Istanbul

Hundreds of people demanded that the historic Istanbul Hagia Sophia museum be converted into a mosque during a rally in Istanbul on May 24.

People gathered outside Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, in the historical Sultanahmet district, with some carrying signs that read: "Hagia Sophia needs to be reopened as a mosque," and "Let our lives be sacrificed for Islam."

Expect the unexpected! This can be the new catchphrase of Istanbul these days. Every other day we hear of a new place opening in an unusual corner of the city; there seems to be more and more facets of this ever-changing town to explore. 

Spor Toto Super League leader Galatasaray hosts Be?ikta? this weekend in a game that could see the Istanbul club take the last step toward the league title.

A worker died at the construction site of a new Istanbul metro line on May 22, just one day after its groundbreaking ceremony with the participation of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Kadir Topba?.

Adil Koluk?sao?lu, 32, died at the construction of the Mecidiyeköy stop of the metro line that aims to connect Istanbul's central exchange hub to the seaside neighborhood of Kabata?. 

Turkey?s social democratic main opposition Republican People?s Party (CHP) has revealed another economic pledge, this time a strategic one with less than three weeks left before the critical June 7 elections.

The annual Istanbul International Arts & Culture (IST) Festival, curated by the arts and culture platform "Istanbul '74," is back in town from May 22 to 24, attracting some of creative industries' most famous international and national names to the city. 

Istanbulites take part in the 'Color-Up Run,' a 2-km run enlivened by colorful dry paint, organized as part of Beşiktaş Municipality's May 19 celebrations

Painter Haydar Özay, the son of the 21-year gardener of Istanbul's Gezi Park, has spent his life there. He has recently finished a huge, 50-square meter painting of the park, which will be on view from May 30, the second anniversary of the Gezi protests. 

Atatürk Airport in Istanbul broke its air traffic record on May 14 when a total of 1,375 planes took off and landed.

Landings and take-offs from Istanbul's main airport increase as summer season opens.

Do?an News Agency reported on May 16 that the latest record came as the efforts to expand Atatürk Airport continued.

A total of 190 migrants have been captured in multiple locations in northwestern Turkey.

Some 113 migrants consisting of Afghans and Syrians were captured in an operation by the Turkish Coast Guard May 14 off the coast of the Ayvac?k district in the northwestern Çanakkale province. The migrants were trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on a boat.