09 Government regards fight against

discrimination facing the Roma

13New book by architect and artist
Céline Condorelli delves into practice
Obama accepts
peace prize,
defends ‘just wars’
10
community a moral duty, Çelik says of support for artistic production

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, DECEMBER 11, 2009 WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM TL 1.50

page10 Russia sees thaw on Karabakh next year

All opponents of reform

package algned on same pont
Turkey's three main opposition parties, the
Republican People's Party (CHP),
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and
the Democratic Society Party (DTP), interestingly
hold the same position as the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) on the government's ongoing
efforts for a reform package that could settle the
country's decades-old Kurdish question, though
they differ drastically on many other national issues.
The confluence was brought up publicly by
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arnç on Wednesday,
as he said the opposition of the CHP and the MHP
to the reform package is the same as that of the pro-
Kurdish DTP and the terrorist PKK. The DTP has
long been accused of siding with the PKK, as it has
failed to label it a terrorist organization.
“Previously, two political parties were opposed
to the [democratization] initiative. They were the
CHP and the MHP. Now the DTP and the PKK
are also opponents of the initiative. Is such a
similarity possible? If I were an MHP politician, I
would question myself about the point my party
has reached. The MHP leader threatened to go to
the mountains, and four months later Emine
Ayna [DTP co-chairperson] said the same. What
kind of similarities are these?” Arnç asked.
The Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
government announced its intention to bring a stron-
ger democracy to the country and settle the long-
standing Kurdish question through peaceful methods
in a massive reform package. The government aims
to reduce internal and external support for the PKK
with its package and in this way root out the terrorist
organization. Turkey's opposition parties, however,
have voiced their objection to the plans since the day
it was made public. AK Party Adyaman deputy
Hüsrev Kutlu said opponents of the initiative were
all working “on the same line.” “The DTP and the
PKK are responsible for street demonstrations in
the east and southeast of Turkey. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

REUTERS, BOB STRONG

CASE

04
PHOTO
FORMER NATO ENVOY
ÇETN: TURKEY CAN DO AMBASSADOR MARS US
MORE IN AFGHANISTAN VISIT WITH SURPRISE
AYE KARABAT, ANKARA
RESIGNATION
Hikmet Çetin, the former NATO senior civil- Turkey's ambassador in
ian representative in Afghanistan, said US Washington has shocked observ-
President Barack Obama's new strategy can be suc- ers by resigning from his post,
cessful only if the Western powers are able to win apparently after a dispute over
the hearts of the Afghan people. Çetin, who served protocol with Foreign Minister
in Afghanistan between 2004 and 2006, assessed Davutolu during PM Erdoan's
the situation in Afghanistan, the possible challenges high-profile White House talks.
and opportunities in the region and also the role of
Turkey in an exclusive interview with Today's
Zaman after his visit to Afghanistan two weeks ago
when he met with many officials, including the
re-elected president, Hamid Karzai. CONTINUED ON PAGE 06 Activists from avaaz.org dressed as aliens roam the halls of the Bella center during the UN Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen on Thursday.

Environmental groups have raised concerns over Turkey's recently announced Climate Change National Strategy Document,
ECONOMY ENVIRONMENTAL because it would not facilitate a mutual agreement in Copenhagen where nations of the world are trying to find ways to fight

04
NGOs CRITICIZE
GDP SHRINKS BY 3.3 PCT,
climate change. “The document, which was presented under the slogan ‘Turkey becomes a partner to the solution' has
elements which could block a mutual agreement in Copenhagen, rather than helping it,” said a statement from Greenpeace
GOV'T CLIMATE Mediterranean, based in stanbul. Greenpeace officials further stated that Turkey's strategy document “is weak, shies from the

BUT SHOWING STRONG CHANGE STRATEGY seriousness of the fact of climate change and undermines Turkey's capacity to combat it.” Hilal Atc, from Greenpeace
Mediterranean, said that they were disappointed that Turkey's proposed emission reduction target is just 7 percent by 2020,
and said the country's energy sector targets are behind those of China and the European Union. CONTINUED ON PAGE 09

SIGNS OF RECOVERY
The Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat)
revealed yesterday that Turkey's gross domestic
product (GDP) shrank by 3.3 percent in the third
quarter of 2009, compared to the same period last 'TURKEY SHOULD DROP Turkey still struggles with human rights violations
year, though it is showing that the growth situation
bettered after a significant dive in GDP growth rates KARABAKH CONDITION E. BARI ALTINTA, STANBUL Human Rights Association (HD), 1,546 people in Turkey to the HD's report, 28 people died in explosions caused

FOR ARMENIA TIES'

after the onset of the crisis. According to the data
release, which calculates the GDP both based on the
current prices method and by basing it on 1998
prices, Turkey continued to shrink in the third
quarter of 2009 compared to the same period last
year, making it the fourth quarter in a row that its
GDP growth has dipped below zero. CONTINUED ON PAGE 07
TREASURY TO PAY TL 200 BLN IN DEBT IN 2010 PAGE 07
Within days of PM Erdoan linking
the issues of normalization of ties
between Ankara and Yerevan to
resolution of the Nagorno-
Karabakh dispute, a senior US offi-
cial urged Turkey to make prog-
ress without setting preconditions.
Yesterday was Human Rights Day, which marks the
anniversary of the UN General Assembly's adop-
tion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in
1948. Leaders released various messages to mark the day;
however, Turkey is still a land of serious human rights
violations, from torture at the hands of the police to
unsolved murders, according to human rights groups.
In 2008, according to statistics compiled by the
were reported to have been subject to violence by state
officials, private security companies or teachers. Of these,
448 were subject to maltreatment or torture under deten-
tion, 264 by police forces outside detention or jail, while
333 were subject to such treatment in prison. More than
50 were threatened by members of the security forces,
while 299 were injured as a result of police intervention
in public demonstrations. One-hundred twenty-six stu-
dents were subject to physical abuse in school. According
by land mines buried near villages in the Southeast. The
total number of such incidents reported in 2007 was 678,
meaning violations of Turkey's zero-tolerance-for-tor-
ture policy has more than doubled in one year. The
organizations have not yet completed reports for
the current year. The Association of Human Rights
and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples (MAZLUM-
DER), another human rights group, reported 1,103
violations of the right to life in 2008. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

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, DECEMBER 11, 2009

WORDS OF WISDOM
PRESS REVIEW

colu m ns
We do not welcome any escalation Israeli leaders should refrain from using The greatest enemy of So far with arrogance!
and are ready to hold further talks the relationship they have with us as a any one of our truths may YEN AFAK FEHM KORU
[with world powers] over global issues. card to wage aggression on a third party. be the rest of our truths. America is a nation with a conce-
ited stance; those events which
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan William James have taken place in the White
House have always been brought
about by “conceited” individu-
als. The greatest role played in
the back-to-back mistakes made by George W.
Bush was by his very spirit, which was descri-
bed as “imperial conceit.” Statements made by
Bush and his aides such as “You’re either with
CROSS READER us or against us,” or “We will remain in Iraq

FATMA DL ZIBAK

pr ess rou n du p for 100 years if necessary” are all directly linked
to that “conceited” state. Thus Prime Minister

AA, BARI KILINÇKIRAN

f.zibak@todayszaman.com
Recep Tayyip Erdoan’s words that didn’t relay
“what they wanted to hear” but rather what he
thinks is “true,” and the fact that he does not
“bow and scrape” in his public speeches is not
Has the ntatve a situation to which the US is accustomed. The
fact that Obama extended the amount of time
process ended? he had already allotted to listen to his guest’s
gentle warning of “Please wake up” is really a
Following the escalation of violence in Turkey over the

PHOTO
point in the US leader’s favor.
past days, with sympathizers of the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) and pro-Kurdish Democratic Soci-
ety Party (DTP) taking to the streets to protest the prison Turkey’s stance on Iran
conditions of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, and the deaths
of seven soldiers in a terrorist attack in Tokat on Monday, BUGÜN AHMET TAGETREN
many think that the end of the road is in sight for the Justi- When it comes to the question of
ce and Development Party (AK Party) government’s Kur- Iran and nuclear weapons, and of
dish initiative. The initiative, launched this summer, seeks nuclear weapons in the Middle East
to find a peaceful solution to Turkey’s Kurdish problem. in general, Turkey is asking, “Why
Hopes for the Kurdish initiative faded further when the isn’t anyone paying attention to
DTP’s hawkish leader, Emine Ayna, announced that her Israel’s nuclear weapons?” Yes,
party was withdrawing support from the initiative process, why not? And if President Obama were to ask this
which she said aimed to eliminate her party. During the- question? Turkey is asking questions about other
ir parliamentary group meetings on Tuesday, Republican nuclear stockpiles in other places in the world and
People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and Nationalist in the meantime, we are being questioned by lob-
Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, who bies from other nations who have done their best
were against the initiative from the very beginning, asked to conceal their own nuclear weapons and who are
the government to end the process. In consideration of all pointing the finger at Turkey and saying, “Why is
this, many now question whether the initiative process has Turkey defending Iran?” What Obama really wan-
come to an end and the possible risks of ending this pro- ted to say to Erdoan was, “If we don’t take acti-
cess, which aims to solve Turkey’s most serious problem. on against Iran, Israel will do it by military force,
Sabah’s Nazl Ilcak, looking at the feeling prevailing so Turkey should join in the action taken against
among opposition parties about the end of the initiative Iran, as this is better than the latter option.” And
process on the grounds that cooperation between the AK Erdoan is presumably ready to swallow this bait?
Party and the DTP has been spoiled, says they miss the I don’t think so. Turkey is way beyond that point.
point of the initiative as she adds, “Certainly, views will be
exchanged with the DTP, even Öcalan’s views regarding
the process can be sought behind closed doors but the tar- It really is difficult to
get of this initiative is the public itself, the Kurdish citizens
of this country.” Ilcak suggests that the initiative process Various festivities were held in the northwestern province of say ‘Let no one die’
should continue so that more soldiers are not martyred.
“The government did not say, ‘Let’s try a Kurdish initiati-
Kastamonu on Thursday to mark the 90th anniversary of the RADKAL SMET BERKAN
To really step forward and proclaim
ve’ when everything was perfect in Turkey. Security mea- first demonstration held by women in the province. The protest “Let no one else die” is truly somet-
sures have not been shelved during this process and social,
took place on Dec. 10, 1919, during the War of Independence. hing that demands courage, after all
cultural and economic steps have been taken that will re- these years of bloody terror. I suppo-
lieve the Kurdish public and strengthen their commitment se it needs no pointing out, but the
to the nation during this process,” explains Ilcak, stressing taraf: “We will never give up on the initiative,” said the Obama to have the participation of the top diplomats of both co- Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is an
the importance of the continuation of this process. daily in the headline of a front-page article yesterday, quoting untries and asked ensoy to convey his request to Washington, organization which has imposed violence and bloo-
Describing the attack in Tokat as an obvious provo- remarks from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan. Addres- but ensoy failed to do so. At the White House, when only Obama diness on its own arenas for years now. And I have no
cation which aims to block the initiative process, Star’s sing the concerns of those who think the latest violent inci- and Erdoan were admitted to the Oval Office, Foreign Minister doubt that if the “democratic rights” for which they
Mustafa Karaaliolu thinks those who are clever enough dents in Turkey and the killing of seven soldiers in a terrorist Ahmet Davutolu said: “I also wanted to participate in this mee- say they are fighting were to fall suddenly tomorrow
to see this and able to make an analysis of the events attack in Tokat on Monday will bring an end to the government’s ting. Who is responsible for this organizational problem?” Upon morning from the sky, they would still find reasons
should not rejoice like Bahçeli and Baykal, saying, “The Kurdish initiative process, Erdoan said: “Turkey should hearing this, ensoy acknowledged his mistake and asked the mi- to carry on their war. Just take a look at the situati-
initiative process has finally ended.” He says a problem complete this process with success. My party and my govern- nister to take the necessary action against him. Without waiting for on: The whole struggle to see Kurds achieve their
whose history is packed with blood cannot be solved in a ment are determined to finalize this process with courage des- Davutolu’s decision, ensoy decided to resign, the daily said. “democratic, social, cultural, and economic rights”
single day and that time and patience are needed for its pite the obstacles and provocations.” Erdoan’s remarks came has been reduced lately to seeing Abdullah Öcalan
solution. “It is useful for those who are happy at the pros- in Washington before flying to Mexico for an official visit. milliyet: “When, if not now,” asked the daily in the trying to once again prove his personal ego and le-
pect of the end of the initiative and side with the CHP, headline of a page one article yesterday, calling on Erdoan and adership, and within this, questions over precisely
MHP and DTP to follow the solution process without ex- habertürk: In its main story yesterday, the daily repor- Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, who have how many square centimeters his prison cell is. Yes-
citement. The lack of a solution means a painful process, ted that Turkish Ambassador to the United States Nabi ensoy not gathered for a meeting for the past three-and-a-half years, terday in my column I asked the question, “Is it really
just as in the past,” remarks Karaaliolu. announced his resignation following Prime Minister Recep Tayyip to meet in the wake of the escalating tension in the country. The that difficult to say ‘Let no one die’?” And I got my
Criticizing those who hold the initiative process respon- Erdoan’s trip to Washington early this week. According to the daily said the leaders should come together and discuss the co- answer: It really is very difficult. Because apparently
sible for the rise of tension in the country, Sabah’s Mahmut daily, Erdoan wanted his meeting with US President Barack urse of events in the country without losing any time. there is no one better than us when it comes to mi-
Övür says the real cause of the chaos in Turkey is actually an
sunderstanding words and phrases, or finding certain
opposition mentality which defends the “old Turkey.”
“sacred” reasons to carry on the death all around.

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CMYK
 NATIONAL
Samanyolu High School wins 16
medals at TÜBTAK science olympiad
Ankara’s private Saman-
yolu High School won 16
medals in the 17th Na-
tional Science Olympiad, which
was organized by the Scien-
tic and Technological Research
Council of Turkey (TÜBTAK) and
concluded on Wednesday.
The awards were handed out
during a ceremony held at the Min-
istry of Education’s Assembly Hall
in Ankara. The olympiad covered
the subjects of mathematics, physics,
chemistry, biology and computers.
F R I D A Y, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9
Samanyolu students Mehmet
Can ahiner and Cihad Özge won
gold medals for their school in chem-
istry and computers, respectively. Os-
man Akyan Kargin, a student from
zmir’s private Yamanlar College,
which won 13 medals this year, re-
ceived a gold medal in biology. Other
winners include Yunus Emre Demirci
from Erzurum’s Aziziye High School,
who won a gold medal in math, and
Makbule Esen from stanbul’s private
Kasmolu Cokun High School,
who won a gold medal in chemistry.
Turkish students place well in
international science olympiads,
TÜBTAK Chairwoman Nüket Yeti
said at the ceremony. She noted that
35 students were sent to international
olympiads in 2004, 2005 and 2006
and won 18 awards on average in
these years. The number of awards
won has been on a gradual increase in
recent years, Yeti said. “Our students
returned with 29 awards in 2007, 32
in 2008 and 34 in 2009. These are the
admirable results of [Turkey’s] invest-
ment in science.” stanbul Today’s Zaman
TODAY’S ZAMAN 03
STANBUL 12° KONYA 7°
ANKARA 7° ÇANAKKALE 7°
ZMR 14° DYARBAKIR 10°
ANTALYA 17° SAMSUN 17°
ADANA 16° BURSA 10°
ERZURUM 4° GAZANTEP 11°
EDRNE 4° ESKEHR 7°
TRABZON 15° MALATYA 6°
KAYSER 11° KOCAEL 10°
BÜLENT
b.kenes@todayszaman.com
KENE
PKK-DTP-CHP-MHP
TODAY’S ZAMAN
blood brotherhood
Take a look at what Ümit, the brother
of the 17-year-old innocent young girl
named Serap Eser who was burned by
PHOTO
a Molotov cocktail thrown by Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) militants while re-
turning home from a university prepara-
tion course in stanbul and later died of
organ failure due to her infected burns,
State Minister Hayati Yazc presented winning students with
said in response to the unbearable pain
medals in a ceremony held at the MEB Assembly Hall in Ankara. of losing a sister: “This atrocity is not
something that can halt the initiative.
This process is not a new process. The
PKK case is nothing new.” Let’s also
lend an ear to Serap’s cousin Hasan
Güven: “Of course, it is wrong to hold all
Kurds responsible for this incident. Only
terrorists are guilty. Ten people cannot
pay the penalty for one person’s crime.
Just like with Alevis and Sunnis, there
are good and bad people among Kurds.”
Every time Turkey gets ready to take
a step towards democratization and solv-
ing the Kurdish problem bloody terror at-
tacks, which are undoubtedly carried out
with deep state -- deep PKK cooperation,
take place. Innocent people are subjected
to great pain. Look at what the mourning
uncle of private Cengiz Sarba from Gire-
sun, who was one of the sevens soldiers
killed in the latest malicious attack that
took place in Tokat’s Readiye district, has
to say: “This war is meaningless. It must
end. There is no other side [in this war]
for all of us to go and become a martyr.
Both those who are being killed and those
who are pulling the trigger are this coun-
try’s children. Many more Cengizs will go,
but those who go don’t come back. It is for
this reason that I fully support the initia-
tive. Baykal and Bahçeli should assume re-
sponsibility. History will write about this.”
The father of slain private Yakup Mut-
lu from Mu at the other end of the coun-
try hopes the democratic initiative will
conclude successfully despite the devas-
tating pain he is feeling, and in tears says:
“Today Yakup died, but at least let’s not
have others die tomorrow. After all Baykal
and Bahçeli are well situated.”
What do you think the Republican
People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal,
about whom the mourning father said
was “well situated,” has to say? “To con-
tinue the democratization initiative pro-
cess after this point as if nothing has hap-
pened, as if nothing wrong has happened
is turning from a matter of negligence or
error into a matter of betrayal. Blatantly
swallowing up, acting as if it is normal and
digesting the events that have transpired
in a country such as Turkey is unaccept-
able. The initiative process is a project that
has been put into effect with the coopera-
tion of the PKK and the Justice and Devel-
opment Party (AK Party). The AK Party is
in panic at the point it has reached today.
It has not been able to conduct a feasible
and acceptable evaluation and confront
the inevitable results of its own policies.”
So what is the Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, who
has been opposing the democratic initia-
tive from the beginning like the CHP, say-
ing: “If the government does not return
from the path it has embarked on, it will
become impossible to expect our people
to show more patience, and remain calm
in the face of open attacks against their
national values. Our desire is for our
country to reach the election safe and
sound. Otherwise, if the nation stirs up
once there will be no government, no col-
laborative lobbies and no Kandil network.
The recent events have become extremely
perilous and worrisome. The project of
destruction which the government has
CMYK
named the so-called democratic initia-
tive is completely responsible for these
developments. My suggestion to the gov-
ernment is to return from the wrong road
they have gone down at once. Abandon
the so-called initiative you have started
before it causes more devastation.”
Would you like to hear what the
Democratic Society Party (DTP) is say-
ing? Hear are pearls of wisdom from DTP
Deputy Chairwoman Emina Ayna on the
initiative: “If the air conditioning in mral
is being covered with a cage, if there are
breathing problems then this means ‘we
are suffocating the Kurdish problem, we
aren’t going to allow the Kurdish people
to breath.’ This is how we perceive and
criticize the situation … the initiative is
over, friends. The initiative ended when
the interior minister and prime minister
prevented the DTP from entering zmir.”
(But, Ayna knows better than us that
those who prevented the DTP in zmir
were CHP and MHP supporters.)
And what is the PKK saying? The
PKK isn’t talking, it is shedding blood. It
is turning streets into battle grounds and
making life hell for innocent people that
are trying to continue with their regular
lives and chase after modest dreams for
the future. It is the brutal killing of the un-
fortunate children of this country that are
so poor that they send 100 liras ($70) of
the 120 ($85) liras they get from the army
to their poverty-stricken mother. It is leav-
ing young bodies lifeless and mourning
mothers hopeless.
What does the CHP, MHP, PKK and
DTP want? What are these parties and
organizations that may appear to be very
different but are identical when it comes
to the things they do, in favor of saying
and offering? Of course, they are in favor
of the immediate ending of the democratic
initiative process, upon which the major-
ity of those who have a yearning for peace
and democracy have pinned their hopes.
Of course, they are in favor of the con-
tinuation of the bloody, painful and dirty
war that has been continuing for the least
25 years and that has killed more than
40,000 people, injured tens of thousands,
displaced hundred of thousands and has
cause hundreds of billions of dollars to be
wasted in the name of counterterrorism.
You may ask, what else would you
expect from a CHP that is antidemo-
cratic enough to make an appeal for a
coup from the platform of Parliament and
from an MHP and DTP that is deprived
of humanitarian sensitivity and is unable
to show as much foresight as mourning
mothers, fathers, brothers and relatives?
Right, what else can be expected from
these political parties that pledge blood
instead of a solution, death instead of life,
and destruction instead of construction?
Yes, you are right, blood and death trade
as well as the approval of coups should be
expected from those of their kind. Betrayal
as well as hoping to acquire political gain
and prosperity from the death of innocent
people can be expected from them.
Is there any other way the blood
brotherhood between the CHP, MHP
and DTP (you can add the PKK to this
as well), which do not want to abandon
their habit of conducting politics over
pain, blood and death and are undoubt-
edly in cooperation and harmony with
terror organizations and deep state
gangs, could have been clearer?
Unfortunately, there is nothing
else we can do but to curse all those
who embrace death and their nause-
ating action and discourses.
 04 TODAY’S ZAMAN F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9
NATIONAL

Ambassador mars US visit with surprise resignation Don’t lose ths last
Turkey’s ambassador in Washington has months before his retirement. chance on Cyprus

TODAY’S ZAMAN, AL ÜNAL

shocked political observers by resign- ensoy is believed to belong to a conserva-
ing from his post, apparently after a dispute tive camp within the Foreign Ministry that is OPINION
over protocol with Foreign Minister Ahmet skeptical of the government’s proactive foreign
Davutolu during Prime Minister Recep Tayyip diplomacy and its attempts to expand inuence Hugh Pope
Erdoan’s high-prole White House talks. in the Middle East. His resignation may thus TODAY’S ZAMAN
The Foreign Ministry offered no infor- fuel an existing rift between the government
mation as to why Ambassador Nabi ensoy and the secularist, pro-status quo diplomatic At their summit later this week, EU leaders may be incited by
resigned, in a statement released late on circles. The tension was most apparent when Cyprus to punish Turkey for not opening its harbors and air-
Wednesday, but sources told Today’s Za- Erdoan blamed “mon cher” diplomats of not ports to Greek Cypriot trafc. They should resist and, instead,
man that the career diplomat had asked the being able to catch up with his government’s

ministry to reassign him to Ankara after a
row with Davutolu over the minister’s at-
tendance in one-on-one talks with between
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan and
US President Barack Obama at the White
House on Monday.
According to the sources’ account, during
the preparations for Erdoan’s Washington visit,
US ofcials had told the Turkish government via
ensoy that the president wanted a one-on-one
meeting with Erdoan, in addition to a scheduled
meeting attended by both leaders and their del-
egations. The government responded favorably,
but Erdoan insisted that the meeting be attended
by the Turkish and US top diplomats as well, given
Davutolu’s deep involvement and expertise in is-
sues to be discussed with the US president.
When the meeting attended by the delega-
tions ended, President Obama said it was time
for one-on-one talks. Davutolu stayed in the
room, assuming that he and US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton were also part of the talks,
but was told by US organizers that the meeting
had been arranged as one between Obama and
Erdoan only and that no one else, except their
interpreters, would be present.
Surprised, Davutolu asked ensoy why the
foreign ministers were not part of the meeting, as
requested by the Turkish government. The con-
tent of the conversation is not clear, but according
to the sources’ account and reports in the media,
ensoy said he took responsibility, without offer-
ensoy (L) together with Erdoan (C) and then-Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül at a press conference
in Washington following talks between Erdoan and then-US President George W. Bush in 2006.
ing the minister an explanation, and that he was
ready to submit his resignation if Davutolu asked
for it. Davutolu reportedly did not take the con-
versation any further while the Obama-Erdoan
meeting was in progress. Following the conclusion
of Erdoan’s visit, ensoy wrote to the Foreign
Ministry and formally asked to return to Ankara.
In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman
Burak Özügergin said ensoy asked to quit his
post and return to Ankara on Dec. 8, a day after
Erdoan’s White House talks, and that his re-
quest had been accepted. Özügergin noted that
ensoy’s term would expire in the rst half of 2010
because the 65-year-old diplomat was to retire as
there is an age limitation for diplomats. ensoy
would spend the rest of his career in Ankara.
In an interesting twist of fate, ensoy was
involved in a similar incident nearly two de-
cades ago, during a visit by then President
PHOTO
Turgut Özal to the White House for talks with
then-US President George H. W. Bush. The for-
eign minister at that time, Ali Bozer, resigned
after he was excluded from Özal-Bush talks
in 1990 while ensoy, then the presidential
undersecretary, stayed in the room.
Political motives?
ensoy’s unexpected resignation cast a
shadow on Erdoan’s Washington visit,
which has widely been hailed as successful
by the Turkish media. Some reports linked
the resignation to the alleged neglect of
ensoy by Erdoan and Davutolu during
the visit, saying the top government of-
ficials had excluded him from several of-
ficial meetings in Washington. But others
said there could be political motives behind
the ambassador’s surprise resignation just
active foreign policy vision following his walk-
out from a World Economic Forum in January
after a heated exchange with Israeli President
Shimon Peres over an Israeli offensive in Gaza.
There was even speculation that ensoy
might be looking for a political home and that
he might have just found one by scoring a
sensational goal against the government right
before his retirement. “ensoy wanted to steal
the show from Erdoan in the US visit, which
was highly valued by Erdoan. He had nothing
to lose, anyway, since he was retiring in a few
months. Instead of retiring silently, he preferred
to return to Ankara as a diplomat who rebuked
the prime minister and the foreign minister,”
wrote Yavuz Ohan on a CNN Türk Web site.
“Who knows, this diplomatic and equally polit-
ical move might open the way for a political ca-
reer for ensoy after his retirement,” Ohan
went on, suggesting that there could be an
opening for him in the opposition Republi-
can People’s Party (CHP), where Onur Öy-
men, a former diplomat, is fast losing credi-
bility because of recent controversial remarks
defending the killing of tens of thousands of
people in Dersim, now Tunceli, in an anti-
riot operation in the late 1930s.
US: Visit a ‘great success’
US ofcials in Ankara declined to comment on the
resignation, telling Today’s Zaman that the prime minis-
ter’s visit had been a “great success.” stanbul Today’s Zaman
pledge support for negotiations between Greek and Turkish
Cypriots, which are now entering a crucial phase.
Nicosia’s stand is doubly ironic. It is pledging full commit-
ment to the reunication talks, yet is trying to penalize Turkey,
a key partner in any settlement. Greek Cypriots say they want to
see Turkey in the EU, yet they are pushing it away.
The timing is also wrong. Europe, Turkey and Cyprus face
a new “last chance” to reunify the 1.1 million inhabitants of the
island -- 80 percent Greek Cypriot, 20 percent Turkish Cypriot.
Unfortunately, the downward road -- from a Greek Cypriot
takeover in 1963, a Greece-backed coup in 1974 and the sub-
sequent Turkish intervention -- is paved with last chances. The
most recent chance was lost when the EU accepted as a member
a country run only by Greek Cypriots. Its leader and 76 percent
of Greek Cypriots had voted against the 2004 settlement, in-
cluding a Turkish withdrawal, which had been backed by the
EU, the UN, the US, Turkey and 65 percent of Turkish Cypriots.
After that, Greek Cypriots blocked half of Turkey’s EU mem-
bership negotiations, right-wing leaders from major EU states
turned against Turkey’s European ambitions and a demoralized
Turkey slowed its EU harmonization process to a crawl.
In February 2008, the Greek Cypriots elected a new, pro-
compromise leader, Dimitris Christoas. A promising new period
of talks began with the equally progressive Turkish Cypriot leader,
Mehmet Ali Talat. However, despite some success, these two old
friends have not yet managed to rescue the situation. In the absence
of a real deal, polls suggest that Talat will lose his seat to a national-
ist hard-liner in elections in April.
If this happens, the underlying animosity stored up since 2004
could unravel the situation fast and the de facto partition will be-
come permanent.
The EU will lose any prospect of EU-NATO cooperation
and the positive impact that smooth EU-Turkey relations
have had in its Middle Eastern backyard. Greece’s territorial
conflicts with Turkey may unfreeze. Turkey will see the cha-
risma and prosperity linked to its last decade’s EU integra-
tion efforts evaporate, will face billions of euros of European
lawsuits over occupied Greek Cypriot property and will fail
to win recognition of a Turkish Cypriot state.
On Cyprus, Greek Cypriots will suffer indenitely Turkish

US urges Turkey to drop Karabakh troops in the occupied north, forfeit chances for restitution of
occupied property and become a partial ghetto on the far east-
ern margin of Europe. Turkish Cypriots, already squeezed by
migrants from Turkey, and today barely half of the population

condton for tes wth Armena of the north, will see living standards fall and their community
scatter as full-scale integration with Turkey ensues.
Momentum in the old virtuous circle between the EU,
AL H. ASLAN WASHINGTON Turkey and Cyprus can be rebuilt. The new German gov-
TODAY’S ZAMAN, AL ÜNAL

ernment has dropped the idea of a second-class “privileged

Within days of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip partnership” for Turkey it had been canvassing as a substi-
Erdoan clearly linking the issues of normaliza- tute for the long-promised goal of membership. In France,
tion of relations between Ankara and Yerevan to President Nicolas Sarkozy’s opposition to Turkey’s member-
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between ship has brought new supporters of Turkey into the open.
Baku and Yerevan, a senior US State Department ofcial Greek Cypriots should send positive signals and find a
urged Turkey to make progress on normalization efforts way of accepting the Turkish offer of direct talks in the
with Armenia without setting preconditions. same room as the Turkish Cypriots, Greece and the UN.
Following a White House meeting with US President Turkey should act big and reach out to the Greek Cypri-
Barack Obama on Monday, Erdoan said progress in ots to neutralize their real fears and lack of trust.
PHOTO

ongoing efforts at normalization between Armenia and Ankara should also accelerate its recent new push on
Turkey was related to progress concerning the Nagorno- convergence with EU norms. This process is not just the
Karabakh dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. proven best course for both sides. It is also the only path
Obama had already “encouraged him [Erdoan] to to the reunification of Cyprus -- and for this to happen, the
continue to move forward along this path,” in regards next few months really are the last chance.
to the rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia.
Obama’s remarks are considered an apparent reection Hugh Pope is the International Crisis Group’s Turkey/Cyprus project di-
of the US expectation of further progress on the normal- rector and author of “Turkey Unveiled: A History of Modern Turkey.
ization efforts with Armenia, probably through the swift This article rst appeared in European Voice
ratication of the two protocols signed by the govern-
ments on restoring diplomatic ties and reopening the
common border between the two neighboring countries.
Philip H. Gordon, the assistant secretary of state for
European and Eurasian affairs at the US State Depart-
Mexico, Turkey
ment, who participated in White House talks between
US and Turkish ofcials, touched upon the issue on
consider joint steps
Wednesday during a meeting at the Council on Foreign
Relations (CFR).
against crime
Philip H. Gordon, the US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, called what appeared to be Despite the great geographical distance between the two
Reiterating US support for the process of normaliza- diverging approaches by the US and Turkey toward Iran’s nuclear program “a tactical difference.” countries, Mexico and Turkey could join forces against
tion between Armenia and Turkey, Gordon added: “We
nia relationship, but because we think it could be also for covertly constructing a second enrichment plant near organized crime through learning from each other’s experi-
would like to see the protocols ratied. We think this
contributing to peace and stability in the region that both the city of Qom, demanding a halt to construction. ence, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan has said.
would benet Turkey and Armenia and help peace and
Armenia and Azerbaijan would benet from. [A] Minsk There “could be problems” if measures such as sanc- Erdoan’s remarks came in Mexico City on Wednesday
stability throughout the region.”
group co-chair is in the region right now because we tions are taken against Iran without seeking a diplomatic at a joint press conference following a meeting with his
On Monday Erdoan said: “We have also discussed
think this is hugely important. But it has long been huge- solution, Erdoan said on PBS’s “Charlie Rose” show Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon. Erdoan, who was
relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which are
ly important, and it’s hugely important independently of following his meeting with Obama. in Washington for an official visit earlier this week, pro-
of great importance. This is important in the context
any other issue. It’s something we care [about], and we Voicing gratitude for Turkey’s support in Afghani- ceeded to Mexico, marking the first prime ministerial-level
of Turkish-Armenian relations. We have discussed the
would like it to succeed. If both of these processes were stan, Gordon underlined that Richard Holbrooke, visit from Turkey to this country in almost a decade.
Minsk Group and what the Minsk Group -- the United
to succeed, it would really be a historic development for Obama’s special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, While Mexico is a transit country for drug smuggling from
States, Russia and France -- can do to add more impetus
the region.” “cares deeply about the special cooperative relationship” South America to the United States, Turkey is a transit coun-
to that process. I can say that to have more impetus in
Underlining US expectations of seeing a “move for- between the US and Turkey in Afghanistan. try for drug smuggling from Afghanistan to Western Europe,
the Minsk process is going to have a very positive impact
ward as quickly as possible,” Gordon said the US has Ruling out arguments that Turkey has been drifting Calderon said at the conference, noting that the two countries
on the overall process, because the normalization pro-
been asking both the Armenian and Turkish govern- away from the West, Gordon said what he has observed is have agreed on bilateral cooperation on the issue.
cess between Turkey and Armenia is very much related
ments for the ratication of the protocols “as soon as a Turkey that is aspiring to become a full European Union “Our security forces have carried out very successful opera-
to these issues. As the administration in Turkey, we are
possible, without preconditions and independently of member, a goal supported by the US administration. tions. Mexico is also experiencing the same trouble. And we have
determined to move forward in this area.”
any other issue.” When reminded of Washington’s silence on the in- agreed on launching joint exercises. We may take joint steps against
The Minsk Group of the Organization for Security
Gordon, meanwhile, called what appeared to be the uence of the military in Turkish politics, Gordon said: organized crime,” Erdoan was quoted as saying by the Anatolia
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has striven to solve
diverging approaches of the two NATO allies toward “I think we have always made clear that rst of all we news agency, in response to Calderon’s remarks. He also referred
the Nagorno-Karabakh conict, a territorial dispute be-
Iran’s nuclear program “a tactical difference.” Yet, he respect Turkey’s democracy and the need for appropri- to Mexico’s successful ght against drug violence in the 1990s.
tween Baku and Yerevan, for 17 years.
also noted that the US told Turkey about their “disap- ate civilian-military relations in Turkey. And when the Calderon, meanwhile, voiced support for the UN-led Al-
In response to a question regarding Erdoan’s call for
pointment” over the fact that Turkey had abstained in a prime minister comes here, we believe he is speaking for liance of Civilizations, an initiative which has been sponsored
more impetus within the Minsk process, Gordon contin-
vote on a resolution in the International Atomic Energy Turkey and the Turkish government. And we are satis- by Spain and Turkey, underlining the need for strengthening
ued: “We are actively engaged in the Nagorno-Karabakh
Agency (IAEA), passed on Nov. 27, which censured Iran ed with that relationship.” dialogue between Muslim and Western cultures.
issue. Not because we see it linked to the Turkey-Arme-
Erdoan invited his Mexican counterpart to pay an ofcial visit
to Turkey next year. Ankara Today’s Zaman with wires

CMYK
 NATIONAL
Çiçek’s action plan first put into operation in Gaziantep
A Turkish daily reported on Thursday that
a military plot aimed at undermining the
power of the ruling Justice and Development Par-
ty (AK Party) and the faith-based Gülen move-
ment was rst put into operation in the south-
eastern province of Gaziantep.
According to Yeni afak, former Gaziantep
Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Col. Ali
Tapan ordered that the activities of Gülen’s fol-
lowers be monitored in the city. He also ordered
a group of gendarmes to monitor the activities
of other religious groups. The surveillance was
part of a plan, named the Action Plan to Fight
Reactionaryism, which was exposed by a Turkish
daily in June. The plot was drafted by Col. Dursun
Çiçek. According to the plot, the Turkish Armed
Forces (TSK) had a systematic plan to destroy the
Egypt, Turkey
to hold joint
conference
for Darfur
reconstruction
Egypt has announced that it
will hold a reconstruction and
assistance conference in coopera-
tion with Turkey, a senior Egyptian
ofcial has announced, noting that
Turkey will co-chair the conference
upon Sudan’s request.
Mohammed Qassim, director
of the Sudan affairs department
at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry,
earlier this week told the Arab Af-
fairs Committee at the Egyptian
Parliament that the conference
will be held in the rst half of
2010, while invitations will be sent
to international organizations as
well as probable donor countries
in the coming days.
The United Nations estimates
about 300,000 people have been
killed since mostly non-Arab reb-
els in Sudan’s Darfur region took
up arms against Khartoum more
than six years ago. The govern-
ment puts the death toll at about
10,000.
The International Criminal
Court has demanded President
Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s arrest for
war crimes linked to the counter-
insurgency campaign.
A peace process mediated by
the United Nations and African
Union began last month in Qatar
with civil society groups taking
part. The ghting has driven more
than 2 million people from their
homes and destabilized the remote
region bordering Chad and the
Central African Republic, who are
both ghting uprisings fuelled by
the unrest in Darfur.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Re-
cep Tayyip Erdoan recently dis-
missed accusations of genocide
against al-Bashir, saying in con-
troversial remarks that a Muslim
cannot commit genocide and that
“what happened in Gaza was
worse than what happened in
Darfur.” Cumali Önal Cairo
Justice Minister Ergin says system to
prevent judicial interference needed
Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin has called for
a new system to prevent any kind of internal
or external interference in the judiciary in Turkey.
Stating that the issue of judicial indepen-
dence is not just an issue of the presence of the
justice minister and his undersecretary, Ahmet
Kahraman, on the Supreme Board of Judges
and Prosecutors (HSYK), Ergin said the inu-
ence of other members of the judiciary on judg-
es and prosecutors should also be prevented.
Ergin attended a-two-day symposium of
the European Commission’s Technical Assis-
tance and Information Exchange Instrument
(TAIEX) titled “Independence, Impartial-
ity and Efciency of the Judiciary” yesterday.
Speaking at the symposium, held at the Turk-
ish Union of Notaries (TNB), Ergin said the
rule of law does not mean the rule of jurists.
Stating that the rules of law are also binding
for jurists, Ergin said the trust of the public in
the judiciary is the basic principle of a state of
law. “The principle of judicial independence is
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009
image of the AK Party government and the Gülen
movement in the eyes of the public and to play
down the investigation into Ergenekon.
The TSK also hoped to gather support for
members of the military arrested as part of the
Ergenekon probe. Dozens of Ergenekon mem-
bers, including businessmen, members of the
military and journalists, are currently incarcer-
ated while standing trial.
Tapan hoped to portray the monitored mem-
bers of religious groups as members of an illegal
terrorist organization. To monitor those individu-
als, Tapan sent written notices to gendarmes in
March. According to the notices, gendarmes were
to determine whether there was any former mem-
ber of the military in Gaziantep who had been
expelled from the military for “reactionary activi-
Retired naval officer Levent Bekta was taken to testify to Ergenekon prosecutors in Beikta yesterday about the recently uncovered Cage plan, a
plot to kill key figures of Turkey’s non-Muslim communities in an effort to undermine the image of the AK Party.
Maj. Bekta to testify
on Cage action plan
KADR KÖKTEN STANBUL
A retired navy ofcer was taken from
his prison cell to the stanbul Court-
house in Beikta on Thursday to tes-
tify as part of the investigation into Ergenekon,
a clandestine gang charged with attempting to
overthrow the government.
Naval retired Maj. Levent Bekta was to
respond to prosecutor’s questions about a
document known as the Cage plan, which
outlines a plot to assassinate non-Muslim
community leaders and was allegedly pre-
pared by a group in the military. The docu-
ment appears to be authentic, according to
a report by the Council of Forensic Medicine
(ATK). The same report has also established
that the signature that appears on the docu-
ment belongs to Lt. Col. Ercan Kireçtepe.
A list of munitions attached to the Cage
plan strongly indicates that it was aimed at
one of the main aspects of the impartiality of
the judiciary. It is only possible for members of
the judiciary to make impartial decisions when
there are no internal or external inuences
on them. While external inuence means in-
uence by state institutions or other groups,
internal inuence means any kind of interfer-
ence with the work of judges by those within
the judiciary. A system which will protect the
judiciary from internal inuences as well as
those from the outside should be established
to ensure the judiciary’s impartiality and in-
dependence,” he said. Ergin also stressed that
from this perspective the debate on judicial
independence should not only focus on the
membership of the justice minister and his
undersecretary in the HSYK.
Recalling that the ministry has prepared a
judicial reform strategy to strengthen judicial
independence and ensure its impartiality, Ergin
said this plan also aims to restructure the scope
of authority of HSYK. Emrullah Bayrak Ankara
ties.” The colonel also asked gendarmes to com-
municate with followers of religious groups and
ascertain their views on the TSK, secularism, the
headscarf ban, F-type prisons, human rights viola-
tions and claims of corruption against TSK staff.
Çiçek’s plot also aimed to portray followers of
the Gülen movement as being engaged in illegal
acts. “We will enable the discovery of weapons,
ammunition and documents at the addresses
of Gülen’s followers as if they were members of
a terrorist organization. The movement will be
named ‘Fethullah’s Armed Terrorist Organization’
[FSTÖ], and investigations into its members will be
carried out by military prosecutors,” read the plot.
Col. Çiçek was arrested last month for sus-
pected membership in a clandestine terrorist or-
ganization but was released after being briey de-
creating chaos in society and sparking clashes
between the country’s Muslim and non-Mus-
lim citizens, which would eventually lead to a
military intervention. The plan was detailed
on a CD seized in Bekta’s ofce. Bekta was
arrested in April for suspected links to a large
cache of munitions unearthed during excava-
tions on land owned by the stek Foundation
in stanbul’s Poyrazköy district. Bekta is cur-
rently being held in Silivri Prison.
Yldrm responds to lawyers in
Ergenekon cross-examination
Meanwhile Osman Yldrm, one of the
main suspects in the 2006 Council of State
shooting, which left a senior judge dead, con-
tinued to respond to questions from prosecu-
tors and lawyers of his fellow defendants in the
trial of Ergenekon, a clandestine gang charged
with plotting to overthrow the government.
Yldrm’s cross-examination follows his
Journalist Baransu demands probe
into illegal gendarmerie wiretapping
Mehmet Baransu, whose phones were ille-
gally wiretapped by the gendarmerie through
falsied bureaucratic papers, led a complaint with
a prosecutor on Wednesday. He is also expected to
sue the Ministry of the Interior.
Baransu went to a court in stanbul with his law-
yer Ergin Cinmen, who demanded an investigation
into the identity of those from the Van Gendarmerie
Command who applied for the wiretapping warrant.
Cinmen also stated in his petition that Baransu
is a well-known journalist and he has been targeted
by some political groups. Cinmen indicated that
Baransu’s phones were wiretapped from Oct. 24,
2008, to Dec. 1 of this year. The act is a crime under
the Turkish Penal Code 204/2, Cinmen wrote, and
added that the gendarmerie ofcials’ application to
the court to wiretap Baransu’s phone was illegal.
“They also committed various crimes, carrying
out illegal procedures so as to keep my phone wire-
tapping secret,” Baransu wrote in the Taraf daily.
His lawyer further stated that Van Gendarmerie
Commander Vecihi Halil yigün’s signature is on
CMYK
tained. He was also arrested and released in July.
Turkish dailies previously reported that the
same plot had been put into operation in eastern
Erzincan and northwestern Bursa provinces.
Two secret witnesses, interrogated recently by a
public prosecutor, claimed that they were offered a
bribe by three members of the military -- one major,
a lieutenant colonel and a sergeant major -- to plant
weapons at the addresses of followers of Fethullah
Gülen in Erzincan. The three members of the mili-
tary were arrested and put in jail last month.
In Bursa, the gendarmerie wiretapped the
phone conversations of around 250 individuals
as part of Çiçek’s action plan. The wiretap re-
cords were compiled in such a way as to show
that the individuals were members of an illegal
organization. stanbul Today’s Zaman
TODAY’S ZAMAN, MEHMET AL POYRAZ
PHOTO
testimony before the stanbul 13th High Crim-
inal Court in the rst of two ongoing trials into
Ergenekon. The Council of State shooting case
was merged with the Ergenekon trial earlier
this year. Yldrm and other suspects in the
Council of State shooting are also accused of
throwing hand grenades at the Cumhuriyet
newspaper’s headquarters a few days before
the Council of State attack. The daily was at-
tacked three times in 2006, on May 5, 10 and
11. The attacks were followed by the Council
of State shooting on May 17.
Meanwhile, retired Chief of General
Staff Gen. Hüseyin Kvrkolu stated that
he has connections to Ümit Sayn, an Er-
genekon suspect who said on Monday that
Kvrkolu informed him about Encümen-i
Dani, a secret group that is composed of
members of the state bureaucracy, retired
military ofcers and ambassadors, while re-
sponding to prosecutors’ questions.
the documents asking for permission to wiretap
Baransu’s phones but they believe there are other
suspects too. Cinmen demanded from the court
reveal those responsible. Baransu also claimed that
the gendarmerie tricked the court into believing
that they were issuing a wiretapping warrant for
someone else. According to Baransu, the gendar-
merie applied to the Van 3rd High Criminal Court,
only submitting the 15-digit International Mobile
Equipment Identity (IMEI) code -- a number as-
signed to all cellular phones -- of his cell phone.
The gendarmerie told the court the IMEI num-
ber was of a phone that belonged to a terrorist
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant named
ükrü Özkan, who used the code name Serdar. The
court, unable to verify the origin of the IMEI num-
ber and believing that it was issuing a warrant for
monitoring the phone conversations of this person,
issued the warrant. Baransu noted that using a fake
name in court also assured that the truth about Ba-
ransu’s phone lines being wiretapped would likely
never be found out. stanbul Today’s Zaman
TODAY’S ZAMAN 05
HÜSEYN
GÜLERCE
h.gulerce@todayszaman.com
Gov’t beng
pushed toward
martal law
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) head Devlet
Bahçeli has announced that the rst of his party’s
“Experience and Perpetuate the Thousand-Year-
Old Brotherhood” meetings will be held on Sun-
day at Ankara’s Tandoan Square. Amidst our cur-
rent polarized atmosphere, such rallies are a source
of concern.
Mr. Bahçeli and Mr. Baykal have unfortunately
used the government’s move in launching the ini-
tiative to commence a counterattack in a manner
that pushes the boundaries of reason and demo-
cratic consideration. Only three days ago, Repub-
lican People’s Party (CHP) leader Baykal said: “It
must be known that to continue with the initiative
now means a diversion into blindness and error
-- as Mustafa Kemal said in his Address -- and a
transformation into outright treason. Just as force
commanders are appearing in front of the prosecu-
tor and accounting for their doings, we long for
the days when hopefully prime ministers will also
appear in front of the prosecution and be made to
give their account.”
As Mr. Baykal is aware that Prime Minister
Adnan Menderes was “made to give account” by
junta members -- and was executed for his troubles
-- but that this is the rst time that junta members
themselves have been taken to account, what ex-
actly is the message that he’s trying to convey to
Prime Minister Erdoan? As for Bahçeli, he says,
“The Justice and Development Party [AK Party]
has accomplished what the PKK hasn’t been able
to for 25 years.”
For months the CHP and MHP leaders have
been castigating the government, calling them “di-
visive, treasonous collaborators.” And meanwhile,
they haven’t brought a single proposal to the table
toward a solution to the problem at hand. This ap-
proach, supported by certain segments of the me-
dia, is raising levels of societal tension and strain.
Given this atmosphere, the MHP’s rallies, which it
deems acceptable given its own policies, should be
evaluated given their potential to heighten danger.
They cannot be disregarded.
It was also alleged in the second Ergenekon in-
dictment that republican rallies were part of a plot
to overthrow the legitimate government by illegal
means. Today, those circles who have recognized
that they can not unseat the AK Party government
at the polls have begun to use tried and tested tac-
tics. Their aim is to prepare an atmosphere in the
country, with consecutive provocative actions, to
push the government to impose emergency rule.
Let me call your attention to something: One
of the prominent members of these circles is Dou
Silahçolu, who is one of the powerful generals
of the Feb. 28 era. In his article published in Cum-
huriyet on Feb. 3, 2008, under the title “The Exit,”
he said, “There is only one thing left in the struggle
against political Islam: to remove the AK Party gov-
ernment from ruling the country.”
Silahçolu suggested two strategies to over-
throw the government: “The legal way: To provide
the closure of the AK Party by an application by the
Supreme Court of Appeals’ Prosecutor’s Ofce to the
Constitutional Court, with the allegation of being the
center of policies against the secular system of the
country.” A mere 44 days after the publication of this
article, the AK Party was declared the center of anti-
secularist actions, on July 30, 2008, by the Constitu-
tional Court, as Silahçolu precisely advised. Closure
was averted in lieu of a criminal penalty.
Social method: Let us not forget the statement
of (smet) nönü, who was the leader of the CHP
before the May 27, 1960, military coup: “When the
conditions are right, revolution is the legal right of
nations…” (Let us remind you the defense of CHP
stanbul deputy Esfender Korkmaz in Parliament’s
General Assembly two days ago, that “a coup will
take place if the public decides that an interven-
tion is necessary…”) Or statements such as “A
national front must be formed with wide participa-
tion from the public, and the AK Party government
must be removed from power!.. All supporters of
the national front, those advocates of Atatürk’s Re-
public, must hit the streets and ll the squares,” as
Silahçolu said in his Feb. 3, 2008, column.
The gathering of one million was realized
through republican rallies. Yet today the case into
Ergenekon, a clandestine gang charged with plot-
ting to overthrow the government, has opened
their eyes, and nationalists have no strength left
to carry out the same demonstrations. In light of
this, the question, “Are the republican rallies the
purview of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
this time?” becomes unavoidable. I guess the big-
gest support of the MHP’s Sunday’s demonstration
will be from CHP organizations and nationalists.
In these troublesome days, a serious examination
awaits the MHP administrators…
 06 TODAY’S ZAMAN
Çetin: Turkey can do
more n Afghanstan
contnued from page 1
He said the West made some mis-
takes in Afghanistan and still con-
tinues to do so and to be able to withdraw
from there within 18 months, as Obama’s
new strategy envisages, is not realistic.
However, if the West cooperates with Pak-
istan on the issue; succeeds in training the
Afghan security forces and upgrades their
equipment; increases economic assistance
in coordination with the Afghan govern-
ment; and, most importantly, wins the
hearts of the Afghan people, the world can
be hopeful about the future of the region.
This new strategy also has to be supported
by the new Afghan central government.
He recalled that every NATO member
has been implementing its own caveats
about where their troops can be deployed
and their range of tasks, but for the suc-
cess of NATO’s mission “ve hundred sol-
diers with less caveats will be preferable to
5,000 soldiers with strict restrictions,” ac-
cording to Çetin.
He added that Turkey is also imposing
caveats and that it has its own reasons for
doing so, but there are many other ways
for Turkey to contribute the peace and sta-
bility in Afghanistan.
“The Obama administration is trying
to carry out the mission in Afghanistan as
a NATO mission and this is why they are
asking for more troops from their alliances.
They decided to send 30,000 more troops
and they have the capacity to send even
more, but they want to underline the in-
ternational dimension of the operation and
in my opinion it is a requirement. But I be-
lieve that what the Obama administration
has been seeking exactly is certain number
of soldiers with more exibility rather than
huge numbers of soldiers. The commander
of the mission should be able to send a sol-
dier in Kabul, for example, to the south when
it is necessary. When I was there, sometimes
it was a very big problem too. Those restric-
tions should come to an end,” he said.
Turkey can contribute
with a whole package
Çetin underlined that Turkey has some
restrictions as well, and he believes that it
has reasons for these but thinks the con-
tribution of Turkey can be increased by
many ways.
“These are my personal opinions,
but Turkey can contribute more to the
training of the Afghan police and sol-
diers. The Afghan people want it too.
For the time being, Turkey is training
those soldiers in Turkey and sending
them back, it supports the military acad-
emy in Kabul as well. But it can carry this
mission further and train certain military
units in Afghanistan; it can start with a
battalion. Then it can enlarge this mis-
sion and can take full responsibility for
training them. I think Turkey is the best
country to do that,” he said.
Çetin recalled that NATO is
working in ve different regions
in Afghanistan: the center, east,
west, north and south. Every
contributor country is as-
signed to a certain region.
The commandership of the
center is now the responsi-
9 Turkish teachers resign from posts in Russia
CHAN
PHOTO
Genris Kuznetsov, the chairman of the executive
board of the International Russian-Turkish College
bility of Turkey for one year, but accord-
ing to Çetin, Turkey can extend the time
period of this command and can conduct
the commandership of the center as long
as the NATO mission continues.
He also emphasized that there are
many other elds Turkey can make a con-
tribution in, for example, it can increase its
economic and social assistance to Afghan-
istan, it can send public administration
experts to assist with the state formation.
“For example, there is a legal reform
process going on in Afghanistan now and
the Italians are conducting it. But I think
Turkey is the best country to combine
modern law and Shariah for Afghanistan
and nobody will object to that,” he said.
According to him, if Turkey gives assis-
tance in these areas as a package, its con-
tribution to Afghanistan and the NATO
mission will be even more valuable.
He also stresses that Obama’s strategy
is also based on the training of the Afghan
security forces and when the Afghans are
ready to take control of the country the
US will withdraw. It is hoping to do this
within 18 months. According to Çe-
tin to setting a withdrawal date
is a necessity but 18 months
might not be realistic.
“When I was there, al-
most 60,000 Afghan police
had been trained but 60
percent of them were illit-
erate. To do training alone
is not enough either, their
equipment is also very im-
portant. In Afghanistan, it is
impossible to reach certain
regions by land transpor-
tation and helicopters are
needed,” he said.
Çetin underlines that in
order to increase the number of
the soldiers and their exibility,
Hikmet Çetin, a former NATO
representative in Afghanistan,
focused on the role of soft power and
winning the hearts of local people
to ensure the success of Obama’s
new strategy in Afghanistan.
FARUK AKKAN MOSCOW
Nine Turkish teachers who worked at
the International Russian-Turkish Col-
lege in Moscow were forced to resign on Tues-
day due to a change in the Russian education
law proposed by the Federal Immigration Of-
ce in Moscow that forbids the employment
of non-Russian teachers in schools as well as
a ban on the use of a foreign language as the
language of instruction.
Commenting on the teachers’ resignations,
Genris Kuznetsov, the chairman of the execu-
tive board of the school, said the teachers were
courteous, talented and successful, noting: “I
have never received a complaint about a Turk-
ish teacher who worked at the school for the
training Afghan security forces alone de-
nitely is not good enough.
“If you don’t start rapid economic
and social development it does not mat-
ter how much you increase the number of
the soldiers, you cannot solve the prob-
lem. You should supply essential services,
such as education and health, so you can
destroy the sources and the bases of ter-
rorism, if the locals do not support ter-
rorism, it cannot survive,” Çetin stressed.
Unless there is social and
economic development,
nothing will change
He has a warning, however, about the
social and economic development proj-
ects, saying that in order to ensure the
sustainability of these development proj-
ects, the Afghan people should be in-
volved in them.
“Let’s say a country decides to imple-
ment a development plan [in Afghani-
last 14 years. Russian students and their par-
ents were sad when they heard the news.”
Kuznetsov also pointed out that the Rus-
sian authorities had invited the teachers to
work at the Russian-Turkish College and
said: “But after the change made by the Fed-
eral Immigration Ofce in Moscow, there
is nothing left for us to do, and our Turkish
teachers decided to leave the school. Our
school has had 160 graduates over the course
of 14 years with Turkish teachers.”
The resignation of the teachers will report-
edly not force the school to shut down.
Parents speaking to Today’s Zaman also
expressed disappointment and sadness be-
cause of the Turkish teachers’ resignation and
thanked their parents for sending their children
CMYK
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009
stan]. It gives the tender to rms from its
own country or does the job via its own
NGOs. All this assistance is categorized as
aid to Afghanistan, but most of the money
goes back to the original countries as high
salaries or high costs. But if this aid comes
from Afghanistan it will be cheaper and
more effective. Another problem is that
they are carrying out this assistance with-
out getting the opinion of the locals and
when al-Qaeda destroys them [the new
infrastructure], for example a school, the
locals do not defend it,” he said.
He underlined that for the success of the
new strategy, the formation of the new Af-
ghan government is very important. “Kar-
zai should pick names which are effective
and not involved in corruption,” he said.
But all these things are not enough, in or-
der to win in Afghanistan, cooperating with
Pakistan is also a must, according to Çetin.
“If you don’t cooperate with Pakistan,
whatever you do, the Taliban will con-
tinue to be strong in Afghanistan. Pakistan
should be assisted in controlling its borders
and the madrasas in the north,” he stressed.
Çetin added that the Taliban are a
part of the Afghan nation and you can-
not get anywhere by excluding them.
Their leaders might be in coopera-
tion with al-Qaeda, but if you co-
operate with the people, in time it
will bring about the separation of
the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
“The Afghan people are
unhappy about the existence
of the al-Qaeda and to the ex-
tent that the hearts of the Af-
ghan people are won by inter-
national community, it will be
possible to clear al-Qaeda from
the region. Afghan youngsters,
Afghan women want peace and
to be able to look into the future
with hope,” he said.
TODAY’S ZAMAN
PHOTO
to Russia. Ali bragimov, the father of a student
at the college, underlined the difculties in es-
tablishing friendships between different cul-
tures, adding that “in contrast, it is very easy to
destroy them.” He also noted that since rela-
tions between Russia and Turkey have recently
improved, they have difculty understanding
the reason behind such a decision.
Vais Hasov, another parent, stressed
that the Turkish teachers have a very special
place in their hearts, adding that “losing them
will negatively inuence the students. Their
friendship remains in our hearts. I believe that
the Turkish teachers in this school are the best
ones in Turkey. We are thankful to them. The
experiences my daughter had at this school
will help her for her whole life.”
NATIONAL
ORHAN KEMAL
CENGZ
o.cengiz@todayszaman.com
On Erdoan,
genocde and
beng pro-AKP
Let me try to give you some hints about the psychology of
democrats and liberals in Turkey. I know sometimes we
look alike, we support the government and Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdoan whatever the circumstances maybe. I
know this is how it appears but this is not true. We criticize
them, of course, but maybe we prefer not to be so outspo-
ken about their mistakes. I know you sense this attitude in
us and I know some Western democrats sometimes have
difculty understanding us. If you were us you would do the
same thing, I assure you.
Let me give you a “fresh” example. Today I was planning
to write a harsh critique of some of Erdoan’s remarks. Like
I do every morning, I started to read the newspapers. One
particular piece of news coverage killed all my enthusiasm for
criticizing the government. We know the chief prosecutor at
the Court of Appeals (Yargtay) is now collecting evidence to
bring the second closure case against the Justice and Devel-
opment Party (AK Party). Crazy country!
Imagine, you have a neighbor in your apartment build-
ing and you’re irritated by the noise they produce. Overall
you have good relations, you believe they are good people,
but you have a specic complaint. You leave your home, go
downstairs, trying to formulate your criticism about them in
your mind on the way. Just as you arrive on your neighbor’s
doorstep, you are confronted with this devastatingly disturb-
ing seen. A gun is pointed at your neighbor’s head and an-
other neighbor is shouting at him and accusing him of some
“crimes” he has not committed. Can you stand there and say
I have such and such a complaint about you, too?
This is the very unfortunate situation we are in. It is our
surreal reality. This government has never passed the point
of being under the threat of being closed down or sent away
with a possible coup d’état.
Look at this Ergenekon stuff. There is huge propaganda
against the case and the propagandists are trying to exploit
the usual and well-known prejudices about Muslims. They
suggest the whole Ergenekon case is a fabrication of this
government and they are just trying to undermine the sec-
ular structure of Turkey. It is impossible not to revolt. We
know very well exactly what is going on there. But again
the appearance is that Turkey’s “modern,” “secular” people
are complaining about the “Islamist government” which is
creating conspiracy theories.
As you see, whenever we attempt to criticize this govern-
ment we are afraid of potentially giving ammunition to the
evil coalition which is trying to restore the old regime of mili-
tary guardianship. All these concerns make us less critical of
the government and we may face the risk of losing our critical
voice completely. This is the psychological state we are in.
Anyway, I should return to the beginning of this article.
Sometimes some of Erdoan’s remarks drives me crazy.
When he said there was no genocide in Darfur, I was really
devastated. As a human rights activist I know what has been
going on in Darfur. Therefore, I found Erdoan’s remarks
quite embarrassing. He appears to be unaware of the indict-
ment prepared by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
He said he was in Darfur and he could not see any traces
of genocide. What was Erdoan expecting to happen? That
President Omar Hassan al-Bashir would take him to some
place and show him how they butcher people there? He may
not know this but our second biggest human rights NGO, the
Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed
Peoples (MAZLUMDER), wanted to get permission for a fact
nding visit and were immediately refused by Sudan. As if
this was not enough, he said Muslims do not commit mas-
sacres. What is al-Qaeda doing? What happens in Iraq ev-
ery day? What happened in the past in this country? These
are extremely dangerous remarks. If he had said something
like, “If you commit genocide you cannot remain a Muslim,”
I would understand and appreciate him, and he would have
contributed to peace in the world with this kind of statement.
He would have shown the whole world how a Muslim dem-
ocrat reacts in the face of injustice and crimes against hu-
manity. But instead, with his unfortunate comments he just
strengthens the well-known prejudices against Muslims and
overshadows the extremely important progress happening in
Turkey that he himself has designed.
His last remarks about the Armenian massacres were
equally unlucky ones. He said that his ancestors did not
commit genocide. He should tell us then what happened
in Turkey in 1915. I am really very sorry for hearing these
kinds of remarks from him. Erdoan and his party are an op-
portunity for this country; if Erdoan considered his stance
on these kinds of matters they would be an opportunity for
the world. But after criticizing Israel with such harsh words,
turning a blind eye to massacres and genocides committed
by other countries creates a terrible image of him, which, I
believe he does not deserve. Human rights, when they are
defended with sincerity, are one of the most powerful weap-
ons to inuence people and their opinion. It is, however, also
an extremely dangerous tool; if you have double standards in
defending them, it will almost always backre and harm you.
If Erdoan really wants to inuence Israel with his criticism
he should put aside these kinds of double standards. If he
does so, he will contribute to changing the course of history,
otherwise he will be put in the museum of populist politicians
who we have in abundance all over the world.
I hope some so-called “secular” Ergenekon lobbyists
will not try to exploit my analysis. When it comes to double
standards, Erdoan would be deemed an innocent child
compared to them. If Erdoan changes his attitude, others
will be caught in broad daylight.
 BUSINESS
GDP shrinks by 3.3 pct, but shows signs of recovery
contýnued from page 1
The GDP shrunk by 3.3 percent calculated
with 1998 prices as a base year, and 0.1 percent
when using current prices. In the third quarter of
2008, the GDP grew by 1 percent compared to the
year before. In the rst nine months of this year,
the GDP shrank by 8.4 percent to end at TL 7.96
billion calculated using current prices.
The data also considered GDP growth on a
sectoral basis, with the construction sector taking
the biggest hit during the third quarter, shrinking
18.1 percent. The construction sector shrunk al-
most half that amount in the third quarter of 2008,
9.8 percent. The sector shrank by 19.5 percent in
the rst nine months of the year.
The wholesale and retail trade sector, which
shrank by 1.5 percent in the third quarter of
2008, continued to contract by 7.2 percent in
third quarter of 2009. The share of taxes and
subsidies in the GDP also shrank by 8.4 percent.
Although many sectors experienced signicant
slowdowns during the third quarter, other sec-
tors enjoyed great growth. The nancial inter-
mediation services sector grew by 9.5 percent
compared to the same period of last year.
Government spending during the rst three
periods of the year increased, according to the re-
lease. Government spending was TL 20.9 billion
in the rst quarter, TL 23.3 billion in the second
and TL 27.1 billion in the third quarter of 2009. The
CB excludes IMF option for 2010
plans, sees recovery as imminent
ERCAN BAYSAL ANKARA
Turkish Central Bank Governor Dur-
mu Ylmaz has said the bank does not
take a stand-by agreement with the In-
ternational Monetary Fund (IMF) as a parame-
ter while drawing up projections and devising
monetary policy for the coming year.
Ylmaz held a press conference in Ankara
on Thursday to share the basics of the mo-
netary policy the central bank will pursue in
2010 and to convey his remarks on numero-
us actual developments in the domestic and
global economy. He argued that although the
Turkish government is continuing talks with
the IMF over a stand-by deal, the bank is in-
different to any possible outcome of the nego-
tiations while determining its policies for the
period in sight. The governor, however, argu-
ed that interest rates may come under pres-
sure if the Treasury raises borrowing without
the government signing a deal with the IMF.
He was very optimistic regarding domes-
tic economy recovery scenarios addressing the
global economic crisis. “The possibility that
light shining at the end of the tunnel is sunlight
is increasing,” Ylmaz said. He had previously
noted that light was visible ahead, but that it
was not certain whether it was the tunnel exit or
an approaching train. He asserted that he sees
growth resuming in the nal quarter of 2009.
Data ow from Turkey, specically the
country’s third-quarter gross domestic product
(GDP), which showed a less-than-expected
contraction of 3.3 percent, shows that economic
recovery has begun, Ylmaz said. Signals co-
ming in since May 2009 have not been clear to
guide the bank’s interest rate policy, he added.
No change in monetary policy
In very simple words, the governor underlined
that there will be no alteration to the basic pillars
of the current monetary policy, which are inati-
on targeting and a oating exchange rate regime.
He was decisive to express that exchange rates
are neither a policy instrument nor a target un-
der the current regime. Although he repeated his
commitment to stay away from any dramatic in-
tervention in the exchange rate mechanism, the
governor said the precautionary foreign exchan-
ge purchase tenders will continue in 2010 as long
as current liquidity conditions prevail. Ylmaz
said that the bank has purchased a net amount
of $64.7 billion worth of foreign exchange from
the markets since 2002 to stem the harsh conse-
quences of sharp volatility in currency rates.
For him, the increases in the monetary
base, the quantities of trade in the exchange
rate markets and the amount of loans extended
to Turkey in the event of a stand-by deal with
the IMF will be the major conditions determi-
ning the level of liquidity in Turkey, he noted.
Turkey’s central bank governor said the
bank had planned to buy TL 8 billion ($5.3 bil-
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009
share of government consumption spending in to-
tal government spending increased from 9 percent
to 9.7 percent in the third quarter.
Minister of Finance Mehmet imek, speaking
to journalists at the Gaziantep Journalists’ Associati-
on (GGC), noted that Turkey would start recovering
much faster in the rst quarter of 2010. Speaking
about the current economic crisis, imek stated
that the crisis had signicantly affected Turkey’s real
sector, especially sectors focused on exports.
While noting that because of the crisis many
investments were delayed, imek said: “The
Turkish Central Bank Governor Durmu Ylmaz (R) spoke about the bank’s monetary policy at a press conference in Ankara yesterday.
lion) of domestic government debt in 2010, a
maximum TL 5 billion of which would be bo-
ught in the rst half. Ylmaz also commented
on Fitch’s recent decision to upgrade Turkey’s
rating by two notches upwards to BB+, saying
this was a belated move and that the rating
agencies should have done this much earlier.
He was happy to report that the Turkish
Central Bank took action swiftly to stem adver-
sities coming about as a result of the economic
crisis. “We were among the central banks in
the world that started interest rate reductions
immediately at the dawn of the crisis,” he said.
Turkey slashed interest rates more than any
other country, cutting them 1,025 basis points
economy hit the trough in March, during the rst
quarter. After the rst quarter, however, there was
a relative improvement in conditions. There are
great signs that the last quarter of the year will be
great. I’m not saying that ‘everything is just as it
should be; we are on the path to sustained growth’
by just looking at one or two months of data, but
there will be a noticeable improvement in conditi-
ons in the fourth quarter. Exports and energy con-
sumption are increasing. It will take time to return
to the performance of 2007, however.”
Speaking on the performance of the banking
since the eruption of the crisis in mid 2008.
Ylmaz also expressed his predictions
regarding the course of the ination rate for
2010. The ination will likely increase in a vo-
latile pattern in the rst half of 2010 but, star-
ting from the second half, it will again start
falling in a gradual and decisive way, he clai-
med. The uncertainty interval will continue to
be plus and minus 2 percent for the next three
years, he said and added that the annual inf-
lation target for 2012 will be 5 percent.
Ylmaz further said the bank may redu-
ce the reserve requirement ratio for banks if
there are liquidity shortages along with extra
measures whenever deemed necessary. The
CMYK
TODAY’S ZAMAN 07
sector, imek noted that the macroeconomic fo-
undation of Turkey is strong compared to the rest
of the world. “The banking sector has a higher ca-
pital adequacy ratio than the West, and they will
support us even more in the following months.”
imek also pointed to the decreasing and now
single digit interest rates, saying this was a “big
accomplishment for Turkey. …Turkey will exit the
crisis much quicker from the rst quarter of 2010
onward.” He also noted that the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
expects Turkey to grow by 6.7 percent annually
from 2011 to 2017. imek noted this growth rate
is strong, coming close to China’s.
Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s
Association (MÜSAD) President Ömer Cihad
Vardan, speaking to journalists in Ankara, noted
that the performance of Turkey’s GDP growth
meant that Turkey was quickly exiting the econo-
mic crisis. Noting that the shrinking of the eco-
nomy had slowed down from 14.7 percent to 3.3
percent in two quarters, Vardan said: “This shows
that we are quickly overcoming a sharp dive in the
growth rate. Our exit speed is great, and if it con-
tinues like this then in the last quarter we should
see a growth rate of zero or even 1 percent.” Spe-
aking on whether this meant an increase in emp-
loyment in Turkey in 2010, Vardan noted that
these gures were “rays of hope” in the better-
ment of employment in Turkey. Ankara Today’s Zaman
AA, FIRAT YURDAKUL
PHOTO
bank’s fundamental instrument to conduct
monetary policy is and will remain short-
term interest rates, he added.
Thanks to the relatively stronger struc-
ture of the domestic banking system and the
strong position of its nancial system, Turkey
managed to bring the ination rate to single-
digit levels at the peak of the global crisis,
Ylmaz told the press and acknowledged that
this is indeed a signicant opportunity to
render the environment of low ination and
interest rates permanent. The commitment to
discipline while conducting scal policies in
the medium term is especially important re-
garding this crucial issue, the governor said.
Treasury to pay
TL 200 billion in debt
throughout 2010
The Treasury plans to service TL 200.3 billion of
public debt and decrease its internal debt rollo-
ver ratio from 103.4 percent to 99.5 percent in 2010.
According to forecasts in a report released by
the undersecretariat of the Treasury yesterday,
Turkey’s debt service is predicted to improve, tho-
ugh gradually. The report notes that as the global
economy contracted, many countries’ budgets fell
into a decit, including Turkey’s. Moreover, the re-
port noted that although the external debt and other
nancing requirements were as expected in 2009,
the deviation of internal debt from expectations ca-
used an above average contribution to the servicing
program budget, thereby creating a 103.4 percent
total internal debt rollover ratio. This high ratio me-
ant that more debt was incurred to service old debt.
According to the report, the payments on public
debt to be made in 2010 will total TL 200.3 billi-
on, with TL 182.6 billion paid to internal sources of
the debt. TL 138.4 billion of the internal debt paid
consists of principal, whereas 44.2 billion is interest
payments. Of the TL 17.7 billion of external debts
serviced, TL 11.2 billion is principal, and 6.5 billion
is interest. TL 167 billion of the internal debt paid is
TL-based, whereas TL 15.6 billion is denominated
in foreign currencies.
The Treasury predicts that TL 195.3 billion of
debts will materialize by the end of 2010, with TL
181.6 billion in internal debt. This will bring the in-
ternal debt service ratio from 103.4 percent predic-
ted for 2009, to 99.5 percent in 2010. According to
the report, thus far in 2009 TL 138.9 billion in inter-
nal debt has been realized, along with TL 11.2 bil-
lion in external debt, for a total of TL 150.1 billion.
According to the report, the Treasury plans
to issue TL 8.4 billion in bonds to international
capital markets, and forecasts TL 5.3 billion of ex-
ternal nance from the World Bank, the European
Investment Bank and other external nancers for
projects and programs.
The report also noted that since 2003 the Tre-
asury has been working to reduce risks in its debt
portfolio, and that with this strategy it has reduced
risks deriving from liquidity in debt stock, high in-
terest rates and exchange rate uctuations. The re-
port noted that in 2003, 58 percent of the central
government’s debt was denominated in foreign
currencies or indexed to them, and that in October
2009 had fallen to 30 percent. Ankara Today’s Zaman
Merrill Lynch: Turkish
economy to grow by
4.5 percent in 2010
ZEYNEP KALKAVAN STANBUL
Merrill Lynch, a leading global nancial ma-
nagement and advisory company, expects the
Turkish economy to grow by 4.5 percent in the co-
ming year after an estimated 3.5 percent contracti-
on this year, making a stand-by deal with the Inter-
national Monetary Fund (IMF) unnecessary.
The company unveiled its forecasts for 2010 at a
press conference in stanbul yesterday which was at-
tended by Portfolio Strategist of Merrill Lynch We-
alth Management for Europe, the Middle East and
Africa (EMEA) Bill O’Neill, Wealth Management
EMEA Director Jean-Marie Deluermoz and Wealth
Management EMEA economist Türker Hamzaolu.
The forecasts, which show an optimistic view
of the global economy, still predict that the reco-
very from the recent global nancial crisis will take
a longer time compared to recoveries from previous
crises. The Turkish economy is predicted to grow
by 4.5 percent in 2010, which will be followed by
5 percent growth in 2011. On the other hand, the
rm expects labor market recovery to happen at a
slower pace throughout the world, estimating that
unemployment in Turkey will increase to some 15
percent in 2010.
Stressing the importance of long-term growth
for developing countries, Merrill Lynch highligh-
ted Turkey, South Africa and Saudi Arabia as three
countries in the region working toward this goal.
Drawing attention to the high levels of working-age
population growth, which creates a big potential
for further development, in Turkey compared to ot-
her countries in the EMEA region like Hungary or
Poland, Hamzaolu noted that Turkey can remain
among these three countries as long as real interest
rates and ination remain at low levels. He remarked
that the Turkish Central Bank should convince in-
vestors across the world that low rates of ination do
not stem from economic recession but is permanent.
The rm does not see Turkey’s signing of a stand-by
deal with the IMF as a necessity, praising Turkey’s
economic performance nad the strength of its ban-
king sector in the face of the global nancial crisis.
The report foresees a small risk of a double-
dip global recession in 2010. The global economy,
which is forecast to shrink by 0.9 percent this year,
is forecast to grow by 4.3 percent in 2010. China
and India are expected to lead the global econo-
mic recovery with growth next year of around 10
percent and 7 percent respectively.
 08 TODAY’S ZAMAN F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9
BUSINESS

MOU to work towards

Capacity utilization continues to fall in November
The capacity utilization rate in the manufactur-
ing sector continued to fall in November by 2.2
percentage points, to 70.7 percent, with the public
sector faring better than the private sector, at 88.8
percent utilization of capacity over 70.4 percent.
In the same month of 2008, the capacity utili-
zation in the manufacturing sector was 75.3 per-
cent. The public sector’s capacity utilization was
75.3 percent, while the private sector’s capacity
utilization was 72.9 percent a year ago.
The Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat)
released the November capacity utilization g-
ures on Thursday as part of its monthly tenden-
cy survey in the manufacturing industry, which
included the survey results of 4,847 companies.
Classication of economic activities indicated the
lowest capacity utilization rate in the manufacture of
ofce and accounting information equipment. The
production of coke and rened oil products fol-
lowed with a capacity utilization rate of 60.5 percent.
Iran-Turkey crossings
In the manufacture of food products and respondents, and 3.7 percent said the shortage of Turkey’s policy of seeking zero problems with its
beverages, the rate was 71.2 percent, while it raw materials for domestic goods was the reason neighbors is starting to bear fruit, as representa-
was 73.9 percent for tobacco products. One of companies were unable to operate at full capac- tives from Turkey signed a memorandum of under-
Turkey’s main industries, textile production, ity. Approximately 1.7 percent said the lack of raw standing with Iran in Van province yesterday.
also enjoyed an above average capacity utili- materials for imported goods caused the capac- The memorandum, signed by Van Governor
zation, at 76 percent. Clothing manufacturing ity utilization decline, and only 1.1 percent men- Münir Karalolu and Iranian West Azerbaijan Prov-
fared even better with 78.4 percent. tioned problems stemming from the labor force. ince Governor-General Jelal Zade, included new pro-
The primary reason companies were unable Meanwhile, the same survey has shown that visions that would open the door to ights between
to work at full capacity in November was the lack production quantities were down 1.9 percent in Urmia, a city in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province, and
of sufcient demand, the survey showed. Some November over the same month a year ago. Com- Van, along with organized industrial zones in the bor-
55.4 percent of the companies that responded to panies say they expect this quantity to increase by der area between the two provinces. The memoran-
TurkStat’s questionnaire complained about low 0.5 percent in December. Their sales dropped 0.6 dum also questions whether the single border gate
domestic demand, whereas 29.7 percent men- percent in November, the companies participating currently open between the two countries will be
tioned falling demand in the foreign markets. Fi- in the survey noted, adding that they estimate sales enough and calls for the reopening of the Kapköy bor-
nancial hurdles were mentioned by 3.4 percent of to remain the same in December. Ankara Today’s Zaman der gate in the Saray district of Van. If that reopening
proceeds smoothly, the two countries may also reopen
the Boralan border crossing in Idr province.
Karalolu, who spoke at the signing, said that Tur-
key and Iran have had 400 years of peace and broth-
erhood between them. He added: “The trade that has

Greece vows occurred between us has not satised the people of the

AA, METIN TOKGÖZ

two countries. As provinces on the border of Iran and
Turkey, we want to further cross-border trade.”
action on debt Zade, highlighting that the meetings between the
two countries have led to important developments,

as peers pile noted that “there is an Iranian saying, ‘There is no need

to talk, just start working.’ Both sides will work to make
this agreement happen.” Ankara Today’s Zaman with wires

on pressure

PHOTO
Greece’s prime minister vowed to
UK to tax bonuses
do whatever it takes to check the
country’s vast decit as European part- before generel election
ners piled pressure on Athens to take
The British government slapped a one-time tax of
action, a day after its credit rating was
50 percent on fat bank bonuses on Wednesday as
cut to the lowest in the euro zone.
it tried to win over recession-weary voters ahead of a
Greek nancial markets were ham-
looming general election. But Treasury chief Alistair Dar-
mered on Wednesday. The risk premium on
ling’s plan to exact payback for the crisis that led Britain
Greek government bonds jumped and bank
into its worst recession since World War II faced opposi-
stocks tumbled, extending Tuesday’s losses
tion criticism that it was at best political spin and would
on Fitch Ratings’ downgrade of its debt to
do little to raise revenue -- and, at worst, potentially
BBB+, the rst time it had fallen below in-
damage London’s standing as a nancial center. Dar-
vestment grade for more than 10 years.
ling’s overall pre-budget report, in which he acknowl-
Fitch also cut Greek lenders’ ratings
edged that the economy will shrink more this year than
because of the government’s dimin-
previously predicted and increased government borrow-
ished ability to support banks that have
ing forecasts, was also criticized as likely to do little to aid
a large exposure to Greek sovereign
bonds. “We must close the credibility Britain’s sluggish economic recovery. With Prime Minis-
Iraqi Electricity Minister Hassan (2nd from right) tours the Sedef shipyard in Tuzla, stanbul, where the world’s first powership is being built for Iraq.
gap to survive as a sovereign and cohe- ter Gordon Brown’s government trailing the opposition
sive nation,” Papandreou told a tele- Conservative Party in opinion polls ahead of an election
vised cabinet meeting on Wednesday. that must be held by June, the tax proposal was clearly
The national debt is forecast to hit 125
percent of gross domestic product next
year, which would be the highest ratio in
World’s frst floatng aimed at voters who funded a bailout of the banking sys-
tem at the height of the crisis last year. London AP

the euro area. “We must close the cred-

ibility gap to survive as a sovereign and
cohesive nation,” Greek Prime Minister
George Papandreou told a televised cabi-
net meeting on Wednesday.
The Athens Stock Exchange bank
index lost up to 4.4 percent to trade 3.5
percent down at 0944 GMT, shedding
about 16 percent of their value in ve
days. “The losses are due to the rating
cuts, which have heightened uncertainty
amid investors,” said Joanna Telioudi,
analyst at HSBC. Yield spreads between
Greek and German 10-year government
bonds widened to as much as 252 basis
points, the widest since March, reect-
ing risk aversion among investors.
European partners kept up a drumbeat
of pressure on Athens to put its house in
order. French Finance Minister Christine
Lagarde said she did not think Greece could
go bankrupt but it must make a real effort
to clean up its public nances. The German
nance ministry said there is no reason to
doubt Greece can do this alone, backing
similar comments from Greek Finance Min-
ister George Papaconstantinou. Athens Reuters
power plant destned for Iraq
Turkey will soon provide the world’s
rst oating electricity generating
power plant, called a “powership,”
to Iraq to help the country meet its electricity
needs in the Basra region.
Karkey, a subsidiary of Karadeniz Holding,
is building the vessel at the Sedef dockyard in
stanbul’s Tuzla district. Iraq has also commis-
sioned a barge to be constructed in Singapore for
the same purpose. The vessels have the ability to
move in the sea while generating electricity and
run on dual fuel systems that are able to convert
fuel oil into natural gas in just one day.
Iraqi Electricity Minister Kareem Waheed
Hassan visited the construction site on Thurs-
day to see one of the ships, named Karadeniz
Powership Doan Bey, and was briefed there
by Karadeniz Holding Chairman Osman Mu-
rat Karadeniz and the group’s energy depart-
ment president, Nuri Doan Karadeniz.
Hassan told the press that Iraq has ordered
one of the ships from Turkey for electricity gen-
eration purposes, with a capacity of 125 mega-
watts. Construction is in the nal phase, and soon
the ship will be dispatched to Iraq. “We hope the
ships will start helping Iraq meet its electricity
needs by the beginning of next year,” he said.
Iraq has already completed work on the in-
stallation of necessary electricity transmission and
fuel transportation systems, the minister noted.
“The power plant is running on heavy fuel oil,
pure or nearly pure residual oil, and we hope they
nish the powership soon. The installation of the
power generating equipment in the powership is
almost complete, and the rst activation is sched-
uled to commence shortly,” Hassan said.
Iraq has a huge electricity program, he re-
called, and added: “In the future, Iraq may start
selling electricity to Turkey because Iraq is a
source of energy since it has oil and natural gas.
Iraq also has strategic relations with Turkey.”
The powership, 188 meters in length, will
be in the Umm Qasr port in the Persian Gulf to
mainly provide energy for the port. The remain-
ing electricity will be diverted to residential areas
US extends $700 bln
bailout until Oct. 2010
in Basra. All the personnel aboard the powership
The Obama administration has extended the
and the barge will be Turks.
$700 billion nancial bailout program until
The barge that is being built in Singapore
October, setting up a struggle between Democrats
is named KPS-3 and doesn’t have an engine.
who favor using some of the leftover money to help
It will be 110 meters long with the same ca-
generate jobs and Republicans who say it should be
pacity as the Doan Bey.
used to shrink soaring budget decits.
The minister later headed to the “Turk-
The administration insists the bailout fund is still
ish-German Cooperation in Iraq” meeting in
needed to prevent further turmoil in the banking sys-
stanbul Speaking at the meeting, President of
tem. In announcing the decision Wednesday, Treasury
the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commod-
Secretary Timothy Geithner said extending the pro-
ity Exchanges (TOBB) and the Foreign Econom-
gram also will help homeowners struggling to avoid
ic Relations Board (DEK) Rifat Hisarcklolu
losing homes to foreclosures and small businesses
said Turkish businessmen have never been
having trouble getting loans. The decision came on
hindered by security concerns in war-torn Iraq, the same day the administration acknowledged two
which is one of the most important reasons
key bailout programs lost a total of $61 billion. The
why Turks are successful in Iraq today. bailout of insurance giant American International
He recalled the construction of the stanbul- Group Inc. and the lifeline thrown to struggling au-
Baghdad Railway by both German and Turkish tomakers each cost more than $30 billion, according
engineers and workers a hundred years ago and to Treasury data disclosed in a report from the Gov-
said the same cooperation is quite likely to hap- ernment Accountability Ofce. The administration is
pen in Iraq today. stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires now projecting the losses to the government from
the bailout program will be around $141 billion --
$200 billion less than it estimated two months ago.
President Barack Obama said the freed-up
money can help reduce the record-high federal
budget decit and “invest in job creation on Main
Street rather than Wall Street.” Washington AP

Daily Monthly Yearly YTD MCAP 1-Y Country Change Level

Close Change (%) Change (%) Change (%) Change (%) (million TL) Av.Volum (%)
İMKB-100 49.185 -0,8% 8,5% 97,2% 83,1% 288.652 1.587 Hang Seng H.Kong -1,44 21.741,8 66.94
İMKB-30 62.398 -0,7% 8,7% 93,5% 78,3% 236.489 1.189 Nikkei 225 Japan -1,34 10.004,7 53.43
52.54
İMKB-IND 35.815 -0,6% 6,5% 93,1% 81,1% 76.735 510 Cac 40 France -0,90 3.751,3 46.57
İMKB-BANK 110.021 -0,8% 10,2% 117,6% 96,5% 136.325 718 DAX Germany -1,11 5.625,3
33.06
DJIMT 10,45 -0,5% 6,4% 53,2% 47,2% - 0,45 FTSE 100 UK -0,66 5.188,7 28,9
Dow USA -0,14 10.195,0 8,4 9.7
TurkDEX NASDAQ USA -0,26 1.768,1
US$/JP¥ S&P USA -0,28 1.088,9 Native Foreign Native Foreign
62,850 -0,55%
EU€/JP¥ 1,5125 0,03% BOVESPA Brasil 0,11 67.804,6 Number of Shares M.cap Number of Shares M.cap

AT A GL ANCE
CALENDAR
pected
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¥ 87,84
AFYON 1.685,00 4,33% ECILC 2,32 -7,20% GARAN 219,0 5,8 125,80
TL / € 2,207 -0,1% EU/JP¥ 129,25
GUSGR 2,00 4,17% GRUND 0,52 -7,14% ECILC 126,2 2,3 184,49 TL / $ 1,496 0,3% EU/US$ 1,4718
NTTUR 1,30 3,17% ECZYT 4,76 -4,80% ISCTR 122,0 5,8 60,63
CIMSA 7,00 2,94% ZOREN 3,00 -4,46% TAVHL 93,1 4,3 68,91
TAVHL 4,30 2,87% ISAMB 1,44 -4,00% KOZAA 74,3 5,0 468,18 Price ($) Way Change (%) High Low
Light C. Oil 75,28 0,1% 76,19 75,00
Gold 1142,25 -1,9% 1142,25 1142,25
Copper 314,70 0,0% 316,80 312,05
ÝMKB 100 ÝMKB 30 ÝMKB IND RETAILER BIMAS CARFA BOYNR KIPA
Mcap TL -- -- -- 7.033,4 4.896 1.273 105 760 P/E: Share price divided by earnings per share is a measure of the price paid for a share relative to the
P/E 2006/12 income or profit earned by the firm per share.
P/E 2007/06t 15,5x 14,7x 12,2x 256,1x 68,0x -94,2x 16,6x -20,4x EV/EBITDA: Enterprise value divided by earnings before interest, tax and amortization; “t” stands for
P/E 2007/09t 11,1x 10,6x 9,2x 317,2x 60,7x -536,4x 6,5x -10,5x trailer and means the data over the last four quarters.
(*) Yesterday's closing(**) Updated at 6 p.m. by GMT+2
EV/EBITDA 2006/12* 10,6x 10,3x 9,2x 346,4x 54,0x -204,3x 5,5x -9,1x
Disclaimer: The information in this report has been prepared by BMD, Bizim Securities from sources believed
EV/EBITDA 2007/03t* 6,7x 5,3x 8,1x 30,8x 45,1x 15,8x 6,5x 41,5x
to be reliable. All the information, interpretations and recommendations covered herein relating to
EV/EBITDA 2007/06t* 7,4x 6,0x 8,0x 32,4x 42,0x 19,0x 5,9x 74,7x investment actions are not within the scope of investment consultancy. Therefore investment decisions
7,1x 5,8x 8,1x 29,5x 39,8x 19,6x 5,2x 35,7x based only on the information covered herein may not bring expected results.

CMYK
 NATIONAL
European Capital of Culture agency introduces projects for 2010
HATCE AHSEN UTKU ÝSTANBUL
While preparations for stanbul as a 2010
European Capital of Culture are coming
to an end, the annual program organized by the
European Capital of Culture Agency was intro-
duced at a press conference on Thursday with
the participation of Hayati Yazc, minister of
state and the president of the stanbul 2010 Co-
ordination Board, and ekib Avdagiç, the execu-
tive board chairman of the stanbul 2010 Euro-
pean Capital of Culture Agency.
Avdagiç explained at the press conference
their main goals, including various projects that
will contribute to their campaign. Among the
goals of the agency are reinforcing the cultural
substructure of stanbul; contributing to culture
tourism; supporting diversity; encouraging crea-
tivity and international cooperation; conveying
the historical heritage of stanbul; protecting
the historical structure; organizing internatio-
nal events and festivals such as the International
Fghtng dscrmnaton aganst
Roma a moral duty, mnster says
It is nally the turn of Turkey’s Roma community to bring its issues to the discussion table with the state,
following similar initiatives with other minority groups like Alevis and Kurds. A meeting brought together 120
Roma representatives from across the nation with State Minister Faruk Çelik and other government ofcials
The government regards the ght aga-
inst discrimination facing the country’s
Roma community a moral duty, State
Minister Faruk Çelik said yesterday.
Speaking at a workshop organized by
the government to address issues facing the
Roma, Çelik said it is impossible for a co-
untry to be powerful if it neglects its people’s
problems. “It is a moral duty to ght against
centuries-old discrimination, intolerant at-
titudes and prejudice against the Roma. In
principle, we cannot ignore discrimination
stemming from cultural, religious or ethnic
differences. The right to equal citizenship is
among the indispensable rights of all our
citizens,” the minister said. “It is for this re-
ason that this rst meeting with the Roma is
an important step for our country’s future.”
After launching the Kurdish initiative
and a series of workshops with the pur-
pose of recognizing and nding solutions
to problems faced by the Alevi commu-
nity, the government decided to convene
the rst Roma workshop. Representatives
of Turkey’s Roma community in stanbul,
Edirne, Krehir, Artvin, Van and several
other cities, 120 people in all, attended
the event.
“This is the rst time that the Roma of
Turkey have come together with the state
to voice their problems,” said Ömer Eki,
the workshop moderator. Minister Çelik
also stressed that the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) prefers to
pursue a strategy that does not delay re-
solving the country’s problems but rather
faces them head on and makes great stri-
des to reach a solution.
Taking every possible risk, the govern-
ment launched its Kurdish initiative, Çelik
said, adding that the government’s prime
motive is to ensure the happiness of the
country’s 72 million citizens.
“We cannot ignore the problems of our
Roma community, ranked among the most
disadvantaged groups within the country.
Study on Kurdish issue may generate more questions than answers
ROBERTA DAVENPORT ÝSTANBUL
The results of a Bahçeehir University study
suggest that some commonly held beliefs
about the gears of Turkey’s long-standing Kur-
dish problem should be rethought -- but some of
the study conclusions raise questions over whet-
her the research itself might need re-examination.
Bahçeehir University International Se-
curity and Strategic Studies Center (BU-
SAM) President Ercan Çitliolu presented
some of the study’s ndings at a press con-
ference held at the university yesterday. Cal-
ling the product of the year-long research
effort the broadest, most academic study
completed on its topic to date, Çitliolu exp-
lained that as part of the study 4,761 face-to-
face interviews were conducted in 29 pro-
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009
State Minister Hayati Yazc (R) at the press conference held to unveil the program for stanbul 2010.
Poetry Festival, the Dance Platform and Inter-
national Ballet Competition; expanding artis-
tic and cultural events to peripheral regions
so people who cannot afford to attend such
events are able to go; and contributing to the
establishment of stanbul as a “brand name.”
Following government initiatives to address the issues of Turkey’s Alevi and Kurdish minority communities, a workshop was held to bring the state together
with 120 representatives of the Roma community from across the nation.
We came together here today with the
Roma to understand their problems and
nd possible solutions,” Çelik said, adding
that despite the fact that the Roma have
experienced great suffering in the course
of history, they remain rm.
The minister said the Roma favor pro-
tecting the peaceful atmosphere in the
country. “Since the day they came to Ana-
vinces divided into two categories: provin-
ces in Turkey’s East and Southeast, and pro-
vinces further west that have received large
numbers of migrants from the East and So-
utheast in the past 20 years.
The study results, released amidst a pe-
riod in which the ruling Justice and Deve-
lopment Party (AK Party) launched a histo-
ric democratic initiative to address the Kur-
dish problem, are intriguing to say the least.
Some of the ndings support assertions made
by academics and civil society representatives
during the new period of discourse ushered
in by the democratic initiative, backing up
messages in academia that are only now be-
ginning to reverberate with the public.
For example, 47.5 percent of respon-
dents from eastern and southeastern Ana-
In this respect, among the 2,272 project
applications, the agency has decided to imp-
lement 451 projects, and 132 projects have al-
ready been realized up as of the present time.
There are 89 projects currently going on, whi-
le there are at least 230 projects that need to
tolia, they have always stood for peace, fri-
endship and fraternity instead of conict,
ghting and unrest. This should be taken
seriously,” he said.
Touching upon on the serious difculties
the Roma face in housing, education, health
and job opportunities, the minister under-
lined that these difculties work to perpe-
tuate the disadvantaged position the Roma
tolia disagree with the postulation that the
pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP)
“represents all Kurds”; only 23.5 percent ag-
reed. Asked about the importance of the Tur-
kish Republic, being a Turkish citizen, the
Turkish ag and the Turkish national ant-
hem, the same respondents overwhelmingly
said these things were important to them --
with margins over 99 percent for each ques-
tion. Similarly, 41.4 percent of respondents
identifying themselves as ethnic Kurds or Za-
zas said that the mention of the Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) was associated with
terrorism and separatism in their minds; only
a marginal 9.9 percent responded that the
PKK was a defender of Kurdish rights.
Other results, however, seem to contra-
dict what some civil society leaders, acade-
CMYK
be started. The projects include almost all as-
pects of culture and art: contemporary art, tra-
ditional art, music, literature, architecture, ci-
nema, photography, dance, archeology, inno-
vation and renovation. Apart from the events
that have taken place of 2009, the most signi-
cant projects of 2010 are undoubtedly Sur-i
Sultani Strategic Vision and Plan (of which the
purpose is to develop a preservation strategy
for the Sultan Walls in the old city in coopera-
tion with the United Nations Educational, Sci-
entic and Cultural Organization [UNESCO]);
Religious Tourism Summit stanbul 2010; Tra-
ditional Turkish Book Arts-Modern Masters;
U2 360° Tour concert; International Ballet
Competition; and The Museum of Innocence.
During the press conference, journalists asked
about the agency’s budget and operations, which
have often been questioned in the media. Yazc
was disappointed with all of the critics, saying he
was disheartened to see the word “looting” used
when the media discusses the agency’s activities.
AA, METN PALA
PHOTO
face within the society. “The Roma did not
by accident fall among the disadvantaged
groups. [The way they are treated] has made
this almost their destiny,” he said. He also
praised the Roma for attaching great impor-
tance to family and solidarity in addition to
managing to preserve their traditions and
culture despite encountering much preju-
dice throughout history. stanbul Today’s Zaman
mics and members of the public have been
saying for years. For example, the study re-
sults claim that the reasons driving migration
West from the conict-torn, destitute eas-
tern and southeastern provinces are mostly
familial/personal reasons (61.8 percent). Fol-
lowing this are economic reasons (16.2 per-
cent), while reasons of safety/security acco-
unt for only 9.4 percent. In addition, the study
says only 75.1 percent of respondents felt they
had ever been subject to discrimination.
The full title of the study is the “Study on
the Socioeconomic and Sociocultural Makeup of
Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia and the Soci-
oeconomic and Sociocultural Makeup of the Re-
gions Receiving the most Migrants from Eastern
and Southeastern Anatolia: Problems, Expectati-
ons and Solution Recommendations.”
TODAY’S ZAMAN 09
Environmental NGOs
criticize gov’t climate
change strategy
contnued from page 1
According to the national strategy document, Turkey’s
emission reduction target is 7 percent total by 2020 if current re-
duction efforts continue. Several environmental organizations,
including Greenpeace Mediterranean and the World Wide Fund
for Nature (WWF-Turkey), have repeatedly called for Turkey’s
emission reduction target to be at least 30 percent by 2020.
Atc said that without a target Turkey, a G-20 country, is
declaring that it is a “dwarf.” Turkey’s emissions have risen
quickly, from 170 million tons in 1990 to 372 million tons in
2007 as its annual per capita income rose from $3,000 in 1990
to $10,000 in 2007. And Turkish ofcials say the country and
its emissions will continue to grow.
The national strategy document also declares that Turkey
will also encourage “renewable sources and nuclear energy.”
The document states that Turkey’s short-term target is to
focus on “clean” sources of energy in all new buildings and
prevent energy waste by using energy more efciently. “The
share of renewables in electrical energy production will be
increased to 25 percent by 2020,” the document stated.
Greenpeace Mediterranean stated that in the eld of
electricity production renewable sources currently comprise
18-19 percent of the total produced energy, a gure that they
believe should be increased to at least 30 percent. The NGO
also called for Turkey to aim for a target of 20 percent rene-
wable energy usage in both heating and transportation, in
parallel with EU targets. stanbul Today’s Zaman
Court overrules TAPDK
on tobacco labels
The 13th Chamber of the Council of State has ruled aga-
inst a Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Agency
(TAPDK) regulation which stipulates that a warning on one side
of cigarette packaging must cover at least 65 percent of the avai-
lable surface space, citing contradicting TAPDK regulations.
The Council of State said Law No. 4207 requires that at le-
ast 30 percent of one of the two main sides of tobacco product
packaging -- where the banderole is located -- contain a war-
ning about the effects of tobacco on health. The law further re-
quires that other warnings must cover 40 percent of the rest of
the package. The Council of State decision further stated that the
TAPDK decision contradicts the law as it envisages warning la-
bels on one surface and covering 65 percent of that surface.
British American Tobacco (BAT) previously led a lawsu-
it seeking to overturn the TAPDK regulation, which was is-
sued on May 3, 2009.
In its decision the Council of State said regulations put in
place to prevent the harmful effects, including public, social and
medical, of tobacco and alcohol and making decisions concer-
ning these issues are among the duties of the TAPDK.
The Council of State decision also noted that warning la-
bels can include pictures and drawings.
The TAPDK has the right to appeal the Council of State de-
cision. stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
Poor neighbor relations
ideal for prostitution
Operations against prostitution rings in stanbul have revea-
led that gangs choose places for their activities where neigh-
borhood relationships are weak in an attempt to avoid attracting
the attention of residents in the area.
Gang members have admitted in testimony that they are able
to run brothels longer when they rent apartments in buildings
where people have little or no knowledge of their neighbors.
Sixty-five houses were raided and 250 women were ca-
ught in recent operations against prostitution. Some 80 pe-
ople suspected of forcing women into prostitution were de-
tained, and 50 were arrested and imprisoned.
Stressing the importance of neighborhood relationships,
psychologist Nevzat Tarhan said there are social norms such as ne-
ighborhood pressure and stated that prostitution rings look for pla-
ces where relations between neighbors are weak.
While noting that weak relationships with neighbors are
detrimental to society, Tarhan said: “Ties between neighbors are
like the relationship between organs. When ties and organs are
damaged, sickness occurs, and when ties between people are
broken, relationships are damaged. Families compensate for the
mistakes of each other. When the family system is destro-
yed, a social disease spreads. Relationships between neigh-
bors are of crucial importance here.” Serkan Salam stanbul
Swine flu death toll
in Turkey up to 353
Turkish health ofcials reported yesterday that the num-
ber of people who have died from the H1N1 virus, also
known as swine u, is now 353 nationwide. According to the
Health Ministry, 121 people who died from the swine u, or 35
percent of total deaths, were below the age of 50.
Three-hundred six people were being treated at hospitals, with
98 of them in intensive care units, and 102 patients have been put
on medical ventilators, the ministry said. While stressing that the
most effective way to protect against the virus is by receiving
the vaccination, the ministry recalled that one can receive the
shot at local public health centers and hospitals free of charge.
Noting that there is an adjuvant-free vaccine specically for
pregnant women, the ministry announcement said: “Vaccina-
ting pregnant women, citizens between 6 months and 50 years
of age and citizens who are above the age of 50 and have a chro-
nic disease still continues. It is of crucial importance that child-
ren under 10 years of age who have received a dose remember
to get the second dose of the vaccine three weeks after they re-
ceived the rst one.” stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
 10 TODAY’S ZAMAN FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009 WORLD

ELECTION
The euro’s

REUTERS, KEVIN LAMARQUE

Iraq’s March vote won’t
Greek tragedy affect US drawdown
Delayed national elections in Iraq will not interfere
OPINION
with US plans to sharply reduce troop levels by late
Edin Mujagic next summer, the Pentagon said on Thursday as De-
fense Secretary Robert Gates made a visit to Iraq. US
TODAY’S ZAMAN President Barack Obama has pledged to end combat
operations in Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010, ahead of a full pull-
AMSTERDAM -- When the euro was introduced in
out by the end of 2011. The US force in Iraq is supposed
1999, European countries agreed that scal discipline

PHOTO
to be reduced to 50,000 by end of August from around
was essential for its stability. While the common cur-
115,000 now. “Gen. [Ray] Odierno does not anticipate
rency has beneted all countries that have adopted it
any delay in getting down to 50,000 troops by the end
-- not least as an anchor in the current economic crisis
of August 2010,” Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Mor-
-- the failure of euro-zone members to abide by their
rell, who is accompanying Gates to Afghanistan and
agreement risk could yet turn the euro into a disaster.
Iraq, said when asked if the March 7 date for Iraq’s
Indeed, too many members simply behave as
parliamentary polls would affect that schedule. “We’ve
if there were no Stability and Growth Pact (SGP).
lost about a month of time in there, but that has not
The state of Greek public nances, for example, is
created any undue pressures on the drawdown plans
“a concern for the whole euro zone,” according to
that General Odierno has,” he said, referring to the US
European Commissioner for Monetary Affairs Joa-
commander in Iraq. Ofcials said Gates would meet
quin Almunia. Greece’s scal decit is expected to
with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other Iraqi
reach 12.7 percent of GDP this year, far exceeding
leaders to discuss the upcoming election and would
the SGP’s 3 percent-of-GDP cap.
press for broader Arab-Kurd reconciliation. Intense
Of course, every euro-zone country is breach-
bickering among Iraq’s rival political factions delayed
ing the SGP’s decit ceiling as a result of the cur-
the vote, Iraq’s rst national election since 2005, from
rent crisis. But consider the Netherlands, which will
an original date planned for mid-January. US ofcials
do so this year for only the second time since 1999.
say the 60-day period after Iraq’s election will likely
When the Netherlands rst exceeded the SGP limit
reveal whether the country will tip back into sectarian
-- by only 0.1 percent of GDP -- the government
bloodshed or move toward stability and peace. Odi-
immediately took tough measures to rein in the
erno wants to retain a muscular US presence in the
decit. Germany and Austria behaved the same
country, capable of assisting Iraqi troops or police, until
way. Those countries are already working to reduce
there is clarity about the security situation. A senior US
their crisis-inated decits as soon as possible.
defense ofcial, speaking on condition of anonymity,
Down in southern Europe, things look very
said the withdrawal schedule was on track and that the
different. Exceeding the SGP’s decit cap is the Nobel Peace Prize laureate US President Barack Obama poses with his diploma and medal after receiving the prize at the award ceremony in Oslo removal of US soldiers would accelerate in May. Under
rule rather than the exception. Indeed, through- City Hall on Thursday. The Nobel committee awarded the peace prize to Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy.
a bilateral security pact signed last year, all US troops
out the euro’s rst decade, Greece managed to
must withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011. The date
keep within the SGP limits only once, in 2006
(and by a very narrow margin).
Moreover, the Greek government turned out
to be untrustworthy. In 2004, Greece admitted
that it had lied about the size of its decit ever
since 2000 -- precisely the years used to assess
Obama accepts peace for the end of combat operations is not included in the
agreement but was set by Obama as part of a pledge to
US voters to end the war in Iraq. Baghdad Reuters

REPORT
Greece’s application to join the euro zone. In
other words, Greece qualied only by cheating.
In November 2009, it appeared that the Greek
government lied once again, this time about the
decit in 2008 and the projected decit for 2009.
prize, defends ‘just wars’ Human rights violations
in Iran worst for 20 yrs
Human rights violations in Iran are as poor as at any
time in the past 20 years, the human rights group
Italy also has a long history of neglecting Euro- Nine days after ordering 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan to break the momentum Amnesty International said on Thursday. Its report,
pean scal rules (as do Portugal and France). Like which followed June’s disputed presidential election,
Greece, Italy was admitted to the euro zone despite of the Taliban, Obama acknowledged the criticism of those who have said it was wrong included allegations of torture, rape and unlawful
being light-years away from meeting all the criteria.
Public debt in both countries was well above 100
and premature to award the Nobel accolade to a president still in his rst year in ofce killings. Amnesty called on Iran’s Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to allow United Nations
percent of GDP, compared to the SGP’s threshold The United States must uphold to trial on US soil, Obama has attempted to rounding his prize, he said: “I have no doubt human rights experts to visit the country to help
of 60 percent of GDP. Italy did not fulll another moral standards when waging wars recover the moral high ground that critics of that there are others that may be more deserv- carry out an investigation. Ofcial inquiries to date
criterion as well, as its national currency, the lira, that are necessary and justied, the United States accused his predecessor ing. My task here is to continue on the path “seemed to have been more concerned with covering
did not spend the mandatory two years inside the President Barack Obama said on Thursday as George W. Bush of surrendering by waging that I believe is not only important for America up abuses than getting at the truth,” it added. Iran has
European Exchange Rate Mechanism. he accepted the Nobel Prize for Peace. a no-holds-barred “war on terror.” but important for lasting peace in the world.” dismissed previous criticism of its human rights record.
Ten years later, it seems as if time has stood still In a speech at the award ceremony in “We lose ourselves when we compro- He said that meant pursuing a world free “Members of militias and ofcials who have committed
down south. Both the Greek and Italian public debt Oslo, Obama said violent conict would not mise the very ideals that we ght to de- of nuclear weapons and countering prolif- violations must also be promptly held to account and
remain almost unchanged, despite the fact that both be eradicated “in our lifetimes,” there would fend. And we honor those ideals by up- eration; addressing climate change; stabilis- on no account should anyone be executed,” Deputy
countries have beneted the most from the euro, as be times when nations would need to ght holding them not just when it is easy, but ing countries like Afghanistan; “mobilising an Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and
their long-term interest rates declined to German lev- just wars and he would not stand idle in when it is hard,” Obama said. international effort to deal with terrorism that North Africa Program Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said
els following its adoption. That alone yielded a wind- the face of threats to the American people. is consistent with our values and ideals”; and in a statement. The report claimed patterns of abuse
fall of tens of billions of euros per year. But it barely “Where force is necessary, we have a moral Sanctions must bite addressing development issues. before, during and, particularly, after the election,
made a dent in their national debts, which can mean and strategic interest in binding ourselves Acknowledging “a reexive suspicion of Some of these initiatives were begin- when authorities deployed the the Basij militia and
only one thing: massive squandering. to certain rules of conduct. And even as we America, the world’s sole military superpow- ning to bear fruit, Obama said. ”If I am Revolutionary Guards to suppress mass protests
That is evident from their credit ratings. Greece confront a vicious adversary that abides by er,” he said his country could not act alone in successful in those tasks, then hopefully against its disputed outcome. Mass demonstrations
boasts the lowest credit rating in the euro zone. In- no rules, I believe that the United States of confronting global challenges in Afghanistan, some of the criticism will subside, but that against the re-election of hard-line President
deed, its A- score means that Greece is less creditwor- America must remain a standard bearer in the Somalia or other troubled regions. is not really my concern. If I am not suc- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad plunged the Islamic Republic
thy than Botswana and Malaysia, which are rated A+. conduct of war,” he declared. In seeking alternatives to force, it was nec- cessful, than all the praise and awards in into crisis, but opposition rallies no longer muster the
What if Greece gets into so much trouble that it Nine days after ordering 30,000 more US essary to be tough. “Those regimes that break the world will not disguise that.” huge crowds that ooded the streets immediately after
cannot service its debt? That is not impossible. Accord- troops to Afghanistan to break the momen- the rules must be held accountable. Sanctions Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stol- the June 12 ballot. Defeated candidate Mirhossein
ing to calculations by Morgan Stanley, with relatively tum of the Taliban, Obama acknowledged the must enact a real price,” Obama said in a pas- tenberg told journalists the prize was well Mousavi has alleged the vote was rigged. Some of
low long-term interest rates, Greece needs a primary criticism of those who have said it was wrong sage that addressed North Korea’s nuclear ar- deserved and “can contribute in itself to
those detained during the protests have since been
surplus of at least 2.4 percent of GDP each year just to and premature to award the Nobel accolade senal and US suspicions that Iran, too, seeks strengthening the efforts of the president to
forced to ee the country, the report said.One former
stabilize its national debt at 118 percent of GDP. to a president still in his rst year in ofce and to acquire the bomb. work for peace.” On a rainy day with tem-
detainee says he was held at the Kahrizak detention
Current European rules prohibit other European escalating a major war. He said America’s ad- ”It is...incumbent upon all of us to insist peratures just above freezing, thousands lined
centre for about 58 days, kept in a shipping container
countries or the EU itself from helping Greece. But re- herence to moral standards, even in war, was that nations like Iran and North Korea do heavily guarded Oslo streets to greet Obama.
throughout and only allowed to contact his family after
cent history teaches us that European rules are made what made it different from its enemies. not game the system,” Obama said. “Those Only handfuls of protesters were vis-
43 days, the report added. London Reuters
to be broken. Already, many (former) politicians and “That is a source of our strength. That is who seek peace cannot stand idly by as na- ible, with one group holding a sign read-
economists (no prizes for guessing whence they why I prohibited torture. That is why I or- tions arm themselves for nuclear war.” At a ing: “Obama you won it, now earn it.”
mostly hail) are proposing that the EU issue its own dered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed. news conference earlier, Obama reafrmed Environmentalists in the crowd called on TALKS
sovereign debt, which would alleviate the problems that US troops would begin transferring
of countries such as Greece and Italy.
And that is why I have reafrmed America’s
commitment to abide by the Geneva Con- responsibility for Afghan security to local
the US leader to sign an ambitious deal
to ght global warming when he visits
US envoy gets North
But such schemes would come at a high cost. They ventions,” he said. By pledging to close the forces in July 2011 but said there would be nearby Copenhagen next week for the cli- Korean assurances
would punish scally prudent governments, as inter- Guantanamo camp for foreign terrorist sus- no “precipitous drawdown.” max of a UN climate conference involving The US envoy for North Korea failed to secure a rm
est rates would inevitably increase in countries like the pects on Cuba, and moving to bring inmates Acknowledging the controversy sur- nearly 200 countries. Oslo Reuters commitment from the isolated state to resume nucle-
Netherlands or Germany. Just a 0.1 percent increase in
ar disarmament negotiations but said on Thursday he
borrowing costs would mean hundreds of millions of
had won assurance that it supported the languishing
euros in extra debt-service payments a year.
deal. Stephen Bosworth, speaking after a three-day
Moreover, even if the plan for EU sovereign debt
trip to Pyongyang, described as “candid and busi-
never takes off, scally prudent euro-zone countries
nesslike” his talks with First Vice Foreign Minister
will face higher borrowing costs. As nancial integra-
Russia sees breakthrough on
CHAN

Kang Sok-ju, the man seen as the mastermind of the

tion in Europe deepens, the lack of scal discipline in
North’s nuclear policy. “[There] is common under-
one or more euro-zone countries will push up interest
rates throughout the currency area. Nagorno-Karabakh dispute next year standing with the DPRK [North Korea] on the need
PHOTO

to implement the 2005 joint statement and to resume

A member of the euro zone cannot be ex-
pelled under current rules, allowing countries like Russia on Thursday said Azerbaijan porters that if the current pace was con- the six-party process,” he said, referring to a 2005
Greece to lie, manipulate, blackmail and collect and Armenia are on course to make tinued a peace deal was likely. deal where the North takes apart its nuclear arms
more and more EU funds. In the long term, this a landmark deal to end the Nagorno- “If the positive pace achieved in the program in exchange for massive aid and an end to
will be disastrous for greater European coopera- Karabakh conict next year. Fifteen years negotiating process... is continued next its diplomatic isolation. But he added: “It remains to
tion, because public support will whither. of mediation have failed to produce a year, then we can count on a rather swift be seen when and how the DPRK will return to the
Europe should therefore consider bearing the peace deal on the Armenian-populated nal agreement of the basic principles for six-party talks.” North Korea walked away from the
high short-term costs of changing the rules of the mountain territory, which is at the heart resolution [of the conict] and the work- negotiations with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea
game. If expelling even one member could estab- of a key transit region for oil and gas to ing out of the text for a peace agreement,” and the United States a year ago. Five months later it
lish a more credible mechanism for guaranteeing the West. he told reporters. detonated a nuclear device, its second such test, earn-
scal discipline in the euro zone than the SGP But mediators from the Organization Tensions over the mountain region ing it tightened UN sanctions which further damaged
and nancial nes have proven to be, the price for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in are rising, with oil-producing Azerbaijan its crippled economy. Bosworth, who was speaking in
would be more than worth it. Europe reported progress in talks last angry at a deal between ally Turkey and the South Korean capital, ies to Beijing today, then
month between Azeri President Ilham Armenia to open their border, 16 years to Tokyo and Moscow for talks before returning to
Edin Mujagic is a monetary economist at Tilburg Univer- Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart after Ankara closed it in solidarity with Washington next week. The resumption of talks with
sity and economics editor at the Dutch weekly magazine Serzh Sarksyan. Russian Foreign Ministry Azerbaijan during the Nagorno-Kara- the North “is something that will require further con-
FEM Business & Finance. © Project Syndicate, 2009 Azerbaijan President lham Aliyev spokesman Andrei Nesterenko told re- bakh war. Moscow Reuters sultation from all six of us,” he said. Seoul Reuters

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

Philippine gunmen hold 57 hostages, free children Renewng

Europe’s
AP, BULLIT MARQUEZ

Armed mountain tribesmen raided an
elementary school and nearby homes in
the troubled southern Philippines on Thurs-
day and were holding at least 57 people hos-
tage to keep police at bay, authorities said.
The raid was carried out less than
three weeks after a massacre in a near-
by province in which 57 people were
PHOTO
have taken hostages because they were be-
ing pursued by police after a gun battle with
a rival tribal group on Wednesday.
Other ofcials said the group was
demanding the dropping of cases
against them, action against the rival
group and media coverage. Lino Cal-
ingasan, regional police chief, said all
guindanao province while on their way to
le a candidate’s nomination for elections.
The killings prompted a crackdown
securty
in the generally lawless southern Philip-
pines and the imposition of martial law in
dalogue
Maguindanao last week. OPINION
Bandits, communist guerrillas and
extremist rebels operate widely through- George A. Papandreou*

killed, throwing an unwelcome spot-
light on the Southeast Asian nation
and raising tensions ahead of presi-
dential elections next year.
The hostages were being held in a
mountainous area near the town of Pros-
peridad in Agusan del Sur province. Police
said the gunmen had seized 75 people, but
later freed 18, including all 17 children. Au-
thorities described the gunmen as former
members of a civilian militia who had taken
Philippine protesters shout slogans during a rally at the national Bureau of Inves-
tigation in Manila, where the main suspect in the massacre of 57 people is held. to banditry. Some ofcials said they could
remaining hostages were adults.
“Negotiations are ongoing. We are
trying to nd out how the others can
be released,” he told Reuters. “It is a
good signal, that they are willing to
negotiate. We are hoping this will be
resolved peacefully.”
Negotiators had left the mountain site
to return to town and would resume talks
on Friday, ofcials said. Last month, 57
people, including 30 journalists, were killed
after being stopped at a checkpoint in Ma-
out Mindanao -- a southern island and
TODAY’S ZAMAN
region which contains Maguindanao. In
addition, powerful local families maintain
large private armies and feuding among ATHENS – The year 2009 has been
them is common. Clan rivalry was at the one of great change, taking place
root of last month’s massacre. amidst even greater uncertainty.
The government has armed many vil- Twenty years after the fall of the
lagers and formed civilian militias to coun- Berlin Wall, the resilience of the post-
ter the communist and Muslim rebels. Cold War security system in Europe
Analysts say clan wars pose a threat to a is being tested. Longstanding conicts
fragile four-year truce between the govern- remain unresolved and complex new
ment and Muslim separatists. Manila Reuters challenges are emerging. Energy
security, organized crime, terrorism,
absolutism and fundamentalism,
climate change and cybercrime are
acute concerns for every country.
The economic crisis has left
many people far less prosperous, and
perhaps less inclined to be ambitious

Warnng: Fnance gap could in our efforts to address Europe’s

security challenges. But we must also
keep in mind that crisis brings with it
opportunities for change.
This year has also seen a number

‘wreck’ UN clmate talks of positive developments, including

a “reset” in relations between two
key players in the European security
dialogue: Russia and the United
Investor-philanthropist Soros suggested shifting some International Monetary Fund resources from providing liquidity to a stressed States. The European Union has
recently taken important steps towards
global nancial system to a new mission of nancing projects in developing countries for clean energy and adapting to climate greater cohesion and unity with the
change. The World Bank and others project that hundreds of billions of dollars a year, in public and private money, will be needed appointment of a president and high
representative for foreign affairs.
We should celebrate these

REUTERS, CHRISTIAN CHARISIUS

The $10 billion a year proposed by rich
nations to help the poor adapt to climate achievements even as we recognize
change is “not sufcient” and the gap that serious problems remain to
between what’s offered and what’s needed could be resolved. There are different
wreck the Copenhagen climate conference, American perspectives on how Europe’s security
billionaire George Soros said Thursday. architecture should be designed, but
The investor-philanthropist, one in a line of we all agree on the urgent need to
international notables visiting the 192-nation meeting, tackle this critical challenge through
told reporters he had developed a partial solution. constructive dialogue.
Soros suggested shifting some International Monetary It is in this spirit of cooperation
Fund resources from providing liquidity to stressed and bridge-building that 56 foreign
global nancial system to a new mission of nancing ministers -- representing the US,
Canada and European countries,

projects in developing countries for clean energy and
adapting to climate change. About $100 billion in a
one-time infusion could be generated, said Soros, a
major supporter of causes in the developing world. But
he acknowledging a major roadblock in Washington.
“It is possible to substantially increase the amount
available to ght global warming in the developing
world,” he said. “All that is lacking is the political will.
Unfortunately the political will be difcult to gather
because of the mere fact that it requires congressional
approval in the United States.”
Soros said he had “informal discussions” with
Obama administration ofcials and they recognized
the difculty of getting congressional approval. But
he said the issue was too important to sweep aside.
“I think it is already becoming apparent in the
negotiations that there’s a gap between the developed
and developing world on this issue which could
actually wreck the conference,” he added.
The international nancier dropped in on the
two-week conference on its fourth day, as rich
and poor nations pressed on behind closed doors
and in open forums to bridge wide differences
and reach agreements on how to combat global
warming. They have just a week to deliver
something for President Barack Obama and more
than 100 national leaders to sign in the nale of
the Copenhagen climate summit on Dec. 18.
In one key area, delegates are trying to agree
on how much industrialized nations should reduce
their emissions of carbon dioxide and other global-
warming gases after the 2012 expiration of the 1997
A sculpture of a globe is displayed outside the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen on Thursday.
Kyoto Protocol, which covered 37 richer nations.
The US had rejected Kyoto.
The second key area involves climate change
nancing. That involves money for poorer nations
to build coastal protection, modify or shift crops
threatened by drought, build water supplies and
irrigation systems, preserve forests, improve health
care to deal with diseases spread by warming,
and move from fossil-fuel to low-carbon energy
systems, such as solar and wind power.
The World Bank and others project that hundreds
of billions of dollars a year, in public and private money,
will be needed eventually for the climate change shift.
Yet industrialized countries thus far are talking only
about a quick package -- three years of funding at $10
billion a year. Much of that would go toward training,
planning and getting a x on needs. Copenhagen AP
Medvedev to attend Copenhagen climate conference
The Kremlin announced on Friday that Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev will take part in the
climate conference in Copenhagen next week.
This is certain to raise expectations that he
and President Barack Obama will sign a new nucle-
ar arms deal on the sidelines of the conference.
Obama is set to attend the meeting in
Copenhagen on Dec. 18. The Kremlin an-
nounced on Thursday that Medvedev will
be there Dec. 17 and 18.
Meanwhile, Russian and US officials have
said they expect a successor to the 1991 START
I treaty to be signed soon, but no signing cere-
mony has been scheduled. Negotiations were
still under way when the treaty expired today.
PHOTO
including the Russian Federation
and the rest of the former Soviet
Union -- met in Athens on Dec.
1-2 at my invitation to discuss the
future of European security. The
talks marked the continuation of
the “Corfu Process,” anchored in
the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
which began with an informal
ministerial meeting in Corfu in June.
An attempt to address Europe’s
unnished business, the Corfu
Process is an opportunity for us
to come together to assess the
gaps in our common security, to
craft more effective responses to
Obama and Medvedev agreed in July to each existing challenges, and -- most
cut nuclear warheads to between 1,500 and importantly -- to generate new
1,675 within seven years as part of a new treaty. political will for joint action. This
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said
includes action to preserve arms-
on Wednesday that negotiators con-
ace the ex-
tinue to work to replace
control regimes, including the Treaty
pired treaty. But Gibbss said no on Conventional Armed Forces in
ceremony has been sched- Europe; to accelerate the resolution
aty.
uled to sign a new treaty. of protracted conicts; to promote
ed each
The START I obliged human rights and fundamental
country to cut nuclearear war- freedoms; and to assess and address
uarter,
heads by at least a quarter,
traditional and new threats.
to about 6,000 and in- n-
cluded detailed verifi--
We cannot afford to leave the
cation procedures. region’s protracted conicts such
Russian President
as the ones in Nagorno-Karabakh
Dmitry Medvedev and Transnistria on the back burner,
as last year’s war in Georgia made
abundantly clear. People living in
these areas need peace and stability,
not a fragile status quo that could
suddenly shatter and turn violent.

Five young Americans held in Pakistan ‘wanted to join holy war’
Five young Americans detained in Pakistan,
which is ghting a violent Taliban insurgency,
wanted to join a holy war and were in contact with
militants through the Internet, ofcials said on Thurs-
day. The ve men, students in their 20s from northern
Virginia, were detained this week in the city of Sar-
godha in Punjab province, 190 kilometers (120 miles)
southeast of Islamabad, security ofcials said.
The suspects were being investigated for possible
links to a Pakistan-based group suspected of carrying
out high-prole attacks and with links to the Taliban
and al-Qaeda. The case will likely again focus atten-
tion on nuclear-armed Pakistan’s performance in
ghting militants as Washington presses Islamabad
to root out extremist ghters crossing the border to
attack US-led troops in Afghanistan.
“We watched them for one and a half days and
then arrested them,” Usman Anwar, police chief of
Sargodha, told reporters.
“We seized laptops and other things from their
possession. Later we came to know that they have come
here with the intention of ‘jihad’.”
The case could fan fears in Western countries
that the sons of immigrants from Muslim countries
are being drawn to violent extremist militancy, a pro-
cess made easier by the Internet.
The US FBI said in a statement released in the
United States on Wednesday it was in contact with
the families of the ve as well as law-enforcement au-
thorities in Pakistan. A Pakistani security ofcial said
the men were detained on Monday. They had own
to Karachi on Nov. 30 and then travelled to Lahore on
Dec. 5, and then on to Sargodha, he said.
“No charge has been framed against them. Investi-
gations are under way as to whether they have any links
with extremist groups,” said the ofcial.
The concrete house where the men were arrest-
ed was deserted on Thursday, it’s white gate locked.
Neighbors conrmed security men had raided the
house three days ago but they said they had no idea
about the people who had been living there.
There were no police on duty at the house next to
a petrol station in a middle-class neighborhood, but
plain-clothes security men were in the area. Ofcials
said three Pakistanis had also been detained, one of
whom was believed to have been linked to a 2007 sui-
cide bomb attack on an air force bus outside an air base
in Sargodha in which eight people were killed.
The Americans were in contact with militant
groups in Pakistan through the Internet. Laptops,
computers, CDs, mobile phones and maps of Paki-
stani cities had been recovered from them, said An-
war. They had links to towns in northwest Pakistan,
including the al-Qaeda and Taliban stronghold of
Miranshah. “They might have been on their way to
Afghanistan,” Anwar told Reuters. Pakistan news
reports said the suspects were being investigated for
Security challenges in neigh-
boring regions also require a joint
response. Afghanistan is a case in
links with the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad group. The
Jaish-e-Mohammad, or Army of the Prophet Moham- point. And threats like terrorism,
mad, has links with al-Qaeda and the Taliban. the trafcking of arms, drugs, and
It is one of several factions with roots in Punjab people, and climate change are
province that have been battling Indian forces in dis- borderless and complex. Only a joint
puted Kashmir. The group was suspected of involve- response can be effective.
ment in attacks including the murder of US journalist The fall of the Berlin Wall marked
Daniel Pearl in 2002 and an assassination attempt on the end of an era of mistrust and division
former President Pervez Musharraf. and opened the way for cooperation
Rashid Rauf, a British militant suspected of being aimed at a peaceful and stable Europe.
ringleader of a 2006 plot to blow up airliners over the Europe has come a long way from
Atlantic, was also a Jaish member. Ofcials said one those years of division, but we have not
of the Americans was of Egyptian origin, one of Ye- yet fully reaped the benets promised
meni origin and another of Eritrean origin. by the wave of change of 1989.
A US Muslim civil rights group, the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said it brought *George Papandreou is the prime minister and
the case to the attention of US law-enforcement au- foreign minister of Greece, and the chairman-
thorities this month after family members informed in-ofce of the Organization for Security and
CAIR of the men’s disappearance. Sargodha Reuters Cooperation in Europe. © Project Syndicate, 2009.

CMYK
 12 TODAY’S ZAMAN F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9 EXPAT ZONE

Gvng a pet as a present

Writing a book is sort of like having a plan for your life. In either case,
to know where you are going you need to have done your research.
As a journalist and author, I especially understand about the impor-
tance of documentation.
I like how author Judith Summers, in her book, “My Life with
George,” puts it: “If you did your research properly, you could sort
out which facts were relevant and how many you could junk. You
knew where you were going and how you were going to get there.
In other words, you knew where you were.”
Of course, as some of you may know all too well, not doing your
homework is something you may regret later.
I’ve noticed in Turkey that opinions about having a house pet
are changing. Well, at least among some people. I’d say still the ma-
jority of Turks are not comfortable around pets outdoors and even
less, indoors.
I’d never been around dogs much growing up, except my broth-
er’s Beagles, which were off-limits as they were hunting dogs, not
pets. Like most people, I just thought a dog was a dog.
When I was offered a dog for free and learned she (Kila) was a
Cocker Spaniel, I thought this was great! Don’t get me wrong, Kila is
CULTURAL CORNER
CHARLOTTE
McPHERSON
great. I thought, “I’ll need to walk her, give her fresh food and water,
keep her warm and love her.” I did not really do my research on
this particular breed, so I had no idea that she needs to be brushed
x times a day, and that ear and eye infections and skin allergies are
quite common for this particular breed. Oh! I nearly forgot to men-
tion, they are high-maintenance creatures. George, in Judith Sum-
mers book is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, which she describes as
no ordinary dog. He sounds in many ways like mine.
Walking along Bagdat Caddesi or in Etiler you will see dogs
whose owners have dressed their dogs in eecy tops and designer
collars. However, dogs like George and my Kila have just what they
stand up in. They are down-to-earth dogs.
Any dog owner, while out walking their beloved creature, ob-
serves the many admirers along the path, but the moment the pave-
ment is soiled or wet, it is as though the unthinkable has happened.
You can see the disapproving glances.
Having a dog in your home may be even more disapproving.
Be prepared for your Turkish friends to not visit as frequently if you
have a dog.
Petrol attendants are great admirers. As long as the windows are
rolled up, most attendants feel safe and will tease the dogs through
the glass. As soon as you open the door to get out of your car or get
in it, they quickly back away. You would have thought they had seen
a snake as they scatter.
Around Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s, many people
consider giving an animal as a gift, be it a dog, cat, guinea pig, ham-
ster, rabbit, ferret or another pet. This is becoming more popular in
Turkey as well.
In the vast majority of cases, this is a bad idea. Very frequently,
the ordeal ends with the dog, cat, pocket pet or other animal at the
humane society’s animal shelter within a few weeks.
Let me just share a few reasons why pets that are given as holi-
day gifts rarely remain in their new home.
Bonding time: Usually the holiday season is full of hustle and
bustle. It is difcult to bond and care for a new cat, dog or other pet.
Kittens and puppies require a strict schedule, lots of attention, train-
ing, care and love.
Choice of selection: Picking a pet for someone is almost like you
are match-making. Selecting an animal to adopt is a very personal
process that should be left to the new pet owner. The initial attrac-
tion is vital as the owner and animal will be sharing each other’s
home and lives for hopefully many years to come.
Thinking you or someone else would love a dog? Research it
and ask a few questions before you do something impetuous:
Do I have enough time for a puppy?
Do I have enough money to afford the vet bills?
Do I have sufcient time to care for my pet?
If the answers to these questions are negative it may be that it is
a less-than-ideal situation that’s unfair to both animal and person.
Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Please
keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help
to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com

[ EXPAT VOICE ]

SMAH ZAM STANBUL
Naturally, there is nothing more wonderful for
a married couple than to hear that they are ex-
pecting a baby. “I wonder if our baby will look
My lack of knowledge
of Turkish also led us to another
test; my children’s schooling. Right
BRINGING UP
10 cousins play with each other that my kids improve on their
communicative skills. Right now, my daughter is an excellent
speaker of the language, while my son is expanding his ability
particularly with the help of his teachers in school. Yes, their
mother tongue is Turkish. English is their second language

like me, with brown skin and a at nose. Perhaps he
or she will look like you, with fair skin and a pointed
nose,” I smiled at my husband.
We wondered about our baby’s gender, of the little steps
now, my daughter is in the third grade,
while my son is in second grade. They
go to one of the Cokun private schools,
MULTICULTURAL
and Malay is in the process of being learnt.
My lack of knowledge of Turkish also led us to another
test; my children’s schooling. Right now, my daughter is in
the third grade, while my son is in second grade. They go to

our baby would take and all the wonderful things that would
come from welcoming that precious little person who would
be the gem of our lives. My husband and I were no different.
The happiness was indescribable but then, whether we
liked it or not, there were bound to be conicts. I am Malay-
sian and was brought up in Malay society with the Malay way
of life. My husband, on the other hand, is a Turk, brought up
in a Turkish society with the Kayseri way on his mother’s side
and the Rumelian way on his father’s side. We are two peo-
ple who were brought up in two different cultures; there are
so many differences in our cultural backgrounds. What were
we as parents supposed to do? There were so many conicts.
We had to nd a common ground. But where to start?
I, for one, have a rebellious soul. I hate rules and restric-
tions. I was happy enough to discover that my gynecologist,
who also happens to be my brother-in-law’s sister, was a
very open type kind of person. I was not given strict “dos” or
“don’ts” which I expected to get from a doctor from my own
country. Just imagine, I was allowed to drink coke, which
was my favorite drink then during my pregnancy, and I was
allowed to eat McDonald’s two days after giving birth. In
Malaysia, that is almost unheard of! But deep down, despite
my rebellious soul, did I crave to have the post-birth mas-
sage which we Malaysians traditionally have to make sure
all the nerves in the body are corrected to their pre-birth
state? Did I wish that my mother would be there to insist
that I eat food cooked with lots of black pepper (to heat the
body) as well as ginger (to decrease the gas in the body)?
Did I dream of being forced into the traditional corset where
meters of plain white cloth would be wrapped around my
body to help me lose the fat around my tummy? Did I
dream of being forced to drink “jamu,” the roots of various
trees boiled in water and later drunk (which tastes extremely
yucky) to repair and strengthen the inner parts of my body?
Even though I would have rejected all these things were I to
have given birth in Malaysia, being away from home made
me crave them. But then, I was not living in Malaysia. I was
and am living in stanbul, and what stanbul offered me as a
new mother then was equally special in its own way.
Parental differences from
the very beginning
Motherhood had introduced me to the deep level of over-
protectiveness of the Turks. I had to undergo a C-section type
of birth at the last minutes due to fetal distress. After the birth,
at least for a week, I was not allowed to do anything. It was
my mother-in-law (whom I called anne) who did everything.
My job then was to rest, to recover my strength and to feed
my baby. This over-protectiveness is truly evident in the way
they dress their children. Take, for example, my daughter,
Nur Hatice, and my son, Sabahaddin. The moment I was
past the rst trimester of pregnancy, the older people (my
mother-in-law and my husband’s aunties) started to knit as
many wool sweaters as they possibly could. Turks are very
particular about keeping children warm. My daughter was a
winter baby. When she was a newborn, I can remember how
she was covered in layer after layer of clothing. “Keep the
baby warm,” the elders kept advising me. As someone who
came from a tropical country where we only see sun and rain,
I naturally followed the ways of my Turkish family. When my
children were older, I used to take them to a playground
nearby. The over-protectiveness of the Turkish family was al-
ways evident when I saw foreign children there. The Ameri-
can and British kids, who used to frequent the playground,
would be clothed in shorts and simple T-shirts at 14 to 20
degrees Celsius. But when I looked at my own kids and other
which is a Turkish school. I do confess
that the hardest part for me is home-
work time. It was when my daughter
was in second grade that I realized
that except for English lessons,
I could not help them with their
homework anymore
the ingredients available promote the preparation of Turk-
ish food. Cooking Malaysian food is quite impossible here
unless I can bring certain spices to Turkey, which is difcult.
I remember feeding my daughter a very hot Tom Yam dish
when she was just 5 months old. Surprisingly, she ate it with
no complaint. But as she and her brother have grown up
on Turkish food, the preference for Malaysian food is lost
to them except for certain things like curries. Whenever we
visit Malaysia, I have to cook special food for them or feed
them Western fast food there. Luckily, the Indian food in
Malaysia has certain similarities with Turkish food so I was
feeding my kids Roti Canai for breakfast or Chapati or Nasi
Kandar or Nasi Ayam for lunch or dinner most of the time. I
don’t blame them. Food is an acquired taste. Your taste will
always be synchronized with the food you grew up eating.
Just as I will always crave Malaysian food, my husband and
my half-Turkish children will always crave Turkish food.
The language dilemma
There was also this conict in language in rearing our chil-
dren. What language will they be speaking? I wanted them
to be trilingual and speak Turkish, Malay and English as
their native languages. Turkish is naturally vital as they live
in Turkey and it is the medium of instruction here. Malay is
my own language, which would be important for them to
communicate with my family in Malaysia. As for English,
it is a universal language which they can use everywhere
they go. I believe that a child’s brain can comprehend all
three languages in one go. Such a thought sounded logi-
cal to me, though not to my husband. The possessiveness
of a person, namely my husband, over their language was
evident when we had to face this issue. It reminded me of
how the French are overprotective of the French language.
My husband is no different. He insisted that our kids be
taught only Turkish for the rst ve years of their lives. Only
later, they should learn English and Malay. He didn’t want
his children’s minds to be polluted by any other language;
they should only learn his mother tongue as this is where
they live. After a lot of heated discussions, it was nally
agreed that they would be speaking Turkish as their mother
tongue and that English and Malay would come later.
It was agreed upon. Be that as it may, there was also an-
other challenge that accompanied this decision. As a bride in
a new land, after our marriage, I had developed a resistance
to learning Turkish. I subconsciously felt the threat of losing
my own identity if I were to accept the Turkish language. I
rejected the language, insisting that I would speak English
forever. It was only after I got pregnant that I began to relax
and somehow accepted opening up my mind and subcon-
sciously learnt the language through the interactions of daily
life. Just think, how was a mother who only has the most ba-
sic of Turkish (who refused to learn Turkish except through
acquisition) and who spent 24/7 with her kids be expected
to teach them Turkish properly? I mean, I practically learned
Turkish together with my children. Even now, after 10 years
CHILDREN IN TURKEY
one of the Cokun private schools, which is a Turkish school.
I do confess that the hardest part for me is homework time.
It was when my daughter was in second grade that I real-
ized that except for English lessons, I could not help them
with their homework anymore. My Turkish is limited, and I
am unable to explain or help them solve many of the prob-
lems in their homework. How am I to answer the questions
on the synonyms or antonyms of Turkish words? What
would I know of mathematical terminology? Furthermore,
they come from a school system different from mine. It is re-
ally heartbreaking for a mother when you cannot help your
child when they need help. Whether I like it or not, that is
my reality. My husband helps the kids whenever he is at
home. During his absence, however, I have the advantage
of my kids having a year’s gap between them. My daughter,
for example, can explain many things to her brother, simply
because she learned the same thing a year before. On things
that she cannot understand or help with, I am lucky enough
to have many sisters-in-law who are more than willing to
help answer any enquiries by phone that my children may
have regarding their homework. Our other option is to
write notes on the things my kids could not do at home,
and the hardworking teachers at school will usually explain
the matter to them later in class. In short, my kids are fated
to depend on themselves and others to help them academi-
cally because of the inefciency of their mother.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Only time will tell.
For now, I am truly grateful for any help I can get. What I see
is this; The conicts that occur in rearing our children in the
Turkish environment are no doubt hard for me as an expat
mother, as we have had to make so many compromises to
reach a common ground. Yet, they are what make everything
exciting as well as complicated. I think my children are grow-
ing up nicely mainly because my husband and I will always
be there for them. And what we lack, we have in the support
of our family, relatives, teachers and friends who are willing
to help guide them in developing their potential.
Motherhood is a challenge as well as a blessing no
matter who you marry or where you choose to live.
It is how you choose to enjoy it.
CEM KIZILTU

Turkish kids, they would be covered in thick wooly sweaters
with layer upon layer of clothing! It was obvious how differ-
ent the upbringing of the American and British kids was from
the Turkish kids. Turks simply over-clothe their children.
What about food? Would my kids grow up eating Turk-
ish food or Malaysian food? That was a question that used
of marriage, I still subconsciously refuse to learn the language
properly. What hope do my kids have to be excellent speak-
ers of Turkish? Fortunately, the Zaim family has a close knit
relationship. When my late mother-in-law and father-in-law
were alive, we used to go to their home almost every day.
My kids learned their early speech there as their Uncle Kerim
ILLUSTRATION

to play in our minds as well. My husband had no objection and their Auntie Mehve were always there as well. The rest
to me feeding our kids Malaysian food. He himself loves of the siblings and their families also often get together. It is
some of my local dishes. But we live in stanbul. Naturally, at the times when the parents spend hours chatting and the

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

CMYK
 CULTURE&ARTS
Book looks into practice of support for works of art
RUMEYSA KIGER STANBUL
A new book by architect and artist Céline
Condorelli, together with Gavin Wade and
James Langdon, inspired by the objects
that make art possible and yet receive no attenti-
on themselves, has been published by the Platform
Garanti Contemporary Art Center.
Titled “Support Structures,” the book featu-
res texts of the interviews of Condorelli with Wo-
uter Davidts, Andrea Phillips, Jan Verwoert, Ja-
mes Langdon and Gavin Wade as well as artic-
les by Condorelli, Mark Cousins, Jaime Stapleton,
Bart de Baere, Eyal Weizman and Rony Brauman
and Jean-Claude Lebensztejn.
In an interview with Today’s Zaman, Condo-
relli elaborated on the term “Support Structure”
and the content of the project and the book.
Can you explain the kind of support you
are referring to in your concept of “Support
Structure” and its relation to contemporary
artistic production?
I am interested in all the things that are aro-
und, under and behind what is traditionally conside-
red art objects: framing devices, stages, what holds
things up, what makes them possible in the rst pla-
ce. The kinds of things and activities that are suppor-
ting surround us -- like scaffolding, for example, is
everywhere in a city -- and are essential to what and
how we do things in the world, and yet they are usu-
ally considered not important, temporary, lacking in
value in themselves. The project “Support Structure”
was to focus on this as a practice, to work exactly with
SELMAN ETÜRKLER
PHOTO
Actress Türkan oray, Küçükçekmece Mayor Aziz Yeni-
ay and actress Deniz Türkali (L to R) speak during the
inaguration of the Atf Ylmaz Studio in stanbul.
stanbul gets
new studio named
after Atf Ylmaz
stanbul, the heart of Turkey’s entertain-
ment sector and naturally its movie in-
dustry, got a new movie studio this week when
a new studio school dedicated to the late Tur-
kish lmmaker Atf Ylmaz was inaugurated in
the Küçükçekmece district on Wednesday.
The studio, a joint effort by the local Küçük-
çekmece Municipality, the stanbul 2010 Europe-
an Capital of Culture Agency and the Atf Ylmaz
Studio Foundation, also incorporates a moviema-
king school that will accept 20 students annually.
Ylmaz’s widowed wife, Deniz Türkali, told re-
porters during Wednesday’s inauguration, which
coincided with the anniversary of Ylmaz’s birth,
that the new studio school would help Turkey gain
many emerging talents in the area of cinema.
Ylmaz, who died on May 5, 2006 at the age of
81, was one of the most prolic producer-director-
screenwriters in the history of Turkish cinema,
with more than 110 titles he directed during a ca-
reer that spanned more than ve decades. One
of most famous directing credits is the 1977 big-
screen classic “Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalm” (The
Girl with the Red Scarf), starring Kadir nanr and
Türkan oray, and adapted from the well-known
novel by late Kyrgyz author Chinghiz Aitmatov.
The Atf Ylmaz Studio, spread over 500 squ-
are meters, will also offer an open-air movie set
when work on the area surrounding the stu-
dio building is completed, Küçükçekmece Mayor
Aziz Yeniay told reporters.
The studio school offers a two-year certicate
program that has its focus mainly on lmmaking
rather than theoretical classes.
Well-known lm directors and producers Ya-
vuz Özkan, Srr Süreyya Önder, Ümit Ünal and
Ali Akdeniz are among the instructors who will
be teaching classes here.
Students will make their own short lms and
take part in several workshops throughout the co-
urse. Each student will also prepare a lm as his/her
graduation project. The main objective is for each
student to have a screenplay ready to be lmed at
the end of the program. The students will also be
able to work and gain experience in feature lms
and documentaries by other lmmakers at the lm
production house that is also housed on the school’s
premises. The rst term courses at the Atf Ylmaz
Studio will begin on Jan. 11, 2010. stanbul Today’s Zaman
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009
these things that are usually outside artistic produc-
tion, and offer support. To understand and revalue
what it means to put yourself in the service of others.
How did this project start and what kind of
activities has it organized so far?
The project started when Gavin Wade and I were
asked to provide a system for “I am a Curator,” an ex-
hibition by Per Hüttner at Chisenhale Gallery in Lon-
don, in which members of the public were able to cu-
rate exhibitions for one day. How could we make
such a thing possible, so that every morning some-
body new would walk into the gallery and produ-
ce an exhibition? We made a “Support Structure” as
an exhibition system, to store, hang, explain, and ge-
nerally support the curating process for people who
mostly had never done such a thing. After this project
we realized that there was a large potential in thin-
king about the idea of support, and decided to put
“Support Structure” through a learning process, like
full-time education, and create what became 10 pro-
jects: in support of art, in support of politics, in sup-
port of community, education, institutions.
You wrote the book “Support Structures.”
Can you tell us about this book and the issues it
highlights?
While support seems to describe the most ordi-
nary activities, its discourse appears to be missing: for
example, as mentioned above, cities lled with scaf-
folding have no books about them in their libraries,
and I searched in vain for a history of framing. This
book was born from the resulting solitude of this
practice of supporting, to rst create and then publish
the missing bibliography of support structures, and in
a way, the background material I had been missing.
While the work of supporting traditionally appears as
subsequent, inessential and lacking value in itself, this
book is actually an attempt to restore attention to one
of the neglected, yet crucial modes through which
CMYK
TODAY’S ZAMAN 13
Architect and
artist Celine
Condorelli, together
with Gavin Wade and
James Langdon,
explores the objects
that make art
possible and yet
receive no attention
themselves, in the
book “Support
Structures.”
we apprehend and shape the world. I think “Sup-
port Structures” addresses important questions for
art, architecture and other cultural practices, on forms
of display, organization, articulation, appropriation,
autonomy and temporariness. The book includes dif-
ferent texts about these issues, from different angles,
but also many projects by artists, architects and thin-
kers, some of which I met in stanbul, like the artists
Can Altay, Banu Cennetolu and Cevdet Erek.
Which type of model have you developed for
Platform Garanti stanbul?
Books are usually made behind closed doors, and
one only sees them when they are nished, for sale in
a bookshop or on somebody’s bookshelf. At the invita-
tion of Platform Garanti, I tried to make the process of
book-making as public as possible. The contributors to
the text were invited to stanbul, one at a time, to come
and work in my studio at Platform Garanti on stiklal
[Street], for one week. Each one was invited to speak
about a particular type of support: democratic support,
architectural support, etc. We talked and read and dis-
cussed, and at the end of the week would have a lec-
ture at Osmanl Bank Museum, which worked as the
draft for each text, which we then edited and correc-
ted. This process was followed through my residency,
which meant I left stanbul with a draft for a book.
What is your process for developing a critical
model for a specic exhibition or public space?
I think that to look at structures of support means
to focus on the interface between user and system,
on forms of mediation, and in this way one is able to
question and maybe re-invent the potential of a pla-
ce. Each place and its surrounding situation needs to
be looked at specically, I believe, and never gene-
rally, even if one always arrives at some similar qu-
estions. This is the starting point to be able to invent
and establish new infrastructures for individuals wit-
hin particular sites. The purpose of this process is to
generate possibilities for change through reconside-
ring and adjusting what is already there, both physi-
cally and conceptually. Support structures in this
sense are not exhibitions as such, but can be used as
tools to translate and facilitate the idea of exhibiting.
You are also a lecturer at London Metropoli-
tan University. What kind of classes do you teach?
I have been teaching architecture for almost
10 years. I run studios and programs in which I
work very closely with students and they develop
individual projects. My main interest is to teach
them to think through space, and that thinking
and doing are not separate activities but that one
thinks by doing and does by thinking.
Smadj to present new
album in two gigs in
zmir and stanbul
Tunisian-born Parisian musician Jean-
Pierre Smadja, aka Smadj, famed interna-
tionally for his signature blend of acoustic and
electronic sounds, will play songs from his most
recent album, “Selin,” in two gigs in zmir and
stanbul next week.
Billed by reviewers as “the most passionate
album” Smadj has released to date, “Selin” was
released in early December. The 10-track set is
made up of Smadj’s own original compositions
inspired from his times in stanbul as well as his
partner, after whom the album is named.
Joined by Swiss contemporary jazz trumpeter
Erik Truffaz, best known for his improvised pla-
ying style, and British DJ and tabla player Talvin
Singh, famous for his fusion of classical Indian tu-
nes with electronic dance music, Smadj recorded
“Selin” in stanbul, where he is currently based.
The trio, who frequently collaborate in recor-
dings and live performances, will also be joined
by Cem Yldz on balama during next week’s
two performances, scheduled for Dec. 16 at the
French Cultural Center in zmir and Dec. 17 at
the Babylon Club in stanbul’s Beyolu.
Smadj made his international breakthrough
in 2000 with the album “Equilibriste.” In 2002,
Smadj joined fellow French oud player Mehdi
Haddab for a special project that would transport
the oud to the 21st century in their album, “Du-
OuD.” The album also received second place in
the Best Album category at the prestigious BBC
World Music Awards. stanbul Today’s Zaman
Cameron’s ‘Avatar’
has premiere in London
James Cameron’s sci- extravaganza
“Avatar” got its rst airing before a mass
audience in London on Thursday.
Stars Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthing-
ton and Zoe Saldana were expected to join
the crowds in London’s Leicester Square for
Thursday’s premiere.
The 3D epic about humans taking extrater-
restrial form as they explore a distant world is re-
portedly one of the most expensive movies ever
made. It uses cutting-edge digital technology to
create dizzying special effects. The lm industry
is watching closely to see how audiences res-
pond to Cameron’s rst narrative lm in 12 years.
The director is hoping for a hit to match his 1997
blockbuster “Titanic,” which has taken $1.8 billi-
on worldwide at the box ofce. “Avatar” opens
around the world next week. London AP
 14 TODAY’S ZAMAN
The “East and West Encounters: The Gülen Movement” Conference was held on Dec. 4-6 and was organized by the Pacifica Institute, a Turkish-American institution established by the Turkish community in the Los Angeles area.
IMPRESSIONS FROM THE GÜLEN
CONFERENCE IN LOS ANGELES
ZEK SARITOPRAK*
In 2005 in my editorial in a special issue of The Muslim
World journal about contributions of Fethullah Gülen
and contemporary Islam in Turkey, I wrote that the Gül-
en movement can contribute to the development of positive rela-
tionships between Islam and the West. I suggested that American
academia be more interested in Gülen and his movement.
Four years later, I had a chance to attend a conference, titled
“East and West Encounters: The Gülen Movement,” of which I
was part of the editorial board. This conference has given me the
impression that there is a rising interest among scholars concern-
ing Gülen, his teachings and the movement named after him.
The conference, which was held on Dec. 4-6, was organized by
the Pacica Institute, a Turkish-American institution established
by the Turkish community in the Los Angeles area. The confer-
ence was sponsored by the University of Southern California’s Of-
ce of Religious Life, the International Education Center at Santa
Monica College, the department of theological studies at Loyola
Marymount University, the department of religious studies at
Humboldt University and the department of religious studies at
Whittier College. The conference was held on the USC campus.
During the conference, various topics about Gülen and his move-
ment were discussed, including the characteristics of the Gülen
movement, which were described as hizmet (service), the func-
tionality of the movement in contrast to the organizational struc-
ture, the contribution of the movement in dialogue between Mus-
lims and Christians, the personality of Gülen and his reections on
hajj, gender issues and the Gülen movement, and hijra (migration)
for the sake of God by admirers of Gülen. Some other topics that
were discussed included the education of young men as practiced
in Gülen-inspired schools and a comparison between educational
and spiritual foundations of Gülen schools and Jesuit schools in
specic contexts, such as Gülen schools in Australia and Kosovo.
Again, among the topics that were discussed was a com-
parison between Gülen and Alasdair MacIntyre, who is a con-
temporary philosopher at the University of Notre Dame, and
the contribution of Gülen to public life through the promo-
tion of virtues and spirituality, as well as another paper that
dealt with the critiques of Gülen and his movement in politi-
cal, economic and ideological contexts. Dr. Kathleen Moore of
the University of California at Santa Barbara spoke of Turkey’s
secularism and the Gülen movement. Dr. Juan Campo spoke
on Gülen’s reections of hajj, which led me to think once again
of the importance of studying Gülen from a religious perspec-
tive and not only from a political or sociological perspective.
Thinking of all these topics and the discussions presented
during this two-day conference, one can get the impression that
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there is a rising interest in the Gülen movement. From the scholars
present at the conference, which included Jill Carroll and Dr. Wil-
liam Martin from Rice University, John Olsen of the Univer-
sity of Arizona, Daniel Skubik of California Baptist University,
Darryl Tippens of Pepperdine University, Dr. Marcia Herman-
sen form Loyola University-Chicago and Thomas Michel, S.J.,
of Georgetown University, one can see the interest in Ameri-
can academia that the Gülen movement is having. The above
mentioned scholars contributed greatly to the conference
through their presentations and discussions at the conference.
Most successful conference to date
I had previously attended several conferences on Gülen. This par-
ticular conference can be considered one of the most successful,
both academically and organizationally. It was very interesting to
see the curiosity in Turkey and the teachings of Gülen by scholars
such as Reza Aslan from the University of California, as evident
from his keynote address. In his address, he criticizes critiques of
the Gülen movement and the current ruling party in Turkey, the
Justice and Development Party (AKP), by saying those who are
criticizing Gülen and his endeavors do not introduce any alterna-
tive to the Gülen movement. He also criticized Michael Rubin,
who is closely associated with neo-conservativism. Aslan says this
group pushed America into war and that they are failing in every
aspect. Aslan said it is unbelievable to see that these people can
still nd jobs though they are failing, which made the audience
laugh. I thought Aslan was good in his assessment of Turkey and
what was going on between the elite ultra-secularists on the one
hand and the current ruling party along with the Gülen movement
on the other. After Aslan’s eloquent speech, to me the most inter-
esting talk during the opening remarks was the speech of a local
Armenian who came to the podium and expressed his feelings. He
described how he and his group, the Organization of stanbul Ar-
menians of Los Angeles, became involved in several projects with
the cooperation of the Turks who established the Pacica Institute.
He suggested that the Turks in the Pacica Institute are engaged
in dialogue with Armenians not supercially but genuinely and
from the depths of their hearts. It was interesting to hear that the
one thing he missed the most was the trait of the Anatolian peo-
ple who would help you, regardless of your religion or ethnicity,
whenever they found you in need of help. This is a very important
step in the dialogue between Armenians and Turks in the city of
Los Angeles. Surely this achievement gives hope for a better re-
lationship on a larger scale between Turkey and Armenia as well.
As for the presenters, they were prepared, and the papers
were mostly above and beyond the standard. Being one of the
editors, I can say that the process of the editorial assessments was
very serious; therefore, from 84 papers, only 18 were chosen to
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009 OPINION
TODAY’S ZAMAN
BRAHM
ÖZTÜRK
PHOTO
i.ozturk@todayszaman.com
A gude to Turkey
for Amercans (II)
It is interesting that Americans have been convinced that
it is that easy to appease the Turks. I told them, “President
Obama’s speech in Turkey was only as good as the others.”
After all, the US’s advisors on Turkey know the terminology
to flatter Turks very well. But it is time for action, not words.
A strong agenda for Americans: I asked the Americans a ques-
tion and offered to answer it as well. The question was: Turkey has
been a strategic ally of the US for more than 50 years, but US hos-
tility toward this ally country is higher than in Iraq, which it is
occupying. The gap widens every day. There is an alliance the
people are not comfortable with, and it is impossible for this to
be sustained. As long as these people live on these lands and if
there is going to be democracy from now on, even if it’s a little
blind and crippled, it is impossible for the US to receive the
kind of support it wants from any government in Turkey.
Filling in the details of model partnership: Putting aside the
need to ll in the details of a “model partnership” with Turkey, the
homework list the US needs to follow in order to clean its gallery of
sins in the eyes of the people is provided below in short.
1. Repair its respect and pride: Turkey is a remnant
of a significant part of history, and its people cannot forget,
ignore or accept a sack-over-head scenario.
2. The US must stop being a junta supporter: The position
the US has in the Middle East is one that supports dictatorships. In
Turkey, however, the people’s awareness of democracy and hatred
of an oppressive and imposing regime is forcing the US to make
an absolute decision on this matter. According to the people’s per-
spective, there is a strong conviction that coups in Turkey were also
be presented. To mention all the papers and their titles would be approved of by the US. It is believed that the Turkish army, which
beyond the scope of this article; therefore, I will only mention two matured under NATO and US discipline from a young age and
of them that were also published in the conference proceedings. has every kind of ideological and military allegiance, will not,
In the panel chaired by Rabbi Reuven Firestone, Russell Powell with some exceptions, conduct business in spite of the US.
presented a paper titled “Forgiveness in Islamic Jurisprudence and 3. We want democracy: The Turkish people now know
Its Role in Intercommunal Relations,” which resulted in many the world, their income level has increased, their expecta-
questions from the audience and an interesting discussion. tions have varied and heightened and, most importantly,
The paper also showed that people are very much interested the generation has changed. Anatolia has started to take
in the Islamic understanding of law and forgiveness. Gerald control of its own fate. The US must prove to the Turkish
Whitehouse, in his paper titled “Movement Functionality ver- people that it truly wants democracy in Turkey.
sus Organizational Structure,” strongly emphasized the
4. Outpost period over, regional interests must be re-
importance of the Gülen movement as a movement and
spected: The historical and civilization-specic weight of this
not as an organization. He suggested that if the movement
nation, especially in the region, must be accepted and acknowl-
turns into an organization, it will lose its strength. Therefore,
edged. It should not be subject to “outpost” treatment. The re-
the Gülen movement should never attempt to become an or-
gional interests of Turkey and the US may not always overlap; in
ganization because its power lies in the movement itself.
fact, they may even conict with one another. The US should not
All discussions during this conference show that in American
cross the oceans and come to the region to issue orders by disre-
academia there is a growing interest in the Gülen movement and
its endeavors. Today in the West, unfortunately the image of Islam garding our interests in the region. It must see Turkey, which is an
and Muslims is presented as barbaric, violent and even backwards. old heir to the region, as an equal consultation and decision-mak-
The Gülen movement is showing the world that there is an Islam ing entity. The US’s preference to keep Israel under one arm and
which is positive, and there are Muslims that do not put forward Turkey under the other against the huge Muslim world is, inter alia,
their Muslimness, rather they put forward their service for Mus- irreconcilable. The US must urgently abandon the “I will be next to
lims and non-Muslims alike. They are contributing to the better- Israel atrocity until the very end” image and take concrete steps.
ment of their communities not only through their words but also 5. US friendship led to regional isolation: Turkey’s alliance
through their actions. These Muslim Turks are proving that Islam with the US during the Cold War period made Turkey enemies
has another image and that image is a positive one. Their actions with its neighbors. While Europe, the US and Japan developed ow-
speak louder. Many papers in this conference elaborated on the ing to commercial, production and nancial integration in their respec-
characteristics of the Gülen movement and the power beyond its tive regions, Turkey could not even trade “matches and water.”
success. When discussion turned to the secret of the success 6. Political and economic losses should be compensated:
of the movement, one presenter said “Allah,” which received To compensate for Turkey’s economic losses the US did not
a positive reaction from the audience. The participants had al- pursue anything beyond Marshall Plan aid, which is based on
most a consensus that the movement was powered by a dedi- the procurement of archaic goods, and conditional Internation-
cation for service to others, regardless of their ethnicity or religion. al Monetary Fund (IMF) support. While Russia’s contribution
This is why some presenters suggested that among the admirers of in Turkey’s major infrastructure and heavy industrial projects
Gülen, there are many non-Turks as well as non-Muslims. such as petrochemicals, dams and railways was visible, the
This conference has shown that things related to US was involved in almost none. There are no noteworthy
the Gülen movement are to be discussed in the future technological transfers from the US to Turkey in weapons or
and in more detailed ways. I think this conference gave in civil production. The goal was to intensify dependence.
us an opportunity to think and elaborate on the Gülen The US never competed to top the list of countries that
movement and its endeavors in a more focused way. If make the most foreign capital investment in Turkey.
there are going to be more conferences on Gülen, I think
7. Must repair the image they damaged: The US was
academic institutions should carry this responsibility and
never among the countries that sent the most tourists to
elaborate on themes such as jihad, gender issues, indepen-
Turkey, for Turkey does not have an esteemed image in the
dent reasoning and Sufism from Gülen’s perspective.
eyes of Americans. It is known as a country that provides
soldiers for cheap when needed in countries such as Ko-
*Dr. Zeki Sartoprak is an associate professor of Islamic Studies and the director of
rea, Afghanistan, Sudan and Jordan, that has camels in
the Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio.
the desert, belly dancers and rak. The US administration
has as much responsibility as us in the making of this image.
Daðýstan Çetinkaya
dagistancetinkaya@todayszaman.com.tr
CMYK
 COLUMNS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009
If the PKK says t dd t, then…
The president, Abdullah Gül, is a cautious statesman. But he sur-
prised many when he mentioned, in grief over seven dead soldiers,
that the attack’s timing, location and method raise deep suspicions.
Bülent Arnç, the deputy prime minister, thinks the same
way. “Why now?” he asks about the timing and adds: “No ter-
rorist organization has claimed responsibility so far. The perpe-
trators must be hiding somewhere. As deputy prime minister I
stress that they will be caught soon.” Arnç says he believes it
might be an “outsourced” terrorist act. Democratic Society Party
(DTP) sources say they do not believe the Kurdistan Workers’
Party (PKK) was involved.
Their suspicion added to the speculation that the “dark forces”
were behind the terror act. Given the circumstances of constant test-
ing of Turkey’s democratization, they might have been proven right.
Because this looked as if it could be one of those cases that
should leave any experienced journalist’s stomach uneasy. In
such processes, one can suspect anything and be prepared for all
sorts of surprises and unsolved puzzles.
Then, late yesterday came an announcement: A group called
ETYEN
MAHÇUPYAN
e.mahcupyan@todayszaman.com
Whch
senstvty?
A group of Kurds who came from the Kandil Mountains and the
Makhmour refugee camp about a month ago were considered a
meaningful step toward a solution and created many hopes. Both
government ofcials and the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) spokespeople expressed that the
move had consolidated demands for a peaceful solution.
However, the debates that began after the welcoming of
the group showed that the two sides had different sensitivi-
ties. On the face of it, the government side said the slogans
and symbols used during the welcoming ceremony legitimized
PKK violence and bothered the segment of the society that
emphasized the Turkish identity. As for Kurdish politicians,
they claimed the inability of the government to show tolerance
to a simple and natural welcoming had led to disappointment
among Kurds and incited the feeling that the government did
not really want to nd a solution. In other words, both sides
were highlighting the sensitivities of their constituents.
But as time passed, it became evident that the real sensitivity
was related to a different area. The sensitivity that would essentially
inhibit the problem and the Kurdish issue from being solved was
related to who would manage the process. In short, there is an im-
plicit power struggle between the government and the PKK -- or
put more concretely, between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan
and PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. Erdoan wants the issue to be
solved, but he wants to solve it by stretching it out over a long pe-
riod of time and keeping control in his hands without damaging his
long-term ruling power in the eyes of the Turkish nationalists.
In return, Öcalan is aware that the prolonged process has
ended his life, and he most likely estimates that the PKK will not
be able to sustain its current power and function for much longer.
Therefore, he is taking tactical steps that will invite conict for
the sake of accelerating the process, that will show that he is the
main decision maker and that will enable him to remain on the
agenda. For example, when the government announced that new
arrivals would be suspended after the rst group arrived in Tur-
key, Öcalan declared that additional arrivals had been completely
cancelled to show that the process was in his control.
When the power struggle became visible, the government put
a temporary hold on the “democratic initiative.” This decision
also implied a threat for the Kurds. It implied that if there was
resistance to the government’s control of the initiative process,
then progress would not be made. The government did not have
trouble taking this step because there is no denite pressure on it
from inside the country or from abroad. This situation also indi-
cated the freezing of Öcalan’s political activity, and it was inevita-
ble that Öcalan would attempt a counter move. After all, a prison
cell crisis erupted last week. According to the spokespersons of
Kurdish politics, Öcalan’s new prison cell was half the size of the
older one. The PKK leader told his lawyers that he was unable to
breathe fresh air and that he felt as if he were living at the bottom
of a pit. Acting on the belief that this situation disturbed Kurds,
the government called for the respect of “social sensitivity.” Ac-
cording to DTP co-chairwoman Emine Ayna, Öcalan’s inability
to breathe fresh air meant “suffocating the Kurdish problem.”
After the public was occupied for a few days, it became clear
that the real critical factor was not the difference between the old
and new prison cell. That is because Ayna said that “the problem
is not how big or small the room is. We want him to be addressed.
Öcalan will play a role in a solution.” In short, the real sensitivity
came out. In other words, Öcalan wanted to be part of the process,
to continue his leadership role in the process and to consolidate his
rule. In a message he gave by way of his lawyers, he highlighted
that no additional peace groups or anyone else from the Makhmour
camp would come because they also had “sensitivities.”
In this way, the essential content of the word “sensitivity” was
determined. The issue was not about obtaining peace and meeting
the identity-related demands of the Kurds. Of course, these issues
were important and were among the goals of the PKK’s struggle,
but the slightest implication of a change in ruling power in Kurdish
politics could justify a halt in nding a solution and create the threat
of returning to an atmosphere of conict. We are at a difcult point
today. The government does not have the intention of being more
courageous than necessary in the “democratic initiative.” As for
Öcalan, he seems to have no plans to allow any initiative that does
not consolidate his leadership. In this way, the opportunity at hand
is being wasted. The rhetoric of “social sensitivity” is turning into
a cover for sacricing the people for the ruling power’s sensitivity.
YAVUZ
BAYDAR
y.baydar@todayszaman.com
People’s Defense Forces (HPG), allegedly linked to the PKK,
took responsibility for the attack, Frat News Agency reported.
Emre Uslu, was right when he pointed out the “PKK option”
in his analysis published yesterday by this paper:
“The PKK has neither claimed responsibility nor denied its
involvement in the attack. This leads us to put the PKK at the
top of our list of suspects because, from time to time, we have
seen the PKK remain silent when its members have ambushed
military convoys or killed civilians. For instance, the PKK did not
immediately claim responsibility when its members detonated
a bomb in Diyarbakr killing ve civilians and wounding 70 in
January, 2008. Similarly, despite its self-declared ceasere, a few
No Comment
Perlous globalzaton
AL
BULAÇ
a.bulac@todayszaman.com
One of the biggest problems of the 21st century is
that the world has been divided into two main poles,
rich northerners and poor southerners, and the gap
between these two poles is growing. While poverty is
increasing on the one hand, the world population is
signicantly increasing on the other hand. According
to 2008 gures released by the UN, the population of
the world will reach 7 billion in 2013. This should be
considered the reason why the UN, which functions
under the supervision of certain countries, attaches
such importance to the population issue.
The situation presents a perilous picture. The
majority of close to half a billion people who faced
the threat of hunger in 1994 lived in countries in the
southern hemisphere. Another billion people were
living almost below the “poverty line.” Poverty is
visible in the hearts of afuent societies as well. The
number of poor and especially homeless people is in-
creasing each day in wealthy countries such as the
US and France. However, a more striking gure is
the inequality in the use of resources compared to the
world population. While those who live in an “afu-
ent society” comprise 17 percent of the world popu-
lation, these wealthy and privileged countries use 80
percent of the world’s resources.
The lion’s share belongs to America followed by coun-
tries such as Japan, France, Germany and England. In
these countries and in other wealthy countries, the popu-
lation growth is not “increasing” but instead declining.
Another aspect of the situation is that the popula-
tion is aging in wealthy countries. Despite incentives
that have been adopted, the decline in population
growth hasn’t stopped. Some European countries
must accept a certain number of immigrants each
year to protect current balances in the population;
however, increasing xenophobia and racist parties
make it very difcult to do so. In countries where the
population is regressing, not only are there problems
hours before Gen. lker Babu’s press conference in 2008, the
PKK ambushed a military convoy in Lice, killing nine soldiers
but they did not claim responsibility. A few months later, Murat
Karaylan acknowledged that it was members of the PKK who
had been behind the killings of civilians in Diyarbakr. Karaylan
also admitted that PKK militants were responsible for the Lice
attack and stated that it had not been a centrally organized at-
tack. This background on the PKK gives us an incentive to be-
lieve that the terrorist attack in Tokat could be the work of the
terrorist PKK organization, but not one centrally planned by the
top PKK leaders in northern Iraq.”
If proven true, and not as an act to surf on an action conduct-
ed by some other group, this declaration changes the perspec-
tives of suspicion, and will have some consequences in politics.
First of all, it proves that the PKK has now burned the bridges
with any hope of further negotiations, even distant and indirect,
with Ankara. It means that the process, led by the government,
will have to enter a new phase.
A relapse, possibly? It is apparent that the announcement is
INDIA, REUTERS
that are affecting the social security system, but there
is also the aging problem that has yet to be solved. In
the next 30 years, the population of wealthy people
is expected to comprise 10 percent of the population.
This means in 30 years from now, only one out of ev-
ery 10 people in the world will be afuent and will be
able to live a comfortable life. In a sense, it will be like
a tiny wealthy island in the middle of a sea of poverty.
Naturally this situation bothers wealthy coun-
tries. The wealthy may not have been so troubled
if it were possible to stop poverty at a certain point.
But, poverty has a side that leads to mass deaths and
emigrations. It has another important dimension that
causes major social unrest, regional wars and possi-
bly even mass emigration from the perspective of the
West. Not too long from now when ecological factors
are added to poverty, a much larger group of people
will emigrate. Similar emigration incidents happened
in history, and there are adequate reasons for there to
be others in the future.
Some may ask if this problem would be solved
if the afuent helped the poor. Certainly there is an
appropriate way to solve this problem; however, the
policies wealthy countries follow make the problem
worse instead of facilitating a solution.
If we can let go of our prejudices about the link be-
tween population and modernization and look at the
situation from a different perspective, we can see that
none of these are a solution. For example, the money
allocated for 216 Tomahawk missiles is enough to meet
Ethiopia’s nutritional requirements for six months; the
money spent on bombs released by B-5s are enough to
pay for the hospital expenses of 1,000 people in Ban-
gladesh; and the cost of pilot training for a Tornado
plane would be enough to save 25,000 Eritrean chil-
dren from hunger. Recalling what Tony Blair told the
English, who reacted to the occupation of Iraq, “The
afuence in Western societies is related to these kinds
of military interventions and occupations.”
The important thing is changing the basic out-
look. However, Westerners are not trying to change
their outlook nor do they want their interests to be
harmed. Robert McNamara, who was the World
Bank president until 1981, explained this the best
when he said, “No power can stop us Westerners.”
CMYK
TODAY’S ZAMAN 15
aimed at escalation with the security forces, provoking massive
military operation, but also is meant to increase the already exis-
tent polarity, opening wider the gap of rage between Turks and
Kurds.
It signals, too, there is now a path open for any rural or urban
formation, tightly or loosely connected to the PKK, to take the
issue at own hands and launch arbitrary attacks.
It is an open declaration of confrontation with security forces,
which will have to push the test of patience of the government
and the institutions that cooperate with it.
The primary goal of the government now should be to keep
calm, and not to fall into the trap of giving up an invaluable pro-
cess of reform. The Irish experience has shown, for instance, that
there will be dramatic acts and setbacks to kill such democratic
actions for reconciliation, and they take time. Patience, coupled
with resolve and keen intelligence gathering will have to be key
from now on. This is the lesson of the incident in Readiye, Tokat.
And a nal question: What will be the reaction of DTP, now
that the PKK says it is responsible?
NICOLE
POPE
n.pope@todayszaman.com
Poltcs of
confrontaton
There seems to be no grey area in Turkish politics. If you fol-
low developments through the mainstream media, you get
the impression of a country constantly lurching from hope
to crisis in an endless dizzying roller coaster ride.
Thankfully, Turkey is, in reality, more stable than its me-
dia image would suggest and the country’s painful transfor-
mation is proceeding, albeit in ts and starts.
Nonetheless, clouds are gathering again these days.
The democratic initiative launched by the government
to address the Kurdish issue has been overshadowed in
recent days by several unfortunate events. In quick suc-
cession and with impeccable timing, they have laid new
obstacles in the path of further progress.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the recent
attack in Tokat that killed seven soldiers. As President
Abdullah Gül pointed out, the timing and the location
of the ambush raise serious questions. Popular reaction
has, however, not waited for answers: the outpouring of
anger has largely been directed at the Kurdistan Work-
ers’ Party (PKK) and at the Kurds.
The closure case against the Democratic Society Party
(DTP) was launched more than two years ago, yet the rap-
porteur of the Constitutional Court submitted his recom-
mendations to have the party banned at a time when pros-
pects for peace should render the trial meaningless.
Pouring further oil on the fire, members of the DTP
themselves have opted for a short-sighted approach
which gives priority to the fate of PKK leader Abdul-
lah Öcalan over that of the party’s own constituents
and of the country as a whole.
The attitude adopted by the DTP is undoubtedly disap-
pointing. But while it is playing its cards badly at a crucial
juncture, we mustn’t forget that generations of Turkish
politicians have been equally myopic.
For decades, Kurds have been waiting for the Turkish
state to hear their grievances and adopt more exible poli-
cies. It was perhaps wishful thinking to expect their poli-
ticians to rise to the occasion and move in sync with the
government’s sudden change of attitude. The DTP is, after
all, also a product of the Turkish political system, which re-
lies more on confrontation than on dialogue and consensus.
The angry demonstrations that have taken place across
the country in the recent past carry a serious risk of esca-
lation. Already, two young people have died as a result of
violent protests. The outpouring of emotion that followed
the deaths of the young privates has also shown once again
how entrenched the “us” and “them” mentality remains.
While the media has a responsibility to cover events,
it also needs to exercise restraint. The images of Anatolian
mothers -- they never seem to come from Etiler or Niantai
-- mourning their sons are very moving and their grief all
too real. Sadly, they only seem to exist in the public eye as
grieving mothers. For a few days, their overwhelming sor-
row makes headlines and shapes the political agenda. Then
they retreat into obscurity to face their losses alone.
In between funerals, the harshness of their daily lives,
often blighted by poverty, never seems newsworthy. Nor
is the pain experienced on the Kurdish side, the displace-
ment of villagers, the ill-treatment and the deaths Kurd-
ish parents have also suffered, ever properly acknowl-
edged. Selective empathy only serves to undermine what
should be a common goal: reaching peace.
Many commentators and politicians, including some
DTP parliamentarians, have already rushed to declare the
democratic initiative dead and buried. Experience else-
where, in Northern Ireland for instance, has shown that no
peace process is ever straightforward. Years of one-sided
perceptions cannot be reversed overnight. Setbacks and
provocations are, sadly, often to be expected.
Success depends on strong nerves, common sense and
political will. So far, the Justice and Development Party (AK
Party) remains determined to push on in spite of the vola-
tile atmosphere. The politics of confrontation and the mili-
tary operations of the past 25 years have not put an end to
the problem. The government knows that the best way to
honor the young people who have lost their lives recently is
to ensure that others don’t suffer the same fate.
 16 TODAY’S ZAMAN F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9
LEISURE

Gregorian Calendar: 11 December 2009 C.E. Hijri Calendar: 24 Dhul-Hijjah 1430 A.H. Hebrew Calendar: 24 Kislev 5770 tv gude
calendar@todayszaman.com
E2
08:00 Merlin
Today is International Mountain Day. The UN Gen- then called, gained full independence two years later. The leftists he was a racist, to the religious a shaman, to the na- 09:35 The New Adventures Of Old
Christine
eral Assembly declared Dec. 11 International Moun- name of the country was changed to Burkina Faso in 1984. tionalists an idol. Whatever the case may be, Atsz’s fame and
move gude tain Day as a result of the successful observance of the UN On this day in 1962, the General Secretariat of the Na- importance for the Turkish nationalists grew posthumously.
10:00 The Martha Stewart Show
11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
12:00 Umutsuz Evkadnlar
International Year of Mountains in 2002, which increased tional Security Council (MGK) was established. The MGK On this day in 1987, stage and screen actress Adile 14:00 The Martha Stewart Show
global awareness of the importance of mountains, stimu- is Turkey’s highest state organ that deals with domestic and Nait (b. 1930) passed away. Nait was a leading figure 15:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
16:00 Merlin
lated the establishment of national committees in 78 coun- international security issues. The council is formed by the with countless roles in Turkish comic cinema. She was 18:00 The Martha Stewart Show
tries and strengthened alliances through promoting the prime minister, ministers of internal affairs, foreign relations, also something of a mother-teacher figure to children of 19:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
creation of the Mountain Partnership. national security and justice and the chief of the General Staff the 1980s, as she was the presenter of “Uykudan Önce” 20:00 Family Guy
21:00 Heroes
Today is the national day of Burkina Faso. On this day and the commanders of the ground, air and naval forces. (Before Sleep), the sole children’s program on the sole TV 22:15 Later With Jools Holland
in 1958, Burkina Faso achieved self-government and be- Today is the anniversary of the death of Nihal Atsz (1905- channel, TRT. Nait’s name and voice penetrated the in- 23:20 The Tonight Show With
Conan O'Brien
came a republic and member of the Franco-African Com- 1975), writer, politician and theoretician of modern Turkish ner consciousnesses of a generation through the fables 00:15 Later With Jools Holland
munity. The Republic of Upper Volta, as the country was secularist nationalism. Atsz was a controversial figure; to the and legends she recounted in the program. 01:20 The Jay Leno Show
02:05 The Tonight Show With
“Abimm” Conan O'Brien
02:50 Heroes
03:35 Family Guy
THE DUST OF TIME 04:20 Later With Jools Holland
STANBUL: Beyolu Beyolu 11:30 14:00
16:30 19:00 21:30 Altunizade Capitol CNBC-E
Spectrum 11:40 14:15 16:50 19:30 22:10 17:55 The Simpsons
18:50 The Jay Leno Show
DON’T LOOK BACK
STANBUL: Esentepe Cinebonus Astoria
11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 00:00 stinye
AFM Park 11:00 13:30 16:15 19:00 21:40
Levent Cinebonus Kanyon 12:00 14:30
17:00 19:30 22:00 00:30 ili Megaplex
Mandela gets cnematc treatment 20:00 Merlin
21:00 One Tree Hill
22:00 Brick
00:15 The Jay Leno Show
01:15 Merlin
02:00 One Tree Hill
Cevahir 11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30
Caddebostan AFM 10:45 13:15 15:45
18:15 21:00 23:30 Kozyata Cinebonus
Palladium 11:15 13:45 16:15 18:45 21:15
23:45 aknbakkal Megaplex M&S
n Morgan Freeman flm ‘Invctus’ 03:00 Brick
05:00 One Tree Hill

GOLDMAX
09:15 The Flight Of The Phoenix

REUTERS, FRED PROUSER

11:45 14:15 16:30 18:45 21:30
ADINI SEN KOY
STANBUL: Bakrköy Cinebonus Capacity
12:00 14:15 16:30 19:00 21:30 23:45
Beyolu AFM Fita 11:50 14:10 16:30
19:10 21:30 23:55 Caddebostan AFM
10:40 13:00 15:20 18:00 21:00 23:30
ANKARA: Ata On Tower 11:30 13:30
15:45 18:00 20:00 22:00 00:00 Cinebonus
Arcadium 11:00 13:00 15:10 17:20 19:30
Nelson Mandela received the touch backstage with him before a speech. Most (1965)
of “God” -- Hollywood-style -- when importantly, he would hold Mandela’s 11:40 Silent Movie
13:10 I Love You, I Love You Not
Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman hand. “I find that if I hold your hand, I get 14:50 Sleepy Hollow
prepared to play him in the new movie “Invic- your energy, it transfers, and I have a sense 16:40 About Last Night...
18:35 Lions For Lambs
tus.” Freeman said he was asked by the 91-year- of how you feel,” he said. “That’s important 20:15 Airplane II: The Sequel
old former South African president to portray to me trying to become another person.” 21:45 October Sky
23:30 The Wisdom Of Crocodiles
him in the Clint Eastwood-directed film that de- Damon portrays Francois Pienaar, the
01:10 Valley Of The Dolls
buts on Friday and also stars Matt Damon. captain of the nation’s mostly-white Spring- 03:15 Beyond The Valley Of The

21:45 00:10 Cinebonus Panora 11:00
13:00 15:15 17:30 19:45 22:00 ZMR:
AFM Forum Bornova 11:20 13:50 16:15
18:40 21:20 23:45 AFM Passtel 11:00
13:30 15:45 18:15 20:45 23:00 ANTALYA:
Cinebonus Migros 12:30 14:45 17:00
19:15 21:30 00:00
ABMM
STANBUL: Beyolu AFM Fita 11:00
13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 23:45 ili
Megaplex Cevahir 11:00 12:15 14:30 16:50
19:15 21:45 Caddebostan AFM 10:30
13:15 15:45 18:15 21:10 23:45 ANKARA:
Bilkent Cinebonus 11:45 14:15 16:45
19:15 21:45 00:15 Cinebonus Panora
11:30 14:00 16:30 19:00 21:30 ZMR: AFM
Forum Bornova 11:10 13:40 16:20 19:00
21:30 00:00 AFM Passtel 10:45 13:15
16:00 18:30 21:30 ANTALYA: AFM Laura
11:30 13:45 16:30 19:00 21:30 23:45
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON
STANBUL: Beyolu AFM Fita 10:40
13:30 16:40 18:10 19:40 21:10 22:40 00:10
Caddebostan AFM 11:00 13:30 16:00
18:30 21:15 00:00 Kadköy Cinema Moda
11:30 13:30 16:00 18:30 21:00 ANKARA:
Cinebonus Panora 11:00 12:15 13:35
14:45 16:20 17:30 19:10 20:30 22:00
ZMR: Cinebonus Konak Pier 11:00
13:30 16:00 18:45 21:30 00:15 ANTALYA:
Cinebonus Migros 11:00 13:30 15:00
16:15 19:00 20:30 21:45 00:15
“I said to him, ‘If I’m going to play you, I’m
going to have to have access to you. I’m going
to have to be close enough to hold your hand’,”
Freeman told reporters recently.
The Academy Award winner for his role
in Eastwood’s boxing drama “Million Dollar
Baby” has portrayed many characters over the
years, a slave-turned abolitionist leader, a fic-
tional US president and even “God” in “Evan
Almighty,” but rarely one who is alive and im-
portant to so many people as Mandela.
The elder statesman of African politics was
jailed for 27 years due to his militant work to
end apartheid in South Africa before being
released in 1990 and going on to become the
president of his country four years later. In
1993, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
“Invictus” tells of how Mandela brought
the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship
to his nation, utilizing the South African
team around which to rally his countrymen
and ease racial tensions between black and
white citizens. The word invictus is latin for
“unconquered” or “unconquerable” and is
Actor Morgan Freeman poses at the Los Angeles premiere of director Clint Eastwood’s newest film “In-
victus” in Beverly Hills. Freeman portrays former South African President Nelson Mandela in the film.
the title of a poem by Englishman William
Ernest Henley, published in 1875.
Holding hands with Mandela
Freeman, wearing his hat as a producer,
worked for years to bring the tale to the big
screen. “I didn’t have any agenda as it were
PHOTO
Dolls
boks rugby team that was once reviled by the
05:35 Airplane II: The Sequel
black majority. Mandela taps Pienaar in his
efforts to unit the races. The actor said he had MOVIEMAX
08:55 Scary Godmother: The
six months to muscle up for the role in the Revenge of Jimmy
rugged world of rugby, and people familiar 09:50 Closing the Deal
11:25 The Prince and Me 3: A
with the hefty athlete may have to suspend Royal Honeymoon
their disbelief when watching “Invictus.” 13:05 Hancock
14:45 Still Waiting...
Indeed, Damon got a big surprise when he 16:30 Dante 01
first met Pienaar at the player’s home. “I just re- 18:10 Attack Force
20:00 The Chronicles of Narnia:
member I rang the doorbell and he opened the Prince Caspian
door and I looked up at him, and the first thing 22:35 The Jane Austen Book Club
00:35 100 Feet
I ever said to Francois Pienaar in my life was, ‘I
02:15 Timber Falls
look much bigger on film’,” Damon said. 03:55 Urban Justice
Despite the obvious differences in stat- 05:30 Paprika
ure and size of the actors compared to their MGM MOVIES
real-life counterparts, under Eastwood’s 08:20 Marty
09:50 Fort Defiance
direction “Invictus” is winning strong re- 11:15 Dead Man's Gun Season
in playing the role other than to bring it as views and Oscar buzz. Todd McCarthy, 2/7: The Collector
12:05 Dead Man's Gun Season
close to reality as I possibly could,” Freeman film critic for showbusiness newspaper 2/8: The Trapper
said. “The biggest challenge I had, of course, Daily Variety, sums up his review by call- 12:55 O.C. And Stiggs
was to sound like him.” ing the movie “a very good story very well
14:50 A Family Thing
16:45 Alexander The Great
The actor said that if he and the world told,” and on film review Web site rotten- 19:10 Young Billy Young
20:45 Inside Out
leader were in the same area, he would try tomatoes.com, “Invictus” scores a 76 per- 22:15 The Return Of A Man
to meet with Mandela, share a meal, or sit cent positive rating. Los Angeles Reuters Called Horse
00:25 Irma La Douce
02:50 Young Billy Young
04:25 How to Murder Your Wife

COMEDYMAX
Crossword Mr. DploMAT! Cem Kzltu
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 CONTINUATION
Readiye attack by PKK sub-group, Frat claims
The Frat news agency has announced that an
attack in the Readiye district of central To-
kat on Monday that left seven soldiers dead was
carried out by a unit of the People’s Defense For-
ces (HPG), the armed wing of the Kurdistan Wor-
kers’ Party (PKK), but without an order by the for-
ces or the PKK.
The agency reported that the assault was not
the result of a directive from the HPG command.
“When the case is [jailed PKK leader Abdullah]
Öcalan, each unit has the right to carry out acts on
their own initiative,” the terrorist group reportedly
announced. The HPG also said the assault was re-
taliation against Turkish security forces due to recent
military operations against the terrorist organization.
“Operations aimed at rooting out our forces by
the [Republic of Turkey] and its military have incre-
Turkey still struggles with
human rights violations
contnued from page 1
The group noted that a large num-
ber of these incidents occurred in the
Kurdish-dominated areas of the East and Sout-
heast. MAZLUM-DER also noted the number
was 376 in 2007.
MAZLUM-DER also said that a large num-
ber of allegations of torture were reported, des-
pite the government’s “zero tolerance” policy.
The report blamed a change to the law regula-
ting the powers of the police force for the inc-
rease in the number, saying, “The increase in
the number of violations of the right to life that
are occurring in direct correlation with the en-
hancement of police powers is bringing about
the concern that we might be going back to the
Turkey of the 1990s.”
Traditions and ‘honor’ killings
MAZLUM-DER’s report also recalled the death
of Engin Çeber, a torture victim who died after
being beaten by the police in 2008. The report
said if the law regulating police authority had
not been change, this death could have been
avoided. The group also said the police used
disproportionate force against May 1 demons-
trators in Taksim, also relating this to the chan-
ges made to the law. MAZLUM-DER also ac-
cused the government of being lax about moni-
toring the police bureaucracy, which it said en-
courages right to life violations by the police.
The report also stated that 25 people were
killed in “honor” killings or blood feuds in
the Southeast, despite efforts to prevent these
by the media, the government and civil soci-
ety organizations. It said such violations of the
right to life have actually decreased in com-
parison with 2007, when 53 people were kil-
led in violence arising from tradition. Another
improvement, the report said, that no attacks
on villages or setting villages are occurred in
2008. However, it said there has been an inc-
rease in violations of the right to life in prisons,
due to overcrowding and some problems with
the legislation. It said 10 people died, while
101 incidents that risked inmates’ lives occur-
red in 2008, compared to ve deaths and 80
incidents in 2007. The HD reports that the-
re were 29 murders whose assailants weren’t
identied in 2008, compared to 42 in the pre-
vious year. The HD’s report for 2008 also inc-
ludes data on violations of freedom of expres-
sion, thought, religion and the freedom of as-
sembly. In 2008, a total of 11 civil society orga-
nizations were shut down, compared to 13 in
the previous year. However, the numbers the
HD provides for these types of closures was
169 in 1999 and 130 in 2000. That number has
been consistently falling over the past nine years.
Taraf: Yalçnkaya prepares another closure file for AK Party
The chief prosecutor of the Supreme Co-
urt of Appeals, Abdurrahman Yalçnkaya,
who applied to the Constitutional Court in 2008
demanding that the ruling Justice and Develop-
ment Party (AK Party) be disbanded, has reques-
ted from the Sincan 1st High Criminal Court the
wiretapping reports of the Telecommunications
Directorate (TB), the Taraf daily reported yester-
day. In a recent statement, Yalçnkaya said if the
wiretappings are in violation of the Constitution
and the rule of law, action can be taken, hinting
that wiretapping allegedly done by the AK Party
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009
ased since April, though we have remained inactive
since then. So have the pressure on the Kurdish na-
tion and attacks on the living conditions of our lea-
der Apo [an acronym for Öcalan], who is a raison
d’état for us, increased. ... Our forces have approac-
hed all kinds of attacks by the state during the period
of our inactivity with great common sense and sen-
sitivity. However, this should be very well known:
that HPG guerillas, who are the legitimate defense
power of the Kurdish nation, are very sensitive abo-
ut our leader. If the case concerns our leader, then all
of our units have the right to use their own initiati-
ve,” read a statement posted on the Frat Web site.
No terrorist organization or group had claimed
responsibility for the assault until yesterday, spar-
king questions as to the motive and powers behind
it. While some analysts claimed that it was perpetra-
Demonstrators protest the death of Engin Çeber, who was beaten to death in Metris Prison after being taken into custody during a demons-
tration last year. The trial, in which eight prison guards are facing jail sentences, has yet to be concluded.
Violations of freedom of speech
According to the HD’s report, 450 people were
charged under anti-freedom of speech articles
in the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), such as Artic-
le 301, which criminalizes an ambiguous type of
behavior referred to as “insulting Turkishness.”
In 2008, 215 other cases continued with 1,722
people standing trial as suspects in thought
crimes. A total of 177 such trials were conclu-
ded, with 124 acquittals and 380 individuals be-
ing given a total of 432 years in jail and ned
321,847 lira.
The total number of years defendants in
thought crime cases were sentenced to was 556,
according to MAZLUM-DER’s report in 2008.
The group accused judges in most of those ca-
ses of ignoring or not being knowledgeable in
international law.
The section on human rights in the Euro-
pean Union’s 2008 Turkey progress report ma-
intains that in addition to Article 301, “Other
legal provisions that restrict freedom of exp-
ression remain a cause of concern.” The report
noted: “For example, Articles 215, 216 and 217
of the Turkish Criminal Code, which criminali-
could be a reason for another closure case being
brought against the party.
“The actions of the political parties cannot vio-
late Article 68 of the Constitution, which says poli-
tical parties’ actions and programs must be consis-
tent with the principles of the rule of law. If this ar-
ticle is violated, it is our responsibility to take acti-
on as suggested in Article 98 of the law regulating
the closure of political parties. If the wiretappings
are carried out in a way that contradicts the rule of
law, the case is related to this article [Article 68 of
the Constitution]. This must be done according to
ted by the PKK to hamper the efforts of the govern-
ment to nd a solution to the Kurdish question and
gain momentum for the closure of the Democratic
Society Party (DTP), others said it was carried out by
the far-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/
Front (DHKP/C) or the Turkish Workers’ and Pea-
sants’ Liberation Army (TKKO).
Turkey is not a stranger to terrorist attacks when
serious steps are taken toward the solution of the
country’s chronic problems. It has witnessed simi-
lar assaults almost any time it starts to discuss peace-
ful methods to settle the Kurdish question. In 2007,
for example, 12 Turkish soldiers were killed in a PKK
raid on the Dalca border post. The killings came
during a period when Turkey was discussing whet-
her to carry out cross-border operations in northern
Iraq to root out PKK terrorists there. Documents re-
ze offences against public order, and the Anti-
Terror Law have been applied to prosecute
and convict those expressing non-violent opi-
nions on Kurdish issues. Turkish judges and
prosecutors apply a wide interpretation of the
provision on ‘incitement to violence’ or ‘pub-
lic interest,’ in particular as concerns Kurdish-
related issues. … Press articles on ongoing ju-
dicial proceedings have led to prosecutions
and convictions under Article 288 [attempt to
inuence a fair trial] of the Turkish Criminal
Code or under the Press Law. Similarly, public
statements on the right to conscientious objec-
tion are prosecuted under Article 318 [discou-
raging the people from military service] of the
Turkish Criminal Code.”
Politicians on human rights day
President Abdullah Gül on Wednesday, one
day before Human Rights Day, received mem-
bers of Parliament’s Human Rights Commissi-
on. In his message to mark the day, he said it
hurt one’s pride when one’s country is associa-
ted with human rights violations.
He said it was important for every individu-
the Constitution,” said Yalçnkaya in an interview
with Milliyet’s Fikret Bila on Nov. 14.
A judge and three court experts on Dec. 1
examined the wiretapping records carried out
by TB. The examination came in the wake of
a recent decision by the Sincan 1st High Cri-
minal Court Chief Judge Osman Kaçmaz, who
ordered that the wiretapping records at TB be
examined by judges. Yalçnkaya also demanded
the compliant le of former Judges and Prose-
cutors Association (YARSAV) President Ömer
Faruk Eminaaolu from the court.
CMYK
vealed after the raid suggested that groups hoped to
spark clashes between Turks and Kurds.
The Readiye assault is strongly reminiscent
of the attack in eastern Bingöl province in 1993,
when 33 soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack.
The soldiers were unarmed, and were summarily
executed on the Bingöl-Elaz highway as they
were traveling to join their military units. No ter-
rorist organization immediately claimed respon-
sibility for the assault, but Öcalan later claimed
that the Bingöl tragedy was the work of a former
PKK leader who had received orders from Erge-
nekon, a clandestine criminal network suspected
of plotting to overthrow the government.
In the meantime, those responsible a hand gre-
nade attack in the Beiri district of Batman have not
yet been captured. stanbul Today’s Zaman
CHAN, ERDEM KAPLAN
PHOTO
al to live in safety in a country. He said Turkey
should increase controls and if necessary revi-
se legislation for the full prevention of human
rights violations and torture.
State Minister and chief EU negotiator Ege-
men Ba also released a message yesterday,
saying Turkey was a freer, more democratic co-
untry today than in 1999 when Turkey became
an ofcial EU candidate country. He said Tur-
key had undertaken deep-rooted reforms as
part of the EU process which helped improve
the country’s human rights record.
He said thanks to changes in different
laws, controls against torture had increased
and freedom of expression and the press, cul-
tural rights and the right to organize demons-
trations have been extended and gender equ-
ality has been improved. Culture and Tourism
Minister Erturul Günay, in his message to
mark the day, said everyone had a responsi-
bility to fulll in improving the state of human
rights. He said Turkey was one of the rst co-
untries to ratify the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and has centuries of history of
tolerance between different cultures.
The directorate’s wiretapping records were
also examined in November, sparking a heated
debate after the same court, at the order of Kaç-
maz, decided to examine records of lawful wi-
retaps conducted by TB. The judge exami-
ned each record to ascertain whether TB had
monitored the phone conversations of former
YARSAV President Eminaaolu. The decision
came shortly after Eminaaolu petitioned the
Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Ofce, demanding
to nd out whether his and YARSAV’s phone
lines were being monitored. stanbul Today’s Zaman
TODAY’S ZAMAN 17
All opponents of
reform package aligned
on same point
contnued from page 1
Demonstrations in the west are supported by the
MHP and the CHP. Funerals for slain soldiers are occasi-
ons of psychological abuse. Those responsible for the po-
int Turkey has reached are those who seek nancial gains
from acts of terror. The CHP, MHP and DTP are seeking
ways to make such gains,” he stated.
Criticism of the CHP and the MHP reached its peak
this week after the deaths of seven Turkish soldiers in a
terrorist attack on Monday in the province of Tokat. The
Frat news agency announced yesterday that the PKK had
claimed responsibility for the assault. The leaders of the
CHP and the MHP, Deniz Baykal and Devlet Bahçeli, res-
pectively, called on the AK Party government to give up
the initiative process immediately.
According to Mahmut Övür, a columnist for the Sabah
daily, the reactions of all three parties to the Kurdish initi-
ative is thought provoking. “Did you see the expression on
Ayna’s face when she announced that the initiative for the
DTP was ‘over’? She uttered those remarks with joy on her
face. Baykal’s expression was no different when he said that
continuing to work on the initiative process as if nothing had
happened was high treason,” Övür said. The Sabah columnist
underlined that the joint expectation of the CHP, MHP and
DTP was an end to the democratization process and the con-
tinuation of the existing order in Turkey.
In the meantime, President Abdullah Gül called on the
public to use common sense in the wake of recent incidents
around the country, which most observers termed “provocati-
on.” “Today is a day for unity and solidarity. Everyone should
be watchful. We should speak and act consciously. We should
express our national unity in the best manner. There may be
different ideas or thoughts. It is important to consider how to
put them forward peacefully,” he said on Thursday as he was
about to board his plane for Albania.
Ercan Tatldil, a sociologist, indicated that there have been
attempts to drag Turkey into an atmosphere of clashes and
chaos, and pointed to recent street demonstrations across
Turkey and the soldiers’ deaths in Tokat as evidence.
“These are attempts to axe the democratization process.
Terror tries to reign supreme in a country through violence
and show of power. Some are trying to create an atmosphe-
re of fear in the country. But we can turn these attempts into
hope through patience and common sense,” Tatldil added.
Srr Sakk, a DTP deputy from Mu, also accused the MHP
and the CHP of creating heightened tension in Turkey. Accor-
ding to the deputy, the two parties wish to continue the bloods-
hed in the country. “All political party leaders are responsible
for the point Turkey has reached, but Baykal and Bahçeli are the
most responsible. Since we entered Parliament, they have dec-
lined to discuss problems with us. It is not right to use the DTP
as a scapegoat,” he added. stanbul Today’s Zaman
Council of State rejects
YÖK’s coefficient appeal
The Council of State Administrative Trials Board
has rejected a petition by the Higher Education Bo-
ard (YÖK) to appeal a recent decision by the Council of
State against the abolishment of the coefcient system for
Turkey’s university admission exam.
In July, YÖK’s General Council decided to abolish the
coefcient system, a move welcomed at the time by many
who interpreted it as a groundbreaking step to end long-
standing discrimination imposed on vocational school gra-
duates, including those from religious imam-hatip high
schools. The 8th Chamber of the Council of State, howe-
ver, ruled late November to retain the system after the s-
tanbul Bar Association asked it to ensure the continuation
of the system in which a lower coefcient is used to calcu-
late the scores of graduates of vocational high schools on
Turkey’s university admission exam, the Student Selection
Examination (ÖSS).
YÖK appealed the court’s ruling last week. Discussing
the appeal on Thursday, the Council of State Administra-
tive Trials Board rejected the appeal. Commenting on the
issue, YÖK President Yusuf Ziya Özcan said: “We were ex-
pecting that the court would accept our appeal, but it was
rejected. We will make a new decision on Dec. 17 and will
announce it to the public.” stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
9 PKK dead in heavy blow
against terrorist group
Military operations against the separatist Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) have left nine terrorist operatives
dead, with another four people deserting the group.
According to the Anatolia news agency, operations by the
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the Iranian military in Mar-
din, Hakkari and along the Turkey-Iraq-Iran border against
the PKK have led to serious losses for the terrorist organiza-
tion. The bodies of nine PKK operatives have been retrieved,
among them Ömer Müslüm (40, known as “Rüstem”) and
Reat Çiçek (23, known as “Cudi”). Among the nine killed are
PKK terrorists of Syrian and Iranian origin. Due to the opera-
tions, terrorists were reportedly sending panicked messages
back and forth on their communication networks.
The other terrorists killed have been identied as Ya-
kup Dellayimilan (25, codenamed “Harun”), Metin Gülaç
(26), Erdal Öz (27, codenamed Andok), Halis Burak (29,
codenamed Siyabend), Hac Ahmet (31, codenamed De-
rik), Celalettin Yücel (37, codenamed Zerik) and Osman
Muhammed (41, codenamed ervan). The four deserters
were taken into custody by Turkish security forces and
bring the total number of PKK members who surrendered
to Turkey this year up to 323. stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
T18-11-12-09.qxd 10.12.2009 14:10 Page 1

18 TODAY’S ZAMAN F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 9 TODAY’S LEARNING

10th & 11th GRADERS

REUTERS

Dear readers,
PHOTO

In this week's English Corner we want to give

you some tips for writing introductions for essays.
These tips will help you be more original and also
help you give a more striking beginning to your
essays.
We expect to see lots of entries to this week's es-
say topic and hope you will use the tips given below
to help you do the introduction.
Editor

WEEKLY WRITING CONTEST

This week's essay topic:
Why are teenagers obsessed with materialism?
Discuss how young people are concerned about hav-
ing famous brand shoes, clothes, bags, telephones,
etc., and what is making them so obsessive.

Requirements of essays

THE HISTORY OF U2
Maximum number of words: 250
Essay format and use of formal written English is
necessary
Must be submitted by Friday of each week's English
Corner
Must have student's full name, school and city

Remember to send your essays to ahmetulu-

soy2009@yahoo.com

AP
U2 is a rock band from Dublin, ing itself with the 1991 album "Achtung
Ireland. The band consists of Bono Baby" and the accompanying Zoo TV

PHOTO

(vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar,
keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton
(bass guitar) and Larry Mullen, Jr.
(drums and percussion).
The band formed in 1976 when the
members were teenagers with limited
musical proficiency. By the mid-1980s,
TODAY’S ZAMAN
Tour. Similar experimentation continued
for the rest of the 1990s. Since 2000, U2
has pursued a more traditional sound
that retains the influence of its previous
musical explorations.
U2 has sold more than 140 million
albums worldwide and won 22 Grammy

however, the band had become a top in-
ternational act, noted for their anthemic
sound, Bono's impassioned vocals and
The Edge's textural guitar playing. Their
success as a live act was greater than
their success at selling records until their
1987 album "The Joshua Tree," which
increased the band's stature "from he-
roes to superstars," according to Rolling
Stone. U2 responded to the dance and
alternative rock revolutions, and its own
sense of musical stagnation by reinvent-
WRITING STRATEGIES
How to write a great essay introduction
The introduction should be designed to attract the reader's atten-
awards, more than any other band. In
2005, the band was inducted into the
READ THE TEXT AND WRITE TRUE OR FALSE FOR EACH QUESTION.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its first
year of eligibility. Rolling Stone maga-
zine listed U2 at #22 in its list of the 100
greatest artists of all time. Throughout
their career, as a band and as individuals,
they have campaigned for human rights
and social justice causes, including
Amnesty International, the ONE
Campaign, and Bono's DATA (Debt,
AIDS, Trade in Africa) campaign.
WRITING STRATEGIES
PHOTO
1. U2 members were experienced when they formed the band. ____
2. They became popular as their music addressed whole
groups with unforgettable sound. ____
3. Their success in live music didn't result in selling records until a certain time. ____
4. They followed their typical music form despite the revolutions of other musicians. THE IMPORTANCE
5. The Zoo TV Tour contributed to the reintroduction of U2's music. ____
6. U2 couldn't win as many Grammy awards as some other bands. ____
OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE
7. They were rejected for the introduction into the Rock and Roll
The great German poet Goethe once said: "He who knows no
Hall of Fame in 2005. ____
foreign language does not know his own one.” Learning foreign
8. As a group, they participated in some humanitarian organizations. ____
languages is very important nowadays. Some people learn for-
eign languages because they need them in their work, others
travel abroad; and for others, studying languages is a hobby.
Every year thousands of people from Russia go to various
countries as tourists or to work. They cannot go without knowing
the language of the country they are going to. A modern engi-
neer or even a worker cannot work with an imported instrument
or a machine if he is not able to read the instructions on how to
do it. Ordinary people need language to translate the instruc-
tions or the manual to the washing machine or a vacuum clean-
er, medicine or even food products.
TODAY’S ZAMAN

tion and give him or her an idea of your essay's focus.
1. Begin with an attention grabber.
The attention grabber you use is up to you, but here are some
ideas:
a. Startling information
This information must be true and easy to prove, and it does-
Child workers, some as young as 10, have been Some people are as a rule polyglots. Historians and diplo-
found working in a textile 1) __________ in condi- mats need some languages for their work. If you want to be a
tions described as close to slavery to produce classified specialist, you must learn English, the language of in-
clothes that appear destined for one of the major ternational communication. English is one of the world lan-
high street retailers. guages. It is the language of progressive science and technolo-
Speaking to a British newspaper, the children de- gy, trade and cultural relations, commerce and business. It is
scribed long hours of 2) __________ work and the universal language of international aviation, shipping and
PHOTO

n't need to be totally new to your readers. It could simply be a threats and beatings. The company said it was un- sports. It is also the major language of diplomacy. Hundreds
pertinent fact that illustrates the point you wish to make. aware that clothing intended for its stores had and hundreds of books, magazines and newspapers are pub-
If you use a piece of startling information, follow it with a been improperly 3) __________ to a sweatshop lished in English; most of the world's mail and telephone calls
sentence or two to explain your point. that used child labor. It further announced it had According 6) __________ one 7) __________, over are in English. Half of the world's scientific literature is written in
withdrawn the garments involved until it had inves- 20 percent of India's economy is 8) __________ on English. English is spoken by more than 700 million people.
b. Anecdote tigated the alleged 4) __________ of the ethical children, which comes to a total of 55 million Geographically, it is the most widespread language on earth,
An anecdote is a story that illustrates a point. code it imposed on manufacturers three years youngsters under 14 working. 9) __________ in the second after Chinese. It is the most widely spoken language in
Be sure your anecdote is short, to the point and relevant to ago. The discovery of these children working in ap- West should not only be demanding answers from the UK, the US, Australia and New Zealand. It is one of the offi-
your topic. This can be a very effective opener for your es- palling conditions in the Shahpur Jat area of Delhi retailers about how their 10) __________ are pro- cial languages in Canada and South Africa. Millions of people
say, but use it carefully. has renewed concerns about the outsourcing by duced but also should be looking into their con- study and use English as a foreign language. In our country,
some large retail chains of their 5) __________ pro- sciences at how they spend their money and English is very popular. It is studied at schools, colleges and uni-
c. Summary information duction to India, recognized by the United Nations whether cheap prices in the West are worth the versities. Learning English is not an easy thing. It is a long
A few sentences explaining your topic in general terms can help the as one of the world's hotspots for child labor. suffering caused to so many children. process and takes a lot of time and patience. But to know
reader understand your thesis, which is a sentence explaining your English today is absolutely necessary for every educated person.
point of view regarding the essay. Each sentence should become I want to know English because it's interesting for me to know
gradually more specific, until you reach your thesis. Read through the text and answer the questions that follow. foreign countries, their cultures and traditions. English will be of
great use in my future profession connected with computers.
2. If the attention grabber is only a sentence or two, add 1. - 4. - 7. - 10.-
one or two more sentences that will lead the reader from a. facility a. breaches a. estimate a. stuff 1. Goethe has a reputation as a great columnist ____
your opening to your thesis statement. b. factory b. errors b. estimating b. ware 2. Knowing the English language is crucial at this time ____
c. office c. mistakes c. estimates c. goods 3. Russians do not go abroad only to work ____
3. Your thesis statement should be the last sentence in d. bureau d. wrongdoings d. estimated d. garment 4. Learning a language is not important to read the instruction
the introduction. 2. - 5. - 8. - of an imported machine ____
a. inpaid a. garment a. depends 5. English is not important in diplomacy ____
Below is an example of an introduction to an essay. b. unpaid b. raiment b. dependent 6. Half of the world's scientific literature
The sentence in bold is the thesis statement. c. without pay c. garments c. dependant is not written in English ____
"A dog is man's best friend." That common saying may contain d. without payment d. raiments d. dependence 7. One of the official languages in Canada
some truth, but dogs are not the only animal friend whose com- 3. - 6. - 9. - is not English _____
panionship people enjoy. For many people, a cat is their best a. outsource a. by a. Consume 8. English is spoken by over 300 million people ____
friend. Despite what dog lovers may believe, cats make excel- b. outsourcing b. to b. Consumption 9. Chinese is not the most widespread
lent house pets as they are good companions, they are civi- c. outsources c. of c. Consumer language on earth ____
lized members of the household, and they are easy to care for. d. outsourced d. from d. Consumers 10. It is not arduous to learn English ___

Last week’s answers: 1-F, 2-T, 3-T, 4-F, 5-T, 6-F, 7-T, 8-F, 9-T, 10-F / 1-d, 2-h, 3-e, 4-f, 5-a, 6-g, y-c, 8-b / 1-b, 2-b, 3-a, 4-c, 5-a, 6-c, 7-b, 8-c, 9-b, 10-c / 1) for 2) from 3) matter 4) every 5) firefighters 6) responding 7) that 8) regardless 9) variety 10) effect

CM Y K
 SPORTS Auckland stuns Al Ahli in cup opener
A second-half strike by Chad Coombes helped amateurs Auckland City
to a surprise 2-0 victory over hosts Al Ahli in the first match of the Club
World Cup. The midfielder doubled the New Zealand champions’ lead
when his blistering 30-yard strike found the back of the net at the
Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi, Reuters

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009

BASKETBALL
Fenerbahçe Ülker
bites the dust
A week after being massacred 89-55 by leader
Regal FC Barcelona on the road last week, Fen-
erbahçe Ülker was expected to give its basketball-
loving fans something to smile about when it
hosted French outt Asvel Basket in game seven
of their Euroleague Group A match at stanbul’s
Darüafaka Ayhan ahenk Sports Arena on
Wednesday. But that was mere delusion as Bog-
dan Tanjevic’s Fenerbahçe Ülker faltered again,
losing 61-68 to the resurgent French side which
won its third match in a row. And the saddest
thing is that Asvel won by enough points to earn
it an advantage if the two teams are tied at the end
of the regular season. The two teams now have a
3-4 record and that could make Fenerbahçe’s job
more difcult unless the Turkish league runner-up
returns to winning ways. Asvel’s Kristjan Kangur
was the overall top scorer with 16 points, followed
by Rawle Marshall who added 15; Mindaugas
Lukauskis and Ali Traore who scored 12 apiece.
Ömer Ak and Lynn Greer topped the scoresheet
of the misring Fener with 11 points each while
Gordan Giricek had 10. In other Euroleague
matches on Wednesday it was: Lietuvos Rytas 77,
Entente Orleanaise 72; Maroussi BC 74, Union
Olimija 62; BC Khimki 82, Panathinaikos 87 (OT);
Asseco Prokom 82, Real Madrid 76 and AJ Milano
79, EWE Baskets 51. stanbul Today’s Zaman
BASKETBALL
Forbes: Lakers most
valuable NBA team
The Los Angeles Lakers are the NBA’s most
valuable team, and 12 others lost money in the
2008-09 season, according to Forbes magazine.
In its annual listing of the value of NBA teams,
Forbes nds the Lakers to be worth $607 million,
up 4 percent for the league champions. Second
are the New York Knicks at $586 million, but that
is a 4 percent drop. The Knicks led the rankings
for the four previous seasons. The Chicago Bulls
($511 million), Detroit Pistons ($479 million) and
Cleveland Cavaliers ($476 million) round out the
top ve. At the bottom of the 30-team rankings
are the Milwaukee Bucks at $254 million. The
league average worth is $367 million, down 4
percent, according to Forbes. New York AP
GOLF
South Korean Han
Galatasaray Lions have
another chance to go top
The pressure this evening will be on championship-contender Galatasaray, which
has to beat the Antalyaspor Scorpions to keep its fading hopes alive. Patience has run
thin, to say the least, and so the Lions no longer have the luxury of dropping points
OKAN UDO BASSEY STANBUL
The Galatasaray Lions take on the
Antalyaspor Scorpions away in a cru-
cial Turkcell Super League week 16
match at the Atatürk Stadium with much at
stake -- precious points, the league lead and,
of course, vengeance.
As is known, the Lions missed a golden
opportunity to go top of the league table last
Sunday when they conceded a 94th-minute
goal at home to draw 1-1 with struggling
stanbul Büyükehir Belediyespor.
Today Galatasaray has another chance to
make amends, if it can beat Mehmet “ifo”
Özdilek’s Antalyaspor Scorpions. Going into
this evening’s match, the Lions are fth with
30 points; Beikta, Fenerbahçe and Kay-
serispor have 31 and new leader Bursaspor,
awarded three points by default because of its
match against relegated Ankaraspor, has 32.
The arithmetic is quite simple: The Fener-
bahçe Canaries are not in action until Saturday
and the Beikta Eagles and Kayseri Tigers are
idle until Sunday, meaning victory today over
the Antalyaspor Scorpions would increase the
Lions’ points to 33 -- with the reward being at
least 24 hours on top of the 17-team standings.
Lions near full strength
Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard and his Lions may
still be without injured winger Sabri Sarolu,
who missed last Sunday’s match against stanbul
Büyükehir Belediyespor, meaning Uur Açar
may likely continue on the right ank.
Long-term injury case Milan Baros, whose
broken foot in week 10 has adversely affected
the team’s fortunes, will denitely be absent
again today. Otherwise the Lions should be
near full strength, with lanky defender Hakan
Balta very likely to make the starting XI after
TURKCELL SUPER Proud Antalyans undaunted
LEAGUE STANDINGS The Antalya camp is talking big and has al-
TEAMS P W D L GF GA Pts
ready declared itself the winner even before
01. Bursaspor 16 10 2 4 31 15 32 this evening’s match is played. And with
02. Kayserispor 15 9 4 2 25 10 31 Ivory Coast striker Serge Pacome Djiehoua
03. Fenerbahçe 15 10 1 4 27 15 31 and Turkish defender Orhan Ak declared t
04. Beikta 15 9 4 2 17 6 31 to play, Antalyaspor’s condence is sky high.
05. Galatasaray 15 9 3 3 32 19 30 Add bragging rights to precious points,
06. Gençlerbirlii 15 7 4 4 22 15 25
07. Trabzonspor 15 7 3 5 29 20 24 the league lead and vengeance -- this eve-
08. Eskiehirspor 15 6 6 3 20 14 24 ning’s confrontation at Antalya’s Atatürk Sta-
09. Büyükehir B. 15 6 5 4 17 23 23 dium promises to be a thriller.
10. Antalyaspor 15 6 3 6 20 17 21
“We respect Galatasaray,” Antalya coach
11. Gaziantepspor 15 5 5 5 19 18 20
Özdilek said on Wednesday.
12. Ankaragücü 15 4 5 6 18 19 17 Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan lyasova (L)
“But our aim is to win all our home match-
13. Manisaspor 15 4 5 6 14 15 17 from Turkey fouls Toronto Raptors center Pat-
14. Kasmpaa 15 4 4 7 21 25 16 es and the Galatasaray game is one of them.
rick O’Bryant (13) in the bonus in the fourth pe-
15. Diyarbakr 15 4 4 7 15 23 16 So there is nothing else to say. We are think- riod during NBA action in Milwaukee.
16. Sivasspor 15 3 2 10 16 26 11 ing only about winning and we shall prevail.
17. Denizlispor 15 1 4 10 10 25 7
Galatasaray is one of the important teams in
18. Ankaraspor 15 0 0 15 0 45 0
the league with quality players. Hence, we are Jennings and
taking them seriously. In fact we take all teams
in the league seriously,” he further asserted. lyasova lift Bucks
shaking off his injury worries.
If we may add, things are easier said than
The Galatasaray Lions, without the slightest
doubt, will also have revenge on their minds be- done in the Super League; and we have seen over Hedo and
cause the Lions never beat Antalyaspor in their
two Super League meetings last season. The rst
the Scorpions -- with six wins, three draws
and six losses -- oat like bees and sting like Toronto Raptors
game in Antalya ended 1-1, but the Scorpions butteries on several occasions. Brandon Jennings said he needed to be
won 1-0 in stanbul in the season’s second half The pressure, nonetheless, will be on aggressive from the start. It almost cost
to record their rst ever victory over the Lions. championship-contender Galatasaray, which him in the end. Jennings scored 22 points
Maybe vengeance was what midelder has to win to keep its fading hopes alive. before hyperextending his left knee near the
Mustafa Sarp alluded to when he told GS TV Scenes after last Sunday’s heartrend- close of the third quarter and the Milwaukee
on Wednesday, “We must beat that Anta- ing home draw are still fresh in memories: a
Bucks shot 52.5 percent to beat the visiting
lyaspor and hope that our rivals drop points,” frustrated Sarp tearing his jersey in absolute
Toronto Raptors 117-95 on Wednesday night.
adding: “We [the Lions] are going through despair; some of his exasperated teammates
This match attracted the interest of Turk-
difcult times, but we trail the leading pack by weeping openly; others trying to manhandle
ish basketball as it pitted two Turkish NBA
one point. So there is no cause for alarm.” referee Hüseyin Gokçek, whom they blamed
stars against each other: Ersan lyasova and
It is worthy to note that Sarp played for Bur- for the result; and disillusioned and desperate
the Bucks versus Hedo Türkolu and the
saspor last season and so was not a member of the fans in the stands cursing and swearing.
Raptors. In the end, lyasova’s side prevailed.
Galatasaray team that was beaten by Antalyaspor. Patience has run thin, to say the least. The
Lions no longer have the luxury of dropping “I went to the rack, came down funny and
But it is sure as death that he has been reminded
over and over again about the Antalya debacle. points. The referee will be Deniz Çoban. just hyperextended it,” said Jennings, who
said he was scared as soon as it happened.
“I don’t like knee injuries anyway, I’ve never
TODAY’S ZAMAN, M.BURAK BÜRKÜK

leads Australian PGA had any, but from seeing other people with
knee injures, you can be out a long time.”
South Korean Han Min-kyu upstaged the big- Jennings said he should be ready to play
name locals at the Australian PGA on Thurs- in the Bucks’ next game, on Saturday against
day, shooting a 9-under-par 62 to take a four- Portland.
stroke lead after the rst round. Han, who teed Milwaukee, losers of eight of 10, snapped
off at 6:25 a.m. in mild conditions and with a four-game skid by controlling this game
little wind at the revamped Hyatt Regency re- from the start and ended Toronto’s three-
sort course, had 11 birdies and two bogeys -- game winning streak.
on the rst and 18th. Ryan Haller was second lyasova and Roko Ukic had 17 points
after a 66, followed by ve other Australians each, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 16,
at 67: Stuart Appleby, Matthew Grifn, Scott Luke Ridnour 15, Carlos Delno 14 and An-
Strange, Andrew Dodt and Henry Epstein.
PHOTO

drew Bogut 12 for the Bucks, who had seven

Adam Scott, last week’s Australian Open win-
ner, was in a group at 68. Defending champi-
on Geoff Ogilvy and Robert Allenby each shot
70 and John Daly had a 71. Han, who birdied
his rst four holes, is one of 15 South Koreans
in the tournament, which is now part of the
One Asia regional tour. Coolum AP
ASIAN GAMES
China clinches
first 2 track golds
Yu Wei edged his Japanese rival by just one
second in the men’s 20-kilometer walk to se-
cure China the rst gold in track at the East
Asian Games on Thursday. Yu nished in 1
hour, 26 minutes and 46 seconds, just ahead of
Koichiro Morioka. It was almost as close in the
women’s event, with China’s Li Yanfei crossing
in 1:35:33, seven seconds before Japan’s Kumi
Otoshi. Eight other golds were on offer on the
Barca, Inter and Stuttgart all sail through to last 16
rst day of track and eld competition, with
players with at least 12 points.
Chris Bosh had 26 points and 10 re-
bounds for Toronto to extend his strong
string of performances, but he had little
help because Andrea Bargnani (sore right
ankle) and Jose Calderon were out and
Hedo was ineffective.
Other NBA results: Detroit 90, Philadel-
Live on Lig TV phia 86; Portland 102, Indiana 91; Atlanta
118, Chicago 83; Golden State 105, New
20:00 Antalyaspor vs. Galatasaray
Jersey 89; New Orleans 97, Minnesota 96;
Galatasarsay midfielder Mustafa Sarp is seen tearing his jersey in despair immediately after stanbul Büyükehir Belediyespor scored the 94th-
minute equalizer against his team in their league match at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium last Sunday. The Galatasarsay Lions play Antalyaspor away today.
San Antonio 118, Sacramento 106; Houston
95, Cleveland 85; and LA Lakers 101, Utah
77. stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
Holder Barcelona booked a Champions League last 16 Barca was also in danger of making an early exit after Artem
Final group
standings

nals in women’s shot put, men’s long jump, berth with a 2-1 win at Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday and Milevskiy’s glancing header gave Dynamo a second-minute lead GROUP E P W D L GF GA Pts GROUP F P W D L GF GA Pts
1. Fiorentina* 6 5 0 1 14 7 15 1. Barcelona* 6 3 2 1 7 3 11
men’s and women’s 200 meters, men’s javelin, as joined by Group F rival Inter Milan, which sealed their pas- but Spain midelder Xavi dispelled its fears when he rounded off 2. Lyon* 6 4 1 1 12 3 13 2. Inter* 6 2 3 1 7 6 9
women’s pole vault and men’s and women’s sage with a 2-0 home defeat of Rubin Kazan. a owing team move shortly after the half-hour. 3. Liverpool** 6 2 1 3 5 7 7 3. Rubin Kazan** 6 1 3 2 4 7 6
4. Debrecen 6 0 0 6 5 19 0 4. Dinamo Kiev 6 1 2 3 7 9 5
800 meters. In other sports, the ninth-ranked VfB Stuttgart also went through after an early three-goal blitz gave FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi completed Bar-
women’s tennis doubles player in the world, it a 3-1 win over Romanians Unirea Urziceni, as did Greek champion ca’s comeback in the 86th minute, when he gave goalkeeper GROUP G P W D L GF GA Pts GROUP H P W D L GF GA Pts
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei, and her partner Ch- Olympiakos Piraeus which beat already qualied Arsenal 1-0 at home. Olexandr Shovkovskiy no chance with a curling free kick. 1. Sevilla* 6 4 1 1 11 4 13 1. Arsenal* 6 4 1 1 12 5 13
2. Stuttgart* 6 2 3 1 9 7 9 2. Olympiakos* 6 3 1 2 4 5 10
uang Chia-jung defeated their South Korean Olympique Lyon thumped Hungarian rival Debrecen 4-0 Sitting at the top of La Liga and having stayed on course to 3. Unirea** 6 2 2 2 8 8 8 3. S. Liege** 6 1 2 3 7 9 5
opponents in straight sets to clinch gold. but nished second in Group E behind Fiorentina, which came become the rst team to retain the Champions League in its pres- 4. Rangers 6 0 2 4 4 13 2 4. Az Alkmaar 6 0 4 2 4 8 4

China’s Zhang Ze and Zeng Shaoxuan took from behind in a 2-1 win at Liverpool, eliminated before the ent format, Barcelona will head condently into the Club World *Qualify for Champions League **Qualify for Europa League

out the men’s doubles. Hong Kong AP nal day of the competition’s group stage. Cup already underway in Abu Dhabi. Belgrade Reuters

CMYK

WWW.TODAYSZAMAN.COM FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009
US researchers have found a
scentsts drug-free way to block fearful
memories, opening up the pos-
fnd way sibility of new treatment approaches for
problems such as post traumatic stress dis-
to block order, they reported on Wednesday. The
fearful ndings in people build on studies in rats
that showed that reactivating a memory --
memores by showing people objects that stimulate
the fearful memory -- opens up a specic
time window in which the memory can be
edited before it is stored again.
“Before memories are stored, there is a
period where they are susceptible to being
disrupted,” said Elizabeth Phelps of New
York University, whose study appears in the
journal Nature. Earlier studies have shown
that drugs can be used to block fearful mem-
ories, but the results were not long lasting.
Phelps and colleagues based their stud-
Supermodel Gisele Bundchen has first baby
Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen has given birth to her first child -- a
boy -- with NFL star husband Tom Brady. Brady told reporters on Wednes-
day that the baby, who is yet to be named, was born on Tuesday, calling it
“the most wonderful experience in my life.” Los Angeles, Reuters
ies on ndings in rats that showed that old
memories can be changed or reconsolidat-
ed, but only during a specic window time
after the rat is reminded of the fearful mem-
ory. That window of susceptibility is typically
between 10 minutes after re-exposure to the
object to 6 hours later, when the memory is
stored once again in the brain.
The researchers applied these nd-
ings to people in a lab setting. First, they
CMYK
REUTERS
created a fearful memory by showing
the volunteers a blue square, and then
delivering a mild shock. Once they had
created the fear memory, they simply
PHOTO
showed a blue square, which remind-
ed them of the fear memory. The team
waited 10 minutes and then started a
training period where the volunteers
were repeatedly exposed to the blue
square without a shock. Chicago Reuters
Brothers Tito Jackson (L-R), Jackie Jackson, and Marlon
Jackson arrive at the launch party for “The Jacksons: A Fam-
ily Dynasty” reality show in Hollywood, Calif., on Wednesday.
Jackson brothers
strive to stay out
of blame game
Jackie, Marlon and Tito Jackson have said they
don’t want to point ngers about their brother
Michael’s death. Jackie Jackson cites the ongoing
Los Angeles police homicide investigation, saying he
wants to wait until it’s nished before commenting.
Tito Jackson also says it’s premature to say who did
what because all the facts haven’t been gathered. The
brothers made the comments while promoting their
new reality series on A&E Network, “The Jacksons:
A Family Dynasty,” which premieres Dec. 13. Au-
thorities have said their homicide investigation was
focusing on Michael Jackson’s personal physician
Dr. Conrad Murray, but no charges have been led.
Through a spokeswoman, Murray maintains that he
didn’t prescribe or administer anything to Jackson
that should have killed him. Beverly Hills, Calif. AP
Palestinian files
$110 million libel
suit over ‘Bruno’
A Palestinian shopkeeper and father portrayed as a
terrorist in the movie “Bruno” is suing lm star Sacha
Baron Cohen, talk show host David Letterman and others
for libel and slander. The lawsuit led last week by Ayman
Abu Aita in federal court seeks $110 million in damages. In
the movie, Cohen plays a gay Austrian fashion journalist try-
ing to make it big in the United States. To achieve worldwide
fame, Bruno travels to the Middle East to make peace. He in-
terviews Abu Aita, and a caption labels the Bethlehem shop-
keeper as a member of the militant Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade.
Abu Aita is suing CBS and Letterman’s company
Worldwide Pants over an interview before the lm’s re-
lease where the Late Show host and Cohen discussed
Bruno’s encounter with a “terrorist.” In the interview,
Cohen, 37, said he set up the meeting in the West Bank
with the help of a CIA agent. Cohen said he feared for his
safety and interviewed the “terrorist” at a secret location
chosen by Abu Aita. A clip was then played on “The Late
Show with David Letterman.” According to the lawsuit,
however, the interview with Abu Aita took place at a ho-
tel chosen by Cohen and located in a part of the West
Bank that was under Israeli military control.
Film distributor NBC Universal and director Larry Charles
are also named in the lawsuit. A spokeswoman for Universal
Studios declined to comment. Tom Keaney, a spokesman
for David Letterman, also said he would not comment. Co-
hen, a British comedian, also faced multiple lawsuits after his
earlier movie, “Borat,” including one for $30 million led by
residents of a remote Romanian village who said they were
misled into thinking the project was a documentary about
poverty. Most of the lawsuits were thrown out.
Abu Aita is a prominent businessman, a Christian
and a “peace-loving person who abhors violence,” the
latest lawsuit states. Before the lm, he “enjoyed a good
reputation for honesty and a peaceable nature” in his
community, Abu Aita’s lawyers wrote. They go on to
write that any accusations or insinuations that Abu Aita is
or ever was associated with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade,
or any other terrorist activity is ”utterly false and untrue.”
Attorney Joseph Peter Drennan said Abu Aita was never
offered a release to sign to appear in the lm. Washington AP
Woman nabbed for
hitting man with steak
A 53-year-old was arrested after alledgedly hit-
ting a man in the head with a raw steak. Accord-
ing to a Marion County Sheriff’s Ofce report, the man
told deputies Elsie Egan repeatedly hit him with the
uncooked meat and slapped his face after he refused a
piece of sliced bread. The man said he wanted a bread
roll. Egan denied hitting the man with the steak but
did admit to slapping him, saying she did it “so that
he could learn.” The man told deputies that Egan was
his partner. He declined medical assistance. Egan was
charged with abuse of a disabled adult. According to
online records, she has been released on $2,500 bond
and is scheduled to appear in court in January. It’s un-
clear if she has an attorney. Dunnellon, Fla. AP