Izmir

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras arrived in Izmir, Turkey, shortly after 1pm on Tuesday and he met with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu.

Their meeting takes places just a few hours after EU summit on refugee held in Brussels concluded.

Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras  will visit Izmir on Tuesday to participate in the 4th meeting of the bilateral High-Level Cooperation Council, just a few hours after the end of EU summit on refugee that took place in Brussels.

Turkish authorities on March 5 detained at least two human traffickers after they shuttled some 120 Syrian refugees to the Aegean coast as the country stepped up efforts to curb the flow of migrants to Europe. 

At least 33 people have drowned after two boats carrying refuges and migrants, including many children, capsized in the Aegean Sea.

Anadolu and Dogan news agencies reported that 22 people died close to the Greek island of Lesvos.

As a Turkish official told Reuters, the people on the boats were trying to reach a Greek island.

It was an emotional celebration by a congregation of a few hundred of Orthodox Christians who gathered last Saturday, Feb. 6, in the recently restored 19th century church of Voukolos (the Shepherd) in the old neighborhood of Fournaradika (the Bakers' district). It is the only Christian Orthodox church still standing in Izmir.

Bulgaria's Defence Council has nominated Lieutenant General Constantin Popov as new Chief of Defence, replacing Vice Admiral Rumen Nikolov.

Turkish authorities detained numerous Islamic State (IS) suspects in large-scale anti-terrorist operations carried out across the country after the deadly suicide attack in Istanbul on Tuesday.

The suicide bomber, who was identified as a Syrian linked to IS, blew himself up in the popular tourist area of Sultanahmet square in central Istanbul on Tuesday morning.

For the first time since the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922, a Greek Orthodox Epiphany celebration took place in Izmir on January 6, 2016.

The Greek Orthodox community has received permission from the Turkish authorities to perform the Diving for the Holy Cross ceremony on the local pier.

Erospolis, faced with New Year's all-night shopping festivals, pretty boutiques and woes of the rising dollar, asks around for solutions. Buy second-hand or fake..."Why even bother to buy a luxury brand if it is not instantly recognized as one?" asks my friend as she fiddles with her multicolor Celine handbag.

Turkish coast guards rescued 69 Afghan refugees off the coast of western Izmir province Dec. 21, local official sources said.

The refugees were rescued while they were trying to go to the Greek island of Chios.

Meanwhile, the bodies of two people, including a three-and-a-half year old child and a 17-year-old girl, were found off the coast of Çe?me in ?zmir province.