Water Turkey

"Extremists have a say in the Middle East region because of economic deprivation. That is why I so greatly emphasize the role of economic cooperation and even economic interdependence. "Turkey must provide the most precious resource we can contribute to this end: water. The issue of the future in the Middle East is water, not land. If war comes again to our region, it will probably be because of the shortage of water. Turkey is offering what I call a 'peace pipeline' to the region after the war.

A medieval stone minaret rises beside the dusty, limestone hills of Turkey's southeast. It is a relic of a kingdom that once ruled the region, but it has become a flash point between the government and ethnic Kurds struggling to preserve their heritage. After surviving for hundreds of years, the minaret and parts of the nearby fortress of Hasankeyf may end up under water as Turkey builds a series of dams to irrigate parched cotton and tobacco fields.

The Turkish hydraulic engineer swept his hand toward the Middle East's storied Fertile Crescent and then to the brown waters flowing sluggishly toward it, the first fruit of Turkey's grand project to harness the headwaters of the mighty Tigris-Euphrates river basin. "Just think," Lutfi Solakoglu proudly told the latest group of dignitaries to visit the site since the sluice gates opened April 11, sending a stream of water down an irrigation canal to the fields beyond.

The Turkish hydraulic engineer swept his hand toward the Middle East's storied Fertile Crescent and then to the brown waters flowing sluggishly toward it, the first fruit of Turkey's grand project to harness the headwaters of the mighty Tigris-Euphrates river basin. "Just think," Lutfi Solakoglu proudly told the latest group of dignitaries to visit the site since the sluice gates opened April 11, sending a stream of water down an irrigation canal to the fields beyond.

Offering his country's ample water resources as bait, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Kurtcebe Alptemocin said Friday that Middle Eastern countries could ensure lasting peace after the war by creating giant, region-wide water projects to give all nations a shared asset that would be too valuable to risk. "We should try to find huge projects that would interconnect the countries of the region," Alptemocin told reporters during a breakfast meeting at the Turkish Embassy.

Turkey and Syria considered using WATER AS A WEAPON against Iraq in the war but decided against it, according to a senior Arab official in Cairo. A prewar agreement among Turkey, Iraq and Syria stipulates that Turkey must release a set amount of water into the Euphrates River below the Euphrates Dam. The official said the Syrians have made it clear that "they would suffer as much as the Iraqis if Turkey restricted the flow."

Shrugging off Arab anger downstream, Turkey opened the sluice gate of one of the world's biggest irrigation projects on Wednesday as it continued to pursue an ambitious goal of doubling its agricultural wealth. A huge spout of water flooded into a canal after President Suleyman Demirel pushed a button to release the first water from twin tunnels, watched by most of the Turkish government and 1,700 guests on the fertile but sunbaked Harran plain.

Cooking ideas surface in the most unexpected ways. This one came out of a casual conversation with a friend, who suggested poaching a turkey breast. It sounded like a good idea. After all, the white meat of turkey has a lot going for it. It is fairly inexpensive, low-calorie as well as low-cholesterol--a 3 1/2 ounce serving, without the skin, has only 115 calories and under 2 grams of fat. And it's about as versatile as any meat could be.

A medieval stone minaret rises beside the dusty, limestone hills of Turkey's southeast. It is a relic of a kingdom that once ruled the region, but it has become a flash point between the government and ethnic Kurds struggling to preserve their heritage. After surviving for hundreds of years, the minaret and parts of the nearby fortress of Hasankeyf may end up under water as Turkey builds a series of dams to irrigate parched cotton and tobacco fields.

Kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, are normally treated with behavioral therapy and stimulant medications. A new study suggests that a highly restricted diet can be just as effective at reducing symptoms in a majority of children with ADHD. Diet is not a routine consideration in diagnosing and treating ADHD in the U.S. or in Europe, where the study was done. Many doctors are open to the idea that certain foods might trigger ADHD symptoms in some kids, though they believe it's a relatively minor factor in most cases.

Shrugging off Arab anger downstream, Turkey opened the sluice gate of one of the world's biggest irrigation projects on Wednesday as it continued to pursue an ambitious goal of doubling its agricultural wealth. A huge spout of water flooded into a canal after President Suleyman Demirel pushed a button to release the first water from twin tunnels, watched by most of the Turkish government and 1,700 guests on the fertile but sunbaked Harran plain.

Offering his country's ample water resources as bait, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Kurtcebe Alptemocin said Friday that Middle Eastern countries could ensure lasting peace after the war by creating giant, region-wide water projects to give all nations a shared asset that would be too valuable to risk. "We should try to find huge projects that would interconnect the countries of the region," Alptemocin told reporters during a breakfast meeting at the Turkish Embassy.

"Extremists have a say in the Middle East region because of economic deprivation. That is why I so greatly emphasize the role of economic cooperation and even economic interdependence. "Turkey must provide the most precious resource we can contribute to this end: water. The issue of the future in the Middle East is water, not land. If war comes again to our region, it will probably be because of the shortage of water. Turkey is offering what I call a 'peace pipeline' to the region after the war.

Turkey and Syria considered using WATER AS A WEAPON against Iraq in the war but decided against it, according to a senior Arab official in Cairo. A prewar agreement among Turkey, Iraq and Syria stipulates that Turkey must release a set amount of water into the Euphrates River below the Euphrates Dam. The official said the Syrians have made it clear that "they would suffer as much as the Iraqis if Turkey restricted the flow."

A warming bowl of soup, ladled piping hot from a decorative tureen or spooned straight from the pot, is a welcome sight during the chilly months of winter. A steamy bowl of soup is usually chock-full of healthy ingredients. Vegetables, fish or poultry and even beef and pork can provide substantial nutrients to the diet whether served as a first light course before dinner or as the main course with crusty bread and tossed salad greens.

Cooking as a family can be a form of therapy. It gives you time to unwind and get reacquainted with your kids. It only takes one little task--peeling carrots, for example--to make a child feel that he has "made dinner." And as long as it doesn't matter if the carrots are whittled a bit thin, cooking is a wonderful way to encourage creativity. Cooking with kids often involves the microwave. It's one of the safest appliances in the kitchen because there is neither an open flame nor hot coils.