"Beat & Release": Counterfeiters Claim "Dollars" Came From Repaid Debts and Gambling Wins, in Adana

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 30 November 2024)

                                  Your picture here.

A criminal case was opened in Adana when it was determined

that $45,800 -"worth" of  fake (!) $100 dollar bills had been 

deposited into the ATM's of two bank branches about seven 

months ago on various dates.  

Adana police identified 15 suspects who were depositing the

fake dollars in the account of  others and subsequently 

converting the "dollars" to Turkish lira.  Raids were conducted

in Adana, Hatay and Mersin, with suspects A.Ö., F.K. and S.B.

among the 15 individuals taken into custody. 

Found at the suspects' addresses were 183 fake $100 bills, 

256 fake $1 bills, 36 fake $5 bills, one unlicensed revolver

and 36 bullets.

In their statements to police the suspects claimed that the

"dollars" they deposited in the ATM's came from repaid debts

and gambling wins - they didn't realize the "dollars" were 

fake (!).   In addition to A.Ö., F.K. and S.B. one other suspect

was jailed.  Eight suspects were released under judicial 

supervision and three were released outright based on the 

public prosecutor's decision. 

"Beat & Release": They're Playing Our Song (Not!), in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 29 November 2024)

                                    Somewhere else.

Last Saturday night at a nightclub where live music was being

played in the Kumkapı section of Istanbul's Fatih district, 3

inebriated friends demanded that their favorite song be played.

The manager told them to be patient and wait for their song but

they kept insisting to the point where they were thrown out. (!)

Enraged, the 3 friends hired two hitmen to drive by the club

on a motorcycle and spray it with gunfire, which resulted in the

death of waiter Recep Denizhan (23) who was hit by a bullet.  

Police are pursuing the 3 friends and their two hitmen. 

"Beat & Release": American Woman Terrorizes Taksim Square, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 28 November 2024)

must see video click here if you dare!

                                      Bad hair day.

An American woman named Sydney Rei Huff (27) went to a

bar in Istanbul's Taksim Square on the night of 23 November

with her husband Velican A. (26).  After drinking for a while,

the couple got into an argument and Huff hit Velican bey in

the face.  She then went out onto the street and attacked Mert

T. (30), squeezing his throat.  Passers-by intervened to save

Mert T., whose gold necklace was lost and his phone damaged.

Huff then continued on and attacked another person, after 

which she broke the windshield of Velat G.'s taxi (!).  Huff

sustained injuries and was put into an ambulance, in which

she attacked the medics (!).  Finally, police took Huff into

custody.  She was released from custody and deported. 

"Beat & Release": High-Kicking Taxi Driver Fends Off Knife Attack, in Burdur

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 27 November 2024)

Battle of the M's: fancy footwork keeps knife at bay.

In Burdur on 24 November at about 9 o'clock at night, Ş.A.

argued with her boyfriend M.T. and called a taxi to get away

from him.  M.T., though, tried to get Ş.A. out of the taxi but

when he couldn't he damaged the taxi, breaking a side-view

mirror.  This prompted taxi driver M.M. to get out and 

confront M.T., who then attacked the driver with a knife.

Luckily, M.M. is a "bezbol" fan...

M.M. high-kicked M.T. to keep him and his knife at a safe 

distance, as Ş.A. got out of the taxi and screamed for help.  

When passers-by intervened M.T. fled but, based on the 

complaint of M.M., who was uninjured, M.T. was taken into 

custody, only to be released the day before yesterday (!). 

"Crash & Release": Burning Russian Plane Slides Fortuitously to Airport Firehouse, in Antalya

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 26 November 2024)

                    Sometimes you just gotta get lucky.

An SU95-type airplane that took off from Soçi in Russia with a 

crew of 6 and 89 passengers, had an uneventful flight to Antalya

but experienced a hard landing last night at about nine-thirty 

o'clock on runway 36R.  Realizing that something had gone

badly amiss, pilot Vladimir Chernov issued a "Mayday" alert.

The hard landing broke one of the rear landing gear parts and

caused a fuel leak and a consequent fire from the engines' heat.

The Antalya Airport control tower crew reacted swiftly to inform

firefighters who were on the scene in one minute because the

burning plane slid right in front of the firehouse (!).  The fire

was extinguished in two minutes. 

However (!), there were still 3 tons of fuel in the airplane so a

great tragedy was averted because of the good fortune of the 

airplane ending up so close to the firehouse. An alcohol test 

given  to pilot Chernov and his co-pilot turned out negative.  

All on board were unhurt. 

A month ago, this same Azımuth Airlines SU95 aircraft took

off from Mineralnye Vody on 16 October headed for İvanovo

but at an altitude of 10 kilometers low hydraulic pressure forced

the plane to make an emergency landing at Vnukovo. All 102

passengers and the 6 crew members escaped the incident 

without injury. 

 

"Beat & Release": Modern Life's Deadly Twosome - Selfies & Social Media, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 25 November 2024)

 

                                 Selfie-inflicted wound.

The evening before last on the Aşiyan shore in Istanbul's 

Sarıyer district two friends were taking a selfie at the

fisherman's dock when the woman fell into the water.

Her male friend jumped in to save her but, subsequently,

the terrible weather conditions and the strong current 

prevented Coast Guard and municipal divers from finding 

them.

Eyewitness Kadir Akdere, a local fisherman, said "there

was a violent 'lodos' (southwesterly gale) happening. I

saw the two of them embrace each other in the water but

we were unable to reach them and save them."

***************************************************

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 25 November 2024)

 

                  Trouble in social media paradise.

Arya Arda Bektaş, a make-up producer and social media 

phenom,  has filed a criminal complaint against her former

partner Müberya Sağlam, also a social media phenom (!)

and make-up artist, for death threats hurled at Arya Arda hanım

by Müberrya hanım and her husband Mehmet Sağlam. 

police artist's sketch of Arya Arda hanım under threat.

"Beat & Release": Café Dispute Prompts Pummeling of Journalist, in Burhaniye

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 24 November 2024)

               Freedom of  (pummeling) the  press.

In Balıkesir's Burhaniye district on 19 November at around

2200 hours, Hasan Bayram, who was elected as a member of

the district's council in the 31 March elections from the CHP

party, went to a restaurant and attacked journalist Hakan 

Sataroğlu, the owner of the ZeytinEfe newspaper, smashing

a bottle into Sataroğlu's head. 

Bayram then grabbed Sataroğlu by the back of his neck and

dragged him onto the floor, kicking him while he was down.

Police arrived and had Sataroğlu taken to a hospital for 

treatment.  As for Bayram, he was released after giving a 

statement to police (!). 

The origin of the problem between the two was, evidently,

that Sataroğlu was looking into the matter of a municipal 

café on the shore having been given over to Bayram to run.

"Beat & Release": Under House Arrest, He Kills Wife at Home, Sheds Electronic Clamp and Flees, in Ankara

türkçe links to original Turkish article.

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 22 November 2024)

                      Home is where the heartless is.

Yesterday, Servet Bozkurt, who was under house arrest and wearing an 

electronic clamp for arranging a courthouse attack on Selma Ateş Kazanç, 

the older sister of murdered "Ülkü Ocakları" (Idealists Hearths - a right-

wing group) chief Sinan Ateş, killed his estranged wife and her boyfriend 

in Ankara, before fleeing to Istanbul.

At the 2 October hearing concerning Ateş's murder, Selma hanım was

attacked by Mert Can Kılıç, to whom Bozkurt had given 3,000 TL

(about $87) to perpetrate the assault.  Consequently, Bozkurt was 

sentenced to house arrest.

Yesterday in Ankara's Etimesgut district, Bozkurt and his wife Elif

Bozkurt, who is in the process of divorcing Bozkurt, argued at

their home. As their children sought refuge in a neighbor's house,

Bozkurt slit Elif hanım's throat, broke off the electronic 

clamp and fled the scene.   He then went to the shop of Elif hanım's

alleged boyfriend Hasan Şahin and stabbed him to death. 

Last night Bozkurt was captured at a hotel in Istanbul's Beylikdüzü

district.  He had left prison a year ago. 

Etimesgut, at mark.

****************************************************

türkçe links to original Turkish article.

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 22 November 2024)

                       "We would rather not die."

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya provided some grim statistics at a

TBMM (Turkish Parliament) hearing: 

Murders of women: 284 in 2022; 309 in 2023; 276 in first 10

months of 2024;

Restraint orders on males; 162,897 (!) - first 10 months of this year;

Security personnel suicides: last 1.5 years - 79 police; 74 Gendarmerie;

2 Coast Guard.  

"Dig & Release": Fake City Workers Digging in Downtown Isparta Were Treasure Hunters

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 21 November 2024)

          They claimed to have a secret treasure map.

The night before last at about nine-thirty, four "municipal workers"

wearing orange work vests began to dig on the sidewalk with a 

back-hoe in the center of Isparta city.  The four told onlookers that

they were city employees.  Shortly thereafter, though, their digging

caused damage to the underground electric and natural gas lines,

prompting the aforesaid onlookers to inform the authorities. 

Quickly, city officials and utilities personnel arrived at the scene

and determined that the four "municipal workers" were, in fact,

treasure hunters (!).  Three of them were apprehended at the scene

and the fourth was spotted by acting police chief Volkan Güneş,

who got out of his car and nabbed the suspect. 

After giving statements to the police, İsmail Avcı, Halis Tümen

Yaşar Güzel, Hacı Duran Cırdı and a fifth suspect, Şükrü Canıtez,

were arrested for "illegal trafficking in historical works" and 

"damage to public property".  The suspect refuted the charge 

about "treasure hunting" and "explained" that they were merely

doing some work on a construction project in the region (!). 

"Bleed & Release": Two Russians Caught Smuggling 5,000 Leeches into Turkey at Istanbul Airport

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 20 November 2024)

Customs guy should have taken leave that day (yuk!).

On 18 November at Istanbul Airport customs officials x-rayed

a suitcase belonging to two Russian citizens and found 5,000 

live medicinal leeches (!) in two traveling bags.  Local animal 

protection officials in nearby Arnavutköy district were notified 

and found that the Russians did not have proper documentation

for the creatures, which are protected under the CITES 

(Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of 

Wild Fauna and Flora) Agreement.

Consequently, all 5,000 leeches, weighing 8.34 kilograms, 

were seized and the two Russians were fined 2,624,816 TL

(about $76,000) for trying to import the leeches into Turkey

illegally. 

None of the 5,000 leeches had work permits for 

Turkey either!

"Beat & Release": Wild Celebration Upon Inmate's Release from Jail, in Adana

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 18 November 2024)

       Might just go back in after "celebration".

A prisoner just released from jail in Adana celebrated in the 

streets of the 19 Mayıs Mahallesi neighborhood of the city's

Yüreğir district with his friends and relatives, setting up a 

sound system for music, lighting torches and firing guns into

the air (!). 

The mayhem was posted on social media (of course), prompting

the police to  come and try to quell the disturbance. 

"X" marks the mayehm.

"Beat & Release": When Social Media Phenoms Collide Sparks (and Bullets) Fly, in Ankara

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 17 November 2024)

          Like two supernovas crashing into each other!

Last night at about 8 o'clock social media phenoms Çağlayan

Yıldırım and Cansum Şener (29) met to settle their differences

in the Plevne neighborhood of Ankara's Sincan district. An

argument erupted between the two and Cansum hanım shot

Çağlayan hanım with a revolver in her leg, before fleeing the

scene with her boyfriend. 

You think just anybody can do this job??!!

Çağlayan hanım was taken to a hospital for treatment and 

is said to be in good condition.  In any case, Çağlayan hanım

posted a video of the incident on social media.  As for Cansum

hanım, who has a police record of 80 crimes (!), she and her

boyfriend were arrested in Altındağ district and the revolver

she used in the incident was seized by police. 

Purported Pablo Picasso Masterpiece Seized in Remote Northeastern Anatolia

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 16 November 2024)

           OMG! Turkish censors asleep at the switch!

In raids conducted by the Gendarmerie in the hinterlands

on Anatolia,  3,250 coins from the Ottoman, East Rome, and 

Byzantine periods were recovered, along with a painting 

claimed to be a Pablo Picasso masterpiece (!). 

In simultaneous Gendarmerie raids in 14 provinces of  east 

and southeast Anatolia, 21 suspects were pursued and taken

into custody - 19 of them were released after giving statements

and the other two were brought before a judge but released

under judicial supervision. 

The raid in Bayburt yielded the  purported Picasso painting, 

which is now being evaluated by experts to determine whether 

it is an authentic product of that great master. The suspects 

sought to sell it for 6 million Euros.

No doubt painted during Picasso's "Bayburt Period".

Driverless Metro Train Bypasses Five Stations, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 16 November 2024)

driverless disasters click to see just how bad it can get.

                              Not the tunnel of love.

A driverless metro train left the Üsküdar station en route to

Samandıra but after passengers disembarked at the Bulgurlu

station the train passed by the Ümraniye, Çarşı, Yamanevler,

Çakmak and İhlamurkuyu stations without stopping (!).

Passengers alarmed by the train missing their stops pressed

the emergency button but to no avail.  Finally, the train came

to a halt near (but not at) the Altınşehir station.  Passengers

found a way to get off the train and walked along the tracks 

in the tunnel (!) to the Altınşehir station.

On one of the videos taken by the stranded passengers, 

someone alerts the others, saying "Hurry up and get off!

There's a train coming from behind!"

Oh yeah, sometimes there's an unscheduled express.

"Eat & Release": When Fishing Season Opens, Thief Trawls Fish Store, in Küçükçekmece

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 15 November 2024)

                           Hmmm something's fishy...

At the Yılmaz Balıkçı fish store on the shore road of Küçükçekmece

in Istanbul, Uğur Yaşar (32) sells and grills fish.  Last week on Monday 

a thief entered the store with an iron bar, broke open a freezer and made

off with 20 "palamut" ((bonito, short-finned tunny)) worth 150 TL each,

along with stealing some corn flour.  But considering the damage to be

insignificant, Yaşar did not file a police complaint. 

However (!), on 11 November the fish thief returned and staked out

the store at about 1 o'clock in the morning.  When he discerned that

no one was around the thief entered the store and stole some cargo

packages, two pairs of shoes belonging to the fishmongers, five five-

kilogram cans of oil, and 10 kilograms of corn flour.  Before fleeing, 

the thief tried again to get into the fish freezer but failed.  Instead, he 

took a laptop computer and mouse.

In the morning, seeing that he had been victimized again by the thief,

Yaşar went to the police with store security camera footage.  Yaşar

said that he has been running this fish store for 15 years.  He lamented

that "the last time the thief came he took salmon.  Before that he took

sea bass and turbot.  When the fishing season starts he comes regularly

and robs the store like it's his routine.  This time he made a big mess of

the store so I filed a complaint."

"Beat & Release": Three Iranian Brothers' Stock Market Losses Prompted Collective Suicide, in Antalya

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 14 November 2024) 

                              They cashed in their chips.

Three Iranian brothers who came to Antalya some time ago, 

rented a furnished flat in Güzeloba neighborhood of Muratpaşa

district.  When the brothers' family in Iran could not reach

them for 15 days they contacted Iranian Emrullah Esedi in

Antalya.

Esedi went to the brothers' rented flat with the police and

entered with the owner's key, only to find the dead bodies of

Mohammed Reza Yasovalian (44), Mohsen Yasovalian (36) 

and Anmirhossein Yasovalian (33).  Police found a 9-page

note in Farsi relating that the three brothers had lost a large

amount of money playing the stock market and decided to

commit suicide together.  

1929 New York stock market crash precedent...

The doors and windows inside the house had been taped

to prevent air from entering and the smoke from a coal

fire the brothers lit suffocated all of them. 

"Beat & Release": Scimitar-wielding Attacker Chased Away by Mop-wielding Defender, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 13 November 2024)

                                    Mop bests scimitar!

In Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Iranian Soohasadat Mojsenalhosseini (27)

paid six months rent about a month ago to open a restaurant. A

while later the building's owners filed a complaint about their

renter in some relation to an insult of a woman.  

Mojsenalhosseini was sent to an immigration center for 

deportation but he was released a month later on judicial 

supervision.  Meanwhile, the owners wanted him to vacate

th restaurant site. 

Erkan E. (50), one of the brothers who own the building, 

raided the restaurant at about 2130 hours the night before

last and attacked Mojsenalhosseini and his workers with a

scimitar (!).  (Somehow) no one was injured but Erkan E.

caused some damage to the restaurant's furnishings. A 

worker brandishing a mop (!) succeeded in chasing Erkan E.

from the premises.  

Erkan E. was arrested by police and Mojsenalhosseini was

sent back to the immigration holding center. 

"Beat & Release": Guard Who Shot Drunken Rowdy at Metro Station is Himself Arrested (!), in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 12 November 2024)

Guard M.T.'s lament: "No good deed goes unpunished".

The evening before last at about 1930 hours at the Bostancı 

Marmaray station drunken A.A. was pestering others so 

security guard M.T. (41) warned him to behave himself.  This

prompted A.A. to attack M.T., who then shot AA. in the leg. 

Medics arrived to take A.A. to a hospital for treatment.

M.T.'s back-up was off duty at the time. 

Police checked their records and found that A.A. had been 

arrested before for "breaking and entering".  As for M.T.

he was arraigned in court for "intentional wounding" (!)

but released on judicial supervision. 

"Time-release Conspiracy Theory": Donald, Baron and John Trump Together in a Wacky Time Warp

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 10 November 2024)

Trump voters head to the polls click here for post-

election analysis from "The Time Machine".

A conspiracy theory making the rounds after Donald Trump's

recent election victory describes Trump's son Baron as a time 

traveler (!).  A children's book written in the 19th century by 

Ingersoll Lockwood, an American jurist and author, is being 

likened to the story of Trump's return to power.  

The book's hero is a young and rich aristocrat who lives in 

"Trump Fortress".  This hero has a son named "Little Baron 

Trump" who has a fantastic imagination that prompts him to 

disdain his life of luxury. In Lockwood's first book, Trump-the-

younger finds a secret gate for time travel that takes him to 

Russia (!) for life-changing adventures.  All of the events in the 

book take place in Russia. 

Four years after the first book, Lockwood wrote another

related book that was published in 1896 and entitled "The

Last President".  The book's story centers on a rich man who

lives on 5th Avenue in New York City, where today's Trump

Tower is located, and who runs for president although no one

gives him any chance of winning. 

The conspiracy theory has a connection to scientist Nikola 

Tesla who died in 1943.  It has been claimed that Tesla invented

a time machine for time travel and that an engineer named John

G. Trump,  Donald Trump's grandfather (actually Donald Trump's

uncle), a member of the National Defense Research Committee,

investigated Tesla's work on the time machine.  After going through 

Tesla's notes, though, John G. Trump came up with no result - or as 

the conspiracy theory asserts, kept the secret of the time machine 

to himself. 

"Beat & Release": Wife's Late-Night Vacuuming Drives Hubby to Divorce Court, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 9 November 2024)

       Feyza hanım shows no mercy.

In Istanbul, technician Emnre E. (33) married interior decorator

Feyza K.E. (29) in 2022 but nine months later Emre bey filed

for divorce citing his wife's late-night vacuuming (!) and fast

driving, prompted by her jealousy.  In addition, in his suit Emre

bey asked for 200,000 TL for emotional distress and 300,000TL

for material compensation. 

In his petition Emre bey stated that "In the third week of our

marriage our downstairs neighbors asked that my wife not run

the vacuum cleaner at night because of their newborn baby. 

Nevertheless, the defendant continued to vacuum late at night.

My wife retorted 'you only think about others, not me!'  When

she noticed a woman near us jealousy prompted her to drive

at high speeds, putting both of our lives in danger." (!)

For her part, Feyza hanım said that Emre bey's assertions were

baseless and she asked for 1 million TL in reparations.  Her

lawyer Ümit Erdoğan told the court that Feyza hanım loves her

husband and does not want a divorce.  The suit has been locked

in a stalemate since September 2023 and a decision did not

emerge from the third hearing. 

                           "It's either football or me!"