Kirklareli

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have revealed extensive slates of mayoral candidates in a move ahead of the March 31 local elections.

The CHP's announcement, following a party assembly meeting on Jan. 10, presented mayoral candidates for six pivotal metropolitan cities.

At least five people have lost their lives in nighttime flash floods from torrential rains that turned the streets of Istanbul and the northwestern city of Kırklareli to rushing rivers.

The coastal parts of the Aegean and Mediterranean cities and Southeastern Anatolia are gearing up for a scorching heat during the Eid al-Adha holiday, as meteorologists predict temperatures to soar above seasonal norms.

The locals of the village of Çamlıca in the northwestern province of Edirne's Keşan district celebrated the Halloween-like horror festival of Bocuk late on Jan. 28, wearing scary dresses and make up.

Turkey continues to rank third in the list of "countries with the most blue-flagged beaches" this year, with the number of blue-flagged beaches increasing from 519 to 531 currently.

Like in 2021, Spain topped the ranking, while Greece was runner-up this year. Italy and France followed Turkey in the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.

As part of plans to keep foreign population at certain levels within local communities, officials are not allowing 16 provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir, to admit additional refugees for settlement.

More than 50 million people, or 60 percent of the population, have been fully vaccinated, while this rate was around nearly 81 percent for the citizens aged 18 and above, according to the country's health minister.

The world-famous Turkish novelist and poet Sabahattin Ali has been commemorated in a string of ceremonies held in the northwestern province of Kırklareli on the 73rd anniversary of his killing.

The first ceremony for Ali was held in front of the author's monument on İstasyon Street, one of the busiest spots of the province located on the Bulgarian border.

The amount of total exports from Turkey's 87 Technology Development Zones has reached $5.8 billion in 21 years, according to data by the Industry and Technology Ministry.

More than 6,500 companies, including 322 firms with foreign capital, have been operating in these zones as of the end of April, data showed.

A 10-day ban has been imposed on commercial fishing of anchovy with all kinds of fishing gear as they have not reached the desired size, according to a written statement issued by the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry.

"The number of undersized anchovies has risen in the Istanbul Strait and the Black Sea," according to the statement issued on Jan. 7.