Kurdistan

Although I sympathize with the Kurds regarding their culture, language and tradition (please: no honor killing, which sounds more like horror killing), I don't sympathize with a guerrilla group as the PKK. In fact, Europe suffered a lot in the seventies and eighties of the last century because of these kind of organizations (RAF, Beider Meinhoff Gruppe, Rote Army etc.)
I came across an article which shows the 'New Kurdistan', which is outrageous.
Both Armenians and Kurds are claiming the same land. Also, Syria, Iran, Turkey and Iraq will lose territory.
Their map is ridiculous. And as long as Europe doesn't want to see the intentions of the PKK, their goals will be alive. Yes, the PKK is still alive and kicking.

Holland European Champion football under 21 year

Holland brushed aside Serbia to retain the European Under-21 Championship title with a convincing victory.
Last year the Dutch became European champion under 21, in Portugal. This year again, but now playing in the Netherlands.

Interesting ads

These ads are made by Lara Sao Paulo.

Should we stay or should we go now?

Meetings and meetings. Announcements, warnings, threats, statements, counter threats and counter warnings. And so on. Is Turkey going into Iraq or not? I thought that a regular army can not win a war if the enemy are guerrillas. Take a look at Baghdad. 100.000 USA troops and still everyday suicide bombings etc. Will Turkey make the same mistake?

Kunta Kinte, 'Armenian Seed', the Denial of Racism!

This is Orhan Kemal Cengiz. A columnist for Turkish Daily News. And who writes every week on Friday a column. I must say, his columns are really newsworthy and excellently written, and for sure, lots of Turks don't like what he writes. I think, when written in Turkish and in an ordinary daily such as Sabah or Hurriyet, the nationalists will lynch him. The hunt is already started in Turkey by some people. Since the (ultra) nationalists most of the time don't understand another language than Turkish, it's safer for him to publish his comments in Turkish Daily.

Here is the start of the article, further reading link below the article.

Friday, June 22, 2007
By Orhan Kemal Cengiz

ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News

If you asked a man in the street in Turkey what racism means, you would probably receive a vague answer and some random examples rather than a conceptual definition. These examples most probably would refer to other countries, like the United States and European countries, but not Turkey at all!
For us, racism is what the white man did to the black man. Racism is just an image for us haunting our memories from the film “Roots”. It is the picture of the white man who was whipping a black guy: “Say your name nigger”, “My name is Kunta Kinte”, “Your name is Toby boy”, until at last, after hours of lashing, Kunta Kinte gives in and says “my name is Toby sir!” This is the only form of racism we know.
I have never come across any Turkish person who considers himself a racist. However, racist remarks are just flying in the air in the daily conversations in this country. Our language is full of racist remarks. For example, Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, is called an “Armenian seed” (Ermeni Dölü). If you consider how much Öcalan is hated in this country then you can imagine how “flattering” being an “Armenian seed” may be. “Jews are cowards!” “Arabs are back stabbing people”! Not to mention very offensive vocabulary about the Roma people!

Continue reading here.

ING and Oyak, be Happy

The ING group bought yesterday Turkish Oyak bank. A Turkish friend of mine challenged me by saying: ING is German. Holy Cow, the Orange lion is our national symbol. Some other people were saying that this is bad for the Turkish national interest. I don't think ING won't sell it back to Turkish investors if they get some good net profits. But are there any?

These pictures are of ING headquarters in Amsterdam. Yes, the Netherlands is well-known for its architects, only of course among other architects and project developers around the world...


We call this organic architecture. Lots of space for the employees, green, light and water.


This building replaced the old headquarters in 2002. There are 120.000 people working for ING worldwide.



The entrance already gives a good impression of the interior, it looks friendly.


An open garden 'inside' the building!


The Berlage meeting room, where they planned the 'coup' in Turkey..)) The interior, in contrast with the exterior, is 'antique'.

Retirement

On the left the house I want to buy...hehehe..))

Doing PR for free...

Just added some people to my blog. Of course my Super Hero in Istanbul.
But also Derya, a Turkish woman in Dubai, and Bertus from the Netherlands (you have to learn Dutch - easy language if you understand English).
And a friend from India, on duty to get his MBA in Canada: Great blog Priyank.
And then the Turkish invader in Moscow... Bad, bad, they are Slavic, Christian Orthodox... and we Dutch invaded already Russia..)) But at least, it's fun to read your blog. And in case you don't know it: I invaded Istanbul...can you stop me..))

Hamas in action...

Hamas took over control in Gaza. After opening the prisons and by setting rapist, thieves and killers free, they first started looting and destroying Christian churches and schools. Then they looted the house of former president Arafat. Disgraced all of his work, awards e.g. the Nobel Price for Peace. The next step they took was the announcement that Christians can only continue living safely in the Gaza Strip if they accept Islamic law, including a ban on alcohol and on women roaming publicly without proper head coverings. Including teaching of Islam law and religion at Christian schools. Read it here.
Not that long ago Hamas was on an official visit in Ankara. On invitation by R. Erdogan. Do you think they still have contact?

A shot from Beirut

I could not resist to upload this picture here. It's made in Beirut, Lebanon, yesterday. This image is priceless. Although there is some kind of civil war going on, these people look feeling confident.

Good ads

These ads are made by DDB London. Good ones. Turkish advertisement lacks creativity, although its level is increasing.


I can tell you that it takes weeks to produce these pictures.


Click on the images to enlarge them.

Women in Iran

I got some shocking pictures of Iran. The most disgusting was a woman hanged on the street. This picture was taken 2 months ago. Between the time this picture was taken and my putting it on my blog are 2 months. Since then, 67 people have been executed. 17 on the street...
Do you want to see more? Interested in how women are beaten up? Or do you want to hear the stories in the Gaza strip, where women are now 'protected' by men?....

What I don't like

is another question...
The winner takes it all, was and still is the case in Turkish politics.
AK party got 31% of the votes and ruled the country 'regens a terra per propositum'.
The winner takes it all. Compromize and learn what consensus means, if you want to enter the EU. Dictating is a no donner (kebab)....

I love AK party

Yesterday, some people accused me that I love AK party.
Do I? No, I don't love them, but I agree with them.
Tried to explain why, and then, the same rhetoric as ever: 'You Europeans like AK party since they want to use the EU to get their Islamic agenda through'. I replied: 'Which agenda'? And: 'Who is your informant there?'. The last question was a little bit too much for them, since they don't know how to handle these kind of questions. Merely, the answer is like this: 'Uh, I read it...somewhere'. Come on guys (and girls), use your senses: who benefited the most of the last five years of reforms? Yes, you...
And five years ago you considered EU citizens as holy, now I am a piece of shit...
Do I love AK party, no, I only agree with them...that's all. And for your information, I don't tell you 'shit'. Capite?

EU bashing: narro quisquam, tantum sermo ut vos teneo qua vos sermo super

And more to follow...I promise...

Real men don't cover their faces

These are Hamas 'free fighters', looting the Gaza strip with the help of their clans, notorious about their drugs trade, slavery, women trafficking and everything Moses once forbids. And, they opened all the prisons as a sign of good governance. Well, ladies, don't go on the streets uncovered, and without at least 5 male body guards. Don't think that it's about religion there, it's all about the tribes and clans.

Women can not show their faces anymore under Sharia law, but are men now subject to these laws as well? Looks like the first group are 'friendly' forced and the second group doesn't want to be recognized...Maybe they forget to shave themselves? Or do they have something really to hide...their identity? Or is it simply macho behavior?

Speculations and rumors

Came across an article today about Turkish decision makers and the Hudson Institute in Washington DC. You can read it here. Do we have to take this seriously? We call this time of the year in the Netherlands 'komkommertijd', which means, journalists don't have anything to write about - because of the summer season - so they write stories. Always good to read nonsense on the beach, on holiday, or lazy at work.

Anyway, now Turkey will go to the polls on July 22, still no interesting news about their programs, since the political parties in Turkey are fighting with each other more than planing an appropriate Campaign. None of my business, but since EU biasing is Turkey's favorite sport, I am here, standing strong.

The USA, country where investigation journalism has a good history and reputation - think about Watergate, Iran gate, Abu Ghraib prison, Guantanamo bay, is still setting the benchmark worldwide. Al Jazeera is challenging them, but only with horrible pictures and shootings.

The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Journal, Washington Post and many more are covering world affairs more sincerely than in Turkey, which is drowning itself in Capitals, Colors and screaming headlines. In EU countries, and merely the USA journalists, conduct ethics and how to interpret news these days. And they separate facts from fiction. Here is a good site about that. And I recommend each Turkish journalist to read this book. The Elements of Journalism. Also Le Monde and El Pais are worth reading.

In general, bloggers are considered as more reliable than newspapers. Many journalists have their own blogs these days. Since they have to follow their newspapers' policies, blogging became another outlet for them. I found an interesting blog about the Middle East, where people from Palestine, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq etc. are talking like good neighbors. Please, visit that blog. You will get the latest updates about what is going on over there, in particular: Gaza strip and on the West Bank.

And Turkey, yes, there is a boom in blogs. Some interesting, some informative, some give a different perspective than main stream media, and some are boring. But what bothers me is the level of news: too often I see articles starting with: When, If, Why, Where...exactly that leaves too much room for speculations. And besides this, most journalists are badly informed. Especially about world affairs since they are monolingual.

Amsterdam Airport

Don't get married in Vegas, get married at Schiphol Airport...

And take off for Vegas, to get divorced...a new business line created by Hans A.H.C. de Wit..

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is voted as the best European Airport.
Yes, they are doing a good job.
Please let KLM follow this trend, especially after their merger with Air France...!!

Teach your children well

I am always surprised how quick foreign media are reacting about developings in Turkey; their Turkish counterparts can learn a lesson from them. Even Al Jazeera is quicker. There is no 24-hrs up to date web site based newsletter, only Zaman is doing okay with a quick update.

Erkan, on his blog already made us aware that President Sezer of 'valede des republica of Turkey' vetoed the new package of elections reforms the current government proposed. And Sezer will bring this package to the public, which means: are the people of Turkey intelligent enough to vote for their president or a bunch of fist fighting deputies? Maybe an intelligent test for wannabee's politicians would help? Just an idea...))

The current government is an legal elected one, but some people in the opposition have the arrogance that people, who voted for AK Party are stupid and ignorant, that they even don't deserve to vote. Right, they are poor, but what have that to do with democracy? Okay, everybody must follow the military and their imposed military doctrine (started at pre-elementary schools, and ends the last year at one of the non top 500 universities in the world). Auw...

Would love you to show trembling children at the age of 9, who on 'Children's day (a day for Children not for the military) who are reciting Ataturk his words. Poor confused kids. Looking to their moms and dads if they fail 'Ataturks test'. Ataturk would be worried by so much idiotery. Child, be child and don't take too much crab for granted.

Ha, therefore, a lot of Turkish students get educated abroad. Molding is an important process in students life: be critical, find your own way, and think freely. Not in Turkey. Get your grades and leave the rest to Father State. So Turkey is still holding up with North Korea and Myanmar. Bravo!

Now, I am waiting until the Turkish mobs, or Turkish 'Gestapo' picks me up...just missed (on invitation) the high level security and democracy seminar in Istanbul. At least, I feel some protection by the NPD...

Like father, like son...?

Yesterday, the Sisli court in Istanbul, found several journalists of Agos, Armenian/Turkish daily, not guilty of trying to create undue influence on the judiciary for articles criticizing the conviction of former editor-in-chief of the paper, Hrant Dink.
In the meanwhile, Hrant Dink's son, Arat Dink, will be prosecuted for insulting under penalty code 301, 'Turkishness'. Arat republished an interview of his father, where he talked about the Armenian Democide...exactly the reason why he was killed...
Will he follow his father? During the funeral of Hrant Dink, while passing the MHP party building, there were sounds of Cat calls coming out these 'nationalists' buildings...Yes, wolfs playing for cats...