Facebook 'Beauty' Snares Defrauding Friend

friends (links to original article)

(Sabah Newspaper, 20 March 2011)

Abdullah Çelik (28) who lives in Istanbul set a trap on Facebook for
an army pal who cheated him out of 40,000 TL three years ago. Çelik
set the trap for Cemil Sungur with a profile of a pretty blonde girl and
when he met up with his friend in Denizli he kidnapped him and demanded
a 40,000TL ransom from Sungur's father. However, the father reported
the affair to police who conducted an operation on Thursday and rescued
Sungur.

Cemil Sungur (28) of Denizli and Abdullah Çelik of Istanbul served in the
army together in Zonguldak three years ago. After being discharged Sungur
returned to Denizli and shortly thereafter called his friend Çelik, saying that
'I found a treasure. I've got gold that I'll sell to you cheap.' Sungur sent some
real gold to his friend and said that he would sell the remainder to Çelik at
a price well below the going rate.  Çelik then went to Denizli, paid his friend
40,000 TL and took possession of a bag full of gold. A short time later
Çelik found out that the gold was fake but since he'd obtained it through
illegal means he couldn't file a complaint. Çelik couldn't stand the fact that
he had been defrauded but in spite of all his efforts he couldn't track down
Sungur.

But three months ago Çelik noticed that Cemil Sungur had opened a profile
on Facebook and knowing his friend's weakness for women he created a
fake profile of pretty blonde woman named Selin Demir, complete with a
photograph (actually American singing star Ashley Tisdale). Çelik then
added Sungur as a friend and chatted with Sungur, a textile worker who
identified himself as a mechanical engineer to 'Selin', regularly for three months.

After the conversants established an emotional connection, Çelik had a friend
who identified herself as Selin Demir, call Sungur and ask to meet with him.
Sungur told the person he thought was Selin Demir to meet him at an amuse-
ment park on the Denizli-Antalya highway on 5 March. While waiting at the
meeting point for the pretty blonde girl he had seen in the photographs,
Sungur was instead confronted with his army pal Abdullah Çelik and his
friends. Çelik then forced the bewildered Sungur into a car and kidnapped
him to Istanbul.

Sungur's father Hasan Sungur went to the Denizli state prosecutor the same
day to report that his son had been kidnapped. He told police that someone
had called him to say that they had kidnapped his son because he had
defrauded them and they therefore wanted 40,000TL as ransom. The Denizli
police immediately informed their Istanbul counterparts and gave them the
phone number used to call Hasan Sungur. Istanbul police conducted an
operation last Thursday and raided a home in Arnavutköy where Sungur was
being held. Thanks to the operation police were able to rescue Sungur and
take Abdullah Çelik and his five cohorts into custody. The suspects were
taken to court and Abdullah Çelik and Hüseyin Ç. were arrested.

To Catch a Lover, Claim He's a Thief

theft (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 25 March 2011)

Suspecting that his wife A.D. (37) was cheating on him, T.D. (41), who
lives in the Karşıyaka neighborhood of Yenimhalle in Ankara, started to
tail her. T.D. saw his wife bring a man to their home so he called the police
to report adultery. The response he got from police was that 'adultery is
not a crime. We don't bother with it.'

On another day, T.D. told his wife that he would be working late but
instead he lay in ambush in front of their home. When he saw that his wife
had brought her lover to their home he called the '155 Police Hotline' and
declared that 'there's a robber in my home.' T. D. then waited for the police
in front of the house, opened the door with his key and let the police in.
Expecting  to catch a thief when they entered the house, police nabbed a
half-naked A.D. and her lover S.K. (37).

A report was filed about S.K. based on the crime of 'violating the sanctity
of the home.' In his own defense, S.K. said in his statement to police 'I
know A.D. and she invited me to her house. We had tea and made love.
Then the police came in, along with her husband. I love her and want to
marry her.'

T.D. has filed a divorce suit, which is being heard in Ankara's 8th Family
Court. He had this to say: 'when we entered the house my wife was in her
pajamas. The fellow was hiding in the bathroom. I told the police that I
wanted to file a complaint about a person who had entered my home
without permission. I want to divorce the wife who cheated on me and
get custody of my child.'

Turk Mafia in New York Busted

turk mafia (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 30 March 2011)

Wide-ranging police operations conducted in New York's Long Island
and Rochester areas have dealt a big blow to two separate groups of
Turkish mafia. A Turkish gang led by two brothers on Long Island was
broken in the 'Bust Out' operation and a group in Rochester that included
three Turks was nabbed in the course of  'Operation Breakers'. Both
operations involved 25 million dollars in fraud activities.

In the Long Island case, the suspects bloated the credit limits of students
and families making plans to return to Turkey by pouring tens of thousands
of dollars into their accounts. The fraud was accomplished when the money
was withdrawn from the accounts and half the obtained credit was shared
with the account holders.

'Operation Breakers' began when Çağatay Ünlü put a gun in the car of
Necdet Yetim, the estranged older brother of Ünlü's fellow-gang leader
Özgür Yetim, and informed police. Necdet Yetim, whose nickname is
'Turk JR', then informed on his brothers. Çağatay Ünlü, who was arrested,
told police about all their crimes.Necdet Yetim's arrested brothers Nazım
and Özgür are facing five year and ten year jail terms, respectively. Necdet
Yetim said that 'I cut my relations with my brothers ten years ago when I
found out that they were involved in illegal activities.' He claimed that up to
now his brothers has transferred at  least 5 or 6 million dollars to relatives
in Mudanya district of Bursa.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
//herewith a slightly different version of the Long Island caper reported in
Sabah Newspaper//

http://www.sabah.com.tr/Dunya/2011/03/30/new-yorktaki-turk-ceteye-abi-tokadi

A Turkish gang that copied credit card information from wealthy customers at
the five gas stations they operated in the U.S. state of New York and engaged
in a large-scale fraud has been busted. The leaders of the gang that operated in
Suffolk County on Long Island, Özgür Yetim and Ismail Nazım Yetin, were
arrested based on a tip from their older brother.  According to claims, the affair
unfolded as follows:

Brothers Özgür and Ismail Nazım Yetim of Rize secretly put a gun in the car
of their older brother whom they envied because he was more successful
and well-known than they were. After the brothers informed police,
Necdet Yetim, nicknamed 'Lazoğlu', was taken into custody on the Long
Island Expressway. Necdet Yetim said in his statement that the gun was
placed in his car by his brothers who were conspiring against him and he
proceeded to give police all the information about the credit card gang.

After Necdet Yetim gave his statement police went into action and arrested
the brothers who were getting ready to return to Turkey. Police seized
200,000 dollars (440,000TL), five luxury cars, five gas stations and a
beach-front home valued at 1.5 million dollars (3.3 million TL), all belonging
to the brothers. Their older brother Necdet Yetim continued to provide
police with information after the operation, revealing that his brother Özgür
Yetim had spirited 3 million dollars (6.6 million TL) to Bursa via his father-
in-law.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
//herewith back to the Hürriyet story//

The credit card gang in Rochester was set up in 1986. The district attorney
for Monroe County in the northern New York city of Rochester, Mike
Green, provided details about 'Operation Loan Shark', in which a credit
card gang of eight people, including three Turks, was busted.  The gang
was led by Ersin Yaman, nicknamed 'Mike the Turk', and Ismail Cruz
and set up in 1986. The gang used stolen credit cards targeting leading
U.S. stores like JC Penney, Sears, Wegmans and Home Depot and then
sold the goods they purchased. It is claimed that up to now the gang has
accumulated 15 million dollars in illegal income. The three Turks in the
gang arrested in Rochester are Ersin Yaman, Vedat Kıraç and Muhittin
Akyüz.

Watch Your Language on the Bus

bus (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 30 March 2011)

A man riding on the IETT bus that runs between Zeytinburnu and Marmara
Sanayi Sitesi got into an argument with Yilmaz Akbaba (32) and Vedat
Akbaba (28) who were allegedly using foul language in loud voices. As the
bus was passing by the intersection at Atatürk Airport the unidentified man,
who was with a woman, took out a gun and fired at the two Akbaba
brothers. The bus passengers were thrown into a great panic and the
brothers were seriously wounded by the bullets that hit their bodies.

One of the gun's bullets also hit Faruk Çoban (53), who was in the process
of handing his carfare to the bus driver, in his left hand. The gunman who
had shot the three people and his female companion got off the bus and
escaped when the driver stopped the bus. The Akbaba brothers were taken
to the hospital, where they remain in serious condition. The police have
begun a inquiry in order to capture the attacker.

Women Try Suicide to Get Attention

suicide (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 30 March 2011)

The deputy chief of the Zonguldak Security Bureau, Ümit Boztepe, noted
that they've initiated a study at Karaelmas University in connection with the
increase of suicide incidents in the city. Boztepe claimed that 'women's
biological make-up is a bit different. We perceive that, and according to
our research, women attempt suicide in order to attract attention.'

Speaking at the first welcome meeting held at the Zonguldak Municipal
Wedding Bureau, as part of the activities associated with the 10 April
Police Holiday, Boztepe had this to say:

'There's a difference between men's and women's suicide incidents. The
proportion of suicide deaths in women is less than men's. We tried to
determine the reasons for suicide: does it spring from the geographic
location where people live?; is it violence within the family?; male-female
relations?  We're trying to figure out what the level of this inclination for
suicide is in young people. We would like you to help us on this subject.
Always let us know about people who may have this inclination.'

Why Don't They Cover These Damn Wells!

well (links to original article)

(Sabah Newspaper, 18 March 2011)

In Istanbul's Kartal district, Bayram Karaduman, who was collecting empty
beer bottles, fell into a 70 meter-deep well. It is unclear why the opening of
the well was left uncovered.

A group that was drinking in an empty lot encountered Karaduman and
exchanged greetings with him. When the group heard a noise a bit later
they shouted 'Uncle Bayram' and then went to look for him. The group found
a sack full of bottles but didn't see Karaduman anywhere around so they
informed the police.

While there was an evaluation made that there may have been a murder,
police also called firefighters to the scene considering the possibility that
Karaduman may have fallen into the well. The firefighters brought two big
winches with them and set to work to save Bayram Karaduman. But at
the 50 meter mark the well was full of water and the firefighters ropes weren't
long enough so a diver couldn't descend any lower. At the end of five hours
of work, the firefighters removed Karaduman's lifeless body from the well
using a winch.

Car Thieves in Wrong Place, Wrong Time

wrong place (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 18 March 2011)

//ed. note: Ibrahim Tatlıses is one of Turkey's biggest singing stars so
the attack on him has been big news here.//

Teams from the Organized Crime-fighting Task Force captured Abdullah
Uçmak at his home in Pendik on the charge of having ordered the attack
on Ibrahim Tatlıses. Subsequently, a search of his house was conducted.
At the same time, the police heard announcements on their radios like 'they're
escaping in your direction' and 'get after them'. Thinking that a different
police team was pursuing Uçmak's partners-in-crime, the police making the
search went downstairs.

Concurrently, police reinforcement teams were sent to the scene. Soon
afterwards it was understood that teams from the Car Theft Bureau, who
didn't know about the Uçmak operation, were chasing two robbery
suspects. Erdinç E. and Sinan K., the two suspects, has escaped the police
and entered into the area where Uçmak had been apprehended. So the
suspects, thinking that they had shaken the police, had in fact stumbled
into the Uçmak operation and were surrounded by police.

When the two suspects saw this inordinate number of uniformed and plain-
clothes police they were astounded and could only say 'what have we done
brother?' It turned out that Erdinç E. has been caught 31 times by the police
for robbery. The two suspects were sent to court.

March Madness in Samsun: One Girl, 77 Points

superstar (links to original article)

//ed. note: in honor of March Madness//

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 17 March 2011)

Such a thing has never before been seen or heard...in the Young Girls
Provincial Championship game played in Samsun, the Samsun Basketbol
Club defeated 55 Basket Team 77-60 and all of Samsun's 77 points
were scored by one person. Doğa Conba, a 17 year-old Anadolu High
School student who wears the Samsun Basketbol Club's uniform,
defeated 55 Basket Team all by herself. This interesting event has shocked
everyone.

Doğa Conba, who scored 77 points single-handedly, said that 'I passed
to my teammates but they couldn't take advantage of their opportunities.
I've been averaging about 30 points per game in previous games. Being
the one to score all the points in this game has given me a special kind
of happiness. I follow the example of Samsun Basketbol Club's legendary
Gülşah Akkaya. I'm following in her footsteps.'

Samsun Basketbol Club's coach Caner Yıllar pointed out that there have
been many players who have scored a lot of points in the games he's
seen over the past 25 years of his coaching career but there's never been
one player who has scored all of a team's points. He said 'I've coached the
Kadıköy Girls High School and Galatasaray and I've had players score
80-81 points. But for one player to score all of a team's points strikes me
as interesting.'

Stroll in the Park With a Python

python (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 16 March 2011)

The Malatya Environment and Forestry Provincial Directorate's National
Parks and Nature Preservation Office received a tip that Hayrettin
Baydoğan has been exercising the nine month-old python snake he
is raising in his house in Abdullah Gül Park each day. Based on the tip,
teams went to the park and seized the snake.

The veterinarian assigned to the Directorate, Mustafa Öner, stated that
'people who want to raise a python snake must have a 'CİTES document'
(international accord for protecting endangered species) and also get
permission from the Environment and Forestry Ministry. We're guessing
that the snake entered the country via illegal avenues.' It was reported
that the snake will be sent to a zoo.

Distracted Women Drivers Lose Pocket Books

cat (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 17 March 2011)

Based on compaints coming in to the Istanbul Public Security Directorate,
three women have been taken into custody for robbery after they distracted
car drivers. Nuriye Y. (25), Gülizar Ç. (25 and Semra A. (52), all of whom
have long records with the police, and Inanç Ç., who drove the getaway
car, victimized more than ten woman.

The suspects targetted women customers leaving parking lots at shopping
centers and department stores, approaching them with remarks such as
'there's a cat under your car', 'smoke is coming from your car' and 'it seems
that you've got a flat tire.'  At the same moment the other suspects would
grab the women's pocket books on the front seat and escape.

'Back Pain' Makes Adana Unemployment Capital

backpain (links to original article)

According to figures regarding basic workstrength at the provincial
level, as computed by the Turkey Statistics Council, Adana was declared
to be the province with the highest level of unemployment in 2009, 26.5%.
Yet, it has been reported that a large number of the unemployed won't do
any other work than a desk job, citing as an excuse 'my back hurts.'

IŞKUR (state employment agency) Adana provincial chief Haşim Meydan
said that no matter how many unemployment records Adana breaks, when
one looks at the profile of the unemployed a large portion of them are
unqualified yet assert that 'I'll do whatever job there is.' But he added that
when these people find a job they don't like it. Meydan stated that most
unemployed people use the classic excuse 'my back hurts' to avoid any job
other than a desk job. He noted, though, that 'yet, as experts have said,
sitting at a desk continually triggers back pain. That's why I don't consider
such excuses believable.'

Italy Doesn't Believe in Rich Turkish Women

visa (links to similar article)

Dudu Nuran Tekin (39), who has a great many homes and fields left
to her by her family in Korkuteli district of Antalya, is known by the
moniker 'hanımağa' (chief lady). Last year she purchased a tour of
Italy from a travel agency for 883 Euros, including the cost of the flight.

Tekin sent bank account information and real estate documents as
requested by the Italian Consulate in Izmir to the tourism firm . When
the Consulate officials wanted to talk with her personally, Tekin went
to Izmir but they wouldn't issue her a visa, declaring that 'it is not possible
for a woman of this age in Turkey to have acquired this much property
legally.'

Tekin was shocked by this turn of events and said 'Italy accepts terrorist
groups but treats me like I'm in the mafia. There's nothing in my life that
is illegal.'  Tekin has sent a request to the travel agency via a notery asking
to reclaim all her expenses, which amount to 2,295TL for the cost of the
tour, 883 Euros, and the travel costs for her trip to Izmir. She has also
given instructions to a lawyer to file a suit against the Italian Consulate for
damages.

Lawyers Battle Over Wall and Square Meters

wall (links to original article)

(Sabah Newspaper, 14 March 2011)

In Istanbul's Mecidiyeköy, two lawyers got into an argument on the
seventh floor of an office building. Ibrahim Gemici, one of the lawyers
who couldn't share the floor they bought, has filed suit against his colleague
Sezai Arıtürk, saying 'He's occupied my space!'. Arıtürk set up a wall
in the office area apportioned to him by a court expert's report but
Gemici claims that Arıtürk put up the wall when nobody was around.

It is claimed that individuals said to have been hired by Gemici went to
the seventh floor during the weekend when it was empty and tore down
the wall. After this incident, a surprised Sezai Arıtürk stated that he will
have the wall put back up. He said 'I'm ashamed that my colleague has
torn down the wall of the 115 square meter area that is rightfully mine.
The court expert has said that the total area is 320 square meters so my
share is 115 square meters. The remaining 205 square meters belong to
Gemici, who filed the suit, but he claims that the total area here is 400
square meters and the portion alloted to him is 266 square meters.'

Phoenicians Founded Blog's Hometown

kadıköy (links to original article)

(Kadıköy Newspaper, 11-17 March 2011)

//ed. note: another of our blog's historical excursions. This time about
the blog's hometown - Kadıköy, Istanbul//

In 825 BC the Phoenicians (Tyriens) came here from the city of Sur
in what is today Tunus and established a city. This settlement center
took the name of Kartaca, which later changed to 'Karchedon'. When
the Phoenicians began to settle Kadıköy they called it Chalkedon,
which means 'New City'.  Both the words Karchedon and Chalkedon
are the Phoenician names. It's clear that both are similar to each other
and so the belief that Kalkedon was a Phoenician city has been estab-
lished.

But although it was the Phoenicians who gave the name Kalkedon to
Kadıköy, whether it was the Phoenicians or the Megaras who were
the first settlers remains an open question. In 1350 AD when Kadıköy
was invaded by the Ottomans its name became 'Kalıcı Dünya' (Perma-
nent World) but this name wasn't used much. In later years it was
seized by the Istanbul Turks and Kadıköy was given to Fatih Mehmet
Sultan's first 'kadı' (judge) Hıdır Bey as payment for his services, in
the form of lands. That is how the name Kadıköy took and remains
with us to this day.

According to the research of Mr. Mithat Sertoğlu, Fatih's famous
judge, Celalzade Hıdır Bey, was the grandchild of the legendary
Nasrettin Hoca's daughter. After 1453 a retrenchment began in Kadıköy
in all regards. French traveller Pierre Gylies said in 1540 when he visited
Istanbul that 'Kadıköy is just a village anymore.' But with the coming of
the Christians to Kadıköy in the 19th century the city gained new life.

The first settlement place in Kadıköy after the conquest was the area
where Osmanağa Mosque is now situated. Greek and Turkish neighbor-
hoods continued with their relations and by the end of the 18th century
Kadıköy was known as a vacation spot where rich Greeks settled.
Subsequently, Levantines began to live in Altıyol, Bahariye, Moda and
Yoğurtçu.

Siblings' Unwitting Role in Robberies for Fun

rakı (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 1 March 2011)

In Antalya's Aksu district, Gökhan Ö. broke the bathroom window
of his step-brother Ramazan Ö.'s  restaurant the night before last and
stole the fish in the counter, 10 bottles of rakı and an amount of money.

The police were informed about the theft the following morning and
around noon word came that some people were getting ready to start
to barbeque fish in Şükrü Solmaz park in Muratpaşa. The police went
to the park and arrested four people standing around the barbeque
grill. In their statements, three of the suspects said that while they were
sitting in the park Gökhan Ö. came along with the rakı and fish and
invited them to dine with him. Gökhan Ö. confessed to the charges and
was taken into custody, while the other three were released.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
sick sister (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 1 March 2011) 

Turgay Z., who entered a bank branch a week ago in Ataşehir, Istanbul,
wearing a surgical mask and escaped with 13,680TL, has been captured
after police traced the mask to the pharmacy he bought it from. The
suspect had said while robbing the bank: 'my sister is sick, that's why
I'm doing this.'  However, it turns out that half an hour after the robbery
he was having an orgy with two women at a 5-star hotel.

Water distributor Turgay Z.'s credit card debt was increasing and a
week ago he applied to this same bank branch for credit but was denied.
At this point he decided to rob the bank and in his statement he said that
'I bought the surgical mask for the robbery and put it on my face. I came
to the bank in a taxi and I told the driver that I was wearing the mask
because I had a cold. I told him that I was going to withdraw money from
the bank and to wait for me until I returned. When I went into the bank I
pulled a fake gun out and after getting a bag full of money I went outside
again but the taxi wasn't waiting for me. I escaped on foot and waited for
things to die down. Then I got in a taxi and went to a 5-star hotel where
I called two girlfriends that I've know for a while.'

Police determined that the suspect stayed at this hotel for 3-4 days and
then rented a house in Ataşehir with the money he had stolen.  Although
the suspect stole 13,000TL, he failed to notice another bag next to the
safe which contained 100,000TL.  He had asked bank employees 'there's
only this much money in the bank?' to which they replied 'there's only this
much on Monday morning.'

As he was taken into custody Turgay Z. shouted to reporters 'I did it
because I love to rob.'

Mother-in-Law U.

mother-in-law (links to original article)

(Sabah Newspaper, 9 March 2011)

Zirve University in Gaziantep has announced the start of preparations
for a 'Mother-in-Law School', as a follow-on to its 'Marriage School'.
In a written statement, Dr. Fatih Töremen, head of the university's
education department, stated that the university had implemented the
'Marriage School' in cooperation with the Şahinbey Municipality in
order to stem the increase in divorces and establish more sturdy
marriages.

Töremen noted that the increase in the ratio of divorces was caused
by the lack of information of families in raising children and of young
people as they prepare for marriage.  He added that from this stand-
point, the project is important for increasing awareness among families
and newlyweds.

Töremen continued as follows: 'like young people, mothers-in-law must
be made more aware. By mobilizing all our resources about community
problems we're taking the lead in the development of our country's
social and cultural fields. With these projects, we're showing that the
university cannot live behind closed doors apart from the community.

Bear Likes Finger Food

bear (links to original article)

(Sabah Newspaper, 10 March 2011)

A person who stuck his finger into a bear's cage at the zoo in Mersin's
Tarsus district lost the digit. According to information, O.N.Ç. was touring
the zoo and put his left hand through the cage bars in order to pet the
sleeping bear. Just then the bear put O.N.Ç.'s hand into its mouth. Hearing
the screams, officials ran to the cage and chased the bear away from the
bars.

O.N.Ç. was taken to the hospital and it is understood that half of his left
index finger was lost. Despite a search, the finger the bear bit off was not
found and it was assumed that the bear swallowed it. A few years ago the
same bear bit off the hand of a person who stuck his hand into the cage.

Jeweler Hits Home Run at Robber's Expense

bat (links to original article)

A person came to Cengiz Jewelers in Bursa the night before last,
took out a revolver from his waste and said to Cemil Maral who
was in the process of closing the store: 'this is a stick up. If you don't
want to die put the gold in the counter into a bag. Otherwise, I'll
plug you.' As instructed, Maral put the gold in the counter into a bag
and then said to the robber 'let me give you the gold that's under the
counter, too.'  Maral then grabbed a baseball bat that he had hidden
under the counter and hit the robber on the head. The suspect, bleeding
from the head wound and realizing that he would be captured, fled.

Maral called police who came to the store and searched the area for
the injured robber but didn't find him. Police, who took fingerprints from
the crime scene where there were no security cameras in place, are
continuing their efforts to capture the robbery suspect.

Carlos Not Such a Bad Guy After All

carlos (links to original article)

Terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as 'Carlos the Jackel' who is
being held in Poissy prison in France, has claimed that 'his close friend'
Nurettin Güven, the former head of Malatyaspor who is serving time in
the same prison for narcotics smuggling, has been abandoned to die.
Carlos phoned Turkish lawyer Güven Yılmaz from prison saying that
Nurettin Güven lost consciousness last week and was taken to the hospital
again. Carlos claimed that French officials are blocking an operation that
Güven must have.

Carlos asserted that Güven is being left to die by the French and he called
on Turkish officials to help Given by immediately beginning the process
for his return to Turkey. Nurettin Güven's son Tolga Güven will go to
France tomorrow to learn about his father's health situation. He made this
statement to Sabah: 'my father has had heart problems for a long time. We
have made efforts to have him operated on but my father wants the opera-
tion to be done in Turkey. Our family has appealed to the Foreign Ministry
to have my father returned. If my father must face a penalty he should face
it in his own country. My father is in the same prison as Jackel Carlos.
They're not in the same block but they meet in the outside exercise area
from time to time. Because Carlos is well-known when he says something
in the prison notice is taken.'

Güven was sentenced to 12 years in prison for narcotics smuggling in 2005.
He has been held in France since then.

Extra Wives Flooding Turkey from Syria

syria (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 8 March 2011)

Ever since Turkey and Syria agreed upon easing visa conditions the
border has become a wedding gate. Without  the need for grooms
to pay a bride's family in Syria, 519 couples have wed up to now.
And thousands of 'kuma' (spare wives) have come. Nusaybin Mayor
Ayşe Gökkan stated that 'the open borders have made men more free
but have put more pressure on women. Now women are afraid that if
they anger their husbands he'll get a new woman from Syria.' But
although Mayor Gökkan reacted negatively, men who have no child
or no male child are the ones most interested in bringing a new woman
into their lives.

This increase in marriages has caught the attention of brokers who practice
in Syria's Kamışlı, Haseki and Amudi cities. They're asking 10,000TL for
women in the 20-25 year-old age group, 7,500TL for 25-30 year olds
and 5,000TL for women over thirty. The brokers give half of this fee to
the Syrian brides who then prepare their dowries with the money. According
to the brokers, because Syrian girls consider Turkey to be their homeland,
as well as the Europe of the Middle East, they accept marriage proposals
without worrying about the age and particulars of men in Turkey.

E.A., who brought a 'kuma' from Syria had this to say: 'up until two years
ago I didn't give any thought to getting married again. My kids have grown
up. When a friend went to Syria and got himself a second wife it caught my
attention. I got a second wife though a broker in Nusaybin. It cost me about
10,000TL. We're living together with my first wife. I don't have a problem.'

You'd Think Buying Glasses Would be Easy

glasses (links to original article)

In Kırıkkale, Dilek Taşcıgül went to buy eyeglasses at a store last
friday and started to argue with store owner Murat Kaynatır (35)
and his worker Emrah Kaçmaz (24). As the two sides insulted each
other it is claimed that Dilek Taşcıgül was manhandled by the two men
and ejected outside.

Taşcıgül related the incident to her husband Bekir Taşcıgül, a retired
policeman who is now an invoice tax collector. Bekir Taşcıgül then went
to the optomatrist store yesterday at 11 o'clock and started to scream
at store owner Murat Kaynatır and his worker Emrah Kaçmaz, saying
'why did you manhandle my wife? Is that how tough you are?'

The argument ballooned and Taşcıgül went to his work place, got his gun,
returned and started spraying bullets. Store owner Murat Kaynatır was hit
by three bullets and died, while Emrah Kaçmaz was wounded in the leg.
Bekir Taşcıgül ran away but was captured by police and taken into custody.
   

'Model Employee' Burns Visa Stamps

arson (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 6 March 2011)

Sonay A. (40) was assigned to the sales stall for visa stamps at the
Customs Directorate in the international terminal at Antalya airport
and last year, when she found a tourist's purse full of money she
returned it, winning for herself the title of 'model official' bestowed by
the Finance Ministry.  She came to her work place at 04:25 on monday,
28 February, and entered the terminal using the entry card of a friend
who was on maternity leave that day.

According to claims, shortly after Sonay A., who wore a wig, entered
the building a fire broke out in the arriving passengers lounge. The fire
was quickly  brought under control. The fire department determined that
the cause of the fire was arson and that flammable liquid ignited by  a
lighter had been used. The site of the fire was the stall where visa stamps
sold to incoming passengers were stored. More than 30,000 stamps,
valued at 1.5 million TL, burned.

Sonay A. was identified based on security camera images and taken into
custody. Nine thousand visa stamps were found during a search of her
cabinet and automobile. Sonay A. used her right of silence during interviews
with police and the public prosecutor and then denied the charges in court,
saying 'the person in the video is not me.' She was arrested on an arson
charge.

Police believe that Sonay A. started the fire to leave the impression that the
stamps had be burned and then obtain illegal gains by selling the stamps
illicitly. The Finance Ministry has begun an investigation. After Sonay A.
was arrested Airport Customs Director Y.S., along with warehouse officials
Ü.U. and A.A. were relieved of duty.

When Good Luck Goes Bad

track (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 7 March 2011)

In Istanbul Fuat Sümer placed a bet for 5.40TL and all of the horses
he picked in six races won. However, when Alper Özçelik, the jockey
riding Tunçgür, the winner of the fifth race, was weighed after the race
he was 600 grams over the weight limit. The Commissars Council voided
Özçelik's victory and he was banned from racing for 30 days.

When this happened Sümer could not collect his winnings even though
he had picked the six races correctly. So when he learned that the fifth
race had been voided because of the jockey's weight problem he sought
relief at the Bakırköy courthouse. Sümer claimed that because the race
was voided he lost 750,000TL and he filed suit against the horse's owner
Ünal Kavcin, jockey Alper Özçelik and the Turkish Jockey Association
asking for 10,000TL in damages.

Short Finger Fingers Robber

finger (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 28 February 2011)

Mahmut G. robbed a bank in Kağıthane, Istanbul, on friday
when he used a picnic gas tube made up to look like a bomb.
But he was caught  when the images on the security camera
were examined and it was noticed that the index finger on his right
hand was shorter than his other fingers.

A witness stated that the suspect resembled a person whose
right hand index finger was short.  Police made a detailed investi-
gation and it turned out that the robber's index finger was also
shorter than his other fingers. Based on this, Mahmut G. was
identified and captured during an operation in Eyüp. Searches
of the suspect and his home turned up only 385TL out of the
1600TL which was stolen. It was determined that Mahmut G.
spent the money on bluejeans, a coat and sneakers.

Offer He Couldn't Refuse Breeds Regret

hanım (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 28 February 2011)

In Ereğli district of Zonguldak province, M.V. (53) went to a park
in the center of the city after withdrawing his retirement salary. While
he was sitting on a bench, Hanım Y. (30) came by with a child in her
arms and asked for money for a bagel. M.V. said that he didn't have
any money and told the woman to go away.

A little while later Hanım Y. came again and asked M.V. if he wanted
to have sex for money. M.V. came to terms with the woman for 20TL
and went to her home. According to claims, three people, said to be
Hanım Y.'s relatives, came in after M.V. , beat him and took 1200 TL
from his pocket. M.V., who was lightly injured, complained to police,
saying that he had been caught in a trap.

Hanım Y. and Yeter K. (25), Serkan K. (28) and Ferdi D. (32) were
taken into custody and then arrested on a charge of 'intentional wounding
and robbery.'

Pizza With Cash as Extra Topping

pizza (links to a original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 28 February 2011)

An unknown person in Nilüfer district of Bursa province who called
four different restaurants and a pizza parlor over the past three days
gave a 20 TL order and said that 'I'll be giving the deliverer 200 TL
so send the order along with my change.'

The person then waited in front of his apartment house and told the
deliverer 'I'm going to work. My wife is waiting on the second floor.
Give her the order and she'll give you the money.'  This person then
took the change and disappeared.

When the suspect called a pizza parlor again the night before last
plain-clothes police went to the address and caught Mahmut Serhat
Güntel (32) red-handed. Güntel turned out to have a record.

Treasure Hunter Left High and Dry

treasure (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 3 March 2011)

Mustafa Keskin, the watchman for the ancient Andriake Port City
in Demre, Antalya, heard a lot of noise coming from the observation
tower 300 meters above the water and called police.

The police captured D.Ş. (35) of Büyükkum neighborhood, who had
a sledge hammer, pickaxe, shovel and iron crowbars with him, at the
scene. D.Ş. told police that he had come to the observation tower to
treasure hunt. After interrogation, D.Ş. was taken to the Demre public
prosecutor who released him pending trial.

Extra Baggage Trips Up Drug Courier

capsules (links to original article)

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 3 Mart 2011)

Narcotics experts at Istanbul's Atatürk airport stopped a suspicious
passenger. Biology teacher Corey Muhando M., who was transferring
flights after arriving from Brazil and heading for Kenya, was searched
and an amount of cocain was found in the pocket of his shirt. Police
then made a careful search of his briefcase. More narcotics were dis-
covered in his shoes and in the souls of his shoes and police noticed
bulges in his midsection.

The suspect was taken to Haseki Training and Research Hospital
where an MRI showed narcotics capsules in his stomach. A total of
1.564 kilograms of cocain were found on Corey Muhando M., in
his pocket, shoes and midsection. He stated that he received three
thousand dollars for being a courier.

Long Arm of English Law Reaches Anatolia

ticket (links to original article)

(Sabah Newspaper, 27 February 2011)

Mehmet Ali Ergün (50) lives in Bağarası town in the Söke district of
Aydın province and although he doesn't have a license or a car he
received a traffic warning from the English police. Ergün got the warning
sent by England's Northumbria police on 3 February 2011.

Ergün was shocked when he saw the letter which warned that Ergün
would be fined up to 1,000 British Pounds if he repeated the violation
again. In his entire life Ergün has never set foot out of Aydın province
and he had this to say about the warning: 'I don't even have a bicycle
and yet a fine warning comes from England saying that I committed a
traffic violation in a luxury car in that country and that if I do it again
I'll have to pay up to a thousand pounds.'

Ergün read from the letter he received from England's Northumbria
police, as follows: 'there is photographic proof of the vehicle in question
and activity in violation of paragraph 172 of the 1988 Road-Traffic Law.
The penalty for this violation is a monetary fine of up to 1,000 pounds
and 3-6 point loss. No further action will be taken in regard to this
situation but we may not be so tolerant in the event that there is another
violation committed in the future.'  Ergün said that he will seek legal
remedies.

Thinking that this incident may have arisen because of the false docu-
ments, Ergün said that 'I had given my birth certificate to a relative
ten years ago and I'm ninety percent sure it's him. But I don't have
a relative or a friend living in England. I want the culprits to be found.'