x0x Turkish news for week ending 22 May 2004
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x0x Turkish news for week ending 22 May 2004
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A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR, producer of:
TURKISH CULTURAL PROGRAM
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KUSF FM 90.3, San Francisco
Also tune to
ORIENT EXPRESS
Tuesdays at 10:00 P.M.
KKUP FM 91.5, CUPERTINO
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Ahmet Toprak edited today's news. Your host today is Fuad Tokad.
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NEWSBRIEFS
* Turks celebrated the Youth and Sports Day on May 19 throughout the
world. On May 19, 1919 the Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
landed in
Samsun on the Black Sea coast to start the War of Independence.
After fighting for five years and defeating the invaders, he
established
the Republic of Turkey. May 19 then was dedicated to the Turkish
youth as
a public holiday.
* Israel's heavy-handed policy against the Palestinians has cast
clouds on
its ties with Turkey, reports the Agance France Press. Turkey is the
Jewish state's key regional ally, however, observers now question
whether
their "strategic" partnership is still intact.
According to Agence France Press, leading the army of critics,
Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday condemned as "state
terror" the killings of civilians in the Rafah refugee camp in the
southern Gaza Strip.
Agance France Press reports that there were earlier signs of
relations
getting cold: Turkey postponed the planned visit of the Israeli Deputy
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's visit in April, and the Turkish Prime
Minister turned down an invitation for a November visit to Israel.
Although Turkey and Israel signed a military cooperation agreement
in
1996, there are signs that Turkey is also pushing away from
cooperation.
A few weeks ago, Turkey canceled upgrading of Turkish helicopters by
Israeli firms.
On Friday, in Istanbul and Ankara some Turks held protest rallies
against the policies of the Israel in occupied Palestine.
* The Voice of America reports that during a visit to Ankara, British
Prime Minister Tony Blair reaffirmed his country's full support for
Turkey's membership in the European Union, saying European Union
leaders
must give the predominantly Muslim nation a date to begin accession
talks
at the end of this year.
This was the first trip to Turkey by a British prime minister in 14
years.
During his visit the British prime minister emphasized efforts made
by
the Turkish prime minister Mr. Erdogan to help resolve the decades-old
Cyprus dispute. A UN plan to reunify the island was shelved last month
after Greek Cypriots voted against it. Mr. Blair said the political
and
economic isolation of the island's Turkish Cypriot minority, which
voted
overwhelmingly in favor of the agreement, should end.
Turkey's Prime Minister Erdogan voiced concern over human-rights
violations by coalition troops in Iraq to his British guest and echoed
Mr.
Blair's hopes for restoring order and democracy in the country. He
said
Turkey would do its utmost to help its southern neighbor achieve that
goal.
* Speaking of Turkish membership in the European Union, the European
Union
Observer a publication from the Union's capital Brussels says that
there
are still concerns over Turkish human rights standards.
A joint report - agreed on by the European Union- is deeply critical
of
some aspects of Turkey's human rights laws and express concerns about
implementation in other areas.
Turkey has been an European Union candidate for decades, but still
has a
long way to go before living up to the criteria set for members of the
European Union club, the position paper points out.
The report is also critical of the role of the Turkish military and
presses for civil control, aligned with the practise in European Union
member states.
It also says the Turkish parliament must exert full control of
defense
expenditure.
But while the criticism on human rights is still grave, Turkey is
scoring well in the economic sphere.
"Productivity-led output growth has remained significantly stronger
than
expected (5.8% in 2003 after the 7.8% increase in 2002). Inflation
continues to decline, notes the report.
* Speaking of Turkey and human rights, a contrasting report was
published
from the US on Monday. According to the Turkish Daily Turkiye in its
2003-2004 Human Rights Report, the State Department praised Turkeys
rising
respect for human rights and reforms passed towards this end.
The report stressed that though there were still some deficiencies
in
implementation, Turkey had pledged to complete these reforms by the
end of
this year.
* NATO announced this week that A NATO Mine Countermeasures Exercise
will
take place in the Kusadasi Bay, off the West coast of Turkey from 20
to 28
May 2004.
Seven NATO nations will provide forces and assets to conduct the
Exercise, named DAMSEL FAIR 2004, which will address all aspects of
mine-warfare planning, execution and analysis.
* Reuters reports that the World Bank signed a $1 billion loan deal
with
Turkey to support financial and public sector reform and social
benefits.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Edited by Hayal Koc
* The unique African musicians Sigi Figel and African Heart are once
again
touring in Turkey after four years.
Their music combines the drum tradition of Western Africa with the
wind
instruments of jazz and they are planning to perform in Antalya this
Saturday.
* The 8th Annual International Environmental Film Festival is taking
place
in Istanbul between May 21st and 27th.
The Turkish Cinema and Audiovisual Culture Foundation and the
Italian
Cultural Center are the organizers of the festival.
Following the warmest year on record, the theme for this year is:
"Change in Cultural Environment and Climate".
The shows are composed of long and short documentaries and are free
to
the public.
* The Turkish film "Far Away" received critical acclaim from the
London
Daily Telegraph last week.
Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan was proclaimed as the "master of
old-fashioned film production".
The article also mentioned the tragic death of the lead actor Mehmet
Emin Toprak in an automobile accident last year during the Cannes Film
Festival.
* The 2nd Annual International Nasreddin Hoca Festivities will take
place
in Konya between July 5th and 10th and will showcase the talents of
four
talented Turkish comedians --Zeki Alasya, Haluk Bilginer, Sener Sen
and
Levent Kirca.
The event will kick off with a walk on Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul
and
includes participants from several countries, including Hungary, Spain
and
Georgia.
Organizers expect a larger turnout this year given the lengthier
preparations and improved advertising of the event.
Nasrettin Hoca is a legendary Turkish wit that lived in the 15th
century. Short fables and anecdotes about him still abound in many
countries stretching from the Balkans to the Central Asia.
* The Anatolia News Agency reports that Dr. Oguz Soysal, a Turkish
scholar
has succeeded in preparing a dictionary of the Hatti language. The
Hatti
language is the oldest recorded language of Anatolia, modern-day Asian
part of Turkey.
Dr. Soysal's work is considered very important since it is the first
experiment of gathering phonology, grammar and dictionary of a dead
language all at once.
According to Dr. Soysal the Hattis constituted the oldest culture
and
nation documented with written texts in Anatolia.
"The Hattis had been forced to live as a minority under the rule of
the
Hittites in the course of time. Unfortunately, not a single written
text
of the Hattis had directly reached our time.
"However, since the Hittites had used the Hatti language in their
temples as a sacred language, some paragraphs written in Hatti
language
were found in clay tablets of hieroglyph in Bogazkoy and Ortakoy
Hittite
epigraphic finds. There are nearly 500 paragraphs. They are the only
source of the Hatti language.
"I have spent a quite long time and great efforts to prepare the
dictionary of the Hatti language. The book, which has come into being
after seven years of intense work, includes the whole bibliography
about
the Hatti language and all information about this dead language in
Hittite
tablets."
Dr. Soysal says that the Hatti language was an isolate, that is, it
did
not belong to any known language group. He says that its structure
resembles theat of the languages of the Caucasus.
Dr. Soysal published his 1050-page book "List of Words of Hatti
Language
in Hittite Tradition of Writing" in German in the Netherlands.
There are limited information about the Hattis who had formed a
great
civilization in Anatolia between 2500 and 1700 BC
The Hattis were considered the aborigines of Anatolia, however, some
scientists think that the Hattis were members of a Caucasian group
that
have migrated to Anatolia.
The Hittites, who came to Anatolia around 1800 B.C. and conquered
it,
had assimilated the Hattis. The Hittite culture absorbed many elements
of
the Hattian culture.
Scholarly works revealed that the Hattis inspired the Hittites in
civilization, religion and mythology. Although they had defined
themselves
with a different name, the Hittites called their country as "the land
of
Hatti". They said in their religious tablets that their religious men
had
been speaking the Hatti language. Also, most of the personal names in
the
Hittite language came from the Hatti.
The most important finds of the Hattian culture were unearthed in
Alacahoyuk, in Central Turkey.
During the archaeological excavations in Alacahoyuk sun disks, small
sculptures, golden cups and many other works were unearthed. These
works
are being currently displayed at the Turkish capital Ankara's Museum
of
Anatolian Civilizations. The excavations at the site were started in
1935
under the auspices of Mr. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the
modern
Republic of Turkey.
The Hattis' buried their dead in the hocker position -- sitting
upright
with the knees tucked up against the chest and the feet parallel with
the
floor as if seated on their posterior. Artifacts recovered from
ancient
settlements and burial sites also reveal the existence of cults of
soil
and resurrection, namely the cult of mother goddess.
For example, in excavations in Horoztepe in North Central Turkish
province of Tokat, archeologists found images of mother goddess and
ritual
bells. However, most of these finds were smuggled out of Turkey.
One can see decorative and ornamental figures of Hattis in many
places
in Anatolia. This shows how the Hattis had spread and gained
importance in
the region.
Hatti people had also developed a cult of animal-shaped gods. They
had
used the symbol of bull in many places. At times bull appears on disks
representing sky and the sun. Scholars think that bull may have been
the
symbol of the greatest god of sky.
Dr. Oguz Soysal, who graduated from the Ankara University Faculty of
Language, History and Geography in 1982 with a degree of Hittite
Language,
has lectured in the University of New York as a guest professor in
1994
after earning his doctorate in Germany.
He has been working at the University of Chicago since 1995. He has
been
continuing his work on the Hittite Dictionary Project.
See more about Dr. Soysal at:
http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/AR/98-99/98-99_Ind_Soysal.html
* An exposition of modern Turkish painting "Spirit of Turkey. The New
Wave" opened in the State Oriental Art Museum as part of the festival
of
Turkish culture in Moscow.
The Russian Culture and Mass Communications Ministry, the Turkish
Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Turkish Embassy in Russia, and
the
State Oriental Art Museum, organize the exposition.
The exposition features over 100 paintings and graphic works by
well-known and young Turkish artists, carpets and jewelry, the
museum's
press service said.
"Undoubtedly, it will be an important event in Moscow's cultural
life
and will serve the consolidation of friendship and cooperation between
Russia and Turkey," the press service told RIA Novosti.
The exposition will run until June 4.
EXCHANGE RATE
Exchange rate for the U.S. dollar in Turkish Liras:
1,555,000
WEATHER
High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather
Ankara, in central Turkey----------: 75/50 Partly Cloudy
Antalya, on the Mediterranean------: 81/63 Mostly Sunny
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey---: 75/55 Partly Cloudy
Izmir, on the Aegean---------------: 81/57 Mostly Sunny
Trabzon, on the Black Sea----------: 66/54 Partly Cloudy
Seawater temperatures
Black Sea measured at Trabzon 57
Marmara Sea measured at Tekirdag 61
Aegean Sea measured at Bodrum 64
Mediterranean Sea measured at Alanya 68
SPORTS
Edited for the Turkish Radio Hour by Mark Novak
* Turkish Soccer - Premier Division
Fenerbahce 2-4 Malatyaspor
Sebatspor 3-1 Ankaragucu
Rizespor 1-0 Besiktas
Adanaspor 4-1 Denizlispor
Gaziantepspor 4-1 Diyarbakirspor
Galatasaray 3-1 Elazigspor
Konyaspor 0-2 Istanbulspor
Bursaspor 1-0 Samsunspor
G.Birligi 2-2 Trabzonspor
Final Standings
Team Pts
1. Fenerbahce 76
2. Trabzonspor 72
3. Besiktas 62
4. Gaziantepspor 57
5. Denizlispor 55
6. Galatasaray 54
7. Samsunspor 46
8. Malatyaspor 45
9. Ankaragucu 45
10. G.Birligi 44
11. Konyaspor 44
12. Diyarbakirspor 43
13. Sebatspor 42
14. Rizespor 42
15. Istanbulspor 41
-------------------------
16. Bursaspor 40
17. Adanaspor 22
18. Elazigspor 22
* Mircea Lucescu resigned as coach of Beşiktaş.
* National Team
Friendly Match
Turkey 3 - 1 Australia
Ümit Özat 42' Marco Bresciano 47' (Penalty)
Hakan Şükür 67'
Hakan Şükür 76'
* Turkish Basketball - Mens' Playoffs
Semi Final
Ülkerspor 2 - 0 Besiktas
Efes Pilsen 2 - 1 P.Karşıyaka
Quarter Final
P.Karşıyaka 3 - 2 Tuborg
Besiktas 3 - 2 Darussafaka
Fenerbahce 0 - 3 Ülkerspor
Efes Pilsen 3 - 0 Tekelspor
* Turkish Basketball - National Team
Bogdan Tanjevic signed a three-year contract to coach the Turkish
National Team.
* NBA - Playoffs 1st round
Mehmet Okur
Detroit vs New Jersey
Game 1 Detroit 78 - 56 New Jersey 6 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist
in 19 minutes.
Game 2 Detroit 95 - 80 New Jersey 2 points, 2 rebounds and 0 assists
in 2 minutes.
Game 3 Detroit 64 - 82 New Jersey 0 points, 5 rebounds and 0 assists
in 14 minutes.
Game 4 Detroit 79 - 94 New Jersey 8 points, 0 rebounds and 0 assists
in 15 minutes.
Game 5 Detroit 120 - 127 New Jersey 2 points, 4 rebounds and 0 assists
in 8 minutes.
Game 6 Detroit 81 - 75 New Jersey 5 points, 6 rebounds and 0 assists
in 22 minutes.
Game 7 Detroit 90 - 69 New Jersey 4 points, 7 rebounds and 0 assists
in 16 minutes.
Detroit wins the series 4 - 3. Next opponent Indiana.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
*** Mercan Dede at Stern Grove Festival on August 1.
There is no cover charge for the event.
See http://www.sterngrove.org/index.php?tpl=concert&page=08012004
for more information.
*** Turkish community school will meet tomorrow in Palo Alto.
Time: 11 AM to 1 PM
Call Atila Ersahin
510-796-1442
For more information.
*** Today's program is partially underwritten by www.tulumba.com, the
first Turkish mega-store in the U.S. offering music, food,
exquisite
and stylish home decoration articles, jewelry and much much more
online.
http://www.tulumba.com, Turkey at your fingertips.
Bugunku programin sizlere ulasmasinda www.tulumba.com'in katkilari
olmustur. Turkiyemizden muzik, kitap, video, yiyecek, icecek,
dergi,
kilim, cini ve diger seckin ev dekorayon esyalari ve Turkiye'den
hersey icin, http://www.tulumba.com sitesine ugramayi unutmayin.
Amerikali dostlariniza da Tulumba.com'un bulunumunu verin.
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If you have any questions about Turks and Turkey,
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*** Today's program is underwritten by the Alaturka restaurant,
where gourmet Turkish cooking is an art:
869 Geary St, (cross street Larkin)
in San Francisco
For reservations: (415) 345-1011
http://www.chowbaby.com/Alaturka/
*** Planning to go to Turkey? Take a look at our Web pages that is
full of
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{20040522trh.txt}
TRH
x0x Turkish news for week ending 29 May 2004
[Best when viewed with the courier font.]
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This line is available for your commercial announcement!
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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
Also tune to
ORIENT EXPRESS
Tuesdays at 10:00 P.M.
KKUP FM 91.5, CUPERTINO
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Ahmet Toprak edited today's news. Your host today is Murat Temeltas.
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TurkC-L-...@yahoogroups.com
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NEWSBRIEFS
* Turkey's President has vetoed a series of controversial amendments to
legislation governing the country's education system, reports the private
Turkish channel NTV.
Among the key reforms was increasing the quotas at universities for
graduates of high schools with a religious curriculum.
Critics have claimed that these reforms undermine the secular nation of
the system.
The Turkish president says that the legislation would serve to encourage
more students to take up religious studies.
* We reported to you two weeks ago that Turkish officials decided not to
send helicopters to Afghanistan because of cost.
The news reports this week indicates that Turkey has changed its
position and decided to send three helicopters, and a staff of 56 flight
and maintenance personnel.
The Turkish contingency will serve with the International Security
Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
* The Turkish military's general staff disclosed Thursday that the U.S.
has repeated its request to be able to station warplanes at the southern
Turkish airbase of Incirlik. The U.S. request included opening Turkish
ports and other bases to the U.S. military in case of need.
The U.S. and British airplanes used the Incirlik airbase after the first
Gulf War to monitor the no-fly zone in Northern Iraq.
The Turkish general staff says that the request includes new elements
that are not covered within the already existing bilateral agreements, and
should be reviewed and decided on by political powers in Turkey.
* In related news, on Friday the U.S. Embassy in Ankara denied press
reports that U.S. is seeking to establish new bases in Turkey.
An Embassy statement said, "Many of these reports, particularly claiming
that the U.S. seeks to establish new bases in Turkey or to deploy ground
forces to Turkey, are groundless."
The statement said, "U.S. military cooperation with Turkey is carried
out within the framework of bilateral and multilateral agreements."
* Since 1999 there has been considerable improvement in Turkey's relations
with neighboring Greece. However, there are still outstanding disputes
between the two neighbors.
In a seminar organized by the Turkish military in Istanbul, General
Ilker Basbug said that there has been little progress on resolving the
dispute involving the Aegean Sea.
The general said that Turkey will not make any concessions over its
legitimate and vital interests in the Aegean region.
The dispute involves sharing of the Aegean continental shelf, and the
airspace.
* Turkish Foreign Affaires Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul
said on Tuesday that there should not be a postponement on the day of June
30 when the sovereignty would be transferred to Iraqis.
Mr. Gul said, "it should be de facto not imaginary handing over. Interim
Iraqi government should not be an extension of Iraqi governing council."
* The Anatolian News Agency reports that Turkey has exported 184 thousand
tons of hazelnuts.
The exports brought in an income of $693 million in the 38th week of
2003-2004 hazelnut export season, which started on September 1, 2003.
Turkey is the largest grower and exporter of hazelnuts in the World.
* Turkey's President Ahmet Necdet Sezer received Prince Andrew of the
United Kingdom, the Duke of York and the special representative for
Britain's international trade and investment on Tuesday
Earlier the delegation visited Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen. Mr.
Tuzmen said that the common target of Turkey and Britain was to increase
trade volume between the two countries.
Prince Andrew said that he came to Turkey to receive information about
economy, trade and investment environment in Turkey and to encourage
British businessmen to make investments in Turkey.
EXCHANGE RATE
Exchange rate for the U.S. dollar in Turkish Liras:
1,495,000
WEATHER
High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather
Ankara, in central Turkey----------: 79/50 Partly Cloudy
Antalya, on the Mediterranean------: 84/68 Mostly Sunny
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey---: 73/57 Partly Cloudy
Izmir, on the Aegean---------------: 79/59 Mostly Sunny
Trabzon, on the Black Sea----------: 64/55 Showers
Seawater temperatures
Black Sea measured at Trabzon 59
Marmara Sea measured at Tekirdag 63
Aegean Sea measured at Bodrum 68
Mediterranean Sea measured at Alanya 68
ARTS AND CULTURE
* Turkish writer Ayfer Tunc has been awarded the literary prize for her
book "Those Small Things from the 70s" at the Balkanika 2003 writers
awards.
The book deals with the author's early life in the 1970s, using a
combination of novelistic, autobiographical and essay styles.
* The Anatolian News Agency reports that the Crown Prince Willem Alexander
of the Netherlands and his wife Princess Maxima arrived in central Turkish
province of Nevsehir on Wednesday.
Prince Alexander and his wife visited the historical places in
Cappadocia region.
Cappadocia region shows a spectacular and surprisingly different
landscape with its wind and water eroded volcanic tuff based soil. There
are thousands of natural, pyramid shaped rock formations and cave-like
settlement places carved by humans since the early ages throughout the
region.
* The Anatolian News Agency reports that Miss Ukraine Olena Razimova was
chosen on Sunday 2004 Tourism World Beauty Queen in the 2004 Tourism World
Beauty Contest held in Akyaka hamlet in Ula town of Turkey's Aegean Mugla
province.
Contestants from 22 countries took the stage with their national
costumes, sports clothes, swimsuits, and wedding gowns.
The jury chose Miss Ukraine Razimova the queen of the contest. Miss
Lithuania Valentina Bezusaja was ranked the second and Miss Latvia
Kristina Djadenko became the third.
Miss Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Cemile Coskun and Miss
Greece Anastasia Chritakis were given peace award.
Miss Finland Sanna Kankanpaa was presented with Miss Caria Ancient
Award.
The province of Mugla covers an area that has Turkey's major vacation
destinations within its boundaries.
The center of Mugla extends over the plain stretching from the foot of
the Asar or Hisar Mountain and is surrounded by Karadag (Black Mountain),
Kızıl Mountain, Masadag Mountain and Hamursuz Mountains.
Koycegiz, Fethiye, Bodrum, Milas, Marmaris and Datca are among the major
towns of Mugla.
Mugla itself is one of the most ancient cities of the Caria region.
See photographs of Mugla at:
http://www.mehmetsokmeninyeri.com/Photo/KategoriIller.asp?kategori=48%20Mu%F0la
* The 11th International Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival will start on
June 12 this year.
The one and only Opera and Ballet Festival in Turkey will take place in
one of the most beautiful vacation destinations of Antalya.
All events will be at Aspendos, a unique historical theater that has
survived for more than 2000 years. It has a 10000-person capacity and
beautiful acoustics.
Many ballet and opera companies from around the world will be featured
in the Festival.
We will bring you the program of the Festival in the next week's news.
For a preview, see:
http://www.kulturturizm.gov.tr/portal/AnaEtkinlik_Tr.asp?KOD=2328
* Another Festival is taking place in Istanbul. The historic district of
Galata is hosting its own festival, which started on Friday and will
continue on through Sunday.
There are vendors of old books, photographs, paintings along with dance,
gymnastics, folk dancing and theater performances.
At the end of the Festival day on Saturday at night there will be a
torchlight procession from the Galata Tower down to the port.
On Sunday in addition to dance and yoga shows percussion master Okay
Temiz, and the Rebetiko and Balkan music master Muammer Ketencioglu will
perform.
* Joan Baez and Bobby McFerrin had a concert in Istanbul Saturday as part
of the Istanbul Jazz Festival.
* Turkish jazz musician Emrah Kotan and his band International Groove
Conspiracy will be playing at Atlanta Jazz Festival this Sunday.
International Groove Conspiracy won the music contest among local
Atlanta jazz bands to play in this festival.
The festival is taking place at Piedmont Park. Mr. Kotan will be on the
stage at 3 PM
* The 14th International Istanbul Theater Festival is continuing.
As part of the Festival, performances have been taking place at 11
theaters throughout many districts of Istanbul.
This year 19 theater companies from around the globe have been
performing at the festival.
In addition Young theater groups and dance companies have been invited
to participate in the New Voices Project organized for the first time this
year. What these groups have in common is being innovative and inclined to
create new approaches in the theater and dance scene.
Istanbul State Theaters participate in this section with "Prayer for
Fire" by Berkun Oya.
Ciplak Ayaklar Kumpanyasi performs "L'invitation" by Charles Cre-Ange.
Alchera Theater stages "War-Call to Arms" based on the Trojan War.
"Limping Tales from Istanbul" is a play from Ve Diger Seyler Toplulugu.
"Mirror," which is based on different disciplines, is a project from
Canan Bas.
Studio Drama's project is "Face: Body and City." Damla Hacaloglu's
project "Rainbow" will take place at Byzantine Palace in Sultanahmet.
"Vertigo/o.4" is a dance show, the concept and choreography of which
belongs to Tugce Ulugun.
The festival will end on June 4.
See http://www.istfest.org/tiyatro/english/ for more.
* The German carmaker Volkswagen's new design chief is a Turk, reports the
Associated Press.
For a company that symbolizes solid German values, the 46-year-old
Turkish immigrant represents change simply by not being a longtime
Volkswagen insider, writes the AP.
His predecessor Hartmut Warkuss retired at 63 after 36 years at VW.
Mr Murat Guenak says he wants to add more curves and emotion to the
automaker's famously functional German designs.
See the following for more:
http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw96732_20040425.htm
http://designophy.wiliw.com/sayi02/soylesi_en/mgunak_en.php
And for a photograph:
http://autogramm.volkswagen.de/05_03/images/0503/04_guenak.jpg
SPORT
Edited by Mark Nowak
* Soccer - National Team
Turkey 1 - 0 Australia
Kahveci
* Turkish Basketball - Mens' Playoffs
Final
Ülkerspor 1 - 0 Efes Pilsen
Semi Final
Ülkerspor 3 - 1 Besiktas
Efes Pilsen 3 - 1 P.Karşıyaka
* NBA - Playoffs
Mehmet Okur Stats
Game 1 Detroit 74 - 78 Indianapolis 2 pts, 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 15
minutes.
Game 2 Detroit 72 - 67 Indianapolis 9 pts, 4 rebounds and 0 assists in
16 minutes.
Game 3 Detroit 85 - 78 Indianapolis 0 pts, 0 rebounds and 0 assists in
11 minutes.
Game 4 Detroit 68 - 83 Indianapolis 0 pts, 2 rebounds and 0 assists in 5
minutes.
Series tied 2 - 2
ANNOUNCEMENTS
*** Mercan Dede at Stern Grove Festival on August 1.
There is no cover charge for the event.
See http://www.sterngrove.org/index.php?tpl=concert&page=08012004
for more information.
*** Today's program is partially underwritten by www.tulumba.com, the
For reservations: (415) 345-1011
http://www.chowbaby.com/Alaturka/
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TRH
x0x Turkish news for week ending 05 June 2004
[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
Also tune to
ORIENT EXPRESS
Tuesdays at 10:00 P.M.
KKUP FM 91.5, CUPERTINO
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Ahmet Toprak edited today's news. Your host today is Senem Ozer.
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For a subscription to the Internet edition of this news,
send a blank email to:
TurkC-L-...@yahoogroups.com
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NEWSBRIEFS
Edited for the Turkish Radio Hour by Gokce Gokalp
* As we reported to you in the past few months, the divided communities of
Cyprus attempted to reunify the island under one republic with two
separate referendums on a United Nations proposal. The Turkish Cypriots
accepted the United Nations draft plan, whereas, the Greek Cypriots
rejected it. Here is the latest from the two communities which both have
their own governments at this point:
* According to the daily Turkiye, following the fall in Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus Parliament seats held by the coalition to 23, work to
establish a new coalition government has begun.
The falling coalition government was made up of the Republican Turkish
and Democratic Parties.
On Thursday, a Peace and Democracy Movement Party delegation headed by
Mustafa Akinci met with Prime Minister and Republican Turkish Party leader
Mehmet Ali Talat.
Afterwards, the two leaders told reporters that they had decided to join
forces to establish a new government with a majority in Parliament.
Meanwhile, Mr. Talat sent a letter to European Parliament head Pat Cox
and the leaders of European Union member states urging them to support the
Turkish Cypriots justified cause.
* Following the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's presentation of a Cyprus
report earlier this week, the UN Security Council is expected to discuss
the report and issue a resolution on the matter by June 15, when the term
of the UN peacekeeping force on the island is due to expire.
In his report, Secretary-general Annan noted that the Turkish Cypriots
voted for the islands unification in April referendums and urged the
council to end the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus.
In related news, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopulos met with
Secretary-General Annan in New York on Thursday.
Mr. Annan reportedly told Mr. Papadopulos that after the Greek Cypriots'
rejection of the UN plan, the Greek side should take the initiative to
make progress on the issue, reports the Turkish daily Milliyet.
* Terrorist group al-Qaeda kidnapped one Turkish and one Egyptian truck
driver transporting food to southern Baghdad on Wednesday.
The terrorists threatened to kill the hostages if Turkey and Egypt don't
condemn the invasion of Iraq by coalition forces.
In related news, the Turkish Foreign Affairs Ministry has begun
initiatives to free the hostages. Rejecting the terrorists demands,
Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkey wanted a timely
handover of power to Iraqis and the withdrawal of all foreign troops from
Iraq without causing chaos in the region, reported the Turkish daily
Turkiye.
* The Anatolian News agency reported that a working group on small- and
medium-size enterprises formed under the Industry and Business World
Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
convened in Istanbul Wednesday to discuss ways to increase the global role
of small and medium-size enterprises.
Mr. Ahmet Ecmer Yorganci, representing Turkey's Directorate General of
Small- and Medium-size Industry Development in Brussels, said that the
Small and Medium-size Enterprises Working Group was made up Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development member states and convened twice
a year.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
ministerial-level meeting is due to take place Friday.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is made up of
30 countries. The US, Turkey, France, Germany, Britain and Greece are
among some of the founding members in 1961. Japan joined in 1964. Among
recent members are Mexico, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary,
Poland and Korea.
See http://www.oecd.org/home/ for more.
* Turkey's Prime Minister and Justice and Development Party leader Recep
Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that his government would suspend for now its
push for enactment of the controversial Board of Higher Education bill
following its veto last week by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
The critics were saying that the bill was designed to do away with the
secular nature of education in Turkey by giving incentives to the
graduates of high schools with religious educational curriculum in
entering universities and colleges.
Addressing his party's parliamentary group meeting, Mr. Erdogan said,
"Our priority is enacting the European Union harmonization laws. After
Turkey gets a date to begin accession talks at the December European Union
summit", added Erdogan, "the government will again take up the Board of
Higher Education issue more comprehensively."
Calling Turkey a gold key for the European Union, Mr. Erdogan said that
keeping it out of it would weaken the Union.
Mr. Erdogan further urged Brussels to give a date to Turkey to start the
accession talks, arguing that there was no good obstacle or excuse for not
doing so reported the daily Milliyet.
* According to the daily Turkiye, Turkey has conveyed to the U.S. its view
on the United States Greater Middle East Initiative, diplomatic sources
said Monday.
Turkey has often been cited as a model nation by US politicians, but
while stating that it can contribute to the project, Turkish officials are
urging that it not be held up as such a model.
Turkish officials said that countries should contribute to the project
with their current institutions and regimes, adding that the adoption of
the project by countries in the region was very important.
Turkey also said that it could lend support in economic areas.
The initiative reportedly aims at bringing democracy, modernization,
transparency and open economies to the Mideast region.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Edited by Hilal Koc
* Winners of the "Wide Angle" Photography Competition will be on display
at the Istanbul Photography Center, as part of the "Rejuvinating Breaths:
Turkish Photography, Part II."
The exhibit focuses on new and original photographs from young Turkish
photographers. The new wave of 18 younger photographers ranges in ages
from 21-35, and feature the work of 8 women.
The "Wide Angle" Photography Competition originated at Bospherous
University in 1997, when Photography Club members embarked on an ambitious
campaign to expose different photography styles and angles. The
competition has been staged independently of the University since 2000.
For more information on the competition, log on to
http://www.genisaci.com or email geni...@genisaci.com.
For more information on other exhibits of interest at the Istanbul
Photography Center, please log on to :
http://www.istanbulfotografmerkezi.com or email
in...@istanbulfotografmerkezi.com.
* The fabled Rumeli Hisar will host the "Theater Gathering," June 1st
through the 18th with actors from various acting troups throughout Turkey
performing. The organization Aysa is putting together the event.
The event, which has been getting more and more popular each year, is
again garnering attention from theater enthusiasts and fans.
For a complete daily schedule, please log on to the organizer, Aysa's
website: http://www.aysaorg.com.
* The Yann Tiersen concert planned for June 4 has been postponed to August
5th due to health concerns for guitarist Roger Marc Sens who was unable to
make the trip to Istanbul.
Fans with tickets were allowed to attend the 'Emir Kusturica & No
Smoking Orchestra' on the same night or hold off until the August concert.
The French musician expressed regret for the postponement but added that
he is enthusiastic about Sens's recovery and their upcoming concert.
* And speaking of concerts, famous pop singer Tarkan thrilled crowds in
Russia's Lujniki Concert Hall in the capital city of Moscow.
Performing at the Turkish Cultural Festival in the capital, Tarkan
created quite a stir in the capital.
Upwards of ten thousand Russian fans showed up for his two concerts and
rocked to his popular songs, "SIkIdIm," "Kuzu Kuzu," as well as more
traditional slow songs.
* Diyarbakir, the largest city in the southeast of Turkey, will be hosting
an Arts and Culture Festival this weekend.
This year's theme, "The Secrets Behind the Paintings on the City Walls,"
will be evident in the attractions.
The festival will also feature a play called "Women's Place in
Communication" and several notable films featuring topics from European
Human Rights to the History of Verbal History.
The festival will end June 6th.
* Shortly after Crown Prince Willem Alexander of the Netherlands and his
wife Princess Maxima visited Cappadocia, the ancient region home to
fantastic landscape launched its first annual Arts Fair, which ended June
4th.
The festival aimed to expose these natural treasures to the rest of the
world.
Artists attended the fair from 11 different countries and featured
paintings, sculptures, and ceramic arts. The Uchisar mayor, Mustafa Zuhal,
announced the fair would become an annual event due to the dramatic
success of this year.
Organizers and contributers Ozlem Klakan Erenus and Feryal Taneri were
pleased that so many of the invited artists came to the fair.
German artist Dorothea Fleiss said the unique and beautiful natural
scenary of Cappadocia inspired her to try different styles of sculpting
and different color schemes and many others artists commented that the
region was the perfect location for an arts fair and planned to come back
with friends and family.
* Arnavutkoy, a small and cozy suburb on the European side of Istanbul,
hosted a new conference announcing continuing efforts to unearth the
hidden mosaic treasures throughout the country.
The partnership between the American Research Association and the
International Mosaic Association and Selcuk University's Archeology
Department is thriving and according to the University's Head of
Archeology, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sahin, increasingly active digs have
produced unexpected results- mosaics not previously known or documented.
Researchers and archeologists from five countries will also be joining
the Turkish-American partnership- Germany, Canada, Italy, Austria and
Southern Cyprus.
* Two weeks ago, we mentioned the efforts to promote Turkish museums
featuring artifacts from the famed Illiad, in conjucture with the movie
Troy's release.
The Head Work Force on the region, Prof. Dr. Manfred Korfmann, announced
that the efforts to expose new artifacts are continuing at an accelerating
pace.
The work is hard and ardous, and to date, despite nearly 135 years of
research, Dr. Korfmann said that "only 5% of the treasures" have been
discovered.
Dr. Korfmann further noted that Trojan Museum set up in the region has
been difficult to develop due to the governmental red tape and lack of
funding.
He invited increased international participation, noting, "There is
still much to be done. Troy is not just a Hollywood movie- it can be very
beneficial to Turkish archeology and tourism."
* The 20th Annual International Amateur Theather Festival drew to a close
last week in the county of Denizli in northwestern Turkey.
The festival was held in the ancient outdoor theaters of Aristophanes
close to Pammukkale.
Nearly 3,000 fans attended the festival, which featured dancing and
acting groups from Turkey, Georgia, Macedonia, Lithuania and Germany.
The festival focused on the theme of "peace through unity, understanding
and friendship."
The festival closed with a play simply titled, "Peace," directed by
Gunay Toprak.
* In an effort to support young filmmakers and Turkish film production,
Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, has launched an International Short
Film Competition.
The competition will be open from June 1st through September 15th and is
limited to movies 15 minutes or shorter in four categories:
- Creative/Original,
- Documentary,
- Experimental, and
- Animation.
The winners of the overall best film will receive approximately $1300 in
local currency and winners in each category will receive $675 each.
Turkey's Fida Film will sponsor the competition and host the gala to
announce the winners on September 24th.
Applications can be obtained on various university campuses- Eskisehir
Anadolu, Marmara, Ege, Istanbul, Bilgi, Mimar Sinan, Dokuz Eylul- as well
as by emailing: in...@tr.sonymusic.com.
EXCHANGE RATE
Exchange rate for the U.S. dollar in Turkish liras:
1,494,000
WEATHER
High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather
Ankara, in central Turkey----------: 82/54 Partly Cloudy
Antalya, on the Mediterranean------: 79/66 Partly Cloudy
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey---: 75/63 Showers
Izmir, on the Aegean---------------: 88/68 Partly Cloudy
Trabzon, on the Black Sea----------: 77/59 Partly Cloudy
Seawater temperatures
Black Sea measured at Trabzon 61
Marmara Sea measured at Tekirdag 64
Aegean Sea measured at Bodrum 68
Mediterranean Sea measured at Alanya 72
SPORTS
Edited by Mark Nowak
* Soccer - National Team
Turkey 1 - 0 South Korea
Hakan 22'
* Turkish Basketball - Mens' Playoffs
Final
Ülkerspor 2 - 0 Efes Pilsen
* NBA - Playoffs
Mehmet Okur Stats
Game 1 Detroit 74 - 78 Indianapolis 2 pts, 3 rebounds and 1 assist in
15 minutes.
Game 2 Detroit 72 - 67 Indianapolis 9 pts, 4 rebounds and 0 assists in
16 minutes.
Game 3 Detroit 85 - 78 Indianapolis 0 pts, 0 rebounds and 0 assists in
11 minutes.
Game 4 Detroit 68 - 83 Indianapolis 0 pts, 2 rebounds and 0 assists in
5 minutes.
Game 5 Detroit 83 - 65 Indianapolis 2 pts, 1 rebound and 0 assists in
5 minutes.
Game 6 Detroit 69 - 65 Indianapolis 0 pts, 1 rebound and 0 assists in
9 minutes.
Detroit wins series 4 - 2
Finals : L.A. Lakers vs Detroit Pistons
ANNOUNCEMENTS
For reservations: (415) 345-1011
http://www.chowbaby.com/Alaturka/
*** NORTH BAY TURKISH CLASSICAL MUSIC ENSEMBLE
North May Turkish Classical Music Ensemble is looking for players
traditional Turkish classical instruments such as oud, ney,
tanbur, kanun or kemence, bendir or kudum; or even western
instruments that easily adapt to Turkish music, such as cello.
The ensemble is also looking for people who can sing in Turkish,
or are interested in learning.
The group is open to anyone with a sincere interest in Turkish
music.
For details call Hank Levin at 415 492-0728, or email:
turk...@clearingtech.net
*** Turkuaz magazine, a nation-wide magazine aimed at connecting fellow
Turkish-Americans and educating Americans about Turkish culture,
current events and has officially launched their new website
http://www.turkuaz.us. The website is designed as a billboard for the
cultural life of the Turkish-American community in the US. Every week,
the events calendar is updated with the many interesting events and
programs organized throughout the country. The staff actively
encourages any feedback you may have, including any announcements
you'd like to make.
*** AEGEAN FRIENDS
Arkadas * Filoi
AEGEAN FRIENDS
is a social-cultural group of Greeks,
Turks, Cypriots, and other peoples of good will,
coming together to
celebrate their rich heritage, explore common roots,
and promote peace in the Aegean region.
Share music, food, and conversation.
Dance. Create art.
Discover the generosity of the heart.
This month's potluck is on Sunday 13 June 2004 * 5:00 PM
in
Richmond
RSVP & info 510/222-2246
For more information contact
AEGEAN FRIENDS
Box 14022
San Francisco, CA 94114-0022
or e-mail: aegfr...@aol.com
Aegean Friends's website is at: http://members.aol.com/aegfriends
*** Bay Area Turkish School is a meeting tomorrow!
Contact Atila Ersahin at
510-796-1442 or ers...@yahoo.com
*** Yore at Ethnic Dance Festival, 19 & 20 June, San Francisco
Yore Folk Dance Ensemble will make its debut in the 26th Annual San
Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. Yore Folk Dance Ensemble secured
one of
the 24 slots in the festival through a rigorous auditioning process
with
116 groups representing numerous cultures and nationalities. It has
been
15 years since a Turkish group was represented in this, one of city's
most anticipated events. We will appreciate your presence in one of
our three
performances. Below is the information about Yore's Festival
performances:
Saturday, June 19, 2004 2 PM & 8 PM
Sunday, June 20, 2004 2 PM
Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco
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