Central Anatolia Region

A local court has decided to stay the execution of the hunting tenders for four Anatolian Mountain sheep and three wild goats in the Central Anatolian provinces of Konya and Karaman.

Two Spanish tourists died while three others got injured on Oct. 18 as the hot air balloon they boarded in the Cappadocia region made a bumpy landing amid strong winds, the governor's office has informed.

The hot air balloon trips in the Ihlara Valley in the Central Anatolian province of Aksaray, which is the starting point of the iconic touristic attraction Cappadocia, have resumed after they had to be halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 14-kilometer-long valley lures visitors, who can go all the way down the valley with 394 step stairs, with its ancient churches and landscape.

Malaysia's queen has fallen in love with the historical Cappadocia region on her visit to the site in the Central Anatolia region, and said she is seeking a house to buy and live.

The statue of Neşet Ertaş, a legendary folk singer and poet, who died in 2012, has been attacked in the Central Anatolian province of Kırşehir.

While it has not yet been determined who attacked the statue, the police launched a large-scale investigation into the incident.

The third international Balloon Fest will bring together colorful hot air balloons featuring various special shapes between July 21 and 24 in Cappadocia, the historical region in Central Anatolia famous for its fairy chimneys, with the participation of 12 countries.

Endangered Anatolian mountain sheep, released to nature within the scope an ecological project in the central Anatolian province of Kırşehir, have successfully adapted to natural life, giving the authorities hope for new environmental projects for endangered species.

Some 477,757 people have visited Cappadocia, the historical region in Central Anatolia famous for its fairy chimneys, in May this year, a number nearly eight times higher than the same month the previous year, the Governor's Office of the province of Nevşehir has announced.

"In May 2021, the number of the visitors was 61,634," said the office in a statement on June 7.

Turkey's Eastern Express has served more than 12,000 travelers since the service resumed in late December last year.

The Eastern Express runs 1,310 kilometers between Ankara and the eastern province of Kars, a journey that takes more than 30 hours.

Sanitation workers in the Central Anatolian province of Konya, known as the "cycling city of Turkey," have started working on specially designed bikes built in the city's industrial zone.

The city has a bicycle road of 550 kilometers, the longest in Turkey and the second-longest in the world after New York, the U.S.