Press Release Depot

BOULDER, Colo., June 12 /PRNewswire/ — Intrepid Travel announces the
addition of a new Europe adventure tour — a Trans Caucasus adventure through
Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The new Trans Caucasus Adventure tour has been created out of a demand for
European destinations where the dollar still maintains some value. Tourists
enjoy the same beautiful landscapes, culinary delights and cultural
experiences they can in mainland Europe, at a fraction of the price.

Intrepid Travel exposes its travelers to off-the-beaten-path destinations
and real-life experiences. A few of these highlights on this new Europe
adventure are:

— See East meet West in Azerbaijan
— Experience modern and traditional life in the Caucasus
— Explore a Zoroastrian fire temple
— Visit the Silk Road
— Wander through ancient cave towns
— Try local life at a Georgian home stay
— Explore Armenia’s beautiful countryside
— See old and new in elegant Tbilisi

The meeting place of East, West, ancient, modern and Soviet, the Caucasus
are home to cultures, traditions and histories that are as complex as its
landscapes. Travel from the seaside oil fields of Azerbaijan, to the Silk Road
cities of Georgia and the alpine countryside of Armenia in search of welcoming
locals, hearty food and incredible ancient sights. A journey across the
Caucasus is a journey across time.

The Trans Caucasus Adventure — Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan lasts for
18 days and costs $2845 (plus local payment of $300). For more information on
this Europe adventure itinerary please visit:
http://intrepidtravel.com/trips/osc

With over 19 years of experience, Intrepid Travel is one of the world’s
leading small group adventure tour operators. Intrepid offers over 400
itineraries in more than 90 destinations worldwide. Intrepid trips are
designed to go off the beaten track, meet the locals and travel in an
unconventional way, joining locals on their transport, in their markets and
even in their homes. http://www.intrepidtravel.com

For more information contact Alexia Nestora at Lasso Communications,
303-898-3376, http://www.lassocommunications.com

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information,
visit http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Intrepid Travel

ISTANBUL, May 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Breaking new ground in mobile
advertising, Turkcell has launched “TonlaKazan” (”Tone&Win”), an innovative
mobile advertising platform. By choosing a branded RingBack Tone on
TonlaKazan, Turkcell customers will win airtime or credits when their callers
listen to branded music

TonlaKazan, the world’s first RingBack Tone mobile advertising platform,
is a unique and innovative solution for the advertising industry. Turkcell
(NYSE: TKC)customers win airtime or credits depending on the amount of time
their callers listen to a branded RingBack Tone selected by the customer.
During the launch period only a limited amount of Turkcell customers will be
able to register for TonlaKazan.

Turkcell Value Added Services Chief Executive Officer Cenk Serdar said,
“We are proud of breaking new ground in the advertising industry. We are not
just launching a new advertising platform with TonlaKazan, but also a new
concept. We have launched the service with major brands like Akbank,
Coca-Cola, Digiturk, Garanti Bankasi, gnctrkcll, Kraft, Nestle, Nivea, P&G,
and Unilever.”

It is possible to become a member of TonlaKazan through Web, Wap and SMS
channels. Customers can simply select the branded music of their choice as a
RingBack Tone that they want their social community to hear.

4play Digital Workshop, a provider of innovative products and ideas,
partnered with Turkcell to develop TonlaKazan.

TonlaKazan has a performance-based pricing model, Cost Per Listening
(CPL) in which advertisers are charged according to the amount of branded
RingBack Tones that callers hear, providing a measurable advertising channel.

http://www.tonlakazan.com

About Turkcell

Turkcell is the leading GSM operator in Turkey with 35.4 million postpaid
and prepaid customers as of December 31, 2007 operating in a three player
market with a market share of approximately 57% as of December 31, 2007
(Source: The Telecommunications Authority). In addition to high-quality
wireless telephone services, Turkcell currently offers General Packet Radio
Service (”GPRS”) countrywide and Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution
(”EDGE”) in dense areas, which provide for both improved data and voice
services. Turkcell provides roaming with 578 operators in 197 countries as of
April 25, 2008. Serving a large subscriber base in Turkey with its
high-quality wireless telephone network, Turkcell reported US$6.3 billion net
revenue for the year ended December 31, 2007 as per IFRS financial
statements. Turkcell has interests in international GSM operations in
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Northern Cyprus and Ukraine.
Turkcell has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (”NYSE”) and the
Istanbul Stock Exchange (”ISE”) since July 2000 and is the only NYSE listed
company in Turkey. 51.00% of Turkcell’s share capital is held by Turkcell
Holding, 4.22% by Cukurova Group, 13.07% by Sonera Holding, 2.32% by M.V.
Holding and 0.01% by others while the remaining 29.38% is free float.

For further information:
Defne Bali, Cem Tanir, Corporate Communications
Tel: +90-212-313-2320
Email: defne.bali@turkcell.com.tr

SOURCE Turkcell

Business School Entrance Exam Expands Reach to More Than 400 Test Centers in Nearly 100 Countries

MCLEAN, Va., April 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Graduate Management Admission Test(R) (GMAT(R)), the most widely used assessment for admission to graduate management programs around the world, has added test sites in Azerbaijan, Moldova and Oman.

With this expansion, the GMAT is now available for testing on demand at more than 400 test centers in 97 countries.

The new GMAT testing centers in Baku, Azerbaijan; Chisinau, Moldova; and Muscat, Oman, feature the same high-tech facilities found at other GMAT testing center locations. These facilities include biometric equipment to positively establish each tester’s identity, video cameras to monitor activity in the testing room, and highly secure computer servers to host the exam.

“We are committed to expanding access to the GMAT exam, particularly in countries and regions where the demand for quality graduate business education is increasing,” said Peg Jobst, senior vice president of the GMAT program at the Graduate Management Admission Council(R) (GMAC(R)), the international association of top business schools that owns the GMAT. “We are excited to bring the GMAT exam to people in Azerbaijan, Moldova and Oman.”

One key to the integrity and accuracy of the GMAT as a predictive tool for admissions officers is the exam’s computer-adaptive design. Each GMAT tester receives a customized set of questions that reflect his or her actual performance on the exam. The computer-adaptive format of the GMAT helps ensure that every score is comparable, no matter where a tester takes the exam.

The GMAT is delivered worldwide by Pearson VUE, the electronic testing arm of Pearson Education Inc. The exam is administered in the computer-adaptive format at every testing center worldwide, ensuring that every tester takes the exam under the same conditions.

People interested in taking the GMAT in Azerbaijan, Moldova or Oman — or anywhere else around the globe — may register for an appointment to take the exam nearly any day of the year by visiting mba.com, the comprehensive online portal provided by the Graduate Management Admission Council for prospective graduate business students. This Web site also offers a wealth of test-preparation materials, including GMATPrep — a free software package that simulates the GMAT testing experience — as well as information about how to select an MBA program.

The Graduate Management Admission Test is used by more than 4,000 graduate management programs around the world to assess applicants. The GMAT was created in 1954 and remains the first and only standardized test specifically designed for graduate business and management programs.

Based in McLean, Va., the Graduate Management Admission Council (http://www.gmac.com) is a non-profit education organization of leading graduate business schools worldwide dedicated to creating access to and disseminating information about graduate management education. GMAC annually surveys thousands of corporate recruiters, MBA students and business school alumni to gauge their feelings about the job market and collect other data about the value of the MBA. This information is provided to schools that use the GMAT to help them shape their admissions and recruiting strategies and tailor their programs to best meet their students’ needs before and after graduation.

Contact: Sam Silverstein
Direct phone: 1-703-245-4317
Cell: 1-703-625-0467
ssilverstein@gmac.com

SOURCE Graduate Management Admission Council

WASHINGTON, March 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Vatican’s No. 2
official presided over the reopening of a Catholic church in Azerbaijan’s
capital city on Friday that had been shut down for more than 70 years under
previous Soviet rule.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, addressing the ceremony in Baku,
said, “The fact that representatives of all religions live as one family in
Azerbaijan strengthens our country.”

In his remarks, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio
Bertone, said the event was “rich in meaning” and “will leave its mark in the
annals of history.”

The reopening fulfills a promise made to the late Pope John Paul II and
Azerbaijan’s Catholic community by the late President Heydar Aliyev to restore
the parish that had been ruined by Soviet atheist authorities in the 1930s.

The neo-Gothic church, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is located
near the center of the country’s capital of Baku. The late President Heydar
Aliyev granted land to rebuild the church during Pope John Paul II’s visit to
Azerbaijan in May 2002.

“It was the most eloquent welcome,” Bertone said. “It was proof of this
desire to make religious tolerance a true pillar of the life of Azerbaijan.”

Azerbaijan, a secular country with a majority Muslim population, is known
for its religious tolerance. The country is home to a Catholic community of
hundreds of parishioners, as well as vibrant Orthodox Christian and Jewish
communities.

Located at a key geographic crossroads between Europe and Asia along the
Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan has for centuries been a flow-point for civilizations
passing between East and West, North and South. Tolerance and understanding of
different religions and cultures have thus been woven into the fabric of
society, something that was reflected in Bertone’s words on Friday.

“Civilization rests on a rock that is concrete-the serene coexistence of
different religions,” he said.

If you would like to sign up for the free, weekly newsletter from the
Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States, please visit
www.azembassy.us and click on “Sign Up to Embassy Mailing List.” Learn about
current events in Azerbaijan and be the first to hear about events in the US
sponsored by the Government of Azerbaijan.

SOURCE Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Azerbaijanis around the
world will commemorate one of the most tragic days in their history next week,
marking the 16th year that has passed since hundreds of innocent men, women
and children from the town of Khojaly in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of
Azerbaijan were slaughtered by Armenian troops.

The Khojaly massacre at the hands of Armenian troops stands as one of
history’s most chillingly brutal military acts against unarmed civilians.

On February 25, 1992, Armenian forces surrounded the town of Khojaly,
telling civilians they would be allowed safe passage if they evacuated. As
thousands left the town, Armenian troops opened fire. By the next morning, 613
innocent civilians had been murdered, including 63 children. Another 1,000
people were wounded and 1,275 taken hostage. To this day, 150 people from
Khojaly remain missing.

Major media outlets covering the story in the following days described the
massacre with horror:

— The Sunday Times reported the atrocity with the headline, “Armenian
Soldiers Massacre Hundreds of Fleeing Families” (March 1, 1992).
— Newsweek magazine reported: “Many were killed at close range while
trying to flee; some had their faces mutilated, others were scalped”
(March 16, 1992).
— The New York Times also described beheadings and acts of scalping
(March 3, 1992).
— Time magazine called the actions against Khojaly “grim and
unconscionable,” reporting that many of those killed had been mutilated
(March 16, 1992).
— The Washington Times wrote that video footage “backed accounts of the
slaughter of women and children” (March 3, 1992).

In the most shocking admission of culpability, Armenia’s then-defense
minister Serge Sarkisian was quoted in the book “Black Garden” (by Tomas de
Waal, NYU Press, 2003, page 85), as saying, “Before Khojaly the Azerbaijanis
thought that … the Armenians were people who could not raise their hands
against the civilian population. We were able to break that [stereotype].”

Sarkisian became the new president of Armenia just this week.

To mark this act of genocide, February 26 is designated as a National Day
of Mourning in Azerbaijan.

Prepared by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States

SOURCE Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States