"Foreign visitors to the Sultanahmet Mosque will be invited to enjoy a Quranic feast this week as part of the celebrations for the Week of the Blessed Birth, which marks the Prophet Muhammad’s 1,437th birthday.

Throughout the week, İstanbul’s most famous hafizes (Muslims who have committed the entire Quran to memory) will be reciting passages from the Quran, and some of the verses will be translated into English for English-speaking foreign visitors. Emrullah Hatiboğlu, the chief imam of the famous Sultanahmet Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque because of the blue tiles adorning its interior, said: “Most of our visitors listen in reverence to the Quranic verses recited in the mosque during prayers and at other times. In order for them to understand at least some of the verses, we will read out the English translation of the verses after the recitals.” The office of the mufti of İstanbul made this decision having seen the attention and respect paid to Quran recitals in the Sultanahmet Mosque by foreign visitors.
Thousands of foreign tourists visit the Blue Mosque every year, particularly during the spring and summer. They attentively watch believers standing, bowing and prostrating themselves in unison and listen to enchanting Quran recitals given by the imam.

“They all try to make sense of what we do in the mosque. The Quran recitals that echo off the dome particularly affect them. They ask their tour guides questions about prayer, the Quran and other aspects of Islam,” Imam Hatiboğlu remarked".

Today's Zaman
22.04.2008
MÃœKREMİN ALBAYRAK İSTANBUL

Professional and fabulous

Christina Bach Fidan established the PAF women's group because she believes that working expat women needed a support group.
There’s a new expat women’s group in town, and the new kid on the block demands to be taken seriously.

Originally an off-shoot of the American Women of Istanbul (AWI), the Professional and Fabulous (PAF) women’s group voted in February to formally separate from the AWI and become their own independent group.
Christina Bache Fidan, co-founder of PAF, sat down with me and discussed PAF over a cup of coffee at a quiet café in Suadiye. What is PAF? What makes it different from other foreign women’s groups? Herself an expat living in Turkey for almost two years, Christina felt the need for a more active women’s group for working foreign women. Married to a Turkish husband, she quickly became active within the expat community upon her move to Istanbul. However, she felt that many of the groups did not fulfill her needs.

“The working expat woman needs a support group,” said Fidan. After talking with Christina for a few hours, her ambition and enthusiasm were contagious. It was easy to see why she and the other women who started PAF felt restless. Living in a foreign country is difficult enough, and those who work and have businesses or careers need a networking base where they can give and receive support. Many other women shared her view, and PAF was started as a branch of AWI. When I asked her where the idea for the name originated, she laughed and said that it was created with the working woman in mind. “I am not a writer,” laughed Fidan, who is employed by the Istanbul Policy Center, “and when the group started, we were only six or seven people. T” And who wouldn’t want to be considered professional and fabulous? Now, with a membership of over 100, the name has stuck.

Myself a working expat, I found that many Istanbul foreign women’s groups catered more to stay-at-home moms and non-working women, and their events and meetings were held during weekdays and impossible for me to attend because of my job obligations. After a year, I gave up in frustration and withdrew my memberships. One of the groups, International Women of Istanbul (IWI) had grown so big that the meetings I was able to attend seemed overwhelming, impersonal, showy and cold. I met very few women there whom I could relate to. As a contributor for the book “Tales from the Expat Harem,” (eds. Anastasia Ashman, Jennifer Eaton Gökmen, Doğan Kitap 2005) I traveled extensively within Turkey to various expat women’s groups while advertising the book with the editors. I was particularly impressed by the expat women’s groups in Bursa and İzmir. Many of these women also worked or owned businesses in Turkey, and they offered emotional support to each other. I longed for such an organization in Istanbul, but had despaired of ever finding one in this massive city that was a right fit for me.

I first heard of PAF from a friend and after much cajoling attended a Saturday meeting. I was told that PAF was a small group, but as of February, their membership increased to over 100 American/Canadian women or spouses with American/Canadian citizenship. Meetings are generally held the second Saturday of each month, perfect for women with job obligations. Each meeting features a guest speaker, and locations rotate between the European and Asian sides. The first meeting I attended was held at Schiller’s Café in Cevahir and featured Dr. Üstün Ergüder of the Istanbul Policy Center as the guest speaker. I was immediately impressed by the 30 or so women who attended the event. Expats who lived in Turkey ranging from two months to upwards of 15 years mingled casually, sharing stories, contacts and advice.

Before Dr. Üstün spoke, a general meeting took place informing the members about news for that month. Ideas were also exchanged on ways to improve the group and information sharing. The February meeting was held at US Consulate General Sharon Weiner’s residence, where PAF members presented her with a basket filled with samples, books and certificates representing the various companies and projects PAF members represent.

Since PAF was founded under the auspices of AWI, why break away? Fidan smiled patiently when I posed this question. “We had some differences of opinion on how PAF should be run and organized,” said Fidan. “We really want this group to grow and be active and not be slowed by small details. It was just easier for everyone involved if we just formally separated and went our own way.” To better facilitate members, PAF started a Google group open to members only, where questions, comments and information can be shared.

As PAF has quickly grown, the Google site has proved an invaluable resource for members to connect. The founders of PAF realize that women with families and who work cannot attend regular meetings, and can better make use of a Web site to keep up with events, make contacts and share information. Issues ranging from recommendations for dentists to tips for starting up a business have been shared on the site. Members include consular employees, housewives, business owners, teachers, lawyers, writers, etc. PAF also has three extra social groups. A book club, food club (called Foodies) whose members meet and review various restaurants and a writing/artistic group (called The Muses) who evaluate and support each other’s work.

In addition to offering support for members, PAF is also interested in being active within the Turkish community. Fidan hinted at possible meetings with the Turkish Women’s Business Association and promoting events where Turkish and expat women can meet and learn from each other. “Many of our members work in Turkish companies or schools or are married to Turks, and we want our group to be involved within the Turkish community as well,” says Fidan.

Both communities benefit from the exchange, and these are the type of goals PAF is interested in pursuing.

Although most members of PAF are working women, there are quite a few housewives who also are members. They too felt unsatisfied with the other Istanbul groups and have felt they could make a more worthwhile contribution in PAF. “We don’t want to limit our membership, and we believe that women from all professions can make a contribution,” continues Fidan. I next asked if women of other nationalities could join, but Fidan says for the moment, PAF is only open to American and Canadian women.

Regardless of profession, if you are an American/Canadian woman living or working in Istanbul, you should consider checking out PAF. If you are looking for something different and more open, then this is the group for you. The women involved are professional and fabulous, and a wonderful representation of the working expat women of Istanbul. For more information contact Christina Bache Fidan at peacemissions@hotmail.com.

19.03.2008

Katherine Belliel İSTANBUL
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=136672

Mohamed Hamaky- Ahla Haga Fiky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9uPt3XXVno&mode=related&search=

"A friend of mine has a philosophy about the taxi drivers of İstanbul. He claims that every bad taxi experience he ever had was because the driver was from Rize, a city on Turkey’s Black Sea coast.

If he sees a taxi with a sticker, soccer club pennant, or any other item indicating the driver hails from Rize, he will avoid that yellow vehicle like the plague. As an American expat living in Turkey for the past four years I have also had my share of bad taxi experiences.

Traveling by taxi is still a bit new for me, my home city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, having very few. Like most people I usually wave my hand to catch a taxi from the busy street and jump in the back seat, regardless of car or driver type. İstanbul’s taxis are yellow like those in most other cities, but vary from new and modern cars to cardboard boxes with wheels and an engine. Numerous, convenient and relatively cheap, they are an easy way to get around the city. A taximeter located near the radio let you track the price, but be sure to check and make sure the meter is set to “gündüz” (daytime) rate if you are traveling before midnight. After that time, the “gece” (night) rate increases the fare dramatically.

The drivers vary in quality as well, from polite gentlemen to abrasive lunatics who drive so fast it seems like they professionally raced cars in a previous life. When I first moved here I was prevented from carrying out a conversation with the drivers because of the language barrier. I knew only enough Turkish to make sure I got to my destination. Once I learned more Turkish I didn’t want to converse with them, suspicious of any over friendly overture. Why couldn’t they just take me to the places I wanted to go to without any hassle?

Last October was a bad month for me. It was Ramadan, the month when most Muslims observe a daytime fast. Public transportation is a nightmare during this period. Tempers run high, and at the day’s end every bus, minibus, and dolmuş (shared taxi) is stuffed to capacity. To make matters even worse, near my apartment in Tarabya, a small district on the European side of the Bosporus coast, a new pack of dogs had taken up residence. Normally I prefer to walk as much as possible during Ramadan, due to the lack of space on transport. Now because of the wild dogs, I was having to resort to taking taxis as much as possible.

Ever since my childhood I have been afraid of dogs. In Michigan most dogs I came into contact with were leashed, not roving the streets in feral packs. Each gang has their designated territory, and they know every dog, car and person that resides in that space. Woe betide the stranger or unknown vehicle that enters that district, and it is best to keep a lookout for dogs whenever going to a place the first time. Most of the time they will leave you alone if it seems that you mean no harm, but it’s best to stay on your guard. I don’t trust them and I’m sure they are not fond of me either. In my complex, these dogs had beaten away the old neighborhood dogs, and brought their battles to our doorways.

One chilly autumn night I left the Viktor Levy wine house in Beyoğlu, a Bohemian central district on the European side, and jumped in a taxi to head home. The driver was old and was listening to some mournful Turkish music on the radio. He hummed under his breath as we sped through the dark streets of İstanbul. He asked me where I was from, but stopped his questions when I gave him only short, curt replies. His cab was neither new nor old, and although the interior was faded and worn, it was clean. Plastic flowers in a small vase were attached to the dashboard, and there was a vanilla scented car freshener plugged into the vent. A large, blue and white evil-eye talisman swung from the rearview mirror. Very few other cars were on the road at 11:00 p.m., and we easily zoomed through the European side districts of Şişli, Levent, and Maslak.

As we pulled up in front of my building in Tarabya, I could barely see my door as it was hidden by a writhing, wriggling, canine mass. Barking, growling and fighting, they made access to my apartment impossible. I handed the fare to the driver and my hand shook as I took the change and waited, remaining in the car uncertain of what to do next. After my previous rude behavior towards the driver, I was ashamed to ask for his help. He curiously looked in the mirror to see what was wrong, and why I hadn’t exited the vehicle.

“Ahhhh,” he said, assessing the situation. “Are you afraid of dogs?”

I nodded like an idiot. He laughed good naturedly and opened the door, motioning for me to wait inside. He then threw himself into the foray and started to dance, while singing a song. As he emphasized a phrase, he kicked a dog out of the path at the same time. Eight pairs of canine eyes watched his movements and hunkered behind the bushes lining the walk. His shoulders shook, his knees jerked and kicked, while his arms moved gracefully. He ended with a clap and a flourish, then shooed the remaining dogs away. Silently they slipped into the night, a force to be reckoned with another time.

Kindly he opened my door, and pronounced the walkway safe. I chuckled nervously and thanked him, surprised by his kindness, then inquired about his unique dog-clearing method. “Well, those were mean dogs,” he explained to me. “They would have understood that I was going to hurt them and attacked me if I came at them aggressively. This dance confused them, and they probably didn’t like my singing. This song and dance are from my home city of Rize,” He said proudly.

“Are the dogs in Rize as big as the ones you just scared away?” I asked him. They seemed as big as horses and I couldn’t imagine any larger.

“Yes,” he laughed, “much bigger!”

I thanked him again and he got back in the car. As he drove off I felt ashamed at my previous opinion of taxi drivers. Most of the men driving them are good and decent, and probably overworked. It takes immense talent and patience to ferry people around the congested streets of İstanbul. I have had other drivers who also came from Rize, without a negative episode. I now engage the drivers in conversation, and have learned a great deal about different parts of Turkey as well as enjoyed an opportunity to practice my Turkish. Since that experience I have changed my attitude as a passenger, and although I still remain cautious, I have learned to trust and learn from these thousands of chauffeurs in yellow cabs. Now if only an event could change my attitude towards İstanbul’s dogs, my life here would be perfect".

Katherine Belliel, "Leader of the Pack", Today's Zaman, 31.03.2007

rica ederim

"The EU has opened a new stage of membership talks with Turkey, three months after imposing a partial freeze.
The two sides started talks in a second of 35 policy areas, which Turkey has to complete - showing that it meets EU standards - before it can join the EU.

Last December the EU froze talks in eight areas, calling on Turkey to open its ports to Cypriot ships.

Turkey said on Thursday that it would announce plans next month to carry out all the necessary reforms anyway.

"We will be announcing a programme by which we will be continuing our reforms and this programme will cover all the 35 chapters, even those chapters which will not be opened because of issues... relating to Cyprus," said Turkey's EU negotiator, Ali Babacan.

'Intransigence'

The EU's December decision to slow down membership talks also stipulated that no chapters of the talks would be completed until Turkey allowed Cypriot ships into its ports, and Cypriot aircraft into its airports.

We will not be able to make progress on the ports and airports issue unless the isolation comes to an end

Ali Babacan
But Mr Babacan said there would be no progress on this issue until the European Union honoured a 2004 decision to end the economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community.

The European Commission drafted a regulation in 2004 that would kick-start direct trade between the Turkish Cypriots and the EU, but the Cypriot government has reportedly blocked its adoption.

Foreign ministers agreed in January that "work aiming at the adoption of special conditions for trade" with the Turkish Cypriots "must resume without delay".

However, an EU official quoted by the AFP news agency said the Republic of Cyprus was "totally intransigent on direct trade" and that no progress was likely until after presidential elections there in 2008.

'Disillusionment'

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed the opening of the new chapter of Turkey's accession talks.

He added that the German EU presidency was aiming to open several chapters before the end of June.

Mr Babacan said the EU's decision to partially suspend Turkey's membership talks had triggered some disillusionment in Turkey, and that it was crucial to show Turkish citizens that the accession process was moving forward.

He said the reform programme that Turkey was about to announce would bring the country into alignment with EU requirements in all 35 policy areas, by 2013.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey seized the northern third of the island.

It was acting in response to a Greek-inspired coup in Nicosia, aimed at uniting the island with Greece".


BBC News, EU resumes Turkey accession talks, 2007/03/29

sana küsmedim