High-tension Puts Road in Limbo

road to nowhere links to original article

(Hürriyet and Radikal newspapers, 8 March 2013)

"Road closed because the high-tension lines weren't moved"

In Geyve district of Sakarya province, a 3,700 meter road
was built to connect Geyve with its neighboring district
Pamukova. However, when a portion of the road was set
too high it came rather close to high-tension lines and despite
the road being finished it could not be opened to traffic.

The firm that won the contract to build the road began the
job two years ago. The road runs alongside the Sakarya River
and fill was used to lay the road 3-4 meters above ground
level. It was finished nearly six months ago but because the
roadway rose to within 3-4 meters of the high-tension lines
the road-building firm asked TEİAŞ (electric utility) to either
raise the lines or move them. TEİAŞ did not respond to the
request and the road was left to its fate.

Meanwhile, the Sakarya River rose and flooded the service
road that links Geyve with the road-building firm's construction
site, cutting off  all access. As for the villagers who own orchards
and fields nearby and drive their tractors along the road, no one
has an answer to their plight.

Geyve and Pamukova districts at bottom, left.

Donkey Milk 10 USD; Batman's Kebap

milk links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 7 March 2013)

Cash-cows come in different forms.

Musa Karacam purchased 60 donkeys from Taslica
village in Marmaris district of Mugla province
and brought them  to Yatagan. Karacam uses
the donkeys for safaris in summer and sells their
milk in the winter. He says that there is a high
demand for the donkey milk - he gets 20 TL (more
than 10 USD) for a tea glass worth of it.

Mugla province, where the pricey milk is.

Karacam plans to increase his donkey herd. As for
Taslica village in Marmaris, which is known for
its donkeys, village chief Sadi Altinisik says that
"people pay 30-40 TL for 150-200 grams of milk".

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

kebap links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 7 March 2013)

Breakfast of Champions

Stan Worby (39), dressed in the costume of superhero "Batman",
delivered a suspect to the police in Bradford city in northern
England last week. Worby says that he owes his (super) strength
to Turkish doner kebap.  The fast-food delivery man  gained
worldwide fame for his exploits. Worby asserts that to keep up
his strenth he eats doner kebap, just like Christian Bale who played
Batman in the film, saying that "I don't do sports and neither does
Bale. I eat doner kebap and smoke cigarettes."

TV Host Rescues Gouged Commuters

gouging links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 6 March 2013)

Floating cash-cow reined-in.

The Istanbul Municipal Transportation Coordination
Center (UKOME) designated 0600-0800 hours to be
the rush hours for the Harem-Sirkeci car ferry and 1600-
2000 hours for the reverse run. IDO (Istanbul Ferry
Company) then decided to increase prices during these
hours, ostensibly to encourage customers toward non-peak
hours.

However, Fatih Portakal, the host of FOX TV's Alarm Clock
program, had lawyer Rezan Epözdemir file a suit against
the Istanbul municipality. As a result, the Istanbul 1st
Administrative Court declared that the municipality's
action was contrary to the public interest and voided UKOME's
decision.

Additionally, the court decreed that the municipality would
have to reimburse Fatih Portakal 152 TL in court costs and
600 TL for the lawyer's fee. In the court ruling, it was stated
that although IDO has been privatized, it is providing public
service and raising prices during rush hours is unjust, as is
trying to extract maximum profit.

The court's decree reads as follows: "It is not possible for
commuters to avoid using the ferry going to and from work
during the hours of 0600-0800 and 1600-2000 and for them
to use ferry runs at other times. Essentially, the defendent
(UKOME) and IDO's aim is not to channel commuters to
other times but, just the reverse, to extract the maximum
profit from the heavy commuter traffic during rush hours."

Hero's Fine Essentially a Victory

hero links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 5 March 2013)

Spoiled brat gets what's coming to him...

The case involving street sweeper Selçuk Kahraman ('kahraman'

means 'hero' in Turkish) and 17 year-old Yasin Karaaslan, which

began with Kahraman telling Karaaslan "beat it, kid!" and ended with

the street sweeper hitting Karaaslan over the head with the handle of

his broom, has ended in Gölcük Petty Crimes Court. //The incident

took place on 11 May 2012 in Gölcük district of Kocaeli province.//

The judge gave Kahraman a fine for the crime of "intentional wounding"

equal to 740 TL, after applyıng a discount based on the suspect's economic

situation, and the broom used in the incident was returned to the Gölcük

Municipality. Kahraman's father Mustafa Kahraman said that they will

not appeal the verdict.

When father Kahraman was asked by a reporter whether they have been

given an apartment for the film rights to "Oğlum Git Bak" (YouTube

video "Beat it, Kid!"), Mustafa Kahraman responded by saying that

"They were going to give us an apartment and a ten year mortgage.

They wanted to use my son for 10 years. I said no."

Gölcük located south of Kocaeli (İzmit)

These Kids Today...

kids links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 4 March 2013)

Sign, sign everywhere a sign...

In Kozan village of Geyve district, Sakarya province,
garden owner S.G. got angry at young people who
have been littering his garden and put a sign on a
tree to warn them. S.G. was upset by the youths
drinking alcohol alongside the village road and then
throwing their refuse onto his property.

S.G.'s warning notice read as follows: "Young people,
what you've done isn't worthy of human beings. Why
do you insist on throwing your beer bottles left and
right? Isn't a shame that there are bottle caps all over
the place? If I  catch you I know what I'll do with
those bottle caps!"

The village young people who came to the garden
and read the warning took a picture of it and then
shared it on social media.

Geyve district at bottom.

Help From Above Invoked Willy-nilly

prayer links to original article

(Internet news, 2 March 2013)

Let there be a district, and there was a district (hopefully!)

The citizens of the township of Mahmutlar in Alanya
were gathered together to say a prayer that their town
becomes a district. Along with the citizens,
Kargicak Mayor Zihni Asilturk, Mahmutlar Mayor
Ali Celik, Alanya Commerce and Industry Union
Chairman Mustafa Tuna and MHP Alanya District
Chief Cafer Uyar all came together in front of the
Mahmutlar Municipal Building.

The prayer was led by retired Imam Mehmet Korkmaz,
who intoned that "God willing, Mahmutlar will become
a district and  a district office will be established here,
along with a national education building." Those present
said "Amen" to this. Mahmutlar District Platform Chief
Sudi Candir noted in a press release that Mahmutlar's
population has exceeded 20,000 and that the township
is eligible to become a district.

Candar explained that they wanted to make their voices
heard on this matter and so the "district prayer" meeting
was organized. He added that they will not abandon their
struggle until the town becomes a district. He added that
"there's no reason we shouldn't be a district. No one has
told us 'you can't be a district.' This is our legal right.
We'll struggle to the end and achieve our right."

The participants then dispersed.

On the Mediterranean coast.

 

 

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

heaven links to related article

(Sozcu Newspaper, 28 February 2013)

Some religious flattery couldn't hurt...

The prosecutor in the case against a "criminal organization'
involving the owner of Metro Tourism, Galip Ozturk, and 70
other suspects has asked for a sentence of up to 75 years for
Ozturk. In his plea to the Istanbul 23rd Serious Crimes Court,
though, Ozturk requested his own release, telling the judges
"with the power vested in you by the sacred cloak you wear,
I ask you to think again."

Invoking religious passages, as well, in his plea, Ozturk wrote
that "there are three kinds of judges. Two of them are in hell,
one of them is in heaven. The first knows the law but takes
sides and so cannot administer justice. The second gives a
decision without knowing the law. The third, however, knows
the law and gives a proper verdict. He's the one in heaven. You
judges are the ones that belong in heaven."

Cleopatra Had Kid Sister Bumped Off!

kid sister links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 1 March 2013)

Princess Arsinoe...she's no Liz Taylor.

Egyptian Queen Cleopatra, accepted as one of
the world's most beautiful women, had her
younger sister Princess Arsinoe the 4th killed
and the princess is buried among the Ephesus
ruins in Izmir province.

Archaeologist Dr.Hilke Thuer of the Austrian
Academy of Sciences made the claim and
stated that "we haven't yet been able to do a
good DNA test on her bones because most of
the remains of Princess Arsinoe have disintigrated
in the intervening 2,000 years. We will be able to
confirm it though, by using new generation
forensic techniques, such as 3-dimensional
drawings."

After the sisters' father died Roman Emperor
Julius Cesar supported Cleopatra for the throne
in Egypt.  Princess Arsinoe chose to side with
those opposing the Roman army. When Cesar
and Cleopatra won the war, Princess Arsinoe
was exiled to Ephesus. It is believed that
Cleopatra later saw her sister as a threat and had
her new lover Marc Antony kill her.