Disaster More Interesting When 'Mike' Talks

name links to original article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 29 February 2012)

Prof. Dr. Mikdat Kadıoğlu played a trick on local municipalities who weren't
paying any attention to what he's been saying about disaster management.
Kadıoğlu wrote in his column as if the words were coming out of the mouth
of 'Mike Judgeson', an imaginary expert Kadıoğlu invented. Subsequently,
quite a number of mayors who hadn't ever called him rang him up asking
'how can we get in touch with 'Judgeson?''.

Kadıoğlu, the head of Istanbul Technical University's Meteorology
Engineering Department, played a trick that calls to mind Black Sea
tales of practical jokes on local municipalities that he felt were
disregarding disaster management.  He first assumed the guise of 'Mike
Judgeson' a foreign disaster management expert he invented. He then
wrote his weekly column in Hürriyet newspaper, giving his warnings
as if from the mouth of 'Judgeson'.

The predictable happened next - deputy governors and mayors who'd
never called Kadıoğlu phoned him to ask about 'Judgeson'. The callers
said that 'Mike Judgeson really understands us. He's identified our
concerns and explained what we should do. He's figured things out for
us. How can we reach him?'  In response, Kadıoğlu told them that it
was really him they wanted to talk to. Hearing this, the callers knew
Kadıoğlu had played a joke on them and they hung up.

Kadıoğlu explained that 'there's an admiration for foreigners in Turkey
so I figured I'd give this tack a try. I just repeated everything I'd already
said and written. But when they came from the mouth of a foreigner
they suddenly became valuable.' Kadıoğlu said he may try other ways
to get attention, saying 'I'll do something on the Bosphorus Bridge.'

The warnings that Kadıoğlu put forth from 'Mike's' mouth underscored
that disaster management is something that requires long-term experience
and the accumulation of information. This is what Kadıoğlu said to the
municipalities in the guise of 'Mike Judgeson': 'I think that you should
forget about personal opinions and follow the international literature.
Like the rest of the world, you should look at disaster and critical
situations as a 'scientific branch'. Otherwise, you'll have two disasters
at the same time and never forget that disasters don't care about your
title. History won't forgive you!'

Obama Gets Liver, Not Money, from Diyarbakır

obama links to related article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 28 February 2012)

Swindlers have forged the signature of U.S. President Barack Obama and
used White House stationary in sending an email to Diyarbakır Mayor
Osman Baydemir, asking him to contribute money to Obama's presidential
re-election campaign. The email requested that Baydemir keep his
contribution a secret and provided a bank account number for him to send
the money to.

Baydemir figured out that the email, which was sent to Diyarbakır city's
official email address, was from swindlers so he sent an answer to the
originating email address. In his reply, Baydemir addressed Obama as
'Dear President' and said that he couldn't provide any money but he
invited Obaman to be his guest at a liver restaurant in Diyarbakır.

//portion of the email sent to Baydemir in less-than-sparkling English//

'As you may also know that we do have Presidential Elections which will
be held this year. We would like to see support and contributions from
our friends and allies during Presidential Campaign Funding. Regarding to
this matter White House Senior Assistant Mr. David Plouffe and
Assistant Advisor Mr. Taner Kulug will be communicating with you...'

Forceful Defense of Animals

cats links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 27 February 2012)

In Bebek, Istanbul, Fatma Oya Pak began leaving moist cat food in the
gardens and on the balconies of her neighbors three years ago and ever
since she's been the object of complaints by residents. After a number
of fights over the course of time, Pak filed suit saying 'they threatened
me.'  Wearing a helmet on her head and employing eight bodyguards,
Oya Pak continues to feed the cats.

Retired architect Orhan Sucu reacted to Pak because he was upset that
she spilled moist cat food at his front door. Sucu said that one of Pak's
bodyguards headbutted him and broke his nose. Holding the hospital
report in his hand, Sucu stated that 'this woman is overtly harrassing
the residents here. She leaves moist cat food everywhere, from front
doors to window sills, and then moves on.'

'She insults anyone who confronts her and says she'll buy up the entire
neighborhood and let the cats inhabit it. Up to now we haven't seen
her show any love to a cat.  We're animal lovers, too. We all have cats
and dogs at home but we don't do as she does. We don't know what
we're going to do.'

chickens links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 27 February 2012)

In Çeşme, Izmir, yesterday morning municipal policemen Erkan Işık
(27) and Hakan Ertanzan (41) went to the home of market seller Murat
Kaya (27), who  lives with his mother, because of complaints from
Kaya's neighbors about his chickens. The two policemen asked Kaya
to dismantle his chicken coop and in the ensuing argument Kaya
used a pump-action rifle to fire on the policemen four times.

The two policemen hid behind a metal dumpster but still couldn't
avoid the buckshot. Hakan Ertanzan, who is married, was hit in the
chest, leg and back, while Erkan Işık was wounded in the leg and
back. The two were first brought to Çeşme State Hospital and Kaya
was  taken into custody. Işık was then taken by ambulance to
Nine September University Hospital in Izmir and the seriously
injured Ertanzan was airlifted by helicopter to Izmir Atatürk
Training Hospital.

Inmates Seek Deluxe Sea-View Accommodations

seaview links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 26 February 2012)

Two people serving time in the Kayseri and Çorum prisons have fabricated
crimes in order to be transferred to the super-luxurious sea-view L-type
open-closed prison at Alanya in Antalya province.

Prisoner R.K. (28) in the Çorum jail sent a petition to the Alanya court
saying that he woud plead guilty for an unsolved murder. R.K. was then
brought to Alanya and said in the statement he made to the prosecutor
that he knew where the two murdered individuals were buried. However,
he subsequently admitted that this was not true and that he had concocted
the plan to move to the Alanya prison because he couldn't stand the one
in Çorum.

Explaining further, R.K. said that a person he met in prison told him that
if he said he had committed a crime in Alanya he could be transferred to
the prison there. So that's why he had made the false statement. A new
case was brought against R.K. for making up a crime and he was sent
back to Çorum prison.

Last year, A.K. (36), a prisoner in the Kayseri jail, wrote a petition
stating that four years ago he had placed bombs along a valley road.
A.K. said that he got the bombs from three Lebanese Hamas militants
who were protesting the presence of Israeli ships at Alanya. A.K.
gave the petition to the Kayseri court but it was determined that he
had done so to get a transfer to the Alanya prison. An additional
charge for this offense was then filed against him.

 

He Prefers Farm Animals to Football

farm links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 25 February 2012)

Robbery suspect Fener Bahçe (27) was taken in to custody for allegedly
stealing almost 50 sheep in Kuyucak and Karacasu districts of Aydın
province. His friend Hüseyin Durmaz was also arrested and another five
people were taken into custody in connection with the incident.

It has been determined that Fener Bahçe, whose name and surname attract
attention (Fenerbahçe is a famous Turkish football team), served time in
prison for stealing two fawns in Çine district last year.

The Lady Packs a Wallop

wallop links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 23 February 2012)

In Istanbul, cardiologist Sedat S. has filed a 6,000TL suit against his wife
Gaye S., claiming that she inflicted violence on him. Allegedly, when the
incident in question occurred Gaye S. was driving the car they were in and
punched her husband in the eye. The couple's divorce suit is also continuing.

Sedat S. works in the cardiology department at Avukat Cengiz Gökçek
State Hospital in Gaziantep. Wife Gaye S. works as a teacher in Istanbul
and they have filed argumentative divorce suits based on irreconcilable
differences.  The couple has lived apart for two years and met in Istanbul
to talk for the last time.

After their chat, the two drove together to Atatürk Airport but began
arguing in the car. Gaye S., who was driving, allegedly lost her temper
and punched her husband in the eye causing the doctor's glasses to
break. This resulted in black and blue marks around his eye.

Sedat S. obtained a report from a hospital that he had been injured because
of the punch thrown by his wife and he filed a complaint with the
public prosecutor to this effect. Consequently, a case was opened against
Gaye S. in Bakırköy Small Claims Court for insulting and injuring her
spouse. Not satisfied with this, Sedat S. opened a 6,000TL compensation
suit against Gaye S. in a higher court in Bakırköy for the same offenses.

Sedat S.'s lawyer, Bedriye Iclal Poyraz, told the court that defendent
Gaye S. had previously insulted and threatened her client.

Coincidence? Parliamentarian Thinks Not

nur links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 22 February 2012)

When the prostitute character in the new ATV series 'Uçurum' (Precipice)
was given the name 'Nur Serter' this opened the way for a fierce reaction
from CHP (Republican Peoples Party) Parliamentarian Prof. Dr. Nur Serter.

Serter said that she has had a warning sent to the television station to start
the legal process rolling and filed a complaint with RTÜK (Turkey's FCC
for radio and TV content). Yesterday, Sabah Newspaper (ATV's print
journalism cousin) published a profile of the ATV series, which has just
come on the screen, in its Günaydın supplement. The photos and names
of the series's charaters were published in the profile, with mention of
Esra Ronbahar in the role of 'Nur Serter'. The character's particulars were
explained as follows: 'She's Yaman's right hand...she's in love with him
and hates him at the same time. She's moved from being a prostitute to
being a madam.'

Parliamentarian Serter stated that 'such a coincidence isn't possible. Quite
more than a coincidence, it was done on purpose. Because my first name
and surname aren't ones that would come together by coincidence. I
think that this was done with a particular aim in mind.'

Attack of the Washing Machine

washer links to original article

(NTVMSNBC Website and Sözcü Newspaper, 21 February 2012)

Last evening at 8 PM the washing machine - which was plugged in at the
time - exploded with a great noise in a home in Yesilyurt village in Ortaca
district of Muğla while the Altun family - Ramazan (55), wife Ayşe (60),
son Yusuf (36), daughter-in-law Sultan (31) and grandchildren Ramazan
(7), Ayşe (3) and Ibrahim (2 months), were having dinner. Hearing the
noise they looked into the laundry room which was engulfed in flames.

Grandfather Ramazan Altun, who is paralyzed and confined to a wheel-
chair, his wife, daughter-in-law and grandchildren were all evacuated from
the house by son Yusuf Altun, who is a farmer.  Yusuf went back into the
house to fight the flames but ultimately had to call in help from the fire
department. Six people were overcome by smoke and had to be taken
by ambulance and neighbors to the Ortaca State Hospital. Yusuf himself
suffered burns on his hand and face while attempting to put out the
blaze and was later taken to the same hospital.

The fire was eventually put out by the firefighters but a portion of the
home was ruined. The Altun family was released after treatment.
Grandfather Ramazan Altun said that 'there was an explosion while we
were having dinner and then flames engulfed the house. The room we
were in was filled with smoke so we opened the windows.'

Nowhere Man

nowhereman links to original article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 20 February 2012)

A shepherd named Yemirhan (68) lives by himself in Yukarı Çarkıcı village
near Iğdır and he doesn't even know his surname. Yemirhan says that 'from
what I've been told, when my father died my mother got married and left. I
was raised by whoever was around. I don't know who I am.'

Yemirhan lives in a two-room shack and makes a living shepherding. When
he got sick he needed an identity card so the village chief, Mustafa Ağgün,
applied to the Iğdır Population and Citizenship Bureau to get an identity
card for Yemirhan who's been a shepherd in the village for years.

Yemirhan estimates his age at between 65 and 68.  He said that because he
became ill for the first time in his life he needed  to get an identity card,
adding that 'people like me are rare in Turkey. Let alone a card, I don't
even have a surname. I don't know who my mother or father are nor
where I was born. Ever since I can remember I've been a shepherd. When
the weather got really cold recently I got sick. I can't breathe. I'll go to
the doctor but I don't have an identity card. I asked for help from the
village chief and thanks to him it's being done. I live in a little two-room
place that belongs to a villager with my sheep. Long ago I was told that
when my father died my mother left me to go with her new husband.'

Village chief Mustafa Ağgün stated that Yemirhan has been in their village
for ten years and he added that 'I not clear who he is or where he came
from. When he got sick the other day we brought him to the doctor. They
didn't want to examine him but when we explained the situation they looked
at him and gave him some medicine. We informed the social services
provincial directorate and they'll come and get him.'

'Genies', Not Humans, Beat Him Up

genie links to original article

(XHaber Website, 19 February 2012)

In Antalya, a 41 year-old married woman named M.E. asked 'genie chief''
Ismail A. for help freeing herself from the pestering of her old boyfriend
Soner B. So Ismail A. had three of his cadre of genies beat up Soner B.
and spray his car with bullets. Ismail A. called M.E. afterwards and
reported that 'he got the lesson he deserved. I sent my genies and they
gave him a good penalty.'

M.E., who lives in Dutlubahçe neighborhood in Muratpaşa district,
allegedly hired Ismail A. for money to rid herself of Soner B., the old
boyfriend who wanted to get back together with her, pestering her by
continually calling on the phone. Ismail A. told M.E. 'give me his
particulars and I'll put a spell on him in the course of a week. He won't
come near you after that.'

M.E. told Ismail A. that Soner B. waits for her in his car in front of her
house each day. Ismail A. then gave his assistant Ali K. (34) the address
and the car's license plate number, telling him 'this fellow is bothering
the lady. Take a couple of guys with you and beat him up.' Ali K. took
Mehmet I. (29) and Gökhan Y. (23) with him to Dutlubahçe, found
Soner B. in his car, beat him and sprayed the car with bullets, before
fleeing.

M.E. heard the noise and gunshots coming from in front of her house
around midnight. Ismail A. called her and said that 'he got a good lesson.
My genies gave him his just penalty.' Police began an investigation and
based on Soner B.'s statement soon found their way to his old girlfriend
M.E. who told police that those who beat up Soner B. weren't humans,
they were genies that she had asked Ismail A. to send so she would be
free from Soner B.

Police first took Ismail A. and Ali K. into custody. Shortly afterwards
they picked up Mehmet I. and Gökhan Y. The attackers said in their
statements to police that they received money from M.E. after the
incident.



  

 

Escapee Shoots Lover, Calls Police for Help

help links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 17 February 2012)

Özden Özsüt (51), a married father of two living in Bursa, entered into a
relationship with Melek Özdemir (28), who had divorced her husband. A
little while ago Özsüt was convicted of fraud and has been serving his
sentence at the Gemlik half-way house jail. While exchanging letters with
Özdemir, Özsüt learned that she wanted to end their relationship so last
week he escaped from the jail.

The evening before last at about 5 PM, Özsüt went to the young woman's
home in Osmangazi district to try to dissuade her from leaving him.  But
Özdemir insisted on breaking up, saying to him 'you're married. Let's end
this relationship. I don't want to live as a home-wrecker. Please, go back
to jail.'  Hearing this, Özsüt fired his unlicensed revolver and shot Ozdemir
in both legs.

Özsüt couldn't bear to hear his lover pleading in pain for help so he first
called the 112 emergency assistance line and then 155, asking for a police
team to come.  As the injured Özdemir was taken to the hospital, Özsüt
surrendered his revolver and himself to the police.


 

Harem Redux at Topkapı Palace

harem links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 15 February 2012)

In recent months, Topkapı Palace has been rocked first by a crazed Libyan
gunman and then by the suicide of a security guard. Now there's been a new
shock. An investigation has been started into allegations that some workers
engaged in sexual relation in the Third Courtyard, where sacred items are
kept and where the harem was located.

A complaint was made to the palace administration based on the allegation
that a palace worker named T.A. was observed in an inappropriate activity
with a 26 year-old cleaning lady in a room alongside the harem area. When
a separate complaint was made about this same woman engaging in similar
relations with another palace worker Topkapı Saray Director Ayşe
Erdoğdu began the investigation.

T.A. provided a statement and was transferred to another job. Two other
workers gave statements and the woman involved was let go. The visual
images from security cameras, which are placed throughout the palace,
were reviewed by palace officials who confirmed that the incidents had
taken place but declined to provide details.

The Kuran is read 24 hours a day in the Hırka-i Saadet (mantle of the
prophet preserved here as a relic) section of  the palace, which is located
in the Third Courtyard.

Blog Editor Caught in Illegal Sledding Caper

innertube links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 14 February 2012)

//reluctantly, we provide photographic evidence of our blog's editor
involved in this illegal activity at Lake Abant in mid-January 2012//

Despite the fact that it is forbidden to sled with an inner tube on the snow
-covered hills of Abant Nature Park in Bolu, 20 villagers who rented inner
tubes to vacationers have been fined 170TL each for commiting a crime 'in
violation of the misdemeanor law.' When the villagers continued to rent the
inner tubes in spite of the fine, the tubes were confiscated by officials from
the Forest and Water Affairs Directorate.

The Directorate outlawed sledding with inner tubes at the park four years
ago. Nevertheless, villagers from the surrounding hamlets continued to rent
the tubes for 10TL per half hour. The Directorate determined that the
villagers were acting contrary to the Long-term Abant Development Plan
and warned the villagers not to rent out the inner tubes last month. When
the villager did not desist Gendarmerie and Directorate teams recorded the
offense and levied the 170TL fines. Confiscation of the tubes followed
because the villagers did not heed the fines' intention.

Director Özkan Yavuz stated that 'We warned them a month ago. Everything
done at Abant has to have permission and the chiefs of the surrounding
villages made no request for permission from us. Twenty villagers were fined
and when they continued with the activity the inner tubes were confiscated.
We did this so that no vacationer is harmed or injured. We won't allow any
sledding henceforth.'

Batman's Che Under the Weather

che links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 13 February 2012)

The Birgül-Nihat Turğut couple of Batman gave their son born five months
ago the name Ernesto Che Guevara, in honor of the guerrilla leader who
brought about the revolution in Cuba.  An identity card for Ernesto
Cheguevara Turğut of  Batman was issued by the Batman Population
Directorate.

Two days ago the child was brought to the Dicle University Medical
School Children's Hospital because he came down with brochitis,
pneumonia and a lung infection. Little Ernesto's unemployed father
Nihat Turğut (25) stated that 'I've read books about Ernesto Che
Guevara's whole life. I'm a big fan of his. I said that if I ever have a
son I'll name him Ernesto Che Guevara. My son was born on the first
of September 2011, World Peace Day, and so I gave him that name.
There were some reactions from my relatives but with time they've
gotten used to it. Both me and my wife are very happy that we gave
my son this name.'

Tender Trap: Catsup, Hold the Mayo!

catsup links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 11 February 2012)

The trap that realtor A.A. fell into in Ankara's Keçiören section was straight
out of the movies. Allegedly, C.S., using the assumed name of Ahsen,
introduced herself to A.A. as a teacher, saying she wanted to buy a home.
After A.A. showed C.S. some houses they agreed on one for 150,000TL.
The next day C.S. called A.A. and said 'I'm not feeling well. If you come
to my house  I can give you the money.'

C.S. met A.A. at the door in a low-cut dress and said that her husband was
doing his military service. She invited A.A. into her bedroom but at that
moment four men, one of them claiming to be C.S.'s husband, entered the
home with knives in their hands. Sinan D., C.S.'s supposed husband,
shouted threats while waving the knife and told his friends to take C.S.
to the kitchen.

Using catsup to give C.S. the look of a bloodied corpse, Sinan D. told
A.A. 'I killed my wife. If you tell anyone I'll kill you too.' A.A. was then
forced to sign five blank negotiable documents and Sinan D. took his
cellphone and 250TL, as well, before leaving the house with his three
friends.

A.A. went to the kitchen, saw C.S.'s 'bloody' body and realized it was
catsup, not blood. He called police who then determined the addresses
of the four attackers from their cellphone registrations and took them
into custody. C.S. fled and is being sought.

Secret Elevator Yields Enslaved Women

elevator links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 10 February 2012)

Based on a tip, police raided a hotel late at night in Artvin. The tip claimed
that there was a secret room under the elevator so an investigation was
conducted. When the elevator was found to be out-of-service a repairman
was summoned but despite lengthy efforts the secret room could not be
found.

Finally, when the 'zero' and 'one' buttons on the elevator were
pressed simultaneously the elevator descended to an unlit chamber about
three meters in area. There, two each Kirgiz, Azerbaijani, Moldovan and
an Uzbek women were found, along with empty plastic water bottles and
a box into which clothes had been thrown.

The women gave statements to the police as victims, while hotel managers
T.Y., M.Ö., T.P. and U.Y. were taken into custody.

Party-Hearty Sheep Thief Nabbed

partyguy links to original article

(Bursa News, 8 February 2012)

Reşit Kamer (44) stole 11 sheep from a barn in Inegöl district of Bursa
but was caught by the Gendarmerie while partying at a nightclub. It has
been learned that the Gendarmerie tracked the suspect based on the tire
prints left by the vehicle at the crime scene and security videos from the
area.

The thief entered the sheepfold of farmer Semih Dinç along the Çeltikçi
village road in Inegöl and stole Dinç's only means of livlihood - the 11
sheep. When Dinç realized his sheep were gone he informed the
Gendarmerie about the incident. Investigating the sheepfold, the
Gendarmerie found that the vehicle used in the theft was of the
light commercial type. By reviewing video from the route to
and from the crime scene, the Gendarmerie identified the license plate
and determined that the vehicle had been rented.

Next, the Gendarmerie made contact with the car rental firm and learned
that the commercial vehicle had been rented by Reşit Kamer, who has
a record of four robberies. Hearing that Kamer has a weakness for
partying at night clubs, the Gendarmerie looked into this aspect of the
case. Subsequently, Kamer was picked up at a night club and confessed
to the crime, explaining that 'I was going to celebrate with the money
I borrowed from a friend, based on the prospect of selling the sheep,
but it didn't happen. I never thought I'd be arrested this quickly.'

Yet Another Casanova 'Captain' Strikes!

captain links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 8 February 2012)

The owner of a casting agency that arranges actors for TV shows and
movies, Türkan S., lost 20,000TL to Hasan Zöngür who passed himself
off as a captain. Zöngür, from Konya, had put a photo of himself in
uniform on a social website and in his profile had written 'looking for
someone to marry.'

The fake officer, who claimed to be a bachelor but who is in fact married
and a father, persuaded Türkan S. to come to Konya after exchanging
messages with her. When Türkan S. was in Konya she noticed that
those around Zöngür addressed him as 'commander'. In order to make
his case more believable Zöngür had enlisted his friends into the
scenario.

When Türkan S. returned to Istanbul she sent Zöngür 20,000TL that
he requested from her. Zöngür didn't repay the money when he said
he would and asked instead for more money, threatening to put
compromising photos he had taken of Türkan S. on the internet.
At this point, Türkan S. filed a complaint with the public prosecutor.
The 43 year-old Türkan S. also sent a file to the General Staff and
claimed that Zöngür had tricked many other women with similar
tales.

Fantasy Turned Nightmare for Chatty Chap

fantasy links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 5 February 2012)

In Şişli, Istanbul, F.G.(29) complained to police that his girlfriend Ecem M.
(21) and her old boyfriend had mugged him. F.G. explained in his statement
to police that 'I've had a relationship with Ecem M., who works at the same
place I do, for three and a half months. She called me on 1 February and said
'I have a big surprise for you. I'm going to give you a night you'll never forget.
Get our engangement rings and come.'

'We met in Taksim Square at 7 P.M. and she said that she'd arranged for a
hotel room. We went there together. She had a bag with her, saying that
we'd have a fantasy night, and she took out plastic handcuffs,tying me to
the bed. We both put masks on too. After  taping my mouth shut she left
the room. When she returned, with her was a masked person who began to
beat me. At this point I broke free from the handcuffs and fought back.
But then they sprayed pepper gas in my face. I feinted and when I came
to I was alone in the room. The 300 TL in my wallet, along with the
engagement rings and my cellphone, were gone.'

Police took Ecem M. and her partner in crime Deniz Ç. into custody.
In her statement to police, Ecem M. said that 'we had a nice relationship
at the start. I was thinking of getting married. But I found out a little
while later that he had told all his friends at work everything about
our relationship. They knew everything about our private life. I got
really mad about this and thought up this revenge plan. I regret it now.'
Ecem M. and Deniz Ç. were placed under arrest by the duty judge.

Police Snooze and Lose Cocaine King

snooze links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 4 February 2012)

Mehmet Said Özmen got leave from Silivri prison because of his brother's
death but the facts behind his escape from the funeral home have come out.
It is alleged that Özmen escaped through a window on the night of
1 February while First Sergeant Ö.K. and specialist sergeants M.K., F.E.
and five soldiers were sleeping either in a room in the house of in the
Gendarmerie vehicle parked in front of it.

Özmen had been caught on 28 January 2011 while trying to smuggle
281 kilograms of cocaine, with a market value 30 million dollars, out of
the country and was put in prison along with brothers Abdullah and
Çağdaş Baybaşin.

Witch's Genies Useless Despite Police Protection

hokuspokus links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 31 January 2012)

Police conducted Operation Storm-2 in Antalya and 18 gang members were
taken into custody, including the leader, Gendarmerie Commander of Finike
District Captain M.P., a woman and a specialist sergeant. Ten of the 18 were
arrested and eight were freed pending trial. The gang members were surveilled
by technical and physical means prior to the operation, which was conducted
in Tunceli, Adana and Antalya. Under the protection of the Gendarmerie,
the gang made 12 excavations at the sites of ancient ruins working day and
night.

It turns out that despite the fact that the village chief and citizens noticed
what was happening and reported it, the Gendarmerie didn't take any action.
The one woman suspect of the 18 brought to court is Aliye Ikbal Karababa,
who lives in Ankara but who moved to Antalya because of the excavations.
She talks about 'magic' and says there are genies. In her telephone conversa-
tion she said 'I sent Cafer and Abdullah there. They'll identify the sites and
tell me. Based on this the excavations will be done.'

Police then looked for two persons named 'Abdullah' and 'Cafer' for 15 days.
In her statement, Karababa did not talk about genies but did say that 'my
sixth sense is very powerful. That's why wherever there's an historical
treasure I'll find it.'  The other suspects related in their own statements to
the police that 'Aliye has genies named Cafer and Abdullah. She gets down
on her knees, does strange things and shows us the right spot. We then dig
there.'

Nevertheless, it was determined that in spite of the very deep excavations
at the sites that Karababa identified, nothing could be found.
 

Casanova 'Captain' Finally Gets Crunched

casanova links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 30 January 2012)

Selçuk Çil bamboozled a great many women into having relations with
him and he hookwinked them with promises of marriage, as well, using
the false identity and uniform of a captain. This has exposed a security
failure in the General Staff Headquarters.

Çil deserted from the army in Diyarbakır in 2010. With the identity card
of another he had a captain's uniform tailored and seduced many women,
who, in their statements to police, have said that they went in and out
of the General Staff Headquarters with Çil. They also stated that they
shopped at military canteens and frequented officer clubs and military
areas. It is understood that Züleyha Y. underwent treatment at GATA
military hospital with Çil.

Three women, one an employee of the police named F.K., filed
complaints with the public prosecutor on separate occasions. Based
on the prosecutor's directions, police placed the fake captain under
surveillance. A female police official from the pickpocket and fraud
bureau made contact with Çil over the internet, introducing herself as
a housewife. On the day they met Çil was arrested.

During the subsequent investigation, women with whom Çil had had
relations and hoodwinked were contacted and gave statements. Seven
of these 30 women gave depositions to the court, claiming that they
had met Çil over the internet; that they had trusted him because he
was a captain; that their bank cards were used; and that their
automobiles were sold. 

Based on the complaints of these women, among them a teacher,
an interpreter and housewives, Çil is being tried in Ankara's 9th
Serious Crimes Court, accused of using a uniform, entering forbidden
military zones, falsely using an official document, fraud, threatening
with a weapon, blackmail and insulting.

Pooch's Feast Leads Police to Crooks

meat links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 30 January 2012)

Thieves entered a butcher shop the night before last in the Fevzi Çakmak
neighborhood of Konya's Karatay district and took 50 kilograms of meat
and two computers. The next morning police took fingerprints from the
scene but then followed a dog that crossed in front of them, holding a
piece of meat in its mouth. The dog took another piece of meat from a
bag hidden among farm equipment about 500 meters from the crime
scene and went on its way.

Together with the meat stolen from the shop, police also found the two
computers containing the video images from the store. Based on the
images police were able to identify career thieves Sait Nurçin (23) and
Mazul K.(17) as the suspects. They were taken into custody after a raid
on their homes. The suspects stated that 'we were under the influence of
narcotics. When our load became too heavy we stashed it thinking
we would get it later. We sold the monitors.' The two were transported
to jail.