Two Love Stories, Sort Of...

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 30 January 2014)


Sixteen and sought-after D.T.

In Balıkesir, a 16 year-old girl who left home
six days ago, saying "I'm going to school", has
not been heard from since. The girl's mother
Ilkay Örnek filed a missing person report and
claimed that her daughter had been kidnapped
as a surprise gift to a young man she met two
months ago from his friends.

Örnek filed a complaint in Ayvalık against two
people, alleging that her daughter D.T. was with
C.T., a tatooer she met two months ago. Police
then began looking for C.T.

At this point, Örnek received a call from someone
claiming that D.T. was fine, that C.T. had nothing
to do with the kidnapping and that the girl would
be brought home. The caller then phoned again and
this time said that "someone named Emre Altun had
kidnapped D.T. as a surprise for C.T."

Örnek filed a complaint against Altun and after D.T.
did not return after six days Örnek contacted Altun
via Facebook. In response to Örnek, Altun stated
that "Deniz (D.T.) is with me. We're happy. I won't
give your daughter back to you nor will I turn
myself in." 

Örnek said she is frightened that something bad will
happen to her daughter and she asked the authorities
to find D.T. and her kidnappers right away.

=======================================
Türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet and Posta Newspapers, 30 January 2014)


                      Problem-solver

In Kösehasan village of Erzurum's Karayazı district,
on 2 June minibus driver Maruf A. (25) took Nurettin K.,
his wife Gülnaz K. and their son Umut K. from Esenler
hamlet to Karaçoban.  That same evening Maruf A.
took the family back from Karaçoban to the hamlet,
but because of heavy rain Maruf A. stayed over at their
house.

Maruf A. had breakfast the next morning wıth the
family and then, as he washed his minibüs at a nearby
fountain, Maruf A. noticed that Nurettin and Gülnaz
went to visit their neighbors. At this point, Maruf A.
headed in the direction of the couple's 14 year-old
daughter Havva.

Allegedly, Maruf A. and Havva began kissing but
were spotted by Havva's older brother Umut (32).
Using his hunting rifle, Umut fired at Maruf A.
but missed. Maruf A. quickly fled in his minibus
while Havva hid in the tall grass, only to be found by
Umut, who shot and killed her.

A summary prepared by the prosecutor requests
that Umut K. be tried for 'killing a close relative'
and Maruf A. be tried for 'sexual harassment of a
child.' The summary has been forwarded to the
Erzurum Public Prosecutor's Office.



 

Whirling Jailhouse Rockers

Türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 27 January 2014)


       Elvis would be proud.

In commemoration of the 740th anniversary of
Mevlana Celaluddin Rumi's reunion, 20 prisoners
at the Ümraniye, Istanbul, T-type prıson put on a
show. A first in Turkey, the inmates, who are doing
time for various offenses, whirled around in keeping
with Mevlana's advice to "return, come what may".

The show was presented in the prison gym and began
with prisoners reading Mevlana's important words and
poems. The 20 inmates wore the traditional 'whirling
dervish' outfits as they danced to Mevlana's admonishment
to cleanse onself spiritually.

The inmate Mevlevi's, ranging in age from 10 (!) to 55,
performed the dance in concert with the hymns and couplets,
opening their hands and whirling. The prisoners were
applauded at length by the attendees in the gym.

And Leave The Driving to Us

Türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 27 January 2014)


Once upon a time, there was a company called
Yek-Tur Rent-a-Car...

In Kadıköy, Istanbul, five friends rented a store
accross from the marriage bureau and called
their company Yek-Tur Rent-a-Car. They even
set up a website in the firm's name called
'yekturizmflokiralama'.

The friends put pictures  of luxury cars and yachts
on their website in order to win the trust of their
customers.  Then they began collecting luxury
cars to rent for between 2,000 and 6,000 TL per
month, depending on the make of the car.

The 100 or so citizens who gave the company their
cars to rent out recently went to the firm's office in
Kadıköy in order to collect their monthly rental
payments. They found instead that the door was
locked and the firm's officials were unreachable by
phone.

The citizens then headed for the public prosecutor's
office, which has now begun an investigation into the
five officials of the firm. Police have tried to locate
the missing cars by GPS, only to receive signals from
Van, Iran and Syria. As the cars left Istanbul they even
ignored paying at toll booths along the way.

Having given their vehicles to the firm willingly, the
citizens are unable to recoup any insurance money.

VIP's Stuck in High Places

Türkçe links to related Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 18 January 2014)

Even the mighty are sometimes helpless.

Yesterday in Artvin, the opening ceremony was
held for the new ski lift at the Atabarı Kayak Center.
Artvin AK Party Parliamentarian Israfil Kışla and
local officials participated. After the ceremony, all
concerned boarded the ski lift for the 700 meter climb
to the summit.

However, the lift broke down, stranding Parliamentarian
Kışla, AK Party Mayor Emin Özgün, former CHP
Parliamentarian Yüksel Çorbacıoğlu, AK Party district
chief Erkan Balta and the other VIP's.

The problem took two hours to remedy, during which
time the stranded ski lift passengers had some scary
moments.  A few of the VIP's got so cold they couldn't
stand it and jumped, sustaining minor injuries. The
'heavy load' (i.e.overblown bureaucrats?) was announced
as the cause of the break-down.

Artvin

Phantom Hubby Spooks Robbers

turkce links to original Turkish article


(Sabah Newspaper, 24 January 2014)





(representative perp-walk photo)


In Umraniye, Istanbul, Sevgi O. (28) was
at home alone when two thieves entered.
Sevgi screamed, as if to her husband, "there's
someone in the house!"  The robbers then
jumped from a window but were captured by
the local security guards. The prosecutor has
opened a case against the thieves, asking for
sentences of up to 13.5 years.


The incident occurred in the home in the
Madenler neighborhood  last November. At
about 1900 on the evening of the break-in, home-
alone Sevil O. (name changed in the article, evidently
in an effort to protect her identity (!)) screamed
about the intrusion, seemingly to her husband.


Robbers O.D. and A.E. jumped from a window in
a panic but Sevgi (back to original name) saw them
and called security. The two thieves, in possession of
a window-opening tool,  were turned over to police
and Sevgi (!) filed a complaint against them.


The prosecutor has filed charges against O.D. and
A.E. as follows: "joint attempted robbery at night;
property damage; and violating the sanctity of a home
at night."  The charges call for jail sentences of up to
13.5 years.

Ox-Head Art. Brrrrrrr!

Türkçe links to related Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 23 January 2014)


One assumes he got federal funding for this...

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Kavukçu has made a name
for himself by his art works done in various
provinces in Turkey and on the campus of
Atatürk University in Erzurum. This time he
is drawing attention to himself with a work
that explains intense cold by using ox heads.

Using a winch, Kavukçu has placed 15 ox
heads that he got from a slaughterhouse onto
an iron contraption shaped like a large jar, in
an empty lot in front of the Fine Arts Faculty.

After putting the ox heads in their places,
Kavukçu poured water over them at night to
form icicles that cover them. Kavukçu had
this to say about his project: "in this open-air
abstract work, in the context of thinking about
intense conditions, I've mixed the natural world
in which we live with water, and emphasized
the intensity of the cold as the water turned to
ice."


         Winter is for real in Erzurum

  

Good Cameras Make Bad Neighbors

Türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 22 January 2014)

Battle of the lenses.

No.1 camera placed at angle that looks

directly into the client's home. No.2

camera placed at an angle that looks

at the suspect's door.

The Sincan Major Crimes Court, which handles
objections to decisions made by the Ankara
Public Prosecutor, has delivered an interesting
ruling. The suit in question was opened when
tension developed between two neighbors because
of security cameras.

A woman named S.S. complained when she saw
that her neighbor S.K., with whom S.S. does not
get along, had installed a security camera aimed
at S.S.'s front door.  In the petition submitted to
the prosecutor, lawyer Seçil Özdikmenli noted that
the sound and view-capable camera was looking
at her client S.S.'s front door. The petition asserted
that "people coming and going are observed. This
is a violation of the sanctity of private life."

S.S. wanted S.K. to be penalized for this but Public
Prosecutor Hasan Dursun found that S.K., who lives
alone, had installed the camera for her own security
and that there was no evidence that S.K. had any
intention of violating S.S.'s privacy.  Dursun declared
that there were no grounds for the suit to proceed.

The Sincan court, however, in response to lawyer
Özdikmenli's objection to Dursun's ruling,  voided
the prosecutor's decision, noting that "there are
sufficient grounds for a suit against the suspect to
proceed."

Prosecutor Dursun then reevaluated the case (!) and
prepared a new indictment, asserting that "the suspect
installed a camera with a view of the complainant's
home and is therefore guilty of violating the complainant's
privacy."  Dursun asked for a sentence of from one to
three years for S.K.

One Very Special Prisoner

turkce links to original Turkish article


(Hurriyet Newspaper, 21 January 2014)






Voted Most Popular Inmate

Brazilian transsexual Ronilson Soares de Mendonca,
whose nickname is 'Carolina', is confined to Maltepe
prison. Carolina claims that he/she got caught
up in the Turkey drug courier racket because of
mafia threats to his/her family and self in Brazil.
When Carolina was caught in a police operation in
Istanbul he/she was given a sentence of 12.5 years
and a 6,000TL fine.


Carolina has been held in various prisons in Turkey
for seven years and was recently transferred to Maltepe.
Because of leniencies, Carolina's confinement penalty
has long since been completed but he/she has remained
in prison for two extra years because the 6,000TL is
still unpaid.


Carolina has written a letter to a prisoners aid group
asking for help. The letter reads as follows:


"Because I'm a 'trans', I'm not allowed to work in the
prison for 'safety reasons'. I'm also excluded from
social activities. That's why I can't earn the 6,000TL I
need to pay the fine. I have to stay in this prison since
there's not one for 'us'. Normally, I should be in an open
prison so I can take advantage of the special amenities
they get there. But because my fine is still unpaid I can't
get out on monitored release. This is why I've had to stay
in prison two extra years. There's discrimination in
the laws and regulations against 'us'. But the law should
be the same for everyone."


"Previously, I was at five different prisons. They behaved
very badly toward me and even tried to make me wear
men's clothes. Here (Maltepe), though, they're very nice
to us. If I could pay my fine today I could get released
today. Officials should recognize my victimization. Just
because I'm different than men and women I've been
subjected to discrimination and haven't been able to make
the money to pay my fine. Wanting equality in this country
seems to be a crime. In a democratic country there ought
to be equality and rights."

Fethiye Rescues its Critters

türkçe links to extended version Turkish article

(Post Newspaper, 19 January 2014)

              'Tabby' Rescue Operation

In Fethiye, a kitten tried to jump onto a boat
in front of a restaurant along the shore and fell
into the water. As the kitten climbed up out of
the water it got stuck in a grating used to drain
off rain. The restaurant owner heard the kitten's
meowing and called firefighters, who came and
spent 45 minutes working the problem. In the
end the firefighters broke the concrete surrounding
the grating with a sledge hammer and rescued the
kitten.
===================================
Türkçe links to original Turkish article

(multiple newspapers, 18 January 2014)


                 AKUT to the rescue!

In Fethiye, Muğla province, a goat that was left
stranded for a week on 120 meter-high rocks
was rescued by an AKUT (search & rescue) team.

Ibrahim Çakal (66) left his 20 goats to graze at the
Debboy point in Kesikkapı village and then learned
on 10 January that one of the goats that had recently
given birth was stuck on the rocks. Çakal went to the
scene where the goat was continually bleating but he
realized that he could not rescue the animal himself.

After waiting for a week to see if the goat could save
itself, Çakal called the AKUT Fethiye team. The six-
person AKUT team came to the scene this morning
and began the goat-saving mission. In the first phase,
team members climed up the steep 120-meter high cliff
and reached the goat's one-month old kid.

The AKUT team next took the kid toward the spot on
the rocks where the mother goat was stranded, set up a
station and began the descent.  After descending 20
meters, an AKUT team member reached the mother
goat but had a hard time capturing it.

Çakal watched from below in horror, hoping his goat
would not jump from the rocks. The goat was finally
wrapped in a net, lowered and set free to graze with its
kid.  Çakal thanked the AKUT team and explained that
he lives in Keloğlu Boğaz. He said his sole source of
income is his goats. Çakal noted that he had tried without
success to rescue the goat himself but he was glad that
the mother had been reunited with her offspring.

Ersin Gür, the leader of the AKUT team, said after the
5-hour operation that they don't distinguish between people
and animals when it comes to rescues. He noted that "this
is our third goat-rescue operation and some people think
that all AKUT does is rescue goats. But this was our 68th
operation, during which we saved 85 people and transported
5 bodies to safe places. We share our lives with the animals.
A goat's life is sacred for us and they're worthy of rescue."

Fethiye is Muğla province's

southernmost district.

Goldfinger Stings Environmentalist Couple

turkce links to original Turkish article


(Hurriyet Newspaper, 19 January 2014)

















Omer Eren (43) lives in Karakoy village, located about
35 kilometers from Bayramic in Canakkale province. On
1 December 2012, Eren and his wife Hanife (38), along
with their two children, stopped a minibus used by a
gold mining company, for about three minutes. Eren
said to the workers riding in the bus, who were mostly
his co-villagers, "this mine is spreading poison! Why
are you working there?!"


Mine company officials filed a complaint in court in
Bayramic against Eren and his wife for the crime of
'violating one's right to work.'  The case went on for
a year, coming to conclusion on 3 December 2013. The
court imposed a jail sentence of 1 year 15 days on the
Eren couple. The sentence was postponed but it was
decreed that a psychologist will visit the Eren home
each month to council children M.E. (12) and B.E.(13),
who were said to have been incited to crime.
Canakkale province.
Bayramic is in the south-central part.

Hitman Gets Brothers Mixed Up

turkce links to original Turkish article


(Hurriyet Newspaper, 17 January 2014)



Target Hakan, victim Serkan, Grandpa Resul



In Kayseri, Resul U. (75) made an agreement with
Yakup K. (20) to have his granddaughter Gul C.'s (24)
husband Hakan C. (26) killed. Gul and Hakan were
in divorce proceedings at the time.


Grandfather Resul U. described Hakan C., who worked
as a barber in the Ziyagokalp neighborhood, to Yakup K.
and gave him a revolver. Based on this description,
Yakup K. began to follow Hakan C. and his brother Serkan
as they closed their barber shop on the night of 10 December
2012.


Because of the close resemblance between the two brothers,
Yakup K. followed Serkan, instead of Hakan, for about 100
meters and shot him three times in front of his home. Yakup
K. then returned the gun to Resul U., got the agreed-upon
fee and fled to Izmir.


Older brother Hakan was suspicious of the situation and
went to the police. Figuring out that grandfather Resul U.
had organized the murder, police took him, his son Omer
U., grandson Yusuf U. and Sakir B. into custody the day
before yesterday.


 Kayseri province.

Scammers Put in The Slammer

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 17 January 2014)

'Grasshopper' plants an underage kiss.

Sezer Gök (40) has committed quite a few crimes of
fraud in both Turkey and the U.S., but each time
he got away with it, earning him the nickname
'grasshopper'. This time, however, he was nabbed.

For two months Gök has been sought by police
for kidnapping a 17 year-old girl named Tiffany
Snook (!) whom he met in the state of Illinois. Police
arrested Gök on Tuesday in Tampa, where he was
hiding out with Tiffany.

The American girl told police that she had a religious
marriage with Gök, became a Muslim and got pregnant.
Gök was put in prison for kidnapping an underage girl
without her parents knowledge. The indictment being
prepared against Gök is said to contain a long list of
his crimes.
======================================
Türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 16 January 2014)

Ali Ölmez in happier days.

Mehmet Kılıç (21), who lives in Bursa's Osmangazi
district, clicked on an advertisement he saw on Facebook
and ordered a smart phone. On 19 August, Kılıç received
his purchase via PTT Cargo and paid 150TL. When he
opened the package, though, he found an anti-smoking
device rather than a smart phone. Kılıç then filed a
complaint.

In Antalya, photographer Hidayet Yalçın (44) saw the
same smart phone advertisement on Facebook and placed
an order. On 5 September, upon receiving a package
Yalçın paid 130 TL but found the anti-smoking device
inside instead of a smart phone. Yalçın then filed a
complaint.

An investigation revealed that the sender was none other
than Ali Ölmez (30),  who lives in Kocaeli's Darıca district.
Ölmez has a record of defrauding many other people in
the same manner and he will be tried for grand theft on
two counts, each one calling for a sentence of from four
to fourteen years in prison. Ölmez will be tried in majör
crimes court.

Mysteries Begin and End in Aydin Province

turkce links to original Turkish article




(Hurriyet Newspaper, 16 January 2014)

















A young man attempted suicide on the slopes of
Uludag Mountain in Bursa but got caught on a
tree branch after rolling down about 30 meters.
An AKUT (search & rescue) team that came to
rescue the youth coincidentally found a weapon
and a laptop computer belonging to Lt. Kazim
Topac, who has been missing for 9 months.




During the search, a pair of shoes, two telephones,
3 CD's and some bones, all thought to belong to
Topac, were found, as well. Conjecture is that the
Lieutenant committed suicide.



Topac was serving as the Gendarmerie commander
in Kosk district of Aydin province when he took
leave and went to Bursa where his family lives.
After staying at a hotel for a night Topac disappeared
and hadn't been heard from for 264 days.



=======================================
turkce links to original Turkish article




(Sabah Newspaper, 15 January 2014)



Yilmaz Eser, the married father of two children, operated
a car dealership in Nazilli district of Aydin province. On
31 December, he told his wife he was going to Kosk district
to get a vehicle and at 1700 that evening he called his wife,
Yeliz, to say that he had gotten the car and was heading
home. However, even though\ it was his birthday, Yilmaz
Eser did not return home that evening. When there was no
response from his phone, his family called police.




After looking at surveillance video, police determined that
Eser had been seen talking with 4 or 5 people at around
1400, in front of the Nazilli courthouse.  No other trace of
Eser could be found, however.




The day before yesterday, a shepherd who brought his
flock to the Kahvedagi point to graze, in Sirindere village
of Incirliova district, noticed that his sheep were startled
by something in a steep, rocky area.  The shepherd thought
the sheep had been spooked by a wild pig so he went down
to the spot in question and found Eser's naked body.




The Gendarmerie came to the scene and identified Eser (49)
by the tattoo of his wife Yeliz's name on his left shoulder.
Eser had been shot and stabbed.

Batman's Hostages Finally Freed!

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 11 January 2014)

In Batman, electricity to the Gercüş Municipality building was
cut off yesterday morning because of an unpaid 3 million TL bill.
So Gercüş Mayor Esat Üner of the BDP Party and his officials
went straight to the office of the Dicle Electricity Company (DEDAŞ),
where they spoke with the responsible engineer, Ömer Özdemir.

Mayor Üner, bent on revenge, told Özdemir that DEDAŞ did not
have a permit to use its building, that he would seal the building and
that all DEDAŞ personnel should leave immediately. When Özdemir
said in response that he and his DEDAŞ colleagues would not leave,
Mayor Üner had municipal workers seal the DEDAŞ building.

Four DEDAŞ personnel were stranded in the sealed building and
pleaded for help from the police, who two hours later opened the
building and freed the captive DEDAŞ workers.   

Parrot Fingers Hapless Thieves

turkce links to original Turkish article


(Sabah Newspaper, 14 January 2014)



Parrot he couldn't resist turned him in.


On 3 December 2013, in Besiktas, Istanbul, thieves robbed
an auto dealership, taking a luxury car, 3 TV's, 3 iPad's,
a laptop, two gold pens, a wristwatch, spare keys for 16
cars and a red-tailed parrot. After the theft was reported in
the press, an unidentified person called the dealership from
a home in the Yuzyil neighborhood of Bagcilar and said
that individuals there were trying to sell a parrot like the
one mentioned in the news reports.


Dealership director Dilek Karamuk (36) called police right
away and soon afterwards suspects Ersan Akbaba and
Bahtiyar Kilic were captured in Yuzyil.  Akbaba explained
that he was released from prison last year after serving a
10-year sentence. He went on to say that "I've known Bahtiyar
since childhood. He's a prison escapee. We drove into the
dealership in a car that Bahtiyar said he'd stolen. I stole the
parrot and took it home. Then I gave it to a friend. Bahtiyar
paid me 3,200 TL for the heist. I regret it."


As for Bahtiyar Kilic, he admitted that he was a prison escapee
and added that "both of us were really drunk. We left the stolen
stuff  at a construction site in Yuzyil and left the car we stole
on a street in Halkali. Then with another car we went back to
the construction site in Yuzyil but the stuff was gone. I got
5,000 TL for the car I stole from the dealership. The heist made
the news and it looks like a viewer fingered us."


The two thieves are back in prison and charged with grand theft,
breaking and entering and property damage. They are facing
jail sentences of 18 years 6 months.

Zimbabwe Funny-Money Gives Nice Return

türkçe links to original Turkish article



(Sabah Newspaper, 11 January 2014)

Now you can buy that bridge you always wanted.

In Bursa, two people hoodwinked a citizen they wanted to rent
a home from, using low-value Zimbabwe money. The two as-yet
unidentified individuals approached S.K., who lives in Karacabey,
saying they wanted to rent a house. S.K. said in response that the
rent would be 450 TL per month, with a 900TL deposit.



The would-be renters agreed but said that they didn't have any
Turkish money. Instead, they offered S.K. a bank note bearing
serial number AB 4752216, with 'Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe'
written on it. They told S.K. that the banknote was worth 2,000
TL so they asked for 1,100 TL in change. S.K. then did  just
that (!), giving these two unknown individuals 1,100 TL as change
for the ('2,000TL-value') Zimbabwe bank note.



Shortly afterwards, S.K. realized that he had been scammed and
called the district police station. Yet another similar incident occurred
in Mudanya. There, citizen O.S. was defrauded by someone using
low-value foreign money, too. A person he didn't know approached
O.S. wanting to rent his store in Güzelyalı for 250TL per month.
As O.S. later explained to police: "the guy said he didn't have any
Turkish money and he gave me a bank note with 'one thousand
dollars' written on it. As change, I gave him 1,400 TL. I later realized
that the money had very little value so I went to the police."



Bamboozled in Bursa - Karacabey, on the left, and Mudanya-by-the-sea.

'Black Angel''s Sad Story a Film Scenario

turkce links to original Turkish article




(Sabah Newspaper, 10 January 2014)







Aysun Arinc was born in one of the slums of Izmir.
She was married off at a young age and had a
daughter. But it was an unhappy marriage and lasted
only a short time. Aysun wanted a better life for
herself after her divorce and in her early twenties
she met businessman Mehmet Ali Gurer, a divorced
father with one child.




Shortly afterwards, Aysun was pregnant so the two
married, providing Aysun with the luxury life she
desired, along with a daughter and son.  Nevertheless,
Aysun and Gurer soon fell out and began living
separately, with Aysun having Gurer rent her a luxury
apartment in the Hatay section of Izmir.




At this point, Aysun began an affair with Lutfullah
Ertekin Teker (33). Living in the same apartment
building was Hafize Unal (37), who had divorced her
Italian husband. Aysun became friends with Hafize,
known locally as the 'rich divorcee''.




Gurel began to withhold payments to Aysun, plunging
her into a financial crisis. One day while drunk, Aysun
and her boyfriend Teker went to Hafize's house but
they panicked when Unal blurted out "your planning
to kill your husband. I'm going to tell him." The two
lovers then shot Hafize in the back of her head.




As police investigated the incident, Aysun returned to
Gurel and, after drinking a bit, confessed to him that
she and Teker had murdered Hafize.  Hearing this,
Gurel filed a complaint against Aysun and began divorce
proceedings against her.




Aysun was taken into custody but the case faltered for
lack of evidence. Just a week after filing the complaint
against Aysun, though, Gurer was killed by Aysun's brother
Adnan Anac on 21 June 1998.  Aysun became known as
'Black Angel' and was given a death sentence. However,
the sentence was reduced to 20 years and after 7 years
Aysun was released, taking advantage of a 'Rahsan Pardon'
(named for PM Bulent Ecevit's wife Rahsan).




With her psychology in tatters and under treatment, Aysun
was taken by her relatives to live with relations in Marmaris.
Aysun married again briefly and had another daughter but
could not shake off her psychological problems. The day
before yesterday, Aysun left her house telling her daughter
"I'm going to your aunt's house." After talking with her
sister-in-law for a bit, Aysun went out on to the balcony and
allegedly threw herself down from the third floor.




The incident involving the death of the 47 year-old Aysun
is being investigated to determine whether it was a suicide
or an accident.

Three Airport Stories

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 10 January 2014)

                                                     All quiet in the airport, artist at work.

A new episode has been added to the list of  incidents
at Atatürk International Airport (AHL), where for different
reasons and at different times, passengers have been forced
to take up residence. Mongolian Tuvdenbaater Batgerel's
story began when he arrived in Istanbul on 26 November
for a week's stay in the city he had longed to see.

After visiting touristic sites in Istanbul, Batgerel got an
unpleasant surprise when he came to the airport for his
return flight. He missed the flight and didn't have the 2,000TL
needed to buy a new one-way ticket. So Batgerel took up
residence at AHL but found a unique way to raise money
for his ticket - for the last month he has been drawing pictures
of other passengers for whatever they are willing to give him.

Because all the telephone numbers in his phone have been
erased, Batgerel has been unable to call friends in Mongolia
for help. He explained that "I'm drawing pictures so I can buy
a ticket and return home. I'm in a tough situation but I have to
make money by drawing."  Police at AHL have noticed
Batgerel and yesterday they began the necessary steps to
return him to his homeland.

========================================
türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 11 January 2014)

                                                              Belorussian Al Bundy

A Belorussian passenger who missed his flight at AHL kicked
the accordion gate door in anger. Last evening, Alexander K.
intended to take the 17.45 Turkish Airlines flight to Kilimanjaro
and came to gate number 210. When he learned that the gate
had closed he kicked the gate and broke a window. Alexander
K. was thus able to open the gate but was then stopped by
guards.

Police were called and Alexander K. was taken into custody.
When asked why he had kicked the gate, Alexander K.
explained that "I don't know how I missed the flight. I was a
bit drunk. I was going on vacation."

===================================================
türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 10 January 2014)

                        Money no doubt burned a hole in his pocket during flight.

A university student who found a bag with 7,000TL in it and
then handed it over to police in Ağrı has been rewarded with
a vacation by Ağrı Governor Mehmet Tekınarslan. Hayrettin
Bostan is a student at Ağrı Ibrahim Çeçen University's College
of Science and Literature, studying Russian language and
literature.

Bostan came to Istanbul recently and arrived at AHL the day
before yesterday for his return trip to Ağrı. He found the bag
full of 7,000TL in a bathroom at AHL and took it with him to
Ağrı (!) because he was in a hurry to catch the flight. Upon arriving
in Ağrı, Bostan turned over the bag and money to police there.

When Governor Tekinarslan heard of the young man's exemplary
behavior  he was so impressed that he congratulated Bostan in
his office and declared that "because of  his fine action we're
awarding him a vacation." (to where one wonders.)

                                      Armenia is next door, how about a vacation there?

Aromatic Dispute Decimates Family

turkce links to original Turkish article




(Hurriyet Newspaper, 9 January 2014)


In Uskudar, Istanbul, in May 2013, Musa Taranci (61)
got into a fight with his neighbors of 30 years,
the Arikan family, over the food smell coming from an
exhaust fan pipe. Taranci then secretly extended the fan
pipe but, upon finding out, the Arikan family again put
the original pipe back in.
















This prompted Taranci to scream "I have to put up with
your food smell?!"  and to shoot Erdal Arikan (45) in
the hip and hand. Taranci next shot and killed Erdal's
older brother Hasim Arikan (54). Turning back toward
the apartment building, Taranci shot the brothers' mother
Fadime Arikan (76) in both her arms.



After shooting Hasim Arikan's son Ahmet Arikan (29),
who had come out of the house when he heard the
initial shots, in the arm and back, Taranci was arrested.



In his statement at the hearing at the Anadolu Justice Hall,
Taranci claimed that "there was a group of them. When I
asked them why the took out the extension pipe I'd put
in they called me "dishonorable" and attacked me with
bats. I only weigh 60 kilograms so to protect myself I
fired indiscriminately." However, there were no wounds
found on Taranci, prompting a reaction from the
complainants.




Erdal Arikan, one of those wounded, stated that "this
exhaust fan pipe was put in 7 years ago. Without telling me,
the suspect (Taranci) put a extension pipe on the fan pipe and
ran it all the way to the coal storage shed because he didn't
like the smell. On the day of the incident he came to our
house and when he mentioned the exhaust fan pipe I said
'we should get poisoned because you don't like the smell?!'
In response, he screamed 'I have to put up with your smell?!'
and shot me three times with his gun. I passed out and then
he killed my brother, also wounding my brother's son and
my nephew. May God protect others from such a neighbor!"




The court hearing has been suspended so that a fact-finding
investigation can be conducted at the scene of the incident.

Budding Lawyer's 'Thievery Internship', For Future Reference

turkce links to original Turkish article




(Sabah Newspaper, 8 January 2014)



ID blurred, lest future clients be
           scared off.




Istanbul University Law Faculty student H.O. was caught
stealing clothes from a famous women's store in Taksim
Square and a case was opened against her. The young lawyer
was sentenced to 5 months in jail but the penalty was
postponed.




According to what Sabah's Special Intelligence Unit has
learned, law student H.O., who is currently doing an
internship, went into the store on Istiklal Boulevard and
caught the security guard's attention with her suspicious
actions.



The young woman was seen trying to remove the inventory
alarm apparatus from clothes in a dressing room. As she left the
store she was stopped and subjected to a search, which
confirmed the security guard's suspicions. Found in her
backpack were pants, a blouse, a sweater and other women's
accessories, all without the inventory alarm apparatuses.
H.O. could not produce a sales receipt and clothes from other
stores were found in her backpack, as well.



Police were called to the store and H.O. was handed over to
them.  In her statement, H.O. denied the theft charges and
asserted that the clothes from other stores in her backpack
were in fact her housemate's.  At the police station H.O. was
charged with 'major theft', transported to court and released
pending trial. Indictments against her have been filed for
thefts in two different stores.



As the result of her trial, H.O. was, at first, sentenced to two
years in jail but because she has no record, and in view of her
good behavior in court, the sentence was reduced to 5 months
and then postponed.  If  H.O. does not commit the same crime
for five years the charges will be dropped.

'Anabasis Road' Opened to History and Nature-Lovers

türkçe links to original Turkish article




(Sabah Newspaper, 6 January 2014)




//ed. note: another in our occasional looks at the history
of Anatolia.//

                                                       View of Sumela Monastery from
                                                     Anabasis Road at Kofrakol Yaylası.



The historic road written about in a story called
'Anabasis' from about 400 B.C., has been opened
up for nature tourism. Nature-lovers can yell the
'freedom scream' on Talking Rock and the shops
and baths along the route have been restored.


With support from the Culture and Tourism Ministry,
the project directed by the Macka district Kaymakamlik
(district chief's office) in Trabzon has come to fruition.


District chief Alper Balci explained that the Anabasis
Road Project was financed with private funds and the
project has drawn great interest from nature-lovers in
a short time. Balci went on to say that the route was
used by soldiers trying to reach the Black Sea during a
war that was started against Persian King Artakserkses in
401 B.C. It was later used as part of the Silk Road but
afterwards it was forgotten and abandoned.


According to Balci, "the road is a feast for history and nature
-lovers. Hikers get a great adventure and essentially live history.
We did the road over with this in mind and a fabulous route
has been the result." Balci noted that hikers along the 33
kilometer route can have breakfast in Kusal Yayla (pasture),
climb up on Talking Rock and scream, at Iskobel Yayla, and
then take in the sumptuous view of Sumela Monastery from
Kofrakol Yayla.


He added that "tourists walk under the scent of very special
mountain and forest flowers. They chew pine gum that's
very good for an upset stomach and at Pilav Mountain they
enter a pasture where technology and artificiality have yet
to reach. Once we finish up the infrastructure and get the
word out this road will be a favorite among nature-lovers."




In just the last month about three thousand Turkish and foreign
tourists and made the trek along the Anabasis Road. 'Anabasis'
was written by Greek historian Ksenophon who is said to have
been born in 430 B.C. and died in 355 B.C. The work has been
published in Turkey under the name 'Return of the Ten
Thousand'. 




The story relates the travel of an army of  Greek
mercenaries hired by Kyros, who hoped to take the Persian
throne from his brother Artakserkses. The 'Ten Thousand'
-strong army sets out to reach the Black Sea. Battered by
hunger and exhaustion and losing hope, the soldiers reach
Iskobel Yayla, see the Black Sea  and scream in victory.


//Macka district is in south-central Trabzon province.//