Official Gazette

A total of 330 academics were expelled with a new state of emergency decree published in the Official Gazette late on Feb. 7, drawing criticism from the opposition and the scholars themselves about the effect the moves will have on education.

The academics were among 4,464 public workers who were expelled as part of the decree. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved on Feb. 7 a bill on an agreement between Russian and Turkish governments on the construction of the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline, TASS News Agency has reported.

The Turkish government has eased certain stringent state of emergency (SoE) rules ahead of a crucial vote in the Council of Europe demanding an urgent debate on the "functioning of democratic institutions" in Turkey.

Turkey's real estate sector is expected to see more than $1 billion in additional revenue in 2017 after a move to give citizenship to some foreigners who buy and hold Turkish property, a senior economy official told Reuters.

Under the plan, foreigners who buy property worth at least $1 million and hold it for three years will become eligible for Turkish citizenship. 

A license plate recognition system will be installed in the parking lots of all malls across Turkey as a part of security precautions, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Russia announced late on Dec. 16 that it had approved a bill to ratify the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline project.        

The bill was passed by the Russian government and was sent to the Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament, the Kremlin said in a statement.        

Russia's Gazprom said on Dec. 8 it had signed a contract with Switzerland's Allseas Group S.A. to build the first stage of the Turkish Stream pipeline, as reported by Reuters. 

Gazprom said this week work on the underwater section of the Turkish Stream pipeline would get underway in the second half of next year.

Work on the underwater section of the Turkish Stream pipeline will get underway in the second half of next year, Alexei Miller, chief executive of Russian gas giant Gazprom, told journalists on Dec. 6, Reuters reported. 

Turkey's new ambassador to Israel, Mustafa Kemal Ökem, has officially been appointed to mission after his name appeared in the government's Official Gazette on Dec. 7. 

The foreign ministry had officially announced Ökem's appointment to the post on Nov. 30. 

The Turkish government has raised the special consumption tax on alcoholic drinks and tobacco products, according to a notice in the government's Official Gazette on Dec. 1. The move is expected to push up prices by some 3-6 percent.

The increase coincides with a sharp decrease in the value of the Turkish Lira and follows hikes in special consumption taxes on luxury cars.