Welcome to our pick of last week’s news from Fethiye and around Türkiye.
Curated from various news sources.
NEWS
Opening ceremony for new park at Babataşı
An opening ceremony was held for the new park at Babataşı in Fethiye on Saturday.
The park is built over an area of 3127 square metres and has seating and green areas where residents can spend time comfortably, modern playgrounds for children, and an indoor basketball court.
During the opening ceremony, Fethiye Mayor Alim Karaca said, “We will continue to provide service to every neighborhood of Fethiye and make our children smile. May the park be beneficial to our neighborhood.”
Source: Fethiye Belediyesi
Türkiye to host FAI World Paragliding Aerobatic Championships
The 4th FAI World Paragliding Aerobatic Championships will be held in Ölüdeniz on September 9-15, 2024.
Ölüdeniz has hosted the World Acro Cup 2022 and World Acro Cup Superfinal 2023 and the organizer – Babadağ Teleferik – was selected by the CIVL Acro Committee and the Bureau to run the FAI World Paragliding Aerobatic Championships without a test event.
The event has the support of the Turkish Air Association (THK), the Ministry of Youth and Sport, the Governor of Muğla, and the District Governor of Fethiye.
Source: https://www.fai.org/news/turkey-host-pg-aerobatics-worlds-2024?
Fethiye Municipality distributes Ramadan packages to families in need
Fethiye Municipality is distributing Ramadan packages to families in need. Ali Rıza Kıroğlu, Social Affairs Manager said, “We bring together citizens in need and those who want to help during Ramadan. We use the donations to make up packages and deliver them to those in need.
If you want to help those in need during Ramadan, please contact Social Affairs (Sosyal Yardım İşleri Müdürlüğü). Thank you.
Source: Fethiye Haber Bülteni
Animal lover in Turkish capital takes disabled dogs on joyful rides
An animal lover in Ankara embarked on a heart-warming initiative to bring joy to disabled dogs that have attracted a lot of love in social media.
Using a unique “train” crafted from plastic barrels hitched to the back of her vehicle, Buket Ozgunlu, chairman of the Association of Paws Holding to Life, is taking the special canines on outings.
The Stray Animal Rescue Association, located in the Oyaca neighborhood of Golbasi district, cares for 560 dogs, with more than 300 who have disabilities.
Ozgunlu said the Association, which has been operating for nearly four years, has garnered support across Türkiye, enabling it to rescue and care for countless animals in need.
She said her inspiration stems from seeing similar efforts by someone abroad on social media.
The heartening initiative has garnered widespread attention on social media, surprising Ozgunlu with that much support. “I didn’t think it would be loved so much,” she admitted, reflecting on the unexpected viral response to her posts.
Inflatable boat carrying migrants sinks off northwestern Türkiye, killing 22
The bodies of 22 irregular migrants, including seven children, who died when an inflatable boat sank off the coast of northwestern Türkiye were found on Friday, with search and rescue efforts continuing.
Ilhami Aktas, governor of the Çanakkale province, told Anadolu that “there is no reliable information about how many people were on the boat,” which sank off the coast of Eceabat.
He added that four of the migrants survived the sinking.
“We are trying to determine the number of casualties. The survivors are being interviewed. There is some contradictory information,” he said.
The bodies of the victims were taken to hospital morgues by ambulance.
Two of the survivors reportedly managed to reach Büyük Kemikli beach in Eceabat and told authorities of the incident.
Seeking any additional survivors, more than 500 personnel are currently involved in search and rescue operations using an aircraft, two helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and 18 Coast Guard Command boats.
Gendarmerie teams are also doing searches around the area of the beach.
Türkiye has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross to Europe, especially since 2011, the start of the Syrian civil war.
Atatürk’s boat transformed into museum in country’s west
The boat used by modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as a sightseeing boat has been restored and opened to visitors at the Naval Museum in the western province of Çanakkale.
The “M/G Acar,” once used to transport Atatürk from the famous Savarona Yacht, known as Atatürk’s yacht, to the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, is one of the most fascinating places to visit at the Çanakkale Naval Museum.
The salon where Atatürk dined and the cabin where he rested are on exhibition.
Built in Germany in 1936-1937, the boat was taken into the inventory of the Çanakkale Naval Museum in 2017 after being used in various diplomatic missions in the Bosphorus.
After nearly nine months of effort, the 27.5-meter-long, 5-meter-wide and 65-ton boat was placed on a pedestal and has been opened to visitors as as a museum with a ceremony in April 2018 following the completion of landscaping works.
“When Atatürk was convalescing in the Savarona in his last days, he was transferred to the Dolmabahçe Palace on the Acar boat. In other words, this ship is actually Atatürk’s last connection with the sea, so it is extremely valuable to us,” Colonel Serhan Aras, one of the directors of the Çanakkale Maritime Museum, said.
After Atatürk’s death, the M/G Acar Boat served as an official motorboat and after its decommissioning, it was given to the Naval War College. It was repaired and restored in 2000. On July 25, 2001, it was launched by Semra Sezer, the wife of 10th President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, in a ceremony held at the Istanbul Shipyard Command.
The ship, which was transferred to Çanakkale by sea on June 15, 2017, was lifted by a land crane in front of Çanakkale Naval Museum Command on July 03, 2017, and placed on the pedestal, where it is currently located.
Source: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ataturks-boat-transformed-into-museum-in-countrys-west-191662
SPORT
Turkish Down syndrome futsal team sets sights on Trisome Games gold
The Down Syndrome futsal* national team, currently in training camp in Kocaeli, is gearing up with a championship mindset for the upcoming Trisome Games** set to be held in Türkiye.
Having clinched the European title twice before, the national team is diligently preparing for the fourth phase of their camp, which is crucial for their participation in the event scheduled to take place in Antalya from March 19-26.
Under coach İbrahim Acar, the athletes are finishing their preparations, eyeing to add the Trisome Games championship trophy to their collection.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Acar revealed that they resumed training immediately after the European Championships, with the team undergoing rigorous camp sessions for approximately 11 months.
Acar added, “The team is currently in excellent shape. We have yet to secure an Olympic championship in our trophy cabinet. That’s our ultimate goal. As the hosts, we are one of the strongest contenders for the championship in this Olympics. We are ready to do what it takes to claim victory.”
*Futsal is a football-based game played on a hardcourt like a basketball court, smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors
**Trisome Games are held in Türkiye and give athletes with Down syndrome the chance to compete against each other.
Fethiyespor
Thank you to Brian Lloyd for the Fethiyespor update.
Match Results
Fethiyespor won their home match against Uşakspor on Sunday. The final score was 4-0.
Fethiyespor move up to 9th position on the league table.
League Matches
Sunday 24th March away against Belediye Derincespor. The kick-off time is at 14:00.
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Turkish Lira (TL) exchange rates
The British Pound bought 40.86 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 40.90 TL.
The US Dollar bought 32.09 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 31.90 TL.
The Euro bought 34.97 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 34.91 TL.
Source: exchangerates.org.uk
Weather Forecast
Here’s your weather forecast for the week ahead.
Source: Living Earth
