Istanbul

With heavy snowfall expected on the weekend in the western Black Sea and southeastern and eastern Anatolia regions, the Turkish State Meteorological Service has issued "yellow" and "orange" alerts for 31 out of the country's 81 provinces.

Murat Kurum, the Istanbul mayoral candidate representing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)-led People's Alliance, has unveiled plans for the megacity primarily aimed at alleviating the city's notorious traffic congestion.

The concept of "congestion charging," in which vehicles entering areas with heavy traffic are charged a fee, has recently been gaining traction as a potential solution to simultaneously alleviate traffic congestion and mitigate air pollution.

With more than 20 food establishments in Istanbul's Kadıköy district opening their kitchens to university students, students can now eat without paying any fees on days and hours specified by the establishments.

The bustling metropolis of Istanbul ranked third in the "Top 20 European Cities for Solo Travelers" list, which features destinations praised for their appeal to solo travelers.

The Greek island of Rhodes topped the list, which features destinations ranked on the basis of Hungarian-based airline company Wizz Air's traveler comments on popular travel platform Tripadvisor.

In celebration of the 97th anniversary of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), the "Temas Istanbul" exhibition has opened its doors at the Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM) on Jan. 19, in which a collection of unique listening and surveillance objects such as shoes, watches, ties, and scales can be found.

President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has unveiled his ruling party's list of mayoral candidates for Istanbul's districts in the upcoming local elections scheduled for March 31.

The announcement came during a meeting at the Haliç Congress Center on Jan. 20, where the candidates representing the AKP-led People's Alliance were introduced.

House sales decreased by 17.5 percent to 1,225,926 in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to official numbers made public on Jan. 19.

Istanbul had the highest share of house sales with 16.2 percent, followed by Ankara with 9.3 percent and İzmir with 5.3 percent, Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) said.

As of today, a transformative policy takes effect at Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia, introducing a 25 euro entrance fee for foreign tourists, according to BGNES.

Foreign tourists entering the former Orthodox Christian cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul will have to pay an entrance fee from Monday, as announced by Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry.