"Fleece & Release": Grossly Overchaged for "Cocktails", He Reluctanly Paid But Got Fined For No Receipt, in Antalya

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 11 November 2025)

                   He got the bill, but not a receipt.

In Antalya's Kepez district, Murat Ş. and his girlfriend went to a café

and ordered one portion of "köfte" (meatballs), a tray of cheeses,

two salads and 2 non-alcoholic cocktails.  An hour later, when Murat

bey asked for the check he was shocked to see that he owed 

22,850 TL (about  $540!). 

Murat bey objected to this amount but was left disappointed. He

related that "the waiter recommended non-alcoholic cocktails so

we had two of them. When I went to pay the check and saw the

additional charges I thought I was on "Candid Camera" or some such."

 

                          They even "look" expensive.

Continuing, Murat bey added that "the 'cocktail' they sell costs 

6,000 TL each  because supposedly they put in a bit of champagne.

This prompts them to add 8,000 TL for the champagne.  When I 

protested that champagne isn't imbibed during the day, they said

'this is our concept' and then they thrust two 150-200 TL bottles

of soda water into my hand (as sort of a consolation prize).  I didn't 

want to pay the bill, but the cashier said  that if I didn't I couldn't 

leave the café." (!)

"I was frightened by this remark so I paid the tab and shortly 

thereafter I called the police about it, but they told me they wouldn't

send a team for such a matter.  So I went to the Bahçelievler

police station, where they directed me to the consumer affairs

office.  However (!), while I was expecting some relief, instead

I was fined 7,000 TL (about $165!) for not getting a receipt from

the café.  Now I'm trying to fight this fine." (in Turkey, both the

seller and the customer are fined for not giving/getting a receipt).

"Moo & Release": Undocumented Bovine Immigrants, Travelling "Cattle Class" From Uruguay, Denied Entry Into Turkey

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 10 November 2025)

  

                                   Ship of moooooos.

İYİ Party member Turhan Çömez made the claim that the Forest

and Agriculture Ministry brought 2,901 head of cattle from 

Uruguay (!), but 600 of the animals had not been approved by

Turkish officials and 150 of them had been loaded on the ship

without any documentation whatsoever..

According to Çömez, "When the ship arrived at the port of 

Bandırma the problems came to light and the animals were

not offloaded.  Initially, they said 'we'll go to Ukraine instead'.

However, the ship anchored in Bandırma harbor and approached

the port again that same evening.  Nevertheless, the ship ultimately

had to depart without offloading the cattle." 

"Beat & Release": Gunfight Results in the Deaths of Two Innocent Bystanders, in Adana

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 9 November 2025)

       When an uncle and his nephews play with guns...

In Adana's Yüreğir district yesterday morning, a dispute erupted in

front of the local covered market involving a seller and his nephews.

Guns were drawn and innocent bystander and "tantuni" (a kind of

sandwich) chef Talip Çelikten (55), the father of four children, was hit 

by a stray bullet and killed. 

In total, 6 people wounded in the clash were taken to local hospitals

and 3 of them remain in serious condition.  Another innocent bystander

Yusuf Solmaz was also killed in the mayhem. 

"Coax & Release": Suicidal Man Relents Thanks to Ruling Party Officials' Rooftop "Summit Meeting", in Çankırı

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 8 November 2025)

                Group therapy taken to new heights.

In Şabanözü district of Çankırı province, police efforts to dissuade

Hasan İ. (34), who was threatening to jump off an 8-story building,

came to an impasse.  Just at that time, though, AK Party provincial

chief Koray Erdoğan was passing by, together with Mayor Faik Özcan,

District Chief Yüksel Yarbaşı and Provincial Council Member Tekin

Nalbant, all of them AK Party members. 

The AK Party group took to the roof to talk down Hasan İ., who 

relented after 17 minutes of facing the persuasive AK Party group. 

Hasan İ. is in good health, and the politicians conquered any

fear of heights problems they might have had. 

"Ingrates & Release": Adana Retiree, Forced to Live in His Car, Gets No Solace From His 3 Kids Living Abroad

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 7 November 2025)

                      Major complaint is lack of legroom. 

In Adana, former ambulance driver Fethi Yener (85), who lost his

wife of 50 years Neziha five years ago, has been living in his car (!) 

since then, with none of his three children evincing any interest in 

his plight.  

Fethi bey lamented that "when I lost my wife my life turned upside

down, so I returned to my hometown of Urfa, but my relatives there

provided neither material nor spiritual support. As a result, I've been

living in my car for the past five years."

Continuing, Fethi bey explained that "upon my return to Adana, I

couldn't afford to pay rent, which starts at 10,000 TL per month

(about $236), so I had no choice but to live in my car.  There's no

bathroom, of course.  People of goodwill do my laundry.  Just a 

bowl of soup in the morning costs 100 TL (about $2.30), which I 

can't afford."

"I don't hear from my three children - one's in America and two are

in Japan. They didn't even come for their mother's funeral. They 

don't know I live in my car and probably assume I've died."

Fethi bey has appealed to the authorities to settle him in an 

old folks home. 

The cupboard is bare...

"Yield & Release": During Traffic Dispute, Husband "Accidentally" Shot His Wife Dead (!), in Ankara

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 6 November 2025)

 

                        Oh! Just yield and keep going! 

The verdict has been announced in the trial of Cevdet Dündar, who 

allegedly accidentally killed his wife (!), Kızhanım Dündar, during a 

traffic dispute, and Halit Kürk and his son, Ali Kürk, who were 

involved in the fight with Dündar. 

On September 3, 2023, in the Yenimahalle district of Ankara, Cevdet 

Dündar argued with Halit Kürk and his son, Ali Kürk, for failing to 

yield.  After stopping their vehicles, the argument continued, and a 

fight broke out between the two parties. Cevdet Dündar retrieved his 

licensed pistol from his vehicle and fired into the air, while his wife, 

Kızhanım Dündar, attempted to stop him.

During this incident, one bullet struck Halit Kürk in the arm, and 

the other in the chest of Kızhanım Dündar. Halit Kürk suffered minor 

injuries when the bullet grazed his arm, but Kızhanım hanım died. 

After the incident, Cevdet Dündar and Halit Kürk, who were involved 

in the fight, were detained by the court, and Ali Kürk was released.

A lawsuit seeking an aggravated life sentence was filed against 

Cevdet Dündar for "premeditated murder of a descendant," and 

separate life sentences were filed against Ali Kürk and Halit Kürk for 

"premeditated murder."

Defendants Halit Kürk and Ali Kürk were absent from the hearing held 

at the Ankara 33rd High Criminal Court, while Dündar and the lawyers 

for both sides were present.  The presiding judge reminded Dündar that 

the opinion on the merits had been released at the previous hearing and 

promised him the floor to make his final defense.

      Perhaps it was an "assisted suicide". Hmmmmmm.

Dündar, stating that he had reiterated his written and oral statements, 

requested his acquittal.  Dündar's lawyer stated that the grounds for the 

alleged crime had not been met and that self-defense (!) should apply 

to his client, and made the following statement:

"My client was forced out of the car by the people he was arguing with. 

He pulled out his gun to intimidate the other party - his intention from 

the outset was never to fire the weapon. My client, in his momentary 

state of grief after his wife's death, could have shot the other defendants, 

but he didn't. Defendant Halit Kürk's unjust and careless actions from 

the outset of the incident caused all of this. He also initiated the argument. 

I request my client's acquittal."

The other defendants' lawyers argued that their clients had committed no 

crime, considering the evidence in the case file, and requested acquittal. 

Following the testimonies, the court announced its decision and ruled 

that there was no need to impose a penalty on Cevdet Dündar, on the 

grounds that the incident lacked premeditation and was an accident.

The court sentenced Halit Kürk, the defendant not in custody, to 2 years 

and 6 months in prison for the crime of "causing death by negligence" (!)

and acquitted Ali Kürk, the defendant not in custody, on the grounds 

that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the crime was committed

by him. 

By the way, the resemblance is uncanny...

"Rock & Release": Massive Rock Slide Under "Eagle's Nest" Schools Sparks Panic, in Artvin

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 5 November 2025)

                        Schools with a (very scary) view.

A giant rock mass broke loose from the steep slope below Ayhan 

Şahenk Anatolian High School in Artvin's Yenimahalle neighborhood, 

tumbling with a loud crash and falling into the Çoruh River. The 

impact shook the building, and approximately 600 students from 

the two high schools were evacuated as a precaution.

Initially believing it was an earthquake, the school administration 

quickly evacuated the students to a safe area. Following the incident, 

teams from AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate), 

the police, the municipality, and the Provincial Directorate of 

Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change were dispatched to 

the area. Authorities sent 600 students from Ayhan Şahenk Anatolian 

High School and Kazım Karabekir Anatolian High School home as a 

precaution.

On first day of school students are advised: "Don't look down!"

Artvin Governor Dr. Turan Ergün, who conducted an investigation at 

the scene, said in a statement, "About half an hour ago, a large rock 

mass fell from behind the school into the Çoruh River. They couldn't 

understand what was happening because of the noise, so they thought 

it was an earthquake and evacuated our students. Thankfully, there were 

no injuries or building damage. As a precaution, we sent our students 

home for the day. Our teams from AFAD and the Provincial Directorate 

of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change are conducting a 

drone-assisted investigation, and a detailed report will be prepared."

Describing the panic that set in at the time of the incident, school 

employee Orhan Alkan said, "Suddenly, there was a loud noise. I was 

on the top floor, and the building literally shook. We felt like there was

a 6-7 magnitude earthquake. The school administration and I 

immediately took the students to safety. Later, we learned that the rock

had rolled into the river. We were all very scared, but luckily, no one 

was hurt."

The Coruh River flows through Artvin, dogleg at upper right, 

on its way to the Black Sea.