Pickle Jar Hits Robber, Who Congratulates Marksman: "Bu Ne Perhiz, Bu Ne Lahana Turşusu" (Oxymoron)

türkçe  links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 30 November 2020)

Protect your health & well-being with pickles!

In Seyhan, Adana, an individual wearing a surgical mask and a hooded

coat entered a market, took a bottle of perfume off the shelf and 

came to the cashier.  As he paid for the perfume, the individual  

suddenly took out a knife, threatened cashier Nur Sima Y. and told

her to open the cash register.  Nur Sima hanım refused and tried to

ward off the robber with her feet, bracing herself with her arms 

against the cash register. 

Meanwhile, market worker Ercan T. (42) tried unsuccessfully to 

intervene with his mop (!).  However, the quick-thinking Ercan T.

grabbed a jar of pickles (!) and threw it at the robber, hitting him in

the head.  Thus dissuaded from his robbery attempt, the thief fled.

                                     Splat!

Police determined that the robber was Caner Aydın (28), who after

escaping had thrown the knife into the Seyhan River before taking a 

'dolmuş' (collective taxi) to his grandmother's house and then to his 

own, where he was taken into custody in a police raid.  

In his statement Aydın explained that "I went into the market, showed 

the cashier my knife and demanded 50 TL (about 60 cents). When the 

market worker hit me in the head with the can of pickles I 

congratulated (!) him for his marksmanship and fled."

                        Seyhan is part of Adana city.

COVID Shmovid, Mayor Prefers Luxury Car, Vice Ambulance, in Kırkağaç

türkçe  links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 29 November 2020)

Mayor promises to use it as an ambulance if he 

gets COVID.  You can guess what the "F" is for.

Even as the COVID-19 epidemic had inflicted economic damage on 

Turkey, the mayor of Kırkağaç in Manisa province, Yaşar İsmail 

Gedüz of the AKP (ruling party), has purchased an official car for 

himself at the price of 600,000 TL (about $75,000), sparking outrage.

Özcan Kaçar, the head of the Kırkağaç CHP (main opposition party)

group, noted that many shopkeepers in the town have had to shut down

because of COVID, as citizens' buying power has decreased to near

zero.  

  Seen here signing his own paycheck, with a gold pen.

At such a time, in Kaçar's view, the mayor should be standing by

the public in their time of need and he added that "We found out that

the official car was purchased in the name of the municipal company

KİTAŞ for nearly 600,000 TL.  COVID cases are spiking in our 

district and we desperately need an ambulance.  So the mayor should

have either bought an ambulance or used the money to support the

shopkeepers.  The mayor's acquisition of a brand-new luxury car for

himself is a betrayal of the people!"

"Beat & Release": Imaginary Robbers 'Beat' Oscar-worthy Gambler in Antalya

türkçe  links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 28 November 2020)

                                   And the Oscar goes to...

On a mountain road between the Kemer district center and the village

of Kiriş, police found a woman lying on the ground next to her 

parked car.  

The woman, S.D., told police that two masked men had stopped her

car, bearing plate number 07 K 7376, put a gun to her head and stole

200,000 TL in cash and 400,000 TL worth of gold that she said she 

had withdrawn from a bank and put into her handbag, which the 

'robbers' had left behind. 

However (!), while police checked S.D.'s handbag for fingerprints,

they also reviewed video footage from the bank's security camera

and saw that S.D. had left the bank empty-handed.  At the police

station, S.D. confessed that she had lost 150,000 gambling and 

staged the 'robbery' as a way to explain the loss to her family.

She was processed by police for "staging a crime" and released.

Sheep Graze Where Health Center Might Have Been, in Aydın

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 27 November 2020)

                               They look pretty healthy.

In Yazıdere quarter of Aydın's İncirliova district, a 'Health and Special 

Rehabilitation Center' was planned for a 5-acre plot of land where there

was already a football field, children's park and wedding hall, all of

which were removed.  

Ten days prior to elections, Zehra Zümrüt, the Minister of Family, 

Work and Social Services, along with AKP (ruling party) 

parliamentarians, the Aydın governor at the time, Yavuz Selim

Köşger, and Mayor Gürşat Kale participated in a cornerstone ceremony

for the health center.  

                                   They don't look so healthy.

The center was supposed to have a capacity for the rehabilitation of

400 disabled patients and provide 200 jobs for the local populace.

However (!), when the AKP-MHP coalition lost the election, Aytekin

Kaya of the İYİ Party became the new mayor of Incirliova and the

health center project was forgotten. 

Although the center was to have been completed in a year, sheep

now graze on the plot of land.  Yazlıdere village chief Davut Noyan

lamented that "they tell us that the COVID-19 pandemic is the 

reason for the delay in construction.  But if the center won't be 

built give us back our football field, children's park and wedding 

hall!"

              İncirliova district is just west of Aydın city.

"Beat & Release": When 'No!' Means 'No!', Permanently

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 26 November 2020)

                                                 Nope.

In Bursa, Ismail I. (55) had a lovers quarrel with his girlfriend Zehra Y.

(43), who refused his offers for sex.  So İsmail bey shot Zehra hanım 

in her right leg.  However (!), in the ensuing struggle, Zehra hanım got

hold of the gun and shot İsmail bey in the head. In her statement to the

police, Zehra hanım explained that " when I said 'no!', he shot me in

my leg.  He was drunk. Then I shot him."

The incident occurred at about 10 o'clock at night in Tahtalı village in

Nilüfer district, at a farmhouse on Değirmen Yolu Street.  After İsmail

bey and Zehra hanım drank alcohol for a while, he wanted her to have

sex with him. When she refused, İsmail bey kept on drinking and then

tried to force himself upon Zehra hanım, who again resisted, prompting

İsmail bey to shoot her in the right leg.  

With Zehra hanım writhing in pain on the floor, İsmail bey continued

to physically assault her, but the drunken İsmail lost control of his gun,

which Zehra hanım grabbed.  She shot İsmail in the head, killing him,

and called the police. Zehra hanım was taken to Uludağ University

Hospital for treatment and İsmail bey to the Bursa morgue. 

 

                           Nilüfer district is NW of Bursa city.

TNT Ancient History Archives: Masks of Strakoniekeia in the Time Before COVID

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Arkeolojik Haber website, 25 November 2020)

                    They'll need extra masks for COVID.

In Muğla's Yatağan district, during excavations at the 3,000-year-old

Strakoniekeia Antique City, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage

Temporary List, 10 masks thought to be 2,200-years-old have been

exposed.  

The mythologic masks were found in the area of the antique theater at 

Stratonikeia,  where artifacts from the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, 

Ottoman and Republican periods have been discovered.  The dig team

had found a total of 33 masks over the past two years and now that

total has reached 43.  The masks have been cleaned, repaired and put 

on display. 

Excavation leader Prof. Dr. Bilal Söğüt explained that "We've been

working here at Stratonikeia and Lagina antique cities for two years.

Right now, the excavation work is at the west and north avenues, along

with the antique theater and we are putting things in order in the village

center, too.  We had already found 33 masks and today another 10 from

beneath the ground.  We are putting the masks in their original order."

                          Ancient intubation underway.

"When people come here, before they enter the theater, seeing the masks

surrounding the theater building, they will be struck by the magnificence

and appearance of the theater.  So we are putting the masks on display 

to show the richness, splendor, culture, art and architecture of the 

period."

Prof. Söğüt said that the masks depict the characters in the plays of 

those days, as well as gods, goddesses and animals.  The masks 

blocks are brought to a "rock hospital" in the antique city for cleaning

and preservation work and these newly found masks will soon join 

the others on display.

"Beat & Release": 'Holiday' Bomber Finally (!) Goes to Jail in Cappadocia

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 24 November 2020)

                                Explosive relationship.

Two years ago in Ürgüp, Cappadocia, Hacer Çelik met Bayram Çelik,

who said he worked in the rental car sector.  The couple began living

together but Bayram (whose first name means 'holiday') bey soon 

began to beat and abuse Hacer hanım so last June, when she learned 

that Bayram bey did not work in the rental car sector, she went to live 

with her family.  

Enraged by Hacer hanım's rejections of his reconciliation proposals,

Bayram bey fired on her father's house and set fire to the house and

a car.  Bayram bey was taken into custody on multiple occasions 

but was always released. (!)

The day before yesterday, Bayram bey was loitering in front of 

Hacer hanım's father's house so they called the police.  By the time

police arrived Bayram bey was long gone but police noticed that

he had hung a bomb-trap (!) on the front door.  The family was 

then evacuated from the house via the balcony. 

The bomb was defused and destroyed.  Shortly afterwards, Bayram

bey was apprehended and jailed for attempted murder.  Hacer 

hanım explained that "we were married in a religious ceremony

(not recognized as 'official' by the state) in March 2018.  When I

married Bayram I was already pregnant from my first husband."

"Bayram went to jail for 1.5 years for a previous conviction. I went

to the prison and told him I wanted to break up.  But when he got

out he threatened me and shot up my father's house, setting fire to 

both the house and a car, as well.  He accused us of being drug

dealers but we were exonerated in court."

Hacer hanım's step-father Erdal Yarakkaya related that his wife had

noticed the bomb-trap on the door.  "When I looked at it with a 

flashlight I saw that one end of the string was tied to the doorknob

and the other to the iron railing. Something resembling a fist was

swaying and it turned out to be a hand grenade (!).  The police

came, defused and destroyed the bomb and got us out via the 

balcony."

"Beat & Release": Ambulance Driver Attacked by Policeman...uh...Realtor

türkçe links to original Turkish article.

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 22 November 2020)

Realtor-turned-'policeman' Davut D. restrained as 

medical 'white knight' Başbay makes a point.

The day before yesterday on Atatürk Avenue in the Cumhuriyet quarter

of Hatay's Kırıkhan district, ambulance driver Mustafa Başbay set out

to pick up a patient with a COVID diagnosis and bring the ill person

to the hospital.  However, the driver of a car with plate 06 DR 9108

would not yield the road to Başbay's ambulance so an argument ensued.

The enraged driver declared that he was a policeman, as he attacked

Başbay, whose face was bloodied by the assault.  The driver got back

in his car and sped off.  But Başbay obtained a medical report and filed

a police complaint about the driver.  Police took the driver Davut D. 

into custody and learned that rather than being a policeman, he is a 

realtor (!).  In any event, Davut D. was released after processing at the 

police station. (!!)

      Good thing he had his ambulance handy.

After his hospital treatment, Başbay described what happened: 

"I was rushing to pick up a patient and as I proceeded in the left lane

he cut in front of me. So I said to him 'why did you do that?!' In 

response, he shouted that 'you have no right to pass here!'   He said

he was a policeman and the relative of an important person in 

Kırıkhan.  We got out of our vehicles and right away he head-

butted me and kept on beating me.  The police came and I filed a

complaint on behalf of myself and all health workers.  What 

happened to me today will happen to someone else tomorrow."

"Beat & Release": Motorcyclist's Road Rage in Gaziantep

türkçe links to original Turkish article,

including must-see TV!

(Hürriyet TV, 20 November 2020)

              Hakabakan getting the ride of his life.

In Gaziantep, the moments when Ali Bayram Hakabakan was beaten 

by a motorcyclist he warned in traffic and the motorcyclist's friends 

were captured by a security camera.  Hakabakan was beaten in front of

his two children.  The attackers spent a day in police custody and were

then released, but Hakabakan wants them re-arrested. 

On 26 October, in the 75th Year neighborhood of Gaziantep, 

Hakabakan warned a motorcyclist who was about to bump into his

car.  An argument ensued and the motorcyclist and his friends

attacked Hakabakan and beat him.  Subsequently, Hakabakan got a

medical report and filed a complaint against his attackers. 

Enraged by the release of the suspects, Hakabakan declared that "I

will not withdraw my complaint.  I want them arrested and given

punishment that will be a lesson for them."  The security camera

images graphically show Hakabakan being punched, kicked and 

carried off by the motrocyclist and his friends.

"King"-Sized Ego Dumps His 'Brand' to the Dogs

türkçe  links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 20 November 2020)

                                       Dethronement.

The Istanbul Gendarmerie Command received information that drug

baron E.S., who goes by the nickname 'Kral' (king), and his gang had

obtained drugs illegally from abroad and would distribute the drugs to 

'torbacı' (local drug dealers).  

So, after a month of technical and physical surveillance, Gendarmerie 

teams raided homes the drug gang was using in Kartal and Pendik, 

with the assistance of drug-sniffing dog 'Vadi'. 

In the raid, the teams seized drug packets with the 'brand name' "King"

that drug baron 'Kral' had had written on them.  The different colored

drugs seized were shaped like hearts, squares and circles.  'Kral' E.S.

and his associates K.O., D.M., A.M., and T.S. were arrested.  

                                Release the hounds!

Taxi Driver's Silent Anti-COVID Shotgun-seat Rider

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Cumhuriyet Newspaper, 19 November 2020)

mannequin mania click here for another TNT

mannequin story, albeit a rather tragic one.

                                               Easy rider.

In Düzce, taxi driver Hakan Atılgan is taking measures to protect 

himself and his passengers as winter approaches and COVID cases

rise.  With social distancing in mind, Atılgan has seated a mannequin

in his front passenger seat to prevent anyone else from sitting next to

him. (!)

This practice has been favorably accepted by Atılgan's passengers,

although 3 or 4 people had a negative reaction.  Atılgan had this to

say: "lately COVID cases are on the rise so I thought of doing this.

The front seat is especially risky, with people sneezing and coughing.

Doubtless, we have to breathe the virus if they spit it out.  So I'm

touring around Düzce with my mannequin friend, who is quite the

pleasant companion, although she hasn't paid a fare thus far :)."

"Some passengers wish all  taxi drivers would do this but others

want to ride in front so I have to refuse them.  They have a point but,

on the other hand, we're going through a rough period and have to

be vigilant. "

                        In the back is better.

One of Atılgan's passengers, Tenzile Koç, noted that "I like to ride

in the front seat but because of COVID we have to change our ways.

At first when I saw the mannequin I thought it was a joke but 

nevertheless I sat in the back seat.  Now I'm used to it.  I think Hakan

bey has done a good thing by giving this message to everyone."

Although, in the front, the driver may get fresh 

sometimes.

                     Düzce

TNT History Archives: Ottoman POWs in Italy During Libya War (1912)

In 1912, the Italian Ministry of War published a 39-page list of 

Ottoman officers and soldiers captured during the war with Turkey in 

Libya, although the majority of the 1,436 POWs were seized by the 

Italians on the Aegean Sea island of Rhodes and surrounding

islands in May of that year.  

Some Turks were captured in the Red Sea and Adriatic Sea areas,

while others were taken at Derne, Benghazi, Tripoli and Ain Zara

in Libya proper.  Two Turks were listed as having been taken

prisoner in the Mediterranean Sea in August 1912.  

"Ministry of War, Commission for POWs, List of Names of  Ottoman

POWs captured since the beginning of hostilities, July 1912."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Summary: (across top) rank, caught, repatriated, dead, present in 1912.

(left column): officers, health officers, Gendarmerie officers, officers

appearing on page 39, NCOs, Gendarmerie NCOs, Corporals, 

Gendarmerie corporals, soldiers, soldiers appearing on page 39

Gendarmerie, Gendarmerie appearing on page 39.

(1) referred to military tribunal."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"list number, rank and name, regiment, place of capture, date of 

capture, rendition site, date of arrival at rendition site, remarks.

Officers"

(Rodi = Rhodes; Mar Rosso = Red Sea; Adriatico = Adriatic)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(final page 39: officers and soldiers captured in 1911, some

in Brindisi, Italy.)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Italian invasion of Rhodes  click here for the first part of a five-

part TNT series on this topic.

tobruk click here for a two-part TNT series on Italy's choice of

Tobruk as its eastern Libya port for the war.

air warfare in Libya click here for a 4-part TNT series on Italy's

use of balloons and airplanes in the war.

Italian Navy probed Çanakkale click here for a 2-part TNT

series on this aspect of the war.

NOTE: In January 1912, the two French cargo ships, 'Carthage' and 

'Manouba',  were seized by the Italians in the Mediterranean Sea on 

suspicion of carrying airplanes and other supplies to the anti-Italian 

fighters in Libya and the Ottoman officers found on board were taken 

prisoner.  

French ships seized by Italy click here for a TNT report on this

incident which occurred in January 1912.

//END//

Higher Education, Lower Standards

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 18 November 2020)

smoothing the way click here for a recent TNT

report about foreign students paying $500 extra

to enter Sakarya University.

           The fellowship of the rectors endures.

In Istanbul, Marmara University's Middle East and Islamic Countries

Research Institute gave a test to hire a researcher.  Seven people

entered the pre-qualification test but only one person passed - Ahmet

Fatih Andı, the son of the rector of Fatih Sultan Mehmet University

(FSM), Muhammed Fatih Andı.  

Even though Ahmet Fatih Andı's marks were lower than those of 

two other candidates, he was the only candidate to pass through to

the primary test.   These two 'failed' candidates were disqualified

with a note that said "did not meet test conditions".  

Sözcü reached out to FSM for a comment and rector Andı said

through a spokesman that "we didn't look at that announcement's

conditions or results.  An adult (Ahmet Fatih Andı) went and 

applied."  

Ahmet Fatih Andı's ALES (Academic Personnel and Graduate 

School Entrance Exam) grade was 76.9, while the two 'failed'

candidates' grades were 90 and 89.2, respectively, and one of

them scored better on the foreign language part, too.  

A year ago, Ahmet Fatih Andı competed for a position at 

Medeniyet University but was eliminated.  After that, he failed

to qualify for a position offered by Marmara University.

                                    Role model. 

"Beat & Release": "Exaggerated" Assault in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 17 November 2020)

                         After and before "exaggeration".

In Avcılar, Istanbul, on 6 February 2019 Emre Çiçek (25) cut the throat

of Rabia Kaçmaz (25), who wanted to break up with him, with a 

'falçeta' (curved shoe knife).   Çiçek also sexually assaulted Rabia 

hanım and drove his car over her, seriously injuring the woman.  

At a hearing regarding the case at a court in Bakırköy, the report of the

medical examiner was read out: "as the result of the knife wounds to

her neck, the victim's vocal cords were damaged to the point where

she now has difficulty speaking."

The public prosecutor has asked the court to render jail sentences to

Çiçek, who is currently incarcerated, of "6 to 21 years for kidnapping,

no less than 12 years for the sexual assault charge, and from 13 to 20

years for attempted murder with monstrous intent and torture."

Suspect Yunus Kıldır, who saw Rabia hanım's condition but who told

Çiçek "don't get me mixed up in this.", faces from 4 to 14 years in 

jail for "kidnapping", although the prosecutor suggested that he be 

acquitted of "failing to report a crime." (!) 

Given the chance at the hearing to speak in his own defense, Çicek

said that he will present his defense with his lawyer at a future 

hearing, although he noted that "I regret what happened but the 

incident has been exaggerated." (!)

                                        Macho Exaggerato

Endoscopy Procedure Recovers Swallowed Drugs in Ankara

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 17 November 2020)

                                  You are what you eat.

Ankara's Altındağ district police launched an operation to capture

Yunus A. (24),  who has a record of narcotics use and seven separate

theft crimes.   Yunus A. was tracked to Şehit Astsubat Erhan 

Yıldırım Park in the Başak neighborhood of Ankara's Mamak district.

Yunus A. was seen meeting with three other individuals who arrived 

at the park in a car and was taken into custody, along with Syrian Ali

Muhammed Velid (27).  The other two individuals escaped. 

             It was gonna come out one way or the other.

The suspects were searched and 130 TL (about $1.50) from the sale

of narcotics was seized by police.  However (!), Velid swallowed the 

drugs so police took him to a hospital where an endoscopy procedure 

recovered two packets, in which there were 4 grams of heroin.

"Beat & Release": Complaints? She Had a Few, but Then Again...

türkçe  links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 16 November 2020)

Smile Vokan B.! You're on Psychopath Camera!

In Palandöken district of Erzurum province, in the garden of a 

hospital, Volkan B. (40) grabbed his wife Kübra T. (21) by her hair 

and shouted "are you making fun of me!? I'll kill you!", before 

beating her to a pulp.  However, since Kübra hanım did not agree to

file a complaint, Volkan B. was released.

The incident occurred on 19 July at the Nenehatun Maternity Hospital's

garden.  A woman at the hospital recorded the event on her cellphone

and told Volkan B. she would call the police.  Unconcerned, Volkan B.

continued to beat Kübra hanım.  Another woman passing by said "what

are you doing hitting her! Are we up in the mountains somewhere?!"

At this point, Volkan B. lifted Kübra hanım from the ground and the 

couple left.

When the images of the incident were posted on Twitter, there was a 

strong reaction, which prompted the police to action andto  take 

Volkan B. into custody.  But when Kübra hanım declined to file a 

complaint, her husband was released on judicial supervision. 

The ancient Turkic letters on his t-shirt stand for: 

Inveterate Wife-Beater.

The case continued, though, and the Erzurum public prosecutor charged

Volkan B. with "threatening, insulting and simple assault".  In his 

statement to the court, Volkan B. explained that he held Kübra hanım 

by the neck but he didn't recall (!) insulting or threatening her.  As for

Kübra hanım, she stated that "he beat me with his hands and insulted 

me.  But I'm not filing a complaint."  

Consequently, the "insulting and simple assault" charges against Volkan 

B. were dismissed but the "threatening" charge was forwarded by the 

court to the restraining order bureau.  When Kübra hanım agreed to

get a restraining order the entire case was dismissed and Volkan B.

walked free.

Palandöken is just south of Erzurum city.