Budding Lawyer's 'Thievery Internship', For Future Reference

turkce links to original Turkish article




(Sabah Newspaper, 8 January 2014)



ID blurred, lest future clients be
           scared off.




Istanbul University Law Faculty student H.O. was caught
stealing clothes from a famous women's store in Taksim
Square and a case was opened against her. The young lawyer
was sentenced to 5 months in jail but the penalty was
postponed.




According to what Sabah's Special Intelligence Unit has
learned, law student H.O., who is currently doing an
internship, went into the store on Istiklal Boulevard and
caught the security guard's attention with her suspicious
actions.



The young woman was seen trying to remove the inventory
alarm apparatus from clothes in a dressing room. As she left the
store she was stopped and subjected to a search, which
confirmed the security guard's suspicions. Found in her
backpack were pants, a blouse, a sweater and other women's
accessories, all without the inventory alarm apparatuses.
H.O. could not produce a sales receipt and clothes from other
stores were found in her backpack, as well.



Police were called to the store and H.O. was handed over to
them.  In her statement, H.O. denied the theft charges and
asserted that the clothes from other stores in her backpack
were in fact her housemate's.  At the police station H.O. was
charged with 'major theft', transported to court and released
pending trial. Indictments against her have been filed for
thefts in two different stores.



As the result of her trial, H.O. was, at first, sentenced to two
years in jail but because she has no record, and in view of her
good behavior in court, the sentence was reduced to 5 months
and then postponed.  If  H.O. does not commit the same crime
for five years the charges will be dropped.

'Anabasis Road' Opened to History and Nature-Lovers

türkçe links to original Turkish article




(Sabah Newspaper, 6 January 2014)




//ed. note: another in our occasional looks at the history
of Anatolia.//

                                                       View of Sumela Monastery from
                                                     Anabasis Road at Kofrakol Yaylası.



The historic road written about in a story called
'Anabasis' from about 400 B.C., has been opened
up for nature tourism. Nature-lovers can yell the
'freedom scream' on Talking Rock and the shops
and baths along the route have been restored.


With support from the Culture and Tourism Ministry,
the project directed by the Macka district Kaymakamlik
(district chief's office) in Trabzon has come to fruition.


District chief Alper Balci explained that the Anabasis
Road Project was financed with private funds and the
project has drawn great interest from nature-lovers in
a short time. Balci went on to say that the route was
used by soldiers trying to reach the Black Sea during a
war that was started against Persian King Artakserkses in
401 B.C. It was later used as part of the Silk Road but
afterwards it was forgotten and abandoned.


According to Balci, "the road is a feast for history and nature
-lovers. Hikers get a great adventure and essentially live history.
We did the road over with this in mind and a fabulous route
has been the result." Balci noted that hikers along the 33
kilometer route can have breakfast in Kusal Yayla (pasture),
climb up on Talking Rock and scream, at Iskobel Yayla, and
then take in the sumptuous view of Sumela Monastery from
Kofrakol Yayla.


He added that "tourists walk under the scent of very special
mountain and forest flowers. They chew pine gum that's
very good for an upset stomach and at Pilav Mountain they
enter a pasture where technology and artificiality have yet
to reach. Once we finish up the infrastructure and get the
word out this road will be a favorite among nature-lovers."




In just the last month about three thousand Turkish and foreign
tourists and made the trek along the Anabasis Road. 'Anabasis'
was written by Greek historian Ksenophon who is said to have
been born in 430 B.C. and died in 355 B.C. The work has been
published in Turkey under the name 'Return of the Ten
Thousand'. 




The story relates the travel of an army of  Greek
mercenaries hired by Kyros, who hoped to take the Persian
throne from his brother Artakserkses. The 'Ten Thousand'
-strong army sets out to reach the Black Sea. Battered by
hunger and exhaustion and losing hope, the soldiers reach
Iskobel Yayla, see the Black Sea  and scream in victory.


//Macka district is in south-central Trabzon province.//

Not Everyone Likes Turkish Food

turkce links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 5 January 2014)

Shipborne food fight.

A fight broke out on board a Romanian-flagged cargo
ship passing through waters off  Bodrum in Mugla province,
between the Turkish cook and Indian personnel who
did not appreciate the cook's food. Four people were
injured in the fight.

The 82-meter dry cargo ship 'Ada' had come from Israel
to Bodrum's Gulluk port when the fight broke out among
the crew on board the ship in international waters off
Bodrum. Allegedly, four Indian crew members disapproved
of  Turkish cook K.M.'s cuisine and came after him. The
other three Turkish crewmembers on the ship came to
K.M.'s defense and the fight grew larger.

Iron clubs were used in the fight, resulting in injuries to
four of the participants. The captain anchored the ship in
Bitez Bay and requested assistance from the Turkish Coast
Guard. But as the Coast Guard vessel approached, the Ada
captain radioed that the fight had ended and that the injured
personnel were being attended to by the ship's medical
team. The Coast Guard vessel then turned away without
intervening.

 

Fertility Queen: 38 kids by Age 36

turkce links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 4 January 2014)

Serap with 2 of her 38.

In Adana, Serap Celikunal married when she was 14
years-old and by the age of 36 she had given birth to 38
children, in those 22 years. Five times Serap was pregnant
with quintuplets but she claimed she had to abort the
births each time.

Now 42, Serap married taxi driver Nihat Celikunal (43)
when she was 14. She said that she had her first child at
15 and thereafter had twins, triplets and quadruplets.
Serap explained that "in 22 years I gave birth to single
children five times, five times to twins, once to triplets
and five times to quadruplets. My triplets and quadruplets
babies didn't live. Of the 38 babies I had in 22 years ten
are living."

Serap noted that when she went to the doctor she was told
that the multiple births were genetic. She added that "in
our family there are lots of twins. My father-in-law is a
twin and there are many twins in my own family. But
I'm the only one whose had quadruplets and quintuplets."

Serap said that its been very hard for her to look after so
many children and be pregnant so often. She noted that
"our house was ruined in the Adana earthquake and because
we had so many children no one wanted to give us a house.
When I tell people I've had so many children they say it's
a miracle. God be praised! When I get pregnant it's more
than one."

Prof. Dr. Cansun Demir of Acibadem Hospital observed
that Serap's pregnancies are less likely than winning the
lottery but medically possible, nevertheless.  Dr. Demir
explained that "giving birth to twins is a 1 in 90 likelihood.
triplets is 1 in 8,000 and quadruplets and quintuplets are
exponentially more rare."

Adana. Something in the water?

'By Jack' Rescued From Evil Sitters

turkce links to original Turkish article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 3 January 2014)

By Jack (and stunt double)

In Bodrum, Mugla province, university student Melike
Koparan (25) gave her 'pinscher' breed two-month old
dog 'By Jack' to an architect couple, Nazan and Oguz Develi,
to test whether or not they could take care of the dog.

But when Melike called the couple two days later she got
this reply: "we won't give the dog back. We'll either give it
to someone else or we'll sell it."  When Melike went to the
couple's house on 31 December, they called the police,
claiming that "she's trying to enter our house by force!"

All concerned then went to the Yalikavak police station
where Melike showed the dog's ID card and rescued the
critter.

Twin Notwithstanding, She's Four Years Younger!

turkce links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 1 January 2014)

Twins Sevil and (4 years younger) Sevilay

Sevilay Uyar, the identical twin of Sevil Uyar, who launched
an acting career after being selected as Miss Model of 
Turkey in 2006, applied to court in Istanbul recently to have
her age adjusted.  In her petition, Sevilay claimed that the
birth date on record for her is recorded as if she were the twin
of her older sister Sevil Uyar.

Sevilay Uyar claimed that her real birth date in 15 August 1985,
not 5 May 1981, as recorded for her older sister Sevil.  Sevilay
stated that "as a result of a mistake at the Population Directorate,
my birth date is recorded as 5 May 1981 as if I were the twin of
Sevil Uyar.  In order to establish my real birth date I am opening
this age correction suit."

The court announced its decision last week, rejecting Sevilay
Uyar's suit. In its decision, the court declared that Sevilay Uyar's
official birth registration date is 11 May 1981 and since a birth
date after that date could not be proven the suit was rejected.
  

Noisy Neighbor Blasts Complainers

turkce links to original Turkish article

(Sabah Newspaper, 31 December 2013)

Ercan T.

The night before last, former dancer Ercan T. was
making excessive noise in his flat in Kardesler
Apartimani on Levent Street in the Denizkoskler
neighborhood of Avcilar, Istanbul,  where he lives
alone.  Ercan T.'s neighbor Anil Dogan came to
his door to complain and an argument ensued.

The two have lived in this same apartment building
for years but Ercan T. nevertheless opened fire on Anil
Dogan with a pump-action rifle. Ercan T. also shot
another neighbor, Kadir Karaca, who came to the door
when he heard the firing.

Anil's father Suadet Dogan also heard the shots and
rushed down, only to be shot and killed by Ercan T.
Anil Dogan and Kadir Karaca were taken to a hospital,
where Anil could not be saved. Karaca remains in
serious condition.

After the incident, Ercan T. locked himself in his flat
with his rifle and, at first, refused to surrender. A special
police team was brought to the scene and succeeded in
persuading Ercan T. to give himself up. The wife of
Suadet Dogan and Anil's mother, Ismihan Dogan, had
a nervous breakdown upon hearing of the loss of her
loved ones.

Neighbors described Ercan T. as an irritable fellow (!),
who was born in Germany and has been locked in a
dispute with his divorced wife for custody of their
daughter. Police have begun an investigation into the
murders.