Official Gazette

Turkey has officially put into effect a new regulation against human trafficking, as part of measures to try to stem the flow of refugees heading to Europe through illegal means.

Some 6,694 buildings in Turkey's southeastern town of Silopi has been declared "damaged" after assessment conducted by the country's urbanization ministry following the end of military operations against militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the town.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu has issued a notice to speed up mainly local coal activities, published in the Official Gazette on Feb. 24. A board to monitor and coordinate energy investments in these areas has also be opened in line with the notice. 

Turkey's parliament has extended the deployment of the Turkish Naval Force in the Gulf of Aden, Somalian territorial waters and the Arabian Sea to halt piracy for another year.

A cabinet decision designating locations for 39 new fortified military installations has gone into force, with a majority of new security posts to be built in southeastern Turkey, which is currently scene to violent clashes between the security forces and outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants.

Measures will be taken in order to ensure that all broadcasts and publications in Turkish media conform to "traditional family values," according to the government's official program for 2016 published at the Official Gazette on Jan. 23. 

The Turkish Chief of General Staff has announced that necessary measures will be taken to ensure time off for Friday prayers for military personnel.

The Chief of Staff has issued a circular to related institutions in line with a recent legal change allowing public servants to attend Friday prayers without interrupting office hours.

Leading international bodies have welcomed Ankara's presentation of new regulations that allow many of the 2.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey to apply for work permits, underlining that the regulations would allow refugees to build a decent life.

Turkey's national income per capita has been forecasted to decrease below $10,000 for the next two years, projected to lower to $9,286 in 2015 and $9,364 in 2016 on the dollar-basis rather than purchasing power in the government's new medium-term economic program. 

The national income per capita was $10,390 in 2014. 

Turkey has ratified the establishment agreement of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which was signed in June 2015. 

According to a regulation, revealed in the Official Gazette on Jan. 12, Turkey will not pay more than $2.6 billion as the capital contribution to the bank. 

The Turkish cabinet has also been authorized to increase this amount by up to five times.