Author: Nimet Kivanc

NURDAGI, Turkey — Near the center of this small town in southern Turkey, a father and his boys carried doors and windows they had salvaged from an abandoned apartment building to a waiting truck, glass crunching under their feet. The street, once lined with multistory buildings, was now defined by flat rubble lots. At the end of the road, a functioning gas station still stood. Eren Yaka, an 18-year-old attendant there, had just taken part in an election for the first time, giving his vote to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “We are with the reis,” he said, referring to Erdogan with…

Tayfun, the country’s longest-range missile, is tested in the Black Sea province of Rize. Turkish missile producer Roketsan has successfully tested the short-range ballistic missile Tayfun (Typhoon) in the country’s Black Sea province Rize. The test of the Tayfun Short Range Ballistic Missile system was carried out on Tuesday at 0644 local time (0344GMT). Ismail Demir, the head of Türkiye’s Defense Presidency, congratulated the team involved in the project. “We successfully carried out the new test launch of our Typhoon missile. I congratulate everyone who contributed, especially Roketsan,” Demir said. Tayfun is Türkiye’s longest-range missile so far. The firm previously…

Iraq’s oil minister Hayan Abdulghani said today that his country is waiting for a green light from Turkey to resume exports of northern Iraqi crude through the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, but hinted that it could come following the conclusion of Turkey’s presidential elections. “We are waiting for their [Turkey] response,” Abdulghani told the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha today. Turkey had previously told Iraq it was evaluating whether the pipeline was damaged as a result of the devastating earthquakes in February. Abdulghani said both sides have engaged in negotiations since the international arbitration ruling in March that said Turkey had breached…

Within the scope of the project called “Geleceğe Dönüşüm” (Transformation to the Future in English), around 7,500 Turkish Airlines bags for cabin crew have been turned into 10,000 pairs of boots for children affected by the deadly Feb. 6 earthquakes that ripped through Türkiye’s south. Accessories such as shoes and bags, which wore out with time, were transformed into boots for earthquake-affected children as part of the project. These 10,000 pairs of boots will be distributed in 100 schools in quake-hit provinces to keep the feet of children warm. Speaking at the event held at the VIP Hall of Turkish…

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad met his Tunisian counterpart Nabil Ammar shortly after arriving on Monday evening. No details were released on those talks or on Mr. Mikdad’s schedule for Tuesday and Wednesday. The visit aims to help restore bilateral relations, Tunisia’s foreign ministry said in a statement. This decision is a glaring example of the evolution of the situation in the region over the past decade. Tunisia was the cradle of pro-democracy Arab Spring movements that spread to Syria in 2011 and has long been among Assad’s strongest critics. But today, Tunisian leaders are reverting to authoritarianism and allying…

Turkey’s lightest mineral water bottle stands out with its special design that makes it lighter and more environmentally friendly than its counterparts.With innovative glass packaging designs and product lightweighting efforts, Şişecam aims to protect the planet with less energy consumption and less greenhouse gas emissions in production and transfer, and to transform lives by offering sustainable products that meet the changing needs of the planet and society. Produced by Şişecam in line with this vision, Turkey’s lightest mineral water bottle, which stands out with its environmentally friendly features, won the third prize in the Environment category at the İMSAD Investing…

Turkey’s central bank has asked local lenders to limit the amount of dollar purchases they make in the interbank market to ease pressure on the lira, Bloomberg reported referring to people with direct knowledge of the matter. The monetary authority verbally informed some lenders last week that they have been assigned a daily limit on how much foreign currency they should buy on the interbank market after meeting their needs under the so-called KKM program, the people said, asking not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. KKM is a government-backed lira savings scheme that compensates participants…

Continuing to lend a helping hand to Syria and Turkey, Oman Charitable Organization raised USD 100,000 through Jindal Shadeed Iron and Steel. The funds are earmarked to help rebuild homes in the areas devastated by the earthquake that hit both countries earlier in the year. “During this month of giving we are proud to be joining hands with one of Oman’s leading steel players to help make a bigger difference in supporting Syria and Turkey during Ramadan and Eid, said Badr Al Zaabi, CEO of Oman Charitable Organization. Harssha Shetty, Jindal Shadeed CEO commented, “Our hearts go out to our…

This is the first event of its kind in the school’s history and according to a press release from the university, students and teachers have already offered 100 graphic design works for the online charity fundraiser auction to which donors have access. Most of these works of art are signed by the creator, and five printed copies can be purchased. “The most dedicated, unique works of art can be obtained by anyone who donates the fastest – just like in an auction,” the press release reads. The event will take place on April 21 at the Barcsay Hall of the…

Türkiye’s president said late Tuesday that he will speak to authorities in Tunisia to convey his concern over the arrest of Ennahda Party leader Rached Ghannouchi. “The current administration in Tunisia arrested brother Ghannouchi. We have not yet been able to contact the authorities in Tunisia over the phone but will continue to try to reach them. If we are able to speak to them, we will tell them that we do not find this appropriate,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a televised interview. Tunisian security forces arrested Ghannouchi late Monday and took him in for interrogation at a National…