A month before the smoking ban takes effect, the latest figures show Turks smoke 15 million packets of cigarettes a day
The government's efforts to limit cigarette smoking and the harm it causes seem to be failing.

Recent figures show the daily consumption of cigarettes in Turkey has reached 15 million packs a month, just one month before a ban comes into effect.

The ban, due to take effect May 19, will outlaw smoking in bars, restaurants, coffee houses and the gardens of schools.

According to official figures, the cigarette industry was one of the few sectors not hurt by the economic crisis in late ‘90s and early 2000. In 1998, cigarette consumption stood at 108.6 billion cigarettes, increasing to 114.4 billion in 1999, 111.7 billion in 2000, 111.8 billion in 2001 and 110 billion in 2002. Since 2003, there has been a downward trend, with consumption dropping to 108.2 billion in 2003, 108.9 billion in 2004, 106.7 billion in 2005, 107.9 billion in 2006 and 107.5 billion in 2007.

The statistics show the annual per capita cigarette consumption is 76.1 packets in Turkey, with a daily consumption rate of 4.2 cigarettes.

While Turks spend YTL 45.2 million ($34.5 million) a day on cigarettes, the state spends YTL 18.1 million ($13.1 million) a day on smoking-related diseases. The health expenditure does not cover private expenditures of individuals, insurance companies or other institutions.

The head of the Regulatory Committee for Tobacco, Tobacco Products and Alcoholic Beverages Market (TAPDK), Kazım Çalışkan, speaking to the Anatolia news agency, said cigarette sales had been consistent in recent years, and noted that once the population increase is taken into account, one could say average consumption had somewhat decreased.

Çalışkan said there was an increase in the consumption of inexpensive cigarettes, sold at prices below YTL 2.5 per packet. “In January, 450 million inexpensive cigarettes were sold. In February, this figure increased to 630 million,” he said, noting that there was a comparable decrease in the sales of more expensive cigarettes.

Consumers are shifting toward cheaper brands, he said. “Some 54.9 of cigarettes sold are cheaper brands,” he added.

Turkish Parliament approved a law on Jan. 3 extending a smoking ban to all bars, restaurants and coffeehouses by mid-2009. The new law will prohibit smoking in all enclosed public areas next year.Smoking on buses, airplanes and large offices is already banned in Turkey, and within on May 19, it will be prohibited on taxis, ferries, trains and some open-air locations such as stadiums and playgrounds.Turkey is the eighth-biggest cigarette market in the world, where nearly 60 percent of male adults are estimated to smoke. The World Health Organization says 80 percent of tobacco-related deaths will occur within a few decades in developing countries like Turkey, as consumption levels off or even falls in mature world markets. China alone accounts for one third of total cigarette consumption.Anti-smoking campaigners hope Turkey's tobacco consumption will fall by at least 10 percent as the ban in public buildings begins next month, and a wider ban takes effect in mid-2009.The government hopes to change European Union candidate Turkey's image as a haven for smokers. "Smoking like a Turk" is a popular phrase used for heavy smokers in some Western countries.

source:Turkish Daily News

Blood feuds can be found not only in Turkey, also during the earlier settlement days in the USA.
http://www.blueridgecountry.com/hatmac/hatmac.html
Eyewitness: Albania's blood feuds
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1964397.stm

The Macedonian Movie "Odmazda/Osveta"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGbxQCDYaoU

Blood feuds trap 1,200 Albanian youths at home
The ancient tradition of blood-feuds is trapping Albanian men inside their own homes, living women to fend for the family

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3216606.ece
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/03/wfeud03.xml
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4273020.stm

One of the greatest problems of the southeastern and eastern regions of Turkey, blood feuds between families, has been brought to the western parts of the country and even to Europe by increased migration.
Blood feuds are chains of revenge murders between two families that might start over the smallest of conflicts and continue for decades. As an example, an interfamily conflict in Mersin that left five people dead only last week had a history reaching back two decades.

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=139054

not only Turkey but the entire world is affected by this!
And Turks are no exception when it comes to feeling the global pinch of soaring food prices: Rice alone has risen 130 percent in the last three months in Turkey, a figure that was only 68 percent worldwide last year.

Last week, dispatches recorded numerous riots in a dozen countries, signaling social unrest and instability. According to the World Bank, food prices have risen 83 percent in the past three years. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was asked to provide a comprehensive relief package to alleviate the crisis, while the United Nations World Food Program is trying to collect on commitments but falling dramatically short of its target. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization says world cereal stocks this year will be the lowest since 1982.

Economists are trying to decipher what is really happening in the commodities market as officials scramble to address growing public tension over the high cost of food items. Greg Barrow, a senior public affairs officer at the World Food Programme (WFP), expressed this uncertainty in comments to Today's Zaman, saying it was "very difficult to predict precisely how high food prices are going to rise and how long they are going to stay at elevated levels." He also warned, "The effect on markets is already having an impact on the lives of the poorest, hungriest people, and the WFP faces an urgent need for increased donations to its budget in 2008 to meet a shortfall of half-a-billion US dollars, which has arisen as a result of the food price increases."

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=139057

While Tanpinar wrote his poems in the style known as “Bes Hececiler” (“Followers of the Five Syllable”), in his novels he has dwelled on the inner human truth, and as a thinker he wrote about the challenges of internalizing Eastern and Western lifestyles and values. Tanpinar stated that “Western civilization develops constantly, however it does so without severing ties with its history and renaissance. Furthermore, it safeguards its material and spiritual values. Just like they have done, we need to change the “old,” and to strive to become a better society; however while doing this, we need to make use of our own values rather than blindly imitating the West. We need to protect our own values.”

Time is one of the prominent themes that appear in Tanpinar’s stories and novels. The commonly accepted opinion is that Tanpinar has been influenced by Marcel Proust. Both Tanpinar himself and his characters are longing for times past. The past is both individually perceived time and the past of the nation. In Tanpinar’s novels time is prominent as an aesthetic element, and a literary device. Huzur, which appeared as a daily series in the Milliyet newspaper between February 22nd and June 2nd 1948, and which was later published in 1949 in book form, is one of his most important works. The most significant feature of the novel is that it adheres to the principle of unity of time, as its action takes place in a 24-hour timeframe. In the novel, time has been established through the characters conveying their memories into the present. In the other novels, it is possible to see a spiraling plot of the same type that goes back and forth between past and present. As far as the subject matter goes, Huzur ,deals with the search for peace that the intellectual of the Republican period undertakes.

http://www.turkishculture.org/pages.php?ChildID=125&ParentID=3&ID=4&ChildID1=250&miMore=1

lâle Iznik Tile


http://www.e-turchia.com/Calendario_2004.htm

Iznik Tiles are admired worldwide for the following reasons:

* Iznik Tiles are made on a very clean white base with hard backs and underglazed decorations in a unique technique.
* 70-80 percent of an Iznik tile is composed of quartz and quartzite. Its beauty arises from the harmonious composition of three successive quartz layers and a paste-slip-glaze combination which is extremely difficult to bring together. The mixture of quartz, clay and glaze disperses in a very wide thermic spectrum at 900 centigrade. After painstaking research, the problem of the fluctuating thermal behavior of the tiles due to their quartz and rock crystal composition is solved. The result is a tile made primarily out of a semi-precious stone: quartz.
* Even though it may appear to be against the principle of "ceramic textural unity", the porous structure of the tiles cause dilatation or shrinkage in hot, cold or freezing conditions. It is said that this particular aspect of the structure "allows it to breathe".
* In Iznik tiles, one can observe colors resembling those of semi-precious stones such as the dark blue of lapis lazuli, the blue of turquoise, the redness of coral, the green of emerald.
* Some of the colors observed on the tiles and utensils, particularly the coral red, are very hard to obtain and apply. To obtain all of these colors, the cornea white and opaque sheen glazes are required. The slightly opaque quality of the glaze on the tiles absorbs light and reduces strain on the eyes. It not only protects the tile but also help it breathe.
* The figures on the tiles and utensils reflect allegorical and symbolic characteristics and the flora and fauna of the region. The geometrical designs can be interpreted almost cosmologically as a general description or depiction of the world or the Universe. They blend beautifully with the surrounding architectural constructions in which they are found, and are never overpowering or overstated, but always tend towards a timeless discretion and moderation.
* The Foundation researchers have been using the classical Iznik tile designs on the productions, reviving the mystery of the creation of the Iznik tile. Throughout the production processes, the main objective is to master the traditional technological methods rather than embrace those of our own day. In order to preserve the authenticity of the Iznik tiles, the Iznik Foundation utilizes raw materials that are akin to those of the 16th century.
Pictures of Iznik Tiles
http://www.squidoo.com/iznik

thanks so much, handsom!




Hamsi Çorbasi
(Anchovy Soup)
Ingredients Measure Amount
Anchovies 10-15 medium size 250 g
Onion 1 medium size 60 g
Margarine 1 tablespoon 30 g
Water 2 tablespoons 960 g
Salt 4 cups 12 g
Carrot 1/2 smaall size 30 g
All-purpose flour 1/3 cup 35 g
Water 1 cup 240 g
Egg 1 medium size 50 g
Lemon juice 2 tablespoons 30 g
Thyme 1 teaspoon 2 g
Instruction
Clean and remove entrails; heads and backbones of fish. Rinse and chop finely. Set aside. Saute' finely chopped onion in margarine for 2-3 minutes in a covered by saucepan, stirring occasionaly. Add water and salt. Bring to boil. Stir in diced carrot, simmer. Dissolve flour with water blending well. Stir in simmering mizture gradually and stirring constantly. Add fish; mix. Simmer for 2 minutes or until tender. Beat egg and lemon juice well. Add hot liquid into egg-lemon juice mixture thoroughly. Stir in soup slowly stirring constantly. Season with thyme; mix. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Serve hot.


6 servings



Nutritive Value ( Approx. per serving):
Energy 87 cal
Protein 8.4 g
Fat 3.1 g
Carbohydrate 6.0 g
Calcium 12 mg
Iron 0.92 mg
Phosphorus 106 mg
Zinc 1 mg
Sodium 818 mg
Vitamin A 539 iu
Thiamin (B1) 0.02 mg
Riboflavin (B2) 0.03 mg
Niacin 0.11 mg
Vitamin C 3 mg

Cholesterol 62 mg


Regional Characteristics :
It is very common soup in the Black Sea Region. In Istanbul, other kind of fish than anchovy are used tp prepare the soup. Some people add potatoes and minced parsley.

Seriously, which of the displayed fish is Hamsi?

Now were is the hamsi?
http://www.trekearth.com/viewphotos.php?l=5&p=810797

I can just imagine you among those dancers, Azade.