Tuesday, March 29, 2005

NBC Apologizes to Turkish Ambassador

NBC Apologizes to Turkish Ambassador

Television network NBC President Jeff Zucker apologized by letter to Turkey's Ambassador to Washington, Frank Logoglu, after broadcasting an inaccurate portrayal of Turkey in a recent episode of the show "West Wing".

The show portrayed Turkey to be a country ruled by Islamic law that had ordered the beheading of a woman for the crime of adultery.

Both Zucker and the executive producer of the show, John Well's, offered their apologies for the unflattering portrayal and worte that they had been misinformed about Turkey and its laws.

"In the future we will not only visit Turkey, a country that we admire, but also present a better and correct portrayal of your country." Zucker and Wells said in an attempt to correct the defamation.

Anyone that has traveled in the Middle East and Turkey, knows that there is no comparison between democratic-secular Turkey and countries ruled by Islamic law.

After NBC's episode many Turkish Americans and Turkish citizens living in the US started emailing, faxing and mailing the NBC and Turkish American Associations' offices.

President of "Assembly of Turkish American Associations" Vural Cengiz has published a message regarding NBC's The West Wing TV Show.

This message explains the events took place before NBC's apology:

Dear Members of the Turkish American Community:

Two weeks after Fox Television’s first episode of “24” defamed Turkey, Turkish companies, and Turkish Americans as supporters of terrorism, NBC’s “The West Wing” defamed Turkey and the ruling Justice and Development Party as executioners of women who have premarital sex.

The “West Wing” episode, “King Corn”, (NBC, January 26, 9am EST), takes place in the corn-growing state of Iowa and concerns a presidential campaign focused on farm subsidies, ethanol, and NAFTA. During the campaign, there arises an international crisis in which Turkey, having adopted Islamic laws under the leadership of the AKP, has convicted and ordered the execution by beheading of a woman, Karli, for having sex with her fiancée. The stated crime is adultery. The news, displaying a map of Turkey and the Turkish flag, adds that the execution will create difficulties for Turkey’s EU admission. Furthermore, the news states that despite the tragic situation of this Turkish woman, the US Administration places so much importance on Turkey’s alliance that it will continue to support Turkey.

A major theme in “King Corn” concerns how presidential candidates and their campaign managers must weigh between political expediency and moral obligations when campaigning. In order to gain corn farmer votes, one candidate supports a measure in violation of his conscience, as he believes the measure actually helps corporate interests rather than corn farmers. Another candidate obeys his conscience and speaks his mind to the farmers despite the risk of losing their support. The wife of the former, who is upset at the fact that her husband acted against his conscience, campaigns the rights of the “poor Turkish woman” and attempts to get her husband interested in the issue. But her husband is more interested in farmer votes than Turkish human rights.

John Wells Productions is in association with Warner Brother Studios. In “King Corn”, the Executive Producer was John Wells, Director Alex Graves, and Emmy award winning writer and creator Aaron Sorkin. Despite their credentials, it appears that these men either conducted no research or deliberately ignored the facts.

The ATAA Anti-Defamation Committee reported that the statements made in “King Corn” regarding Turkey and AKP are false, as there is no Islamic law, no crime of adultery, no crime of fornication, and no death penalty in Turkey. For over 80 years, the Turkish legal code has been based on European models: Swiss, French, Italian and German. AKP, listening to its few orthodox constituents, considered a law against adultery, and wisely decided against it. AKP never envisioned the death penalty for such a crime.

The Committee reported that the Wells team even got the crime wrong, citing adultery to describe sexual relations between two unmarried individuals. As there is no Turkish law on the matter, the Committee reviewed the closest law that could be found. Under Virginia law, which was repealed only days ago, adultery occurs when a married person has sex with a person to whom he or she is not married. Under the same law, premarital sex constitutes the ancient crime of fornication. If the Wells team wanted to be more persuasive in their misrepresentation, they might have fit the right crime to the facts they imagined.

Furthermore, the Committee reported that Turkey is an anti-death penalty country on paper and in practice. AKP removed the death penalty from the books, and prior ruling parties refused to use it. Indeed, the last execution in Turkey took place over twenty years ago regarding an Armenian ASALA terrorist who stormed Ankara International Airport and massacred 10, wounded 72 and executed an American hostage. During the same period, 948 have been executed in America, four since January 1, 2005 (www.deathpenaltyinfo.org). The method of execution in Turkey was hanging, as in the states of Washington and New Jersey, and never beheading, as in countries of France or Saudi Arabia.

The ATAA is communicating with NBC, Wells Productions, Warner Brothers and the sponsors, with the objective to arrest the defamation and obtain relief.

Sincerely,

Vural Cengiz
President, ATAA
Assembly of Turkish American Associations

For more news about Turkey, please visit our Turkish News Category.

Sunday, March 27, 2005

Swedish Company Buys Turkcell

Turkcell Logo

Swedish Mobile Phone Company TeliaSonera, based in Stockholm, agreed to pay $3.1 billion in cash for control of Turkey's largest cellular operator as it taps emerging markets to counter slowing growth at home.

TeliaSonera already controls a 37.09% stake in Turkcell and has been in determined pursuit of a controlling stake in the Turkish operator for over a year.

"It's the ambition of TeliaSonera to find ways to increase our ownership stake in Turkcell to a controlling stake," Samppa Seppala, vice president of communications at TeliaSonera International said last year.


Turkcell Facility
Cukurova currently holds a 42% stake in Turkcell and if TeliaSonera’s offer were successfully concluded, this would fall to 15%, while TeliaSonera’s stake would rise to 64.09%. A further 14.74% of Turkcell is publicly floated on the stock exchange, while 6.07% is held by M.V. Group.

Last year, Cukurova lost control of its stake in Turkcell temporarily following the seizure by the Turkish government of a large portion of the stake as security for US$6.2 billion in debt owed by two Cukurova-owned banks to the state. The debt was subsequently restructured and control of its entire equity position in Turkcell was reinstated to Cukurova.

Turkcell in the meantime counted over 23 million subscribers at the beginning of this year and has announced the deployment of EDGE in its network.

Turkcell's Official Website: http://www.turkcell.com.tr/

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Cem Yilmaz

Cem Yilmaz

Cem Yilmaz was born in 1973 in Istanbul, Turkey. He started drawing comic strips for Leman Magazine in 1992.

Since 1995 he has been performing his own stand up show. Cem Yilmaz has performed over 2500 one man stand up comedy shows during these 10 years.

Cem Yilmaz CMYLMZ Poster

Cem Yilmaz has still been performing in his stand up show called "CMYLMZ" in Istanbul and his show visits different cities and countries time to time.

He has played in several commercials since 1996 and companies are willing to pay him millions of dollars for commercials and campaigns.

Cem Yilmaz is accepted as one of the best entertainers in Turkish history, and his audience ranges from little kids to grandparents.

After his big success in stand up shows and commercials, Cem Yilmaz has started playing in the movies. His first movie was in 1998 and all the movies he has played in broke the box office records.

Cem Yilmaz Filmography

Cem Yilmaz G.O.R.A. Poster

Turkish Bread

Turkish Bread

Turkish Bread "Ekmek" is a necessity in Turkish Culture and household. It is usually made two or three times a day by bakeries. You have to eat fresh Turkish Bread and usually it is fresh up to 24 hours.

Turkish bread is an important part of Turkish breakfast and usually served sliced, fresh, and warm along with Turkish tea.

Turkish Bread History

The bakers of the Ottoman period believed that after his expulsion from the Garden of Eden, Adam, the Patron Saint of Bakers, learned how to make bread from the Archangel Gabriel.

Turkish Bread Machine

The secret is still held dear by present-day Turkish bakers. No other bread tastes like everyday Turkish bread. The only similar taste to Turkish Bread's is French bread, but Turkish Bread's original taste is hard to fine in other countries.

This glorious food is enjoyed in large quantities and is loved by all, rich and poor, simple and sophisticated. Every neighborhood has a bread bakery that produces the golden, crisp loaves twice a day, morning and afternoon, filling the streets with their irresistible and wholesome aroma.

People pick up a few loaves on their way home from work, and end up eating the crisp ends by the time they get there. Turkish Bread is known as "Poor People's Friend" since it is cheap, and gives the feeling of "fullness" easily.

Turkish Bread Recipe

Turkish Bread Recipe uses a starter which ferments for 4 days. Using a pizza stone to bake the loaves on would be your best option but if you've no pizza stone, cookie sheets will work also. The recipe seems complicated, but it's a lot easier than it appears."

Turkish Bread Bakery

Original recipe yield: 2 loaves.

Turkish Bread Recipe Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups bread flour, divided
  • 3/4 cup water, divided
  • 5 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
  • 6 cups bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Turkish Bread Recipe Directions

  • To make the starter: Place 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water in a coverable bowl; stir well. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight. The next day, add 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water to the bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight. On the third day, add 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water to the bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.
  • To make the dough: In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
  • Break the starter into small pieces and add it to the yeast mixture. Stir in 4 cups of flour and the salt. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough and then cover it with a dry cloth. Let it raise until double in size.
  • Put the dough back onto a lightly floured work surface and punch out the air. Divide the dough in half and knead each piece for 2 to 3 minutes. Shape each piece into a tight oval loaf. Sprinkle two sheet pans with corn meal. Roll and stretch two loaf until they are 15x12 inch ovals. Dust the tops of the loaves with flour. Cover with a dry cloth and let raise in a warm place until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  • Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Mist with water 3 times in the first 15 minutes. Loaves are done when their bottoms sound hollow when tapped. Let cool on wire racks before serving.

Turkish Bread Recipe is from www.allrecipes.com

I hope you will like the taste of Turkish Bread . Enjoy "Afiyet Olsun" !

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Buying Property In Turkey

Buying Property in Turkey

Turkey is the bridge between Europe and Asia, surrounded with four seas, and a place where you can see the history meeting modern world.

Buying Property In Turkey

Turkey is the new up-and-coming leisure and second home destination of Europe with very attractive Property prices.

Buying a property in Turkey has become more profitable as Turkey has already been given a date for negotiations on EU membership, now is the time either to invest for your future or secure your retirement to live in an unspoilt environment at relatively low cost.

Every year many more EU and American citizens are settling down in Turkey for a better living. Living cost in Turkey is way lower than almost all of European countries, and natural beauty of the country is another reason for buying a property in Turkey.

Since Turkey has been given the date of October 2005 to start negotiations to become a EU member, you will be able to double and even triple your investment within a few years. Real estate prices are still very attractive in comparison with EU countries.

And with the last changes in the regulations on property ownership for foreign citizens, buying a property is a lot simpler now and living cost is incomparably cheap compared to the majority of European countries.


Buying Property in Turkey - Bosphorus, Yali


When buying a property in Turkey you will see the stunning historical architecture showing itself. Turkey had world's some of the most famous architects such as Mimar Sinan.

Buying Property in Turkey - Bosphorus, Istanbul

Advantages of Buying a Property in Turkey

  • Stunning historical architecture
  • Low living cost
  • Great weather (almost 300 sunny days)
  • Very reasonable property prices
  • Smart investment
  • Turkish Hospitality
  • Living in a community full of culture and history
Mansion - Bosphorus, Istanbul


Historical Building

President of Turkey Ahmet Necdet Sezer

Ahmet Necdet Sezer - President of Turkey

Ahmet Necdet Sezer was born on 13 September 1941 in Afyon. He graduated from Afyon High School in 1958.

He graduated from the Ankara University Faculty of Law in 1962 and began his career as a judge in Ankara. Following his military service at the Military Academy, he served first as a judge in Dicle and Yerköy, and later as a supervisory judge in the High Court of Appeals in Ankara. In 1978 he received LL.M. in civil law in Ankara University Faculty of Law.

On 7 March 1983, he was elected as a member to the High Court of Appeals. As he was a member in the Second Chamber of Law, Sezer was recommended to the president by the plenary assembly of the High Court of Appeals among the three candidates for appointment as member of the Constitutional Court. On 27 September 1988, he was appointed by the president as member of the Constitutional Court. On 6 January 1998, he was elected chief justice of the Constitutional Court.

Ahmet Necdet Sezer was elected as the tenth president by the Turkish Grand National Assembly on 5 May 2000 and assumed his duties on 16 May 2000. President Sezer married Semra in 1964 and has three children.

Recent International News: President of Turkey Ahmet Necdet Sezer

Official Website Presidency of the Republic Turkey

Monday, March 21, 2005

The Bride Turkish Film

THE BRIDE (Gelin) at Boston Turkish Film Festival

The Bride - Boston Turkish Film Festival

The Bride, which depicts the struggles of a migrant Anatolian family to adapt to and survive in the very different conditions of urban Istanbul, is one of the best presentations of internal migration in Turkish cinema. It is also the first, and most accomplished film in Ömer Lütfi Akad's celebrated trilogy, which with The Wedding (Dügün, 1973) and Blood Money (Diyet) has earned a respected place in world cinema for its thematic unity.

The Bride masterfully exposes the evolution of 'little Anatolia' in Istanbul, a phenomenon that would go on to acquire far larger dimensions.The streets of Istanbul are paved with gold - or so people believe…

The Bride portrays the migrant mentality with disarming realism: the unfaltering determination to build a 'present' and 'future' in the big city, even if that means selling everything back home. And the exceptional performance of Hülya Koçyigit in the role of Meryem reinforces the pathos.

Here is a film of 'one-way' journeys: we see the young Meryem lose her ailing son as life grows ever harsher; we follow her to the local factory, where she eventually signs on; we watch parallel developments in the family she married into. And their respective odysseys are central to the 'great leaps forward' of Turkish cinema at the beginning of the 1970s.

  • Directed by Omer Lutfi Akad
  • Cast: Hulya Kocyigit, Kerem Yilmazer, Kahraman Kiral, Ali Sen, Aliye Rona, Kamuran Usluer, Nazan Adali, Seden Kiziltunc
  • 1973, 97 minutes
  • In Turkish with English subtitles
  • Festivals and Awards: Best Film, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor Awards in the Golden Cocoon (Altin Koza) Film Festival, Adana, Turkey
  • Saturday, April 2, 11:00 am

About the Director: Omer Lutfi Akad

Omer Lutfi Akad

Born in 1916. He studied Economics. After working in the banking sector as production chief and accountant, he debuted as film director with Kill the Whore (1949).

With his films, he established a unique style for Turkish cinema and became one of the pioneers of the period called Directors' Generation. In the seventies he realized the famous trilogy The Bride / The Wedding / The Sacrifice which is considered his masterpiece.

Afterwards, forced by the unfavorable conditions, he withdrew from the cinema. He directed some adaptations for TV. He taught at the Cinema and TV Institute of the Mimar Sinan University.

Visit our Boston Turkish Film Festival Page for more films and festival information.

Here is detailed information about movies, and also Boston Turkish Film Festival program:

For more information about the festival and other movies, please visit http://www.bostonturkishfilmfestival.org/

The Girl With The Red Scarf Turkish Film

THE GIRL WITH THE RED SCARF (Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalim)

The Girl with the Red Scarf - Boston Turkish Film Festival

A classic and endlessly watchable love story that never dates… Inspired by the novel of acclaimed Soviet writer Cengiz Aytmatov, Atif Yilmaz adapts one of history's greatest love stories to the screen with the greatest finesse. It is said, in fact, that the French poet Aragon described The Girl With The Red Scarf as "the world's greatest love story".

We begin by being lured into the captivating world of Ilyas, a truck driver who delivers sand to a dam construction, his newly acquired wife Asya and their young son Samet. But the legendary love affair between Asya and Ilyas is soon shaken by jealousy, an alcohol habit and extra-marital affair. Ilyas, who genuinely loves his wife but is hampered by an ever weakening character, ends up walking out when job-related problems come to a head. The helpless Asya is left with their son to cope alone. She waits patiently for her husband to return… Until she runs into Cemsit, a sympathetic figure who Samet soon begins to identify as his father. When she finally surrenders to his affections, life takes on an entirely new hue.

But then, years later, Ilyas suddenly appears from nowhere, demanding his wife and child back. His arrival rekindles the questions that have preoccupied hearts and minds since time immemorial. What is love? What makes a lover? What makes a spouse? What makes a father?... And which is harder: to go back or not to go back?

The Girl With The Red Scarf stands out for its brilliant casting, the polished performances of its three leads, Türkan Soray, Kadir Inanir and Ahmet Mekin, the refined direction of Atif Yilmaz and highly effective score of Cahit Berkay. Be warned: this is a film that plays mercilessly on the heartstrings.

  • Directed by Atif Yilmaz
  • Cast: Turkan Soray, Kadir Inanir, Ahmet Mekin, Nurhan Nur, Hulya Tuglu
  • 1977, 90 minutes
  • In Turkish with English subtitles
  • Festivals and Awards: Best Director, Best Cinematography, Second Film Awards, Golden Orange Film Festival, Antalya . Best Actress Award, Tashkent Film Festival.
  • Friday, April 1, 8:00 pm

About the Director: Atif Yilmaz

Atif Yilmaz

Born in 1926 in Mersin, He studied Law and Fine Arts in Istanbul University. After working as a film critic, scriptwriter and assistant director, he made his first film The Bloody Cry in 1951.

He has directed about 120 films over a period of 50 years.

He has won national and international awards and his films have been screened in retrospectives in various international festivals.

Visit our Boston Turkish Film Festival Page for more films and festival information.

Here is detailed information about movies, and also Boston Turkish Film Festival program:

For more information about the festival and other movies, please visit http://www.bostonturkishfilmfestival.org/

Dry Summer Turkish Film

DRY SUMMER (Susuz Yaz) at Boston Turkish Film Festival

Dry Summer - Boston Turkish Film Festival

Dry Summer, a village story whose source is the struggle over land and water, is one of the most stunning examples of the clash between good and evil in the Turkish Cinema. Repeating the success he achieved with The Revenge of the Snakes, a Fakir Baykurt adaptation shot in 1962, in Dry Summer, Metin Erksan shows the confrontation between two brothers, Osman and Hasan.

Osman surrounds the water that springs from their lands with barriers to prevent the village from using it. Being a good man, Hasan argues that the others should also use the water. Confessing a murder actually committed by his brother, Hasan is convicted and sent to jail. After his release he learns that Osman used deception to take away his wife and marry her. Hasan loses control. In the ensuing fight, he drowns Osman in the water and then clears away the barriers.

One of the best examples of the social realism that first appeared in Turkish Cinema in the early 60's, Dry Summer, due to its success in portraying the sexuality of rural areas and its ingenuity in handling erotic elements, earns a special place in our film history. One should also emphasize that the film marked the rise of Hülya Koçyigit's career.

  • Directed by Metin Erksan
  • Cast: Hulya Kocyigit, Ulvi Dogan, Erol Tas, Hakki Haktan, Yavuz Yalinkilic, Zeki Tuney
  • 1964, 90 minutes. Black & White.
  • In Turkish with English subtitles
  • Festivals and Awards: Golden Bear, Berlin Film Festival
  • Friday, April 1, 6:15 pm

About the Director: Metin Erksan

Metin Erksan - Dry Summer

Metin Erksan worked as a cinema critic in various newspapers and magazines. He graduated from the Department of History of Art in Istanbul University.

In 1952, he directed his first film, The Life of Poet Veysel written by Bedri Rahmi Eyuboglu. He directed social realistic films such as Beyond the Nights, The Revenge of the Snakes, Bitter Life and created his own style in his later films such as Dry Summer, Time to Love, and The Well.

He won the Golden Bear with Dry Summer in Berlin Film Festival in 1964 and became a pioneer in the recognition of Turkish cinema abroad.

Dry Summer will be one of the Ten Best Turkish Films which will be featured at Boston Turkish Film Festival.

Visit our Boston Turkish Film Festival Page for more films and festival information.

Here is detailed information about movies, and also Boston Turkish Film Festival program:

For more information about the festival and other movies, please visit http://www.bostonturkishfilmfestival.org/

Boston Turkish Film Festival

Boston Turkish Film Festival

Boston Turkish Film Festival will be held between April 1 and April 10 2005 this year. 10 Best Turkish Movies of all time will be featured at 4th Boston Turkish Film Festival.

In addition to the Ten Best Turkish Films, young director Reha Erdem's latest feature "What's a Human Anyway?" will be screened in the festival.

These Ten Best Turkish Films were chosen as a result of a poll conducted by the Ankara Cinema Association. These films were remastered and English subtitled. Their first collective world screening took place at the 39th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Here is detailed information about movies, and also Boston Turkish Film Festival program:

For more information about the festival and other movies, please visit http://www.bostonturkishfilmfestival.org/

Sunday, March 20, 2005

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is considered a unique monument in world architecture, and it’s magnificence and functionality has been a good example in construction of countless Ottoman mosques.

Hagia Sophia with its exceptional history constitutes a synthesis between east and west. This monument is one of the wonders of the world that has remained intact until the present day. One can find many attractions in Hagia Sophia – interesting forms of Byzantine architecture, mosaics of the Christian period as well as structures added during the Ottoman era.

Hagia Sophia has been a Christian place of worship for 916 years, then converted into a mosque and served Muslims for 481 years. Hagia Sophia Museum was opened in 1935 and ever since it has been attracting thousands of visitors every year.

According to Byzantine historians (Theophanes, Nikephoros, Grammarian Leon) the first building of Hagia Sophia church was established during the reign of Constantius I (324 – 337 AD). It was a basilica with a wooden roof, and it was burned down during a revolt. Nowadays there is no evidence of this structure.

Hagia Sophia
During the reign of emperor Theodosius, Hagia Sophia was built for the second time and opened to the public in 415 AD. The basilica was again burned down during the Nika Revolt in 532 AD. Some ruins of this building were discovered during excavations in 1936. There were stairs indicating the entrance of the building, columns, capitals and other fragments of the building.

Emperor Justinian (527 – 565 AD) wanted to build a church bigger than two previous ones, which would represent the power and magnificence of empire. The new building of Hagia Sophia was made by two famous architects of that era – Isidoros from Miletos and Anthemios of Tralles. Many columns, capitals, marble and colourful stone were brought to Istanbul from various ancient cities in Anatolia and used in construction works of Hagia Sophia.

Hagia Sophia Interior
The works were commenced on December 23, 532 AD and completed on December 27, 537. The new building consisted of a large central nave and two side aisles, separated by columns, apse, inner and outer narthex. The size of the inner space of basilica is 100 X 70m and it is covered by the magnificent dome (diameter 30.31 m), supported by the four large piers, 55 m high.

Besides the unique architecture of the building, the mosaics are also important artefacts of the period. The oldest mosaics – gold gilded with geometrical and floral designs - may be found in the inner narthex as well as in side naves. Figural mosaics (with images of Jesus Christ, Virgine Maria etc.) from 9th – 12th centuries are located on Emperor Door, apse, exit doors and upstairs gallery.

After the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, the so-called “Turkish period” started, and several repairs were made in Hagia Sophia. The art works surrounding the mihrab includes the best samples of Turkish pottery and calligraphy. The sure is taken from the Koran inscribed on rounded plates of 7.50 m diameter by Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi, a famous Ottoman calligrapher. The names of Allah, Muhammed, Ömer, Osman, Ali, Hasan, Ebu Bekir and Hüseyin are inscribed there. On the sidewalls of mihrab there are plates written and granted by Ottoman sultans.

Tombs of Sultan Selim II, Sultan Mehmet III, Sultan Murat III as well as some of their relatives, fountain of Sultan Mahmut I, primary school, soup kitchen, library, Sultan Abdülmecit's meeting place and the mosque timekeeper’s (astronomer’s) house may be found in the territory of Hagia Sophia Museum. All of the above mentioned objects, especially the tombs with their interior design, pottery and architecture are excellent examples of Ottoman tradition.

Hagia Sophia Architecture is still accepted as one of the best architectures in the world history by many architects.

2 Hagia Sophia lithograph from the album by the Fossati brothers,
Aya Sofia Constantinople, London 1852

Hagia Sophia Fossati Brothers

Hagia Sophia Fossati Brothers

Websites for more information about Hagia Sophia :

Contact Information for Hagia Sophia Museum:

Hagia Sophia Museum
Sultanahmet 34400Istanbul, Turkey
Phone: +90 212 5221750 - +90 212 5220989
Fax: +90 212 5125474

More About Hagia Sophia

Orhan Pamuk

Orhan Pamuk

Orhan Pamuk was born in Istanbul in 1952 and has spent all his life there, except three years in New York City. After attending the architecture program in Istanbul Technical University for three years, he finished the Institute of Journalism at the Istanbul University. Orhan Pamuk started writing at the age of 22.

Success didn't come at once and he had to rely on his father for financial help. Early naturalistic novels gave way to more postmodern, tricky works, and his breakthrough came in 1994 when his fourth novel, New Life, became a bestseller.

Orhan Pamuk is now the author of seven novels and the recipient of major Turkish and international literary awards. He is one of Europe's most prominent novelists, and his work has been translated into twenty-six languages. My Name is Red won the 2003 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

He lives in Istanbul, Turkey.

Orhan Pamuk Bibliography :

  • Cevdet Bey and His Sons (1982)
  • The Silent House (1983)
  • The White Castle (1985; 1991)
  • The Black Book (1990; 1995)
  • The New Life (1995; 1997)
  • My Name is Red (August 2001)
  • Snow (August 2004)

Reviews, Articles and Interviews about Orhan Pamuk :

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Turkish Professor Yahya Sagliker Success Story

Eric Edelman

Turkish MD, Professor Yahya Sagliker's latest publication has been entered to Medical Literature as "Sagliker Syndrome". Sagliker has spent 5 years working on this project, and also funded his own project.

Sagliker Syndrome announced as in "PubMed National Library of Medicine'den Abstract" :

Uglifying human face appearance in late and severe secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic renal failure.

Sagliker's summary of "Sagliker Syndrome" from PubMed National Library of Medicine Abstract:

Almost every patient with chronic renal failure (CRF) eventually develops secondary hyperparathyroidism (SH) unless they are treated with proper and novel medications in advanced medical centers by skilled medical personnel. Every kind of bone abnormality including skull deformities has been described in detail by almost every concerned researcher and textbook, but descriptions of this phenomenon are limited in the medical literature to the years from 1973 to 1977.

To our knowledge, extensive data regarding uglifying human face appearances have not been defined so far in the literature. We are therefore making this addition to the clinical nephrology field by accumulating such data. After we found 2 consecutive peculiar and unique patients with uglifying human face appearances in 2000, we attempted to inform and draw attention to this new entity to all hemodialysis (HD) centers in Turkey, as well as in other developing countries around the world to collect data on this phenomenon.

Accordingly, we visited dialysis centers and patients' houses to collect detailed information, including medical clinical histories, physical examinations, laboratory data, biographies, current medications, and so forth.

We found 25 patients who had CRF, SH, short stature, extremely severe skull changes, maxillary and mandibular bone changes, teeth/dental abnormalities, and soft and innocuous tumoral tissues in the mouth (hence, uglifying the appearance of the face), fingertip changes, severe psychologic problems, and depression.

It appears that patients with CRF may have a new syndrome of bone deformities that have long been neglected, ignored, and forgotten since the mid-1970s when they were first described.

This is vital and critical information for the clinical status of patients who suffered from the syndrome that we have named Sagliker syndrome (SS), and we believe there are many more patients in the world who are suffering from it.

Sagliker's Project Team:

Sagliker Y, Balal M, Sagliker Ozkaynak P, Paydas S, Sagliker C, Sabit Sagliker H, Kiralp N, Mumin Adam S, Tuncer I, Gonlusen G, Esenturk M, Gocmez E, Taskapan H, Yeksan M, Kobaner E, Ozkaya O, Yuksekgonul M, Emir I, Cengiz N, Onder Isik I, Bilginer O, Guler T, Yakar H, Sarsmaz N, Dilaver S, Akoglu B, Basgumus M, Chirik E.

You can review Sagliker Syndrome Entry at PubMed National Library of Medicine.

Eric Edelman US Ambassador to Turkey Resigns

Eric Edelman

US Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman has resigned from both his post in Ankara and the US foreign service, a American embassy official said Friday.

Edelman sent his letter of resignation to President George W. Bush last week and will be leaving Turkey at the end of June, the official told AFP.

"This is a personal decision. It has nothing to do with Turkish-US relations and what was happening here in Turkey," he said.

He was referring to a period of unusual coolness in Turkish-US ties.

Edelman, who was named US ambassador to Turkey in July 2003, has yet to decide whether to take up a post at another government agency or to go into the private sector, the official said.

Edelman, a career diplomat, recently drew criticism when he implicitly expressed displeasure at a planned visit to Syria next month by Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

The president said Tuesday that he would go ahead with the visit, while critics denounced Edelman's remarks as interference in Turkish affairs, some going so far as to call on the government to declare him persona non grata.

Turkish-US relations have been strained since the Turkish parliament, just before the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, stunned its long-standing NATO ally by denying it access to Turkish territory to open a northern front.

Washington is also concerned that anti-American feelings are on the rise in Turkey, a Muslim nation with a strictly secular system which the United States says it values as a model of coexistence between democracy and Islam.

Biography of Eric Steven Edelman (From U.S. Embassy Ankara, Turkey website)

On July 22, 2003, Vice President Richard B. Cheney administered the oath of office to Ambassador Eric Edelman as the new Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey. From February 2001 to June 2003, he was Principal Deputy Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs. Prior to being assigned to the Office of the Vice President, he was Ambassador to the Republic of Finland, 1998-2001. From June 1996 to July 1998, he served as Executive Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State. Mr. Edelman was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy, Prague, Czech Republic, from June 1994 to June 1996.

From April 1993 to July 1993, he served as Deputy to the Ambassador-at-Large and Special Advisor to the Secretary of State on the New Independent States. Mr Edelman’s areas of responsibility were defense, security and space issues.

Mr. Edelman served as Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Soviet and East European Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) from April 1990 to April 1993.

From April 1989 to March 1990, he was Special Assistant (European Affairs) to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.

Mr. Edelman served at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow 1987-89, where he was head of the external political section. He had responsibility for Soviet policies in the third world in the Office of Soviet Affairs at the Department of State from 1984 to 1986.

Previously, Mr. Edelman served as Special Assistant to Secretary of State George P. Shultz, 1982-84; a staff officer on the Secretariat Staff, 1982; a watch officer in the State Department Operations Center 1981-82; and a member of the U.S. Middle East Delegation to the West Bank/Gaza Autonomy Talks Delegations, 1980-81.

A career Foreign Service Officer, Mr. Edelman entered the Senior Foreign Service in 1992. He is a recipient of the Secretary of Defense’s award for Distinguished Civilian Service (1993) and the State Department’s Superior Honor Award (1990 and 1996).

Mr. Edelman received a B.A. in History and Government from Cornell University in 1972, and a Ph.D. in U.S. Diplomatic History from Yale University in 1981.

Ambassador Edelman is married to the former Patricia Davis and they have four children, Alexander, Stephanie, Terence and Robert.

For more news about Turkey, please visit our Turkish News Category.

Friday, March 18, 2005

Turkish Newspapers

We have created a categorized list of Turkish Newspapers :

National Daily Turkish Newspapers

Turkish Newspapers Published in English

Electronic (Online) Turkish Newspapers


We have reviewed every newspaper before adding to our list. If you have any other Turkish Newspapers to add to our list, please send it as a comment, then we will review and add it to our Turkish Newspapers list.

New Turkish Lira

Old Turkish Lira (Türk Lirasi "TL") has been replaced by New Turkish Lira (Yeni Türk Lirası "YTL") on January 1, 2005. The New Turkish Lira is equivalent to one million (old) Turkish Liras (TL). In other words, six zeros have been dropped from the old TL to make the YTL. Other than this, the Turkish currency was not revalued or devalued.

In other words, a product which cost you 1 million Turkish Liras (1,000,000 TL) will cost you 1 YTL (Yeni Lira) with the new currency.

Why did Turkish Government decide to change the currency to New Turkish Lira ?
  • High inflationary process, which started in Turkey in 70s, had led to the expression of economic values in terms of billions, trillions and even quadrillions.
  • Cash demand in economy was met by new banknotes in larger denominations that were put to circulation almost every 2 years since 1981.
  • Figures with many zeros lead to problems in accounting and statistical records, IT, payment systems and transactions at the cashiers office.
  • Many countries(49) deleted zeros from their currency but so far Turkey did not. A few examples: Brazil deleted 18 zeros in 6 operations; Argentina: 13 zeros in 4 operations; Israel: 9 zeros in 4 operations; Poland: 4 zeros and Greece: 3 zeros in one operation.
  • In conclusion, YTL process has been a technical necessity.

Resource: Can Okay, London Representative, Central Bank of Turkey

Below is a sample of Old Turkish Lira Bills:

Old Turkish Lira

And some New Turkish Lira Bills :

1 New Turkish Lira (1 YTL)

New Turkish Lira

5 New Turkish Lira (5 YTL)

New Turkish Lira

10 New Turkish Lira (10 YTL)

New Turkish Lira

Turkish American Portal

Turkish population in the United States has been increasing steadily. Turkey has been one of favorite friends of US in Europe/Middle East, and this friendship has benefited both Turkey and US during the tough times.

There is a significant Turkish American population in US and majority of Turkish people living in the US have undergraduate and graduate degrees from well known universities.

Turkish American Portal Kirtok.com
Kirtok.com which is a Turkish American Portal has been helping Turkish American population with various issues. Turkish people who are planning to come to the US usually visit Kirtok.com to receive information about American Schools, Visa types, living in US, schools and language programs, and many more subjects. There is a very active Turkish American Discussion Forum at Kirtok.com . Also there is a number of volunteers who has united to run the site, and Kirtok.com has been free/non-profit since its launch because of these volunteer Turkish Americans.

Visitors and members of Kirtok.com is usually Turkish people who plan to come to the States or Turkish Americans who have been living in the States.

Even though majority of Kirtok Forum is in Turkish, there is an English discussion part for English speaking visitors. If you have any questions about Turkey, Turkish American Society, or Turkish related topics feel free to post your questions.

Turkish History

Turkish History Category - Turkish Culture

Istanbul Formula 1 Project

Istanbul Formula 1 Speed Plan
Istanbul Formula 1 Project is an exciting project for F1 fans in Turkey. Besides the joy it will bring to F1 fans, F1 project will also bring tremendous amount of benefits to Turkish economy and tourism.

The Site of the Project is located on the Asian side of Istanbul , 6 km from the junction of Kurtkoy on the north side of TEM Motorway, linking Istanbul to Ankara . The site is close to the newly constructed Sabiha Gokcen Istanbul Airport . In addition to easy access form TEM and Airport, the Site is located within the green belt surrounded by forest and cultivated green fields. The area is clean of any pollution and pleasantly attractive for out door activities.

Istanbul Formula 1

The total area allocated for the Project is 2,215,000 m2. The racing circuit which runs counter-clockwise is 5,333 m long with an average width of 14 - 21.5 m, excluding Runoff Areas. The Circuit is composed of 13 curves, of which 6 are right turns and 7 left turns. The sharpest turn will have a radius of 15m. The start and finish section is 655.5m in length. The Circuit runs over 4 level sections with rising and descending grades. The maximum theoretical speed expected to be achieved will be 320.5 Km/hr.

F1 Project Speed Plan

The main parking areas, with the total parking capacity of 20,000 are located along the outer peripheral ring road which is 5,482m in length and will facilitate the movement of traffic on the outer limits of the project area.

Visit photo and video updates of Istanbul F1 Construction Area.

In addition, the project consists of 2.3 km of inner service roads and emergency lanes. There will be 4 under-passes and 3 pedestrian over passes linking the natural ground stands and temporary moveable stands with the parking areas. The central area is reserved for the construction of Go-Cart Racing track.

The main Grand Stand is under construction over an area of 12,700m2 and shall have the seating capacity of 30,000 spectators. In addition, the temporary stands and natural ground stands will provide a total capacity of over 155,000 spectators. The paddock buildings are two level structures. The ground floor sections are for the F1 teams and the upper floors will serve as hospitality areas with additional viewing capacity of 5,000 seats. There are two VIP towers being constructed at the two ends of paddock buildings, each consisting of 7 floors to provide a floor space of 7,392 m2.

EVREN® is working in two “10.5 hour shifts” to achieve the completion of the Project on time for 2005 Racing Schedule. As of December 2004, there are 27 engineers, 1450 construction workers and over 140 construction machines and equipment deployed on site.

Resource: Formula1-Istanbul.com

Turkish American

Turkish American Category - Turkish Culture

Turkish Celebrities

Turkish Celebrities Category - Turkish Culture

Turkish Culture

Turkish Culture Category - Turkish Culture

Turkish Real Estate

Turkish Real Estate Category - Turkish Culture

Turkish Food

Turkish Food Category - Turkish Culture

Turkish News

Turkish News Category - Turkish Culture

Turkish Culture Information

This blog is dedicated to beautiful country Turkey.

You will find information about Turkish culture, history, news, tourism information, politics and everything else about Turkey.

One day I will post about Turkish soccer teams, maybe another day how to dine in Istanbul, sometimes I will give you tips about finding great deals for Turkish products, sometimes I will talk about Turkish history.

Feel free to post your comments and questions about any topic, and I will be more than happy to help you.

Welcome to my new Turkish Culture Blog, and I hope you will enjoy your stay here.