Her albums are available on iTunes. If you go to Turkey don’t hesitate to visit D&R (music & book shops that you can discover in many towns), you’ll be able to find her albums as well as some boxes.

I want to start by suggesting these songs :

‘Nihayet’ :

‘Şen şarkı’ (backing vocals : Sertab Erener) :

‘Son bakış’ (music by Onno Tunç) :

‘Anadilim aşk’ :

‘Aşktan ne haber’ (backing vocals : Şebnem Ferah) :

Yours sincerely,

Cem

I grew up with his songs. Perhaps that’s why I was often sad during my childhood.

Ahmet Kaya was a great master of music. In my opinion Turkey’s greatest singers and composers are Sezen Aksu and Ahmet Kaya.

I ought to not have hesitated to introduce him in this former article of mine (it was mentioned on the Financial Times web site).

I hesitated because several of his songs were actually songs that the terrorist group the PKK imposed him. He was most probably under pressure because he was a man of peace : he did fight for the Kurdish cultural rights and he always had the dream to sing in Kurdish (he was besides also under the pressure of the Turkish nationalists, so I guess he was trying to survive in the middle of that madness).

I always shiver when I listen to ‘Karar vermek zor’ and ‘Gül dikeni’ :

Yours sincerely,

Cem

PS. His albums are available on iTunes.

I discovered Kızılırmak when I was nearly 10-12 years old.

I love their album ‘Pir Sultan’dan Nesimi’ye Anadolu Türküleri’, a great album that is available on iTunes.

Here are two songs.

‘Şifa istemem’ :

‘Haydar’ :

Yours sincerely,

Cem

Yıldırım says Channel Istanbul project to be initiated in June – May 3rd 2013

“Transportation, Maritime and Communications Minister Binali Yıldırım yesterday attended the Rivers and Lakes in Ottoman Empire International Symposium, hosted by Erciyes University in Kayseri and jointly organized by the Transportation, Maritime and Communications Ministry and the Forestry and Water Affairs Ministry. Speaking at the conference, Yıldırım said that substantial progress has been made in the Channel Istanbul project. Stating that the work on the project would be initiated in June, Yıldırım said that the Bosphorus would be used for entertainment and social purposes as part of the project. “Alternatively, we have a channel project extending from the Black Sea to Marmara. The length of this project will be approximately 45 kilometers, and thus the entire load traffic will continue from the north to the south, bypassing the Bosphorus in Istanbul,” Yıldırım said, adding that they also aimed to build a very good airport in Kayseri. The two-day symposium will host 134 academics from Turkey and such countries as Canada and Sudan.”

Yours sincerely,

Cem

European Aviation Award Goes To Atatürk Airport – April 12th 2013

“Istanbul Atatürk Airport has been named by Skytrax as the winner in the “Best Airport in Southern Europe” category. Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted presented the award to Business Development Director of TAV Airports Holding Serkan Kaptan. “It is very important to receive such a prestigious award,” Kaptan said, adding, “This award indicates that TAV consistently carries its goals much further in the airport business development.”"

Fenerbahçe Set For European Semis After 1-1 Draw In Rome – April 12th 2013

“Fenerbahçe qualified in the Europa League semifinals, after a 1-1 draw against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome yesterday. The Yellow Canaries, as Fenerbahçe is popularly called, cruised to the European semifinals for the first time in their history, joining Chelsea and Benfica in the last four.”

Turkey rolls up sleeves build own fighter jet to replace F-16S – March 29th 2013

“Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM) head Murad Bayar has said Turkey is working to build its own fighter jet to replace the F-16s in its fleet. Experts are currently drafting the conceptual design of the aircraft, Bayar said. “We are working on a fighter jet for Turkey,” he added on Thursday at the opening of the First International Conference on Air and Space Power (ICAP’13), being held in Istanbul. “It [the project for the new jet] is a development program and we aim to have it ready for operational use in the next 10-20 years. The conceptual design will be finished by the end of this year,” Bayar said. Speaking to reporters following the opening of the conference, Bayar said the project was initiated last year. “In a two-year phase, we will work on pre-conceptual design work with the Air Forces Command. A design is coming,” he said, adding: “By the end of this year, we aim to finish the conceptual design. Our goal is that after 10 years, on the 100th anniversary of our republic, this jet will make its first flight.”"

Turkey to export dairy products to EU – April 2nd 2013

“Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Mehdi Eker said on Monday that Turkey has gained the right to export dairy products to the EU as of April 3. Speaking at a meeting of the dairy exports project which is carried out by the ministry and the Packaged Milk and Milk Products Industrialists Association (ASUD), Eker said, “The EU’s Directorate General for Health and Consumers has confirmed that Turkish firms comply with EU standards for selling dairy products to the EU members. The legislation about the issue will enter into force on April 3.”"

Istanbul’s new bourse to begin to operate today – April 5th 2013

“Borsa Istanbul, which has combined the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) and the Istanbul Gold Exchange (IAB) under one umbrella, began to operate today. Borsa Istanbul’s abbreviation will be BIST, its logo will be the tulip and its slogan will be “worth investing.” The bourse will be inaugurated in a ceremony to be attended by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan today. A gala dinner was held in Istanbul for Borsa Istanbul yesterday. Speaking at the event, Babacan said that Borsa Istanbul would be a crucial step for Turkey and the region. “We cannot think of any other finance center that could compete with Istanbul,” Babacan said, adding that they aim to make Istanbul one of the most important 10 finance centers of the world.”

This news was expected by Carol Horner :

Turkey’s 3rd bridge in Istanbul to be completed in 2015 – February 13th 2013

“Turkey’s Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communication Minister Binali Yıldırım said Wednesday the 3rd bridge in Istanbul would be completed as of the end of 2015 if everything went fine.

He said Boğaziçi (Bosphorus) Bridge would be maintained soon but it would not be closed to traffic during the maintenance.

On 4G tender, Yıldırım said 4G was not on their agenda yet.”

Turkey determined to make a name with domestic electric car production and development – February 25th 2013

“Science, Industry and Technology Minister Nihat Ergün said that the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK) would provide 100 percent in research aid and the Science Ministry would purchase 200 electric cars over five years. “Turkey will make a name for itself with domestic electric car production and development,” Ergün has said, adding that Turkey did not want to miss the opportunity to have a say in the electric car sector, as it has lost out before in the fossil fuel vehicle technology sector. Ergün added that this endeavor was expected to result in a collaboration of universities, as well as private and public sector players.”

Birdal: Tender of the third airport attracts great attention – February 22nd 2013

“Director General of Turkey’s State Airports Authority (DHMI) Orhan Birdal said that a great number of companies including foreign ones took the specifications of the tender lodged for the construction of the third airport in Istanbul. Stating that the tender will take place on May 3, 2013 at 10:00 am, Birdal said the third airport would be the biggest airport on earth in terms of passenger capacity, once it starts to operate in full capacity. Underlining that they will not publicly announce the companies which have taken the specification of the tender by virtue of strategy, Birdal added, “There are much more interest into the tender of construction of the new airport than we have expected. There are a great number of local and foreign companies interested. There are many companies which have taken the specification; yet the number of the companies which evaluates the specification is even higher. We hope that this great interest will be reflected on the tender as well.” Birdal also said that the construction of airport would be assumed jointly by the public and the private sector and the tender would be for a 25-year lease in a four-stage project. Commenting that the new airport will positively affect the region on which it will be constructed, Birdal said, “The region where the new airport is to be constructed is one of the most disadvantaged regions of Istanbul in terms of environmental factor since it has been exploited very adversely for years. We will refresh this region with the new airport.” Stating they are planning to finish the first phase of the project in 42 months upon securing the tender and site delivery, Birdal concluded that 120 thousand people would be annually employed on average and it would be the biggest airport with an annual passenger capacity of 150 million.”

SOCAR To Step Up Investments In Turkey To $17 Bln By 2018 – March 20th 2013

“State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) President Rovnag Abdullayev recently announced his company’s goal to become Turkey’s largest foreign investor by 2018 with total of $17 billion in investments. He recalled the company’s investments in Turkey’s oil refinery, oil and natural gas, petroleum and petrochemicals sectors and noted that SOCAR’s investments help strengthen the relationship between Turkey and Azerbaijan. He added: “Projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan [BTC] pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway have carried the level of relations between the countries to that of a strategic partnership.” Abdullayev also noted that the strategic relationship gained momentum with the privatization of Turkish petrochemicals giant Petkim, which was won by the joint venture SOCAR & Turcas Energy. He added that bilateral relations will become even stronger with an increase in their investments and with the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP). “We plan to increase our total investment in Turkey to $17 billion and are proud to share this with the Turkish finance sector. Our projects and investments are the main indicators of our faith in the future of Turkey,” he said. SOCAR Turkey President Kenan Yavuz also stated that that planned upgrades to Petkim’s facilities will make it one of the largest oil refinery centers in Europe. He also noted that 70 percent of the company’s construction of the STAR Refinery, which began in Izmir in October of 2011, has been completed and planning for new investments that will help the two countries cope with increasing energy demands is ongoing.”

Turkey, Russia to enhance aviation – April 9th 2013

“Turkey and Russia signed a civil aviation agreement yesterday in order to enhance cooperation with regard to airspace use, code sharing and increasing the number of fights between the two countries. After bilateral negotiations between the Turkish Ministry of Transport’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM) and Russia’s Civil Aviation Authority between April 3 and 4, the two sides concluded an aviation agreement, as SHGM made public yesterday. As the agreement will increase the frequency of, and remove restrictions for, flights between several Turkish and Russian provinces, the number of destinations served by flights to and from Russia is set to increase, notably to include locations in Turkey’s provinces of Samsun, Nevsehir and Gaziantep. Turkey’s airline companies will be able to fly to the Commonwealth of Independent States (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Russia) through Russian airspace without any restrictions on frequency, according to the agreement. Turkey will be allowed to benefit from trans-Siberian airspace for its flights to the Far East (Tokyo, Osaka, Bishkek, and Ulaanbaatar), although limited to a frequency of 21 flights per week. The agreement also allows the designated companies to engage in code sharing applications along with third parties. Turkey and Russia signed 11 agreements in many fields during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Turkey in December. As the two countries bid to increase the $32 billion annual bilateral trade to an ambitious $100 billion, energy ties dominated the talks. Russia is Turkey’s largest gas provider with two main pipelines: the Blue Stream that carries 16 billion cubic meters (bcm) of fuel from underneath the Black Sea and the 6 billion bcm capacity West Line that will be soon used by four private firms rather than by the Turkish state. Russia is also building Turkey’s very first nuclear plant in the southern province of Mersin. There are around 3,000 Turkish companies active in Russia, according to Moscow sources. After the lifting of visas in 2011, some 3.5 million Russian tourists have visited Turkey last year.”

Turkey And Mongolia Initiate Mutual Visa Liberalization – April 12th 2013

“Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was welcomed with an official ceremony during his arrival to Mongolia yesterday. During the ceremony, horse-riding military unit paraded on Sukhbaatar Square in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia, and the national anthems of both countries were also played. Greeting Mongolian soldiers at the ceremony, Erdoğan also placed a wreath upon a monument of Genghis Khan. Following the ceremony, Erdoğan held a meeting with Mongolian Prime Minister Norov Altankhuyag. During a joint press conference with Altankhuyag after the meetings, Erdoğan said that Turkey’s aim was to improve the trade volume with Mongolia from $36 million to $250 million by 2015. Erdoğan noted that the relationship and cooperation between Turkey and Mongolia developed after the Turkish Airlines (THY) started flights between the two countries, and added that the number of flights rose from three to seven times a week, and another aim was to hold cargo trips too. As part of Erdoğan’s visit, Turkey and Mongolia signed an agreement to initiate mutual visa liberalization between the two countries as well.”

Yours sincerely,

Cem

New song :

Yours sincerely,

Cem

Gül presented water, earth and flag from Çanakkale – March 19th 2013

“President Abdullah Gul on Monday received Acting Director General of Sports Mehmet Baykan and his accompanying delegation at the Çankaya Presidential Palace, where he was as presented the water, earth and flag from Çanakkale on the occasion of the 98th anniversary of the Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs’ Day. Reiterating the importance of remembering the Çanakkale Victory during which the Turkish army displayed great audacity against those of the then strongest countries, Gül pointed out that the Çanakkale Victory is uniquely significant in the Turkish history in the sense that the most important human resources of the Ottoman Empire were martyred during the Çanakkale War. “We fought against the biggest armies of the world. Had it not been for the Çanakkale Victory, I don’t know how greatly history might have changed, but this victory certainly saved Istanbul.”"

Yours sincerely,

Cem

Turkish voleyball side Vakıfbank wins European crown – March 11th 2013

“Turkey’s women’s volleyball team Vakıfbank defeated Rabita Baku in three straight sets during the finals of the CEV Champions League Final Four which was held on Sunday in Istanbul. Vakıfbank crowned its extraordinary run by wiping out its Azeri rival 25-17, 25-20 and 25-23, and thus clinched its second European Champions title in three years.”

Excellent news!!!!!

Yours sincerely,

Cem

Great article :

Istanbul’s special mission in facilitating Turkey’s EU integration

“The city represents Turkey’s harmony and diversity, reflecting a centuries-old interaction between cultures and religions“

“It is 25 years since Turkey first applied to join the European Union, and seven years since full EU membership negotiations began. It is a long road on which we have embarked – and we always knew the process was going to take time. But the idea that Turks are going off the idea of EU membership, or that Europeans are losing interest in Turkey, is uninformed and wrong. Quite the opposite is the case.

Almost unnoticed, remarkable advances in Turkey’s integration with Europe are taking place every day in Istanbul and at grassroots level across the length and breadth of the country, far away from the stuffy negotiating rooms of Brussels and Ankara. To increase the relevance of the EU to the lives of ordinary Turks, we have developed a national programme that aims to raise awareness of the EU reform process and build shared platforms at the provincial and local level.

Every province in Turkey has an EU department operating under the auspices of my ministry that tracks and co-ordinates the reform process on the local level. These local branches aim to connect with EU cities and regions that share common characteristics or similar economies and industries. In this way, Turkey’s cities can pair with their EU peers and learn from their counterparts’ experiences. Once this connection is established, city-to-city interactions begin that bring people closer and expand mutual understanding.

This project embraces not only Turkey’s 81 provincial capitals, but is also expanding to smaller towns that want to be put on the EU map. Currently 1,103 Turkish towns are linked to EU equivalents. These interactions go beyond the traditional “sister cities” link-ups, ultimately aiming at full EU integration and conversion. A clear philosophy underpins this approach. While paying close attention to civic and institutional aspects of the union, our aim is to convince both Turkish and EU populations that Turkey in the EU is a win-win situation for all.

Istanbul is the jewel in the crown of this almost unnoticed, ground-level Turkey-Europe integration. Ever greater numbers of Europeans make the journey to Turkey’s largest city each year. Istanbul is up in lights around the world these days as Hollywood’s favourite movie set: Skyfall, Argo and Taken 2 are the most recent productions to use the city as a stunning setting and backdrop. Movie directors have successfully captured its beautiful skyline and interpreted its allure for a global audience.

At the same time Istanbul, in my opinion, has even greater importance as a city representing the highest artistic and cultural values – for its majestic charm extends beyond movie scenes. The city is a testimony to the harmony of east and west and, for this reason, it has a special mission in facilitating Turkey’s EU path.

Istanbul is a reflection of humanity’s past and the nation’s future. Its economy produces about one fifth of the national GDP, connecting Europe with Asia and linking Turkey with the EU. The city represents Turkey’s harmony and diversity, a cultural capital that reflects a centuries-old interaction between cultures and religions.

Istanbul, under the “sister cities” project, has relations with 200 cities around the world. About 65 of these are EU cities. My ministry aims to enrich the latter group by lending special emphasis to the EU perspective and institutionalising existing connections. There are 30 major projects in Istanbul aiming to enhance the EU integration process led by universities, civic associations and NGOs.

In recent months Istanbul has co-operated on cultural projects with Cologne, shared a business platform with Barcelona and just completed a sustainability summit with Copenhagen. EU grants have been utilised on the Istanbul-Ankara high-speed rail project. We are about to build a third bridge across the Bosphorus to further connect Europe and Asia while reaffirming Turkey’s special role between east and west.

Above all, in my view, the EU is a major peace project that will not be complete without Turkey. The EU is about social cohesion, tolerance and harmony. We cherish these values and recognise their contribution to peace and prosperity in our region. All we need for complete success is a clear and unbiased vision and mutual determination. Turkey is travelling a long road to deliver on its commitments. We demand equally clear determination and vision from our EU partners.”

Yours sincerely,

Cem

Russian deputy visits Turkish woman taking care of disabled Russian – February 18th 2013

“Roman Khudyakov, a deputy from the Russian Liberal Democratic Party, on Sunday visited the home of Gülsüm Kabadayı, a woman who took a young disabled Russian man into her home and began caring for him like one of her own in 2008. Khudyakov went to Kabadayı’s home to visit the Russian man, who was given the Turkish name Umut by Kabadayı, along with Ramin Gasymov, an advisor to the Russian parliament speaker, in Antalya. Khudyakov told reporters following his visit that Russia and other Russian-speaking countries were all aware of Kabadayı’s kind act. Khudyakov said that he appreciated her deeds and added that this incident demonstrated the good relations and sincere feelings between Turkey and Russia. The deputies told Kabadayı that she was labeled as “the holy woman” in Russia and that state officials had been receiving hundreds of phone calls every day from people wanting to contact her.” (A previous article about that story).

Rail Ferry Line to Russia to boost trade – February, 20th 2013

Let’s trade !

“Samsun-Kavkaz Rail Ferry Line, a project worth TL10 million, was launched in a ceremony yesterday. The line will ease the freight shipping from Russia to Central Asia and the Middle East via Samsun. Participating in the opening ceremony with his Russian counterpart Maxim Sokolov, Transportation, Maritime and Communication Minister Binali Yıldırım stated that their aim was to increase the current Russian-Turkish trade volume of $33 billion to $100 billion in 2015.

“Today, we are launching the combined transportation of sea and rail ways,” Yıldırım added. For his part, Sokolov said, “The line proves that we have done what was necessary to achieve our goal. Indeed, this is not the easy way, but I am sure it will prove useful.” As from December 22, 2010, 63 thousand tonnes of freight has been transported by 2,298 wagons on the Samsun-Kavkaz Rail Ferry Line in 62 test runs.”

Bağış: We will have the last word on EU membership – February 14th 2013

“Denying the allegations that Turkey’s EU motivated reform process came to a halt, Bağış said, “We drafted our own progress report. Turkey did not slow down the reform process”. Bağış also underlined that religious difference surely has subconscious effects, but that would not stand in Turkey’s way. “We should in a convincing manner prove that our Muslim identity is an advantage. Muslims constitute 11 percent of the French population. Islam has become a reality in Europe, which has Islamophobia. None of the 11 September perpetrators were from Saudi Arabia. They had their flying trainings in Germany. Turkey, in its fight against that illness, has succeeded in ensuring the coexistence of a 250-year-old democracy and Islam. We should express that clearly”, Bağış noted.”

THY confirms talks for new purchases – January 16th 2013

“Officials from Turkish national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) has confirmed that the company has started talks with authorities to purchase new aircraft. Recent media reports said THY was planning to purchase 150 new aircraft. In comments to the Anatolia news agency on Tuesday, THY officials confirmed the reports, but said talks are under way and there is not yet an official decision of the board on the purchase. THY last year ordered 20 Boeing 777-300s and 15 Airbus A330-300s to be delivered within the following four years. Headquartered in Istanbul, THY operates scheduled routes to 41 domestic and 150 international destinations, with a total of 5,107 weekly flights. The airline’s wide range of destinations follows an aggressive expansion effort that began in 2010.”

Tender for new Istanbul airport to be held in may – January 24th 2013

“Countdown starts for the construction of a new airport in Istanbul, projected to be the largest in the world with an annual capacity of 150 million passengers. Speaking on the issue, Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım said the tender would be held on May 3 and the winner would be announced on the same day. The project will be based on a build and operate contract. The airport to be constructed on the European side between regions of Yeniköy and Akpınar on the Black Sea Coast is expected to become operational in 42 months following the tender. “The operation period will be 25 years. The bidders will compete on the basis of the amount of rent they will pay to the State Airports Authority (DHMI),” Yıldırım said. It is projected that the total cost will surpass 7 billion euros, excluding financing. Yıldırım added that the total passenger traffic in Istanbul sums up to 60 million, 45 million at Atatürk Airport and 15 million at Sabiha Gökçen Airport. The contract guarantees the operator with 342 million passengers for 12 years. The project will be finished in four phases. The first phase of the investment will create 80 thousand jobs annually during the construction period, and once the airport starts operating, the average employment will climb to 120,000.”

High speed train project announced for 15 provinces – December 26th 2012

“Director General of Turkish State Railways (TCDD) announced yesterday that high speed train (YHT) projects for 15 provinces will have been completed by 2016, making it available for nearly half of the population to benefit from railway transportation. Talking to reporters during his visit to the project site of the YHT line of Izmir-Ankara, Karaman vowed to construct rail lines in every part of Turkey. Karaman also said that Turkey is the world’s eighth
and Europe’s sixth country to take advantage of high speed train technology.”

That is a terrific project. The journeys will be fantastic throughout Anatolia (Edirne will also be connected to Anatolia, in other words the two shores of Istanbul will be connected).

Yours sincerely,

Cem