Şükrü Karatepe

In response to the escalating issue of stray dog attacks, Presidential Local Governance Policies Board vice chairman, Şükrü Karatepe, emphasized that the primary measure to address the problem is reducing births rather than euthanizing animals. This announcement comes amid a growing concern over the country's rising number of stray dogs.

Marine mucilage, a thick layer of glop that invaded Turkey's Marmara Sea last year, has reappeared off Istanbul's Maltepe coasts, while experts noted that the natural phenomenon may affect the region this summer again.

Theologian Professor Hayreddin Karaduman wrote that casting a "yes" vote could be interpreted as a religious duty. Another theologian, Professor Hayri Kırbaşoğlu, objected with a tweet, saying voting "yes" or "no" had nothing to do with religious duty. "It is a political choice. We do not live in the Middle Ages; let's wake up from this deep sleep."

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has sought to diffuse the concerns of nationalist voters ahead of a key referendum by reassuring them that the proposed governance system will not introduce a "federal structure" as one presidential adviser had earlier argued. 

Professor Şükrü Karatepe, one of the president's advisors, recently spoke about the constitutional amendment that we will vote on in the referendum on April 17. "Perhaps we will implement it for three or five years. Then we'll take a look and if we see if it is working or not. If it is not, we'll get parliament to change it again," he said.

Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), has slammed advisors of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for suggesting a federal structure if "yes" votes prevail in the upcoming charter referendum. 

Parliament late on Feb. 3 sent the draft charter amendment to the president's office for approval, with a referendum on introducing major political system changes to Turkey likely to take place on April 16. 

The first concrete step about the presidential system was taken on Nov. 10 when Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım met with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli.