Stories from Turkey

The 486th International Mesir Paste Festival in Manisa began with a traditional procession.

Beşiktaş Wheelchair Basketball team won the Euro Cup 3 championship in Istanbul. The team defeated Spanish club Club Deportivo Amineli with a final score of 106-99. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated the team via X following the victory. The tournament final was hosted in Istanbul.

High-standard hotels in Ankara have reached a 90 percent occupancy rate. Preparations are accelerating for the NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8. The surge in bookings is attributed to visiting heads of state and high-level diplomatic delegations. This movement in the hospitality sector is noted as being distinct from typical seasonal trends.

A court in Uludağ has sentenced the owner and manager of the Kervansaray Hotel to up to 15 years in prison for causing death by negligence. The ruling follows the death of Fikriye Usta during a fire at the establishment. Two defendants were placed under house arrest and banned from traveling abroad during the first hearing. The court postponed the second hearing to allow for a formal discovery process at the scene. The victim's lawyer has alleged that fire department vehicles lacked water during the emergency response.

Wildfires spreading between Beikoz and Şile were brought under control following intensive firefighting efforts. Three firefighting helicopters and ground crews worked for approximately 2.5 hours to contain the initial blaze. The fire subsequently spread to the Kara Kiraz neighborhood in Şile during the night. Local residents in the affected villages provided support using tractors to assist the response. The fire was contained in the forested areas between the Kılıçlı neighborhood of Beikoz and the Kara Kiraz neighborhood of Şile. Firefighters have brought wildfires under control in the Kirazlı neighborhoods near Istanbul. Approximately 50 decares of oak and pine forest, equivalent to seven football pitches, were destroyed in the blaze. The cause of the forest fire remains unknown at this time.

MIA Teknoloji has submitted an application to the Capital Markets Board (SPK) to merge with Lider Sistem Teknolojileri A.Ş.

Yılmaz Delen, the former Police Chief of Tunceli, has been summoned to give a statement. His summons follows information provided by security forces regarding his previous statements. Public Prosecutor Adem Aydemir is overseeing the questioning process. The Republic Chief Prosecutor's Office has expanded an investigation into the disappearance of Gülistan Doku. The questioning is part of an investigation into former Tunceli Governor Tuncayson. Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor Ebru Can Su is leading the investigation, which reportedly involves a 14-volume file. Yilmaz, who currently serves as the Yalova Police Chief, was heard by the prosecutor in the capacity of a witness. The investigation involves seven folders of documentation that have reportedly reached 14 volumes.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced plans to transform Istanbul into a global attraction center. Additionally, corporate tax rates for manufacturers and exporters will be reduced to nine percent. These measures were discussed during a speech at the Istanbul Finance Center. President Erdoğan announced new tax incentives to strengthen the investment environment and support international direct investment. The plan includes increasing the deduction rate for certain earnings from 50% to 100%. Erdoğan stated that corporate tax will not be collected on earnings from specific activities to increase competitiveness. A comprehensive regulation is expected to be presented to the parliament soon. The plan aims to lower the tax burden from 20 percent to 9 percent for companies that both manufacture and export products.

Turkey has defined the calendar for the upcoming COP 31 UN climate conference. The summit aims to address global environmental pressures and institutional debate. The summit follows previous climate negotiations held in Fiji and Tuvalu in early October. Turkey's Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat is scheduled to announce April foreign trade statistics on May 2. The Turkish Statistical Institute will release April inflation data on May 4. Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan is expected to present to the Grand National Assembly's Plan and Budget Commission on May 5. Discussions are anticipated to focus on developments regarding the fight against inflation. The idle labor rate increased by 1.6 percentage points to reach 31.5%. Experts said the need to carefully monitor and examine the idle labor rate regardless of methodology.

Turkish authorities will reopen 638 unsolved murder files, prioritizing cases involving women and children. The Ministry of Interior issued a circular to all 81 provincial governorships to implement these investigations. New security measures will also be deployed around schools and their surroundings to enhance student safety. These measures include strengthening school security systems and increasing environmental inspections.