*** Audio archives of our broadcasts are at: http://www.TurkRadio.us/ar/archives.html Also available for your MP3 players at: http://turkradio.podomatic.com/ {20090613trh.txt} x0x Turkish news for week ending 13 June 2009 [Best when viewed with the courier font.] **************************************************************** A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR, producer of: TURKISH CULTURAL PROGRAM Saturdays at 6:00 P.M. KUSF FM 90.3, San Francisco Also tune to ORIENT EXPRESS Tuesdays at 10:00 P.M. KKUP FM 91.5, CUPERTINO **************************************************************** Ahmet Toprak edited today's news. Your host is Murat Bozkurt. For a subscription to the Internet edition of this news, send a blank email to: TurkC-L-subscribe@yahoogroups.com *************************************************************** NEWS * According to the Turkish daily Turkiye, Turkey's foreign affairs minister Ahmet Davutogly met with the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington over the weekend. Speaking at a joint press conference afterwards, Mrs.Clinton said that their meeting was fruitful and covered wide-ranging topics. "There are many things that we can do together," she added. "We have been cooperating for a long time. We are members of the NATO, and working together as part of the G-20 to respond to the ongoing global economic crisis." Ms. Clinton said that the US firmly supports Turkey's European Union accession bid and welcomes its reform efforts towards this end. Touching on President Barack Obama's landmark address to the Muslim world last week in Cairo, Clinton said, "The United States is determined to be in engagement with Muslims globally. Such an engagement is based on mutual interests and respect. "We believe in freedom of religion and expression in dynamic societies. We know that such values are ones shared also by Turkey. "At the same time, I would like to thank Mr. Davutoglu and his government for the important role Turkey played as a source of peace and stability." Turkeys foreign affairs minister Mr. Davutoglu said "We agreed to deepen and diversify bilateral relations between our two countries". "We plan to work together not only in security issues but economic and energy security as well," he added. "Turkey and the US carry similar views on global matters, relations between civilizations, the G-20 summit, the economic crisis and the UN Security Council. Our two countries can contribute to the peace and well-being of humanity", the Turkish foreign affairs Minister added. * Turkey's president Mr. Abdullah Gul, commenting on the rightward swing in Sunday's European Parliament elections, says that "People who voiced opposition to Turkey today might change their position later." He dismissed anti-Turkish campaign rhetoric by certain politicians, especially French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "What matters," he said, "is the opinion of the Turkish and European public." Politicians come and go, he added, stressing the importance of long-term goals set by the Union and member states. In the related news, Turkey's prime minister urged the European Union countries to keep their promises to Turkey. * Speaking of the European Union, last week we brought to you the criticism from the European Union official responsible for expansion that Turkey is not undertaking reforms required by the European Union membership fast enough. This week the Turkish daily Turkiye reports that the Turkish government will bolster the staff of the Secretariat General for European Union Affairs. According to the Turkish officials the goal is to accelerate the speed of the reforms. The agency will also be authorized to deal with the European Union-Turkey related issues directly. To streamline the negotiation process with the European Union, the Secretary General will have a centralized role in conducting accession talks with the Union. State Minister and Chief Negotiator for European Union Talks Egemen Bagis will assume a key role to steer the negotiation process. * In related news, according to the Turkish daily Star, German-Turkish Interparliamentary Friendship Group Chair Claudia Roth commented on Turkey's future membership in the European Union. Ms. Roth said that "Turkey, which values democracy and the rule of law, always has an equal place within the European Union". Speaking about Sunday's European Parliament elections with Cem Ozdemir, the co-chair of Germany's Greens Party, Ms. Roth told reporters that the better showing for ultranationalist and right-wing parties could hinder Turkey's European Union bid. "But we'll never deviate from this point of view," she added. * According to the Turkish daily Turkiye, Turkish Prime Minister send a message to the Fourth Turkish-Arab Economy Forum and said that Turkey's economic and political integration with the European Union won't mean weakened relations with Arab states. Speaking at the opening of the forum on Thursday, turkey's finance minister Mehmet $im$ek said Turkey's exports to Arab countries rose sixfold over the last six years from $11 billion to $62 billion. The rate of Arab investments in Turkey showed a similar growth in recent years, the minister said reaching $30 billion. Also speaking at the meeting, Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges head Rifat Hisarciklioglu called the Arab League one of Turkey's key economic partners. Mr. Hisarciklioglu also called for cooperation in areas such as building of a high-speed train network between Turkey and the Arab world, and the construction sector. * Turkey's foreign affairs minister Mr. Ahmet Davutoglu visited Pakistan this week. According to the Turkish daily Aksam Mr. Davutoglu told the Pakistani officials that Turkey will continue to give Pakistan humanitarian aid and urged international groups to better coordinate their efforts in the country. During his visit Mr. Davutoglu gave a $10 million check to the Pakistani Prime Minister as humanitarian aid. * International Press Institute made the CEO of Hurriyet daily News and lifetime honorary executive board member. Ms. Vuslat Dogan Sabanci was awarded the honor for her work on press freedom. * According to the Turkish daily Milliyet, Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Chairwoman Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag on Monday received Italy's Order of the Star of Solidarity at a ceremony at Istanbul 's Palazzo di Venezia. Italian Ambassador to Turkey Carlo Marsilli presented the honor to Ms. Yalcindag on behalf of Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in recognition of her contributions to better relations between the two countries. * The Central East Anatolian province of Sivas is trying to attract foreign investment, reports the Hurriyet Daily News. Representatives from Chinese conglomerate Sinochem just visited Sivas to do preliminary research on possible investments in the area. The governor of the province says that they will also invite Indian companies. He says that province has many mineral reserves that have not been fully tapped. ARTS AND CULTURE Edited by Serkan Hatipoglu * According to the Turkish daily Star, US magazine Travel Age West has given Turkey its annual Travel Age West Wave (Western Agents' Vote of Excellence) award. Turkey also got the Best Vacation Value Europe award. Visiting Turkey's Culture and Promotion Attache Hasan Zongur in New York, the magazine's editor-in-chief Kenneth Shapiro told him of the honors. Shapiro said Turkey's cultural richness and the diversity and quality of its service sector make it an exceptional European destination. * Betul Cal of Hurriyet Daily News reports that the Church of St. Nicholas, in the Demre Township of Antalya in Southern Turkey, is on its way to becoming an important marriage destination for the Christian world as Turkey's Mediterranean region works to attracts more wedding tourism. With the new "Wedding City of Antalya" project, the southern city aims to build on its global reputation as a holiday destination and diversify tourism in the area. Demre, known as Myra in ancient times, is one of the major cities of Lycia, and is of high importance for the Christian world because St. Nicholas was a bishop in the city. The Church of St. Nicholas was built in commemoration after his death. This historical religious monument will now witness the happiness of couples who will come to the district from all over the world to get married. Wedding-dress designer Gulseren Ozdemir is the initiator of the project. According to Ozdemir, Antalya tourism is not just about the Mediterranean sea and sun, the untouched coasts, blue-flag beaches and gorgeous bays, though their contributions cannot be underestimated in terms of developing regional tourism. "The first wedding ceremony, which will include around 15 couples, will take place between Dec. 1 and Dec. 6, 2009, an important date for the Christian world," Ozdemir said. "We expect to host around 500 guests besides the couples in Demre during those days and the figures may increase with time." The cost of this service ranges between 3,000 and 4,000 euros per couple, excluding the cost of air transportation, accommodation and the fee charged by the tour operator. A British couple has already booked the Church of St. Nicholas for their marriage ceremony, which will take place in July 2010 with some 25 guests. * Next month sees the launch of a nine-month-long program in France called the "Season of Turkey," reports the Turkish daily Hurriyet. Starting July 1 and running through March 31, the event incorporates 16 categories, plus a special night organized for Turkey's sole Nobel laureate, Orhan Pamuk, in Paris' famous Odeon Theater. The events will start July 1 with performances by Mercan Dede and the Fire of Anatolia after a boat named "A Journey into History, Izmir-Phokaia-Marseille," which will set off from Izmir, anchors in Marseille. The exhibitions in the program will include sultans' armement, the Topkapi Palace Caftan collection, "The Beginning of Turkish-French Relations," "Ottomans in Paris," "Turkey, the Cradle of Cultures" and an Ara Guler retrospective displaying the photographs of the master. One of the most notable events in the classical and contemporary music section of the program will be a concert by Toros Can and French Presidential Symphony Orchestra harpist $irin Pancaroglu and flutist $efika Kutluer. They will take the stage for concerts titled "Bohemians of Thrace" and "Concerning the East." Renowned pianist Fazil Say will perform "A la Turca Jazz" with percussionist Burhan Ocal and Patricia Kopatchinskaja. The dance category will feature the Ankara State Opera and Ballet and Rouen State Opera. Dancers will also perform a sema, or spiritual whirling dance, show. There will also be discussions attended by Turkish writers such as Zulfu Livaneli and Elif $afak. The Arte channel will screen documentaries titled "The Other Turkey." * As the movie season heads toward hibernation in the coming months, moviegoers in the southern city of Adana gets an ample dose of movies from the approaching Altin Koza (Golden Boll) Film Festival. The festival, held for the 16th time in four decades, features a diverse selection of 190 movies from Turkey and around the world. The festival held its Honorary Awards ceremony Thursday night that recognized four notable names in Turkish film, director Omer Lutfi Akad, actress Filiz Akin, actor Yusuf Sezgin and composer Cahit Berkay for their great contributions to film sector. Of the many events at the Golden Boll Film Festival in Adana, one was the star attraction Thursday evening, drawing hundreds of attendees. Four important names in the Turkish film received honorary awards on an unforgettable night. This year, the awards were presented to one of the best-ever directors of Turkish film, Omer Lutfi Akad, along with actress Filiz Akin, actor Yusuf Sezgin and famous composer Cahit Berkay. At the award ceremony, short presentations were screened on the honorees' lives and careers. Three of the recipients appeared in person, all except for Mr. Akad, 93, who was not able to participate due to illness but sent a video message. He was loudly applauded and the video of the ovation will be sent to Mr. Akad so he can see how much his work is appreciated. Adana Gov. Ilhan AtI$, thanked all the participating artists, and before calling Ms. Akin onstage to receive her prize, he said Turkey needs more female role models. He added "Filiz Akin is an example for all Anatolian women. I am proud to present her award tonight.". The crowded ceremony continued with a concert by the legendary Turkish band Yeni Turku. The one-week festival was full of events that included local residents in different activities. One activity involved primary-school children who live in the slum areas of Adana and were taught how to shoot short films as part of a project aiming to boost their interest in film. A five-person group from Selcuk University's communication department, led by Associate Professor Aytekin Can, gave lessons to the children to teach them how to shoot a movie. The 23 young participants in the project, called "Children Tell About Children," became screenwriters, camera operators, set officers, actors and montage technicians. . The Adana event also saw the kick-off of a project that was a first for a Turkish festival, holding special film screenings for citizens with disabilities and prisoners. The film "White Angel" was used for an experimental technique that narrates what is happening in a movie for blind people. The 16th Golden Boll Film Festival also succeeded in involving nearly 100,000 students through the "Schools are in Movies - Movies are in Schools" program, which included 170 schools this year. A special selection of the festival's films were screened at schools with the necessary facilities, while students from other schools were transported to the movie venues. The festival ends Sunday, making this weekend viewers' last chance to see films, as well as the art exhibitions included in the festival program. * A historian and social anthropologist by training who has spent a quarter of her life as an expat, Sema Alpaytac is this year's only Turkish participant in NASA's Aerospace Institute taking place later this month. She hopes to use her experience to help enrich the lives of the expatriate teenagers she teaches in Istanbul as well as the community. She might not be the first Turkish woman to land on the moon, but for one Turkish language teacher to expatriate kids in Istanbul the chance to learn about space science at NASA's Aerospace Institute is close enough. Sema Alpaytac spends most of her time teaching 7th through 10th graders the finer mysteries of Turkish culture, history and language at the Istanbul International Community School. But when earlier this school year an email calling participants to NASA and the University of Central Florida's summer post-graduate level Aerospace Institute for teachers, she did not think twice. "Ironically that week I was teaching the kids about the history of Galata Tower and how Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi flew from the Galata Tower to Uskudar," she said describing how she filled in the application form. Hezerfan Ahmet Celebi is the legendary Ottoman scientists accomplished this flight around 1630. "I was teaching my kids about the people who have tried flying and what NASA is doing must be important because they're going all the way to the moon." The program she said, although geared more towards scientists, aims to raise awareness of NASA activities among teachers around the world. Ms. Alpaytac is the only Turk selected for the 10-day program sponsored by the U.S. State Department and held at the Kennedy Space Center in Orlando, Florida this year. The program is so rigorous that participants can opt for post-graduate credits and during the program there will be no time for sight seeing. Ms. Alpaytac, a historian and social anthropologist by training, has spent a quarter of her life away from Turkey. When she was a teenager her family moved to northern Cyprus and later she lived in England, adding up to 10 years living abroad as well as trotting around the globe from Paraguay to China. She said these experiences help her to sympathize with and be a better teacher to her expatriate teenaged students living in Turkey. From her personal experience, she said the best skill for acclimating to a new culture is the ability to be like a chameleon being willing to shed off your own or previous "color" and take on the one of your new environment. "If you are resistant to change and ignorant of social surrounding I don't think it's easy to be part of the community and be happy in that surrounding I think," she said. EXCHANGE RATE EXCHANGE RATE for the U.S. dollar in New Turkish Liras: 1.53 WEATHER High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather Ankara, in central Turkey----------: 79/59 Partly Cloudy Antalya, on the Mediterranean------: 84/72 Partly Cloudy Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey---: 81/64 Partly Cloudy Izmir, on the Aegean---------------: 88/73 Mostly Sunny Trabzon, on the Black Sea----------: 72/64 Heavy Showers Seawater temperatures Black Sea measured at Trabzon 68 Marmara Sea measured at Tekirdag 64 Aegean Sea measured at Izmir 70 Mediterranean Sea measured at Antalya 73 SPORTS * In the volleyball championships in men's Star League Besiktas became the champion after beating Halk Bankasi team. As you may recall, Besiktas soccer team also became the champion in the Turkish premier soccer league two weeks ago. * The Second Trabzon International BoxIng Tournament just ended. Boxers from Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Syria, Iran, Greece participated in the tournament. The Turkish team receive the first place with 20 points, followed by Georgia with 10 points. Azerbaijan got 8 points to become the third. Here are the champions in different weight categories: 48 kgs.: 1-Ferhat Pehlivan (Turkey) 2-Gladze Severyan (Georgia) 3-Ali Alanovi (Syria), Amir H?seyin (Iran) 51 kgs.: 1-Federkov Andrey (Russia) 2-Alkar ?zdemir (Turkey) 3-?mit Aky?z (Turkey), Seyfetinov Elk?n (Azerbaijan) 57 kgs.: 1-?etin ?zdemir (Turkey) 2-Kadridadze Tornike (Georgia) 3-Zeynelov El?in (Azerbaijan), Tirogiyonov Alek (Russia) 60 kgs.: 1-Fatih Keles (Turkey) 2-Bahseliyev Kamuran (Azerbaijan) 3-Mecidov Naim (Azerbaijan), Firoz Kator (Syria) 69 kgs.: 1-Akavov Artur (Estonia) 2-Abdullayev Nesat (Azerbaijan) 3-Gognidze Leri (Greece), Markilov Vlademir (Russia) Arti 91 kgs.: 1- Bahtitze Mehail (Georgia) 2-Behman Azizi (Iran) 3-Rahimov Fikret (Azerbaijan), Mustafa Ayvaz (Turkey) * In the arm wrestling competitions for the handicapped Turkish team got the second place in the European championships. The competitions took place in Bulgaria's capital Sofia between June 1st and 6th. The Turkish team was comprised of one woman and seven men. The team received a total of two gold, eight silver and two bronze medals. 60 kilo - Hatice Gunacti: 2 silver 60 kilo - Ferhat Cikmaz: 1 silver, 1 bronze 75 kilo - Murat Cirik: 1 silver, 1 bronze 75 kilo - Nurettin Yuksel: 1 silver 90 kilo - Celali Bulut: 1 silver 90 kilo - Mustafa Dinleyici: 1 gold, 1 silver 90 kilo - Sureyya Ayce: 1 gold, 1 silver * In the second world taekwondo championships taken place in the capital of Azerbaijan both the Turkish men's and women's teams goes to the quarterfinals. * After 39 years the world fencing championships will again take place in Turkey. The championships will be between September 30th and October 8th in Turkey's Mediterranean City of Antalya. 500 athletes from 155 countries are expected. ANNOUNCEMENTS *** One of our underwriters is the European Turkish Market of Burlingame. European Turkish Market is a family-owned-and-operated market in Burlingame, California, offering a large variety of international food and gift items for your needs. From succulent deli meats to enticing Turkish, and mediterranean foods, the market offers you a large selection of your favorite European items under one roof.Visit the European Turkish Market to find the perfect International food and gift item that you have been searching for. 1138 Chula Vista Avenue Burlingame, CA 94010-3502 Phone (650) 548-5386 On the www at : http://www.europeanturkishmarket.com Bugunki programimizin sizlere getirilmesinde European Turkish Market'in katkilari olmu$tur. Turkiye ve Akdenizden her tur bakkaliye ve hediyuelik e$yanin bulundugu market Burlingame'de, hemen broadwat chiki$indadir. Telefonlari ve adresleri: 1138 Chula Vista Avenue Burlingame, CA 94010-3502 (650) 548-5386 *** Turkish American Association of California is a non-profit charitable organization established to promote better understanding between Americans and Turks. If you have any questions about Turks and Turkey, e-mail them at taac@taaca.org *** Planning to go to Turkey? Take a look at our Web pages that are 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. San Francisco World TV Channel 29 Sundays at 9-10 A.M. *** Yore dance invites you to: Free Turkish Folkdance Classes. Sundays at 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM Shawl-Anderson Dance Center 2704 Alcatraz Ave., Berkeley CA 94705 Corner of College & Alcatraz Tuesdays at 8:00 PM - 10:30 PM {20090613trh.txt}