Christmas Edition: Santa's Reindeer Delivered

turkce links to original Turkish article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 14 December 2014)


       Every kid's dream ride at Christmastime.

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has
arranged for 20 new reindeer to be provided to the Dukha Turks, who
live in the remotest part of Mongolia.  The twenty reindeer, obtained
from Yakutia in Russia, will be delivered to the Dukha Turks at
the beginning of the week.

According to TIKA, the request for the reindeer came from the
Dukha Turks and TIKA had them transported from Yakutia by
trailer truck to the Mongolian border, where the reindeer were
kept and fed for two months.  The animals were then transported
by truck to the Dukha Turks's homeland in Tsagaannuur district
of Hovsgol province, 1,000 kilometers from Ulanbator, the
Mongolian capital.   The reindeer were presented as a gift to
the Dukha Turks in a ceremony attended by Turkish Ambassador
Murat Karagoz in mid-December.


Hovsgol provincial capital is Moron, in northern Mongolia.

The name of the Dukha Turks in the local language is Tsaatan
and these nomads are comprised of 600 people in 60 families.
Their livelihood is dependent on raising reindeer but their own
had become too inbred, necessitating the new reindeer.



New reindeer for Dukha Turks came from Yakutia.

US Consul's Wedding Has Wisconsin Aflutter

turkce links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 23 December 2014)


    Wedding of the year in Appleton, Wisconsin.

The U.S. press is fascinated by the upcoming marriage of
diplomat Charles F. Hunter to Turk Ramadan Caysever. The
year's love bomb was exploded by U.S. Istanbul Consul
General Hunter but the society set here is in a tizzy because
Caysever is one of theirs, even having jilted a famous businessman
to be with Hunter.

The U.S. press has characterized Caysever as a 'popstar' and a
newspaper in Wisconsin, Hunter's home state, has put Caysever's
clips on its internet site, heaping praise on his performance. Hunter
has hired a bodyguard for Caysever, according to US media, and
the Turk has converted to Christianity.  The couple will be married
at the end of December at Hunter's sister's home in Appleton,
Wisconsin, and then return to Istanbul during the first week of
January.

But in its coverage, the Wisconsin press has gotten our Turkish
popstars mixed up!  The Wisconsin Gazette erroneously identified
famous Turkish star Tarkan as Caysever, based on a photo that
Hunter had taken with Tarkan and Caysever at a concert. And
the fact that the real Caysever was cut out of the photo the
newspaper published drew reactions from some readers.


Tarkan bookended by the newlyweds-to-be.
 

Extravagance Fit For a King

turkce links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 22 December 2014)

//ed. note: 4th Anniversary Issue today.//



'Let them eat cake, or couscous, or whatever..."

King Muhammed the 6th of Morroco, his wife Princess Lalla
Selma and their children have come to Turkey for a private
visit.  During the arrival of the King and Princess at Ataturk
Airport the press was not permitted in the State Guest House.

A Boeing 737-800 private jet carrying Princess Lalla Selma,
her children and their assistants touched down in Istanbul at
1730 hours yesterday evening.  They all boarded a vechicle
that came to the side of the aircraft and departed the airport.


"Send a plane back. I forgot my royal toothbrush!"

King Muhammed arrived at Istanbul at 1940 hours from
Abu Dhabi, aboard his Boeing 747-400 Jumbo Jet. The Deputy
Governor of Istanbul, Fevzi Gunes, and other officials greeted
the King upon his arrival.  A vechicle was waiting on the apron
to take the King to the Ciragan Palace Hotel, where he will
stay.

Preparations for the visit of the 51 year-old King to Turkey
began many days ago.  The belongings of the royal family
were brought to Istanbul by 3 Moroccan Air Force cargo
planes (!).  The items in the cargo planes were carefully
unloaded and transferred to cargo vehicles.  In the scope of
their visit to Turkey, the royal family is expected to tour
historic and touristic places outside of Istanbul.


      Morocco on the left, Turkey on the right.

Beasts Say 'Bon Appetit' After Funerals

turkce links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 20 December 2014)


                            Yummy!

A bear that has been stealing bodies from a graveyard in
Kastamonu in recent months, took one again 25 days ago.


        Final resting place as dinner in a den.

A.K., a resident of Imrali village in Kure district, Kastamonu
province, died in a hospital in Istanbul 25 days ago.  His body
was brought to Imrali where A.K. (65) was buried in the local
graveyard. Afterwards, however, a bear ripped up the grave.
First, the bear tried to get at the body from the head side but
was foiled by the wooden boards there. Next, though, the bear
successfully dug at the feet side of the grave and extracted the
body.

When villagers came to the cemetery for another funeral they
noticed that A.K.'s grave had been ripped up.  The Gendarmerie
was notified and a team from the Provincial Disaster and
Emergency Aid Directorate set out to find the bear and the body.
Nearby the gravesite, some bones and the funeral shroud were
found, as well as fur from the bear.

Village chief Yasar Guleryuz lamented that "both our dead and
our living are in danger these days. The bears are after us either
way.  There are quite a lot of them around our villages lately.
We're hoping for help from the authorities, in this regard.
Previously, bears raided a graveyard in Dokukat village of
Agli district.


















Kure and Agli districts are in north-central Kastamonu.

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

turkce links to original Turkish article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 21 December 2014)


           "Hey, I get the wishbone!"

In Muratpasa, Antalya, Ayhan B., a teacher at 75th Year
Republic Anatolian High School, was giving a lesson on
religious culture and morality on 4 December.  During
the lessen about funeral ceremonies in different religions
and cultures, Ayhan B. showed the 12th grade students
pictures of Buddhist monks separating human body parts
and vultures eating the parts.

When some parents complained, Ayhan B. was issued
a warning. The Provincial Education Directorate has
begun an investigation into the incident.


Muratpasa district is near Antalya city.

Ex-Prosecutor Can't Stay Outta Trouble

turkce links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 20 December 2014)


      Could have use his talents for good but...

Can Karakilic was caught red-handed taking a bribe from a
businessman in Uzunkopru, Edirne province, in 2012, when
he was the public prosecutor there.  This time Karakilic was
nabbed with 174 kilograms of narcotics during an operation in
Van.

In the course of an operation against drug sellers in Kesan,
Edirne province, police obtained certain information indicating
that the drugs were being transported  to Edirne, Istanbul and
Gaziantep from Van. Police also learned that the drug transport
was being effected by none other than Can Karakilic and two
former Van policemen, Sami K. and Ihsan Y.

When the Gendarmerie learned that the trio had set out on the
road with the last shipment, a special team was sent to Van.
Karakilic, Sami K. and Ihsan Y. had 174 kilograms of drugs
in 6 suitcases that they had obtained in Van and surrounding
provinces.  When they reached a checkpoint, Karakilic used his
expired prosecutor's ID to pass through.

However, the Edirne Gendarmerie team kept tracking the car,
driven by Sami K., and stopped it on the Ercis road in Van.
Karakilic again tried to use his prosecutorial credentials to
move along but this time the Gendarmerie searched the car,
finding 161.2 kilograms of  powdered narcotics and 13.2 kilograms
of heroin.

The three suspects were brought first to Istanbul and then to Kesan.
Former prosecutor Karakilic and Sami K. were arrested and Ihsan
Y. was released.  Karakilic's name first became well-known in 2011
when car dealer Mumin Uysal's jeep flipped over and rolled down
an embankment in Sakarya. Police official Bulent Yilmaz (36) and
businessman Serdar Colak died in the accident.  The driver, identified
as 'Uysal', contractor Huseyin Sarkici and Karakilic were injured.

Karakilic was caught taking a 15,000 TL ($7,500) bribe from a
businessman in 2012 and was fired. His resulting 5-year jail term
was postponed.


Edirne is in extreme NW Turkey, while Van is on the Iranian
border. Sakarya is just east of Istanbul.