Zaman
be infected with swine flu in Kayseri, and rant of pedagogy and child psy- Is this really what teachers
the illness has claimed two lives there. chology. I present the translation understand when it comes to the
of this striking and alarming dia- love for Atatürk and the education
logue between a small girl at the of children? I am really curious
age of 3 or 4 with her parents as about the answers to this.

First Turkish school to be opened in Zambia


BURAK KILIÇ STANBUL Clement Sinyinda said, “The lack of ish school in Zambia came from Zambian Eight PKK terrorists
TODAY’S ZAMAN

dialogue between Zambia and Turkey High Commissioner to South Africa Leslie
After the Zambian high commis-
sioner to South Africa witnessed
the impressive success of children at
was a big loss for us.” Turkey and Zam-
bia do not currently have diplomatic
missions in each other’s countries.
Mbula, who was impressed by the success
of Turkish educational institutions in that
country. Following a small study of stu-
surrender in Turkey
Turkish schools in that country, Zambia Stressing that the school will be a dents at Turkish schools, the high commis- contýnued from page 1 1984. Erdoan and the military
has requested and started construction bridge between the two countries, Sinyin- sioner was convinced of the excellence of Those scenes prompted have ruled out such an amnesty,
PHOTO

on its first Turkish school. da said students studying at the school students from Turkish school in education, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip and only low-level PKK members
Turkish businessmen and Zambian will receive a good education and moral discipline and work and reported this back Erdoan to delay further PKK- can benefit from immunity laws.
state officials yesterday officially laid bearing. “Each of the students will be home. Zambian state officials then asked approved returns. The terrorist The European Union, which
the foundation of the Bedir Turkish- cultural ambassadors,” the official said. Horizon Education to invest in Zambia. PKK has dropped its histori- Turkey wants to join, has praised
Zambian High School. The 750-student He also asked Turkish businessmen for Intent on opening a Turkish school in cal demand for an independent Erdoan’s efforts to end the con-
school will sprawl over 24 acres and more schools and educational institutions. Zambia, the state has promised to supply homeland and now seeks greater flict. His so-called democratic
two storeys. The school is expected to Hasan Tark, head of Horizon Education, the necessary land and the building. Zam- political rights for Turkey’s Kurds. initiative aims to expand cultural
contribute to nascent Turkish-Zambian which finances and administers most bia’s Education Permanent Secretary Lil- The PKK wants a full amnesty and political liberties to address
economic and political relations. Turkish schools internationally, said the lian Kapulu came to Turkey a year ago and for all its militants and leaders decades of grievances from Kurds
Noting that the school will pro- school will be a symbol of mutual friend- on her visit asked the Ministry of Education before giving up its weapons in a who say they have faced state-
vide new opportunities for the country, ship between the two countries. and Turkish businessmen for assistance terror campaign that has claimed sanctioned discrimination and
Zambian Deputy Minister of Education The impetus for the opening of a Turk- opening Turkish schools in Zambia. The foundation of the Bedir Turkish-Zambian High School has been laid. 40,000 lives, mainly Kurdish, since violence. Diyarbakr Reuters

CMYK
04 TODAY’S ZAMAN F R I D AY, N O V E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 0 9
NATIONAL

IAEA introduces proposal to Ankara for Iran’s uranium

AA
PHOTO
Days after publicly suggesting Turkey as a formal proposal to help with ElBaradei’s offer. ping Iran’s enriched uranium. Yet, the same one batch by the end of the year for further en-
third-country destination for transport of IAEA chief ElBaradei initiated a telephone sources declined to give further details on the richment, a move that would ease international
Iran’s enriched uranium, the head of the Unit- conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Ah- content of those technical talks, pointing to the concerns that the material could be processed
ed Nations’ nuclear watchdog revealed the de- met Davutolu, Foreign Ministry spokesperson sensitivity of the ongoing process as a reason. for a bomb. After further enrichment in Russia,
tails of the proposal to Ankara on Thursday, Burak Özügergin told the Anatolia news agency Ankara, which constantly emphasizes its France would then convert the uranium into fuel
Turkish diplomatic sources have said. on Thursday. Özügergin noted that Davutolu stance for a resolution of the international dis- rods that would be returned to Iran for use in a reactor in
In televised remarks over the weekend, conveyed his observations during comprehensive pute through diplomatic means and through Tehran that produces medical isotopes. Fuel rods can-
Mohamed ElBaradei, the director general of meetings he, President Abdullah Gül and Prime maintaining dialogue between Iran and the P5+1 not be further enriched into weapons-grade material.
the Vienna-based International Atomic En- Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan had with Iranian (the ve permanent members of the UN Security Iran, which says its nuclear program is peace-
ergy Agency (IAEA), said he proposed Turkey President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iranian Council plus Germany), will apparently stay in ful, has not yet given its nal response to the UN
Talat and Denkta attended a conference at Girne
as a third-country destination after Iran failed Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, who were close contact with ElBaradei in the near future as proposal and has instead come up with its own American University on Thursday.
to agree to a Western plan where its enriched both in stanbul to attend an economic summit of well, the same diplomatic sources said. request to buy nuclear fuel from abroad.
uranium would be sent to Russia for further the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). On Monday, Davutolu briefly said El- Speaking to reporters before departing stanbul
enrichment to reactor-grade fuel. Tehran has yet A comprehensive exchange of views took Baradei’s proposal to send Iranian low-en- late on Monday, Ahmadinejad declined to comment Talat, Denkta
to give a full, ofcial reply to the proposal, which place during a telephone conversation be- riched uranium to Turkey was discussed with directly on ElBaradei’s offer for Turkey to play a role
was drafted three weeks ago after consultations tween ElBaradei and Davutolu, Özügergin Ahmadinejad and Mottaki. “We are in a very but said Iran had much trust in Turkey. “We have quarrel over Cyprus’
with Iran, France, Russia and the US.
Earlier this week, expressing Ankara’s
told Anatolia, while underlining that ElBaradei
has offered “some technical details” as well.
constructive position with both the IAEA and
Iran,” Davutolu said then of the talks.
very good relations with Turkey. We trust each oth-
er,” Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by Anatolia. fate at conference
readiness to contribute to efforts to help re- Diplomatic sources, approached by To- The plan requires Tehran to send 1.2 tons He avoided giving a direct answer when persistently The incumbent and former presidents of the Turk-
solve Iran’s nuclear row peacefully, Turkish of- day’s Zaman, admitted that the technical de- (1,100 kilograms) -- around 70 percent of its asked about Iranian media reports that said Tehran ish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) were at
ficials noted that Turkey had not received any tails were about Turkey’s possible role in ship- stockpile -- of low-enriched uranium to Russia in had rejected the offer. Ankara Today’s Zaman odds yesterday over how the ongoing talks between
the KKTC and rival Greek Cyprus to reunite the island
should be concluded, underlining deep-seated political
differences between the two politicians.
Rauf Denkta, the KKTC’s hard-line former president,
said he would conclude that his successor, President Mehm-
et Ali Talat, gave in to pressure to make detrimental conces-
sions if he eventually announces that the reunication talks

Brown urges Cyprots to with Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christoas produced a
deal. “If Talat and Christoas agree on a document, then we
will know Talat has surrendered,” Denkta, a staunch op-
ponent of the island’s reunication as one state, told a con-

seze moment ‘to make hstory’ ference at Girne American University in the KKTC. He said
Talat, as a president who had sworn to protect the KKTC,
cannot agree to sharing sovereignty with Greek Cypriots.
Talat, who recently revealed that he had opposed the

AP ,MATT DUNHAM
Encouraging Greek and Turkish Cy- establishment of the KKTC as an independent state in the
priots to reach a resolution on their early 1980s, has held 50 rounds of talks with Christoas
ongoing negotiations for reunica- since last September. The KKTC’s presidential elections are
tion of the divided island by offering to cede due to be held in April and Talat has said he may not run
almost half the land on Britain’s two bases in for re-election if there are no real prospects for a settlement.
Cyprus, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown “I can never accept that,” Talat said in response
has suggested that the Cypriot leaders could to Denkta’s claim that a deal with the Greek Cypri-
“make history” by reaching a peace accord. ots would mean surrender. “We will agree if there is

PHOTO
Brown’s remarks came in a statement is- a deal which guarantees the rights of Turkish Cypri-
sued late on Wednesday by his ofce. follow- ots,” Talat, whose speech was frequently interrupted
ing talks with visiting Greek Cypriot leader by Denkta, said. stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
Dimitris Christoas. Brown said the UK
would offer almost half of the territory cur-
rently used to house British military bases, Uighur group worried
but that Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot
leaders would need to reach a decision on over fate of detainees
what to do with the land themselves.
The United Nations had already an- in Chinese prisons
nounced Britain’s offer on Tuesday. The offer
Seyit Tümtürk, the deputy head of the World Ui-
is similar to one made by the former colonial
ghur Congress, has expressed serious concern over
power in 2003 and would be conditional on a
the fate of Uighur detainees in Chinese prisons, suggest-
peace deal between the two sides. Britain has
ing that the Chinese administration aims for the “total
a strategically located air base on the Medi-
annihilation of the people of East Turkistan.”
terranean island that would not be part of
Earlier this week, China executed nine men, including
any deal. Britain was offering about 45 square
eight from the Muslim Uighur minority, for crimes commit-
miles (about 120 square kilometers) of land to
ted during July riots that killed 200 people in the far western
help seal a deal to reunify the divided nation,
Xinjiang region. The men are the rst to be put to death for
said UN spokesman Jose Diaz on Tuesday.
the country’s worst ethnic violence in decades.
Urging Christoas and Turkish Cypriot
The nine had been convicted of murder and other
leader Mehmet Ali Talat “to exploit this unique
crimes committed during the unrest, which began July 5
opportunity and move to resolve the issue” of
when Uighurs in the regional capital of Urumqi attacked
reunication in the statement, Brown said: “My
Han people, who make up China’s dominant ethnicity,
message to Cyprus’ leaders and to their people
only to face retaliatory attacks two days later.
is you can make history. Be bold, be courageous.
Detainees are not getting fair trials, Tümtürk told the
The UK will support you.”
Anatolia news agency on Thursday, noting that neither in-
Brown’s office, meanwhile, noted that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had talks with Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias at Brown’s official residence at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday. dependent/international observers nor families of the de-
he has no current plans to hold talks in
tainees were allowed to follow the trials. “Most of our sib-
London with Talat. Greek Cypriots, would be a key element in operational solution of the Cyprus problem.” Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Mar-
lings who were detained in the aftermath of the massacre in
Britain gave up Cyprus in 1960, but retained any deal. Turkish Cypriots now control some Earlier during the day, Talat declined to kos Kyprianou also gave a lukewarm re-
Urumqi on July 5 have died due to torture in prisons. This
two strategic pockets of territory -- on prime un- 37 percent of Cypriot territory. The 2003 British of- comment on the British offer, saying it would sponse, saying, “What Britain can do if it
is unfortunately an incident that is kept out of sight of the
developed real estate -- which account for about fer had been incorporated into a UN blueprint which be taken up in detail when the Turkish and wants to effectively help this process is
international community as a result of China’s one-sided
3.0 percent of the island’s territory. was rejected by Greek Cypriots in a 2004 referendum. Greek Cypriot sides begin discussing distribu- to exert influence and encourage Turkey
broadcasting policy,” Tümtürk was quoted as saying by the
Greek and Turkish Cypriots are attempt- In Nicosia, in a written statement re- tion of land as part of their ongoing talks to re- to be more accommodating on the talks.”
agency. Asked whether he had any gures concerning those
ing to nd a power-sharing formula under a leased on Wednesday night, Christoas said unite the island. “It appears to be an initiative Talat’s spokesman, Hasan Erçakca, called the
detainees, Tümtürk said they guessed “thousands,” adding
federal system and settle property disputes he “noted positively” the proposal by Britain. aimed at removing Greek Cypriot reluctance [in renewed offer “very signicant.” Erçakca told
that he had no exact data. Ankara Today’s Zaman with wires
from years of partition. Territorial adjust- Without making further comment on the of- the reunication talks],” he told reporters ahead the Turkish News Agency-Cyprus (TAK) that he
ments, which have in previous peace blue- fer yet, Christoas, said: “We expect the Unit- of a session of the Turkish Cypriot Parlia- hopes such moves would contribute to achieving a
prints been in favor of the numerical majority ed Kingdom will help towards a viable and ment to discuss the Cyprus peace efforts. peace agreement. Ankara Today’s Zaman with wires
Azerbaijan may annul
visa regime with
Turkey, reports say
Turkey fails big in freedom of thought, religion, study shows Azerbaijan is considering lifting its visa
requirements for Turkish citizens, Azerbai-
Turkey, frequently criticized by the Euro- als and activists for expression of thoughts despite doing worse than its regional and socioeco- the Constitution permits and the amendment of jani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elkhan Poluk-
pean Union for its poor record in protecting recent amendments to it. Religious freedoms, both nomic peers are adequate training for the po- the Constitution only according to law. hov was reported as saying yesterday.
freedom of expression, is again found to be be- for non-Muslim minorities and the Muslim major- lice, measures to protect reporters and whistle- The index also reveals that Turkey’s score Azerbaijan has already annulled the visa re-
low international standards in ensuring freedom ity, are also an area where Turkey is accustomed to blowers from retaliation, transparency in the on ensuring government ofcials’ accountability gime for Turkish citizens with diplomatic and
of speech and religion, in a new index assessing receiving criticism from the West. administrative process and government func- (0.44) is above the averages among the countries service passports and “now we are talking about
countries’ adherence to the rule of law. According to the Rule of Law Index, Turkey tioning, the independence of the judiciary from categorized in the Eastern Europe and Central abolishing visas for other Turkish nationals wish-
The Rule of Law Index, unveiled on Wednesday at receives a score within the 0.20-0.40 range in the the government, independent auditing of the Asia region and in the upper middle income level ing to come to Azerbaijan,” Polukhov was quoted
the World Justice Forum in Vienna, found that Turkey’s protection of freedom of speech and freedom government, comprehensible laws, and effec- (0.37 and 0.39, respectively). Concerning the ac- as saying by Azerbaijani news portal Trend News.
score in the protection of freedom of thought and re- of association. This is again below the average tive enforcement of laws. countability of military, police and prison ofcials, Polukhov’s remarks came after Turkish media re-
ligion is only 0.20, out of the highest possible score of scores of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia re- Turkey’s highest scores are, among others, Turkey’s rating, 0.48, is also slightly higher than ported on Thursday that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
1.00. The average scores for the Eastern Europe and gion and the upper middle income level, which on ensuring access to competent legal services regional and socioeconomic averages (0.43 and Erdoan had told his Justice and Development Party
Central Asia region and the upper middle income level were measured to be within 0.20-0.60 range. for the poor, prohibiting and punishing crimes 0.41). But it does worse than its regional and socio- (AK Party) deputies about Baku’s preparations to lift the
-- the regional and socioeconomic categories of the in- The index, based on interviews of 41,000 peo- against property and persons, ensuring court ac- economic peers in ensuring that government powers visa requirements at a party meeting this week.
dex which Turkey is considered to be a part of -- are ple and over 700 experts from 35 countries around cess without bribery or excessive fees, ensuring are limited by the Constitution (0.63 as opposed to 0.74 Relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan were
within the 0.60-0.80 range. the world -- including Albania, Argentina, Aus- that attorneys are competent and in sufcient for the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region and 0.77 strained over prospects of Turkey reopening its border
Turkey has been a candidate to join the EU since tria, France, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, numbers and ensuring the right to legal repre- for the upper middle income level). with neighboring Armenia without a solution in Nago-
1999 and opened accession talks with the 27-nation South Africa, Thailand and the United States -- sentation in criminal cases. In all these areas, Tur- The Rule of Law Index is a tool introduced rno-Karabakh. Turkey and Armenia signed two proto-
bloc in 2005, but there has been little progress in the was unveiled at the World Justice Forum, bringing key’s score is above or comparable with regional by the World Justice Project, a multinational, cols on restoring their relations in October. Azerbaijan,
talks so far amid Brussels’ criticism over legal and together approximately 350 representatives from and socioeconomic averages. But in two areas, multidisciplinary initiative launched in 2007 to which lost a war with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh
practical deciencies in the protection of freedom more than 80 nations. The forum was opened on although Turkey’s scores are high -- close to 0.80 strengthen the rule of law worldwide, to measure in the early 1990s, fears it would lose major leverage in
of speech. Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code Wednesday and is due to last into Saturday. -- they are still below the regional and socioeco- the extent to which countries around the world the territorial conict with Yerevan if ally Turkey opens
(TCK) is still used in the prosecution of intellectu- Other areas where Turkey is found to be nomic averages: the suspension of rights only as adhere to the rule of law. stanbul Today’s Zaman its border with Armenia. stanbul Today’s Zaman

CMYK
NATIONAL FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009 TODAY’S ZAMAN 05

Mothers of martyrs: How could you kill our children? HÜSEYN


GÜLERCE

CHAN
Lt. Mehmet Tümer, who on Aug. 17
handed a live grenade to a private h.gulerce@todayszaman.com
as punishment for an infraction, causing

PHOTO
the deaths of four soldiers, was brought to
Düztepe in the eastern province of Elaz,
where the accident occurred, on Wednes-
day to conduct a re-enactment, as part of a
Call to AK Party deputes
The Justice and Development Party news programs are pretty inuential
court inquest into the incident. (AK Party) administration should in this matter. The CHP and MHP
The mothers of the victims, who also at- consider and properly review the leaders reiterate their accusations
tended the re-enactment, railed against Tümer, “reactions and ghts” that the op- stating that government ofcials
asking, “How could you kill our children?” position parties and the main op- committed treason and acted as the
About 30 people, including Tümer, a
position leader Deniz Baykal have puppets of foreign powers and ac-
prosecutor, lawyers and gendarmes, re-
invented and inserted in our politi- tors. The grass roots of both these
turned to the scene of the incident to watch
cal literature. I am talking about a parties agree with these arguments.
theheh re-enactment and assess conditions Investigators conducted a re-enactment of the day when Lt. Mehmet Tümer handed a live grenade to a private, resulting in the deaths of four soldiers. well-planned plot before the par- The AK Party and its supporters
in the area. Gendarmerie teams arrived
liamentary session set to discuss are viewed as enemies and traitors.
at the scene rst and checked the land for er position, I saw Öztürk walking away. I The mother of Sgt. brahim Yaman, that people call the US Army “the strongest
the democratic initiative. I am Society is divided on the matter.
mines with detectors and dogs. The scene warned him, saying ‘Return to your posi- another soldier killed in the incident, dis- army,” saying: “In documentaries I have seen
talking about a well-planned strat- Turkey is moving towards a situa-
of the grenade blast and the place where tion.’ He returned to his position. Then he played a photo of her son and cried, “How about the US Army, nine out of every 36 sol-
Tümer was standing when the incident oc- egy: A ght will be started, and the tion where problems will not be dis-
came to the position where I was making could he be murdered?” diers in the US Army fail basic training. Bullets
curred were photographed, and the distance evaluations. I told him, ‘Return to your po- The re-enactment took half an hour. pass two centimeters over soldiers.” AK Party will be forced to adopt cussed on healthy ground.
between the two places was measured. sition, I will give you the grenade pin’.” ‘Nine of every 36 US soldiers don’t make it Ofcial documents, including manuals a strong stance. Attempts will be The AK Party leaders and execu-
During the re-enactment, suspect While Tümer testied, Öztürk’s mother through boot camp,’ claims a defense attorney. and instructions related to training in military staged to undermine the democrat- tives should make a new assessment
Tümer explained his version of the incident: said, “You didn’t kill only brahim, but also Meanwhile, Tümer appeared before a mili- service, were also presented to the court at the ic initiative and to make sure that in the face of this latest state of af-
“I gave the [live] hand grenade to brahim the people with him. Would you do noth- tary court on Wednesday. During the hear- request of Cantürk. The trial was adjourned Ergenekon will be forgotten; these fairs. The AK Party headquarters
Öztürk at his position. As I left for anoth- ing if someone gave you a bomb?” ing, Tümer’s lawyer, Behiç Cantürk, claimed until Nov. 20. stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires efforts also seek to ensure that the should send deputies to local orga-
public will talk about and discuss nizations and their election districts
the ght rather than the initiative. to inform their supporters. Howev-
This strategy will save the Er- er, it should be noted that there are a
genekon front and take them out of number of people inuenced by the
their current difcult position. The propaganda carried out by the op-
actual goal of the pro-Ergenekon position parties. These large masses
actors is to weaken the image of should be well informed about the

Top court rapporteur resigns from the prosecutors handling the Er-
genekon investigation. We have
witnessed the recent developments
at the Supreme Board of Judges and
government’s initiative. The prime
minister should particularly expend
efforts to this end; he should come
together with media executives and

YARSAV due to political stance Prosecutors (HSYK) meeting. This


was an experience; considering that
their attempts there failed, they are
now trying to attack the AK Party
writers as well as other relevant ac-
tors in different meetings and events
to address the concerns.
Secondly, the AK Party ofcials
TODA Y ’S Z A MA N, A L  Ü NA L

METN ARSLAN ANKARA Noting that he had joined and sup- to make sure that the whole process should learn lessons from what
ported YARSAV with the belief that an does not go smoothly. happened in Parliament on Tues-
Constitutional Court rappor- organization of judges and prosecutors The Republican People’s Party day night. We witnessed then that
teur Osman Can has resigned would contribute to the reinforcement (CHP) and the Nationalist Move- no matter what they say, the words
from membership in the of democratic awareness and social re- ment Party (MHP) do not want the coming out of the mouths of the AK
Judges and Prosecutors Association sponsibility in this process, Can thanked problem that some call the Kurdish Party deputies provoke the MHP
(YARSAV), a controversial society of YARSAV members who defended free- issue and some call an issue of de- and CHP representatives. The AK
judges and prosecutors. doms. The rapporteur of the Constitu- mocratization to be resolved. They Party speakers, under the inuence
In his petition for resignation Can tional Court pointed out that soon after have not made any offers to resolve of the tense environment, provid-
P HOTO

argued that the association is no longer its establishment, YARSAV changed its it, anyway. However, they are well ed the opportunity the opposition
a professional organization for the judi- identity as an organization of judges and aware of the fact that the resolution parties have been looking for. We
ciary as it does not defend freedoms and prosecutors and turned into a tool for of the Kurdish issue, the removal of know from soccer that a player sub-
instead supports military coups. political power with its media relations,
the barriers to democratization, the jected to excessive violence during
He asserted that YARSAV has ad- member proles, the philosophy it ad-
cleansing of the state from juntas, the game displays a strong reac-
opted the “friends and enemies” dis- vocates, its role in constitutional debates
gangs and illegal entities will earn tion; however, this will eventually
course of the Sept. 12 era in ideologi- and interventions with democracy.
an election victory for the AK Party. result in his suspension from the
cal debates. “Dened in the European
YARSAV inuences Both parties now hold that they will game. Such a player is taken out of
Union 2009 Progress Report as the or-
be given a useful opportunity to un- the game by the referee with a red
ganization that ‘attempts to inuence critical cases
the judicial process in critical cases,’ dermine the AK Party’s popularity card. They suddenly become the
In his petition for resignation from YAR-
this organization has adopted this mis- if the initiative eventually fails. For wrong party when they were actu-
SAV, Can said: “The overall perceptions
sion openly and determinedly,” he said. this reason, they are now plotting a ally the victim. The AK Party depu-
about YARSAV can be summed up as
Concerning his petition for resignation, new game. Their common convic- ties should recall this example when
Constitutional Court rapporteur Osman Can resigned from membership in the Judges follows: In ideological debates, YARSAV
Can continued: “President Ömer Faruk and Prosecutors Association, claiming the organization supports military coups. took the friend-enemy dichotomy of the tion is that the era of the AK Party the democratic initiative is discussed
Eminaaolu had even written articles 1930s. In every debate, it tried to impose will be over if the initiative fails. in Parliament and remain calm.
advocating conscientious objection. That democratic’ attitudes, perceptions, orga- sessments such as the observation that its typical militarist, pro-guardianship If the pulse of the people is tak- They should consider that they
was when I joined this organization. Yet nizations and discourses and regarded when Turkey makes progress toward a discourse and practice it on the social en, it will be evident that this plot have to remain silent and cautious
it soon emerged that what they under- procedural safeguards as a means for more democratic and liberal structure, political sphere, which it saw as its rival, should be taken seriously. In par- no matter how excessively they are
stood of judicial independence was inde- overriding the merits of a case. In this YARSAV gives the impression of being and it provided legal assistance to any ticular, the turnout for the Kurdis- provoked by the opposition. They
pendence from democratic principles.” context, it failed to refrain from accept- too ideological. Referring to the demo- other attempts at such impositions. It tan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants have to consider the interests of this
Can pointed out that this organiza- ing anti-democratic gures as members cratic reforms in his petition, Can stated: either lent support to or remained silent at the Habur border gate on their nation and the prosperity of future
tion of judges and prosecutors was sup- or presenting them to the general pub- “The process is that of making the repub- about lynching campaigns against pro- way to Turkey and the irritating generations. They should remain
posed to defend freedoms and democra- lic. Going further, it defended military lic no longer a power tool for the elites democracy judges and prosecutors who welcoming ceremony held to cel- patient for the sake of the future of
cy in Turkey. “However, YARSAV gave coups as necessary and part of the ‘right but a power tool for the people with a refused to change their legal stance. For ebrate their return from the Kandil this nation. Once they do this, they
way to the creation of an image that it of resistance’ on TV,” he said. democratic and liberal content, i.e., that these reasons that I do not like to write Mountains has raised people’s con- will see that the plot staged against
saw ‘freedom’ as a shield against ‘non- Can’s petition contained striking as- of the maturation of the republic.” about, I resign from your association.” cerns. The systematic publication by them will be aborted and the nation
certain media circles and fabricated will embrace them.

CMYK
06 TODAY’S ZAMAN FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009 NATIONAL

Conference
evaluates Turkey’s
CHP offcal’s Dersim remarks post-Kyoto strategy
YONCA POYRAZ DOAN STANBUL

A high-level ofcial from the Environ-

draw re of Alevi communty


contnued from page 1 for a discussion.”
ment Ministry has said at a conference in
stanbul evaluating the country’s climate strat-
egy that Turkey’s emission reduction target is
likely to be 11 percent by 2020.
Sedat Kadolu, deputy undersecretary of

TODAY’S ZAMAN, TURGUT ENGN


Sinan Yerlikaya, a former CHP deputy Liberal Thought Society Alevi-Bektai Re-
from Tunceli who is currently on the search Center Director enol Kaluç said the the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, said
CHP party council, said the state’s suppression CHP should apologize for Öymen’s statements. that a denite reduction target will be clearer
of the Dersim Rebellion was “barbaric and cru- Tunceli Mayor Edibe ahin said living wit- at a high-level meeting next week in Ankara.
el.” He said there was nothing to defend about nesses described the handling of the Dersim “We will know about the actual target next
how Turkey handled the rebellion. Rebellion as a “massacre.” She said: “We, the week on Wednesday. But this is the gure giv-
Yerlikaya said: “The method of suppression residents of this place, duly note how the CHP en by the Climate Change Coordination Board
[in Turkey],” Kadolu said yesterday at a con-
cannot be defended in any way. Some people sees what went on here. It is time for the CHP to
ference titled “Climate Change, Global Threats
might be against the order, but if these people do confront its own past and the truth.”
& Low Carbon Prosperity Toward Copenha-
not have the aim to destroy the state, all prob- Democratic Society Party’s (DTP) Tunceli
gen,” put together by the Turkish Parliament
lems can be solve through communication.” deputy erafettin Halis was also angry. “We
and a European Union parliamentary initia-
Ferhat Tunç, a folk singer from Tunceli, were the victims of the rebellion in Dersim. We
tive, Globe EU, based in Brussels.

PHOTO
commented, saying: “I watched that speech in were the ones who died, who were killed.”
Kadolu said Turkey has decided to voice
horror. I see this as a racist, skull-measuring ap- CHP parliamentary group Deputy Chairman
at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP
proach. In my opinion, Onur Öymen committed Kemal Klçdarolu, who was born in Tunceli, was
15) in Copenhagen in December that it will
a crime against humanity with his discourse.” placed in a difcult position by Öymen’s words.
keep its current status of exclusion from An-
Enver Devletli, an ofcial of the Tunceli Pir Klçdarolu avoided commenting on the speech. nex B, freeing it from emission reduction com-
Sultan Abdal Association, agreed, saying Öy- mitments. He claried that as an Organization
men was a “racist.” He added: “Öymen made Part of CHP history for Economic Cooperation and Development
a statement in line with the general fascist ap- A harsh response to Öymen’s words about the (OECD) country, Turkey was included in An-
proach of the CHP. I condemn his words.” Dersim Rebellion came from Star columnist Er- nex I of the United Nations Framework Con-
gun Babahan, who responded by saying: “Did vention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in
Baykal lashes out at Öymen any mother cry in Dersim? No, none did because 1992, and even in Annex II, which is the list
CHP leader Deniz Baykal was also angered by there was no mother left to cry. All were killed of relatively advanced industrialized countries
Öymen’s remark. Speaking on Tuesday to his along with their babies in their arms. Nobody State Minister Faruk Çelik greets journalists Oral Çallar, Taha Akyol, Abdurrahman Dilipak and Alper that have committed themselves to nancial
party’s Central Executive Board (MYK), Baykal knows how many died or were killed in the inci- Tan, who were among the participants of the 5th Alevi Workshop on Alevi representation in the media.
and technical transfers to developing countries.
criticized Öymen’s statement, saying: “Such dents of 1937 and 1938.” After Turkey’s objections, it was eventually re-
evaluations are open to misinterpretations and
might potentially damage the CHP’s policy of
Babahan quoted Muhsin Batur, a senior air
force commander who participated in the efforts
Alevis should be accepted as they moved from Annex II but as a non-signatory
to the original 1997 protocol, it was also not
peace and brotherhood. There is no logic in voic-
ing such sentences regarding sensitive topics.”
to suppress the rebellion, from Batur’s memoirs,
saying: “We received orders and got to Elaz by are, say workshop participants included in Annex B, freeing it from emission
reduction commitments.
He also said he had received many reactions train. From there on, we began the operations AYE TOSUN STANBUL finding a solution. Both Alevism and the Sunni Speaking at the opening of the conference,
from party members who called him after Öy- starting in Pertek [in Tunceli]. I served in Der- faith will become individualistic. It will be seen Environment and Forestry Minister Veysel Erolu
men’s speech. “The Dersim example wasn’t chic sim for close to two months. I apologize to my Participants of the fifth event in a series of that religion works that way everywhere in the said Turkey is in a region that is quite vulner-
seven workshops organized by the govern- world. It is not logical to insist that there should able to climate change and the country is indeed
at all. Citizens are very sensitive about this topic. I readers, but I’ll avoid recalling this part of my
ment to evaluate the problems of Turkey’s Alevi be a single Alevism. It is wrong to force obliga-
do not want such statements again,” Baykal said. life.” Babahan said, “This retired diplomat [Onur committed to the implementation of policies and
community have unequivocally stated their con- tory religion classes on people. Even if there is a
Meanwhile, CHP Tunceli-born Deputy Öymen] is citing an era a former commander is viction that the state should accept members single Alevi in the world, you cannot stop future measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Chairman Ylmaz Ate, Deputy Chairman Me- ashamed to speak of as an example.” of the Alevi creed as they are, without trying to generations from having different preferences.” “At the same time, Turkey is determined to
sut Deer and MYK member Srr Özbek also Babahan also quoted former Foreign Minister change them into something they are not. Oral Çallar, a columnist with the Radikal continue its economic development within the
harshly criticized Öymen. CHP Tunceli branch and then Police Chief hsan Sabri Çalayangil, The fifth workshop held on Wednesday daily, said: “Both state agencies and society principle of sustainable development,” Erolu
leader Hüseyin Güne dened Öymen’s state- who confessed: “They strangled the people of focused on the representation of Alevis in the should accept Alevis the way they define them- said. “Even though Turkey does not have any
media. Yeni afak columnist Ali Bayramolu, selves. We should stop trying to fit Alevis into quantitative reduction commitment, signicant ef-
ment as “unfortunate.” He also said they had re- Dersim like mice. They used gas.” “This is the
who participated in the workshop, said he clothes that we sew among ourselves. It is forts in all sectors have been launched to do that.”
ceived wide complaints from all parts of Tunceli incident Öymen has no guilty conscience about,” believed the workshops could play a crucial wrong and dangerous to try to exploit the differ-
after the statement. “I will talk about this face- Babahan added. He also said he found it hard to Turkish ofcials at the conference reiter-
role in recognizing Alevi demands. He said: ences among Alevis. The demands vocalized in
to-face with the general headquarters adminis- grasp why Öymen did not defend teaching about ated that per capita annual emissions in Tur-
“It is very important to see the Alevis and to workshops should not remain on paper. These
tration,” he said. this historical event, which he considers exem- develop awareness about them for the im- demands should be fulfilled and realized.” key are 4.5 tons compared to 23.5 tons in the
provement of democracy in Turkey. I pointed In the fifth Alevi workshop held on Wednes- United States and 11 tons in Denmark where
plary, in schools. “Tell them about the Armenian
‘The CHP should apologize’ out three issues in the workshop. These day, the participants, including journalists from the climate summit will be held on Dec. 7-18,
deportation, about Dersim. … You should do this
were the redundancy of forced categoriza- over 40 media organs, discussed Alevi repre- drawing up strategies for the post-Kyoto poli-
The events of 1937 in Dersim were tragic, and the as part of CHP publications because those are an
tions to define Alevis, that it is a mistake to sentation in the media. Some of the well-known cies and commitments.
violence employed by the state came close to geno- important part of your party’s history.” try to make Alevis into religious people and journalists who participated in the workshop The scientic community has concluded
cide, according to Celal Karagöz, deputy chairman He said what was done to the people of Der- that the resolution should not be found un- were Bayramolu, Mahçupyan, Çallar, Ali Krca, that human activities have been the main cause
of Tunceli’s Hac Bekta- Veli Culture Association. sim at the time was the exact same thing that der the Religious Affairs Directorate.” Ahmet Hakan, Ali Bulaç, Can Dündar, Emre Kon-
of global warming in the past 50 years and
“If he made this statement to mean that a similar Saddam Hussein did in Dujail. A very clear message in that direction came gar, Erdal afak, Ergun Babahan, Erturul Özkök,
pointed out droughts, heat waves, and rising
method should be employed in similar events after Öymen also spoke after the controversial from Etyen Mahçupyan, editor-in-chief of the Fehmi Koru, Hakan Albayrak, smail Küçükkaya,
Agos weekly and a regular columnist of Today’s Mehmet Ali Birand, Mehmet Barlas, Mustafa sea levels to catastrophic levels are expected if
this date, this is a very unfortunate statement.” statement, saying he did not use any offensive
Zaman, who said: “The state should not see Karaaliolu, Nee Düzel, Ömer Laçiner, Taha the trend continues. To at least slow down the
Doan Bernek, head of the Federation of Al- expressions in his speech. “What I was high- trend in climate change, the Kyoto Protocol
Alevism as the other party but the Alevis them- Akyol, Uur Dündar and Yiit Bulut.
evi Foundations, said: “I was deeply saddened lighting was that Atatürk never adopted the selves. When we talk about laicite, we always Participants have also stated their hope was signed in 1997 under the UNFCCC. Coun-
when I watched Onur Öymen’s speech. It was a policy of talking to armed terrorist organizations, say the problem is that the state is not laic. But that the workshops will contribute greatly to tries which ratied it committed to reduce their
speech that well exceeded the intended purpose. unlike the Justice and Development Party [AK none act in a secular way when we talk about solving the problems of Alevis. emissions by an average of 5 percent from 1990
He used the most inappropriate arguments t Party].” stanbul Today’s Zaman levels by 2012. The Turkish Parliament ratied
the protocol as recently as Aug. 26 this year.
Steen Gade, chairman of the Environment
Committee of the Danish Parliament and
Denmark President of Globe Europe, said that
the European Union has ambitious emission
reduction targets. “Even if there is no agree-

Teen’s killing raises question of Web dangers for minors ment in Copenhagen, the EU has a target of a
20 percent reduction in its emissions by 2020,
and if there is an agreement, it will be 30 per-
cent,” he said at the conference.
AA, SAG IP S EZG IN ER

contnued from page 1 on the identity of a character in a game, and either


In the game that Musa was adept at, “Me- you or the character you’re playing against dies and
tin-2,” characters that players build over time have comes back to life. This encounter with death can re-
a real-world value of up to thousands of dollars. sult in great disturbance to the psyche of a child who Sabanc calls for
Musa’s character was allegedly worth TL 500, and
media reports say he had cracked the game’s code
does not yet fully understand death,” she said.
top rank for Turkey
Kang’s cousin in custody,
and won a great deal of money that way, possibly
in climate summit
P HO TO

paving the way for his murder. too early to comment on motive
The root of the problem is the lack of supervision, Kang was missing for nearly six days in Erzurum TURHAN BOZKURT STANBUL
with children often spending hours online at Inter- after not making it to school one morning, and his
Turkey needs to rank among the devel-
net cafes or at home without anyone really knowing body was eventually found in an abandoned build-
oping countries in a draft agreement to
what exactly they’re up to. And in the case of games ing in the province. According to classmates, the be brought before the UN Climate Change
like Metin-2, even if parents know that their child is seventh grader at Ömer Duygun Elementary School Conference in Copenhagen from Dec. 7-18
playing, they don’t know who they are meeting in had last been seen in tears as he was taken away in aiming to transform the Kyoto Protocol into a
cyberspace. Kang regularly spent an hour or so at a the Habib Baba district by a young man of medium treaty under the EU umbrella; otherwise, the
local Internet café on his way home from school each height wearing a hoodie sweater, now believed to development of Turkey will be halted, Güler
day, including the day before his abduction. be Kang’s cousin S.K. Footage from security surveil- Sabanc, chairwoman of Sabanc Holding, said
lance cameras at two private workplaces in the area on Thursday to representatives of the media.
‘Parents must actively also showed Kang walking alongside a youth of the Pointing out the fact that Turkey is listed
monitor online activity’ same description. According to a statement issued among the developed countries in the draft
In light of the speculation surrounding the Kang Erzurum residents held a demonstration earlier this week to express out- by Erzurum Governor Sebahattin Öztürk yesterday,
Musa Kang agreement that would translate the Kyoto Pro-
case, many experts are renewing their calls for in- rage over the brutal killing of young online gaming enthusiast Musa Kang. S.K. has been positively identied as the person tocol on reducing carbon emissions, Sabanc
creased supervision of minors’ Web usage. Infor- walking beside Kang in the security footage. The said this will hinder the development of Tur-
mation Security Association President Faruk Kekevi tution [that produces ltration software] can’t keep net and advised of its dangers. We live in an online governor also commented that investigators were key. “We need investments. If Turkey is treated
notes that simple lter programs that parents may up with them all. Mothers and fathers need to su- world. Even if you try to prevent them, children will still waiting for autopsy and criminal lab results and like a developed country, then the cost of the
rely on to keep their kids safe online are insufcient, pervise and intervene when necessary,” he advises. nd a way to get online.” that it was still possible that more than one suspect investments will be higher. Therefore, Turkey
warning that higher-class programs are needed to Child and Information Security Association Along with the boom of Internet usage have was involved in the murder. He denied earlier me- needs to prepare for the Dec. 7 Copenhagen
lter out many gaming sites and keep children from President Dr. Betül Ulukol also emphasizes the im- come the dangers of addiction and, especially for dia reports about the condition of Kang’s body, say- summit well and discuss our status again,”
using tunnel sites or proxies to easily bypass the re- portance of parental involvement. “Families aren’t children, exposure to concepts beyond their years. ing the boy’s head was not bashed in with rocks and Sabanc noted. According to Sabanc, necessary
strictions. “Parents need to use programs that give aware of the seriousness of this issue. Because while Psychologist Meltem Kavcar Srmal says that wholly that his wrists and neck had not been not slit, and steps should be taken to make sure that Turkey
reports on Internet usage so that parents can regu- children are sitting in front of the monitor online unrestricted access to the Internet presents an un- said that no positive connection had yet been estab- will rank among developing countries. She said
larly see which Web sites their children are visiting. they don’t bug their parents for anything, families precedented danger to children. “Especially when it lished between his Internet activities and his mur- Turkey needs to put this issue on agenda and
Mothers and fathers need to keep up with this. … see the Internet as a savior of sorts. … Children comes to online games, there are many that can have der. “The motive will soon emerge; we are looking change its status. “Otherwise, Turkey will face
There are millions of sites online, and a single insti- must be sat down and told how to use the Inter- negative effects on a child’s psychology. You take into the Internet and game possibility,” he said. serious economic costs,” she said.

CMYK
BUSINESS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009 TODAY’S ZAMAN 07

TODAY’S ZAMAN
Ylmaz: Inequalities must be addressed for sustainable development
State Minister Cevdet Ylmaz has stated an event. Ylmaz also touched on how progress of society and the prevention of HIV/AIDS have been that there has been promising progress in reducing
that sustainable development requires the the long discussions in the world on the population the most important issues, and countries must con- the number of mothers who die in childbirth.
elimination of prevailing inequalities in the stan- parallels the growing respect for human rights and tinue to pay attention to them,” Ylmaz noted. Ylmaz said the proper analysis of data played
dard of living, educational opportunities and democratic values. The Cairo Consensus, which was a guiding role in determining the steps necessary to

PHOTO
health services seen in various countries, noting created at an ICDP summit in 1994, focuses on the Goal of reducing infant and reach the goals set in the Cairo Consensus. Pointing
that Turkey is ready to contribute to the social individual, Ylmaz added. “The ICDP was able to under 5 mortality rates reached out the signicant role of the young population in
progress of developing countries. predict the current problems being faced in today’s Ylmaz remarked on Turkey’s progress in human Turkey in comparison with other countries, Ylmaz
“To reach a balanced and sustainable level of de- world 15 years ago and underlined the importance development since the 1990s, saying its rank in the said the integration of youth in society as a whole and Caspian oil is carried to Europe from Adana’s Ceyhan terminal.
velopment, and a stable population structure within place of young people and women in development.” United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) their participation in social life as active individuals
it, health care systems and education programs for
the labor force must be strengthened,” noted Ylmaz
“Since 1994, dozens of political and economic
changes have been experienced throughout the
Human Development Index (HDI) has increased.
“The Health Transformation Program has inc-
are very important for Turkey’s position in the region.
Ylmaz warned that although signicant
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
in the opening speech of the International Conferen-
ce on Development and Population (ICDP) forum
world, and Eastern Europe and Central Asia are the
parts of the world that have been inuenced by this
reased the number of vaccination and health servi-
ces for mothers before and after giving birth and has
progress has been made in the country’s he-
alth program, it was still not enough. “We
pipeline capacity
in stanbul. The minister dened Turkey as a deve-
loping country that contains almost every characte-
change the most. However, putting these changes
aside, issues such as education, migration, family
reached the goal of lowering the number of babies
and children who die under the age of 5. This goal
have to make greater efforts in the next ve
years to reach the development targets set out
increases by 20 pct
ristic of population movements, and for this reason, planning, the protection of children and young pe- was predicted to be realized in 2015 according to in the Cairo Consensus on global and regio- The capacity of the BP-backed Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
Ylmaz said, Turkey is the right place to host such ople, the strengthening of the position of youth in the Cairo Consensus,” Yilmaz noted. He also added nal development.” stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires [BTC] pipeline has been raised from 1 million bar-
rels to 1.2 million barrels per day thanks to the invest-
ments made by BP, BP Turkey President Can Suphi said
on Thursday, adding that the company’s goal is to start
operating the pipeline at full capacity in the near future.
Speaking in Ankara at a meeting organized for the
promotion of social development projects being imple-

Minister Babacan: Reliance on state mented in settlements along the route of the BTC pipe-
line, Suphi said the demand for crude oil is expected to
increase all around the world by the end of 2010, attri-
buting this rise to the recovery from the global nancial
crisis. BP has managed to increase its production by 7

banks will threaten Turkey’s future percent in the third quarter of this year over the same
period of last year, which is a result of a restructuring
process the company has been undergoing for the last
two years, he noted.
Suphi emphasized the increase in the BTC pipeline’s

AA, AHMET DUMANLI


State Minister and Deputy Prime
Minister Ali Babacan spoke yester- capacity and said: “This pipeline is of great importance
day of the danger of relying on state in terms of transporting energy from reserves in the east
banks to relieve current-day economic prob- to the west. It is also benecial for turning Turkey into
lems, at the 7th International Finance Sum- an energy bridge.”
mit, which wraps up today. Suphi stated that he does not see the Samsun-
Speaking on developments in the Tur- Ceyhan oil pipeline, which will be built jointly by Ita-
kish banking sector, Babacan said: “In the ‘90s lian energy company Eni and Turkish company Çalk

PHOTO
state banks always had liquidity and capital Energy, as a rival to the BTC. The Samsun-Ceyhan oil
decits, while today they possess fewer non- pipeline will reduce trafc in Bosporus, he said, adding:
performing loans than the sector average. This “One percent of the world’s oil demand is supplied by
is testimony to the impressive development of the BTC. Four percent of the world’s oil demand is trans-
the economic understanding in Turkey.” ferred through Turkey. So, 3 percent of total demand is
“Decisions should be made based on busi- being transported through the Bosporus, which is a sig-
ness principles. There isn’t a transaction that is nicant amount. So I nd the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline
not based on mathematical or economic prin- benecial in this regard.” stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
ciples. During this period, people complained
why state banks, with their large capital stocks
and liquidity, were not doling out money left
and right to support the economy. Doing this
Foods containing
may have benets in the short-run, but at what
cost? The costs will be paid by future genera-
GMOs stopped at
tions. When making economic decisions, we
need to make sure not to threaten Turkey’s
Turkish border
economic future,” Babacan added. The Agricultural Ministry has blocked the import of
In the opening speech of the summit, or- a number of food products after analyses revealed
ganized by Active Academy, Babacan emp- that they are genetically modied or contain genetically
hasized the role that the structural strength modied organisms (GMOs).
of the Turkish nancial system should play in After a new regulation pertaining to the control of ex-
keeping the Turkish economy stable during porting and importing GMOs and GMO-containing fo-
times of economic crisis, stating, “All of the ods was implemented on Oct. 26, ofcials began to check
relevant institutions put forward measures in the GMO levels of certain products entering the country.
a timely matter, and these measures are the The rst 100 samples of imported food products
reason our nancial system is so strong.” collected at customs were examined at the Agricultu-
Additionally, Babacan noted that Tur- re Ministry’s Adana, Ankara and Bursa laboratories.
key would be one of the countries to exit Trucks and ships are backed up at customs as the checks
the global economic crisis more quickly but continue. According to the new regulation, the testing
stressed the importance of the European should take no longer than ve days.
economy in pulling Turkey out. “Europe Thirteen of the rst 20 samples came back negati-
is recovering at a slower pace compared ve for GMOs, which means they can be sold in Turkey
to global trends. In the following year, we because less than 0.9 percent of their ingredients are
expect Europe to achieve near-zero growth. GMOs, whereas the other seven products sampled will
This is especially relevant for Turkey beca- not be allowed to enter the country because they were
State Minister Ali Babacan delivered the opening speech yesterday at the 7th International Finance Summit, organized by Active Academy.
use Europe is an important export market. found to contain a higher level of GMOs than allowed
The faster Europe recovers, the faster our to increase, with a small decrease in the ged from this crisis as one of the least affec- the country’s entrepreneurial leadership. under the regulation.
economy will recover. unemployment rate in 2010. “Firms are hol- ted nations. From this point on we will act Özince, stressing that Turkey’s power- The GMO controls are applied to 27 food pro-
Babacan noted that although some of ding back on hiring and are trying to incre- with caution, but also have unwavering faith ful growth after 2001 was led by the private ducts designated in the regulation, but the results
Turkey’s problems originated from external ase efciency. If there is no global recovery in Turkey’s future,” Babacan added. sector, noted: “We need not forget that we of analyses are not announced, nor are the products
economic developments, many arose from in employment, however, then there will be have to repeat this performance again. We whose sales are banned in Turkey. According to the
internal crises. Speaking on the importan- a delay in the recovery of consumption. We Private sector a force of growth are an economy that has had minimal go- TÜM GIDA company, rice, red lentils and bana-
ce of condence in an economy, Babacan therefore need to focus on increasing emp- Ersin Özince, the president of the Turkish Banks vernment intervention, and thus our role is nas in the company’s pending shipments have rece-
stated that production, consumption and loyment globally,” he said. Association (TBB) and  Bankas, in a speech at even more important. We need to continue ived permission to enter Turkey. stanbul Today’s Zaman
investment would be difcult to materialize “Even with a great crisis of this magni- the summit highlighted that Turkey’s potential on this path while enacting cooperative ag-
without condence. tude and even though Turkey’s exports and had not changed due to the crisis and that the reements with the government as much as
Babacan said he expects employment consumption have shrunk, Turkey has emer- 2 billion people living in the region still needed possible.” stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

US unemployment insurance claims fall more than expected to 502K


New claims for unemployment insurance fell gauge of the pace of layoffs. But claims also can week, the fourth extension since the recession be Systems Inc., the maker of Photoshop, Flash and
more than expected last week, evidence the job provide a signal about the willingness of compa- began and the longest total extension on record. Acrobat software products, said it will cut about
market is slowly healing as the economy recovers. nies to hire, because laid-off workers able to nd About 4.1 million people were receiving 680 jobs, or 9 percent of its employees. And inter-
Still, many analysts worry the nation could be jobs are less likely to request benets. extended benets in the week ended Oct. 24, net company AOL LLC, which will soon be spun
in for a “jobless recovery” as the unemployment Many analysts estimate that claims must little changed from the previous week. off from parent Time Warner Inc., laid off about 100
rate rises despite some overall economic growth. fall to roughly 450,000 to signal that the eco- The unemployment rate jumped to 10.2 per- full-time employees, reducing its work force to 6,900.
The Labor Department said Thursday that nomy is adding jobs. cent in October, the Labor Department said last Among the states, Wisconsin had the highest
rst-time claims for jobless benets dropped to The number of people continuing to claim week, as employers cut a net total of 190,000 jobs. number of claims, with 1,501, which it attributed to
a seasonally adjusted 502,000 from an upwardly benets dropped by 139,000 to 5.6 million, also That’s the highest jobless rate in 26 years. more layoffs in the construction, public administra-
revised 514,000 the previous week. That’s the below analysts’ estimates. The gures on conti- But the economy grew at a 3.5 percent tion and manufacturing industries. Illinois, Michi-
fewest claims since the week ending Jan. 3, and nuing claims lag initial claims by a week. annual rate in the July-September quarter af- gan, Puerto Rico and Texas had the next largest inc-
below economists’ estimates. But millions of unemployed Americans have ter a record four straight quarterly drops. The reases. The state data lag initial claims by one week.
The four-week average, which smooths used up the regular 26 weeks of benets typi- disparity between the unemployment rate and California had the biggest drop in claims,
uctuations, dropped to 519,750, the lowest in cally provided by states and are receiving exten- economic growth gure has raised fears among with 6,752, which it attributed to fewer layoffs
almost a year. It has fallen by more than 20 per- ded benets for up to 73 additional weeks, paid many economists that the nation’s economy in the construction and service industries. Flo-
cent since its peak in the spring. for by the federal government. Congress added could be in for a “jobless recovery.” rida, Georgia, New York and North Carolina
Economists closely watch initial claims as a 14 to 20 weeks to the extended program last More job cuts were announced this week. Ado- had the next largest decreases. Washington AP

CMYK
08 TODAY’S ZAMAN F R I D A Y, N O V E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 0 9
BUSINESS

TODAY’S ZAMAN
The IMF needs fresh thnkng on captal controls
CAMBRIDGE –- Why does the International Mone- OPINION main ineffective. What you can’t do is oppose capital Abdelal, this was the key event that set in motion
tary Fund make it so hard for people like me to love it? controls because they are both costly and ineffective. the developments that would ultimately enshrine
The IMF has said and done all the right things Dani Rodrik* Think about it. If capital controls can be easily freedom of capital movement as a global norm. The
since the crisis. It has acted as quickly as any interna- evaded -- say, by manipulating the timing of trans- rst stop was the European Union in the late 1980’s,

PHOTO
TODAY’S ZAMAN
tional bureaucracy can to establish new lines of credit actions or through mis-invoicing of trade ows -- where two French Socialists -- Jacques Delors and
for battered emerging-market countries. It revamped then there will be little effect on the actual volume Pascal Lamy (the president of the European Com-
its loan conditions to t the times. Under its capable the most potent form of industrial policy imaginable. of capital inows. The controls will impose few mission and his assistant, respectively) -- led the way.
managing director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and To be sure, by sending mixed signals to nan- costs on markets (though they may involve some Then it was the turn of the Organization of Economic
distinguished chief economist, Olivier Blanchard, it cial markets, the Brazilians may have botched their administrative costs for the government). Cooperation and Development (OECD). Eventually,
has been a voice for sanity on global scal stimulus in attempt to cool down inows. President Luiz Inácio If, on the other hand, market participants do bear the IMF joined the bandwagon under Michel Cam-
the midst of much cacophony. For an institution that Lula da Silva had dismissed talk of capital controls signicant costs -- either because of the taxes they dessus, another Frenchmen who had served as Gov-
seemed on the verge of irrelevance not too long ago, just a few days before they were imposed. A mean- pay or because of the expenses they incur to evade ernor of the Bank of France under Mitterrand.
this is quite a transformation. ingful effort to inuence the currency’s level requires them -- the controls will be effective in restraining The IMF’s reaction to Brazil’s nancial taxes reects Brazilian Deputy Trade
But now Strauss-Kahn is throwing cold water on determination to adjust nancial taxes and comple- inows. If you are trying to have it both ways, the how ingrained nance fetishism has become, and how Minister Welber Barral
proposals to tax international ows of “hot money.” mentary policies until they show their effects. Timid- chances are you have made up your mind before you difcult it is to reintroduce some balance in the debate
The occasion was Brazil’s decision to impose a 2 per- ity is counterproductive, because it backres. have really thought hard about it. on capital ows – even in the aftermath of the great-
cent tax on short-term capital inows to prevent a
speculative bubble and further appreciation of its cur-
But more important was the symbolism of Bra-
zil’s move, for it suggests that emerging markets
It may seem curious that Strauss-Kahn’s in-
stincts are so off the mark on the matter of capital
est nancial crisis the world has experienced since the Brazil economy to
Great Depression. The problem is not just right-wing
rency. When asked about the role of capital controls,
Strauss-Kahn said he was not wedded to any rigid
may be getting over their doomed infatuation with
foreign nance. Surely, as the economists Arvind
controls. One might have thought that a socialist,
and a French Socialist at that, would be more in-
market fundamentalists. The failure of imagination ex- grow 9 pct in 4Q,
tends across the entire political spectrum.
ideology on the subject. Nonetheless, according to
the Financial Times which reported the IMF chief’s
Subramanian and John Williamson have written,
emerging markets deserve the IMF’s help in de-
clined toward nance skepticism.
But the paradox is more apparent than real. Finan-
Referring to capital controls, John Maynard official says
Keynes famously said: “what used to be heresy [re-
views, “the IMF would not recommend them as a signing better prudential controls over capital in- cial markets in fact owe French Socialists a great debt. Brazil’s economy, Latin America’s largest, will
strictions on capital ows] is now endorsed as ortho-
standard prescription either -- as they carried costs ows instead of having their wrists slapped. Received wisdom holds the United States Treasury and likely grow about 9 percent in the fourth quarter
doxy.” That was at the dawn of the Bretton Woods
and were usually ineffective.” Unfortunately, this Strauss-Kahn’s response that taxes on capital ows Wall Street responsible for the push to free up global as consumer demand surges and exports recover, a top
era in 1945. What an irony that more than 60 years
makes the new IMF sound too much like the old one. are costly and ineffective is therefore unfortunate. It is nance. But far more inuential may have been the trade ofcial said Thursday.
later we need to undergo the same shift in mindset.
Prudential controls on capital ows make a lot of also emblematic of the knee-jerk reaction that often ob- change of heart that took place among French Socialists “The domestic market is really growing now,”
sense. Short-term ows not only wreak havoc with fuscates the pros and cons of capital controls. You can following the collapse of their experiment in Keynesian *Dani Rodrik, professor of political economy at Harvard Deputy Trade Minister Welber Barral told reporters on
domestic macroeconomic management, but they also oppose capital controls because you believe nancial reation in the early 1980’s. When capital ight forced University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the sidelines of a yearly Latin American business con-
aggravate adverse exchange-rate movements. In par- markets are on the whole a force for good, and that any François Mitterrand to abort his program in 1983, the rst recipient of the Social Science Research Coun- ference in Singapore. “The consumer is really spending
ticular, “hot” capital inows make it difcult for nan- interference will therefore generate efciency losses. Or France’s Socialists performed an abrupt volte-face and cil’s Albert O. Hirschman Prize. His latest book is “One and that has sustained our overall growth.”
cially open economies like Brazil to maintain a com- you can oppose controls because you think that they embraced nancial liberalization on a global scale. Economics, Many Recipes: Globalization, Institutions, Exports, which will likely fall 22 percent this year, have
petitive currency, depriving them of what is in effect can be easily evaded and are therefore doomed to re- According to Harvard Business School’s Rawi and Economic Growth.” © Project Syndicate, 2009 shown signs of life recently, with a 20 percent increase in
sales to the United States last month, Barral said. Gross
domestic product in the world’s eighth largest economy
is poised to expand 5 percent next year after growth be-
tween 1 percent and 1.5 percent this year, he said.
Investor condence in Brazil has grown since Pres-
ident Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took power in 2003, and
the South American country will likely receive more

APEC mnsters plot than $40 billion of foreign direct investment next year,
up from more than $30 billion this year, Barral said.
However, the surge in foreign money has boosted
the value of Brazil’s currency, making the country’s ex-
ports less competitive. Last month, the government im-

ways to sustan recovery posed a 2 percent tax on foreign investment in stocks and
bonds, part of a strategy to help slow the appreciation of
the Brazilian real, which has jumped more than 30 per-

REUTERS,VIVEK PRAKASH
Asia-Pacic nations pledged Thurs- omy after the crisis subsides, he and fellow cent this year to near 1.7 per dollar, Barral said. “1.7 is not
day to embrace more exible ex- nance ministers said in a joint statement a tragedy, but it’s overvalued,” Barral said. “Something
change rates and stable growth strat- Thursday. Reducing public sector debt will like 1.9 would be an equilibrium at this point.”
egies as economies start to scale back their need more than “the mere phasing out of “We need a more competitive exchange rate.”
stimulus spending after the global downturn. stimulus measures” and will require low- Barral emphasized that an exchange rate of 1.9 was
Finance ministers from the Asia-Pacic er budget decits and reforms that sup- not an ofcial goal, and the central bank doesn’t
Economic Cooperation forum’s 21 member port economic growth, they said. plan to intervene in the currency market.
economies spent the entire day discussing the Geithner said there was strong con- “Nobody is ever happy with the exchange
challenge of sustaining growth and encour- sensus at APEC on the importance of en- rate,” Barral said. “Exporters would like 3 and
PHOTO

aging free trade in the wake of the world’s suring that “we lay the foundations for a importers would like 1.” Singapore AP
biggest nancial crisis since the 1930s. strong, more balanced recovery.” Global
Ofcials said short-term sacrices were imbalances between countries in trade,
needed for lasting improvements. currencies, spending and saving habits
“Fixing the economic situation today is like have been blamed for much of the severity Turkcell and MegaFon
going to the dentist,” Chile’s vice nance minis- of this year’s world economic crisis.
ter, Maria Olivia Recart, said. “It hurts a lot, but The ministers agreed to “undertake mon- to unite under one
you know you are investing in the future.” etary policies” based on exible exchange
The weeklong forum culminates in rates -- a statement that reects concerns over roof international
a leaders’ summit Saturday and Sunday China’s restrictions on its currency, the yuan, TeliaSonera and Altimo are to combine their di-
that includes President Barack Obama, despite repeated pledges by Beijing to move rect and indirect assets in Turkcell and MegaFon
Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese toward market-based exchange rates. under the roof of a new telecommunications rm.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, among European and other Asian exporters TeliaSonera, a telephone and mobile phone op-
others from Pacic Rim nations. have been pressured by the yuan’s effective erator with operations in Finland and Sweden, and
“We’re seeing Asia lead the world peg against a weakening U.S. dollar, which Altimo, a Russian telecommunications rm, will be
back to recovery; we’re seeing growth makes Chinese exports relatively cheaper, combining their assets in the mobile phone opera-
resume in the US and countries around and thus more competitive overseas. tors Turkcell and MegaFon to form a new company,
the world after the worst recession we’ve ”It is very important for the US that we with plans to be listed on the New York Stock Ex-
seen in decades,” US Treasury Secretary have a strong dollar, that we sustain con- change (NYSE). According to a press release from
Tim Geithner told reporters. dence in our nancial system,” Geithner both parties, the goal of this new partnership is to
But ensuring growth and stability as na- said. The ministers’ statement also called create an international mobile phone operator with
tions begin withdrawing stimulus packages for freer trade and warned against resort- US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (R) speaks during a finance ministers news conference at the APEC Sum- operations in Turkey, Russia and within the Com-
are key challenges that face the world econ- ing to protectionism. Singapore AP mit yesterday in Singapore stressing the need to “lay the foundations for a strong, more balanced recovery.” monwealth of Independent States (CIS).
This new operator’s goal is to have a total of 90
million users. Once established, the new company
will own a majority of the shares in both Turkcell and
MegaFon. AF Telecom, a GSM mobile phone supplier
and the third major shareholder in MegaFon, was also
invited to take part in this new partnership.
According to the press release, the executive
Daily Monthly Yearly YTD MCAP 1-Y Country Change Level board will contain independent board members
Close Change (%) Change (%) Change (%) Change (%) (million TL) Av.Volum (%)
unrelated to the partners involved. The new board
İMKB-100 48.864 1,5% 3,6% 88,7% 81,9% 274.729 1.529 Hang Seng H.Kong 1,61 22.627,2 66.54
İMKB-30
structure will make it difcult for any one major
61.820 1,6% 3,7% 86,8% 76,6% 224.447 1.166 Nikkei 225 Japan 0,01 9.871,7 50.2 53.02
İMKB-IND 35.391 0,3% 1,4% 71,0% 78,9% 73.327 466 Cac 40 France 1,38 3.838,0 46.98
stakeholder to take control of the new company.
İMKB-BANK 110.632 2,8% 5,1% 119,8% 97,6% 129.304 728 DAX Germany 1,47 5.695,5 Because of the “national champion” status of
33.46
DJIMT 10,40 0,0% 1,5% 44,0% 46,5% - 0,43 FTSE 100 UK 1,23 5.295,1 25,3
MegaFon and Turkcell, they will be run independently
Dow USA 0,85 10.304,0 8,6 9.7
TurkDEX NASDAQ USA 0,92 1.789,6 of each other, even with the change in ownership struc-
US$/JP¥ S&P USA 1,05 1.104,5 Native Foreign Native Foreign ture. Moreover, the parties have agreed that Altimo will
62,250 2,34%
EU€/JP¥ 1,4845 -0,13% BOVESPA Brasil 0,97 66.948,6 Number of Shares M.cap Number of Shares M.cap
acquire Çukurova Group’s indirect shares in Turkcell
AT A GL ANCE
CALENDAR and contribute them to the new company. In addition
pected to this, TeliaSonera, the controlling shareholder of Fin-
No data ex Daily Monthly Yearly
Ticker Price (TL) Daily Change (%) Ticker Price Daily Change (%) Ticker Volumes Price (TL) Yearly Change (%)
Close Change (%) Change (%) Change (%) US$/JP¥ 89,89 tur Holdings, a mobile phone operator in Central Asia,
ASELS 7,65 7,75% GRUND 0,52 -7,14% KOZAA 173,8 5,1 484,09
TL / € 2,201 0,0% EU/JP¥ 134,98 will acquire 100 percent of Fintur Holdings by purchas-
CLEBI 11,10 4,72% EGGUB 68,00 -2,86% GARAN 107,6 6,0 133,59 TL / $ 1,464 -0,3% EU/US$ 1,5016
ing Turkcell’s shares in the company at market value.
KOZAA 5,14 4,47% DYHOL 1,30 -2,26% ISCTR 65,3 6,2 71,71
GARAN 6,00 4,35% DOHOL 1,03 -1,90% ARCLK 60,3 4,7 206,56
Lars Nyberg, president and CEO of TeliaSonera,
High Low
announced: “I am very pleased that we have reached
ARCLK 4,72 3,96% AEFES 17,20 -1,71% AKBNK 56,8 8,6 83,46 Price ($) Way Change (%)
Light C. Oil 78,35 1,1% 78,59 77,07 an agreement with Altimo to combine our efforts in
Gold 1114,75 1,4% 1114,75 1114,75 resolving the legal disputes … But the real value of
Copper 300,85 1,6% 303,75 295,05
ÝMKB 100 ÝMKB 30 ÝMKB IND RETAILER BIMAS CARFA BOYNR KIPA the agreement is in the execution of it. The share-
Mcap TL -- -- -- 6.762,6 4.630 1.259 97 777 P/E: Share price divided by earnings per share is a measure of the price paid for a share relative to the holder structure and control of Turkcell and Mega-
income or profit earned by the firm per share.
P/E 2006/12 EV/EBITDA: Enterprise value divided by earnings before interest, tax and amortization; “t” stands for
Fon will improve, as well as the liquidity of these
14,7x 13,9x 11,7x 246,2x 64,3x -93,2x 15,3x -20,8x
P/E 2007/06t 10,5x 10,0x 8,8x 304,9x 57,4x -530,7x 6,0x -10,7x trailer and means the data over the last four quarters. assets. We have focused on creating a governance
(*) Yesterday's closing (**) Updated at 6 p.m. by GMT+2
P/E 2007/09t 10,1x 9,7x 8,8x 333,0x 51,1x -202,2x 5,0x -9,3x structure where all major parties will have good
Disclaimer: The information in this report has been prepared by BMD, Bizim Securities from sources believed
EV/EBITDA 2006/12* 6,6x 5,2x 8,0x 29,9x 43,3x 15,6x 6,1x 42,4x
to be reliable. All the information, interpretations and recommendations covered herein relating to possibilities to inuence, without single-handedly
EV/EBITDA 2007/03t* 7,3x 5,8x 7,9x 31,4x 40,3x 18,8x 5,6x 76,3x investment actions are not within the scope of investment consultancy. Therefore investment decisions
EV/EBITDA 2007/06t* 7,0x 5,7x 8,0x 28,7x 38,2x 19,4x 4,9x 36,5x based only on the information covered herein may not bring expected results.
controlling, the management of the new telecom-
munications group.” stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

CMYK
SHOPPING FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009 TODAY’S ZAMAN 09

Reebok’s Top Down shoes perfect for all occasions Blistex’s lip doctor to the rescue

The special design of Reebok’s Top Down shoes brings together innovation and The cold and arid weather of the winter months can cause dryness
chic, giving your feet a pair of shoes which are simultaneously hi-tops and in the area of your face with the thinnest layer of skin -- your lips
low-tops. The Top Down models are no doubt the most colorful in the -- making them a defenseless target of the effects of harsh weather.
modern and striking Reebok Fly Generation collection. They have a With its formula containing eucalyptus, menthol and camphor,
feminine design and can be worn as either hi-top or low-top snea- MedPlus from Blistex provides lips with the moisture and pro-
kers, depending on your mood. Look for bright, lively colors in the- tection they really need, putting up a barrier against the elements
se shoes, and of course for striking unique designs on the lining. that will last all day long. Available at pharmacies: TL 7.5

Beautiful lips in 3
weeks with Olay

STAYING WARM
Among the appealing
Olay’s Regenerist Anti-
Aging Lip Treatment takes
styles in the 2009-2010
its inspiration from profes- fall/winter collection,
sional care systems, bringing there are designs that

WHILE LOOKING
you reduced lines and wrink- are both pretty and
les on and around your lips
in only three weeks. This lip
sporty. Combining cuts
care gives you intense mois- inspired by architecture
ture immediately, bringing with knee-length styles
you fuller lips and strengthe- adds elegance to these

PRETTY: IS IT
ning your lips natural defen-
ses as well. When used re-
coats. The main elements
gularly, this care system re- of this style are double row
news your skin’s outer layer, buttons, a hidden placket,
and the B3 vitamin it con- big stiff collars, low cut
tains also strengthens your

POSSIBLE?
skin’s moisture barrier, en-
or bat sleeves and a
suring that your lips remain cloak-like shape
moist through the day. Re-
commended sales price for
Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging
Lip Treatment: TL 57.50
REYHAN YAZICI* belts. While tall women should
choose coat lengths that fall un-
A coat is both the most im- der the knee, short women sho-
Bring out the portant and most difcult uld opt for shorter styles. If you
item to shop for during have broad shoulders, never go
shine in your hair the winter season. People generally for coats with shoulder pads and
The chlorinated pool water of summer, the harsh effects of sea want their coats, which they will be exaggerated arm designs. Rag-
water, the cold weather that comes with winter months and, of wearing all the time during the win- lan sleeves could make shoul-
course, the drying effects of the wind can all cause your hair to ter, to be both pretty and useful as ders appear broader than they
become dull, dry and matte and lose its essential shine and life. well comfortable. normally are. For coats to wear
One of the world’s leading hairstylists, John Frieda, has develo- Unlike other items, coats over two-piece suits, buy one
ped a new series aimed at bringing the shine back to hair of all are not bought to be worn for that is a size bigger.
colors: the John Frieda Collection color series for all hair types. just one season. They are artic-
This product is available in stores such as Boyner, Sevil and les of clothing that can be worn New coat styles
perfume and makeup chain stores, as well as licensed pharma- for many years. This season co- This season, embroidered coats
cies. All John Frieda Collection shampoos are priced at TL 22. ats have been combined with rich and jackets with hints of gothic
materials that appeal to diffe- trends are especially popular.
rent tastes. This winter’s designs Among the appealing styles in
were inspired by cashmeres, ca- the 2009-2010 fall/winter collec-
mel hair fabric, thick herringbone tion, there are designs that are
patterns, leather, smooth elegant both pretty and sporty. Combi-
velvets, waterproof polyesters ning cuts inspired by architectu-
and indispensable imitation fur. re with knee-length styles adds
elegance to these coats. The
Coat classics main elements of this style are
While the length of coats may double row buttons, a hidden
vary, thick stitches and camel placket, big stiff collars, low cut
hair are always classics for the or bat sleeves and a cloak-like
fashion world. Though there is shape. Another feature of this
a visible difference in the cuts of style, which is both more plain
this season’s styles, the details and more exquisite than other
around the arm and collar are styles, is that it isn’t tight tting.
especially eye-catching. Sho- Cloak-like jackets, leather-
ulder pads and masculine sho- fur coats and styles with remo-
ulder cuts reminiscent of 1980s vable fur collars are also in style
Sally Hansen cuts your styles particularly stand out. this season. Almost every style

manicure time in half Many collections feature rufes,


pleats, stiff and broad shoulder
features a belt. Some coats inc-
lude low-cut three-quarter
Women love to have beautiful and well cared-for hands and designs and big pockets. Classic length sleeves and geomet-
nails. And of course, an elemental part of this is having na- style coats that have darts come ric designs. Leopard and zebra
ils that looks awless and are cleansed of excessive cuticle in double-breasted style, wide prints are among the most com-
build-up. Dried out cuticles make nails look uncared for, but collars, sewn in belts and ext- monly used patterns this season.
now you can use special gels that soften cuticles and allow ravagant arm and shoulder de- Among the season’s innovations
them to be pushed back painlessly. Leading American nail tails. Set-in sleeves have been are small checkers and special
care brand Sally Hansen brings a revolutionary new gel for- replaced by raglan sleeves. fabrics. Militaristic coats feature
mula to women everywhere with its Instant Cuticle Remo- a combination of military-style
ver, which gets rid of unsightly cuticle build-up in just 15 se- Wearing your buttons and shoulders and mini-
conds. This product allows you a quick, practical and healthy coat for many years malist style. Bows and pleats att-
mini-manicure. Note: Product available only at licensed Coats: Black continues to be a ract the attention of women who
pharmacies. Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover: TL 24.50 favorite color this season. Other like to look pretty and elegant.
popular colors include browns, Color: This season’s color
dark greens and reds, gray tones palette includes beige, all gray
and the bright neon colors of tones, especially silvery grays,

The last word the ‘80s such as yellow, orange,


electric blue and all pink tones.
fuchsia, black and brown, es-
pecially cappuccino. Bolder wo-
on blackheads Suggestions: If you want to
be able to wear a coat for many
men can try dirty whites, ecru
tones and all neon colors.
If there is nothing you haven’t years, then you must rst and Suggestions: Minimalist co-
tried in the battle against black- foremost pay attention to the ats look very elegant as long as
heads, now is the perfect time quality of the fabric. Coats made you choose the right combinati-
to try a product made especially with camel hair and that have ons. Coats with bat sleeves could
to deal with this problem. Whi- thin stitch patterns are a classic make you look bigger than you
le the size of your pores is en- and will never go out of fashion. are. I recommend that people
tirely a matter of genetics, what Plain cuts that have simple arm with thin frames use this style.
we can do is to make them ap- and collar details are a good pick Cloak-like coats look especially
pear smaller and prevent the for women who like to look ele- chic with pants and pencil skirts.
AP, REUTERS

build-up of blackheads in them. gant. But if you want to keep up If you prefer sporty styles, try co-
Dr. Murad’s new product targets with the latest trends and if your ats that have many buttons.
blackheads, especially in the waist is not too big, then you
T-zone and is called T-Zone Pore can opt for coats that have thick *Reyhan Yazc is a fashion designer.
Rening Gel. One small note:
PHOTOS

This product is available only at


pharmacies licensed to sell it. Re-
commended sales price: TL 145

CMYK
10 TODAY’S ZAMAN FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009 WORLD

ROW
Thai crisis with Lou Dobbs leaving CNN, does not reveal his plans
Cambodia deepens

REUTERS, PETER MORGAN


CNN host Lou Dobbs, whose outspoken views on groups that critics say espouse hate messages.
Emboldened by a rousing welcome in Cambo- US immigration have made him one of the most “It’s about time. He was doing CNN no good,”
dia, Thailand’s fugitive former Prime Minister controversial gures on television, said on Wednesday he said Nativo Lopez, head of the California-based Mex-
Thaksin Shinawatra is rallying supporters from is leaving the 24-hour cable news network immediately ican-American Political Association that promotes the
just over the border, upping the ante in Thai- because he wants a freer platform to state his opinion. interests of Mexican-Americans in the United States
land’s political crisis. After accusing Thailand’s Dobbs, who announced his departure near the start and is part of a campaign against Dobbs.
rulers of “false patriotism” in a speech in Phnom of his nightly news and commentary show, did not say “His is not a debate based on science or reason,
Penh on Thursday, Thaksin huddled with more where he plans to go, after nearly 30 years at CNN. it’s based on prejudice, it’s based on racial overtones,
than 20 supporters and leaders of his red-shirted, Dobbs, whose ratings have been on the decline, it’s based on proling and an obsessive xation on im-
anti-government protest movement who trav- said he had been released from his contract, effective migrants from Mexico,” said Lopez.

PHOTO
elled from Thailand. That number will swell on immediately, and wanted “to contribute positively to As a radio host, Dobbs also drew criticism by
Friday when about 100 supporters plan to gather the understanding of the great issues of our day ... in appearing to stoke the so-called “birther” move-
in the Cambodian town of Siem Reap, about 150 the most honest and direct language possible.” ment, whose adherents believe that President
kilometer (90 miles) from the Thai border, ac- A CNN source told Reuters Dobbs will be concen- Barack Obama’s Hawaiian birth certicate was
cording to Puea Thai, an incarnation of Thaksin’s trating on his syndicated radio show, “The Lou Dobbs faked to hide a Kenyan birthplace, making the rst
disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party. The prospect of Show.” The source would not conrm a New York Times black US president ineligible for ofce.
the billionaire -- who the Thai government sees report that he had met with Roger Ailes, chairman and Dobbs said he was considering “a number of
as a criminal -- running a political campaign chief executive of the Fox News channel, the News Corp- options and directions.” His contract was due to
from across the border rattled investors, send- owned rival to CNN, a unit of Time Warner Inc. end in 2011. “For the past six months it has become
ing Thai stock prices tumbling nearly 3 percent CNN had been under pressure from civil rights and increasingly clear that strong winds of change have
on concern of more instability in Southeast Asia’s Latino groups to drop Dobbs from its lineup, accus- begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us,” Lou Dobbs speaks at a press conference marking his return to anchor CNN’s business news
second-biggest economy. Royalists aligned with ing the host of aligning himself with anti-immigrant Dobbs said. Los Angeles Reuters program Moneyline News Hour in New York in this April 10, 2001 file photo.
the military, who wear the king’s traditional color
of yellow, plan a demonstration of their own on
Sunday in Bangkok to denounce Thaksin and
Cambodia, threatening to deepen the political
and diplomatic impasse. Phnom Penh Reuters

CASE
The Hague court
upholds verdict
The Yugoslavia tribunal upheld its verdict against a
former Bosnian Serb general for war crimes com-
Medvedev warns Russa
mitted while he commanded the army during the
43-month siege of Sarajevo that killed 10,000 peo-
ple. Dragomir Milosevic had appealed the convic-
tion, but the appeals chamber at the Hague court
opposton not to rock boat Despite his emphasis on modern technology,
upheld most counts against him. But it reduced Russian President Dmitry Medvedev speaks
his sentence to 29 years in prison from 33 after during his annual address to the federal assembly
in Moscow on Thursday. Medvedev called on
Medvedev did not neglect the country’s powerful
nding he was not liable for several shelling in-
cidents. “Milosevic did more than merely tolerate Russia on Thursday to refocus its economy
away from Soviet-era energy and heavy
defense industry, saying that more than 30 ballistic
the crimes as a commander,” said presiding Judge
Fausto Pocar. “In maintaining and intensifying
industry toward information technology,
telecommunications and space.
missiles should be deployed in 2010 and three
the campaign directed at the civilian population in nuclear submarines commissioned
Sarajevo...he provided additional encouragement
to his subordinates to commit the crimes against President Dmitry Medvedev warned duction is shamefully low.”
the civilians.” The tribunal rejected the prosecu- Russia’s opposition in his annual ad- Amid a blizzard of targets, Medvedev called
tion’s appeal for life imprisonment. The Interna- dress on Thursday not to use democ- for Russia to boost the share of locally produced
tional Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia racy as a cover to “destabilize the state and medicines to half the market by 2020, cut gas
split society.” The harsh words came along- aring dramatically by 2012 and launch broad-
(ICTY) was set up in 1993 to try those responsible
side modest pledges by Medvedev to boost re- band internet and digital TV nationwide in ve
for crimes committed during the wars that tore
gional democracy in Russia. They showed the years. “The nation’s prestige and prosperity
apart the former Yugoslavia in ghting between
Kremlin’s desire to ensure stability and pre- cannot be upheld forever by the achievements
Serbs, Croats and Muslims. Amsterdam Reuters
vent unrest amid a deep economic recession. of the past,” Medvedev said, referring to Rus-
“The strengthening of democracy does not sia’s Soviet legacy of nuclear weapons, infra-
VIOLENCE mean the weakening of law and order,” Med- structure and oil and gas production.

Pakistani working at vedev said in his address to Russia’s political


elite gathered in the Grand Kremlin Palace.
“The time has come for us, the present gen-
eration of Russians, to make its voice heard: to
Iranian Consulate killed “Any attempts to rock the situation with raise Russia to a higher level of civilization.”
Gunmen killed a Pakistani working at the Iranian democratic slogans, to destabilize the state Despite his emphasis on modern technolo-
Consulate in the northwestern city of Pesha- and split society will be stopped.” gy, Medvedev did not neglect the country’s pow-
REUTERS, SERGEI KARPUKHIN

war on Thursday, adding to security fears in the Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Medve- erful defense industry, saying that more than 30
country as it presses an offensive against the Tal- dev’s mentor and the country’s most pow- ballistic missiles should be deployed in 2010 and
erful politician, watched from the front row three nuclear submarines commissioned.
iban along the nearby Afghan border. No group
anked by his key lieutenants as the presi-
claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes
amid tensions between Pakistan and Iran over
dent spoke. The audience gave Putin a stand- Wishful thinking
ing ovation when he entered. The address contained no details on how
Tehran’s allegations that Pakistani intelligence
Medvedev named worsening violence in Medvedev’s ideas for economic moderniza-
agents had a role in a deadly suicide bombing last
Russia’s volatile, Muslim-dominated North Cau- tion would be implemented, which worried
month in Iran. The attackers opened re on Abul
casus as the country’s biggest domestic political some nancial market participants.
Hasan Jaffri while he was in a car near his home
problem and called for an effort to “ght interna- “It was disappointing from an investment
in a central part of Peshawar, said police ofcial
tional terrorism and destroy bandits” there. point of view that it was very light on any spe-
PHOTOS

Mohammad Kamal. Jaffri, who was the director of


Killings in the North Caucasus have spi- cic point of action, just a reiteration of what we
public relations at the consulate, died at a military
raled this year as a low-level Islamist insur- have already been hearing,” said Chris Weafer,
hospital. The gunmen escaped after the shooting.
gency feeding on poverty combines with feuds chief strategist at Russian brokerage Uralsib.
Iran is mostly Shiite Muslim, as was Jaffri. Paki-
among corrupt local ofcials and businesses. The president had tough words for the
stan’s Shiite minority has often been targeted by
The president spent most of the 100-min- country’s giant state corporations, saying they
Sunni Muslim militants like the Taliban and al-
ute speech talking about the need for Russia to had “no prospects.” Independent auditors
Qaeda, which believe they are indels. An Iranian move its economy away from its Soviet roots in should examine them and they should then
diplomat in Peshawar was abducted in November heavy industry and energy extraction towards either be closed down or turned into compa-
2008. His whereabouts are unknown. Peshawar AP 21st century sectors such as medicine, telecoms nies with shareholders. Political analysts said
and space. Foreign policy was hardly mentioned. that Medvedev, who reaches the mid-way
ELECTION “We haven’t managed to get rid of the point of his four-year term next May, had
primitive structure of our economy,” Medve- failed in the speech to explain how his ideas
Sri Lanka’s top dev said. “...The competitiveness of our pro- would be followed up. Moscow Reuters
general resigns
Sri Lanka’s top general, who engineered the defeat
of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam after a 25-
year war, has resigned, sources said on Thursday,
amid speculation he will run for president as an
opposition candidate. Gen. Sarath Fonseka is ex-
pected to challenge his commander in chief, Presi-
Minister: Somali judge who jailed US President Obama tops Forbes list
dent Mahinda Rajapaksa, in an election due to be
held by April. If Fonseka enters the race, analysts
many pirates and insurgents killed of most powerful people, Forbes says
expect it to weaken Rajapaksa’s core voter base Gunmen have killed a top Somali judge Supreme Judicial Council, which supervises the US President Barack Obama can add anoth- as easily lost as it is hard to gain,” the magazine
and erode the incumbent’s present monopoly who had sentenced many pirates and hu- judiciary and nominates senior judicial ofcials. er accolade to his already long list of awards said. World and industry leaders dominated
on claiming political capital from the war victory. man trafckers to long jail terms, the security Samatar says Puntland legislator Ibrahim after being named the world’s most powerful per- the top 10 of the list, which Forbes said was
“Gen. Fonseka had submitted his resignation to minister for northern Somalia said on Thursday. Ilmi Warsame was also shot dead Wednesday as son in an inaugural ranking by Forbes magazine. assessed on the number of people the person
the president,” a military source told Reuters, ask- Mohamed Said Samatar said three men were he sat in a restaurant with friends. It was not im- Obama, whose popularity at home and inuences, their ability to project power be-
ing not to named. Another defense ofcial speak- arrested on Thursday over the killing of High mediately clear if the killings were linked. abroad has boosted the image of the United yond their immediate sphere of inuence, their
ing on condition of anonymity said the resigna- Court Judge Mohamed Abdi Aware. In addition to Targeted killings are rarer in Puntland than in States according to numerous surveys, topped the control of nancial resources and how actively
tion had been sent. Two other sources conrmed jailing suspected pirates, Aware also recently jailed south central Somalia, where the embattled gov- list that also features al-Qaeda leader Osama bin that person wields power.
the same. Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, four members of Somalia’s extremist insurgency. ernment is ghting an Islamic insurgency. Pirate Laden and TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey as Also on the list were nancial heavy-
who is the president’s brother and served as army Eyewitness Mohamud Dahir said masked gangs have exploited the lawlessness to launch people wielding some inuence over the world. weights including Goldman Sachs Chief Ex-
ofcer in combat alongside Fonseka, told Reuters men with pistols shot the judge in the head attacks from many towns along Somalia’s coast- In compiling the inaugural ranking, Forbes ecutive Lloyd Blankfein (18) and billionaire
he did not know about the resignation. “The pres- and chest several times as he left a mosque on line, including several in Puntland. said it had narrowed the list to 67 people, “a investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett
ident didn’t tell me,” he said. In July, Rajapaksa Wednesday evening in the port city of Bossaso. Somalia has not had an effective central number based on the conceit that one can re- (14), as well as Pope Benedict (11). Bin Laden
promoted the then-army commander to a newly “These gangs hate him for his justice. We sus- government for 18 years, although Puntland duce the world’s 6.7 billion people to the one came in at number 37 and Winfrey at num-
created post, chief of defence staff, which many pect one of them may have something to do with has set up a semiautonomous government in every 100 million that matter.” “The goal in ber 45. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
analysts saw as neutralizing the wide powers Fon- his assassination,” said Aware’s cousin, Abdulahi and the northern region of Somaliland has compiling this list is to expose power and not came in at number 29 while Queen Elizabeth
seka had been given in wartime. Colombia Reuters Jama. Aware was also a member of Puntland’s declared its independence. Mogadishu AP glorify it, and over time reveal how inuence is failed to make the list. Singapore Reuters

CMYK
WORLD F R I D A Y, N O V E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 0 9 TODAY’S ZAMAN 11

NATO wants transition to Afghan authority Feelng


The secretary general of NATO said on
Thursday that alliance forces should begin
Fogh Rasmussen said in the statement.
Brown, echoed by German Chancellor An-
Brown, like many allied leaders, is faced with
mounting public pressure to show that an exit
ence in Afghanistan has been hard to sell as time
has passed since the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
the cost of
handing responsibility to Afghan forces in a co-
ordinated way next year in areas where condi-
gela Merkel, said this week that handovers in the
volatile southern province of Helmand could be-
strategy exists, but many think that an increased
US presence could ultimately mean more -- not
Some 232 British soldiers have died over eight
years and criticism has mounted over the mission
war
tions permit. Anders Fogh Rasmussen issued a gin as early as June. Most of Britain’s 9,000 troops fewer -- coalition troops. “Our exit strategy is a strategy and a lack of equipment. Families of soldiers
OPINION
statement after talks in London with British Prime are based in Helmand. But criticism is mounting function of Afghanization,” said Brown’s spokes- reacted angrily Thursday to learning that Ministry of
Minister Gordon Brown. The talks come as Presi- that the Afghan government is too corrupt and man Simon Lewis, who stressed that handing over Defense personnel have received bonuses of more David S. Abraham*
dent Barack Obama weighs a decision on sending inept to facilitate such handovers. responsibility for security would “not necessarily” than 47 million pounds ($78 million) in the last sev-
more troops to Afghanistan -- though alliance na- Obama has said he won’t accept any of the mean any immediate reduction in troop numbers. en months when troops are said to lack equipment. TODAY’S ZAMAN
tions have been reluctant to commit more troops. Afghanistan war options before him without Britain is in an awkward position -- it has long The alleged benet of the mission in Afghanistan --
I thought I knew the cost of combat. I recommended
The NATO chief and Brown agree that tran- changes. His own ambassador in Afghanistan, been criticized for being too closely aligned to US a lessened terror threat -- has also escaped voters.
plans to spend billions of dollars in Afghanistan from
sition to Afghan leadership is the way forward. Karl Eikenberry, sent a strongly worded cable foreign policy interests, and the Labour-led gov- Polls indicate that Brown’s Labour-led govern-
my desk at the White House Ofce of Management and
“We can and should start next year to hand lead warning against bolstering the American pres- ernment paid the price at the polls with fewer par- ment will lose to the Conservatives in an election next
Budget. But it was not until last month, as I stood on the
responsibility to Afghan forces in a coordinated ence in Afghanistan unless corruption within the liamentary seats after it decided to join the US-led year and he will likely be on his way out before any
tarmac at Tweed New Haven Regional Airport in Con-
way through NATO where conditions permit,” Afghan government is addressed. war in Iraq. The case for a continued military pres- lasting Afghan handover can take place. London AP
necticut watching my friend’s ag-draped cofn come
home, that I truly understood the price of war.
Army Capt. Ben Sklaver, 32, was killed in a suicide
attack in what was the deadliest month for US soldiers
since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001. At the time,
he was trying to meet with local leaders in a village out-

AP, MAHESH KUMAR A


side Kandahar to see what infrastructure they needed.
To those at home who see our troops strictly as combat-

FOOD SUMMIT
ants, this is not a traditional soldier’s role. But Afghani-
stan is a new type of war, and Ben was on the front line.
Ben was in a civil affairs unit, tasked with show-
ing tangible progress to counter the Taliban’s effort

TO MAKE LITTLE
of intimidation. The work appealed to him. Bringing
people basic infrastructure such as water and schools
fosters hope in a region desperately lacking it. Ben was

PHOTO
eternally optimistic, and despite numerous close calls,
he proudly told me a week before his death that he

HEADWAY TO
was making progress.
Such optimism and sense of purpose had previously
led him to start a nonprot organization, ClearWater
Initiative, focused on bringing fresh water to conict-

FIGHT HUNGER
ridden regions in Uganda after his rst tour with the
military there in 2007. Villagers whom his organization
helped thanked Ben for his “miracle” of water.
Ben’s death robs not only his ancée of a husband
and his family of a son, it denies the world his unreal-
ized potential, including the “miracles” that may have
Food shortages and malnutrition rose to the top of the been in Ben’s mind for Afghanistan on his return. This
political agenda since a spike in food prices last year is a price our leaders must consider as they dene our
new strategy in the region. The cost of war is not just
sparked riots in around 60 countries. The food scare the billions spent on guns and bullets, but a trade-off
between losing the future of soldiers like Ben for the
also prompted some richer importers like Saudis to hope that a greater good is achieved.
snap up farmland in developing agricultural countries For too long, that full accounting of war was hidden
from our national emotional balance sheet. The media
A UN world food sum- hoarding. The food scare also were prevented from showing the return of the dead; even
mit next week is likely prompted some richer food im- families of the deceased were unable to make the trip to
to make little headway porters like Saudi Arabia to snap Dover Air Force Base to view their loved one’s arrival.
in the ght against hunger, with up farmland in developing agri- Watching my former roommate unloaded from
leaders simply pledging to boost cultural countries. a plane in a silver container brought an indescribable
agricultural aid to poor countries A G8 summit in July pledged pain. But for family members and those close to the sol-
but setting no targets or deadlines $20 billion over three years to help dier, watching the arrival is an important step in coming
for action. With more than one farmers in poor nations, in a ma- to terms with the loss. The ritual, the simplicity, the slow
billion people going hungry, the jor policy shift away from emer- process of salutes and patriotic symbolism offer an im-
UN Food and Agriculture Organi- gency food rations and towards portant modicum of comfort for what is one of the worst
zation (FAO) had called the Nov. longer term strategies. FAO had experiences life can provide. It brings home the reality of
16-18 summit in Rome hoping to hoped to keep the momentum death, both physically and emotionally.
win rm pledges by world leaders going and that leaders would President Barack Obama’s decisions to allow me-
to spend $44 billion a year to help commit to raising the percentage dia coverage of returning cofns, to assist families of
poor nations feed themselves. But of ofcial aid spent on agriculture fallen soldiers to come to Dover and to attend a cere-
a nal draft declaration seen by to 17 percent -- back to the 1980 mony himself last month are signicant steps for us as
Reuters includes only a general level -- from 5 percent now. That a country to fully account for war. They highlight the
commitment to pump more mon- would amount to roughly $44 bil- total price of war -- not just the more than $200 billion
ey into agricultural development, lion annually, instead of the $7.9 spent so far but also the thousands of lost futures both
and makes no mention of a pro- billion that is being spent now. here and in Afghanistan.
posal to eliminate hunger by 2025. What was most disheartening this week as we
”We commit to take action Threat to peace marked Veterans Day is that many of us, including
towards sustainably eradicating Since last year’s record levels, the some in government, are still too far removed to truly
hunger at the earliest possible prices of staple commodities like appreciate that our troops are engaged in battle daily.
date,” said the draft of the decla- rice, corn and wheat have fallen. Maybe it is because the money we spend is too large,
ration, to be adopted on the rst But in developing countries they the costs too abstract or the ghting too far away from
day of the Rome summit barring are still high and according to sev- our daily lives to comprehend. I have no doubt that
last-minute amendments. Aid eral experts new spikes are all but sentiment was true for many in southern Connecticut.
groups said the summit, which inevitable. FAO says the number That is, until Ben came home.
few if any G8 leaders are expect- of hungry people this year rose to
ed to attend, already looked like 1.02 billion people, more than at *David S. Abraham, who worked at the White House Ofce
a missed opportunity. any other time in history and up of Management and Budget from 2003 to 2007, is a director
“The declaration is just a re- 100 million from last year. of the ClearWater Initiative. © Los Angeles Times, 2009
hash of old platitudes,” said Fran- A child dies of malnutrition
cisco Sarmento, ActionAid’s food every six seconds despite the fact
rights coordinator. Food shortages
and malnutrition rose to the top of
that the world produces more than
enough food for everybody -- ce-
Iraq warns of
the political agenda since a spike
in food prices last year sparked
reals crops in 2009 are expected to
be the second largest ever, after a A child walks down a shanty area in Hyderabad, India, on Thursday. A UN world food summit next week is likely to make
more violence
riots in around 60 countries and record 2008. Rome Reuters little headway in the fight against hunger, with leaders simply pledging to boost agricultural aid to poor countries. before elections
Insurgents may step up attacks in Iraq before a par-
liamentary election in January, the government said
on Thursday, acknowledging the fears of many Iraqis who
are only just starting to enjoy better security.
Violence has dipped sharply over the past 18

North Korea warns South it will pay for naval clash months, but a stubborn insurgency has shown its resil-
ience by staging attacks such as the powerful bombings
in August and October aimed at government buildings,
REUTERS, JO YONG-HAK

North Korea said the South will pay “an ex- to play with re will be certain to pay an expensive US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said which killed more than 250 people. Further attacks
pensive price” for ring at Pyongyang’s re- price,” Rodong Sinmun daily said in an editorial. the gunght would not derail a plan to send a before the poll would be a setback for Prime Minister
treating patrol boat on Tuesday, keeping up its sa- The communist daily said the North had been senior envoy to Pyongyang to help revise those Nouri al-Maliki, who is campaigning on a platform that
ber rattling two days after a naval gunght raised taking action to relieve tension and forge coopera- multilateral talks. North Korea has often used seeks credit for increased security in Iraq.
tension between the rivals. The threat, published tion with the South, “with the overall situation on military action to force its way onto the agenda “From now until the election time, we anticipate,
in the North’s ofcial Rodong Sinmun daily, the Korean peninsula heading for the resolution of major diplomatic events, and recently caused we believe that our enemies, our adversaries, will resort
comes amid reports ofcials from the two Koreas of the problems through dialogue.” “The armed alarm by announcing more production of arms- to more violence,” Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari
met recently to discuss a possible summit between clash on the West [Yellow] Sea was not an acci- grade plutonium. At the same time, it has been told reporters at the ministry’s ofces, which were hit in
their leaders but failed to reach agreement. dent but was a premeditated act of aggression by seeking direct talks with Washington. South Ko- attacks on Aug. 19. “But we hope we will succeed. We
PHOTO

The navies from the two sides exchanged gunre the South’s military seeking intensifying of ten- rea denounced what it said was an incursion by a will have clean elections in January,” he said.
on Tuesday for the rst time in seven years, remind- sions on the Korean peninsula.” The clash came North Korean patrol vessel into its territorial wa- Iraq’s electoral body has recommended the poll --
ing nancial market players of the security threat the as regional powers try to bring the North back to ters in the Yellow Sea that sparked a brief reght which will be closely watched by foreign investors eager to
S. Korean soldiers sit in a military truck as they move out North poses to the region, which accounts for one- stalled six-way talks on ending its nuclear arms near the spot where the two Koreas have had two gauge stability in Iraq -- be held on Jan. 21, but there are
of their operation area, near the Military Demarcation Line. sixth of the global economy. “Warmongers who like program in return for aid and diplomatic rewards. deadly conicts in the past decade. Seoul Reuters talks to have it on Jan. 18. Baghdad Reuters

CMYK
12 TODAY’S ZAMAN F R I D AY , NOVEMBER 13, 2009 EXPAT ZONE

What do you mean by the ‘real’ words?


It is not unusual for British and American children to have grown the state song of Connecticut. step forward and two back. There are others that come to mind… It
up learning and singing the words and lyrics of the tune, “Yankee Words can be so hurtful. Just a few sharp words and relation- CULTURAL CORNER is true that we see on our televisions open expressions of widespread
Doodle.” Each nationality had its own words to the tune. It is safe to
say that where there is a grudge, there are usually two sides to the
ships can be broken for life.
Grudges can easily be learned at an early age from those around
CHARLOTTE sectarian dissension and hatred, particularly in the Middle East.
People holding grudges can be found everywhere.
story; in this case, there are two sides to the tune!
In the eyes of the English Redcoats, the tune describes a
us by their attitudes.
Just what is a grudge?
McPHERSON The important thing is to learn to recognize them -- until you
realize you are carrying a grudge you’ll not be able to get over it.
boyish rebel described as Yankee Doodle in singsong fashion. Remaining angry about something is having a grudge. It is On a more personal level, many of us carry little grudges around.
The earliest known appearance of the common words relating something you hold on to -- don’t forget. You don’t let it go. We may never tell the other person about our feelings, but those feel-
to “pony,” “feather” and “macaroni” is in James Orchard Hal- Here is a simple illustration of the situation: ings affect us. We feel on edge around that person. A foreign friend
liwell’s “The Nursery Rhymes of England” (London, 1842). The The term “Yankee” has a variety of meanings. For Americans, united, there are still individuals who have truly neither forgot- of mine who has a small business here and employs a few Turks said
words go something like this: it refers to northerners. However, to a British or Canadian person, it ten nor forgiven. that in her workplace it has become very tense as two of her Turkish
Yankee Doodle went to town indicates all Americans. My British friend the other day referred to Often I hear Westerners say that Middle Easterners really hold staff have fallen out and won’t speak with each other. She is working
A-riding on a pony myself and a couple of people from South Carolina as “Yankees.” Boy grudges and there can never be reconciliation. on helping them nd reconciliation so it won’t affect the workplace.
Stuck a feather in his cap did she get a response from us. Almost simultaneously we corrected Although it may appear this way, I don’t think this is necessarily Getting rid of a grudge takes effort.
And called it macaroni… her, saying, “We aren’t ‘Yankees!’” I mean it was as though yesterday true as it depends more on the individuals and their experience. If “When you say something that you should not have said -- some-
The tune was catchy. According to the Colonial Music Institute, was April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked a US military we are honest with ourselves, we all hold grudges in life to greater thing that you didn’t mean or that was unkind or critical -- apologize right
the song was popular at the time of the American Revolutionary War installation at Fort Sumter in South Carolina and hostilities rose. or lesser degrees. away. The longer you wait the harder it will be.”
(1775-1783), and the British words were meant to insult. However, With just one word, she hit a raw nerve. We were not really offend- It probably seems this way as certain nations and groups are -- Unknown
following the Battle of Concord, the tune was adapted for the Ameri- ed. But one word could bring offense, and a grudge could begin. In our in the news more than others, groups such as the active and vocal
Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Please
can ear. The derogatory verses were changed for the American ver- case, she just realized she’d hit a raw nerve about a part of our history. strand of the “jihadi” element of radical fundamentalist Islamists or keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help
sion, and it was adopted by Americans as a proud retort and today is Though hatchets have been buried, and the states have the Israelis and Palestinians, who seem to, over the decades, take one to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com

WORLD HERITAGE EXPERTS TO EVALUATE [ THE OLD GROANER ]

SELİMİYE MOSQUE
The Olle House
JOHN LAUGHLAND FETHYE

Behind our house stands what most people would call a shed. I often refer to it
as “The Chicken House” to avoid having to repeat the story of exactly what it is
KADR KILIÇ EDRNE added to the World Heritage List. City or Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London. and why it is there. Here then is the story once and for all.
“The meeting that will take place here UNESCO is asking for a scientic compari- A little less than 20 years ago, we met a young man by the name of Oliver.
A delegation of experts on has been completely organized by the mu- son report showing why this spot should be Everybody called him “Ollie.” Ollie had come from a middle-class German family,
world cultural heritage sites nicipality alone. We are bringing in experts listed as a world heritage site and what its actually a theatrical family. Unfortunately sometime in his late teens or early 20s he
will visit the Turkish city of Ed- who either have the authority to make such unique characteristics are in a scientic and had fallen into bad company and, almost inevitably, into the grim world of drugs.
irne to attend meetings that focus on the decisions or who have had considerable intellectual manner.” We never asked about, so never learnt, the story of his progress through that
city’s historic Selimiye Mosque. experience overseeing other world heritage lhan also notes that the mosque should world, nor did we learn why he had left his home country to come to Turkey. We
The experts are coming to Edirne at sites. We are prepared to take their advice be considered alongside its immediate sur- did speculate though that it was a flight to freedom.
the invitation of the Edirne Municipality, while trying to take some serious steps for- roundings. “The mosque itself, the ‘Üç Ollie settled in a quiet valley about 12 miles from our valley, there to live a simple
which previously tried to have the Selimiye ward. This meeting will also give us the op- erefeli,’ the Alipaa Market, the Rüstempaa life well away from bad influences. Yes, he drank a little, but only beer. Oh, I daresay
Mosque included on the UNESCO World portunity to voice some of our concerns to Caravanserai, that entire area suggests the that when the (then) occasional backpacker found his way to that remote valley, then
Heritage List. This time around, the mu- rst-rate experts on this matter.” inuence of the Selimiye Mosque.” Ollie may have enjoyed the odd exotic cigarette, but I’m sure that was all.
nicipality has decided to invite experts who I stress here that Ollie was a lovely and gentle man, but he was not without
might be able to offer valuable insight into ‘Being added to this The Selimiye Mosque’s fault. He was a lousy guitarist and a truly horrible singer. Now those faults may
the process involved in adding a site to the list is not a result, but journey toward the UNESCO be unimportant in a person who is aware of them, but unfortunately our friend
prestigious UNESCO list. a process in itself’ World Heritage List wasn’t. At the drop of a hat, he would “entertain” whatever company he was in
Edirne Deputy Mayor Namk Kemal Professor Nevzat lhan of Trakya Univer- An application made years ago to have with his limited repertoire of popular music. At a late night party that sort of thing
Döleneken provided details on the Nov. sity’s architecture and engineering faculty, the Selimiye Mosque, one of the most is expected and harmless, but Ollie would perform at any time of the night or
16-17 meeting to take place in Edirne, a an expert on restoration as well as a sci- important architectural structures re- day. Frau and I still cringe at the opening chords of “Bridge over Troubled
meeting that will be attended by experts entic consultant for the Edirne mosque maining in Turkey from the Ottoman era, Waters” even from Messrs. Simon and Thingy.
from Spain, Italy, France, Russia, Greece project, notes that having a historical site added to the UNESCO World Heritage Ollie possessed a unique talent in being able to smell a cooked meal or a
and Israel. Döleneken emphasized the added to the UNESCO list is not so much List did not result in success. And in the crate of beer from many miles away and was able to turn up at precisely the right
municipality’s determination to see the a nal result as a process in itself. lhan time that has since passed, the conditions time to help us dispose of either or both. So it was that on many, many nights he
city’s famous Ottoman-era mosque says the entire city needs to be involved, in place for the inclusion of a site on the would sigh deeply at, say 11 p.m., and announce that he would stay the night.
adding, “Every city institution must be a UNESCO list have changed. We hardly minded that at all, but as we only have one bedroom, it did mean him
part of this process.” While in the past, evaluations were sleeping on the sofa in the lounge. Again, a small inconvenience; however, I
Talking about the historical and cul- only made of the site being considered eventually vowed to build him a simple small shelter on our land behind the cot-
tural value of the mosque, Professor lhan itself, now conditions also call for wid- tage. It was to be called “The Ollie House.”
notes: “The Selimiye Mosque can only be er evaluations of the area surrounding I designed an A-framed simple structure with room for only two bunks
accurately compared to structures such as the site. In accordance with the new and a built-in table. It would measure about 3 meters long by 2.5 meters wide
the Pantheon in Rome built during the conditions, the Edirne Municipality at the base, the “A” having a 2.5-meter base and a height of a little less than 4
time of the Emperor Hadrian, the Hagia embarked upon a three-year period meters. Do you get the picture? Lovely it would be. I laid the concrete base in
Soa, the Santa Maria del Fiore in Flor- of preparation for this new process. which I inset occasional short pieces of timber on which to nail the ground
ence, Saint Peter’s [Basilica] in Vatican One result of this long task has pieces. The whole structure was to be of 4x2 timbers and probably clad in that
been the production of a report on “Lambiri” tongue and grooved planking ubiquitous in Turkish bars and res-
the aboveground and underground taurants. No kitchen or toilet facilities, the hut was to be only 30 seconds’ walk
conditions of both the mosque and from our cottage to which he would have free access.
its environs. The report, which has I was too slow with the project. Before I even started on the superstructure,
been sent to the Ministry of Culture dear Oliver had a terrible accident on his motorcycle, and after a day or two in a
and Tourism in Ankara, is to be pre- coma, he died.
sented to UNESCO by February 2010. The concrete base of course remained, but I had lost the incentive to complete
the project; we used it as another terrace, but not often.
Maybe a year after losing Ollie, a neighboring farmer offered to sell us a very old
grain store. It was about 2 meters by 2.5 meters and a minimum of about 1-meter-high
but raised itself another 30 centimeters halfway along its 2.5 meters. It had four storage
compartments, each accessed from a trapdoor in the top of the box. It was built in ce-
dar wood to last forever and was built to be demountable so that it could easily be
transported from field to field or even farm to farm. The main structural elements were
not nailed at the corners but were fixed by halved-joints. The ground-resting timbers
were slightly sledge-shaped at the ends to allow dragging over short distances. It was a
superb piece of farming or nomad history and was simply too good not to have.
We took it, got it home and stood it on the site which was to have borne the
Ollie House. I think that is when the idea occurred. I raised a small vertical wall on
two of its sides and roofed it. The back wall was plain except for two brass portholes
[I think I was envisioning a ship’s cabin by that time] and the front, of course had a
door. The grain storage spaces became sail lockers. My work being done, Frau set to
“furnishing” the inside: a foam mattress on the upper level, carpet on the lower and
dozens of cushions throughout. If it looked like a yacht cabin, then it was a very exot-
ic one. Perhaps Errol Flynn may have had such, or Liberace, had he a yacht. There
may be Parisian bordellos similarly decorated.
And so we belatedly had our Ollie House, and by the way, his picture hangs inside.
I was reminded of this because I recently came across a paper written by the
eminent 19th century archaeologist Otto Benndorf, who recorded such a structure
in Lycia in 1884 and pointed out the halved-joints, which were exactly as on our
cedar box. Unfortunately Benndorf’s paper is in German and is not readily avail-
able. However a Google search for “history of art in Lycia” will throw up “History
CHAN, MUHAMMET CAKAN

of art in Phrygia, Lydia, Caria and Lycia from the French of Georges Perrot.” In it,
the author quotes Benndorf and his illustrations. On page 371, “The most original
tomb in Lycia is also the most ancient and the reproduction on [sic] stone of a
SELMYE MOSQUE, EDRNE

wooden construction.” Eight pages later is “Lycian Grannery” and shows almost
exactly the Ollie House to illustrate the point.
Isn’t it strangely ironic that an ancestor of our recent and comparatively humble
memorial to a dear sweet and simple man was used to inspire a far grander tomb
for a dead prince perhaps 2,400 years earlier?
PHOTO

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

CMYK
CULTURE&ARTS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009 TODAY’S ZAMAN 13

REUTERS
Book puts stanbul under the microscope

PHOTO
TODAY’S ZAMAN
RUMEYSA KIGER STANBUL tecture Museum (DAM) in 2008, are based on
contemporary updated data and run parallel to
A recently published book titled “Mapping articles written by various experts, including city
Istanbul” offers an in-depth analysis of the planner and cartographer Murat Güvenç. The
contemporary structure and borders of s- book includes 15 maps from Güvenç.
tanbul through maps, comparative research and ar- The editors of the book are targeting two
ticles, providing a view of the city that was not pre- kinds of readers: city researchers working on s-

PHOTOS
viously available to readers in English. tanbul and everyone with a sense of curiosity Aerosmith future in
“Mapping Istanbul,” published by the Ga- who wants to understand the city. Since the ex-
ranti Gallery, is the result of the gallery’s long- hibition by Garanti Gallery has been invited to doubt despite reunion
running project “Becoming Istanbul.” “The pro- many countries throughout the world, the orga- Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler joined
ject aims at understanding today’s stanbul, con- nizers of the project realized there was increasing estranged bandmate Joe Perry on stage in
‘Mapping Istanbul’ is temporary debates and urban dynamics and their attention toward stanbul in the international New York in hopes of setting the record straight
outcomes. It consists of an exhibition, a Web site arena. “The lack of publications that address this about the future of the feuding rock group. “New
the result of that will be running in the near future [www.be- attention was the main reason we published this York, I want you to know I’m not leaving Aeros-
Garanti Gallery’s comingistanbul.org] and publications,” one of the book in English. On the other hand, ‘Mapping Is- mith,” Tyler told fans in a surprise appearance on
editors of the book, Pelin Dervi, explained du- tanbul’ is a rst in its own way. Such a publicati-
long-running ring an interview with Today’s Zaman. on has never been done so far. Various architec-
Tuesday night at a concert by Perry’s solo side
project, music Web site NME.com reported.
project ‘Becoming “Becoming Istanbul,” which is formatted ture, city planning and sociology departments in Tyler, 61, and Perry, his songwriting part-
Istanbul,’ which aims like a dictionary, has been published in Turkish, stanbul were waiting for this book to be publis- ner of 40 years, then launched into a version of
English and German and includes 152 entries hed to use in their classes,” Dervi explains. “Walk This Way,” one of Aerosmith’s biggest
at understanding from 100 writers about contemporary changes The creator of the term “landscape urba- hits, NME.com said.
today’s stanbul, in Turkey’s cultural capital. The second sequen- nism,” Charles Waldheim, a professor and cha- The future of the band has been in doubt since a
ce of the book, titled “Tracing Istanbul [from the ir of landscape architecture at the Harvard Gra- North American tour was cut short in August when
urban dynamics and air],” goes on to explore changes in the city thro- duate School of Design, wrote an introduction for Tyler fell off stage, and relations between Perry
their outcomes,’ says ugh aerial photographs taken between 1992 and the book. The professor, whose work examines and Tyler deteriorated to a low this week with bit-
Pelin Dervi the present. The latest edition of “Mapping Istan- the relationships between landscape and con- ter Twitter messages and cryptic asides about whet-
bul” delves into the issues of the previous book temporary urbanism, describes the recent emer- her Tyler is still with the band. Perry, who said earli-
with concrete data, Dervi adds. gence of landscape as a medium of urban order er this week that the band was “positively” seeking
The book features authentic maps on vario- for the contemporary city with the term “landsca- a new singer, indicated on Wednesday that all was
us subjects such as population, economic activi- pe urbanism.” In his introduction to the book, he still not well in the band. In an interview with Rol-
ties, education, earthquakes, health, consumpti- explains the meaning of mapping and its intrigu- ling Stone, he referred to Tyler as an “acquaintance.”
on, energy resources and so on. The maps, which ing history, offering his own views of the “Map- “He wants to take two years off from the band,”
were previously exhibited at the German Archi- ping Istanbul” project from a foreign perspective. Perry told the magazine. “The rest of the band
wants to keep on working. We have so many diffe-
rent options to ll up that time. Anything is possib-
le at this point. Basically, any communication that
we’ve had over the last couple of months has been
through managers, so that’s been pretty strange.”
Tyler, on the other hand, told celebrity
Web site TMZ.com after Tuesday’s appearance
that “There is absolutely no validity to the ru-
mor that Aerosmith is breaking up.”
Perry told Rolling Stone that he was just as
surprised as the fans when Tyler showed up at
the venue, and asked to sing the encore tune.
“Being an acquaintance of 40 years, I said, ‘Why
not?’” Perry said. “So he came up and sang and
A scene from that was the last I saw of him.” Los Angeles Reuters
Fikret Atay’s
video “Gooaall!!”

Record 20 animated
Artist Fikret Atay’s films vie for Oscar
‘Batman vs. Batman’ Oscar organizers on Wednesday said a re-
cord 20 animated lms have been submitted
at Outlet art space for Academy Awards, from studio hits like “Up”
Internationally acclaimed Turkish artist Fikret and “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” to inde-
Atay is showcasing his rst solo show in Tur- pendently made “Mary and Max.”
key this month at the Outlet//Independent Art Spa- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci-
ce in stanbul, premiering two video works before an ences began giving out Oscars specically for best
stanbul audience. animated lm in 2002, and since then, the number
The exhibition brings together two of the artist’s of award-hopeful cartoon icks has steadily increa-
recent works, “Goaall!!” and “Batman vs. Batman,” sed amid a boom in computer animation.
both produced this year. Added to these is a selecti- Among the lms vying for the 2008 best ani-
on of Atay’s earlier works, including “Spring Fever” mated feature lm are Disney/Pixar smash hit
and “Holiwuut.” Atay, who is currently presenting a “Up,” about an old man and boy who oat off
video titled “Theorists” at the ongoing 10th Lyon Bi- to South America in a house tethered with heli-
ennial, will also participate at the Alexandria Bienna- um balloons. It earned $507 million at global box
le this December, where “Gooaall!!” will be shown to ofces this year, and is among the best-reviewed
an international audience for the rst time. lms of 2008. But it will face stiff competition from
In his videos, Atay makes reference to “country the widely-liked “Coraline,” which pulled in $121
matters” through cultural, social and geographical million in worldwide ticket sales. In fact, several
connections. His work deals with traditional lifestyles animated lms are among this year’s biggest hits
that are marked by Western inuences. “As a Tur- including “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” and
kish artist who has gained worldwide acclaim at an “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”
early age, Atay’s success is rooted in his ability to dis- Several movies on the list of 20, which will be
cover the universal aspects of supposedly local con- narrowed to a maximum of ve nominees compe-
cerns and his ability to reect on these,” the Outlet ting for the animated Oscar, have not yet been seen
art space said in a written statement. by broad audiences. They include the George Cloo-
In “Batman vs. Batman,” Atay depicts the comi- ney movie, “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” comedy “Planet 51”
cal homonymy between the city of Batman and the and Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog.”
superhero gure as a contention that is taken seri- The Oscars for 2009 will be given out on March
ously by local authorities and which led to a law- 7, 2010 and nominees will be announced on Feb. 2.
suit. Whereas internationally the case was neither Also among the 20 lms are “Alvin and the
taken seriously nor derided, Atay turns the event Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,” “Astro Boy,” “Battle
into a superhero story, similar in style to the Bat- for Terra,” “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” “Monsters
man movies. The mayor of Batman mutates virtu- vs. Aliens,” “9” and “Ponyo.” Los Angeles Reuters
ally into “The Dark Knight.” Atay’s documentary-
style inquiry is meshed with snippets of the “Bat-
man” series, thus involving the audience in a spi- Iranian artists present
rited and playful displacement. In “Gooaall!!” Atay
delves into asphalt roads, which are billed as prime
their works in Beyolu
symbols of “modernism.” Atay depicts children ex- Works of art by 31 contemporary Iranian
periencing modernism, consciously or not, as they artists went on view at a group exhibition
play soccer barefoot on the asphalt road. this week in stanbul as part of an international
Born in the southeastern city of Batman in project by the Beyolu Municipality.
1976, Atay has lived and worked in Paris and Bat- Titled “Bizden” (From Us) and part of the
man since 2003. The artist focuses on symbols, the municipality’s “Intercultural Dialogue of Art” pro-
codes of symbols and the relationship between the ject, the exhibition will remain on display until
concepts of identity and geography as well history Nov. 31 at the Beyolu Municipality Art Gallery.
in his work. Atay’s work is found in major public The show marks the 50th anniversary of a proto-
collections including the Musée d’art contempo- col that oversees cultural cooperation between Iran
rain de Montreal and the Museé du Luxembourg. and Turkey, the Anatolia news agency reported.
“Batman vs. Batman” can be seen until Nov. 26 Some of the artists whose work is featured
from 10 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. in the show include Abbas Arabzadeh, Darioush
Outlet//Independent Art Space is located on Bo- Rad, Farid Sani, Hassan Bardal, Reza Vaezpour, Si-
azkesen Cad., Kadirler Yokuu, No: 69 in the Top- amak Jafari, Siamak Zomorodi Motlagh and Soheil
hane neighborhood. stanbul Today’s Zaman Masoudi Nasab. stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

CMYK
14 TODAY’S ZAMAN FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009 OPINION

TODAY’S ZAMAN, KÜRAT BAYHAN


Kurdish leaders such as DTP leader Ahmet
Türk (second right) will soon have space to
produce a more proactive political discourse.
ORHAN KEMAL
CENGZ
o.cengiz@todayszaman.com

Kllng another
Armenan
I was originally only planning to write an entertaining story,

PHOTO
but then I came across a piece of news in Today’s Zaman. I said
to myself Turkey is like a family that has a psychopathic father
who does extremely disturbing things whenever the children
feel happy -- all just to kill their happiness. Why I use this met-
aphor in which I portray psychopaths as the father gure and
myself as a child needs to be analyzed separately.
Let’s turn to this “disturbing story.” As you read in yester-
day’s issue of Today’s Zaman, Taraf columnist Sevan Nianyan,
a Turkish citizen and an ethnic Armenian, published in his
column “letters from readers” sent to him in reaction to one
of his previous columns in which he rewrote Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk’s “Address to Turkish Youth.” He changed Atatürk’s
sentence “Your rst duty is to preserve and to defend Turkish
independence and the Turkish Republic forever” into “Your
rst duty is to be a human being.” He made other changes of
this type to the original address. In reaction to his creative column,
he received more than 400 e-mails from readers, threatening to kill
him, swearing at him using extremely strong language, insulting
him and so on. He quoted a dozen of these messages as examples
to give readers a taste of the remaining messages. When you read
these messages, the most “decent ones,” already quoted in yes-

EMERGENCE OF NEW POLITICAL


terday’s Today’s Zaman, clearly show that all attacks target his Ar-
menian ethnicity. The messages are written in the purest form of
racist mentality, which makes references to the killing of Turkish-
Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, to history and so on.
Reading these messages reminded me of something.

SPACE IN KURDISH DOMAIN


In the summer of 2008, I attended a course on genocide
in Toronto. A dinner was held for participants on the last
night of the course. There were also people from the Zo-
ryan Institute, which organized this course. An Armenian
gentleman who was told I was from Turkey wanted to talk to
me and sat right across from me at the table. His Turkish was
The most difcult task before Kurdish nationalists is to nd a new direction when the political perfect. He then told me his story. His family was originally
from Van, a city by the biggest lake of the same name in south-
opportunity space is expanded after the government’s Kurdish initiative is implemented. It would force east Anatolia. His grandfather was a wealthy man in Van.
Kurdish intellectuals to change their reactionary rhetoric and produce more proactive There was a Kurdish clan leader in Van who used to
invite rich and prominent Armenians to his home every
political discourse to make sense of the new political opportunity space year for a special dinner. That particular year, the Kurd-
ish tribe leader, as usual, invited wealthy Armenians to his
With the government having brought its proposal erate new political rhetoric? More importantly, the new home for dinner again. During the dinner this Armenian
to address the Kurdish question to Parliament, Tur- EMRE political opportunity space requires establishing new gentleman’s father was playing games with children in the
key has been concentrating on the details of the pro- Kurdish institutions to facilitate new Kurdish rhetoric yard of the house. Something unusual happened: The chil-
posal. While opposition parties are trying to hinder
USLU and maintain Kurdish nationalist debates. It means al- dren were told to go to their homes and were also told that
the proposal, the government has nothing but to go e.uslu@todayszaman.com tering the habits of Kurdish political actors. their fathers were going to join them later on. Later on, they
forward with its plan. Simply opening the oor of Par- learned that no Armenian who attended this dinner left alive;
liament to such a debate can potentially open a new Nature of new political actors they were all killed that night. The year was 1915. This Kurdish
political opportunity space in Kurdish politics, and tion in the political opportunity space will produce new As a result of the contracted political opportunity space, tribe leader most probably became a very rich man after tak-
we can expect new political actors to emerge as ex- political discourses and new political actors. Kurdish political actors and organizations have always ing the possessions of the Armenians he killed.
isting actors lose their inuence if they fail to readjust The Kurdish nationalist political discourse has long been reactionary in nature. From singer ivan Perwer Following this, the family formed a new life in stanbul,
their policies and organizational structure accordingly. developed as a reactionary political discourse to “ght” to jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and from Rizgari and this gentleman received quite a good education there.
against restricted political opportunities in the Kurdish to the PKK, Kurdish individuals and organizations al- When the time for military conscription came, he had to make
Nature of new opportunity space region. Fights in political discourse transformed into a ways resisted the existing opportunity space. Yet the a choice: He was either going to join the military or he was
Examining current developments, one can easily detect political movement; the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) expansion of the political opportunity space as an out- going to go abroad like many of his Armenian friends living in
several key points that suggest to us how the new op- advocates an armed struggle to expand the limited po- come of the Kurdish initiative forces Kurdish actors and Turkey did. He chose to join the army, believing that a good life
portunity space will look like. The state institutions’ vis- litical space of Kurdish intellectuals. Yet the armed organizations to reconsider their tactics and strategies awaited him in Turkey after completing military service.
ibility in the new political space will be reduced much struggle further shrank the opportunity space and ended to mobilize Kurds around their causes. Since he had already completed his graduate degree at the
more than in the existing political space in the Kurdish up killing healthy Kurdish discourse to produce the in- The new opportunity space requires more of a ser- time, he joined the military under the rank of second lieuten-
region. In practice, fewer checkpoints, fewer riot police, tellectual base for Kurdish nationalism. In the end, most vice-based movement to reach out to the people in the ant. Apparently, for many racist Turks, having an ethnic Ar-
fewer military operations, in turn, will generate an envi- of the Kurdish identity has been injected into larger seg- region. Except for the Kurdish Hizbullah, most Kurdish menian commander over them was a very big insult. As soon
ronment that promotes civil society. It seems the Kurd- ments of Kurdish communities; however, the Kurdish organizations are “identity-based” organizations that as he stepped into the compound, they started to hassle him.
ish initiative that the government is proposing is open- identity debate was limited to a vicious cycle between were founded and maintained their unity by generat- Every night a group of soldiers spoke of killing him in front
ing new doors for private investors to provide Kurds anti-Turkish rhetoric on the one hand and imitations of ing political identity debates in the Kurdish region. In of the door to his room. There was no night he did not hear
services they want -- i.e., Kurdish institutions, broad- early Turkish nationalist practices on the other. other words, it was meaningful for many Kurds to at- conversations about how he was going to be killed. As soon as
casting, education, etc. It means the state is at least The most difcult task before Kurdish nationalists is tend Nevruz ceremonies in the early 1990s because the he completed his military service, he sought asylum in Canada
withdrawing from some areas that have been provid- to nd a new direction when the political opportunity Nevruz ceremonies were the symbol of their identity. and has been living there ever since. What a trauma for him
ing services to the people in the region. The withdrawal space is expanded after the government’s Kurdish ini- Yet in recent years, without famous singers and addi- and what a loss for Turkey. He is a smart guy who received one
of the state from the Kurdish domain necessitates the tiative is implemented. It would force Kurdish intellec- tional cultural activities, Kurds do not want to attend of the best educations in Turkey. Turkey indeed lost a great
emergence of new organizations to ll the state institu- tuals to change their reactionary rhetoric and produce Nevruz activities because identity arguments have taken individual, a man who was determined to live in this country
tions’ role. This role is to provide services to the people more proactive political discourse to make sense of the over their role. On the contrary, the Kurdish Hizbullah, despite everything. What a big loss for Turkey.
of the region. Democratically elected municipalities new political opportunity space. Yet there is no culture a service-based Kurdish movement, manages to gath- Nianyan is one of this country’s brightest minds,
may potentially be the right institutions to provide such among Kurdish intellectuals to develop or rewrite Kurd- er hundreds of thousands of Kurds to “celebrate” the and we are very luck he did not leave Turkey. I am sure,
services; however, the municipalities’ nancial and po- ish political discourse according to new rules. In other Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. This is indicative of the like every other Armenian living in Turkey, that he must
litical structures do not allow them to provide necessary words, if there are no Turkey or Turks to react to, what new direction in which Kurdish political organizations’ have endured all kinds of racist attacks of all types and
services to the people in the region. Such a transforma- are Kurdish intellectuals to do? How are they to gen- mobilization strategies are evolving. forms during his life. But he did not leave Turkey; he
continues to live here and continues to contribute to the
democratization of this country. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Thýnk tank cafe´ Daðýstan Çetinkaya


dagistancetinkaya@todayszaman.com.tr
Established on January 16, 2007 NO: 0916
Friday, November 13, 2009

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CMYK
COLUMNS F R I D AY , NOVEMBER 13, 2009 TODAY’S ZAMAN 15

The party of the collapsng center poltcs


We have witnessed the revival of a past habit and a page in Turkish republic and keep the country in the “center.” were taken out of center politics. It is for this reason that we are most likely
history that seeks to normalize its relations with neighbors, force the Looking back, we understand that the term “center” is a regime cri- to witness the merger between the DP and ANAVATAN assume a role
military to perform its actual duties and functions and start a new era in
ETYEN terion ensuring that the politics is shaped in accordance with the wishes by which this new party will promote the regime; it should be noted that
an attempt to address the systematic victimization of the Kurds. MAHÇUPYAN of the military; just like Turkish-style secularism, it reects an approach the speakers and leaders of this new movement stress that they are part of
Two parties whose ideological base relies on a mixture of national- e.mahcupyan@todayszaman.com restricting the sphere of politics, dening the administration over the re- the center -- not part of the center-right. In other words, they are actually
ism, liberalism and pragmatism -- the Motherland Party (ANAVATAN, gime and seeking the legitimacy of politics in the state and the military. expressing that politics is over and that we are dealing with a regime issue.
previously ANAP) and the Democrat Party (DP), previously known as Politics has long been dominated by the center-right and center-left in From one perspective, this is not so untrue because there has always
the True Path Party (DYP), have merged. The new party will be chaired held in custody in connection with the Ergenekon case and praised Turkey; but this “center” had nothing to do with social preferences and been a regime issue since the creation of the republican regime and or-
by Hüsamettin Cindoruk, who acts as the successor of Süleyman them as the beloved sons of this homeland. demands. Political parties were clustered around a “center” dened by der. I am talking about a system of distributing privileges that loves lim-
Demirel, the legendary leader of center-right politics since 1960. This Even if it is possible for this new political actor to steal some votes the military while the people were forced to express support for the re- iting the society, fails to internalize freedom and perceives the public
merger, which could have attracted a great deal of attention and had a from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Move- gime by voting for these parties. sphere through a security paradigm. Those who work hard to block the
visible impact on the political landscape had this happened a decade ago, ment Party (MHP), it will not be able to undermine the Justice and De- However, in the meantime, the society was going through a huge EU process and reforms introduced by the AK Party government actu-
did not lead to any remarkable excitement nor attract media attention. velopment Party’s (AK Party) image. In this case, it could be argued that transformation; this culminated in the alienation of the “centrist” state- ally say that democracy is a threat to democracy. However, this is also
One of the reasons for this lack of interest may be the obvious fact this merger will fail to achieve its targets, which include the erosion of favored political parties from society. The center-right parties lost power a confession because they indeed admit that the regime is a threat to
that Demirel will serve as the guard and protector of this party. Some the AK Party’s prestige among the people. in this process, and only the CHP survived in the center-left. The “cen- democracy as well as the society.
recent allegations and rumors indicate that he was involved in the prep- The common perception a decade ago was not like this. The coun- ter” slipped away from the hands of the state as the distance between Everything is transparent in Turkey now; discourses and actions
aration of a statement seeking to prevent the election of Abdullah Gül try’s major papers were calling for the merger of the center-right and the state and the society grew. The socialization of politics generated a seeking to cover up things no longer work out. What party is serving
as president in the 2007 presidential elections. In other words, the name the center-left and showed enthusiasm when steps were taken toward new denition of center based on the preferences of the society, and the what purpose is obvious. ANAVATAN and the DP are eager to serve as
of this former president is mentioned with coup allegations, and this this end. Such a merger was viewed as a sign of stabilization in politics, AK Party sat over the center emptied by former political actors. the civilian wing of the Ergenekon plot; the “ancient regime” is trying
reinforces his image as a supporter of an “ancient regime.” a consolidation of the political center and the marginalization of political Secular intellectuals who had asked the predecessor of the AK Party to survive, but it does not have the intellectual power nor is the interna-
The shadow of the “ancient regime” over the merged parties is not movements outside of ofcial ideology. The major goal was to create to come closer to center politics 10 years ago now barely recall this because tional set of events suitable for its success. As such, the “center,” which
due to Demirel alone. In his speech, Cindoruk greeted the defendants a political spectrum compatible with the fundamental principles of the they are aware that the center slipped away from their hands and that they was once attractive to all, has turned into a black hole.

EMRE ÖZDEMR
YAVUZ No Comment e.ozdemir@todayszaman.com AL
BAYDAR BULAÇ
y.baydar@todayszaman.com a.bulac@todayszaman.com

Open-ended battle Poltczaton of


takes a new turn relgon (2)
With this, Turkish politics entered rugged terrain. From today on, there will It is important that politics is carried out according to its own rules
be winds and further chills sweeping over it; trunks of trees and landslides and operational values. In order for an administration to take
may do their utmost to make the journey difcult. shape based on the public’s will and within the rule of law it must
In a sense, nowadays we witness a new phase of the impressive power protect itself against the intervention of actors that have additional
struggle pushing the transformation further. The rst visible confrontation power and advantages. When these particular actors fulll their
took place before the Cyprus referendum process in late 2003 and 2004, responsibilities within the limits set by political will and the law,
during which the top command had taken the lead of vicious psychologi- politics is protected from misuse. But when these actors use the
cal warfare and had done its outmost to keep the status quo on the island power in their hands to develop a relationship based on their own
intact. It failed, although the referendum process also turned into a failure interests, not only do they obtain unlawful benets and a higher
on Turkey’s part (and one cannot blame Ankara for the latter). status but they also corrupt the political regime.
The second major confrontation was the escalated social tension and One of the critical impasses in modern politics is that arrange-
polarity, mainly by undemocratic social, bureaucratic, academic and politi- ments made by political mechanisms function to serve the interests
cal forces, with the support of the so-called “mainstream” media, in order of a certain class, lobby, interest group or central power while the
to block Abdullah Gül for being elected president. The campaign included larger segment of society develops an increasingly strong fear of indi-
all possible elements such as murders and acts of terror, open threats, an gence and deprivation. A democratic regime is a form of politics that
e-memo and massive media manipulation, but due to a smart move by the claims to prevent corruption and unlawful gains by dening specic
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), seen as a “lethal political adver- rules and mechanisms and securing the duration of their execution.
sary,” the elections and its results delivered a severe blow to those segments. However, we also know that the process in question does not
The next stage became apparent when the victorious AKP, with 47 per- always function effectively. When there are open and cruel inter-
cent of the vote, came to the inevitable conclusion that a complete constitu- ventions, the democratic regime, along with its means and tools,
tional change is necessary. But, due to its failures in public communications is no longer functional. Power is the decisive factor in this kind
and lack of visionary strategy, when it took the path of a partial reform by of open intervention. Some examples are military interventions,
merely focusing on the headscarf issue, the battle launched by the judiciary autocratic regimes and dictatorial administrations. In anti-demo-
through the closure case ended with a defeat for the AKP, consolidating the cratic regimes, intervention is not concealed but instead is carried
notion that a move towards juristocracy (by the utterly disputable verdict out openly and with peculiarly coarse methods.
and a narrow vote at the highest level) will mean truly hard times ahead. This situation is related to distinctive intervention methods
Towards the middle of this year, the AKP, feeling rather condent, most in which the initial goals are obliterated but the visible tools are
probably seeing no other option, decided for a full-frontal political offensive, protected. When nonpolitical external forces interfere in politics,
domestically and diplomatically. At the core of the domestic part lies the de- the formal political institutions are kept but their functions no
termination to tackle the Kurdish and other minority issues, to “persuade” longer operate in line with their respective goals. The function
the military to cease political activity and to reform the judiciary. of institutions is to solve problems, but outside intervention is
The development intensifying in recent weeks shows that the battleeld an approach that conicts with this function. In other words, the
will be the judiciary, on which the political actors will test their strengths to purpose of an intervention is not to solve problems but to inhibit
its very limit, forcing their abilities to the very end. The equation shaping the problem solving means and methods.
battleeld is this: The AKP leadership has known that the condence it felt in
the beginning of this year, mainly due to the Ergenekon case, is again wan-
Populst opposton For this reason paralyzing politics in itself and breaking it
into fragments is one of the methods applied. If the total votes
ing because it has received information that a “regrouping” of undemocratic can friends who found the situation confusing and were of at least one or two political parties are not enough to become
forces is underway, this time to set a stop to the next round of presidential somewhat puzzled. The polarization reected through a ruling power for several election periods, then that is a sign
elections and to weaken the party. It has also been informed of the dangers
NICOLE the media further muddles the issues. not of political ssure in the society, but of the existence of sys-
of engaging with the Kurdish process: The opposition -- democratic or un- POPE Polarization, of course, is not new in Turkey, nor is it tematic interventions in politics.
democratic -- knows that the AKP lost some votes due to the awed conduct n.pope@todayszaman.com limited to Turkey. Americans are perhaps best placed to The effective method that is applied when breaking politics
of the “initiative” and also because of the behavior of the Democratic Society understand that the society is divided and radically differ- into fragments from the center toward the right and left ends is
Party (DTP). But despite the risks, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan is ent views of government coexist, because polarization is to create a dangerous “other” that poses a threat to the entire sys-
expected to “take it to the very end” on all domestic issues. I’ve only been away from Turkey for a couple of weeks, but also a major feature of American life these days. tem. If this manufactured “dangerous other” becomes a center of
The developments on two “fronts” are signicant enough in this con- much has happened in the interval. Col. Dursun Ciçek has In the past couple of weeks, I had the opportunity to attention for other political parties as well then the goal has been
text: Arrests of Col. Dursun Çiçek as well as a lieutenant colonel (in a case been arrested, more incriminating documents have alleg- talk to several prominent civil society activists, journalists partially achieved. The generated threat becomes the general topic
about buried weapons in Poyrazköy) by civilian courts signify a turning edly been found and the government’s plan to address the and academics in the United States. US society was deeply of politics and other parties nd a chance to become a ruling power
point. The court decisions mean a blow to Chief of General Staff Gen. lker Kurdish issue and expand democratic rights throughout polarized under George Bush, but it appears to be even provided they accept the existence of this threat. Since parties do
Babu, who had claimed that the document (signed by Çiçek) was a “piece Turkey has been debated in Parliament. more so under Barack Obama. not have power to ght this threat on their own they need the help
of paper” and that the lightweight anti-tank weapon (LAW) weapons were From New York, I tried to follow the parliamentary As the current administration attempts to reform the and support of external powers. When nonpolitical external powers
“pipes.” Reports from colleagues tell us the prime minister has been in- discussion, which turned into a brawl. While liberals and healthcare system and ensure that all Americans have ac- instill the belief that normal political parties can not protect against
formed about further “secret” documents and the civilian prosecutors’ ofce Justice and Development Party (AK Party) supporters view cess to medical treatment, the attitude of the opposition, this serious threat, their inuence over politics become naturally
has some 3,000 pages of said documents. This means depending on “mili- the events of recent weeks as a fundamental but welcome whether it is the actual Republican Party or its supporters understandable and enables them to nd a ground of legitimacy.
tary resistance” to obeying the law, there may be other leaks to the press. shift in Turkey, the opposition maintains its unhelpful at- within the media, has been every bit as challenging and While political parties are expected to avoid opportunism
Meanwhile, the new allegations that the phones of the chief public titude and persists in seeing them as a deviation from Tur- inexible as that of the Turkish opposition parties. and focus on basic political and moral principles to make the
prosecutor of stanbul, Aykut Cengiz Engin, and the switchboard of the key’s natural path. Neither the Republican People’s Party At a recent demonstration on Capitol Hill, demonstra- politically dened “other” safe within the context of the normal
High Court of Appeals, together with charges of criminal activity brought (CHP) nor the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) appear tors were waving placards comparing Obama to Hitler. political process and not ask for the support of external powers,
up against the judge in Sincan Court and Ömer Faruk Eminaaolu, the to have understood that the wind is changing, and that While its own supporters deplore that President Obama is if the external powers instead end up falling into a trap or take
president of the Judges and Prosecutors Association (YARSAV), mean a military solutions had always failed to bring the peace and a lot more timid than the candidate they had voted for, its advantage of opportunities given to them, not only will they have
turning point within the judiciary. Reports yesterday stated that the re- stability this country needed. opponents on the other hand manage to accuse him at the a place in politics but also nd themselves a place in the alliance
quest for wiretapping came from the Justice Ministry, and a court in Istan- As various polls have shown, Turkish society remains same time of being a Nazi and a communist. of nonpolitical external powers.
bul approved of it and extended it. profoundly divided. Some Turks feel that the current tur- Right-wing Americans seem to believe that uni- In this respect, a crucial reason why “religion” has a central
The decision was part of the investigation -- in context of Ergenekon moil, which involves the army and now the judiciary, is versal healthcare, common throughout Europe, would role in Turkish politics is that both “pro-religious” and “anti-reli-
-- on some 50 judges and prosecutors in key positions whose names and taking away some of their certainties, leaving them uncer- mean death for little old ladies and for the American gious” people are empirically aware that the religion motif brings
private information were found at a search of the Workers’ Party (P) tain about the future. The policy changes on the Kurdish way of life. Their extreme views have forced the admin- a prot. Even if central right parties have not taken any notable
headquarters. This means, most of all, one thing: As within the military, issue or on ties with Armenia, for instance, have been so istration to lower the bar and introduce a much more steps to expand freedom of religion and conscience by standing
there is also a sharpening divide within the judiciary because of the appar- rapid and profound that, inevitably, public opinion will diluted version of the initial reform. beside religious segments of the society, in contrast to the Re-
ent ‘identity and structural crisis,’ which shatters both institutions. In other need time to adjust to a different way of thinking. Aside from media outlets that are clearly partisans, publican People’s Party (CHP), they have obtained political gains
words, there battleelds within battleelds. It will also take some time for the outside world to many mainstream publications choose, for the sake of from “religious partisanship.”
Democracy is tough to achieve. The elected opposition, with its severe take stock of recent developments in Turkey. Colum- journalistic fairness, to give as much airtime to blatant lies, As for left parties that support authoritarian secularism, they
obstinacy to commit to a civilized and rational ght, makes it only tougher. nists like David Shenker, whose recent column in The including cooky notions that under a public healthcare sys- secure support from certain classes by adopting radical attitudes
If a civilian-military balance is achieved and if the judiciary can be reformed Wall Street Journal warned that Turkey was drifting tem death panels would decide who lives or dies, than to leading to “anti-religious advocacy.” Religion is the primary topic
as indicated in the EU Progress Report, the next phase will be to see whether away from the Western orbit, clearly view events in this rational arguments and empirical evidence. of interest for coup supporters as well. This is a critical factor block-
a new, democratic type of opposition will emerge. If it does not, then -- and region through a narrow prism. But I was also asked to Keeping the debate civilized and constructive appears as ing politics. As long as this factor continues to play a role, politics
only then -- we can start talking about a one-party dictatorship. explain what was going by several open-minded Ameri- difcult on the other side of the Atlantic as it is here in Turkey. can not carry out the functions that it is expected to perform.

CMYK
16 TODAY’S ZAMAN F R I D AY, N O V E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 0 9
LEISURE

Gregorian Calendar: 13 November 2009 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 26 Dhul-Qadah 1430 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 26 Cheshvan 5770 tv gude
calendar@todayszaman.com
E2
08:00 Dedikoducu Kz
Today is the anniversary of the Corrective Revolution an estimated 23,000 deaths, 5,000 injuries and destroyed available service on the Internet. 10:00 The Martha Stewart Show
11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
of 1970 in Syria that brought Hafez al-Assad to pow- more than 5,000 homes. Today is also the birthday of the helicopter. On this
move gude er. The coup was a bloodless one directed at a dominant Today is the birthday of the World Wide Web. Tim day in 1907, Paul Cornu (1881-1944), a French engineer
12:00 Umutsuz Evkadnlar
14:00 The Martha Stewart Show
15:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
ultra-left wing faction of the Baath Party and began the Berners-Lee, the father of the Web, published his for- who manufactured bicycles, made the first piloted flight
16:00 Dedikoducu Kz
three-decade-long Hafez al-Assad era in Syria. mal proposal for the Web on this day in 1990. Within with the world’s first manned rotary-wing aircraft. It was 18:00 The Martha Stewart Show
Today is the anniversary of the 1985 eruption of the the following months, Berners-Lee himself built all the powered by a 24-horsepower Antoinette engine. 19:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
20:00 Family Guy
Nevado del Ruiz volcano. Nevado del Ruiz is part of the tools necessary for a working Web. But it was not until The Turkish city of Tekirda was liberated from Greek 21:00 Heroes
Andean Volcanic Belt in Colombia. This eruption caused Aug. 6, 1991 that the Web project was made a publicly occupation on this day in 1922. 22:15 Later With Jools Holland
23:00 The Tonight Show With
Conan O'Brien
24:00 Later With Jools Holland
01:00 The Jay Leno Show
02:00 The Tonight Show With
Conan O'Brien
03:00 Heroes
“Coco Avant Chanel” 04:00 Family Guy

DISTRICT 9
STANBUL: Esentepe Cinebonus Astoria
11:45 14:15 16:45 19:15 21:45 00:15 Kadköy
Cinebonus 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30
New album proves Robbe CNBC-E
17:55 How I Met Your Mother
18:50 The Jay Leno Show
20:00 Merlin
00:00 ANKARA: Ata On Tower 12:15 14:30
17:00 19:15 21:30 00:00 ZMR: Cinebonus
Konak Pier 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30
00:00 ANTALYA: Cinebonus Migros 12:00
14:30 17:00 19:30 22:00 00:15
Wllams s a great bran teaser 21:00 One Tree Hill
22:00 Election II
00:00 The Jay Leno Show
01:00 Merlin
02:00 One Tree Hill

AP, YUI MOK


ANN POWERS LOS ANGELES soulful Williams as an irresistibly
rresistibly smart, 03:00 Election II
COCO AVANT CHANEL cosmopolitan man-child d of the overly 05:00 One Tree Hill
STANBUL: Beyolu Atlas 12:00 14:15 “This is a song full of metaphors,” wired world.
16:30 19:00 21:30 Kozyata Cinebonus GOLDMAX
Palladium 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15 Robbie Williams sneers over He’s always written about fame’s fun 06:35 Gandhi
23:45 ANKARA: Ata On Tower 12:45 09:40 Going Under
some dusted-off mid-1970s gui- and peril, but with “Reality,”
ity,” Williams fo-

PHOTO
15:00 17:15 19:30 21:45 00:00 ZMR: 11:05 The Godfather II
Cinebonus Konak Pier 11:15 13:45 16:15 tar crunch in the party anthem “Do You cuses hard on the out-of-body
-body experience 14:30 Cleopatra
18:45 21:15 23:45 18:35 Scoop
Mind,” which comes right in the middle of the everyday. “I’ve got no problem with
20:15 The In-Laws
KISKANMAK of this bullishly diverse album. What song the physical minimal reall life,” he croons, 22:00 Starter For 10
STANBUL: Beyolu AFM Fita isn’t? Dwelling on the obvious is an easy slightly Auto-tuned, in the
he Pet Shop Boys 23:35 Sour Grapes
11:40 14:00 16:20 18:40 21:00 23:40 01:10 Salir Pitando
pop star move, but the witty Williams is homage “Starstruck.” But ut that’s a lie. 02:50 Stanley Donen's Bedazzled
Caddebostan AFM 11:30 14:00 16:30
19:00 21:20 23:50 ANKARA: Bilkent usually sharper than that. Reclaiming Williams’ms’ spot in the 05:00 Cleopatra
Cinebonus 11:00 13:10 15:20 17:30 19:40 Perhaps he’s decided that being line of self-skewering Brit wits
21:50 ZMR: AFM Forum Bornova 11:30 MOVIEMAX
14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 23:45 ANTALYA: obvious is his only hope. The attitudi- that runs from Noel Cowardward to 06:35 Around The World in 80
Cinebonus Migros 12:15 14:30 16:45 Days
nal crooner and former boy band star Ricky Gervais, “Reality” cov- 08:30 Behind The Red Door
19:00 21:15
remains a novelty stateside, though in ers much musical ground und 10:20 Finn On The Fly
MEZUNYET England he’s basically Justin Timberlake while sticking to itss 12:05 Walking Tall: Lone Justice
STANBUL: ili Megaplex Cevahir 11:00 13:50 Hidalgo
minus the grace. Williams’ eighth studio main point: that for bothh 16:10 Semi-Pro
13:00 15:15 17:30 19:30 21:45 Kadköy
Cinebonus 11:45 14:15 16:45 19:00 21:15 effort is a full-body flex matching buttery the celebrity and the av-- 17:55 The X Files: I Want To
23:30 ANKARA: Bilkent Cinebonus 11:00 Believe
ballads with laser-flecked dance tracks erage bloke on date night,
ght, life is 20:00 Speed Racer
13:10 15:20 17:30 19:40 21:50 00:00 ZMR:
Cinebonus Konak Pier 10:30 12:45 and arch updates from the music hall. one big show full of flubbed
ubbed lines 22:25 The Invasion
15:00 17:15 19:30 21:45 00:00 ANTALYA: 00:15 Catacombs
It’s meant to both resurrect his flag- and fumbled choreography.phy. 01:55 Y.P.F
Cinebonus Migros 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:30
19:45 22:00 ging career at home and to finally cap- Horn’s production is gorgeous, 03:30 Vacancy
04:55 Hidalgo
ture America, now that younger stars like and Williams benefits greatly from
NCR ÇEKRDE Katy Perry have made Williams’ brand of the gifts of the producer’sr’s longtime
STANBUL: Beyolu Sinepop 11:30 MGM MOVIES
13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:15 Kozyata power camp acceptable here. team, including the arranger,
anger, Anne 07:15 Noose For A Gunman
Cinebonus Palladium 11:30 13:30 15:30 08:30 Love In The Afternoon
To that end, “Reality” is all about Dudley. “Reality” unfolds nfolds with 10:40 Convict Cowboy
17:30 19:30 21:30 23:30 ANKARA: Bilkent
Cinebonus 11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 metaphors, puns and other brilliant deliberate variety -- its ts calculated 12:20 Dead Man's Gun: The
21:30 00:00 ZMR: Cinecity Kipa Çili Wages Of Sin
turns of phrase, from the title that nods pleasures won’t appeal to those seek- 13:10 Dead Man's Gun:
11:45 13:45 15:45 17:45 19:45 21:45 00:30
to the old Buggles hit by its producer, ing earnest emotion orr even slightly Snakefinger
AK GELYORUM DEMEZ Trevor Horn, to the rapper-like rhymes ragged sounds. Like the he verbal tricks 14:00 Juggernaut
15:55 Everything You Always...Sex
STANBUL: Maçka Cinebonus 11:00
12:00 13:00 15:15 17:30 18:30 19:45 22:00
(“it’s not a blast for me, it’s blasphe- he loves to employ, the appeal of Rob- 17:25 Boys
00:15 Caddebostan AFM 10:50 13:20 my”) and non-sequiturs (“the hairdo bie Williams might still be too tricky to 18:55 Grayeagle
15:45 17:00 18:10 19:25 20:35 21:50 23:00 20:45 Network
of the godhead”) scattered throughout be truly universal. But this
his album proves 22:50 Girl With Green Eyes
ANKARA: Ata On Tower 11:30 13:30
15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30 00:00 ZMR: AFM its meditations of fame, age and non- that he is a great brain teaser.
easer. 00:25 The Little Girl Who Lives
Passtel 11:00 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 Down The Lane
committal romance. Whether upbeat Robbie Williams, “Reality
Reality Killed the 02:20 Grayeagle
23:30 ANTALYA: Cinebonus Migros 11:45
14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 00:00 and sci-fi mystical or orchestrated and Video Star,” Virgin Records, three stars out Singer Robbie Williams performing on stage at the BBC Electric Proms in London in October. 04:35 Black Caesar
jaded, these songs showcase the nasally of four © Los Angeles Times 2009 His newest studio album, the 13-track “Reality Killled the Video Star,” was released on Nov. 9.
COMEDYMAX
06:00 Yes Dear
06:30 Reba
07:00 3rd Rock from the Sun
07:30 Ugly Betty

Crossword Mr. DploMAT! Cem Kzltu


c.kiziltug@todayszaman.com
08:30 The Middle
09:00 The Cosby Show
10:00 According to Jim
11:00 Everybody Loves Raymond
934 12:00 Arli$$
ACROSS 46 Make use of naive 38 Commen-
1 “Star Trek” the library, in 11 Creepy dation 13:00 The Game
phaser setting a way crawler 42 New York’s 13:30 Ugly Betty
5 Added filing 47 Wind-direction 12 Jack-in-the- time zone
aids to devices 14:30 The Middle
pulpit, e.g. 44 Cause of royal
11 A big spender 50 Former 13 Opposite of insomnia 15:00 The Cosby Show
may flash one European coin allow 45 Chick 16:00 According to Jim
14 Butterfly stage 52 Hairy creature 21 Wrathful watcher? 17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond
15 Pal of George 56 Answer emotion 47 Not yet
and Jerry incorrectly, e.g. 23 Absolute expired 18:00 3rd Rock from the Sun
16 A load off 57 Like writing (Abbr.) 48 “The 18:30 The Game
one’s mine? leaning to the 25 Agra attire Tempest” 19:00 The Cosby Show
17 “Dukes of right (Var.) spirit 19:30 Ugly Betty
Hazzard” 59 “How can 26 Washington 49 Mother of
deputy I ___ repay successor pearl 20:30 The Middle
18 Shower you?” 27 Classical 50 Word with 21:00 According to Jim
scourge 60 Ottoman big column style “even” or 21:30 Everybody Loves Raymond
19 Try to get shot 28 Long-legged “heat” 22:00 Arli$$
elected 61 Superior in crustacean 51 Sudden
20 Atari game lubricity 29 Little job for a hankering 23:00 Californication
named for an 62 Bulk paper body shop 52 It may be 23:30 Weeds
arthropod purchase 30 Hydrant spun around 00:00 The Middle
22 “De-lish!” 63 Coming out feeders a campfire
24 Twisted ball miss, 31 White-plumed 53 Iris area
humor briefly wading bird 54 “Look before
25 Black 64 Unlikely 33 Like a you ___”
Tuesday cry
26 Bookstore
haystack find
65 Afternoon
baseball’s
path
55 What the
Venus de
rado gude
passageway activities, for 34 “Evil” Milo is
29 ___ phone some attachment missing
(application
field)
32 Inane (Var.)
DOWN
1 On ___ (with-
out a buyer)
35 Extinct New
Zealand bird
58 Train track
piece
Sudoku TRT Toursm Rado
00:00 Identification and
Programming
33 Hold in 2 Tommy with PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER 00:25 Music
esteem a Tony HARD EASY 07:25 Identification and
36 Zig’s partner 3 “... ___ a
HARD

6 9 2 3 7 5 8 1 4 Programming
37 “Star Wars: midnight
The Phantom dreary” 3 9 6 1 4 8 7 9 6 1 5 2 3
07:30 Music
Menace” boy 4 With mean 08:30 News (English,
38 Sang like intent 3 5 1 4 8 2 6 9 7 French, German)
Crosby
39 Radial filler
5 Conductor’s
pace
5 2 4 7 1 6 8 7 9 3 2 4 5
08:40 Live Broadcast
(English, German, Russian)
40 “Morning” 6 Visitor from 9 3 4 5 2 6 1 7 8
10:30 News (English, French,
or “night” far, far away
lead-in 7 Nickname for 6 4 6 1 4 2 7 5 1 4 8 9 3 6 German, Greek, Russian)
41 Very long a rug wearer 8 1 9 6 3 4 7 5 2
10:45 Live Broadcast
cold snap 8 ___ one’s time (English, German, Russian)
42 Graceful (wait for an 1 2 7 1 7 2 3 8 5 9 4 6 1
12:30 News (English, French,
seabird opportunity) 5 4 6 2 1 7 3 8 9 German, Greek, Russian)
43 Sovereign’s 9 112.5
12.45 Live Broadcast
staff
45 Possessed, in
degrees away
from S
2 8 6 5 8 1 (English, German, Russian)
EASY

© 2009 Universal Uclick 5 7 4 1 2 6 8 9 3


the Bible 10 Youthful and www.upuzzles.com 15:00 News (English, French,
German, Greek, Russian)
3 8 4 7 8 3 2 7 5 9 4 1 6
15:15 Live Broadcast
6 1 9 4 8 3 7 5 2
(English, German, Russian)
3 9 7 5 4 8 2 6 1 18:30 News (English, French,
7 8 5 1 6 2 4 8 6 9 1 5 3 7 German, Greek, Russian)
18:45 Live Broadcast
1 6 5 3 7 2 9 4 8
1 4 9 3 5 4 7 8 1 9 3 4 6 2 5
(English, French)
21:30 News (English, French,
4 5 6 2 1 7 3 8 9 German, Greek, Russian)
5 1 2 1 8 6 5 9 2 3 8 6 5 1 7 4
21:45 Live Broadcast
(English, Greek)
23:58 Identification

HOW TO PLAY? : The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order Broadcast Areas:
Alanya FM 94.4
with the correct numbers. There are three very simple constraints to follow. In a 9 Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order Ankara FM 100.3
by 9 square Sudoku game: Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9 Antalya FM 92.1
Ayvalk FM 101.1
Bodrum FM 97.4
Fethiye FM 103.1
stanbul FM 101.6
travelers’

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- zmir FM 101.6
Kalkan FM 105.9
late: 0212 2513602-3-4 Russian Embassy: 0312 439 2122 Russian Consulate: 0212 244 1693-2610 British Embassy: 0312 455 3344 British Consulate: 0212
s.o.s

Kapadokya FM 103.0
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 Kuadas FM 101.9
Marmaris FM 101.0
Embassy: 0312 438 2195 Pakistani Embassy: 0312 427 1410 Austrian Embassy: 0312 419 0431-33 Austrian Consulate: 0212 262 9315 Belgian Embassy: Pamukkale FM 101.0
Trabzon FM 101.5
0312 446 8247 Belgian Consulate: 0212 243 3300 Egyptian Embassy: 0312 426 1026 Egyptian Consulate: 0212 263 6038 Israeli Embassy: 0312 446 3605

CMYK
CONTINUATION FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009 TODAY’S ZAMAN 17

Plot debate not over with arrest of colonel, observers say Kurdish initiative
to be discussed in

TODAY’S ZAMAN, SELMAN ETÜRKLER


contnued from page 1 other members of the military linked to the plot. If
We witnessed examples of this recently,” re- the investigation is covered up after the colonel’s ar- Parliament today
marked Mehmet Baransu, a reporter from the Ta- rest, then it will be an injustice to Çiçek,” remarked
The Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party)
raf daily. The reporter was referring to revelations Mehmet Metiner, a Bugün daily columnist.
Kurdish initiative, which aims to resolve Turkey’s
made in a letter from an unnamed military ofcer Col. Çiçek was summoned by Ergenekon
long-standing Kurdish problem, will be discussed in
who mailed the original copy of the plot to civilian prosecutors to testify last month, but he did not
Parliament today in a session that will begin at 1 p.m.
prosecutors. The ofcer claimed that the plot was comply with the order until 19 days later. Ergene-
Parliament’s advisory board, headed by Parliament
not produced solely by Col. Çiçek. He has yet to be kon prosecutor Zekeriya Öz announced on Tues-
Speaker Mehmet Ali ahin, gathered yesterday and ag-
questioned by prosecutors. “I take it more people day that police would use force to bring the colo-
reed to hold the session on Friday.
will be interrogated and arrested as part of the plot nel to testify on the plot if he continued to refu-
Preliminary talks held on Nov. 10 regarding the is-
probe in the days ahead. Furthermore, I believe the se to willingly comply with the order. “It is appa-
sue were marred by the reactions of the opposition par-
prime minister will have to remove Chief of Gene- rent that Col. Çiçek cannot have prepared such a
ties, which lashed out at the government for bringing
ral Staff Gen. lker Babu from ofce though he is plan by himself. We all know the hierarchy of the
the issue to the table on the 71st anniversary of the de-
not willing to do so. Further information and docu- armed forces. Judicial bodies should not settle for

PHOTO
ath of the nation’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
ments related to the plot controversy will force the arresting the colonel,” Metiner added.
The Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Natio-
prime minister to do so,” Baransu remarked. Sacit Kayasu, a former prosecutor, agreed that
nalist Movement Party (MHP) were reluctant to hold a
There has recently been increasing pressure on the action plan could not have been put together by
parliamentary session on the Kurdish initiative on Tu-
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan from intel- the colonel alone. “We need to try those who orde-
Col. Dursun Çiçek, whose signature appears on a military plot aimed at destroying the country’s ruling party and esday mostly because deputies would be focused on the
lectuals and civil society groups to relieve the army red the preparation of the action plan. If we fail to
a faith-based civil society group, was arrested and put in jail after testifying to civilian prosecutors on Wednesday. commemorations.
chief of duty due to his negligence in the plot row. do so, then we will miss the big bird,” noted.
diate release was considered controversial. He had AK Party was rst unveiled in June by Taraf, which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan yesterday
While some claim that Gen. Babu was informed Retired military judge Ümit Karda said the trial
testied to prosecutors conducting an investigation said it had obtained a photocopy of a document draf- held a discussion with several ministers and AK Party
about the preparation of the action plan, others ar- of Col. Çiçek would not satisfy the public as long as
into a criminal organization known as Ergenekon ted by Çiçek detailing the plan. The military said the ofcials regarding the Kurdish initiative at the Prime
gue that a group of members of the military prepa- other responsible gures are not held accountable.
accused of plotting to overthrow the government. document was a forgery and part of a smear campa- Ministry. Deputy prime ministers Bülent Arnç and Ce-
red such a plan without informing the army chief. There is growing concern now over whether ot-
The arrest of the colonel came shortly after a ign. Gen. Babu called the plot a “piece of paper.” mil Çiçek, Interior Minister Besir Atalay, Foreign Mi-
Though Col. Çiçek stands as one of the key - her members of the military who are suspected of
tête-à-tête meeting between the prime minister and “I do not think the plot controversy is restric- nister Ahmet Davutolu, AK Party Deputy Chairman
gures in the plot row, the plot is not believed to be contributing to the preparation of the action plan
the army chief on Wednesday. The two met to dis- ted to Col. Dursun Çiçek. Gen. Babu both pled- Hüseyin Çelik, AK Party parliamentary group Deputy
solely the colonel’s work. Prosecutors are expected will also be interrogated as part of the plot probe.
cuss the plot row. The colonel’s lawyer, Mustafa Çe- ged that he would not harbor any anti-democratic Chairman Suat Klç and AK Party Adana deputy Ömer
to expand the scope of the investigation and nd Among those gures are colonels Cemal Gökçeo-
vik, also appealed against his client’s arrest on Wed- staff within the armed forces and termed the action Çelik attended yesterday’s meeting.
out who gave the colonel the order to prepare such lu, Sedat Özüer and lker Gökta, Brig. Gen. Musta-
nesday. It is unclear whether the colonel will be re- plan ‘a piece of paper.’ For me, such labeling is not Yesterday representatives of various nongo-
a plan. Col. Çiçek was arrested by a civilian court in fa Bakrc, Vice Adm. Mehmet Otuzbirolu, Lt. Gen.
leased again. The lawyer termed the colonel’s arrest compatible with the image of the General Staff. Col. vernmental organizations (NGOs) in the Southeast,
July on suspicion of links to the plot but was later Hakk Pekin, Brig. Gen. Hfz Çubukçu and Lt. Gen.
“extrajudicial punishment.” The plot to discredit the Çiçek has been put in jail, but there must be many who met with Arnç and Agriculture Minister Meh-
released after his lawyer led an appeal. His imme- Mehmet Eröz. Betül Akkaya Demirba stanbul
di Eker on Wednesday, reiterated their support for the
government’s Kurdish initiative. A statement released
after a meeting of more than 40 NGO representatives
said: “Our views may be different but our common goal
is the expansion of human rights and freedoms. With
this meeting, we have once again proven how we tole-

Wiretapping of top judiciary rate each other’s views. The statements of state ofcials
regarding the peace process are promising.”
The AK Party government announced its inten-
tion to settle the Kurdish question through peace-
ful methods during the summer, but has not detai-

members sparks heated debate led its plan. Though not ofcially conrmed, it is beli-
eved that the government plans to grant broader cul-
tural and political rights to the country’s Kurds and, in
this way, to block aid owing to the terrorist Kurdis-
tan Workers’ Party (PKK).

CHAN
contnued from page 1
In today’s session, Prime Minister Erdoan is ex-
The wiretap controversy has been occup-
pected to address Parliament, giving details about
ying Turkey’s agenda for a long time, espe-
moves planned as part of the Kurdish initiative. Er-
cially after the seizure of sound recordings of pho-
PHOTO
doan is expected to announce a package of 14 to 15
ne conversations of a number of prominent gures
items that include some steps that have already been
from various circles -- including the prime minister,
implemented, such as the opening of eastern langua-
Cabinet members, journalists and mayors -- at of-
ge institutes that teach Kurdish and the launch of bro-
ces of individuals suspected of links with Ergenekon.
adcasts in Kurdish by the Turkish Radio and Televisi-
The editor-in-chief of a nationalist magazine, Ay-
on Corporation (TRT). Sources also say the prime mi-
dnlk, and the security chief of the Ulusal TV stati-
nister has already directed the Justice Ministry to carry
on were detained last week as part of the Ergenekon
out the necessary work to remove a ban on Kurdish in
case on the grounds that they wiretapped the prime
Turkey’s prisons and jails. stanbul Today’s Zaman
minister’s telephone and were later arrested.
According to jurists, however, the wiretaps can-
not be deemed “illegal” if they are ordered by a court.
“Telephones of individuals can be wiretapped as
part of ongoing investigations if they are suspected Controversial
of links to a crime committed. Such an activity requi-
res a court decision. This means all citizens are equal
military prosecutor
before the law. No one has any privilege before the
law, whether a chief public prosecutor or someone
Üçok demoted
else. Yet, we cannot ignore the principle of presump- Air Forces Judicial Undersecretary Col. Ahmet Zeki
tion of innocence,” remarked Reat Petek, a former Üçok, arrested in September for reportedly issuing fal-
chief public prosecutor. se medical reports to celebrities to help them evade compul-
Petek also said the justice minister needs to sory military service, has been demoted from his post.
give permission to that end if the telephone of a The decision to reassign Üçok along with many other
public prosecutor is requested to be wiretapped. Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) ofcers was published in the
“Upon such permission, inspectors may apply to Ofcial Gazette yesterday. He has been reappointed a dis-
a related court for a wiretapping decision. The cipline ofcer. Üçok was previously one of the military pro-
wiretap against Engin should be evaluated wit- secutors conducting an investigation into secret meeting
hin this context,” he added. HSYK President Kadir Özbek spoke to reporters on the wiretap row and said wiretaps put the judiciary on the defensive. places of ofcers and War Academy cadets known as com-
In the wake of claims that the telephones of the mand centers or Karargah houses.
Supreme Court of Appeals were also being wiretap- this problem, as all members of the judiciary do. I hope Üçok is also facing an investigation over allegations that
ped, and have been since last year, the court’s presi- everyone will act in a more sensitive manner on issues he violated the Code on Criminal Procedure (CMK) by using
dent, Hasan Gerçeker, pledged to take necessary acti- that are related to the judiciary because this is a mat- Embattled Kaçmaz’s court “hypnosis and drugs” during the interrogation of noncom-
missioned ofcers in Kayseri in 2008. stanbul Today’s Zaman
on if the claims prove to be true.
“There must be the approval or permission of the
ter that is directly concerned with the future of the le-
gal system in Turkey,” he remarked.
to evaluate indictment
Council of the First President to wiretap the court’s te- Özbek’s comments, however, drew the ire of Pe- against YARSAV head
lephones. If the court’s telephones are being wiretap- tek, who said such a statement by a HSYK deputy pre-
ped, then we will follow it through to the very end and sident means “pressure on the judiciary.” “Most jud-
An indictment seeking the disbarment of Judges and Prose-
cutors Association (YARSAV) President Ömer Faruk Emina-
Killing another Armenian
take necessary action,” he noted, but declined to com- ges and prosecutors are disturbed by such statements. aolu has been submitted to the controversial Sincan 1st contnued from page 14
ment on the wiretap of Engin’s telephones. Such remarks come as pressure on the judiciary. This High Criminal Court, whose chief justice, Osman Kaçmaz, co- Returning to the very beginning of this article, I used
In the meantime, the Council of the First President is a scandal of the law,” Petek added. uld also face disbarment, to decide whether an investigati- a metaphor in which I portrayed psychopaths attacking Ni-
-- a Supreme Court of Appeals council comprising the on should be launched into Eminaaolu, sparking concerns
anyan as father gures because I instinctively know that
president, vice presidents and secretary-general of the Links of 50 judges, prosecutors with over whether the court can remain impartial.
the deep state always has a hand in these kinds of organized
court -- decided to inquire into the wiretapping claims. Ergenekon suspects revealed through wiretaps Earlier this week, the Justice Ministry requested the re-
moval of Sincan 1st High Criminal Court Chief Justice Kaçmaz attacks. In Turkey, these kinds of things happen in a much
Sezgin Tanrkulu, a former chairman of the Diyar- The links of over 50 judges and prosecutors to sus-
and YARSAV President Eminaaolu upon the conclusion of its more organized way than people generally tend to think.
bakr Bar Association, stressed that the Turkish Pe- pects in a case into the Ergenekon criminal organizati-
investigation into a series of questionable rulings that stretch When I read about this hatemongering campaign targeting
nal Code (TCK) and the Code on Criminal Procedure on were revealed through wiretaps of telephone con-
back to 2008. Inspectors from the Justice Ministry combined Nianyan, I could only think of JTEM as the conspirator be-
(CMK) give authority to related courts to decide on the versations of those suspects dating back to 2007. The
two indictments on Eminaaolu and Kaçmaz in one and the hind the scenes. JTEM is the illegal unit of the gendarmerie
wiretapping of individuals’ telephones. wiretaps were of Ergenekon suspects, and their close Sincan Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office sent the indictment to responsible for many unsolved murders in southeast Tur-
“Prosecutors or chief prosecutors are no exception. relations to some judges and prosecutors were expo- the Sincan 2nd Criminal Court instead of the Sincan 1st High key. I also believe they were the real perpetrators of the Dink
They have no privilege in this sense. Wiretapping the- sed through the wiretaps. Criminal Court on the grounds that Kaçmaz would not give an
assassination and the 2007 Malatya massacre.
ir telephones in accordance with a court decision is not As part of the wiretaps, the close links between impartial decision if he evaluates the indictment.
If a country does not confront its past, it is doomed to
something illegal,” he said, and added that what was Ali Çakr, a former prosecutor at the Bakrköy co- The second court, however, reportedly said that accusati-
ons against the two were not related to each other and requ- repeat it. Unless we fully confront what happened to Ar-
problematic about the wiretaps was the activity itself. urt, and Mecit Ceylan, a former prosecutor at the
ested that the court to evaluate the indictment should be de- menians in 1915, we will not be able to get rid of these fas-
According to Tanrkulu, wiretaps contravene the right ili court, with some Ergenekon suspects were re-
termined by drawing lots. cist elements in the state structure -- nor will we be able to
to privacy and do not comply with most laws as they vealed. Both prosecutors retired after the exposure
According to a random distribution by the National Judi- change this racist mentality. Ergenekon and similar gangs
are hard to be supervised by a legal body. of the suspicious links. Similarly, Hakk Yalçnkaya
ciary Network Project (UYAP), the indictment was sent to the should be handled with the utmost care, and these cases
Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) -- a former judge at the ili 2nd Court of First Ins- Sincan 1st High Criminal Court, sparking concerns over whet- should go wherever they can lead us. Finally, to prevent
Deputy President Kadir Özbek also spoke to repor- tance -- was removed from his position and appo- her the court can issue an impartial decision or if it will pre- a second Dink case, threats and other messages targeting
ters on the wiretap row and said wiretaps put the ju- inted to the ili 14th High Criminal Court after his vent Eminaaolu from being investigated. Metin Arslan Ankara
Nianyan should be taken very seriously. To investigate
diciary on the defensive. “The judiciary is not a defen- relations with an Ergenekon suspect were revealed
these threats and to nd the real perpetrators behind them
dant. This is a problematic issue. We are experiencing through the wiretaps. Betül Akkaya Demirba stanbul
is the utmost moral and legal obligation of this govern-
ment. We should all keep a close eye on the steps taken.

CMYK
T18-13-11-09.qxd 12.11.2009 15:17 Page 1

18 TODAY’S ZAMAN F R I D AY, N O V E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 0 9 TODAY’S LEARNING

10th & 11th GRADERS

TRIVIAL PURSUIT * QUOTE OF THE DAY


"A minute's success pays the failure of the years."
Quote of the day
1. What brave-hearted Scottish patriot led soldiers
Robert Browning
to a defeat of the English at the Battle of
Cambuskenneth in 1297?

2. What political system was gradually dismantled


in South Africa, starting in 1989?

3. At what battle did a brave-hearted Scottish patri-


WEEKLY ESSAY COMPETITION
ot lead soldiers to a defeat of the English?

4. What nation issued the $5 bill found in Abraham


Lincoln's pocket when he was shot?

5. What future Soviet dictator was training to be a


priest when he got turned on to Marxism?

6. What was a gladiator armed with, in addition to a


dagger and spear?

7. Who said, "I'm the president of the United States


and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli"? This week in English Corner we would like to present an
8. Who saw his crew dine on wormy biscuits and essay question which we hope will attract a lot of interest
rats on his fourth voyage to the New World? from our young readers. As you are aware, Turkey has
been going through many developments and changes in
9. Which of Henry VIII's wives gave birth to the past seven years in order to become a member of the
Elizabeth I? European Union. The government has been working
hard to meet the requirements and standards expected by
10. What country suffered the worst two earth- EU member countries in order to enter the union as soon
quakes in history, killing 830,000 in 1556 and as possible.
750,000 in 1976? This week's essay question:
If you were the prime minister of your country, what
major changes or developments would you introduce to
your country? Explain your choices.
Requirements of essay:
Maximum number of words: 250
Essay format and use of formal written English
Must be submitted by the following Thursday of each
week's English Corner
Must have student's full name, school and city

SOME COMMON CONTRACTIONS


And - 'n : Do you know Nancy 'n David?
Are you - ya : Ya going to the movie? Where ya going?

NOTE : 'are you' is contracted only when followed by


one or more words. Therefore, it would be incorrect to
contract, "how are you" to "how ya" unless it were fol-
lowed by one or more words, such as: How ya doing?
Because - 'cause : I don't like her 'cause she's mean.

NOTE: This contraction does not apply if come falls at


the end of the sentence.
Could have - could 'a : You could'a hurt yourself!

NOTE : This also applies to the following:


should have - should'a shouldn't have - shouldn'a
would have - would'a wouldn't have - wouldn'a
Could not have - couldn 'a : He couldn 'a done it.

YOUR QUESTION, OUR ANSWER

TRIVIAL PURSUIT PROVERB


Art is long, life is short
This proverb is frequently misunderstood. It does not mean: "Human
tickle punch life is short, but art goes on for ever." Its real meaning is: "There is so
much art to learn and so little time to learn it in." Art is not used in the
popular sense of painting, sculpture, etc. In the original saying of
Hippocrates, the Greek surgeon, it referred to the art of healing: "Life
is short, the art long, opportunity fleeting…" Art is skill, craft. Chaucer:
"The life is short, the craft so long to learn." Sir John Davies wrote:
Skill comes so slow, as life so fast doth fly, Q: Dear Editor,
We learn so little and forget so much. Can you give me some information about the main differences
between Turkish and English grammar?

PET READING STRATEGIES A: Most aspects of the English verb system have an equivalent
PET (Preliminary English Test) exam tips verb system in Turkish, so there should be nothing fundamentally
unfamiliar to you. However, there are differences that may result in
Some of the incorrect answers may look very similar to the text.
interference mistakes. The absence of a separate verb "to be" leads to
Read each option very carefully before you choose.
mistakes such as "My sister doctor" instead of "My sister is a doc-
Read the sentences first to find out what the text is about.
tor." Learners often misuse the continuous tense when in English the
flick tap Read the questions carefully. Check which the person's opinion
simple form is required: I am believing him or I am playing tennis
you're looking for in the text.
every day. (Correct: I believe him. I play tennis every day.)
Write the words in the spaces. When you have finished, read
In contrast to English, written Turkish follows a Subject-Object-
through the text and check if they sound right.
Verb pattern. There are some other word order differences such as
When you've found the answer, read that text again very carefully to
prepositions following the noun in Turkish, modal verbs following
make sure.
main verbs and relative clauses preceding the noun they modify.
These variations often result in students having difficulty with the
TONGUE TWISTER placement of words in longer, more complex English sentences.
Turkish has no definite article (the), and use of the indefinite ar-
Denise sees the fleece, ticle (a/an) does not always coincide with its use in English. So inter-
Denise sees the fleas. ference mistakes are common in this area. Similarly, personal pro-
At least Denise could sneeze nouns (his, her, their, etc.) in Turkish are used much less frequently
and feed and freeze the fleas. than in English. Sentences such as John has sold car may be heard.

CM Y K
SPORTS Tiger W
strai
Tiger opens with a 66 in Australia
T
Woods lived up to eight months of anticipation in Australia by running off three
straight birdies late in his round of a 6-under 66 that put him atop the leaderboard
in the Australian Masters on Thursday. Playing for the first time Down Under in
11 years, before an enormous gallery only seen at major championships, Woods
putted for birdie on every hole until the last one. Melbourne AP

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009

SOCCER

TODAY’S ZAMAN
CAPTAIN ARDA: DON’T WORRY,
Bahrain flies to
NZ for playoff
Bahrain’s national team headed to

EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE ALRIGHT


New Zealand on Thursday for their

PHOTO
2010 World Cup playoff after wrap-
ping up low-key preparations in
Australia. While New Zealand’s
players were given the full “rock star”
treatment ahead of the biggest match The 22-year-old Arda thinks the worst is over for the Galatasaray Lions
in their homeland for decades, the
Bahrain team went about their busi- and is therefore exhorting his teammates and fans to keep up the ght
ness without fanfare in Sydney. Bah-
rain is bidding to qualify for their rst until the very end because the battle has not been lost, the war not won
World Cup nals after coming ago-
nizingly close four years ago, losing a OKAN UDO BASSEY ÝSTANBUL tween these three stanbul teams and Trabzon-
two-leg playoff against Trinidad and spor from the Black Sea region is called a “derby” Hikmet
Karaman
Tobago 2-1 on aggregate. “I am liv- The Galatasaray Lions were lambasted by the local media.
ing this dream like any other Bahraini from all sides by the doomsayers after This is so because Trabzon is the only team
who wants to qualify for the World
Cup for the rst time,” their coach
they were beaten 3-1 in the “mother
of all derbies” by archrival Fenerbahçe at the FB
besides these three stanbul giants that has ever
won the league championship. But the fact that
I haven’t been paid
Milan Macala told Australian televi-
sion network SBS. Sydney Reuters
ükrü Saracolu Stadium in Kadköy on Oct. 25.
Most of the criticism levied at the Lions was
Trabzon last clinched the title in 1984 now raises
more questions and doubts than answers as to
for five months, says
not about losing that derby, but about not be- whether matches involving the Black Sea side still coach Karaman
OLYMPICS ing able to break the Saracolu hoodoo in a de- deserve the “derby” tag.
cade. The last time the Galatasaray Lions won a A serious crisis is brewing at Ankaragücü
Kenyan Ndereba league match in Kadköy was on Dec. 22, 1999, Where there is a will after the club administrators canceled

eyes age record when they pipped the Ca- there is always a way the morning and evening training sessions on
naries 2-1. Ever since, Arda also said he and his teammates are hope- Wednesday and also shut the dressing room.
Beijing silver medalist Catherine the Lions have been ful about the future, because where there is a will In the wake of these incidents Ankaragücü
Ndereba of Kenya has vowed to be- mercilessly thumped there is always a way. “You must learn how to coach Hikmet Karaman, whose name trans-
come the oldest Olympic marathon at ükrü Saracolu always look up to the future with optimism, and lates as “hero,” talked to reporters at the club’s
winner at the 2012 London Games. and returned home also know how to forget about the past. And Sarayköy facilities in the capital. “I did not re-
The 37-year-old, who also won sil- empty-handed. Galatasaray became that’s exactly what we are doing,” he asserted. ceive any payment upfront this season, and for
ver in Athens in 2004, is bidding for a laughingstock of the league after the lat- “We are a team and are playing like a team, so ve months now, I have not been paid my sal-
a 10th career marathon victory in est debacle, and Fener “master composers” it doesn’t really matter at all who is elded or not ary,” lamented the coach.
Yokohama on Sunday. Romania’s were busy inventing songs ridiculing the Lions, elded or who is benched or not benched. For us “I have not talked to any club ofcial so far.
Olympic champion Constantina thereby rubbing salt into their wounds. as players, our duty is to try and win every match, I talked briey with Mr. Nadir Koç after the
Dita, who set the record for being the the circumstances not withstanding,” he noted. Karyaka [Ziraat Turkish Cup] match and that
oldest marathon gold medallist at 38 Is the worst over? “Take the Diyarbakrspor match last week- was it. I am waiting anxiously to see what’s go-
in China last year, is also scheduled But after a string of victories both in the do- end as an example. We were reduced to 10 men ing to happen next,” he noted.
to run. “Winning in London is my mestic league and the cup as well as in the after Bar [Özbek] was sent off [in the 64th min- “After the Kasmpaa league match over the
biggest target,” double world cham- UEFA Champions League, the worst seems to ute] but showed staying power and won the weekend, the practice session was scheduled
pion Ndereba told Thursday’s Japa- be over for the Lions -- at least that is what game 2-1,” he further stated. for 11 a.m. today. But when I came to the train-
nese media. “A 10th race victory here young captain-playmaker Arda Turan thinks. “We are a constellation of stars and are play- ing ground, there was no doctor, no masseur,
would be a nice milestone,” added “I am extremely happy that everything is get- ing for the championship. There are ve matches no training necessities. Some players came,
Ndereba, who will be 40 at the 2012 ting back to normal,” Arda wrote on the ofcial left before the rst half of the season winds up, roamed around and left,” he further stated.
Olympics. “But everything is geared Galatasaray Web site. “We have completed our and if we win them all, we could nish the rst “They [the players] were told the training
towards London.” Tokyo Reuters derbies [against Beikta, Trabzonspor and Fen- half as leaders,” he added. session had been postponed to 6 p.m. and were
erbahçe] and are now waiting for our opponents Arda also thanked the fans for their support told again later in the day that it had been can-
BOXING to drop points.” in bad times and good and appealed to every celed. That is it,” he further said.
As a reminder, the Lions won 3-0 at home single one of them to keep it up. In a nutshell, the “I wish the Turkish Soccer Federation
Pacquiao set to over Beikta and 4-3 over Trabzonspor, but were 22-year-old is exhorting his teammates and fans to [TFF] would send observers to come and see
make history beaten 3-1 away by Fenerbahçe. And for reasons
not too difcult to understand, any match be-
keep up the ght until the very end because the for themselves what is happening here. This
should not have happened in the rst place
battle has not been lost and the war not won -- yet.
Manny Pacquiao, widely regarded as
because I believe there is democracy in this
the best pound-for-pound ghter in
country, and this country is also governed by
the world, is poised to go where no
the rule of law,” he added.
boxer has gone before when he chal-
The saddest thing is that Karaman, the
lenges Miguel Cotto for the WBO
“hero” who beat Galatasaray 3-0 at the capital’s
welterweight title on Saturday. Vic-
TODAY’S ZAMAN

19 Mays Stadium not too long ago, is pretend-


tory at the MGM Grand Garden
ing not to understand what is going on. But even
Arena would give the “Pacman” from
Arda Turan is extremely the layman on the street knows. The actions and
General Santos City a seventh world
happy that everything is messages of the Ankara rulers are crystal clear:
title belt in an unprecedented seventh getting back to normal at “You’re not wanted anymore!” stanbul Today’s Zaman
weight division. “If I win this ght, it Galatasaray.
will be history for boxing and for the
PHOTO

Philippines,” Pacquiao, 49-3-2 (37


KOs), told reporters on Wednesday.
The Filipino southpaw currently holds Hedo’s Toronto
the IBO light-welterweight title, which
he won with a stunning second round
Raptors claw back
knockout of Britain’s Ricky Hatton
in May. He has previously held titles
to tame Chicago
at yweight, super bantamweight,
featherweight, super featherweight
Germany stunned by suicide of goalkeeper Robert Enke As the game clock ticked down toward two
minutes remaining, Chris Bosh clenched his
AP, THOMAS KIENZLE

and lightweight. Las Vegas Reuters Germans reacted with shock against Chile on Saturday. The game sts, exed his arms, let out a scream and then smiled.
and disbelief on Wednesday was called off following his death. Finally, after all of the talk of rebounding,
TENNIS after national team, Fenerbahçe “You may comment on whether hustle and effort, his team had responded.
and Hanover 96 goalkeeper Robert the decision [to cancel the match] After allowing the Chicago Bulls to explode
Federer makes Enke, suffering from depression, was right or wrong,” Germany team for 60 rst-half points, the Toronto Raptors held
early Paris exit committed suicide at a train crossing
near Hanover on Tuesday.
manager Oliver Bierhoff told report-
ers, his voice breaking.
the Bulls to just 29 second-half points and used a
14-1 run over the nal 6:24 minutes to pull away
World number one Roger Federer “He was afraid to go public with Stuttering and unable to hold for a 99-89 win at home on Wednesday night.
PHOTO

slumped to a surprise 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 de- his depression because he feared back tears, he continued: “But you Bosh had 28 points and 11 rebounds, and
feat by unheralded Frenchman Julien he could lose everything, in soccer were not...you were not in this cir- Jose Calderon scored 18 points to help Toronto
Benneteau in the second round of the and privately,” said his wife Teresa. cle...and the players felt just like me.” even its record at 4-4. Turkish star Hedo Turk-
Paris Masters. Top seed Federer, who “Soccer was everything to him. It Enke’s death triggered an out- oglu added 11 points for the Raptors.
had a rst-round bye, made an un- was his life, his elixir.” pouring of sympathy, with FIFA Overshadowed in the loss was rookie (and
usual high number of unforced errors Enke, 32, had been suffering President Sepp Blatter saying his DeRozan’s former USC teammate) Taj Gibson’s
to fall to the unseeded Benneteau, from depression since 2003 but had “thoughts are with the family and career-high 18 points. Rose nished with 14
ranked 49th in the world. The elegant not conded in anyone other than we hope they will nd the strength points and six assists while Luol Deng added 18.
Swiss, who has never advanced past his close family and his personal to deal with the pain.” Joakim Noah had a 12-point, 11-rebound dou-
the quarternals of the indoor event, psychiatrist. His sudden death left German soccer federation chief ble-double before fouling out.
started well but then struggled, los- players and soccer ofcials in shock. Theo Zwanziger said: “The question Other NBA results:Indiana 108, Golden State
ing the second set in a tiebreak and “I am stunned. I am at loss for ‘Why’ has been accompanying us 94; Boston 105, Utah 86; Atlanta 114, New York
falling a break down early in the third words,” said Germany captain Mi- since last night. We will not be able 101; Philadelphia 82, New Jersey 79; Detroit 98,
set. World number two Rafa Nadal chael Ballack. Goalkeeper Robert Enke gestures during a training session ahead of the soccer to answer this question quickly but Charlotte 75; Milwaukee 108, Denver 102; Cleve-
had earlier saved ve match points “I nd it hard to describe my feel- match between Germany and Azerbaijan in this Aug. 11, 2009 file photo. we owe it to him...to work towards land 102, Orlando 93; Portland 107, Minnesota
before overcoming Nicolas Almagro ings, I am totally shocked, totally empty,” an answer why professional athletes, 84; Houston 104, Memphis 79; San Antonio 92,
We will miss him as a rst-rate athlete Germany’s starting goalkeeper at next
3-6, 7-6, 7-5 in a thrilling all-Spanish Germany coach Joachim Löw added. celebrated as idols, can come to such Dallas 83; Phoenix 124, New Orleans 104; Okla-
and an exceptional human being.” year’s World Cup in South Africa, had
second-round battle. Paris Reuters/AP “His death is an immense loss. a decision.” stanbul Today’s Zaman homa City 83, LA Clippers 79. Istanbul Today’s Zaman
Enke, who was in the running to be not been not picked for a friendly match

CMYK
Tyson arrested after LA airport scuffle
Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was
arrested on Wednesday after brawling with a celebrity
photographer at Los Angeles International Airport and
injuring the man’s head, police said. LA, Reuters/AP

WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009

AP, PETER KRAMER


Nearly 200 million children cent from 38 percent over the same and slower mental development. a statement. “More than one third of
UN: Poor in developing countries suf-
fer from stunted growth and
period, UNICEF said in a report.
Despite a decline in the rate of the
When the problem is widespread, as in
India and Afghanistan, it undermines
children who die from pneumonia,
diarrhea and other illnesses could
nutrton stunts health problems due to poor nutrition
in their early years, the UN children’s
problem, 195 million children in devel-
oping countries under 5 years old have
those countries’ ability to improve their
economies and eradicate poverty.
have survived had they not been un-
dernourished,” she said. More than
foundation UNICEF said on Wednes- stunted growth due to poor nutrition “Undernutrition steals a child’s 90 percent of the developing world’s
growth of 200 day. However, the percentage of chil-
dren with retarded growth in Asia fell
during the critical period between
their conception and second birthdays,
strength and makes illnesses that the
body might otherwise ght off far
children facing stunted growth live
in Africa and Asia, the report said. A

PHOTO
mllon kds to 30 percent last year from 44 per-
cent in 1990, and in Africa to 34 per-
UNICEF said. Undernourished chil-
dren often have poor physical health
more dangerous,” UNICEF Execu-
tive Director Ann Veneman said in
third of them -- roughly 60.8 million
-- are in India. United Nations Reuters

Taylor Swift wins the coveted title of Entertainer of


the Year at the Country Music Awards.

Taylor Swift wins


entertainer of year
award at CMA
All four of the guys who lost to Taylor Swift
for entertainer of the year at the Country Mu-
sic Association Awards (CMA) made a tactical error:
They asked the crossover sensation to open for them
in their concerts. Swift quickly shed her opener status
and shook up the music world with an incredible year
that included the best-selling album, a concert tour
that sold out almost immediately and, now, a historic
night at the CMAs that included becoming the young-
est winner of the association’s highest honor.
“Yeah, next year we’re not going to take any
opening acts out,” Brad Paisley said jokingly. The
CMA’s more than 5,000 members -- often cited as
a conservative bunch -- seemed as taken with Swift
as the rest of the music world has been. She won all
four awards for which she was nominated, snap-
ping Kenny Chesney’s streak of four entertainer
wins in the last ve years and Carrie Underwood’s
three-year run as top female vocalist.
Chesney hugged and kissed Swift on her way to
the stage and most of her peers hailed her Wednesday
night during the ABC telecast at the Sommet Center.
“She has taken the music world by storm,” Paisley
said. “She’s the biggest artist in music right now, by
far. It’s hands down. She’s entertainer of the year in
country music, no doubt, and I’m really proud of her.”
Association members didn’t stop with Swift,
making interesting choices in most of the 12 cat-
egories. Darius Rucker became the second black
performer to win a major individual award when
he took new artist, joining Charley Pride, who took
entertainer of the year in 1971 and male vocalist
in 1971-72. “Making this record, I never thought
about being an African-American guy making a
country record,” said Rucker, whose “Learning to
Live” sold 1 million copies this year. “I just thought
I was a guy making a country record until my rst
song went top 20 and people started talking about
it. I’m proud of that, I’m proud of being that guy
who has taken up where Charley Pride left off.”
Lady Antebellum, winners of two awards, ended
Rascal Flatts’ six-year run in the vocal group category.
And Jamey Johnson, known for his outlaw country
sound and wild beard, won song of the year for “In
Color” with Lee Thomas Miller and James Otto. The
only winner beside Swift with multiple awards was
Paisley, who won two, including male vocalist for the
third straight year. Nashville, Tenn., AP

Looking for a
bargain? Madoff’s
homes get price cut
It’s still not cheap, but Livin’ La Vida Madoff may
now cost a bit less. Asking prices for homes once
occupied by now imprisoned Ponzi schemer Bernard
Madoff in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and in Palm
Beach, Florida, have been cut, after about two months
on the market. Madoff’s 4,000-square-foot duplex Man-
hattan penthouse, “perched atop a distinguished white-
glove prewar cooperative” according to the broker So-
theby’s International Realty, is now being offered for $8.9
million, 10 percent below its initial $9.9 million asking
price. The price of the 8,750-square-foot home in Palm
Beach was cut 7 percent to $7.9 million from $8.49 mil-
lion, according to the broker Corcoran Group. Corcoran
calls that home “a return to classic Florida island liv-
ing” of the 1950s and 1960s “when Palm Beach was a
less manicured tropical paradise.” In contrast, Madoff’s
beachfront home sold last month for $9.41 million, above
its $8.75 million asking price, and also listed by Corcoran.
Steven Roth, chairman of Vornado Realty Trust, was the
buyer, according to The Wall Street Journal. Corcoran did
not immediately return requests for comment. Madoff
himself estimated the Manhattan penthouse was worth
$7 million and the Palm Beach home $11 million. Sale
proceeds will go toward reimbursing victims of Madoff’s
estimated $65 billion Ponzi scheme. New York Reuters

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