Tables Turned on Turk in Ukraine

whoops links to original article and video

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 29 November 2012)

//ed. note: make sure to check out the video by clicking
on 'whoops' above//

A group of young fellows who aim to stop sex tourism
to Ukraine and call themselves by the name 'Defacto'
claim to have captured an unnamed Turkish 'John' as
their latest victim.

The Turk summoned what he thought was a call girl
to his hotel room but was surprised by the youths, who
roughed up the Turk, put a mask on his face, bound him
and paraded him on one of Kiev's busiest avenues
wearing a sign that read 'Stop Sex Tourism'.

Walking (if  reluctant) billboard.

 

 

Wife-slasher Now Women's Rights Champ

champ links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 28 November 2012)

Does a 180 on women's rights

In Usak, Tahsin Kucuksimavi stabbed his wife
of 37 years while he was drunk five years ago
but now he's become a champion of women's rights.

The 67 year-old Kucuksimavi, who is a farmer in
the village of Sukraniye, went home drunk five
years ago and his wife Munevver, sick and tired
of Tahsin's drunkenness, screamed 'why are you
drinking?!', which set off an argument between
the two. In his drunken state Tahsin lost control
and stabbed his 37-year wife a number of times.

Tahsin was tried for simple assault in Usak's 1st
Petty Crimes Court and was given a jail term that
was later converted to a 700 TL fine.

But now Tahsin was at the head of the line for the
'Say No to Violence Against Women' event held
in conjuction with the '25 November International
Struggle and Solidarity Day for the Fight Against
Violence Toward Women.'  Tahsin chanted slogans
with the others and said that 'I was very sorry after
I stabbed my wife. She's the mother of my four
children. If she had died what would I have done?
These days whenever I see a protest against violence
toward women I join in right away.'

Ancient Elephant Rises Anew

elephant links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 27 November 2012)

Walking tall once again.

At the museum in Kahramanmaras, a special
construction technique has been used to raise
the skeleton of a  Great Asian Elephant whose
bones were found in the Gavur Lake Swamp
and date to 1400 B.C. The missing bones were
added in and no damage done to the existing ones
during the construction.

The most striking elements found in the display
room of the Kahramanmaras Museum are two
elephants, the smaller of which is displayed as
it was found, in a glass case. The larger one, though,
is being displayed upright, after the work done by
the expert restorers of the Culture and Tourism
Ministry.

In raising the Great Asian Elephant, known in Latin
as 'Elephas Maximus Asurus', a 'first' in Turkey
was achieved. The expert restorers, advised by
specialists from MTA (Maden Tetkik Arama-
Mine Investigation and Discovery) and the Italian
Paleontology Institute, completed an elephant's
skeleton with bones that are not its own. The
original bones were restored without damage
and the entire skeleton raised with the special
construction system.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

gotca links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 26 November 2012)

Know any good lawyer jokes?

The head of the Istanbul Bar Association, Umit
Kocasakal, was stopped by traffic police for using
a 'signal beacon' - the name given to the flashing
lights used by emergency vehicles, as designated
by the Interior Ministry - on his car. In accordance
with "Paragraph 71 of  the Traffic Law" he was
fined 72 TL.

Traffic police were conducting checks at the entrance
to the Bosphorus Bridge on 22 November when they
stopped a vehicle using a 'signal beacon' at 1230 hours.
The police saw that the car belonged to Bar Association
chief Kocasakal and determined that Kocasakal was
using it as he rode in the 'security shoulder lane.' He
was fined 72 TL and advised to remove the lamp within
on week or else the car would be impounded.

(A sheepish) Kocasal, when reached by Sabah, stated
that "I don't want to make a comment. Even if I do it
won't do any good."

Traffic police have caught 106 people doing the same
thing over the past five days and fined them each 72 TL.
Among those fined were businessmen, city workers and
four of Istanbul's university deans. The apparatus can
easily be purchased for between 50 and 100 TL.

Catholic School Days Remembered

punishment links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 23 November 2012)

//ed.note: this item dedicated to Sister Theophane (7th Grade) and Brother Earnest (HS)//

Ain't misbehavin', they say

Third year students ın the Kazım Karabekir Industrial
Arts High School in the Yakutıye district of Erzurum
were allegedly put in a line and beaten by principal
Şerafettin Aydoğdu yesterday for misbehaving during class.
The students obtained reports from Palandöken State
Hospital attesting to their injuries after a check-up there.

The students claimed that 'a few fellows started to misbehave
after class had started and they got up and down during
class, disturbing things. The teacher tried to stop them
but to no avail so the principal was notified.  All the students
in the class were summoned to the principal's office. As the
principal talked to us he got upset at the attitude of the
unruly students and put us all in line and beat us.'

The students went to the police station with the reports
they got from the hospital and wanted to file a complaint
against the principal. However, their parents wouldn't allow
it, saying that since the students themselves admitted to
misbehaving in class they couldn't complain about the principal.

As for principal Aydoğdu, he told Sabah that 'they disrupted
the class and when they didn't pay any attention to their
teacher I was notified. So I summoned them to my office and
when I asked for an explanation they sassed me. I hit them
lightly on their backs and shoulders with my ruler. To say
I hit them with a bat is a lie. They're exaggerating the situation.
They're back in class and all ok. They wanted to make a big
deal out of it and skip out on class.'

Three Stooges Run Out of Gas

stooges links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 20 November 2012)

Vedat C. a.k.a. "Curly"

S.A. (46), a businesswoman who lives in Cankaya,
Ankara, began to wait yesterday morning at about
0500 in front of a shopping center for her girlfriend
so they could go to Istanbul.  At this time, Serdar T.
(25) approached S.A., identifying himself as a police
officer, and invited her to his car.

However, when S.A. resisted, Serdar T. and his friends
Gokhan C. (24) and Vedat C. (age unknown) took
S.A.'s car, handbag and telephone and fled.  Police
teams determined the descriptions of the suspects from
an ATM camera while they were trying to withdraw
money.

When the suspects stopped to get gas for the stolen
car in Kirikkale they filled it with normal gas rather
than the necessary diesel fuel. The car broke down
so they sold it to repairman Mustafa Y. for 3,500 TL,
although the car is worth 30,000 TL. They also sold
the stolen telephone to Gokhan B. (no relation to
Gokhan C.) and pressed on to Kayseri.

After a 500 kilometer chase, police teams took the
suspects into custody in Pinarbasi district of Kayseri
and all three were arrested. In his police statement,
Serdar T. said that "we had gone to Istanbul for fun.
When we got back (to Ankara) we took some pills.
We saw the woman waiting there so early in the
morning by herself so we went up to her. We thought
she was a hooker and wanted to hire her but when
she started screaming we grabbed her car, phone and
handbag and took off".

Black Paper Becomes Money

science fair links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 18 November 2012)

Science Fair project for profit.

In Istanbul, contractor N.U. (41) made a complaint
to police, saying that a person identifying himself
as a Camaroonian businessman had cheated him
out of 330,000 Euros. Police then conducted raids
in Umraniye, Fatih and Sisli and took six people,
one of them a Camaroonian woman, into custody.

The suspects claimed that because of the war going
on in their country the had smuggled money out in
the form of black paper but that by using a special
solution they could turn the black paper back into
money. The suspects duped their victims by showing
them a "machine" made of wood that uses electricity
and has a number of buttons. There are compartments
on the machine where the black paper is placed and
then turned into real money.

The suspects and a large amount of black paper
cut into the size of money, along with the so-called
"money machine" with the secret compartments,
were seized.

Photo Switch Further Roils Bizarre Case

redux links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 16 November 2012)

//ed. note: see blog item of 7 November 2012 for
related information//

M.Y., not Y.A.

Murat Yesilova (58) stabbed his brother Yuksel
Yesilova in 2010 during a football match between
the Samsunspor and Mersin Idman Yurdu teams,
in Samsun. As the case continues to be heard in
Samsun's 2nd Major Crimes Court, Murat is facing
24 years in prison. He says he stabbed his brother
Yuksel, the coach of Mersin Idman Yurdu, because
Yuksel had raped his daughter-in-law Y.A.

Defending himself against the rape charge, Yuksel
showed the judge two pictures on 6 November -
one of Y.A. and one of a Romanian beauty he said
was his wife - and asked the judge "would a guy
with a wife like mine look at a woman like this"
(referring to Y.A.)

After the story became public a woman in Germany
named M.Y. said that she was the woman whose photo
Yesil used as an unfavorable contrast to his gorgeous
wife. M.Y. contacted reporters to say that "although
this person named Yuksel Yesilova has never met me,
he has duped both the court and you. He has also
injured my reputation and honor. When he couldn't
find a photo of Y.A. he showed the court my picture,
which is a crime. I have filed a complaint against
Yuksel Yesilova."

Ram Turns Lethal

ram links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 15 November 2012)

Killer in custody.

In Bayiralan village of Cal district in Denizli, two
elderly cousins lost their lives when struck by blows
from the ram they were raising. Fatma Citak (76) and
her aunt's son Omer Deda (75) were bringing their
flock of sheep home after grazing when a hornless
ram in the flock attacked Citak. The ram knocked her
down and then continued to pummel her while on the
ground.

Deda ran to his cousin's aid but was similarly butted
by the ram and forced to the ground. The Ram kept
on butting the two aged cousins as Deda's wife and
neighbors rushed to calm the enraged ram, taking it
to the sheepfold. Citak and Deda were brought to a
hospital but could not be saved.

Until an inquiry is concluded the ram will remain
under watch in the sheepfold and cannot be brought
to slaughter.

Fireman's Devotion Stuns Bride

alarm links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 15 November 2012)

Happy couple - hearts on fire.

Antalya firefighter Yalcin Celik played a practical
joke on bride Nafiye Acar during their wedding
ceremony held in the firehouse garden. Just as
the marriage official was about to ask Celik to say
"I do" the fire alarm rang out and Celik leaped from
the marriage table to the fire truck. After about ten
minutes Celik returned to the ceremony to say "I do."

Celik had planned the joke with his friends and was
able to win his new bride's heart upon his return.
Nevertheless, Celik asserted that he loves his job and
would dive into a fire even if both his hands were bloody.
Bride Nafiye Acar, however, froze when Celik jumped
from the table and felt badly, even considering leaving
the ceremony. But "when everyone laughed I calmed
down. An interesting rememberance."

This Guy Can't Get Arrested

29 links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 12 November 2012)

Yagmurcu will get a 29th chance.

Gokhan Yagmurcu (56) was taken into custody in
Fatih, Istanbul, by police from the financial crimes
office in March while preparing false documents.
A search was conducted in his store, which had a
'For Rent' sign in the window, and hundreds of
false documents were found.

Yagmurcu claimed that all the documents and the
equipment to make them belonged to a friend.
Nevertheless, Yagmurcu was sent to Metris Prison
and stayed there for 4 months before being released.
Just six days ago the finance police got a tip that false
documents were being prepared in an office in Fatih
so they put the site under surveillance.

Police soon realized that this was a false document
operation because their good friend Yamurcu was
at the helm of the job. The day before yesterday police
raided the site and arrested Yamurcu for the 28th time.
During a search, false identity cards, diplomas, passports,
drivers licenses and other false documents were recovered,
along with the equipment to make such things.

Yagmurcu denied the charges. His documents were said
to command prices of between 500TL and 3,000TL. He
was charged with "counterfeitting official documents and
seals" and transported to the Istanbul State Prosecutor.
The Prosecutor's office asked the acting court to arrest
Yagmurcu but he was released pending trial.

Duped 'Chairmen' in World of Hurt

titans links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 5 November 2012)

Titans of Industry

In Izmir, when Rifat Atmaca (41), a father of
three who has epilepsy, and Fethi Gokdere (42),
who has one eye and lives with a sibling, met up
with Erol Ture in 2006 their lives took a turn for
the worse. Allegedly, Ture got the two unemployed
fellows to give him their identity cards, promising
to get them insurance.

Twenty days later Ture, an accountant, gave the two
their identity cards back and took them to a notary to
"initiate your insurance policies."  There they signed
a number of documents and soon afterwards Ture
disappeared. However, in 2007 notices of outstanding
tax bills and payment notices started to arrive at their
houses.

Not being able to pay the debts, the two duped fellows
went from court to court until in 2009 Atmaca was
given a sentence of 1 year 8 months for the crime of
"fraud with an official document" by the Menderes
Court of First Instance. The sentence was suspended,
giving Atmaca some relief, but he was hit by a sentence
of 2 years 6 months on 12 April 2012 by the Izmir 18th
Court of First Instance for "actions contrary to the tax
law".

Atmaca had thus committed two crimes in 5 years so
the suspended sentence for the first one was revoked
and he was faced with serving 4 years 6 months in jail.
Only by borrowing 46 TL from his friends was he able
to file an appeal and avoid going to prison.

In the course of a police operation against fraudulent
contracting firms both Atmaca and Gokdere were arrested
as "gang members" because they were listed on documents
as "contractors". Thirty hours later they were found to be
innocent and released after giving statements.

Gokdere said "don't give your identity card to anyone.
I've been unemployed for 12 years but there are 9
companies listed to my name and I have a debt of 6
million TL. What happened to us is worse than that
of a cooked chicken."

As for Atmaca, who is "chairman" of 14 companies and
has a debt of 10 million TL, he said that "my wife had
asthma and she died, leaving me raise our three kids.
Since I have epilepsy I can't work and because of my
debts, coal and financial assistance has been cut off.  I
don't have a lira in my pocket. How could I be a company
chairman? But I couldn't convince the judges of this. At
the hearings I'd say "judge sir, I have no teeth. How could
I be a boss?""
 

Maternal Misnomer - 'Angel'

angel links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 10 November 2012)

Locked up, praying for an angel.

In Adana, two little girls were left locked in a
car by their mother. According to available
information, the car was parked on Ziyapasa
Boulevard in the Kurtulus neighborhood and
passers-by noticed the two girls - aged 7 and 4 -
locked inside.

The police were notified as citizens tried to calm
the crying girls. An announcement was made
about the car and its license plate, as police tried
to reach the girls' relatives. Finally, about half an
hour later their mother - named Melek (Angel) -
arrived at the scene, opened the car doors and freed
the girls.

A little while later the girls got back in the car and
rode off with their mother.

Camera Too Candid

candid links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 7 November 2012)

Cake's message doomed thieves...

...sometimes, when you least expect it...

In Bornova district of Izmir, T.Y.(17) and his friend
M.S.(17) stole two cameras from homes where they
had gone to install gas lines. As they tried to sell the
cameras at a flea market in Cankaya they were noticed
by plainclothes police acting as customers.

Police questioned the two youngsters and found that
M.S. had a record for robbery. Nevertheless, the two
claimed that they owned the cameras and were selling
them because they needed money urgently. But police
saw a picture of a birthday cake in one of the cameras,
shaped like the number one and carrying the message
"Our Dear One. So Wonderful You Were Born Nilda"

The name of the bakery where the cake was prepared
was in the picture too so police went there and discovered
that a resident of 100th Year neighborhood in Bornova
had ordered the cake and had also notified police about
the theft of the camera.

The two youngsters were brought in to Basmane Police
Station and confessed. T.Y. said that he worked with
his uncle putting in gas lines but that his uncle was unaware
of the thefts. The two were processed at the Children's
Bureau and taken to jail.

"Good-looking Wife" Defense

evidence links to related article

(Sozcu and Milliyet Newspapers, 7 November 2012)

 

Rape suspect and "evidence"

In September 2010 Murat Yesilova (58) went on the
field during the Samsun-Mersin football match in
Samsun and stabbed the coach of the Mersin team,
his brother Yuksel Yesilova (48). Murat claimed that
Yuksel had raped his daughter-in-law Y.A. and the case
was heard in court yesterday.

The prosecutor asked for a jail term for Murat for
wounding his brother. As for Yuksel, he asserted that
Murat's daughter-in-law Y.A. had fabricated the rape
charge. In his own defense, Yuksel showed the judge
pictures of Y.A. and his own wife, a former Romanian
beauty queen. Yuksel told the judge "would a guy with
a wife like mine look at a woman like her?"

Yuksel added that his older brother had slandered him
because he couldn't recover a debt.

Brides' Hopes Dashed, 'Shrine' a Joke

brides links to related article

(Sozcu and Milliyet Newspapers, 5 November 2012)

Faux wedding shrine just a joke. 

Shepherd Muhittin Karakoyun found some old wedding
dresses in the garbage and hung them on a tree in Yalvac
district of Isparta province. As a rumor spread that the
old wedding dresses were hung near a saint's tomb, bridal
hopefuls flocked to the "brides tomb" with the idea of
enhancing their odds of  betrothal. Shepherd Karakoyun,
though, admitted that he had hung the dresses as a joke
and expressed surprise that "everyone believed the rumor."

Fed Up With Thieves and Paperwork

nothing left links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 5 November 2012)

Sign says "Nothing left to steal"

In Konya, a person whose house has been
robbed four times put up a sign on the second
floor of the house that reads "There's nothing
left to steal here. Please don't keep the police
busy for no good reason."

Mehmet Peker, who lives in Meram district
in the city of Konya, said that his house has
been robbed on four separate occasions, the
last time being during Kurban Bayrami (feast
of sacrifice) when thieves took the sheep to
be sacrificed.

Peker stated that "when this happened we
moved, along with my mother, to another
house. I put up the sign so the thieves don't
make the police come for no reason. Even
if a thief were to come there's nothing left
to steal."

Peker added that "when a robbery occurs
four police teams come and they each make
three sets of documents. I'm fed up with
signing these. I don't what to go through it
again."

Tongue-cutting Teacher Doesn't Bluff

tounge (links to original article)

(Sabah Newspaper, 2 November 2012)

Tonguetied Y.T.S., scissor-happy Ms. Celik

A hearing yesterday in the courthouse in Kirikkale
revealed an incident that occurred at the Kirikkale
Fine Arts and Sports High School last year on 19
October that is hard to believe. Nihan Ates Celik (35),
an English teacher at the school, threatened to cut
the hair of a girl whose hair was in disarray. The other
students, thinking this was a joke, started to chant
"cut it! cut it!".  This unnerved teacher Celik so much
that when she turned around she screamed at the first
student she saw, 9th grader Y.T.S. (15), saying "what
are you shouting about?! Instead of her, I'll cut your
tounge out!"

Celik grabbed a scissors from a student and told Y.T.S.
to stick out his tounge. Thinking his teacher was kidding,
Y.T.S. stuck out his tounge and Celik cut it. Y.T.S., who
boards at the school,  was forced by Celik to remain in
the class and swallowed his blood until class ended. Y.T.S.
stated that "I never once thought she would actually cut
my tongue. When I realized she had I was shocked. I
wanted to go to the bathroom but she wouldn't let me."

Y.T.S. told his parents by phone that evening what had
happened and his father Oguz S. and mother Ebru S.
came to the school right away to take their son to the
hospital. Y.T.S. had a two centimeter cut on his tongue
and his parents filed a complaint against Celik. Two
students testified that Celik had cut Y.T.S.'s tongue and
the teacher accepted this charge. The students noted that
the scissors was new and sharp.

After the incident the school's principal persuaded Y.T.S.'s
father not to file a complaint, in the school's interest. But
when Celik didn't even apologize, Oguz S. sought relief
in the courts, noting that "this kind of a person shouldn't
be in our schools. She's a disgrace to teachers." While the
case proceeds it has been requested that Celik's rights as
a state employee and as a citizen be suspended.

The Paris of Turkey

movie star links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 1 November 2012)

//ed. note.: see blog entry of 12 October 2012 for previous
reporting on Ms. Hilton's visit to Istanbul.//

Seems to have a Turkey fetish

American society beauty, Hilton Hotels
heiress and famous model Paris Hilton will
make a film in Cappadocia (south-central
Turkey). Actor Erkan Kose will have a role
in the comedy film, named "Yarmani" (take-off
on 'Armani'?), in which an innocent young
Turkish fellow becomes a famous fashion
guru. A Plato Film productions team visited
Nevsehir Mayor Hasan Unver in his office
yesterday.

Wrong-way Goal King

goal! links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 31 October 2012)

Hamza Gecmis...in happier times.

The Karsiyaka-Goztepe football grudge matches
(derby) in Izmir are among the most important ones in
Turkey. Each team's fanatics await the match weeks
in advance, just like Fenerbahce-Galatasaray.

On 28 October an unlucky footballer made history
and was the laughing stock of social media after the
game was over. Up until yesterday most people had
not heard of him. But now they have after  33 year-
old Goztepe player Hamza Gecmis shot two goals
into his own net, handing archrival Karsiyaka the
2-0 victory.

Gecmis is now the topic of Goztepe supporters wrath,
with one saying "I wanted to congratulate Karsiyaka
but they didn't beat us, Hamza did. Congratulations
Hamza Gecmis, for God's sake take a shower and go
out and play from now on. Two goals into his own
net and in the derby no less! What can anyone say?
I can't even be bothered cursing him out."

And a Goztepe player getting backhanded compliments
from Karsiyaka supporters is hard to take. For example:
"the only person who can enter Karsiyaka Carsi (fanatics'
den) wearing a Goztepe uniform is Hamza Gecmis."
And "at the end of the match Hamza Gecmis went into
the Karsiyaka locker room by mistake." And "Goztepe's
Hamza made two goals but missed the hat trick (3 goals).
He's a good footballer but he's no Alex." (Brazilian star
formerly on Fenerbache.)