Great Escape: Cast System Fails

escape links to original article

(Hürriyet and Sözcü Newspapers, 29 August 2012)

Determined escape artist Adem Yıkılgan

In Sivas, Adem Yıkılgan (32), who has been sought by
police for months because of crimes that include four
robberies, two sexual harassments and one sexual assault,
was picked up in a coffee house the day before yesterday
thanks to a tip. Yıkılgan was brought to jail and arrested
but jumped from the third-floor window of the building
in an effort to escape. He broke bones in his heels as a
result of his fall and was taken to the hospital.

After having his heels placed in casts at the Medical Faculty,
Yıkılgan was again put back into the jail but since he wasn't
wearing handcuffs he was able to come up with another
plan to escape from the building, which is surrounded by an
iron fence. Yıkılgan removed one of the heel casts and at around
midnight he got up on a chair and crawled into the ceiling space.
He put a pillow in his bed so the guards wouldn't suspect
anything.

Yıkılgan moved through the ceiling space about 10 meters to
another area where he was able to remove the iron bars on
the window and escape yet again.

//ed. note: breaking news on 30 August indicates that Yıkılgan
was caught at the girls dormatory of the Higher Education Credit
and Dormatory Council about 200 meters away and put back
into Sivas Prison.//

Embezzler's Name is Mud, Blames Wife

mud links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 18 August 2012)

Akın Süslü, stuck in the mud

Akın Süslü, chief of the Bakırköy Train Station in Istanbul,
disappeared at the beginning of this year. At the request of
his wife, police began looking for him but it was as if the earth
had swallowed up the station chief. TCDD (Turkish Railways)
officials got involved and immediately becan checking the
station's cash box receipts, finding that 300,000 TL was missing
from the amount received for purchases of entry tokens.

The TCDD inspectors wrote a report based on their intensified
investigation, to the effect that Süslü had probably embezzeled the
300,000TL and fled. His co-workers at the station, however, declared
that ''we worked with him for eight years. Our chief wouldn't do such
a thing.'' Consequently, the investigation was broadened to include the
possibility that Süslü had been mugged but this track led nowhere.

Seven months later, police in Fethiye became suspicious of a dust-
coated vehicle with Istanbul license plates so they followed it. The
police found that the driver of the vehicle was spending money like
water but he was living in his car, rather than in a fancy hotel. Police
then checked the vehicle's registration and found that it belonged to
Süslü. It wasn't long before they also discovered that there was a
'missing person' alert out for Süslü and they also found a report on
the internet regarding Süslü's possible embezzelment and disappearance.

After connecting the dots, police took Süslü into custody following his
now-customary mud bath, which he was wont to take these days. Süslü
was brought to the Fethiye police station where he made the following
statement: ''I splurged with the money but I wasn't that kind of person.
Everything changed when I got married. My wife's obsession with luxury
brought me to this state.'' 

There was no money found in Süslü's car so police are looking in to
the possibility that the embezzled money may be hidden away someplace.

Tenth Crash Dooms Candy Store

pişmaniye links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 17 August 2012)

Tenth crash one too many

Kenan Başak opened his pişmaniye (a kind of candy) store
in the Körfez neighborhood of Izmit years before but his life
became a nightmare five years ago when a side road was
opened in front of his store. Nine vehicles that couldn't
negotiate the curve there in the road, which is otherwise
straight, have crashed into his establishment.

One person died in an accident and many were injured but
there was a tenth crash the night before last. Abdülkerim
Demir (27) could not handle the notorious curve as he headed
from Izmit to Sakarya and crashed into the pişmaniye store.
Demir and his friend were injured as the store gave the look
of a war zone.

Store owner Kenan Başak has thrown in the towel. He said
that ''I'm fed up with fixing my store. I regret having opened
the pişmaniye store.''
//ed. note: ironically, the Turkish word for regret is 'pişman'//

Marina Del Mayhem

mayhem links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 17 August 2012)

Wounded Aykut B. After Taking a Dip

At the Ataköy Marina in Istanbul, 35 year-old businessman
Bülent Ç. shot Aykut B. (3) on his luxury yacht after Aykut B.
had stabbed Bülent Ç. seven times. The incident occurred the
evening before last at 1900 at the Ataköy Marina. Bülent Ç.
was going to his boat with a friend and as he got out of his
Porsche vehicle he was confronted by Aykut B., from whom
Bülent Ç. had purchased an Audi vehicle some time ago.

Allegedly, Aykut B. demanded 6,000 TL owed to him by
Bülent Ç. The two began to argue and Aykut B. and three
friends beat the businessman. During the chaos Bülent Ç.
was stabbed seven times and managed to flee to the ORA
luxury yacht, moored in the S section of the marina. Bülent
Ç. grabbed a 7.65 mm gun he found in the yacht and shot
Aykut B., who was pursuing him, in the legs.

 Bülent Ç. and Aykut B. both fell wounded into the water
during their struggle and the nearby security guards called
the police and health teams, who took the two combatants
to hospitals close by. Police searched the yacht, finding empty
7.65 cartridges but not the gun. Frogmen from the Maritime
Office Directorate were called in and they found the gun in
the water. Police are continuing their investigation.

2 Turks 2 Sexy 4 U.S.

hospital links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 24 August 2012)

Alleged film buff Çerçioğlu and workplace

An assistant technician who was fired from her job at
a hospital in the U.S. because she couldn't work as the
result of an accident, has sued both the hospital and her
Turkish boss. Sandra Morris (37) was fired after working
for five years at the prestigious Mt. Sinai Hospital but
her lawsuit doesn't accuse the hospital or head technician
Ahmet Çerçioğlu (41) of anything regarding her dismissal.
Rather, the suit alleges ''racial remarks, degradation and
difficult working conditions''.

In her petition to the court, Morris makes some startling
charges against Çerçioğlu, alleging that he was concerned
with activties unrelated to heart by-pass and cardiologic
operations during those operations, although he was
responsible for the life-support units. For example,
Çerçioğlu continually chatted on his cellphone, sent
messages, watched pornographic films on his phone and
even showed them to Morris.

According to Morris, one of the hospital's surgeons, Ricardo
Lazala, left a patient with his chest open during an operation
to watch a porno film together with Çerçioğlu. Morris re-stated
her claims on NY channel WB11 TV, asserting that ''I caught
them a number of times. They didn't even try to hide it from
me. Sometimes they watched group sex, sometimes gay sex
films together. He was my boss so I couldn't say anything or
I'd have lost my job.''

airplane links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 24 August 2012)

Restless passenger Bawer A.

Another sleeping female passenger on a domestic flight in
the U.S. has been accosted. The attacker on the Phoenix-Newark
flight was alleged to be Turkish citizen Bawer A. (48).  The
day before yesterday a female passenger on a flight in Hawaii
was attacked.

According to the Associated Press (AP) report, the incident
occurred as follows: an unnamed woman on United Airlines
flight 306 claimed that the man sitting next to her had put his
hand inside her shirt and was was fondling her breast when
she awoke. The man's other hand was inside her shorts, she
said.

It is alleged that Bawar A., who also has American citizenship,
was breathing heavily and wanted the woman to kiss him. The
woman complained to the cabin staff and Bawer A. was taken
into custody on the airplane. He was apprehended at Newark
Liberty International Airport by federal agents. In his initial
statement, Bawer A. admitted that he had touched the woman.

According to sources reached by Hürriyet, Bawer A.'s real name
is Hasan A. and years ago while he was a hotel manager in New
York he allegedly sexually accosted a job applicant. At that time, he
was charged in a lawsuit and fired from his job.

At the first hearing in this current case, Judge Mark Falk stated
that there would be another hearing to determine the details of
the case. After that he would make a decision about bail. Bawer
A. could face life imprisonment and a fine of 250,000 dollars.

Wounded Can Wait! Let's Fight!

crash links to related article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 15 August 2012)

In Adana, Ahmet Ü (27)'s minibus was proceeding along
the Incirlik road. Ahmet Ü  picked up some passengers at
a stop and as he continued on his way he was hit from
the rear by a truck loaded with flour driven by Mehmet
B. (34).   The out-of-control minibus came to a stop only
after jumping the curb and hitting a tree and a utility pole.

Ahmet Ü. and nine other people were slightly injured in
the accident. Ahmet U.'s colleagues heard about the crash
and rushed to the scene, as did Mehmet B.'s trucking
company compatriots. Rather than helping the injured
the two groups went after each other, only being separated
with great difficulty by the police.

As the tension eased the injured passengers were taken to
various hospitals for treatment.

Wonder Where Those Miles Went?

smiles links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 10 August 2012)

Smiling With Your Miles

Katre Günay (41) works as a salesperson in
the domestic lines office of Turkish Airlines (THY)
in Istanbul. A criminal case has been opened
against Günay for embezzeling 110,000 TL
and for purchasing tickets for herself and her
family with miles earned on the credit cards
of THY customers. She could get 12 years in prison.

Günay allegedly showed supposed customer tickets
as having been returned and she then embezzeled the
amount of the tickets. In her statement to the prosecutor
on 22 May, Günay stated that ''sometimes I leave my
computer on. Someone else must have done it.'' However,
at the first hearing the day before yesterday Günay
changed her statement and declared that ''I did it to
help a friend in financial distress.''

In the indictment it is alleged that Günay defrauded THY
in three ways:  she canceled tickets and bought them at
a lower price, pocketing the difference; she purchased
tickets for herself and friends using the bonus miles of
callers from who she obtained credit card information.
Günay then returned the miles after having arranged her
own tickets; and she canceled some tickets, showed
the money as having been refunded but the customers
never saw the return, only learning that their tickets
had been canceled when they showed up at the airport.

When THY's administration saw that all these problematic
operations had been done with Günay's password they
brought the case to the prosecutor.

The Defintion of 'Gullible'

gullible links to original article

'Hızır Aleyhisselam' Saffet Demir

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 10 August 2012)

Ersen G. (35), who runs a market in Konya,
purchased some material from the Bedestan
Çarşı and while he was putting his items in his
car Saffet Demir (45) came up to him. Demir
said to Ersen G. ''you are a chosen person. I'm
Hızır Aleyhisselam, the Prophet's representative.
I help poor children, You should too.'' Demir then
began praying.

First, Ersen G. gave Demir 10 TL but as Demir
continued to pray Ersen G. gave him another
300 TL. Demir kept on praying, which affected
Ersen G. to the point where he gave Demir another
400 TL. Demir responded by saying ''give a little
more.''  Passing by was a police team that became
interested in the dialogue going on between Demir
and Ersen G.

The police team began to follow the two. Ersen
G. told Demir that he had no more money on him
but that he could withdraw some from the bank.
They went to a nearby ATM and Ersen G. took
out 1,000 TL. While entering a workplace about 100
meters further on Ersen G. was about to give Demir
the 1,000 TL when police closed in.

Demir denied any criminal activity and told the
police in his statement that ''my child is sick. I
asked him for help and for money. When I told him
that my child was ill he gave me a lot more money.''
Demir has a record for fraud and was taken into
custody.

Stowaway Turkish Cat Emigrates to UK

yonda links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 7 August 2012)

Yonda: Stowaway from Turkey to England

A kitten that got itself into a truck in Ankara
to sleep was only able to get out in England.
The kitten, which is now looking for new owners,
was found by officials at an international trucking
company in Kent.  Evidently, it remained in the
back of the truck for nine days and traversed the
length of Europe.

The trucking firm officials named the kitten 'Yonda'
and are showing great interest in the frightened and
shy creature. Turkish and English workers at the
company collected 615 British Sterling (1800 TL)
for the care and feeding of Yonda. Currently, the
kitten is being held in quarantine at The Animall Inn,
an animal shelter.

Yonda receives shots and special meals each day.
The kitten will be sent to Cat Protection animal
shelter four months from now, to be with other
homeless cats. The hope is that a new family will
adopt Yonda and the kitten will live happily ever
after.

'Filmmakers' After Byzantine Gold

treasuredoc links to related article

(Sabah Newspaper, 6 August 2012)

'Filmmakers' in the trenches

In Tekirdağ, 8 people who obtained permission from
the governor's office and began excavating with a back-hoe,
saying they were filming a documentary for TRT (Turkish
Radio and Television), turned out to be treasure-hunters.
The suspects were caught while digging but rejected the
accusations, claiming that 'we're digging a trench. The name
of the film is 'Homeland in a Trench'.

The incredible incident occurred between Uçmakdere and
Yeniköy in Şarköy district of Tekirdağ. The eight-person
group set to work in the area based on a treasure map they
got their hands on. To do this they resorted to an unusual
tactic: they applied to the Tekirdağ Governor's office with
false documents and a trumped-up petition expaining that
they were filming a 3-part TRT documentary that would
last for nine days, with the film being named 'Homeland in
a Trench'.

The treasure-hunters requested permission and moral support
from the governor's office, which they received, and established
a 'set' in the Uçmakdere-Yeniköy area where there are many
Byzantine-era ruins. The suspects leased a back-hoe and began
digging and as locals came alongside they tried to fool them by
telling them 'we're making a film.' Nevertheless, the villagers
became suspicious and notified the Gendarmerie, which observed
the suspects for a while before conducting a raid the day before
yesterday.

Application for permission to 'film'

The eight suspects were caught red-handed with treasure maps

and photographs of historical works. The treasure-hunters
showed the Gendarmerie the documents they had obtained
from the governor's office but then TRT was asked about the
situation. When TRT stated that there was no such documentary
in the works the eight suspects were taken into custody. The
Gendarmerie seized the back-hoe and other digging equipment.

In the ensuing investigation it was determined that the suspects
had gotten the governor's office permission based on false
documents and that they were searching for Byzantine gold.
The treasure-hunters' 'director', Erkan Ç. claimed that ''everything
is legal. We were going to make a film about the Çanakkale (Gallipoli)
War here. We have the requisite legal permissions. We were
digging the trench with the back-hoe for the film plateau. Turkey
isn't a Banana Republic.'' 

Relative Safety Now for Reluctant Bride

reluctant links to original article

Ö.A. and T.G. in happier times

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 6 August 2012)

In Muğla's Fethiye district, 18 year-old Ö.A. and
28 year-old hotel worker T.G. got engaged four
months ago with both families' consent. However,
over the past month relations between the two cooled.
Ö.A. wanted to end the relationship and explained
this her fiance and the families. When this happened
members of both families got together and decided to
act so that the two would marry.

Firstly, the young girl was brought to a 'hoca' (witch
doctor) who could supposedly break spells. Nevertheless,
even after the 'hoca' read some charms and spewed breath,
Ö.A. did not relent from her decision to separate. At this
point, the families came up with an incredible plan: Ö.A.
was taken from her home in Bozyer village near Fethiye to
the home of T.G.'s aunt H.C. in Gökben village, where she
was met by T.G.'s father and other relatives.

When Ö.A. again refused to relent she was locked in the
bedroom of the house. Shortly thereafter, T.G. entered
the bedroom, attacked Ö.A. and tried to rape her over the
course of three hours, albeit unsuccessfully. Meanwhile,
T.G.'s father and relatives waited at the door and Ö. A.'s
parents remained at their own home awaiting news that
the marital union had been realized.

Ö.A. resisted T.G.'s advances for all this time and when T.G.
left the room for a moment she jumped out the window, boarded
a passing minibus and succeeded in reaching the Fethiye
Gendarmerie Command. After taking the young girl's statement,
the public prosecutor ordered that Ö.A.'s parents, fiance T.G.
and six of his relatives be taken into custody.

Ultimately, T.G. was charged with 'sexual assault' and 'imprisonment'.
His father N.G. (58), older brother Y.G. (33), older sister S.G. (35)
and her husband H.G. (40), aunt H.C. (58) and her son Ç.C. (34), along
with Ö.A.'s parents S.A. (43) and S.A. (44), were all charged with
'aiding and abetting rape'. They were all arrested and transported to
jails in Fethiye and Muğla.

 

Only Good News From Giresun

giresun links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 4 August 2012)

Giresun Governor Dursun Ali Şahin

Giresun Governor Dursun Ali Şahin criticized the
members of the national press who are stationed
in Giresun, during the opening of a hospital. Governor
Şahin does not want negative incidents that occur in
Giresun to be made known to the national press and he
said that he himself would pay reporters not to do this.

In his speech Governor Şahin admonished the press
''not to write about things that happen in Giresun that
would put the province in a bad light. Don't pass on
things that reflect poorly on Giresun to the general press.
Private things should remain private. For example, you
wrote that 'a body was transported via a broken-down
cable lift'. Was that a good thing to do? Perhaps you got
3 or 4 points or 400 or 500 TL for that. If you don't
write such things I'll give you the money. Don't write
negatively about Giresun to the rest of Turkey.''

Following his speech, the Governor's staffers came up
to him and warned him that ''Sir, the cameras are rolling,
it's live.''  In response, Governor Şahin lamented ''damn it,
caught again. Our people only think about these things
after the fact. If you had warned me ahead of time! The
same thing happened with the Giresunspor incident.
I had brought 3 or 4 football players but the press said
that becuaee of me the rascal players weren't playing and
just watching the games. Then the coach resigned.''

Afterwards members of the press were not permitted to
take any pictures.

Hot Summer Night. Catcalls Spark Riot

riot links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 1 August 2012)

In the Ayazağa neighborhood of Şişli, Istanbul, some
workers from among 4,000 at a work site on Atatürk
Boulevard have allegedly been verbally harassing local
women lately. A few of these workers went to an amusement
park nearby the evening before last and again taunted a
local girl.

The neighborhood youth beat up the harassing workers who
went back to their work site, gathered up 200 friends and
returned to the amusement park. The workers, bearing bats,
searched for the youths and then headed toward the
neighborhood. Hearing this, about 400 neighborhood residents
flooded on to the streets.

Both sides went after each other with bats and rocks. The
local youth erected barricades and set refuse afire. Police
units intervened but some citizens and a journalist were
nevertheless injured by the bats and rocks. After five hours
the battle ended and police held vigil until morning. A large
number of workers, fearing for their safety, packed up and
went back to their home villages.

Neighborhood residents who talked to Sabah claimed that
the workers at the work site were quite rowdy. Sabri
Arslan, president of the Professional Projects Association,
who lives in an apartment opposite the work site, said that
''they were verbally harassing the women. The apartment
faces the work site. They're walking around naked there.
When we complained they put up a curtain.''

Construction worker Nuri Berksoy, though, said that
''this wasn't a harassment issue. There was provocation.
The youths were shouting 'Kurds, terrorists, get out of
here'. What would a terrorist be doing here? We're just
trying to earn a living.''

A group of 15 workers said to have been involved in the
fight were screened by the police and evicted from the
neighborhood.

Playground and Kids Fly Into Black Sea

playground links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 30 July 2012)

In Kastamonu's Çatalzeytin district, families
were enjoying themselves after the iftar meal
(meal ending the day's fasting during Ramazan)
at Fikret Çetin's Hisar Cafe, while children
started playing in the inflatable kiddie playground
alongside. However, a fierce sudden storm arose,
blowing the playground - and the kids inside of it -
into the Black Sea.

The cafe's electricity was cut during the storm, too.
Families who saw their children blown into the
sea along with the inflatable playground screamed.
Meanwhile, bystanders and cafe workers rushed
to the sea front to rescue the children. Esen Eylül
Demir (4), Enes Efe Demir (6), Yusuf Ziya Öztürk
(8) and Elif Çelik (5) were brought back to shore.
Yusuf Ziya had three broken bones in his legs and
arms and Esen Eylül's face was operated on.