Bus crash death toll reaches 22
Saturday, March 11, 2006
ANKARA - TDN with wire services

  The bodies of six more passengers were pulled from a Turkish river on Friday, authorities said, as rescuers attempted to account for all of the people missing after a bus careened off a cliff into raging waters below.
  There are now 22 people known killed in the accident, which media reports on Friday said occurred after the bus driver fell asleep and his vehicle plunged off the road and into the Kelkit River.
  Fifteen passengers were still unaccounted for as search and rescue work continued on Friday morning, and the bus could be seen still partly submerged in water and laying on its side. Some of the victims' bodies were found several kilometers away from the scene of the accident.
  The bus crashed in Tokat in central Turkey, nearly halfway through its long trip from Istanbul in the northwest of the country to Van in the Southeast.
  The bus was pulled out of the river on Friday, with officials saying that at the time of the plunge, the bus was traveling at 90 kilometers per hour.
  A survivor told the Anatolia news agency that minutes before the crash a passenger attempted to warn the driver as the bus veered from side to side. "He grabbed his shoulder, but the driver was slumped over to the side, he could have been dead," said the unidentified passenger.
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Erdogan Condemns Efforts to Bring Gov't and Army Up Against Each Other
By Zaman, Ankara
Published: Wednesday, March 08, 2006
zaman.com

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke out against the criticisms towards the government after the release of an indictment prepared in relation to the Semdinli unrest that took place on 9 November 2005.
The government is opposed to the accusations in relation to the indictment and Land Forces Commander Gen Yasar Buyukanit, Erdogan told yesterday, criticizing statements made by Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and newspaper columnists.
The prime minister accuses Baykal of being a “crisis builder” and emphasized that several people want to wear down the army and the judiciary. “Let no one politicize our institutions.”
A few columnists are trying to set the government and army against each other, Erdogan said using the expression, “I condemn, I curse these efforts.”
In his first assessment on the Semdinli indictment during a Justice and Development Party (AKP) group meeting yesterday, the prime minister backed the Turkish Armed Forces and Gen. Buyukanit. He said they know when and who will come to the top position in the army and they will take into consideration the hierarchical positions during the new appointments.
According to Erdogan, there are several people who want to produce a “foggy atmosphere” in Turkey. “They want to knock things off their course. Some wretched people are trying to involve the government in this. As no judical verdict has been given, nobody has the right to wear down the judiciary and army through speculations.”
Erdogan, referring to Buyukanit as an “esteemed general,” told setting the judiciary and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) against each other will only be detrimental for the country.
“Efforts to show weakness in the TSK, especially through the esteemed commanders of our country, will bring no good to anybody. The TSK is an important institution for Turkey with strong traditions and hierarchical discipline. Trying to set the TSK, one of the most deeply rooted institutions in our country, and the independent judiciary, an indispensable institution for democracy, against each other will bring no good to the country.”
While speaking about the verdict of the Van Republican Attorney General’s indictment, Erdogan strongly criticized Deniz Baykal who said, “A coup attempt against the TSK is being organized and the judiciary is being used as an instrument in this.”

‘Baykal seeks political benefit by acting as a crisis builder’

The prime minister defended the CHP leader acts like a “crisis builder” by sending the false impression that “Turkey’s institutions are opposed to each other”.
“We are sorry,” he said “to see that a politician who lost his ability to produce policies in the political field and who cannot perform his own duties wants to act as a chaos engineer in his own country. We should not allow anybody to try to derive political benefit over the esteemed judges, prosecutors and commanders of this country.”

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Complaint filed against commission chairman
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Opposition files a complaint against commission chairman who sent a testimony to the Van prosecutor, while Parliament Speaker Ar?nç defends the chairman’s conduct

ANKARA - TDN Parliament Bureau

  Opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has filed a criminal complaint against the chairman of the parliamentary commission set up to investigate the bombing on Nov. 9 in ?emdinli, Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Musa S?vac?o?lu, arguing that he abused his post and had illegally sent secret commission minutes to Van Prosecutor Ferhat Sar?kaya, who is investigating the bombing.
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Ankara, the favored spot for transfers
Saturday, March 11, 2006
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News

  It has been revealed that in the process of a mutually desired location swap between two people working at the same station and in the same organization (called "becayis" in Turkish), the city that most people want to abandon is Istanbul, while the city most favored as a new location is Ankara. 
  For those who are already government employees, or those who are on the road to becoming ones, the Web site "memurlar.net" gives information on everything from labor union activities to new laws, even updated national news. It also carries information about the "becayis" or location switching, something which is receiving a lot of attention from those logging on to the site.
  Thousands of government employees are reaching counterparts wishing to switch places with them through this site. And interestingly, according to information gathered on the site, the city government employees are most anxious to leave is Istanbul, while the city most desired as a new home is Ankara. The department with the most requests for work on this site is the Health Ministry.  
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Four policemen in custody on gang charges
Saturday, March 11, 2006
ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

  The police operation in Bursa that led to the arrest of Gendarmerie Commander Colonel Ayd?n Ye?il and non-commissioned officer Sergeant Ta?k?n Akgün on Thursday was broadened on Friday with four police officers, including a chief, being taken into custody.
  Police spokesman ?smail Çal??kan said on Friday that the crimes were committed by individual policemen and was not a reflection of the entire department, noting that organized criminal gangs recruited members from all organizations to increase their influence. He said that the operation in Bursa was conducted under the local prosecutor's supervision over the police department and the gendarmerie.
  The arrests came as a result of information collected by phone recordings. Ye?il was appointed as the local gendarmerie commander in 2004 and was reportedly being interrogated by officials sent by the Office of the Chief of General Staff. The Anatolia news agency said Ye?il had told the officials that he had been in contact with an individual to find the perpetrators of a murder. That individual was later arrested by the police.
  It was reported that police had been listening to the suspects' phone conversations for the past four months.
  The operation carried out by the police has resulted in the arrest of 18 people and the seizure of eight guns. The suspects are accused of committing many crimes, including perpetrating an armed attack on a car showroom that resulted in the death of three people.
  Ye?il and Akgün's lawyers objected to their clients' incarceration, noting that both suspects were soldiers and did not pose a risk.
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Economic stability increases Turkish living standards
Saturday, March 11, 2006
ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News

  Even though far-reaching structural changes in the economy (such as the productivity revival and the transition from labor-intensive sectors to capital-intensive production) limit employment growth in the short run, the overall performance is getting better and indeed leading to considerable improvements in socio-economic conditions.
  It is still too early to start celebrating across-the-board increases in Turkey's living standards, but the latest figures clearly show less misery and despair at an aggregate level.
  Misery indices have declined to the lowest level in decades, according to a report issued yesterday by investment bank Morgan Stanley. The original misery index, developed by Arthur Okun and based on the sum of inflation and unemployment rates, is a simple gauge to evaluate macroeconomic progress. A combination of higher unemployment and inflation rates indicates deterioration in economic performance and thus an increase in social affliction. In Turkey's case, with inflation declining from an average of 77.5 percent in the 1990s to single-digit territory and a gradual recovery in the labor market, the misery index has shown a sustained improvement in the post-crisis period. It declined from an average of 142.1 in the 1990s and 102.1 in 2001 to 29.5 last year.
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93% of Turkish People at Peace with Headscarf
By Emre Soncan, Istanbul
Published: Saturday, March 11, 2006
zaman.com

A public poll themed "Conservatism in Turkey" run by Bogazici University brought striking results.
According to the survey supported by the Open Society Institute, 93 percent of the society is not uneasy about the headscarf.
Eighty-five percent emphasize a woman with headscarf "can have equal rights with men and be modern".
Eighty percent do not agree with the view that "Women not wearing a headscarf are not considered to be a Muslim".
The institutions that must be preserved are cited as family, religion, state and nation.
Project coordinator Associate Professor Hakan Yilmaz announcing the results at a press conference yesterday said they conducted the survey with 1,644 participants from 15 cities.
"I am conservative, but I want a change," the poll revealed the surveyors’ demand.
Most people define themselves as conservative, but fervently supporting a change.
Forty-eight percent of the participants want a change in economic level, 14 percent in the state structure and 14 percent in the social structure.
Forty-one percent expect the state to make the change.
Forty-two percent of the polls regard "equality" as the most important political value that must be preserved, followed by "freedom" with 38 percent.
The question "Is an authority necessary for people?" was answered "yes" by 70 percent.
About the traditions, the society seems to keep its values. The question "Are there traditions that shape our identity?" was answered "yes" by 85 percent, 55 percent said traditions are effective on the family life and gender relations, 20 percent said they are effective on social relations and 12 percent said they are effective on the state order and political life.
Eighty-seven percent want women to have equal rights as men in all parts of the society.
Seventy-one percent say a woman's "main duty" is to serve her husband at home. ?
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First Turkish School Opens in Argentina
By Cihan News Agency, Buenos Aires
Published: Saturday, March 11, 2006
zaman.com


"Hercules Private School," the first Turkish school in Argentina, opened at the capital Buenos Aires on 6 March 2006.
The majority of the pupils are Argentinean, while many Bolivian, Brazilian, Armenian, and Turkish origin children also attend the Private school.
The school will serve as a kindergarten and primary school this year, but officials are considering opening a high school in the upcoming years.
Courses on computer, math, English, Spanish are given at the full-day school.

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Conference On Turkish-Greek Relations To Be Held In Istanbul
Published: 3/6/2006

ISTANBUL - A Conference on ``Turkish-Greek Relations: Problems, Solutions, Expectations`` will be held at Istanbul`s Yildiz Technical University (YTU) on Thursday (March 9th), the Middle East & Balkans Studies Foundation (OBIV) said on Monday.
Releasing a statement, OBIV indicated that Turkish and Greek academicians and representatives of NGOs would participate in the conference.
According to the statement, Turkey`s EU membership bid, Cyprus problem, minorities, and some regional matters will also be discussed in the conference which will jointly be held by the OBIV and YTU`s Political Science & International Relations Department.

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'Treatment in Vocational High Schools Unfair'
By Melih Duvakli, Istanbul
Published: Friday, March 10, 2006
zaman.com

The European Commission's Turkey Representative Hansjoerg Kretschmer said vocational high schools in Turkey are done an injustice in university entrance exams.
Kretscmer said, "The university entrance exam is a problem for all students in Turkey. Students should be tested on their skills. There has not been a sufficient effort to develop vocational and technical education." The conference organized by Ministry of Education and Marmara University titled "Vocational education and schooling systems in Turkey" took place Thursday in Istanbul. Kretscmer criticized the Council of Higher Education (YOK) and the university entrance exam in his speech. The EC representative, stating that universities should be independent and allowed to choose their personnel, said "Higher Education Institutions should be transparent and quality management criteria should be implemented. Additionally, universities should have responsibility and be accountable." The European commission representative said Turkey should follow the school system of the European Union, and he focused especially on healing the vocational education system.

Professor Isa Esme, YOK Vice Chair, said the transition from secondary education to higher education is a big problem. The professor emphasized the relations between the vocational high schools and the business world are weak, and the students graduating from these schools are not suitable for the demands of the business world. Esme added another problem is the insufficiency in educating professors.
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