Turkc-l Tartisma Listesi Arsivi: [TurkC-L] x0x Turkish news for

From: TRH <trh_at_....>
Date: Tue 07 Jun 2005 - 09:58:53 EEST

{20050604trh.txt}

x0x Turkish news for week ending 04 June 2005

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Ahmet Toprak edited today's news. Your host today is Ahmet Toprak

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NEWS Edited by Gokce Gokalp

A Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus delegation headed by President Mehmet Ali Talat arrived in the Turkish capital Ankara Thursday for two days of talks with Turkey's top leaders on the Cyprus issue. During the talks, the leaders of both countries agreed to make efforts aimed at ending the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and urging Greek Cypriots to a settlement reported the daily Star. Turkish prime minister Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to present the Turkish side's view to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and President Bush during his US visit to begin next week. Before his departure for the US, Mr. Erdogan will also discuss the plan with Turkey's President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
A United States congressional delegation visited the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on Monday. As the only two US congressmen to enter the island through the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus since the 1974 Turkish intervention, the trip headed by Republican Congressman Ed Whitfield is seen as a crucial step towards ending the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. The congressmen first met with US Ambassador to Greek Cyprus Michael Klosson and then Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Mehmet Ali Talat. The visit caused anger among the Greek Cypriot community, and Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos was outraged that the delegation flew directly into the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, claiming that the trip was in breach of both international and US laws. "We have been in discussions with the National Security Council and the State Department and we've been assured by everyone that there is not anything illegal about going into Northern Cyprus directly," Congressmen Whitfield stated. "The Turkish Cypriots voted overwhelmingly for reunification on the Annan plan. The Greek Cypriots voted against it. The entire international community supported reunification and the Annan plan and statements have been made by the UN representatives as well as in the US and elsewhere that steps should be taken to remove the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots," Congressmen Whitfield added. Whitfield also called on Greek Cypriot President Papadopoulos to stop blocking the European Unions financial aid efforts to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. For his part, president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Mr. Talat called on Washington to support the peace efforts on the island. In addition, UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast arrived in Greek Cyprus Monday to listen to both sides and to gauge if there is common ground to resume negotiations on the island. He will proceed to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, reported the daily Cumhuriyet.
According to the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated Thursday that a Europe which includes Turkey and which is united around common values is in everybody's interest. Following a European Union-US ministerial meeting in Washington with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, European Union Term President Luxemburg's Foreign Affairs Minister Jean Asselborn and European Union Commissioner Benita Ferror-Waldner, Ms. Rice stated: Ms. Condoleezza Rice added: "A Europe that is outward-looking, not inward-looking, that is offering a European perspective and a European future to all of the democracies of Europe is extremely important to completing Europe's integration and Europe's unity. And that, of course, includes Turkey.
In related news, Mr. Hansjoerg Kretschmer, the head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey, stated Wednesday that Turkey should disregard the turmoil in Europe sparked by France's no" to the European Union constitution and focus single-mindedly on implementing reforms needed to join the bloc reported the daily Turkiye. "If Turkey does its homework properly, that is also the best way to avoid the criticism leveled against Turkey and its ability to fulfill the requirements, stated Mr. Kretschmer. I am hopeful that Turkey would begin entry talks on time and may even open negotiations in one or two policy areas, or chapters, by year-end, despite the French 'no', Mr. Kretschmer added. He added that Turkey had only two things to do to ensure that its talks start on time: implement a revised penal code to bring Turkish criminal law more into line with European Union norms -- which Turkey has done this week -- and sign a protocol extending its Customs Union to include 10 new members, including the Greek Cypriot government. "In many European Union countries we see a skeptical public opinion (on Turkey), but the best way to tackle this is to show Turkey is becoming a mainstream European country which practices the rule of law, respect for minorities and so forth," explained Mr. Kretschmer.
Iraqi security officials stated that insurgents in north of Baghdad killed a Turkish truck driver Thursday. According to the Turkish daily Star More than 100 Turks have been killed in Iraq since the US invasion.
The new Turkish Penal Code, a key reform demanded by the European Union, went into effect Wednesday after months of criticism that it severely restricts press freedom. Turkish Parliament passed amendments to the code last week, but as President Ahmet Necdet Sezer did not sign them by midnight Tuesday, the new code went into effect in its original form. The implementation of the Turkish Penal Code had been postponed to June 1 after journalists had charged that the code limits press freedom. Turkish journalists are still critical of the penal code despite the two-month of effort to amend it in line with their concerns. The law has also been hailed as introducing a more liberal criminal justice system, particularly in increasing penalties against violations of human rights and in measures to improve the rights of women and children. However, BBC reported on Friday that Turkey's secularist president has blocked a law in the Penal Code that he says could have given Islamic extremists more freedom. According to the BBC the law would have cut the penalty for anyone found guilty of teaching the Koran in unauthorized centers.
According to the Turkish daily Turkiye, Turkey's Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Gul stated Tuesday that Turkey would continue to fight against Islamophobia. Speaking to Bahraini daily the Tribune, Mr. Gul stated that Eastern and Western civilizations were getting closer and that relations between Islam and other religions were growing more important. Stressing that Islam was a religion of peace, Mr. Gul stated that extremist actions were not compatible with the principles of Islam. In addition, on the last day of his trip to Bahrain, Turkeys top diplomat held talks with Bahraini officials responsible for economy and businessmen. Mr. Gul called on Turkish builders to take part in the country's infrastructure and building sectors.
The Turkish daily Sabah reports that Turkey's Land Forces commander General Yasar Buyukanit will pay an official visit to Athens on June 22 in the wake of a crisis in April during Turkish students' visit to Greece's Land War Academy when a Greek student desecrated the Turkish flag. This crisis was largely defused after the Greek General Staff apologized to Turkey officially and thus, General Buyukanit will visit Athens as part of confidence-building measures. In addition, General Buyukanit will visit the Land War Academy and make a speech to Greek students. The Greek Land Forces Command suggested this program and General Buyukanit accepted. The Greek Athens News Agency states that the Greek student responsible for the desecration had confessed his crime and that he would be tried on charges of destroying a symbol of a foreign country.

ARTS AND CULTURE EDITED BY HILAL KOC

This year's Vehbi Koc Award was bestowed on Mr. Fazil Husnu Daglarca for his accomplishments in literature at a ceremony on Tuesday in Istanbul, reported the Anatolia news agency. Mustafa Koc and Semahat Arsel presented the $100,000 award to Daglarca. Mr. Daglarca has been writing Turkish poetry for nearly 75 years and has given Turkish literature a new and simple style, earning him the title of being the most important living representative of Turkish poetry. Daglarca 's signature has been affixed to works that have strongly affected the structure and tone of Turkish poems. The Vehbi Koc Award, established in 2002, is Turkey's riches and is bestowed according to the will of Koc Group founder Vehbi Koc. The objective of the award is to encourage people and establishments to directly or indirectly improve the quality of life for Turks in basic areas such as education, health and culture.
Based on a survey called City Research conducted across 23 provinces by the Konya Municipality, 2,820 people were asked to list their first five choices of favorite cities and the first thing to come to mind about that city. When asked which cities they like best besides their hometown, 18.9 percent answered Istanbul. After Istanbul, the top 5 were rounded off by Izmir (with 15.9 percent), Antalya (with 12.1 percent), Ankara (with 8.2 percent), and Bursa (with 6.3 percent). For the Aegean city of Izmir, the first things to come to most minds are the girls and the sea. Peaches come to mind when Bursa is mentioned, the Laz people and sardines when Trabzon is mentioned and kebabs for Adana, reported the Anatolia news agency. When Turkey's most populated city Istanbul was brought up, the survey participants noted its large size, the Bosphorus straits, employment opportunities and historical sites.
Last week, we mentioned that the ruins of the ancient Ephesus, a major Aegean tourist destination was adding evening lighting throughout the ancient ruins to attract even more visitors. Now the popular vacation spot Bodrum, just 4 hours south of Ephesus, is also following suit on improvements. Two historic windmills in the Yalikavak town of Bodrum will be restored within two months, just in time for the tourist season. Yalikavak Mayor Mustafa Saruhan said the cost of restoring the two windmills, built in 1850 and dormant since the 1950s, is approximately $85 thousand. The mayor thanked master architect Tevfik Ilter of the Kocaeli University architecture department for volunteering his expertise. Ilter prepared a well-detailed plan to make the windmills work. We'll protect this 200-year-old tradition and promote both the windmills and Yalikavak, he added.
The Traditional Japanese Culture Festival, held to mark the 80th anniversary of the Japanese Embassy in Turkey and the 40th anniversary of the Japanese Consulate General in Istanbul, started with a ceremony at the Turkish-Japanese Culture Center in Ankara. The activities, which will continue until June 6, begin with: -- workshops explaining sado (traditional tea ceremony), -- ikebana (traditional flower arranging), -- shodo (Japanese calligraphy), -- origami (traditional paper folding) and -- kimekomi (doll making). Following the workshops, Japanese-Turkish Culture Exchange Association President Kanji Ishimoto, Turkish-Japanese Culture Foundation President Professor Tayyar Sadiklar and Japanese Ambassador Tomoyuki Abe delivered speeches on the importance of the day. There will be also budo (Japanese martial arts) demonstrations, a wadaiko (Japanese drum playing) performance and a kimono show during the ceremonies. The festival continued with an exhibition of sumo, sometimes referred to as Japan's national sport, on June 5 at the Turkish-Japanese Foundation Culture Center and on June 6 at the Selim Sirri Sarcan Sports Complex. All activities are free.
Turkish Musician Mercan Dede arrived in London on Monday in preparation for five concerts in England. Dede will participate in two important music festivals. .Although many Turkish musicians have performed in London in the past, Dede will be the first one to date to undertake such a mini tour in Britain, reported the Dogan News Agency but never ventured Dede's style -- a mixture of traditional music of the East with Western rhythms -- has become popular in recent years and due to popular demand he will give concerts in Bristol, Brighton and London. Dede, who plays the mystical music of eastern cultures, composes his music electronically. Dede, whose real name is Arkin Ilicali, will also perform at the Salisbury International Arts Festival and Wychwood Music Festival with his band of five musicians. G�ksel Baktagir on the kanun will accompany Mira performing a sema. After Britain, he plans to give concerts in Italy, Spain, Germany and Canada. Afterwards Dede will serve as music director for the 23rd Summer Universiade this August in Izmir. The games together with his British tour, he said, would enable him to introduce the bright side of Turkey to the world.
The ancient city of Perge, about 10 miles from the southern Turkish Mediterranean city of Antalya is being excavated by a team led by Professor Haluk Abbasoglu. He said his team determined the ruins at Perge to be about 4,500 years old. The professor said the Perge theater and stadium was in better condition than the one at Aspendos and should be restored. He mentioned that the Cultural Development Foundation launched a campaign called You Put up a Column, too to take ancient columns lying on the street, restore them and re-erect them. Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry provided around $400,000 to restore the main domed entrance gate, which is the lasting symbol of the ancient city of Perge.

EXCHANGE RATE EXCHANGE RATE for the U.S. dollar in New Turkish Liras: 1.36

WEATHER High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather

Ankara	45...69 F		
Antalya	64...82 F		
Istanbul	58...73 F		
Izmir	62...82 F		
Sivas	47...62 F				
Trabzon	57...61 F

Seawater temperatures

  Black Sea measured at Trabzon         61
  Marmara Sea measured at Tekirdag      61
  Aegean Sea measured at Bodrum         66

Mediterranean Sea measured at Alanya 70

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Alaturka restaurant underwrote today's program, where gourmet Turkish cooking is an art:

	869 Geary St, (cross street Larkin)
	in San Francisco

	For reservations: (415) 345-1011

	http://www.chowbaby.com/Alaturka/
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{A$agidaki duyuru haberlerden SONRA yayinlanacak}

Turkish American Association of California has partially underwritten today's program. TAAC is a non-profit charitable organization established to promote better understanding between Americans and Turks.

If you have any questions about Turks and Turkey, give them a call: 1-415-646-0946

or e-mail them at taac@taaca.org

http://www.taaca.org

Turkish-American Association of California is having a picnic Sunday in Pleasant Hill. You all are all invited. The association will provide barbecued food, and is asking the attendees to bring some food to share. E-mail the TAAC at taac@taaca.org for directions and hours.
Planning to go to Turkey? Take a look at our Web pages that is full of articles and information furnished by travelers like yourselves:

http://travel.to/sunholiday

For more music from Turkey and the Middle East tune to International Cultural Program.

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NORTH BAY TURKISH CLASSICAL MUSIC ENSEMBLE

North May Turkish Classical Music Ensemble is looking for players traditional Turkish classical instruments such as oud, ney, tanbur, kanun or kemence, bendir or kudum; or even western instruments that easily adapt to Turkish music, such as cello.

The ensemble is also looking for people who can sing in Turkish, or are interested in learning.

The group is open to anyone with a sincere interest in Turkish music.

For details call Hank Levin at 415 492-0728, or email:

turkmusic@clearingtech.net

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http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Received on Tue Jun 7 09:55:29 2005

[TurkC-L] x0x Turkish news for week ending 04 June 2005