Damascus

Iran's top diplomat has said Tehran understands Türkiye's security concerns stemming from northern Syria amid Ankara's vows over a new military incursion against the presence of the terrorist organizations.

More neighborhoods in provinces across Turkey will be closed to foreigners due to a quota to be introduced starting next month, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has announced.

Some 781 locations where the population of foreigners exceeded 25 percent of the local population have already been banned for foreigners, Soylu added.

Some 34 members of seven Syrian families, who have been residing in Istanbul's Esenyurt district for a decade, "went back home" with an official ceremony held by the local municipality.

Thanking Turkey for being their home, the families moved back to the Syrian cities of Afrin, Latakia and the capital Damascus on a bus on June 8.

While the Turkish government is working on preparations to ensure safe and voluntary return of 1 million Syrians who are under temporary protection in Turkey, an expert has warned the prevailing problems regarding security, the judiciary and the education system could make the process difficult.

Four Syrian soldiers were killed and three others wounded in an Israeli air strike, a Syrian military source told state news agency SANA on Wednesday.

"The Israeli enemy carried out an air assault at dawn... targeting several positions around Damascus," the military source said.

Israel carried out air strikes on government-held positions in Syria on Saturday, the state news agency SANA said, without reporting any casualties.

"The Israeli enemy launched an aerial assault from the direction of northern Lebanon targeting a number of positions in the central region," SANA reported, citing a military source.

The Israeli city Tel Aviv is the most expensive city in the world, according to the British magazine "Economist", DPA reported. As a result, it de facto dethroned the French capital from this position. Paris remains in second place, which it shares with Singapore. Next on the top positions in the ranking are Zurich, Hong Kong and New York. Last is the Syrian capital Damascus.

City of Bolu. Photo: Wikipedia Commons/Dosseman

According to the new law, foreigners will now pay around 2.2 euros per cubic metre for water supplies and 100,000 Turkish liras (over 7,200 euros) for civil marriages in the city of Bolu.

A bladesmith from the eastern province of Malatya has become famous for producing and selling swords and chef knifes made with a special kind of steel called "Damascus steel" across the country and abroad. 

Tourists are being offered a new glimpse at one of the largest ancient mosaics in the Middle East after renovations undertaken by the Palestinian Authority were unveiled this week.