Welcome to our pick of last week’s news from Fethiye and around Türkiye.
Curated from various news sources.
NEWS
A severe forest fire, the origins of which remain unknown, broke out on Saturday in the Dereköy Marmaros locality of the Gökçeada district in Çanakkale. The fire, fueled by the wind, rapidly expanded, ravaging the surrounding forest, pastures, and open spaces.
The Çanakkale Forest Regional Directorate teams responded quickly, arriving on the scene within eight minutes of the initial report. A well-coordinated operation involving nine helicopters, four planes, nineteen sprinklers, two bulldozers, four water supply vehicles, one response vehicle, two trailers, and ninety-eight personnel, including eighteen technical experts, launched an intensive effort to combat the flames.
As the fire spread, reinforcements from surrounding areas were ferried to the island by Gestaş Deniz Transportation A.Ş., reinforcing the response teams. The intervention stretched throughout the night, with two night-vision-equipped helicopters maintaining aerial operations while ground teams persisted in their efforts.
Forest fire near Milas-Bodrum Airport
A forest fire broke out in the forest area near the Milas-Bodrum Airport International Airport on Friday.
Efforts are underway to control the blaze with air and land intervention.
9 helicopters and 9 planes affiliated to Muğla Regional Directorate of Forestry intervened in the fire from the air, 53 water tankers, 4 dozers, and more than 300 personnel intervened on land.
According to a report in Fethiye Haber Bülteni, the fire, that damaged 160 hectares of forest area was started by a cigarette butt.
Sources: Daily Sabah/Fethiye Haber Bülteni
Temperatures in Fethiye hit 43 degrees
Local and foreign tourists flocked to the beaches in Ölüdeniz in Fethiye, as air temperatures rose to 43 degrees and the sea water temperature was 30 degrees.
The global rise in temperatures due to climate change has spawned a series of extreme heat waves this summer, triggering warnings from the General Directorate of Meteorology and claiming numerous lives.
Prominent meteorologist Orhan Şen noted that the extreme temperature is fueled by El Nino, a global weather phenomenon that refers to when waters in the Pacific Ocean become much warmer than usual. El Niño is normally associated with record breaking temperatures at the global level.
Sources: Muğla Gazetesi/BBC
First Caretta caretta hatchlings at Patara Beach
The first baby Caretta carettas of the season hatched at Patara Beach on Wednesday July 12.
The hatchlings were a surprise to the volunteers who patrol the beach as the previous earliest hatchling time was on July 22.
250 Caretta caretta nests were detected on the beach this year and protected with cages and warning signs. Volunteer watch is kept both night and day to make sure the hatchlings reach the sea.
Source: Beşkaza Haber Bülteni
Salt Lake turns pink as microorganisms thrive
Located within the Central Anatolian provinces of Konya, Aksaray and the capital Ankara, Salt Lake (Lake Tuz) has turned pink due to the bacteria and algae proliferation resulting from high temperatures.
Algae help protect the surface of Salt Lake, officially known as the second-largest lake in the country, from harmful sun rays by producing colored substances in the summer months as temperatures and salinity increase. Bacteria, on the other hand, reproduce abundantly, giving the lake a pinkish hue.
The color changes to normal as temperatures decrease and rainfall occurs following the summer.
Stating that it is necessary to promote the lake as a tourist attraction at this time of the year, Sinan Bayazıt, a local, said that Salt Lake is of great importance for both Ankara and the country’s economy.
“The salt from the lake is used as raw material by several manufacturers in Şereflikoçhisar district. But it is crucial for the district to promote the lake and increase its tourism value as well. Benefiting from tourism would be great for us.”
Source: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/salt-lake-turns-pink-as-microorganisms-thrive-184675
Türkiye increases VAT rates, consumer loan tax, other fees
Türkiye has increased its value-added tax (VAT) in two categories, while also raising the tax collected on bank consumer loans, the country’s Official Gazette said Friday.
The VAT rate charged on goods and services was increased to 20% from 18% while that on basic goods such as toilet paper, detergents and diapers was raised to 20% from 8%.
The registering fee for mobile phones that are brought from abroad was increased by 228% to TL 20,000 ($765.74) from the previous TL 6,091, one of the decisions on the gazette showed.
Additional motor vehicle taxes will be received from vehicles that will be registered by the end of the year. According to the draft law, the one-off additional payment will be the same as the amount of motor vehicle tax accrued for 2023.
Read more here: https://www.dailysabah.com/business/finance/turkiye-increases-vat-rates-consumer-loan-tax-other-fees
SPORT
Fethiyespor
Thank you to Brian Lloyd for the Fethiyespor update.
Team Update
Fethiyespor signed contracts with three new players and one internal transfer last week.
Burak Başkaya and Onur Taha Takır left the team along with Fethiyespor Club Captain, Nacit Çatal.
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Turkish Lira (TL) exchange rates
The British Pound bought 34.26 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 33.45 TL.
The US Dollar bought 26.17 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 26.05 TL.
The Euro bought 29.42 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 28.60 TL.
Source: exchangerates.org.uk
Weather Forecast
Here’s your weather forecast for the week ahead.
Source: Living Earth
