Alameda - I´m beginning to think you have an obsession of accusing me of having an obsession . I´d hate to disappoint you but the only obsession I have is my son. The rest is just means of killing free time. Even burkas are not my obsession, most probably because I didn´t have the bad luck of being born in the burka-wearing society. Also, I haven´t seen one in my town so far so I don´t consider it a problem yet. however, if, in the future burka-ninjas are going to pop up I´ll definitely be out there protesting Just as I´d protest against the introduction of any elements of Islamic laws that violate human rights and gender equality in Europe I´ve seen a number of saris here, my neighbours are Indian, but they wear them only at holidays.

If you really wonder why I reply to your posts, there´s no secret about it, I find it rude not to respond to somebody who is in a discussion or exchange with you. Maybe things are different in the awful contemporarily clad States of America, but here, in good ole Europe that´s the way things are.

Thank you very much for sharning the knowledge about how clothes have changed over time. Who would have expected that? (was my sarcasm clear enough here?). Yeah, the good old days where people lived up to 40 and only 1 in 10 children lived to the age of 10. You´ve all right in the world to be fascinated with saris, sarongs, medieval clothes or potato sacks some people consider the garment favoured by god, I prefer modern fabrics and fashions. After all it´s all a matter of taste (unless of course a bunch of idiots legalises stonning as form of punishment for women not wanting to look like a poor Halloween ghost costume).

Feel free to not respond to my post if it suits you. I won´t take it amiss (even if you´d like me to) . However, I reserve myself the right to reply to any posts that I

a) agree with

b) disagree with

Auditor’s report says Turkish federation paid for votes to win 2012 Chess Olympiad

By Dylan Loeb McClain

A recent audit of the Turkish Chess Federation reported that the federation paid voters to help win an election for the right to host the Chess Olympiad in 2012. Rumors of corruption have long plagued the chess world, where it is a commonly held assumption that elections of officials and decisions about where to locate tournaments are determined by bribery. But the disclosure by the Turkish federation may be the first time that anyone has admitted it so matter-of-factly.

The Olympiad is a national team competition held every two years, and one of the world’s premier chess events. Turkey won the right to host the event in Istanbul in 2012 after a vote among delegates of the World Chess Federation at the Olympiad in Dresden, Germany, in 2008. Turkey beat out Montenegro, the other finalist, by a vote of 95 to 40... It appears that its success was ensured by paying delegates to vote for it, and the price was $120,000, or 178,000 Turkish lira.

Two weeks ago, a financial report called Denetleme Kurulu Raporu was published on the Turkish federation’s Web site. Near the bottom of the report, which was conducted by an auditor of the federation, there was a footnote, which The Times had translated into English. It reads:

It was detected in official documents, records and listings that in order to host the 2012 World Chess Olympics in Istanbul, 177,724.32 Turkish lira was allocated for the rent of the stand, souvenirs, lobbying activities as well as accommodation, transportation and food expenses of some FIDE delegates to vote for our country at the FIDE general council meeting held in Dresden, Germany, in 2008, as approved at the board meeting, and as adequate additional funds were transferred into the federation’s budget by the Turkish Republic prime minister’s Office of Youth and Sports general directorate in 2008, which were spent in accordance with the status of the federation and other general regulations.

It could not be determined whether paying delegates to vote for Turkey violates Turkish law, but in an e-mail, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the president of the World Chess Federation, which is also known by the acronym FIDE (for Fédération Internationale des Échecs), said, “Paying for votes is not allowed by FIDE and by its members.” He said that he was unaware that the Turkish federation was claiming that it had done so and FIDE will look into it.

Source: here

Shocking Turkey documents by WikiLeaks

Turkey allowed weapons flow to Al-Qaeda, the web-site claims some documents to be published will reveal.

WikiLeaks, which specializes in publication of classified documents, has gotten hold of classified official documents that prove that the Turkish authorities allowed money and weapons to pass across Turkey´s border with Iraq, en route to Al Qaeda terrorists in Iraq, the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat reported Thursday.

According to the source other documents show that the US has supported the PKK, which has been waging a separatist war against Turkey since 1984 and has been classified by the State Department as a terrorist organization since 1979. The US military documents call the PKK “warriors for freedom and Turkish citizens,” and say that the US set free arrested PKK members in Iraq. The documents also point out that US forces in Iraq have given weapons to the PKK and ignored the organization’s operations inside Turkey.

The US is mounting a diplomatic damage control campaign as it prepares for the release of the documents. State Department Spokesman PJ Crowley said Wednesday: "These revelations are harmful to the United States and our interests. They are going to create tension in relationships between our diplomats and our friends around the world."

Source: here

After reading this article I went to the Wikileaks website to read it for myself. I did read the documents that talk about the weapon-transports that crossed the Turkish border. However, I don´t see the documents that are mentioned in the newspaper about US forces supporting PKK... So, what´s up with that Haber? They even use a direct quote in the newspaper, namely that PKK is called "warriors for freedom and Turkish citizens" in the documents, but searching for these words gives no result at all. Strange strange strange... I´ve been searching for a while now, to see these documents that they mention, but I can´t seem to find the "US helps PKK"-documents.

Thank you for your sharing your experience with us. I myself didn´t attempt it.

Chances are either you have failed in locating it or they have been removed somehow before your visit or ... whatever. That you have failed in locating it doesn´t necessarily mean there is no such thing. Who cares whether such a document is leaked or not? I think it´s a known fact anyway.

This is exactly WHY I care. A Turkish newspaper finally says there is proof, and they quote this proof, and refer to it, but when I checked this source it wasn´t there. And Wikileaks doesn´t remove things like this. Wikileaks is not created to make the American government look good.  You say everybody knows... well, where is the proof? I think these are strange reporting-skills of the newspaper. 

The news are circulating that they will soon be released.

Other documents show that the US has supported the PKK, which has been waging a separatist war against Turkey since 1984 and has been classified by the State Department as a terrorist organization since 1979. The US military documents call the PKK “warriors for freedom and Turkish citizens,” and say that the US set free arrested PKK members in Iraq. The documents also point out that US forces in Iraq have given weapons to the PKK and ignored the organization’s operations inside Turkey.

Source: here

Edit:

Here´s another link:

Speculation is flying fast and furious over the details of the upcoming WikiLeaks release, fueled in no small part by US official warnings to a number of its allies about how hugely damaging the release could be.

The documents are said to be potentially damning to a large number of foreign governments, but perhaps the most damaging content could be related to the US military, which according to media reports will be shown to have secretly backed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in its ongoing civil war against Turkey.

The PKK has been officially listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the US State Department since 1979, which would be reason enough that the Defense Department cannot legally back them. It is doubly problematic in this case, however, as the PKK has been fighting Turkey, a NATO member and close military ally of the US.

The Pentagon is said to have praised the PKK as “warriors for freedom” in official documents and has ordered detained PKK captured inside Iraq released. They are also said to have provided the organization with weapons.

Armenians in LA urge Kobe to drop deal with Turks

Kobe Bryant ires the youth of Armenian Diaspora like Kardashian with Turkey tie.

Armenians in Los Angeles will campaign against Kobe Bryant’s sponsorship deal with Turkish Airlines and are urging him to drop it, the western U.S. chapter of the Armenian Youth Federation said.

Türk Hava Yolları AO, also known as Turkish Airlines or THY, announced that it signed Bryant, a guard for basketball’s Los Angeles Lakers, as its “global brand ambassador” yesterday as it seeks to publicize the start of direct flights from Istanbul to Los Angeles.

The California city is home to the biggest population of Armenians outside of Armenia and has a large community of activists who demand that the U.S. recognize the early 20th century killings of Armenians in Turkey as genocide.

Los Angeles-born Armenian-American socialite and reality television star Kim Kardashian urged her more than 5.5 million followers on Twitter earlier this week to call U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to schedule a vote on H. Res. 252, a resolution recognizing the Armenian deaths as genocide.

Turkey’s state-run airline is one of the fastest-growing and most profitable in Europe. It also sponsors the European basketball league and European soccer clubs FC Barcelona and Manchester United.

The deal with Bryant is scheduled to last two years. Terms were not disclosed.

Source: here

Quoting si++

Armenians in LA urge Kobe to drop deal with Turks

Kobe Bryant ires the youth of Armenian Diaspora like Kardashian with Turkey tie.

Armenians in Los Angeles will campaign against Kobe Bryant’s sponsorship deal with Turkish Airlines and are urging him to drop it, the western U.S. chapter of the Armenian Youth Federation said.

Türk Hava Yolları AO, also known as Turkish Airlines or THY, announced that it signed Bryant, a guard for basketball’s Los Angeles Lakers, as its “global brand ambassador” yesterday as it seeks to publicize the start of direct flights from Istanbul to Los Angeles.

The California city is home to the biggest population of Armenians outside of Armenia and has a large community of activists who demand that the U.S. recognize the early 20th century killings of Armenians in Turkey as genocide.

Los Angeles-born Armenian-American socialite and reality television star Kim Kardashian urged her more than 5.5 million followers on Twitter earlier this week to call U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to schedule a vote on H. Res. 252, a resolution recognizing the Armenian deaths as genocide.

Turkey’s state-run airline is one of the fastest-growing and most profitable in Europe. It also sponsors the European basketball league and European soccer clubs FC Barcelona and Manchester United.

The deal with Bryant is scheduled to last two years. Terms were not disclosed.

 

Source: here

 I just wonder what it says about Americans when Kobe Bryant and Kim Kardashian become spokes persons for anything!     

Ewww Kobe Bryant or Kim Kardashian.... I don´t think having either as spokes persons for anything is a good idea. In fact having either one associated with one´s image would be detrimental, not beneficial.........so they cancel each other out anyway.