President Reçep Tayyip Erdogan held talks with the leader of Turkey’s main opposition CHP party on Thursday, the first such meeting in nearly eight years, just one month after the CHP outperformed Erdogan’s party in local elections. The March 31 vote marked Erdogan and his AK Party’s (AKP) worst defeat in more than 20 … Read more
Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s comments, which labeled Hamas a terrorist organization, are an attempt to appear presidential ahead of a potential run for office in 2028, analysts told The Media Line. For more stories from The Media Line go to themedialine.org Imamoglu, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), is widely … Read more
Then, in a bid to attract culturally sensitive sightseers, the “Renew Your View” campaign was launched to encourage the appreciation of the city through the eyes of locals rather than as part of the mass-tourism phenomenon. These initiatives come on the heels of a ban on cruise ships entering the city centre, a decision that … Read more
A picture taken on August 14, 2018 shows the logo of Turkey’s Central Bank at the entrance of its headquarters in Ankara, Turkey. ADEM ALTAN | AFP | Getty Images Turkey’s central bank is opting for a different monetary tightening method as it grapples with climbing inflation, after previously signaling that its rate-hiking cycle was … Read more
A conference titled “Freedom for Palestine” was hosted last month in Istanbul, hosted by the Al-Quds International Institute (QII), a designated organization fundraising for Hamas; the International Union of Muslim Scholars described as “the supreme authority of the Muslim Brotherhood,” and reportedly also the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue. This is in addition … Read more
The UK Foreign Office has issued a warning for travellers heading to Turkey in the coming days amid the rise in sexual assaults in the country. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) keeps its people updated about the risks of travel to any of the 226 countries and territories with their timely releases. Everyone … Read more
Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia introduces entry fee One of Istanbul’s most famous landmarks, the 1 500-year-old Hagia Sophia, has introduced an entry fee and a separate entrance for foreign visitors. Foreigners who are visiting Istanbul, Turkey, will now be charged an entrance fee to visit the historic Hagia Sophia. The €25 (around R500) fee was introduced … Read more
A Turkish low-cost carrier was forced to make an emergency landing after cries for help were heard from the front cargo hold. The incident happened on Saturday on Pegasus flight 690, which was travelling from Istanbul to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The Pegasus Airlines flight was in the air for around an hour before diverting … Read more
The UK Foreign Office has issued an urgent new advisory for Turkey after a fatal attack took place at a Catholic church in Istanbul on Sunday (Jan. 28). The incident happened during the Sunday mass at around 11:40 AM local time (08:40 GMT), where two gunmen attacked The Church of Santa Maria, leaving a man … Read more
Turkey has imposed a hefty fee for foreign tourists who wish to visit an iconic structure in Istanbul. Istanbul is the largest and the most popular city in Turkey. It has a unique geographical crossover as it lies on two different continents: Asia and Europe. A trip to Istanbul is incomplete unless one visits the … Read more
