http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/5610576.asp?gid=74




"Camel sacrifice" incident sparks controversy at Turkish Airlines



Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim has characterized this week's
sacrifice of a camel in the apron area of Ataturk Airport by workers an
"example of tactless behavior." The Turkish Airlines workers who sacrificed
the camel were reportedly celebrating the successful return of an RJ100 type
British-built airplane to the firm from which it had been ordered, following
the discovery of a series of technical problems with the airplane.


While a preliminary investigation into the event is continuing, the head of
Turkish Airlines' Airplane Maintenance Facility, Sukru Can, has been fired
from his position, sources report.

Speaking about the "camel sacrifice" incident with reporters yesterday,
Transportation Minister Yildirim had this to say:

"It is wrong to blame an entire organization for a mistake made by one
colleague whose mind is still in the past. The necessary orders have been
given in the wake of this incident, and that colleague has been removed from
his job. The investigation is continuing. Sacrificing a camel is not a
talent. It is more important that Turkish Airlines carries out its job well,
and works on addressing any complaints that citizens using it might have.
Which is why it is not fair to compare this giant, well-established company
with a couple of tactless mistakes that might have been made. The important
thing is that the necessary measures have been taken."

In a statement made in connection with the camel sacrifice incident by
Turkish Airlines itself, the organization clarified that the workers had
gathered money on their own initiative to buy and sacrifice the camel.
Turkish Airlines also noted that they had given their own orders for an
investigation into the matter.

The police headquarters at Ataturk Airport had this to comment on the
incident: "We did not realize they were sacrificing a camel. We, thinking
that they were going to sacrifice a ram, didn't think it would look good to
have a ram walking out the doors of the airport and to the apron, so we gave
permission for it to be driven there.  But in fact there had been no
permission received from the Goods Management Headquarters. The head of the
Airplane Maintenance Facility lied to us about this."



--------------------

Airport ritual of sacrifice claims camel and official

Thursday, December 14, 2006



Turkish Airlines maintenance chief Sukru Can thought a tarmac sacrifice of a
camel would be a good way to mark the dispatch of a fleet of problematic
planes. His bosses decided the sacrifice of Can was an even better idea
after the slaughter hit the front pages


ISIL SARIYUCE

ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News


  The saga of a fleet of planes associated with a deadly crash in 2003 has
ended with two sacrifices: one of a camel on the tarmac of Turkey's busiest
airport, swiftly followed by a second of the official who authorized the
ritual slaughter.

  The camel is dead, but 700 kilos of fresh camel meat were distributed
according to religious ritual to deserving airport workers. Now the head of
Turkish Airlines' maintenance division is on the block: Sukru Can was
suspended yesterday for organizing the slaughter without permission.

  Angry aviation officials range from Transport Minister Binali Yildirim to
lawmaker Huseyin Guler, who launched a parliamentary inquiry. "Is this
brutal event something that serves the image of a contemporary Turkey on the
way to membership in the European Union?" asked Guler, a member of the
opposition Motherland Party (ANAVATAN).

  Amid growing sensitivities that animal slaughter comports with neither
Turkey's contemporary image nor an accurate interpretation of Islamic
tradition, the incident came as part of a ceremony to mark the return of a
leased group of 11 British RJ100 planes in the fleet since 1992. The fleet
has been out of use since one was involved in a crash in Diyarbakir in 2003
that killed 75 people. That the last of the idled planes was soon to be
dispatched was an event worthy of ritual, Can said about his reasoning.
Others did not agree. Can is suspended and will be given other duties until
the matter is resolved, the airline said in a statement.



-- 

E' mai possibile, oh porco di un cane, che le avventure
in codesto reame debban risolversi tutte con grandi
puttane!    F.d.A

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