Welcome to our pick of last week’s news from Fethiye and around Türkiye.
Curated from various news sources.
NEWS
Nature’s comeback in Bodrum three years after forest fires
In September 2021, the biggest forest fires in Muğla’s history occurred, destroying 80 hectares land in Bodrum’s Güvercinlik District.
After the forest fire, saplings were replanted and 3 years later, an update from General Director of Forestry Bekir Karacabey shows the renewal process with flowers and shrubbery blossoming again, creating swathes of greenery where the fires had turned the earth to ash.
Karacabey pointed out that social media posts stating a hotel was to be built on the forest land destroyed by the fires had been untrue, saying “Burned forest areas are under constitutional protection and reforestation efforts are carried out after forest fires.”
Afforestation work carried out in 900 hectares damaged by fire
in Marmaris
Afforestation work was carried out in 900 hectares damaged by forest fire in Muğla’s Marmaris district two years ago.
Terracing was done in 452 thousand meters of the forest land in Bördübet which were damaged by the fire that started on June 21, 2022.
Sources: https://www.muglagazetesi.com.tr/bodrum-guvercinlik-3-yilda-yeserdi-156793h.htm
https://www.gundemebakis.com/yanginda-zarar-goren-900-hektar-alanda-agaclandirma-calismasi-yapildi
Contractor sentenced to 18 years in landmark earthquake verdict
The first verdict has been delivered in the legal proceedings following the devastating building collapses caused by the devastating earthquakes on Feb. 6 last year, with the contractor of one collapsed apartment building in Şanlıurfa receiving an 18-year prison sentence.
During the proceedings, a penal court in the city reviewed reports and minutes of expert examinations conducted on the wreckage of the apartment building.
Lawyers representing the aggrieved parties urged the court to impose the maximum penalty on the defendant, Müslüm Demirer.
In his assessment, the prosecutor underscored that the defendant had “failed to meet his obligations” according to construction standards, thereby contributing to the collapse of the building, which resulted in the loss of 34 lives and injuries to others.
Following deliberation, the court unanimously found the defendant guilty of “causing the death and injury of more than one person with conscious negligence,” and sentenced him to 21 years and nine months in prison.
However, considering that the defendant had suffered the loss of his own son in the tragic event, the court mitigated the sentence by one-sixth. Consequently, Müslüm Demirer was ultimately sentenced to 18 years, one month and 15 days in prison.
Istanbul’s Galata Tower temporarily closed for restoration work
The Galata Tower will be closed to visitors for one month starting today due to reinforcement against earthquakes and exterior facade repair works.
Last November, the 8th floor of the tower was closed to visitors due to roof repair works. During this period, the conservation of the tower’s spire was completed and installed.
Ground-penetrating radar surveys were conducted on the structure’s body walls and floor.
Based on the identified details, exterior facade repair of the tower will also be carried out. During the restoration works, no harm will be done to the nearly 400 migratory bird nests on the tower’s body walls.
All applications will be carried out while considering the migration season of bird nests and swallows.
The works on the tower, which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List in 2013 and is one of the important structures in the silhouette of Istanbul, are planned to be completed in April.
Source: https://www.dailysabah.com/arts/istanbuls-galata-tower-temporarily-closed-for-restoration-work/news
5,000-year-old underground city in S. Türkiye to open to visitors
5,000-year-old underground city in southern Mardin, in the final stages of excavation, is slated to open to visitors by the end of this year, aiming to become a premier destination in Mesopotamia.
The fourth season of excavation work began to reveal the underground city after discovering that the cave was initially thought to be the only one. It was part of a larger complex with access to different areas through corridors. The excavation started four years ago in the historical streets and houses of the Midyat district.
The underground city consists of an area of approximately 40 hectares and 6%-7% have been unearthed so far.
Midyat Municipality Conservation, Application and Inspection Offices officer and art historian Mervan Yavuz said that they carried out the work meticulously with an archaeologist, an art historian and 10 workers.
Yavuz highlighted the uniqueness of the Matiate underground city, stating: “Unlike other underground cities, Matiate’s civil architecture is located above ground, showcasing a gradual transition from underground living to urban life. This horizontal, terraced structure sets it apart from other vertically descending underground cities, like those in Cappadocia.”
You can read the full article here: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/5000-year-old-underground-city-in-s-turkiye-to-open-to-visitors/news
$32.2 mln allocated to revive ancient city of Pergamon
A budget of 1 billion Turkish Liras ($32.2 million) has been allocated to bring the cultural heritage of the ancient city of Pergamon into both the national and international arena, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has announced.
Pergamon is the best example of an Hellenistic period city with its monumental architecture and structures such as the Temple of Athena, theater, library, temples of Zeus and Dionysus, agora and gymnasium are the most outstanding examples of the architecture of the period.
Stating that Pergamon Amphitheater has a high tourism potential as a symbol of Roman architecture, Ersoy said they will make this area accessible to tourism with a conservation and landscaping project.
Ersoy expressed that they have also allocated a separate budget for the repair, display and arrangement of the building of the Pergamon Archaeological Museum and said that they plan to start work here immediately.
Source: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/-32-2-mln-allocated-to-revive-ancient-city-of-pergamon-191000
SPORT
Fethiyespor
Thank you to Brian Lloyd for the Fethiyespor update.
Match Results
Fethiyespor drew their home match against Sarıyer S.K. on Sunday. The final score was 1-1
Fethiyespor stays at 12th position on the league table.
League Matches
Saturday 2nd March away against Düzcespor. The kick-off time is at 14:00.
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Turkish Lira (TL) exchange rates
The British Pound bought 39.07 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 38.86 TL.
The US Dollar bought 30.81 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 30.84 TL.
The Euro bought 33.38 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 33.23 TL.
Source: exchangerates.org.uk
Weather Forecast
Here’s your weather forecast for the week ahead.
Source: Living Earth
