Mustafa Kemal

One of Istanbul's iconic names, the 115-year-old famous Pandeli Restaurant situated in the Spice Bazaar has been closed for the last three months. 

Restoration works that have been going on for a long time in the Spice Bazaar and the crisis which hit the tourism sector negatively, have removed the oxygen from this famous turquoise-tiled restaurant. 

Turkish President Recep Erdogan continues his provocative statements against Greece and other countries contiguous with Turkey.

Thousands of female bikers from 28 cities in Turkey and Turkish Cyprus got behind the handle bars on Sept. 24 for the annual Chic Women's Bicycle Tour in a peaceful demonstration that combined feminism and green transport.

There is a story that the State Theaters will only stage local plays this season. Even though this would be very difficult practically and technically, along with the fact that the Culture Ministry has said, "This does not mean that foreign plays will not be staged," I could not understand how this decision would contribute to the "spirit of national mobilization" we are currently experiencing.

There are two dates which come after each other and symbolize the end of the Ottoman reign and the beginning of independent Turkey. The first is March 18, 1920, when the Chamber of Deputies of the Ottoman Empire met for the last time and adjourned on grounds that it could not be able to work under British occupation. 

Turkey celebrated National Sovereignty and Children's Day on April 23 along with the 96th anniversary of the first season of Grand National Assembly.

The legacy of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is still bitterly contested in today's Turkey. Approaching the centenary of the republic's establishment, the process of Westernization, secularization and modernization led by Turkey's nationalist founding father still provides the reference against which various political movements - whether sympathetic or antagonistic - define themselves. 

Turkey will remember the founding father of the modern republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, on the 77th anniversary of his death in ceremonies across the country, with his mausoleum in Ankara, An?tkabir, being the heart of the events.

An?tkabir will be open to visit until 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 10 in an event which sees tens of thousands of people gather every year. 

World-renowned Turkish pianist Faz?l Say was awarded the "2015 International Secularism Prize" (Prix de la Laïcité) by the France Committee of Secularism on Oct. 26.

The event was hosted at the Paris Municipality Building with the attendance of French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, along with other guests.

Borsa Istanbul and Pakistan Mercantile Exchange Limited (PMEX) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) through which the exchanges will share information and expertise in various fields with a view to building a long-term relationship.