Cats: Small & Cuddly; Big & Hard

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 11 October 2017)


             We're not in Scotland anymore.

On 8 September, three individuals who arrived at Sabiha Gökçen
Airport in Istanbul from Kiev were noticed by a police profile team
because of their jumpy behavior.  When police checked the travellers'
bags they were surprised to hear 'meows' coming from within.  It
turned out that in each of the three bags there were two 'Breed Scottish
Fold' cats.

Despite the fact that the bags were netted, the 6 cats were in danger
of asphyxiation from their confinement.  Police seized the animals
and arrested M.H., A.Ç. and H.I.K.  The cats were turned over to the
Agriculture Provincial Directorate.  Each cat could fetch a price of
between 1,500 and 4,500 TL (about $450-1,200).  The three suspects
were charged with animal smuggling but released pending trial.


                                   
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türkçe links to original Turkish article

(HaberTürk Newspaper, 11 October 2017)

gory details herewith the fine points of Göllüdağ Hittite City


      Separated at their archaeological birth...

The Gölludağ Hittite City in Çiftlik district of Niğde province, the oldest
known human settlement in Anatolia,  was discoverd by shepherd
Civan Ali in 1932.  At that time, Atatürk ordered that an excavation be
undertaken and many valuable treasures were recovered, among which
were two statues of twin lions and a sphinx. 

Because there was no museum in Niğde then, one of the lions was brought
to nearby Kayseri, while its twin remained in Niğde.  CHP Parliamentarian
Ömer Fethi Gürer has raised the issue of reuniting the lions in Niğde,
noting that the late-Hittite period lions' return to Niğde has been ordered by
the Culture and Tourism Ministry.


   The lonely wait in Niğde continues.

Gürer noted that "tourists who visit the Göllüdağ ruins come to Niğde city
expecting to see the lions in our museum. Should they go to Kayseri to see
our historical treasure?! Since there is a Ministry decision on this matter
why hasn't the other lion been sent to Niğde?!  Remains have been found
at Göllüdağ relating to the first humans passing from Africa to Europe.
When the statues were found Niğde didn't have a museum so one went to
Kayseri. We're hearing that Nevşehir wants them too!"