Welcome to our pick of last week’s news from Fethiye and around Türkiye.
Curated from various news sources.
NEWS
Carpentry workshop brings 70 percent savings to Muğla Metropolitan Municipality
Muğla Metropolitan Municipality continues to manufacture wooden products such as office furniture, picnic tables, benches, and seating with 3 technicians and 10 carpenter masters in the Carpenter Workshop, which is equipped with modern tools, at a cost below the market rate.
The products have a market price of 3 Million 260 Thousand 592 TL. The production price of 954 thousand 414 TL in 2023 achieved 70 percent savings.
Since 2014, products with a market price of 12 Million 361 Thousand 367 TL have been manufactured at a cost of 3 Million 832 Thousand 518 TL in the carpentry workshop of the Metropolitan Municipality, resulting in savings of 8 Million 525 Thousand TL. In percentage terms, 69 percent contribution was made to the municipal budget.
Source: https://www.gercekfethiye.com/marangoz-atolyesi-buyuksehir-e-yuzde-70-tasarruf-getirdi/69644/
Istanbul’s Bebek among ‘world’s coolest’ neighborhoods
The U.K.-based global publisher Time Out has revealed its much-anticipated list of the “World’s Coolest Neighborhoods” for 2023, with prominent Istanbul’s Bebek district earning 32nd rank out of the 40 localities it featured.
The list, known for capturing the essence of places cherished by both travelers and residents, highlights the allure of these neighborhoods as sought-after destinations for exploration and living.
Unexpected but awe-inspiring, Laureles, a neighborhood in Medellin, Colombia, took the first place on the list. Bebek, a renowned district in Istanbul, secured the 32nd spot, drawing attention not only from Istanbulites but also from global admirers. The enchanting neighborhood stands out as a point of fascination for its ability to offer a unique blend of history and architecture, coupled with breathtaking views of two continents.
“There’s plenty to see in Bebek, but it’s the jaw-dropping Bosphorus view that’ll stick in your mind. The coastline of this waterfront Istanbul neighborhood is particularly special come sunset – head to the lush Bebek Park for the best golden hour views, where you’ll find locals taking a break from their seaside walks to meet up for a chinwag,” Time Out’s list said elaborating on Bebek.
The list further describes Bebek as a place that “feels like a permanent holiday where life is lived in the slow lane: you’ll regularly see residents grabbing an ice cream from their local grocer and strolling along the strait. Alongside its beauty, Bebek boasts fantastic restaurants, cafés and shops, both upscale and old-school.”
Source: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/istanbuls-bebek-among-worlds-coolest-neighborhoods-189378
Turkish botanist discovers endemic bluebell plant species in Tunceli
In a recent discovery in the Munzur Valley of Tunceli, researchers from Ege University unveiled a subspecies of “bluebell” an endangered plant species.”
Lecturer Hasan Yıldırım, associate Ademi Fahri Pirhan, and doctoral student Tuğkan Özdöl introduced a newfound plant species to the scientific community.
Yıldırım, speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), revealed that the discovery emerged within the framework of the “Turkish Bell Flowers Revision Project,” supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK).
Following extensive research efforts, the team identified the plant as a new subspecies of the “oak bell” species, scientifically named Campanula quercetorum. Yıldırım, Pirhan and Özdöl co-authored an article on this groundbreaking finding published in the scientific journal “Species and Habitats.”
The plant earned the scientific denomination “Campanula quercetorum” due to its dense flower structure, while its Turkish name, “Ovacık bell,” pays homage to the Ovacık region where it thrives.
With the addition of the Ovacık bell, the tally of plant species unveiled to the scientific realm has reached 70. Yıldırım affirmed the team’s commitment to further exploring and documenting Türkiye’s rich biodiversity, solidifying its place in scientific literature.
Trial opens in Türkiye over deadly hotel collapse during earthquake
Türkiye has opened the first major trial linked to the construction of buildings that crumbled in two earthquakes last year that claimed more than 50,000 lives.
The hearing in the south-eastern city of Adiyaman involves 11 defendants accused of “conscious negligence” while overseeing the construction of the Isias hotel.
Five of the 11 defendants, including the hotel’s owner, have been arrested and charged with crimes that could result in them being jailed for more than 20 years each if found guilty.
The hotel’s collapse killed 24 children from Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus who had flown to Türkiye to attend a students’ volleyball tournament. They and a group of parents and chaperones died in what Turkish prosecutors now say was a tragedy that could have been averted had proper safety standards been met.
The building’s collapse claimed the lives of 72 people in all – 39 of them from northern Cyprus. It was the single biggest tragedy in the history of northern Cyprus, whose self-rule is recognised only by Ankara.
The indictment says the building was illegally converted from a residence into a hotel in 2001 and that the hotel had illegally erected an additional floor to the nine permitted by the original plan.
The plaintiffs include the prime minister of northern Cyprus, Ünal Üstel.
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, emerged politically unscathed from the disaster, winning re-election months later. He blamed the large death toll from the earthquakes, which killed more than 44,000 people in Türkiye and nearly 6,000 people in Syria, on property developers who paid off local inspectors in order to use cheap building materials and illegally put up additional floors.
Turkish police arrested about 200 people over allegedly poor building construction immediately after the first 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck.
Erdoğan’s critics counter that most of Türkiye’s main construction and real estate companies have formed close relationships with the ruling AKP party during his 21-year rule.
Türkiye’s poverty threshold hits nearly three times of new minimum wage
Türkiye’s hunger threshold was 14,431 liras ($485) while the poverty threshold exceeded 47,000 liras ($1,578) in December 2023, according to the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş). The new minimum wage to be implemented at the end of January was set to 17,000 liras ($571).
The monthly food expenditure amount that a family of four living in the capital Ankara should make in order to have a healthy and balanced diet (hunger threshold) increased to 14,431 Turkish liras ($485), according to the results of Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions’ (Türk-İş) research for December 2023.
The total amount of food expenditures and other compulsory monthly expenditures for clothing, housing (rent, electricity, water, fuel), transport, education, health, and similar needs (poverty line) increased to 47,009 liras ($1,578) and the cost of living of a single employee increased to 18,796 liras ($631) per month.
While the former minimum wage implemented was 14,402 liras ($483), the minimum wage for whole 2024 was determined as 17,002 liras ($571) with a 49% increase. The poverty threshold hit nearly three times of the new minimum wage.
The workers will receive their updated salaries at the end of January. While the new minimum wage was 578 dollar when it was announced on Dec. 27, it eroded by seven dollar in one week due to severe depreciation of lira before the workers receive their salaries.
Türkiye’s official statistical authority, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), reported the annual inflation rate as 64,77% for 2023 and a monthly inflation rate of 2.93% in December.
SPORT
Thank you to Brian Lloyd for the sport update.
MHK have announced the Super League referee staff with Emre Kargın from Fethiye among the referees promoted to the Super League.
Fethiyespor posted congratulations on social media.
Fethiyespor
Selahaddin Dinçel has returned to Fethiyespor as manager after the club parted ways with Taner Gülleri by mutual agreement on Christmas Day.
During Dinçel’s previous time as manager, Fethiyespor was promoted from third to second division.
League Matches
Sunday 21st January at home against Inegölspor. The kick-off time is at 14:00.
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Turkish Lira (TL) exchange rates
The British Pound bought 37.93 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 37.55 TL.
The US Dollar bought 29.81 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 29.47 TL.
The Euro bought 32.65 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 32.58 TL.
Source: exchangerates.org.uk
Weather Forecast
Here’s your weather forecast for the week ahead.
Source: Living Earth
