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 Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:42 am Post subject: Turkish news for week ending 16 August 2008 |
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x0x Turkish news for week ending 16 August 2008
[Best when viewed with the courier font.]
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A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR, producer of:
TURKISH CULTURAL PROGRAM
Saturdays at 6:00 P.M.
KUSF FM 90.3, San Francisco
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ORIENT EXPRESS
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KKUP FM 91.5, CUPERTINO
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Ahmet Toprak edited today's news. Your host is Murat Temeltas.
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NEWS
Edited by Murat Temeltas
* On Wedneday Turkey's President Abdullah Gul spoke separately on the
telephone with his Russian and Georgian counterparts to assess recent
developments in the armed conflict over the breakaway region of South
Ossetia, reports the Turkish daily Turkiye.
"During his conversations, President Gul expressed his deep sorrow
over the death of civilians during the clashes," said the Presidential
Press Center.
"President Gul also reiterated that Turkey places great importance
on Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, solving regional
problems peacefully, and the integrated implementation of initiatives
to promote peace, stability and prosperity in all countries of the
region."
* The Turkish daily Turkiye reported the same day that Turkey's Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister
Ali Babacan, visited Moscow to hold talks with top Russian officials
on the armed conflict between Russia and Georgia, with an eye to
aiding efforts to secure sustainable peace and stability in the
Caucasus.
During his visit, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev received Mr.
Erdogan and also Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met him.
Afterwards, Erdogan told reporters that his proposal to establish a
Caucasus cooperation and stability alliance would be discussed by the
two countries' Foreign Affairs Ministers.
Mr. Erdogan said that his talks in Russia would pave the way for the
alliance, and added, "this cooperative platform should assume the
responsibility for solving disputes before they break out, and it
should also manage crises in the region after they start."
Touching on the issue of bilateral trade, Mr. Erdogan said,
"Turkey's trade with Russia has developed remarkably in recent years,
with Russia topping Turkey's foreign trade partners."
* On Thursday the Mr. Erdogan met with Georgian President Mikhail
Saakasvili as part of his tour to help end the conflict.
Speaking at a joint press conference afterwards, Mr. Saakashvili
thanked Turkey's efforts.
Stating that they discussed issues such as reconstructing areas
damaged in the recent attacks, as well as restoring peace to the
region, he added, "We will pursue an extensive dialogue. We will also
continue to work for peace and ending occupation in the region."
Expressing appreciation for Turkey's humanitarian aid and its
determination to solve the crisis, President Saakasvili said that
Georgia's recovery is very important.
For his part, Mr. Erdogan said that he came to Tbilisi to hear of
its pains and express his concerns as well as to exchange views about
the recent conflict. Stating that Turkey favors Georgia's
independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and is closely
interested in peace and prosperity for its neighbor.
* Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday arrived in
Istanbul to pay a two-day working visit, the first by an Iranian
president in 12 years, amid the continuing international dispute over
Iran's nuclear program, reported the Turkish dailies Turkiye and
Sabah.
Mr. Ahmadinejad met with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul at the
Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, and the two leaders discussed bilateral
relations and regional and international issues as well as the nuclear
enrichment controversy.
Afterwards, Mr. Gul told a joint press conference that Turkey favors
a diplomatic solution to the issue. "Any solution should take into
consideration the international community's concerns and should also
protect Iran's legitimate rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty," he said.
Mr. Gul also urged Iran to continue negotiations on the issue,
saying, "Turkey hopes the talks between Iran and six major world
powers will yield positive results."
Stating that in recent years the Turkish-Iranian bilateral trade
volume has risen to $10 billion, he added that during their meeting,
they confirmed their goal to double this to $20 billion as soon as
possible.
"We also agreed to celebrate 2009 as a Turkey-Iran Year of Culture
to mark the 50th anniversary of a bilateral culture agreement," he
said.
For his part, Mr. Ahmadinejad thanked Turkey for supporting Iran's
right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and its efforts to
solve the issue through diplomacy. He said Iran would continue
negotiations on its nuclear program so long as its rights are
protected.
Mr. Ahmadinejad also said that Iran would welcome proposals by
friendly countries on the issue during the negotiation process. Iran
is pleased with Turkey's development and growing power, he added.
On the 2009 Turkey-Iran Year of Culture, he said, "This will provide
the peoples of our countries an important opportunity to get to know
each other's culture and civilizations better."
Following a meeting between the delegations chaired by the two
presidents, government ministers of the two countries signed various
cooperation agreements.
* The Turkish daily Hurriyet reports that Turkey's National Security
Council, chaired by President Abdullah Gul, is set to convene next
week in Istanbul, with Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit
attending for the last time, as he is retiring at the end of this
month.
Issues expected to be discussed at the gathering include the
Georgian crisis in the Caucasus, the fight against the Kurdish rebels
at home and abroad, and the future of the Iraqi province of Kirkuk.
Possible changes in relations between countries of the Caucasus in
light of the conflict between Russia and Georgia, and their possible
effects of energy supplies, will also be taken up at the gathering.
* On another farewell visit ahead of his Aug. 30 retirement, Turkish
armed forces Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit met with main
opposition Republican People's Party leader Mr. Deniz Baykal on
Wednesday.
During the meeting, they discussed issues such as the fight against
the Kurdish rebel underground organization Kurdistan Workers Party and
the conflict between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia.
General Buyukanit previously visited Turkish President Abdullah Gul
and Prime Minister Erdogan.
* Speaking of the Kurdish rebels, a roadside bomb exploded in Turkey's
eastern province of Erzincan on Monday, killing nine military
personnel, including a lieutenant colonel, two specialist sergeants,
and six privates.
The Kurdistan Workers Party detonated the land mine near a road via
remote control while a military vehicle was passing by, according to
Erzincan Governor Ali Gungor.
The soldiers had been returning from an operation in a rural part of
the province, and a captain and another private were wounded in the
blast.
In response, the Turkish Armed Forces has started an operation to
capture the assailants.
The nine military personnel were laid to rest in their hometowns
later in the week, reported the Turkish dailies.
A memorial service for the soldiers at Erzincan Military Hospital
was attended by Turkey's Interior Minister Besir Atalay,
Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim, and thousand of other
mourners.
Turkey, European Union and the United States
consider the Kurdistan Workers Party a terrorist
organization. In addition to the Turkish military
personnel, the underground organization has been
responsible for the deaths of many civilians over
the years, especially those who do not sympathize
with their goals.
* Representatives from Turkish and African non-governmental
organizations met Thursday at an Istanbul forum hosted by Turkey's
Turkish-Asian Center for Strategic Studies ahead of next week's
Turkish-African Cooperation Summit, reports the Turkish daily Turkiye.
Representatives from over 100 non-governmental organizations in 45
African countries are participating in the two-day event, which will
end Saturday with the release of a final declaration.
Addressing the forum, Turkish-Asian Center for Strategic Studies
head Suleyman Sensoy said that the meeting would help identify areas
of cooperation between Turkey and Africa.
United Nations Development Program Turkey Representative Mahmoud
Ayyup said, "The UN welcomes Turkey's aid efforts for African
countries. It is a very important country for the continent with its
aid institutions like the Turkish International Cooperation and
Development Agency and the Turkish Red Crescent."
He also said ties between Turkey and African countries will improve
rapidly with the opening of new Turkish embassies across the
continent. Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency
head Musa Kulaklikaya stressed the key role of NGOs in international
aid activities.
The Agency has extended around $2 billion in annual development aid
to Africa, and it runs an agricultural development program in 13
African countries.
* According to the daily Milliyet, speaking to his party's Central
Executive Board on Wednesday, main opposition Republican People's
Party leader Deniz Baykal reiterated that the ruling Justice and
Development Party should engage in self-criticism in the light of a
recent Constitutional Court ruling to penalize it financially rather
than close it down, but added, "The Justice and Development Party does
not seem to be eager to make such criticism."
Stressing that the court had said the Justice and Development Party
was the focal point of activities working against the principle of
secularism, Mr. Baykal said, "after this decision, the Justice and
Development Party should have signaled that it had gotten the message
and would make necessary changes. But recent moves by the party,
especially preparations for a constitutional change to make party
closures impossible, show that it will not do the required self-
criticism."
* As part of its special development plan for the eastern and
southeastern Anatolia regions, the Turkish government plans to
increase aviation-related investments in the local provinces, reports
the Turkish daily Aksam.
Under its plans, three new airports will be constructed in the
Igdir, Sirnak, and Yuksekova districts of Hakkari, and some existing
airports in the regions will be renovated.
A joint airport for the provinces of Adana and Mersin will also be
built. The new airports are expected to be operational by 2010.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Edited by Colleen Clark
* Human skeletons, which experts say could be more than 8,000 years
old, were found in four prehistoric graves recently unearthed at the
Marmaray tunnel excavation site in the Yenikap? district of Istanbul,
according to a report in Hurriyet.
The Marmaray project, will be the first underwater tube to connect
Europe and Asia beneath the Bosporus.
"These graves reveal Istanbul used to be home to some of the
earliest types of settlements during the Stone Age when people
migrated from Anatolia to the European continent," said Mehmet
Ozdogan, professor of prehistory at Istanbul University.
"They also show that the Marmara Sea used to be a small and shallow
water in ancient times," he added.
Dr. Ozdogan said the graves might date back to between 6,400 B.C.
and 6,200 B.C. The Stone Age skeletons have been moved to the Istanbul
Archeology Museum.
The excavations in Yenikap? started in 2004. In addition to
skeletons, the digs have uncovered 32 sunken ships dating back to the
7th and 11th centuries. The sunken ships have been conserved at the
Istanbul University and the Underwater Research Institute in Bodrum.
The Marmaray excavations have also revealed remnants of some walls,
which are thought to be the first city walls of Istanbul. About 500
pieces taken from the relics unearthed during the excavations were
exhibited at the Istanbul Archeology Museum.
<http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=112078>
<http://bp2.blogger.com/_mYc94PComOo/SB2WcdbeB8I/AAAAAAAAARk/
vwzxcCg0WEw/s1600-h/marmaray-metro-arkeoloji-kazilari-istanbul.png>
* The museum in the province of Burdur in southwestern Turkey is set
to become one of the biggest museums in Turkey and even Europe thanks
to new historical artifacts that are the result of continuing
excavations in nearby ancient cities, according to a report by the
Anatolia News Agency.
Burdur hopes to become a center of culture tourism, with its rich
background of culture and history, says the museum manager Ali Ekinci.
He added that the ancient cities of Sagalassos, Kremna and Kibyra,
as well as the tumulus of Hacilar, Yassigume and Tefenni have a
history dating back 12,000 years, making the museum a popular
destination for tourists.
"The head of Roman emperor Hadrian's statue, which was excavated at
Sagalassos, is now being exhibited in England.
"As excavations continue, especially at Sagalassos, the artifacts
will be a part of the collection of Burdur Museum and the museum will
rank among one of the special museums of the world," he added.
<http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=111928>
<http://www.burdurmuzesi.gov.tr/haritabuyuk1.jpg>
* In anticipation of 2010 when Istanbul will play the role of Europe's
"capital of culture" the European Capital of Culture Agency is hoping
to turn the streets of Istanbul into a festival area this August.
The Turkish Daily News reports that the agency invites the young
people of the city to the Streetwaves mini festival, a series of
summer concerts held under the leadership of Liverpool European
Capital of Culture 2008.
Streetwaves is designed to promote intercultural dialogue and will
bring together musical groups made up of young musicians ages 14 to 25
in the cities of Liverpool, Marseille, Gdansk, Bremen, and, of course,
Istanbul.
The European Capital of Cultural 2010 music and opera management
will organize the Istanbul leg of the event. Turkey will be
represented abroad by the Karavan Group, which is made up of students
from Galatasaray High School.
The collective will also have the unique opportunity of performing
at this year's Creamfields festival in Great Britain.
Streetwaves is a free event open to the public. The festival began
Friday, Aug. 15 at Caddebostan beach.
The show featured performances from British groups such as The New
Haze, Apsen Grove and Beaker Folk of the Bronze Age.
"We attach importance to cooperation with other European capitals of
culture," said Nuri Colakoglu, chairman of the executive board.
"Streetwaves is a nice opportunity for young people from around
Europe to share their own culture with each other through music. We
will support young Turkish people to join international events like
this and open to the world.
"We believe that Istanbul will be home to many international events
like the Streetwaves festival and in the end will turn the city into a
meeting point for culture and art with the help of the youth," he
said.
In addition to the Streetwaves festival, Istanbul will also host
many other free open air concerts during August. Gigs, which will be
held in the city rather than specific concert venues, will enable
people to experience local music free of charge.
The schedule for the rest of the festival through August 31 is:
Saturday, Aug. 16: Jam Session with Neset Ruacan in Bebek Park, 8
p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 20: Bosporus songs by Bosporus soloists at Sariyer
Quay, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 21, Bosporus songs by Bosporus soloists at Uskudar
Quay, 8 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 22: Voices of Istanbul, Kalan musical artists; Cengiz
Ozkan,
HasbihalToplulugu, Yasemin Goksu and Muammer Ketencoglu at
Bayrampasa City Park, 8 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 22: Voices of Istanbul, Kalan musical artists: Huseyin-
Ali R?za Albayrak,
Vedat Yildirim-Bajar, Birol Toplulugu and Gayda at Istanbul
B.Cekmece Kültürpark, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 23: Classics belonging to all of us: Cemal Re?it Rey
Istanbul
Symphony Orchestra at Bayrampasa City Park, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 23: Selim Sesler and Kolektifistanbul at B.Cekmece
Kültürpark, 8 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 24: Selim Sesler and Kolektifistanbul at Bayrampa?a
City Park, 8 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 24: Classics belonging to all of us: Cemal Resit Rey
Istanbul Symphony
Orchestra at B.Cekmece Kültürpark, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 26: Bosporus songs by Bosporus soloists at Beylerbeyi
Quay, 8 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 29: Voices of Istanbul, Kalan musical artists: Fatih
Yasar and Mazlum
Cimen+Neset Ertas at Zeytinburnu Cirpici Cayiri, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 30: Selim Sesler and Kolektifistanbul at Zeytinburnu
Cirpici Cayiri, 8 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 31: Classics belonging to all of us: Cemal Re?it Rey
Istanbul Symphony
Orchestra at Zeytinburnu Ç?rp?c? Çay?r?, 8 p.m. <http://
www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=112066>
<http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/liverpoolecho/jan2008/0/2/3AC43E2C-
C46B-3A27-9F6C34C5180E542C.jpg>
* The head of a sculpture stolen in Turkey's Marmara region city of
Izmit has been found and returned to its body at the Izmit Archeology
and Ethnography Museum.
The Dogan News Agency reports that the sculpture, symbolizing
autumn, was on display in Izmit's open air museum and had been placed
in the garden area of the hunting grounds, which were damaged during
the Marmara earthquake in 1999. The head of the sculpture was stolen
in 2002 and later found in Munich, Germany. The head was brought to
Ankara with the efforts of the Ministry of Culture and Interpol and
was restored by sculptor Ali Osman Avsar.
"The head of the sculpture was first exhibited at the Anatolian
Civilizations Museum and brought to our museum under the tight
security conditions of the ministry. Now it is attached to its body,"
said museum director Ilksen Ozbay. <http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/
article.php?enewsid=112379>
<http://www.tourismturkey.org/img/regions-marmara/izmitmus.gif>
* The Anatolia News agency had a article on foreign archeologists in
turkey. Titled "Foreign archaeologists fond of Turkish culture", you
will find that a lot of the names in the article have appeared in our
News over time. Here is the article:
Foreign archaeologists who have been working on archaeological
excavations in Turkey for many years have started to make Turkish
culture a part of their lives. British couple Geoffrey and Françoise
Summers have been working on excavations in the central Anatolian city
of Yozgat's Sorgun district. Their children, Natali, 18, and Pamela,
16, were born in Turkey, and are very happy with their life in a
village. They speak Turkish like natives. "I am living in Turkey for
more than 20 years. The British government does not embrace us
anymore. We feel like Turks," said Françoise.
The couple's daughters tutor at Middle East Technical University and
also work on the excavations in the village. Natali said she liked
weddings in the village and wished to organize her wedding in the same
place.
Professor Antonio La Marca from Italy's Calabria University is the
head of excavations in the ancient city of Kyme, positioned in the
Gulf of Nemrut near Izmir's Alia?a district. After living in Turkey
for 25 years, he said he feels like a Turk.
"I am a fan of Turkey," La Marca said. "I feel like a Turk. As well
as döner and kebab, I am an addict of Turkish food with olive oil. I
have more friends in Turkey than in Italy. Turkey is a like a European
country, especially within the last 10 years. Its people's lifestyle
and economy do not fall behind a European country. I want to stay in
this country until the end of my life."
Associate professor Andreas Schachner from the German Archaeology
Institute is a graduate of Ankara's Hacettepe University and is
working for the Hattusha excavations in the central Anatolian city of
Corum's Bogazkale district. He has been married to Turkish
archaeologist Senay Schachner for 16 years and which is the reason why
he says he is used to Turkish culture and traditions.
Speaking Turkish fluently, he said he met his wife in 1991 while
earning his masters degree working on Panaztepe excavations in Izmir's
Menemen's district. He said he had no problem in Turkey in a cultural
and social sense, adding: "I live freely in Turkey because it is a
country of tolerance. People approach us positively in regions where
we work. Local governors try to help us using their own opportunities.
Now 30 people work for the excavations. My fluent Turkish is very
helpful to me while communicating with them."
The ancient city of Sagalasos in the Mediterranean city of Burdur's
Aglasun district is like a bridge bringing people from various
civilizations together with local people of the district. The first
scientific excavations started in 1989 under the leadership of Belgian
professor Marc Waelkens and have continued for 19 years.
Belgian Leuven Catholic University archaeology department member and
Sagalasos excavation team's deputy chairman, professor Jeroen Poblome,
said he joined the excavations in 1991 and since then he has stayed in
Aglasun for about two months every year.
Austrian Archaeology Institute member Dr. Sabine Ladstatter, who has
worked on the excavations in the ancient city of Ephesus in ?zmir's
Selçuk district for 13 years and is another deputy chairwoman of the
excavation team, said working in Turkey, particularly in Ephesus, was
a privilege.
Noting that she, her spouse and their 4-year-old daughter spend half
of the year in Turkey, Ladstatter said they loved Turkey very much and
felt part of the country. She said work in Ephesus starts in the
spring and continues until the end of October. Ladstatter said when
they returned to Turkey, they cooked Turkish dishes at home. She said
a Turkish family in Selcuk cared for her daughter when she was at
work, adding that her daughter calls the woman "mother" in Turkish.
Many foreign archaeologists from the United States, Canada and Italy
are working on digs in the southeastern city of Hatay's Tell Ta'yinat
and Accana. Professor Timothy Harrison from Canada's University of
Toronto, the head of Tell Ta'yinat excavations, said they had been
working on the site for six years. He said he tried to learn Turkish
during that period, adding: "We have 45 people, 19 are foreigners, in
the excavation team. Time is too slow here while trying to find
something under the sun. When we get bored, we talk to the people in
the village. The talk starts with the help of translators but later on
we see that both sides can say something in the other's language. I am
sure that we will be able to speak without the help of a translator
sometime later. Turkish people are warm, they never exclude us."
<http://www.expatharem.com/contributors.htm#Maureen_Basedow>
<http://www.expatharem.com/Maureen%20Basedow.jpg>
EXCHANGE RATE
EXCHANGE RATE for the U.S. dollar in Turkish Liras: 1.18
WEATHER
High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather
Ankara, in central Turkey----------: 88/64 Decreasing Cloudiness
Antalya, on the Mediterranean------: 91/77 Decreasing Cloudiness
Erzurum in eastern Turkey----------: 77/55 Light Showers
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey---: 91/73 Decreasing Cloudiness
Izmir, on the Aegean---------------: 97/79 Decreasing Cloudiness
Trabzon, on the Black Sea----------: 82/70 Light Showers
Seawater temperatures
Black Sea measured at Trabzon 79
Marmara Sea measured at Tekirdag 79
Aegean Sea measured at Bodrum 79
Mediterranean Sea measured at Alanya 86
SPORTS
Olympics:
The Turkish athletes received so far three medals:
- Elvan Abeylegesse received a silver medal in 10,000 m women
athletics on Friday
- Sibel Ozkan received a silver medal in the women weightlifting in
the 48 kg category on August 9.
- Nazmi Avluca received a bronze medal in the men's Greco-Roman 84 kg
wrestling competitions
While not quite sports, the Turkish painter Elif Cimen received a gold
medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympics arts organization committee.
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