Latest News from Turkey

Stolen İznik tiles of mosque found in Netherlands

Two of the 223 500-year-old İznik tiles and a tile panel, stolen from the Ulu Mosque in the southern province of Adana during its restoration 19 years ago, have been found in the Netherlands.

Diplomats’ spouses held art exhibit in capital Ankara

An exhibit of embroidered works made by the wives of foreign diplomats serving in Turkey opened on June 10 in the capital Ankara.

The ambassadors' wives and many guests attended the exhibit's opening organized by the Embroidery Club in Atakule tower, a famed Ankara landmark offering stunning views of the city.

World-famous Cappadocia drew over 60,000 tourists this May

Turkey's world-famous Cappadocia region, home to fabled fairy chimneys and stunning balloon rides, welcomed over 60,000 tourists this May, local tourism officials said in a statement on June 11.

According to authorities in the central Nevşehir province, 61,634 people visited 17 top tourist sites in Cappadocia.

Some 5,000 birds ringed on their migration route

Located at the junction of the routes of birds migrating from Asia, Europe and Africa, a bird research center in eastern Turkey registered and ringed around 5,000 birds from 97 species between March and June.

Euro 2020 Begins in Rome with Emphatic Ceremony

Euro 2020 was launched in style on Friday night with a stunning opening ceremony that included plenty of artistic flair before Italy defeated Turkey 3-0 in the opening game.

The highlight was a stirring rendition of Nessun Dorma, one of football's most famous songs, by Italian opera tenor Andrea Bocelli.

Turkey secured most of lands bordering Syria: Erdoğan

Turkey has secured most of the areas in Syria near the Turkish border, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on June 11.

"We will continue to make every effort to ensure that our neighbor, Syria, has a bright future based on its territorial integrity and political unity," he said while virtually attending a dam opening ceremony in the southern province of Kilis.

Balkan Insight’s Week in Pictures

French President Emmanuel Macron and North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev (L) wave to the press at the Elysee Palace in Paris on June 10, 2021. EPA-EFE/Christophe Petit Tesson.

Euro 2020 Starts off in Rome Today, Italy Hosts Turkey in First Match

Euro 2020 is finally here. Italy will be hosting Turkey at Stadio Olimpico in the first match of the competition after a year-long delay due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Election Campaign Kicks off in Bulgaria on 11 July

Campaigning officially opens Friday for the July 11 general elections in Bulgaria. The elections were scheduled by a presidential decree May 12 after a short-lived 45th National Assembly failed to form a government and the President had to dissolve it and form a caretaker government.

Turkey's industrial output up in April

Turkey's calendar-adjusted industrial production jumped 66 percent in April compared to the same month of last year, the country's statistical authority announced on June 11.

The improvement with the base effect was especially backed by the sub-index of the manufacturing sector, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) data showed.

Turkey's retail sales volume up 42% in April

Turkey's retail sales volume, a marker of growing consumer spending, surged 41.7% year-on-year in April with base effect amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to official data revealed on June 11.

No Russian Holidaymakers in Greece and Bulgaria This Summer

Russian tourists, it seems, will be avoiding beaches in Greece and Bulgaria this year. Our take is that the epidemiological situation surely cannot be the excuse and that the Kremlin has decided which countries to reward with tourists and which to punish.