x0x Turkish news for week ending 12 March 2005
T.R.H.
x0x Turkish news for week ending 12 March 2005
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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 today is Senem Ozer
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* The Voice of America reporter Amberin Zaman reports that the top European
Union officials rapped Turkey's government about its failure to fully implement
several recent reforms crafted to ease the country's entry into the European
bloc.
The Voice of America says that the criticism came a day after police in
Istanbul attacked women demonstrators commemorating World Women's Day.
The police officials say that the rally was illegal, and the women were
permitted to have rallies at different parts of the city, but not at that
particular place to avoid traffic jams. The government officials and the prime
minister blamed the media for negative publicity.
A lot of Turks were also critical of the police. Many columnists in the
Turkish papers wrote articles critical of the police and the government.
In a press release the Turkish businessman's and industrialists association
also criticized the government and asked them to assume responsibility.
* Turkish Journalists Association head Orhan Erinc
criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogans recent accusations
that the media had aired exaggerated stories concerning police
actions against Womens Day protesters last weekend.
"While trying
to defend the police, the prime minister is being unfair to
publishers who value their independence", said Mr. Erinc.
* Speaking of women's rights, the Turkish daily Star reports that Turkish
Parliament's Planning and Budget Commission on Tuesday,
International Womens Day, approved a bill proposing that working
mothers be allowed three hours of daily breastfeeding leave for
the first six months after birth and one-and-a-half hours a day
for the second six months.
The bill also says that pregnant women
who are willing to work up to three weeks before the expected
birth date will be allowed to do so, with doctor approval.
The daily Star says that thebill would also boost other maternity and
paternity leave rights.
* The Turkish dailies Cumhuriyet and Hurriyet carried out the comments of the
Turkish foreign affairs ministry spokesman on U.S. Turkish relations.
The spokesman on Wednesday announced a shift in Turkey's Iraq
policy and reiterated that the country is strongly committed to its
strategic partnership with the United States.
Rebuffing recent
allegations that the ruling Justice and Development Party's Islamist leanings
had helped encourage rising anti-American
sentiment in Turkey, the spokesman stated that Turkey is a friend and ally
to the US and that such media allegations had no place in Ankaras
relations with Washington.
The spokesman also announced that Turkey would not oppose a federation in
Iraq, if the new Iraqi constitution to
be approved by the Iraqi people requires this. "However, Turkey still opposes
any possible independent Kurdish formation in the
region and believes that Iraq's territorial integrity must be
protected", he added.
* On this side of the World, State Department spokesman Mr. Richard Boucher told
in his daily briefing that relations between U.S. and the Turkish government are
strong and positive.
Asked about reports of high anti-US sentiment in Turkey, Mr. Boucher said that
he wouldnt speculate about press reports.
*A powerful earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale shook Karliova in
eastern Turkey on Saturday. Fortunately, the news arriving indicates so far
that there were no deaths.
As California, Turkey is a major earthquake zone with many fault lines
crossing the country. A 1999 earthquake killed more than 30,000 people in
Western Turkey.
* The Turkish daily Turkiye reports that the Turkish president President Ahmet
Necdet Sezer approved a new law on the
Turkish Straits.
The law is designed to reduce the risk of
pollution in the Straits by not allowing the passage of uninsured
ships in Turkish territorial waters.
In addition, ships which fail
to meet World environmental standards won' t be allowed to pass
through the straits.
Turkish vessels which do not meet these
standards will also be barred. All ships will have to
submit information on their cargo to the Undersecretariat of
Navigation.
The use of Turkish Straits is a major friction point between Russia and
Turkey.
* The European Union officials paid a visit to Turkey this week and met with
Turkish officials to discuss Turkey's preparations for the European Union
membership.
The European Union officials praised turkey's efforts in undertaking reform to
meet the European Union membership criteria, but said that more is necessary.
* The private Turkish Channel NTV reports that the international monetary fund
is asking Turkish government to undertake reforms in Social Security, financial
services and tax laws and regulations before it extends $10 billion of loans.
* Gas prices are going up in Turkey reports Channel NTV. With the new increases
in refined product, Turkish consumers will pay the equivalent of $6.3 a gallon
for gasoline.
* Turkey's Central Bank announced a reduction in short term interest rates of
one point Wednesday, bringing the rate down to 15.5 percent, reports the private
Channel NTV.
The Central Bank decision was linked to the good inflation figures for
February that we reported to you can last week's news.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Edited by Serkan Hatipoglu
* "Snow"' by Orhan Pamuk and Elif Safak's "The Flea
Palace" are the books of two Turkish authors who are
among the 80 books that have made it to the final of
the British newspaper, The Independent's "best
translated novel" competition.
The prize for the competition in which six writers
from different countries have moved to the finals is
£10.000. (24,000 New Turkish Lira) The winning writer
will share the prize money with the book's translator.
Other books and writers competing for the award are:
Frrederic Beigbeder: "Windows on The World," (France),
Xiaolu Guo: "Village of Stone," (China), Chigo
Buarque: "Budapest," (Brazil) and Irina Denezhkina:
"Give Me" (Russia).
* A photograph exhibition titled "Turks: Architects of
an Empire and the Genius of Sinan" has opened at the
Shapero Gallery in London.
Masterpieces of Sinan the architect, chief architect
to Suleyman the Magnificent, are presented to visitors
with 35 photographs by architect-photographer Ahmet
Ertug. The exhibition, which focuses on the
masterpieces designed by Sinan, also includes detailed
photographs of 16th century Iznik tiles. The Shapero
Gallery also presents antique books from the Ottoman
era besides 10 paintings dating from 1790 from its
collection in the exhibition. Ertug said that he aimed
to show the British public that Turkey could make a
significant contribution to the European Union (EU) in
terms of culture and arts.
* The Turkish Daily News published in English reports that a joint project
between Greek and Turkish foundations to rescue Mediterranean seals has received
2300 Euros from a company that conducts chartered yacht tours in Turkey's
Southwest Coast.
The yacht charter company has collected the money as donations from the people
who have gone on their tours.
The Mediterranean seals are an endangered species.
* The islands in Lake Van in eastern Turkey is home to botanical treasures,
writes the Turkish Daily News
.A study has shown that the four islands have some 346 different types of
herbs and plants, some of which are endemic.
The study, conducted by three scientists, has been going on for the past three
years.
Akdamar, one of the four islands of Lake Van, has great tourism potential,
partially due to a historic Armenian church located on it.
* The 3rd Filmmor Women's Film Festival continues through March 18 in Istanbul
at the French Culture Center, Goethe Institute and Kartal Hasan Ali Yücel
Culture Center.
In addition to films, the fest includes workshops and discussions. Laura
Mulvey and Helma Sanders-Brahms are the guests of honor for this year's
festival. Also, several female filmmakers such as Liris Harma will participate.
Following the screenings in Istanbul, the festival moves to the DSM European
Movie Theater in Diyarbak?r on April 1-2 and then to the City Culture Theater in
Batman on April 4-5. There will be Kurdish simultaneous translation for all
screenings in Batman.
The Filmmor Women's Film Festival aims to ease women's participation in the
media and cinema and to increase the opportunities for women in these fields to
express themselves, organizers say.
Admission to the screenings is free.
* Turkey is a smoker's paradise. Well, not anymore. Two news articles that
appeared in the Turkish daily News indicates that the opposition to smoking is
growing. As a result, even some traditional Turkish cafes that have been the
dens for smokers are going cold turkey.
An Antalya cafe recently set up a non-smoking area, and noticed that even the
smokers put out their cigarettes and preferred to sit in that area.
The opposition is also coming from all walks of life. For example, in the
Western City of Denizli 23 children from a kindergarten have launched an
anti-smoking campaign. The children, carrying small banners that read, "Please
put out your cigarette," tried to warn smokers in Deliklic?nar Square by means
of their small but effective effort.
Some people, unable to resist the children who warned them about their health,
put out their cigarettes. Meanwhile, other passers-by who saw the children
carrying small pots resembling ashtrays and waging a campaign against smoking
attempted to "escape" from the children, resulting in some funny scenes.
The children immediately surrounded these smokers and urged them to extinguish
their cigarettes.
* Italian Ambassador to Ankara Carlo Marsili and his wife Selva Marsili hosted a
ceremony and reception on Tuesday, March 8, in honor of Turkish businessman U?ur
Terzio?lu, with the support of the Italian construction firm Astaldi S.pA, at
the Italian Embassy.
During the reception, which was held to celebrate Terzio?lu's receiving of a
Medal of Honor from the Italian government, Ambassador Carlo Marsili made a
speech, in which he underlined the contributions Terzio?lu has made to promote
Italian culture abroad. Marsili stated that the number of Italian films that are
screened in Turkey per year has reached over 100, thanks mainly to the efforts
of Terzio?lu, who in 1971 went to Italy and established a film company there.
* Eight ceramics artists from Eski?ehir have joined forces and staged a joint
exhibition at the State Fine Arts Gallery called "8 K," in which "K" stands for
"kad?n" (woman) in Turkish.
The exhibition opened on March 8, World Women's Day, and can be viewed until
March 18. It consists of 50 ceramic designs by artists Zehra Çobanl?, Oya
Uzuner, Emel ?ölenay, Özgür Kaptan, Ece Yaz?c?o?lu, Dilek Alkan Özdemir, Lale
Demir Oransay and Ezgi Hakan Okur.
Outstanding pieces on view include Kaptan's "The Woman Who Gives Birth Until She
Finds the Son," Oransay's "Woman and Slavery," Ozdemir's "Hürrem with Seven
Husbands" and Çobanl?'s "Hands."
* The Turkish Film Festival, organized by the Assembly of Citizens of Turkish
Origin (ACORT), will take place March 16-29 in Paris, according to the Do?an
News Agency.
Films to be shown include "Against the Wall," "Where are You, Firuze?"
"Construction," "A Season in Hakkari," "Piano Piano Rascal," "School," "Mud" and
"Making Ships Out of Watermelon Skins." Guests scheduled to appear at the
festival, where cinema shorts will also be featured, are directors Ye?im
Ustao?lu, Ezel Akay, Ömer Varg? and Durul Taylan.
The film festival will be held in the Parisian district known as "Little
Istanbul," so called due to its large number of Turkish residents. During the
festival, children will be invited to watch the film "Piano Piano Rascal" free
of charge.
ACORT, formed by a group of Turkish immigrants in France, has been engaged in
behind-the-scenes activities in France in support of Turkey's accession to the
European Union.
* Turkish artist Yücel Dönmez, who has been living in Chicago since 1980, will
exhibit a fresh artistic style called Deepism in what American critics say is a
new trend in the world of art.
Mr. Dönmez said Deepism, including the aspects of today's conceptual art,
would carry the art of painting to its peak. He added that Deepism was also
reflected in today's world in the fields of literature, medicine, physics,
technology and politics.
Dönmez conveys the feeling of eternity in his work by synthesizing it with the
reason for our cosmic existence.
US art critics say Mr. Dönmez's inspiration comes from Turkish art, which he
uses as a base, developing his own style and technique. Chicago Tribune art
critic Alan Artner said Dönmez, with his strong technique and style, has created
something new in modern painting. "It's like looking at Kandinsky or Klee's
work; I don't see traces from any other artist. The same goes for Yücel Dönmez's
work; I don't see traces of other artists."
Mr. Dönmez has an exhibition in Istanbul that will run through March 30 at the
Antique Art Gallery in Istanbul's Taksim district.
* The Pan-European Federation for Heritage, Europa Nostra, asked for Turkey's
Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Gül's help in saving the ancient city of
Allianoi from being flooded by Yortanl? Dam, which is to begin operation in
November.
Europa Nostra Executive President Otto von der Gablentz and representatives of
nongovernmental organizations, the European Council and UNESCO wrote a letter to
Gül and asked for help in rescuing Allianoi and its Roman baths. Gablentz said
Gül should fight to save these ruins and that they should remain for future
generations to see. The letter, dated March 1, 2005, also said it was unusual to
see Roman thermal springs of such splendor outside areas of Roman habitation and
that this Roman bath was historically important.
The flooding to be caused by the dam would constitute a great loss to Turkey's
historical legacy and also deprive the country of tourism. If no solution is
found, Allianoi will be submerged and lost forever under the waters of Yortanl?
Dam.
Situated near Bergama at the Pasha Thermal Spa, Allianoi was founded during
the Hellenic period and was transformed by Roman Emperor Hadrian (A.D. 117-138).
Dr. Ahmet Yarash and his staff discovered the ancient city Allainoi during
construction of the state waterworks dam in 1995.
* Handmade carpets made by the people of K?z?k, Bolu in northwestern Turkey all
receiving help from the European Union.
As part of the "Active Labor Force Programs Project" organized by the
Recruitment Office and financed by the European Union, the Helping and
Solidarity of K?z?k Village Association was formed. The project managers opened
eight carpet workshops in Bolu's Akta? Quarter and women from the village are
paid 120 euros per month to weave carpets.
The president of the association Mr. Yahya Özçelik said that their aim is not
only to keep the tradition of K?z?k carpet's alive but to also give the
housewives and unemployed young people of the area work.
Mr. Özçelik underlined that the history of K?z?k carpet's dates back to the17th
century and added: "We launched this project to improve both our economic and
social conditions. We will train 20 people for three months and this number will
increase to 60."
Mr. Özçelik also said that the European Union provided 36,000 euros for the
project and added, "We want to obtain a patent for K?z?k carpet's and later sell
them to the overseas markets."
EXCHANGE RATE for the U.S. dollar in New Turkish Liras: 1.26
WEATHER
High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather
Ankara, in central Turkey----------: 43/23 Partly Cloudy
Antalya, on the Mediterranean------: 59/41 Partly Cloudy
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey---: 46/30 Partly Cloudy
Izmir, on the Aegean---------------: 54/34 Mostly Sunny
Trabzon, on the Black Sea----------: 45/37 Rainy
Snow depths at skiing locations:
Erciyes, in Kayseri, Central Turkey 49 inches
Ilgaz, in Kastamonu, North Central Turkey 83 inches
Kartalkaya, in Bolu, Western Turkey 63 inches
Palandoken, in Erzurum, Eastern Turkey 18 inches
Saklikent, in Antalya, Southern Turkey 35 inches
Sarikamis, in Kars, Eastern Turkey 35 inches
Uludag, in Bursa, Western Turkey 98 inches
SPORTS
Edited by Mark Nowak
* Turkish Soccer- Premier Division
Week 23 results
Galatasaray 1-0 Besiktas
Gençlerbirligi 4-0 Ankaragucu
Istanbulspor 1-1 Samsunspor
Sakaryaspor 1-1 Ankaraspor
Denizlispor 0-0 Diyarbakirspor
Malatyaspor 0-2 Fenerbahçe
Gaziantepspor 3-2 Trabzonspor
Kayserispor 2-1 Rizespor
Sebatspor 3-5 Konyaspor
Besiktas 0-0 Gençlerbirligi
Istanbulspor 1-2 Ankaragucu
Week 24 matches
Trabzonspor 4-3 Sakaryaspor
Ankaragucu 1-1 Denizlispor
Istanbulspor 0-3 Galatasaray
Konyaspor 2-0 Malatyaspor
Fenerbahçe - Gençlerbirligi
Rizespor - Sebatspor
Diyarbakirspor - Gaziantepspor
Samsunspor - Kayserispor
Ankaraspor - Besiktas
Standings
Team Pts
1. Fenerbahçe 59
2. Galatasaray 57
3. Trabzonspor 55
4. Besiktas 42
5. Denizlispor 36
6. Rizespor 34
7. Konyaspor 34
8. Gaziantepspor 31
9. Malatyaspor 31
10. Ankaraspor 30
11. Gençlerbirligi 29
12. Samsunspor 28
13. Ankaragucu 28
14. Diyarbakirspor 26
15. Sakaryaspor 19
16. Istanbulspor 18
17. Kayserispor 18
18. Sebatspor 10
* ULEB Euroleague Basketball Standings
Group D
Macc. T-A 3 - 0
Montepas. 2 - 1
Ulker 1 - 2
Cibona 0 - 3
Group G
AEK 3 - 0
Efes Pilsen 2 - 1
Benetton 1 - 2
Prokon 0 - 3
*Turkish Basketball - Men
Team Pts
1 Efes Pilsen 36
2 Ülker 36
3 Be?ikta? 34
4 Fenerbahçe 31
5 Tuborg 30
6 P.Kar??yaka 28
7 Türk Telekom 28
8 Erdemir 27
9 Darü??afaka 27
10 Banvit 25
11 ?.T.Ü 24
12 Galatasaray 24
13 Büyük Kolej 24
14 Tekelspor 24
*Turkish Basketball - Women
Team Pts
1 Be?ikta? 36
2 Fenerbahçe 35
3 Erdemirspor 34
4 Ceyhan Bld. 32
5 Mersin Bld. 32
6 Migros 31
7 Çankaya Üniversitesi 27
8 ?ÜSK 27
9 Bota? 24
10 Galatasaray 22
11 Orimcam 21
12 Burhaniye Bld. 21
*NBA
Hidayet Turkoglu Pts, rebs, assts, mins
Orlando 96 - 101 Minnesota 32, 5, 4, 40
Orlando 96 - 106 Toronto 21, 2, 4, 43
Orlando 92 - 111 Cleveland 11, 2, 6, 35
Orlando 105 - 81 New Jersey 4, 5, 4, 26
Mehmet Okur
Utah 82 - 94 Memphis 14, 5, 2, 33
Utah 83 - 89 Indiana 18, 12, 3, 34
Utah 94 - 101 San Antonio 14, 7, 2, 30
ANNOUNCEMENTS
*** The Alaturka restaurant underwrote today's program,
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/
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