Bad Bucks Leave Artists in Bad Mood

fake links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 19 September 2012)

Bathing in funny money in Gaziantep

In Gaziantep, local musicians who take the stage
at weddings are complaining about phony dollars.
The musicians held a news conference during which
they threw the fake bucks into the air and then
stepped on them.

The president of the Gaziantep Artists Association,
Ahmet Onurlu, made a statement during the event,
explaining their revolt as follows: 'There has been a
plethora of phony dollars in Gaziantep for about a
year. We're trying to stem this.'

Musician Hacı Yılmaz asserted that his psychology
has been upset because of the fake dollars thrown to
him at weddings.

Dance With Death Greets Hubby

dancer links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 22 September 2012)

Stabber S.Ç. in custody. Stabbee Ahmet Ç.(inset)

In Hendek district of Sakarya province, Ahmet Ç. (31)
brought home a dancer he met in a restaurant and was
stabbed to death by his wife when he got there. The
incident took place the night before last in Hendek's
Kemaliye neighborhood.

Ahmet Ç. had been at odds with his wife and went
out to a local restaurant to drink and have fun. There
he met dancer Ş.Y. and brought her back to his house.
Seeing that her husband and the father of their three
children had brought Ş.Y. to their house, S. Ç. (27)
got into an argument with Ahmet Ç.

Allegedly, Ahmet Ç. struck his wife and attacked her
with a knife. However, S.Ç. grabbed the knife from her
husband and stabbed him in the chest and back. The
bloodied Ahmet Ç. was taken to a hospital but the
unlucky fellow could not be saved. S.Ç. was taken into
custody after the incident.

Bureaucrats Turned Pugilists

box links to related article

(Posta Newspaper, 18 September 2012)

Punches fly in Tekirdağ

In Tekirdağ, the Çerkezköy Commerce and Industry
Bureau opened its meeting the day before yesterday
with a respectful salute to martyred soldiers. Then,
at the meeting the board of directors claimed that
there were some discrepancies associated with General
Secretary Selma Uğurlu's salary. Reacting to this,
Selma Uğurlu got into an argument with board member
Rahmi Yılmaz.

Burak Cebeci, who is Selma Uğurlu's nephew and a
worker at the bureau, entered the room and punched
Rahmi Yılmaz. Counterattacking, Yılmaz's brother
Salih Yılmaz, who is also a board member, punched
Burak Cebeci.

After the incident council chief Süleyman Kozuva
and two other council members resigned.

If I Had All The Money I Spent on...

smoker links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 19 September 2012)

Ali Elik, saving not smoking

Ali Elik (56), who has seven children, shines shoes
for a living in Ordu's Ünye district and although he
doesn't smoke he saved the money he would have
spent on cigarettes - enough to buy an apartment
and to retire.

Elik said that he decided to save all the money he
would have spent on smoking. He explained that
'in 1989 I finished working in a machine shop and I
wondered how I would pay for my insurance. So
I started giving the 'cigarette money' to my wife and
she put it away.'

'First of all, I paid off my insurance and was able
to retire. Next we saved for a house and bought a
wooden one which we lived in for 12 years. We
added the 'cigarette money' to my retirement pay
and were able to build a concrete house. I watched
the masters in my spare time and learned how to
lay bricks, spread plaster, put in the water and
electrical lines, paint and put down the floors.'

Elik had some advice for addicted smokers: 'a pack
costs 7 liras. When you put this money away each
day you saving your children's future.'

Wardrobe Malfunction

wardrobe links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 18 September 2012)

Fashion disaster hits Ergün A.

In Alibeyköy, Istanbul, a masked thief who robbed
a supermarket at gunpoint, taking 980 TL, has been
apprehended. Police first looked at surveillance video
and determined the license plate of the getaway car
the three suspects used.

Ergün A. (37) was arrested in connection with the
robbery but he denied involvement. However, when
Ergün A. was taken into custody at his house he was
wearing the same long-sleeved striped shirt and black
sleeveless vest that he wore during the robbery.

At the police station it was determined that Ergün A.
has a record. The other two robbers are still being
sought.

'56 Chevy's Bridal Tour Goes Awry

chevy links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 16 September 2012)

'56 Chevy crunched

The classic automobile tour of Istanbul for a bride and
groom turned into a nightmare. Allegedly,a truck driver
hoping to snare a one dollar gift envelope from the car
caused an accident. When the drivers got out of their cars
the 'E-5 (highway) War' broke out.

In Ataşehir, Istanbul, a wedding couple en route to Yıldız
Park to immortalize their happiest day with picture-taking
were involved in an accident with the classic car they were
riding in. The claim is that the accident was caused by a
truck driver intent on getting a one dollar gift envelope from
the happy couple.

According to available information, the driver of the classic
car (a 1956 Chevy Belair), Erdoğan Bilen, picked up the bride
and groom in Erenköy. Shortly thereafter, Erkoç Arda, driving
a truck with plate number 34 FY 1536, wanted to get a gift
envelope and came up close to the classic car. At this point,
Bilen lost control of the car and hit another car, plate number
34 A 6070, driven by Artin Çankır. The couple in the
convertible Chevy went into shock.

Classic car driver Bilen attacked truck driver Arda and the
Chevy's owners arrived soon afterwards, saw the damage to
their car and joined the fray. It wasn't long before the scene
took on the appearance of a battlefield. As punches and kicks
flew the police arrived and separated the combatants using
pepper spray.

Bilen, who has a role in the Kuzey Guney TV show, said about
truck driver Arda: 'he tried to cut us off for the envelope. The
most that was in the envelope was 1 dollar, maybe 5 liras. He
almost killed us for a dollar.'

No Freedom For Captive Truck

truck links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 12 September 2012)

Imprisoned truck remains jailed

In Trabzon an unusual story about a truck...Muhammet
Gören, who lived in Geyikli town, participated in a
firm's truck-selling campaign in Istanbul in 1974. He
bought a truck and brought it back to Trabzon by sea.

Since Gören didn't have a driver's license someone else
drove the truck. In order to get plates for the truck Gören
went into Trabzon but en route he was fined for not
having plates (!). An enraged Gören returned to his village
without getting plates.

Gören's three sons began to use the truck for fruit and
vegetable sales in the nearby villages but this led to
arguments among the sons about who would use the truck.
At the same time, the sons were caught gambling, which
angered Gören, prompting him to build a 14 square meter
garage in his yard. He then locked the truck in the garage
in 1975 and resisted pleas from his sons and villagers to
free the truck, saying 'when I'm dead do whatever you want
to.'

Two years ago, Gören died at age 80 and his three sons
Osman, Halil and Bayram, and his daughter Hanım came
to an agreement about the truck. The decided to keep the
truck locked in the garage, even going so far as to get disaster
and theft insurance for it. Osman Gören said that 'what would
be the good of taking it out now.' Halil Gören noted that 'my
mother used to complain about carrying  loads on her back but
my father was unmoved and would say 'there's no truck, it's
dead.' We don't have the heart to take the truck out.'

Watch Out! Could be a Scam...

watch links to original article

(Sözcü and Posta Newspapers, 12 September 2012)

New watch owner Yazar, laughing to keep from crying

In Antalya's Alanya district, construction worker Ramazan
Yazar went to a bank to have a money-order sent. While
waiting on line he met three people who said they had been
robbed at the airport and didn't have any cash left. The
suspects explained to Yazar that they would be willing to
sell him a gold watch at half price - 15,000TL.

Yazar called a friend to get a second opinion but the friend
warned against buying the watch. Nevertheless, Yazar bought
the watch for 15,000TL and then went to a jewelry store to
have it appraised. The jeweler told Yazar the watch had
come off the street and wasn't worth 5TL. At this point
Yazar realized he had been bilked and had a laughing fit.
He next went to the police station to file a complaint.

Stingy Sisters Ultimately Pay, Dearly

stingy links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 10 September 2012)

Yunus Yaşar. Wedding plans on hold...

A young man who received a negative reply when he
asked his older sister for wedding money in Gaziantep
went balistic (literally!). Yunus Yaşar (26), who lives in
Istanbul, came to the home of his older sister Ayşe Fatma
Tut (44) in their hometown of Gaziantep at around 9 PM
the night before last.

Yaşar told his sisters that he planned to marry and he asked
them for money. When they turned him down an argument
ensued and Yaşar began firing his revolver wildly. Bullets
hit Ayşe Fatma Tut, her sister Gülper Yaşar and her husband
Mehmet Yaşar. The wounded were all taken to a hospital but
could not be saved. Murder suspect Yunus Yaşar was captured
at the bus station.

I'm a Hostage! Please Believe Me!

hostage links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 9 September 2012)

H.B. (34) works as a waiter in Pendik, Istanbul,and as he
headed to work in the morning he was kidnapped by four
people. The kidnappers told H.B. to call his wife and tell
her to prepare a ransom for 5,000TL. H.B.'s wife, though,
assumed he was lying so she hung up on him when he called
her. Next, H.B. phoned his older sister but she didn't believe
him either.

When she didn't hear from H.B. again by evening, H.B.'s
older sister called the police and told them that 'he may have
been kidnapped.' The police then determined that H.B. had
in fact been kidnapped so they told his older sister to call
H.B. and tell him that the ransom was ready.

When the kidnappers came to the designated address to pick
up the ransom they were nabbed by the police. In the operation,
three people were taken into custody and H.B. was rescued.
After interrogations were completed two other individuals
were taken into custody. One of the suspects, Hikmet B.,
was jailed.

Georgian Aluminum Foil Heists Foiled

foil links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 2 September 2012)

Georgian Nodar Tadua's aluminum foil fetish

On 29 August, a security team stationed at the Sultanahmet
tramway line followed four suspicious Georgians to Esenyurt
where Giorgia Gvarjalabze (41) Levani Alavidze (37), Lokabidze
Guram (27) and Xuchua Grigol (33) entered an electronics store.
The four suspects walked around the store for a while, put some
İPads in their bags and left.

Because they had lined their bags with aluminum foil the store's
inventory control alarm failed to detect the suspects' stolen goods.
Nevertheless, the security team was waiting for them outside the
store and arrested them all.

Earlier in the week on Tuesday, yet another Georgian, Nodar Tadua
(32), was caught in Kartal stealing a camera from a different electronics
store. He also used the aluminum foil-lined bag technique, albeit
unsuccessfully.

Brusk Zander Brandon Selçuk Southall (NOT!)

name links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 6 September 2012)

'No Fun Names Allowed' says High Court

Hasan Basri Selçuk, who lives in Diyarbakır, wanted
to change his name 'Hasan Basri' to 'Brusk Zander Brandon'
and his last name from 'Selçuk' to 'Selçuk Southall' so he
applied to the courts. Diyarbakır's Third Court of First
Instance accepted the case and decided that Selçuk could
change his names.

However, the decision was appealed by the Population
Directorate and the case came to the High Court's 18th
Law Office, where the lower court's decision was
unanimously overturned. In its decision, the High Court
noted that according to the Turkish Surname Law, names
from foreign races and nations cannot be used as surnames
and new surnames must be taken from Turkish.

Mystery Horse Saved, Vanishes

horse links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 1 September 2012)

Humans do horse a good turn

In Arnavutköy, near Istanbul, a horse that entered the
garden of Mustafa Örnek to graze stepped on a thin piece
of sheet metal covering a well and fell in. Örnek, alerted
by the horse's whinnying, came out from his house and
found the horse flailing about in the well.

Örnek and his neighbors tried mightily to rescue the horse
but without success, so the fire department was called to
the scene. The firefighters launched a rescue operation
using a rope and ladder. After six hours the horse was
finally extracted from the well.

The ownerless horse disappeared as soon as it was set
free.  Örnek, the homeowner, noted that ''even though my
garden is surrounded by a fence the horse hopped over it
and got into the garden. When it trod on the well cover it
collapsed and the horse fell in. We worked for hours to
get it out.''

Tombstone Spells Con Man's End

tombstone links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 1 September 2012)

Camera-shy 'Doctor' Kılınç

Istanbul police learned the true name of a con man who
bilked five women in their 80's who had gone by themselves
for treatment to hospitals in Şişli, Taksim, Okmeydanı,
Eyüp and Gaziosmanpaşa, out of 180,000 TL, from the
writing on a tombstone.

The police captured 'Ismail Yıldırım', the suspect, on 16
August while he was posing as a phony doctor and he was
put in jail. They then went to search his home in Bahçelievler,
where they were met by the real Ismail Yıldırım. Police next
endeavored to determine the suspect's real identity and found
out that he lived in the Karagümrük neighborhood of Fatih.
Residents there identified the picture shown to them by the
police as 'Rıza Kılınç', whose wife Ayten Kılınç had died in
a traffic accident on 25 August 2008.

Police went to Yenidoğan Cemetary and found the proof they
needed - the tombstone on Ayten Kılınç's grave read ''We
weren't happy in this world, God willing we will be in the
afterlife. Your loving husband, Rıza''. Having determined
the 32 year-old Rıza Kılınç's real identity, police next learned
that he had escaped from Niğde prison where he was serving
time for sexual assault. It turned out that Kılınç had also raped
his late wife and was forced to marry her. Based on these
developments the prosecutor gave instructions to reinvestigate
the cause of Ayten Kılınç's death.

As for bilking the elderly women, Kılınç told them that ''I have
a network of businessman friends. I can get help for your
hospital expenses but your bank accounts have to be empty in
for you to get this money.'' Kılınç would then take the women
to a nearby bank and had them transfer all money in their
accounts to his accounts ''temporarily''. Kılınç would then
disappear.

Lions Eat Their Young in Adana

lions links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 20 August 2012)

Trouble in the Lion family

//ed. note: 'arslan' means 'lion' in Turkish//

In Yeniköy village of Ceyhan district, Adana, Türkan Arslan,
who is married to her cousin Hanifi Arslan, and Hanım Arslan,
who is married to her cousin Ömer Arslan, both left their
husbands and returned to their father's home. Last week Hanifi
Arslan and Ömer Arslan went to the house and argued with
their wives' brothers Yunus Arslan (19) and Yusuf Arslan (16).

Subsequently, on the eve of the Ramazan holiday, Yunus and Yusuf
went out to graze their sheep but when they didn't return their
father, Eyüp Arslan, went to look for them and found their bodies
in a corn field. The Gendarmerie took Hanifi Arslan, Adem Arslan,
Cumali Arslan, Haydar Arslan, Ömer Arslan, Hamza Arslan and
(yet another) Ömer Arslan into custody in connection with the
incident.