Stories from Ankara · Turkey

Turkey is reportedly planning to implement a ban on anonymous Virtual Private Network (VPN) services. The Ministry of Urbanism and Climate Change aims to implement a regulation banning the market supply of single-use plastics. The regulation is expected to enter into force by the end of the year. Officials state the move will prevent annual emissions equivalent to 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide. The impact is compared to removing millions of vehicles from traffic.

Antalyaspor is preparing to take a corner kick, aiming to reduce the deficit in the match. The team is looking to score at least one goal to improve their chances. The game is in its 64th minute.

In a football match, Ramzi Safuri took a shot that narrowly missed the goal.

The Turkish Ministry has granted foreign trade capital company status to 10 additional companies.

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş has called for opposition parties to act together and establish a joint legal platform. The statement followed a meeting where mayors discussed ongoing investigations and future political strategies. The proposals are expected to be evaluated by party leadership during an upcoming assembly on Monday.

The Turkish government has implemented a new regulation increasing maternity leave durations for working mothers. The change aims to expand parental leave entitlements. Turkey has introduced a new investment and incentive package to attract foreign investors. The package includes increasing the current 50 percent tax reduction rate to 100 percent for certain activities. Under this new measure, no corporate tax will be collected from earnings generated through these specific activities. The initiative aims to bolster the country's appeal to international capital. Working mothers' maternity leave has been extended to 24 weeks. New regulations allow mothers on maternity leave to take 24 weeks of paid leave. Mothers who document their health status with a report up to 8 weeks before birth could previously work up to 3 weeks before birth.

Turkey has increased its public hospital capacity to over 271,000 beds through recent infrastructure upgrades. The expansion includes the modernization of 18,000 rooms to include private single and double occupancy bathrooms. This initiative aims to improve patient services and accommodate growing healthcare demands across the country.

Turkish authorities have seized a large cache of weapons components. Syrian internal security forces have conducted a specialized operation, seizing a arsenal of weapons.

An indictment has been accepted by the Ankara West 2nd High Criminal Court regarding a series of gold thefts. The defendant admitted to committing the thefts two or three times but claimed they could not remember the specific dates. The first hearing for the case is scheduled for April 28. Security camera footage from warehouses was reviewed as part of the investigation. Ankara prosecutor has accepted an indictment against Emrah Höf, a clerk at the West Courthouse, for stealing gold. The stolen items include 9 full gold coins and 5 quarter gold coins with a market value of 491,000 lira. The theft was discovered during a routine, non-standard safe inspection on February 6. The defendant was arrested by the court and sent to prison following the confession.

President Erdoğan has removed Education Minister Nazif Fiyelmaz from his position following two armed attacks in April that resulted in 9 deaths. Fiyelmaz was replaced by Cihan Demir in a move announced via a presidential decree. The government has also indicated intentions to introduce new restrictions on firearm ownership.