EXPLOSIONS, FIRES, AND GOD'S WILL

A little item from Reuters reports of a natural gas pipeline getting blown near Dogubayazit, and you-know-who is getting the blame. No, not the Armenians--the PKK! You gotta admire those Turks though. They are Johnny-on-the-spot with that pipeline repair crew, aren't they? But if--oh, I don't know--Kurdish kids were dying of bird flu, it would be a bit of a different story, wouldn't it?

Oh, yeah, they also "stepped up security measures in the area." What does that mean, that they now have 400,000 Mehmetcik's in the area, instead of the recent 250,000 to 300,000?

In the meantime, on the opposite side of Turkey, there seems to have been a slight problem at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport. As Bloomberg reports that Lufthansa's cargo offices and handling facilities were destroyed. Zaman reported that airport officials are blaming the blaze on a faulty electrical circuit. VOA News reports something similar, saying that officials are putting the blame on an electrical circuit or a welder's torch. A Reuters reports Turkish television as noting that the airport's electrical system was affected in passenger terminals as well.

VOA News also cites the claim that TAK started the fire. The New Zealand Herald, carrying another Reuters report, states that TAK issued it's claim through Firat news agency. At this point, I haven't seen anything on TDN or The New Anatolian. I guess they're waiting for the government to tell them what to report.

Who is messing with whom here? Is TAK messing with the government? Are airport officials messing with TAK? No doubt Lufthansa is going to demand someone get to the bottom of this.

From the News-of-the-Weird file, TDN, is reporting that the Beyoglu municipality insists that traffic accidents are "God's will":

'Traffic accidents God's will':

ANK - Turkish Daily News

Traffic guides distributed to students by Istanbul's Beyoğlu Municipality describe traffic accidents as God's will, reports said on Wednesday.

The booklets were produced by the municipality to provide information to students about traffic rules.

The introduction was written by Beyoğlu Mayor Ahmet Misbah Demircan and the book was compiled by Halis Ece.

Page 59 of the book says, Due to centrifugal forces, when one turns the wheel, the vehicle is pushed towards the outside. If the centrifugal force overcomes the resistance provided by the tires, vehicles overturn. Without doubt, traffic accidents, just like all other small or large incidents, are God's will. That's why claims made by some that traffic accidents have nothing to do with fate are a violation of our beliefs.

Uh, yeah. Make sure you notify your claims adjustor of this fact, will you?