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Steering Clear of Politics and Religion, this time... We're Undergoing Renovation Be Back in Service Soon Vakit.com.tr Practicing what we preach -- when there's 'Murder in the Court' At 10 am (local time) on 17 May 2006, Alparslan Arslan, a 29-year-old lawyer (with a history of religious fundamentalism) who was carrying a Glock-brand handgun, walked past security guards at one of the main office buildings of the highest Administrative Turkish court in the land, the Daniştay (Council of State). He proceeded to the very office where 6 Council Judges were meeting, burst into the room and, declaring himself a "Soldier of God" (on a mission to punish the judges for their ruling 3 months earlier that banned turban wearing by state-school teachers), he began shooting -- wounding all 6 justices, including 2 women. He shot one of the judges, 64-year-old Mustafa Yücel Özbilgin, in the head and when Judge Özbilgin died later in hospital following an unsuccessful brain operation, it assured a murder charge for Arslan. Two weeks ago (see our blog for 8 May 2006, "Travel Tips for Insiders") we advised that you "not talk about religion, politics... at this particular time. Whichever side you support might be the opposite side of the person you're talking to, or the person who overhears the conversation." In keeping with that sound advice, we'll end our observations about this disturbing event right here. In this instance, the event's political and fundamental religious overtones are far too sensitive for us to discuss in such a very public 'place' as this... But if you'd like to follow the news-story's progress on your own, we'd recommend that you access secular Turkish Press accounts in either Turkish or English at the Hurriyet Gazetesi Website at http://www.hurriyet.com.tr or in English-only at the Turkish Daily News Website at http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr For the sake of 'balanced reporting' it would be useful also to have access to the website of Vakit Gazetesi (the main advocate of the fundamental religious viewpoint for this story). Unfortunately that site (at http://vakit.com.tr) has been 'out of order' since the murderous shooting spree -- only displaying the 'Notice' you see above... Related: Final Results Charts for the 2007 National Elections What the Turkish National Election Results of 2007 may fortell About the 2007 Pre-Election Polls The Next Turkish President Must Not Be.... Bang, bang! The AKP gets shot down (for the moment) for strong-arm tactics When Worlds Collide -- Kemalist Democracy and the AKP 2/2 Threats to Turkey's Well-Being - Terrorism and Religious Excess Turkish 'Religious Attitudes' and Politics Turkish Political Parties -- Right, Left, Center? Caught Between 2 Bad Choices -- The Turkish Presidential Selection, 2007 Countdown To A Turkish Secularist's Nightmare, Presidential Selection Day 2007 Turkish National Pre-Election Polls 2002 Turkish National Election Results 2002 Local elections 2004 -- No 'Girl Power' (see yerel seçimler) International Study with an Outhouse Smell 'Troubles in Turkish Paradise' Language-Guide LPT's Geopolitical pages... Post your comment...»

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