Dominican Republican Screws Money-Dealer in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 7 January 2021)

                The "Dominican Dandy" has a screw loose.

On 30 December, in Bahçelievler, Istanbul, A.G., who works at a 

foreign-exchange bureau, went into a bank, withdrew 1.2 million TL 

(about $200,000) and put the money in a bag.  As A.G. got into his 

car to drive away he put the bag of money in the back seat.  However 

(!), he suddenly heard his tire pop and, upon examination, A.G. saw 

that a screw in the tire had caused it to go flat. 

A.G. quickly drove to the nearest tire-repair shop and went in to 

talk to the manager.  When he returned to his car, though, the bag

of money was gone.  A.G. called the police, who checked video

images of the scene and determined that the thief was Hans M.G.R.

(38), a citizen of the Dominican Republic. (!)

Hans M.G.R. was apprehended by police the following day and 

they found 98,000 TL on the suspect, who was taken to jail.  

Hans M.G.R. had staked out the bank and after seeing A.G. 

withdrawing a large amount of money, placed the screw under the

tire and when it went flat he followed A.G. to the tire-repair shop.

"Italian Diplomat"'s Immunity Lasts a Day in Istanbul Robbery Incident

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 5 January 2021)

another "diplomat" snared  click here for a recent

TNT report about reduced immunity syndrome.

          "Unhand me, you cad! I'm an Italian diplomat!"

In Büyükçekmece, Istanbul, last Wednesday İ.Y., a scrap iron dealer, 

went to the bank, withdrew 530,000 TL (about $65,000), put the

money in a bag and  began to drive away.  A knock on his car window

made him stop and a thief grabbed the bag of money.  One of the 

thieves hit İ.Y. on his head with the butt of a gun, as the robbers

fled in different directions. 

However, thief Sezai D. was grabbed by passers-by and the bag of

money taken from him.  As İ.Y. was brought to a hospital for 

treatment of his head wound, police tracked another of the robbers, 

Necmettin D. (45), to Silivri and apprehended him there.  

Necmettin D., a hairdresser (!) with a record of two  criminal 

convictions, was interrogated and the next day his brother Sezai D.

(30), who is an Italian citizen (!) with one criminal conviction, Sefa

A. (25), who has 17 criminal convictions (!), and Abdurrahman Ç.

(44), with just one criminal conviction, were all taken into custody.

A search of the suspects produced the gun used in the hold-up of

İ.Y. and four bullets.  The robbery was planned by Sezai D. and all 

four suspects were taken to jail.  

However, at the moment Sezai D. was grabbed by passers-by his 

brother Necmettin D. warned them that "Whoa!  What are you 

doing!?  He's an Italian diplomat with immunity!  Don't get 

yourselves into trouble! There's a misunderstanding here!"  This 

caused hesitation among the citizens who had apprehended Sezai D. 

and he slipped away, only to be arrested the following day.

Map of the old Genovese-Venitian colony at Büyükçekmece.

Sezai D. is a descendant of Leonardo de Vinci and Sofia

Loren.

Istanbul Elevator Clock Story Began with the Spanish Inquisition

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 4 January 2021)

The Cordova family emigrated from Spain's Iberian peninsula to 

Istanbul in 1492.  In 1922, Moşe Cordova, the musician son of 

Rabbi Nesim Cordova, had the Cordova Brothers Apartment built

on Meşrutiyet Avenue.  The building's elevator was made by the 

Italian firm Stigler and brought to Istanbul by ship. 

Because Moşe Cordova wanted a special elevator, one of the rare

clocks made by Gustav Becker's clock firm, founded in 1847, was

installed in the elevator cabin.  After the Cordova family migrated

to Israel in 1948, many other families took up residence in Istanbul's

only building with a clock-installed elevator. 

Architect Seda Özen Bilgili, who has prepared a documentary about

Istanbul's historic buildings, noticed that the clock in the Cordova

Brothers Apartment building elevator was not working so she contacted

Recep Gürgen (74), known in Turkey as the "palace watchmaker", to 

have the clock restored and put back in the elevator cabin.  

Gürgen noted that "in those days, people would look at a clock when

leaving home but wristwatches weren't widely worn.  So this clock

was placed in the elevator cabin thanks to the caring thoughtfulness

(of the Cordova family)."

Architect Bilgili explained that "I've looked at many historic buildings

and this is the only one I've seen with a clock in the elevator cabin. The

building residents told me that the clock hasn't worked for years so,

with the support of the Beyoğlu City Council, I had the clock repaired.

It is the first restoration of the clock in 100 years because the residents

weren't interested in having it fixed."

View of the Golden Horn from Meşrütiyet Avenue back 

in the day.

 

"Beat & Release": 'Holy Man' Punches 'Martyr''s Dad in Ereğli

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 4 January 2021)

 

     Preaches: "He who dispenses penance shall live free."

In Zonguldak's Ereğli district, imam (Moslem clergyman) Ahmet 

Akkaya crashed into a car driven by Kamil Demirci (61), the father

of a 'martyr' (Tuırkish soldier killed in action).  In the (inevitable)

ensuing argument, Akkaya punched Demirci in front of his wife 

and daughter, breaking his nose. 

The incident occurred on 30 December.  As Akkaya was backing

up his car, he crashed into Demirci, while he was waiting for his 

daughter Arzu, who works at the Ereğli Provincial Youth and Sports

Directorate.  Arzu hanım explained that "I saw that the front of the

car was damaged but Akkaya said 'what's the big deal?!'  I pointed

to the damage he had caused but he said 'don't bug me!' and tried

to leave.  My dad said to him 'I was honking my horn! Weren't you

looking in your rear-view mirror!?'"

Continuing, Arzu hanım related that "Akkaya said to my dad 'I'll 

destroy you and your car!'  Then he punched my dad in the nose,

breaking his glasses.  We have filed a complaint against Akkaya,

who hit a father whose only son is a 'martyr'.  This man should

be barred from serving as an imam!"  Nevertheless, after giving a

statement to police, Akkaya was released. (!)

Demirci's son Ayhan Demirci was a Gendarmerie commando 

soldier who died at age 21 in Şırnak's Bestler Dereler region just

ten days before he was to be discharged. 

As for Akkaya, while he was serving as an imam in Gümeli

town in Alaplı district, in April he was assigned to work at the 

Ereğli Youth and Sports Directorate, thanks to the 'torpil' (or 'kıyak')

(intercession by a friend or relative) of his friend Hakan Yücel, the 

Zonguldak Youth and Sports Director, with the approval of then-

governor Erdoğan Bektaş.  However, when Mustafa Tutulmaz

became governor on 10 June he fired Akkaya.

Mannequin Hired as Scarecrow to Save Birds From Electric Shocks in Van

türkçe  links to original Turkish article

(Gazetevatan website, 2 January 2021)

  He'll take any work he can get in these tough times.

In Yeşilova village of Van's Erciş district, citizens have put a 

"mannequin-scarecrow" on an electrical tower to ward off birds who 

sit on the wires and get electrocuted.  Village chief Maksut Tuz 

explained that excessive deaths among birds prompted the move. 

The village is eight kilometers from Erciş center and the plethora of

trees there attract birds, who can't resist sitting on the live wires.

Chief Tuz applauded his constituents for their concern about the 

birds.

Belly Dancer & Revelers Defy COVID at New Year's Party in Bursa

türkçe  links to original Turkish article & video!

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 2 January 2021)

     They'll have an intubation party in a couple of weeks.

In Nilüfer district of Bursa, 11 people gathered in a luxury apartment

suite to celebrate New Year's, in defiance of COVID restrictions and

with a performance by a belly dancer. 

The revelers wore no masks and disregarded social distancing, while

drinking alcohol and sharing images of their party on social media.  

On a tip, police raided the party and fined each of the party-goers 

3,150 TL (about $400), for a total of 34,650 TL.

   Taking "How I Got COVID" videos for posterity's sake.

TNT Dumbest Criminal of the Year Award

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 28 December 2020)

                         

                                     Just like shopping.

The home of singer Zeynep Sağdaş in Arnavutköy, Istanbul, was robbed 

on 30 October.  Prior to leaving Istanbul for a concert, Zeynep hanım 

had given her house key to her apartment building's watchman Barış G.

so he could feed and care for her pets. 

However (!), when Zeynep hanım returned home on 2 November she

noticed that she had been robbed of three gold necklaces worth 

60,000 TL (about $7,500), a gold ring, money and a cellphone.  

Checking her video recording, Zeynep hanım saw that the thief was 

none other than Barış G. (!).

       Could have dressed better for his on-screen debut. 

After being taken into custody, Barış G. explained that after walking

the dog he was getting ready to leave the key and depart when he 

entered Zeynep hanım's bedroom.  There, he merely 'examined' her

jewelry and took 80 TL from a drawer as his fee for watching the pets.

Nevertheless, Barış G. was jailed.

                            Zeynep hanım and friend.