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x0x Turkish News for the week ending 29 April 2023
[This is a transcript of the news broadcast on 29 April 2023]
Courtesy of Turkish Radio Hour, producer of the
TURKISH CULTURAL PROGRAM, every Saturday from 2 P.M. to 4 P.M.
on KXSF: kxsf.fm/
or FM 102.5 in San Francisco
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xxx Ahmet Toprak Fuad Tokad.
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[Uzun İnternet adreslerini radyoda okumayın, şu duyuruyu yapın:
"Look at the news section of our website for more details. www.Turkradio.us".]
★ With only two weeks left for the Turkish presidential and general elections, the news is dominated by news of the rallies and dueling by politicians.
One important event was the falling ill of President Erdoğan on a live television program on Tuesday. He claimed that he had stomach flu.
VOA reports that Mr. Erdoğan kept canceling election rallies and other events for the third day.
Mr. Erdoğan governed Turkey for 20 years, first as a prime minister and then as the president with expanded powers. He is the candidate from the ruling coalition for a third term.
He is attending ceremonies for infrastructure projects with video links.
Recent polls show a slight lead for Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu, Mr. Erdoğan's main opponent in the elections.
★ According to VOA, Turkish authorities arrested four Kurdish journalists ahead of the elections. They appeared in court this week. The prosecutors accuse them of having ties to the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party.
Among the allegations against the journalists is that they are spreading Kurdistan Workers Party propaganda, providing financing, and recruiting people for the rebels.
Several international rights organizations, including Freedom House, the International Press Institute, and PEN International, have called on the Turkish authorities "to stop the systematic harassment and intimidation of Kurdish journalists, media workers, media outlets, the lawyers that defend them, and Kurdish political party officials, give them access to legal counsel, disclose full details of charges brought and to ensure their release from detention."
>> here <<
★ Speaking of Kurds, Selahattin Demirtaş, the jailed former leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, said from his prison cell that he will use influence to get the Kurdistan Workers Party to give up its armed resistance to Turkish rule if a new administration takes office in Turkey after parliamentary and presidential elections.
Demirtaş accused President Erdoğan of silencing and imprisoning those who seek peace. He also cited the removal of elected mayors and other officials from the People's Democratic Party in majority-Kurdish provinces of Turkey. He said that these fueled the conflict between Kurds and the Turkish state.
Demirtaş has been in prison since 2016, and Turkish authorities accuse him of being involved in terrorism.
★ VOA's Begüm Dönmez Ersöz wrote an article titled "Can Turkey's Elections Bring Reset to Troubled Relations With US?"
She wrote:
"Political analysts say with Turkey's ruling and opposition parties pledging to improve ties with the United States ahead of next month's national elections, there are hopeful signs for the bilateral relationship following years of tension."
She added:
"Relations between the U. S. and Turkey went into a downward spiral following a coup attempt in Turkey seven years ago. Ties worsened after NATO ally Turkey decided to purchase an S-400 surface-to-air missile system from Russia in 2019, triggering sanctions and its removal from the U. S.'s F-35 fighter jet program.
"Turkey was also upset by the partnership between the United States and the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, including the YPG fighting Islamic State rebels in Syria. Turkey views the YPG as an arm of the Kurdistan Workers Party, considered a terrorist group by Turkey and the U. S.
She added that the role Turkey played following Russia's invasion of Ukraine boosted Turkey's significance as a NATO ally, but it is lingering ties with Moscow continue to concern the United States.
The link to the full article is
>> here <<
★ According to Reuters, on Tuesday, the defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Iran, Russia, Syria, and Turkey held talks in Moscow as part of efforts to rebuild Turkey-Syria ties after years of animosity during the Syrian war.
Turkey and Russia described the talks as constructive,
Syria says normalization between the two countries will happen when Turkey pulls its troops out of northern Syria.
★ Deutsche Welle carried an article titled "Why many Turks in Germany still vote for Erdoğan."
Turkish citizens from all over the world will also take part. That's also true in Germany, which has the largest Turkish diaspora. According to a report on migration published five years ago by Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, around 2.8 million Turks live in Germany, and approximately half have Turkish citizenship.
Deutsche Welle adds: If the election were to take place in Germany, Erdoğan, and his Justice and Development party would enjoy a decisive victory.
Almost 63% of Turks living in Germany voted for Erdoğan's constitutional referendum in 2017, even though only 51% of Turks living in Turkey supported the measure.
Support for Erdoğan among Turks is not nearly as widespread in other foreign countries. In 2018, Erdoğan received just 17% of the votes from Turkish citizens living in the U. S., 21% from those living in the UK, 35% from those living in Iran, and 29% from those in Qatar.
Some Germans have been heavily criticizing the voting trends of Turks living in Germany. One of the points raised is that their preferences were contradictory: How could Turkish Germans vote for the Social Democrats or the Green Party in Germany, the argument goes, while simultaneously voting for the Islamic, conservative Justice and Development Party in Turkey?
Turkish nationals living in Germany started casting their votes for Turkey's presidential and parliamentary elections on Thursday.
★ According to Bianet, the Labor and Freedom Alliance, a coalition of left-wing political parties in Turkey, announced their support for Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Nation Alliance, in the upcoming elections.
Among the labor and freedom alliance is the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party, the third-largest in the Turkish parliament. It means that Kurds, making up the largest minority group in Turkey, will more likely vote for the opposition candidate Kılıçdaroğlu.
★ Yusuf Kılıç, A Turkish imam, has said that the ruling Justice and Development Party members called and asked him to convince the congregation of his mosque to attend President Erdoğan's rally in İzmir province.
Imam Kılıç said he refused the request because such an act would be "against the principle and purpose of this mosque."
★ According to the daily Duvar, on April 27, Turkey's Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu referred to the upcoming elections as the "West's political coup attempt" while speaking during a visit to an Islamic foundation.
In a separate incident on April 28, Mr. Soylu's bodyguards took journalist Filiz Gazi's ID card and phone after she asked the minister about his remarks deeming the election the "West's coup attempt." They then tried to delete the videos on the phone.
Mr. Soylu is a candidate for the Turkish parliament from the ruling Justice and Development Party.
★ According to Bianet, Turkey's Green Left Party is to offer free transportation for quake survivors to their hometowns so that they can vote in the upcoming elections.
The party is planning to lease buses for the purpose. It will also cover the living expenses of the voters.
The Green Left Party is also conducting a registration drive among the people displaced by the February earthquakes.
See a photograph in full-size and read the original article
>> here <<
★ According to the Turkish daily Duvar, Turkey's journalists' union claimed that the Reuters news agency would dispatch ten journalists to Turkey to break a strike.
The move came after Reuters employees in Turkey on April 26 announced that they would go on strike on May 10 following a disagreement on collective bargaining talks.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions' Ergün Atalay said they applied to the Labor and Social Security Ministry and asked them not to give temporary work permits to journalists Reuters is planning to bring.
★ Turkey's poverty threshold increased to 33,015 liras in April 2023, nearly four times the minimum wage (8,506 liras), data from the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions said, reports the Turkish daily Duvar.
The poverty line represents the amount required to feed a family of four adequately and healthfully, as well as to compensate for other essentials, including clothing, rent, energy, water, transportation, education, and healthcare.
The hunger threshold, the money needed to prevent a four-person family from being starved for an entire month, rose to 10,135 liras in April, surpassing the minimum wage again.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Edited by Saadet Ejder
★ An exhibition featuring 51 photographs of American photographer Steve McCurry
>> here <<, opened at the Istanbul Cinema Museum. McCurry, with his works documenting history, is considered one of the best visual artists of today,
McCurry is the owner of the photograph known as '"Afghan Girl: Sharbat Gula
>> here <<
featured on the June 1985 issue of the National Geographic cover with her piercing green eyes.
The Steve McCurry photography exhibition brings together some of the artist's best-known and remembered works shot in many different parts of the world over the past 30 years. Istanbul frames of the artist are also in this comprehensive exhibition for the first time.
In addition to the works photographed by the artist during his Istanbul trip in 2011, six previously unpublished frames, including that of renowned Turkish photographer Ara Güler, are also in the exhibition.
The Steve McCurry exhibition will be on through July 31.
★ According to the data compiled from the UK-based World Culture Score Index, India is where people read most books, followed by Thailand and China. The data, updated periodically, is based on research conducted in 2017.
The average time citizens spend reading per week is the basis for the index. In addition to printed books, the scores include other readable materials such as newspapers, magazines, and online written content.
In India, which is at the top of the list as the country with the most books in the world, each person reads an average of 10 hours and 42 minutes a week.
Other countries with the most books read on the list are:
- Philippines (7 hours 36 minutes),
- Egypt (7 hours 30 minutes),
- Czechia (7 hours 24 minutes),
- Sweden (7 hours 6 minutes),
- France (6 hours 54 minutes),
- Hungary ( 6 hours 48 minutes) and
- Saudi Arabia (6 hours 48 minutes).
Turkey ranks 18th on the list, with an average of 5 hours and 54 minutes of reading time per week.
★ The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the immortal novel of Victor Hugo, adapted to the stage by Italian writer and composer Richard Cocciante and French composer Luc Plamondon, will be on at Istanbul's Zorlu PSM Turkcell stage starting May 5.
Gilles Maheu will direct the show, Martino Müller is the choreographer, and there will be 30 actors.
The show will continue through May 23.
★ Istanbul's Grand Tarabya Hotel is starting Tarabya Concerts in collaboration with Project Culture.
In the first concert on Sunday, April 30, violinist Cihat Aşkın and pianist Cana Gürmen will come together.
Aşkın is one of Turkey's leading violin virtuosos and successfully represents Turkey in different parts of the world. Cana Gürmen has one of the most extensive repertoires in Turkey.
★ ENKA Auditorium had two plays on the stage. On April 26, the Orchestra Theatre group presented "A Soft Song," its second production.
Pity Propaganda Unit plays by the group Play Workshop was on stage on April 27.
★ The jury announced the finalists in the 6th Denizbank First Script First Film Competition.
Denizbank and TURSAK, Film and Audiovisual Culture Foundation, cooperate in organizing the competition. The goal is to support the development of screenwriting in Turkey. Every year hundreds of scenarios and projects participate in it.
In addition to financial rewards and morel boosting, the contestants also get to meet with experienced producers and screenwriters in workshop programs.
★ Akbank Short Film organizers announced the selections for the "Festival forum script competition" finalists and screening selection for the "Perspective."
Creating an effective platform in the field of short films in Turkey, over 2200 short films from 71 countries applied for the competition.
The festival will be in the Akbank Art building and online this year between May 2-12.
The preliminary selection committee announced eight scenarios as finalists.
★ The organizers extended the application deadline to June 16 for the IGART Art Projects Contest.
IGA, The operator of the Istanbul airport, organizes the competition.
It is the second year of the competition. This year, the goal is to bring together the cultural memory of Anatolian geography with the identity blended with Istanbul's culture and art.
The Istanbul Airport Art Competition is an international art competition organized by İGA to showcase artistic talent from around the world. The competition aims to transform Istanbul Airport into a cultural center by displaying unique works created by established and emerging artists.
The competition is open to artists of all nationalities and offers several categories, including painting, sculpture, and digital art.
The winners receive cash prizes and have their artwork displayed at Istanbul Airport.
>> here <<
★ Heritage Istanbul is an annual trade fair and exhibition in Istanbul, Turkey. The event focuses on cultural heritage, conservation, and restoration. It brings together industry professionals, academics, and enthusiasts of the world.
The organizers announced that the Heritage Istanbul this year will be between May 3-5.
Heritage Istanbul features a variety of exhibitors showcasing the latest products and services related to conservation and restoration, such as building materials, preservation equipment, and software. The event also includes educational seminars and workshops led by cultural heritage and restoration experts.
This year there will be 25 conferences, 17 heritage panel discussions, and 11 workshops. There will be over 120 participants, 32 from abroad. The countries represented are Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Nigeria, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Iran.
In addition, Heritage Istanbul provides a platform for networking and collaboration among professionals and organizations involved in cultural heritage preservation. The event aims to promote awareness and appreciation of cultural heritage and to foster sustainable development in the field.
More information on heritage Istanbul is
>> here <<
★ Although there are archaeological finds and undersea meadows in Turkey's Marmaris Karacasöğüt Bay, concerned citizens and experts revealed that the Ministry of Environment approved the port expansion project of MUÇEV and Global Marin companies.
Marmaris City Council and The Association of Underwater Exploration started a lawsuit in 2021 to stop the development.
Archaeologists conducting exploratory dives in the bay found numerous ancient finds. There are claims that authorities and the two companies involved knew about the archaeological remains but kept quiet about them.
★ There are claims that the final resting place of Noah's Ark is on Turkey's Mount Ararat in the Ağrı province.
Dosso Dossi Holding and Ağrı Governorship are collaborating to establish the Noah's Ark Museum in the area believed to be the remains of Noah's Ark in Telçeker village of Doğubayazıt district of Ağrı. Last week, they signed an agreement in a ceremony.
The museum will be at an altitude of 7000 feet. The building will be like Noah's Ark.
★ A Turkish Court decided to stay the execution of the lawsuit filed against the public beach project by the General Directorate of Investments and Businesses affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The project envisions the public beaches in two separate bays of Phaselis ancient city, a first-degree archaeological site.
Tuncay Koç, The lawyer for the lawsuit, pointed out that the decision of the Board dated October 13, 2022, which formed the basis of the project, was unlawful and was proven by the court decision, and said, "No one can dig in Phaselis at the moment, it is not legal."
Archaeologists point out that the bay is full of remains of the 2700-year-old ancient city.
Phaselis has three harbors: the "Northern Harbor," the "Battle Harbor," and the "Protected (Sun) Harbour," of which the last is the most important today. A 75-foot-wide ancient street runs through the middle of the city. The 'Hadrian Waterway Gate' is on the southern part of the street.
There are ruins of shops and stores on the sides of the street and public places such as Roman baths, agoras, and theaters. These structures date to the 2nd century BCE. There are water canals between the town center and the 220 ft plateau. There are also numerous sarcophagi.
★ According to Anatolia News Agency, after months of restoration and conservation, the historic Mother Mary Church in Turkey's central province of Nevşehir opened for visitors.
The Orthodox community in the region built the church in 1849. As part of the exchange of populations between Greece and the nascent Republic of Turkey in 1923, they left for Greece and abandoned the church. Between 1950 and 1983, Turkish authorities used the church as a jail.
Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry undertook the restoration work.
★ Italian authorities returned a stele [stiliy] from a tomb smuggled from Turkey to Italy, reports the Anatolia News Agency. The stele is from the ruins of the ancient city of Zeugma.
Turkey's embassy in Rome had a ceremony for the return of the stele. Attending were Major Emanuele Melelo, commander of the unit in Venice for protecting cultural heritage, and his team, Turkey's ambassador Ömer Gücük, and assistant director of Turkish museums Yahya Coşkun.
In his speech, Ambassador Güçlük said, "I would like to thank the Italian Gendarmerie for their cooperation with Turkey in this extradition process. I congratulate them for their fight against historical artifacts smuggling. Historical artifacts should be protected where they are," he said.
Italian Major Melelo stated that they are proud of the successful completion of their work in enabling the return home of cultural assets.
The stele is estimated to be 1800 years old. It says: "Goodbye Satornila, a spouse who loved her husband," and there is a woman's figure.
EXCHANGE RATE
EXCHANGE RATE for the U.S. dollar in Turkish Liras: 19.45
WEATHER
High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather
Ankara, in central Turkey : 54/34 Showers
Antalya, on the Mediterranean : 70/55 Partly Cloudy
Erzurum, in Eastern Turkey : 52/36 Showers
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey : 61/48 Partly Cloudy
Izmir, on the Aegean : 72/50 Partly Cloudy
Trabzon, on the Black Sea : 54/48 Showers
SPORTS
Edited by Ertuğrul Korkmaz
★
SOCCERPremier League
* Results for week: 29
Ümrani̇ye - Beşiktaş 0 - 2
Adana - Kayseri 5 - 3
G. Saray - K.gümrük 3 - 3
Kasımpaşa - Konya 1 - 2
Hatay - Ankaragücü 0 - 3
G. Antep - Alanya 0 - 3
Fenerbahçe - Istanbul 3 - 3
Antalya - Sivas 1 - 2
Giresun - Başakşehir 2 - 4
* In games played so far this weekend:
Alanya - Ümrani̇ye 1 - 0
Ankaragücü - Kasımpaşa 0 - 0
Sivas - Fenerbahçe 1 - 3
K.gümrük - Antalya 0 - 1
Konya - Trabzon 2 - 1
Beşiktaş - G. Saray -
Kayseri - G. Antep -
Başakşehir - Hatay -
Istanbul - Giresun -
* Standing in the league as of week ending 29
1 - G. Saray 70
2 - Fenerbahçe 64
3 - Beşiktaş 62
4 - Adana 57
5 - Başakşehir 48
6 - Trabzon 45
7 - Kayseri 45
8 - Konya 42
9 - K.gümrük 41
10 - Sivas 37
11 - Alanya 35
12 - Ankaragücü 34
13 - Antalya 33
14 - Kasımpaşa 33
15 - Istanbul 29
16 - Giresun 27
17 - G. Antep 25
18 - Ümrani̇ye 23
19 - Hatay 23
ANNOUNCEMENTS
[Saat 14:30 and 15:30 'da iki kez okuyun]
*** 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
*** Exhibition in Palo Alto
Last year, the Turkish American Association of Southern California and
Ataturk Kultur Merkezi jointly organized the first-ever Turkish handicrafts
exhibition – YADIGAR – in Los Angeles.
These sister organizations gracefully agreed to repeat this magnificent
exhibit at Palo Alto Art Museum in Palo Alto on Saturday, May 13.
The exhibition will feature a range of items such as bedspreads,
tablecloths, curtains, pillows, caftans, vests, shalwars, and more, made by
using unique techniques.
*** Azerbaijan Cultural Society of Northern California
Organizes many events throughout the year. Follow their activities through
their web pages, or subscribe to their e-mail list by sending an email to:
secretary@acsnc.org
acsnc.org/
Location:
Azerbaijan Cultural Society of Northern California
16400 Lark Ave., Suite 260
Los Gatos, CA 95032
*** Turkish schools in the Bay Area are starting:
There are currently three schools:
Los Altos, San Ramon and Berkeley
For more information on these schools, drop an email to
trh@turkradio.us.
HELLO THERE!
Our online school is starting in September. There are some innovations in
our new term program, which we will start in September 2022.
We have
prepared more enjoyable posts with your happy feedbacks from you.
> By the
principles of language learning; listening, speaking, reading, writing
activities
> Kitchen Workshop
> Anatolian Civilizations
> Interactive Games
> Periodic Projects
> Skill Workshops
> Our Holidays
> Bodily Activities
>
Traditional Music
> About This Day
See you in September, love...
*** Turkish Folk Dancing with TUFOD in the South Bay
*** Heart to Heart Anatolia
Providing scholarships and bringing people together while promoting Anatolian cultural values
Visit their pages at
h2ha.org/
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