♪ >> hello and welcome to this edition of "european journal" coming to you from dw studios in brussels. thank you for tuning in. here's what we have for you in the next half hour -- painful ritual -- the role of circumcision in turkey. final wish -- u.s. and asia patients who donate their organs in russia. and black is back. what makes a man and man? that is a question that is no longer so easily answered in countries like germany, but there are societies that do have a very clear picture of their ideal man. some societies say a man is a real man only when he has been circumcised. but a regional court in germany

will last month that the practice of circumcision represents a minor form of bodily harm to children, for the first time giving more importance to someone's physical well-being than to the right of freedom of religion. the ruling immediately met with heavy criticism from jewish and muslim groups. in turkey, for instance, it is the most important day in a young boy's life. >> he is 7 years old, but in turkey, he is already considered a man. he was circumcised to a wheel weeks ago and is celebrating his right of passage with 600 other boys. -- rite of passage with 600 of the boys here for some, the fanfares to much. for low-income families, the operation is financed by the city of istanbul. >> we are very grateful to the mayor. circumcision is vital to its muslims. our religion dictates it.

all the parents here are proud to be allowed to go through it with their sons. >> this family decided to go to the clinic. most parents bring their sons to be circumcised between the ages of four and 12. siblings, aunts, and uncles have all come to celebrate his big day. it is hard to say whether the 6- year-old bonds even stressful with everyone in high spirits. his mother admits that, tradition aside, she is a little worried. >> you wonder if it will be painful. you worry as a mother, but we are still happy. it is a big moment and a blessing for our family. >> the doctor is full of encouragement, saying he will

become a real man and muslim. this trained nurse has been practicing for 30 years. he is determined to insure the boy is not scared before they go into the operating room. >> children used to be circumcised at home or at the hair dressers. the celebrations were the same day. today, a lot more importance is placed on a gentle procedure under hygienic conditions. >> a video game takes his mind off things, and then he is given an anesthetic. the procedure is over in a few minutes. the children's doctor is also present to supervise. does the doctor think the ordeal is worth it? >> the anesthetic and painkillers alleviate the child's pain, but think of the social stigma that uncircumcised

boys face. if a 9-year-old is uncircumcised, he is an outsider at school. there is also a huge pressure on the parents. three things turkish parents want for their sons are circumcision, the military, and marriage. ammonal, he is part of a wider society. he has taken a step demanded just like his father, local, and grandfather before him -- his father, uncle, and grandfather before him. it is quite a relief for his family. for now, there are smiles all around. the pain probably will not set in until the anesthetic wears off. well over 90% of muslim men in turkey have been circumcised, as part of the muslim identity, though it is not in the koran. >> according to theology, a man can still be muslim without being circumcised. it is not compulsory, but it is

a strong symbol of islam, just as it is it is imperial religion is more than just hold the scripture. tradition is just as important. >> even so, circumcision has fuelled heated debate even in turkey. last month's ruling has been slammed on internet forums, but some believe boys should be able to decide for themselves when they are older. a year ago, this therapist published a book on her research, which concluded the circumcision was outdated and unnecessary. it crossed a lot of controversy. >> healthy boys -- i wonder. if you believe in god, god creates human beings perfect. on the other hand, you are saying god made a mistake, so we have to correct it. >> but that is not how it is seen by much of turkish society. this waste collector in the

system will save up for 12 years so his three sons could be circumcised. it won him the social recognition that is crucial living in a district like this. >> the real message of circumcision is, "now you are a real man and can withstand any pain, just like us." >> on sunday, 634 new real men stood on the stage. technically, they may have undergone minor bodily harm, but today, they are happy and proud to belong to the muslim community. that eastern europe has put a few turbulent decades behind itself, and the political transition process is still far from over. the soviet era left most

countries for than the west. in addition, countries that wanted to join the european union or that have since joined have had to work hard to meet the eu standards. the latest such succession candidate is montenegro. the small country has been independent from serbia for not even a decade. brussels says the country has to do more to fight corruption and organized crime and improve general freedoms, but in one area, montenegro has already made giant leaps. it knows how to attract foreign interests, especially of the wealthier sort. >> the financial crisis has affected montenegro very differently from the rest of the world. oliver sees it every day from his beautiful terrace. the area has suddenly become a haven for super yachts and megawatts, and their numbers are growing all the time.

a super yacht has a minimum length of 24 meters. some of the votes here are 150 meters long, and incidentally, each one of those meters adds about 1 million euros to the price tag, so what was that about a financial crisis? >> this industry is relatively immune to the. in a way, the financial crisis has been more helpful to us because people are careful with how they spend the money and looking for more valued in places to keep their yachts. >> they are also looking for space. finding the right dock space has become a challenge as the dogs get bigger and owners become more fussy about surroundings, so montenegro is looking to offer luxury boats. >>it is an ambitious project for the small country. what did occur has nearly 300

kilometers of coast line. the marina is just off the bay of " tour, unesco world heritage site. at the end of the 19th century, part of the austro-hungarian navy was stationed here. later, yugoslavian warships were left to rust in the harbor. >> but one day, the region was discovered by a billionaire, shown here in a promotional film. he is the founder of the world's largest gold mining corp. a super yacht owner himself, he flew over the naval side in 2006 and was stunned by the amount of space available. the large natural harbor has deep harbors. since then, he said to have invested well over 100 million euros in the project. >> an opportunity here that will probably never a rise again. >> now, he has stopped giving television interviews. during one of his last, he told

a mt. igman reporter that he was not just interested in building a new luxury harbor with hotels. and that anybody can build a hotel. we are building a destination. >> a new five-star hotel is set to open in the summer of 2014. by then, the plan expansion of the harbour should be complete. from 250 to 600 births. peter believes montenegro will soon be the new monaco of the balkans, and he is not alone. the list of investors includes members of the rothschild family and this russian aluminum magnate. this boat is thought to be the escort vesse for a super not, but we do not get to see or talk to anyone. privacy is everything here. when walking around the marina, the managing director is not

looking prepared to agree crewmembers in front of the camera. >> we typically do not disclose that information about any of the owners. as part of the nice thing about yachting. it is a very private experience. >> everything here is impressive, so, fittingly, the new waterside pool is super long. this evening is the official opening party. the owner of the club arrived yesterday with his german -- german fiancee. >> we have for the concord the mediterranean, but this is part of europe we have not fully discovered yet, and that is exciting. it sounds very exotic. i think it is the start of a whole new trend. >> i can see the reason of

relocating your yacht for this place where you have a new marina, not as much -- more competitive pricing. >> tax-free fuel is certainly a huge boon. if your yacht takes 250,000 liters of fuel, it is quite a saving. most of the votes are registered in tax havens -- most of the boats. even super yacht owners want to be sure they will not go under. and a good death. that is the direct translation of the greek word euthanasia. also known as mercy killing, it means ending a sick person's life in a painless way, and it is much-debated today. in belgium, a law was introduced 10 years ago that gives certain patients the right to decide if and when they want to be

relieved from their suffering. this in turn has given rise to yet another question of ethics. can you use these people's organs? >> this man made a life or death decision, taking his ultimate fate into his own hands. in 1993, he learned he was suffering from multiple sclerosis. he realized his life would probably end slowly and in pain, and his dependence on others would grow as the disease progress. >> my personal limit is when my health problems prevent me from having a social life. that is when it will become unbearable for me. >> mario decided to end his life using euthanasia, campaigning to make assisted suicide legal in his native belgium. in such a of a 2002, his wish

was granted. he received a lethal injection from his doctor, becoming the first person to use belgium's new euthanasia law. a decade later, his doctor is still convinced that assisted suicide is a positive thing. >> people have become much more vocal. now they can clearly and easily express what they really want. the legislation has insured that patients more frequently say how long they want to be treated for and also how they want to die.

>> last year in belgium, more than 1000 people used euthanasia to die, and the number is growing steadily. the trend is presenting a new range of ethical dilemmas. diane was left severely disabled after a stroke. she decided not only to opt for euthanasia, but also to donate her organs. it was a global first, revealed only after her death. that was because organ donation linked to euthanasia was a serious taboo. >> this is not a life. it is hell. i want to be free of my body. >> how did your family react to your plan to donate your organs? >> they think it is good.

they have no problem with it. >> it is not difficult for them to imagine your organs being removed from your body shortly after your death? >> no, they know that is what i want. they should not try to deny me that. >> her doctor tried to persuade her to keep on living, but in the end, she managed to change his mind. >> she thought donating her organs was a great idea with the old serial -- ulterior motive that she thought her worthless life and the way she decided to end it would have a purpose. >> her resolve changed the entire discussion. a slippery slope, fair some critics, who see that the long

waiting lists could lead to doctors pressuring patients into euthanasia or organs. >> everyone who claims that the euthanasia law is perfectly applied, who says there are no deviations, is mistaken. the euthanasia review committee itself says that it relies on correct statements from doctors about their euthanasia cases. the committee has no overview about what happens illegally. >> illegal euthanasia is being carried out? >> i am certain you hear that from many sources. >> diane was not pressured to donate her organs. it was her wish, but the danger does exist. transplant surgeons in belgium

have said that the quality of the organs from euthanasia patients can be very good. >> it is always a shame when the organs go to waste, but the dangers are also clear. they began when you try to convince the patient to donate their organs. it is like a bad american b movie, where people are killed for their organs. >> despite all the reservations, there is demand for the euthanasia legislation in belgium. almost 5000 people have chosen to die by assisted suicide since mariel. a fraction of those like diane choose to donate their organs and help give new life to others. >> in rudyard kipling "jungle

book" vultures were true friends to mowgli when the little man cub was it, but people most often associate these scavenger birds with the desert where they will circle hungrily over tourists who did not bring enough water. one of the few places in europe where the black vulture is still needed is my york. the rapid expansion of tourism on the mediterranean resort severely threatened the birds breeding grounds, but that is hopefully about to change. >> black vultures -- they can sort through the air for hours. the birds are among the biggest in europe with a wingspan of over two meters. they are also extremely rare. in the 1970's, just 20 of the birds were known to live in majorca.

they survived in the mountains, shielded from mass tourism. today, conservationists are working to reverse the decline of the black vulture population. with their plodding walk, scruffy plumage and hunchback, they did not appear half as majestic down on the ground. they are birds of prey who feed on carrion. all reasons for the longstanding prejudice against them. juan sanchez runs a sanctuary for injured will choose. he comes from south america where a close relative of the boulder, the condor, is considered sacred. >> i enjoy working with boulders. it is not that i identify myself with them, but their behavior is fascinating. they fulfill an important ecological function.

>> like swans and geese, black vultures mate for life, making them difficult to breed in captivity. damaged eyes, broken wings, 18 vultures at the center. they are nursed back to health until they can be released again into the wild. the vultures are no longer hunted and killed like in the past, but they still fall victim to human activity. many are poisoned. juan collects the dead birds as evidence. >> the illegal use of poison is a big problem. they are poisons made by the chemicals industry that are usually used against stray cats because the hunters do not want cats in their areas.

the hunters put down the poison, and it ends up killing vultures and other endangered birds. >> that is not the only hazard. during the breeding season, volunteers guard the black vultures' nests, making sure they are not disturbed by hikers. birds breed high up in trees in far-flung places, but even there, they are not safe. if a breeding couple is frightened, there is a danger they will abandon their young. the black will to protectors suggest alternative hiking trails and try to raise the profile and improve the image of the birds. >> i guess i am prejudiced against them because of what i see in films. they are not a bird i would be particularly drawn to. >> there was a man in front of me, he reached into his pocket, and his wallet was gone. a vulture had stolen it. >> here, isolated in the

mountains, is the habitat of the black vulture. the conservation work is yielding positive results. once on the brink of extinction, the island's black vulture population has grown to around 200. their protectors come from all over the world. breeding season runs from april to july. this chick is about 1 months old. the black vulture couple raises no more than one youngster year. that is why each chick is so important to the survival of the species. many people take immense pleasure in seeing a black vulture in the wild today, but the ball to protectors still have to contend with prejudice. >> there are still people in the countryside who believe the vultures attack their animals

and eat their sheep. >> we are gradually trying to educate them that it is not true. that the vultures live on dead animals and pose no danger to their hands or other farmyard animals. >> in majorca, sheep and other animals roam free in the mountains. there is even a long tradition in spain of leaving out carcasses for the birds. many farmers give juan their dead livestock. it provides free food for his birds and a practical means of disposal. this farmer appreciates having the vultures in the wild. >> it is good. they eat the dead animals and keep the countryside cleaner. >> the sanctuary is attracting increasing numbers of visitors. observing the vultures of close

helps dispel preconceived notions about them. visitors are a vital source of income to the voelker foundation and its conservation efforts. its work so far has and should this majestic birds continue to soar free in the skies above majorca. >> that report brings us to the end of this edition of "european journal." we hope you enjoyed the show. remember that you can always get in touch with us. just send us an e-mail or check out our website. you can watch all the reports on line again next week. we will bring you a special edition from london. until then, from all of us here at dw studios in brussels, thanks for watching, and by for now.