x0x Turkish news for week ending 15 November 2008
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{20081115trh.txt}
x0x Turkish news for week ending 15 November 2008
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A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR, producer of:
TURKISH CULTURAL PROGRAM
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Ahmet Toprak edited today's news. Your host is Murat Temeltas.
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NEWS
Edited by Okan Kolak
* Turkish dailies report that, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of
modern Turkey, was commemorated on Monday nationwide on the 70th
anniversary of his death.
Ceremonies to honor Ataturk and his legacy began in the morning with
an
official ceremony at Anitkabir, Ataturk's mausoleum.
High-level state and government officials, members of the judiciary,
top
army commanders, and political party representatives led by Turkish
President Abdullah Gul all came to the mausoleum to lay a wreath at
Ataturk's tomb and observe two minutes of silence in commemoration of
the
great leader.
Many other events and ceremonies were held across the country,
including
the official ceremony at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace where Ataturk
passed
away on November 10, 1938.
* Turkish dailies report that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan
flew to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of G-20
countries and hold bilateral talks. G-20 is a cooperation group
comprising of 19 of the World's largest national economies, and the
Europoean Union. The summit started Saturday and will focus on the
global
financial crisis and ways to address it.
In related news, Turkish daily Hurriyet reports that during his
visit,
Mr. Erdogan hosted a reception in New York to thank the permanent
representatives of the United Nations member countries for electing
Turkey
as a non-permanent member to the U.N. Security Council recently.
Also, Turkish daily Sabah reports that during an interview with the
New
York Times, Mr. Erdogan stated that Turkey wants to mediate between
the
new Obama administration and Iran, using its growing role in the
Middle
East to bridge the divide between East and West.
Pointing to last week's US historic election of Mr. Barack Obama as
president, Mr. Erdogan stated that it offered a chance for the US to
regain the trust of the World and reclaim "an image that's been lost."
* Turkish daily Star reports that Turkey's president Mr. Abdullah Gul
met
on Monday with his Swiss counterpart Mr. Pascal Couchepin, who was on
an
official visit to Turkey.
On Tuesday, Mr. Gul and Mr. Couchepin attended a ceremony held at a
historical museum in the Turkish capital Ankara along with other high
level Turkish and foreign officials as part of celebrations marking
the
80th anniversary of Turkish-Swiss diplomatic relations.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Couchepin said that he brought the
table
on which the Treaty of Lausanne was signed as a gift to Turkey. The
boundaries of the modern Turkey were recognized through the Treaty of
Lausanne after the Turkish War of Independence, following the World
War I.
* Turkish daily Milliyet reports that the first intergovernmental
summit
between Turkey and Italy took place in Turkey's Aegean city of Izmir
on
Wednesday.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his Turkish counterpart
Mr.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan chaired the meeting that was attended by
ministers
from the two countries' governments.
During the event, Italian foreign affairs minister Mr. Franco
Frattini
and his Turkish counterpart Mr. Ali Babacan signed an agreement to
establish a Turkish-Italian university in Istanbul.
During his visit, Mr. Berlusconi stated that "Italy has always
supported
Turkey's European Union membership bid, and that support continues"
* The out-going US Ambassador to Turkey Mr. Ross Wilson bade farewell
to
members of the diplomatic community and government officials at a
large
gathering in the Turkish capital Ankara late Monday, reports that
Turkish
daily Hurriyet.
Mr. Wilson will leave Turkey next week for Washington D.C.
Ambassador
Wilson was appointed to Turkey in 2005 and his first task was to
repair
the damaged ties between the two allies.
Mr. James Jeffrey, who previously served in Turkey on three
occasions
and speaks Turkish fluently, will replace Mr. Wilson.
* Turkish President Abdullah Gul left for Baku on Thursday to attend
an
international energy summit in Azerbaijan.
Mr. Gul said energy security will remain a top priority due to
recent
developments
in the region.
Mr. Gul billed the summit as an opportunity to present a
comprehensive
look at Turkey's energy policies and promote cooperation.
* Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Babacan met on Wednesday with
his
Algerian counterpart Mourad Medelci, who is on an official visit to
Turkey, reported the Turkish daily Star.
After the meeting, Mr. Babacan told a joint press conference that
Turkey's more active diplomatic efforts for peace in the Caucasus
will
continue, including an upcoming
visit to Azerbaijan.
Mr. Babacan added that Russia has to make contributions to help
normalize Azerbaijani-Armenian relations.
Citing a meeting early this month in Russia to help solve problems
between Azerbaijan and Armenia, he added that Turkey supports such
initiatives.
* Anatolia News Agency of Turkey reports that a Turkish-flagged
tanker
named Karagol with a 14-man Turkish crew was hijacked Wednesday by
pirates
off Yemen.
Turkey has requested help from a NATO naval force operating in the
area
against pirates to free the vessel. Karagol is the second Turkish-
owned
vessel to be seized in the Gulf of Aden in the past two weeks.
Piracy is common and well organised in the region where Somalia's
northeastern tip thrusts into the Indian Ocean, near a keymaritime
route
leading to the Suez Canal.
The pirates use speedboats and are armed with automatic weapons and
rocket-propelled grenades. They sometimes hold ships for weeks until
large
ransoms are paid by
governments or owners.
* The last surviving Turkish veteran of the Turkish Independence War
died
on Tuesday in Istanbul at the age of 105, reports the Turkish daily
Turkiye.
Turkey's Independence War was fought against the invaders after the
collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the second World war
from
1919 to 1923.
Late Retired Colonel Mustafa $ekip Birgl joined the Turkish
national
forces following his graduation from Edirne Kuleli Military School
and
retired from the army in 1952.
The Turkish Parliament held a memorial service on Thursday for Mr.
Birgl. Attending the service were President Abdullah Gul, Parliament
Speaker Koksal Toptan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug,
Deputy
Prime Minister Cemil Cicek, and several Cabinet members and political
party representatives.
Mr. Birgl was laid to rest on Friday in Istanbul after a state
funeral
with the participation of top military and civilian officials.
* Just a decade ago Turkey was a major recipient of foreign aid.
However, the Anatolia News agency says that in the past four years
Turkey has provided assistance worth $5.2 billion to diverse
countries
around the World for development purposes, making it an important
contributor for global development cooperation.
* According to Asia Pulse, the Turkish government has pledged it will
help
marble suppliers reach the export target of $2.5 billion by the year
2010.
Turkish marble producers shipped $1.2 billion of marble in 2007,
making
it the third largest exporter after China and Brazil.
Scientists estimate that Turkey has 33 per cent of the World's
marble
reserves and can meet global demand for 80 years with its proven
reserves
of 1.6 billion tons, Turkish State Minister for foreign trade Kursad
Tuzmen told an international marble fair opened in Istanbul on
Thursday.
The 5th International Marble, Natural Stone Products and
Technologies
Exhibition opened its doors on Thursday with nearly 600 companies from
28
countries. The exhibition will be on until Sunday.
* Recently released International Monetary Fund figures projects that
Turkey's gross domestic product will reach $970 billion in 2013,
reports
the Anatolia News Agency.
The figure will enable Turkey to retain its position as the 17th
largest
economy in the World.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Edited by Colleen Clark
* A group of Turkish and Greek artists are joining together in a
cooperative effort to create paintings on the theme of peace and
friendship, according to a report in Hurriyet Daily News.
Mr. Panagiotis Zervas, president of Patra's Club UNESCO, and a group
of
organizers and collectors came to Turkey's Aegean city of Canakkale
this
week to begin the joint artistic project. Mr. Zervas said Turkish and
Greek cultures share many elements.
Accompanied by fine arts faculty lecturer Seyhan Boztepe from Izmir
Dokuz Eylul University, the Greek guests visited art galleries and
historical places for background research for the project.
"We have had a relationship with Club UNESCO for two years. At
their
request, a group of Turkish artists are currently exhibiting in
Greece.
Now we are aiming to collaborate on mutual projects," Mr. Boztepe
said.
Four Greek artists held an exhibition last year at the 44th
International Troia Festival. Then 10 Turkish artists exhibited works
in
the Greek cities of Patra and Rion. Mr. Boztepe said a new exhibition
will
open in spring next year in Greece, and Greek artists will visit
Canakkale
in the fall.
See <http://www.flickr.com/photos/louisemakesstuff/1216276136/>
* The seventh International Comedy Films Festival has started in
Istanbul.
The festival will screen the World's best comedy films through Nov.
20.
The festival, organized by the Turkish Foundation for Cinema and
Audiovisual Culture and sponsored by Garanti Bonus Card, will present
its
Honorary Award to renowned Turkish actor Mr. Gazanfer Ozcan. Mr.
Ozcan
once shared the same stage with Ismail Dumbullu, Turkey's legendary
comedian actor who died in 1973.
As in the past years, the audience will vote to decide the "Most
Serious
Comedy Film". The viewers who select the most serious comedy film will
win
free tickets to Cinebonus movie theaters.
See http://www.tursak.org.tr/
* During the closing ceremony of the 20th International Istanbul
Short
Film Festival at the French Cultural Institute on November 12, the
Consulate General of the Netherlands presented the prize for the
"Most
Innovative Short Film Special Award" to a young Turkish director,
according to a report in Hurriyet Daily News of Turkey.
The prize, worth 1,500 euros, went to Mr. Onur Gursoy, for his film
"Pink Cow." The film was one of those participating in the "National
Short
Film Contest" at the Festival.
The consul general said, "The prize was given to this film because
the
movie reminds us in an ironic way, using symbolic narration, of a
typical
village mentality of 'optimism' that in modern World is perceived as
merely irrational. It touches on the theme of the unique individual,
a
person who makes life more colorful. He or she stands up to pressure
and
violence created by pessimism, by insisting on coloring the World."
Six Dutch Short Films were also screened from Nov. 5-12, 2008, at
this
very old and prestigious festival.
See http://studio4istanbul.com/films/
* As part of the "Southeastern Anatolia Film Days," the Gaziantep
Chamber
of Commerce is offering free film screenings to the people of the
region,
according to a news story in Hurriyet Daily News.
The film days started on November 11 continues through until through
Dec.
11 in the cities of Sanliurfa, Gaziantep, Adiyaman and Kilis.
As part of the "Intercultural Dialogue Year, 2008" launched by the
European Union Information offices in Turkey have focused on cultural
activities this year.
The film event is part of a series of events over that past few
months
that has included film screenings and seminars.
During the one-month event, films and documentaries co-produced by
Turkey and Europe will be shown. "The Story of Civilization", a
promotional film of southeastern Anatolia, a Mexican film "Pan's
Labyrinth," a Turkish comedy-drama "Softly, Softly Little One", a
Turkish-Greek drama film "Bliss", a Polish documentary "Polish
Dream,"
Hungarian documentary "Stork," and a Turkish documentary "August Ant"
are
among the films to be screened during the event.
The film days, aiming to get the attention of high school and
university
students in rural areas, where social activities are limited, started
in
Sanliurfa's Birecik Township. Screenings continue in Nizip on Nov.
12-13,
Oguzeli on Nov. 14, Besni on Nov. 20, and on Nov. 27 in Kilis.
* The 9th International Antalya Piano Festival began on November 7
and
continues through November 23, 2008. Renowned composer and pianist
Fazil
Say is the Art Director of the Festival, according to an announcement
posted on mymerhaba.com.
All concerts take place at Antalya Cultural Center, in Turkey's
Mediterranean city of Antalya.
The complete program is:
Friday, November 7 at 20:30
Opening Concert
Antalya State Opera and Ballet Orchestra and Chorus
Conductor: Gurer Aykal
Soloist: Fazil Say
Program: Bach: Piano Concerto, Say: Piano Concerto and Balads,
Beethoven: Choral Fantasy
Saturday, November 8 at 20:30
Antalya State Opera and Ballet Orchestra and Chorus
Conductor: Gurer Aykal
Soloist: Fazil Say
Program: Bach: Piano Concerto, Say: Piano Concerto and Balads,
Beethoven: Choral Fantasy
Sunday, November 9 at 14:30
Young Talents Concert
Ozgun Gulhan, Bach: Prelude and Fugue
Can Aladagli, Bach: Italian Concerto, Schumann: Toccata, Ginastera:
Argentina Dances
Mertol Demirelli, Beethoven: Sonata No. 8, Pathetique
Ksenia Rodionova, Beethoven: 15 Variations and Fugue
Tuesday, November 11 at 20:30
Lise de la Salle
Program: Scarlatti: Sonatas for Clavier, Mozart: Fantasy No. 3 and
Piano
Sonata 13,
Chopin: Nocturnes and Ballades
Thursday, November 13 at 20:30
Huseyin Sermet
Schubert: La Grande Sonate la Mineur, Jazz Improvisation
Saturday, November 15 at 20:30
Gonzalo Rubalcaba Jazz Concert
Monday, November 17 at 20:30
Moscow Virtuosi
Conductor: Vladimir Spivakov
Soloist: Alexander Gindin
Schnittke: Concerto in the old style for piano and strings,
Mozart: Symphony No. 24 KV 182, Kancheli: Little Daneliad, Pizzola: 3
Tangos
Wednesday, November 19 at 20:30
Sa Chen
Beethoven: Sonata No. 14, Debussy: Clair de Lune, Wang: Inspiration
from
Chinese,
Chopin: Fantasy Op. 49, Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
Friday, November 21 at 20:30
Ivo Pogorelich
Mozart: Fantasy d minor, Beethoven: Piano sonata No. 23, Chopin:
Piano
sonata No. 3,
Lizst: Mephisto Waltz
Monday, November 23 at 20:30
Chano Dominguez, Piano Flamenco
Vocalist: Blas Cordoba
Flamenco Dancer: Tomas Morena
Percussion: Israel Suarez
See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOo_IZypu6U
* The Royal Institute of British Architects is to hold an exhibition
on
Istanbul architecture. Titled "Istanbul and Beyond: Selected Projects
of
Tabanlioglu Architects," the exhibition is completely film-based and
brings to life work from the company's recent projects, some of the
newest
and most innovative buildings in Turkey.
Tabanlioglu Architects is a Turkish company based in Istanbul and
known
for its buildings such as the Istanbul Modern (2004), the first
modern
arts museum in Turkey, and the Dogan TV Center (2003). It also
specializes
in residential and mixed-use buildings, such as the Kanyon complex
(2006)
and Levent Loft. The company recently renovated the Ataturk Cultural
Centre and the British Consulate and is currently in the process of
constructing the tallest high-rise building in Istanbul, Sapphire
Tower.
Visitors to the exhibition will enter a corridor where three
simultaneous projections give a sense of being suspended in mid-air
as
they travel through the Tabanlioglu buildings. The exhibition examines
19
of the company's domestic projects under four themes: media,
boulevard,
culture and beyond. Additional projection films will be used to reveal
the
various hidden details of each architectural design.
The exhibition will start Nov. 20 and continue through to Dec. 20.
* Renowned Turkish photographer Ilker Maga's exhibition, "Istanbul: A
Story of the Sea," has started in Bremen after lengthy preparations,
reports the Focus on Travel News.
The exhibition is at Hafenmuseum gallery as part of the
"Integration
Week" and also includes many Turkish and German artists.
Praising Maga's works, Hafenmuseum official Claudia Seidel said
artist's
love of the Istanbul had accelerated the opening of this exhibition.
The exhibition, displaying 58 photos, will be on until Jan. 4,
2009,
then travel to other German and European cities before meeting the
art
lovers of Istanbul in 2010, under the title "Maga-Istanbul."
* Turkish director Necati Sonmez's documentary has won the Honorable
Mention Award at DocumFest 2008, an international documentary film
festival in Romania. His film, "To Make an Example", competed against
28
films in the Creative Documentary category.
The documentary tackles the issue of capital punishment in Turkey.
While
wandering through two deserted prisons where many executions were
carried
out, it also tries to reenact the convicts' very last moments. On
behalf
of the hundreds who have died on the gallows, it asks this question:
Why
did we kill all these people?
The film also won the Best Documentary Golden Karagz Award in the
International Silk Road Film Festival last year and the Second Prize
at
the Ankara International Film Festival earlier this year. It has been
shown at the World's renowned festivals and it will be screened during
the
1001 Documentary Film Festival that starts in Istanbul.
EXCHANGE RATE
EXCHANGE RATE for the U.S. dollar in New Turkish Liras: 1.61
WEATHER
High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather
Ankara, in central Turkey----------: 39/57 Partly Cloudy
Antalya, on the Mediterranean------: 57/72 Mostly Sunny
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey---: 45/61 Mostly Sunny
Izmir, on the Aegean---------------: 48/66 Mostly Sunny
Trabzon, on the Black Sea----------: 54/61 Light Showers
Seawater temperatures
Black Sea measured at Trabzon 63
Marmara Sea measured at Tekirdag 61
Aegean Sea measured at Izmir 66
Mediterranean Sea measured at Antalya 75
SPORTS
* The Anatolia News Agency reports that Turkish men's team won the
gold
medal in Kumite category at the 19th World Karate Championship in
Tokyo on
Friday.
* Turkish Premiere Soccer League
* In this week's games in the league:
GENCLERBIRLIGI 0- 1 TRABZONSPOR A.$.
KOCAELISPOR 3- 2 DENIZLISPOR
FENERBAHCE 2- 0 ANKARASPOR A.$.
ESKI$EHIRSPOR - MKE ANKARAGUCU
SIVASSPOR - KONYASPOR
HACETTEPE SPOR - GAZIANTEPSPOR
KAYSERISPOR - ANTALYASPOR A.$.
BURSASPOR - BE$IKTA$ A.$.
GALATASARAY A.$. - BUYUK$EHIR BLD.SPOR
* In last week's games in the league:
BE$IKTA$ A.$. KOCAELISPOR 5- 2
MKE ANKARAGUCU BURSASPOR 1- 1
TRABZONSPOR A.$. HACETTEPE SPOR 1- 0
KONYASPOR GENCLERBIRLIGI 2- 2
DENIZLISPOR KAYSERISPOR 1- 0
ANKARASPOR A.$. ESKI$EHIRSPOR 2- 0
GAZIANTEPSPOR BUYUK$EHIR BLD.SPOR 1- 4
ANTALYASPOR A.$. SIVASSPOR 2- 1
FENERBAHCE GALATASARAY A.$. 4- 1
* Ranking in the league:
1 TRABZONSPOR A.$. 23
2 ANKARASPOR A.$. 22
3 BE$IKTA$ A.$. 21
4 SIVASSPOR 18
5 GALATASARAY A.$. 17
6 KAYSERISPOR 17
7 FENERBAHCE 16
8 BURSASPOR 16
9 GAZIANTEPSPOR 14
10 KONYASPOR 14
11 ESKI$EHIRSPOR 13
12 BUYUK$EHIR BLD.SPOR 12
13 DENIZLISPOR 11
14 GENCLERBIRLIGI 10
15 ANTALYASPOR A.$. 8
16 HACETTEPE SPOR 8
17 MKE ANKARAGUCU 7
18 KOCAELISPOR 2
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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