URBAN TRANSFORMATION IN ISTANBUL (This is a 60)

Today, the most important matter in hand for Istanbul is urban transformation. Some say that it is necessary to develop \improve  our city in terms of housing, transportation, and facilities; in return, others say that it will bring us noise pollution and deforestation. There are both negative and positive aspects of urban transformation.

            First of all, there are many advantages of transformation like providing better housing. The increasing population obliges us to have new settlements. After urban transformation, we will be able to use the land efficiently. Therefore, housing  will no longer  be a problem. Another advantage is better facilities. Using the city’ lands efficiently can  give us the ability to adjust factories’ locations. Citizens in Istanbul complain about factories (which are)  located in the city. By means of urban transformation, the problem can  be solved. The last advantage of urban transformation that should be mentioned is reducing  traffic (the reduction of traffic congestion) congestion. Traffic congestion is a problem for all metropolis but for Istanbul, it is a nightmare, also. The solution is simple. After urban transformation, not only housing or facilities but also traffic jams will be fixed (will have been dealt with )  .

            However, there are also some disadvantages. First of all, all legislation to transform the city has to be applied sparingly. Otherwise, many sources such as money, time, and labor will be wasted. We can  mention noise pollution as a disadvantage of urban transformation because Istanbul is a big and complex city. It will  take at least 10 years to modernize  the whole  city. However, all this will cause noise pollution. Another example of the disadvantages is deforestation. All these developments in the  city will create job opportunities. So, people will  want to move there. This circumstance will  cause a catastrophe because, people will  use forests to expand the city, which means  deforestation.

            As we see, there are many advantages and disadvantages of urban transformation in a city like Istanbul. The advantages outweigh the drawbacks. So, we need to transform the city, while protecting nature.

IN DEFENSE OF HANDGUNS (This is a 70)

     Considering how many people live (in) the world, it is no surprise that there exist conflicts between people. Unfortunately, guns might seem like an effective tool to solve such conflicts. Moreover, people use handguns for sport or hunting. I mean that guns have had a role in people's lives because of different reasons throughout the whole history of humankind. Nowadays, whether civilian possession of handguns should be banned has become a contentious issue. Some people think that guns should be banned immediately because they lead to the death of more people. However, anybody with a conscience must agree that guns are not the main reason for deaths and thus forbidding guns will not be a solution.

            To begin with, it has been argued that most violent crimes are committed with guns. In other words, restricting gun ownership will likely reduce the number of crimes. However; this approach is purely based on opinion with no  evidence to back up this argument. Only about 15% of guns used for crimes were stolen from legal markets, most of them are acquired illegally. This fact means guns are easily purchased behind closed doors.. Therefore, banning civilian possession of handguns will not help deal with crimes. To overcome crimes or reduce homicide rates, authorities should combat (the owners of) illegal gun markets..

            Furthermore, people who advocate the restriction of guns claim that suicides and crimes of passion are higher if guns are readily available. The justification of this idea is that committing  crimes are much easier when a gun is available. What is more, crimes that may have been less harmful can be made more dangerous due to the use of a gun. However, this approach is nothing but an oversimplification because it does not reflect the whole picture. First of all, guns are incapable of killing people, people kill people. Moreover, civilian possession of guns enables people to defend themselves/ provides people with the opportunity to defend themselves. For instance, women and weaker individuals may use guns to protect themselves from rape or similar crimes especially in the inner city. If people did not have a gun then who would defend them when they face a person who bought a gun illegally?

                To sum up, guns are used for serious crimes; it is an undeniable fact. However, the restriction of civilian possession of handguns and other non-hunting guns is not a real solution because it does not address the core issue of violence.

CİHAT KORKUNÇ

LAW ENFORCEMENT CAMERAS (This is a 70)

The population has been increasing day by day, causing the rates of crime to increase/grow in developed and developing countries as well. There are a variety of security measures that can be taken to decrease the number of crimes in these countries. Law enforcement cameras can be regarded as an example of security precaution. However, some people think that law enforcement cameras are an invasion of privacy, which has caused many debates.. People are mainly divided into two groups, one of which supports the view that law enforcement cameras are an invasion of privacy while the other opposes to it.

First of all, law enforcement cameras are not an invasion of privacy because they are one of the most useful/efficient ways to provide public safety. For example, people having bad intentions are more likely to attack innocent people in crowded areas. In addition, it is not easy to determine malicious people in such places so as to prevent attacks. Bomb attacks can be shown as an example. Therefore, we can see that law enforcement cameras do not abuse people’s private lives and they enable the public to live safely.

Secondly, law enforcement cameras stand out as one of the most prominent evidence in court. To illustrate, when a person commits a crime, law enforcement cameras can register such a situation easier than normal cameras. Moreover, these records can be important evidence for court. Therefore, these cameras provide innocent people with testimony. Overall, law enforcement cameras are not an invasion of privacy and they support testimony in court.

On the other hand, some opponents think that law enforcement cameras are an invasion of privacy because they believe that not everyone is a criminal. In other words, these cameras may violate innocent people’s privacy. This actually seems reasonable to some extent but they do not bear the other side of the coin in mind because these cameras are an effective way to catch criminals. Moreover, the records in these cameras are not shown to everyone. They are very rarely used by people who are not responsible and they get punished when they do it.. In short, these cameras do not harm innocent people’s privacy and they provide public security.

To conclude, there are people who think that law enforcement cameras are an invasion/violation of privacy because they believe that private lives of innocent people should not be recorded by law enforcement cameras. In contrast, some people consider that law enforcement cameras are not an invasion of privacy because of/thanks to providing public safety and supporting testimony in court. It is my contention that law enforcement cameras are one of the most effective ways to build a peaceful environment. (453 words)

PROTECTING AREAS OF NATURAL BEAUTY (This is a 70)

The population has been increasing in the world day by day,causing nature to suffer.In other words, this exponential increase of/in population damages the environment.However,  it must not be forgotten that natural beauty has a vital role to play in living a healthy and happy life.Therefore, people should protect nature.There are a variety of benefits of protecting places of natural beauty, two of which are environmental and ecnomic benefits.

First of all, one of the most widely recognized favorable influences of natural beauty is environmental benefits. For example, people try to protect natural beauty, which  can  make it easy for people to live comfortably because the better protected the places of natural beauty, the greater the number of healthier people. In addition, the number of places of natural beauty should be increased because when this is the case, harmful gases produced by factories or people may be decreased and the air may become cleaner.Overall,people should protect nature because the fact that  natural beauty can reduce most types of pollution can be regarded as one of the most important environmental benefits.

Secondly, another positive impact of protecting places of natural beauty is economic benefits.For instance, if a country protects its natural beauty, both its own citizens and people living in other countries can visit it. People come to see it, which provides economic power for the country. In other words, the protection of natural beauty can be one of the most important sources of revenue for countries.In short, the fact that a country protects  the places of natural beauty might make a great contribution to the increase in its economic power.

To conclude, it must not be forgottten that natural beauty should be protected, which can/will provide both people and countries with a lot of opportunities. Environmental and economic benefits can be given as examples.It is a well-known fact that the more the increase in the number of places of natural beauty, the more the decrease in environmental and economic problems. (338 words)

IS YOUR WEDDING THE HAPPIEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE?

An argumentative comparison

Dedicated to “N” and “S” in the hope that they recover from the stress of their wedding and live happily ever after

A wedding is a ceremony held to announce to the community that two people wish to spend the rest of their lives together. It is a public declaration of love and commitment and as such, is cause for celebration. Weddings all over the world are, therefore, described as joyous occasions during which families and friends come together to celebrate the momentous decision of the couple. Logically, their wedding should be the happiest day of the couple’s life and so it is on some occasions, but it is far from being so on others. Wedding ceremonies can be a source of absolute joy but also of great misery. The key criterion is the type of society in which the ceremony is taking place.

In more individualistic societies such as those in the developed world, the individual, his desires, aspirations and proclivities are given precedence over culture and traditions. It is the individual who takes major decisions about his life and decides on the direction it should take. The notion of freedom is the natural culmination of movements such as the Reformation, the Renaissance, the Age of Enlightenment and the French Revolution to list a few, and is now entrenched in the West. There is a second factor that has a bearing on the issue and that is the age at which people get married. Marriage is not the end all and be all of life; people wish to receive a good education and pursue a career as well. This takes time, and when young people finally decide to take the leap, they are mature adults who know exactly what they want and intend to get it. They may, as a result, decide to tie the knot in the Bahamas, on a beach, with a priest and no guests at all. Alternatively, they may prefer a simple ceremony at the registry office or decide to go the whole hog and rent a stately home for the day. As far as choices go, the sky is the limit, no one interferes, and as such, the wedding is a day to remember.

Not so in more traditional, collectivist societies. In such societies, it is the customs, the traditions and social expectations of the society handed down through the generations that take precedence over anything the individual may desire or aspire to. The moment the decision is taken to get married, ritual and time honored practices take over reducing the couple to be married to puppets under the control of the puppet masters, the families and the rest of the community. Every step to be taken is set in stone and any wish to deviate from the prescribed path is met with harsh rebuke. For the puppet masters, marriage is the single most important step in life and concerns the community as a whole, but not so to all the so called “puppets”. Societies don’t exist in vacuums; there is, thanks to globalization, a wealth of opportunities to connect and discover, first hand, the way people live in other parts of the world. Another factor is education: Many young people in such parts of the world go to western countries and the USA to be able to receive a better education and while there, are subject to the influence of a far more individualistic society than the one they were accustomed to. Therein, lies the problem.

Individuals are subject to a multitude of influences throughout their lives; it is these influences along with personal interpretation that molds them into the kind of people they become. Parents of young people in more traditional collectivist societies are the way they are as a result of the cultural influences they have been subjected to. Letting go of such cultural norms as those espoused by the society is not an option. The young people however have been on the receiving end of a medley of cultural influences both from their homeland and from the more individualistic West. As a result, they have very different world views from their parents whose opinions they feel under no obligation to respect or accept. Neither party is interested in a compromise and is set on imposing their own opinions on the other. The resulting clashes come their wedding day cause much pain, angst and rifts that can last for years. The period leading up to the wedding, the wedding day itself and the following days cause stress and misery all round. A modern couple, for instance, would find the need to prove virginity to family members waiting outside the bedroom door the height of indignity whereas for the families, it is a matter of life and death. In short, weddings are not always all they are cracked up to be.

Assuming that one’s wedding day is always the happiest day of one’s life is a mistake. Societies come in different forms; traditions, customs and rituals come into play to varying degrees. Serious problems can occur depending on the extent to which people hold the accepted ways of doing things dear. As always the solution is civilized discussion and compromise or the acceptance of a serious rift.

DRIVERLESS CARS (This essay would get a 70 or 75)

Technology has been developing faster and faster and it will continue to do so. With the rising importance of technology, there has been a rise in devices which use artificial intelligence. Self driving cars can be given as an example. However, driverless cars have caused many debates in the world. Some people think that they will be beneficial while others believe that they will be dangerous. Therefore it is fair to assume that driverless cars have both advantages and disadvantages.

Driverless cars provide considerable advantages in terms of controlling speed limits, decreasing driver errors and removing the need for driving licenses. First of all, autonomous devices are able to perceive objects in the immediate vicinity by using technologies and techniques such as radar, lidar, GPS and computer vision. This makes it easy for people to control speed limits. Secondly, thanks to the control of speed limits, driver errors can be decreased and the number of traffic accidents can be reduced. Finally, currently, disabled and older people are not able to get driving licenses, which reduces their mobility and impacts their quality of life. Thanks to driverless cars, driving licenses will not be necessary for these people and they will live without the help of other people. In short, driverless cars should not just be written off as an impossible idea but this is not the whole picture.

Although there are plenty of advantages of driverless cars, there are a lot of disadvantages. Firstly, if people buy driverless cars, unemployment will increase because drivers such as taxi and truck drivers will lose their jobs. Another disadvantage is that there may be a computer malfunction or an attempt at hacking into the onboard system in the driverless cars. When this is the case, people will not be able to control their cars and this may have serious implications .In other words, it can cause accidents involving injuries and even death. Finally, the infrastructure and roads are not best suited for driverless cars in most countries, especially in Turkey .Lack of modern roads and street lights can be regarded as an example. Therefore, these may have negative impacts on the use of driverless cars.

As a result, there are people who think that driverless cars have disadvantages in terms of unemployment, hacking, computer malfunction while others think they have advantages in terms of controlling speed limits, decreasing driver errors and removing the need for driving licenses. It is my contention that driverless cars will be a useful invention for the world but measures should be taken against the possible pitfalls outlined above.

ROBOTICS (This essay would get a 70 )

Technology has been developing faster and faster and it will continue to do so. With the rising importance of technology, artificial intelligence is on the rise in developed and developing countries. Robots can be given as an example of artificial intelligence. The link between robots and developing technology is obvious. However, whether the development of robots should be supported has caused many debates .Therefore, people are mainly divided into groups, one of which supports the view that the development of robots should be supported while the other opposes to it. I agree with the former opinion. First of all, robots have positive influences on the health sector. For instance, a robot which is known as Da Vinci was invented .It has both been enabling doctors to operate comfortably, and patients to recover faster. Flexibility and precision are two of the most important qualities good surgeons should have. By making these possible, robots enable doctors to achieve success in operations. Moreover, this robot can decrease the risk of operations. Overall, the development of robots should be supported because robots might make a great contribution to the healthcare sector. Secondly, robots will help people discover new jobs for themselves. The development of robotics will cause new fields of employment to emerge opening up many new areas of employment. In other words, the development of robots will make people happy because it can decrease the unemployment rate. Moreover, new job opportunities can promote other innovations in different areas. As a result, robots will be good for business in every respect and their development should be supported. On the other hand, some opponents think that the development of robots should be stopped because they claim that robots cause people to lose their creativity. They further argue that robots cause people to be consumers instead of being producers. This actually seems reasonable to some extent but they do not bear the other side of the coin in mind because robots enable people to save time and effort. When this is the case, people can develop themselves with ease because they can cooperate with robots. It must not be forgotten that the more developed the robots, the greater the opportunities they provide. To conclude, there are people who consider that the development of robots should not be supported because they believe that robots cause people to suffer lack of creativity. In contrast, some people think that the development of robots is necessary because robots provide both the health sector and people with a lot of benefits. It is my contention that the latter opinion is more logical because we live in the age of technology. --