"Beat & Release": Obsessive Harasser Makes Victim's Life a Nightmare

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 8 May 2021)

      He sends lots of them, but still doesn't get the message.

Buse D.'s nightmare began four years ago in Kütahya when she was a 

student at the Kütahya Sports High School and playing on the handball

team.  One day while returning home, Buse (now 19) encountered A.E. 

(now 17)  at a bus stop but there was no conversation between the two. 

Nevertheless, A.E. began following Buse everywhere she went, attending 

her games, loitering in front of her school, and roaming around her 

neighborhood. 

Then A.E. found out Buse's telephone number and began to send her

messages of love, saying that he wanted to marry her.  In response,

Buse told A.E. to stop bothering her.  Nevertheless, he continued to

send Buse messages.  Buse closed her social media accounts and changed

her phone number many times, but somehow A.E. was able to learn her

new numbers and send messages. 

Two years ago, Buse was accepted to Afyon Kocatepe University's

Sports Science Faculty and hoped that by changing her location 

A.E. would stop. He didn't and, in fact, began sending death threats to 

Buse instead of love notes, which prompted Buse to contact the public 

prosecutor, who took no action. (!)

A.E.'s messages became even more threatening and he even sent the

gymnastic photographs of Buse he had found on her social media page

to "escort" websites (!).  A.E. also threatened Buse's relatives and male

friends and sent Buse pictures of murdered girls including Münevver

Karabulut, Emine Bulut and Özgecan Aslan.  Based on Buse's latest 

complaint, A.E. was taken into police custody but released, although

a case has been opened against him for "threatening". 

Since A.E. is freely walking the streets, Buse is afraid to leave home.

She explained that "He is putting pictures of "kezzap" (hydrochloric

acid) on his social media page and shared a video about Emine Bulut's 

death.  He says 'whoever you talk to I'll find them all and kill them one

by one.'  He puts up pictures of Özgecan and Münevver Karabulut and

told one of my friends 'I'll start with your grandparents and kill your

whole family down to your youngest sibling. And not just you.  I'll

kill anyone who "follows" Buse and anyone who "likes" her photos.

I'll bomb your university faculty and turn Afyon into a bloodbath.' 

My psychology is ruined and I can't leave home.  No one in my 

family can live peacefully.  I put the KADES (police app for women

in danger of violence) app on my phone and I have it in my hand all

the time.  Someone save me from this man!"

 

TNT Hİstory Archives: Ottoman Shipyard Dungeon Excavated in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 7 May 2021)

evliya çelebi click here for background on this

17th century Turkish traveler.

slavery in istanbul  click here for background.

The shipyard dungeon, hard by the shipyard wall in Istanbul.

Archeological research has been conducted in a 280,000 square meter

area in the Kulaksız neighborhood of Kasımpaşa, Istanbul, within the

scope of the Tersane (shipyard) Istanbul Project.  The appearance of

stones set in a vault style on the side of the shipyard wall between 

Kasımpaşa and Kulaksız caught the attention of researchers.  The

heavy layer of soil and trees in the area were excavated and a building

with a vaulted roof was revealed.  

The researchers found a reference to the building in the 17th century 

travel log of Evliya Çelebi as the Sanbola (Sao Paulo) Dungeon, 

otherwise known as the dungeon of Tersane-i Amire (Ottoman Imperial 

Shipyard).  Other historical documents identify the building at "Kara 

Kule" (black tower), the name the populace gave it because of its large 

dimensions.

In 1591 Rudolf II, the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German

Nation, sent Friedrich Seidel as part of a delegation to the Ottoman 

Empire.  Seidel was imprisoned in this dungeon and later wrote a book

about his time in a book entitled "In the Sultan's Dungeon". 

Urban planner and architect Selahattin Tüysüz explained that "the history

of the Golden Horn shipyard goes back to Byzantine times.  The places

where boats were repaired were known as "Haliç'in Gözleri"(the Golden

Horn's cells), behind which was the dungeon's location.  We see the 

dungeon on maps drawn in the 1600s.  The entirety of the ruins in this

area need to be extracted and exhibited in an open-air museum."

Researchers think that regular prisoners, along with POWs, were held in 

the dungeon, which is adjacent to the shipyard built in the time of 

Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror.  The discovery has excited local residents

of Kulaksız like Ahmet Şanlı, who said "I've been living in this 

neighborhood for 40 years.  Previously, the site of historic works was on

the hill, where there was a big tree.  Workers removed the tree and then

its roots and this dungeon appeared It is very likely that there are more

ruins around here."

Recalcitrant English-Latvian Tourist Reluctant to Mask-up in Antalya

türkçe  links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 6 May 2021)

            You can't always get what you want, Dimitrijs.

In Antalya, last Monday an English tourist named Dmitrijs Solovjovs (34),

who is originally from Latvia, pointed to a female police officer who 

was among a number of her colleagues warning Solovjovs to put his

COVID mask on, and said "I like her. Why don' t you send her to me."

This prompted police to take him into custody, but he was later released.

                               Time to mask-up big guy!

Again that same evening, though, police warned Solovjovs about his 

COVID mask as he was working out at the entrance to Atatürk Park on

Konyaaltı Avenue.  However, Solovjovs refused to put his mask on and

would not show police his ID and passport, screaming and hurling 

insults at them.  Police called for reinforcements and Solovjovs was 

handcuffed and taken into custody once more. He was charged with

"resisting the police" and released. 

In his defense, he claimed "false advertising!"

"Beat & Release": Russian Woman KO's Turk and Puts His Body in Car Trunk

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 5 May 2021)

                She's a knockout, in more ways than one.

Residents of a neighborhood in Bursa complained to police about a foul 

smell coming from the trunk of a car.  When police opened the trunk

they found the body of Sinan Sönmez (32) who had been missing for 

34 days.  

Police checked video from 180 security cameras and determined that

Russian citizen Nariman S. (29) had brought the car to the spot where it 

was parked.  Sönmez's telephone records were checked, too, and Nariman

S. was taken into custody.  

In her statement to police, Nariman S. said that "Sinan Sönmez and I were 

friends.  About a month ago we went to a wooded area of Ahkisar village 

in İnegöl district to drink alcohol under the trees there.  He suddenly began

cursing and in the ensuing argument I punched him and knocked him out.

Then I strangled him to death and put his body in the trunk of the car,

which I abandoned in Kestel district.  While leaving the scene I took off

the license plates and threw his ID and telephone into a stream. I'm very

regretful." (!)

Taken into custody for helping the murder suspect were Latife A., Sabit D.,

Alişan D. and İsmail Ç.  who were all jailed, along with Nariman S.

"Beat & Release": Marriage to the Woman He Stabbed Gets Abuser Reduced Jail Time

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 4 May 2021)

      All he really wanted was to marry and settle down.

Necla Kenar, the mother of one child who lives in Küçükçekmece 

district of Istanbul, divorced in 2013 and soon began living together

with local man Ümit Masat, who beat Necla hanım just about every

day.  When she decided to leave, Masat stabbed her in seven places on

24 April 2019.  

Masat was taken into custody and put on trial for "murder with intent

to kill" (15 years), "ongoing threats" (3.5 years) and "ongoing insults"

(3.5 years).  At the trial at the Bakırköy courthouse, Masat explained

that "I love Necla very much but I get jealous.  On that day we argued

and I lost my temper.  I stabbed her but I didn't intend to kill her." 

However (!), Necla and Masat were married on 25 March 2021 so

Masat's sentence was limited to 3 years 9 months for "attack with a 

weapon that could cause bones to break."  The court acquitted Masat

of the threat charge and Necla withdrew her complaint about insults,

bringing the case to its conclusion, despite the chief judge's minority

opinion that Masat should be penalized for "attack with intent to kill."

Yet, in an interview that Necla hanım gave to Hürriyet in July 2020, she

said that "I was three months pregnant but he got mad about something

and beat me anyway.  The police saved me.  I miscarried and was in 

intensive care when he came into the room and took off my blanket

and pulled out my intravenous solution tubes. He cursed and scared

the nurses. He made things intolerable for me.  He only wants me to

have someone to torture. He oppresses our children and tortures me.

Then he says 'I love you, come to me.'  This isn't love, it's obsession,

illness."

Realtor Cashes In on Businessman's Marriage Hopes

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 3 May 2021)

Her expertise is 'flipping', as they say in the real estate 

business.

Istanbul businessman Aydın E. met realtor Nilay P. when he went to

Çorlu in Tekirdağ province to buy a house for his nephew a year and

a half ago.  Soon after, Aydın bey and Nilay hanım became a couple

and Nilay hanım promised to marry Aydın bey, getting 328,000 TL

(about $40,000) from him at this time. 

However (!), Nilay hanım began to reject Aydın bey's requests to get

together.  Suspicious, Aydın bey determined that Nilay hanım was at

a hotel, based on the GPS device in the car he had given her.  Aydin

went to the hotel and discovered Nilay hanım with another man.  

Aydın bey with awards from Nilay hanım after 'successful'

get-togethers, submitted to the court as evidence.

Aydın bey filed a fraud complaint against Nilay hanım and explained

that "we became a couple and after two months she told me 'I've got

to pay 50,000 TL but I'm really in a bind.'  I sent her the money and I

wanted to marry her, in response to which she said 'we'll get married in

a year or two.'  Then she began asking me for money frequently.  Many

people have been hoodwinked this way."

Continuing, Aydın bey said that "this woman is a genuine bilker.  I

will never let the matter drop.  People can't be used in this way.  I want

her to be punished.  I have lots of witnesses and documents."

As for Nilay hanım, she stated that "I'm a realtor. I don't know what he

said or did.  He says he's given everything to the court.  He's in debt

to me and my friend and we have documents.  How could I promise to

marry a married man?  Aydın bey's claims are absolutely untrue."

'Batman' Moonlighting as Taxi Driver During COVID

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(HaberTürk website, 2 May 2021)

                            Won't pick up any Jokers.

Mersin taxi driver Ömer Efe Tektaş (27) drives his customers around 

while wearing a 'Batman' costume.  At first, prospective riders are taken 

aback but soon warm to the idea.  Tektaş explained that "during this 

pandemic, people need some happiness so that's why I started to do this."

Tektaş also brings groceries to elderly people as 'Batman'.

       How about another mask to complete your outfit?...

For the past month and a half, Tektaş has been driving as 'Batman' and

says that the idea came to him while watching a 'Batman' movie.  As

expected, kids are mesmerized by Tektaş's exploits, although some of

them get scared at first.  

                  Superhero taxi drivers are nothing new.