Turkish Forum

Category: Sport

  • Kasparov to attend informatics forum in Istanbul

    Kasparov to attend informatics forum in Istanbul

    Kasparov will speak about competition in the changing world and make recommendations on strategy development.

    A chess grandmaster will visit Istanbul to participate in an informatics forum next week.

    Garry Kasparov will attend SAP Forum 2011, one of informatics events organized by software provider SAP, on September 23.

    Kasparov will speak about competition in the changing world and make recommendations on strategy development.

    Born in Baku in 1963, Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, and one of the greatest chess players of all times.

    Kasparov became the youngest ever undisputed World Chess Champion in 1985 at the age of 22. He announced his retirement from professional chess in March 2005 to devote his time to politics and writing.

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  • Turkey Beats Israel in Politically Charged Soccer Match

    Turkey Beats Israel in Politically Charged Soccer Match

    By JOE PARKINSON

    OB PR093 0915ts D 201109151724331ISTANBUL—Fiyapi Inonu Stadium on Thursday showcased the latest sign of the deteriorating diplomatic relationship between longtime allies Turkey and Israel: 12 Israeli soccer fans.

    Engulfed by a sea of empty white seats in the 32,000-capacity stadium and vastly outnumbered by battalions of riot police, the solitary Israelis had traveled to cheer their team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, against Istanbul’s Besiktas in a politically charged Europa league match.

    Ricardo Quaresma of Besiktas reacted as he was stopped by Savo Pavicevic of Maccabi Tel Aviv during their match.

    When the tournament schedule was announced, Istanbul authorities had expected thousands of Israeli supporters to attend, but just a dozen made it there amid rapidly escalating tensions between Ankara and Jerusalem and fears of violence.

    Israeli fans were shepherded into the visitors’ stand at the far end of the stadium, which is covered by a special fireproof netting to shield spectators from projectiles.

    “I’ve been to games between Israeli and Turkish teams many times and we usually see hundreds or thousands of visiting fans,” said Joseph Perez-Ari, a commentator for Tel Aviv Radio broadcasting at the stadium. “Today there’s so few. It’s because people are scared, because of the situation.”

    Late Thursday, the match appeared to have passed largely without incident as Besiktas, the pre-game favorites, romped to a 5-1 victory.

    But the dramatically increased police presence and sporadic protests by anti-Israeli demonstrators in the center of the city underscored that the relationship between the countries is being redefined.

    Tensions escalated after Israel refused to apologize for a raid on a Gaza-bound ship last year that killed nine activists, prompting Turkey to expel top Israeli diplomats, cut military ties with the country and vow to send navy vessels to escort aid ships in the future.

    That coincided with Turkey showing signs of trading its vaunted “zero problems with neighbors” foreign policy for a more muscular approach, bidding to become the leading power in the Middle East and North Africa. The shift, on display as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved a major aerial bombing campaign against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq and pressed Egypt to let him visit Hamas-run Gaza, could trigger clashes with Jerusalem and force Washington to choose between its closest allies in the region, analysts said.

    At Thursday’s match, fans said Besiktas’s on-field domination may have diminished the potential for violence, which could have further fueled tensions.

    Still, Thursday saw an escalation of diplomatic tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.

    Turkey’s foreign ministry warned that it would sign a continental-shelf delimitation agreement with Turkish-backed Northern Cyprus if the Greeks of the divided island move ahead, following a December maritime-demarcation deal with Israel, to develop offshore natural-gas fields.

    Athens responded by calling on Turkey to drop threats to Cyprus, warning the dispute could prove “dangerous” to the already tense eastern Mediterranean basin.

    In Tunis, Prime Minister Erdogan, following a meeting with his Tunisian counterpart Beji Caid Essebsi, reiterated that Turkish warships would be deployed in the Mediterranean, stressing that Israel would “no longer be able to do what it wants” in those waters.

    The buildup to Thursday’s match also reflected heightened diplomatic tension.

    Before the evening kickoff, several hundred protesters gathered in Istanbul’s landmark Taxim Square, chanting anti-Israel and anti-American slogans and briefly halting traffic at one on the city’s busiest intersections.

    The Israeli team arrived at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport on Wednesday under tight security and were escorted from the stadium by riot police after the match.

    Istanbul police tried to calm fears, stressing that they had taken measures to thwart protests that were organized on social-networking websites, including possible plans to invade the pitch.

    Amid fears over their citizen’s security, Israeli authorities had petitioned UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, to reschedule the game at a neutral venue, but Turkey’s government refused, last week offering guarantees for players’ and fans’ safety.

    Turkish Sports Minister Suat Kilic told reporters at a televised news conference last week that “various issues” existed between Turkey and Israel, “but it is not a situation that could prevent this match. “The game would be played in the “highest level of [Turkish] hospitality,” and that Israeli players would “safely” return home, he added.

    Write to Joe Parkinson at joe.parkinson@dowjones.com

    via Turkey Beats Israel in Politically Charged Soccer Match – WSJ.com.

  • Turkey: Kenya’s new export market

    Turkey: Kenya’s new export market

    By ELIAS MAKORI emakori@ke.nationmedia.com and IAAF

    Posted Monday, August 8 2011 at 23:20

    In Summary

    * Track stars find new destination in Europe to exploit their talents as Gulf states become less popular

    Photos | Angelos Zimaras and Johnny De Ceulaerde (IAAF) Kenya’s William Biwott Tanui cruises to victory in the 1,500 metres race at the 2009 World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki, Greece. Tanui, now runs for Turkey as Ilham Tanui Özbilen.

    Photos | Angelos Zimaras and Johnny De Ceulaerde (IAAF) Kenya’s William Biwott Tanui cruises to victory in the 1,500 metres race at the 2009 World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki, Greece. Tanui, now runs for Turkey as Ilham Tanui Özbilen.

    Tea could be Kenya’s leading export, accounting for Sh105 billion in 2010 revenue, but athletics continues to generate a lot of activity on the export market.

    Since former 800 metres world champion and record holder, Wilson Kipketer, ran for Denmark at the 1995 World Championships, the first high profile Kenyan to change nationality, over 50 top distance runners have shifted allegiance, the majority flying to the Gulf states of Bahrain and Qatar.

    Most successful defectors

    Besides Kipketer, the most successful defectors have been USA’s Kapsabet-born Bernard Lagat, a 1,500m and 5,000m double world champion at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, and Saif Saaeed Shaheen, the Keiyo-born steeplechase world record holder formerly known as Stephen Cherono.

    The latest destination

    But with the initial high price paid by the Gulf states to attract Kenyan athletes slowly falling, Turkey seems to be the latest destination for Kenya’s elite runners who continue to find it difficult to wriggle themselves into the famous Kenyan jersey for international competition.

    Exactly two months ago, three Kenyans broke new ground by quietly gaining Turkish citizenship that will only allow them to run in the red and white from June 8, 2013.

    Turkey’s biggest track import

    Paul Kipkosgei Kemboi, Abraham Kiprotich and William Biwott Tanui earned Turkish citizenship on June 8, but under the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) rules, the trio will only be eligible to compete for their new nation at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.

    And while Kiprotich retains his name, Kemboi is now known as Polat Kemboi, while Tanui’s Turkish identity is Ilham Tanui Özbilen.

    Turkey’s biggest track import thus far has been Ethiopia-born Elvan Abeylegesse, formerly Hewan Abeye.

    Abeylegesse is the reigning European women’s 10,000m champion and won two silver medals at the Beijing Olympics in the 10,000m and 5,000m, on both occasions finishing second to her former compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba.

    But the defection of the Kenyan trio to Ankara will most certainly raise some storm in Nairobi, and already has.

    Yesterday, Athletics Kenya refused to recognise the move saying they had not been consulted by the IAAF and Turkish track and field authorities.

    AK chairman, Isaiah Kiplagat, said as per the IAAF rules, the association losing an athlete must first be consulted and approval sought, which was not the case with Kemboi, Tanui and Kiprotich.

    “There was no correspondence and no communication between the IAAF, the Turkish association and Athletics Kenya,” Kiplagat, who is also a council member of the IAAF, said on Monday.

    via Daily Nation: – Athletics |Turkey: Kenya’s new export market.

  • İstanbul Graffiti Fest spreads positive message of street art

    İstanbul Graffiti Fest spreads positive message of street art

    Grafitti IstanbulA winding wall of vibrant color, punctuated by the sharp smell of aerosol spray paint and a pulsing R&B soundtrack, provided the backdrop to a melee of skateboarders, rollerbladers and airborne BMX bikes.

    This was the Meeting of AllStars Festival 2011, a celebration of street art that hit Taksim Gezi Park on Sunday in an explosion of color and sound.

    Kicking off at 11 a.m. and continuing to 8 p.m., the festival allowed participants the opportunity to literally blast their creative flair on a 2.5-meter-high wall constructed around the perimeter of the leafy city oasis. Approximately 60 graffiti artists from all over Turkey and Europe were featured, including Amok156, Koacleo, Texas, Choma Dryhure, Repuz, Amd, Hero S2komeria, Tab, Funk, Okdose and Misk.

    With an 80-meter stretch of wall set aside for amateurs not included on the VIP guest list, projects that materialized throughout the course of the day ranged from simple tags and sketches to more intricate displays and political statements. But it wasn’t all about the spray painting. As the day went on, attention turned to the BMX performances, break dancing, rollerblading and skateboard exhibitions that took place, with most of the focus devoted to the professionals showcasing their talents in a large half pipe ramp situated in the middle of the park. Power FM radio station was on-scene to provide pulsing R&B, hip hop and dubstep tracks, which were enhanced by a concert from rap artist Ramiz and a set played by DJ Funky C.

    The event was first organized in 2008 in İstanbul by the Youth Council of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, where over 40 graffiti artists from Turkey and beyond came together to breathe new life into a 200-meter-long platform attached to the Old Galata Bridge. The festival took a two-year break, returning this summer with the aim of becoming an annual event and providing a diverse multicultural artistic platform that will simultaneously serve to introduce and develop an understanding of graffiti art in Turkey.

    Whilst graffiti art is not an alien concept in Turkey, and indeed a sharp eye on a stroll through Beyoğlu or other central neighborhoods will quickly pick up an interesting portfolio of stencil graffiti messages and political stamps, it has not developed as a vibrant art culture in the way it has in many other countries.

    The municipality’s decision is thus an interesting and forward thinking one; despite the gritty street credentials and vandalism with which the graffiti movement continues to be associated, there is recognition of the positive aspects of street art as a constructive means to channel young people’s energy into a positive outlet. Whilst the last thing the municipality wants to do is encourage a wave of angst-stricken teenage spray-painters to lay siege on the city, there is an appreciation that if encouraged in controlled environments, the graffiti art culture has more than just a little potential to serve as a vibrant platform for dialogue and expression amongst younger generations in Turkey.

    Despite the fact that graffiti art has been criminalized and carries heavy penalties in many European countries, there remains an endorsement of the positive aspects of the art in the form of international festivals. One such event is the Meeting of Styles, established in Germany in 2002, that has since gone from strength to strength, spreading to 16 countries throughout Europe, the Far East and even to the US.

    Perhaps most influential in the changing face of graffiti, however, has been the rise to global recognition of revered graffiti artist Banksy, the mysterious, faceless Bristol-born graffiti artist, political activist, film director and painter, whose satirical stencil drawings, combining dark humor with compelling messages, have been featured on street corners and walls around the world.

    As the great man himself once said, “Nothing in the world is more common than unsuccessful people with talent; leave the house before you find something worth staying in for.”

    Today’s Zaman

     

  • “Solo Turk” Won Top Flying Award

    “Solo Turk” Won Top Flying Award

    Soloturk awarduk

    A Turkish air force pilot won the top flying award at this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford in the UK.

    The top award is the King Hussein Memorial Sword – presented in memory of the late HM King Hussein of Jordan, Patron of the International Air Tattoo (1983-1989) – and is awarded for the best overall flying demonstration.  This year it went to Maj Murat Keles, flying the F-16C “Solo Turk” from 141st Sqn, Turkish Air Force.

    Major Keles is pictured below receiving his award.

    Maj Keles said: “I am very happy. It is wonderful to receive this award in the first year of our display and in the same year as we celebrate 100 years of the Turkish Air Force.”

    The sword was presented by Major General Malek Habashnah, Commander Royal Jordanian Air Force , on behalf of HRH Lt Gen Prince Faisal.[…]

    Arabian Aerospace

     

     

  • Germans dominate Robot World Cup

    Germans dominate Robot World Cup

    robotcupIt was an all-too-familiar result at the Robot World Cup as Britain crashed out in the group stage of a tournament that Germany dominated.

    For the first time Britain was represented at the ‘RoboCup’, with a team sent from Edinburgh University.

    The team competed in the Standard Platform League of the event in Istanbul which sees all teams use bipedal robots made by French firm Aldebaran Robotics.

    However, it turned into an all-German final with a team called B-Human thrashing the Nao Devils 11-1 in the final to take the honours.

    Dr Subramanian Ramamoorthy, assistant professor at the School of Informatics at Edinburgh University, said his team named ‘Edinferno’ suffered from a lack of pre-tournament practice.

    “Almost all the bugs that stopped us were because we were not match ready,” he told the BBC.

    “Until this year there was no British team. And we learned that our core technology is not that bad even though we have not been very successful.”

    The tournament has been running since 1997 and was partially inspired by IBM’s famous Deep Blue Computer victory over chess grandmaster Gary Kasparov.

    “We want to create robots that are intelligent enough to take care of themselves and to take care of anyone around them so they can be part of our lives,” said tournament organiser Dr Cetin Mericli.

    As well as the standard platform competition, there were also four other leagues covering software-only simulated football as well as small, medium and humanoid teams of robots.

    Mericli said that he could see a time when a team of robots would be able to beat the human World Cup winners.

    “I think we could get there,” he said. “We can make robots that can win that game as all the pieces are here.

    “However, if we did get there, the result would not be just about football. If you had robots that could win that game they would be useful for so many other things.”

    via Germans dominate Robot World Cup – Yahoo! Eurosport UK.