Few things are harder to believe than what you encounter in the eastern Turkish region of Van: Cats with each eye a different color that love to swim, a 15-meter-long lake monster, suicidal sheep and the most incredible breakfasts that can be enjoyed until late afternoon

Dorte Huneke
VAN - Turkish Daily News


The 17th century Ottoman travel writer, Evliya Çelebi, was mesmerized by the magic powers of Lake Van, the largest lake in Eastern Anatolia.

In his famous travelogue “Seyahâtnâme,” or The Book of Voyages, he wrote, “Those that live near the lake never use soap when washing their clothes in the lake water and they get snow-white results.”

When crossing the lake to Akdamar Island – a small limestone cliff that is home to Akdamar Church, a famous Armenian church built in the 10th century under the name The Church of the Holy Cross – however, you should look out for something other than snow-white linens: The famous Lake Van monster. Alleged sightings of the beast were first reported in the mid 1990s. Amateur photos and videos have been collected that show something long and dark moving in the middle of the lake. And Unal Kozak, a teaching assistant at Van University, wrote a book about the creature that includes drawings of the monster based on the descriptions of some 1,000 witnesses. According to Kozak, the creature is about 15 meters long.

Just as hard to believe, but sufficiently proved, is an incident that needs no embellishing. Three years ago, a herd of 1,500 sheep were peacefully grazing along the southern shore of Lake Van until one of them tried to jump to another rocky plateau but fell into a ravine 15-meters deep – and all the other sheep, like lemmings, followed. 450 died. The other 1,050 experienced a softer landing. This is not a joke. One can ask any taxi driver in Van about it. If one comes to Van, expect the unexpected.

Frequent dolmuşes – shared minibuses – take one to the lake, where one can also find the Urartu fortress, Van Kalesi, or Van Castle. It is often simply referred to as the “Rock of Van” and contains the rock-hewn tomb of Argishti, an eighth century Urartian king. From the castle one can enjoy a magnificent view of sunset over the lake, while those who take in the opposite view, from the lake up toward the castle, can let their thoughts fly high. “The Van castle, on top of these rocky heights, resembles a seated and loaded camel, with a huge and fearfully chaotic appearance,” wrote Evliya Çelebi. “A steep cliff surrounds the castle, which made ditches unnecessary.” During summer, the shores of Lake Van are inviting places for swimming amid the sightseeing excursions one should take to the Urartian city of Çavuştepe and to Hoşap Castle.

Van, situated 850 meters above sea level and today the capital of the Turkish province of Van, developed from the ancient city of Tuşpa, the capital of the Kingdom of Urartu, which flourished from the ninth through sixth century B.C. The Seljuks began to dominate the city after the Malazgirt battle in 1071 and the city became part of the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. The historical ruins of Old Van (Eski Van) lie about four kilometers from modern Van, today a city of approximately 400,000. Van was established as a new city after the foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1923. Located on a plain extending from the shores of Lake Van, at a distance of about five kilometers, the region is, today, one of the often forgotten magical beauties of Turkey's East. Historic structures from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods can be seen and touched in Old Van; while some amazing Urartian artifacts found in the region are part of the remarkable collection at the Archaeological Museum in modern Van.

A more vivid attraction in the region – apart from the lake's monster – is a cat with a snow-white coat, colorful head and tail and different colored eyes, called a “Turkish Van.” Some call them “swimming cats” because of their unusual fondness for water. Others call them "dogs in a cat suit” because Van cats are very attached to their owners and like to follow them around. To the eye, their most striking characteristic is their eyes, which are each a different color, one amber and one blue. Tourists love them. “For a long time we needn't know the cats' value,” said Hüseyin, 51, a Van local who has had a Turkish Van cat in his house for as long as he can remember. “You pay about 100 Turkish Lira for a cat. But wait for the summer, then you just ask around on the street and you can get one for only YTL 5. People need to make money, so they will find you one,” he said. Sadly, Turkish Vans are an endangered species and under the protection of the Turkish government to ensure their survival.

The better, and just as decorative, souvenirs to bring home from Van are hand made. Among the most famous regional specialties are kilim carpets, made with natural dyes and traditional artifacts from silversmiths. Most of the jewelry has been made to satisfy needs relating to religious beliefs. Some are supposed to protect against the evil eye or are used for incantation.

Before setting out to explore the handicrafts and natural heritage of the region, however, one should experience the culinary traditions of the city of Van and start the day with an ample breakfast. At some of the many distinguished breakfast places (kahvaltı salonu) this meal can be enjoyed until four o'clock in the afternoon. Apart from tahin and pekmez (sesame paste and grape molasses), bal and kaymak (honey and cream) and karakovan balı (beehive honey), there should be gül reçeli (rose jam) on the table, as well as otlu peynir (cheese with herbs), fresh hot bread and, of course, gallons of tea. Van breakfasts are an unforgettable treat.

Amid the rocky mountains, the old and the new are continually intermingling. International brands are starting to discover the city, only 180 kilometers from the border to Iran. Tourism is still scarce, but people are friendly and welcoming. It shouldn't come as a surprise if one is invited to homes. Soon enough one will find oneself in socks on their sofa, drinking tea, eating homemade cake or cookies and listening to the most fantastic stories – all of which are supposedly true. The acute observer, Çelebi, wrote, “The young men of Van mostly have round faces and alluring eyes. They are courageous and humorous. I haven't seen any women but I have heard from friends that they are very pretty and pious.”

A new chapter was added to the story of destruction of nature and history with a contractor building the villa over 3,500 year-old world-renowned tombs.

The huge tombs belonging to the kings of Caria, a pre-Hellenic seafaring people who founded a kingdom in the southwest of Anatolia in today's Muğla province, who existed from the 11th century B.C. until they became a Persian satrapy in 545 B.C.

The Iliad records that at the time of the Trojan War the city of Miletus belonged to the Carians and was allied to the Trojan cause. They are seen as being an offshoot of the Minoan civilization based in Crete.

The matter came to light after Professor Fahri Işık from Akdeniz University's Department of History and Archaeology went on a tour of the Carian civilization remains in the region with his assistant Özay Kartal.

Having just held a seminar on Mysians in Bodrum last Saturday, Işık was shocked to see that villas were built over the tombs of Carian kings.

The tombs were registered by the Muğla Culture and Nature Protection Board two years ago after they were discovered by Bodrum Museum archaeologists.

He noted that construction machinery was used to break the stairs of the tombs while tombs were broken to pass water pipes. Işık also said that barbed wire fence and solid walls were erected around some tombs.

Işık said the Bodrum Peninsula was a very important historical region with the remains of the Mycian, Caria and Leleg civilizations. “The peninsula is rich in history and civilization. The recent construction boom in the region resulted in serious destruction of culture in the region. This should be stopped..”

Contractor, İsa Şahinkaya, said he was not the only one to build over the tombs, noting that the land was legally his.

“We purchased the villas after construction began. These tombs are on our land. Many villas were built on tombs before and no one said anything. The tombs may be damaged a bit during construction but we got all the necessary permits.”

Bodrum Administrator Abdullah Kalkan, said he had asked Bodrum Underwater Museum Director Yaşar Yıldız to study the area as soon as he heard of the matter.

“What is done is an insult to thousands of years of history and culture. We are having a hard time protecting our historical sites. I've started an inquiry and will file both an administrative and criminal complaint based on experts' reports. We will protect the area,” he said.

Turgutreis municipal officials also conducted an inquiry at the site, finding out that only one swimming pool of the six villas was built illegally. It was said that the building licenses for the villas were issued in 2002, before the tombs were registered as a cultural treasure.

One local, Hatice Erbil, 65, said despite their constant warnings, nothing was done to stop the contractors from destroying the tombs. “They broke the tombs with construction equipment. The plots were sold several times and we could not find anyone to complain,” she said.

http://www.voicesnewspaper.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1794

Turks were already skilled woodworkers by the time they left Central Asia for the Middle East. In Anatolia starting with the Seljuk Turks this art and craft continued to decorate public buildings and private houses until the end of the Ottoman Empire

GÃœL DEMİR and NIKI GAMM
ISTANBUL – Turkish Daily News

Turkey seems to have lost several of its traditional decorative arts; for example, woodwork among the Turks was spectacular under the Seljuk and Ottoman sultans. Doors, cradles, window shutters, banisters, minbars (pulpits) in mosques and reading stands are only a few of the examples that one can see today rather in photographs than in use.
If you didn't plan anything for this weekend yet, you may want to see some of the fine examples of woodcraft from the past in the Museum of Ethnography in Ankara and Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul. The latter has samples from the ninth and tenth centuries, that is, from the Anatolian Seljuks and the subsequent Turkish principalities that sprang up in Anatolia, as well as unique examples of works from Ottoman times. The collection is accompanied by the extensive exhibition entitled “Seek Beauty in Different Cultures” opened May 16. Many smaller museums around the country will have some pieces of carved wood but usually of inferior quality.

Woodworking is both skill and art. It may take years to master the various techniques and get to know different types of wood used: hard (from a fruit or flowering tree) or soft (from a cone-bearing tree), growing in the areas where the woodworker lived. Among the types of tools used in a traditional woodcraft workshop one can mention hammers, chisels, knives, axes, adzes, drills, saws, planes and other.



Woodworking in history

Woodworking history goes back as far as the Neanderthals appeared on the historical stage; in the past the Chinese and the Egyptians made the most extensive use of wood in particular.

The Chinese became masters in making items without the use of glue, while it took a long time for the Egyptians to discover glue for attaching joints and varnish as well.

The ancient Turks were engaged in woodcarving from early on. They brought it with them on the road from Central Asia first via the Seljuk Turks and later the Ottomans. In winter's pastimes it was also useful for nomadic tribes on the move; boxes and chests could always come in handy for valuables when packing. The yurts (circular tents), usually made of wooden latticework and covered with felt, were supported by painted or carved wooden columns. Later a carved wooden door was employed to keep out the cold.

By the time the Seljuks' rose to power, the Turks became very skilled craftsmen and had turned their attention to producing beautiful mosque furniture as required by Muslim tradition: minbars from which the Friday sermon would be given, mihrabs showing the direction of Mecca, and reading stands on which the Qur'an or other religious books were placed for easy reading. The mosque doors, cupboards for keeping books and window frames are also worth mentioning.

Today there are only a few examples of how carved wood had been used in early private homes due to most of the examples were destroyed by natural disasters: 17th century Hadimoğlu Mansion in Bayramiç and the Çakırağa Mansion in Birgi, variously dated between the beginning of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th are among the remains.



Techniques and motifs in Ottoman Turkish woodworking

Walnut, apple, pear, cypress, ebony, cedar and rose are among the favored types of wood. One of the most popular techniques consisted of small geometrically shaped pieces put together to form larger compositions; the grain would be arranged in opposing directions to ensure they wouldn't warp. Not only carved, engraved or inlaid (with mother-of-pearl or ivory) woodwork was popular, but also latticework was admired. Fine grained, varnished wooden pieces were much admired although sometimes paint was applied.

Because of the generally followed Islamic position against portraying humans, geometric forms or plant and flower motifs were primarily used in woodcarving. Between the 11th and 14th centuries, geometric motifs were used generously on Seljuk artifacts and their influence continued through the Period of the Principalities and into the Ottoman Period.

At the beginning of the 15th century, the new flowered style was used together with rumi [curly vine] compositions, as well as separately; 15th and 16th century Ottoman style followed this line. Symmetrical carnations, roses and tulips joined with broad stems and hatayi [large-flower plants] motifs appeared in the flowered style. The çintamani motif of three balls and three wavy lines, used from the 16th century, is seen also on the 17th century mother-of-pearl inlay work. In this period, classical rumi motifs were used within a border or frame.

In the 18th and 19th centuries however, European influences became important to the point where Ottoman woodcarving became indistinguishable from what was being imported. Baroque and Rococo styles gave way to Empire and Eclectic styles in much the same way that Ottoman architecture bowed before western influences. As the tendency had been towards richer and richer decoration and ornamentation, it's not surprising that Baroque and Rococo became popular.

Abstract geometric motifs disappeared in the 18th century and the flowered style was used together with geometric elements; also Rumi motifs gained in volume. In the 19th century, in accordance with the characteristics of the period, oyster shell motifs were applied abundantly to fountain mirrors, palace doors.

It is rare however to see any freestanding wooden sculpture as an object d'art in Turkey with few people engaged in making a sculpture, or a sculpting wood let alone. What freestanding wood sculptures existed as were primarily chess pieces.

It is even more rare to find that one of the sultans was actually an accomplished carpenter. All of the Ottoman sultans were required to earn a trade or develop a skill so Süleyman the Magnificent was a jeweler, Selim III a musician, Ahmet I calligrapher and Abdülhamid II a carpenter. These men were also poets of varying levels of ability. Examples of Abdülhamid II's carpentry can still be seen at Yıldız and Beylerbeyi Palaces where it is said he made the most of the furniture. A desk at Yıldız looks like made by a hand of professional carpenter.

If he hadn't been a sultan, he could easily have earned money at this trade.

Traditional Turkish simit, a pastry with sesame seeds on it, used to be sold by street vendors in earlier decades. It became widespread thanks to the opening of simit houses and simit cafés in the 2000s. And now it is setting sail for Europe

Once upon a time, the traditional Turkish simit – a ring-shaped pastry product covered in sesame seeds – used to be a favorite food on quotidian five o'clock tea tables, for which neighbors used to gather in the old quarters of Istanbul.

It used to be made in traditional bakeries and sold by street vendors. The 2000s were the beginning of a modern era for the simit. It has become a widespread breakfast and lunch choice for Turkish students and lower income groups with the opening of numerous simit houses and simit cafés in Istanbul and other big cities. Often called “Simit Sarayı” or “Simit Dünyası,” which can be roughly translated into English as “simit palace” or “simit world” respectively, these simit cafés are places where mass production and mass consumption of simit take place.

The growth in the simit market still continues. In addition to their branches in many parts of Turkey, owners of simit cafés are now getting ready to open branches in Europe, too.

Meanwhile, two Turkish investors, Atakan Özbek and his uncle Ünal Özbek, have just introduced to Turkish consumers the famous “pretzel,” a baked pastry that is traditionally twisted into a unique knot-like shape and widely consumed in Europe and the United States. Opening their first pretzel café under the brand name Pretzebella in the Cevahir Shopping Center in Istanbul two months ago, the uncle and his nephew seem highly committed to making pretzels a popular pastry in Turkey.



100,000 simits per day

Simit Sarayı, which opened its first branch in 2002, today owns a total of 20 branches and 40 franchised branches all around Turkey. Formerly, the company used to bake and sell the simits at its branches, but then, as its growth gathered speed, it established a factory in Istanbul's Kartal district and began mass production there. Building the factory cost the company $10 million. The factory currently produces 100,000 simits daily and distributes them to its branches. After being distributed to the branches, the simits are baked there in the early morning hours.

“We grew so rapidly that we needed to establish our own factory. But we had difficulties simply because no simit factories or simit producing machines used to exist in Turkey at that time,” said Aykut Okutur, assistant manager of Simit Sarayı. “So we had the machines specially produced for us. That took four years. In fact, we have reached a certain standard in simit production since the date that our factory, which was established in a 7,000-square meter indoor area, began to operate,” he added, pointing to the increased quality of the simits at Simit Sarayı in the last few years.

Simit Sarayı, which sells about 100 types of simits, has attracted the attention not only of consumers, but also of a considerable number of investors. Okutur said they have already started giving franchises.

“At first, our goal was to have 10 or 15 franchised branches. But given the consumers' increasing interest in our products, we shall continue to open branches until their number exceeds those of the McDonald's in Turkey,” he added. Simit Sarayı, which opens a branch within 15 days, has also launched a campaign for those who want to get franchises from the company. “We will not be charging them royalty rights until the end of 2008,” said Okutur.

Simit Sarayı, Turkey's one and only corporate simit producer, has also taken action to set sail for foreign markets. Okutur, who noted that they have already started establishing contacts in Europe to give master franchises there, referred to Belgium, Germany, France and Greece as their priority target markets.



First organic simit on the way

Cited by gourmets as one of the best simit bakeries in Istanbul, Yücel Simit, located in the upper middle class neighborhood of Levent, is also trying to strengthen its position in the Turkish simit market through introducing some novelties.

“I, as a traditional simit bakery owner, have learned the simit trade from my father, since it is a hereditary job. Or at least it used to be once upon a time. In the 1990s, we started to produce for street vendors. Given the spread of simit cafés in Istanbul and in other big cities in the 2000s, we, too, opened our first branch in café format in 2003,” said Yücel and added that people's interest in traditional simit has increased thanks to the emergence of the concept of simit cafés.

According to Yücel, the opening of simit cafés has had no negative effects on the sales of street vendors but has paved the way for the expansion of the domestic simit market, since daily simit production has increased from 15,000 units to 30,000 units recently.

Yücel argued that there is still need for more simit cafés in Turkey. “As income levels continue to remain low, the simit market will continue to exist in Turkey,” he said and added that Yücel Simit, which currently owns seven branches, will also continue to grow in the Turkish simit market by introducing some novelties such as organic simit.

“We will start producing the first organic simit of Turkey within a year at the latest. Given the recent tendency among people toward organic food, we will start producing organic flour, sesame, fermented pectin, which are the ingredients used in simit making,” said Yücel, who made the following final remark on simit consumption levels in Istanbul: “The highest number of simit in Istanbul is sold in the area between the Zincirlikuyu neighborhood and Akmerkez.”



McDonald's launches breakfast service with simit

Seen by simit cafés as a rival, McDonald's has recently launched breakfast services including simit. Many argue that this is an indication of the fact that McDonald's also perceives the simit cafés as rivals to itself.

Turkey general manager of McDonald's, Sadi Fansa, said at a press conference, at which the latest novelty by McDonald's was announced to the public, that the breakfast services have been launched in 36 McDonald's branches all around Turkey and that the number will reach 53 in October. Breakfast services have actually been provided for some time in McDonald's restaurants in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Ireland, Australia, Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand and some Latin American countries. After Kuwait, Turkey will be the second country in the Middle East where McDonald's restaurants have launched breakfast services, according to information provided by Fansa, who also pointed out that McDonald's recorded a total turnover of $150 million in Turkey in 2007. The expected share of breakfast services in general sales will be 3 percent in the first step, he added.



Uncle and nephew to introduce Pretzebella to Turkey

GÃœLFEM VARLIK- Istanbul

Atakan Özbek, a graduate of Middle East Technical University, and his uncle Ünal Özbek, who worked as a supermarket manager in the United States for 15 years, are two names who have introduced to Turkish consumers one of the most commonly consumed fast food products in Europe and the United States, the pretzel. Ünal and his nephew Atakan, who have made some changes to the flavor of the pretzel in order to make it more suitable to the Turkish taste, opened Turkey's first pretzel café at the Cevahir Shopping Center in Istanbul two months ago. They named their brand Pretzebella.

The idea of moving pretzel to Turkey first came to Ãœnal's mind in the United States when he decided together with his nephew Atakan, who was also a master's student in that country, to work in the food sector. Ãœnal then left his job at the supermarket and began to work at a very famous pretzel chain to learn the job.

When they came to Turkey, they had a capital of YTL 150,000, and with it, they established their pretzel factory called the Gourmet Factory, which currently produces pretzels for Pretzebella. Ãœnal said despite it having been only a short time since they first introduced the pretzel to the Turkish market, their daily sales have reached about 200 items, and added that their main goal is to open more branches and make pretzel a popular food in Turkey.

At Pretzebella, the price of a pretzel ranges between YTL 1.5 and YTL 3.5. Its menu is a rich one, including 18 different types of pretzels, from ones with sea salt flavor to those with castor sugar. Five different sauces, aroma teas and special sweets are accompanying flavors to the pretzels.

Ünal explained the reason why they made some changes to the flavor of U.S. pretzels when they introduced them to the Turkish pastry market as follows: “A typical pretzel is made with stuff like margarine and corn syrup. That's why we do not think that Turks would love the taste of a U.S. or German pretzel. So, we have made some changes to its taste. Normally, there are seven or eight different types of pretzels in the United States. Here in Turkey, we produce 18 different types of pretzels with flavors that are appropriate for the Turkish taste. We use sea salt and a special olive oil in them.”



Goal is to grow through franchising

Ünal said, rather than buying a franchise from one of the best-known pretzel chains in the United States, they chose the difficult path and tried to create their own brand. He said they also applied to the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) for trademark registration. “We would like to grow both through the franchising model and wholesaling of our products. We might also open branches in Turkey through forming a joint partnership with a company,” he said and added that they have been receiving a considerable number of franchising offers. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=104674

see Islam fashion and Iranian women
http://jadi.civiblog.org/blog/women

http://www.toeradio.org/_Thong-&-Burqa.jpg

http://jadi.civiblog.org/_photos/monalisa_has_chador.jpg


islamdom.blogspot.com/2008/04/great-cartoon.html

Anatolian Storms
To live like a tree single and at liberty, and brotherly like the trees of a forest, this yearning is ours. (Nazım Hikmet)

Our Daily Bread We better get used to higher food prices. They will be with us for years to come – By Nikolaus Piper

Thomas Robert Malthus was one of the greatest pessimists of history. The Anglican parson from Surrey was not only one of the founders of classical political economics – he also gave the young science a decidedly dismal undertone. The working class would never be able to escape its misery, he believed. As soon as the lot of the poor improved a little, their enhanced prosperity would result in more children to feed. While populations would be able to grow exponentially, he stated, food production could experience only linear growth: a trap with no exit.

History has refuted Malthus’ pessimism. Capitalism is much more productive than the economist could have imagined. Nevertheless, there have always been Malthusian situations in which the planet’s limitations suddenly become perceptible and scarcity threatens the security and survival of millions of people. That was true in Malthus’ day, and it is true once again today. Food prices are soaring around the globe. The significance of this price surge for world policy can hardly be overestimated. The world is experiencing its worst food crisis in more than 30 years, says New York-based economist Jeffrey Sachs.

At the end of April, the price for a ton of rice surpassed the $1,000 threshold for the first time, triggering real panic in large importing countries like the Philippines. In Haiti, hunger riots brought down the government while Egyptian textile workers took to the streets demanding food; about 200 people were arrested. In Sri Lanka, food became 34 percent more expensive within a year; in Costa Rica, its price has risen by 21 percent; in Egypt, by 13.5 percent. The developmental progress of five years is being wiped out overnight, warned International Money Fund (IMF) Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Countries dependent on food imports are facing destabilization, yet tensions are also rising in countries where the people are still able to feed themselves. Higher prices for rice, corn and soybeans may benefit many small-scale farmers in the developing world but the urban poor are the real losers. Among industrialized nations, the effects of the price spikes are more limited but hardly negligible. In Germany, prices haven’t risen this fast in 14 years and in America, inflation has exceeded the 4 percent mark despite the recession. Low-wage earners are especially vulnerable to losses in buying power.

There can be no doubt regarding the causes of the current food crisis. This time, the avarice of commodity speculators is not to blame. Perhaps one or the other spot price may be inflated due to speculation but the root cause is scarcity.

For the first time in their lives, millions of Chinese, Indians, Malaysians and Brazilians can afford to eat sufficiently and well. They want to enjoy the same foods Europeans and North Americans do. Global supply hasn’t kept pace with the extra demand. Also, economic growth in Asia is driving up the price of oil. Fertilizer and fuel for tractors are now so expensive that farmers are being forced to raise prices.

This bout of inflation has systemic causes and won’t disappear any time soon. Maybe one price or the other will drop if the recession in the U.S. is more severe than expected, for example. But the trend will go up as long as world prosperity continues at its present clip. Commodities are finite, as meadows and fields can’t be expanded at will, not even in times of burgeoning demand.

It adds up to a sea change. The abysmally low prices for grain, milk and meat used to be the biggest problem for development aid policy. Now it’s hunger. In many countries, direct assistance to the poor has become the first priority. Economists have calculated that, if rice prices climb 10 percent in Indonesia, two million more people there will fall below the poverty line.

In responding, many countries are making disastrous mistakes. Beleaguered governments are imposing tariffs or outright bans on food exports. Doing so can temporarily relieve domestic price pressures but it will exacerbate the problem for importing countries. In sum, that policy makes food even scarcer. Subsidizing staples and freezing prices lead to waste and siphon off state finances. The World Bank and national agencies can put know-how and specialized programs to use here. In Yemen, for example, the World Bank is funding a relatively efficient food-for-work program that benefits the poor – and only the poor.

The crisis is resetting the scope of action for policymakers. The consensus among European politicians and consumers who reject genetically modified foods remains solid. Yet pressure will grow to compromise and make way for more productive agriculture through genetic engineering.

The competitive environment for organic agriculture is also deteriorating. Until now, many consumers have been happy to pay extra for organic bread, meat, and vegetables. Now that food in general has become more expensive, organic farmers in the U.S. are beginning to shut down because business is no longer profitable.

Then there is climate policy: The surge in food prices has demonstrated that agrofuels from corn, canola and other agricultural raw materials are not a viable alternative to fossil fuels. Given current technologies, public funding of biofuels means that people compete against cars for scarce agricultural land. The U.S. government’s ethanol subsidies have contributed significantly to the soaring price of corn in Mexico and other Latin American countries.

For the EU, these changes represent an opportunity to abandon the disastrous agricultural policies Europe has been pursuing for the past 50 years. Today, preventing surpluses and propping up farmers’ incomes by creating artificial demand are no longer needed. Today, farmers earn their money on the open market. It is more important now to help countries like Haiti and Bangladesh with their agricultural development.

European and North American consumers, who for decades have taken for granted their abundance of food, must change their thinking. Ultimately, having something on the table – our daily bread – decides life and death in the world. Realizing how scarce bread and meat really are could prompt us to rethink our values and recognize that our luxury often comes at others’ expense.


Picture above: “A measure of wheat for a penny…” The third horseman of the Apocalypse in the Book of Revelations, in which John the Apostle envisions the end of the world, represents famine. In John’s day, a penny was a very high price for a handful of grain. What will our daily bread cost us? The illustration is Albrecht Dürer’s 1498 woodcut, “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”


The Atlantic Times

Turkey's born-again farmer
Organic food might change your life, but organic farming can change the lives of thousands. Nazmi Ilicali, born in 1953, grew up in the east of Turkey in the province of Erzurum, famous for its scorching summers and hard winters. Erzurum, one of Turkey's poorest districts, is where Nazmi's life has been spent enriching the barren lives of those around him.--Fazile Zahir

FETHIYE, Turkey - Organic food might change your life, but organic farming can change the lives of thousands. Nazmi Ilicali, born in 1953, grew up in the east of Turkey in the province of Erzurum, famous for its scorching summers and hard winters. Erzurum, one of Turkey's poorest districts, is where Nazmi's life has been spent enriching the barren lives of those around him.

First he trained as a teacher, and then he spent 25 years working in schools in and around his home town. After his retirement he found himself bored and at loose ends, and inactivity soon developed into such a serious drinking problem that his nickname around town became "Alcoholic Nazmi".

He struggled on and finally, with the help of his family and a burning new interest, he began to recover. Nazmi discovered farming, in particular organic farming, and the power of this raw contact with the earth and its produce pulled him out of his personal quagmire and led him to enhance the lives and livelihoods of thousands of other farmers in his area.

Nazmi is more than just a simple farmer, he is a born-again farmer with a zealous devotion to organic farming and a burning desire to organize other people around him to reap its benefits as well. As part of his rehabilitation he joined the Daphan Plains Organic Agriculture Project (set up in 1996) and grew to play a key part in the successful efforts of the organization.

He explains why, ironically, the poverty of this area makes it perfect for starting organic farming projects: "The earth in this area is especially suitable, because the local population is so poor that for years they have been unable to afford chemical fertilizers. The climate is good for organic agriculture, too. The frost and cold here even kill the eggs laid in the earth by insects, and because of that there is no need for pesticides - we have a totally chemical-free soil."

Soon after joining the Daphan project, Nazmi took a further step. "After doing extensive research, I decided that organic agriculture was the only investment with good potential in the east of Turkey. But I also knew that any efforts would have to be made in an organized way. When I first became involved three years ago, I brought 633 farmers together, and the European Community gave me the financial support to set up the Eastern Anatolian Farmers and Livestock Keepers Union. Now we have 3,000 members, and are still gathering members like an avalanche gathers snow."

Nazmi is the president of the union, which includes farmers from 12 different areas as members, and he has acquired a new nickname: "Organic Nazmi".

Each year he plans new measures to improve his union members' lives. This year union money will be spent on new farming tools that will be owned communally and lent out for poor farmers to use for free. Nazmi's new social conscience and sense of responsibility extend to all areas of his farmers' lives: "Because I'm a teacher, I place great importance on education. I believe that education is more important than profits. From now on every farmer should know how to use a computer and have an e-mail address. They should be able to communicate with their fellow farmers nationally and internationally. For those that want them, we are going to provide English lessons."

Nazmi's name and the success of the Daphan Plains project have spread worldwide. Last year the American Ashoka Entrepreneur Trust gave the project an award for "social entrepreneurship". This month a delegation from Japan came to visit, and Nazmi said, "They were very impressed. From now on our products will be found on Japanese dinner tables too."

Daphan produces organic wheat, rye, barley, white beans, green lentils, chickpeas and bulgur wheat. Its website, www.daphan.org, invites buyers to order the type of vegetables and pulses they want grown organically and, on signing contracts, Daphan will supply them. Next year in a new diversification the project will distribute 600 cows to its members so they can start farming organic meat and milk.

Nazmi explains that when they first started, the biggest problem they had was the packaging and processing of their organic products. Rather than allowing this to stall their progress, they built a small factory and made every member of the association a shareholder. The factory began to grind their own cereals into flour and package it. Their brand identity, sales and profit margins have all improved since.

The efforts of Nazmi and the Daphan Plains organic project are not just appreciated by the 3,000 farmers in the Erzurum area, the benefits stretch across the country to the urban sprawl that is Istanbul. The city council set up a program in 2005 that encourages rural villagers to stay in their home provinces rather than migrate to Istanbul. The Daphan Plains project and Istanbul council have recently come to an agreement whereby the council buys the project's organic wheat for the public bakery. Under the terms of the contract the city will take 10,000 tonnes of organic wheat, which will earn the project 1 million liras (US$675,00.

Kadir Topbas, the head of the Istanbul council, said organic farming projects had halted rural-to-urban migration in several areas around Erzurum. He underlined the importance of supporting these types of projects both locally and by the central government: "The government provides serious support to these projects. As a local council we have a five-year contract with the Erzurum area. We supply Istanbul residents with access to organic bread as a result and we plan to help these areas to market all their produce in the future. The success of these projects has resulted in more than 1,000 families leaving Istanbul and returning to their home villages."

Organic Nazmi is a happy man, and so are the people he surrounds himself with. Mehmet, one of his farmers, summed up the change in their lives by saying: "We go to our fields smiling now and breed our livestock with a lot of happiness. We are very proud of Nazmi and what he has done."
______________________________
Fazile Zahir is of Turkish descent, born and brought up in London. She moved to live in Turkey in 2005 and has been writing full time since then.
Source: Asia Times

"Power concedes nothing without a demand.' The struggle for justice must never be adjourned. The forces of injustice do not take vacations. Societies are not static in this regard. They await the political and civic energies of individuals who engage the arenas of power, multiply their numbers and emblazon in deeds and institutions the immortal principle that "Here the People Rule." - Ralph Nader

Al-Jazeera Cameraman Freed from Guantanamo Bay

An Al-Jaze­era cameraman released from U.S. custody at Guantanamo Bay re­turned home to Sudan early Friday after six years of imprisonment that drew worldwide protests.

Sami al-Haj, along with two other Sudanese released from Guan­tanamo prison in Cuba Thursday, arrived at the airport in Sudan's capital Khartoum on a U.S. military plane.

Al-Haj was detained in December 2001 by Pakistani authorities as he tried to enter Afghanistan to cover the U.S.-led invasion. He was turned over to the U.S. military and taken in January 2002 to Guantanamo Bay, where the United States holds some 275 men suspected of links to al-Qaida and the Taliban, most of them without charges.

Reprieve, the British human rights group that represents 35 Guan­tanamo prisoners including al-Haj, said Pakistani forces apparently seized al-Haj at the behest of the U.S. authorities who suspected he had interviewed Osama bin Laden, said.

But that "supposed intelligence" turned out to be false, Reprieve said in a news release.

"This is wonderful news, and long overdue," said Clive Stafford Smith, Reprieve's Director who has represented al-Haj since 2005. "The U.S. administration has never had any reason for holding Mr. Al Haj, and has, instead, spent six years shamelessly attempting to turn him against his employers at Al-Jazeera." The U.S. military says it goes to great lengths to respect the religion of detainees, issuing them Qurans, enforcing quiet among guard staff during prayer calls throughout the day. All cells in Guantanamo have an arrow that points toward the holy city of Mecca.

Al-Haj was the only journalist from a major international news organization held at Guantanamo and many of his supporters saw his detention as punishment for a network whose broadcasts angered U.S. officials.

Al-Haj said he believed he was arrested because of U.S. hostility toward Al-Jazeera and because the media was reporting on U.S. rights violations in Afghanistan.

The military alleged he was a courier for a militant Muslim organization, an allegation his lawyers denied.

By Mohamed Osman

The Associated Press
| Moscow News,№17-18 2008
http://www.worldproutassembly.org/archives/2008/05/journalist_rele.html

The education community is abuzz with talk about the province of Siirt: the school attendance rate has jumped from just 4 to 63 percent within a matter of 4 years and contracts for teachers failing to enroll at least 25 new students are being cancelled. About 12,000 children are attending infant classes. Material assistance in the form of financial subsidies and other incentives is offered to school goers -- and 3 million pistachio saplings planted in a joint effort to bolster the local economy are flourishing.

A miracle has indeed been worked in Siirt and the man responsible is Governor Nuri Okutan. Governor Okutan is now reaping the fruits of his painstaking efforts to make Siirt one of the leading provinces of Turkey. Siirt gained an incredible momentum in education after the new Governor took office and the province is now leading all other provinces in pre-school education enrolment. Along with strides forward in education, the pistachio industry will help Siirt open up to the European market. These important projects by Governor Okutan enjoy wide support from the locals. Several projects are being carried out at the same time to enlarge the scope and quality of education. Parents and students are very enthusiastic about the Governor’s initiatives. The project designed to increase enrolment to pre-school education achieved such success that its reputation went far beyond the borders of this province. Siirt is now at top in pre-school education where the national enrolment average is 15 percent. Following the launch of a programme in 2000, the rate of enrolment rose from 4 to 63 percent -- a total of 12,000 children enrolled in pre-school education.

There are 466 teachers catering to the educational needs of these children in a total of 323 infant classes spread over the province center, local administrative districts and outlying rural settlements. Pre-school education is a distinct feature of the project which targets quality improvement in basic education. The idea of giving weight to pre-school education stems from the fact that many formal school beginners have difficulty in adapting to courses in Turkish since their local tongues are different. The school performance of students who try to master Turkish at their formal enrolment in primary education is naturally low so pre-school education is crucial in giving these children an equal chance in formal education.

Material support as well!
Through the projects, which are supported by the Ministry of National Education (MONE), Various methods are employed to encourage students. The Governorate extends financial support to families who send their children to school and offers incentives in the form of gifts to newly enrolled students. Teachers visit homes to convince parents to send their children to schools and the contracts of any teachers who fail to gain at least 25 children for new school enrolment are cancelled. Another interesting project in Siirt is designed to mobilise communities and ensure the further support of muhtars. Muhtars making special efforts to ensure the school enrolment of children and are invited to attend as special guests in the protocol of special days and celebrations.

Haydi Kızlar Okula!
http://www.unicef.org/turkey/pc/ge35.html