Turkey’s announcement of new restrictions in the face of surging Covid 19 infections is putting the spotlight on Ankara’s decision to rely almost solely on Chinese vaccines
The Catholic Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, located in the very central Istiklal Caddesi, one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, is currently in no danger of ending up on the real estate market as a private luxury building. In recent days, Sebahattin Gök has been arrested and brought to justice, the man who last year, thanks to a network of accomplices, organized a complex fraudulent operation to illegally gain possession of the largest church Catholic Istanbul in order to resell it to the highest bidder. Investigations into the case confirmed that the “gang” of Gök and his associates were specializing in real estate scams committed against ecclesial and religious communities as well as foreign owners or those belonging to ethnic minority groups
With Istanbul facing further COVID restrictions at the start of the New Year, scores of public spaces across the city have become venues for light installations as part of a major art exhibition
In Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, a news network staffed entirely by women is taking the lead in reporting on women and human rights. But the groundbreaking JIN News agency is increasingly targeted in what the government claims is its battle against terrorism
Istanbul, like all of Turkey’s main cities, has a witnessed a series of lockdowns , as the government seeks to suppress COVID 19. The shutdown is not only difficult for the Istanbul’s inhabitants but also for the large populations of street dogs and cats that have been an integral part of the city for centuries. But as Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, help is at hand~VOA NEWS
Ukrainian officials have suspended flights to and from Iran until it is determined what caused its Boeing 737-800 passenger jet to crash shortly after taking off from Tehran’s international airport early Wednesday. All 176 people on board were killed. Iranian authorities say they have located the black boxes from the aircraft, which contain the flight data and could help determine the cause of the crash
Amnesty International demanded that Osman Kavala must be released immediately and the charges against him and the other defendants in the so-called Gezi trial, dropped
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suffered his worst electoral setback, with his AKP Party losing control of the capital, Ankara, and apparently set to lose Istanbul in Sunday’s local elections