Lovestruck Guys Bilked by Pretty Young Things

swindle links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 29 September 2011)

A five-person gang that bilked 50 people in 20 provinces with promises of
marriage, much like the film 'Hokkabaz' (Swindler), has been broken. The
film, in which Cem Yılmaz played the lead role, became real in Adana. As
in the film, the gang hoodwinked elderly, rich and naive men, in particular,
with marriage promises. Adana Gendarmerie teams broke the gang with an
operation carried out in 20 provinces. It is claimed that the five gang
members, including the leader and three women, used this method to get
50 people in 20 provinces to buy them 200,000TL worth of gold before
the weddings and then absconded.

Gang leader Şahan Kuşçu used 'bride candidate' Tuğba Çelik (20) as bait.
Both were arrested in Adana. The young woman would live with the dupes
who fell in love with her for a time to gain their confidence. She then had
them buy her large amounts of jewelry and when the man was out of the
house she would steal his things and flee. It has been learned that gang
leader Kuşçu sometime used his own wife, Latife Kuşçu, as a 'bride
candidate.'

One of the elderly men defrauded in the scheme said in his statement that
'she took three thousand lira from me but the girl was really beautiful. I
don't care about the money I lost. She was worth it.' Another elderly man
in Uşak who was bilked by the gang had a heart attack and died when he
realized what had happened. The suspects, who rejected the accusations,
were transported to court.

Dad's Progeny: Immaculate Conceptions

father links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 27 September 2011)

Murat Koparan (32), who works as a cook in a restaurant in Ankara,
married waitress Vahide Koparan (28) in 2006. One week after the
wedding Koparan learned that his wife was 2.5 months pregnant with the
child of her former boyfriend. He decided to break up with her, filed for
divorce and began living separately. At this point, Vahide Koparan
disappeared. When the court couldn't track her down the divorce case
was dismissed.

Koparan happened to go to the Population Directorate where he learned
that he has four children from Vahide Koparan. He said 'she had other
children with someone else but since on paper we're still married it appears
that the children are mine. I'm afraid to go to the Population Directorate
anymore. Two years ago I found out that I supposedly have two children.
Last week I went to check again and there were two more children listed
to me. Every time I go I'm finding that I have more children. I'm
embarrassed in front of the family of my girlfriend, whom I'm thinking of
marrying.  I've opened a new divorce case and I'm hopeful.'

Istanbul Pines But We'll Always Have Paris

elevator links to original article

//ed. note: what follows is a compilation, for the historic record, of the recent
visit to Istanbul by Her Divaship Paris Hilton//

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 26 September 2011)

Paris Hilton, who came to Istanbul to introduce her shoe collection,
participated in a related event at the Istinye Park shopping center last week.
Her bodyguards had her ride in an elevator used by the various stores
to move their goods but this enraged Hilton. The young lady said that the
elevator's smell was terrible and she scolded her bodyguards, saying 'never
have me ride this elevator again! It smells horrible!'

(Sözcü Newspaper, 26 September 2011)

Paris Hilton has left Istanbul but the effects she left in her wake linger on.
It turns out that when Hilton felt the call of nature she summarily cut short
an event she was participating in at the Istinye Park shopping center. Hilton
was immediately brought to a ladies room on the middle floor of shopping
center but she didn't approve and was taken instead to one on the top
floor. Her bodyguards waited at the door and didn't allow anyone else in
until Hilton had come out.

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 24 September 2011)

Paris Hilton, who came to Istanbul to introduce her new shoe line, has departed
the country. Paris participated in a photo session for the shoes she designed
yesterday and said goodbye to each of staff of the hotel where she stayed. But
Paris was bored by the heavy traffic last evening while going from her hotel in
Ortaköy to the airport at Yeşilköy so she got a pillow and blanket from her
bodyguards' car and went to sleep.

When Paris saw journalists upon her arrival at Atatürk Airport she spent 20
minutes freshening up her make-up before getting out of the vehicle. Paris's
loveable attitude was apparent as she took pictures of the journalists who
were taking her picture, using her Swarovski-bejeweled cell phone.

Make-believe Baby and 'Mother's' Foiled Plan

make-believe links to related article

(Posta Newspaper, 23 September 2011)

Fatma Yiğit (26), who lives in Bursa, married Abdullah Yiğit (28), a worker
in a factory, six years ago. When Fatma didn't get pregnant during the first
months of the marriage she started to get treatment but as the years passed
there was no result. Fatma was upset that they couldn't have a child but she
was also afraid that her husband would leave her because she couldn't get
pregnant. After five years of treatment with any success, she thought about
getting pregnant by the tube method.

But they couldn't come up with the money needed for the tube method and,
according to Fatma, there was nothing else she could do so Fatma lied
because she thought that her husband would divorce her and marry another
women in order to have a child. She told her husband the 'good news' that
she was 'pregnant' and kept up the ruse for nine months. Abdullah was
quite pleased by this news even though there was no indication of pregnancy
on Fatma's body. Fatma explained to her husband that on some women
their stomachs don't get bigger during pregnancy. 

The day before yesterday Fatma said that the birth was approaching and
she went with her husband to the maternity hospital. While Abdullah was
parking the car, Fatma went into the hospital and emerged sometime later
saying that she had given birth. According to her new lie, Fatma said that
because of their baby boy's complications he had been taken by ambulance
to the children's hospital, while she had been discharged. When they reached
home a woman who called Abdullah told him that their baby would be
transported to a hospital in Ankara.

Abdullah became quite excited by this telephone call, whereas Fatma cried
out in panic that their child had been kidnapped. Abdullah immediately filed
criminal charges against the hospital officials but when Fatma was questioned
by police her contradictory statements led police to figure out what had
happened. Fatma admitted the truth, saying 'my ruse has been uncovered.
I love my husband very much and I lied so as not to lose him.' After being
charged with 'reporting a false crime', Fatma was released and returned
home with her husband, who forgave her.
 
.

Drink Beer, Shoot Rifle, Pass Out

drunk links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 22 September 2011)

Last night at 1230 AM, worker M.B. (47), who had been sitting on the
balcony of his stand-alone house on 7223 street in the Emek neighborhood
of Gümüşpala drinking beer for some period of time, went inside and got a
hunting rifle. When he reemerged on the balcony M.B. began radomly
shooting all over the place. The neighbors became frightened when buckshot
hit their homes and called the police. M.B. fired at the police when they
arrived.

A large number of uniformed and plainclothes policemen were sent to the
scene and established security. At this time M.B. passed out and police
entered his home, took the rifle and M.B. was transported by ambulance
to Karşıyaka State Hospital. After M.B. had been brought under control
the neighborhood residents related how scared they were and the terror-
filled moments they experienced. M.B.'s father A.B. (78) suffered a
heart attack and was cared for by police.

After being treated M.B. was taken to the Gümüşpala Police Station
and booked for 'opening fire in a residential neighborhood and causing
fear and panic.'  In his statement M.B. explained that 'I'd been sitting on
the balcony for a while drinking beer. I started thinking about an argument
I'd had with my wife and I got upset. So I started shooting.' Upon the
instructions of the acting public prosecutor M.B. was released.



 

Living Dead Have Hope in Malatya

morgue links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 21 September 2011)

The morgue established within the purview of the Malatya Municipal
Cemetery Directorate has been set up with consideration for bodies put
inside that are thought to be dead (ed. note: but may not be!)so that there is
an alarm system and the compartment can be opened from the inside.
Director Akif Kayadurmuş provided information about the 36-body capacity
morgue that will open in the coming days, along with six body-cleaning
facilities. He stated that the center has been designed with careful attention to
each section, from revolving coffin stones to the waiting rooms, noting that a
great many new features have been added.

Kayadurmuş explained that 'information about the names of the bodies,
where they're located and the latest status is continually displayed on
screens in the waiting room. There is also an information desk and a
cafeteria within the center. Every detail has been considered for our center
and care shown for the comfort of the bodies and their relatives.'
 

Extreme Folk Dancing

folk dancing links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 19 September 2011)

The Turkey-wide Interclub Youth Folk Dancing Championship, which was
held in Malatya and sponsored by the Folk Dancing Federation, the Malatya
municipality and Inönü University, awarded its prizes the night before last.
However, the Bitlis Five Minaret Folk Dancing team felt that it had not been
given enough points and attacked the jury and those seated in the protocol
rows.

Police teams intervened in the brawl and restrained the angry dancers by
spraying pepper gas. Five people were injured during the fighting and taken
to the hospital. Once order was restored the award ceremony continued.
Kırklareli Anatolia High School Sports Club took first place in Turkey's
Folk Dancing Youth Championship, while the Nilüfer Municipal Sports
Club was second and Kocaeli Sports Club third.