Hürriyet
-- ‘Hyde Park Project’ for protesting students
Students have been invited to change their outdated style of protesting by the Chairman of Turkey’s High Education Council, or YÖK, Yusuf Ziya Özcan, who said YÖK has started a “Hyde Park Project” to address the issue, daily Hürriyet reported Tuesday.
“They are still using the methods of the 60s and 70s. I invite them to free areas so they can rightly spend their energies and develop their productivity in a non-violent way,” Özcan said, adding that some universities had tried to apply the Hyde Park method in the past and that YÖK wanted to extend this method throughout all Turkish universities.
Özcan has previously called for student protests to go through changes parallel to the changing world, he said. “Our aim is to keep students out of violent situations.” Students must use their productivity in a non-violent way and bring attention to their problems and requests without hurting themselves or violating others’ rights, Özcan said.
“We can make a difference if the youth’s energy is spent on social projects and other fields that would benefit the whole country,” he said.
Police organizations established regional meetings with university rectors and vice rectors at the beginning of the 2008-9 academic year following increased student protests, at which university authorities were encouraged to make areas available where students could gather and voice their concerns and demands. The police and gendarmerie would not be allowed to enter such areas.
Habertürk
-- Gender discrimination alleged on credit application
A woman in İzmir’s Bornova district has complained of gender discrimination after her application to the Bornova Social Cooperation Foundation for business establishment credit was denied, daily Habertürk reported Tuesday. Hayrünnisa Güneri, 45, requested 15,000 Turkish Liras along with a two-year grace period before repayment to open a cafeteria with her daughter. The officials interviewing Güneri prepared a report on the request and presented it to a 12-person committee, including the Bornova district governor. The committee examining the report allegedly declined Güneri’s request and told her, “As you are a woman, you cannot run a cafeteria.” Güneri wrote a petition to the district governor, Hakkı Uzun, and asked for the decision to be reconsidered. Bornova Social Cooperation Foundation head Hasan Özince told reporters the foundation declined to approve Güneri’s application on account of her gender, but they had to decline her offer in suitable language. “She wasn’t going to open the cafeteria for herself, but for her boyfriend. ... Were we going to give the credit to her boyfriend? They were sitting intimately in the park,” said Özince. “Without causing insult, we had to say, ‘We didn’t give you a credit because you are a woman.’” Uzun said there was credibility behind what Özince said, but added that what the latter had said was wrong and that such an excuse was unacceptable.
Zaman
-- High tension electricity cables allegedly cause miscarriage
The Konya Provincial Health Directorate launched an investigation after seven women miscarried in the Central Anatolian village of Hasanköy, daily Zaman reported Tuesday.
The directorate reportedly suspected that high tension electricity cables might have caused the miscarriages. According to reports, Ali Özbek, head of the district, said seven mothers who were all four months pregnant lost their babies for no explainable or apparent reason.
“My wife also lost her baby in the fourth month of the pregnancy,” Özbek said, adding that all the pregnant women had received check ups before their miscarriages, with nothing unusual reported.
Jule Esen, an obstetrician and general women’s health expert, said there is some research which supports the idea that high tension electricity cables could be the cause behind many miscarriages. Some tests conducted at Istanbul’s Yeditepe University recently indicated that the non-ionized electrical waves that emanate from cell phones and dryers could affect pregnant women adversely if they stayed too long in any environment where such discharges were high.
Sitting under high tension electricity cables for too long may cause miscarriages or learning difficulties and hyperactivity in children, she said. According to European standards, a house should be at least 150 meters away from any high tension electricity cable.
Vatan
-- Honor killing suspected in young girl’s death
A 16-year-old girl was apparently killed by her brother in the eastern province of Iğdır after running away to be with her boyfriend, daily Vatan reported Tuesday. Ahmet Ş. and his family, from Iğdır’s Aşağı Erhacı village, went to Hasançavuş village in Kars province to work as a shepherd last summer. His daughter Zelal Ş., 16, reportedly fell in love with one of the villagers, 25-year-old Fırat Y. When Ahmet Ş.’s contract as a seasonal worker expired, the family went back to their village. However, Zelal and Fırat Y. continued to see each other. Zelal Ş. ran away with her boyfriend after school one day. Afterwards, Ahmet Ş. filed a complaint about Fırat Y. According to reports, Ahmet Ş. asked Fırat Y. for 20,000 Turkish Liras to withdraw his complaint and allow the couple to marry. Fırat Y. reportedly found the “bride price” too high, and the couple went to the Arpacık police station, where Ahmet Ş. told his daughter he would organize a wedding for them. After the family returned to their house, Ahmet Ş. beat his daughter and locked her in her room. While Zelal Ş. was locked in her room, the family went to a wedding, reports said. Zelal Ş.’s 15-year-old brother, İ.Ş., allegedly left the wedding and stabbed his sister 21 times, according to reports. The teen’s body was sent to the Forensic Medicine Institute for an autopsy; her brother was jailed while an investigation proceeds.
From Anatolia News Agency:
HÜRRİYET
-- HISTORICAL DAY IN FENER
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç, who visited Fener-Greek Patriarchate, said he paid the visit to celebrate 2011 and wish health, welfare, happiness and success in the new year. Fener-Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew said they were expecting the seminary in Heybeliada to be opened.
-- THREE WEEKS OF MILITARY SERVICE FOR POLICE
Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek said, "We have prepared the draft law. The draft envisions that military service will be three weeks for Police Academy graduates, and six months for Police Vocational High School graduates."
-- INFLATION IN MINUS DIGITS, 0.21 PERCENT RISE IN SALARIES OF CIVIL SERVANTS
Inflation dropped 0.30 percent in consumer prices, and rose 1.31 percent in producer prices in December. It became 6.40 percent in consumer prices, and 8.87 percent in producer prices on annual base. When inflation rate remained under 6.5 percent target for annual base, the rise in salaries of civil servants became 0.21 percent.
MİLLİYET
-- BOEING LEAKS
The newly released WikiLeaks documents mention the Boeing purchases of Turkish Airlines. The document, which carries the signature of the then-U.S. Ambassador James Jeffrey, is dated January 19, 2010. According to the document, while talks between Turkey and the U.S. for purchase of 20 Boeing jets for the Turkish Airlines are still underway, Gül wrote a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama and requested that NASA send a Turkish astronaut to space. Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım implied that the astronaut request had to do with the commercial agreement.
Another document dated May 12, 2004, carries the signature of U.S. Ambassador Eric Edelman. A person who is not identified brought together former Finance Minister Kemal Unakıtan and Boeing. During negotiations, Unakıtan asked Boeing to make an unidentified Turkish businessman its Turkey representative. Boeing refused.
-- HOGTIE ASSASSINS AND MOBSTERS GO FREE
The enforcement of the article 102 of the Code of Criminal Procedures revealed how long trials can take. Hizbullah case suspects, who are charged with murdering 188 people, including writer Konca Kuriş and Mehmet Sincar, were released as the court did not give a verdict yet. Hizbullah members hogtied majority of their victims and buried them underground. Mobster Sedat Şahin, who is charged with six felonies including murder, was also released.
SABAH
-- JUDGE ORDERS LAST-MINUTE LIFE SENTENCE FOR TWO
A court in Turkey found two men guilty of being involved in the outlawed PKK organization, sentencing them to life in prison at the last minute on Dec. 30, just a day before an amendment to the country's criminal procedures law – entered into force on Dec. 31 – which would otherwise set the two men free. Süleyman Kaya and Faruk Menekşe have stood trial for the last 12 years at the court in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır. They would have been set free according to the provisions of the amendment which orders for the release of suspects who have stood trial with arrest for over five years.
-- GOOD NEWS FOR ECONOMY
Three basic indicators of Turkey's economy saw on Monday improvement with dropping inflation and interest rates and surging exports. Annual inflation decreased by 0.13 percent to 6.4 percent, 0.1 points lower than anticipated. The country's exports were up to 113.7 billion USD, to exceed a target of 111.7 billion USD for 2010. Interest rates saw a historic low at 7.04 percent.
VATAN
-- FROM GÜL TO OBAMA: TAKE US TO SPACE
A cable of the WikiLeaks website, which dates back to January 2010, described a meeting between Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım and U.S. Ambassador in Ankara James Jeffrey. Yıldırım asked NASA to take a Turkish astronaut to the space in a flight in return for Turkish Airlines' buying 20 jets from Boeing. The cable says Turkish President Abdullah Gül wrote a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama about the issue.
-- WE HOPE WE'LL BRING MESSI TOO
Turkey's Beşiktaş soccer club's President Yıldırım Demirören spoke assertively during the signature ceremonies of Simao, Almeida and Fernandes with the club. Demirören said, "When we talked about Quaresma, 90 percent of the press did not believe us. We hope we will bring Messi and Ronaldo too. Nothing is impossible in life. Belief is 50 percent of the success. We want to record the most important successes of Beşiktaş in Europe in the next season. These three players chose Turkey and Beşiktaş which is very important for Turkish football." 31-year-old Simao signed a 2.5-year, while Almeida signed a 3.5-year contract with Beşiktaş. Fernandes will play for six months.
CUMHURİYET
-- TURKISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER VISITS FENER GREEK PATRIARCH
Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç on Monday paid a visit to Istanbul-based Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew. "It is our duty to meet rightful demands of citizens living in this country," Arınç told reporters after his meeting with the patriarch. Bartholomew I said he conveyed a request for the reopening of an Orthodox seminary on Istanbul's Heybeliada.
-- TURKEY WISE COUNTRY, FM SAYS
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said Turkey will play a role of a wise country in its foreign policy in a bid to produce solutions to problems. "Turkey will no longer remain as a country which gives only reaction when a new order is established, but it will be a country to lay the foundations of that new order," Davutoğlu told Turkish ambassadors in a meeting in Ankara. "Turkey has the power to do that," he said.
RADİKAL
-- PLEASE, TAKE US TO SPACE
New cables released by WikiLeaks revealed that Ankara requested from Washington that NASA sent a Turkish astronaut to space in exchange for purchase of 20 Boeing jets by Turkish Airlines. The U.S. kindly rejected Turkey's request.
-- SPECIAL MILITARY SERVICE FOR POLICE OFFICERS
The government opened to signature the bill proposing shortened military service for policemen. Police Academy graduate officers, who had to serve for six months, will only serve for three weeks while high school graduate policemen who had to serve for 15 months will serve for six months, under the bill.
TÜRKİYE
-- TURKISH FM SAYS TURKEY'S DIPLOMACY WILL WORK TO SOLVE GLOBAL CRISES
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu elaborated on his vision of Turkish diplomacy during an Ankara meeting with his diplomats on Monday, saying that the country's foreign policy will work to engage and settle crises in the world. "Turkey is a wise country that foresees things before they happen. And our diplomats are fire fighters who produces solutions," Davutoğlu said. "If a new order is to be established, we should be the country to lay the first brick of that new order," he said.
-- INFLATION LOWEST IN 40 YEARS
Turkey's statistics authority, TurkStat, announced on Monday that annual inflation rate for 2010 stood at 6.4 percent, Turkey's lowest in 40 years. In December 2010, consumer prices index dropped 0.3 percent while producers’ prices rose 1.3 percent. In 1994, Turkey saw an inflation rate of as high as 125 percent.
ZAMAN
-- HIGHEST-LEVEL VISIT AFTER MENDERES TO PATRIARCHATE
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç visited Fener-Greek Patriarchate yesterday. He met with Fener-Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew. Arınç said, "I visited to celebrate his new year. I hope this would be a fortunate beginning." This was the highest-level visit after the one which was paid by former Prime Minister Adnan Menderes in 1952.
-- 3 WEEKS’ MILITARY SERVICE FOR POLICE ACADEMY GRADUATES
Good news, which police officers have been waiting for a long time, finally came. The government's draft law, which includes radical arrangements about military service terms of policemen, was approved in the Council of Ministers. When the draft becomes law, military service period of Police Academy graduates will drop to three weeks from six months, while it will drop to six months from 15 months for Police Vocational High School graduates. There are nearly 40,000 police officers whose time has come to make military service.
YENİ ŞAFAK
-- NEW VISION TO DIPLOMATS
In his address to 180 Turkish ambassadors in Ankara, Davutoğlu said, "If a new global order is to be built, Turkey will be one of the countries that lays the foundation of that order. We are strong enough to do that." Davutoğlu said Turkey would assume the "wise country" role in the term ahead.
He gave a new vision to Turkish diplomats who are often referred to as fire-fighters: "we will not contend with fire-fighters. We want to see our diplomats as city planners that prevent future fires."
-- DETENTION TIME FOR ORGANISED CRIMES IS 10 YEARS
Supreme Court put an end to the "release chaos" caused by the enforcement of the article 102 of the Code of Criminal Procedures. The 9th Chamber of the Court held that the detention time in organized crimes was 10 years, and decided for the release of certain detained culprits.
Supreme Court President Hasan Gerçeker said, "This is too long. It is unacceptable."
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