Bodies of water

Lake Meke has dried out due to years of low rainfall and wrong agricultural irrigation practices.

Located in the Central Anatolian province of Konya's Karapınar district, Lake Meke is a volcanic lake commonly known as the "evil eye talisman" for the rarity of such lakes in Turkey and its one of a kind beauty.

A German academic who was sailing in the Aegean Sea on his catamaran when the pandemic had entered Europe has been stranded in the middle of the Aegean Sea since both Turkey and Greece closed their borders.

All ferry routes in the Aegean will turn into subsidized services as of April 21 for a period of at least one month in order to safeguard the connectivity of the country's islands with the mainland as well as the sustainability of coastal shipping companies to the utmost degree.

The number of migrants staying at reception centers on the Aegean islands has dropped in the first three months of the year despite a spike in arrivals.
More specifically, according to the Migration Ministry, the number decreased in January-March 2020 to 36,387 from 38,423 people in the corresponding period in 2019.

Shipping Minister Giannis Plakiotakis announced on Friday that only permanent residents and supply trucks will be allowed to travel to the Aegean islands, in a bid to ban the unnecessary movement of people within the country and halt the spread of the new coronavirus.

Ships remained moored in ports around much of the country on Monday as winds at sea reached up to 9 Beaufort in the Aegean.

Ships remained moored in ports across much of the country on Monday following problems at sea amid winds reaching up to 9 on the Beaufort scale in the Aegean. 

Authorities imposed a ban on ferries departing from Piraeus for the islands of the Cyclades, Crete and the Dodecanese. Ferries were also banned from leaving the ports of Rafina and Lavrio. 

Turkish fighter jets flew over northern Evros, the Greek-Turkish land border, on Wednesday, in an indication of Ankara's determination on ratcheting up tensions. 

Specifically, a pair of Turkish F-16s conducted an overflight over northern Evros, at an altitude ranging between 10,000 and 500 feet, at 2.50 p.m.

Turkey rescued 97 asylum seekers stranded in the Aegean Sea, the Turkish Coast Guard said on March 6.

The asylum seekers were in three rubber boats that were punctured Thursday by the Greek Coast Guard, Turkish authorities said in a tweet.

Talks will begin between Greek and Turkish officials in Athens on Monday to adopt confidence-building measures in a bid to reduce tensions in the Aegean.

The aim is to keep channels of communication with Ankara open so that there is a swift and political resolution of any issues that might emerge. Discussions are expected to focus on technical, military issues.