Welcome to our pick of last week’s news from Fethiye and around Türkiye.
Curated from various news sources.
NEWS
Extended Ramadan holiday to boost tourism in Türkiye
The much-anticipated Ramadan holiday has been extended to nine days, a decision that has sparked joy and excitement among both citizens and tourism sector professionals. It promises an extended period of relaxation for citizens and injects a renewed vibrancy into the tourism industry.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the extension during an iftar program in Ankara, stating, “By adding Tuesday’s half-day and Monday to the holiday, we have provided our public servants with a comfortable nine-day period to enjoy.” This decision raises questions about how this extended holiday will impact the tourism sector and its costs for citizens.
Tourism professionals believe that after the sluggish months of February and March, the extended holiday will kickstart the season and make a significant contribution to the industry. Furthermore, the holiday falling in April, has led to a spotlight on cultural tourism both domestically and internationally.
Gökhan Sivrikaya, CEO of Neredekal, described, “Following the announcement of the extended holiday, online searches surged immediately. Bodrum, Fethiye, Antalya, Marmaris, and Cappadocia have been the most searched destinations since the beginning of Ramadan. Especially, bungalows and all-inclusive hotels are prominent in searches, while guesthouses and apartments are top choices for those seeking budget-friendly options.”
Source: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/extended-ramadan-holiday-to-boost-tourism-in-turkiye-191829
30 thousand 150 liras fine imposed on field owner who cut down historical olive trees in Bodrum
An administrative fine of 30 thousand 150 liras was imposed on a field owner who cut down historical olive trees in the Bodrum district of Muğla.
Teams from the District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, who inspected the area after receiving notice that the adult olive trees in the field in Gölköy District were cut down, determined that 30 of 34 olive trees, each considered to be 500-1000 years old, were cut down by the property owners.
An administrative fine of 30 thousand 150 liras was imposed on the field owner who cut down the trees and a criminal complaint was filed with the Bodrum Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Tourism hub grapples with water crisis ahead of tourist season
A scientist has warned that the water level in the dams of Bodrum, a touristic district in the western province of Muğla, reached an alarming capacity of 16% due to rainfall shortages and rising temperatures.
While the water level in Geyik and Akgedik dams in Bodrum hovered around 60 percent, the water level in Mumcular Dam, which is used both for irrigation and drinking water, remained around 16 percent.
Professor Dr. Ceyhun Özçelik, an expert of water resources, emphasised the importance of effective optimization of water, especially drinking water.
Özçelik emphasized the increasing impacts of climate change, stating, “We are experiencing crucial days for managing and controlling the effects of climate change. In February, we witnessed an increase of approximately 3.4 degrees Celsius compared to seasonal norms, reaching 7.5 degrees Celsius.”
Özçelik emphasized the importance of closely monitoring spring precipitation, as Mumcular Dam provides both drinking water and irrigation water.
Meanwhile, last year Bodrum’s dams were closed due to critically low water levels and the town faced a serious water crisis.
In 2023, water was drawn from the bottom of dams, known as “dead volume,” to partially meet water demand.
Four defendants sentenced to 17 years in post-earthquake trial in SE Türkiye
Three building contractors and one civil engineer have been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison due to their role in the collapse of a building in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır in February 2023 earthquakes that claimed the lives of 89 residents, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
On February 6, devastating 7.8 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck Türkiye, claiming over 53,000 lives and leaving millions homeless in 11 provinces in the country’s south and southeast.
Diyarbakır was one of those provinces.
There were seven defendants, four of whom were in pretrial detention, in the trial that concerned the collapse of one of the four blocs in the Galeria residential complex in Diyarbakır’s Yenişehir district. Twenty-two people were also injured when the building collapsed.
Three other defendants are at large.
The Diyarbakır 11th High Criminal Court on Friday handed down the prison sentences to building contractors Sedat Eser, Mehmet Şirin Yiğit and Şeyhmus Yiğit and engineer Tevfik Demir on charges of “causing the death and injury of more than one person through conscious negligence.”
The Galeria was opened as the first shopping mall in Diyarbakır in 1999, which also housed residential buildings. The three other blocs, which were severely damaged in the earthquakes, were later demolished.
According to the indictment, the contractors failed to comply with building safety codes and did not have the necessary soil tests carried out during the construction of the building.
Read more here: https://www.turkishminute.com/2024/03/22/four-defendant-sentence-to-17-year-in-post-earthquake-trial-in-se-turkey/
Traffic blues? ‘Stars of Istanbul’ have musical solution
group of young people in Istanbul, aiming to react to the city’s transportation problems and cheer up bored drivers in traffic, presented a brass band show in the busy district of Şişli on Thursday.
Known for their various activities in the city and calling themselves the “Stars of Istanbul,” the group performed in front of a shopping center on Büyükdere Avenue.
Seeking to reduce the stress of drivers struggling in heavy traffic, the team took to the streets with a banner that read, “We’re here for those tired of traffic,” when the red light came on. Some of the young people in the group stopped in front of vehicles to perform the brass band show and distributed stress balls and daisies to drivers and passengers.
Emrullah Kavak, the group’s spokesperson, described the Stars of Istanbul, mostly university students aged 18-30 living in Istanbul, as a “happiness movement” to an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent.
Kavak stated that the projects they have implemented have received support from drivers, saying, “The reactions of the citizens are very positive. While protesting the traffic woes, we are also presenting a show. We are trying to create an unforgettable memory for them by creating a smile on their faces and distributing flowers and stress balls.”
Source: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/istanbul/traffic-blues-stars-of-istanbul-have-musical-solution
Türkiye’s central bank raises interest rate to 50% despite previous hints of end to hike cycle
Türkiye’s central bank on Thursday raised its key interest rate, the one-week repurchase rate, from 45% to 50%, citing the continuing need to counter climbing inflation in the country.
“In February, led by services inflation, the underlying trend of monthly inflation was higher than expected,” the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee said in a statement after the decision. It noted that imports of consumption goods and gold slowed, which improved Türkiye’s current account balance, but that domestic demand remaining “resilient.”
“Stickiness in services inflation, inflation expectations, geopolitical risks, and food prices keep inflation pressures alive,” the statement said. “The Committee closely monitors the alignment of inflation expectations and pricing behavior with projections, and the impact of wage increases on inflation.”
Turkish annual consumer price inflation soared to 67% in February, fueling concerns that Türkiye’s central bank — which had indicated a month prior that its painful eight-month-long rate-hiking cycle was over — might have to return to tightening.
The Monetary Policy Committee made it clear that it would not shy away from further hikes, if these are needed to keep its inflation targets on track.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/21/turkey-central-bank-raises-interest-rate-to-50percent-.html
SPORT
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino condemns ‘shocking’ violence after Trabzonspor fans attack Fenerbahce players in Türkiye
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called for immediate action after Trabzonspor fans attacked the players of Fenerbahce during “shocking” violence in Türkiye.
Fenerbahce were celebrating their 3-2 victory in Trabzon when supporters invaded the pitch – forcing the players to defend themselves.
Twelve people were detained by police after fans threw objects and attempted to kick and punch the players following the final whistle.
One fan was pictured charging at the players with a corner flag.
Mr Infantino called for the troublemakers to be held “accountable” after Sunday’s events at the Senol Gunes stadium.
There have been other violent incidents in Türkiye’s top league this season.
In December, the president of another top-flight club, Ankaragucu, was arrested for punching a referee following a match, prompting the Turkish Football Federation to briefly suspend league games.
European Deaf Football Championships 2024 to be held in Türkiye
The European Deaf Football Championships 2024 will be held from 20 May to 1 June 2024 in Izmir, Türkiye.
The European Deaf Football Championships is a quadrennial European competition in the association football sport for deaf people. It is organised by the European Deaf Sport Organization (EDSO). It was first held for men’s teams in 1987, and for women’s in 2011. The championships are held in a different host country every year.
Sources: http://www.ciss.org/events/470/Wikipedia
Fethiyespor
Thank you to Brian Lloyd for the Fethiyespor update.
Fethiyespor broke fast at an Iftar meal on Thursday with Club staff, Stadium staff, Youth coaches and A team.
Match Results
Fethiyespor lost their away match against Belediye Derincespor on Sunday. The final score was 4-1.
Fethiyespor drop back down to 12th position on the league table.
League Matches
Wednesday 3rd April at home against Amed Sportif. The kick-off time is at 15:00.
Sunday 7th April away against Karaman FK. The kick-off time is at 15:00.
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Turkish Lira (TL) exchange rates
The British Pound bought 40.32 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 40.86 TL.
The US Dollar bought 32.00 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 32.09 TL.
The Euro bought 34.75 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 34.97 TL.
Source: exchangerates.org.uk
Weather Forecast
Here’s your weather forecast for the week ahead.
Source: Living Earth
