Ankara

Greek Cyprus warned Turkey Jan. 2 that if it re-entered the exclusive economic zone where Nicosia has licensed exploratory drilling there would be no chance of resuming stalled U.N.-brokered peace talks.
      
Government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said any such a move would be a "worrying development" and would only "validate the reason for not returning to the talks."

Turkey?s rebellious Chamber of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) is set to open a lawsuit against the Environment Ministry after it hurriedly approved a highly controversial environmental report on Turkey?s first nuclear plant, ending months of legal wrangling a day ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin?s visit to Ankara last month.

An Ankara court will begin the first hearing of a case into the illegal wiretapping of then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s offices on Jan. 2.

However, five former policemen, who have been sought by police, are still on the run in the case which includes President Erdoğan.

The 2014 exports of Turkey increased some 4 percent last year, reaching $157.6 billion, a record in the history of the modern republic, according to figures released by Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TİM) on the first day of the new year.

As 2014 continued with instability in the Middle East, Turkey remained surrounded by tensions in the region. Turkey remained embroiled in frozen conflicts with Israel, Egypt and Syria, while opening a new page with the new administration in Iraq.

From Turkey's ‘laughing women' to the elections, here are the most popular stories of 2014 as published by Hürriyet Daily News. 1) Women should not laugh out loud in public

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç's July 28 complaint about "moral corruption" in Turkey triggered a massive social media protest. (Click here to read more about this story)

A long and stressful 2014 brought with it a new president, a new prime minister and a new political balance with the undefeated ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) consolidating its power in local and presidential elections against opposition parties and its erstwhile ally, the Fethullah Gülen community.

Snow dominated Turkey's agenda on the last day of the year, as thousands were stranded on roads that were blocked due to heavy snowfall while schools in some provinces were canceled for the day.

It has become a tradition for cartoonists to depict the ending year as an aged man with a long white beard in a death bed and the coming New Year as a toddler in diapers. Is there indeed that much of a difference between Dec. 31 and Jan. 1? No… It is only a matter of perception.

Western and central Turkish provinces welcomed a heavy snowfall on Dec. 30, which has affected transportation on main roads as well as air traffic.

Turkey's meteorology institute has warned citizens about possible problems resulting from the snowy weather that has hit many provinces, including Istanbul, Tekirdağ, Bolu, Bursa, Balıkesir, Çanakkale, Kastamonu, İzmir and Eskişehir.