Kars

A snow white empire in the Lake Çıldır in the eastern province of Kars, where the temperature can hit -20 or -40 centigrade, welcomes us. The lake is completely frozen and stands on a dreamlike geography. Even though the lake freezes in the "empire of ice," life goes on under and above the water surface with all its colors. 

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) launched its bi-annual winter military exercise in the eastern Anatolian border province of Kars between Feb. 14 and 16, the army has said.

Opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) lawmakers from the eastern province of Kars and southern province of Adana were arrested on Jan. 31, becoming the latest members of Turkey's third-largest party to be incarcerated.  

HDP Adana lawmaker Meral Danış Beştaş and Kars lawmaker and the party spokesperson Ayhan Bilgen were arrested as part of a terror probe. 

Among the 28,163 teachers dismissed through a state of emergency decree published in Turkey's Official Gazette on Sept. 2, some 3,487 were from Istanbul, more than any other province, daily Habertürk reported on Sept. 15. 

At least 13 outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants were killed in five separate counter-terrorism operations in four Turkish provinces on April 25, the Turkish military and the provincial governor's office stated on April 26.

The suicide bomber who carried out the deadly car bomb attack in Ankara on March 13 has been identified as Seher Ça?la Demir, who was a member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) born in 1992, the Interior Ministry has stated.

Turkey's nationalist opposition leader has requested a meeting with the prime minister after a suicide car bomb attack killed at least 37 people in Ankara on March 13.

A Turkish sculptor has been acquitted on charges of insulting the Turkish president after he was tried for suggesting money won in compensation in a previous case against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an was "illicit."

Altay, Turkey's first domestic tank in the making, has received much interest from the country's allies, said Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) head ?smail Demir said Jan. 7 during a presentation at parliament. 
 

Turkish forest rangers in the eastern province of Kars are struggling to protect pines, especially saplings, from being cut for New Year's Day, officials have said. 

Security measures in the Sar?kam?? district of the province have been tightened, said the local head of the forestry department, Halil ?brahim Ç?ng?.