When You Don't Read the Fine Print

hoodwinked links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 18 November 2013)

Sold a bill of goods...

In Izmir, Gurbet Uzun (36) met accountant Erol Ture in a
coffee house in 2006. Promising to get insurance for Uzun,
Ture asked Uzun for his identity card. Shortly afterwards,
Ture said "your insurance is all set, you have to sign." and
he took Uzun to a notary.

Grade school graduate Uzun signed a number of documents
without reading them but, in any event, he was glad to have
finally gotten insurance so he thanked Ture. However, a while
later Uzun was shocked when he began getting payment notices
and tax bills mailed to his home address.

Uzun took the notices and tax bills to Ture asking "what's with
these debt notices? What's going to happen?"  In response, Ture
said "Come on, let's take care of it all." So Ture took Uzun to
the notary again and had him sign more documents.

As a result, Uzun has been shuttling from court to court for seven years.
Because 13 companies were set up in his name he has a debt of nearly 20
million TL and he has been slapped with a 12 prison sentence by the Izmir
court for allegedly forging a receipt. Uzun has objected to the rulings and
the case files have gone to a higher court. But if that court approves the
Izmir court's decision Uzun will have to serve 12 years in prison.

A (bewildered and) jobless Uzun explained that "if I really had all
these companies I wouldn't be in this situation. I can't even pay the 30 TL
electric bill for my home. I'm not working and my green card (for Turkish
government social services) has been cancelled because of the lawsuits.
I can't get any help from the district chief's office either."  

Fate Plays a Very Cruel Name Game

fate links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 26 November 2013)

Hilal Bacaksizoglu

 

 

In Kadıköy, Istanbul, architect Hilal Bacaksızoğlu was tryıng to
board a double-decker bus as it was leaving the bus stop but she
fell under the bus. After the incident Bacaksızoğlu's mangled leg
had to be amputated at the hospital from the knee down.

Bacaksızoğlu, who is a council member of the Architects Hearth
Izmir bureau, ran after the double-decker bus that operates on the
Alt Kaynarca-Pendik-Kadıköy route, as it began to pull away. The
bus hit Bacaksızoğlu, she fell to the ground and under the bus's front
wheel. Her left leg was amputated at the hospital.

Bacaksızoğlu stated that "the driver changed direction and I fell under."
She has filed a complaint about Ayaz (evidently the bus driver.)

//ed. note: 'bacak' means 'leg' in Turkish. 'bacaksiz' means 'without
leg'. 'bacaksizoglu' means 'son of legless one'. See blog item of 11
August 2013 for a similar name twist of cruel fate.//

Crime Doesn't Pay, This Time Anyway

mugger links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 25 November 2013)

Do the crime, do the time - eternity.

In Izmir, a mugger who stole a young woman's bag
after threatening her with a broken beer bottle in the
elevator of an overpass, died when he was hit by a
car as he fled across a street. When police answered
a call on the mugger's cellphone the incident was revealed.

The night before last, Ayse Aslan (21) wanted to descend
from the overpass on Anadolu Boulevard in Bayrakli in an
elevator. Construction worker Ali Ihsan Serin, married and
the father of one child, followed Aslan into the elevator.
Serin pressed the broken beer bottle against Aslan's neck but
she resisted. When the elevator stopped on the ground Serin
was able to pull away Aslan's pocket book, containing 1,000 TL
and her cellphone.

As Serin fled toward Altinyol he was hit by a car headed toward
Karsiyaka, driven by Halit Kivanc (26), and seriously wounded.
Serin could not be saved at the hospital but police there answered
his ringing telephone. The caller was Ali Aslan, who explained to
police that the phone belonged to his daughter, a mugging victim.

When it was realized that the accident victim was mugger Serin,
Ayse Aslan  and her father went to the Bayrakli police station, where
Ayse said that "the attacker took my bag. Since there wasn't anyone
around I went home and told my father."

Bayrakli is in Karsiyaka district of Izmir city.

Scrooge 'Thanks' Last Honest Man

scrooge links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 23 November 2013)

Scrooge giving gratitude a bad name.

In Simav district of  Kutahya province , retiree Ahmet Karadag
returned a bag full of money that he found on the road from the
mosque to its rightful owner. There were dollar, euro and TL
banknotes equal to 1 million TL (500,000 USD) in the bag.

Serafettin Sahin (41), a transporter (!), had reported the bag
missing and after Karadag turned it in to the police the
bag was returned to Sahin. In a show of gratitude, Sahin
gave Karadag 100 TL (50 USD!!) for his honesty.

Karadag (71) makes about 500 TL per month collecting plastic
and bottles. Nevertheless, he regretted accepting the 100 TL from
Sahin, explaining that "I didn't want to take the money but when
he insisted I did. I don't want money I didn't earn."

As for (the mysterious) Sahin, he disappeard after collecting his
money and is not answering his phone. Police have begun an
investigation into whether or not Sahin's money is clean or ill-
gotten.

Simav district is in western Kutahya.

Light at Tunnel's End - Cops' Smiling Teeth

tunnel links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 23 November 2013)

Tunnel project succeeds, fails.

Ali T. and Mehmet Y. got word that there was gold
in the historic Polita church in Camoba village of
Trabzon province, so they decided to dig a tunnel into
the shut-up church. The treasure-hunters began work
three months ago and even put in a rail system to move
the dirt out from the tunnel. They also installed an air
conditioning jet, along with illegal electricity.

The Gendarmerie, however, learned from a tip about
the project and went into action. As the treasure-hunters
were finishing their tunnel the night before last the
Gendarmerie soldiers were waiting for them inside the
church. Ali T. had a heart attack upon seeing the welcoming
committee. Mehmet Y. was taken into custody.

The suspects had built their tunnel next to a waterfall in order
to reach the church. The Gendarmerie seized the materials
used for the 50 meter-long, 2 feet-wide tunnel. Ali T. had
this to say about the incident: "I have debts to the bank. A
friend told me that there was gold in the church so we decided
to dig the tunnel. I regret it now."

Ali T.'s treatment at the hospital continues and both suspects
are free pending trial. But they were fined 6,000 TL for using
electricity illegally.

Trabzon

Frog Robbers Will Be Toad!

frogs links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 22 November 2013)

Escaped the dinner table.

In Fethiye, Mugla province, 5 people who illegally collected
frogs, a protected species, in order to sell them to restaurants
have been caught red-handed. A fine of 169,000 TL (85,000 USD)
has been assessed against the renegade hunters. In Turkey, other
than in hotels that cater to tourists, there is no interest in eating
frogs. In Europe, however, frogs are considered a gourmet item
and so they have become a target for hunters.

Local people have been saying that "at night some people come to
the lake and hunt with flashlights."  Based on a tip, teams from the
Nature Preservation and National Parks IV Regional Directorate
and the Gendarmerie nabbed the hunters in the act at Fethiye's
Girdev Lake. Eleven frogs were rescued from the hunters and
returned to the water.

According to the Environment Law, each offender was hit with a
fine of 33,863 TL, making the total for the five thieves 169,315 TL.
Directorate chief Rahmi Bayrak said in a statement that "our
supervision is continuing. Our biologic varieties cannont be measured
with money. We expect our citizens to act in good conscience."

Fethiye is in SE Mugla province.

Dad's Retirement Pay Roils Family Ties

granpa links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 18 November 2013)

The Hugh Hefner of  Turkey

In Adana, the case that was opened for the
nullification of the marriage between 85 year-old
Selahattin Ozgen and Gunnur Ozgen, 46 years
younger and the mother of two children, has still
not been concluded after 12 years.

Selahattin Ozgen had retired from working as an
accountant at the Cotton Research Institute in Adana
and after the death of his wife Semiha in 1997 he began
to live alone in Mersin's Camliyayla district. In 1999
Selahattin's house burned and he was left paralyzed.
At that time, his son Bahadir Ozgen (60) allegedly had
his father marry his (Bahadir's) live-in girlfriend Gunnur,
who was 39 years-old in 1999, in order to be able to
collect his father's retirement pay.

The marriage was performed on 8 August 2000 by the
village chief of Daripinar village. Selahattin Ozgen died
four months later at the age of 85.  A battle then erupted
among Selahattin's children because of the wedding.
Salih Arpat Ozgen (64) filed suit in 2001 in Mersin's
court to nullify the marriage. Gunnur Ozgen, who allegedly
married her father-in-law for his retirement pay, stated in
her statement to the court that she was forced to officially marry
Selahattin because her status as Bahadir's mate was unofficial.

The local court reached a decision on the case on 23 October
2008, finding that Salih Arpat Ozgen did not have standing to
bring a case. So the case to nullify the marriage died. However,
on 8 June 2010 a higher court ruled that the case should be heard
again. The lower court took up the case once more and decided
to send the case file to medical officials in Istanbul to determine
whether Selahattin Ozgen was in full command of his faculties
when he married Gunnur.

Lawyers opined that the sanity of a deceased person can only
be determined from the witness statements and other information
in the case file. Exhuming the body from the grave for this purpose
is not a consideration.

Family feuding in Adana and Mersin.

Nursing a Grudge to Fruition

grudge links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 18 November 2013)

Small town massacre.

Tamo Arayici (36) lives in Basak village of Hekimhan district,
Malatya province. A year and a half ago, Arayici filed a complaint
against her neighbor Ali Kaya (45), accusing him of sexually
harassing her. When a number of other neighbors bore witness to
this accusation Kaya was arrested.

Kaya served more than a year in prison but was released two months
ago when Arayici retracted her complaint. Allegedly, Kaya had told
his cellmates "I'll go back" and the night before last he knocked on
the doors of Tamo Arayici and five neighbor witnesses.

When each person opened the door Kaya fired his pump-action rifle
into them. Those who didn't open their doors were fired on through
the window. Kaya fled as Murat Sarikaya (38) and Fadime Caliskan (55)
lay dead at the scene. Tamo Arayici was taken to Hekimhan State
Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Hikmet Arayici and Bessey
Arayici were wounded in the attack but are in good condition.

Kaya had nurtured his revenge against those he believed had put him
in prison. It was learned that he had argued with some neighbors the
day before yesterday, prior to his attack.

Hekimhan district is in northern Malatya.

Sleepy, Lucky Minibus Driver

sleepy links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 18 November 2013)

Wake me when it's over.

In Sakarya, minibus driver O.G. (20) fell asleep at the
wheel on 10 October 2011 and hit bicyclist Murat Azak
on Sakarya Boulevard. But because Azak, who was injured
in the incident,  did not file a complaint against O.G. the case
was dropped. Three months later, though, O.G. hit pedestrian
Ismail Cengiz who was crossing Uluyol Boulevard on 7 January
2012.  Cengiz died at the hospital.

In the ensuing investigation, O.G. was found to be only partially
at fault, whereas (the late) Cengiz was held mostly responsible for
the accident. Nevertheless, a case was opened against O.G., with
the prosecutor asking for a sentence of 3 years 6 months for
"causing death by negligence."  As this case was proceeding, O.G.
hit a 5 year-old child who suddenly jumped out onto  Ataturk
Boulevard in the Cumhuriyet neighborhood.

But the child's family did not file a complaint against O.G. so this
case was dropped, too. Meanwhile, in the case of Ismail Cengiz's
death, the court ultimately ruled that O.G.'s guilt was minimal and
he was given a sentence of 1 year 8 months and his drivers license
was suspended for 3 months. In light of O.G.'s clean record and his
good behavior in court, the sentence was postponed.

Sakarya

Animal Sacrifice as Life Insurance

sacrifice links to original article

(Hurriyet and Cumhuriyet Newspapers, 14 November 2013)

Police need all the help they can get these days.

In the last month two policemen in the Kocaeli Security Directorate
committed suicide. In consideration of this, and accidents and woundings
that occurred in the Directorate, 30 animals have been sacrificed.

After Aytac Gunes, of the Traffic Bureau, and Erkan Unal, of the Gebze
police station, took their own lives their co-workers decided to offer up
the sacrifices in the hope of warding off similar incidents. The day before
yesterday 5 animals were slaughtered at the District Security Directorate,
with another 25 killed amid prayers at other police stations around the
district. The meat from the sacrifices was distributed to needy persons by
the Social Assistance Fund.

Kocaeli

Serial Temptress Dupes Smitten Admirer

duped links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 15 November 2013)

Love at first sight (just one-way, though)

In Izmir, Huseyin Civga (49), who is divorced from his first
wife, met A.T. (33) through a matchmaker and fell in love with
her. The couple decided to marry but A.T. insisted that Civga
hire a nurse to look after her bedridden father, asking for 10,000 TL,
in this regard.

Civga agreed  and gave A.T. the money.  His family members
celebrated the wedding announcement, taking pictures and dancing
the night away. A few days later the family went to the Kemeralti
Market and bought gold for the bride-to-be. Afterwards, everyone
went to a restaurant, where A.T. excused herself and went to the
ladies room.  She and the gold haven't been seen since.

The family realized that they had been duped and filed a complaint
against A.T. In turns out that A.T. is already married and has been
charged previously for the same crime.

Bribe-giver Gets Interest on Failed Bribe

bribe links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 15 November 2013)

Has an interest in bribery.

A bus company that wanted to run its vehicles on the
Siirt-Batman highway had its proposal rejected by the
Siirt Governor's office because there were already enough
buses on the route.  Undaunted, the company got in touch
with Deputy Governor E.K. through the owner of
a textile firm in Siirt, and gave E.K. a 35,000 TL bribe.

E.K. tried a number of times to bring the issue of granting
permission to the bus company up at meetings of the
Provincial Traffic Commission but each time E.K.'s
efforts were rebuffed on the grounds that there was no
need for another bus line.

E.K. was then appointed as the district chief of another
area. Nevertheless, the bus company owners wanted the
bribe they gave returned by textile firm owner G.D. and
E.K., with interest (!). Ultimately, the firm got 45,000 TL
back, based on the accumulated interest on the original
(but fruitless) 35,000 TL bribe.

Siirt Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime teams investigated
the situation over nine months and took three people into
custody for bribing public officials. The suspects were
subsequently incarcerated. As for E.K., if the Siirt Governor
gives his permission, E.K. will give a statement to the police.

Investment bribing in Siirt.

Turks Now Sending Aid to USA

reverseaid links to related article

Now, we're on the receiving end. (oy vey!)

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 13 November 2013)

//ed. note: you saw it here first! We reported this critical news on 8 October
2013, although the aid was headed for Arizona (!) at that time.//


Turkey's efforts regarding foreign aid have reached
the USA, the world's richest country with a GDP of
16 trillion dollars per year. It was announced last night
at the Turkish Embassy in Washington that the Turkish
Agency for Cooperation and Development (TIKA) will
provide 200,000 dollars in aid.

The Washington Post newspaper remarked humorously
following the reception at which the announcement was
made that "Guess it’s time to find some worthy program
out there to highlight  the dire development needs of the Kurds?"

TIKA's first aid package on U.S. soil will target the development
needs of Native Americans and, in particular, the Warm Springs
Reservation in the state of Oregon. The project aims to provide
the 5,000 Native Americans there with a water tank that will
satisfy drinking water needs for 10 years and improved educational
facilities, including the construction of a school for 850 children.

With tongue-in-cheek, award-winning Post writer Al Kamen wrote
that "Before fiscal cliff, before sequester, before debt ceiling,  before
the craziness on the Hill —  the United States proudly sent billions
of dollars a year abroad to help developing  countries. And, despite
all the trauma, we still do. But  now it appears a bit of that money is
trickling back.  Guess it’s time to find some worthy program out
there to highlight  the dire development needs of the Kurds?"

Turkish largess extended to Warm Springs

Self-inflicted House Arrest

hanim links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 10 November 2013)

Hanim Kavaklioglu on the inside looking out.

The Kavaklioglu family lives in their house on Kosova
Street in the Abdurrahmangazi neighborhood of Sultanbeyli,
Istanbul. The family has locked themselves in the house because
they claim that someone tried to take possession of the house
under false pretenses. Members of the family have repeatedly
resisted court officials and police who have come to evict them.

The gang members who allegedly tried to hoodwink the
Kavaklioglu family were taken into custody during a raid in
September. But while the family was happy to hear this, Hanim
Kavaklioglu has continued her resistance campaign, now for 203
days. She asserts that she will continue her protest until the
gang members are brought to justice.

Hanim Kavaklioglu stated that "the gang has been captured but
I haven't finished my protest. I'll continue until there is an indictment.
I want to know their names and how they cooked up this scheme. For
nine years I've been fighting them. What I have done may be illegal
but let the authorities look into the reasons why it has come to this.
Because the state didn't protect me I've had to defend myself and
my children's rights."

Villages Look So Peaceful From Afar But...

pasture links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 11 November 2013)

Villagers get a bit out of hand...

A battle erupted in the center of Karliova district, Bingol
province, between residents of  Kargapazari and Yoncalik
villages because of a pasture land dispute.  The pasture in
dispute lies between the two villages, which are located 10
kilometers from Karliova.

The matter is now in court and an expert has been appointed
to determine which village has the right to the pasture. The
day before yesterday village residents clashed in Karliova
while awaiting the court's decision, attacking each other with
rocks and bats and turning the district into a war zone.

When police could not stem the fighting, Gendarmerie troops
were called in to lend support. However, the Gendarmerie
failed as well and special forces troops were summoned. This
augmentation, too, was insufficient to stop the fighting despite
the troops firing into the air repeatedly. Ultimately, a special
anti-riot team came from Bingol.

Three villagers from each side were injured in the clash, and
a policeman was wounded in the arm and legs by rocks. All
were taken to Karliova State Hospital for treatment. Leaders
from both sides have begun talks to end the enmity between
the villages, which are now both subject to entry and exit
controls.

War zone in NE Bingol province.

From B.A. to WWI Corsica POW Camp

pows links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 9 November 2013)

//ed. note: herewith a fascinating historical WWI footnote
from the Ottoman Archives.//

Cry for help from Corsica POW Camp

Documents have emerged from the Prime Ministry Ottoman
Archives about nine fellows from Kayseri who went to Buenos
Aries to work 100 years ago but who ran in to big trouble on
the way back. According to the documents published in Yedikita
magazine, the nine Ottoman citizens set out from Kayseri's
Develi district in 1913 for work in the Argentinian capital Buenos
Aires (!). After working there for some time, the nine read about
the mobilization for WWI in Sabah newspaper, boarded a French
ship and landed in Marseille a month later.

Although all the other passengers were allowed to get off the ship,
the Kayseri fellows were forced to remain on board.  Because while
they were en route, France had declared war on the Ottoman Empire
on 5 November 1914 and the Ottomans had done the reverse on 11
November 1914.  The unfortunate Kayseri Nine were taken from
Marseille to a POW camp on the island of Corsica.

They wrote a letter about their predicament while in the camp and
were able to have a released German POW bring it to the German
Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, in 1916. The letter was then passed
to the Ottoman Ambassador in Bern, Fuad Selim Bey. It is not known,
however, whether the Ottoman government took any action related to
the Kayseri Nine.

Here is the text of the "Cry for Help", as the POW's called it, which
did not reach the Ottoman Foreign Ministry until 10 April 1918:
"To the Ottoman Ambassador in Bern, Fuad Selim Bey: We are from
the village of  Develi in Kayseri, Turkish Anatolia. We worked for
three years in America's Buenos Aires city to make a living for our
families. With the aim of returning to our sacred homeland and upon
reading the mobilization order in Sabah newspaper before the start of
the war, we went to the Turkish Consulate in Buenos Aires and got
our passports."

"(At Marseille) we were held on the ship while everyone else was
taken off. Two hours later the police came and took us straight to the
police station. They looked at our passports and put us in the Anton
Fares Hotel. Apparently, war had been declared while we were at sea
between France and Turkey. We asked to be allowed to go to Turkey
but they refused. Nor did they let us go to Italy, Bulgaria or Greece."

"They left us free in Marseille for 38 days but a few days ago two police,
a hotel clerk and a commissar came and took 1160 Franks from us. We
can't say our prayers properly, nor can we fast. We asked to go to another
Turkish camp but got no answer. Please don't consider this letter, which
we have written in the language of Anatolia, as a letter but rather as a
cry for help. We all ask for your assistance."

No document was found in the Archives that would explain whether or
not the Kayseri Nine were rescued or whether they returned to their
homes.

Long way from Develi to B.A.

Lockout: Principals Stand on Principle

lockout links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 8 November 2013)

Principals' "No Man's Land"

In the Gazipasa neighborhood of Trabzon, a locked gate
in the garden between the Social Studies High School and
the 88th Year Cumhuriyet Anatolia High School has brought
the two principals to loggerheads.

Last Friday, Anatolian High School workers closed and locked
the gate as they left for the weekend. But Social Studies High
School workers, who come in on the weekend for classes, found
the keys in their hands did not open the locked gate and they so
informed principal Zekeriya Abanozolgu. Allegedly, Abanozoglu
told his workers to "break the lock and go in." The workers did
so and changed the lock, as well.

On Monday morning, Anatolia High School workers couldn't open
the new lock. Upon learning that the lock had been changed, principal
Hasan Suicmez filed a complaint with the police. Arriving at the
scene, police told the two sides to find an amenable solution but the
two principals resisted and filed competing complaints against each
other.

Abanozoglu said in his statement that "the gate is for both of us.We
come in on the weekend but this time we couldn't get in because the
key we had didn't work. Apparently, the lock had been changed and
they didn't give us the key so I had my workers break the lock and
put a new one on."

As for Hasan Suicmez, he stated that he wouldn't comment on the
incident because of legal considerations. Trabzon Education Chief
Tamer Kirbac explained that "we're working out a new arrangement
for our two schools. There's no need to make a big deal out of it. We'll
work it out."

Trabzon-by-the-sea

 

9 Years for Stealing Salami; But Mercy Prevails

hungry links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 7 November 2013)

Hunger Games participant B.A.

In Adana, B.A. (17) allegedly stole cheese, salami and
drinks from the café he worked in. A nine-year
sentence was requested by the prosecutor during
B.A.'s trial. In his own defense, B.A. said he was driven to
the crime because "I was hungry. So I ate."

The day before yesterday B.A. appeared before the judge for
the last time and still did not confess his guilt.  B.A., who is
being tried without incarceration, explained that "I worked at
Hasan T.'s place for three months and then left. The day of the
incident I ran away from home. I was cold so I went into my
old work place through an open window. I ate a slice of cheese
and I drank some fruit juice."

The judge decided not to penalize B.A. for theft  because he was
simply trying to relieve his hunger when he entered the store.
However, the judge did hand B.A. a sentence of 6 months 20 days
for "violating the privacy of a work place."  In any event, the
sentence was left in abeyance.

Adana

One Heck of a Wedding!

wedding links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 6 November 2013)

'Hamo Aga'

Mehmet Arslan (67), known by the moniker 'Hamo Aga',
lives in Isiklar village of Bismil district in Diyarbakir province.
Arslan has four wives, 56 children and 300 grandchildren. He
recently held a wedding for one of his grandchildren, Omer
Arslan, inviting 5,000 guests.

Arslan has a spread of about 1,000 acres in Silvan and Bismil
districts. Because of his many wives and children, for a time
Arslan was a news item in European countries. His nephew's
marriage to Nezahat Kahraman was held in the Isiklar village
square. The father of the groom is Arslan's son Tahsin Arslan,
who was an AKP candidate for parliament in the last election.

About 100 animals were slaughtered for the wedding feast and
about a half ton of rice was used for the meal, as well. As soon
as the wedding began automatic weapons and revolvers were
fired off in celebration. 'Hamo Aga' implored the guests not to
shoot their weapons,  saying "please don't shoot. We don't want
there to be a tragedy."

Nevertheless, although the gunshots quieted for a time, they
were soon heard again. The wedding was held in a 3,000 square
meter open area with lots of Kurdish music and dancing. All
throughout the wedding, dollars rained down on the happy couple.

Bismil district is east of Diyarbakir city.

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

catalhoyuk links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 5 November 2013)

//ed. note: another in our occasional forays into the world of
Anatolian history. Herewith two items about the ancient Hittites.//

Warning! She's ready to blow!

The world's oldest warning sign has been found at Catalhoyuk.
Based on research, the sign has been dated to 9,000 years ago
and it depicts a volcano spewing lava alongside a nearby settlement.
Scientists think that the sign was intended to alert settlers to a
possible eruption. The sign was drawn on a wall about 100 kilometers
from Hasan Volcano, which is located on the current border of Aksaray
and Nigde provinces.

========================================================

kultepe links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 5 November 2013)

Dig We Must!

Excavations at Kultepe Hoyugu (mound) in Kayseri have uncovered
a very large monument building, dating from 4,500 years ago. Prof. Dr.
Fikri Kulakoglu, the dig chief and a member of the faculty at the
Archeology Department of Ankara University,  announced the discovery.
The excavation has been ongoing at Kanis-Kultepe since 2010.

Kulakoglu explained that they have so far exposed a 75 x 60 meter portion
of the building and he added that "this building is the biggest found in
Anatolia and the Middle East so far. Right now we're only in a corner of
it. When we see all of the building it will be extraordinarily large. This
wasn't a house or a residence. More likely, it was an administrative structure.
We think the king of  Kanis lived here or it was where his administration was
located."

Kulakoglu went on to say that "we've found about 1,000 seal prints associated
with the building. We think that these seals came from the region of northern
Syria that today we call Tell Beydar and they reveal to us an international
system of trade from those days. This trade was centered in large measure in
Kultepe and it reflects the systematic trading between northern Syria and
Anatolia, 500 years before the Assyrian traders came. In the years ahead
we think that continued excavations here will show us the nature of the
building and the trading system."

 

Kultepe-Kanis

 

High-Tension Their Specialty

hightension links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 4 November 2013)

Acrophobiacs need not apply.

For 63 years 2,000 people from Golkoy district of Ordu province
have been erecting high-tension stanchions and pulling cables
to illuminate Turkey. The late Izzet Yigit set out from Golkoy's
Aydogan village - population 2,467 - in 1950 and went to Italy to
learn this skill. When he returned he passed on his knowledge to
to youth of the village.

The fellows from Aydogan village began to work in the business
of running high-tension lines around Turkey and soon became the
experts. The profession that began in Aydogan spread to others
throughout the district and now these workers can be found on jobs
abroad, as well. Aydogan Mayor Fikri Uludag confirmed that many
Golkoy residents work on high-tension tower projects and base
station constructions around Turkey and in many foreign countries.

Mayor Uludag noted that the late Izzet Yigit taught the skill to the
town's youth and initiated the movement of these young people to
high-tension projects throughout Turkey. The Mayor added that
"thanks to Izzet Yigit, for over 60 years people in our town have
been able to earn a living from this electricity profession they have
learned. Ninety percent of our people - about 2,000 people in Golkoy -
earn their living from what they learned from Izzet Yigit. Our experts
went on to teach this profession to fellows in Trabzon, Mersin,
Kahramanmaras and Tokat."

Golkoy district is in southern Ordu.

And The Walkin' Man Walks...to Erzurum

walker links to original article

(Aydinlik Newspaper, 1 November 2013)

//ed. note: thanks to alert reader Muge for this unusual item.//

Walk happy!

Stephan Meurisch (32), an electrical technician, left Munich,
Germany, 19 months ago on foot and after travelling 5,800
kilometers he has reached Erzurum. Meurish said that he
passed through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and
Bulgaria before entering Turkey. He plans to continue on to
China via Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Pakistan, India and Nepal.

During his trek, Meurisch wore out four pairs of shoes and he
added a shoe size, as well. Along the way he passed through
towns and pastures, rather than following the highways, and
he didn't hitchhike either. Meurisch said that he walked 20
kilometers each day and he added that "when I left Munich I
didn't have much cash so I painted, collected olives and worked
construction jobs along the way to make money. In villages
I worked in orchards."

Meurisch added that "in Turkey, over 13 days,  I traversed Istanbul,
 Kocaeli, Yalova, Bursa, Iznik, Manisa, Balikesir, Izmir, Mugla,
Antalya, Konya, Sivas, Nevsehir and Erzincan before arriving in
Erzurum. I liked the villages and the villagers were very nice to
me. I figure it will take me 4 or 5 years to get to China."

Overexposure in Kayseri, Istanbul

kayseri links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 2 November 2013)

Celebrity, in the negative sense.

A foreign worker who came to Kayseri in hopes of
finding work said that he was hoodwinked. For revenge,
the worker has posted pictures on walls of F.M., whom he claims
defrauded him, that describe F.M. as "an impostor, a swindler".

The hundreds of posters the foreign worker has had printed
have exposed F.M.  In addition to F.M.'s photo, the posters
carry this message: "Attention all firms! He swindles illegal
workers out of their money. Do not trust him. Impostor! Swindler!"
The posters have been plastered on walls all around Kayseri on
bank walls, utility poles and store signs, attracting the attention
of citizens.

Such complaints about F.M. have surfaced before but each time
he gives a statement to police and is set free.

Kayseri

===========================================================

 Istanbul links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 2 November 2013)

uh, I think we're on TV.

In Kagithane, Istanbul, an interesting image has come out
of thieves robbing an apartment there. The young robbers
look at the camera, grab some jewelry and flee in panic. The
apartment's owner, Husniye D. took the video images to the
police.

Four months later one of the captured thieves, Masum Y.,
confessed to the crime and was sent to jail. The prosecutor
has opened a case against Masum Y., asking for a sentence
of up to ten years.

//ed. note: ironically, 'masum' means 'innocent'.//

Dear Diary, Don't Let Dad Read This

diary links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 1 November 2013)

Diary victim Akif Yilmaz.

In Melikgazi, Kayseri province, Akif Yilmaz (22),
who breeds animals with his father, was making
plans to marry S.K. (22), the neighbor's girl he has been
talking with for the past three years. However, the
day before yesterday Osman K., the girl's father, found
S.K.'s diary. When Osman K. secretly read the diary and
found out about his daughter's love he flew off the handle.

Osman K. made his daughter arrange a meeting with Akif
Yilmaz, during which Osman K. forced the young man into
his car and took him to Yilanli Mountain. There, Osman K.
began beating Yilmaz with a club while shouting "how dare
you look at my daughter!" Osman K. also stabbed Yilmaz in
the leg.

Thinking Yilmaz was dead, Osman K. called his father, Harun
Yilmaz (52), and said "come and get your son's body." Amazed
at what he heard from his neighbor Osman K., Harun Yilmaz
went to the specified place, where Osman K. proceeded to beat
Harun Yilmaz as he had done to his son. After being taken to
the hospital, both Akif and Harun Yilmaz filed complaints against
their neighbor, Osman K.

Nevertheless, Akif Yilmaz declared that he would not abandon his
love, noting that "I didn't fight back because I wanted to show
respect to my future father-in-law. I pretended I was dead so he
would stop beating me. When he saw I was lifeless he called my
father and then beat him when he arrived at the scene. I got up
at this point but since my left ankle was broken there was nothing
I could do. But this love won't die."

Melikgazi is in Kayseri city.