Sarcophagi All Over the Place

bartin links to related article

(Posta Newspaper, 8 Aralik 2012)

Catch a wave...

In Bartin, Amasra, fierce storm waves brought
a Roman-era sarcophagus and column parts on
to the shore rocks. Citizens reported the matter
to the Museum Directorate and officials made
the following statement: "historical artifacts
have washed up among the rocks at the (Black
Sea) shore. When the violent waves disturbed
the rocks the artifacts appeared."

Bartin up on the right...

sinop links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 8 December 2012)

Surprise in Sinop

In Sinop, one of  the important centers of  the Antique
Age on the Black Sea coast and where the famous
philosopher Diogenes lived, a historical surprise
appeared last week. TEDAS (electrik utility) teams
were digging in the Gelincik neighborhood of Sinop
city on wednesday when the hit a hard object. Thinking
it might be an artifact, they called the Sinop Archeological
Museum right away and the experts who  came determined
that the object was a sarcophagus.

The sarcophagus was extracted with a backhoe and taken
to the museum. Earthenware pots and jewelry - a total of
21 items - were recovered from the limestone case. The
sarcophagus likely held a woman and it was dated to
the 4th or 5th century B.C.  The items recovered were
listed as follows: two pots, seven vessels for perfume and
oil, a small earthenware statue,a bronze mirror, two bronze
rings, a ring collet, a bronze earing, a gold bracelet with 68
beads, a bronze eye pencil and bone box, and three bronze
coins.

Ozgur Ozarslan, Deputy Chief of the Culture and Tourism
Ministry, stated that "items previously unseen along the
Black Sea coast were found in the sarcophagus. These
kinds of stone artifacts are rarely found here." Ozarslan
said that the artifacts will be displayed at the Sinop
Archeological Museum. He added that infrastructure and
restoration efforts will be undertaken in Sinop, thanks to
a 9.2 million Euro grant from the EU. In a related move,
a plan and project implementation activity will be readied
for the Sinop Historical Prison.

Sinop-by-the-sea

Black Widow Partial to Cleaning Liquid

blackwidow links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 8 December 2012)

Black Widow wears black.

In Gaziantep, retired worker Salman Sanlidag (85),
who lived alone, married 40 year-old Emine
Sanlidag two months ago. But Emine allegedly
planned to kill her husband in league with her
lover and take Salman's home and retirement pay.
She stands accused of putting cleaning liquid in
Salman's whisky bottle last Monday and having
him drink it.

After taking a few sips, the unlucky Salman fell
to the ground as Emine first called her lover Resul
Ozbay, and then 112 (Turkish 911).  The rescue
team came to the house and pronounced Salman
dead, with Emine telling them that Salman had
a heart condition. The team, considering this to
be reasonable, given Salman's age, recorded
the cause of death as a 'heart attack'.

Salman was laid to rest as Emine cried but the
murder came to light a few days later by chance.
Emine's lover Ozbay was under technical
surveillance in connection with a counterfeitting
investigation and his conversations with Emine
about the murder led police to review their
previous phone conversations.

Allegedly, Emine, who had her husband drink
the cleaning liquid she put in his whisky bottle,
first called Ozbay as Salman lay writhing in pain.
As reflected in their phone conversation, Ozbay
told Emine "don't touch him. Let him die. Don't
let on (about the cleaning liquid) when you tell
the rescue team and the police about it."

In light of this information, police took Emine,
Ozbay and Ozbay's friend into custody. Emine
denied the charges, declaring that "my husband
drank the cleaning liquid himself". For his part,
Ozbay stated that "I don't know anything about
anything." The two were transported to jail on
the charge of "causing a death."

Salman's body will be exhumed and sent to the
police forensic lab.

Plane Bomb Threat All for Naught

threat links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 6 December 2012)

A.A. with new friends.

As Turkish Airlines' 0745 a.m. flight to Kishniev,
Moldova, with 112 passengers aboard, was heading
for the runway yesterday at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport,
a phone call came in declaring a bomb threat. The plane
was stopped and then brought to the so-called Air
Taxi Road area where it was surrounded by special
police and bomb disposal teams.

Passengers were taken off the plane, which was
searched. At this point, one A.A. admitted to police
that it was he who had called in the bomb threat. In
his statement, A.A. claimed that Moldovan nurse Lilian
T., with whom he works, had defrauded him and stolen
5,000 USD and perhaps other valuables.

A.A. explained that he made the bomb threat so that
Lilian T. would be caught. However, it was determined
that Lilian T. was not even on the plane. A.A. was
brought before a prosecutor and after an interrogation
was released pending trial.

Passengers were boarded once again and the plane took
off for Kishniev at 1115 a.m.

In the Name of Honor

trap links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 5 December 2012)

Cuneyt Ozcan

Cuneyt Ozcan (32) of Batman kidnapped his
fellow Batmanian F.A. and married her last
May. Allegedly, F.A.'s father Nesip Ayaz (33)
wanted compensation and threatened Ozcan
with death, saying "you'll give me a girl in
exchange for my daughter". (In Turkey, such
an 'honor-based' (!)  girl-exchange situation is
called 'berdel')

In response to Ayaz's threat, Ozcan played for
time, telling his pursuer that "I'll give you my
sister but she's in Batman right now." (Ozcan
was in Istanbul at this time). However, when
Ayaz's threats became punches Ozcan went to
'Plan B': "my uncle's daughter S.G. is in Istanbul.
You can have her if you want."

Ayaz allegedly accepted this proposal but asked
"how will we get the girl?". This prompted Ozcan
to come up with a devilish plan to kidnap his
cousin. He told S.G. that he was looking for a
flat for himself and his bride F.A. in Istanbul.
Upon finding a desireable apartment Ozcan
asked S.G. to accompany him to check it out.

So, during her lunch break, S.G. went to the
apartment in Zeytinburnu in a car driven by
Ozcan's friend Ozbek Aran (29). On arriving,
the unwitting S.G. entered the apartment as
Ozcan and Aran slammed the door and locked
her in.

A third person then jumped on S.G., who later
tearfully old the prosecutor what had happened
during the terrifying minutes that ensued: "the
person threw me on the floor and put his hand
to my mouth, trying to rape me. I bit his arm and
he hit me, breaking my nose. I had a knife that I
carry to peel fruit and I plunged it into his right
breast.  He fell wounded."

Taking advantage of her assailant's fall, S.G.
started to scream and responding neighbors
broke down the door. Nesip Ayaz, the attacker,
fled and S.G., who fainted, was taken to a hospital.
When she awoke her first words were naming those
who had sprung this trap on her.

Ozcan, Ayaz and Aran were all arrested, charged
with "sexual assault, force and threat, and using
a trick to deprive a person of  her freedom" and
sent to jail. A case against the suspects was opened
and 30 year sentences were requested for each of
them.

Zeytinburnu,Istanbul, located toward lower left side.

Appliance Science Builds Batmobiles

batmobile links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 3 December 2012)

//ed. note: only appropriate in a country where
the mayor of Batman city sued the makers of
the Batman movies for copyright infringement.//

Batman stalks Mt. Ararat

Body-shop expert Ismail Ilhan (42), of Agri,
inspired by the film "Batman", has built two
automobiles, one of which has wings, out of
a washing machine, refrigerator, table, chair
and the iron sheeting from ironing boards.

Ismail, who has been working in his field for
15 years, built the cars at his workshop in
Dogubeyazit Dstrict Industrial City in six
months with help from his brother Omer. The
cars can do 100 kilometers per hour and their
black color and styling catch peoples' attention.

Ismail has given the cars the names "Firtina"
(Storm) and "Yarasa" (Bat). He has received
permission from the District Chief's Office
and the Security Directorate to conduct test
drives.

Agri and Mt. Ararat way over on the right.

Devilish Homer Simpson Draws Fine

homer links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 3 December 2012)

Devil's Advocate

"The Simpson's", shown here on CNBC-E channel,
portrayed God in the service of the devil and the
channel has been fined 52,951 TL as a result. A
report by the Senior Council for Radio and TV
(RTUK) cited the reason for the fine as "making
fun of God, inciting youth to violence with the
message that murder was God's will, and encouraging
the use of alcohol under the pretext that one must
start the new year with alcohol."

The expert's report on the matter was summarized
as follows: "one of the cartoon characters (Homer)
provoked another (Flanders) to murder and violence
by manipulating his (Flanders') religious beliefs;
making remarks to the effect that there is no God;
scenes where the Bible is burned; showing God and
Satan is bodily form; God being at the service of
the devil and even offering him coffee. The broadcast
continued with images and remarks that ridiculed
beliefs. During the program the premise was made
that Christmas is a good time to drink alcohol and
the program encouraged this."

Doomsday Update: Jesus and 60,000

doom links to original article

(Vatan Newspaper, 30 November 2012)

caption: the real catastrophe will be its effect on Sirince.

The entire world is awaiting 21 December 2012, which is
believed to be the final day of the Mayan calendar.
According to the belief, the planet Marduk will hit the
Earth on that date and only two places will not be
affected - Bugarach village in France and Sirince village
in Selcuk, Izmir.

And in fact, according to the prediction, Jesus will come to
Sirince on 21 December so that's why thousands of people
from around the world are expected to flock to Sirince then,
as well. All hotel rooms are booked and camp sites have
been set up in the forests. Around 60,000 people are
expected in the village, located six kilometers from Selcuk,
whose population is 687.

Consequently, officials have sounded the alarm. The
Interior Ministry sent a notice to all units in Selcuk district
to make preparations so that no untoward incidents occur.
A military official from the Selcuk Gendarmerie Command
confirmed that the notice had come and that the regiment's
commander and assistant are making inspections in the
area. He told Vatan that "we started about a month ago.
Traffic and security teams have been doubled and tripled.
There's a mobilization. We've requested help from surrounding
districts. There's an intense preparation underway. Commanders
are checking things out, places are being set up for tents and
campers. Our careful work is ongoing in anticipation of a
great crowd coming."

Selcuk District Chief Ayhan Boyaci and Mayor Vefa Ulgur
echoed these words, with Ulgur adding that "this will be one
of the region's strangest but biggest events. I'm not sure our
infrastructure can handle it but we're stocking up on food and
water. We're coordinating with all other units and with the
telephone companies to ensure there aren't any communications
problems. There's a need for extra mobile base stations in
Sirince and road traffic will be routed one way. There's no
need to close the schools, though."