ISTANBUL

The Kanal Istanbul mega-project will result in greater peace of mind for the Turkish nation, said Turkey's president on April 14.

"The Kanal Istanbul project, which has nothing to do with the Montreux Convention, will bring Turkey greater comfort and peace," said Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, referring to a 1936 agreement on the Turkish Straits, also in the Istanbul province.

A CHP branch with a poster asking: "Where are 128 billion dollars?" Photo: CHP Silivri Branch

The CHP has been organising a campaign about the fate the Turkish Central Bank reserves on social media and later put up the banners on its buildings and billboards.

An earthquake was registered last night in the Mugla area on the Aegean coast. The 5.1 magnitude quake was recorded at 11:38 p.m. local time.

The epicenter was at sea, 19 km from the resort village of Datca, at a depth of 2.51 km. No casualties or destructions were reported. The quake was also felt in neighboring counties.

Turkey announced on April 13 that a keenly awaited international conference on the Afghan peace process will be held in Istanbul from April 24 to May 4.

The high-level and inclusive conference between representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban is being co-convened by Turkey, Qatar, and the U.N., according to a joint statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

The Istanbul Municipality has launched a mobile application that will enable authorities to identify and locate different mosquito species in the city in a bid to check the mosquito-borne diseases in the province.

A tanker passes through the Bosporus in Istanbul. Photo: Pixabay/Sinasi Müldür

The international convention, which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government has suggested it might quit, governs the use of the Turkish Straits - the Dardanelles and Bosporus, strategic waterways that connect the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has said that mayors from his party will intensify their efforts to provide aid to people in need during the month of Ramadan while slamming the government for its failure in the fight against the pandemic.

Istanbul's Fenerbahçe claimed a 3-1 tough home victory over Gaziantep FK on April 12 in Turkish Süper Lig football action.

Gaziantep FK's Malian forward Nouha Dicko scored the opener in the 39th minute, but it was disallowed for a foul from Papy Djilobodji on Attila Szalai.

Russia is temporarily suspending regular and charter flights with Turkey, Moscow announced on April 12. 

The suspension over COVID-19 concerns will last from April 15 to June 1, said Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova.

Flights will resume if developments in the pandemic show a positive trend, she added, speaking at a video conference with other members of the government,

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the Afghan peace process and a number of other issues in a phone call on April 12.